November 2015 Walnut Leaves - Walnut Creek United Methodist

Walnut Leaves | Issue November, 2015
1
WalnutLeaves
A publica
on of Walnut Creek United Methodist Church
Issue: November 2015
CHURCH CONFERENCE
Sunday, November 22
Come worship with the churches of our Diablo
Valley Circuit and celebrate our ministries at
our annual Charge Conference, Sunday, November 22 at 4pm at Con‐
cord United Methodist Church (1645 West Street).
Church members are encouraged to attend this meeting to vote on our
church leadership, pastor’s compensation, membership reports, and
look together to the future.
Participating churches in this annual meeting are
Concord UMC, Lafayette UMC, Walnut Avenue
UMC, Contra Costa UMC, Orinda UMC, and us. Our
preacher at the opening worship will be our new
District Superintendent Rev. Staci Current! Wor‐
ship and Conference will be followed by a salad
potluck. Please bring a salad of your choice to
share.
Rev. Staci Current
Commitment Sunday Potluck
Sunday, November 8 at 11am
In celebration of God’s present and
future work in our church, we will
have a potluck meal following wor‐
ship. We hope to announce the
pledge total during the event. The
Men’s Breakfast Crew will be making
an egg bake and we are asking indi‐
viduals to bring fresh cut fruit, light
breakfast foods or juices. See you
there!
Bring your commitment card to
worship, stay afterwards for a
churchchurch-wide fellowship potluck!
Sunday, November 8
Walnut Leaves | Issue November, 2015
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Eileen’s Epistle
Rev. Eileen Lindsay Senior Pastor - Pastoreileen @walnutcreekumc.org - 925-934-4208 x202
November is a time to remember and a time to
give thanks.
All Saints Day is November 1. We remember those
who have gone before us in the faith. We pray, call out their names,
ring a hand bell and light a candle on the communion table for each
of the members of our congregation who have died since All Saints
Sunday last year.
We will not forget them. Their light shines on in our lives. This year
we will remember Barbara Anderson, Claire Binker, Doris Campbell,
Virginia Constable, Thomas Coull, Jean Olson, Vera Davenport,
Frank Patty, and Jim Sullivan. You are all invited to bring a photo‐
graph of a loved one who has passed away. You can place them on the communion rail as a symbol that they
are present with us in Holy Communion. We are part of a Forever Family with them.
Then November moves toward Thanksgiving. We will celebrate, Sunday, November 22 as Thanksgiving Sunday.
That afternoon, at 4:00p.m. we will have our annual church conference with the other churches of our circuit at
Concord United Methodist Church (1645 West St, Concord, CA 94521). Our new District Superintendent, the Rev. Staci
Current, will be preaching. A salad potluck follows so bring a salad of your choice. We have a lot to be thankful
for in the Diablo Valley.
I’m reminded of when we took our family to Plimouth Plantation, a historical reenactment site, in Massachu‐
setts when the children were young. You learn quite a few interesting tidbits about the three day harvest festi‐
val celebrated in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe. Food supplies that traveled across the Atlantic
on the Mayflower were nearly or fully depleted by November 1621. Half of the 102 Pilgrims had died of starva‐
tion, disease, and exposure. Of the 54 survivors, only about 30 were over the age of 16 years old.
The colony had run out of butter, sugar and wheat flour. Moreover, settlers hadn’t yet constructed an oven for
baking. So there was no pastry to make pumpkin pies. Actually, many foods we consider traditional to Thanks‐
giving were not found in New England. Potatoes and sweet potatoes had not yet been introduced to North
America. What is as American as apple pie? Not apples. They came to the continent later. All that we can know
from primary sources, is that they ate wildfowl, venison and corn. Native nuts, fruits and vegetables may have
appeared on the table but nobody wrote home about them. Cranberry sauce could not be made without sug‐
ar. To wash it all down the English and Wampanoag probably drank water. It is unlikely that they could have
brewed enough beer for the gathering of 150 people.
It sounds pretty sparse, like an unintentional “paleo” diet to me, but the impulse to share hospitality with oth‐
ers and give thanks for abundance transcends the menu. Let colonist Edward Winslow’s final comment about
the First Thanksgiving be shared by us on the nation’s holiday: “And although it be not always so plentiful as it
was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of
our plenty.”
