July 13, 2011
Montclair Presbyterian Church
Dear Friends,
It is with great pride that I can now say, “Yes, I’ve been to Family Camp!” What a joy it was to spend an entire week with an assortment of Montclair Church Family people. Many of us camped in the campground while others stayed in cabins or in the lodge or in inexpensive hotels nearby. The weather was spectacular, though I have to confess I spent the second night shivering rather than sleeping because the temperature really dropped. Fortunately, it went back up the next night, and the beauty of the snow-covered hills seen in the brilliance of the Lake Tahoe water was breathtaking. If you have not yet been to Family Camp, I can honestly say it is an unforgettable experience and well worth the time and effort to get there and stay there!
As you know, I ended up being the speaker for the week. Actually, I didn’t do much speaking but I did do a great deal of planning and organizing. My hope was to plan a program that would bring the generations together, that would involve fun and conversation and that would have something to do with social justice. Naturally, I chose to create a program based on Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy! Many of the veteran Family Campers were skeptical about having the children and youth participate in the program with the adults, but they were open and willing to give it a try. Everyone was divided into small groups or what we called “Fellowships.” Each Fellowship had a leader (thanks to Diane Bessette, Laura Engelhard, Dave Miller, JE Buckingham, Carrie and Steve McKiernan), a few adults, at least one or two youth and at least one or two children. The Fellowships got to choose their Quest (of what evil to rid the world) for the week. One chose ridding the world of greed, one chose poverty, one chose the abuse of power, one chose litter, one chose illiteracy and one chose pollution as it affects animals. The presentations at the end of the week were outstanding AND fun was had by all.
Early in the week I found myself explaining to a few people why I made the decision I did about including the children and youth in the program. What I shared is that we often buy into the idea that the generations have different interests, and the idea that children and youth need to be entertained and having fun at all times. When my family went out to eat after Celebration on Easter Sunday we saw several families with children at the restaurant. Rather than seeing conversation happening across the generations, we saw children on iphones, ipads, and Nintendo DXs. Grandparents and parents were talking and the kids were entertaining themselves. More and more we let children and youth be segregated even though the church community is one place where we should all be able to be together. There are many of you who live without your children and grandchildren and there are many children living without their grandparents. We need each other. I feel very strongly about finding ways to bring us all together so we can love each other, support each other, teach each other and know how to talk to each other, especially about things that matter like how to make our world a better place.
Mostly, I think our week together was a huge success, including the morning program. If you were to ask one of the children or some of the youth how they felt about it, they might not give it a two-thumbs-up rating. If you could have seen them there, however, you would have seen them mostly engaged and participating and adding very valuable perspectives to their groups. They made friends across the generations and those friendships will continue as we join in Celebration together. Cost? Priceless.
As of July 1st, Talitha is beginning her new role as Associate for Congregational Care and Life. One of her specific responsibilities is to work on Intergenerational events and activities. My hope is that the work we began at Family Camp will continue through the year with all of us. If you would like to work with Talitha in this great endeavor, please let her know.
See you next year at Family Camp!
Beth
PS Go to http://www.youtube.com/user/mpcfamily to see some great videos from Family Camp, including Earl Hamlin challenging all of the kids under the age of 14 to a watermelon eating contest! Earl continues to be the reigning champion!
Rev. Beth will preach this Sunday, July 17 and then will head to Lake Tahoe for Interim Pastor Training Part 2 from July 17 to July 22. She will be back in Celebration and in the office beginning on July 24. From July 28 to August 4th Rev. Beth will be on Study Leave.
SUSAN’S SCOOP:
Vacation: I will be on vacation with my children and grandchildren from July 7-19.
Summer Program: This sounds like an exciting opportunity for our children – and any adults who want to help out.
RE-CREATION VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Pre-K through 8th Grade
Montclair, Fruitvale, College Ave., and Park Blvd. Presbyterian Churches
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Where: Fruitvale Presbyterian Church, 2735 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland
Register by email to recreationvbs@gmail.com by Aug. 10. Checks may be brought the first day or made out and sent to College Avenue Presbyterian Church (Memo VBS) at: 5951 College Ave., Oakland, CA 94618.
Volunteers welcome. Email Monte at montemcclaine@gmail.com to help with anything from serving snacks to working with children.
Questions? Monte McClaine at 510 658-2333. More info at http://recreationvbs.blogspot.com
TALITHA’S TAKE:
New Office: I’ve moved over to a room in the big office (Rebecca’s old office). Thanks to a couple of furniture donations and one good craigslist purchase, the office is furnished! The only empty space is out on the porch… so bring me your tired, your weary, your potted plants (of the tough-love variety – they won’t get watered every day) to fill up the porch!
