TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2024

Seeking 100% Participation

On Sunday, February 11, we made our financial commitment for 2024 as part of Commitment Sunday.


We're asking everyone to participate in the stewardship campaign. Please prayerfully consider your financial commitment and indicate your support on a digital card by clicking below, or by calling Toni Fischer at (510) 547-5700 ext 102. Thank you!

COMMITMENT CARD

Maundy Thursday 'Agape Meal'

Worship takes place on March 28 at 6:15pm during a dinner called an ‘Agape Meal,’ from one of the Greek words for “love” – agape. It commemorates Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples, when he called on them to “love one another” and instituted the sacrament of Communion. The meal will conclude with Communion.


Cost for dinner is $15 for adults ($20 at the door), free for children under 18. Sign up in the Courtyard after worship from February 25 through March 24.

REGISTER

Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and all the Sundays in between - Piedmont Church offers many opportunities to participate in the season's fellowship and worship.

LENT SCHEDULE

Good Friday Tenebrae Service

On Good Friday, March 29, 7:30pm, worship will include the service of Tenebrae, with scripture readings recounting the last hours of Jesus’ life. As the story unfolds, candles and sanctuary lights are extinguished until all is dark.

Life Groups Return Thursday

Life Groups are small groups that gather weekly on Thursday evenings from February 22 through March 21. 


The topic for discussion during Lent will be The Lord’s Prayer.


We start with a simple dinner at 6:15pm in Guild Hall. Then, we get together in groups meeting in various rooms at the church at 7pm for sharing, support and study. Any adult is invited to be part of a group, whether you’ve attended in the past or not. 


You can sign up using the link below, or after Sunday worship. Contact Don Ashburn at [email protected]

REGISTER

New Directory Sign-Up

Sign up today to be visible in our new database

If you haven't yet signed in to our new church directory, please do so today. You decide what information to make public and which to keep private.


You were sent an email a few weeks ago inviting you to join the new online directory. If you do not have this invitation, or wish to receive one, please write to [email protected]


Please note that your information from our previous database is not visible until you log in and sign up with your updated information.

Deadline for Messenger articles is 12 noon Monday.

Items received after Monday will be considered for the next edition.

LAST WEEK'S WORSHIP

From Sunday, February 18 - It's the first Sunday of Lent. Don Ashburn begins a new sermon series on The Lord's Prayer. Church member Cathy Davis is our liturgist, and our Chancel Choir and soloist Michael Orlinsky, led by Stephen Main, deliver music.

WATCH & LISTEN

PARISH REGISTER

Bob Wright Memorial March 23    

A memorial service for church member Bob Wright will be held in the Sanctuary on Saturday, March 23 at 11am. A reception will follow in Guild Hall.

SPIRITUAL FORMATION

'Trusting God More' Class Concludes

Piedmont Church is pleased to welcome back Dr. Kate Rankin, who taught the popular class on “Stages of Faith” last year. She will continue to lead a our class on “Trusting God More: How Interpersonal Attachment Shapes our Spiritual Life.” 


The class is an opportunity to begin to notice and loosen the power of the personal obstacles that keep us from more deeply trusting and connecting with God. All of us have mental habits, personality traits, and assumptions about how people will treat us that we have held our whole lives. 


In this course, we will begin to look more closely at how our habitual expectations of other people affect the way we see and relate to God. We will review interpersonal attachment styles and think together about how they influence the way we communicate and handle conflict with other people, and with God.


Classes will meet from 11:15am to 12:15pm on the four Sundays in February in the Kettlewell Room. 


Contact Don Ashburn at [email protected]

Online Bible Study

Note: Bible study resumes Monday, February 26.


Don Ashburn leads a weekly online Bible Study. It takes place on Monday mornings from 10-11am.


To participate fully, no previous experience in Bible study is expected or required. Just come with an open heart and mind and see where the Spirit leads you. Contact Don at [email protected]


The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83767472723

SERVICE

Harbor House Easter Baskets

Fill a basket for a child. Come to the assembly event Sunday, March 17, 11:15am - 12:30pm in Guild Hall. Sign up and receive more information at the Deacon’s table in the Courtyard after worship.

Children Rising Needs Tutors

Children Rising, one of our three current Mission Partners, has an urgent need. They want to establish a few more clinics in MLK Elementary, Prescott Elementary and Sankofa United Elementary.


Children Rising needs tutors for reading, math, and homework support, but especially homework support. No prior experience is necessary, and they make it easy.


Here are some ways you can mentor a child one-on-one:

  • One-on-one tutoring with a child after school
  • Support children with reading and math homework assignments
  • Provide children with spelling, grammar, and composition support
  • Teach a child how to build effective study skills


Children Rising programs are structured so that it is easy for you to step in and be effective immediately. And, you will work in a team environment supported by Children Rising staff and fellow tutors. The reward of watching a student complete the assignments they struggled with and prepare to succeed at the next level is priceless.


Contact Children Rising at (510) 836-5100 or go to children-rising.org to volunteer.

Project Peace Day of Service

Join your Piedmont Church friends on Saturday, March 16 from 9am to 12pm in supporting single women healing from trafficking, domestic violence and/or drug abuse by volunteering to help on the Project Peace Day of Service. 


We will be working to create a beautiful garden space for CityTeam's women's shelter, Turning Point, by weeding and cleaning up outside.


