1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

No. 263
GRAPEVINE
January 2015
Fun with Faith
Christmas
Caroling
Sunday, January 4, 2015
The Epiphany of our Lord
Lesson Focus: Jesus the Word/Jesus is God’s Word.
GOSPEL: John 1: [1-9] 10-18
Worship: 8:30 & 10:00 AM
Faith Journeys: 9:45 AM
Sunday, January 11, 2015
The Baptism of our Lord
Lesson Focus: Jesus’ baptism/God’s son is (extra)
ordinary!
GOSPEL: Mark 1:4-11
Worship: 8:30 & 10:00 AM
Faith Journeys: 9:45 AM
Sunday, January 18, 2015
2nd Sunday after the Epiphany
Lesson Focus: God calls Samuel/When God
speaks and children listen, great things can happen.
*FIRST READING : 1 Samuel 3:1-10 [11-20]
Worship: 8:30 & 10:00 AM
Faith Journeys: 9:45 AM
Sunday, January 25, 2015
3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
Lesson Focus: Jonah and the big fish/I am not
the boss of God (Jonah 1-4).
*FIRST READING: Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Worship: 8:30 & 10:00 AM
Faith Journeys-9:45 AM
* The Old Testament reading will be the sermon
text.
The Grapevine is a monthly publication of Mount Cross Lutheran Church, 102 Camino Esplendido, Camarillo, CA 93010 • 805.482.3847
website: www.mountcross.com • email: [email protected] • Pastor: John W. Soyster • Editor: Sheri Groenveld
In just a few days we will gather once again to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord. As we always do, we will
hold little candles and sing one of the most beloved of all
the carols: Silent Night. I want all of us to take the first
seven words with us into the new year:
Silent night, holy night! All is calm…
Just before we gather to sing of the birth of our Savior, we will have said
goodbye to Pastor Erik and his family as he transitions to his new call as
Senior Pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks. And with his departure, many questions
have been asked about what’s next. So let me offer a few of my thoughts about how we approach the days and
months ahead.
By the time you read this, the congregation’s President, Gayle Johnson and I will have conducted an exit interview with Pastor Erik. This conversation will help us evaluate the ministries and programs in which he
played a key role and that will require special attention as we move ahead.
There are a few areas of ministry that we have shared 50/50 that I will take over 100% as the new year begins, like CDC chapel, Bible studies at Denny’s and Sunday afternoon services at Alma Via.
There are two teaching ministries that Pastor Erik has been leading that I will assist as the new year begins:
Fun With Faith and Confirmation. When we hire a new staff person to work with children, youth and families,
this may change my roles in these areas.
Here is what I ask of each committee, but especially those with which Pastor Erik played a key role: please
look first at ways the members of the committee can step up and take new and/or more responsibility. Recruit
new people if needed. But if there are places where pastor leadership is essential, let that be known, too.
At the annual Leadership Retreat (January 31) we will examine the state of our congregation right now as
well as our community’s current and projected demographics as we ponder our staffing needs. I want us to
keep as many possibilities before us as we can. For example, if we feel that our new staff position has successfully covered the needs of the younger end of the age spectrum at Mount Cross, we might consider hiring (not
calling) a retired pastor to assist with pastoral care, visitation and programming for the older spectrum of the
congregation. For another example, we might establish a relationship with California Lutheran University and
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (recently merged) and become an internship site for those preparing to
become pastors.
There is a lot to talk about and a lot to do. But there is no cause for alarm. Remember, with the birth of the
Savior (who also happens to be the head of this church) all is calm. Knowing as I do that this is a congregation
is filled with people of good will, with good hearts and a willingness to work, all of the things that need to get
done, will get done.
Pastor John
Labels for Education Drive! (Box tops not being collected)
As we begin the holiday season, we also begin our labels for education drive. We did
not qualify for the box top program so we will only be collecting labels for education. We will be put a box in
the church office to collect the labels. The labels will earn Mount Cross points that can be used to purchase
items for the preschool. For more information about the program, please go to
www.labelsforeducation.com. Please ask your friends and family for help collecting labels as well– there are
thousands of participating products, so start saving now!
