Montclair Presbyterian Church

Montclair Presbyterian Church

Dear Friends,

We are coming to the close of our Stewardship Season. This has been the most low key stewardship campaign I have ever experienced! I did not even preach a stewardship sermon this time. We are grateful to all of you who have turned in pledges and we thank you for your commitment to the Montclair Church Family. We are still waiting for the last 20 or so pledges to trickle in and we look forward to receiving them. This is a time in history when we all have to choose our giving more selectively and we appreciate how many of you are choosing our church family.

Last evening I sat with 3 members of the Finance Committee and 2 elders on Session and we went over our budget for the next year with a fine tooth comb. Our task was to find ways to address our current $49,000 shortfall. In other words, the proposed budget is $49,000 more than we have received in pledges. Most of the shortfall is due to pledges being down by about $40,000 as a result of people moving, dying and drifting away from the church. Our budget for next year is just shy of $405,000 so we are about 10% off target.

As we talked about the various ministry areas and needs, what became clear to all of us is that the opportunity that exists any time one has a budget shortfall is to look seriously at priorities. We have probably all had (or are having) experiences in our own budgets when we have had to decide which items are most important. If you have ever been through that, either individually or in a community setting, you know that eventually the conversation turns to values. Any time we have a conversation about priorities we end up in a conversation regarding values. Last evening, for example, we were discussing whether or not to use some of the “Associate Pastor Reserve Fund” which is close to $46,000. On the one hand, a reserve fund is for such a time as this time. On the other hand, the value that quickly surfaced is that we would like to be a church with two ordained pastors which is why we continue to maintain such a fund. In the end, we decided to propose using $10,000 from that fund and to leave the rest alone. We also had a conversation about our staffing changes and whether any of those decisions should be revisited and the consensus was that the decisions made by Session were made because of a felt need for specific ministry. For example, Talitha’s new job (as of July 1^st) will be in the areas of pastoral care (our list of members needing visits is growing rapidly!), Family Life (with an emphasis on intergenerational church-wide events and community building) and technology (as a major tool for outreach). As we embark on our mission study it is very important that we continue the ministries in which we are involved. It’s also important to continue to reach outside our doors to invite people to enjoy community with us. We don’t want to stop reaching out just because we are in transition.

Last summer we had a Town Hall meeting to discuss the financial future of Montclair Church. At that meeting two important things happened. The first was the identification of the “graying of Montclair” as it relates to the financial picture. As our congregation ages, some of our older people are dying and others are in a situation where they have limited income and resources. What that tells us is that those who can “carry a greater load” are needed to carry that load and those who are not able can rest in knowing that part of what community is about is sharing the load and shifting the load when necessary. Some of the people who were so faithful in giving and in getting the church family to this point are no longer able to give and they ought to be able to rest in knowing that they can pass the baton to those who can continue the generous giving legacy here. The second important thing that happened at the Town Hall meeting was that someone came up with the brilliant idea to ask church members to invest in our loan for the sanctuary remodel. The finance committee ran with the idea and it’s working beautifully. Putting our heads together is usually a very good idea! We are considering having another Town Hall meeting at some point in June when we have more accurate figures because it could be that another brilliant idea is out there waiting to be born. Stay tuned.

If you are able to increase your pledge for next year, you would be helping the community tremendously and taking on part of the load that someone else is unable to carry for now. Thank you for considering what is possible.

Thank you, again, for all you each give to the Montclair community in terms of time, money, energy, wisdom, and joy. There is nowhere I would rather be right now!

Beth

CONFESSION: Last week in my sermon I let Harold Camping and his “end of the world” prediction push some of my buttons. As a result, I made an uncalled for remark about his lack of training. I do not believe training is any indicator of whether one has something valid to say or not. Many trained people are kooks and many untrained people are as wise as anyone! Isn’t it interesting I felt the need to establish my authority? I’ll have to ponder why…

SUSAN’S SCOOP:

• Youth group: We will meet this Sunday, May 22, for a night at Golden Skate in San Ramon with roller or in-line skates. We will have All-you-can-eat pizza and drinks. The cost will be $11 plus skate rental of $5 or bring your own. We will meet at the church parking lot at 5:45 pm and return at 9:30 pm.

