Valley Community Presbyterian Church January 2015 Sundays at Valley Adult Education Class, 9:00 a.m. Exploring The Message, 9:00 a.m. Early Coffee in Library, 9:30 a.m. Worship, 10:00 a.m. Valley Kids Sunday Funday, 10:20 a.m. Nursery Care, 9:45 to 11:15 a.m. Coffee Fellowship, 11:00 a.m. Sunday 6:08 Worship, 6:08 p.m. January 4 Celebration of Epiphany Communion, 10:00 a.m. 11 New Beginnings Town Hall Meeting, 11:30 a.m. Session Meeting with New Members, 11:15 a.m. Sign Up Now for the New Pictorial Directory! Everyone who attends Valley is encouraged to sign up soon to have their picture taken for the new Valley pictorial directory to be published this spring. Lifetouch photographers will be at the church during the weeks of February 3-7 and February 20-21 to take the photos. Each person or family participating will receive a free 8X10 photo and a copy of the new church directory. There is no obligation to buy additional photos, although it is possible to purchase more. If you sign-up on line at www.valleycommunity.org (click on photo directory sign-ups ) at any time you will be eligible to receive a $10 coupon via email to be applied to additional photos. There is a 20% discount coupon (one per family) for those age 60 and over. Sign-ups continue following Sunday worship or you may schedule an appointment by calling the church office. If you will be away during February and have a digital photo, you may submit that to the church office for inclusion. If transportation is a problem, call the church office and we can help arrange for you the get to your appointment. Questions? Call Donna Rueff or Marilyn Tuffs. Our church directory won t be complete without you, so please sign up now to participate! 18 Martin Luther King, Jr./ Justice Sunday Cents-Ability Offering Dining for Women, 11:30 a.m. Sunday 6:08 Communion 25 February 1 Communion, 10:00 a.m. Souper Bowl of Caring Offering Participants in the Nativity Tableau at the Christmas Eve service. Awakening Souls, Sharing Joy, Serving God in Christ - TRANSFORMING LIVES
Pastor s Column Celtic Prayer written by the monks at Patmos Abbey a prayer for the New Year. Pastor Ben Paroulek THE MESSENGER VALLEY COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 8060 SW BRENTWOOD ST. PORTLAND, OR 97225-2355 503.292.3537 FAX 503.292.4272 www.valleycommunity.org Email: mail@valleycommunity.org PASTORS BEN PAROULEK AND REBECCA CHANCELLOR NEWSLETTER STAFF: SHIRLEY HERCHER AND ANGELA GRAHAM PLEASE SUBMIT ARTICLES VIA E-MAIL BY JANUARY 15 FOR THE FEBRUARY ISSUE: messenger@valleycommunity.org THE NEWSLETTER STAFF RETAINS PERMISSION TO MODIFY SUBMISSIONS FOR CLARITY, SPACE, CONTENT AND STYLE. Amen. Lord, You who live outside of time, and reside in the imperishable moment, we ask Your blessing this New Year upon Your gift to us of time. Bless our clocks and watches, You who kindly direct us to observe the passing of minutes and hours. May they make us aware of the miracle of each second of life we experience. May these our ticking servants help us not to miss that which is important, while You keep us from machine-like routine. May we ever be free from being clock watchers and instead become pilgrims who journey through time. Bless our calendars, these ordered lists of days, weeks and months, of holidays, holydays, fasts and feasts all our special days of remembering. May these servants, our calendars, once reserved for the royal few, for magi and pyramid priests, now grace our homes and our lives. May they remind us of birthdays and other gift-days, as they teach us the secret that all life is meant for celebration and contemplation. Bless, Lord, this new year, each of its 365 days and nights. Bless us with new moons and full moons. Bless us with happy seasons and a long life. Grant to us, Lord, the new year's gift of a year of love. Amen. Page 2 Valley Messenger January 2015
