July newsletter FINAL 2012.indd

The Covenant Call
Newsletter of Covenant Presbyterian Church
JULY 2012
A Tale of Two Bathrooms
Perhaps one of the great challenges facing the
Presbyterian Church today is that we have too many
bathrooms. “Too many bathrooms?!” you may wonder.
“Have you ever seen the lines that form right before and
after worship? How could you possibly think we have
too many bathrooms?!”
As crazy as that may sound, Jonah Lehrer,
author of Imagine: How Creativity Works, revealed an
intriguing design plan in the Pixar Studios during an
interview with NPR's Robert Siegel.
“The original design for the Pixar studios
consisted of three separate buildings, where they'd put the
computer scientists in one building, and the animators in
a second building and the third building would contain
everybody else: the directors, the editors and so on. Steve
[Jobs] realized that that was a terrible idea; that the real
challenge of Pixar was getting people from these different
cultures — these computer scientists and these cartoonists
— to work together, to really collaborate. And so he
insisted that Pixar studios just be one vast, cavernous
space.”
“[Jobs] insisted there be only two bathrooms in
the entire Pixar studios, and that these would be in the
central space. And of course this is very inconvenient.
No one wants to have to walk 15 minutes to go to the
bathroom. And yet Steve insisted that this is the one place
everyone has to go every day. And now you can talk to
people at Pixar and they all have their 'bathroom story.'
They all talk about the great conversation they had while
washing their hands.”
“... He wanted there to be mixing. He knew that
the human friction makes the sparks, and that when
you're talking about a creative endeavor that requires
In this Issue:
General Assembly News pg. 2-3
New Members
pg. 4-5
Invitational Choirs
pg. 5
July’s Feature Movie
pg. 5
By Dan Milford
people from different cultures to come together, you have
to force them to mix; that our natural tendency is to stay
isolated, to talk to people who are just like us, who speak
our private languages, who understand our problems.
But that's a big mistake. And so his design was to force
people to come together even if it was just going to be in
the bathroom.”
While decreasing the number and location of
bathrooms in our church isn’t the answer for us, it is
the case that “the real challenge of [being the church] is
getting people from different cultures to work together,
to really collaborate.” Likewise with the church, “when
you're talking about a creative endeavor that requires
people from different cultures to come together, you
have to force them to mix; that our natural tendency
is to stay isolated, to talk to people who are just like us,
who speak our private languages, who understand our
problems. But that's a big mistake.”
So, the next time you find yourself visiting a
bathroom at the church, be grateful that we have lots
of them! At the same time, think about how important
it is for us to spend time talking (and listening—really
listening!) with people from different cultures and
perspectives. As we learn to see issues from multiple
angles, we discover the incompleteness (and even the
distortion or incorrectness) of our own perspective.
Through sharing hopes and ideas with others, we may
find new solutions and new ways forward for our life
together.
Mission Outreach
pg. 6
Back to School Project
pg. 6
Mission Possible Pictures
pg. 7
Elder & Trustee Nominations pg. 8
YAH Luncheon pg. 9
Sunday School pg. 10
Bastrop Trip
pg. 10
Birthdays
pg. 12
Page 2
A Very Brief Primer on How General Assembly Works
Who is “General Assembly”?
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General Assembly (GA) is the biennial (every
two years) gathering of Presbyterians to discuss and
debate issues facing the church.
Commissioners—General Assembly is comprised
of an equal number of elder and clergy
commissioners, elected from the 171 presbyteries
of our denomination. These are the people with
both voice and vote in the general meetings of the
Assembly.
Advisory Delegates — Each presbytery is invited
to send a YAAD (Young Adult Advisory Delegate),
each seminary is invited to send TSADs (Theological
Student Advisory Delegates), ecumenical partners
within the US and worldwide are invited to send
delegates, and a couple dozen PCUSA missionaries
serve as delegates. These delegates have both voice
and vote in committee meetings (the first 3 days) but
only have voice and “advisory votes” in the general
meetings (the last 3-4 days).
