Irvington Presbyterian Church Fremont, CA October, 2011 Sundays Worship 10:15 a.m. (Nursery and Children Sun- day School During Service) J.O.Y. Bible Study: 9:00 a.m. Irvington Chinese Presbyterian Service: 10:15 a.m. Weekdays 9 Communion and Prayer Church Directory Bible Studies Inside this issue: Deacon’s Update 2 Missions 3 Session News & Notes 4 Youth Ministry 5 Children’s Ministry 6 Activities Update 7 Congregation News 8 Your Congregation 10 October Calendar 11 Mailing 12 Humans are, as it were, hard-wired to respond to good things with praise and admiration. We have a built-in need to tell other people about what we admire. “I found this great restau- rant.” “Have you seen this movie?” “Have you met this wonderful person I know?” Since God is by far the best there is, we humans find our fulfill- ment in expressing our love, wonder and admiration for God. As a vital part of our thriving in God‟s grace, we meet regularly to offer our- selves anew to God and to receive blessings from him. In particular we meet on Sunday morning to worship God. He is the audience; we all are the ones who offer our hearts to him. There is a horizontal element to wor- ship. We belong together, and each one of us has gifts that are a blessing to all. Our worship is a sign of our oneness in Christ. Worship is vertical too, as we join our voices and hearts to tell God how we love him and offer ourselves anew to him. We receive from Him in the message, in the pray- ers, in our monthly Holy Communion. Just as the cross has a horizontal and a vertical beam, our worship ties us together to one another and draws us closer to God. Worship is also a way we welcome people into the family of God. when they see how we admire God, they appreciate him as well. Music has always been the way God‟s people tell God how they love him. As soon as the Israelites es- caped from Egypt and became the people of God they sang together on the shores of the Red Sea, “I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted. … The LORD is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation. He is my God and I will praise him.” (Exodus 15:1-2) Paul tells us to „be filled with the Spir- it. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.‟ (Ephesians 5:18-19) As we at IPC search for a new music director, now that Jonathan Fadner has left us, please pray for God‟s wis- dom for the search team. Pray that God lead us to someone who can di- rect our hearts and minds to help us find the freedom to express the love we have for him. Yours in the Love of Christ, Pastor Michael What is Worship? What is Worship?
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Irvington Presbyterian Church Fremont, CA October, 2011
Sundays
Worship 10:15 a.m.
(Nursery and Children Sun-
day School During Service)
J.O.Y. Bible Study: 9:00 a.m.
Irvington Chinese
Presbyterian Service:
10:15 a.m.
Weekdays 9
Communion and Prayer
Church Directory
Bible Studies
Inside this issue:
Deacon’s Update 2
Missions 3
Session News & Notes 4
Youth Ministry 5
Children’s Ministry 6
Activities Update 7
Congregation News 8
Your Congregation 10
October Calendar 11
Mailing 12
Humans are, as it were, hard-wired to respond to good things with praise and admiration. We have a built-in need to tell other people about what we admire. “I found this great restau-rant.” “Have you seen this movie?” “Have you met this wonderful person I know?” Since God is by far the best there is, we humans find our fulfill-ment in expressing our love, wonder
and admiration for God.
As a vital part of our thriving in God‟s grace, we meet regularly to offer our-selves anew to God and to receive blessings from him. In particular we meet on Sunday morning to worship God. He is the audience; we all are
the ones who offer our hearts to him.
There is a horizontal element to wor-ship. We belong together, and each one of us has gifts that are a blessing to all. Our worship is a sign of our oneness in Christ. Worship is vertical too, as we join our voices and hearts to tell God how we love him and offer ourselves anew to him. We receive from Him in the message, in the pray-ers, in our monthly Holy Communion. Just as the cross has a horizontal and a vertical beam, our worship ties us together to one another and draws us closer to God. Worship is also a way we welcome people into the family of God. when they see how we admire
God, they appreciate him as well.
