svpc’s 60th anniversary...
TRANSCRIPT
A LO N G T H E WAYThe Newsletter of Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church • December 2016
SVPC’s 60th Anniversary CelebrationWe hope you enjoy these images captured on October 30, the day we celebrated
Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church’s 60th anniversary.
Continued on next page...
Continued from cover...
December2–4 Senior High Fall Frenzy, Mount Hermon, [email protected] Second Sunday of Advent Food Drive for those in our community served by Sunnyvale Community Services Alternative Gift Options Faire, after all worship services Intersections Worship Service, 5 PM, Gym Advent Community Dinner, 6:15 PM, Gym Chancel Choir Christmas Concert & reception, 7 PM, Sanctuary5 Deadline for January newsletter articles (yes, it’s earlier than usual)6 Parent Support Group, 9:30–10:30 AM, Coleman Room7 JAM meets, 9:30–11:30 AM, Coleman Room FLASH, 6–7:45 PM, Gym CLUE, 7–8:45 PM, Youth Room8 PW Christmas Program, 10:30 AM, Fellowship Hall & Sanctuary10 Advent Retreat, 9:30 AM–12:30 PM, Coleman Room11 Third Sunday of Advent Moment with Children, 10 AM & 5 PM TK/Kindergarten–6th grade children’s choir rehearsal, 10 AM Church School No 11 AM children’s choir rehearsal All-Church Soup and Sing, 11:15 AM–12:30 PM; all children’s choirs sing Advent Community Dinner, 6:15 PM, Fellowship Hall14 FLASH, 6–7:45 PM, Gym CLUE, 7–8:45 PM, Youth Room15 Special Needs Support Group, 7–8:30 PM, Fireside Room16 FLASH/CLUE Movie Night (Star Wars), Century Cinema Mt. View, [email protected] Fourth Sunday of Advent Advent Community Dinner, 6:15 PM, Fellowship Hall24 Saturday, Christmas Eve services at 5 PM*, 7:30 PM*, 11 PM Rainbow and Glory Choirs (K–6th) sing and LOGOS Handchimes play, 5 PM Optional participation in Christmas story at 5 PM worship service * Child care available for children 6 months to 5 years old
December CalendarA quick look at what’s happening at SVPC this month...
Where is that?
Coleman Room (Bldg 700)
Fellowship Hall (Bldg 300)
Fireside Room (Bldg 200)
Gym, Phoenix Center (Bldg 700)
Sanctuary (Bldg 100) Soulé Hall (Room 501,
Bldg 500)Youth Room, Phoenix
Center (Bldg 700)
25 Sunday, Christmas Day—one service at 11 AM Family Worship Service (no Church School) Child care available for children 6 months to 5 years old26 Church office closed
January1 Family Worship Service, 10 AM and 5 PM (no Church School) Child care available for children 6 months to 5 years old4 FLASH, 6–7:45 PM, Gym CLUE, 7–8:45 PM, Youth Room7 GriefShare, 9 AM–12:30 PM, Fireside Room The Music School’s 40th Anniversary Celebration, 10 AM8 Youth & Families Winter Party, 6:15–8 PM, Gym, RSVP to [email protected] FLASH, 6–7:45 PM, Gym CLUE, 7–8:45 PM, Youth Room14 GriefShare, 9 AM–12:30 PM, Fireside Room18 FLASH, 6–7:45 PM, Gym CLUE, 7–8:45 PM, Youth Room20 Senior High Super Hero Super Bowl,
7 PM–midnight, Gym, [email protected] GriefShare, 9 AM–12:30 PM, Fireside Room Teddy Bear Concert, 11:15 AM, Sanctuary25 FLASH, 6–7:45 PM, Gym CLUE, 7–8:45 PM, Youth Room27–29 Men’s Retreat28 GriefShare, 9 AM–12:30 PM, Fireside Room29 FLASH AM, 10–11 AM, Gym30 Bridge to a New America with Jim Wallis, 7:30 PM,
Sanctuary
More than ever, we need the Christ child who rescues us from the muck and mire of a world that fosters discord rather than embrace. Where will we find the courage to follow Christ and work for the transforma-tion of our community and country? Perhaps it can be found in the promise of this wonderful old Irish prayer:
Christ with me,Christ before me,Christ behind me,Christ in me,Christ beneath me,Christ above me.As we gather this Advent
season to celebrate the great gift of Christ who is God with us, let us draw hope and courage from this ancient story of Jesus Christ, the Word of God who became flesh and blood, and moved into our neighborhood (John 1:14). It truly is the best treasure to savor.
