Montclair Presbyterian Church

We’re thrilled to be hosting three author-led book talks in September:

Wednesday, September 3rd at 7pm, author and musician Sam Barry will present and read from Her Wild Oats, a novel by his late wife Kathi Kamen Goldmark. Sam will be joined by Guy Johnson and authors Peggy Orenstein and Frances Dinkelspiel. Read more about the event

Wednesday, September 10th at 7pm, authors Louise Greenspan, MD, and Julianna Deardorff, PhD will be at MPC discussing their new book “The New Puberty: How to Navigate Early Development in Today’s Girls”, a “reassuring, empowering guide” based on original research and clinical experience. Read more about the event

Monday, September 29th at 7pm, authors Paul Williams and Tracey Jackson will be at MPC discussing their new book “Gratitude and Trust: Six Affirmations That Will Change Your Life”. The book is drawn from Paul’s experience of twenty-four years in the recovery movement and Tracey’s daily quest for peace amid the difficulties of daily life. Read more about the event

Past author talks have included Anne Lamott, Michael Chabon, Garry Wills, Dave Barry and many others. Other author talks for 2014 are in the planning stages; info will be posted to the MPC site soon.

Photo by Tom Woodward

Our neighborhood now has a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) pick-up point for Phat Beets produce. Thanks to a partnership between Thornhill Elementary and Phat Beets, fresh organic produce is available right across the street from our church!
CSA boxes are a subscription service where you pre-pay for several weeks, and each week you pick up a box full of whatever produce is in season. You get a great deal, and the farmers get stability in knowing they will have consistent customers. Phat Beets is a great organization that works right here in Oakland for food and social justice, while supporting farmers of color and women farmers. They partner with doctors who write “veggie prescriptions” for at-risk patients, which can be redeemed for free at their farmer’s markets. Montclair deliveries are 3:30-5:30 PM at the Thornhill Coffeehouse (will be at Thornhill Elementary during the school year). Get a full family-size box for $25/week, or a half box or “fruit only” box for $16. Talitha ordered a half-share and the photo is below… a generous bag full of food! Order your “beet box” at http://www.phatbeetsproduce.org/order-a-beet-box/ today.

We would like to invite you to attend the Interfaith Harvest Dinner on Saturday, November 2, 6:30 – 9:00 pm, at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California, 1433 Madison Street, Oakland. This interfaith event is sponsored by the Faith Trio, a collaboration among three congregations in the Oakland area representing the three “Abrahamic Faiths” of Islam, Judaism and Christianity: the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California, Kehilla Community Synagogue, and Montclair Presbyterian Church.

We have been holding these annual interfaith Harvest Dinner events for a good number of years, and they have been wonderful occasions.

The Harvest Dinner will begin at 6:30 pm. From 6:30 – 6:45 pm, the Muslim community will participate in the evening Maghreb prayer. Non-Muslims are welcome to come and witness. At 6:45 pm, we will have a giant potluck vegetarian dinner. Blessings from Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders will frame our celebration.

The food assignments are as follows: members of the Islamic Cultural Center will provide a vegetarian main dish, members of Kehilla are invited to bring a salad (vegetarian) and members of Montclair Presbyterian Church are invited to bring desserts. If you not affiliated with any of these three congregations, you are very welcome to attend, and please chose a potluck contribution from one of these categories. All food vegetarian and non-alcoholic. There is no cost to attend this event.

We hope the Harvest Dinner will be a great opportunity to make positive connections with people of other congregations and faiths.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 19th! 9:30-11:30 AM in the Montclair Presbyterian Church “Family Room”.

International Peacemaker Wilhelm Ituralde of Potosi, Bolivia

Our Presbyterian International Peacemakers, Wilhelm IIturralde and Chenoa Stock from Bolivia and Ana Maria Mondragon, an attorney for Earth Justice in Colombia will be our guest speakers on these global issues. Come hear the latest update from them, see the award winning international photo exhibit on Poverty and Pollution, and participate in the discussion.

Refreshments will be served. No charge. All invited. Donations Accepted. Featured Speaker: Ana María Mondragón

Montclair Presbyterian Church 5701 Thornhill Dr. Oakland 94611 (510) 339-1131

Ana María Mondragón is a fellow of the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense Human Rights and Environment Program. A Colombian, she works with AIDA from the San Francisco office. She received a law degree from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia, where she was part of the research group on social justice, business and human rights. She has worked as a visiting professional at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and as a legal consultant at the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL).

Wilhelm Ituralde has been involved in development work since graduating from Tomás Frias University in civil engineering.  In 1986, he founded the Center for Regional Development, a non-governmental organization (NGO), committed to improvements that would benefit the community and mining families. He has worked in Central and South America, during movements such, as May Grandmothers, The Sandinistas, and Sub-Commander Frames.  Serving his second term as president of the Bolivian Joining Hands Network, UMAVIDA (Uniendo Manos por La Vida – Joining Hands for Life), a group of nine community organizations and church groups, advocating on issues of mining, water rights and environmental justice, Wilhelm is a Bolivian of Italian decent, born in the mining capital and the world’s highest city, Potosi, Bolivia, where he lives today with his wife and has two daughters.

