View - Kensington Community Church
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View - Kensington Community Church
Kensington CHIMES Community Church UCC Volume 5, 2011 May 2011 Celebrate the Confirmation Journey on May 15 In the last year, our eight confirmands have . . . • Pinned church history facts in order on clothes lines • Led worship and served dinner to the homeless • Visited a mosque and taken part in a tea ceremony • Watched the movie “Amistad” and discussed the justice-seeking work of our UCC ancestors • Spent time with their adult mentors • Walked a labyrinth and met with the pastor to discern their plans. In worship on May 15, with a reception to follow, we’ll celebrate this journey and welcome seven new members into the church. Here are the 2011 confirmands: Olivia Chaffee First attended KCC: In utero Goes to: Lewis Middle School Likes: Theater, dance, baking and hanging with friends Favorite part of Confirmation? Meeting and talking with Paula Mentor: Jennifer Trempe INSIDE THIS ISSUE 3 Unplug for Your Family’s Sake! 4 On This Side of Easter... 5 Marilyn is a Gift to Us All! 7 Our New Full-Page Calendar 8 Get Connected: Neighborhood Safety Scott Wais First attended KCC: As an infant Goes to: Waldorf School Likes: Basketball, football, circus arts, piano Favorite part of Confirmation? Ash Wednesday Mentor: Michael Lesniak Michaela Clegg First attended KCC: Age five or six Goes to: Patrick Henry High School Likes: Painting, playing with animals and cooking Favorite part of Confirmation? Learning about religions, my peers, and thinking in depth about the topics we discussed. Mentor: Mallie Odle Continued on page 8. Go Green with Us! Do you get the Chimes by USPS mail? If so, tell us: -You want it via email or -You want it USPS mailed. Come July, we’ll USPS mail only upon request. Contact Donna 619.284.1129 or [email protected]. ♦ KCC Chimes 1 Kensington Sign Up Now! Community Church United Church of Christ 4773 Marlborough Drive San Diego, CA 92116, 619-284-1129; Fax: 619-284-0160 www.kensingtonucc.com [email protected] Staff: Rev. Paula J. Elizabeth, Interim Minister John Hansen-Tarbox, Minister of Music Marg Stark, Director, Religious Education Nina Deering, Organist Connie Cleland, Director, Preschool Donna Hanson, Administrative Assistant Chimes Editor Chimes Production Marg Stark Donna Hanson Millie Medigovich Beverly Patch KCC’s Vacation Bible School July 11-15, 2011 Submit photos, articles and announcements to Marg at [email protected] early next month--by the 15th of May. Age 3 - 4th grade 9 AM to 12 PM Worship Service 9:30 AM All are welcome! Mike Burnett, We Dare You! The Youth Group challenges Mike Burnett to a rousing game of ping pong on Wednesday, May 4, with enthusiastic thanks for his donation of a new ping pong table to our Youth Hall, and for all the hard work he’s put into transforming our meeting space. Thanks to the Loomis family’s donation of a refrigerator, we can enjoy cold drinks after our ping pong challenge!♦ Admire and enjoy God’s creation with outdoor adventures, science experiments, service projects, music, movement and more! DON’T MISS: Monday, July 11: Kick-Off Friday, July 15: Petting Zoo & Closing BBQ Sunday, July 17: VBS Celebration in Worship $25 per child (prior to June 1) $30 per child thereafter Drop off check or call office at 619.284.1129 to register. Interested in Volunteering? We can use you for one day, five days, one hour or 20 hours! KCC Chimes 2 ♦ Kensington Community Church’s Coffee & Conversation Unplugged! Enrich Your Family Life With a Balanced Approach to Media & Technology Wednesday, May 11, 7 to 9 PM 4773 Marlborough Drive San Diego, CA, 92116 6:30 PM Refreshments & Mingling For Adults & Youth (12 & older). Free childcare provided upon request. • Learn how being wired is changing our wiring! • Set healthy, safe limits for children—and adults! • Get intentional about family time! • Tune out energy-depleting media & tune into purpose-filled living. With Guest Speaker Cara Day-McKellar, M.A., C.L.C. Cara Day-McKellar is an innovative educator, the mother of four, a certified