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Read more about how to get involved in this very important process our church is going through. Download and print a handout flyer with more information on the upcoming Spiritual Classes and Discernment Reflection Series.
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Holiday Greetings!
Welcome to the new and improved newsletter of All Pilgrims Christian Church; The Vine. In this month's issue you will find another update on our New Beginnings process, an introduction to our Temporary Leave Pastor, Greg Turk, many options for giving to those in need during this holiday season and much much more! Happy Holidays and reading. |
| We Are a New Creation
For what purpose has God called the members of All Pilgrims Christian Church at this time and in this place? Beginning in November, All Pilgrims embarked on the next leg of the journey that began with our Cottage Meetings earlier this year. In those meetings, participants reviewed the current state of the church, and determined that we need to redefine the purpose of our lives together.
New Beginnings: We Are a New Creation is the road ahead for the balance of 2008 and into 2009. We kicked off the program on November 23rd, with an initial introductory meeting and opening exercises lead by Linda Purdy and our New Beginnings consultant John Forman.
Coming up is the spiritual education class "Practicing Spiritual Discernment". This class will be offered two separate times, Saturday, December 6, 10 a.m. to noon, and Sunday, Dec. 14, noon to 2 p.m. Learning spiritual discernment is like building a muscle. The muscle is built in action, but these classes will provide the theological and scriptural foundation for understanding discernment - which is listening for the will of God in our lives, individually and collectively. As we go through the New Beginnings process, we will return often to the themes we learn in this class.
In 2009, we will engage in the Discernment Reflection Series, three half-day discernment events designed to answer the questions "Why has God called us to this place? Why have we been given what we have?" Reserve your calendar now for all three:
· Event One: "Claiming Our Strengths," Sunday, January 4, 2009; 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.- in which we look at the gifts and resources with which we are blessed, and reflect on how they might represent a call to service.
· Event Two: "Seeking God's Will," Sunday, February 1, 2009; 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. - in which we reflect on who we are and what we are hearing as we listen for the voice of Spirit.
· Event Three: "Giving Voice To Vision," Sunday, March 1, 2009; 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. - in which we articulate our purpose and a set of guiding principles in draft form to be taken back to the whole congregation to be refined and approved.
Also planned for 2009 are "Stir Up The Gifts," a Congregation Visioning Event, an Action Inquiry phase of exploring new ministries; and Calling a New Pastor. Additional details on 2009 activities are available in the New Beginnings handout PDF or by talking to a member of the New Beginnings Committee. Those members are Eric Liljegren (chair), Linda Purdy, Rod Purdy, Vince Larkin, Ray Nutter, Kathleen Hosfeld, Kathy Wells (Moderator) Pastor Nina, and our Temporary Leave Pastor, Greg Turk. |
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Greetings from
Rev. Nina Merkle Nestlerode
Advent is upon us. We are preparing the way for the birth of the Christ Child. Gee does this resonate with me!
Although I'm not carrying The Divine Son of God, I sure am preparing the way for the birth of another tiny, delicate child of God. As you read this newsletter, I will just be starting maternity leave: preparing, waiting for this incredible and awe-inspiring time.
Although I won't be pastoring to you during the next few months, our Advent theme, "God Among Us" is a great reminder of who we are as a faith people even in this time of my absence. "God Among Us". Ultimately I couldn't leave you in better hands than God's! And as a much added bonus, Rev. Greg Turk will with be with you as our Maternity Leave Pastor until my return in Mid-March. Greg will inspire you and encourage the Spirit among you. He is a gifted preacher and pastor and we are thankful for his support during my leave!
This is also your time to support APCC. We've talked a lot over the past weeks in worship of what a supportive faith group is like: authentic, caring, courageous, daring to take steps of faith (even if it includes falling repeatedly and getting back up), listening for God, seeing God in the people around us, etc. Well, this IS YOUR TIME to be that supportive faith group. Time for your added support to each other, time to support Pastor Greg as he moves through the comings & goings of this congregation, time to support the stranger and welcome him/her through our doors, time to support the future calling of our ministry together, time to support this house of God as a vibrant place where the Spirit really does move!
