J u n e / j u ly 2 0 1 5 COASTSIDE LUTHERAN CHURCH Concern and care for the body of Christ within our congregation: The apostle Paul writes, "God has put the body together in such a way ...so there is no division in the body, but all its different parts have the same concern for one another. If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness." (1Cor 12:24a, 25-26 Good News Bible Translation--GNT) Or better yet, here's Eugene Peterson's translation from The Message: “The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this.”(1 Cor 12:25-27). C heck us out!: Great pictures!! 1) Pastor’s Letter 2) April Treasurer’s Reports 2nd Mile Giving & readers wanted for Moon Ridge 3) Bereavement resources, ministries and opportunities for giving 4) Our 2015 Graduates 5) Music director and Council Corner 6) June Calendar of Events 7) July Calendar and con.t’d council Have you ever wondered why it is important to gather as a congregation to be the body of Christ? One can hear comments such as "Why bother?!" Or perhaps worse, "The Church is filled with hypocrites!" Why waste time committing to or being engaged with something one can do on one's own. ANYONE can worship God… Higher Power….The Great Mystery Beyond, or whatever you may name that which is greater than one's self. Just taking a walk along the California coast, one is often awestruck and humbled by the magnificence of creation and the beauty of it all. Therefore, why not just go it alone?! Why try to be with others to worship, serve, or grow in faith and understanding of God, self, neighbor, or call?! Because, going it alone only takes us so far! Have you ever found yourself confronted with a problem and stuck in trying to solve it? Or, have you ever been in the midst of creating something either by word, thought, or design and found yourself blocked? Or, have you ever been unable to resolve feelings or reactions or a situation that leaves you tossing and turning and unable to experience peace? What about when you pick up the Bible or another important text and read something that disturbs or confuses you and find yourself unable to go further in your studies alone? We've all had such moments. How WERE you able to get unstuck, or grow in your understanding in situations like these? Usually, it's because we seek input from outside of ourselves; and, with time and patience, our experience of being blocked vanishes. Sure, we had to weed through some unwelcome input. Not all input serves us well, but it all helps, even if it totally differs from our final resolution. I've benefited as much from the stuff I set aside as from the stuff I embraced We cannot do it all on our own, no matter how much we try! Being a part of a congregation allows us to gather intentionally with others seeking to understand the power and possibility of love, mercy, justice and peace within and beyond ourselves. Together we practice what it means to be disciples of One who walked among us to reveal just how expansive and inclusive the love of God is. We learn to not only honor our differences, but to value and uplift them as an intricate and necessary part of the whole. We learn that a collective resolution of any problem is often better, and our understanding more expansive than our own would have been simply because of the varied experiences, insights and gifts of others. That doesn't mean it's easy to deal with one another or to stay in touch. But, stay in touch we must. We need each other and what better way to experience that gift than within a congregation as disciples of the love revealed in Jesus Christ!! Many are travelling this summer. I will be with family in Thailand for 3 weeks experiencing the cultural heritage of my niece and 2 nephews. Many others are traveling as well, while others will remain here at home. Let us look out for one another as a congregation and hold one another in prayer. Keep an eye out for those who live alone, and/or our seniors, and for those who are suffering in any way. Never underestimate the power of a loving gesture such as a card or a phone call! Help out at the community breakfast if you have a free Wed. or Th. morning. Come early to church on Sundays and see if there's anything you can do to help set up. Greet people you do not know or haven't had a chance to get to know yet. Listen to each other, and be willing to share who you are too when asked, allowing for a new deeper connection. As the body of Christ and as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13, the gift of love "never fails". Amen! PD….. 1 April Treasurer’s Report 1. 2. 3. 