Blessings,
unexpected and often unseen ways. I wonder how many of us can still be surprised by the wonder of the baby born in Bethlehem to a teenage mother. Can we imagine the awe of angel messengers an-nouncing Christ’s birth? Can we envision the grandeur of ancient kings arriving in a backwater village to lay gifts at the feet of a newborn king? Can our hearts find joy at the significance of the birth of a baby who came to show us the true way we are supposed to live and order our lives?
This is one of my favorite times of the year. There are holiday stories to read, movies to watch, and music to warm the soul. I love getting together with friends where gooey delights are served up alongside gratitude for years of loving relationships.
For all the craziness and unsettledness of this past year, Christmas reminds us that we have so much to treasure. Christ comes to us in vulnerability and help-lessness reminding us that God always comes to us in
The View From Hereby Rev. Debbie Whaley
“For all the craziness and unsettledness of this past year, Christmas reminds us that we have so much to treasure.”
Men’s RetreatJanuary 27–29, 2017, Presentation Center, Los Gatos
Men of the church commu-nity—join us for the Men’s Retreat. We will be led by the Rev. Mark Stryker, currently an associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. Sign-ups for the retreat begin on December 4 in Trinity Court. The retreat is a chance to bond with one another as we renew our faith and seek our Lord together. For more informa-tion or to volunteer to help, contact Scotty VanSickle or Bob Stoddard at [email protected].
Women’s RetreatMarch 3–5, 2017, Presentation Center, Los Gatos
We are pleased to welcome the Rev. Mary Ellen Azada, Executive Director of Call Discernment at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, as our speaker. Her topic will be Transformation: The Work of God in Our Midst. We hope you will join us as we explore the different ways God can transform our lives both personally as well as in community. Questions? Contact Julie Clinton at [email protected].
Rooted in Christ...Sunnyvale Presbyterian offers everyone an opportunity to connect with the church community.
Going Deeper: Practices for Spiritual Growth (An Advent Retreat)Saturday, December 10, 9:30 AM–12:30 PM, Coleman Room, Led by Jim Peterson and Judy Beggs
This half-day retreat will explore, through presentations and exercises, a few spiritual practices that can open one up to a deeper relationship with God. The retreat will provide opportunities for learning, personal reflection, and the chance to learn from one another’s experiences. The goal of the retreat is to have partici-pants leave with a sense of the next step each wants to take on the path of deeper relationship with the divine, both personally and in community.
Child care is available with a reservation to [email protected] by December 3.
Register at bit.ly/AL_AdventRetreat
Financial Update through October Tavie Armfield, Church Comptroller
We are more than half way through our fiscal year, which began in April. What a generous congregation we have—many of you are giving more than your financial
commitment to the church. We have had lower expenses than planned due in part to the open Director of Youth Ministry position (June–November) and other lower staff expenses. We are ever grateful for your faithfulness to this church. Thank you!
Stewardship UpdateWe thank those of you who are so generously giving in 2016 and for those who have made a financial commitment for next year. During this stewardship campaign, which began October 30, we’ve had $957,000 committed for 2017, which is good, but is 4 percent less than we had received this time last year. The total committed for 2016 at the end of last year’s campaign was $1.4M. So you can see we still have a way to go!
Letting us know your plan of giving allows us to plan well for our next year’s ministry. There are different methods of contributing, other than giving cash, which can help reduce your tax burden, such as giving stock or giving through a charitable trust or your retirement distributions. We ask that you prayerfully consider how you might give as a response of faith and gratitude for God’s grace in your life.
$1,139k Income-$ 986k Expenses
$ 153k Surplus
Get Ready for Christmas EveDecember 24, 5 PM
Children’s Ministry is excited about our 5 PM Christmas Eve worship service! Everyone is invited to come to the 5 PM service dressed as one of the characters from the Christmas story. Dress as Mary and bring your baby doll. Dress as a shepherd or an angel or an animal, or maybe a townsperson, Joseph or a wise-person. (If you don’t have a costume, we will have some in the entryway.) During the service all will be invited to participate in a Christmas pageant in front of the congregation; there are no speaking parts. Our hope is for this service to be especially child friendly and it is a great opportunity to invite grandkids, neighbors and friends. Questions? Contact Carol Heath at [email protected].
2016 Christmas Eve OfferingAs is our tradition, the Christmas Eve offering will benefit one local and one international organization. The Mission and Service team has selected Our Daily Bread and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance as the recipients of this year’s Christmas Eve offering.
Our Daily Bread is a Sunnyvale non-profit organization serving hot, nutritious meals to hungry men, women and children in our community. Meals are served three days a week.
Your contribution for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance will go towards the relief effort in Haiti following the devastation of hurricane Matthew.