Music has always been the way God‟s people tell God how they love
him. As soon as the Israelites es-caped from Egypt and became the people of God they sang together on the shores of the Red Sea, “I will sing
to the Lord, for He is highly exalted. … The LORD is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation. He is my God and I will praise
him.” (Exodus 15:1-2)
Paul tells us to „be filled with the Spir-it. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the
Lord.‟ (Ephesians 5:18-19)
As we at IPC search for a new music director, now that Jonathan Fadner has left us, please pray for God‟s wis-dom for the search team. Pray that God lead us to someone who can di-rect our hearts and minds to help us find the freedom to express the love
we have for him.
Yours in the Love of Christ,
Pastor Michael
What is Worship?What is Worship?
Irvington Presbyterian Church page 2 October, 2011
DEACON’S NEWS
DEACON’S REPORT DEACON’S REPORT
- Mary Wolfe
SPECIAL 125th ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM AND DINNER SPECIAL 125th ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM AND DINNER –– Mary WolfeMary Wolfe
Reserve October 8, 2011 on your calendars for a special tribute to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of IPC. Plans have been finalized for a very special program that will review our history and teach about “Things I Remember” from former and current members. Prepare yourself to be challenged
with the message “Honor the Past, Embrace the Future.” There will also
be special music and congregational singing.
The event is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. in the IPC sanctuary. Following the program, a catered dinner will be served in the Social Hall. Reser-vations are required and limited. The deadline for reserving a dinner space is September 29. The $5 per dinner charge may be paid directly to Mary Wolfe after worship on Sunday, September 25. You may also
pay at the church office. Please make your reservations early.
FUND DRIVE ESTABLISHED FOR INSTALLING OUR BELLFUND DRIVE ESTABLISHED FOR INSTALLING OUR BELL–– Mary WolfeMary Wolfe
After some research, it was discovered that our church bell was installed in the bell tower of “The Little White Church” in 1896. This sets the age of the bell at 115 years. Efforts are underway to mount the bell (probably above the choir room)
and have it operational this year.
A special “Let the Bell Ring Again Offering” will be a part of our 125th anniversary program. The estimated cost to reactivate our beautiful, bronze, 500 lb. bell and have it installed is about $4,000. Your prayerful donations to help us cover this cost would be greatly appreciated.
Please mark your donation, “Let the Bell Ring Again Program”.
Six of our Deacons were present at the Board of Deacons meeting held in the McKowen Room on Tuesday, September 20 at 7:00 pm. Several Deacons were ill and, therefore, unable to attend.
Ron Fong, Clerk of Session, sat in for Pastor Michael who was on vacation.
After opening with prayer and a devotional given by Geraldine Hoyt, the minutes of the August 16
Deacons‟ meeting and August 25 Board of Elders meeting were reviewed and approved.
Communion and Coffee assignments were reviewed and assigned.
Especially noteworthy in the several items of business that were addressed, was the assignment of
new members, Nick Look and Mindy Chin to Deacon Karen Jaycox‟s Parish #2.
Joys and concerns were shared and the meeting was closed with prayer.
For information about, or to identify your assigned Deacon, call the church office at
510-657-3133 or Moderator, June Dawson, at 510-656-2277. Please call your Deacon if you have a
concern or need.
Irvington Presbyterian Church page 3 October, 2011
Caroline Kurtz to Visit IPC October 23Caroline Kurtz to Visit IPC October 23——Tim Stachowiak Tim Stachowiak (editorial update)(editorial update)
Caroline Kurtz is an Associate Director of the Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship (PFF), a "Validated
Mission Support Group" of PCUSA, dedicated to advancing faith in Jesus among the unreached or
sparsely reached peoples of the world. Caroline will first preach during our Sunday Worship and
then present her ministry‟s work during an Ethiopian-themed luncheon in the Social Hall following
worship. Luncheon is $5 per person and you can sign up during social hour beginning October 9.
