Sunday Morning Adult Study Class—On May 6, 13, 20, 27, and June 3 we will be viewing the Visual Bible International production of The Gospel of John narrated by Christopher Plummer (Movie-2005) followed by discussion.

An epic in the spirit of The Passion of the Christ, this widely acclaimed motion picture is a meticulous recreation of the turbulent era of Jesus and the events that changed the course of history! Narrated by Golden Globe nominee Christopher Plummer (Best Supporting Actor, American Tragedy, 2000), it’s the bold and powerful story of Jesus as told by his disciple John. The best-loved but least understood of the gospels, John presents a uniquely human portrait of courage and passion encompassing Jesus' entire three-year ministry, the final years of his life. Intimate and reflective, The Gospel of John offers an unparalleled opportunity to experience the incomparable life and times of Jesus Christ.

If you would like to recommend particular studies to the Adult Christian Education committee for consideration for our 2012-2013 Adult Study year, please contact Anne Spohnhauer.

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Adult Study—Sunday mornings at 8:30 AM in the library

Adult Study Classes 2011-2012

May 6-June 3

            The Gospel of John—Movie and discussion

                                                ____________________

If you are not currently participating in a small group, you might be interested in one of our ongoing small groups listed below!

Ongoing small groups:  

• Men's Book Group—1st/3rd Monday 7-8 PM (Saved Without a Doubt, John MacArthur) at the church…see Walter Winfield
• Women's Group—Thursday 10:00-11:30 AM (Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster) in the church library…see Robin Scott
• Men's Group—Thursday at 6:30 AM at the Lebens' home…see Mick Lebens
• Monday Women’s Book Study…evening study and dinner at The Odyssey Café—Monday at 5:30 PM (The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller)…see Joanne Breffle or Anne Spohnhauer

                                                ____________________

ACE Committee meetings are the second Sunday of the month. The next ACE meeting is on Friday, June 15 at noon at Odyssey Cafe for our yearly planning meeting.  If you are interested in the spiritual development of the adults in our congregation and would like to become a member of this committee, please contact Anne Spohnhauer.

Our Lectio Divina approach to the scripture was the other different piece of worship I asked you to experience, and again, I was grateful for your willingness to enter into the exercise.  In just the sampling of responses, I could tell there was an honest and varied engagement with the text.  The time available, as well as the nature of the setting, prohibited me from reading them all, but I plan to compile the responses in some fashion for us to get an overall sense of the thoughts, feelings, convictions, questions and doubts represented by our community of disciples.

›š

Our Anniversary Weekend is rapidly approaching.  Hopefully you aren’t feeling inundated with information and invitations, but it’s hard not to over-promote it, as milestones are few and far between.  125 isn’t the most significant of anniversaries, but it does fall on the quarter-century mark, and if nothing else, gives us an excuse to commemorate what God has done over the years, celebrate who we are at this point in time, and look forward to where God will take us in the future.  For me, it is especially meaningful because this is the longest pastoral relationship I’ve had with any church (and, God-willing, it will be my last), so it feels particularly special to be a part of something that recognizes the longevity of God’s faithfulness and the faithfulness of God’s people.

