Spring Sermon Series             by Pastor Chris Neufeld-Erdman

How pleased I am to welcome Margie Nunez to UPC's staff!  Margie is a long-time member of UPC and has served in active ministry as an elder and as a leader in many areas of our mission and ministry.  The deepest passion of her heart lies with children --those who are already part of UPC and those we wish to reach with the gospel.  

     She and her husband, Al, have ministered faithfully every week for years in our Wednesday afternoon outreach through our tutoring program; they've also taught Sunday school to our kids.  Any child who's grown up at UPC has the fondest memories of Margie's and Al's playful and winsome way of communicating Christ to kids.  

      For the next several months Margie will continue the ministry served by our recent Coordinator, Aimee Dillon, who is getting married and moving away from Fresno.  This is a temporary post while our leaders discern the best way to staff this important area of ministry in such a way that we are able to expand ministry among children and families. We have more and more young families attending UPC as well as neighborhood children, and our leaders have made a firm commitment to reaching and retaining young families.   

We're grateful for your faithful and generous giving this spring.  I appeal to you to continue your giving, especially as we near the summer months when our giving drops off considerably, causing us to push hard to catch up in the fall.  

       As an aid to your disciplined giving, would you consider adding UPC to your bill-payer function with your online banking, and perhaps have your account give you a handy reminder or schedule your gift for automatic payment?  This practice has helped many of us during our vacation times to remember our giving to God and the mission of Christ's church.  

Thank you!

The UPC Session met on Tuesday, April 10.. Here is a brief summary of the meeting and the actions taken:

1. Deacon Leslie Stephenson reported that Deacon Sunday will be May 20.

2. The clerk recorded an email vote by the Session approving the recruitment for an office manager, including forming the search committee, recruiting, and selection for recommendation to hire. The members of the search committee are James Swanson; Richard Pelisari; Elder Bob Mitchell, Board of Property and Finance; and Susan Edyburn, representing the Ministry of Human Resources. The current office manager, Melissa Stephenson, will be leaving in May to begin her student teaching.

3. The Session authorized Elder Cathy Wingert to administer Holy Communion as often as once per month at the 11 a.m. Sunday worship service, as requested by the pastors.

4. The following fundraising requests from Children's Ministries were approved:

Children's Ministries team members will be asking for donations from the congregation for Calvin Crest scholarships during worship services on Sunday, April 15. And the neighborhood children will hold a car wash, date to be determined, to also raise funds for Calvin Crest scholarships. Elder Jane Reid stated that the children and some parents came up with the idea as a way to help earn their way to camp. So far, 10 children want to go to camp this summer.

5. The Session approved changing the name of the monthly "Prayer and Healing Service" to the "Intercessory Prayer Service," and inviting two Session ministry areas each prayer session to inform those attending on needs for prayer. With this new format, elders from two ministry areas will attend each gathering and present their specific prayer needs to the group. Elders Jane Reid (Children's Ministries) and Joe Tapia (Youth Ministries) volunteered to attend the first Intercessory Prayer Service on Tuesday, May 15.

6. The Session approved the formation of the New Era Evaluation and Development (NEED) Team, and granted permission to Senior Pastor Chris Neufeld-Erdman to recruit members of the team. The goal of the NEED Team is to provide an assessment of UPC's strengths and weaknesses, envision the direction of our ministry to families, and recommend a staff design that includes a revised associate pastor position description, and any support staff necessary to advance our ministry to young families. This assessment will provide the basic material from which a subgroup of the NEED Team can write a draft of the UPC Church Information Form, which the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee (to be formed in January 2013 prior to Pastor Tedd Lyons' retirement) will use to recruit candidates for the position beginning late spring 2013.

7. Elder Margie Nunez was hired as the Interim Children's Ministry Coordinator, effective April 16, replacing Aimee Dillon. Although a search committee has been formed to replace Aimee, it was determined that due to the upcoming staff changes, it was more feasible at this time to fill the position with an interim employee.

8. The Columbarium Committee was authorized to continue their plan development work for a columbarium to be located on the UPC campus. The project will be introduced to the congregation at a later date.

9. The Session approved a list of recommended processes that will be put into place  so that the UPC member who was recently released from prison will be allowed to attend worship services at UPC, but only while under supervision. These recommendations will be submitted to his probation officer for final approval.

10. The Session reviewed the 2012 Lenten/Easter activities and worship services.

Baptisms were approved for Sunday, April 22.

University Presbyterian Church-Lao Partners has been working in close partnership with the Lao Evangelical Church (LEC) in Laos over the past twelve years. UPC members have made more than 10 trips to Laos on a variety of joint mission projects that have included:

• providing medical supplies

• health screening

• church leadership training

• English instruction

• Living Waters for the World water sanitation installations

    On February 16, a fire broke out in the annex of LEC's Nakham Church in the Lao capital, Vientiane. The structure is deemed a total loss and was not insured.

     Nakham Church was built around 1956, and in 1975 it was one of only two Christian churches remaining in Laos. It has served as the administrative headquarters for the government-sanctioned LEC since 1989. LEC has experienced rapid growth over the past 10 years, and now has about 100,000 members worshipping in 400 congregations around the country. Nakham Church is the largest Christian church in Laos with membership of around 900, and average Sunday attendance of 550-600.  Our Lao Partners teams have worshipped there on each of their trips to Laos.

     Lao Evangelical Church plans to rebuild on this same site. The new structure will have three floors, with the sanctuary on the third floor, offices and Sunday School/Training Center classrooms on the second. The ground floor would be for kitchen, dining area and some parking. Current cost projections are about $700,000.