Representation—Think of the General Assembly
as being like our “House of Representatives” in
that presbyteries receive representation based on
the number of members each presbytery has. For
example, 1/10th of all PCUSA members live in
Pennsylvania; thus, that state has many more delegates
than most states. Two facts about representation
seem particularly important:
1)Metropolitan areas and the coasts are more
represented than rural and heartland areas,
2)The average age of attendees at General
Assemblies is much lower than the average age
of attendees at presbytery meetings.
Others Present—A few of the other significant
groups present at GA’s include: “lobbyists” for
affinity groups and “overture advocates,” General
Assembly Mission Council staff (including the stated
clerk), media representatives, “observers,” host city
volunteers, and people representing numerous
ministries and organizations in the exhibit hall.
How is the General Assembly’s
business determined?
•
Overtures from Presbyteries—These are sent to
presbyteries from presbytery committees or sessions
of local churches. The presbytery must vote on these
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180 days prior to the beginning of the assembly for
them to be considered. Most overtures come from
presbyteries.
Overtures from General Assembly Mission
Council entities—committees created by previous
GA’s, study groups created by previous GA’s, etc.
These often come with lengthy papers summarizing
their studies and conclusions.
Overtures are divvied out to different
committees of the General Assembly prior to the
beginning of the meeting (about 60-90 days out).
The Advisory Committee to the Constitution
reviews each overture and writes thorough advice
on the constitutionality, effect to churches, etc. This
advice is attached to each overture.
Key Issues
for the
220th General Assembly (2012)
in Pittsburgh, PA
By Dan Milford
Confessions
•
New Heidelberg Catechism Translation:
Pro’s—A new translation of the Heidelberg
Catechism was undertaken by a group appointed
by our GA along with committees from the
Christian Reformed Church in North America and
the Reformed Church in America in preparation
for the catechism’s 450th birthday in 2013. Both of
the above denominations have now approved the
new translation, which seeks to be faithful to the
original German text. This new translation also
includes the scriptural references in the original
text. The translation we’ve been using for the last
45 years or so has some inaccuracies, editorial
additions, etc. Most notably, a proscription against
homosexuality in our current translation was not in
the original German version or in any translations
into any other languages prior to this version. The
new translation returns to a more faithful read of
the original.
Con’s - The timing of this translation’s presentation
to the PCUSA seems designed to advance the move
Page 3
to allow ordination and marriage for Gay, Lesbian,
Bi-sexual, and Transgender (GLBT) persons. This is
the primary reason, I believe, that it will be opposed.
However, note that the above two denominations are
more “conservative” than the PCUSA, are not having
the same debate about homosexuality that we are,
and have already approved the new translation.
•
•
Reintroduction of Belhar Confession
Pro’s—This would be the first Confession to be
included in our Book of Confessions from the
“Global South” and, outside the Apostle’s and
Nicene Creeds, the first Confession to be included
from a non-Western (Western Europe or the
US) perspective. It speaks from a very Reformed •
perspective, but addresses contemporary issues
about which our other Confessions are largely silent.
It was well received (over 2/3rds approval) at the
last GA and by presbyteries (over 63% voted for its
approval, but that fell 8 votes short of the required
67% of presbyteries). It has already been approved
by the Reformed Church in America and is under
consideration in the Christian Reformed Church.
Con’s—Concerns will be voiced about its return
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Change the Definition of Marriage in the Book
of Order—several overtures recommend changing
the definition of marriage from “between a man
and a woman” to “between two persons.” Marriage
would still be understood as a life-long covenantal
relationship between two people; the change would
allow for same gendered marriage.
• An “Authoritative Interpretation” to allow
same-gendered marriages in states that
have legalized it—General Assemblies can
issue authoritative interpretations (AI’s). Like a
Supreme Court decision, they are binding until/
unless overturned. Like Supreme Court decisions,
they should be used to clarify existing law. An AI
Overtures to maintain traditional definitions of
marriage and require a more difficult process to
change them—One overture would be to require a
2/3 vote of presbyteries to change the definition of
marriage. Another overture would require changing
multiple confessions to change the definition of
marriage.
Ordination issues—several overtures recommend
restoring the “fidelity and chastity” language in
the ordination standards (formerly at G-6.0106b,
now at G-2.0104b) or adding a section allowing
congregations or presbyteries to set expectations for
behavioral standards.
