20

Visit Us Online @ www.faithlosgatos.org

“LIKE” us on Facebook @ Faith Lutheran, Los Gatos

Pastor Johnson’s Office Schedule

Tuesday—Wednesday-Thursday

———————————————————

In case of an emergency need

for Pastor,

please call — 24/7

916-956-4111

Lutheran Web Links

Evangelical Lutheran Church of America https://www.elca.org

Sierra Pacific Synod

http://spselca.org/

The Lutheran https://www.thelutheran.org

*IF THERE IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE NEWSLETTER, PLEASE

CONTACT THE CHURCH OFFICE, 408.356.5055

16548 Ferris Avenue | Los Gatos, California 95032

(408) 356-5055

Voice of Faith May 2015

A publication of

Faith Lutheran Church, Los Gatos

By the Power of God: Caring, Sharing, Praying, Growing

2

“Voice of Faith”

Interim Pastor Bruce Johnson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am in full support of the “Term Call” recommendation mo-

tioned and approved by the Church Council on Thurs. 4/16, to be

voted on by the Congregation after Sunday, May 3rd Worship.

The reasons for supporting it are:

1. It expedites the Call Process

2. It responds to our unique need.

3. It originated from Bishop Mark in response to urgent

needs.

4. It was and is fully supported by Director of

Evangelical Missions, Pastor Carlton Monroe.

5. It assures us of a Pastor who is well qualified as a

Term Call Pastor

6. It enables Faith Lutheran, the Term Pastor, and the

Bishop’s Office to fully negotiate the purposes, tasks,

and time of this type of pastorate.

~ Pastor Johnson

19

CAN YOU HELP? May Sign-Ups Please find our sign-up binder in the Narthex to check future availabilities

or call the church office, (408) 356-5055 to fulfill specific dates.

FLOWERS

May 3:

May 10:

May 17: Joanne Peronto

May 24:

May 31: Korean Church

LECTOR

May 3: Skip MacAskill

May 10: Skip MacAskill

May 17:

May 24: Skip MacAskill

May 31:

ACOLYTE

May 3:

May 10:

May 17:

May 24:

May 31:

ALTAR CARE

May: Linda Perez

GREETER

May 3:

May 10:

May 17:

May 24:

May 31:

USHER (2)

May 3: Bob Balcomb/

May 10: Bob Balcomb/

May 17: Bob Balcomb/

May 24: Bob Balcomb/

May 31: Bob Balcomb/

REFRESHMENTS

May 3:

May 10: Bob Zeiher/Alice Abbing

May 17: Joanne Peronto

May 24:

May 31:

18

Sierra Pacific Synod Congregations

“Connections” is the theme of this year’s Sierra

Pacific Synod Assembly which will be held May

29—31 in Sacramento, Ca. The Morning La-

dies Group from Lutheran Church of the Incar-

nation in Davis has cut squares and sent them to

all congregations within the synod to write their

church name and return. They will put all the

returned squares together at the Assembly to

create a quilt as an image of this theme. Thank

you, Gwennie Balcomb for doing this on behalf of Faith Lutheran Church.

We will be represented well at the Synod Assembly. Praise God!

Blankets for the Lord’s Pantry

Blankets will be collected through the beginning of June for donation to the

Lord’s Pantry for the homeless and children. Shirley Brothers will also be

bringing in blankets in need of finishing if that is all you have time for. Con-

tact Shirley Brothers for more information, swedee5@aol.com or

408.879.0975

Thrivent Action Team (Take Action on a Cause you Care About)

Any member of Thrivent (or anyone who would like to pay a small fee to be a guest member) can apply for $250.00 seed money for a project of their choice, set up a team and complete project (after approved by Thrivent) within 90 days

1. A one time fundraiser 2. Service activity 3. Education event

Gwennie Balcomb submitted an application to fix up Room 13. It was ap-

proved!!!! Room 13 is currently utilized by external meeting groups. Mainte-

nance has been needed on this room for quite some time however the funds

had previously not been available. We plan to add new flooring, paint and

beautify the room for our current tenants. What a wonderful surprise when

they see the room. For questions on how you can help volunteer your skills to

this cause, and start date for project please contact Gwennie Balcomb at the

church office, 408-356-5055.

3

President’s Point of View

Bob Balcomb, 2015 Council President

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The wonderful news is that Jesus has risen, he has risen indeed.

As we enter the season of Easter we are once again reminded

that we have been saved through God’s grace. God put Jesus

here for our salvation and he has placed Faith Lutheran in Los

Gatos for the same reason. We are part of God’s plan to pre-

pare the world, and more self centeredly our own community,

for Jesus’ return. What can we point to that we are facilitating

this calling?