New Responsibilities: Among my new job responsibilities are pastoral care and counseling – tasks that Beth has simply not had enough hours in the week to take care of properly. If you’d like a visit, or know someone who needs one, give me a call. I’m in the office Tuesday through Thursday.
AIDS Walk: Only 4 days until the AIDS walk! You can register, raise money, and come along… even if you don’t want to walk 6 miles! We’ll have a big Presbyterian table there, with folks from other churches. Join us at http://www.aidswalk.net/sanfran/takeaction/register.html and use the group “Presbyterians Fighting AIDS.” We’ll meet in the church parking lot Sunday morning at 8:30 to carpool over.
July Birthdays
Back row from left to right-
Art Paull, David Tong, Miles McKey, Barbara Vaughn
Front row from left to right-
Janet Gervolstad, Janet Mulshine
FREE TICKETS FOR MPC DAY AT THE OAKLAND A’S: Baseball fans! Three tickets have suddenly become available for MPC Day at the Oakland A’s this Friday night at 7:05pm. They’re already paid for, so you’d just need to raise your hand to get them. Interested? Please contact Steve McKiernan at spmckiernan@gmail.com for more info. Play ball!
PRAYER ANSWERED: Jeanne Brown called the office and said to tell all that our prayers have been answered. Arnie is going home today, Wednesday, July 13. Many thanks for all of the cards, letters, calls, visits, and prayers.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL:
What:
Help a prisoner of conscience.
How:
Write a post card of support to one or more of the eight people that Amnesty International has identified from different countries.
Where & When:
Family Room at 11:30am on the next two Sundays, July 17th and 24th.
Bring (Optional):
Picture postcards & 98-cent stamps (There will be some available).
STILL ROOM FOR MORE: Room for one or two more in the Writing Your Life Story class. Writing your life story is both enjoyable and satisfying. This class provides a safe and confidential environment for you to write and to share with others who are also writing their life stories. Phil Reagan is the facilitator; contact him for information or to join the class. 2:00 to 3:30 every Thursday thorough September. Fee: $20 preagan@mindspring.com, 510-842-9191
PRIME TIME: Presentation of “Art and Soul.” Tom Debley is in retirement but he actively pursues his avocation – photography. Tom is also Co-Chair of the Art Gang and has had some of his work exhibited in Room 10. Join us for this stimulating and thoughtful presentation. Ask questions and have coffee with friends on Wednesday, July 20, from 10 am – 11:30 am, in the Thornhill Room.
FAITH TRIO FALL ART EXHIBITION: The Faith Trio enthusiastically invites all artists among MPC’s members and friends to contribute to a fall exhibition sponsored by our three congregations. The deadline for submissions is July 25, 2011. For details, contact Greg Schwinn (gschwinn@earthlink.net), MPC’s Art Gang co-chair and its coordinator for the exhibit; for general ones, contact Jean Mudge (Jeanmudge@comcast.net), MPC’s Faith Trio chair. Click here for submission information, http://www.iccnc.org/articlePage.php?Call-To-Artists-Interfaith-Art-Exhibit-Diverse-Visions-of-Harmony-158.
PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK:
- The Mission Study Team, as they begin researching and studying.
- Molly and Ryan Dowell-Baum as they work in Zambia.
- All those who are imprisoned, around the world.
- All those on hunger strike in California prisons. California has 3,259 prisoners in SHUs (solitary confinement), and thousands of prisoners are striking in solidarity with the Pelican Bay SHU inmates who demand more humane conditions. More information at www.prisons.org/hungerstrike.htm.
- Joan Halperin and her husband David as they respond to new information about his illness.
- Virginia Hadsell, still struggling with her health, John as he takes care of her, and the rest of the Hadsell family who are visiting.
- Our denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA), in the following weeks and months under our newly changed Book of Order. Both 10-A which removes barriers to LGBTQ ordination and the New Form of Government (N-FOG) went into effect this past Sunday, and the effects will be felt in churches and presbyteries nationwide. An extra challenge: pray for those (in the wider church) with whom you disagree!
DEADLINES: To submit announcements for the bulletin and Contact, please send them to office@mpcfamily.org. The deadline for Contact is every other Tuesday at 3 pm, starting June 28th, and the deadline for the bulletin is Wednesdays at 12 noon. 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-4:30pm
Rev. Beth Buckingham-Brown, Office hours Monday-Wednesday, 10:00-3:00 pm
Susan Hunn, Associate for Education: Office hours, Tuesday-Thursday, 9:30-2:30 pm
Sherrill Figuera: Administrative Assistant, Office hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30 pm
Talitha Phillips: Associate for Congregational Care and Life
Kim Rankin: Music Director
Marcia Roy: Organist
Gil & Maria Chiguila: Caretakers
Rev. John Hadsell: Theologian in Residence
Rev. Kathy Ray: Parish Associate