PResPRess January 2018 Presbyterian Church of Novato, 710 Wilson Ave. Box 631, Novato, CA 94948

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1 PResPRess January 2018 Presbyterian Church of Novato, 710 Wilson Ave. Box 631, Novato, CA KENT S COMMENTS WHAT Do Presbyterians Believe? This is the title of my final class before my retirement next June 30. I ll have the pleasure of co-teaching with Commissioned Pastor Ariel Mink! This important subject seems an appropriate way to conclude my teaching ministry with you all here at PCN. What subjects will we tackle together? Our convictions about the following: the Nature of Faith, the Character and Functions of Holy Scripture, the Triune God and God s work as Creator, Humanity and the Human Condition, the Identity and Saving Work of Jesus Christ, Divine Election in Christ (predestination), Sanctification (spiritual growth) and the Christian Church (including the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord s Supper), the Church s Evangelistic and Social Justice Mission, and Our Future Hope. We ll use two textbooks. One is Presbyterian Beliefs by Presbyterian scholar Don McKim, which is a short and clearly written summary of our beliefs. A second text we ll employ is The Book of Confessions, Part 1 of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA). This important book contains twelve confessions, catechisms, or creeds. As Deacons, Elders, and Ministers of the Word are ordained, one of the questions each must affirm is Do you sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and will you be instructed and led by those confessions as you lead the people of God? Many of us have given an affirmative answer to that ordination vow. Now we ll have the opportunity to undertake a serious study of The Book of Confessions! As usual, the class will be discussion-oriented and will meet Mondays from 9:30 11 a.m. and from 7 8:30 p.m. in the Christensen Room, beginning January 8 and running through March 5 (taking February 18, Presidents Day off).

2 I hope you ll prayerfully consider joining the sixty people who have already registered. To do so, you may phone the Church Office or sign up at the table in the Narthex on Sunday mornings following worship. We re requesting a $25 donation to cover the cost of the two books above and a brief Study Guide that we ll produce with discussion questions for each of our eight class sessions. Your Friend in Christ, Kent MESSAGE FROM ARIEL LOOKING AHEAD At the close of the calendar year, we usually reflect on our lives where we have been so far, what changes we have experienced and what changes we anticipate, where we hope our lives will go in the new year. As we say good-bye to 2017 and hello to 2018 and anticipate all that is to come, we all may be experiencing last-time syndrome this is the last time Kent will wear his plaid pants to Christmas Eve services, this is the last time we ll be able to attend Kent s adult education class, this is the last time we ll hear him speak on Mt. Burdell on Easter Sunday and so on and so on will indeed be a series of last times and that is going to be hard for all of us. Really, really hard. Some of us may be tempted to take a step back in order to deal with the change, but I hope not. Instead, I hope that we all make a new year s resolution to be even more committed to PCN and reflect on how each of us can be even more active in our community of faith. Instead of focusing on all the last times we reframe and think about all the first times we can have together, which will lead into all of our next times... And ultimately, when our next Head of Staff is called, that person will be able to come into a healthy, thriving community, composed of all of us living into the future, embracing whatever God is calling us to do next. MISSION December s Alternative Christmas Faire was a great success with a total of $6, raised on two consecutive Sundays. Your mission committee greatly appreciates your generosity. The individual amounts raised are as follows: Compassion Water $ New Beginnings $1, Church World Service $ Heifer International $1, Faith in Practice $ Gilead House $ Novato Youth Center $245.00

3 Thanks from our mission elders to you all. we are blessed to have this kind of generosity and support within our congregation. With Peace and Love, Jane (Sime) and. This is really fabulous. We have an amazing congregation with a heart for service as God has asked us to do. I am happy to be a part of it. Blessings to all, Mike (Robinson) The Novato Human Needs Center benefitted from our Sharing Tree also. Altogether, PCN raised $ in Safeway and Target cards and cash, and also donated 44 books of all kinds for all reading levels. NHNC counts on us each holiday season and is so very grateful for our support. The mission committee also thanks you for your enthusiastic response to their request for winter pajamas for the Bethel Orphanage outside Juarez, Mexico. PCN was able to provide for every one of the 130 children who live there, making their Christmas warmer and cozier than it would have been without you. Gilead House celebrated Christmas this year in a brand new way. Instead of the small in-house party they have had in the past, they invited ALL current and former mothers, children, and mentors to join them in a celebratory reunion. Your mission committee was happy to serve as team members for planning and execution, and for discretionary monies toward expenses. It was a terrific occasion with new moms getting the chance to meet and greet with former moms who are now living successful lives with their children. Great food, filled stockings, and Santa Claus! Who could ask for more?

