Update for our Street Church

Hello all. In Jeremiah 22:16, God fondly remembers the reign of King Josiah because he took care of the poor and needy. God says, “Isn’t that what it means to know me?” I love this because God says that to know him means to know his heart and his heart is for the poor and needy! That’s what we are about on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Much thanks to all of you who served on Thanksgiving, too. Those that went were raving about the food!

In this edition:
1-Great news: another church partnership, music, and resumes
2-Storage, donations, and Christmas gifts
3-Tuesday cooker schedule
4-Still looking for Thursday servers and leaders
5-Next lunch meeting January 12
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1-It is getting very cold out on the street, but that won’t stop the church from gathering. We had a fantastic night last night where lots of coats and scarves were given out. Our serving team is growing with all ages of people showing love and hospitality out there. And we are very excited to have music now! Colin, a gifted musician from Central Peninsula Church, has joined us and wants to use his music to bless our friends. They loved it last night We also have Andrea who works at the Maple Street Shelter in RWC who has joined us and offering to help write resumes for those looking for jobs! I have also met with the new young adults pastor at CPC and he is praying about how we can partner together to be externally focused!

2-Gloria Ambrosini has been generously giving a storage for all the sock and coat donations and we finally have a liaison who has stepped up to help coordinate what’s in the storage to the street. Welcome Jodi Brison to our team! Contact her at jodi210@hotmail.com if you want to help/donate or be involved with our special Christmas gift give-out on Dec 19th! (See below #3)

3-This month: December Tuesdays cooking/picking up

5-Eileen Clark/Nikki Forshee
12-Mary Hanlon/Kim Learned
19-Mary Sleeper/Nikki Forshee—this is our special night we’ll be caroling and giving out gift bags, too! Email jodi210@hotmail.com for info, to donate, or get involved. Or just come make cookies and sing with us at 9pm!
26-Esther Strathdee/Kim learned

Thursdays Ruby Jacques has the list if you need more info!

We are looking into the New Year, and if you know anyone who can cook or give of their time, please let me know. Cooks, if you plan on continuing in the New Year, let me know!

4-Please pray for our Thursday team. Our leaders, The Jacques need to retire from their weekly duties (they have served for over 2 years) and would like to train up a team of people to serve and facilitate Thursday nights starting the first of the year. If you or anyone you know can help, please let us know.

5-Next team lunch meeting is January 12th. 12:30pm-2 in the fireside room! Hope to see you all there for lunch, prayer, training, and connecting new people to our ministry. Invite your friends, neighbors, and care group members.



God bless you all as you celebrate Jesus this season!

Grateful for all of you,

Tony

A poem by Maya Angelou

CHRISTIANS


BY MAYA ANGELOU

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin.'"
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible.
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches.
So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner,
who received God's good grace, somehow.

Preparing for Christmas

Well, Thanksgiving 2006 is now just a memory and we only have four days of November left. That actually pumps me up. Wendy and I just got back late last night from our vacation. It was extremely relaxing and totally fun. It was a much needed break for us both. As we cruised around in our rented car, every radio station we listened to was playing Christmas music. It was actually quite funny driving around in 85 degree weather while singing along to "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas." But it did spring board us into a jubilant mood! How's that for being festive..Jubilant! It's true. Like little children we'd be singing out loud, catch a glimpse of each other and burst out laughing, practically letting out a little squeal of joy because we were so happy. And yes, we squealed! Well, at least I squealed a couple of times (I'll leave Wendy out of this) because I was happy. Happy #1 that we were on vacation, but #2 that Christmas was coming. I really love Christmas, or maybe I just love parts of it. I love the Starbucks drinks (egg nog chai and peppermint mochas), the lights, the music, the smells, the decorations, and the time to relax and be with family. I definitely don't love the rushing around to five different Christmas parties in one weekend or being busy with decorating, church activities AND normal life responsibilities all in the same month. I definitely don't like shopping in crowded malls with long lines full of impatient people like me. Am I a Grinch? This got me thinking about the importance of perspective. Because with four days left of November we have a lot of choices here. December for some is hard because it means finals, going into debt Christmas shopping, exhaustion trying to get every thing done, and still for others this season is dreaded because it can be sad and lonely with out certain loved ones, or even frustrating WITH certain "loved ones." But in reality we have a choice here. It's all about our perspective. If we truly want to have a perspective that brings us joy (enough joy to squeal) and brings honor to God, it is going to take some thinking and some action. So for this month I hope to blog about choices and how we can choose truth, choose to have a Godly attitude, choose to be peacemakers, and choose to focus on Jesus this Christmas season. (This will take time and being in the word to align your perspective with God).

