April 6, 2011
Montclair Presbyterian Church
Dear Friends,
After being away for a week, I am aware of the luxury of time. When we live fully present and as people of faith who want to make a difference in the world, it is necessary to take time and to recharge. I am grateful to be serving with you, a community who understands the value of rest and rejuvenation. So many people in the world work non-stop to make a living that I never take for granted the luxury of time off from work with pay. Thank you for your generosity in giving me vacation time and pay.
While I was away, some of our members experienced difficulties related to housing, health, and injuries. Thank you for caring so well for each other. One of the first conversations I had when I returned was with those who are once again looking at whether or not we are going to create a Deacons program or some close alternative. Many of you will remember that in the year prior to Karen’s leaving, this was being explored with great intention. No decisions were made at that time, but the overall sense was that it was moving forward. Carrie McKiernan and Don Alter have been charged with opening the conversation again and presenting a proposal to the Session in May. We have been trying to get information about how the discussion progressed in the past year and so far have not heard much opposition. If you are someone who has concerns or questions or definite opposition to the idea of having Deacons or a close alternative, please contact me or Carrie or Don or any other session member and let us know your thoughts. We want the discussion to be open and honest and an accurate reflection of all of our members and friends.
Last night at the Session meeting, the Session approved the stewardship letter for this year. Letters will be sent soon with the guidelines for pledging. There was a great deal of laughter as various people described receiving the letter and not really reading it since we get a letter every year. As we were revising the letter someone would say, “Well, it doesn’t really matter anyway since no one reads it!” More laughter would ensue. I would like to invite you this year to actually read the stewardship letter if you are not in the habit. This is an exciting time for MPC and hopefully the letter reflects that sense. There will be an increase in the budget this year as we hope to increase staffing slightly to cover some of our areas that need attention. Pray for the Finance team as they help us budget creatively and purposefully!
After receiving the Mission Study process document from the Presbytery, Session is working on appointing a 5-7 member Mission Study Team to lead us. The entire congregation will be called upon to participate actively in various aspects of the Mission Study. The team of 5-7 people will be charged with creating the process, events and timeline. They are also charged with writing up the entire document, which is no small task. The Session would like to invite any of you who are interested in serving on the Mission Study Team, to submit your name for consideration. There is no guarantee that you will be asked to serve as it is a very small group of people and there are specific considerations such as the need for the 5-7 people to be fully representative of the congregation (age variations, experience variations, gender variations, length of time at Montclair variations, and other issues of diversity to consider). We want the appointing of the team to be a fair and thoughtful process which is why the Session is interested in hearing from those who feel a strong desire to serve. If you are one of those who would really like to serve, be sure to ask yourself the following questions before placing your name for consideration: Do I feel called to serve (a call is often the intersection of one’s deep desire and the need for one’s gifts at a particular time)? Do I have enough time and energy to devote to see this process to completion? Would this energize me or drain me? If after answering those questions you would still like to serve, please let Debbie Fallehy, Sari Kulberg, Hal Davies, Cindy Gullickson or me know or simply write your name on a white card and say “Please consider for Mission Study Team” and drop it in the offering plate or at the office.
As always, my office door is open and I am here if you would like to talk about anything, share ideas, offer concerns or ask questions.
This journey with you continues to be a blast. Thank you for being your fabulous selves!
Beth
TALITHA’S VIBE:
- Sunday’s Sermon: I realized after preaching Sunday that I had left some things unsaid in my sermon. In trying to establish that ALL kinds of people were invited to the welcome table, I left out a few crucial categories. I apologize for this and didn’t mean to exclude. In fuller form, though not exhaustive, you will find at the table: Republicans, Democrats; Libertarians, Socialists, millionaires, subsistence farmers, stockbrokers, kindergarten teachers, Tea Partiers, Civil War re-enactors, nerds, geeks, jocks, beautiful people, mobsters, phonies, slobs, overachievers, ballerinas, rock stars, homeless people, stay-at-home dads, and convicts. God’s invitation is both for you, AND for the people whose presence surprises you. All this to say… it’s quite a party around God’s table of welcome!
SUSAN’S JIVE:
- Pancake Breakfast, This Sunday, April 10, 11 am – 12:30 pm: Join us during the Family Hour for a delicious meal cooked by our senior high youth. Donations appreciated for your meal. This is their last Mission Trip fundraiser.
- Children: The children will be learning a song to sing at Easter during the last part of classes for the next 2 weeks. Please meet your children in the Thornhill Room at 11:15.
- Youth Group: We will not meet this Sunday because of the Pancake Breakfast.
SESSION NOTES FROM SUSANNE LEA, CLERK OF SESSION:
- A bit of recent history: In the interest of transparency in governance, the MPC Reconciliation Team recommended that Session provide Contact with regular updates of Session activities and discussions. Session implemented this practice but in recent months temporarily suspended the updates because meetings often involved lengthy executive sessions concerning confidential personnel and budget matters. Now, Session is in reorganizing mode with the aim of involving its members more integrally in the program and mission life of the church. With this shift, there should be more to report, more frequently!
