December 2015 Monthly Newsletter Templeton Presbyterian Church

Transcription

1 December 2015 Monthly Newsletter Templeton Presbyterian Church Mark Your Calendar December 13th Children Christmas Program December 13th Christmas Angel Gi s Due December 16th Voyagers December 21st Parents Night Out Advent is a time for reflection and appreciation of the coming Christ. It is a journey from darkness to light. On December 10 th at 7:00 p.m. join with the Templeton Presbyterian choir and the Templetones Handbell Choir for a special evening of music and the spoken Word. as we journey together. January 22nd -23rd Santa Barbara Mission Conference See Calendar on page 10 for more events. Or view

2 Children s Ministry As the Children s Ministry Director here at Templeton Presbyterian, I want your kids to be loved. I want the best for their future. My prayer is that this church will reach kids, draw them in, and to equip parents to disciple their children well! I want the kids to love the me they spend at church so they are excited about showing up and learning about Jesus. I hope the kids are feeling engaged and having fun! Our first Monday Movie day was a success! Here is what s next: December 4-4:00-5:30 pm Wednesday Pizza Prac ce for the Children s Christmas Play December 6-10:15-11:00 Bible lesson with Zachariah the donkey December am- noon- Christmas Cooking baking and decora ng and Christmas play dress rehearsal December am the Incredible Gigan c Humongous Veggietales Christmas Show! December 21 5:00-7:30pm Last minute shopping parents night out- open to preschool-5 th graders. December 24 Christmas Eve Service The children s Christmas play this year is a cute musical; where the children along with some veggietale characters decide to put on an incredible gigan c humongous Christmas show! As the children begin to suggest things that should be included in the show they come to the discovery of the best part of Christmas- Jesus birth. I love incorpora ng many forms of worship arts into their Sunday lessons. As the children prac ce their script, sing the songs, or dance its all part of building their confidence in Christ. A few kids will be playing the piano. I think it is great that they are learning to share their gi s and talents. As they perform they are learning how to worship. Being in front of this congrega on and having all your support is building that confidence. This play comprised of preschoolers-fi h graders will make you smile, laugh, and have tears of joy to see these beau ful Children of God present on December 13. I invite the congrega on to even sing along. There s never ever ever ever ever been a CHRISTMAS Show like Veggie Tales! Hope to see your there! The children are also working on an Advent countdown paper chain cra. This fun cra is designed for children to learn more about the Advent season as they prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ. Each day I hope you can take the me to read a scripture a day with your child as they count down to Christmas. Lastly I look forward to worshipping with every this Christmas Eve service. I will have Christmas bags prepared for the Children as they enter the sanctuary on Christmas Eve and we can all celebrate together as one church family In HIs Love Yve e children@fpctempleton.org 2

3 Pastor s Page I m wri ng this on December 1, which is the typical star ng date for most Christmas Calendars. Popularly speaking, the an cipatory season of Christmas is 25 days. However, commercially speaking, it s over twice that long, as Christmas decora ons and seasonal promo ons start as soon as Halloween is done. Ecclesias cally speaking, it could be anywhere from 22 to 28 days, depending on which day of the week Christmas falls. The first Sunday of Advent is always the first of the four Sundays before Christmas, which means if Christmas falls on a Monday, Advent is 22 days. If it falls on a Sunday (which it will in 2016), Advent is 28 days. This year Christmas falls on a Friday, so it is 27 days. Why do I explain all that because I want us to take Advent seriously as a season of wai ng a me of an cipa on, expecta on, and prepara on for the birth of our Savior, Jesus the Messiah. A significant piece of all this is reflec on pondering, as Mary did, the mystery of the incarna on. The irony of this is that to engage in that kind of an approach to Christmas requires slowing down, whereas so much of what we all do in this season requires speeding up. I don t have any easy remedies for this, precisely because many of things that can create added busyness and stress are precisely the things that enhance my an cipa on, prepara on, and reflec ng.*** For me it requires added discipline to the things I do and the way I do them, as well as being selec ve as to what, and how much I do of any given thing. One cri cal discipline that has helped me is commi ng to a par cular devo onal exercise specifically geared for Advent. I ve encouraged this in the past and I am reitera ng it again this year. There are many to choose from online or at the Parable bookstore in SLO. One of my favorites is God Is in the Manger, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Another is Kneeling in Bethlehem, by Ann Weems, which is a compila on of poems that follow the sequence of events leading up to Christ s birth, and beyond, but not it a strict calendar format. There are also excellent devo onals by John Piper, Louie Giglio, Henri Nouwen, Richard Rohr, and others. To whet your appe te, here s a brief excerpt from the one I m using this year: DAY ONE: In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin s name was Mary. (Luke 1:26-27) In the sixth month... God s clock was already cking when the angel came to Mary. Just because God announces something to me, doesn t mean it began with me. ***If you are looking for a slow down event the evening Advent Service on December 10 may well be what you re looking for. (see informa on in this newsle er) Faithfully in Christ Jesus, 3

