T O U C H S T O N E  -  A  M i d W e e k  B u l l e t i n

 
      
     
10:00 a.m. FCC Worship in the  chapel
 


   
 
        
                   February 7. 2016   
                      
                      
                       

  
UCC Area Churches Ash Wednesday Service at Glendale UCC on  Feb.10 at 7pm. Meal served between 6-7 p.m.

Reflections on Sunday Worship ....
 
Coming Down
Luke 9:28-43
 
The lectionary schedule of readings has two contrasting accounts together as one reading for worship this week...the story of Jesus being transfigured or changed in an experience on a mountain top, and Jesus healing a child of convulsions while expressing frustration and impatience with those who are following him.  The writers of the Gospel of Luke are reinforcing the authority of Jesus as God's Chosen - a Messiah with a special calling and purpose, while affirming Jesus' relationship with the rest of humanity.  In a reflection entitled "Coming Down" we will consider together how we capture the wonder and grace of special experiences - like Christmas Eve or ordination services - when we are faced with the ongoing work of the church - like budget and business meetings! What are we to do with our frustration and impatience if it occurs in a faith community?  Come join us for worship at 10AM in the Chapel!

 -Rev. John H. Pomeroy

 
Also this Sunday...
This Sunday is the last Sunday before Lent begins!! We will be in a Mardi Gras spirit this Sunday as we anticipate the season of Lent - 40 days of fasting, prayer and increased faithfulness - so that we might arrive at Easter morning with a renewed faith in our living God. Feel free to dress in a festive/colorful style this Sunday!

Over the history of the Christian Church the season of Lent has been used to deepen one's faith and prepare one for membership. If there are folks who have considered membership at FCC and are now ready to take part in a new member class, we invite you to let one of our pastors know. We will be suggesting several ways in the next Touchstone for how you might enrich your relationship with God during this upcoming season. 


All children singing in the choir are asked to come to the chapel at 9:20  this Sunday for a final practice with Connie. Please be in touch with her if you have not received the recording to practice. The Children's Choir will sing in worship Sunday.

Elementary class with Grace Rinck/Krysty Leckrone in parlor and kitchen. Youth class with Andy Schwiebert/TBA in the library.

Nursery caregivers this Sunday are: Irene Phillips, Jaquelyne Rodriguez and Will Brookey. 


During Church School the children will help get the food ready for our Shrove Pancake Brunch! Folks have signed up to bring egg dishes, fruit, bacon, sausage, drinks and pancakes for our eating pleasure!! If you are bringing food we invite you to drop it off with staff in the kitchen as you head to worship so our staff can keep it warm/cool and lay it out for us. NOTE: if you are bringing fruit, can you bring some "soft" fruit that the children can cut up (cantalopes, bananas, strawberries, etc.) Pancake chefs Jeff Tyler and Jason will be flipping pancakes for us. We will eat after worship (when pancakes are ready!) and then as children head to the nursery or the library (older children) all adult members will meet in the east parlor for our Annual Winter Business meeting.

We could use another egg dish . Please RSVP Pastor Marlene at fccrevs@yahoo.com if you can do that. See you Sunday!

Join us for our Winter Business Meeting directly after worship/brunch, beginning @11:45AM.  We will gather to hear some year end reports and a presentation/vote on our 2016 budget,.

ASH Wednesday worship service is Wednesday, February 10th at 7:00 p.m.at First Congregational Church of Glendale UCC at 2001 La Canada Blvd. Call at 818.243.2100 for more information.We will gather starting at 6p.m. for a meal with other area UCC folks. Many thanks to Sue Miele and Barbara Klein for bringing soups from our church. There should be plenty of food so just show up to eat!!

Save the Dates: 
Thurs. Feb. 18th Event at the Long Beach UCC church featuring our new UCC President John Dorhauer and Rev. Martin Copenhaver. See the SCNCUCC website for details and plan to join a few of us for dinner and worship.

Sun. Feb. 21st Vision Forum after worship (article below)

Sat. Feb. 27th Aid Africa Water Walk (article below)

Mon. March 7th Union Station meal (Charlie Team). Contact Nina if you can be on the sub list or if you wish to join a team!

Sun. March 20th Palm Sunday Festival. Also (a)Spire Meal in the Park



   
For more information visit aspireucc.org.
 
Worship Leaders:
Rev. John H. Pomeroy
Rev. Marlene W. Pomeroy
Rev. Andy Schwiebert

Ushers: 
Aren Burd
Julie Burd
Peter Keller
Brian Brandenburg

Liturgist: 
TBA

Organist & Music Director
Andrew Whitenack

Church School Teachers:
Elementary class with Grace Rinck and Krysty Leckrone in the parlors and kitchen. Youth class with Andy Schwiebert/TBA in the library.

Church Nursery (for infants - Pre-K):
Irene Phillips, Jaquelyne Rodriguez and Will Brookey are our nursery caregivers this Sunday through the business meeting.

It opens at 9 a.m. for early birds and then everyone comes to worship at 10:00 and stay through the Children's Time and then return to the nursery. 