     LEC's reconstruction committee is seeking help from Christians in Laos, and throughout the world. The committee will be asking the Christians in Laos to provide $200,000 and are asking the international body of Christ to support the remaining $500,000. (To see a five-minute YouTube video of the fire and damage, google "Build Nakham Church.")

     Nakham Church and the other LEC churches of Laos ask for prayers for this project, and also that Christian churches throughout the world prayerfully consider financial support for this project. Just as we have partnered with LEC over the past 12 years, now we can work with our brothers and sisters in Laos to support the rebuilding of their headquarters church after this terrible disaster.

Please pray for the LEC as they work through this project. If you wish to send a gift, UPC has established a budget line item for contributions for this rebuilding project.

      Please mark any such contributions to "UPC-Lao Church Fire."  

On Sunday, April 1, a team of eleven youth and adults headed to Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center in South Lake Tahoe. While there, we worked with the Zephyr maintenance staff on a number of important projects. Zephyr Point is made up of multiple conference centers, lodges and a number of unique cabins built in the early 1900s. Zephyr Point is one of the few Christian camps on South Lake Tahoe and the only one big enough to host summer camps for students. Because the cabins and a few of the lodges were built such a long time ago, a number of safety hazards and building code issues needed to be dealt with before the conference center can begin expanding its ministry.

        This is where our team came in. Not long before we arrived, a water pipe connected to multiple cabins had burst. This is a yearly occurrence because the pipes are all above ground. This is also a safety hazard as the pipes are strewn out along the trails and many campers and staff have tripped over them. Our job was to dig a 200-foot trench through a rocky path, lay a new pipe, bury it and create a smooth path so campers and staff can easily get to the cabins. We also had the opportunity to help paint a new railing for one cabin and stain wood for another.

         It was challenging work but it was especially rewarding as our team learned to work together to remove even the largest boulders from the path and to efficiently move sand to fill in our new path. It was also rewarding to hear different staff members say how thankful they were that campers would no longer have to worry about tripping over the pipe in the dark. By the end of the week our team was exhausted but thankful for the opportunity to serve the staff and future campers at Zephyr Point.

Moving toward our Guatemala mission 

With Bethel Ministries International, we will be building houses for families in need, distributing food and clothing, and hosting a vacation bible school all about God's amazing love the week of June 17. We would also love to have the opportunity to help with a wheelchair distribution.

     There is a great need for wheelchairs in Guatemala. Many individuals spend their lives lying in bed or being carried by a loved one, because there is such limited access to wheelchairs. The cost of a wheelchair is $115. At a typical distribution 40 individuals will receive a chair and 40 families will hear about God's love. It is our goal to purchase 40 wheelchairs and give 40 people the freedom of mobility. Please prayerfully consider providing this gift of mobility.

      During May, we will have a basket outside the sanctuary to collect gently used children's clothing. The cost of clothing in Guatemala has risen significantly in the past few years and any donations would be greatly appreciated.

Questions? Contact Stephanie. 

  -- Point to the Power of Genesis: Walt Blore will continue to lead this in-depth study of the book of Genesis.

  -- "The Prodigal God" by the Rev. Timothy Keller

  We will continue this compelling DVD group study by Timothy Keller based on Jesus' best-known - and perhaps least understood - parable: The Parable of the Prodigal Son. Where most teaching focuses just on the younger "wayward" son, Keller challenges us to consider both the role of the elder brother and the father as well.

     May 6 - The Elder Brother

     May 13 - The True Elder Brother

     May 20 - The Feast of the Father

     May 27 - Memorial Day weekend; no class

The Session will be receiving a group of more than 15 new members at its May meeting. On Sunday, May 20, we will have a pot luck to celebrate and welcome these new members.  Please save the date, and watch Connections for more details. 

Everyone is invited to share in the wedding celebration of Bounta Mitpasa and John Gabel in the sanctuary Saturday, May 26, at 6 p.m. A potluck dinner reception will follow immediately in the Great Room. This American tradition is similar to the Lao tradition, in which the women work together to prepare the meal. If you are able to join us, please reply to Harell Gabel so we will know how many places to set. Come help us celebrate! We would love to share this joyous occasion with our church family.  

"All Men" is a dinner gathering on the third Thursday of the month (May 17) for all men.  We meet from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Great Room for dinner and a program.A nominal donation for the meal is requested.This month our speaker will be Ed Barton.  Ed has been an elder in his church for many years and has been involved for years in VORP (Victim Offender Reconciliation Program) and other programs that bring the "restorative justice" of Jesus Christ into a world that needs justice.Come and hear what that Good News can do to create a more just world for offenders and victims.

STARS (Seniors That Are Really Special) will meet in the Great Room to celebrate May with May baskets and memories of childhood May Day celebrations. Join us for fun and refreshments on Wednesday, May 9, at 1:30 p.m. Bring a friend. For questions contact Ruth Kallenberg or Cathy Douglas.  

Presbyterian Women invite any UPC women to join us for lunch, a tour and our meeting at the Clovis Botanical Garden, 945 N. Clovis Ave. We will meet at the church on Tuesday, May 8, at 10 a.m. to carpool to the garden. Our meeting will begin there at 10:30 a.m., and will include election of officers for 2012-13.  Bring a sack lunch to enjoy in the shady garden where dessert and drinks will be furnished by our PW hostesses. This will be a wonderful time to learn about plants that can be successfully raised in our valley.  

From Melissa Stephenson, office manager

A heart-felt thank you goes to Ruth Kallenberg for the long hours of work that went in to create the new UPC pictorial directory. She arranged for the photography and painstakingly edited all the names, phone numbers and addresses of each UPC family so I could change the database. Then she dotted my I's and crossed my T's to ensure the highest possible accuracy. Ruth, thanks for everything. It would have been an overwhelming job without your help.