I wrote last month about a few ways you can be more involved in the support life of this congregation during my leave time. I want to repeat those ideas again as an important request for your support as I step out for this wonderful birth:
"I need you to provide support for this community of worship while I am away. What do I mean? Well, really...the question to ask yourself is "How Do I Serve? How can I be involved in the life of this spiritual community?" Here are some ways to consider:
Praying for one another
Sharing what your spiritual needs are (prayers, a ride to church, assistance in a tough time, someone to listen and share your struggles with, someone to laugh with...)
Asking church leaders and other members where help is needed (assisting clusters; coming to the Greening of the Greens to decorate for Advent, or for the "take down" after Christmas; offering spiritual friendship to those in our congregation; participating in a Spiritual Group like our Advent Bible Study or the newly forming Men's breakfast group; companioning the homeless and mentally ill; or supporting the Spiritual Care Team)
Prayerfully and Passionately participating in the New Beginnings process
Giving financially in a way that stretches you a bit, realizing that this is a spiritual exercise. (There's little to no exercise in giving of spare change, spare time or spare ideas - stretch in your giving).
Showing UP!
May the support of each of you, including our leave pastor, strengthen and carry this community of faith over the next few months. This is your time to provide me with the care that I and my family need. This is your time to support even more fully the life of this congregation."
May you remember that "God is Among Us". I wish you a rich Advent and Christmas Season.
Blessings and much gratitude to each of you,
Pastor Nina |
Welcome to Rev. Greg Turk, our New Maternity Leave Interim Pastor As you know, Pastor Nina will be away from Dec. 1 through March 15 with the birth of their new baby son. She will be returning to continue her leadership at that time until we have a new long-term pastor (sometime in 2009). The search team contacted both of our denominations - United Church of Christ (UCC) and Disciples of Christ (DOC) - for recommendations for our temporary leave pastor.
We are very fortunate to have Rev. Greg Turk join us for this three and a half month time. We feel he has the energy and the experience to be an excellent substitute for Pastor Nina. Many of you became familiar with him when he was a replacement pastor for a Sunday service in September. The feedback we received after his Sunday here was very positive.
Rev. Turk is a DOC pastor and has led churches in several states including a Spanish speaking congregation in Texas and as Senior Pastor at All Peoples Church in south Los Angeles working with gangs from 1999 to 2007. Community building and diversity are two of his personal missions. He loves Capitol Hill as he worked for a not-for-profit organization here several years ago.
Greg lives in Renton with his wife, Lynn, and 2 children, Luke and Hannah.
Greg will be joining us part-time during Nina's leave. He will be leading weekly worship, providing pastoral care in conjunction with our Spiritual Care Team and giving spiritual support to our New Beginnings process.
Please welcome Greg as he joins us in worship for the first Sunday in Advent, Nov. 30th. |
| Our Church Gets Its Voice Back
New carillon system brings back the bells 
Our church will herald the coming of Advent with a new sound: the ringing of carillon bells. After years of silence, the church tower has been given a new BRG Carillon Bell System.
The carillon system is the brainchild of Ray Nutter, CJ Adamo, and our Building and Grounds Committee, who have collaborated with the Growing Our Church Committee and Ryan Dye to work out the details about how we will use the bells.
The original Pilgrim Church building, constructed in 1906, had a belfry within a spire atop the steeple, but an earthquake in 1949 damaged the spire so seriously that it had to be taken down, along with the bell that had called worshipers to Sunday services for more than four decades.
Sometime after 1949, the church connected an electronically enhanced set of chimes with a pair of speakers in the tower. The chimes could be played from the console of our pipe organ, and their sound could be heard on the street until sometime in the late 1990s, when the electronic connections fell into disrepair.
The new carillon system, which incorporates state-of-the-art digital technology developed by the BRG company of Kansas, replicates the true sound of cast bells. The playing is computer-controlled and can be programmed to deliver a wealth of different tones, including those of the traditional swinging church bell, multi-bell carillon music, and many other bell sounds. The carillon can strike the hour using Westminster-style clock chimes with atomic-clock accuracy.
