F i r s t P r e s b y t e r i a n C h u r c h S a n L e a n d r o HIGHLIGHTS

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1 F i r s t P r e s b y t e r i a n C h u r c h S a n L e a n d r o HIGHLIGHTS OCTOBER 2018 VOLUME 19, ISSUE 9 WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY On Sunday, October 7 th, Christians all around the world will be celebrating World Communion Sunday. As we commemorate our oneness in Christ around the table with believers everywhere, we will also receive the 2018 Peace and Global Witness Offering, which supports our partners in the Presbyterian Church as they continue their efforts to be a part of God's peacemaking and witness throughout the world. UPCOMING SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES First, a huge thanks to all of you who helped with the Rise Against Hunger project! We had a wonderful group of people who put together over 10,000 meals for the hungry! We appreciated the folks from All Saints Episcopal who joined us for this service project. Coming up, we have some more opportunities for service. On Saturday, October 6 th, there will be a Church Work Day at 9:00 am. We have work for everyone please see Carol Anderson or Conrad Milner if you are able to come. On Saturday, November 3 rd, Habitat for Humanity is sponsoring Cycle of Hope, a family-friendly cycling event with multiple distances, to raise money for affordable homeownership in the bay area. We will be forming an FPCSL team, and you can become a part of our team by either riding in the event or signing up to staff one of the rest stations along the way. There is a 17-mile course, as well as 32 mile, 62 mile, 100 mile and a kids course. It s all happening in Palo Alto. Visit HabitatCycleofHope.org for more information, and sign up with Lauren or Anne. On Sunday, November 11, we are going to be putting together Gift of the Heart Kits that will serve as clean-up buckets for those who have suffered a catastrophic loss through floods and fires. We will be collecting all the supplies for the buckets ahead of time, and then on November 11 th, we will assemble the buckets in Fellowship Hall after coffee fellowship. On October 28 th and November 4 th, you can sign up to bring some of the items needed to place in the buckets. Our goal is to prepare 40 Clean-up Buckets, and then we will send them off to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance for their distribution. We hope you will jump in and help out with these various service events!!

2 CREW 424 We are looking forward to another year of CREW Children Reviewing and Engaging in Worship /4th graders on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. Our kids are crucial to our church family. Their energy and curiosity remind us of the openness and humility God longs for from all God s children. We need them, and they need us. They need to be reminded that they are welcome here, just as they are - sometimes messy, sometimes loud, sometimes wriggly - always precisely who God has created them to be. They learn what worship is like by participating and watching those around them. They learn what the church is like by the way we all accept and encourage them as they grow in their abilities to be still when it s time to be still and to pray when it s time to pray and to sing when it s time to sing. To support them as they learn those skills, fourth graders will leave the service after the second Scripture reading on the 2nd and 4th Sundays and go to their own worship space with Jennifer Spadoni where they intentionally study a specific element of our worship service. We ll be covering hymns, affirmations of faith, prayers and Sacraments. If you see a CREW kid with their interactive notebook, ask them what they are learning! Thank you so much for your ongoing love and support of our kids! FACEBOOK SUNDAY SCHOOL Each Sunday (except Second Sundays!) a video is uploaded to our Facebook page with a brief lesson, usually related to the sermon text of the day, with discussion questions. These videos can be enjoyed on your own or watched with friends and family to prompt discussion - the questions should engage all ages! Comment with your responses to questions and be sure to share the videos so your friends can interact with them as well! If these videos and other church info are not automatically coming up on your Facebook feed, make sure to visit our page! Make sure you like First Presbyterian Church of San Leandro on Facebook, and return to our page frequently so Facebook learns that you want to see updates from us. If you have any questions, let Lauren know! (Lauren@FirstPresbyterianChruchSL.org) INSPIRED Ready to have an inspired conversation? Join Lauren on Nov. 4th at Zocalo (645 Bancroft) at 4pm to discuss Inspired by Rachel Held Evans. This fabulous book takes us on the New York Times bestselling author's journey of "slaying giants, walking on water, and loving the Bible again." (You can purchase the book on your own or contact the church office to order for $15). Let Lauren know if you have any questions! Hope you can join us! LEGOS NEEDED Do you have a box of legos that needs a new home? Bring them in for our children's ministry! Please bring legos to the church office by October 21! Thanks! -Lauren Volume 18, Issue 9 2

3 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :30 AM Men's Breakfast & Women's Fellowship 9:00 AM Church Work Day 30 10:30 AM Coffee 12:15 PM Daycamp Evaluation Meeting 7:30 PM Building & Grounds, Pastoral Care & Worship Committees 7 World Communion Sunday 10:30 AM Coffee/Donuts 12:30 PM Prayer Shawl Ministry :00 PM Women's Bible Study 12 All Church Retreat 13 All Church Retreat 14 All Church Retreat 10:30 AM Coffee :30 AM Young at Heart Luncheon :00 AM Book Club 7:30 PM Session 21 10:30 AM Congregational Meeting 10:40 AM Coffee/Bake Sale 12:15 PM Advent Celebration Planning Halloween Party 25 1:00 PM Women's Bible Study :00 PM Deacons Meeting 28 10:30 AM Coffee 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM Officer Training HALLOWEEN :30 AM Men's Breakfast & Women's Fellowship 9:00 AM Habitat Bike Ride (in Palo Alto) NO WOW & PEAK

