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Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church Newsletter
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Weekly Happenings at SHPC
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January 25, 2018
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Tech Savvy or Soul Starved?
Spiritual Health in a High Tech World
The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" (3:1), but some of us may feel starved for time and wonder what happened to life's ebbs and flows in this speeded-up 24/7 world. This Sunday, January 28, at 9:30 a.m., let's explore the path to spiritual health in a high tech world!
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A Note from Pastor Bev
Have you seen the movie
The Post? It's set in 1971, and some of us remember those
days before cell phones and laptops and everything else that has come along in the last 50 years to ease our lives. Of course, we didn't realize what we were missing! If we had to go back to those days, we might find it impossibly frustrating to live without text messages, google, and Siri. But these and other time savers have altered expectations and may be speeding up our lives past the point of spiritual wellness. And then there's social media, with its marvelous connectivity, and great capacity to fill hours each day! This Sunday we'll take a good look at how to bring God's peace and spaciousness into each day for essential spiritual wellbeing. I feel more peaceful already!
With blessings of peace,
Bev
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January/February Calendar
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Friday, January 26
NOON
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Bible Study
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Sunday, January 28
9:30 a.m.
1
0:30 a.m.
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Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Tech Savvy or Soul Starved?
Coffee and Fellowship - All Welcome
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Tuesday, January 30
8:00 p.m.
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Newsletter Items Due
AA- Men's meeting |
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Wednesday, January 31
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SHPC Singers- new singers welcome! |
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Friday, February 2
NOON
6:00 p.m.
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Bible Study
Family Game Night!-Fun for All Ages! |
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Sunday February 4
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m. or earlier
4:00-6:00 p.m.
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Annual Meeting of the Congregation
Celebrating Community!
Annual Meeting
Youth REST Cooking |
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Annual Meeting of the Congregation
Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018
Immediately following Worship
The Session has reviewed the survey of preferences and found that the active members of the church strongly support a sale of 110 Tarry. The survey was advisory; members must be present 2/4 to vote. To review the survey results, click
here and
here.
For Updated FAQs, click here.
Accordingly,
The Session of SHPC brings the following motion to the duly noticed Annual Meeting of the Congregation for vote of its membership pursuant to Book of Order G-1.0503 (d):
MOVED, that SHPC sell the church property at 110 Tarry, with proceeds directed to pay off interest-bearing debt, establish a capital improvement fund for the good of the church, and provide for pastor housing assistance as needed, either by purchase of affordable real estate or establishment of an investment fund. Income from rental property and capital/investment funds are not restricted, and can support the operating budget of the church.
This motion has been approved by the Church Mission Finance Committee of the Presbytery of the Redwoods, to permit a vote of the membership of the congregation.
The Session acknowledges with deep gratitude the many generous contributions to the manse project by dedicated SHPC members.
The Session intends to move forward to discern the consensus of the congregation with respect to re-investing in real property. Purchase of real property is by vote of the congregation pursuant to Book of Order G-1.0503 (d).
Members must be present to vote.
Additional business: election of officers, review of the 2018 budget, and vote on the Pastor's Terms of Call.
Please contact Dennis Latta, Clerk of Session, by
clicking here
if you have any questions about the Annual Meeting.
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Bible Study this Friday- January 26, Noon
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Matthew 6, 1 Corinthians 10:23-31
ALL WELCOME!