Exploring the Message Group Meets Sundays at 9:00 a.m. Discover what each Sunday s lectionary is about. Join a group for a lively and informative discussion on the lectionary. We begin and end with prayer and often have lovely music. If you have ever wanted to know more on the lectionary, this is the place to be Sunday mornings, in the Fireside Room at 9:00 a.m. January Adult Class Features Marcus Borg Book Mission Endowment Fall Grants Awarded Series begins January 4 at 9:00 a.m. Do Christian beliefs still matter? Marcus Borg reflects on the convictions that he has developed during his life and why they provide hope for those seeking to be faithful Christians. Beginning Sunday, January 4, from 9 to 9:50 a.m., Chuck Falconer leads a class on Borg s book, Convictions. Copies of the book are available for purchase in the church office. The January classes are Context Matters; Faith Is A Journey; God Is Real and Is a Mystery; and Salvation Is More About This Life Than an After Life. Class participants are asked to read the appropriate chapter before each class. A complete list of the classes by date is available from Rebecca Chancellor or John Whitehurst. Seven applicants were awarded grants from the Mission Endowment Committee during the Fall 2014 cycle. A total of $9,850 was given to five organizations serving our local community, one serving Central Oregon, and one in the Himalayas. Two recipients provide housing, one provides medical support, one supplies clothing, one is mission support and two are education-related. Valley Christian Preschool - Provided scholarship money for families in need of tuition assistance to attend Valley Christian Preschool. Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon The Second Home program matches qualified homeless youth in Beaverton with housing placement. Grant funds will be used for staff support. Assistance League of Portland Operation School Bell funds provided jackets, school clothes and shoes for 16 low-income children in grades K-5 in Hillsboro and Beaverton Public Schools. Healthy Beginnings Provided funds for 700 protocols for use during community screening clinics in Central Oregon to identify developmental or behavioral concerns in young, low-income children. Willamette West Habitat for Humanity Funds will be pooled from the faith community to build a Habitat Home in the Washington County Allen Estates neighborhood. Interserve - Funds for the Montes family travel expenses in support of their missionary work in the Himalayan region. Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Grant to facilitate visits by international college students to the homes of American families to meet and share meals and experiences. Gamble Library News Library Book Group The Book Group meets Friday, January 23, at 10:00 a.m. in the Fireside Room for a rousing discussion of the book, The 100 Y ear Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, by Jonas Jonasson. This humorous story is about a man, desperate to avoid his 100th birthday party, who climbs out of the window at his nursing home and heads to the nearest bus station, intending to travel as far as his pocket money will take him. He thus departs of a strange and unforeseen journey. All are welcome to join this group. Remember to bring your own coffee. Books and Resources for All Be sure to stop in the church library when you are at the church. We have an extensive collection of children s books as well as novels and biographies. Of course, we also have many books for study on church history, Biblical interpretation, etc. Also, our collection of DVDs is growing and contains many titles of interest to Christians. January 2015 Valley Messenger Page 3
Mission Thank you A big thank you to everyone for the great response to Christmas donations for the Christmas Joy offering, Luke Dorf, the Salvation Army, and all the other opportunities for giving at this season. Valley has many mission projects, special and on-going that continue to help those less fortunate near at home and around the world. Note: More thanks from the Mission Committee are in Valley Notes. Christmas Wrap Team On Thursday, December 11, a team from Valley gathered at St. Matthew s Lutheran Church to wrap presents for needy families in the Beaverton area. A good time was had by all, and several families will enjoy the gift selections. Thanks to Janet and Dick Atkins, Rebecca Chancellor, Connie Brenner, and Jan & Chuck Falconer for giving their time at this busy season of the year. Sock Collection During January we are collecting socks for the homeless in our area. Clean socks are always needed, especially at this time of year when the weather gets