Middle Councils Committee
End the existence of Synods—This committee’s
first recommendation is to cease to have Synods.
The argument is that with increased travel and
communication, Synods have become unnecessary.
With the decrease in funds being given for
denominational mission and ministry, Synods
have already seen their funding stream dry up
dramatically.
immediately after having failed to be approved
by the presbyteries. Past objections to the Belhar
Confession include concerns about the “liberation
theology” it expresses and about our Book of
Confessions already being a bit unwieldy with 11
confessions/creeds/catechisms.
Homosexuality
allowing same-gendered marriages in states that
have legalized same-gendered marriage would
“settle” the church’s stand in those states, but would
also have the church following the state, rather than
speaking in its own voice with clarity.
•
Non-geographic Presbyteries—This committee’s
recommendations would allow for presbyteries to be
formed by any group of at least 10 congregations and
10 teaching elders (pastors/clergy). For example, a
group of at least 10 congregations from across Mission
Presbytery could form a separate presbytery, fully
distinct from Mission Presbytery. Two caveats seem
important: 1) These new presbyteries would not have
the authority to release their member congregations
with property, 2) These new presbyteries would have
to receive approval from the General Assembly in
2021 to become a permanent part of our structure.
Also see www.pc-biz.org/Committee2.aspx for the full
listing of GA committees and the overtures they will
be considering.
Page 4
Meet Our New Members
Jo Ann Wallace joined Covenant by Martha Flores joined Covenant by letter of
reaffirmation of faith. She was born and grew up in
Sunnyvale, California. She received a B.A. degree in
Spanish at Santa Clara University. She then moved to
Maryland to work for the Department of Defense as
a Russian linguist, where she met her future husband
Joe, also a linguist. They were married in 1982 while
stationed in Hawaii, and moved to San Antonio a year
later so Joe could attend the Health Science Center's
Physical Therapy program. He worked as a pediatric
PT for over 25 years. Joe passed away this past January
of prostate cancer. Jo Ann is thankful that he is now
healed and is with Christ in heaven.
Jo Ann says she is blessed to have two great
children who call and visit often. Her son and his
wife are both professional classical musicians who
live in San Francisco, CA. Her daughter was recently
married and she and her husband live and work in San
Antonio. Her daughter will be working for Lake-Flato
Architects starting in July and her son-in-law works
for USAA as a computer programmer.
After a short career as a linguist, a stay-athome mom for 5 years, and a stint as a bilingual
teacher, Jo Ann has been a computer programmer at
Education Service Center Region 20 for the last 15
years, developing computer applications for school
districts. She loves her job but is looking forward
to retirement and hopefully some grandchildren.
She started coming to Covenant last summer by the
invitation of her neighbors, Joanne and David Makar.
She says she feels very welcome and loved by her new
church family. She enjoys yard work, keeping up with
maintenance on her 71 year old home, taking care of
her two cats, watching Jeopardy, the Spurs and Silver
Stars, and studying her Bible.
transfer from Divine Redeemer Presbyterian Church. She
was born and raised in San Antonio, the 12th of 14 children;
8 boys and 6 girls! She has 30 nieces and nephews and has
lost count of the great and great greats. She graduated from
Memorial High School and attended SAC. On June 16 she
completed 9 years as a member of the Mission Presbytery
staff. She is the Administrative Assistant to the Executive
Presbyter. Martha has earned Level Two Certification with
the Administrative Personnel Association of the PCUSA.
She is the mother of three adult sons, one in the Air
Force and twins who currently share an apartment in San
Antonio.
She says her name, Martha, fits her. She enjoys
working behind the scenes in a support capacity. She is a
member of the Diakonia Emmaus Community, a volunteer
with Habitat for Humanity, and is ready and willing to help
whenever and wherever she can. She enjoys being a tourist
and visiting as many local events as she can with some of
her siblings. She and one sister sign up to walk 5K's for
various charities, and when the Texas sun allows her, she
enjoys raising roses. She says she has felt very welcome and
comfortable attending Covenant, and now will wait to see
how the Lord will use her gifts at Covenant.