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Please Remember in Your Prayers
Justine, and all asylum seekers and those living in the shadows and fearing deportation, for security, a path to citizenship, and sanctuary; for a humane solution to the DACA crisis;
Those impacted by the mudslides in Santa Barbara, for God's comfort in bereavement and for healing, and for safety for the search and rescue teams;
Marie Ongaro and family,
mourning the loss of Marie's mother, for God's accompaniment, comfort, and peace;
Dennis Latta and Diane, Juliet, and the extended family as they mourn the loss of Dennis' father Leroy, for God's accompaniment, comfort, and peace as they grieve;
Nance Rosencranz,
recovering from a stroke, for full and complete recovery, for God's healing presence;
Carolyn Goodman's sister Wendy, who lost her home to a house fire, for God's loving and constant presence, and for the loving support of all around her to be with her as she rebuilds;
Peg Maclise's sister Kim, for God's healing presence, and for Peg, God's strength, love, and peace;
Kelsey Lopin,
for total healing, renewed strength, continued flourishing, creativity, and energy to share her God-given gifts;
Andrea Proster, sister of Nancy Elberg, for complete healing, and for Nancy to continue to feel God's abiding presence in companioning her;
Our Muslim neighbors, subject to Islamophobia and hate crimes;
The incarcerated, and their loved ones, for a justice system and prison system that uphold our highest values;
Our country, for a way forward where we live our values of justice and equality for all people;
The people of Puerto Rico, still suffering from Hurricane Maria, and the refugees and displaced
, almost 1 out of 100 people in the world today, for safety, homes, the basics of life, and dignity;
Our planet, the world's poor, all who suffer from disruptive climate change, may God energize us to continue our work to keep the planet livable for all people;
The PC(USA), for courage and energy to continue our world-wide mission of love and justice for all people;
Dr. Doug Tilton, our PC(USA) mission co-worker in Southern Africa;
Our church, for the Spirit to continue to guide us and fill us with energy for mission and love for all our neighbors!
Please take time this week to pray for those on our list.
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SHPC Immigrant Visitation Team and Friends at the Home of the Argillas
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An Area of Great Need
Solidarity with Immigrants and Asylum Seekers
Visitation, Support, and Advocacy for those in Detention
Last Sunday, our hearts were moved by the life story of an asylum seeker from Nigeria, brought to us by our own Kit Argilla. He entered the US legally on a tourist visa, seeking asylum. He cannot safely return to his home country, Nigeria, where his Christian family and villagers are being massacred by Fulani herdsmen from the North, apparently with government support. He had no criminal record and no indication of being a security threat, but was shackled and incarcerated in the West End County Detention Center in Richmond, denied a phone call, and subjected to worse treatment than the criminal population of the facility. Thanks to CIVIC - Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement, he connected with our Kit Argilla of the SHPC visitation ministry team. Church volunteers from several faith communities provided money for his bond and attended his bond hearing in solidarity. He is out on bond now, awaiting hearing on his refugee status.
God calls us to welcome the stranger and to visit the prisoner; we are called to work to end the cruel and inhumane treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers.
The PC(USA) has asked Presbyterians to visit those in immigrant detention. See PDA's award winning documentary,
Locked in a Box:
https://vimeo.com/146727430
Please consider joining the SHPC visitation ministry! CIVIC's visitation hours, at this time, are Fridays from 12:45-2:45 at the West County Detention Facility in Richmond. For further info or to start the process of joining the team, please contact:
Rebecca Merton
Program Coordinator, National Visitation Network
Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement (CIVIC)
510-883-3772
If you can't visit at this time, you are invited to PRAY, DONATE to the commissary or the bond fund, ADVOCATE, AND EDUCATE. Watch for our letter-writing campaign, led by our Youth Group!
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REST Sign-ups!
Our Life-Giving Ministry to the Unhoused Community
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Women's REST volunteers Linda, Charlotte, Millie, Carolyn, Robin, Patricia, Jeannette, and Lisa
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Please sign up to help bring friendship, food, and dignity to the unhoused community through the REST program -- the men on the first Monday of the month at St. Rita's in Fairfax, and the women on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at the Wellness Center in San Rafael. We need YOUR help!
Please volunteer to make food, set up, serve, share the meal, and clean up:
To volunteer to be a part of the women's program,
sign up here
To volunteer to be a part of the men's program,
sign up here
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact our REST coordinator, Carolyn Goodman,
[email protected] or 415.250.6264.
