To the Many Thankful Hearts in and around Our Church,

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1 To the Many Thankful Hearts in and around Our Church, In 1620 a small band of religious pilgrims came to this continent, refugees who had fled persecution and violence in their native land. Nearly 400 years later, we remember their part in the American story -- and we honor the indigenous people, the Native Americans, who helped them in their time of need. Thanksgiving is a day for family, food and maybe a little football. It is also a time for prayer praying that the turkey in the oven is cooked to perfection! But it's also a day to count our blessings and give back to others -- a reminder that no matter our circumstances, all of us have something for which to be grateful. Maybe it is recovery from a recent illness or surgery, a new addition to the family, or a child taking a next first step, literally or figuratively, toward college or a career. Maybe it's something as simple, and as important, as the chance to spend time with the people who matter most. Maybe, and hopefully, Thanksgiving also is a time in which we pause and give thanks to our God for the gift of life and love. Acknowledging those gifts from God can motivate each of us to a greater commitment to live fully for Him. Florida, Puerto Rico, Colombia, or a homeless person who might have slept on our church campus. You offer rides to those who need medical attention; you offer food to families who are struggling to make ends meet; you offer kindness and hope to those who have none. Your faithfulness inspires me and gives me great hope for the future of this congregation. I find myself thankful for the future of this congregation. The future will be different than our past except for the fact that it will be designed by God. It is God s faithfulness that will lead you to your next pastor, open the doors to new ministries, and cultivate new life among you. Our response is one of gratitude for God s presence among us and a sincere willingness to be faithful to God s leading. Blessed Thanksgiving to each of you and your families. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Kim L. Nelson I am thankful for the privilege to be the Interim- Transitional Pastor of this historic congregation. I am continually overwhelmed with the generous spirit of this congregation responding in prayer and financial support to those in need whether that be in Houston,

2 RESTORE UPDATE Restore Mentoring has officially begun, as you may have noticed from the increased amount of incredible teenagers hanging around. First Pres during the week now! We are excited to be welcoming back many familiar faces while adding new members to our mentoring family. Right now we are facilitating Garden Mentoring at El Dorado Elementary, Basketball Mentoring at First Presbyterian on Tuesday afternoons, and One on One Mentoring at First Presbyterian on Wednesday afternoons. We spent a couple of weeks focusing on training the high school mentors and setting the culture for the year, and are now welcoming elementary school mentees in for academic support, relationship building, leadership training, and general fun! FELLOWSHIP LUNCH Do you want to try out a new recipe for Thanksgiving before the actual day? Let us be your guinea pigs! The Sunday before Thanksgiving will be our Fellowship Luncheon in November. Note this is the third Sunday, not the second. Bring your favorite dishes in thanksgiving for your church family. And, seriously, let us be your tasters for a new recipe. We are always up for something new! "A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself." Oprah Winfrey Calling All Singers! Happiness is singing in the choir! Just ask Gretchen, Heather, Elsbeth, Gail, Merilyn, Doug, Tadashi, Mark, Jerry, and Pastor Kim. We welcome anyone who would like to join us! Rehearsal starts at 8:45 a.m. Sunday mornings. See you there! Don t forget to change your clocks back an hour before you go to bed on Saturday, November 4th. Wouldn t want to be late for church on Sunday! PG 2 OCTOBER 2017

3 BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES IRON WORK We have had the parking lot gates repaired. The In gates now opens outward. This was done to help lower the gates to keep homeless from sliding under it at night and sleeping on our premises. Look in the mirror. Yes, the person staring back at you is one of God s most beautiful Masterpieces. Have a wonderful and blessed birthday and anniversary! The Out gates had work done to adjust the hinges so that they will be easier to close. ** Black = Birthdays **Red = Anniversaries November 1st - Diana Strombom November 2nd - Victor Naranjo November 6th - Willow Wright November 8th - Maria Anderson Rebecca Nelson The railing on the handicapped ramp on El Dorado Street has also been repaired. November 11th - Sylvia & Gary Cavanaugh (50 years!) November 13th - Janet Lewis November 18th - Julie Yanes November 22nd - Marjorie Wall November 24th - Suzi Treganza November 30th - Gloria Balis If your name or date is wrong, or you are not on the list and want to be, please let the Office know: Thank you. Our thanks to Artistic Ornamental Iron Works for great work. OCTOBER 2017 PG 3

4 Maurice McElhinny U.S. Army, E National Guard Ron Allison, U.S. Air Force stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi, Lonnie Stone US Navy Richard G. Callistro, Sp. 4 U.S. Army, Jay Roek U.S. Navy World War II Other Church members who served: Ramon Bacerra Harriet Washburn Leonard George Will Marsh Kevin McNary Charles Graff PG 4 OCTOBER 2017