cold and wet. It is very difficult for the homeless to find places to wash clothes and keep warm and dry. A pair of new socks is always appreciated. A collection box will be placed in the hallway, near the food collection barrel. It will be labeled BOX FOR SOX. Let s see if we can fill the box to help the less fortunate. Dining for Women Meets Third Sundays This year s Dining for Women at Valley chapter will meet on the third Sunday of every month. Come join us! On Sunday, January 18, we gather at 11:30 a.m. in the Fireside Room to enjoy a potluck lunch, learn about the Equipping and Empowering Female Leaders with Collateral Repair Project in Jordan and contribute to their grant request. Collateral Repair Project (CRP) was founded to aid refugees fleeing the violence of the second Gulf War and has been providing assistance to victims of violent conflict since 2006. In addition to Iraqi refugees, they serve Jordanians living in extreme poverty and Syrians, who have arrived in Amman in huge numbers. CRP seeks to restore dignity and community among these displaced populations and to ensure that their basic food and housing needs are met. It runs an Emergency Assistance Program and a Community Center, where they hold activities that allow refugees to begin healing and rebuilding the once peaceful, non-sectarian communities they ve lost. They are the very reliable boots on the ground for other organizations providing emergency assistance. They have tapped into the needs of the population, and offer holistic and effective programs for displaced populations with PTSD. Plan to start your New Year by joining Dining for Women at Valley and help change the world, one meal at a time! For more information, feel free to contact Ruthann Marquis at 503.297.8992 or go to diningforwomen.org and learn more about this exciting organization. Thank you for sending your check for $28.00 for the 2015 Per Capita (for wider church expenses) for each Valley member. For more information about what per capita is, and how it helps, go to: oga.pcusa.org/percapita Page 4 Valley Messenger January 2015
Children and Youth Ministries Happy New Year from Valley Christian Preschool! We begin this fresh New Year with renewed excitement and energy, coming through the holidays and two weeks off from our school routines. We wish to thank everyone who contributed to our outreach to The KGW Great Toy Drive. We supplied two huge boxes filled to the brim with unwrapped toys for children through age 18, which was distributed throughout our region. We look forward to another great outreach effort in the spring as well. We are now registering our current students for Fall 2015, and in February will extend registration to new students and their families. VCP provides a quality, nurturing environment where children learn through a creative, play-based curriculum, and invite you to make inquiries about enrollment. Contact Kristina Kurtz, director at 503.292.3537 x 146 or by email to kristina@valleycommunity.org. Look for these upcoming events: In House enrollment January 5-January 31 Open enrollment begins February 2 No school January 19 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Spirit Week! January 26-January 29. We wear our Spirit in different ways each day of the week. Look for us! Valley Christian Preschool welcomes children ages 2-5 years, and it s not too late to enroll your child! Contact Kristina Kurtz at (503) 292-3537 or at kristina@valleycommunity.org for more information and become a student at Valley Christian Preschool today! Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner set for February 17 Toys for the KGW Great Toy Drive. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Davis Hall Most of us are familiar with the term Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, or even Shrove Tuesday. But did you know that the day before Ash Wednesday is also globally known as Pancake Day? Being the last day before the season of Lent, when Christians often give up something or practice some degree of fasting, it is common around the world to celebrate by indulging in rich foods or using up all the lard and sugar in the house. And so the youth committee has turned our traditional fall pancake fundraiser breakfast into a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner. We thank Sam Connell and the meal prep cast and crew in advance for helping us make this a reality. Donations will support our youth mission fund the high school trip to Nicaragua and middle school trip to northern California in 2015. Come and spend the evening on February 17 with your Valley friends, celebrating and using up the lard (okay, we won t actually use lard) and sugar in our pantry. A good time will be had by all. Youth January Events 7-Middle School LIFE 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the Youth House (doors open at 6:30 p.m. for drop-off/games freetime) 7-Confirmation Class 7:00-8:30 p.m. in Room 16 11-High School Mission Trip Planning Meeting, 11:45 a.m.-1:45 p.m. 18-Youth Sunday Planning Workshop, 11:45 a.m.-2:00 p.m. 21-Middle School LIFE 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the Youth House (doors open at 6:30 p.m. for drop-off/games free-time) 21-Confirmation Class 7:00-8:30 p.m. in Room 16 High School FAMILY events TBA. Please check the Valley Youth Blog for the most updated information: valleyym.wordpress.com. January 2015 Valley Messenger Page 5
Demystifying Fred Meyer Rewards Program for Youth Signing up benefits Valley Youth Mission at no cost to you! First, a hearty thank you! to the Valley congregation for your ongoing support of youth mission trips and projects. We ve had lots of questions about how the Fred Meyer Rewards program can benefit youth, so here s a primer to clarify how it works. If you have a Fred Meyer rewards card, you can link that card to Valley youth and a portion of your purchases will be donated to the youth program. There is no cost to you and you receive your full rewards as you normally would from Fred Meyer. Their donation to Valley youth is in addition to your program rewards. There are two ways to link you rewards card to Valley youth: 1. Take your card to the customer service desk at any Fred Meyer and ask for their assistance to link it to Valley Community Presbyterian Church #81094. 2. Or sign up online: a. Go to fredmeyer.com, click on the Rewards tab across the top, and select Community Rewards from the drop-down menu. b. Scroll down to Are you a Fred Meyer customer? and click on the link below that paragraph Link your Rewards Card now. c. You will be prompted to Create an Account by entering in your email address and a password. If you already have an account, click on Sign In in the upper right corner of the page. d. Your Account Summary will likely pop up after you log in (if it doesn t, you can find this link on the left side of the screen). Scroll down to the bottom to the section titled Community Rewards. e. Click on the orange button to either link your card or edit your existing link. f. You will be directed to a page titled Find your Organization. Enter either Valley Community Presbyterian Church or our Fred Meyer number 81094. Select Valley by clicking on the circle left of our name and then click Enroll. g. That s it! Valley s name should now appear in the Community Rewards section of your account summary and we will begin earning cash for all your purchases. If you don t have a Fred Meyer rewards card, stop by one of their customer service desks to sign up (and add Valley #81094 right from the get go). Also note this is a different program from scrip sales in Davis Hall after morning worship. With the scrip program, each purchase of a gift card to any of dozens of stores and restaurants earns us cash back. So you can help in both ways! Please contact Laurel Cluthe, Pastor Rebecca, or Michelle Blair with questions. Christmas Cookies Came to Valley! Thank you Valley members and friends for making the youth cookie exchange fundraiser such a successful event. On December 13, high school and middle school youth gathered in Davis Hall and spent several hours sorting over 1700 Christmas cookies donated by 36 master bakers from Valley members and friends. The youth wrapped up 60 platters of delicious treats in cellophane and prepared 15 tasting trays of cookies for the cookie tasting contest. To the amazement of all, the cookie trays were sold out within eight minutes following the end of the performance of Tiny Bethlehem on Sunday. The sale of the donated cookies