4 Voyagers 4

5 Stephen Ministry Come to Me all you who are worried and burdened and I will give you rest Ma 11:28 Although Jesus came to earth to bring us salva on, peace and comfort, the Christmas season in our lives is o en harried and hec c. This can be due to our rushing around trying to buy gi s, planning and a ending par es, traveling to get together with families and friends. Or it can be that that we are burdened by concerns and worries that prevent us from being able to enjoy this season. If that is where you are this Christmas, consider asking for a Stephen Minister. It s a gi to yourself that can help you through the difficul es you are facing. God can use the non-judgmental, listening ears of a Stephen Minister to help ease the burden and give you rest. Call Kathy Loeschner at for more informa on. 5

6 Welcome New Members Steve and Jackie Pointer, who earlier this year celebrated their for eth anniversary, moved into Paso Robles in February a er having lived in the Chicago area for over thirty years. There they both worked at Trinity Interna onal University in Deerfield, IL un l their re rement in Steve as a history professor and academic administrator, Jackie as a staff person in Trinity's educa on department. With Steve's extended family already living in California and their three adult married children also out west, it was inevitable that we would follow suit. Our first grandchild (Connor) being born in September 2014 and living in Paso sealed the deal for us! Since then, our other daughter has given us a second grandson (Mason) and they live in Ventura. Besides enjoying our grandchildren, we are loving our new home, re rement, playing pickle ball, and making new friends at Templeton Presbyterian. We appreciate the welcoming spirit we have found here and the reality that the worship and preaching are infused with genuine evangelical convic ons. Jim and Polly Craig. We moved to Paso Robles in This was one of the best decisions we have made. We both look back now and see God s hand in our choice to re re here in Paso Robles. Jim re red a er almost 30 years working for, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. We spent the last 10 years of his employment at Iron Mountain, where Jim was the Sta on Chief. Jim is now enjoying his part- me job of driving the school bus for Paso Robles. Polly works here at the church as the Administra ve Assistant and enjoying every day ge ng to know all of you. Polly is also living out her life me dream of having horses and now donkeys. Angelina, our Church donkey lives at the Craig s ranch. Thank you all for embracing Polly and I with open arms. We are truly blessed to be amongst such a great group of believers here at Templeton Presbyterian Church. Ken and Bonnie Billings high school sweethearts married 60 years ago in Bakersfield California. Moved up and down the state of California with Ken s work in Finance and Banking. Ken is still working with our son s finances and accounting in the son s business. Bonnie is a full Time Homemaker. We have 3 grown children all in California, 4 grandchildren and 4 great Grandchildren. We have lived in Atascadero for 18 years and enjoy the central coast. Hi! My name is Sheila Kaye Howard. I have lived in Templeton most of my life. I started out at this church at the age of one week. I con nued going un l I was 18. I have le a few mes but always returned to Templeton and Templeton Presbyterian Church. Last Sunday had to be the highlight of my life! I was bap zed; it was something I have always wanted to do. (be immersed) Thank you all for your sharing this wonderful event with me. Beverly Parr I moved to Templeton in July from Grass Valley. I am following my children, grandchildren and great great grandchildren to this area. I have been a long me Christ follower; my first church family was in Glendale, California at a Presbyterian church. I am a re red transporta on manger. I enjoy volunteering for Hospice in San Luis Obispo; I am a part of a dog therapy team who visits assisted living homes. 6

7 Christmas Hope Offering Christmas Hope Offering 2015 New Drill Rig for Haiti If you want to find water, you have to drill for it and Living Water Interna onal has been ac vely drilling wells in Hai since 2010, and the me has come when they need a new one. They began work in Hai in 2004 through partnerships with missionaries and other organiza ons, and since then they have either drilled or rehabilitated over 1,400 wells. Hai is the poorest na on in the western hemisphere, in which less than half the popula on has access to improved water sources and only 26% have access to improved sanita on facili es. The offering will go towards the purchase of a much needed new and bigger drilling rig. Living Water sponsored our well project for the girl s school in Ng iya, Kenya, and their representa ve who worked with us on that effort, John Nadolski, was able to secure a $10,000 matching gi for us on our way to raising $53,000. He has asked if we could help with this purchase, and we readily signed on as a partner. What a blessing to be able to return the favor so to speak. We told them we would try to raise $5,000 toward their goal of raising $100,000 to fund this project. Several other Presbyterian churches around the country have either already given, or pledged toward raising $50,000, which will then be used to apply for a matching fund grant from Presbyterian Women to raise the full amount needed. The more we help to raise more than the $50,000, the more likely Living Water will be successful in securing the grant. In the unlikely event they do not receive the grant, the money will be used to buy equipment and vehicles for Living Water Hai. We will receive the offering at the Christmas Eve Services, and con nue to receive contribu ons through January 10 (the Sunday a er Epiphany). Enjoy volunteering or a meal with Loaves and Fishes 7

