Finding a Rhythm
God created the world to live in a holy rhythm -a rhythm of seven days length. As his creatures, we find it helpful to interrupt our otherwise frantic 24/7 lives to live in holyrhythms. One of those that Christians have used for centuries is Advent. A period beforeChristmas, when we slow down to look back so we can greet the Holy Child's coming onceagain. It's a time to reconsider God's promises of blessing to those who come in faith to Jesus --Messiah. As a congregation we have added other observances to this annual practiceso as to make it a richer experience of worship, celebration, and ministry. We invite youinto those rhythms.
Guides to the Season: On Sunday, November 29th, the first Sunday in Advent, devotional guides will be available for those who would like to enrich their Advent prayer times.
Christmas Decorations: If you'd like to help make the sanctuary a beautiful placefor Advent and Christmas, come for about an hour on Thursday, December 3rd at 6
p.m. and help decorate.
Santa Lucia: On Sunday, December 13th we will again hear the story of this youngand courageous Italian woman who gave her life away to meet the needs of others. And we'll celebrate with a special time of fellowship. Sign up on a Sunday to providesome of the treats.
A Place Prepared: We are excited that on December 10th we will welcome Kreig &Karen Ecklund and kids to Covenant House. If you would like to help stock the pantry or help with some coming home and restarting life expenses, sign up on a Sunday.
Happy Voices: If you've spent time in the nursery during the past couple months, you've heard our "nursery chorus" practicing to sing Christmas songs. Come and enjoy their ministry on Sunday, December 20th.
Christmas Caring Project: Watch the bulletin inserts to ways to participate in thiswonderful ministry to families. Gifts, food, clothing and housewares donations are invited. Everything will be picked up on Dec. 10 to be delivered to the families.
Update on the Transition Team
Special thanks to everyone for their participation in the congregational survey. While some of the questions seemed puzzling and perhaps some clarification was required before providing your answers, the survey was mapped very closely to the questions and answers that willneed to be provided in the church profile form that is required by PSWC in conjunction withthe pastoral search process. It is interesting to note that a preliminary review of the responses indicates we have a very broad and diverse congregation with a wide array ofthoughts and ideas yet built around the solid foundation of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.With Foothill's focus on community ministry, this diversity can perhaps serve as our corestrength in our ability to connect with a similar diversity found outside the doors of ourchurch.
The Transition Team will now be focusing the coming weeks on processing the data collected through the survey and working on completion of the church profile with hopes topresent this to the congregation in January and then make it available to PSWC and the pastoral search committee that will be formed in the coming weeks.
The Transition Team continues to do its utmost to keep everyone abreast of our efforts asthe process is bound to leave unanswered questions from some in the congregation. If youhave any questions or thoughts you would like to discuss, please contact anyone on theTransition Team.
The Transition Team consists of - Mark Liedstrand, Hans Jagow, Brenda Brown, GinnyCarlson, Kevin Cory, Marian Ecklund, Andres Pech, and Marilyn Smith
. . . and the pastoral search process:
As the Transition Team has clarified its work, the pastoral search process has becomeclearer. We will bid farewell to Pastor Gaderlund on Sunday, February 14th. We anticipatethe following Sunday we will be welcoming an interim pastor who will serve an initial interim of two or three months. We expect that by this time the Transition Team will be finished writing a congregational profile that will be given to the PSWC as they coordinate apastoral search. About that time the Executive Committee will be presenting a process tothe congregation for the appointment of a Pastoral Search Team which will review pastoralresumes, conduct interviews, and bring a candidate. Stay tuned for details.
. . . and the By-Laws Update ProcessThe By-Laws Update Taskforce has finished a first draft of the updated by-laws, revised toreflect our current operating practices. The congregation is invited to a CongregationalConversation on Sunday evening, December 13th at 4:30 p.m. in the Fireside Room to look at the draft and give feedback. Copies of the proposed draft will be available in thelobby on Sundays and the office during the week. Please come and give the task force yourinsights.
Community Connections: The Community Connections team put on a wonderful Tots & Treats event with many of our own young families and a number of our neighborhood families. The Ark was packed with small children having a great time at simple, fun activities.
Then, on Sunday, November 22, 32 Foothillers, young and old, participated in the MVPD Cops & Gobblers program which sorted food,filled baskets, and delivered the makings of Thanksgiving dinner andmore to about 270 families in MV. Most were done delivering inabout an hour and were able to make it to worship at 11 a.m..
Mentor/Tutors: Jim Gaderlund has finally been able to start participating in the JustREAD tutoring program at Graham Middle School inMV. He works with a couple students one day a week in what is avery well organized program with lots of helps for tutors and students. Contact Jim if you areinterested in tutoring.
