November 2016 Newsletter of St. Peter s By-the-Sea Presbyterian Church From the Bridge Interim Pastor Dave Rohde Six years ago my wife and I found ourselves living in a distant land, yearning for Thanksgiving and all that came with it. We missed our families, the tradition, and the FOOD! Potatoes, pumpkins, and vegetables weren t hard to find at all in Malawi. But, turkey? That was a whole different story. We went out looking for one and eventually found a frozen package of something that somewhat resembled a turkey. It looked like it had been in a freezer for at least a year. We knew we were taking a risk, but we were desperate! It was, hands down, the worst turkey I ve ever tasted (it was because of this experience that we ended up with two Malawian pet turkeys, Ned and Fran, but that s a story for another day ). A friend of ours came to visit from the U.S. during Thanksgiving that year and, though she couldn t bring a turkey, she did bring a bit of home to Malawi. Her presence reminded us that we weren t alone as we followed Christ into in an unfamiliar place, that there were people back home who were behind us and that we had PLENTY of reasons to be thankful. Some of us look around today, and our world seems unfamiliar. We might physically live in a new place, or our neighborhood has changed so much it just feels that way. Some of our closest friends and family might not be with us anymore, or the traditions we once looked forward to most aren t valued in the same way by new generations. For the next month, I will be preaching through a series we re calling, Season of Thanks. Over the last year, God has done a lot in and through the community of St. Peter s. It s important we take the time to be thankful for what He has done, is doing and will continue to do through this church even as we re called into the unfamiliar. Page 2 Prayer Ministry CFD Update Page 3 Twisting the Truth Blood Drive Page 4 Thanksgiving Feast Thank You, Deacons Church Library Page 5 Christmas Sneak Peek Page 6 Notes From the Choir Loft The Final Word
PNC Prayer Partners: On October 2 we elected the Pastor Nominating Committee. Each member will be teamed with a two-person Prayer Team that will be supporting them for the duration of the PNC. November 7 Election Day-24 hours of Prayer: We have teamed up with Churches across our Nation declaring 24 hours of Prayer the day before for our National Election on Monday, November 7. Sign- up on the patio for 30 or 60 minute segments of in-home prayer focused on our elections. Looking for the calendar? Go online at www.stpetershb.org for the most updated calendar information. CFD Update Christian Formation and Discipleship On-going: The Habits of Monks: What Everyday People Can Learn from Benedictine Monks Tuesday evenings through November 22 7:00 p.m. in the Youth Center led by Dennis Okholm, Ph.D. The Benedictine tradition is over 1500 years old, but its insights and practices are still very relevant for Christians who want to cultivate spiritually healthy lives. How can we learn to really listen? What does a balanced life look like? What can we learn from the monk's vow of stability in our fast-paced world? We will explore these and other questions in ways that make this monastic tradition applicable to our everyday lives. The sessions will correspond to the material in Dennis Okholm's book Monk Habits for Everyday People: Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants. Future: Stay tuned for new Christian Education opportunities this fall. We will soon offer another video series by Andy Stanley, titled Twisted Truth (see page 3) and a PCUSA study covering Church History, the Reformed Faith and Presbyterian History. Page 2 16911 Bolsa Chica Street Huntington Beach, CA 92649 714-846-6641 info@stpetershb.org www.stpetershb.org Resources: Check the Kiosk for items which will help you in your walk with Christ. You can find Bibles, Upper Rooms devotionals and signup forms for areas where you can help in the Church. Please let us know how we can help you. Camille van Doren, Elder Dixie Brain Therese Terrill, Elder Jean Mangone Leroy Bell, Elder Ryan Smoot, Elder
Sunday mornings Beginning November 6 at 10:30 a.m. Room C/D Twisting the Truth, a six-week study by Andy Stanley, begins Sunday, November 6 at 10:30 a.m. in Room C/D. The most dangerous lies are the ones you never notice. They can twist your thinking in ways you'd never expect and can leave you with a life you never imagined. Your ability to recognize them can spell the difference between happiness and the loss of all you hold dear. Do you see them? In this series, Andy Stanley exposes some common ways God's truth gets twisted and how we can recognize and overcome them. RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE Tuesday, November 15, 2016 1:00 7:00 p.m. in the FWC St. Peter's Red Cross Blood Drive is being held Tuesday, November 15, 2016 from 1:00 7:00 p.m. in the Family Worship Center. In order to qualify, you may not have given blood elsewhere after September 19, 2016. To sign up online go to redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code stpeterbythesea. To request more information e-mail info@stpetershb.org. CHRISTMAS is coming! OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD is a wonderful way to begin the celebration of our Lord s birth. These shoeboxes bring joy, hope, and the message of Jesus Christ to millions of precious children from over 130 countries, including the United States. Boxes will be handed out October 30. They will be collected October 30, November 6, and 13. Be sure to pick up one or two!!! For more information e-mail info@stpetershb.org. Page 3