Thank you, Mount Cross Child Development Center
Fun with Faith….. This ministry is for first through fifth graders who want to deepen their faith, enjoy activities, crafts, services projects and fun with their peers. Invite a friend!
 Wednesday, January 7—4:30-5:00 PM @ Church
 Family Winter Retreat —January 17-19-see website for details: www.lrcchome.com
 Wednesday, January 21 @ Church
 Sunday, January 25—Annual Meeting of the Congregation & Family Dinner
Confirmation
 Wednesday, January 7—Confirmation Huddle—6:30 PM
 Wednesday, January 14—Confirmation (6:00:-8:00 PM) Dinner: Lu
 Wednesday, January 21—Confirmation (6:00-8:00 PM) Dinner: McCormick
 Wednesday, January 28—Confirmation (6:00-8:00 PM) Dinner: Rebbe
High School
 Sunday, January 4—Come to worship at 10:00 AM
Save the Dates:
 Winter Camp—Friday to Sunday, February 27– March 1, cost: $135, deadline to sign up is February 8,
2015
 Make, Bake, Celebrate—April 25, Service Project & Fundraiser, 4:30 –9:30 PM
 Easter Breakfast—Sunday, April 5, Service Project & Fundraiser, 7:30 AM—Noon
Mount Cross Lutheran Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
102 Camino Esplendido
Camarillo, CA 93010-1717
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
OXNARD, CA
93030
PERMIT NO. 43
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
NEXT Newsletter Deadline is Thursday, January 22, 2015
If you would like to receive this newsletter electronically only, please notify the
church office ([email protected]).
Becoming Part Of The Mount Cross Community
BAPTISM
The next Baptism Festival will be Sunday, January 11, 2015 at both the 8:30 and the 10:00 a.m. services.
A Baptism Orientation will take place on Sunday, January 4, at about 11:15 a.m. in Pastor John’s office.
Please contact the church office to schedule a baptism. Baptism information is available on the church
website: http://www.mountcross.com/plan-a-baptism.html
AFFIRMATION OF BAPTISM
Affirmation of Baptism is the name of the service we use to welcome adults into membership at Mount
Cross. The next reception of new members will take place Sunday, January 19, 2015 at both the 8:30 and
the 10:00 a.m. services. A New Member Orientation will take place on Thursday evening, January 8, 2015
at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Life Center. Please contact the church office for more information. New member information is available on the church website at: http://www.mountcross.com/becoming-amember.html
Child Development Center
Priority Preschool Registration!
Mount Cross church members may register their
children in our preschool anytime during the month
of January. The registration fee is 50% off for members ($65). Children may start at 2 years and 6
months of age. If you would like to tour our school or
have any questions please contact Cathy Channels at
482-9706.
Thursdays—January 15 & 22
.
5:30 –7:30
PM
You and your student are invited to join us for
our annual First Communion Workshop. This is
an experience where children can learn about
different images and meanings of communion.
Here are the basics:
 The workshop is for Kindergarten to
third graders or children who are
older, but are not yet receiving communion.
 A parent, godparent, or other trusted
adult is required to attend with the
student.
 First Communion Sunday will be on
January 25 at 10:00am worship.
If you and your child would like to attend the
First Communion workshop please RSVP
by January 11 at 482-3847 or to the church office
at [email protected].
If you need childcare for younger siblings let us
know and we can help arrange for it to
be provided.