Much of Caroline‟s efforts are focused on the growth in Christian spiritual development among the
peoples of southwestern Ethiopia. Caroline and PFF also work with Light
of Hope Ministries to deliver Christ's saving message among the Arssi
Oromo people. Your generous donations have helped IPC fund Caroline
as well as the Light of Hope Ministry that she supports. On September
25, IPC congregation enjoyed a video of Arssi Oromo Christians, singing
worship songs written in their own language. IPC is excited to partner
with Caroline. We look forward to her visit and hearing about her work.
MISSIONS UPDATE OUR NEW MISSIONARIESOUR NEW MISSIONARIES——Patti BoylandPatti Boyland
David and Sara T. are a new addition to IPC‟s missionary family. On August 21, we were blessed by
their visit to IPC. During the worship hour, they showed a film about their work among an un-
reached Muslim people in Asia. Sarah and David work with a group whose members are unable to
freely practice their chosen faith or show their love for Jesus Christ.
After worship, the IPC Missions Team hosted a luncheon for Sarah, David and their four young chil-
dren. They, in turn, shared with the congregation, their activities in community development and
teaching about the love of Jesus. Their ability to embrace a deep-rooted Muslim culture and present
the gospel within the framework of this culture is remarkable. Excellent presentations by both Sara
and David were well received with lots of good questions and positive feedback from the more than
50 people who were in attendance.
David and Sara are in the States now on furlough and will return in November to the remote area in
Asia where they have been living for about ten years. Even though their work is very challenging, it
is evident that they really enjoy sharing the word of Christ. They are enjoying their stateside visit;
and at the same time, are enthusiastically looking forward to getting back to their village to continue
their ministry.
It was a good opportunity to hear first hand of such frontier mission work. The IPC Missions Team is
pleased that we are now helping support several missionaries involved in sharing the gospel among
people who have never had a church in their culture.
Note: We are unable to show pictures or specify the location of this ministry because of the sensitive nature of David
and Sara T’s work. Please continue to pray for their continued success.
Caroline And Christian Friends
Irvington Presbyterian Church page 4 October, 2011
Buildings & GroundsBuildings & Grounds
A diseased Linden tree outside the Social Hall
was removed.
We are working on steam cleaning the nursery
carpets and are in the process of obtaining
quotes for repainting the Social Hall and replac-
ing the carpet in the sanctuary.
The City of Fremont has requested that the Com-
munity Development Block Grant for the Social
hall roof be completed by June 30, 2012.
PersonnelPersonnel
Session approved a paid staff position for a part-
time Worship Leader who will also be the Music
Director and work with the Pastor to coordinate
Sunday Worship. We are in the process of ad-
vertising this position. In the meantime, Session
has approved the appointment of Daniel Khuc,
our organist, as the interim Music Director, pend-
ing recruitment of a Worship Leader. There is a
planned Congregational Meeting on October 16
or 23 to elect Pat Jeffries as a Worship Elder.
New Book of Order NomenclatureNew Book of Order Nomenclature
The new Book of Orders has the following name
changes that were adopted by Session.
“Ordered Ministry” replaces “office”
Deacons are still deacons, but they are now the
“Ministry of Compassion and Service”.
Elders are now “Ruling Elders with the Ministry of
Discernment and Governance”.
Pastors are now “Teaching Elders with the Minis-
try of the Word and the Sacrament”.
Installing The BellInstalling The Bell
Of the six possible locations to hang the 115
year old IPC bell, the most esthetically pleasing
and appealing is to mount the bell on the roof of
the choir room. A feasibility/design study with
Session News & Notes - Ron Fong
quotations will be completed before a decision
is made to permanently locate the bell.
Chinese MinistryChinese Ministry
Angelina Yu‟s brother was sick in Hong Kong.
Amy Wu reached him and prayed the sinner‟s
prayer with him. Amy is also arranging for peo-
ple to take him to a local church. despite oppo-
sition from his Buddhist family.