It is true that we make efforts to open our facility to our com-

munity and our community does make use of this effort, but we

are using our facility not our talents and gifts. As a church

community, we need to look to outreaches which entail our

personal efforts not just the impersonal use of our building.

Many ideas have been put forth, we have put together a crew to

paint and refurbish Room 13 in the Sunday School wing and

work will begin during this month as a start. Other ideas

which have been suggested are sponsoring an electronic waste

pickup, hosting a blood drive, opening our craft night to the

community, dependency group services, the options are innu-

merable. We just need the ideas and the willingness to do some

work. If we do community service, there are start up funds

available for “seed” money.

Again, what can we, you, do to aid in demonstrating God’s

faith in us to do his will?

Yours in God’s name,

Bob

4

DIVINE DIRECTION By Jemima Rayan

http://www.pottersministries.org/Messages/html/DivineDirection.html

How nice will it be, if the Lord Himself will give us the directions to proceed in

our life? That is what exactly the Lord wants to do for His children. In the mod-

ern days that we live in, we have so many advanced technologies to give us

directions when we want to get somewhere.

The Bible talks about divine direction in the scriptures. God has a road map for

each and every one of us. God knows exactly where to take us. He knows the

minute details of our life. He has the blue print for our whole life already. We

do not have to ask him to put a new plan for our lives. All we have to do it just

fit in His plans for our lives. His Word of God declares inJeremiah 29:11, ' For I

know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace

and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope'.

To get to the bigger picture, our God goes step by step. Though He knows the

end from the beginning, He does not tell you the destination right away. All He

wants to tell you is one step at a time. And the Lord God Almighty orders each

step.

Steps are ordered:

The word that is mentioned in the Bible is 'ordered' just like the way you order

your food in a restaurant. You order as much as you can eat. In the same way,

God orders our steps and steps that we are able to take. God's word says, 'He

orders every step'. 'The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He

delights in his way' (Ps 37:23).

Have you noticed the way we plan things in our life. Most of them do not hap-

pen at all. Sometime people are concerned about things that may not even come

to pass. Still there are some who spend half of their time in just worrying about

things that are irrelevant?

The Bible says, 'A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps' (Pro

16:9). Notice the word 'step'. Our God directs our steps.

Paths are directed:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths (Pro 3:5). The

key to unlocking God's direction is by acknowledging Him in all our ways.

Many think that God's paths are full of lack. That is not true. Just because you

have not seen abundance doesn't means that God's paths are not abundant. The

Bible says, 'You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with

abundance' (Ps 65:11)

17

(*You may find all answers in the Bible verses noted.)

1. What did Peter tell the people they should do to receive the Holy Spirit? (Acts 2:38)

A. pray and repent B. repent C. repent and be baptized D. pray and fast E. pray and ask for it 2. About what time of day did the Holy Spirit first appear? (Acts 2:15) A. midafternoon B. late afternoon C. noon D. midmorning E. dawn 3. What was the first recorded miracle done by Peter in the

name of Jesus? (Acts 3:6) A. healed a blind man B. cast out a demon C. cured a leper D. healed a lame man 4. How did the Holy Spirit first appear to the apostles? (Acts 2:2) A. an earthquake B. Thunder and lightning C. a strong wind D. like a dove 5. What was the field called that was purchased with the money

given to Judas? (Acts 1:19)

A. Fullers B. Aceldama C. Abaddon D. Apollyon

May Bible Trivia Quiz

16

Wordsearch

*May Crossword Answer:

Resurrection

LUTHERAN HUMOR

You might be a Lutheran if…

...a midlife crisis means switching from the old hymnbook to the

new one.

5

When we are in God's direction, we are heading towards abundance. It may not

feel like it, it may not look like it. But the Word of God says, God's path drip

with abundance. Let not the devil talk you out of that word. Our God is not a

God of lack. He is a God of abundance. His paths drip with abundance. All you

want to be is, in His path. God's word is final.

How to know God's directions:

1. Prayer:

Look at the prayer of David, a man after God's own heart. David was a king but

yet He had the time to pray to the Lord God Almighty to show him His ways

and teach him His paths.'Show me your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths'

(Ps 25:4). Direct my steps by Your Word (Ps 119:133).

Take God at His word when you pray. I will instruct you and teach you in the

way you should go; I will guide you with my eye (Ps 32:8).

Tell Him, 'Lord Jesus, I am here to ask for your directions in my life'. I do not

want to go in my path but take me in Your ways, Lord. You will soon see God

coming through.

2. Word of God:

God's word is the lamp unto your feet and a light to your path (Ps 119:105). Af-

ter you have prayed, do not expect a prophet to come out, and put his hand on

you give you a prophesy. That may not happen. That is not always the way God

wants to work.