life coach and a parenting expert. She is the founder and head of school at Day-McKellar Preparatory School in La Mesa. After her presentation, Day-McKellar will facilitate discussions about our toughest challenges with media intrusions, TV, Facebook, multitasking, video games, ear buds, sexting, and more! ♦ KCC Chimes 3 A Moment with Our Interim Minister On This Side of Easter During Lent, we traveled a journey of intentionally seeking a closer relationship with the Holy, the Divine Mystery of Life, with God. Beginning with our Partnership Ash Wednesday service and continuing with the diverse Faith Practices offerings, each of the following Wednesday evenings’ opportunities were extended for a deepening of the power of the season, a deepening of the power of the Holy to grow within each of us. During Holy Week, we began with palms raised and waving in remembrance of the Bible’s story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. By the end of Palm Sunday service we were leaving worship in anticipation of the Passion of Christ. Our Maundy Thursday soup supper and communion meal permitted us a time of shared community in remembrance of Jesus’ last meal with his friends celebrating another holy day of remembrance for them – the Passover Seder. We traversed into Tenebrae, a service of readings, music and shadows – a service of delving and plummeting into the darkness – the darkness of betrayal, surrender, and mystery. We left remaining in the shadows . . . until the light of Easter broke forth! Now, we are on this side of Easter. We stand in the light of a new day, a new way, a new life. As we follow the Way shone forth by the Light, let us not forget the shadows, the mystery, the Holy that calls us to awareness of that which is beyond our knowing. On this side of Easter, let us not forget who we are and who we are called to be as people of the Light. On this side of Easter, let us not forget also – to continue to delve and seek, as well as surrender to the shadows of Holy Mystery. May the light of Easter shine brightly in you and through you. Easter Blessings to you all, Paula ♦ Lift Your Hand, Share Your Voice at KCC Come June, the congregation will vote to accept nominations for new members of our church committees. We’d love it if you would step up and serve. Volunteering has a host of benefits including: • • • • Deepening your connection to the church and getting to know more of its members Adding your voice and having more say about how the church is managed Gaining skills and exposure to best practices in various professional realms Laughs with good people who are doing good work. Whether your term is up or you’re not currently serving on a committee, we’d love your help. Contact Susan or Damon Curtin-Schamu at [email protected], 280.6717; or Millie Medigovich at [email protected], 281.7333. The committee include: Events, Missions, Music, Personnel, Preschool, Religious Education, Stewardship, Trustees, and Worship & Nurture.♦ KCC Chimes 4 The Stewardship Committee urges us to contemplate being stewards of our time and talent as well as our treasure. For most of us, time is actually our most valuable resource. If given the choice between writing a check or spending a few hours on a project, how many of us prefer to write a check.? And yet, our time--and the way we use it--can mean everything to our friends, family and neighbors. We truly give of ourselves when we give of our time. KCC member Marilyn Cooper-Ongley sets such a generous example in this way. She spends so much of her time, visiting and care-giving for others in our congregation. She makes such a positive impact on people’s lives. How could you make a difference in the life of our church? Where can you volunteer your time and talent? How can you continue to be a steward of the gifts God gives you?