by Rev. Neal Neuenchwander

Welcome to a new season of "The Messenger"

The purpose of this "email" publication is to keep you informed about the ongoing efforts of our volunteers and staff here at First Presbyterian Church, and we've got a lot of things to report! I'm preaching series of sermons this month on 2nd Timothy--a wonderful, intimate letter--and the children of our church are beginning a new season in Sunday School. The chancel choir is back in place, and our youth and children's choirs will be "tuning up" on September 23. Our Volleyball teams are signing up new members, and several new Bible Study groups are getting organized as well. The Adult Discipleship Commission is hosting a "Good News Brunch" for recent visitors at 9 a.m. this Saturday morning in the Bill Steel Room, and the youth of our church will be going to the Los Angeles County Fair at 11 a.m. that day. So, in short, there are a lot of things going on!

Shirley Snow has done a fabulous job of keeping us informed about these and other programs through the monthly church "Fisherman", but we live in a digital age. More and more people now get their news from the internet, and we don't want to be left behind. That's why we are supplementing Shirley's efforts with an email publication, and I'm thrilled to report that Yesi Birkenbach, one of our brand new members, has agreed to assemble this important publication. Yesi is still in "the learning curve," so please be patient, but she is a very bright young woman who is also very, very kind. I think you'll really enjoy getting to know her.

Tim Gray, our former editor, had to give up the work of editing in order to take up the mantle of leadership with our Youth Praise Band. I will certainly miss his expertise, but I am thrilled to see the work that he is doing with our kids. Tim drove several of our teens to "Rock'n Water", a wonderful Christian camp this summer, and he is helping Randi and Todd Walter to revitalize our ministry to Senior High Kids. So, way to go, Tim!

Speaking of the Youth Praise Band, you can hear them perform on "Youth Music Day" (October 18), and several of us heard them play at the Annual Church Picnic last Sunday. Toni and James Nilsen did a fabulous job of organizing this event. Our venue had to be changed at the very last moment, so they dug out almost every table and chair in their house to make it work! The kids played basketball and volleyball while the adults enjoyed a wonderful time of food and fellowship while overlooking the Harbor and Fort MacArthur. Thanks again, Toni and James!

We should also give "a tip of the halo" to the deacons of our church who organized such a lovely reception after the memorial service for Marvin Read last weekend. The deacons offer this sort of reception after each memorial service, and they provide a monthly banquet for our Seniors in the church as well. These deacons are always thinking about other folks who are in need, and I don't know where we'd be without them. So, if you see one of our deacons, please give her/him a hug for me, will you?

Good News!

Editor's Corner

Something to ponder.....

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday . "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor.. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.... They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

Have a blessed day!
Yesi