Bob & Peg Gates joined Covenant by
reaffirmation of faith. Bob was born and raised in Mystic,
Connecticuit, and earned his degree from the University
of Connecticuit
as a Pharmacist.
Peg was born
and raised in
Palmerton,
Pennsylvania.
She went to the
University of
(continued on pg. 3)
Page 5
New Members (continued from pg. 4)
Pennsylvania Nursing School where she earned her
RN. They both went into the Army and met at Ft. Sam
Houston. Bob stayed in the military for three years and
Peg for two. They lived in New Jersey and worked in
New York City, until moving here in 1972. They have
lived in Castle Hills ever since. They have 5 sons, and
had to wait until the boys started getting married to
get a daughter (in-law) in the family. Only one son
remains single and they have 6 grandchildren to enjoy.
Two of the grandchildren live in San Antonio and Peg
helps care for them while the parents work. Two of the
grandchildren live in Arlington and two near Little
Rock. A daughter-in-law here runs the bistro at the
Botanical Gardens (for those of you who have been
there and eaten there). Bob came out of retirement
awhile back, to work part-time as a pharmicist at
SAMMC (formerly known as BAMC). Peg enjoys
knitting and reading and the grandchildren. Bob loves
to play golf - and work, work, work.....Peg says. They
usually go on a yearly cruise, and went to Hawaii this
past February.
July's Feature Film
Soul Surfer - PG
Friday, July 6th
7:00 PM - Friendship Hall
Come
and Sing!
Covenant’s Music Department
invites the women, men, and
children of the church to come sing and make a joyful
noise. Each group can participate in the below listed
invitational choirs. Each group will meet on Sunday at
10:30AM in the choir room and will sing that mornings
anthem. If you have questions or want more information, Come join us for the Covenant Family Movie,
"Soul Surfer". This is a true story of a family in
call Karl Hedrick at 342-5253.
Hawaii and their teenage daughter named Bethany.
She is an excellent surfer and ready to compete in
Invitational choirs:
Hawaii's world surfing contest when tragedy strikes.
Bethany experiences deep depression, and begins
July 8: Women - “Amazing Graces”
quesƟoning her understanding of God. Come watch
and see how God intervenes in her life, bringing
July 15: Men - “Fishers of Men”
Bethany renewed strength and determinaƟon to be
all God wants her to be.
July 22: Children - “Kids of the Kingdom”
July 29: Choir Alum of any Church - “Forever Praise”
Childcare will be available.
There will be a separate movie for the younger children.
Page 6
The Strong Foundation &
The SAMM TLLC
Over the last month, Covenant has had several
opportunities to serve at the Strong Foundation and
the SAMM Transitional Living and Learning Center
(TLLC). On June 4, the session prepared and served
a meal at the Strong Foundation and then spent
time playing with the children during “Kids Time”
afterward. Joe Fielder helped arrange a donation from
HEB to provide the food for the meal. Becky Eisenhut
and John Guntharp determined needs and kitchen
resources at the Strong Foundation, and others joined
in to help prepare, serve, clean up, and play.
On June 11, a small group of members and
staff met at TLLC to help celebrate the end of the
school year with the children there. We took ice cream
to go with the cake that had already been donated.
Following their year-end ceremony, we served the
desserts to the children and their families. The time
spent there helped us to make connections with
the staff of the TLLC, get a feel for the layout of the
facilities (especially the kitchen and dining area), and
be prepared for serving a full dinner at TLLC on July
10th.
In addition to these connections with the
Strong Foundation and TLLC, our youth and their
sponsors spent most of the day at these two transitional
centers on June 21st and 22nd during Mission Possible.
Part of the ministry of Covenant is to serve in our city.
August's Feature Film
Courageous - PG 13
Friday, August 3rd - 7:00 PM
Join us for the showing of a life changing event to be
followed up in a study for Men and Women, with classes
being offered in the Fall.
"Courageous Honor begins at Home"
This movie shows law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell,
Nathan Hayes, and their partners willing to stand up to
the worst the world has to offer. Yet, at the end of the day,
they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared
to tackle: Fatherhood. While they consistently give their
best on the job, they quickly discover that their children are
beginning to drift further away from them. When tragedy
hits home, these men are left with a newfound urgency to
renew their faith and reach out to their own children. Will
they be able to find a way to serve and protect those who are
most dear to them?