It has been a fun experience to plan and prepare with the committee, whose members are Walt Winfield, Cri Cri Eastin, Jean Schweitzer, Alice White, Carol Bowery, Ron Clark and Debby Price.  Each brings their unique gifts, perspective and relationship to the church over the years, and we’ve worked together well in crafting just the right amount and blend of activity to the weekend.  Cri Cri did an awesome job on publicity, and landed for us the cover and cover story in the May issue of Paso Robles Magazine.  Be sure to look for that and get a copy.  Ron, with his experience and expertise in Historical Societies and Museums, has overseen (with lots of help from Jean) the historical record-keeping of the church and presentation of the church’s history in the chapel.  Walter, with his gift for planning events, has been organizing the Chapel Open House on Saturday.  Carol has spearheaded our commemorative gift item, Debby has led the charge on the Picnic and BBQ, and Alice and I have been working on the Worship Service, encouraging former leaders and members to attend and participate.  Oh, and the congregational photo we took last Sunday? That was Jean’s idea. J  Others not on the committee have also been helpful – Dean Dawson has built the display cabinets for the Chapel; Chet and Jayme Finley are planning and preparing the bulk of the cooking for the picnic, along with the Fellowship Committee members who are taking care of dessert, drinks, etc.; Robert and Nancy are overseeing games and activities for the picnic; Vern, Iris and the Worship Committee are working on various elements of the worship service; Evan and other B&G personnel are working on sprucing up the entrance to the Chapel (including dealing with an underground varmint who appears to have feasted on the roots of the Italian Cypress by the steps); Mike and Sue Tindell made the beautiful banners publicizing the event for the community; and of course, the office staff, as usual, has been performing their behind-the-scenes efforts to support all the work involved in a project such as this.

My hope is that this will be the best-attended and most-celebrated all-church event we’ve had in my almost fourteen years as your pastor.  I urge you to make plans to attend everything you can that weekend; let’s affirm who we are to ourselves…and declare who we are to the community in which we have lived and served for 125 years.  THANKS BE TO GOD!

Faithfully,

Charlie

Sunday Morning Adult Study Class—Upon our return from one week off on Easter Sunday from our Adult Study class, Cynthia Gaw be teaching the following classes.

April 15- The History of the University

We will explore the roots of the modern Western University in a Christian worldview. Perhaps a look at successes and failures in the past will help us redeem this important cultural institution for the Kingdom. Always on the frontline of the spiritual battle, let us not abandon this key position to secularists. For the sake of our culture and our kids, we will think about what a university education was and should be.

April 29- Jesus’ Questions #1- How do Questions Work?

We will explore the intellectual dynamics of questions and discuss possible answers to some we raise about Jesus’ interrogative style. Jesus could have told us so much, so why did he spend so much time asking questions?  Why are we so much more comfortable in the role of teller than of asker? If we seek to imitate Christ, will we become good askers of probing questions? We will also examine the usefulness of questions as an apologetic tool.

May 6- Jesus’ Questions #2- Questions in Action

Following exegesis by Dick Keyes, we will look at many of Jesus’ questions in the gospels, and note how the interrogative mood deepens the response of the one questioned and improves the relationship with the questioner.

On May 13, 20, 27, and June 3 we will be viewing the Visual Bible International production of the Gospel of John narrated by Christopher Plummer (DVD) followed by discussion.

If you would like to recommend particular studies to the Adult Christian Education committee for consideration for our 2012-2013 Adult Study year, please contact Anne Spohnhauer.

                                                ——————————————-

Adult Study—Sunday mornings at 8:30 AM in the library

Adult Study Classes 2011-2012

April 15-June 3

            The History of the University, Jesus' Questions, DVD-Gospel of John

                                                ____________________

If you are not currently participating in a small group, you might be interested in one of our ongoing small groups listed below!

Ongoing small groups:  

• Men's Book Group—1st/3rd Monday 7-8 PM (Saved Without a Doubt, John MacArthur) at the church…see Walter Winfield
• Women's Group—Thursday 10:00-11:30 AM (Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster) in the church library…see Robin Scott
• Men's Group—Thursday at 6:30 AM at the Lebens' home…see Mick Lebens
• Monday Women’s Book Study…evening study and dinner at The Odyssey Café—Monday at 5:30 PM (New Testament in-depth study: Hebrews)…see Joanne Breffle or Anne Spohnhauer

                                                ____________________

ACE Committee meetings are the second Sunday of the month. The next ACE meeting is on Sunday, April 15 (the second Sunday is Easter Sunday)  shortly after church.  If you are interested in the spiritual development of the adults in our congregation and would like to become a member of this committee, please contact Anne Spohnhauer.