PRAYER CONCERNS
Irvin Allen (Ellen Allen's brother), Drs. Mark and Elena
Altshuller (parents of Dmitry Altshuller), Robert Andes
(nephew of Scott & Nora Fajnor), Cheryl Avery, Ben
Beamer (friend of the Prossers), Bret Bentzen, Lynn Boyden, Dewayne Brady, Geri Bradley, Nichole Brickley, Phil
Carr (brother of Tom Carr), Kimberly Colby (daughter-inlaw of the Colbys), Brandi Cole (friend of Scott Fajnor),
Ken Dahlberg (brother of Betty Hough), Casey & Steve
Davis, Gail DiTommaso, Beau Draper, Steve Engh (friend
of Mount Cross), Craig & Debbie Fajnor and Family
(brother of Scott Fajnor), Pam Franz, Ruby Fring (mother
of Carol Paul), Gary (former roommate of Bill Emery),
Maxine Gamboni, Jo Ann & Bill Goth (parents of Peggy
Cambell), Elsie Grummert, Collin Diller (grandson of Diana
Hagen), Maurie Hahn (Uncle of Joan & Bob Brundage),
Family of Brian Hamilton, Anna Bailey (sister of Mona
Neuhaus), Inga Hazer (Aunt of Betty Hough), Sean Hoffman, Matt Iden (nephew of Kathleen Miller), Karen Johnson, Arloa Kelsen (Aunt of Barbara Burke), Keith Jacobson
(brother of Lynn Osslund), Dawn Juricic, Phillip Kent
(friend of Justin Bricker), Kristyn King (friend of Randy &
Jennifer Churchill), Pam King, Kris Korzan, Lynn Kuchera,
David Lee (nephew of Avis Miley), Cynthia Leroy (sister of
John Colby), Stefan Leroy (grandnephew of the Colbys),
Marcia Mann (friend of the Brickleys), Jack Marsh (Mary
O’Donnell’s son-in-law), Mike Martinez, Jennifer McCord,
Barbara Meyer, Frank Miley, Caroline Murphy, Keiko
Nezzer, Mary O’Donnell, Eric Olsen (friend of the
Lindgrens), Ray Olson, Randy Ortega,
Peter (roommate of Bill Emery), John Palatino, Kathleen
Reardon Palmaro, Margaret Penza, Allan Perry (cousin of
Barb Sletten), Gary Petersen (son of Clair Petersen and
brothers of Gayle Johnson), Jeffrey Prosser, Burleene Rilling (mother of Autumn Hilger), Emile Roberts (father of
Jason Soyster’s best friend), Marion Sanders, Pauline
Schmidt (mother of Mary Altshuller), John Scott (uncle to
Mark Saner), Tom & Melanie Schwolert (friends of Desta
Goehner), Sheppard Family (friends of Emily Loomis),
Gerry Slade, Danita Spence (friend of Mike & Diane
Scoggins), Pat and Bob Springer (mother and father of
Joan Brundage), Jason Stevens & Family, Family of Dannelle Stice (friend of Matthew Sobolik), Marold Strand,
Tara Tapangco, Bernice Vang, The Jon Vevia Family,
Louise Vincent, Lindy Watts (sister in law of Lois Watts),
Toy White, Denise Woodruff (aunt of Kimberly Sandlin),
Michelle Woodruff (cousin of Kimberly Sandlin), Teri
Xaverius, (sister of Jody Daily), Carol Young, Lydia Young
(relative of Lu Family) .
Habitat/Thrivent Builds Update
A lot of work has been completed on the home being built in Santa
Paula in the last week. The rafters and roof are installed, and the
plumbers and electricians are working on the inside of the
house. We are ready to install the windows, start the siding, and
then begin insulating the home. We have a work day set for Saturday December 20th - contact Gordon Henry to sign up.
Christmas is doing a little something extra for
someone." - Charles M Schultz
Presents…
Pacific Winds Trio
DARRYL TANIKAWA, CLARINET -- SALPY KERKONIAN, FLUTE JOHN NUNEZ, BASSOON
Sunday, January 18
2:00 PM
Donation: $20
Axel Oliver Kronberg was born on December 10. He
weighed in at 6 lbs. 13 oz and was 19 inches long.
Both mom (Jennifer) and baby are doing well. He's a
handsome little guy! God is great!
You are invited to support this endeavor.
The concert will be followed by a reception
to meet the artists.
Phone Directory
The plan is to publish a new phone directory later
this month. If you have any phone or address
changes, please let the church office know by January 15. You can e-mail changes to:
[email protected]. Thank you!