House of Neighborly
Service (HNS)
Back to School Project
Help us give elementary aged children new
supplies this 2012-2013 school year.
Supplies Needed:
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Jumbo Crayons
Regular Crayons
Bottles of glue (4.8 oz)
Husky pencils
#2 Pencils
Ball point pens (blue or black)
Red lead pencils
Box of non-toxic markers
Pocket folders (multiple colors)
Primary writing tables
Loose-leaf notebook paper (wide rule)
Spiral Notebooks (70 page)
Blunt end scissors
Pointed end scissors
Soft pink erasers
Pencil tip erasers
12” rulers (w/ centimeter)
Colored map pencils
Large boxes of tissues
3 ring binder notebooks
Toothbrushes for 3-5 year olds
Backpacks
Reusable bags to deliver supplies to each
child – Reusable bags can be found at
H-E-B, Walmart or wherever
Donated School Supplies can be dropped off in the
collection boxes in the Narthex or in Mission Hall.
Please drop off your donations by August 1.
Monetary Donations can be made to support this
ministry. Please make your check out to “House of
Neighborly Service” and put “School Supplies” in
the memo line. Then drop in the offering plate or
mail to the church office.
Questions? Contact Janice Shute
or Norma Jean Demmer for more info.
Page 7
Thanks to All Who Supported Our Youth During
Mission Possible! - Youth Mission/Service Event
Page 8
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2015
Session Elder & Trustee
Nomination Form
Your Nominating Committee will meet shortly to begin consideration of candidates for the office of
Elder (4) Class of 2015 and one Trustee Class of 2015. These offices are very important to the life
of our congregation.
The Committee would sincerely appreciate your suggestions for candidates for these offices. Please
fill out this Nomination form, sign it, and place it in my Session Box located across from the Nursery
or mail to the church office. Also, you can email your nominations to [email protected]
Richard Galloway
Chair, Nominating Committee
I nominate the following individual(s) for the office of Elder Class of 2015.
Nomination 1:____________________________________________________________
Nomination 2:____________________________________________________________
I nominate the following individual for the office of Trustee Class of 2015.
Nomination 1:____________________________________________________________
Nominations submitted by:__________________________________________________
Page 9
Page 10
Young at Heart Update
On Wednesday, May 23, nine of us from Young
at Heart met at the San Antonio Museum of Art,
boarded a river boat to enjoy the Museum Reach part
of the Riverwalk, and ended with lunch at the SAMA
Café. It was a beautiful day and a highly recommended
trip.
Then at the June 9 lunch gathering of Young at
Heart, our speaker was Brian Schwartz who presented
an audio/visual presentation about the history of
school buses, including their inner workings, state
laws pertaining to school buses and driver training.
Not everyone is cut out to be a bus driver, physically or
psychologically!
Brian was assisted by his new bride, Sylvia. He
is the son of Jim and Tweenette Schwartz. We also
learned that Brian’s grandfather had built school buses.
It was most informative and it was enjoyed by all as
Summer Adult
Sunday School Class:
Sunday Mornings
10:00 AM
Mission Hall Classroom
"Come Thirsty is a life-giving, thirst-quenching
adult small group Bible study based on the book by
best selling author, Max Lucado. The 17 week course
will be held on Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM from
May 6th through September 2nd.
Like the woman at the well, we recognize our need
for living water as our souls literally “thirst” for
God. But where do we find water for the soul? In
Come Thirsty, Max Lucado takes participants on a
journey to find what nutrients we, as Christians and
believers in Christ, really need. If you are thirsty
for God, come to the well and drink deeply to
experience Christ's work on the cross, receive the
energy of His Spirit, acknowledge His Lordship over
your life and bask in His unending, unfailing love.
Come thirsty….and drink the water of life."
- By Shirley Elmore
was the lunch catered by The Barbeque Station.
The last Friday of June the Lunch Bunch group
met at the church and carpooled to the Lord’s Kitchen.
It is a great place for lunch. With a name like that how
could it not be?
Bastrop State Park
Day Trip
Saturday, July 14
All ages welcome!