My first suggestion is start RIGHT NOW by choosing and dedicating this month (of potential craziness) to God no matter what awaits us. We need to think rightly and live in good healthy boundaries so we can enjoy this season and honor our savior. I am going to pray this myself, too. Adapt this to your life, but here is what I will pray.

Abba God, I stop to consider what you want for me. Your word says that whatever I do, all my words and all my actions, should be done to honor you. I want that. I want all that I do to honor you. I want the way I spend my time to honor you. Father, I want the way I treat myself, my wife, my family, my friends, and others around me to bring you honor. I want the way I spend your money to bring you honor. I pray that for this month. Give me your perspective on money this month. I pray that I could think and act like Jesus Christ. I want your joy no matter what. I will choose to be with you and remember your word. I want to make good choices with my time. I want to respond to you in faith and to others with love. I love you and want to love others. Thanks that this season is about you, your son, your plan, and your love. I dedicate it and prepare for what you want! I love you! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Some truth to align your perspective:

COLOSSIANS 1:19-23
God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him (Jesus) and through Him to reconcile himself to all things, whether things on earth or things in heave, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.

COLOSSIANS 3:17
Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Beautiful Day Video and this week's happenings

I am so proud of our church and community.

In one day we accomplished so much! Thanks to all of you who made Beautiful day happen! What a way to serve our community and show them what following Jesus is all about. This whole day was an effort to bless people with out strings attached. We didn't pass out any flyers about PCC just served and blessed them by taking care of their needs.

Here's what is coming up the next couple of weeks for young adults!!

11/21 Tuesday Night 9pm Street Outreach Menlo Park

11/23 Thursday Thanksgiving Day 9am Turkey Bowl (Football at Woodside High School)
11:30am-2pm Thanksgiving lunch at PCC Fellowship hall

11/24 Friday The Deep 8pm in the Worship Center basement (Choir room)

11/26 Sunday at 6 resumes but there is no official Young Adults Dinner

NEXT WEEK and BEYOND
12/1 THE DEEP FRIDAY 8PM
12/9 CHRISTMAS PARTY 5:30PM (Evite coming soon)
12/10 PCC CHRISTMAS CONCERT SUNDAY 7:30PM (NO young adult dinner)
12/17 CHRISTMAS CAROLING WITH 50 PLUS MINISTRY
12/19 CHRISTMAS CAROLING AND GIFT MAKING FOR THE HOMELESS
12/31 NEW YEAR'S EVE EVENT AFTER SUNDAY AT 6

Doing God's will

In Jeremiah 22, God talks of King Josiah as one who truly knew him because he was doing what was right, acting justly, and protecting and helping the needy. That stirs me as we talk about faith with out deeds is dead. Compare the requirement of action to be attached to our faith with what kind of action the Bible constantly talks about regarding the poor, orphaned, and widows.

As Wendy and I got away this weekend to celebrate our 2nd anniversary, we kept returning to the desire and the leading we sense from God. The desire and leading to adopt. For me personally, it doesn't take long for me to have an emotional response when I hear stories of orphans or think about God' plan for our family to adopt. There are millions of children around the world with out parents, with out love, and living in discouraging circumstances. Whatever stage of life you are at, married or single, you can care for the orphans of the world.