Walnut Leaves | Issue November, 2015
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Childrens’s Ministries
Corrie Binker Director of Children’s Ministries - 925-324-7344
“In November... Remember...”
ALL the Saints who’ve gone before us,
All the Blessings we’ve received,
All the Good sent down unto us,
Joy for those who have believed.
We are blessed to have so many lovely children in Sunday School these days! And for November, we will be
studying UNIT 3, called-- Blessings and Birthrights:
Nov.1--Jacob and Esau
Nov.8--The Birthright
Nov.15--The Blessing
Nov.22--Jacob’s Ladder
Nov.29--Elizabeth & Zechariah
We will culminate our donations to UNICEF, so bring in those boxes! A total for our
giving will be announced later. Many thanks for your faithfulness to the World’s
needy. We will also begin ADVENT on November 29th. That Sunday and the next three, as well, will help us prepare for the Coming of the King--the Birth of Jesus!
This month we will create a MURAL on our upper patio
with well-known chalk muralist, Mark Lewis Wagner! Mark has a studio in Alameda called “Hearts and
Bones.” He is excited to work with our kids, saying he
loves to teach children to “draw on the Earth.”
Bus Stop
A
er School Program
American Sign Language came to Bus Stop! The children learned several songs, fun words, and the Finger
Alphabet from Samantha Walker, the founder of the Singing Sign Children’s Choir in San Ramon.
For a quick giggle, here’s a story from Bus Stop this month. …. In our Science Corner we have five little
Lodgepole Pine cones--each one a different color by age. The colors range from reddish-brown to silvery
gray. I asked the kids if they knew which cone was the oldest to which the youngest. Most of them
guessed the wrong way, saying the reddish-brown one was the oldest, because it was the biggest [a kid's
view of the world].
When I told them that, no, the gray one was the oldest, as seen by the loss of color down through the five
cones. One little 1st grader piped up and said, "Oh, kinda like your gray hair, Mrs. Corrie!" Hmm…a teacher
just has to learn to run with it :).
Walnut Leaves | Issue November, 2015
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United Methodist Youth Fellowship (UMYF)
Michelle Brown Youth Director - [email protected] - 925-366-8171
Happy Fall Y’all! We have been getting back into the swing of things after my absence and I
would like to say thank you to our amazing church family for the love and prayers during my
illness. It is good to be back among my people!!
With the stewardship campaign up and running we have talked about ways we can be of service as a youth
group and as individuals. Stewardship is about taking care of, nurturing and managing something entrusted to
our care. As youth we don’t always have access to financial or monetary means, but there are many things we
can do to be good stewards. Just showing up each week supports our youth group. We’ve also come up with
ways to support our families at home. Each of us came up with an action we could do for one week to show our
commitment to being good stewards at home. We will continue to visit this “idea” during the month of November.
With Thanksgiving approaching our focus will be on gratitude. We will continue to define our goals as a youth
family and the reasons we come to church/youth group. As usual we have had some great insights and ideas.
Other than the unlimited access to electronics suggestion (which was said with a smirk) we are meeting the
goals of the group as a loving, supportive family of who come together to share common religious beliefs. These
kids really do make me proud and I love their honesty and sense of fairness. Later this month we will do a
“Privilege Walk” which will enhance our sense of gratitude. As SpongeBob says “Have an Attitude of Gratitude”!
2016
UPCOMING EVENTS
Monday, November 30th, 5:00-6:15pm
Winter Nights Shelter (homework help for children)
Wednesday, December 2nd 5:00-6:15
Winter Nights Shelter (homework help for children)
Saturday, December 5th, 3:00-5:00pm
Winter Nights Shelter
Help with ADVENTure activity
December TBA
Holiday in the Park, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
The weekend of service (February 12-14) starts on
Friday evening and is finished Sunday afternoon.
Youth work for local nonprofit organizations on
various ongoing projects. The fee is $110/youth and
includes all meals, lodging, tools, building materials
and a super cool t-shirt.
The summer program this year for combined ages
(junior and senior high) is offered in Stockton, San
Diego and Chiloquin, OR so the youth almost unanimously voted for Oregon. It is a full week in 2016
(July 31 - August 6)
and I loved having all of us
together last year. We traveled to Chiloquin two
years ago with the junior high group and it was
beautiful.