We will be extending our Wall of Christmas Cards
and Christmas Cheer through Epiphany, it’s not too
late to share…...
Do you have a favorite card or Christmas Wish you
and your family wish to share with our Mount Cross
family? Your extra special wishes will make this
Christmas Season something special. Bring one
copy of your Christmas card to church anytime during December, and place it in the basket in the narthex. The team will post your card to be viewed and
shared by the entire congregation. Don't forget to
stop by the wall on Sunday mornings to read and
view others greetings!
Wishing you and your family only the best this holiday season and the New Year!
-Fellowship Committee
Dear Mount Cross Family,
On behalf of the Fellowship Team, I want to thank
you for your support of the Pie Social on Thanksgiving Eve and the dessert potluck following the Christmas Concert. Both events would not have been a
success if you hadn't volunteered to bring an item to
share. They were delicious and fun opportunities
to help build up the caring community at Mount
Cross, and we appreciate your presence!
Melissa Henry, Fellowship Chair
Re-gifting
Did you receive a gift for Christmas that you did not
need? Did you re-gift it to someone else? Re-gifting,
once frowned upon, has become an acceptable practice in
recent years. Re-gifting has always been acceptable to
God. When blessed by God with more gifts than we need,
He asks us to share those gifts with others and especially
those in need. After a lifetime of accumulating assets, we
may have more assets than our loved ones need. If you
have been blessed in this way, you have an opportunity to
joyfully re-gift some of those assets to the continued work
of your Lord and Savior here on earth. We call this type of
re-gifting, “planned giving”. To learn more, you may contact Greg at: (909)910-6823 or
[email protected].
SAVE THE DATE
The Annual Meeting of the Congregation will be held Sunday, January 25 at 4:00 PM with a dinner to follow at 5:30
PM. We will hear reports, and hold elections. For the potluck dinner, look for sign-up sheets on the patio starting in
January. Watch for reminders and details in the weeks to
come.
Photos from the Santa Paula Build Site on Trinity Lane
Photos by: Gordon Henry
All Congregation Leaders—Annual Reports are due to the
church office by December 31, 2014. Please e-mail to:
[email protected].
SAVE THE DATE
Happy hour at Altshuller residence, Saturday, February 7, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. Bring a bottle of wine to
share and/or a heavy appetizer. Look for sign-up
sheet on patio. Advice: due to limited space only
20 people admitted. Due to limited parking spaces,
carpooling is strongly suggested. RSVP to Mary Altshuller.
Happy Birthday to…
2 Mary Kienitz
3 Jackson Burke
Chloe Griffith
Caroline Hobbs
Betty Hough
Eric Kienitz
Marion Sanders
4 Barbara Berglund
Deborah Goebel
Glenda Greason
Dan Pipkin
Chelle Smith
5 Iris Corey
Jerry Kienitz
Evonne Kuchera
Norm Morgan
Nicholas Sawyer
6 Evelyn Lacy
7 Nora Fajnor
8 Carol Broderick
Stephen Burke
8 Matthew Rowley
Krista Stoll
9 Rick Mann
Chloe Vieira
10 Jaida Jones
Jean Scott
11 Kai Guzman
Alex Mathis
JoAnn Oakley
Becky Riley
Rachel Scriven
12 KayLeigh Easley
Sarah Vorhis
13 Keiree Bucholz
Homer Valle
14 Morgan Fanner
15 Paula Gerde
Ron Higginbotham
16 Dmitry Altshuller
Jessica Guzman
17 Lorraine Carpenter
Edith Frederick
Autumn Hilger
17 Michael Hobbs
Kathleen Lennox
Keira Lennox
Anne Valencia
19 Cathy Channels
20 Don Hauser
21 Madeline Bouchard
Jesus Duran
Mike Laskey
Tiana Stouch
22 Nick Tasker
24 Jace Bucholz-Paul
Vickie Carlson
Brian Fisher
25 Sandy Fox
Theodore Koupal
26 Rita Carolan
Solveij Lindgren
28 Gordon Bergh
29 Alice Ostrem
Lois Watts
30 John Barrett
Kason Easley
Rachel Soyster
Happy
Anniversary to…
2
5
9
22
28
29
Edward & Carol Broderick
Rick & Marilyn Gardner
Vic & Sharon Korzan
Steve & Jeanne Michel
Dave & Chelle Smith
Edwin & Rachel Ramirez
Stephen Ministry
Transitions: Our lives are filled with transitions. Transitions provide a comforting and familiar rhythm
as we move from one season to another. The kids go to school in the fall, graduation comes in the
spring. We look forward to summer vacations. We mark our years by celebrations of birthdays. And
winter brings the beloved tradition that culminates with the worshipful celebration of Christ’s birth followed by both
“goodbye” and “welcome” as we note the calendar year change.