• Discussion concerning joining The Fellowship of Presbyterians.  We will make a decision on that question at the upcoming Session meeting (February 28).
• Electing to divert GA per capita payments to The Fellowship of Presbyterians.  (see article on per capita payments in this issue).  This giving decision reflects the sentiments of many in our congregation, as well as the elders, indicating the likelihood of what the session will decide regarding affiliation with The Fellowship.
• Monitoring the action and decisions of the upcoming General Assembly.
• Researching the particulars of the new Reformed body, Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians (ECO), and following the events related to its formation and development. 
• Participating in Presbytery conversations and being in dialogue with other congregations in the Presbytery that share our concerns, with the purpose to work together and avoid unilateral action on the part of any individual church.

≈

Next Wednesday, March 7, I head to Turkey, along with my two other team members, Ron and Peggy Gougher.  Ron and Peggy are a retired couple from El Monteceito Presbyterian Church.  We will be team-teaching six different classes on three consecutive week-ends – three classes on parenting young children, and three on parenting teen agers.  Two of the classes will be for church members, at different times to accommodate people’s schedules, and one for members of the community.  I can teach theses classes in English almost without preparation, as I have taught and lived these principles for the past 23 years.  But in Turkish…wow, that has been a challenge. 

We are working hard to get all the materials translated and how to work together in a live setting where the give-and-take between me and the class involves all the words being translated:  my English words being heard by a translator…then the translator understanding what he heard and then deciding what Turkish words to use to communicate to the class…then the class hearing and understanding what he said in Turkish…the class then asking or saying something in response…then the translator hearing and understanding what they said in Turkish and deciding what the best English words to use to communicate to me what they were saying.  Needless to say, by the time what was in my head gets inside of their head…and then what’s in their head gets back inside of my head – communication will be a challenge!  The ability to hear and respond to the nuances of people’s concerns and problems will be very different in this context.  But we believe God has called us to this endeavor, and our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will bless our intentions, our preparations and our time there to encourage and equip parents, and plants seeds of an ongoing family ministry in Antalya. 

I will be blogging about our experience there, and if you would like to keep abreast of what’s happening, go to http://impactturkey.blogspot.com.  I’ll be talking a bit more about my trip this Sunday during worship.

Faithfully,

Charlie

≈

SAVE THE DATE:  Sunday, May 6

125^th ANNIVERSARY WORSHIP SERVICE AND PICNIC

Sunday Morning Adult Study Class—Our current six-week study of Galatians based on Timothy Keller's materials has included lively discussions about the role of “works” with regard to salvation, great theological teaching about justification, and close looks at the image and significance of being adopted by God as sons and heirs.  Join us for our last three sessions of this study.  The Adult Study class meets at 8:30 AM in the library on Sunday mornings.

From February 26 through April 1 (the duration of the Lenten season), the adult study class will return to the Kerygma Hallelujah: Advent curriculum. We will focus on the biblical texts of the Messiah and the story they tell of the life and message of Christ. 

Join us for our Sunday morning Adult Study offerings for the 2011-2012 year.  You will find a nice selection of Bible studies, one New Testament book; the Kerygma Hallelujah study for Lent; and the Visual Bible International production of the Gospel of John narrated by Christopher Plummer (DVD) just to mention a few.
 

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Adult Study—Sunday mornings at 8:30 AM in the library

January 8-February 19

Timothy Keller's Galatians

February 26-April 1

Kerygma Hallelujah: Lent

April 15-June 3

DVD-Gospel of John and a variety of engaging short studies

____________________

Ongoing small groups:   If you are not currently participating in a small group, you might be interested in one of our ongoing small groups listed below!

Men's Book Group—1st/3rd Monday 7-8 PM (What Good is God, Phillip Yancy) at the church…see Walter Winfield
Women's Group—Thursday 10:00-11:30 AM (Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster) in the church library…see Robin Scott
Men's Group—Thursday at 6:00 AM at the Lebens' home…see Mick Lebens

Monday Women’s Book Study…evening study and dinner at The Odyssey Café—Monday at 5:30 PM (New Testament in-depth study: Hebrews)…see Joanne Breffle or Anne Spohnhauer

____________________

ACE Committee meetings are the second Sunday of the month. The next ACE meeting is on Sunday, February 12 shortly after church.  If you are interested in the spiritual development of the adults in our congregation and would like to become a member of this committee, please contact Anne Spohnhauer.