The fees for the summer program are $50.00 deposit, due ASAP, second payment of $200.00 due
March 1st and the final payment is covered by our
fundraising efforts including the hugely successful
Trivia Night!
Walnut Leaves | Issue November, 2015
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Tapestry
November Nocturnes
Vocal and Handbell Ensemble presents
November 13, 2015—7 pm
Sanctuary
*Open to Public—Free Admission
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9,
2:00 PM, RAINE ROOM
The Book selection
for November is
“FIND
THE
GOOD: Unexpected
Life Lessons From A
Small-Town Obituary Writer” by
Heather Lende. As
she was digging
deep into the lives
of
community
members, Heather Lende, the obitu‐
ary writer for her tiny hometown
newspaper in Haines, Alaska, began to
notice something. When Lende start‐
ed intentionally seeking what was
positive and true in people and situa‐
tions in her own life—whether it was
finding common ground with her op‐
ponents on the school board or ac‐
cepting that her unmarried daughter’s
pregnancy might be a blessing—she
felt happier and life seemed more
meaningful, too. Come join us. Ques‐
tions? Need transportation? Call Bar‐
bara
Vinson,
925
934‐
2194.
Walnut Leaves | Issue November, 2015
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SHARE Food Pantry is in need of specific items for clients of
the food pantry. They have asked especially for:
Ways to serve the community!
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Extended Family News
Our growing relationship with the residents of
Arbodela low income housing is going great! The
folks there are ecstatic about the magazines,
notes, and 2016 calendars that we provid‐
ed. Keep them coming! There is a box to place
items on the table next to the church office. Call
Pat Evans 925 685 0119 with questions.
$10 Gift Cards to Safeway
Low‐salt Canned Foods
Low‐sugar Canned Foods
⇒ Cereal
⇒ Rice
⇒ Beans
⇒ Peanut Butter
⇒ Jelly
⇒ Oatmeal
Donations can be brought on Sunday mornings and placed
in the SHARE food basket. Thank you for your support!
Winter Night's
Shelter Update
Our church is gearing up for Win‐
ter Night's Shelter in early No‐
vember, and we feel fortunate to
have so many church mem‐
bers who have volunteered to
help out in many ways. Thanks to everyone who has signed up. We at‐
tended the Homeless Summit at our church on October 5, and listened
to the update about on how Winter Night's Shelter is doing. I was im‐
pressed to learn that there are about 55 churches in our local area sup‐
porting this cause.
They were appreciative of a number of suitcases that our church do‐
nated this week, which will be immediately put to use. Thank you
Church! Winter Night's has an ongoing need for the wish list items
(see call‐out box ). We are working with their Program Manager, Bill
Shaw, and we are happy to gather together any of these items from
our church and deliver them to Winter Nights. Or Winter Night's can
take 501 (c) 3 tax-deductible donations directly online at
www.cccwinternights.org.
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Winter Nights Wish List
Automobiles
Gas cards
BART and bus cards
Packing and Duct tape
Industrial dispenser for packing tape
Sleeping Bags
Umbrella Strollers (single and double)
Pillows
Zippered Pillow Protectors
Twin-size Plastic Mattress Covers (nonzippered)
Twin-size Fitted Sheets
Target or Wal-Mart gift cards
Movie gift certificates
Sanitary Wipes
Wardrobe Boxes (24X21X48 inches)
Coleman Sundome 6-person tent
(10x10)
Coleman Cimmaron 8-person modified
dome tent (14x8)
Flash Lights with batteries
Disinfectant wipes
Booster seats for all ages
Infant Car Seats
Walnut Leaves | Issue November, 2015
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Join us on Sunday, November 15th as we
raise funds to purchase 100 malaria
nets for Imagine No Malaria. We will
have many hand crafted Fair Trade items
from a variety of countries, in addition to
some coffees and chocolates. Decorations
for your home for Christmas, or gifts for
the special folks in your lives. Table will
open at 10:30, to ensure everyone has an
opportunity to see everything available.
See Jerry or Joan Wrenn for additional in‐
formation.
Sunday, November 15, during fellowship time, Social
Seasonal Singers in
Sanctuary Choir
It’s not too late but you will have to act quickly! The
Sanctuary Choir is inviting those of you who want to
sing with us but cannot do the “every week thing”
to join us now through Christmas. The music we are
preparing is exciting and we think you just might en‐
joy being with us.
