St. John’s CALLSt. John’s Presbyterian Church2727 College Ave • Berkeley CA 94705 510.845.6830 • November 3, 2009As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you almost must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.Colossians 3: 12-14Coming up:• Sunday, Nov 8, EBSC (East Bay Sanctuary Covenant) dinner at 5:30pm in Hunter Hall. Plan to come for good fun, good food and the celebration of good work. Honoring Robert Rubin, Esq., (Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights) and Professors Beatriz Manz, PhD and Harley Shaiken, PhD. Harley Shaiken, Keynote Speaker 7:30pm. Wine and cheese and a silent auction 5:30pm, dinner at 6:30 pm. A donation ( $25-$200) is requested, but all are welcome, regardless of ability to contribute. RSVP appreciated: 540-5296 or maureenduignan@yahoo.com or nadia_rojas@berkeley.edu.• A memorial service will be held for Karla Lemon on Saturday, Nov 7, 10:00am at First Congregational Church in Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. (Take note: not at St. John's, due to an anticipated large number of attendees.)
• Christmas planning begins this Sunday, Nov 8 This Sunday immediately after church in the Sproul room all youth of the church and parents will meet with Fred Harvey and Todd Jolly to discuss plans for the Christmas pageant, formation of a pageant band, and a rehearsal schedule. The pageant will be presented Sunday Dec 13.
• Presbytery meeting at First Pres Berkeley, Tues, Nov 10, 3:00-10:00pm. Please attend if possible, as an important vote to validate the call of Lisa Larges to the service of That All May Freely Serve will be taken, which needs the presence of all who support the gay and lesbian community.
• Nov 22, special music in Worship to be performed by Bill Bennett and Charles Lee
We're connected! Electrical power has been restored to St. John's! With special thanks for help during our latest li'l crisis to Paul, Nelly, and Nick and Kevin Lynn (Ed. note: and Max Lynn)
Love, Max
Update from Lynne Royer, Stewardship Commission Chair:Our pledge income for 2009 is budgeted at $163,000 (based on pledge commitments received last year at this time). We received pledge income of $177,000 in 2008 and $205,000 in 2007. The decline in pledge income is due to the shifting membership of our church and the loss of some larger contributors. Year-to-date through September, we had received $115,849 in pledge donations so we're $6,400 under budget on pledges. Having the Maybeck High School in our building helps to offset the lower pledge income.This is an important time of year when the Session plans the budget for the coming new year. Pledge income comprises 40% of the church's total income so it's important that we hold pledge income at least steady if we want to return to a balanced budget (in the face of rising building costs). As of September, the church's expenses exceeded its income by $45,500 so we are likely to have a deficit for the full year 2009. We're coming off three years of balanced budgets. The shortfall in our budget this year is primarily due to Center fees falling short of budget. This can be attributed to the slow economy, the closure of the sanctuary as we repaired the cracked beam and less rentals than we had hoped for. Maybeck is fully moved in and paying rent so that has been a bright spot.The church is requesting that you consider and commit to a financial pledge for 2010 over the next few weeks. Session will be working to ensure we have a balanced budget next year and a big part of that is knowing what our pledge income will be.Stewardship Commitment Sunday is November 22nd. We will dedicate our financial pledges for 2010 in worship. Please bring the enclosed card with you to worship on the 22nd or mail it in to the church office.Thank you!Lynne Royer, Stewardship & Growth Commission Chair————————————————————————
The English literature seminar will have its third and final session on "Uncle Tom's Cabin" Thursday, November 5, at 2:30pm in the Campbell Reception Room. The reading assignment starts with Chapter 27 and ends with Chapter 45. We will also test the validity of some of Harriet Beecher's assumptions about slavery by referring to Kenneth Stampp's history, "The Peculiar Institution," which I am presently reading. All are welcome to attend. Our next studies under the heading "American Voices" feature poets:
December 3 Walt Whitman: “O Captain, My Captain;” “When Lilacs Last in the
Dooryard Bloomed”January 7 Emily Dickinson: “There’s a Certain Slant of Light,” “Because I
Could Not Stop for Death,” a Dickinson poem of your choice.Robert Frost: “The Gift Outright,” “After Apple-Picking,” A Frost
poem of your choice.Willa Cather's My Antonia, and Eudory Welty's Losing Battles will take us through spring!
—Virginia Anderson
—————————————————
Church Women United will meet at St. Paul's AME Church, 2024 Ashby Avenue, Friday, November 6, with coffee hour at 9:30am and meeting beginning at 10:00. The World Community Day program, led by Lois Okerstrom and Jackie DuBose, will be celebrated, followed by the annual Potluck Luncheon. For further information, call Marietta Harveyor Ardyce Worth.
—————————————————
Water into Wine, St. John's "just for fun" party time, is meeting at the McPhails', 242 Trinity Ave., in Kensington (parking on one side of street only) 5:00-8:00 on Nov 14. Please bring goodies to share.
————————————————————————
Sandra Soderlund will be performing on Nov 22 at 4:00pm as part of the St. John's Organ Recital Series. Sandra is a well-known organist to Bay Area audiences and teaches organ at Mills College. Please join us for some music of Advent and beyond. Tickets are $20/$10.
————————————————————————
Flick Flak on Friday, Nov 27, will be at the home of Ann Arndt, 220 Stonewall Road, Berkeley, because the church building will be closed. 6:30 potluck. The movies are "An Education" currently at the Albany, and/or "The Damned United" playing at the Elmwood.
—————————————————
Women at the Well will meet on November 28, 8:30am in the church office.————————————————————————
New issue of "Presbyterians Today" available
“Jay Leno, evangelist?” For those who are fans of Jay or are just discovering him now that he's on television at an earlier hour, you may enjoy this article in the Nov issue. The author compares Leno’s style as interviewer and comedian with Philip in Acts Chapter 8. Included in the magazine is an Advent Calendar. Feel free to take a copy in the narthex on Sunday or outside the church office during the week.
————————————————————————Can you help? Margarita Alonzo, St. John's Sunday childcare provider, is looking for additional work. She is available Mon-Thurs and has extensive experience in childcare. She has also worked in food service for UC Berkeley and in housecleaning. If you have anything that might be of interest to her, please call her or see her at church on Sunday mornings in The Ark.————————————————————————Sunday Forums soon and down the line:Nov 8 – A report on our ongoing contact with Nazarene and Pentacostal churches in
Ecuador including Sara Harling's trip this past July and Harlan Stelmach’s work.Nov 15 Faith at Work: Presenters John Taylor and Sally Hussey.Nov 22 Faith at Work: Presenters Fred Goff and Tami Boulet.Nov 29 Rabbi Diane Elliot of the Aquarium Minyan speaks to us on the Torah: Wisdom,
revelation, and Power.Dec 5 & 12 Pastor Max and Intern Jason Guy will speak to us about "Ethan’s next question."
Some of you may remember that in a Children’s Time this summer Ethan
Saldinger asked Kathy Pratt, "Do you mean God speaks to us?" We thought
Ethan’s next question might well be “HOW?”St. John's Presbyterian Church
2727 College Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94705