4. Giving in April 2015 was $17,854.68 compared to April 2014 giving of $17,959.53. April 2014 and April 2015 had 4 Sundays. Contributions per week in 2015 were up from 2014 and ahead of what we budgeted due to givers giving their entire 2015 giving in January. If we account for this then we are $1,003.09 behind our budget for contributions this year. April Expenses look high because of a $3,776.00 liability insurance payment that was budgeted for March. The mortgage as of the last statement was down to $27,454.93. April’s Second Mile Giving goes to the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, CA. The PLTS develops leaders for the church by deepening faith in Christ; expanding the heart; challenging the mind; and energizing for mission. Pastor Dawn attended this seminary. It is a part of the Graduate Theological Union which consists of 9 seminaries + religious institutions. Do you have 2 hrs. on Tuesday afternoons to help a child read? Volunteers are needed to read with children grades 2 & 3 at Moonridge. Program is sponsored by San Mateo County Sheriff’s Activity League. The program continues through the summer and there is a lot of need for volunteers during the summer months. Please contact Jan Forslund at [email protected] for information if you can help. 2 CLC June/July 2015 Night Ministry Open House The volunteers and staff of the San Francisco Night Ministry invite you to attend their annual Open House on Sunday, June 14, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 1111 O'Farrell, between Gough and Franklin Streets. The Open House provides a time to learn more about Night Ministry in general, and more about the specific programs that are offered. It is also a good time to explore opportunities to volunteer with us, either as a Crisis Line Counselor or a member of our Daytime Volunteer Corps. Meet members of the Night Ministry staff, Governing Board members, and current volunteers. Light refreshments will be served. This event will be followed immediately by a fundraising event (musical variety show) to benefit the Friendship Line, part of the Center for Elder Suicide Prevention and a valuable program of the Institute on Aging. Visit our website for more of how Night Ministry serves. www.sfnightministry.org Mission Hospice and Home Care in San Mateo offer bereavement support groups that are open to the community: Bereavement Support Groups: Tuesday evenings, drop-in group, 6-7:30 pm: Roby Newman, LCSW Facilitator 1st and 3rd Saturday mornings, 10-11:30 am, Tracie Pyers, MSW, Facilitator Location: 1670 South Amphlett Blvd., suite 300 San Mateo For further information please call (650) 554-1000 Help is Always Needed, no time limits, no expirations! The ELCA and Lutheran World Relief are always there, on the ground, wherever disaster strikes. They are committed to being there for as long as it takes. For example, in Liberia, they are committed to staying there until Liberia is Ebola free. “Tenacity, determination and faith “– that's how the Rev. Andrea L. Walker described members and leaders of the Lutheran Church in Liberia, as well as people of the West Africa country, in response to their efforts to become Ebola-free. Walker is the ELCA's area program director for Madagascar, West and Central Africa. If, at any time, you want to respond to any disaster, be it the Nepal earthquakes, the Malaria campaign, Texas flooding, etc. you can always just write a check to Coastside Lutheran Church, with the particular campaign/relief effort noted in the memo line. Be assured that 100% of your dollars go directly to that relief effort. 3 CLC June/July 2015 Congratulations to all our 2015 Graduates Julie Barwick: In May, I gr aduated fr om the San Fr ancisco Conser vator y of Music, with a Master s in Music in composition. While at the conservatory, I studied composition with Dan Becker, and David Garner. This summer I have plans to attend the Walden School of Creative Musicians Retreat and then the Atlantic Music Festival Institute in Maine. Afterwards, I will continue to teach private piano lessons in the San Francisco area. Kayla Strom: Gr aduated with a degr ee in Kinesiology fr om Sonoma State Univer sity. She has no definite plans as yet, but intends to stay working at Rohnert Park Gymnastics for the summer. Jenna Casey: Gr aduated fr om Humboldt State Univer sity with a degr ee in Economics. J enna intends to find work in her field in the Bay Area. Lena Lowman: Gr aduated fr om Ber keley with a degr ee in Psychology. After fur ther study in gr aduate school, Lena plans to pursue a career in counseling or therapy. Matthew Young: Gr aduated fr om Skyline College with an AA degr ee in Mechanics. Francis Young: Gr aduated fr om Palo Alto Univer sity with a BA in Psychology. Dana Walker: Gr aduated fr om High School in Boulder and will attend The Univer sity of Denver in the Fall. Rachel Walker: Gr aduated fr om Santa Clar a Univer sity with a degr ee in Psychology, and plans to wor k as a lab manager for a year before pursuing further studies in graduate school. Gabe Carhart: Gr aduated fr om Santa Clar a Univer sity with a degr ee in Political Science. Kayla Strom Jenna Casey Lena Lowman Julie Barwick Matthew, Kathy and Franny Young Wishing all our graduates the very best in whatever they do! Rachel Walker and Gabe Carhart Dana Walker See next page for Dustin Shafae! 