And if it is too late to fit the choir into your life this
season think about it for next season or perhaps for
the Lenten season. See you at our concert on Satur‐
day, December 19 at 7:30pm.
A/V Technical Arts
Volunteers Needed
Our A/V team is looking for a few good souls that are
passionate about telling the Gospel with Sound and
Video. You will be serving God in a fun and exciting
team mentor atmosphere where training is provided
and no experience is necessary. Anyone aged 16+ is
encouraged to be a Jesus Roadie with us!
Passions and skills that are especially helpful for serv‐
ing in these roles are technology, audio/visual, video
production, and worship. We are willing to train!
Walnut Leaves | Issue November, 2015
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Treasurer’s Report
by Marlene Ward Treasurer - [email protected]
What is our financial picture as of the end of the September? See the figures below:
Our total giving
$ 329,769.91
(represents 71.0% of our anticipated total giving for the year)
Our total disbursements for utilities, mission ministry, et
$ 321,511.94
(represents 70.7% of our anticipated disbursements for the year)
$
8,257.97
Our bills are all paid to date. Our Tithe to the conference, however, is one month
behind. I hope to catch up this month.
All committees have been very frugal in their spending during the last two months as our income has been
down. This has made it possible for us to keep our heads above board! Hopefully, our giving figures will rise as
we continue to move into the fall .... Advent and Christmas.
Our fall pledge campaign, Live Free, has begun and you will be hearing from various members each Sunday
about their faith journeys and their commitment of their prayers, presence, gifts and service. We all, when we
became members of this church, took this pledge, so we all need to reexamine how we are doing in keeping this
pledge. Not just our financial giving, but what are we actually doing ..... actively doing as disciples of Christ. This
is our church, our communi‐
ty of faith and as such we
each are a vital part of the
workings of this church.
Maybe there is a new path
for you to follow here at
Walnut Creek UMC.
Do
some exploring.
God Bless each one of us as
we seek to be the true disci‐
ples that God wants us to
be.
Grace & Peace,
Marlene Ward, Treasurer
The United Methodist Women (UMW) held their annual celebra&on with the theme
"Legacy: Women Plan&ng Seeds for Christ" based on Luke 8:15. — with Schuyler
Rhodes, Staci Current, Jo Ann Lawson, Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr., Marlene Ward,
Debra Brady and David Samelson.
(The bishop and all four district superintendents as well as the conf. UMW's
outgoing president and me (Marlene), the incoming president!)
Walnut Leaves | Issue November, 2015
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To our Church Family –
November 1
John Buffo
November 1
Linda Kimsey
November 2
Mari Parino
November 2
Jeremy Ward
November 3
Yuriko Oda
November 3
John Teget
November 6
Janet Nielsen
November 9
Paul Simons
November 11
Charles Garrett
November 11
Rich Klotz
November 13
Eileen Lindsay
November 14
Beverly Kurk
November 19
Chris Waldrep
November 20
Kathleen Novak
November 24
Thomas Goya
November 24
Anna Riehl
November 25
Rosemary Herrick
November 25
Dale Nicoll
November 25
Marv Quay
November 26 Forrest Lindsay‐McGinn
November 27
Marlene Ward
November 27
Hilrey Watson
November 28
Claire Mann
November 29
Leisa Christensen
November 29
Kimberly Everett
November 30
Sharon Davis
Thank you so much for
your abundance of cards,
phone calls, and constant
expressions of caring on
Sunday morning to us fol‐
lowing Jack’s diagnosis on
July 24th of Stage 4 Lung
Cancer. How can anyone
possibly go through this
without such a church family? You have been with us each step of the
way, including over 10 weeks in a Clinical Study at UCSF and now with
a different drug, Tarceva, through Kaiser. Unfortunately Jack’s cancer
has continued to spread, but we are encouraged with the new drug
that a stability may be reached soon. Jack is still playing tuba a bit, and
trying to keep up with daily tasks as he is able. We appreciate your
support and your concern, and feel greatly uplifted knowing you are
all in our corner. We have a newfound awareness of what is really im‐
portant, and what doesn’t matter a whit ‐‐‐ and welcome each new
day as a blessing, as we continue to fight this illness.