TALITHA’S TAKE:

• Graduation Day: If you’re a fan of pomp, circumstance, bagpipes, and funny hats, come on over to the SFTS graduation ceremonies this weekend, where I will receive my Master of Divinity degree (but not yet my MA – there’s still more work to be done!). There’s a worship service at 4 PM on Friday 5/20 and commencement itself at 9 AM on Saturday 5/21. You can go to the website for directions to our San Anselmo campus www.sfts.edu . I’m having an open house on Saturday afternoon, email me for details.

MUSIC NOTES FROM KIM: A few months ago, the classical music critic for the New York Times sponsored a readers’ contest to name the “10 Greatest Composers of All Time.” After much lively debate, the winner was J. S. Bach, for “his matchless combination of masterly musical engineering and profound expressivity.” This Sunday, the MPC Choir will be joined by a chamber orchestra of local early music players, and a quartet of professional vocal soloists from the American Bach Soloists, for a performance of Bach’s splendid Mass in G. This music is truly awe-inspiring! I encourage you to come to church on Sunday, and invite your music-loving friends to join you. You’ll leave church floating several inches off the ground!

HEADS, PETS AND CRITTERS OF CLAY: This class has been postponed until the Fall of this year due to Dot Cudaback’s fall last week.

STAFF EVALUATIONS: Each Spring the Personnel Committee, along with the Pastor, conducts performance evaluations of the staff. We value the thoughts and experiences of the congregation and so we are asking people to send in comments about the staff’s performance over the past twelve months. Please be specific and give examples, (“She’s a wonderful person” isn’t as helpful as “She was courteous and efficient in organizing…”). It’s also important for you to tell us in what way you have interacted with the staff person you are discussing, as well as how you feel the staff person has contributed to the mission of MPC. Your name and your comments will be treated confidentially. We would like to have your feedback no later than June 1. Thank you for your valuable input. Please send it to allardice.jim@gmail.com.

EXTERNAL GIVING GRANT SUBMISSIONS SOUGHT: The External Giving Committee is charged with disbursing funds which are allocated each year as a tithe from our Capital Fund Drive account. The tithe is $150,000, divided into $30,000 per year for 5 years. This is the third year the committee will give to organizations that might benefit from receiving MPC’s modest stipends. Organizations to receive these grants should be consistent with the established criteria. The guidelines set at the onset of the Capital Fund Drive state the minimum contribution per grant is $5000 for a maximum of six sponsored organizations. The recipients of grants in 2010 are sending in reports on the use of these funds and will be shared with Session and the congregation. They were:

Youth Leadership Team (OCO) presented work on immigration at April brunch

Oikocredit

Joining Hands Against Hunger/Bolivia

Children’s Food Basket

Caring School Community/Oakland

Mercy Thai Orphanage

The External Giving Committee is now soliciting suggestions from the congregation for the next round of grants. This year a simple grant application will be required to apply for the External Giving grant. The committee will review the grant applications with the appropriate social justice committees and choose those which best meet the criteria. The External Giving Committee will review the requests and determine the recipients by a simple majority vote, followed by a review by Session.

Applications will be available on May 25 and need to be submitted to the church office by June 10.

The list of criteria below details the most important considerations taken into account in reviewing submissions. If you have questions, please call or email Beth at the church office.

Third Year External Giving Committee Members:

Cynthia Blumgart, Art Paull, Betsy King and Rev. Beth Buckingham-Brown

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Criteria to Consider – We seek to support programs or projects that:

• Are consistent with the five focus areas of the Global Vision Statement (GVS):

• Peacemaking/Non-violence; Human Rights; Energy and the Environment; Economy and Economic Well-Being; Spirituality, Religion, and Social Change.
• Are Regenerative/Self-perpetuating
• Serve youth
• Promote non-violence
• Are faith-based
• Have a Presbyterian/MPC connection
• Are collaborative in approach

CCC RECOMMENDED EVENT: On Friday, May 27, 2011, 7PM, at St. Paul AME Church, 2024 Ashby Ave, Berkeley, there will be a powerful, eye-opening lecture and book signing by Michelle Alexander, Civil Rights Activist and National Best Selling Author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. A group of CCC members read and discussed this book earlier this year and highly recommend this FREE event. More information and to register: http://www.faithinaction2011.com. Questions and/or car pooling? Call Betsy – 510-268-8488

POLLY’S NEW WRITING GROUP: Based on the response from would-be participants, my class on “Writing About Loss” will run weekly, from 1:00 to 2:30 on Tuesday afternoons in the Thornhill Room, starting on June 7, for 12 weeks. If you haven’t already let me know you’re interested, please do so ASAP at pollyj28@att.net , or 428-0869. Thanks so much. Polly Johnson.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: SAVE THE DATE – for the WOMEN’S FALL RETREAT. It will be held the weekend of October 28-30 at the Westminster Retreat Center in Alamo. More information will follow this summer.

