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| | This Sunday - Our First Annual Blessing of the Backpacks |
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Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church Newsletter
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Weekly Happenings at SHPC
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September 1, 2016
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Labor Day Weekend - Vocation Sunday
When Work Feeds Your Soul
What is your work in the world, and what role does work play in your life? Does your work (and here we mean more than a job or career) give you a sense of identity, pay the bills, support your family, bring out your best, put you together with people you admire, fit with God's values, bring purpose and meaning to your life? This Sunday, September 4, 2016, at 9:30 a.m., we'll explore how God has equipped each of us for meaningful work, and how God is working in us and through us in ways that bring us boundless energy and joy!
Students of all ages are invited to bring their backpacks and briefcases to church for our first annual Blessing of the Backpacks, a celebration of the beginning of the school year with all of its new challenges!
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A Note From
Pastor Bev
Thank you so much for your support and prayers while I was back East; I felt them! And thank you to Rev. Bentley Stewart for a thought-provoking sermon last Sunday. We are blessed!
Sunday morning I returned to my childhood church, Grace Presbyterian in Springfield, Virginia, for the first time in over 40 years. The church feels full of Spirit; it's joyful and thriving. I sat back up in the balcony where I first "found Jesus." Really, Jesus found me. That Sunday back in 1968 was the day that changed my life, but I didn't know it right away. I felt seen by God, pure Compassion, an experience that was beyond words for many years.
The time with the Advisory Commitee on Social Witness Policy was fascinating, and between that and my family time, I've gathered many good stories to share with you over the next few weeks. Most of all I want to share that I am grateful to be back and excited about what's coming up at church in September!
With joy,
Bev
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Friday, September 2nd
Noon
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Bible Study with Pastor Bev | |
Sunday, September 4th
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
| Blessing of the Backpacks
When Work Feeds Your Soul - Vocation Sunday and Holy Communion
Coffee and Fellowship - All are Welcome! | |
Wednesday, September 7th
9:00 a.m.
7:30 p.m.
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LMP Back to School
SHPC Singers rehearse - come join us! | |
Friday, September 9th
Noon
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Bible Study with Pastor Bev | |
Sunday, September 11th
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
| Fifteen Year Remembrance of 9/11
and SEPTEMBER SERIES begins: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Where is Jesus Located and How Do We Know? and Birthday Blessing
Coffee and Fellowship -- All are Welcome!
| Wednesday, September 14th
6:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
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SESSION MEETS at 6:30 p.m.
SHPC Singers rehearse - come join us! | |
Friday, September 16th
Noon
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Bible Study with Pastor Bev | |
Sunday, September 18th
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
| SEPTEMBER SERIES CONTINUES
Where are We Located? and Cents-ability
Coffee and Fellowship -- All are Welcome!
SPECIAL FAMILY MINISTRIES YOUTH AND PARENT HUDDLE with Janel and Pastor Bev | |
Wednesday, September 21st
7:30 p.m.
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SHPC Singers rehearse - come join us! | |
Friday, September 23rd
Noon
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Bible Study with Pastor Bev | |
Sunday, September 25th
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
| SEPTEMBER SERIES continues
Where does Jesus Wants His Church To Be?
Coffee and Fellowship -- All are Welcome!
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Farmstand Up & Running For Harvest Season
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Calling Garden, Farm Stand, and Short School Volunteers!
Find your bliss in our gorgeous Justice Garden, harvesting, or at the weekly Farm Stand!
We need volunteers to harvest on Friday, bring the produce and set up on Butterfield on Saturday, and be our staff at the stand, making great contacts with the community! Saturday shifts run 8-10 or 10-noon.
Let Patti or Bev know if you would like to join the team to volunteer at Short School in San Rafael this fall after school weekly for a month. |
Bible Study - Friday, September 2nd w/ Pastor Bev
Luke 4 and Ephesians 4
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Please Remember in Your Prayers
All those who are suffering from the floods in Louisiana;
All those who have lost their homes and/or suffered on account of the California fires, and for our firefighters;
Our country, for a national discourse of respect and dignity for all;
The family and loved ones of Deb Birrell, who passed away Monday, July 25, for God's comfort in bereavement;
Joan Marks, dear friend of the Argillas, for healing and full recovery;
Michael McCarty, our music minister, for full recovery;
Ryan Burks, son of Warren and Jackie Burks, for healing, and for strength and hope for his family;
Joan Shannon, mother of Nancy Derr, for God's comfort, companionship, strength, and healing;
Carolyn O'Hara, mother of Laurie, for God's comfort, companionship, and strength, and healing;
Kelsey Lopin, for healing and full recovery from complications of Lyme disease;
Andrea Proster, sister of Nancy Elberg, for complete healing, and for Nancy for continued strength in companioning her;
Betty and Wil Swalberg, for God's presence and community support and for health and vitality for Wil;
Paul Lambert's Mom, blessed assurance of God's constant presence;
The PC(USA), as it discerns and follows God's call to be a Matthew 25 church, and its new Co-Moderators, Revs. Denise Anderson and Jan Edmiston, and Stated Clerk, Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson;
Dr. Doug Tilton, our PC(USA) mission co-worker in Southern Africa;
Rev. Kate Taber, our PC(USA) mission co-worker in East Jerusalem;
The world's poor, and all who suffer from disruptive climate change;
Our church community, keep us faithful to the love and justice of Jesus, strong in our commitment to the church, and make us hope-bringers to the world.