8 Classifieds, Comments & Notes Fruits and Nuts Day A er being a Glu on on holiday goodies, enjoy something on the lighter side... Fruits and Nuts Day Sunday, December 27th. Bring you favorite fruits or nuts to share. At long last, our family move is finally occurring. It's hard to go; there are so many of you that I'm going to miss enormously! Part of my heart will always remain at Templeton Pres, and I will always be grateful for the love and support, the kindness and generosity of this amazing congrega on. We've walked through some real challenges, and I've been so blessed to be part of your journey. This church's staff, elders, deacons, Tuesday Prayer group, Stephen Ministers, Prayer Shawl Ministry, office volunteers - I've been so blessed to work with and for you, and to witness the very real dedica on, love, and humility that are such an integral part of your service and nature. Thanks to the hope of our calling, I know I WILL see each of you again. But we don't HAVE to wait that long. I'd love to stay in touch and hear from you all. My new address is 4824 S Ponderosa Park Rd, Presco AZ My address remains koppleonuts@yahoo.com, and I'm s ll on FaceBook! Please let me know if any of you will be passing through the Presco area, and I WILL be back to visit. Con nued, abundant blessings to each of you, as you grow closer to Him each day who directs all our journeys. Michele, your former Office Assistant We need lots of cookies for the Living Nativity. We are expecting a lot of folks this year. For more information contact Debby Price 8

9 Adult Christian Ed Adult Chris an Educa on News Our Advent series from December 6 - December 20 from the Center for Chris an Ethics at Baylor University will include: Week 1--What Are We Wai ng For? Isaiah s oracles about the coming Christ and His Kingdom. Week 2 The Three Advents, for Bernard of Clairvaux ( ) and his modern interpreter, Thomas Merton. Week 3 Advent of the Heart, condemned to die in a Nazi prison, Father Alfred Delp discovered that Advent is the me for being deeply shaken. The Adult Sunday Morning class from January 3 - March 20 will be a study taught by Ray Derby on Jesus According to Jesus and John. Jesus Christ asked two of the most important ques ons facing mankind during His ministry here on earth: Who do people say I am? and Who do you say I am? (Mark 8:27, 29). Was Jesus a misguided dreamer who was lead into thinking He was the Messiah by John the Bap st that contemporary Jewish author Abram Leon Sachar says He was? Or is He just another prophet of Allah, on par with Abraham and Mohammad, as Islam holds? Or is He merely an example of faith, rather than an object of faith, as the liberalism of the early 20 th century taught? We as Chris ans don t have to speculate, as God has revealed to us in Holy Scripture just who Jesus is. The Gospel of John is resplendent with detailed descrip ons of the person, character, offices and work of Jesus. Adult Study Sunday Morning Classes Fall 2015 and Winter 2016 December 6 December 20, 2015 Advent series: What Are We Wai ng For?...The Three Advents...Advent of the Heart December 27 No Adult Study January 3 March 20, 2016 Jesus According to Jesus and John taught by Ray Derby Ongoing small groups: Men's Book Group 1st/3rd Monday 7-8 PM in the church library, are studying The Reason for My Hope- Salva on by Billy Graham contact Walter Winfield at Women's Group Tuesday mornings 9:30 AM in the Chapel are studying the book of Acts. See Debbie Price for more informa on ( ). Men's Group Thursday at 6:00 AM at the Lebens' home...see Mick Lebens Ladies Monday Evening Bible Study...at various homes and on the second Monday of the month at Odyssey Cafe Monday at 5:00 PM for dinner followed at 6:00 PM for study and prayer. We are studying 2 Samuel. - see Anne Spohnhauer for more informa on ( ). 9

10 December Calendar 10

11 Youth Ministry As always, we had an incredible me at the Awaken Conference. We had one student pray to receive Christ and nearly all of the students made a commitment to live more inten onally with and for Jesus. Here are three pictures from our me together. Please keep the 25 students in your prayers as they con nue to seek Jesus. Important Upcoming Events to take note of: Dec. 21 st Parent Night We will be teaming up with the Children s Ministry to provide childcare from 6-8pm. We will be mee ng for worship and prayer from 8-8:45 following the event. Dec. 27 th -31 st RSM Service Project This trip has been cancelled due to a change of plans at the ranch. We will let you know if/when a new date is confirmed. Please sign up for Hume ASAP. Also, note that there is a change to our regular youth group on the 21 st. December 14 th & 15 th we will be delivering Christmas cards and singing Carols to people in and friends of our congrega on. Robert White (707) call/text students@fpctempleton.org Jan. 29 th -31 st - Middle School Hume $300 (Includes conference and transporta on) $250 earlybird pricing $100 deposit by November 29 th Make checks out to TPC and turn in to Robert White. Feb. 12 th -15 th - High School Hume $350 (Includes conference and transporta on) $300 early-bird pricing $100 deposit by December 12 th Make checks out to TPC and turn in to Robert White. 11

12 Templeton Presbyterian Church 610 S. Street, Templeton, CA Phone: Office Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday -Thursday