Monday, October 3, 2011

October 2011


Dear Friends,

Something remarkable happened on World Communion Sunday at Foothill Presbyterian Church: under the direction of Jay Jordana and funded by the incredible generosity of church members, our choir, with the accompaniment and support of professional musicians, put on an amazing performance of Vivaldi’s Gloria during worship.

I don’t spend time in other churches on Sunday mornings, but I would have a hard time believing any other church could do as well as we did with the Gloria—and by “any other church” I mean even the tall-steeple, East-coast churches with music endowments. We were that good.

It is a testament to what can be accomplished by churches our size—slightly-larger-than-average-sized-but-still-fairly-small congregations with a slightly-younger-than-average-but-still-graying membership whose giving is generous-but-not-large-enough-to-keep-financial-worries-at-bay.

All too often we have ideas for ministry in the life of the church or out in the world, but we don’t pursue those ideas because we assume our church is too small, too tired, too lacking in resources. But we can do great things if we put our minds to it.

We’re going to keep doing great music. Already we’re starting to talk about our next major musical offering, and if you want to be part of making that happen through financial contributions or through your musical talent, please let me or Jay know; and as we continue with our fantastic musical ministry, keep dreaming about other ways we might do great things.

How might we make a positive impact in the lives of children and youth? How might we be better in our outreach to seniors? What new things can be done with our church property?  How can we do more to feed the poor?

The dreams we have are a gift from God, and if we use those dreams, combined with the strength of creativity, God will use us to do amazing things.

Peace,
Ben



A Note From Pastor Ben
 *Bible Lesson*
Chapel Day with Pastor Ben
Thursday, October 6
*Spiritual Message is Self Control*

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.      1 Peter 1:13

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ     2 Peter 1:6-8

*Special Days in October*

10/6 Sending flowers to The Lucile Packard Children Hospital

10/13 Song games with Jay Jordana

10/14 Musical instrument parade

10/21 Fieldtrip- Disney on Ice

10/31 Costume parade & party


Family Camp
Eileen Parks and Susan Andersen 


THANKS TO ALL who came to our Foothill Church Family Camp Weekend this year.  We were 42 people strong: 28 adults and 14 children of various ages.   The weather was mild, the food was delicious, the speaker interesting, the childcare supportive, and the fellowship outstanding.  (As one new participant said, "Now I understand why people come to family camp.  I really feel a part of this church family after this weekend.")

Thank you to all the wonderful people who helped make this weekend such a success, especially Greg Hill for so many "little" things (like table setup, children's games, and "nurse" duties; Jim Withrow for leading our hike: Kraig Williams, Bill Andersen, Ben Daniel, Izak Joubert, and Jay Jordana for music; Peg Nickl for “rescuing” our children’s program at the last minute, Glenda Parmentier for name tags & door signs; Lee Purkey for a thoughtful program, and Happy Valley for clean rooms, good food, and a restful setting.

HEADS UP, EVERYONE!  Next year, we have been able to book the weekend after Labor Day for our camp.  This was the weekend we had for years and years in our old camp site, and now there is a vacancy here.  SO - please mark your calendars  right now for September 7-9, 2012.  We will be updating you as the year goes on.




Family Camp Kids Program
Peg Nickl
 
Over Family Camp weekend our kids learned about charity and the importance of giving.  They learned about Heifer® International and as a group decided to collect enough money to buy bees, chicks, and a sheep.

They chose bees to provide honey and wax to sell, chicks for eggs to eat and sell, and a sheep to provide milk and warm wool.

The kids decorated shipping tubes to use as collection banks.  They also decorated a really big tube to let everyone at Foothill know what they are trying to accomplish.

Please look for the Heifer® display in the narthex and help the kids meet their goal of $170.00.




All Church Service Day
Saturday, October 15th
8AM to 2PM



Grab your favorite tools and roll up your sleeves, it’s time for some end of summer cleaning up.  There’s plenty to be done so we’ll need plenty of hands to help out.




Halloween Festival
Saturday, Oct. 29 5PM


Volunteers Needed!!  Contact Nancy Leonard in the church office to volunteer to help with this year's Halloween Festival.  Bring your candy donations to the narthex.









Rain Ponchos for the Homeless
Pat Plant, Hunger Action Advocate for Presbytery of San Jose


rain poncho
Rain Ponchos for the Homeless

" If you have a friend who is in need of food and clothing,and you say to him, "Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat hearty," and then don't give him clothes or food, what good does that do? ~ James 2:16

Rain Ponchos

It's bad enough that there are so many people living on our streets without income or homes.  It's much worse, unbelievably awful, when it rains and these brothers and sisters of ours get wet.

For nearly ten years the Presbytery, through its churches, has purchased over 50,000 rain ponchos for homeless people.  Once again we are hoping to offer this rain gear to people we call “outdoor citizens,” and we need your help!

As Hunger Action Advocate for our Presbytery, I'm coordinating this year’s drive.  I'm hoping your Mission Budget can include a donation (of any amount you can spare) to the Presbytery's "Rain Poncho Fund" for a joint purchase of several thousand rain ponchos.  You can either distribute these to your favorite agencies who serve the homeless (but coordinate with me as I am already connected to these agencies and they are waiting for our shipment and delivery,)  or I will totally handle distribution with the aid of InnVision's Georgia Travis Center in San Jose who will house the delivery until all the boxes are distributed to helping agencies.

Each rain poncho, depending on the total order, can be as inexpensive as a few dollars.  We hope to distribute several thousand of these so we are hoping to collect $5,000 to $6,000. Since the rain has already begun to fall, we need to act on this NOW!  Please send your checks made out to the Presbytery of San Jose, attention: Pat Plant, 888 N. First St., Se. 320, San Jose 95112.