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The Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy at Florissant Presbyterian Church preparing for General Assembly in St. Louis this June
The ACSWP studies and prepares policy recommendations on key issues facing the church and society. It provides the national church and the General Assembly with
theological and ethical analysis.
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A wonderful weekend at the Westminster Woods Women's Retreat
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| Sue, Frankie, Linda, Robin, Cat, Nance, Diane, and Jody |
Report from Westminster Woods: Women's retreat was awesome! A great chance to spend time together in a beautiful and peaceful setting. Powerful message on the Women's March weekend by a funny and inspiring speaker. And Cat conquered the zipline!
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Bev's Birthday Celebration!
Thank you to Kit and all the well-wishers for a lovely birthday!
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To Middle and High School YOUTH and their PARENTS from Charles
Hello everyone,
Last Sunday's service was a lot to take in, with guest speaker Justine Esomonu talking to us about his harrowing experiences in fleeing his home country of Nigeria and seeking asylum in the United States. After his discussion with Pastor Bev during the service, the kids and I met to talk about what we heard and try to process some of it.
For those who weren't there, Justine's family was killed because they were Christian, and Justine left Nigeria, fearing for his life. When he arrived in the United States, instead of being allowed to come into the country, he was imprisoned for 6 months. It was a difficult story to listen to, but I appreciated hearing it because up to this point, the kids and I were largely ignorant about these kinds of things happening in our country.
We are going to continue looking into this subject, and possibly do a video on it. In the meantime, I encourage you to visit www.endisolation.org and learn more.
Grace and Peace,
Charles Wei
Youth Director
Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church
FUN FOR ALL AGES: FRIDAY, FEB. 2 @ 6:00- GAME NIGHT!!!
Always feel free to contact me with any questions or feedback by clicking
here.
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Report from Your Finance Elder:
Step Towards Sustainability Budget Approved by Session January 3; Congregational Review at Annual Meeting on February 4
Thank you to all for the wonderful participation in the Stewardship campaign. Thank you so much to the
57 pledgers
who have donated so far,
including our 10 first-time supporters!
Based on good year-end financial results, the successful pledge drive, and Session's commitment to sustainability, the Session approved the Step Towards Sustainability budget described below at its 1/3 meeting. This is not a balanced budget, but a budget with an intentional deficit to make progress towards addressing our structural deficit (underfunded needs in staff, program, and maintenance). Additional needs include administrative support, youth leader funding, maintenance, and modest Pastor salary adjustments to help approach regional norms. The table below highlights differences between our base case and a "step towards sustainability" 2018 budget that more fully supports the church's programs, staff, and mission.
The Step Towards Sustainability budget will be fully presented to the congregation in the Annual Report and at the Annual Meeting of the Congregation scheduled for Feb. 4. At that meeting the congregation will review the entire budget, and vote on the Pastor's terms of call, which is a key component of the budget. Thanks to everyone for your enthusiastic support and dedication to our vibrant church community!
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Anticipated Budget Decisions Based on Pledge Drive Outcomes
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Base Case (Status Quo)
Budget
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Step Towards
Sustainability Budget
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Pledge Drive Scenario:
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149,000
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169,000
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Differences in Budgeted Support:
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- Admin support (clerical salary funding)
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10,300
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16,300
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6,000
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12,000
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- Maintenance (church and manse)
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8,400
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13,000
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- Pastor partial salary supplement
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2,500
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- Pastor pension, med., SECA supplements
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1,099
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Church Nominating Committee Seeks
Deacons with Focus on Compassionate Ministry
At the Annual Meeting in Feb. 2017, the congregation elected Dennis Latta, Clerk of Session, as Nominating Chair, along with Sue Burr, Nancy Derr, Koren Grubb, and Cathy Sarkisian to serve as its Nominating Committee. Next year's Annual Meeting is scheduled for February 4, 2018, and thus the Nominating Committee is at work.