›š

Just a word to say “thank you” for the catching up on pledges at the end of the year.  We were getting behind to a point that we were starting to get concerned…but at the end of the year, pledge giving was at virtually 100%!   In a time when income is less predictable, I am grateful for your commitment and generosity.  And that is especially so when some other areas of income are less than anticipated. 

›š

Nominating Committee is underway.  We have a terrific committee and look forward to bringing on a new group of Elders and Deacons.  You can help by suggesting names of people you think would be potential candidates for serving in leadership (Elders) or in our parish caring ministry (Deacons).  Use the form in this issue of the Templetones and place it in the box in the Narthex or send it to the church, attention Evan Mason, who is the moderator of the Nominating Committee.

›š

As many of you know, especially if you were in worship on January 22, Joda Harrington died and went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, January 17.  Had she lived until August 26 she would have celebrated her 50^th year as an active member of this congregation.  We look forward to celebrating her life as a witness to the resurrection of Christ, and of all those in Christ, on Saturday, February 11 at 11am.   Joda’s membership spanned almost 40% of the total number of years this church has been in existence – 125 years come this May 8.  As I indicated in this column last month, we will celebrate that history, as well as this moment in that history as we seek to be faithful to the vision of Rev. Francis Robinson and the 14 charter members who signed the membership roll on that day.  Please reserve the weekend of May 5-6 for some special times of commemoration and celebration.

Faithfully,

I think our church was one of the big “hits” at Templeton’s first A Main Street Christmas, with cake pops and popcorn on the corner of 6^th and Main for all who passed by (and plenty did), as well as a community-participation handbell and chime choir songfest.  It was a delight to see people get up out of the pews and make music in a way they never had before.  Especially touching was what appeared to be a mother and her adult child with apparent development disability issues ringing together and having a marvelous time.

I don’t think anyone left the sanctuary on December 11 who wasn’t blessed by the Faith Factory presentation of Miracle on Main Street.  It was obvious that the children and adults had worked hard to prepare a musical for the worship experience of the whole church, which is a blessing in itself, but the experience was magnified by the message itself.  It was a moment in which we were presented with the truth of the gospel through the singing and acting and speaking of those whom Jesus commanded that we give full access to Him – the children. 

Our Living Nativity enjoyed what I believe was our most successful year to date, both in terms of attendance (over 700), in terms of animals (2 sheep, a donkey Mary could ride, and…drumroll please…a camel!), and in terms of congregation and community involvement.  I’ve already reserved the camel for next year. J 

Our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services were well-attended and allowed options for people to choose both the time and type of service that would best facilitate their celebration of the birth of Christ.  I was glad that people took “come as you are” seriously, and children were free to come in their pajamas, and adults in their furry slippers.  A personal thank-you to those who were brave enough to recite portions of Luke 2:1-20 for our scripture reading on Christmas Day. 

These events were beautifully surrounded by Sunday morning worship services, Advent at Night, numerous fellowship gatherings (i.e. parties) of various ministry groups, and probably most important of all – the love within each and every family of the church as we lived this season together in our homes, sharing in the traditions, rituals and everyday life that makes Advent and Christmas the special time it is.

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The year 2012 is a special year.  Not just because it is the last year on the Mayan Calendar (get ready for a slew of doomsday scenarios), but because 125 years ago our church was founded.  In our official church records, we read these words,

“…on May 8^th, 1887, the First Presbyterian Church was organized by Rev. Francis J. Robinson
with fourteen (14) members whose names appear upon the roll.”