4 CLC June/July 2015 May Council meeting opened with stories of gratitude for gifts of four legged creatures, for character building challenges, for beloved partners, family, and friends, and stories of recovery, acceptance and the value goodness plays in our lives. Inspirations found in the courage of children and the sermons of others. Pastor gave a report on her weeklong continuing education experience at the Festival of Homiletics in May. “It was great on all levels!” Pastor was personally engaged by varied, wide ranging topics. 1000 pastors from many denoninations attended. Some of the highlights were sermons by Pastors Nadia Bolts-Weber, Walter Bruggeman, Barbara Lundblad, and Brian McClaren. Pastor also had opportunity to renew old acquaintances, and make new friends. It was just what she needed for renewal--an answer to prayer. She is very grateful for the opportunity. con.t’d pg. 7 Council Corner Introducing Our New Music Director here at Coastside: Liesl McPherrin I have been part of the San Francisco Bay Area community since returning from New Jersey, where I completed my Masters of Music in Vocal Pedagogy and Performance at Westminster Choir College in May of 2014. As a solo performer, I frequently perform at Northern California churches, and with opera companies. I am an active recitalist and I offered a voice recital as part of the concert series at Church of the Advent, Christ the King in San Francisco. This May and June I will be performing the title role in My Fair Galatea at San Francisco's Pocket Opera, and attending SongFest at the Colburn School in Los Angeles as part of the Singing Teacher's Professional Development program. As well as directing the choir here at Coastside I also direct the Junior Choir at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day School in San Mateo, and teach early childhood music classes and elementary general music in San Mateo. I also give private voice lessons at my studio in San Mateo and Half Moon Bay. As a member of the prestigious Westminster Symphonic Choir, I had the chance to perform in such locations as the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and Carnegie Hall in New York City, working under such conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, and Gustavo Dudamel. As an active member of the Bay Area's thriving performing arts community, I have sung with choruses of the San Francisco Lyric Opera, Urban Opera, and Golden Gate Opera. While at Coastside Lutheran, I hope to build a strong choral program. Though we currently have a small number of choral singers, we are constantly growing in size, as well as musicality and consistency. I like bringing in a wide array of music from different cultures and traditions, to truly embrace the culture of our church. We are all brethren in Christ, and our music shall reflect that. As the children of our congregation grow and learn, I hope to initiate a music program for them to encourage our youth to participate in the church through liturgical song, dance, and theater. Another 2015 graduate: Congratulations to Dustin Shafae who graduated with an MBA from the University of San Francisco. Pictured here with his brother Darren, and Betty and Charles Shafae. 5 Bill Nelson gets the Blues on Pentecost Sunday. Remember, “you don’t need an enormous IQ, or graduate from Theological U, just get down on your knees and ask Jesus please, is it true, that He loves you……you got the blues, you got the blues….You got the lowdown guilty, convicted by the Holy Ghost blues.” CLC June/July 2015 June 2015 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, … Micah 3:8 (NRSV) Sun Mon 1 Tue 2 Wed 3 6:30am Men’s Group No power @ CUMC 9:30-1pm PG&E changing 7-9 am Comm Brkfst out Transformer 10 am Hope Class 7:00— 8:30 pm Evening Adult Bible Study, West Wing 7 8 am Service 9 am Spark Time Last day of this year 10 am Service with Coastside Chorale & MaryAnne Fiene on cello 8 11 am - 1:00 Head Start Parent Meeting 9 2:30— 4 pm Women’s Daytime Bible Study 3-4 pm Cleaning 10 6:30am Men’s Group @ CUMC 7-9 am Community Breakfast 10 am Hope Class Thu 4 7-9am Comm Bkfst 10 am Hope Cooking 1:30 pm Hope— Art 7:30– 8:30 Confirmation Fri 5 7 pm Iglesia del Mar Service 11 7-9am Comm Bkfst 10 am Hope Cooking 1:30 pm Hope— Art 7:30– 8:30 Confirmation 8 pm Open AA 15 12 8 am Service 3-4 pm Cleaning 10 am Service 8 pm Open AA End of Year Festival follows with blessing of graduates & jumphouse for kids. Potluck: food to share Summer program schedule begins 21 22 7 pm Iglesia del Mar Service 3-4 pm Cleaning 2 pm Iglesia del Mar 8 pm Open AA 28 8 am Service 10 am Service with Pastor Peter Garrisson 2 pm Iglesia del Mar 3:30-5 pm Head Start Parent Meeting 29 18 19 7-9 am Comm. Bkfst. 