Based on feedback from the Moderator of the Board of Deacons, Kit Argilla, who will be leaving her position in Feb. 2018, along with the rest of the deacons (Robin AbuAly, Peg Maclise, Marie Ongaro, and Nance Rosencranz, bless them all!), the Session has decided to try a new thing, and move the fellowship coffee and refreshments duties to 12 Hospitality Hosts, supported by the entire congregation, with each family serving two times per year, to relieve deacon burn-out and spread the responsibility around.
The Nominating committee is thus seeking 3 Deacons who feel called to the compassionate ministry described in the Book of Order at G-2.0201: a ministry of compassion, witness, and service, sharing love with the poor, the hungry, the sick, the lost, the friendless, the oppressed, the burdened, and anyone in distress.
Members of the congregation are welcome to contact members of the committee to explore whether they might be called to serve as an officer of the church. Individuals can nominate themselves, and nominations from the floor of the congregational meeting are accepted.
If you are interested in exploring God's call to church leadership, you can contact any of the members of the Nominating Committee:
Dennis Latta, Sue Burr, Nancy Derr, Koren Grubb, or Cathy Sarkisian, or talk to Pastor Bev, who serves ex officio on the committee.
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Building and Grounds
from Ahmed, your B and G Elder
If you feel called to work on updating our building and grounds, please contact Ahmed by
clicking here.
We are still in the process of getting our plumbing and irrigation lines repaired and upgraded. And getting our MMWD bill reduced!
The Fellowship Hall closet doors continue to be a problem despite great efforts by the B and G team.
Upcoming Projects:
Our outdoor lighting needs to keep the building illuminated enough for safety and be earth-friendly.
We are evaluating what to do about the sanctuary windows, which may not be repairable.
We are in the process of planning and design for wheelchair access from upstairs to downstairs.
Most exterior doors need repair or replacement.
Our sidewalk around the church is uneven and needs leveling so it's not a tripping hazard.
Previous surveys have shown a great interest in updating the kitchen and bringing beauty to the grounds next to the patio.
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JOIN US FOR COMMUNITY YOGA
5:30-6:30 PM
SHPC Sanctuary
FAQ:
Yoga is defined as a combination of three things: breath, movement and a single point of concentration. If you can breath and move (nothing fancy, just breathing while moving...) then you are two thirds of the way there! Join us as we breath and move meditatively, opening up new places in our bodies and hearts.
Karen x
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WE ALL LOVE FELLOWSHIP--
PLEASE SIGN UP TO HELP OUT
NEW FOLKS - We will match you with a veteran so that you can be trained on our highly complex coffeemaker and have FUN!
Fellowship time is organized by your Deacons. We need everyone to sign-up about 3-4 times a year.
Click below to sign up:
Sign up now and keep the hospitality
going!
Watch for a new way to host fellowship coming in March - Hospitality Hosts for each month, with sign ups on the bulletin board!
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Don't be shy, Greeting is a Treat!
We've updated the signups for the new year!
Help with our ministry of hospitality by signing up to be a greeter! All you have to do is get to church by 9:15, light the candles, and hand out bulletins with a smile. Thank you to all who have signed up so far!
Thank you all for your continued support,
Jody Brockett,
Worship Elder
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Looking ahead to General Assembly, the PC(USA) Stated Clerk tells Seattle Presbytery to find the invisible, minister to them
From the Stated Clerk of the PC(USA), Rev. J. Herbert Nelson:
SEATTLE - To be relevant in the 21st century, the church must read scripture differently - to determine who is left out of the biblical texts and reach out to those people, the Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, II told Seattle Presbytery Tuesday night in a thunderous sermon that electrified a full house at Mercer Island Presbyterian Church here.
Today, Nelson continued, "I'm convinced that what we have forgotten is that the church belongs to God and is here not because of what we've done but because of God's grace. We are being reminded that the spirit in us today is the faith of those who have passed the faith on to us, that the Lord would make a way somehow. We are going to trust that the Lord will make a way somehow. The church belongs to the Lord and we belong to the Lord also, despite our methodologies of transformation."