One hundred percent of your donation will go toward supporting the work of these organizations. Please give gener-ously to help those in need, both in Sunnyvale and Haiti.
Session SummariesOctober 18 and November 15 Session Meetings
Both session meetings opened with worship time with prayer, John 12:46, lighting of the Christ candle, time for silent reflection, and affirmation of the church’s vision statement.
In October ministry area reports included finance and budget, San Jose Presbytery meeting, Ministry Resources plans for solar panels in the church parking lot, and the Youth search team’s selection of Paul Scholz to be the new Director of Youth Ministry. In small breakout groups, session met with nine new members and listened to their faith journeys. Session continued their discussion of LGBT issues and closed their time together with the Lord’s Prayer.
In November session discussed and passed a motion to be a welcoming community. Ministry areas offered the following reports: Outreach and Evangelism is now known as Welcome and Hospitality, and Equipping is now known as Discipleship; Ministry Resources shared that the solar panel construction will take place in January. Session thanked Ginna Traina and her team for the lovely SVPC 60th anniversary celebration. Session closed its meeting by offering prayers of intercession for the congregation.
GriefShareSaturdays, January 7, 14, 21, and 28, 9 AM–12:30 PM, Fireside Room
Please join us for this four-week class led by the Rev. Dr. Libby Boatwright. GriefShare is a video seminar featuring speakers combined with small group discussion led by trained facilitators. Each session allows par-ticipants to talk about how they are dealing with the death of a loved one. The cost is $15 for the workbook; snacks and lunch are provided. To register, contact Jean Ranck at [email protected] or 408-739-1892.
Reaching Out In Love.Christ commands us to love one another as He loves us. Here’s how.
Special Needs Ministry Support GroupsTuesday, December 6, 9:30 AM, Coleman Room & Thursday, December 15, 7 PM, Fireside Room
The Special Needs Ministry hosts a monthly Morning Coffee, and has recently added an Evening Support Group. Both times offer a safe, enriching place for parents of children with special needs. Come learn about resources, share joys and frustrations, ask questions, or just listen about others’ journeys. Join Sara Grignon and Julie Clinton the first Tuesday of the month from 9:30–10:30 AM, or the third Thursday of the month from 7–8:30 PM. For questions, please contact Sara Grignon, Special Needs Coordinator at [email protected].
Presbyterian Women Christmas ProgramDecember 8, 10:30 AM, Fellowship Hall
All women in the church community are invited to attend a Christmas program that includes lunch followed by a concert with Andy Aron’s Cupertino High School Cantos Choir in the sanctuary. The Cantos Choir will sing a variety of Christmas and classical pieces.
Please RSVP to Jackie Mattison at 408-241-0760 or [email protected] by December 5. Suggested donation for lunch is $5.
Bridge to a New America with Jim WallisMonday, January 30, 2017, 7:30 PM, Sanctuary
Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church and the San Jose Presbytery’s Peace and Justice Task Force are pleased to host nationally-known speaker and author Jim Wallis, who will speak about racism and social justice—hot topics in our national conver-sation after recent events.
In his latest book, America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America, Wallis offers an urgent and deeply personal call to action in overcom-ing the racism that is so ingrained in American society. Jim Wallis is the founder and leader of Sojourners, a bestselling author, public theologian, and social activist. He has written more than ten books, including The (Un)Common Good and the New York Times bestsellers God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It and The Great Awakening, and is a frequent speaker in the United States and abroad.
Wallis is the first speaker to be brought to our community through the Charlie Jensen Lectureship by the Mission and Service Ministry Team. A reception and book signing will be held in the gym immediately following Mr. Wallis’ speech. The event will be open to the public. There is no cost to attend the event, but for space-planning purposes we ask people to register through the church website.
Jim Wallis
Advent Community DinnersNovember 27, December 4, 11, 18, 6:15 PM
Each Sunday during Advent there will be a simple meal immediately following the Intersections worship service. Come and enjoy fellowship as we eat together. If you could offer 45 minutes to help with clean up after the meal, please sign up here: bit.ly/SVPC_CommunityDinner.
“Joy to the World”—A Virtual Tour Inside Our Pipe Organ
Curious about the inner workings of our pipe organ? Want a peek at some of those 3116 pipes?You can watch and listen to Valerie Sterk’s original com-position, Partita on ‘Joy to the World’, and take a virtual YouTube tour through our pipe organ at bit.ly/2fsRF77. You’ll see pipes of all shapes
and sizes, jingling bells of the Glockenstern, key action in motion, and close-up views of Valerie’s feet playing the pedals. Our very own Fjord and Sarah Hawthorne produced the video—as videographers, photographers, and editors. Get in the Christmas spirit as you enjoy these colorful variations on the beloved carol, Joy to the World.