brought in a grand total of $1600 for the Youth Mission Trip to Nicaragua. In addition to selling cookie platters, we also had 15 contestants competing for five awards. The congregation grabbed ballots and coffee and circled around the gym in search of their favorite Christmas treats. On December 21, we announced the winners: Traditional Favorite: Steve Bird with his Peanut Butter Kiss cookies, Best Decorated: Stacy Luehr-Sele with her Reindeer cookies, Most Unique: Allison Carlson with her Chocolate Peppermint Meringue cookies Tastiest Tasting: Jini DeVries with her Chocolate Crinkle cookies, and The Best Overall Cookie Award: Ruthann Marquis with her Cranberry Cream Drops. Thank you to all of our bakers and purchasers. We hope that many of you enjoyed tasting and sharing the delicious treats with family and friends. We are extremely grateful to the following bakers who shared their time and talent to make our first ever cookie exchange such a huge success: Ruthann Marquis, Paige Unangst, Connie Brenner, Pat McClean, Cathy Bernhard, Jan Falconer, Elaine Rea, Barbara Symons, Helen Green, Joy Eaton, Laura Sanders, Lizz Brown, Geri Mitchell, Ann Johnson, Andrea Murdoch, Marcia Sanderman, Karen Sandberg, Marilyn Connell, Marilyn Tuffs, Pat Bird, Corri Lee, Charlene Stansbury, Steve Bird, Carol Director, Christina Romanaggi, Barbara Bootsma, Anne Scearce, Troy Hayes, Katherine Rinella, Allison Carlson, Michelle Blair, Stacy Luehr-Sele, Jenny Pratt, Tracy Sailors, Jini DeVries, and Claudia Askew, and one anonymous donation left in the freezer See photo on p. 9 Page 6 Valley Messenger January 2015
Tiny Bethlehem January 2015 Valley Messenger Page 7
Advent Fair Page 8 Valley Messenger January 2015
Valley Scrapbook The Youth Choir sings at the Christmas Eve service. The three Kings and their trainbearers at Tiny Bethlehem. The congregation at the Tiny Bethlehem presentation. The Kitchen Crew at the December Senior Adult Luncheon. January 2015 Valley Messenger Thanks to the Carlson family and other volunteers for a successful fundraiser! See p. 6. Page 9
Valley Notes Opportunities Sock it to Em... Please bring new socks (not footies) during January to the coffee hour. As the rain settles in over Portland, wet feet become a big problem to those without a place to call home. Those living on the streets of our city, wear their socks until they fall apart. Through various programs around town, the homeless are provided new, dry socks and shoes. We will be sharing our collection with these agencies. Got Christmas Trays? Are you putting away your Christmas decorations and finding yourself with a few extra cookie trays? Since the Valley Youth Cookie Fundraiser was such a hit, we d like to repeat this Youth Mission fundraiser next year. If you have a tray from the event, please drop it off in the designated box in the church office lobby. Thank you! Thanks Thanks so much to all for supporting Valley s annual Mission Market in December. With your generous contributions, we raised more than $2,600 for the mission projects represented. Special thanks to the volunteers and table hosts who dedicated their time to these valuable mission efforts including Jini DeVries, Addy Pratt, Jim and Karen Sandberg, Janet Adkins, Connie Brenner, Jan and Chuck Falconer, Christine Danner, Andrea Murdoch, and the Valley Youth. Look for the Mission Market again in November, 2015. Mission Committee welcomes new ideas and volunteers. Luke Dorf says Thank You! Due to our generous donations, 18 children from 10 families were provided with Christmas gifts in 2014. I hope you were able to see them on December 14, when their representative, Valerie Burton, picked them up. We have partnered with Luke Dorf since their early days as a community support system; and they are overwhelmed by our desire to help. If you missed this opportunity, we'll be back for Easter Baskets. Thank you to all who donated items to the Salvation Army Giving Tree! Because of your generosity, a deserving family had a very merry Christmas, thank you! Prayers We pray for those with health concerns: Kenton Chambers (Elaine Rea s father), Connie Nielson (Jan Bellis- Squires mother), Martha Squires (Raoul Bellis-Squires mother), Carolyn Berg, and Anne Foster We pray for those who mourn: - Shannon Blair and family on the death of Shannon s mother, Kathy Foggia. Valley Scrapbook Silent Night solo during the Tiny Bethlehem presentation. Greens were available to make wreaths at the Advent Fair. Page 10 Valley Messenger January 2015