This wonderful gift will not only benefit us as a congregation; it will help connect us to our neighbors in the Broadway neighborhood. We might see it as a gift to the community-and to ourselves. |
Fifth Annual World AIDS Day Luncheon
11:30 am - 1:00 PM,
Thursday, December 4, 2008
800 Convention Place 
This annual event has traditionally received strong support from APCC members. Our own Vince Larkin serves on the board of Multifaith Works, while several other APCC members serve on AIDS care teams. Multifaith is one of 4 sponsoring agencies. Gay City Health Project, Seattle Counseling Service and Dunshee House are the other sponsors.
There is not enough room in this newsletter to detail the services provided by all 4 agencies. Suffice it to say, they all provide vital services that address the problems of HIV/AIDS in our communities. Trudy James, who has preached a number of times here at APCC, is being honored this year. Recently retired from Multifaith Works, she will receive the AIDS Service Community Award.
If you would like to sit with other All Pilgrims people, you can contact either Vince Larkin or Kathy Dawson. They will be glad to sign you up. Otherwise, contact Nikki Plaid, Event Manager, at 206-782-5450 or nikki@mcwevents.com. Sign-up deadline is Wednesday, Dec. 3rd. |
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Member Happenings
Wedding Bells for Scott Kraft
We are delighted to report that on December 6th, Scott Kraft will be married to Katie Stickney in a private ceremony taking place at the Redmond United Methodist Church. The couple plans to live on Capitol Hill. As most of you know, Scott was baptized along with two other young men during the Nov. 16th worship (see article below). He has been attending APCC for well over a year, became a member this past June and belongs to the gold cluster. Katie, who has attended APCC a few times (was present for Scott's baptism), is in the Pastoral Counseling Program at Seattle University and is on track to become a deacon in the United Methodist Church. We all join in sending our very best wishes to the happy couple.
Dale Menchhofer's Father:
A Life to be Celebrated
Dale's father, the Rev. J. David Menchhofer, a retired UCC pastor, passed away at age 86 on Wednesday, Oct. 29th in Ellenwood, Georgia. Even in retirement, he had lots of new ministry ideas to share with his church. He was an energetic man whose usual advice was, "let's get started now." Active to the very end, Dale and family were there when he asked his family to raise up the hospital bed at home so he could watch a speech by Barack Obama. Two hours later, he died, happy in the knowledge that his already-mailed absentee ballot would count, and ready to get on with the life hereafter. We send sympathy to Dale and family for their loss, and understand fully why they also celebrate his exemplary life.
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 Christmas Party Features (yes) Soup
Michael Small and the Hospitality Committee, along with the Gold Cluster, are planning a Christmas social featuring homemade soup and fixins after Church on Dec. 14th. This is a traditional event at APCC and, this year, couldn't come at a better time -- if you are unable to attend the first New Beginnings class on the 6th, the repeat session is also scheduled as a Dec. 14th event. It will start at 12:30.
You are, of course, most welcome to attend the social, whether you're planning to attend the New Beginnings class or not.
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Helping our Neighbors in Need at Christmas
This year, on November 30th or December 7th, we can express the true meaning of Christmas by helping others less fortunate than ourselves. As part of the greening of the greens, our sanctuary Christmas tree will be adorned with tags that will help 2 worthwhile causes:
- Fulfilling Christmas wishes of needy children at a local elementary school.
- Supporting the Church of Mary Magdalene by donating money for their "shoe project" to replace worn-out shoes and boots of homeless and formerly homeless women and children.
During the worship service on either the 30th or the 7th, you will have an opportunity to participate. |
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Advent Bible Study
"God Among Us"
Wednesday Evenings
6:30-7:30pm
Starting December 3rd
Looking for a powerful Bible Study group as we head into the Christmas Holiday season? Wondering what the Advent Sundays of hope, peace, love and joy are based on and what the Christmas story is really about? Have questions and want to voice them or explore the meaning of Christmas and Advent further?