Chancel Choir Christmas ConcertDecember 4, 7 PM, Sanctuary
Invite your friends and family to share the joy of the Advent season. Plan to attend the festive, annual Christmas Concert presented by our Chancel Choir. Child care will be provided, and all are invited to a reception immediately following the concert. A free-will offering will be collected to help offset the concert costs.
The concert will feature Antonio Vivaldi’s joyful Gloria, Kirke Mechem’s exquisite Seven Joys of Christmas (seven carol settings), and the ever-popular carol sing-along. Soloists, orchestra, harp and organ will join the choir for this evening of glorious Christmas music.
© John Stuart 2016
Alternative Gift Options FaireDecember 4, after all worship services
Would you like for your holiday giving to benefit others in our local or global community? SVPC Mission and Service ministry will present you with alternative gift options after all three services on December 4.
You may purchase Palestinian olive oil and soap for friends and relatives or Luci Lights to give while supporting the children of Gaza. A representative from Alternative Gifts International will be present to take orders, and there will be a table where you can order Fair Trade coffee, chocolate and cocoa, and pick up a catalog from Presbyterian Giving.
Wish lists provided by local community organizations and gift cards for Pilgrims of Ibillin will make shopping easy and a blessing to those in need.
Tables will be located in Trinity Court after the morning services and in the gym after Intersections. Come prepared with your checkbook, so you can choose gifts for those you love that will support causes that touch your heart.
Fair Trade Products from Equal Exchange
• Coffee • Hot cocoa mix • Chocolate bars • Mini chocolates
Giving Catalog from Presbyterian USA
Examples from dozens of choices on PresbyterianGifts.org:
• Scholarships & school uniforms • Children’s peace camps • Emergency life packs • Community garden supplies
Alternative Gifts International
Representatives from AGI will be present with catalogs and order forms. Preview the catalog at AlternativeGifts.org.
Wish Lists Available From… Bill Wilson Center
Rotating Shelter
Refugee Transitions
40th Anniversary CelebrationSaturday, January 7, 10 AM
The Music School is hosting an exciting event celebrating its 40th Anniversary. There will be an Open House, food, and a free workshop making music together. We hope to see you there!
Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church728 West Fremont Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 739-9248
Teddy Bear ConcertSaturday, January 21, 11:15 AM, Sanctuary
Join us for our annual Teddy Bear Concert and Sing-a-long! We’ll be singing classics and some of our faculty will perform as well. Don’t forget to bring your stuffed animals!
Open EnrollmentClasses and lessons for this academic year are still open to new enrollments. Check out our website www.themusicschool.org or call us at 408-739-9248 and we’d be happy to help you start.
In Our Thoughts and Prayers... For the loss of loved ones: Nancy Ewing’s father (Paul
Ewing); Alice McNally’s brother (Manuel Tapiador Echon, Jr.); the family of Rafael “Ralph” Acevedo
For cancer treatment: Bob Meyers, Sally MorefieldFor upcoming surgery: Bev LenihanFor recovery: Jim Dennis; Akio Hosoda; Itzel Villa
In Celebration... We celebrate the 60th wedding anniversary of Charley and Ethel Hopkins.
Online: What’s at svpc.usSpecial Needs Ministry—• www.svpc.us/groups/specialneedsAdvent—• www.svpc.us/adventChristmas Eve & Christmas Day—• www.svpc.us/christmasE-mail• — [email protected]
Go green!Go Green! Consider joining the more than 400 indi-viduals and families that now receive their newsletter electronically. The online edition arrives sooner, contains the same articles plus vivid full-color photos and live links, and can be easily shared with family and friends, all while helping reduce our carbon footprint! Opt-in by sending an e-mail to [email protected] with your request.
Newsletter DeadlinesThe newsletter deadline is Monday, December 5 for the January edition. Articles may be up to 120 words in length. Send your article to [email protected], and, if possible, include a photo with your article.
Christmas Eve Services Saturday, December 24
5 PM Family Christmas Eve ServiceChild care for ages 6 months to 5 years. Come as your favorite character from the nativity story—Mary, Joseph, angels, shepherds, animals, townspeople, or one of the wise people! Linger afterward for hot cocoa around the fire pit.
7:30 PM Candles & Carols ServiceChild care for ages 6 months to 5 years. Join us afterward for hot cocoa.
10:30 PM Choir of Bells Prelude
11 PM Candles & Carols Service
Sunday, December 25 at 11 AM Christmas Day Family Worship Service
© John Stuart 2016
Thanks for saving paper and postage by reading this online!
728 West Fremont Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94087