♦ Little Bits from Kensington Preschool The annual Kensington Preschool Parent Association (KPPA) picnic takes place Sunday, May 1, at Trolley Barn Park. Teacher Appreciation week is May 2, through May 6. And the KPS children will once again be making hats to wear in the Memorial Day parade. Our end of the year gala is Friday, June 10, at which we raffle wonderful items donated by businesses in Kensington and the San Diego area. Our higher end items are placed in a silent auction. Tickets will soon be available but you need not be present to win. The last days of school are Thursday, June 9 and Friday, June 10. Summer School begins June 14 and ends on July 7, at which time the school will close for the summer. Teachers return to prepare for a new school year on September 6 and our little students come back to school on September 12. Wishing you all a very happy and safe summer in advance! Kensington Concert Series A Tango Celebration -Connie Cleland, Director KCC’s Wish List Sunday, June 5, 4 PM, 4313 Ridgeway Isabelle Kay and Florentino Guizar, famous throughout San Diego, will dance all styles of Argentine Tango to music by Piazzolla and other Argentinian composers. The Kensington Trio, and the Morebello/Rathje piano duo will perform the background music. This event is outdoors at a picturesque canyon rim Kensington Spanish-style home! Tickets are $24, and available at Kensington Video, 4067 Adams, (619) 284-2477. Cash or check only please. Includes reception with the artists, with net proceeds benefitting the Kensington-Normal Heights Library. Sponsored in part by Tristany Real Estate and Mike Tristany.♦ In the weeks ahead we need: Memorial Day Breakfast Volunteers: Come, pancake flippers, juice pourers, table setters and clearers on Monday, May 30, from 7:30 to 10:30 AM. Let Mike Trempe or Beth Guepin know to count you in! Gift cards, Passes, Tickets: Have unused gift cards, perks, passes you can donate? Marg can use them--to award prizes to students for contests, say a special thanks to someone, etc. Sunday School Volunteers, June 26: We’re treating our Sunday School teachers to a day off--in which they can enjoy some fellowship, pampering and teacher training. The kids will see “Evan Almighty,” a kickoff to our Noah’s Ark summer curriculum. Can you help supervise? Let Marg know. ♦ KCC Chimes 5 Moderator Moment "Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate." John F. Kennedy Enjoy KCC Outing to Lamb’s Theatre May 12 The Events committee invites you to join us for “The Book of the Dun Cow” on Thursday, May 12, 7:30 PM at the Lamb’s Theatre. Tickets are $28 and we have excellent seats! The show has received great reviews. It’s Tolkein meets C.S. Lewis, Animal Farm intertwined with Lord of the Rings, and all told by Cirque du Soleil! Make your reservation with Donna in the office, or with Beth Guepin at church.♦ As we, the KCC community, plan out our future in creating and acting on a Vision Statement, I hope that we can look beyond our current attachments. Sometimes it is easy for an organization to fall into a regimented pattern of repetition. The root of many attachments is fear. Fear of change can easily cause an organization to stop growing and stagnate. I believe that we need to open up and listen to God speaking to us. Only when that happens will we be able to faithfully follow God's word. God will challenge us in ways that we do not understand. How we respond to the challenges will determine how--and how much-- we grow as an organization. As we go through the visioning process, I look forward to hearing everyone's ideas. I ask everyone to prayerfully reflect on where you see KCC going in its future. I think the John F. Kennedy quote above relates to KCC as we negotiate, or come together to develop a common vision for our church. Our blessings are many. Let’s make plans together in the spirit of our blessings, not our fears. As Rev. Ross Putnam mentioned to me, "Bertha's estate is a gift from God. How KCC uses the money is a gift to God." Kensington Community Church’s -Rich Wayman, Moderator ♦ Our Annual Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast Monday, May 30, 8 to 10:15 AM Coming This Summer A Boat Big Enough for All! Pre-K through 6th Grade Summer Sunday School $5 Adults/$3 Kids (12 & under) Parade-Side Youth Group Concessions Booth Features: Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Chips & Sodas Meet Noah & hear God’s promise Build an ark! Care for animals and the planet Don’t Miss It!