For this weeks 2 cents, I offer you what voice of the orphan has put out for Christians to respond in faith and action.

www.voiceoftheorphan.org



What You or Your Family Can Do
To care for orphans and waiting children

Pray for Them
Go online to find a waiting-child listing (AdoptUsKids or Rainbow Kids). Print out a picture and description of a waiting child and tape it to your dashboard, refrigerator or bathroom mirror. Every time you find yourself waiting – in traffic, walking through the kitchen, looking in the mirror – pray for this child. Plead with the Father on their behalf.

Want a change of pace for the dinner hour? This simple one-page guide will help your family explore what life must be like for the most vulnerable of our world.

Speak Up For Them
Keep a picture of a waiting child in your wallet or purse. When you are visiting with other believers pull it out and ask if they, or someone they know, would give this child a home. Be their advocate.

Become a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).</strong> CASA volunteers are trained citizens appointed by judges to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children. These are people who volunteer their time to get to know a child in foster care and speak to the court on their behalf. Visit National CASA for more details and to find an office near you.

Mentor Vulnerable Children
The ranks of the fatherless and even the motherless continue on an upward spiral as the breakdown of the family continues unabated and births to unwed mothers increases. Mentoring offers an opportunity to help to break this cycle by providing a Godly role model and friend to a foster or otherwise vulnerable child. Learn more about mentoring and how you can make a difference to these children.


Support Those Who Support Them
Mow a foster parents yard, offer to baby sit, or organize a few days worth of meals when a new child is placed in their home. And tell them often that you appreciate what they do.

Throw a shower for a family adopting an older child. Often showers aren’t thought of for adoptive families especially when the adoption involves an older child. This greatly encourages adoptive families.

Sponsor a local child welfare social worker and commit to pray for them, an occasional lunch on you, and sending gifts or notes of encouragement

Make One Phone Call
What do you need? How many times do you think people call up a government office and say that!

Waiting Children exist right in your community. Call up your community’s Child Welfare Services office and ask the simple question … “What can we do to help foster children in our community?”

When youth turn 18 in the U.S. foster-care system, they are often left to fend for themselves. Over 20,000 teenagers a year “age out” of the U.S. foster care system with no place to call home. Call your local foster care office and let them know you have the desire to be a support for a child who is aging out of foster care.

Download a Contact Information file to learn how you can ask this simple question – What can we do to help?”

Give Sacrificially to Them
Support reputable orphan care organizations on an ongoing basis.

Give financially to a family in the process of adoption. See Shaohannah's Hope and Life International for more information about financial assistance for adoptive families.

Sponsor an Orphan or an Entire OrphanageMake a difference in a single child or an entire orphanage full of children through active child sponsorships. Or make it a family project to sponsor a single child or an entire orphanage. Write to them or encourage your children to write notes of encouragement to your sponsored children and hear first hand what its like to be an orphan who is being cared by the love of Jesus Christ.

Look up the following websites for more information about sponsoring orphaned children in a program that provides for on site staff who are proclaiming the Gospel and providing ongoing discipleship:
Children's HopeChest
VisionTrust International
Life International

Build an Orphanage
Did you know that your can be involved in building a home for orphans where the children will grow up in a church environment? It’s not as hard as it sounds. Visit World Orphans to learn how to do this in one of dozens of countries. Consider raising this money as a small group, Sunday school class, or youth ministry.

Take a Short-Term Mission Trip
We don’t care where you go, whether it’s the far reaches of the planet or right in your own backyard. Go where you are already invested, go to new places the Lord sends you, but go and experience the face of God through orphans in our world.

Look up the following Web sites for more information about short term mission opportunities:
Buckner Orphan Care
Global Aid Network
Warm Blankets Children's HopeChest
VisionTrust International>
trong>Provide Them a Safe Home
Explore what it would take to become a foster parent in your local community. Your county’s child welfare office is looking for safe and loving homes to place children who must be removed from their current home. Do you have an empty bedroom that could be put to great use for a child in need? What are you waiting for! Contact your county’s child welfare office to find out about upcoming information meetings in your area.