Warm Coats

"If you have two coats," he replied, "give one to the poor. If you have extra food, give it away to those who are hungry." ~ Luke 3:11

This winter I'm also encouraging all our churches to collect warm coats, sweaters and umbrellas (which members may have in quantity in closets at home,) on a Sunday in October or November. If you do this and give them out on your own, please report to me the number of things you collect so we can get an idea of how helpful we are as a Presbytery keeping people warm.  If you are willing to do a collection but can't deliver them to an agency that will lovingly give them to people in need of a coat or sweater, contact me and I will arrange to pick up your collection and make sure they get distributed to people in need of a warm coat.

I praise God for your generosity to the poor who live among us.  I know you give funding to local agencies and collect food.  Many of you even work to alleviate hunger and poverty through advocacy and social action.  Every one of these efforts is a blessing of great worth. Together we are working to make the world a better place. Amen.
 

With much love and many prayers,

Pat Plant
Hunger Action Advocate for Presbytery of San Jose
(408) 279-0220; pat@sanjosepby.org








'For



Foothill Fellowship Lunch
Wednesday, October 26th
11:30AM @ Denny's
Capitol Ave & Berryessa Road










Fiber Arts Group
meets every 1st & 2nd Saturday
in Room 9 at 10AM.
All are welcome.






Men's Breakfast
First Saturday of the Month
8:30AM









The Life of a Seminary Student & Chaplain
Maxine Millender

When God says do it, He’s already planned the resources we need to accomplish the task- Sper.
During the month of August, I worked a total of 12 nights. This month has been filled with many different kinds of crises that have been emotional, yet rewarding. I had several deaths (4), code blues (3), crisis calls/trauma (9), motor vehicle accidents (8), stabbing (1), miscarriage (1), assaults (3), gun shots (1), strokes (5), shortness of breathes (3) and one disturbance by a patient. When I share with you, I choose calls to show you what kinds of crisis come to the hospital and what happens to the patient and their family. For a patient, it is a crisis when they are in the hospital. Due to cutbacks I will be working 2 nights each week (Fri and Sat), starting the week of September 12th. I had been working three nights each week.

Read More

On early Saturday morning (August 6), a young man (27) was air lifted to our hospital because he was stomped in the stomach by a bull. He loved riding bulls and had been riding since he was in his teens. The type of bull riding he was doing is called Mexican bull riding. It is more dangerous because those riding have their legs tied to the bull and ride with hands in the air. There is a lot of money to be made but on this particular night, this man fought for his life. What he didn’t know was his liver was damaged! He was taken to nearby hospital, given blood products and air-lifted to our hospital. Throughout the night he received 20 pints of blood plus blood products. His RN explained that he lost blood in his entire body (3X) and they had to keep giving him blood but could not stop the bleeding. He had gone to surgery and the team tried everything they could to save him.

When his wife and her brother arrived, they were in utter shock. His brother arrived and was scared to go into his room. When I finally convinced him that I would be with him, he walked into his room, went to the bed, cried and in Spanish said, Why. The RNs in the room were in tears and some had to leave the room. The Doctor had most of the trauma RNs working to save his life. His wife wanted everything done and she was informed by the Doctor that everything was being done to save his life. We had a tech and RN who spoke Spanish and they translated for us. When he went into cardiac arrest, they tried cpr but it was futile. When the Doctor pronounced, his wife passed out and we had to get a bed and have a wheel-chair available. When she woke up, she said in Spanish, I want to die also because my husband said he would never leave me and our three children. I spent the entire night with the family, hugging, saying prayers, and comforting them. It was a very emotional and sad night for all of us. (The hospital supply of blood was drained on this night.)

At 2:00 am on August 13th, a young lady (25) was rushed to the hospital. She had been drinking and was the driver. The car spun out of control on the oil slicked road. It rained on this night, the roads were slick and many people forget that the first rains can be dangerous. The car rolled over and when EMS found her, she was trapped between the car and door. I called her parents to let them know she was in the trauma area of our ER department. They rushed to the hospital, received a medical update from an RN and neuro-surgeon. Her mom informed me she had worked at the hospital as an RN and said her husband had been a Chaplain but was now a Pastor in a church. When I escorted them to her room, they were in shock but wanted the medical facts. They wanted to donate (tissue, eyes) but we were not able to use her organs because she coded and they did not want any aggressive measures taken. Because it was so sad, many of the young RNs had to leave the room. After speaking to the Medical Examiner, I had to inform the parents she was going to their office for an autopsy; they cried. I comforted them for a long time. Her boyfriend was the passenger, he was hurt but discharged. The RN informed him she had died, he sobbed for a long time, and I comforted him also.

Sometimes I wonder why people can be so mean! On this same night (August 13th), a young man (27) was brought in because he walking in a garage to get his car and was hit by a driver going about 40 mph, (per the police) and he was left on the ground! Someone spotted him and called 911. His parents live in Houston; I called them but was informed the police had already spoken to them. They had found his cell phone. I called them throughout the night while they were driving and met them the following night. I was able to keep them informed with medical information that I received from the RN.

I continue to thank God for the wonderful call of being a Chaplain. It is a blessing to be present for a patient and their family and be there at their lowest point. I am a servant to them! Whenever they have personal belongings, I lock them in our security safe until they are able to ask for them.

Seminary status School started on 8/24. I have one class for this semester and it will be a lot of reading, a research paper (20 pages) and three written exams. I have already selected my research topic and waiting for the Professor to approve it. It is due the 2nd week in November and this will come quickly.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers.
~ to be continued~
Worry is pulling tomorrow’s CLOUDS over today’s SUNSHINE-Adrian Rogers