• We will be carpooling from Covenant at
8:00AM.
• A Picnic Lunch will be provided.
• Bring your own shoes, bottled water,
swimsuit, and towel.
Signup on the YAY Board
Or contact Chad Bosse (342-5253), Scott Simpson,
or Trish Hopkins so we can make sure we have enough
food and transportation.
This day trip is sponsored by
the Young Adults & Youth Ministry Team.
Page 11
Prayer Requests
MISSION INDIA
LITERACY TRAINERS
Ashok Kumar
Rohit Kumar
ILL/HOSPITALIZED/
NEED PRAYERS
Margaret Crim
Michele Dinmore
Stuart Dinmore
Demarius Douthit
Dorellyn Fuller
Mark Fowler
David Hinds
Kyla Magee
Bill E. Martin
Ed Marquardt
Beth Mock
Roy Mock
Evelee Moore
Dennis Moses
Kathryn Mahan
Sally Rock
Kathy Safford
Emily Schaefer
Shirley Stone
Jerry Todd
SHUT-INS
Willie Barham
Jeanine Clough
Bob Crist
Annie Laurie Culbertson
Michele & Stuart Dinmore
Douglas & Rosemary Lewis
Jim Leonard
Dorothy Maese
Kathryn Mahan
Mary Jane Mahavier
Doug Mebane
Sylvia Nelson
Deanie Nolan
Wilma Player
Lorene Travis
Betty Ullmann
Coyle Williams
THOSE SERVING
IN THE MILITARY
Brian Brower
Justin Courtney
James Dowell
Brent Heeren
Satha Keo
Daniel Martinez
Robert Mason
James Millard
Joe Rosales
John Stauffer
Nathan Yates
COLLEGE AND
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Krystal Adair
Alexandra Anderson
Sean Brower
Jaimi Douthit
Lorin Douthit
Gabriel Durand-Hollis
Jacob Hopkins
Mattie Farias
Thomas Farias
Shelley Klinzing
Ben Lytle
Jae Lytle
Tim Lytle
Sam Mabry
Jacob Moore
Lewis Nichols
Nicolle Ramirez
Chris Ruiz
Matthew Ruiz
Melanie Runyan
Melissa Runyan
Perry Runyan
Matt Scoggins
Reagan Stone
Emily Turner
Erica Quintero
Logan Walsh
Elizabeth Walthall
Alex Ward
Nicholas Ward
Jacob Welge
Laura Wright
EXTENDED FAMILY
Mitzi Crist Brandon, daughter of
Bob & Maguerite Crist
Ed Burris, son of Beverly Burris
Jane Hardy, sister of Beth &
Roy Mock
Jef & Hetty Vrinds, parents of
Jacqueline Walsh
Prayer Chain
We have a prayer chain, both email and phone, for prayers for
members and friends of our congregation, and for our church. If
you would like to add your email to the prayer chain, email the
church office at [email protected] with the subject line
“prayer chain.” If you want to be on the telephone prayer chain,
call the church office at 342-5253. If you have a prayer request,
email or call the church office.
Covenant Presbyterian Church
211 Roleto Drive
San Antonio, Texas 78213
Website:
Email:
Phone:
Nonprofit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
San Antonio, Texas
Permit No. 1091
www.covenantcares.org
[email protected]
210-342-5253
Return service requested
July 2012 - Birthdays
Sunday
1
Monday
2
Monica Simpson
8
9
Beth Watt
Carolyn Pitcher
15
16
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
3
4
5
6
7
Linda Alwine
Albert Villastrigo
Julius Moreno
Thomas Eisenhut
Liz Irvine
Sharon Fowler
Travis Kirsch
Sam Mabry
Lester Murphy
Sandy Stone
10
11
12
13
14
Geoff Humes
Shelley Klinzing
20
21
17
22
23
24
Stuart Dinmore
Natalie Durand-Hollis
David Lytle
29
30
31
Lorin Douthit
Edward Gelsone
Tess Pitcher
Hamilton Rogers
18
19
Lee Moreno
Emily Davidson
25
26
Sara Kay
JoAnn Wallace
27
28
Barbara Anderson