♦ Feel the rain, See the rainbow! ♦ KCC Chimes 6 KCC Chimes 7 Mother’s Day 10:45 AM Choir 9:30 AM Worship 29 10:45 AM Choir 9:30 AM Worship 8:30 AM Missions Committee 22 1:30—3 PM Staff Meeting* 6:30 PM Youth Group Office Closed 8-10:15 AM Pancake Breakfast, 10 AM-2 PM Youth Group Concession Stand 31 7 PM Prayer Shawl Ministry 7 PM Council 11 AM Prayer Ministry 17 7 PM Prayer Shawl Ministry 10 AM Women’s Spirituality 10 AM Women’s Spirituality 27 20 13 6 Friday 28 10 AM Youth Group Strawberry Picking 21 14 9 AM Religious Ed Committee 7 Saturday See website www.kensingtonucc.com for event locations and details. Events are subject to change with email/phone notice. *Office is closed for staff meeting. May at Kensington Community Church 6:30 PM Youth Group Meeting* 25 1:30—3 PM Staff 26 No Youth Group Meeting* 18 1:30—3 PM Staff 19 7 PM Lamb’s Thea7 PM Coffee & Con- tre (see page 6) versation: Unplugged (6:30 Refreshments) 10 AM Women’s Spirituality 11 Chimes Deadline 12 Builders’ Dinner 6:30 Events Committee Thursday 10 AM Women’s Spirituality 5 10 Heritage 24 30 Memorial Day 4 1:30—3 PM Staff Meeting* Wednesday 6:30 PM Music Com- 6:30 PM Youth mittee Group Ministry 3 11 AM Prayer Tuesday 23 6:30 PM Trustees 9:30 AM Worship: Confirmation Sunday, Baptisms, & Confirmand Reception 10:45 AM Choir 16 9 2 Monday 15 10:45 AM Choir 9:30 AM Worship & Baptisms 8 9:30 AM Worship 10:45 AM Choir 10:45 AM Worship & Nurture 10:45 AM Confirmation Rehearsal 1 Sunday Confirmation Celebration, from page 1 Rex Winn First attended KCC: My whole life Goes to: Francis Parker Middle School Likes: Tennis, bonsai, guitar and playing with my dog Oliver Favorite part of Confirmation? Visiting the mosque. Mentor: Rich Wayman The following titles are new in the library: Binchy, Maeve – Minding Frankie* Flagg, Fannie – I Still Dream About You* Kendall Cooper First attended KCC: At age one Goes to: Lewis Middle School Likes: Playing soccer and hanging out with friends Favorite part of Confirmation? I really enjoyed the labyrinth. Mentor: Denise Madruga Johnathan Noah First attended KCC: 2008 Goes to: Challenger Middle School Likes: Baseball, drawing, listening to music, eating lumpia Favorite part of Confirmation? Walking the labyrinth and seeing “Amistad.” Mentor: Mick McClain ‘ Marie Trischman First attended KCC: In utero Goes to: Oak Valley Middle School Likes: Singing, acting, softball and playing the bass Favorite part of Confirmation? Feeding the homeless at the winter shelter. Mentor: Bill Ehlers Patrick Clark First attended KCC: At age one Goes to: San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts Likes: Theatre, music, parkour, Jon Stewart Favorite part of Confirmation? Learning about religions, Labyrinth Mentor: Dean Hansen-Tarbox♦ New Books Have Arrived in the Ruth Cole Library Fox, Michael J. – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future* Grisham, John – The Confession Harkness, Deborah – A Discovery of Witches Macomber, Debbie – Family Affair* Morton, Kate – The Distant Hours* O’Hurley, John – It’s Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump Plain, Belva – Heartwood* Rice, Condoleezza – Extraordinary, Ordinary People* Stockett, Kathryn – The Help Wells, Rebecca – The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder *Large Print Book. ♦ Ken-Tal Dinner: Learn More about the Social Network Revolution The Kensington-Talmadge May dinner will be at the church on Wednesday, May 18, at 6:30 PM. The guest speaker will be Dr. Farouk Al-Nasser who will be talking about the social network revolutions in Egypt, North Africa and the Middle East. It’s a timely subject and will help us understand how the resulting unrest has sent shockwaves around the world. Ponce's will be providing the meal. The cost of the dinner and program is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. Reservations should be made at Kensington Video by Monday, May 16. All are welcome. Questions? Contact Deena Koenig at 619.281-9377 or [email protected].