10 am Hope to 1:30 pm 6-10 pm Set up & 7:30 pm Coastside Chorale Concert 20 7:30 am Open AA 1:30 pm Hope— Art 7:00— 8:30 pm Evening Adult Bible Study, West Wing 7 pm Iglesia del Mar Service 9 pm Cleaning 23 8 am Service 10 am Service with Pastor Gwen Hermanson-Schaefer Pastor Dawn gone til July 19th 17 6:30 am Men’s Group @ CUMC 7-9 am Community Breakfast 10 am Hope Class 13 7:30 am Open AA 9 pm Cleaning 16 7:30 am Open AA 9pm Cleaning 2 pm Iglesia del Mar 14 Sat 6 7- 9:00 pm Church Council Meeting West Wing 24 6:30 am Men’s Group @ CUMC 7– 9 am Community Breakfast 10 am Hope Cooking Class 25 26 7-9 am Comm. Bkfst. 10 am Hope Cooking/Art 27 7:30 am Open AA 7 pm Iglesia del Mar Service 9 pm Cleaning 30 Ireland says “yes” to marriage equality enshrined in the constitution. First country to hold a national referendum! 3-4 pm Cleaning 8 pm Open AA June 7th, Coastside Chorale singing at 10 am accompanied by Mary Anne Fiene on cello; and a Spark Time Appreciation Lunch for all teachers at the Jeff’s. June 13th : Coastside Chorale Concert at 7:30 pm. June 14th, End of Year Festival and blessing of Graduates. Potluck; jumphouse for kids. Bring food to share. 6 CLC June/July 2015 … Council Corner, continued. Patricia and Charles Hoelzel will be attending the annual Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly on May 29-May 31 in Sacramento with Pastor Dawn. Patricia is our voting delegate and Charles is attending as our guest. Pastor Peter Garrison will be our supply preacher/presider that day. Thank you all 3 for your participation. attended. Some of the highlights were sermons by Pastors Nadia Bolts-Weber, Walter Bruggeman, Barbara Lundblad, and Brian McClaren. Pastor also had opportunity to renew old acquaintances, and make new friends. It was just what she needed for renewal--an answer to prayer. She is very grateful for the opportunity. Patricia and Charles Hoelzel will be attending the annual Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly on May 29-May 31 in Sacramento with Pastor Dawn. Patricia is our voting delegate and Charles is attending as our guest. Pastor Peter Garrison will be our supply preacher/presider that day. Thank you all 3 for your participation. Pastor will be gone for a 4 week vacation/continuing education opportunity. She will be going to Thailand the last week in June and the first two weeks in July. Pastor Gwen Hermanson-Schaefer will supply preach for 3 of the Sundays and Pastor Peter Garrison for 1. They are both looking forward to being here. They enjoy you all very much. Liesl was approved by council to be on leave for 6 weeks. Her last Sunday is May 24 and she will be returning July 12. We will miss each other. The choir will take a summer hiatus. Julie Barwick will also be away for 2 months this summer. She will be engaging in two different continuing education opportunities. Let us hold Pastor, Liesl, Julie and ALL who are traveling this summer in our hearts and prayers. Finally, upon recommendation by the personnel committee and Pastor, the council approved giving Julie Barwick 2 weeks paid vacation. She has been working at CLC for 10 years. When told, she was very surprised and appreciative. Musicians often do not get such benefits. It's great to be a part of a congregation that would so honor our pianist! Next Meeting is June 16, 2015. Rebecca has snacks and closing prayer. ……….Pastor Dawn from May Council Minutes July Calendar Highlights: July follows all the regularly scheduled events on our monthly calendars including Wed morning Mens’ group at CUMC at 6:30. Community breakfasts: Wednesdays and Thursday mornings at 7:30 Hope classes, Wednesdays at 10 am. Iglesia del Mar services at 2 pm every Sunday. Iglesia cleans church 9 pm on Fridays. The following is a list of special events in July: July 1, 15 & 30, the Adult bible study continues in West Wing: 7-8:30 using the Serendipity Bible and looking at the Gospel of John. July 5th and 12th, supply pastor will be Pastor Gwen Hermanson-Schaefer July 12th: Rebecca Jeffs returns. July 12th Liesl McPherrin returns. 7 CLC June/July2015 Organization Name OUR CALL “I am God. I have called you to live right and well. I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe. I have set you among my people to bind them to me, and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations, to make a start at bringing people into the open, into light:... Is. 42:6, The Message OUR MISSION Coastside Lutheran Church celebrates the grace of God through Jesus Christ by worshipping together, serving the community, and providing a spiritual harbor where all are welcome. SUNDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE 8:00am Meditative Worship/Communion 10:00am Worship/Communion, followed by Fellowship Hour Website: coastsidelutheran.org Phone: 650.726.9293 Email: [email protected] COASTSIDE LUTHERAN CHURCH 900 N. Cabrillo Hwy Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 June/July 2015 Newsletter 8
© Copyright 2024