Please take time this week to pray for those on our list.
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Calling Youth of All Ages AND THEIR PARENTS
SUNDAY, SEPT. 18 - 10:30 a.m.
LET'S HUDDLE Sunday, September 18 at 10:30 a.m. to talk about how the church can meet the needs of our young people for a safe, affirming, and fun "second home." Pastor Bev serves on the Steering Committee of the Ross Valley Healthy Community Collaborative, (see upcoming events immediately below), along with our White Hill MS and Drake HS principals and others who are very concerned about the extraordinarily high rate of binge drinking, early onset of drug/alcohol use, and persistent feelings of sadness among young people in our wider community.
There's nothing more important that making the church a second home for our young people, a place where they feel accepted exactly the way they are, without having to compete or win approval. We have an important spiritual job to do so that our kids have the tools and support they need to make healthy choices and feel hopeful, not stressed, about their futures and the world. This is Pastor Bev's passion. Together we can find a way to make a very positive difference!
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Fall 2016 Speaker Series
Please see below and attached for information on the Fall Speaker Series events brought to you by our Ross Valley Healthy Community Collaborative. We have put together four events featuring highly regarded speakers in each respective area and I strongly encourage you to attend these presentations/discussions. They are open to all members of our community and we encourage parents with younger children to attend as well - it won't be long before you are facing the challenges associated with the topics referenced below and now is a good time for all of us to get educated and prepared.
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6th Annual Youth Gleaning
and work projects for Green Gulch Farm
Sunday, September 25, 2016
1:30-4:30
Green Gulch Farm
1601 Shoreline Hwy, Muir Beach, CA 94965
This is a youth event (primary grades 6-12)
See what a broccoli plant looks like. Learn about our food system. Hear about how the fields are connected to Buddhism and other faith traditions and get your hands dirty in the soil. We will be gleaning and doing other work projects on the farm. Long pants, socks and close toed shoes are recommended.
Remember sunscreen & water.
or 415-456-6957
by Wed, Sept. 21st
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Calling Volunteers to Visit Immigrants in Detention
Contra Costa West County Detention Facility
We are answering our national church's call by building a volunteer team to visit immigrants currently detained at the Contra Costa West County Detention Facility in the East Bay, and it's time to start on this life-giving mission. Detainees are often cut off from contact with their families and friends, left alone without the resources they need to help them legally. We are called to bring humanity, hope, and God's love to them. If you're interested in joining this volunteer team, please reach out to Pastor Bev Thank you to those who have already volunteered; we have heard from the training coordinator, and we're getting close to gathering and getting started!
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SHPC GREEN TEAM INVITES YOU TO:
Monday, September 19
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Angelico Hall, Dominican University, San Rafael
Congressman Jared Huffman
'Risky Business' author Kate Gordon
Carbon Pricing expert Michael Wara
Moderated by NextGen Climate COO & Novato Councilman
Josh Fryday
Tickets at
LET PASTOR BEV OR JUDY FORD KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO ATTEND - WE HAVE RESERVATIONS AND CAN CARPOOL!
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SHPC Commits to Bringing Back Cynthia Scharf, Climate Change Expert from the United Nations, for More!
On Sunday, July 17, Cynthia Scharf visited our church. Cynthia Scharf has served since 2009 as the senior officer and speechwriter to the United Nations Secretary-General on climate change and sustainable energy, supporting the UN's top leader in framing the discourse on these critical global challenges. Ms. Scharf leads strategic communications, partnerships with civil society and the global scientific communities, and is responsible for writing the Secretary-General's speeches, media remarks, op-eds and thought leadership material on all aspects of climate change.
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Fairfax Mayor Renee Goddard and Cynthia Scharf love our garden
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We're Gathering Interfaith Partners, Youth, and Youth Leaders to Address Climate Change Realities, Spiritual Impact, and Solutions
We are seeking to partner with the Marin Interfaith Council, local congregations, community leaders, schools, non-profits, youth activists, and counselors to host one or more events with Cynthia Scharf in the Sept. 29- October 2 time window. Let Bev or Patti Vance know if you feel called to be part of this world-saving effort!
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Wil LOVES an invite for lunch or dinner!
Thank you and bless you to all who have reached out to invite him over for a meal.
He's been having a few problems with his telephone, so try 415-454-5575 if you don't get through on 415-454-8303.