Nina Kung  
fccmonina@gmail.com

Visit us at:  uccpasadena.org 

Sermon podcast:


Office Hours

Mon-Thurs  9 AM - 5:30 PM

We close for lunch
12 - 1:30 PM

Tel. # 626.795.0696
Fax # 626.795.0698

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Announcement

We will have our Winter Business Meeting this Sunday, February 7, 2016 following worship. We will begin with a pancake brunch at 11:15 AM, with the meeting to follow; our business items will include: the approval of minutes from our June 14, 2015 meeting, a Treasurer's Report, and the 2016 budget.  All members are encouraged to attend the meeting in the East parlor.
 

Visioning Forum 2/21/15
On Sunday February 21st at 11:30-1PM all are invited to take part in what we hope will be our final visioning forum. 

The Vision Team has been working for months to collect feedback from the congregation that will help us craft new statements of Mission Vision and Values. These statements help focus our ministry in the coming months and years and will help us make decisions about use of resources, human, financial and other.

A draft of the Vision Statement will be presented at the forum and discussion and feedback will be invited from all. It's our hope that together we can affirm those values about which we care most dearly as a community and those activities that are most important for us to take on in order to achieve our collective vision for the future.

After receiving your input, we'll make some revisions and then present a final statement to the FCC Council with recommendations for further action (i.e. adopt statements, create a plan, assemble a team, execute plan).
-- 

Thank you!

Dear friends,
Rev. Carolyn Olney & Rev. Linda Pickens-Jones
I want to thank you all for your prayers, support, and kind words as I've prepared for ordination.  I'd also like to thank you  for helping to create a wonderful celebration at my ordination service and the reception.  Your gifts of music, flowers, food and your presence (whether you were able to be there in person or not) was meaningful to not only me, but to my friends from near and far.  Our hospitality was evident!  Special thanks to our pastors, Connie, Damon and Beau, and all the soloists and musicians, the Membership committee for hosting a beautiful reception (Neva, Sue, Tara and Grace), Nina, Sallie and staff, and our Association colleagues.  I pray that the joy that was experienced that day will continue to reverberate and strengthen each of our callings.
Sincerely,
Carolyn

From Seattle with Love

Carol & Andy
We're so grateful for the warm welcome we received on our first visit back in 1999 and for the friendship and spiritual nourishment we received all the way through to the present. We miss you every day but carry with us the warm glow of Christian love as we build a new life in Seattle.

Thank you so much for everything.

With love,

Andy & Carol Penn-Romine
Announcement
We are pleased to announce that Meagan VanDeventer has been awarded the Women's Legacy
Meagan 
Fund Aid Africa Uganda Trip Fellowship for 2015.  Meagan has been active in (a)Spire Ministry for about three years, creating a work of art as part of worship, mentoring youth, helping with meals in the park, small groups, and other (a)Spire outreach projects. She is a middle school teacher who comes to us with a broad history of service helping restore homes for less fortunate families, working in homeless ministries and for international justice, among other things.  Meagan plans to use her love for art, photography, and people to spread awareness of the projects Aid Africa works on and awareness of how people can join us in rebuilding sustainable communities globally.
 
Although some other church members expressed interest in going to Uganda, no other applications were received by the deadline.  The committee (Bevin Ashenmiller, Irene Keller, Elizabeth Lanski, Claire Richardson,  and Bettie Teel) recommends that the second fellowship be reserved for travel in 2016
 
 Thank you,
  Elizabeth

(a)Spire Monthly Worship Kicks Off

This past Sunday January 31 at 5-6:30PM (a)Spire hosted our first monthly worship, over pot-luck dinner around a table with discussion and faith sharing, in a packed room. Folks attending said it was one of our best, most vibrant worship experiences for a long time. It was co-led by Claire and Meagan. Next time we worship Sunday February 21st at 5PM Randy and Timothy are co-leading. Join us-- and spread the news to others who may like to join us.
candles-mantle.jpg
Youth Winter Camp Sign Up TODAY

Our youth are joining youth from the First UMC Pasadena congregation for their winter camp on February 13-15. If your youth can join us, please contact Andy asap to get connected. So far we have 5 youth interested and another couple thinking about it. It will no doubt be a fun time!!


Aid Africa Walk for Water, Sat/  February 27, 2016 at Montrose Community Park
Since 80% of communicable diseases are water born; because people get sick and die from drinking unclean water; because women and children bear the greatest burden of finding and carrying water; because 1 billion people in the developing world don't have clean water.....

We are having a ...

You can get all the information and forms you need at: http://www.aidafrica.net/walk-for-water/
You can walk or sponsor another walker and you'll get a t-shirt for participating. Join us!

Peter Keller
Executive Director
Aid Africa
+256-788-060-602 - Uganda Cell

National Youth Event Orlando July 26-30, 2016

Registration opens January 20th for the National Youth Event happening this summer in Orlando Florida. FCC Youth are invited to go and we have some new scholarship funds available to make it affordable for all who attend. If your youth are even remotely considering, please check out this link to learn more about the agenda for the event: http://nye.uccpages.org/

There will be worship, discussion on faith and ethics, social justice activities and LOTS of fun time at one or more of the Disney parks. The group will be staying at the Coronado Springs Resort & Conference center; it'll be about 4000 youth and family members from UCC churches around the country. Please let me (Andy) know if your youth are interested and I will get you more information as it becomes available. So far youth and adults (and some families) from First Congregational Church of Long Beach, UCC and Manhattan Beach Community Church (UCC) will be going.