St. Peter s Chancel Choir invites you to their Annual Thanksgiving Feast Wednesday evening, November 16 6:00 p.m. in the Family Worship Center They ll be turkey and stuffing and all the fixings. There is nothing you need to bring except your appetite. Invite your friends and family to come and enjoy good food, great company and a chance to get together and be thankful for all God has given us. A donation of $5.00 is suggested. Thank You, Deacons November 6, we will be thanking our deacons for all that they have done for our church this year. Also, we will be taking a moment to highlight and replenish the Friendship Fund. The fund is managed by our deacons and used for members of our community for emergency assistance. Our hope is to replenish it once a year. If you would like to contribute to this fund, please come prepared to do so. There will be blue envelopes in the back of the chairs for you to put your Friendship Fund donation. It will be collected at the end of both services. Beacon Changes Beginning in December, we will be going to bi-monthly editions of The Beacon. The schedule will be December/January; February/March; April/ May; June/July; August/September; October/ November. Don t worry you will still receive updates on classes, events and worship news on Sunday mornings in the bulletin and via e-mail. And as always, you will get the most updated information on our website at www.stpetershb.org. ~St. Peter s Communication Committee Page 4 Church Library THIS IS THE SEASON.... of free candy hand-outs. But St. Peter s library will only have free book hand-outs. Yes! They are free (to be passed on not returned). Others are to be checked out. Next time you go to the second floor for a class or a meeting go about 15 minutes early and peruse some of the delicious Devotional Books. All flavors guaranteed. In the devotional section, you will be face-to-face with some of the great authors who have words of wisdom and tasty-bits to start your day. (Or end it.) All books are cataloged via the author s last name. Authors you may or may not recognize such as Bill Bright, Oswald Chambers, several by the Graham Family, Marjorie Holmes, Barbara Johnson, Max Lucado, Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Charles Stanley and so many others. If you desire some lighter fare, check out some classics in the Novel Section. After you made your choice, go to the Checkout Book on the desk and follow directions. When finished with your book, please return it to the box on the desk and note the return in the Checkout Book. Don t forget on Sunday to stop by the Free Book cart when you go for coffee on the patio. Enjoy your treat. The Church Office will be closed Thu., Nov. 24 and Fri., Nov. 25
Advent Series in Worship Home for Christmas Sunday, November 27 HOPE in the HOME Sunday, December 4 PEACE in the HOME Sunday, December 11 JOY in the HOME Sunday, December 18 LOVE in the HOME Sunday, December 25 CHRIST in the HOME Saturday, December 3 Women s Ministry invites you to Christmas Cookie Exchange/Carols and Crafts 11:00 AM 1:00 PM Family Worship Center Friday, December 9 Christmas Kids Night Out for Grades K-3 6:00 9:00 PM Children s Center E-mail Danyela to register at dzamudio@stpetershb.org. Sunday, December 11 Stephen Ministry s Blue Christmas 4:00 6:00 PM Room C/D Sunday, December 18 Choir Christmas Concert Let There Be Christmas 4:00 6:00 PM Family Worship Center Refreshments on the patio following. Childcare for infants through K by registration. E-mail Danyela to register for childcare at dzamudio@stpetershb.org. Thursday, December 24 Christmas Eve 4:00 PM Family Service Family Worship Center Childcare offered for infants. 7:30 PM Candlelight Service Family Worship Center Childcare offered for infants. Sunday, December 25 Christmas Day 10:00 AM Christmas Sweater Sunday one service in the Family Worship Center Childcare offered for infants. For more information about Home for Christmas e-mail info@stpetershb.org Page 5
Notes From the Choir Loft Lynn Silver, Choir Director Hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner! If you have ever thought about singing with St. Peter s Choir but didn t feel you could commit for the whole season, now is a great time to join for our Christmas Choir. We are beginning rehearsals for our Christmas Cantata that will be held on Sunday, December 18 at 4:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the Family Worship Center. If you have any questions, please call the church office at 714-846- 6641 or e-mail info@stpetertshb.org. Recycling Program November 6 (first Sunday of every month). Donations will be taken only between services. We are collecting aluminum drinking cans and plastic drinking bottles ONLY with recycling symbol. Please DO NOT BRING GLASS or NEWSPAPERS. Bring your recyclables to the patio by the Children s Center. Proceeds to benefit St. Peter s Chancel Choir. The Final Word... For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 Page 6