One Hundred and Twenty-Five years is worth celebrating, so we plan to do that.  We have set aside the weekend of May 5-6 (Sat-Sun) to celebrate 125 years God’s faithfulness…125 years of persevering stewardship of the Presbyterian portion of the body of Christ in Templeton…AND this particular moment in time in which God has entrusted the current and future mission of this congregation into our hands – those whom God has called together at this time to be church on 6^th and Main.  I hope you will all set aside Saturday and Sunday (Sunday especially) to be a part of what will take place on those days.  More details will be forthcoming soon.  We are forming a Task Force to help plan the May events, and would welcome anyone who would like to participate.  Please speak to me or Walt Winfield if you are interested. 

As we enjoyed a long and rich past … may this year be full of new signs of the kingdom of God among us – signs of love and power and grace and growth…signs of the presence of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Spirit – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God now and forever.  Amen!

Faithfully,

Charlie

Sunday Morning Adult Study Class—Think back to the last time you attended a performance or listened to a recording of Handel's Messiah…because of the magnificence of the music itself, we are often distracted from following the libretto or text used in this oratorio.  For the four weeks of Advent, our class will focus on the biblical text of the Messiah beginning with Isaiah chapter 40.  The Kerygma Hallelujah: Advent curriculum, which includes the London Symphony's recording, will provide us with historical contexts and encourage our personal reflection.  We will conclude this study of the Messiah during six Sundays in Lent.  The Adult Study class meets at 8:30 AM in the library on Sunday mornings.

Be on the look-out for the next time Ray Derby teaches a class; he just concluded an information-packed, three-Sunday study of the Old Testament book Micah…he is exceptionally well prepared, thorough, and knowledgeable!

The Women's Retreat on November 12 was delightful!  We studied Matthew 25:1-13, the ten maidens and the bridegroom, and realized that this text, which on the surface reminds us that we need to be prepared and patient while waiting for the Lord to come (along with other long-awaited events), really speaks to us (the five prepared maidens) about the presence of the Holy Spirit (the oil) in our lives (lamps) who will hold the door to the banquet feast open for us.  Thanks to the great organization and instructions of Nancy Hutchison, we made beautiful Advent wreaths!  There are several bags of everything you need to make a wreath still in the fellowship hall…cost is $10.  Our lunch and desserts were wonderful also.  Thanks to all who diligently worked to make this happen and all who attended.

Join us for our Sunday morning Adult Study offerings for the 2011-2012 year.  You will find a nice selection of Bible studies, one New Testament book; the Kerygma Hallelujah study for Advent and Lent; and the Visual Bible International production of the Gospel of John narrated by Christopher Plummer (DVD) just to mention a few. 

Adult Study—Sunday mornings at 8:30 AM in the library

November 27-December 18

Kerygma Hallelujah: Advent

January 8-February 19

Timothy Keller's Galatians

February 26-April 1

Kerygma Hallelujah: Lent

April 15-June 3

DVD-Gospel of John and a variety of engaging short studies

____________________

If you are not currently participating in a small group, you might be interested in one of our ongoing small groups listed below!

Ongoing small groups:  

Men's Book Group—1st/3rd Monday 7-8 PM (Saved Without a Doubt, John Macarthur, beginning December 19) at the church…see Walter Winfield
Women's Group—Thursday 10:00-11:30 AM (Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster) in the library…see Robin Scott

Men's Group—Thursday at 6:30 AM …see Mick Lebens

Monday Women’s Book Study…evening study and dinner at The Odyssey Café—Monday at 5:30 PM (New Testament in-depth study: Hebrews)…see Joanne Breffle or Anne Spohnhauer

____________________

ACE Committee meetings are the second Sunday of the month. The next ACE meeting is on Sunday, December 11 shortly after church.  If you are interested in the spiritual development of the adults in our congregation and would like to become a member of this committee, please contact Anne Spohnhauer.