Susan and Jack (John) Clark
We LOVE our work and are blessed
to be of service to this congrega‐
tion. We also love the Sabbath and
time off. Here is a reminder of what
days we take as our Sabbath rest.
Dear Friends,
I am so blessed to have such
loving friends to remember
me after my long time away. I
do appreciate your cards and
prayers and concerns.
Thank you and with love,
Daisy Ray
We are here to share your blessings and
concerns. If you have any prayer requests,
please send to our prayer team via Molly
Vinson ([email protected] or 925‐395‐
3200) or Pastor Eileen (pastoreileen@ wal‐
nutcreekumc.org)
Pastor Eileen ‐ Friday
Carol ‐ Monday & Friday
Corrie ‐ Friday & Saturday
Michelle ‐ Monday & Friday
Lalena ‐ Saturday & Sunday
Natsuko ‐ Monday & Tuesday
Tessique ‐ Wednesday ‐Saturday
Please be sure to respect these
days even if a staff member is wor‐
shipping or participating in mission/
fellowship opportunities on a Sab‐
bath day. Thank you!
Walnut Leaves | Issue November, 2015
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Thursday, December 24—7pm & 9pm
Saturday, December 5th
3pm—5pm Social Hall
Sanctuary Choir Christmas Concert
Saturday, December 19 at 7:30pm
Walnut Leaves | Issue November, 2015
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Sixth Annual All-Church
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2016 IN THE SOCIAL HALL
5:30 P.M. DINNER (FREE WILL DONATION)/ 6:30 P.M. “THE CHALLENGE” BEGINS
Who has played James Bond more often than any others in the movies? Who was the first James Bond
on television or in the movies? And what James Bond story was the very first presented on television or
in the movies?
If you know any of these answers, great - but even if you might have only heard of James Bond, you are
probably ready for the Sixth Annual All-Church Trivia Challenge.
Relatively or completely useless information like this is called "trivia," by those who attach some importance to remembering it. And there are lots of people who remember a lot of it, whether they know
it or not.
You've got a chance to show your church family how much of that useless information you've stored up
over the years. And, if you don't remember stuff like that, you'll still want to be part of a team and be
surprised at the kind of things that people on your team will know.
The fun, the learning, the food and the fellowship all happen on Saturday, January 30, 2016, in the Social
Hall, beginning with a free will offering dinner at 5:30 p.m.
And the rules? 8 on a team, $5 donation per team member, each team brings a name, a prize basket and
pledges. Pledges and donations should be solicited in support of the teams. This year, we'll have kind
of an on-going friendly competition in the Social Hall each Sunday after the worship service, beginning
in December.
So, what are you waiting for? Get the registration materials in the Social Hall after the worship service,
beginning in December, and get your teams, names, pledges and baskets together. Remember, there
is only room in the Social Hall for fifteen teams, and it seems to "sell out" every year. The first fifteen
committees, fellowship groups, ministries or work areas that sign up get in.
Will “Who Dun it?” be crowned "storage units of the most useless information” again? Or will you and
your team finally achieve your rightful place of honor on the plaque on the Social Hall wall?
This is gonna be great.
See Steve Dentone or Dennis Pedersen for more information.
BTW - Roger Moore has played James Bond most frequently, but Barry Nelson was the first, in 1954, in
“Casino Royale” on television.
Walnut Leaves | Issue November, 2015
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Church Staff
Eileen Lindsay
Senior Pastor, x202/ cell: 925-817-0725
Carol Morris
Lalena Shea
Director of Music Ministry,
925-788-5519
Office Manager, x201
Corrie Binker
Director of Handbell Ministries
[email protected]
Director of Children’s Ministries,
925-324-7344
Tessique Houston
Join us for Worship
Sundays at 9:30am!
Natsuko Murayama
Michelle Brown
Organist
Youth Director,
925-366-8171
Church Office: 925-934-4208 - offi[email protected]
1543 Sunnyvale Ave. Walnut Creek, CA 94597
www.walnutcreekumc.org
Articles and photos for the December Walnut Leaves are due by November 16.
Walnut Creek United Methodist Church
1543 Sunnyvale Avenue
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
We’re on the WEB!
www.walnutcreekumc.org