Well you are invited to attend our Advent Bible Study: "God Among Us", led by church member and Master of Divinity seminary graduate, Linda Purdy. All are welcome!
Wednesday Evenings 6:30 - 7:30pm
Weekly from December 3rd through December 17th
In APCC's Chapel - just to the side of the sanctuary
Look for scripture readings in our weekly bulletin or website to study ahead of time.
Join us for an inside look at Christmas, for energizing discussion and a sharing of warm Spirit.
Friends are welcome! |
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 Make a Donation with the Purchase of a Christmas Tree
Two agencies that have received direct or indirect support through All Pilgrims are conducting holiday greenery sales.
Rabuor Village Project (RVP) is conducting "Christmas with Rabuor," thanks to a generous offer by Catherine Foote, a minister at UCUCC who owns a Christmas tree farm in Oregon. She is reducing her costs in order to support RVP. Noble Fir or Douglas Fir trees will be available for pre-purchase and then can be quickly picked up at the University UCC parking lot on Thanksgiving weekend -- noon Friday, the 28th through 6:00 PM, Saturday, the 29th.
Please note: you will be guaranteed an exceptionally fresh tree since they will be cut just the day before at the Oregon tree farm. More details will be forthcoming in 2 or 3 weeks. For more information, call Kathy Wells at 206-366-6654 or email kathynorm@msn.com.
Opportunity #2: Dunshee House, which helps people deal with HIV/AIDS, addictions and other challenges, has two locations where your Christmas trees/greenery can be purchased any day beginning Nov. 28th, until Dec. 22. Their main location is at Dunshee House itself on the corner of 17th and East Thomas Street. The other location is at 3820 Rainier Avenue South, in the Safeway parking lot. If you're willing, they would be glad to have you volunteer to help with sales in 3-hour shifts.
Call 206-322-AIDS or email david@dunsheehouse.org. |
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APCC Baptizes Three Adults
Welcome to the Christian Family
During worship on Sunday, November 16th, All Pilgrims Christian Church welcomed three of our adults into full Christian baptism! What does that mean? It means we celebrated together the commitment of three people to their walk of Christian faith through the sacrament (a sacred ritual) of baptism (a.k.a.: Pastor Nina sprinkled/poured the blessed water upon them to represent the passing of their old lives and a renewal of their lives lived in Christian faith).
Baptism is a very important commitment marker in a person's faith life. It marks the conscious decision to acknowledge Christ as our Savior and Lord and to dedicate the living of our life to a path that follows Christ's teachings. Each adult spent focused study time with Pastor Nina looking at the meaning of baptism through scripture, Christian tradition, our UCC & DOC denominational beliefs and personal faith beliefs.
Please congratulate Jess Chicklinsky, Mike Hoefs and Scott Kraft on their baptisms, and especially on their commitment of faith. You may remember that Jess, Mike and Scott each joined All Pilgrims last Spring, finding APCC a place of grace, strong spirit and true acceptance. As a congregation, we say welcome and congratulations to each of them!
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"God Among Us"
Advent and Christmas Eve Worship Services
Advent is here and together we are preparing our hearts, minds and souls for Christmas: the arrival of the Christ Child as "God Among Us". Join us on Sundays from November 30th through December 21st at 10:30am for worship as we focus spiritually on Mary's preparation (and the world's) for this blessed event of God the divine made flesh.
As in traditions past, the fourth Sunday of Advent, December 21st will be a musical service, with an offering of gifts from many in our congregation.
Then, gather with us to welcome-in the peace of Christmas at 10:00pm on December 24th, Christmas Eve, at a candle lit service with special music, readings and lessons and carols.
May peace be with you during this Advent season and may your spirit come aflame, as together we welcome "God Among Us".
Advent Worship:
Sundays Nov. 30 - Dec. 21 at 10:30am
Christmas Eve Worship:
Wednesday, Dec. 24 at 10:00pm |
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