CCC BRUNCH SUMMARY: Last Sunday the CCC gave a brunch about the Oakland violence reduction program funded by Measure Y, “Lifelines to Opportunity.” It was exciting to see the statistics of fewer deaths from gun violence which confirms the success of the program. It was heartwarming to hear the stories of 10 street outreach workers who have turned away from gangs and gun violence, taken advantage of community resources and opportunities, and have now gone back to their neighborhoods to help others caught up in cycles of violence. Three directors from the Department of Human Services described the three parts of the program: Emilio Mena, the Call-In program; Page Tomblin, Street Outreach; and the new third part, Community Outreach, Jennifer Argueta. This and other Measure Y programs are described on their website: http://measurey.org/index.php?page=get-updates-on-measure-y-sent-directly-to-your-inbox. On that website you may sign up for their newsletter. Many thanks to those who helped with the brunch and brought food. Special kudos go to Jean Gregory who, upon seeing at least 10 big men walk into church, dashed off to Luckys and bought enough food. Betsy King – Community Connections Committee Chair

CAMPSITES STILL AVAILABLE: MPC Family Camp is a time to get to know our  MPC Family on a different level. Come & enjoy this 34 year tradition in the beautiful South Lake Tahoe area. Cabin reservations are now closed, but campsites are still available. Come by the Family Camp table on Sunday mornings or check out the MPC website. Co-Deans: Debbie Fallehy & Carrie McKiernan; Registrar: Cindy Gullikson

KEEPING UP WITH ISRAEL/PALESTINE: Within weeks of the 44th anniversary of the founding of Israel and the removal of Palestinians from their lands, the Faith Trio invites you to study two booklets available now at the Book Depot.  They are splendid gifts and conversation starters with family and friends:

• Kairos Palestine is a confession of faith and call to action by Palestinian Christians. It’s a major document comparable to historic Christian manifestos (“Barmen Declaration” of 1934 against Nazism, Martin Luther King’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” of 1963, and the South African “Kairos Document” of 1985 against Apartheid. “Kairos” is Greek for a “special time of opportunity” — a key “moment of truth” — to work for the world’s redemption. ($2.50)
• Steadfast Hope: The Palestinian Quest for Just Peace (2nd ed.) updates what’s happening in Palestine as of April 1, 2011. Jews and Arabs are among its reporters. It comes with its own DVD, also updated. This is a publication of the Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (USA). It is their mission to help Presbyterians understand the “facts on the ground.” ($4.00)

MPC WOMEN’S RETREAT QUESTIONNAIRES: Thanks to all of you who have turned in your Women’s Retreat Questionnaires. If you haven’t picked one up, would like us to mail you one or have any questions please contact Gretchen Garlinghouse 510-482-1157, Francie Chan, 925-899-5667 or e-mail her at chanandfran@sbcglobal.net We will continue to collect them through out the month of May.

PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK:

Dot Cudaback who broke her pelvis and is recovering at Alta Bates Summit Campus

Lisa Larges who is still waiting to hear whether she will finally be examined for ordination by the San Francisco Presbytery

Arnie Brown who is scheduled for surgery on May 24^th for an aortic aneurism

The family of Shelley Kelly’s brother who died in April

For those recovering from natural disasters

For peace to invade every corner where war and violence are being waged

For those who are grieving

MPC as we seek discernment about life in Post-Amendment 10A PC (USA)

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-4:30pm

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: Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30 pm

Talitha Phillips: Coordinator for Children and Youth

Kim Rankin: Music Director

Marcia Roy: Organist

Gil & Maria Chiguila: Caretakers

Rev. John Hadsell: Theologian in Residence

Rev. Kathy Ray: Parish Associate

Ajit Abraham: International Partner in Residence