Christ, Culture and the Church – Oct. 23
Sola Scriptura – November 6
And God said, “YES” … and “No” – November 13
And God said, “YES” … and “No”, Part 2 (The Practice of Homosexuality) – November 20
Also, I encourage you to pick up the article, “Homosexuality and the Church – Moving through and Beyond the Debate”, published in Theology Matters.  Both the CDs and article are available in the Narthex and Butler Hall.

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One action the Session has taken in response to denominational decisions is to review its policy with regard to per capita payments to the General Assembly.  Per Capita is the annual assessment to each congregation that pays for the administrative costs necessary to run the Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly.  It is not money that goes to mission, at least not directly, but to administration and overhead.  Each year we publish what that amount is and invite members to pay it separately (over and above) from their annual pledge.  Because we have made a commitment in the past to pay the entire amount regardless of how much we receive from individuals, we include about 50% of the total in the budget.  That means if anyone does not pay it, for whatever reason, we pay for it out of the General Mission budget.  Based on conversations with members and the conviction of the elders, Session voted to change that policy with regard to the General Assembly portion ($6.63 for 2012). 
It became clear that many people were uncomfortable contributing to the General Assembly given the current departure by the denomination from scriptural authority.  They were also concerned that if they chose to pay only the per capita for Presbytery and Synod, the church would go ahead and pay it anyway, using General Mission budget money.  The Session was very sympathetic to that concern, and after much discussion, voted to no longer pay the GA per capita portion for all who, for whatever reason, do not pay it themselves.  We will explain how this will work in more detail once we actually get into 2012, as well as publicize all the per capita amounts for Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly.

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Some exciting IMPACT news – Miriam Lomelino will be going to Haiti in January as the doctor in residence.  In September the IMPACT Council was concerned we would not have an M.D. as part of the team, so the Council was charged with finding a doctor.  I spoke with Miriam at the Church Picnic, and after much prayer and conversation with her family, she felt God was leading her to go.  More details about Miriam’s trip are in the Missions article on page 7, including information on how to support her financially if you so desire.

Faithfully,

Charlie

Men…a Men's Ministry Team is forming for the purpose of planning men's retreats and various other activities.  This subcommittee of ACE will meet as needed to plan the May men's retreat.  If you are interested in serving on this team, please attend the brief Sunday, November 6 meeting in the library right after church. 

Sunday Morning Adult Study Class…the three week November study will be a Bible study on Micah, the Old Testament book of prophesy.  Our teacher will be Ray Derby who is always very well prepared, thorough, and thought provoking! 

Join us for our Sunday morning Adult Study offerings for the 2011-2012 year.  You will find a nice selection of Bible studies, one Old and one New Testament book; the Kerygma Hallelujah study for Advent and Lent; and the Visual Bible International production of the Gospel of John narrated by Christopher Plummer (DVD) just to mention a few. 

——————————————-

Adult Study Classes 2011-2012

November 6-November 20

Old Testament Prophet Introduction Micah—Ray Derby

November 27-December 18

Kerygma Hallelujah: Advent

January 8-February 19

Timothy Keller's Galatians

February 26-April 1

Kerygma Hallelujah: Lent

April 15-June 3

DVD-Gospel of John and a variety of engaging short studies

____________________

If you are not currently participating in a small group, you might be interested in one of our ongoing small groups listed below!

Ongoing small groups:  

Men's Book Group—1st/3rd Monday 7-8 PM (What Good is God, Phillip Yancy) at the church…see Walter Winfield

Women's Group—Thursday 10:00-11:30 AM in the church library…see Robin Scott

Men's Group—Thursday at 7:00 AM at the church…see Mic Lebens

Monday Women’s Book Study…evening study and dinner at The Odyssey Café—Monday at 5:30 PM ("Is Hell for Real or Does Everyone Go to Heaven")…see Joanne Breffle or Anne Spohnhauer

____________________

ACE Committee meetings are the second Sunday of the month. However, since the Women’s Retreat is on November 12, the November 13th ACE meeting will be canceled.  If you are interested in the spiritual development of the adults in our congregation and would like to become a member of this committee, please contact Anne Spohnhauer.