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Weekly E-Tidings October 11, 2018
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This Sunday
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Service of Worship 10:30am
October 11, 2018
Stewardship Season 2018 Begins
"Overflowing Generosity"
Scripture: Isaiah 58:2,6-12
Rev. Laura Rose, preaching
"The Divine Flow Chart"
Sunday School 10:45am
Fellowship Hour 11:45pm
Dia de los Muertos Workshop 12:00pm
Incident Response Team 12:00pm
I
n Service This Sunday
Usher:
Jeanie Egbert
IRT:
Al Chavez
Greeter:
Linda Shively
Shepherd
: Sandy Chavez
Lector
:
Arlette Walls
Acolyte:
Tobin Deaker
Sunday School:
Ron Jones, Moira Darone, Josh Allen, Curt Wands-Bourdoiseau
Babyholding:
Marlene Mujica-Fill
Flowers:
OPEN
Fellowship: Laura King
Thank you one and all.
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Looking Ahead
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DIA DE LOS MUERTOS,
A Celebration of Life Workshop
THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 12:00PM
 Join FCCA Member Dories Arias for a hands-on introduction and celebration of the rituals, food, music, and crafts of "Dia de los Muertos" a Celebration of Life Family Workshop on Sunday, October 14,12:00-2:00pm in the Gallery.Contact Phil Weglarz at philweglarz@gmail.com
SAVE THIS DATE
FCCA 2018 Fall Fundraiser
Saturday, November 10, 5:30pm
 Live music, tapas, dancing, silent & live auction, and more! Adults, $30; Seniors & children under 12, $20; additional child $10. Child care provided. Look for sign-up sheets in the fellowship hall for ways you can help.
See dedicated block below for more information.
Tickets are on sale now at
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The Pastor's Offering
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"Overflowing Generosity"
Dear Friends,
We as a nation find ourselves in difficult times. Divisive politics, natural disasters ... I am sure each of us could add to this list. And for most of us, in addition to what is going on in the wider world, there are the personal trials and challenges that we face on a day to day basis.
 Yet there is one day - Sunday - when we can come into a space we call a sanctuary and find a community of people who share a common set of values. On Sunday mornings, we come with our empty buckets and refill them at "The Well" of love, acceptance, inspiration and hope. As we sing, pray, fellowship and study scripture together, not only do the blessings flow among us but they overflow into our community.
As we begin our Stewardship Season this Sunday, we will take time to celebrate the many ways our generosity as a church overflows as each of us walk out the door to carry water to a thirsty world.
We will also have the opportunity to hear testimonies from two of our Church Council members about what inspires their giving. In addition our treasurer, Deborah Dunster, will share important budgetary information so that we can have a full understanding of what it will mean to keep the blessings flowing and overflowing in 2019.
The reality is that our church is self-sustainable. Thus it is crucial for each of us to actively participate. It takes our time, our talents and our treasures (financial resources) to keep "the well" in operation so that the blessings keep flowing.
To this end, our Financial Secretary Teri Kennedy has initiated the formation of a year-round Stewardship Team. We hope to add a few members to this team, but currently the team members are: Teri Kennedy, Deborah Dunster, Sandy Chavez, Neil Genson and myself.
I look forward to seeing you at the Worship Well on Sunday. Bring your bucket
so that the Spirit can fill you to overflowing.
Many Blessings,
* Missed a Sermon?
Need something to listen to during your commute? Now you can listen to the audio recording of our
Sunday sermons online by downloading them to your computer or mobile device from our web site.
A Sunday sermon is generally posted by noon on Mondays. Go to the "Visit" section of the FCCA web site and choose the "Sermon Recordings" drop down or just
click here.
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FCCA 2018 Fall Fundraiser
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Tickets are on sale now at
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The Coming Week at a Glance
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Congregational Care
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16
Staff Meeting 11:00am
Church Council 7:00pm
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18
Bell Choir Rehearsal 6:30pm
Chancel Choir Rehearsal 7:30pm
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21
1st in Stewardship Season
Service of Worship 10:30am
Rev. Laura Rose, preaching
Sunday School 10:45am
Fellowship Hour 11:45am
Congregational Care 12:00pm
We celebrate and bless the birth of twins Lucia Cecelia; 6 pounds 2 ounces, and Metias Benjamin; 7 pounds 8 ounces, born on September 24 to Cristian Gaedicke and Jason Hardage
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Circle of Prayer
If you have a prayer request for yourself, a family member or friend that you would like to have added to our Circle of Prayer
email list, please fill out a prayer request card located in the pew rack on Sundays.