5 CHURCH FINANCIAL REPORT September, 2017: Contributions: $11, Expenses: -$22, Deficit ($10,205.95) January through September 2017 Contributions: $41, Expenses: -$62, Deficit ($20,957.57) PASTOR S CLASS How Do You Spell P-R-E-S-B-Y-T-E-R-I-A-N? Affirming our Reformed Faith for the Purposes of God in the 21st Century Pastor Kim has begun a very special class in honor of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. The Reformation was started in 1517 by Martin Luther, a Catholic priest who nailed his concerns for the church upon the main wooden door of the local church in Wittenberg, Germany. It was like a major announcement on one s Facebook Page of today. His announcement listed 95 points of practical and theological concerns for the larger Church. Our class will not cover his 95 points of discussion but will focus on 11 primary elements of the Reform/Christian Faith. Class is at noon and continues through November 12th. NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT Many thanks to those of you who felt the call of God to serve in leadership at First Presbyterian Church during the next three years. You will be blessed by your obedience to God's call, I am sure! We are grateful for your prayerful consideration and your willing spirits. The slate is full and there will be a Congregational Meeting after worship on November 12th to vote on the nominees. Merilyn Vaughn, Nominating Committee 2017 Chair The content of this class is an excellent tool for all Christians and especially those chosen by God for the church s servant/leadership as key volunteers, Ruling Elders, or Deacons. Readers R Us will be meeting Thursday, November 9th at 3:00 p.m. Janet Sepiol s House to discuss The Electrifying Fall of Rainbow City by Margaret Creighton OCTOBER 2017 PG 5

6 STEWARDSHIP Dear Members and Friends of First Presbyterian Church, The usual Stewardship letter reminds us about the virtues of giving. I will mention the practicalities for giving. I make a pledge to First Pres every year for several reasons one of which is that I want First Presbyterian to exist. If this church did not exist I would miss all of you in this community. I would miss coming here Sunday morning to refresh my mind and soul for the next week and hear the Word preached. I would miss the Church events, the studies, the lunches, the women s circle, and the music. Your generosity through the years has supported this church. I can tell you that it would be impossible for this church to exist if a large number of you did not pledge. The pledge allows the church to set a budget and plan for the coming year. If you regularly pledge, please consider increasing you pledge. Many churches are struggling because they have large facilities and fewer members. We have reached out to the community to make our resources available to outside groups that can utilize our fine buildings and spaces. In these uncertain financial times, you may pause about committing to a pledge, but we encourage you to claim your priorities. Now is the time to say, this is my church family and it is an ultimate priority. Pledging is based on the principle of regularity. Give regularly every week, week in, week out. We don t give just when we feel like, or just when our hearts have been touched by something dramatic or sentimental. We give when the time comes, regardless of our mood. Regularity takes a lot of pain out of giving. We urge you to fill out the 2018 Commitment Card and return it to the Church by putting it in the offering plate, dropping it off at the office or mailing it to the church by November 12 th. We will dedicate them during the Service that Sunday. Gail Herron Stewardship Chair First Presbyterian Church 31 E. Vine St., Stockton, CA Phone: Freely you have received, freely give. Matt 10:8 Thank you in advance for your prayerful consideration and response. The operating year for our general fund* begins January 1, Commitment Card Name (Please fill this card out completely so we may update our church records) Full Address Phone Number & Address (if any) As a disciple of Christ, I intend to give $ Weekly Monthly Yearly PG 6 OCTOBER 2017

7 RAGS UPDATE Have you heard about Restore Stockton s vocational training program, Stockton RAGS? In the spring of 2016, after much dreaming and praying, Restore launched a screen-printing business called Stockton RAGS (Restore Art & Graphic Styles) as a way to further impact the youth and young adults we work with. The core of RAGS is mentoring, and our desire is to teach youth the entrepreneurial skills necessary to successfully create and launch their own businesses. We want to give Stockton youth the tools to create a career and venture into new industries, which simultaneously will give them a chance to fulfill their potential. All proceeds from RAGS go to support further youth mentoring in Stockton. Visit our website at to learn more about this aspect of Restore. You can also purchase one of our custom designed shirts or get information about our screenprinting services. SESSION HIGHLIGHTS At the Session meeting on October 10th, the following items were approved: Renewal of Interim Pastor Kim Nelson s contract for Donations in excess of the cost for the Christmas poinsettias will be given to the Water for Colombia Fund. Session received a recommendation from the Mission Committee to become a host church for Family Promise. This is a national organization in 206 cities nationwide and growing. Their focus is to help homeless families get back on their feet by providing them with interim housing at various religious facilities. We would host 4 families (up to 14 people) for 7 days 4 times a year. Session approved FPC s participation in this program. However, in order for the program to get started, a total of 13 religious organizations must commit to be host facilities as well as other organizations willing to provide meals and support. If those commitments are not met, the program will not take place. For more information, see Cheryl Hunt or Kathy White. Merilyn Vaughn and Cheryl Hunt were appointed as Delegates to the November 4th Presbytery Meeting, taking place in Turlock. OCTOBER 2017 PG 7

8 First Presbyterian Church of Stockton 31 E. Vine Street Stockton, CA Phone: Website: fpcstockton.org Business Office Hours: Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The deadline for submission of articles for the December Window is November 20th. WORSHIP ASSISTANTS Date Name November 5 Craig Holmes November 12 Kathy White November 19 Bill Alessio November 26 Carol Dietrich OCTOBER 2017