Expect God to reveal things from His heart to yours. He wants you to know His

ways from His word. So while you are going through the Word of God, listen to

the Holy Spirit for revelation from the word Write down the impressions and

ideas He gives you. Let the truth He reveals to you settle in and begin to work in

you.

3. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit:

The thing that we need to understand is that we cannot hurry God into any-

thing. The Bible calls it 'waiting'. There is something called waiting upon the

Lord that is so important in our spiritual walk. The Holy Spirit talks in a still

small voice right in your heart. He loves to talk to us. When our heart is in the

right place, we sure will hear Him speak to us.

Isaiah 30:21 says, 'Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the

way, walk in it." Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to

the left".

Jesus said in John 10:27 says, 'My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and

they follow Me'. We need to fine tune our spiritual ears all the time so that we

can hear Him.

Let us walk in His ways all the days of our life. Amen.

6

Ukraine Conflict

Typhoon Haiyan: one year later

Gaza Humanitarian Assistance

Ebola Outbreak Response

Unaccompanied and Migrant Children

South Sudan Conflict

U.S. Tornadoes

Syria

US Flooding

See more at: http://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Relief-and-

Development/Lutheran-Disaster-Response/

You may place your donations for the monthly Social Concern

of the Month into the offering plate or mail directly to Faith

Lutheran Church office—Please note in memo line “Social

Concern of the Month”.

Lutheran Disaster Response

Nepal Area Earthquake Lutheran Disaster Response brings God’s hope, heal-ing and renewal to people whose lives have been dis-rupted by disasters in the United States and around the world. When the dust settles and the headlines change, they stay to provide ongoing assistance to those in need. Here are where Lutherans currently are responding:

15

Mark your calendars!

Sunday School— Each Sunday morning at 8:30am

Adult Class—Each Sunday at 8:45am — 9:15am in the li-

brary

BLANKET DONATIONS— Collection of blankets for the

LORD’S PANTRY begins NOW!! Please drop off all donated

blankets to the designated location in the Narthex. With

God’s blessings, they will be dropped off in June. Thank you

for your GENEROUS donations.

Bible Study—each Thursday at 10:45 AM

Friendship Luncheon— Friendship Potluck Luncheon, at noon

Thursday, May _____

Lord’s Pantry Delivery— Every Monday

Council Meeting— Thursday, May 21st, 7:00pm

Mt. Cross Ministries

Memorial Work Weekend & BBQ

May 22-24, 2015

Join us this Memorial Day Weekend as we prepare our facil-

ities for the upcoming summer season!

Participate in skill appropriate work projects

Enjoy evening family activities

Relax at our Memorial Day BBQ!

Unable to attend for the whole weekend? Come for our

Memorial Weekend BBQ (May 24 2-5 PM) and enjoy camp

activities and delicious food!

To register or receive additional information,

visit www.mtcross.org

14

MAY BIRTHDAYS Oscar Vega 3 Joseph Neely, Sr. 20

Guy Furlo 7 Joanne Peronto 20

Rudy Camarena 10 David Botelho 25

Eva Woodall 13 Lisa Lippi 27

Charlotte Viner 17 Margaret Werner 29

Verna Bachman 18

MAY ANNIVERSARIES Oscar & Adriana Vega 3

John & Mardi Kambish 17

Patrick & Joy Plummer 23

7

Faith Lutheran

Church

Children’s Easter

Egg Hunt

April 5, 2015 *Special Thanks to Linda Perez,

Eva Woodall, Carl Kruger,

Gwennie Balcomb, and

Deana Hernandez

8

APRIL FINANCIALS

Information is for previous month.

If you have any questions, please con-

tact the Church office.

Totals for April

Attendance: 212 (Monthly average: 53 )

Offering: $11,678 Goal: $13,402

Shortfall: $-1,724

Social Concern of the Month: $85.00 (St. Luke’s Pantry Program)

13

LOVING PRAYERS

“Lord, I come, I confess. Bowing here I find my rest.

Without You I fall apart.

You’re the One that guides my heart”

~ Matt Maher, Musician

Baby Nathan Crawl

Jamie & Tristen Fabris

Eva Woodall

What is a Prayer Shawl?

Whether they are called Prayer Shawls, Comfort Shawls, Peace

Shawls, or Mantles, etc., the shawl maker begins with prayers

and blessings for the recipient. The intentions are continued

throughout the creation of the shawl. Upon completion, a final

blessing is offered before the shawl is sent on its way. Some

recipients have continued the kindness by making a shawl and

passing it onto someone in need. Thus, the blessing ripples from

person-to-person, with both the giver and receiver feeling the

unconditional embrace of a sheltering God!