If you would like to be included in the
Circle of Prayer email list and commit to praying regularly for the concerns of our community, please email the church office at
ChurchOffice@fccalameda.org.
Upcoming Birthdays
10/12 James Deaker
10/13 Jayla Rose Anderson
10/16 Benjamin DeSouza-Szamreta
10/18 Sophia DeWitt
10/20 Alex Walls
10/21 Jeffrey Anderson
10/21 Cornelia Hillman
10/21 Lorna Williams
10/21 Todd Wolf
10/23 Halina Bugge
10/24 John Walton
Upcoming Anniversaries
10/17 Marge & Bob Schultz
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Opportunities to Nurture Faith and Build Relationships at FCCA
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Grief & Loss Journey Group
Monday, November 12 @ 7:00pm ~ 2nd Monday of the month ~ Miracle Room
There are many losses in life, and we will be sharing our stories and giving mutual support. Led by Linda Shively, the group will be meeting the second Monday of the month, in the Miracle Room, 7:00 to 8:30pm. If you are interested please call Linda at 510.220.2454.
Spirited Families Journey Group
This Sunday, October 14 @ 12:00pm
A SPIRITED FAMILIES FELLOWSHIP EVENT . . .
Join FCCA Member Dories Arias for a hands-on introduction and celebration of the rituals, food, music, and crafts of
"Dia de los Muertos" a Celebration of Life Family Workshop on
Sunday, October 14,12:00-2:00pm in the Gallery.
Contact Phil Weglarz at
philweglarz@gmail.com
Upcoming Faith & Film Movie/Pot Luck Nights Details TBA Sunday, November 4: "A Question of Faith"
A minister grapples with a tragedy involving his young son that shakes his fundamental beliefs. He gradually discovers that the mishap has linked his family's fate with those of several strangers. The film explores forgiveness and reconciliation through an exploration of how people from three very different communities come together through Faith.
Sunday, December 2: "Living on a Dollar"
Two friends spend time in South America living on a dollar a day, and gain a glimpse of understanding into what it means to live in poverty.
Progressive Bible Study
FCCA Meal Groups
New Meal Groups are forming. They provide an opportunity for members of our community to share a monthly meal together and get to know one another. Groups will meet October-January and then members will rotate into new groups and meet February-May. Contact Barbara Regan
at bregan48@gmail.com
if you would like to join a group or would like more information.
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STEWARDSHIP SEASON 2018 . . .
This Sunday we kick off our 3-week Stewardship Season 2018,
"Overflowing Generosity."
During the upcoming weeks, we will be hearing testimonies by our church leaders, and stories and anecdotes of what inspires generosity. You will be receiving stewardship material and a pledge card in the mail next week. You and your household are invited to prayerfully consider how you may respond with overflowing generosity to the financial needs of FCCA in 2019. Pledge cards are also available this Sunday if you wish to make your commitment early.
INQUIRER'S GATHERING . . .
For those who have been visiting
FCCA and would like to learn more about the
FCCA Community and the
United Church of Christ (UCC), we are in the planning stages of our next
Inquirer's Gathering. If you are interested, please contact
Pastor Laura at your earliest convenience at
revlaura@fccalameda.org or by calling her at 522.6012 x 21. Please also indicate if you will need childcare along with their names and ages.
A Lector is the person who assists the minister in leading the congregation during the Sunday morning service of worship in the Call to Worship, Prayer of Preparation, Passing the Peace and reading the Scriptures. We will be holding a Lector Training in the fall. Anyone interested in attending this training session, please email Rev. Laura at
revlaura@fccalameda.org
 A NOTE FROM OUR COORDINATOR OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH MINISTRIES &
OUR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION MINISTRY TEAM
Families, please take note of a few areas within the children's and youth ministry.
1) There is currently no programming for older children before worship and we want to keep them safe and happy, therefore they can be in the nursery until worship begins provided there is space for them.
2) The "back yard" area with the basketball court will be closed for safety due to ongoing construction at the Phillips Academy.
3) We request that all minors be supervised while on church property. We practice physical, emotional, and spiritual safety in our congregation and that starts with each one of us! Thank you for helping to keep our youngest members safe.
GIVE TO FCCA THROUGH AMAZON SMILE . . .
Did you know that if you place your order from smile.amazon.com instead of amazon.com, Amazon gives 0.5% of the purchase price to your charity of choice? Underneath the white search bar, in the dark gray bar at top, the webpage shows what charity you're supporting. Sign up and select First Congregational Church of Alameda as your charity of choice. Or simply use this link: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-1422461. Not all purchases count for Smile, but most do. What an easy way to bolster your pledge and help us to afford a choir accompanist for every Sunday . . . and ultimately a PT associate minister! Contact Deborah Dunster with any technical difficulties or questions at
dadunster@comcast.net.