♦ KCC Chimes 8 Kensington Home Break-Ins: Get Informed at KCC Tuesday, May 17 Within the past few months, there have been a number of brazen home break-ins in Kensington and Talmadge. In response, neighbors are joining forces to get connected and develop an organized, proactive approach to safeguarding our community. Please join us Tuesday, May 17, 6:30 PM in Lander Hall as we discuss general safety awareness, get updated on recent activity, and meet Officer Rene Murillo, our newly-appointed SDPD Community Relations Officer. The Talmadge Watch Patrol group will share how to establish an effective volunteer community patrol. The meeting is open to all. Kensington neighbors are also invited to join Kensington Connection, our newly-formed community watch and forum that links neighbors through one email system. To join the group, please send an email with your name and address to [email protected] or visit http://groups.google.com/group/kensington-connection. (Your contact information will not be shared publicly.) Member user names and/or emails are only visible when posting messages to the group. Please feel free to invite your neighbors to join the email system as well.♦ Missions Update: We Support Great Causes Missions is pleased to share with you how the remainder of KCC’s budgeted 2010 funds, has been allocated. We will provide more information on these entities in the coming months: • Youth Missions: $500 (Part to buy Copley party teen presents and part for other causes) • Kiva : $500 (microfinance loans) • Uptown Faith Community Service Center: $250 • Uptown Collectibles Thrift Store: $150 • Heifer International: $250 • Lifeline Convalescent: $150 • Church World Service: Female health worker training--$125 Volunteer for Uptown Faith, Save the Date for Their Fundraiser In March, Uptown Faith Service Center experienced a new record with more than 1,900 client visits. The demand for services for homeless and low-income San Diegans has never been greater, and the Uptown volunteers help immensely, lending a sympathetic ear along with other needed services. Uptown Faith is still looking for volunteers for both the Service Center and the Resale Store. One three-hour stint each week would be appreciated. Uptown Faith is holding a fundraiser on Friday, July 22, at St. Paul’s Episcopal’s Great Hall. Silent auction items are needed for the event. Call Bob Parkinson at 619.280.8270 for more information about Uptown Faith.♦ KCC Chimes 9 God’s Still Teaching Topics • Being Wired is Changing the Way Kids and Families Are Wired Parents, how much of your time is taken up limiting, monitoring, negotiating/arguing, or disciplining your children for excessive use of electronics and media? If your family is like ours, electronics and media has become a dominant values discussion in our home! Preteens struggled to make conversation at dinner at a restaurant, so accustomed had they become to “disengaging” with texting and handheld games. Educator, life coach and mom Cara Day-McKellar will help us tackle this values discussion on Wednesday, May 11, with “Unplugged: Enriching Family Life with a Balanced Approach to Electronics and Media.” The Youth Group will attend, and young people 12 and older are invited to join their parents, with childcare available for the younger children. After a provocative presentation on the costs and benefits of media in our families’ lives, we’ll tackle your toughest electronics dilemmas! (See page 3 for more details.) Being wired is changing the way our kids are wired and the Meanwhile, here at church, we will continue to try to way we function as families. Here are a few examples: strike the right balance by: Kids are mesmerized by electronics—and crave them—so that often they are not “present” even when they are “unplugged.” • Reading, outdoor play, board games, and other simple pleasures have become “harder sells,” as kids are used to bigger thrills. • Drive time we used to spend talking or listening to music together is now spent “apart”—as we talk/text on the phone, wear ear buds, etc. • The visual images to which young