That movement will take concrete form at the next three General Assemblies - St. Louis in 2018, Baltimore in 2020, Columbus, Ohio in 2022 - as Nelson's "Hands and Feet" initiative takes hold. The initiative seeks to combine service with learning for groups who travel to those cities to engage local activists and community workers.
"Those whole Assemblies are going to be teach-ins," Nelson said, "a model by which we can teach and train the church to be effective wherever we live."
To read the full article click
here.
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President Trump has ruled against the solar industry by imposing damaging trade penalties. The decision supports the fossil fuel industry at the expense of protecting Creation and American jobs in a growing clean energy economy.
With Hope,
Susan Stephenson
Executive Director
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From the National Religious Coalition Against Torture
Dear Friends,
This week marks 16 years since our country began imprisoning people - all Muslim - without charge or trial in an overseas prison. Some of the people sent to Guantanamo were originally sold for bounty. Many were tortured by our own CIA. After 16 years, 41 people remain imprisoned there today - including 5 who have been cleared for release by our own government, which has determined that they either no longer or never did pose a security threat.
Sign the Petition: Please help us close Guantanamo and end detention without trial by signing this petition.
After 16 years, people imprisoned in Guantanamo might be excused for thinking that they've been forgotten. Forgotten by the people who bought them with bounties. Forgotten by the people who tortured them. Forgotten by the people who imprisoned them without charge or trial. Forgotten by the people who cleared them to leave Guantanamo over a year ago, but who have left them there to rot.
NRCAT and our faith allies, as well as others, are
holding rallies around the country today and throughout January to show that the people imprisoned in Guantanamo have not been forgotten and to remind our friends and neighbors about why we need to close Guantanamo.
Help us get the word out by signing this petition and sharing it with your own friends and family.
The Rev. Ron Stief, Executive Director
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JOIN PASTOR BEV IN DC THIS APRIL 22-23 for EAD!!
Greetings!
As we get ready to gather April 20-23 of this year, we do so at a critical moment in our nation's history. By March, if not sooner, a policy decision may be made about Dreamers, who were brought to this country by family members, most by the age of six years old or younger. They grew up as Americans but now are being threatened with deportation to countries they have never known. Migrants, refugees and other displaced people have all been hard hit by the push factors of corruption, climate change and violent conflict - and as people of faith, we must respond. In addition, just a few weeks prior to our gathering, we will mark the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination on April 4th. And in November, we will have midterm elections.
The 2018 theme, "A World Uprooted: Responding to Migrants, Refugees and Displaced People," reflects how important this moment and our gathering is. We have tremendous impact when we go to Capitol Hill to speak with one voice and advocate on behalf of the most vulnerable. Our witness is even more powerful as we push for policies and practices that help the least of these in our nation. Indeed, something special happens when we come together.
We have the potential to have a positive impact on our nation's policy agenda again this year as we stand as Christian witnesses for global peace with justice in our nation and around the world. Please plan to attend this year's Ecumenical Advocacy Days and invite others to join us as well. It is our time to stand up, to speak out and to represent a unified Christian voice in a world uprooted!
See you in April!
Blessings,
Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland-Tune
Director, Ecumenical Advocacy Days
Click here to find out more on their website.
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Love Includes Everyone: A Musical Rally
Love Lives in Marin & the Mill Valley Community Action Network Present:
Love Includes Everyone: A Musical Rally
Wednesday, February 14th
Depot Square, Mill Valley
4:00-5:00 pm
Join us as we celebrate the importance of inclusion and welcoming everyone in our community. Come enjoy dynamic speakers and music.
For more information on the event click
here.
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Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church
100 Tarry Road
San Anselmo, CA 94960
Kara New, Interim
Editor
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ob-producing industrial sectors of the 21st century.