These and other transitions are predictable and constant. But their familiarity can result in their becoming automatic.
We can find ourselves just “going through the motions” without emotion in a kind of mind-numbing boredom. It is
easy to get used to the sameness so that we stop noticing the emotional highs (and lows) that are part of life—both the
transitional moments and the unexpected experiences.
When we become used to the sameness of boredom we can grow numb to emotional connections, we can become
isolated and feel disconnected from others—even from God. The power of transition is that each in its own way,
brings an opportunity to grow, to change, to sense connections and hope.
Sometimes it can be difficult to open doors that seem closed. Sometimes we can become “stuck” in predictability that
becomes boredom. A Stephen Minister can walk with you as you make your own transition to a full experience of life’s
events.
Contact Pastor John, or one of our other Stephen Leaders—Karen Emery, Linda Frantz, or Valerie Patscheck if you are
ready to begin your own transition.
Mission of the Month: Blood Services & Lutheran Disaster Response
This month we want to raise up the good works of two agencies. The first is United Blood Services, a regional blood
bank that provides blood to our local hospitals for routine needs and maintains a supply to help with accidents or
natural disasters. One unit of blood can be used to help up to three patients. Over the years Mount Cross members have faithfully supported their "Hero" program goal to donate blood "Three Times a Year". We have hosted
them on Valentines' Day and Halloween with "Count Dracula" taking sign-ups on the patio and giving out vampire
teeth as a thank you. The next drive is set for March 15, 2015.
The second agency is Lutheran Disaster Response, a part of the Relief and Development resources of the
ELCA . They collaborate with other disaster response organizations and religious entities in the United States and
around the world. This enables the greatest stewardship of resources and maximum impact of response. They are
a welcome partner because they respect the perspectives and strengths of others and recognize that every disaster
is local. Mount Cross has helped with special offerings, prayers and encouraged members to individually support
many projects over the years. Mount Cross has supported tornado, flooding and Hurricane Katrina and Sandy relief
here in the States. Internationally we have supported Typhoon Haiyan and most recently the Ebola Outbreak with
the Thanksgiving Eve offering. May God’s call to be generous continue to shine as we support our work with Lutheran Disaster Response.
Monthly Fair Trade Sale
January 4th is your next opportunity to purchase fair trade food items. Come see us on the
patio for some delicious and just treats!
Gifts of Hope Project
For you last minute shoppers, opportunities are still
available to pick up "alternative Christmas cards" - the
poster and a basket with cards will be in the church ofSOUPER BOWL OF CARING IS
fice until Christmas. Our financial goal has been met, but
FEBRUARY 1
the home still needs work, so any donations are appreciCelebrate Superbowl Sunday by supporting ated.
our "souper" event! All food and money
collected will go to St Columba's Food Pantry to support our
hungry neighbors in Camarillo. Look for more information on
the kiosk and in the next newsletter.
CROP Hunger Walk is coming !
SAVE THE DATE
We have a blood drive coming up on March 15, 2015.
Get ready to walk 10k on March 9 and help support
hunger work here in Camarillo and all across the globe!
"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;
and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.
- Edward Everett Hale