Or grab him at church! And thank him for his faithful and continuing FOOD BARREL MINISTRY (see below).
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WE ALL LOVE FELLOWSHIP -
PLEASE SIGN UP TO HELP OUT
Fellowship time is organized by your Deacons. We need everyone to sign-up about 3-4 times a year.
Click below to sign up:
SEPTEMBER: Robin's Parish
Sign up now and keep the hospitality going!
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Don't be shy, Greeting is a Treat!
We are in need of greeters to sign up through the signup genius website.
Help with our ministry of hospitality by signing up to be a greeter! All you have to do is get to church by 9:15, light the candles, and hand out bulletins with a smile. Thank you to all who have signed up so far!
Thank you all for your continued support,
Jody Brockett,
Worship Elder
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A very special thank you to Paul Lambert, Producer and Director of FREE TO BE ME!
   
Free to Be Me a Smash Hit!
THANK YOU ALL Free to Be Me was a smash hit! Thanks to all our participants for the talent AND EXUBERANCE that was poured into each performance. Thanks to Paul Lambert, Stephen Iverson, Michael McCarty, Bill O'Callaghan, Hallie Foster, Jeri Rayford, Alex Gauna, Ryan Finanne, Linda and Richard Peltzman, Skye Bailey, Jesse Gauna, and the SHPC Singers. HUGE thanks to soloist Jen Boynton and "preacher" Ethan Russell; you both inspired us so much! And thanks to surprise guest dancer Janel Stewart; you rock! Thank you all!
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Entering This Fall with Confidence
A wonderful feeling has come over me these past months. It's centered around an understanding that once we really grasp the "intentions of God", we can have a new confidence about the future.
So, what are the intentions of God?
" For this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show my power in you." (Ex 9:16); "No purpose of God's can be thwarted" (Job 42:2). "I (Jesus) have come that you may have life, and have it abundantly" (John10:10), "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails" (Proverbs 19:21).
We are not to have an "almost" life we are to have an "abundant" life. That is God's intention. Too many people are stuck in an "almost" life. God truly intends for us to possess much more than we expect.
Let's remember "We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us" (Philippians 4:13) and "Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world" (I John 4:4). Move forward with confidence this fall. Don't be a back seat driver. God wants you in the front seat.
God has gifted you, brought you to this Church, surrounded you here by wonderful friends who care and are growing just like you. I believe understanding and claiming "God's intentions" is the driving force that will propel and power you this fall.
Act upon that passion you've held hidden inside of you, commit to participating in one or two outreach programs here at the Church, add this fall more "random acts" of kindness to your routine, and thank God for the new opportunities before you - and the distant ones you aren't aware of yet.
This is going to be a good fall, one reason is ..." I know I'm not what I want to be yet, but, thank God I'm not what I used to be" (Tim Storey).
Join me in entering this fall with confidence, with a grateful heart, and with conviction. Onward!
Your friend ... Paul
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Paul Lambert is a member of SHPC who travels extensively for his career as a producer of Broadway-bound musicals. He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute who studies the Bible daily and attends our Bible Study whenever he's in town. He posts this blog each week no matter where he is, to the delight and comfort of many. SHPC thanks you, Paul.
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HORIZONS BIBLE STUDY DAY
Saturday, September 10, 2016 | 10:00am - 3:30pm | $40 in advance | $50 at the door
Spend the day learning and preparing to lead this magnificent study which invites you to join "a journey to expand our understanding of who Jesus was and is-a journey of our hearts and our minds, a journey that we will take together." Rev. Dr. Judy Yates Siker, author of the 2016 Horizons Bible Study, invites you to be good conversation partners along the way, sharing with one another how you see and experience the various lenses and how these different perspectives impact your understanding of who Jesus is. READ MORE
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Foster Parent Outreach
Become a Resource Family
1. Attend Orientation
Learn about the process of becoming a resource parent at one of our monthly
orientations with a social worker and an experienced resource parent.
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Orientation Calendar 2016
September 22 | October 18
7-8:30pm at 3240 Kerner Blvd, Room 110, San Rafael
November 17 | December 8
7-8:30pm at 3250 Kerner Blvd, Room 107, San Rafael
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2. Apply
Complete an application and background check.
3. Complete Training
Complete a training course and become CPR/First Aid certified.
4. Get Approved
Work closely with a social worker during a 60-90 day approval process. There will be interviews with family members and a home safety inspection. The interviews help make matches between a family's strengths and children's needs. Become a Resource Family
Resource Family Orientation
Learn about fostering opportunities!
July 26 | August 31
7-8:30 pm
3240 Kerner Blvd. Rm 110
San Rafael 94901
FosterOurFutureMarin.org
Questions? (415) 473-2200
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Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church
100 Tarry Road
San Anselmo, CA 94960
Sophia De Quattro, Editor
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E-mail us at shpchurch@comcast.net or call us at 415-453-8221
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