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 New Year s Day - Church Office Closed 10:00a Alanon 2 8:00a Women s Aerobics 3 4 8:45a Worship Leaders Meeting 9:00a Adult Education Class 9:00a Exploring The Message Class 9:30a Early Coffee in the Library 10:00a Worship 11:00a Coffee Fellowship 4:15p Youth Handbell Choir 5:00p Youth Choir Rehearsal 6:08p Sunday 6:08 5 10:00a Baby Blues Connection 6:00p Girl Scout Troop 7:30p Portland Highland Games Association 6 11:00a Women s Bible Study 1:00p Staff Meeting 5:30p Fellowship Committee 5:30p Membership Comm. 7:00p Called Session Mtg. 7:30p Girl Scout Troop 7 8:00a Men s Bible Study 5:00p Sacred Space 5:00p Cherub Choir 5:00p King s Kids Choir 5:30p Communications and Social Media Comm. 6:00p Royal Ringers Bells 6:30p Tiger Den Pack 592 7:00p Christian Nurture for Adults Committee 7:00p Confirmation Class 7:00p Middle School LIFE 8 10:00a Alanon 6:00p Cub Scout Pack 592 6:00p Preschool Board Mtg. 7:00p Christian Nurture for Children 7:15p Chancel Choir 8:15p Chamber Choir 9 8:00a Women s Aerobics 10 11 8:45a Worship Leaders Meeting 9:00a Adult Education Class 9:00a Exploring The Message Class 9:30a Early Coffee in the Library 10:00a Worship 10:20a Valley Kids Sunday Funday 11:00a Coffee Fellowship 11:15a Session Meeting with New Members 11:30a New Beginnings Town Hall Meeting 11:45a HS Mission Trip Planning 4:15p Youth Handbell Choir 5:00p Youth Choir Rehearsal 6:08p Sunday 6:08 12 10:00a Baby Blues Connection 6:00p Girl Scout Troop 6:30p Cub Scouts 13 1:00p Staff Meeting 7:00p Session 14 8:00a Men s Bible Study 4:00p Girl Scout Troop 5:00p Sacred Space 5:00p Cherub Choir 5:00p King s Kids Choir 6:00p Royal Ringers Bells 6:30p Webelos Den Meeting 15 The Messenger Newsletter Articles Due 8:00a Soup Kitchen 10:00a Alanon 5:00p Sunday 6:08 Planning Team 6:30p Girl Scout Troop 7:15p Chancel Choir 8:15p Chamber Choir 16 8:00a Women s Aerobics 17 18 8:45a Worship Leaders Meeting 9:00a Adult Education Class 9:00a Exploring The Message Class 9:30a Early Coffee in the Library 10:00a Worship 10:20a Valley Kids Sunday Funday 11:00a Coffee Fellowship 11:30a Dining for Women Meeting 4:15p Youth Handbell Choir 5:00p Youth Choir Rehearsal 6:08p Sunday 6:08 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Church Office Closed 10:00a Baby Blues Connection 10:00a Century Club Board Meeting 10:00a Meals on Wheels 6:00p Girl Scout Troop 7:30p Scout Troop 592 20 1:00p Staff Meeting 7:00p Deacons Ministry 7:30p Girl Scout Troop 21 8:00a Men s Bible Study 5:00p Sacred Space 5:00p Cherub Choir 5:00p King s Kids Choir 6:00p Royal Ringers Bells 7:00p Confirmation Class 7:00p Middle School LIFE 22 9:30a Habitat Faith Relations Meeting 10:00a Alanon 2:00p Mission Endowment Investment Fund Comm. 7:15p Chancel Choir 8:15p Chamber Choir 23 8:00a Women s Aerobics 10:00a Gamble Library Book Club 24 25 8:45a Worship Leaders Meeting 9:00a Adult Education Class 9:00a Exploring The Message Class 9:30a Early Coffee in Library 10:00a Worship 10:20a Valley Kids Sunday Funday 11:00a Coffee Fellowship 4:15p Youth Handbell Choir 5:00p Youth Choir Rehearsal 6:08p Sunday 6:08 26 10:00a Baby Blues Connection 1:00p Century Club General Meeting 6:00p Girl Scout Troop 7:30p Scout Troop 592 27 1:00p Staff Meeting 1:00p Prayer Shawl Ministry 7:00p Personnel Committee 7:00p Prayer Shawl Ministry 28 8:00a Men s Bible Study 4:00p Girl Scout Troop 5:00p Sacred Space 5:00p Cherub Choir 5:00p King s Kids Choir 6:00p Royal Ringers Bells 29 10:00a Alanon 6:00p Cub Scout Pack 592 7:15p Chancel Choir 8:15p Chamber Choir 30 8:00a Women s Aerobics 31
THE MESSENGER VALLEY COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 8060 SW BRENTWOOD ST. PORTLAND, OR 97225-2355 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED TIME DATED MATERIAL Be a part of our family album! YOU! Sign up for Valley s new pictorial directory. Photos will be taken February 3-7 and 20-21, 2015. Sign up online at valleycommunity.org or in person on Sundays during coffee fellowship. See p. 1