4 SESSION HIGHLIGHTS Session welcomed new members Brook and Kim Stahley and Marty Lutzeier in November. Session approved a motion from the Mission Committee to solicit the congregation for pajamas and toothbrushes to be sent to Bethel Orphanage in Mexico. Session received a $50 check from the Presbytery s Hunger Task Force in memory of Betty Doerksen. The Hunger Task Force requested that the check be used to purchase a plant for the PCN Meditation Garden. Rev. Steve Giordano submitted a letter of resignation as PCN s Parish Associate as he will continue to serve as the interim pastor at All Saint s Lutheran Church. At the December meeting, Session approved a motion from the Mission Committee for member Phil Dougherty to host a personal defense workshop in January, Donations will be requested from workshop participants and donated to Agape International which works to prevent human trafficking. Session approved a 2018 budget of $740,082. Mission Committee budget for 2018 will be $163,057,.25% of the 2018 pledged income. Kathy Takemoto Clerk of Session

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7 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION PCN CONNECT: OSCAR SEASON MOVIES Join us between now and March 4 th (Oscar night) to see some of the contenders at local movie theatres. We ll shoot for late afternoon/early evening movie times so that we. can go on to a food venue and enjoy talking about the movie we ve just seen. (For instance: Rowland Cinema & Moylan s or Smith Ranch Road & Mulberry Street.) Get in the loop for two months of fun by contacting Carolyn Gerrans at grace624@comcast.net or ELVES ABOUND...at our recent children s activities and deserve our MANY THANKS!! ADVENT AFTERNOON Thanks to Susi Lynam and Lisa Webber and their helpers for another wonderful afternoon of gingerbread houses and Advent wreaths. This year the event coincided with decorating the sanctuary, carol singing at the piano, and a delicious soup dinner together. So many hands made this work and it was the best possible start to the Christmas season for those of us participating. CHILDREN S CHRISTMAS PAGEANT And on December 10 th, our staff, interns, costumers, and musicians helped our SEEKers, youth, and Sunday School students put on a wonderful worship service complete with pageant. Weeks of hard work and rehearsal paid off big time. THANKS TO ALL WHO PLANNED, LED, AND PARTICIPATED.

8 Pick up your copy of on the hall table in the office. Helping you connect with God every day. STAFF Kent Webber, Pastor Ariel Mink, Commissioned Pastor Jeff Page, Youth Director Sally Carbonaro, Dir. of Children s Ministry pastor@pcnovato.org ministryassociate@pcnovato.org pagejeffrey@gmail.com childrensministry@pcnovato.org

9 January 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat OFFICE CLOSED 7:30 Stephen Leaders 1:30 PW Coordinators 7:30am Men s Group 5:00 Mission Cmte. 6:30 Worship Cmte. 7:00 CE Committee 2:00 Singles Coffee Creekside 7:00 Choir rehearsal 9:00 PEO 11:00 Dave Breazeale Memorial :00 Adult Bible Study 9:00 Contemporary 10:30 Traditional 12:00 Membership & Outreach 6:00 Youth Group 9:00 Morning Prayer 9:30 Kent s Class 7:00 Kent s Class 8:30 BSF 2:30 wired club 5:30 SEEkers! 7:00 Personnel 7:30am Men s Group 9:30 BSF 6:00 PNC 6:30 Deacons 6:30 Finance Cmte. 9:30 Women s Bible Study 2:00 Singles Coffee Creekside 7:00 Choir :00 Adult Bible Study 9:00 Contemporary 10:30 Traditional 6:00 Youth Group MLK Day office closed 9:00 Morning Prayer 9:30 Kent s Class 2:00 Mill St. meal p/u 7:00 Kent s Class 8:30 BSF 11:30 BSF 2:30 wired club 5:30 SEEkers! 7:00 Stephen Ministry Supervision 7:30am Men s Group 9:30 BSF 4:00 Bells 6:00 Session dinner 6:30 Session meeting 9:30 Women s Bible Study 2:00 Singles Coffee Creekside 7:00 Choir 5:00 Mingling Singles Pizza Night :00 Adult Bible Study 9:00 Power Hour 9:00 Contemporary 10:30 Traditional 1:30 Creekwood 2:15 Atria 6:00 Youth Group 9:00 Morning Prayer 9:30 Kent s Class 7:00 Kent s Class 8:30 BSF 11:30 BSF meetings 2:30 wired club 2:00 Ruth s Circle 5:30 SEEkers! 7:30am Men s Group 9:30 BSF 4:00 Bells 9:30 Women s Bible Study 2:00 Singles Coffee Creekside 6:00 Rachel s Circle 7:00 Choir 3:00 Middle School Winter Camp Middle School Winter Camp continues 10:00 Self-defense Class fundraiser :00 Adult Bible Study 9:00 Contemporary 10:30 Traditional 3:30 Middle School Students return 5:00 Congregational Meeting and Dinner 6:00 Youth Group no middle school 9:00 Morning Prayer 9:30 Kent s Class 7:00 Kent s Class 8:30 BSF 2:30 wired club 5:30 SEEkers! 7:30am Men s Group 9:30 BSF 11:30 BSF seminar 4:00 Bells

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