4 ADULT EDUCATION PLANS Join us on Sunday mornings from 11:15 am - 12:15 pm in the Fireside Room! 10/7 - "A Time for Ecclesiastes" (final session) 10/14 - All Church Retreat (no adult education class at 11:15) 10/21, 10/28 and 11/4 - The Belhar Confession 11/11 - Second Sunday Gathering / Assemble Clean Up Buckets! Also, you are invited to our Monday evening class at 7:00 pm. Sue Goodnow is leading a study on "The Rock, the Road & the Rabbi. MEN S BREAKFAST will be discussing Meals with Jesus. All men are invited to breakfast on the first Saturday of the month (October 6 th ) at 7:30 am at Manor Grill, with discussion following. (The women also gather at Manor Grill for breakfast and fellowship.) YOUNG AT HEART LUNCHEON The Young at Heart group (for seniors and all those who are young at heart!) will meet on Thursday, October 18 th at 11:30 am for fellowship, lunch and a great program. We are looking forward to having Laurie Strawn present a special program on Eleanor Roosevelt, called Brave Little Nell. Everyone is welcome. Please sign up ahead of time so we will know how many people to expect. Please be aware that everyone now must pay for parking in the city garage next door. UPCOMING RETREATS AT WESTMINSTER WOODS It s not too early to begin to plan for a weekend at the Woods with other young people! Mark your calendars now: November 2-4, 2018: December 7-9, 2018: February 8-10, 2019: NovemberBash, a weekend retreat for middle school youth in grades 6-8. DecemberFest, a weekend retreat for high school youth in grades Forest Adventure, a weekend retreat for students in grades 4-6. Also planned are two wonderful weekends for adults: Women s Retreat, January 11-13, 2019 Men s Retreat, February 15-17, 2019 See Westminster Woods website for more information. HIGHLIGHTS 4 CONGREGATIONAL MEETING A congregational meeting has been called for Sunday, October 21 at 10:30 a.m. for the purpose of electing deacons and elders. This will be a brief meeting following worship. CHURCH OFFICER TRAINING There will be a Church Officer Training class on Sunday, October 28, 1:30 4:00 pm. All church officers who will continue serving in 2019, as well as those who are coming onto the Deacons or Session this next year, are asked to attend. COLLEGE STUDENT ADDRESSES Has your college student recently moved into a new dorm or apartment? Please call the church office and be sure we have an up-to-date address for him/her so that we can send the Highlights and keep in touch! WOMEN S BOOK CLUB The Women s Book Club will be meeting on Saturday, October 20 at 10:00 am in the Fireside Room. They will be discussing Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman. Everyone is welcome, even if you have not read the book! See Jeanette Rauscher for more in formation.

5 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 180 Estudillo Avenue San Leandro, CA Return Service Requested NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID SAN LEANDRO, CA PERMIT NO. 84 U P C O M I N G E V E N T S BAKE SALE OCTOBER 21 Home-baked goodies will be for sale on Sunday morning, October 21 st. Come and get some great desserts to take home or enjoy during coffee fellowship! Your contributions will go to the campership fund for next summer s campers going to Westminster Woods. ADVENT CELEBRATION PLANS It isn t too early to get ready for Advent! Sunday, October 21 st a group will meet at 12:15 pm in the Fireside Room to begin planning for our annual Advent celebration, which is scheduled for Saturday, December 1 st at 5:00 pm. Bring your ideas on October 21 st all are welcome to help us make this a wonderful event for the entire church family.

6 RECYCLING UPDATE Thank you for your continued support of our recycling program. We are happy to recycle aluminum cans, plastic bottles, ink cartridges (the smaller ones), and cell phones. Please DO NOT BRING glass bottles, light bulbs or batteries to the church, as we do not recycle these items. There are places in the community that take these items to keep them out of the landfill. Thanks. FOOD FOR DAVIS STREET FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER Our church supports the food pantry at Davis Street Family Resource Center. Many families and seniors in our community cannot afford to buy groceries, so we invite you to bring canned goods, pasta and other non-perishable items and place them in the basket in the narthex, or in the round barrels in Fellowship Hall. We especially think of our neighbors on the first Sunday of the month, but any Sunday is fine to bring along some food to share. Thank you for your support! ALL CHURCH RETREAT Our Annual All-Church Retreat will be held at Westminster Woods beginning on Friday, October 12 th at 7:00 pm and concluding on Sunday afternoon, October 14 th at 1:00 pm. Have you signed up yet?? If not, call the church office right away to see if there is still space available. The cost for 5 meals and two nights of lodging for adults is $160, for junior and senior highs $120, for kindergarten through fifth grades $85, and for toddlers and preschoolers, $40. Housing with indoor bathroom is $215. Limited camperships are available. WHAT IS ANGEL TREE? Our church will participate again this Christmas in the Angel Tree Project. Angel Tree is a program of Prison Fellowship that serves incarcerated parents by providing a pathway for strengthening and restoring their relationships with their children and families. Volunteers purchase and deliver Christmas presents with a loving message from the incarcerated parent, a gift basket for the family, a children s Bible, and also have the opportunity to share the greatest gift of all the Good News of Jesus Christ. Please see Val Watts or Gil DeHoyos, Evangelism Committee Co- Chairs, if you have any questions. ALTERNATIVE GIFT FAIR It s time for you to start making your lists and checking them twice, because planning has begun on this years Alternative Gift Faire, to be held Sunday, November 18 th in Fellowship Hall. As in the past, we will have tables set up for Equal Exchange Coffee & Chocolate, Heifer International, and Habitat for Humanity. Also there will be some gift items you may purchase, to support artisans and farmers worldwide. And there will be pearl jewelry on sale, in support of Badjao Bridge Ministry. For more information please see Scott Crosbie or Helen Fortner. OCTOBER 2018 Calendar on reverse