Volunteers 13 years and older are welcome. 


Sign up in the Courtyard after worship, or contact Suzanne Latham at [email protected]

Church Member Seeks Housing

A young mother and her 10-year-old son seek a 2-bedroom house, in-law unit or cottage to rent in Piedmont or surrounding area. The child attends Havens Elementary, so proximity is key. If you are able to extend assistance to this family, contact Steve Schibsted at [email protected]

NEXTGEN

Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt

The great hunt is on! Grab your friends and embark on a quest to find hundreds of glow-in-the-dark eggs filled with candy and prizes Saturday, March 23, 7-8:30pm. Dessert and light refreshments will be served in the Courtyard and then the campus-wide egg hunt will begin at 7:40pm sharp. This event is free. Sign up using the link below. Contact Leslie at [email protected]

REGISTER

Good Friday Experience

Children and adults alike are welcome to immerse themselves in this unique, self-guided, walkthrough experience that tells the story of our faith and Good Friday through Scripture, music and art. This event will be held in Guild Hall from 12-4pm on Friday, March 29.

FELLOWSHIP

Pickleball Sundays, 1-3pm

Join in on the craze that's sweeping the nation: pickleball! We play on Sundays from 1-3pm in the indoor gym, second floor of the Christian Education Building. All are welcome. Equipment is provided and no experience is required. Contact Maureen Recker at [email protected]. See you on the court!

'Breathe' Wednesdays, 1:30pm

Join with others who seek the refreshment of meditation and the opportunity to enhance their spiritual growth through the concept of sangha or sitting in silence within a group.


Sit tall, take a breath and find your path. Contact Sara Hirsch at [email protected]

Seniors Gathering Opportunity

Seniors Seeking Conversation and Coffee meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month in Guild Parlor, 9:30-11am.


All seniors, aged 65-110 years, are welcome. Contact Ann Chandler at

(510) 444-0280

CHURCH BUSINESS

President's Report - January 2024

By Ann Lin


The Stewardship campaign has been in high gear this month with Commitment Sunday being February 11. If you have not already done so, please send your commitment to financially support Piedmont Community Church. 


Steve’s Commitment Sunday sermon gave an important message on why you should increase your support if you can. For years, Piedmont Community Church has been underfunded in meeting its annual operating expenses with members’ donations alone. 


We have been fortunate in being able to draw on our reserves, but there are legal limits and common-sense limits to the amount that can be taken from endowment in any given year. Simple math indicates that annual spending more than annual revenue is not sustainable. To address this, a task force 2030 Vision Team comprised of Steve Schibsted, Pat Leicher, Tom Parry and Rich Thompson are working on a long-term plan to reach sustainability with a goal of feasibility to draft annual operating budgets not to exceed annual revenue in five years. 


Use of endowment reserves should be limited to special projects or strategic program investments outside of regular operating needs. This alignment will be done through a combination of reducing expenses, increasing revenue, and program design in keeping with our Mission Study Report.

 

Here is the President’s report for the Board of Trustees meeting held February 12, 2024:

READ REPORT

Reaching Out in Service

Following worship on Sunday March 3, the Board of Mission of Piedmont Church will host a forum in the Guild Parlor.


The purpose is three-fold: 1) to introduce the members of the new Board of Mission to the Congregation; 2) to share what the Board plans to do, and; 3) to get feedback from the congregation on what sorts of service projects would be good to pursue.


The Board invites anyone with an interest in mission and service to attend and to share ideas. Contact Board Chair Mike Bandrowski at [email protected], or Don Ashburn at [email protected] for more information. 

Download The Church Center App

The Church Center App is the fastest way to get information about your church, check-in your family for events, give donations, browse and join groups, register for events and get involved throughout the week. If you haven't already done so, be sure to add your contact information to the Church Center App's directory. It's the only way to get into the directory.


Go to your mobile App store and download 'Church Center' App.

LEARN MORE

Church Office Hours

The church office is now open Monday through Thursday, 11am - 1pm.

For your convenience, we now accept Venmo mobile for making donations using your phone. We are @PiedmontChurch

'MESSENGER', BULLETIN, CALENDAR

The Messenger

Piedmont Church’s online newsletter, The Messenger, is the primary source of communication. The Messenger is published digitally and distributed via email weekly.


Deadline for articles to appear in The Messenger is 12 noon each Monday. Articles submitted after deadline will be considered for the following week.


Michael Barber edits copy and designs the layout of each Messenger with careful consideration of article placement. Placement is determined based on relevance to the congregation and the wider community. 

 

Sunday Bulletin

Sunday bulletin and worship announcements are decided by Michael based on Tuesday discussions with Staff and lay leadership.


Print deadline for Sunday Bulletin is Tuesday, 12pm.


Church Calendar

All information regarding the church calendar, including event dates, setup times and meetings, should be sent to Jay Foreman at [email protected]

MEDIA STATS

1,030 Views, 218 Hours in 30 Days

453 Subscribers


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It’s easy to watch church videos on your big screen television. If you have a SmartTV, ROKU, AppleTV or Amazon Fire TV, simply:


1 - Go to the YouTube app on your SmartTV (or attached device)

2 - Search ‘piedmont community church.’ 

MISSION STUDY
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GIVING
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