Chenoa Stock Joining Hands Compantionship Facilitator, La Paz Bolivia

Chenoa served as a PCUSA Young Adult Volunteer in Kerala, India, where she was confronted by the growing presence of globalization and the need for systemic changes towards sustainability.   She went onto be the Joining Hands Companionship Facilitator (part of the Presbyterian Hunger Program) in Sri Lanka with the Praja Abhilasha (People’s Aspirations) Network (2006-2010), focusing on land rights for those displaced by the 2004 tsunami, other natural disasters, tourism, and government land grabs. It was this enriching experience of working in the Joining Hands context of mission as partnership and transformation that moved Chenoa to take the call as the Companionship Facilitator in Bolivia with UMAVIDA.  She has recently renewed her contract for another three-year term and is excited to share her journey with you.  Born in Pittsburgh, PA and daughter of two retired Presbyterian co-pastors, Chenoa is a graduate of Wittenberg University.

Tuesday, October 8th at 7pm, award-winning author Alice McDermott will be at MPC discussing her new book Someone. This book, her first novel since the Pulitzer Prize-nominated After This, is a an extraordinary story detailing the joys and pains of an ordinary woman’s life. We hope you will join us for what is sure to be a fascinating evening.

Alice McDermott’s previous works include Charming Billy (winner of the American Book Award and the National Book Award), At Weddings and Wakes (finalist for the Pulitzer Prize) and That Night (finalist for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize). Learn more about her via this Google search, or on her page on the NPR website.

Street parking is available behind the church on Grisborne Avenue, further down Thornhill Avenue next to Thornhill Elementary School, or on nearby Mountain Blvd. More parking and directions information is available on MPC’s parking and directions page.

Other upcoming book talks of interest:

• Author Michael Chabon (Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Telegraph Avenue, among others) on October 16th
• Joshua DuBois, “Pastor in Chief” to President Obama (according to Time Magazine) on November 5th

Safe Journey: One Woman’s Battle with Breast Cancer.  Come see Jean Gregory’s one woman show on Saturday night, September 28 at 7 pm, or on Sunday afternoon, September 29 at 1:30 pm in the Family Room.  This is a magnificent performance – an imaginative, emotional, and personal journey.  Storytellers will be selling tickets during Family Hour for the play, which is our 14^th annual Works in Progress program.  Cost $10 or a donation.  Seating is limited.  Refreshments served after the show.  Don’t miss this extraordinary piece!

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Summer Godly Play Program: Over the summer we are excited to offer a new curriculum called “God’s Paintbrush” for our children age 5 and up. This program nurtures the imagination of both the teacher and the child. The sessions will explore what we mean when we say “God.” We will have the opportunity to experience God through our senses (seeing, hearing, speaking, touching). Each session is based on conversation and exploration and , like Godly Play, questions that are open-ended, wondering questions. Each week there will be different creative reflection activities including writing, painting, drawing, or working with clay (each adapted for the various developmental levels of our children). The program is non-denominational and used widely by both Christian and Jewish educators. Two sessions will be led by Cindy Gullikson, who will share experiences from her recent trip to Israel. If you would like to help with the children’s program over the summer, contact Linda Spencer at (510) 763-2274 or lindaspencer9@gmail.com.

Summer Schedule:
June 30: God’s Paintbrush: What is God Like?
Purpose: To explore what we mean when we say “God” through scripture and our own experience, and to help the children come to an awareness of God’s presence in creation.
July 7: Family Sunday. Children remain in Celebration
July 14: God’s Paintbrush: Seeing
Purpose: To notice the beauty of God’s creation experiencing both the big picture and the details.
July 21: God’s Paintbrush: Hearing and Speaking
Purpose: To explore how we experience God’s love, and how we can express that love to others.
July 28: God’s Paintbrush: Touching…praying with clay
Purpose: To explore how God comforts us; and how we can respond to God with our whole being.
Note August Celebration/Children’s program begins at 5 pm, followed by a BBQ dinner.
August 4: Family Sunday. Children remain in Celebration
August 11: God’s Paintbrush: Doing/Cindy Gullikson’s Travel Log – Part 1
Purpose: To learn more about Israel and how travel helps us to become closer to God. When we travel we use all our senses and we learn more about how we can be involved in doing God’s work.
August 18: Children remain in Celebration – Youth Group Mission Trip Sharing
August 25: God’s Paintbrush: Doing/Cindy Gullikson’s Travel Log – Part 2
Purpose: To learn more about Israel and how travel helps us to become closer to God. When we travel we use all our senses, and we learn more about how we can be involved in doing God’s work.
Sept 1: Children remain in Celebration
September 8: Godly Play resumes
September 15: Kick-Off Sunday