Did you know that . . . Sarah Cerrona is back at work using the nursing degree that she wascompleting when Rebekah was born. She's working part-time as a pediatric nurse at a clinicin San Bruno . . . and that Hung Ecklund has passed her Ob/Gyn boards after a very concentrated couple months of study. Hip hip hooray! . . . and that Megan and Tom Langsdorfhave announced that "It will be a boy!" Go to their blog: http://tmlangsdorf.blogspot.com toread some very interesting observations about what that means in their present hometown.
Sacrament of Baptism: Timothy James Wooster, son of Mark Wooster and grandson ofGeorge & Kathy Wooster was baptized on November 29, 2009. Pray for God's grace inTim's life and God's wisdom and love for Mark, Kathy, and George as they raise Tim.
Women's Bible Study is on Wednesdays at 9:45 a.m. Marian Ecklund will continue leading us in the study "Living Above Worry and Stress."All ladies are invited to attend. Please call Nancy Baldwinson if you haveany questions. Remember, we will be off December 23 (the Wednesdaybefore Christmas).
We will look forward to lunching together at the Country Gourmet in Sunnyvale on Thursday, December 3rd at 11:30 am. Please call Ona Avent (408-984-7625) for more information.
We continue our Stretch Yoga class on Wednesdays at Noon during the winter. Call Kay Roberts (408-255-7817) for more information.
Men's Lunch
We will be meeting on Thursday, December 3rd at Noon. We'll be looking for you at Brian's Restaurant in Los Altos in the Rancho Shopping Center on Foothill and Magdalena. Please call Jim Gaderlund at 650.967.7447 with any questions.
+ + + DECEMBER WORSHIP/PREACHING -Nov 29 -Advent 1 -"Be Patient" -Jeremiah 33.14-16 -Jim G Dec 6 - Advent 2 -"Be Pure" -Malachi 3.1-4 -Jim G Dec 13 - Advent 3 -"Be Humble" -Zephaniah. 3.14-20 -Jim G Dec 20 - Advent 4 -"Be Peaceful" -Micah 5.2-5a -Jim G
+ + +
Keep up to date on what God is doing in our larger church family. Visit the web sites for our Pacific Southwest Conference at www.pswc.org and for the Evangelical Covenant at www.covchurch.org. Each site has current news in churches and ministries around the Covenant. To have the news sent to you, subscribe to Newswire by going to the home page on theCovenant web site and looking for the link on the right side of the screen.
Our Book Lovers share a passion for reading with twenty- million members ofbook clubs in the U.S. alone. And so it was an enthusiastic group who met recently to chat about one of our favorite pastimes.
Here is a sampling of some of the books our page- turners have enjoyed:"A Year of Food Life", non-fiction, by popular author Barbara Kingsolver--a family spends oneyear living off the land and were challenged about how they viewed food and gained an appreciation of what it takes to survive. "Dewey the Cat" by Vicki Myron--an orphaned cat isdropped in the return book slot at the local library and how he becomes a part of the lives ofthose who rescue him---a good book for your Christmas list! "My Sister's Keeper" by #1 N.YTimes best selling author, Jodi Picoult. A fictional page-turner--a couple conceives a child inorder for her to be a bone marrow match for her sister who is battling leukemia---now a majormotion picture. "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch---educator and family man who dispenseslove and wisdom to his children and students while suffering a terminal illness. "Looking forSalvation at the Dairy Queen" by Susan Gilmore - a preacher's daughter from a town of 1,923longed to escape to the big city of Atlanta as soon as she turned eighteen, but when a tragedyforces her to return home she begins to wonder if her place in the world may actually be rightwhere she began. "Have a Little Faith" by best selling author Mitch Albom - journey withpeople of different faiths. "Beyond Mud and Vines" - non fiction by Jacqueline Jorganson - rising above abuse and extreme poverty to find fulfillment in helping others. "Velma Still Cooks in Leeway" by Venita Wright - delightful story of a small town waitress who dishes up compassion and sound advice while serving the diners. Some other books shared were "Nurture Shock,""Monster in France," "While I Was Gone," "The Kitchen God's Wife" and "Acadia and Me."
I trust this will tempt you to join us next time with some of your suggestions.
Ruth Magnuson
Come join us on a journey to the Biblical city of Bethlehem. Be a part of history and witnessthe events that led up to the birth of Jesus Christ. See Joseph and Mary search the city for aplace to stay, see the lowly shepherds get visited by an angel and then proclaim the goodnews, see the noble entry of the wise men and their entourage looking for the new born king.Enjoy the music, drama, lights, and exotic animals as you "Experience the Birth". December 10 - 14, 2009 - Thursday - Monday - Open from 6:30PM - 9:00PM - Five 30 minute Performances Nightly - Free Admission & Hot Drinks at Santa Clara First Baptist Church, 3111 Ben-ton Street, Santa Clara. www.BethlehemSC.com