children are exposed, stay with them and cause anxiety. • Children have mobile phones, Facebook pages, and exposure to mature videoUCC games, song lyrics, Kensington Community Church etc. at younger and younger ages. 4773 Marlborough Drive • Parents have few distraction-free evenings in which they refrain from computer or phone use. San Diego, CA 92116 • In addition to the obesity and diabetes threats, families face a host of new challenges, all associated with imbalanced lives and a dependence on gadgets. Church and [email protected] Sunday School are threatened, too, as children and youth www.kensingtonucc.com can find activities without electronics less exciting or engaging. 619.284.1129 In the last six months, I’ve heard dozens of real life stories in which families struggle with the unintended consequences of electronic use. Here are just a few: • A 10-year-old downloaded games on his PSP and charged them to his parents’ credit cards, later lying to them and saying he had not done so. • A sophomore created a “I hate such and such” Facebook page (“liked” by more than 30 peers) in which they teased and harassed a fellow student. • Enticing young people with fun, experiential learning and hands-on activities in Sunday School • Telling kids to put away cell phones/ electronics at church • Using audiovisuals to enhance worship and learning experiences, especially for visual learners • Provoking conversation about emerging technologies and their impact on faith-centered and purpose-filled lives.♦ Faith Nugget: Go on a media diet. For the next month, ask: How can I tune out the noise of the world and tune into the power of grace and spirit in my life? Start, perhaps, by limiting your intake of news. Keep a journal of your ideas about saving the world or about enriching your life, instead of surfing the Net. Instead of emailing or working on the computer, take a walk. Tell a joke. Hold hands, make love. Breathe deeply. Watch the clouds. Count your blessings. ♦ KCC Chimes 10 Our Prayers Please keep the following people in your prayers: David Adams Kathleen Andrews, The Apgar Family, “Benny Bear,” Mary Pat Curtin, May Birthdays Debby Douglass, 5 Sam Howeth, Laura Short Trinni Gutierrez, 10 Nicholas McCarthy Walter Haber, 11 Coco Conover Debbie Hallmark, 12 Katie McKenney Nancy King, 13 Erin Neal, Fredric Radick Kimiko Lindsey-Schroder and family & friends, 14 Margaret Downing, Joe Odle, Jay Trischman Susan Meckstroth, 15 Melanie Winn Maggie Radonich, 16 Mary Jane Swann Janet Richardson, 18 Victoria Robertson Don Roberts, 19 Hahn Trinh Robert Spor, 21 Penny Ward Marilyn Tarbox, 24 Dillon Lesniak Jo Terborsch, 26 Margaret Burgess Gayle Trempe, 27 Benjamin Mason Barbara Underwood, 28 Mallie Odle, 29 Kenneth Klauber, Mary Annah Hengst 30 Joann Morrison ♦ Edward Gastelum, Alice Marcoux, Renzo Wiggins, Judy Wilkinson. ♦ KCC Chimes 11 NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID SAN DIEGO, CA PERMIT NO. 2731 Kensington Community Church UCC 4773 Marlborough Drive San Diego, CA 92116 [email protected] www.kensingtonucc.com 619.284.1129 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED UPCOMING EVENTS SPRING BREAK’S OVER: YOUTH GROUP RESUMES WHEN: WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 6:30 PM WHERE: THE NEW AND IMPROVED YOUTH HALL HONOR ALL: MOTHER’S DAY WORSHIP & BAPTISMS WHEN: SUNDAY, MAY 8, 9:30 AM CELEBRATING: ALL THE EXTRAORDINARY MOMS IN OUR LIVES UNPLUG: COFFEE & CONVERSATION WHEN: WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 7 TO 9 PM WHAT: GUEST SPEAKER & DISCUSSION FOR ADULTS & TEENS RSVP FOR FREE CHILD CARE SEE: THE BOOK OF THE DUN COW WHERE: LAMB’S THEATRE, CORONADO WHEN: THURSDAY, MAY 12, 7 PM TICKETS: $28 FROM BETH GUEPIN REJOICE: CONFIRMATION SUNDAY & BAPTISMS WHEN: SUNDAY, MAY 15, 9:30 AM WHAT: CEREMONY IN WORSHIP FOLLOWED BY CAKE RECEPTION FLIP AT: THE ANNUAL PANCAKE BREAKFAST WHEN: MONDAY, MEMORIAL DAY, MAY 30, 8 TO 10:15 AM VOLUNTEER: IN THE KITCHEN OR AT THE YOUTH BOOTH TELL: MIKE TREMPE OR BETH GUEPIN YOU CAN HELP SEE THE FULL CHURCH CALENDAR ON PAGE 7 AND AT WWW.KENSINGTONUCC.COM KCC Chimes 12