AVOID CAPITAL GAINS: Donate Stock Instead of Cash . . .
Did you know you can pay your pledge (or part of it) with stock?
You can make a gift of stock to the church. We receive it into our Schwab account where we do the liquidation.That way, you can deduct the appreciated value as a charitable donation but don't have to pay tax on the gain. Of course, if you had a loss, it's best for you to sell the stock and then donate the cash. Contact Treasurer
Deborah Dunster with any questions.
Hosting fellowship time is that ministry in which opening the doors of our church is like opening the doors to our home. Food and beverage naturally invite folks to commune with one another, feeding both body and mind. It does not need to be lavish, just some simple finger food is fine.
PLEASE let us be intentional about making sure there are hosts for fellowship time. Teaming up with another household makes the going even lighter. The coffee/tea setup is provided by the church. Contact
Nanci Luczak-Krutilek at
nancilzk@gmail.com or
Robbie Borglum at
theborglums@comcast.net
for more info. Please see the sign-up sheet on the table next to the coffee table during fellowship time in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday.
GOOD NEWS MINISTRY . . .
Remember, applications and guidelines for our Good News Ministry are available in the church office or by email attachment. This is an invitation and an opportunity for FCCA members to embody God's love and care in our local community with grants up to $100 for an Alameda family need not readily served by an existing social service agency. For more details, pick up materials in the church office or call Teri Kennedy, Good News Ministry Coordinator at 523.0714 or email at
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Our Church's Wider Mission,
and Outreach & Community Opportunities
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NOVEMBER 6 BALLOT PROPOSITIONS . . .
The
California Council of Churches IMPACT
has released their faith -based ballot p
r
oposition recommendations for the upcoming general election on November 6. You can read their recommendations at
www.churchimpact.org
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COME & SEE! AT PSR . . .
Pacific School of Religion (PSR)
would like to invite you, church leaders and members to experience life on Berkeley's "Holy Hill" at their
Come & See! Prospective Student Weekend
to learn more about PSR and the programs available there. Being held this
November 2 & 3,
Come & See!
is designed for those pursuing justice work, a call to ordained ministry or considering seminary as preparation for social change work as a pastor, chaplain, scholar or community organizer.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA NEVADA CONFERENCE NEWSLETTER . . .
If you aren't already signed up, you are encouraged to join the NCNC e-mail newsletter distribution list by logging on to www.ncncucc.org and following the link under "Events" > "News." It's a GREAT way to stay abreast of our wider church's news, views and commentaries.
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Our Elected Lay Leaders & Ministry Team Leaders
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This block will be on going as a means of keeping our elected lay leaders and ministry team leaders in our thoughts and prayers as well as keeping you informed of who they are.
Church Council
Sandy Chavez, Moderator; Anne McKereghan, Vice-Moderator; Amanda Bugge, Clerk; Robbie Borglum, Joyce Yee, Jan Peyrot, Josh Hurni, Kate Weglarz Members-at-Large; Jordana Autrey, Nominating Committee; Gregory Wands-Bourdoiseau , Youth Member-at-Large.
Prudential Commission
David Bonachea, Chair; Dan Wilson, Acting Vice-Chair/Secretary; Deborah Dunster, Treasurer; Martha Barrera, Cristian Gaedicke, Bob Gronke, Jeanie Egbert, Dan Regan
Parish Pastor Relations Team (Team is invited & appointed rather than elected)
Deborah Dunster, Eric Hartz, Linda Shively and Al Chavez
Nominating Committee
Jordana Autrey, Chair; Beth Kromer, Paul Dannhauser
NCNC Delegates
Jan Jones, Kathryn Gronke
Worship Ministry Team
Leslie Sullivan, Moira Darone, Janice Peterson, Rev. Laura Rose, Rev. Alexandra Childs, Tammy Nelson, Eric Hartz, Karin Jensen and Jordana Autrey
Congregational Care Ministry Team:
Coordinator: Joyce Yee
Christian Education Ministry Team: Coordinator: Amy Stewart-Deaker
Outreach Ministry Team: Coordinators: Teri Kennedy and Arlette Walls
Justice Action Team:
Coordinator: Joan Farnsworth
Prayer Ministry Email List:
Neil Genson
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Alameda, California 94501
510.522.6012
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