- And now for the update: At the April 5, 2011 Session meeting, I took on the role of corresponding clerk and will provide session updates as needed. I say “as needed” because Beth writes an informative letter for each Contact that usually includes kernels of significant Session actions. This time, in addition to what Beth has reported, Session also approved the transfer of funds from the old Eco-Stewards to SPLASH, which will soon host a community forum on climate change. Debbie Fallehy for the Welcome and Family Life Committee reported that new lavender “visitor” cards are now available in the pews; Family Camp registration is well underway; and Marilynn Moore and Phil Reagan have taken on the Greeter Coordinator task. The Personnel Committee submitted a proposed staffing configuration for discussion; more on this in later reports.
FUN PROJECT FOR OUR KIDS: Children’s Easter Card-making during Family Hour this Sunday, April 10th, and next Sunday, April 17th, led by Diane Hall. There will be a table set up in the Family Room to make Easter Greeting cards for those who cannot come to church due to illness or other situations. Cards will be delivered the week before Easter. Come help us out!
CCC / OCO YOUTH LEADERSHIP PRESENTATION: The CCC will have a special presentation by the OCO this Sunday, April 10, following the pancake breakfast!! The Community Connection Committee invites you to meet the people involved with OCO’s (Oakland Community Organizations, of which MPC is a member) Youth Leadership Development Program. They received a donation from MPC’s External Giving commitment last year and are eager to share with us how the money was spent, what they’ve learned and done this year, and what their plans for the future are. After you’ve had your fill of pancakes, come and hear their inspiring stories in the Thornhill Room at 11:45. Hope to see you there. If you have any questions, contact Betsy King, (510) 268-8488 or kingxbetsy@gmail.com.
MPC DAY AT THE OAKLAND A’S: LAST CHANCE FOR TICKETS! Interested in joining your fellow MPCers as we cheer on Your Oakland Athletics? If so, it’s time to ‘step up to the plate’ and tell Steve McKiernan about it. The order forms are due on Monday, April 11th, so he needs to hear from you by this Sunday, April 10th. The game, by the way, is Friday, July 15th at 7:05pm, the opponent is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and tickets are $26 each. Even better, ticket sales benefit Thornhill Elementary School, the kind folks who let us use their parking lot. Interested in joining us? Contact Steve McKiernan at spmckiernan@gmail.com — and soon, since this is the last weekend to join in. Go A’s!
LAST WEEK TO ORDER AZALEAS: Don’t forget to place your order for an Azalea. The deadline is Tuesday, April 12th. All orders must be in the office and paid for by 12 noon in order to receive them in time for our Easter Celebration. Order forms are available in the bulletin and at the office. Please call Sherrill at the office with any questions, (510)339-1131.
SAVE THE DATE! On Sunday, May 1st, the SPLASH Team will host the MPC Community Forum on Climate Change. Come hear newly elected Oakland Mayor Jean Quan respond to a presentation of the Oakland Climate Action Plan. Do you live in Oakland? Do you live near Oakland? Do you drive through Oakland? If you said yes to any of these questions, this affects you! We will be serving a delicious lunch in the Family Room at 11:30 AM. The 1-hour program will start at 12:15 PM in the sanctuary with Q & A afterwards. Come and get to know Mayor Quan and learn about all the exciting things happening in Oakland. Child care provided upon request!
FROM OUR GARDNER: Blooming in the garden now is Ceanothus or California Lilac, one of the most beautiful native shrubs around. It’s a great year for Ceanothus. Their bright blue blooms are bursting up and down Thornhill, even in front of the school. The truly deer-resistant kind is “Dark Star” with the little leaf. The glossy round-leaf kind is “Ray Hartman” growing near the MPC sign.
Front Row, from left: Steve McKiernan, Bonnie Hamlin, Kate Miller, Susanne Lea, and Virginia Abascal
Back Row, from left: Bob Stewart, Marjorie Moser, Jean Norris, and Phil Reagan
DEADLINES: To submit announcements for the bulletin and Contact, please send them to office@mpcfamily.org. The deadline for Contact is Tuesdays at 3 pm and the deadline for the bulletin is Wednesdays at 12 pm. This is a change for all of us, so let’s try to remind each other!
MPC Calendar:
http://www.mpcfamily.org/getting-involved/calendar/
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MONTCLAIR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
5701 Thornhill Drive, Oakland, California 94611, (510)339-1131
Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00am-3:30pm
Rev. Beth Buckingham-Brown, Office hours Monday-Wednesday, 10:00-3:00 pm
Susan Hunn, Associate for Children & Youth: Office hours, Tuesday-Thursday, 9:30-2:30 pm
Sherrill Figuera: Administrative Assistant: Office hours: Tuesday-Friday, 9:00-3:30 pm
Talitha Phillips: Coordinator for Children and Youth
Kim Rankin: Associate in Music
Marcia Roy: Organist
Gil & Maria Chiguila: Caretakers
Rev. John Hadsell: Theologian in Residence
Rev. Kathy Ray: Parish Associate
Ajit Abraham: International Partner in Residence