Give Them a Forever Family — Adopt a Child
Waiting…There are thousands of children waiting for a forever family. Waiting to experience God’s unfailing love and hear the message of hope found in Jesus Christ. You can make a eternal difference in God’s kingdom. You can give a child a home through foster care, domestic or international adoption. Caring families are especially needed for older youth, sibling groups and special needs children. Do you have a place in your heart, an empty bedroom in your home, and an empty seat in the minivan that could be put to great use for God’s kingdom?


To learn more about the three types of adoption call 1-800-FLTODAY to order a free booklet entitled Welcome Home: Eight Steps to Adoption.

a real living, serving community

This past weekend was a truly awesome weekend! About twenty of us from PCC's Young Adult community retreated up to Twain Harte (an hour from Yosemite) for a time of rest, prayer, adventure, and study of God's word.



To all of you who went, I want to say a sincere and huge THANK YOU to you! Personally, I had a renewing time in my own heart, faith, and vision for the future of our community. Studying God's word together, singing, praying, laughing, talking, and eating together reminded me of the purity, simplicity, and importance of community and being the church. I was flooded with gratefulness and love on Saturday night with the events that took place through the next door fire. I was so proud of all of you. In our worship gatherings, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to everyone wrestle through scripture about being loved by God (redemption), loving God, and loving others. I loved the honesty and authenticity shown by the group.

As we looked to Hebrews 6, 1 John 1-3, Matthew 22, I was so stoked to see and hear people seeking to apply it their lives!
I hope that we continue to grow as God's people and understand his love so that we can then love and serve others, helping them to become the people God intended.

Thank you to Chris and Kirsten for amazing leadership.
Thank you to Marilyn for fantastic food and hospitality to all of us.
Thank you to Frankie for coordination, maintenance, and leadership.
Thanks to all who served and loved each other and our new neighbor friends.

It looks like our next visit to Twain Harte will be January 5-7! A weekend that will include snowboarding or skiing, too! Registrations will be available soon!

I hope you all will plan on blessing Redwood City on November 17-19th for Beautiful Day.

Carpool arrangements for this weekend

Please pray that we have a safe and encouraging retreat this weekend at Twain Harte!

DRIVING ARRANGEMENTS:

1-Tony Gapastione/Driver 12:00pm
2-Paul Phelan/Passenger 12:00pm

3-Marilyn Lynch/ Driver 6:00pm
4-Ben Matthias
5-Agoff, Christina
6-Peake, Steve
7-Markovich, Frankie-
8-Murphy, Jeff
9-Jennifer ? (kristen's Friend)
10-Kristen VanMaanan
11-Allard, Aftan ( coming up late because of soccer game???)


12-Dawn/ Driver 6:00pm
13-Brison, Jodi
14-Chidyausiku, Patricia
15-Vontoussiant, Natalie

16-Driving-David Bromberg 6pm
17-Drew Foster
18-Victor Hernandez

Leaving Seperately GREEN MINI VAN
19-Kirsten Grothe
20-Chris Gothold (with possible supplies/food, too)

21-Josh Beck coming from LA

Coming up!

After our retreat Sunday NOVEMBER 5TH
Feel free to grab some friends and make some plans to hang out, go to Franklin St. Café or wherever you choose after Sunday at 6. There may be some tired people after our weekend retreat who will opt to just go homeand sleep but who knows!.

Saturday November 11th

10:30am Brunch at Main St. Café at 150 Elm St. in Redwood City

Beautiful Day November 17-19
This is a chance to serve our community. Check out www.ourbeautifulday.org


NOVEMBER 24TH & DECEMBER 1ST: The Deep
The Deep"—which is a time of DEEP, intimate worship in prayer, Bible teaching and music. Friday night at 8pm in the Basement of PCC’s Worship Center (aka: the choir room). Rod Toews will speak on 11/24 and Tony Gapastione will speak on 12/1. Expect silence, confession, communion, singing, prayer, Bible teaching from James, and experiential opportunities to worship God. This is a time to grow, pray, and celebrate.

DECEMBER 9TH: Coming soon: Christmas Party! More info TBA please mark your calendar for this festive Saturday event, which will start around 6pm.


Every Tuesday and Thursday night you can serve the poor and homeless with Street Outreach in Menlo Park!