If you know someone in need of a prayer shawl, please contact

the church office.

NOTE: We are sensitive to both the need of friends and relatives to seek

healing prayer for others and to the need we all feel to have others care and

pray for us. If you or someone you know needs prayers, please feel free to

place a request in the offering basket or call the church office.

12

Children of Faith What are the kids up to when they are not at church with us?

Here is a glimpse of their adventures and hobbies...

Dasia spends time with

friends at a birthday party!

Donovan plays for the Cubs baseball team

this year and LOVES

Damian started T-ball this year and

successfully hit 148 ft in his

hit-a-thon.

Jimmy is one of only two

sixth graders in the Herman

Middle school Jazz Band. He

plays trombone and recently

competed in the CMEA Jazz

Festival in Reno, NV .

Wesley is playing

AAA level Little

League (8-10 years).

He is a member of

the Yankees and

usually plays third

base or pitcher.

9

FLC WEBSITE

Have you checked out Faith Lutheran’s Website?

http://www.faithlosgatos.org

“TERM” Pastor Announcement

At the Faith Council meeting, your church council was presented with

the opportunity to consider a “Term” Pastor, a permanent Pastoral role

with full responsibilities, for a limited time, which could be 1 year, 2

years, etc. (whatever the council agrees to as the term) until we are in a

better position to consider a permanent call. The council motioned and

approved this forward move.

Calling a “Term” Pastor…

1. expedites the Call Process

2. responds to our unique need.

3. originated from Bishop Mark in response to urgent

needs.

4. was and is fully supported by Director of Evangelical

Missions, Pastor Carlton Monroe.

5. assures us of a Pastor who wants and is well qualified

as a Term Call Pastor

6. enables Faith Lutheran, the Term Pastor, and the Bishop’s

Office to fully negotiate the

purposes, tasks, and time of this type of pastorate.

A Congregational Meeting, specifically and for the sole purpose of a

congregational vote to move forward with the hiring of a “Term” Pastor,

is scheduled for Sunday, May 3rd, immediately following service. This

information will be mailed out, included in our social media outlets

(Facebook and our church website) and within the May newsletter.

If you have any specific question, please speak to a council member.

10

Joanne Peronto

Our featured member this month

came into this world in rural Wis-

consin on islands Northeast of

Green Bay. She entered the world

as a child much like “Little House

on the Prairie”, no electricity, no

central heat, no running water,

outhouses in the bitter cold and

snow, 4 hours of daylight to do all

the chores and daily bringing in

wood for the stove to last all night.

As a student, she loved school,

traveled on the ice, being careful of

open water and had to ski to school. Joanne’s exposure to the Luther-

an church was Confirmation class and has continued to this day as a

sometimes leader and active participant at Faith serving on the cur-

rent Council as Secretary, on the alter care committee, Easter Cross

decorator and does many other behind the scenes jobs.

Her mother was a school teacher and rode in one of the last stage-

coaches at start of school year and had to board with her student’s

families. Her dad was very inventive and designed and built a better

hay wagon and fisherman’s buoy.

FLC Highlight *Each month FLC would like to call your attention to an outstanding

congregation member, friend, or event. If you know someone who should be

“Highlighted”, please send your nominations to the church office, 408.356.5055.

11

Her agricultural career began at age 10 picking cherries and this also

provided her introduction to Jamaican music from the Jamaican mi-

grants. Joanne and her husband Bob, after moving to California to pur-

sue employment, purchased land with a view of Monterey Bay. This

land happened to have an orchard on it and they bagan to grow fruit,

persimmons, for sale and others for their own use, furthering her agri-

cultural heritage. Joanne continues to manage and grow fruit on that

acreage. They became parents of 3 children and she became the care

giver for her mentally ill mother-in-law. She continues her love of

planting, plants and their care by working often in the church yart. You

can often see her planting, trimming, watering and caring for our

church foliage.

Bob went to work for IBM and developed the first classes at UCLA for

computers and taught her how to program. This was ground breaking

as PC’s would not even exist for at least 10 years down the road. When

the kids started school, Joanne went to work specializing in manufac-

turing applicat6ions using the experience of watching her dad. She

eventually worked as a programmer and consultant until, at the age of

75, the company closed. Joanne’s retirement has not let up on work

(her hardy, farm, rural upbringing) despite 2 life threatening surgeries.

She continues to travel and has most recently, hiked in Italy and piloted

a boat through the canal in the south of France with six other women.

Bob passed away when Joanne was 60. She now spends many hours

caring for the church, grand-children and has picked up a hobby…

painting.