Worship Task ForceWorship Task Force
The 3 Groups that were formed from the Task
Force to address the recommended issues to
enhance the IPC worship are:
MUSIC Action Group
Kamroon Baksh (initial team leader)
Justin Chaikin, Betty Blizel, Helen Jogensen,
Peggy Handano, Mary Wolfe.
WORSHIP Action Group
Pat Jeffries (initial team leader)
Joan Fong, Helen Jorgensen, Doug Blizel,
Darleen Neesham, Mustapha Baksh,
Betty Blizel, Mary Ellen McKowen
PRESENTATION Action Group
Ronnie Fong (initial team leader)
Alexis DiMaggio, Cathy Jeffries, Mustapha
Baksh, Jeanne Garrett (bulletin only)
FinanceFinance
New worker‟s compensation insurance starts
10/1. Thanks to Don Carson for finding a new
policy with a 44% reduction in premium. The
summer dip was deeper than in years past.
Finance is now projecting an end of year deficit
instead of a minor surplus. Clearwire rental
payments were increased per the lease.
Irvington Presbyterian Church page 5 October, 2011
Irvington Presbyterian Church Page 10 October, 2011
knowing your Congregation
- Editors
Anh began his ministry as Director of IPC Youth Ministries in August 2010. He has been affiliated with IPC since youth, through membership in Home of Christ 3. He credits his IPC appointment to Elder Ron Fong who recognized the value of Anh‟s commitment and passion to serve in our Youth Ministry. Anh believes: “It was God‟s divine plan for me to be here.” This past June, he formally
became a member of IPC; and concurrently, was ordained Elder At Large.
Anh values the autonomy he has when working with the youths at IPC. His focus, with the Lord leading, is on giving his charges the same opportunity he had to be free of sin, guilt and shame; and to replace these with grace, blessings, acceptance and baptism. His plan for leading youth groups is based on his interpretation of 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ‟s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ‟s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in
insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Anh credits his decision to form 12 Stones, the Youth Ministry group, to his beautiful wife, Eachan, whom he met and fell in love with while volunteering at a Youth Ministry. They both share the same love and joy for Christ and for ministering to youth. (12 Stones is so named for the 12 tribes of Israel that lay the foundations of the world today.) Anh states: “Eachan is an amazing person who hears God‟s calling and acts based on His teachings.” Anh and Eachan ministered 12 Stones on their own with 10 students and no church support for the first year. During the second year 12 Stones combined with IPC stu-dents to form the IPC Student Ministries. This combined group grew from a small fellowship and has now expanded “beyond expectations.” 12Stones Student Ministries now encompasses a Friday Night Fellowship, College Fellowship, and a Sunday Ser-vice. Three students from 12 Stones, Nick Look, Alex Chung and Mindy Lai committed to the Lord
by Baptism. This past summer Anh led the Restoration Service program, an evening youth service.
Anh‟s commitment and dedication are evident in the achievements of his 12 Stones Youth Group who conducted worship service on Sunday August 21. They led the congregation through a com-plete program of music and prayer, much to the delight of the congregation. He is looking forward
to future opportunities to lead worship when his group returns from college during holidays.
When asked how he came to be a Christian, Anh replied: “My story of how I came to Christ is a bit complex. I would love to tell you over a meal or cup of boba milk tea! I can tell you what Christ means to me now. He has made me happy with who and what I am because of His love for me and mine for Him. My focus is on
Him. I do everything because of Him”.
Anh discusses the love in his family: “My wife, Eachan, is my love. After 8 years of knowing my wife, the last 5 being married, our love for each other is stronger than ever. Our daughter, Charis Bella, is our life. God binds all three of us together. Being a witness to the birth of Charis was definitely a life changing experience. No words can ever describe the beauty and wonder God allows to be created between two people so much in love with
Christ and each other”.
With 12 SM Students
Anh, Charis and Eachan
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IRVINGTON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
4181 Irvington Avenue
P.O. Box 1366
Fremont, CA 94538-0133
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Fremont, CA
Please Note: October 24 is the deadline for our November issue.
All articles are to be delivered in writing to the church office or by email