May 25, 2014 Issue 21

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CALLER the

In This Issue

Linberg’s Line 2 & 3 Statistics 3 Remember in Prayer 4 Spiritual Disciplines Wk 4 Prayer Requests, May 18 4 Serving in the Military 4 Congratulations 4 Campbell Lodge 4 Photographers needed 5 Summer Camp 5 Young Adult Camp 5 Fair Trade Coffee 5 Graduates/Heifer 5 Mission Trip 6 Save the Date 6 Worship Ministry Team 6 Audio/Visual Update 6 MMC/Pentecost Offering 7 Adult Class 7 Healing Touch/Bereavement 8 Pathways Second Step 8 Pentecost Birthday Party 8 Serving Sunday 9

Events –May 25, 2014- June 1, 2014 May 25: 8:00 A.M. - REAWAKEN, Early Worship Service 9:00 A.M. - Adult Sunday School Class, Chapman Lounge 10:15 A.M. - REMEMBER, Traditional Service 1:00 P.M. - Casa de Oración Service, Sanctuary & FH May 26: Office Closed, Memorial Day Holiday 6:30 P.M. – Old Testament class @ Donna’s May 27: 6:30 P.M. – Men’s Bible Study @ Barry’s 7:00 P.M. - Casa use Sanctuary and Chapman Lounge May 28: 7:00 P.M. – Council of Elders Meeting May 29: Tri-Tip at Downtown Market 4:00 – 8:30 p.m. 6:30 P.M. - Bell Choir rehearsal 7:30 P.M. - Chancel Choir rehearsal May 31: 9:30 A.M. – Choir Rehearsal for Festival 11:00 A.M. – Campbell Lodge Re-Grand Opening, Loch Leven 3:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. – Casa use Fellowship Hall June 1: 8:00 A.M. - REAWAKEN, Early Worship Service 9:00 A.M. - Adult Sunday School Class, Chapman Lounge Study of John Shelby Spong’s book, Rm. 107 10:15 A.M. - REMEMBER, Traditional Service 1:00 P.M. - Casa de Oración Service, Sanctuary & FH June 2: Darrell on vacation through June 14 6:30 P.M. – OCCS use Room 107 7:00 P.M. – Alzheimer’s Support Group, CL June 3: 5:45 P.M. – Mary Circle Potluck, Choir Room 6:30 P.M. – Men’s Bible Study @ Barry’s 7:00 P.M. - Casa use Sanctuary and Chapman Lounge June 4 5:30 P.M. – Hot Meal Ministry, Team A June 5: Tri-Tip at Downtown Market 4:00 – 8:30 p.m. 6:30 P.M. - Bell Choir rehearsal 7:30 P.M. - Chancel Choir rehearsal AA Groups: Sun. 8:00 P.M., Friday, 7:30 P.M., Sat. 8:30 P.M., NA Group, Tues., 7:30 P.M.

The Caller is published weekly

(Deadline Wednesday at Noon)

by

First Christ ian Church (Disciples of Christ) 109 E. Wilshire Ave. Fullerton, CA 92832

714.525.5525 email:

fullerton1stcc@gmail.com www.fullertonfirstchristian.org

Senior Pastor:

Rev. Darrell McGowan Associate Pastor:

Rev. Debra Todd Editor:

Donna Woodbridge

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Guest Column--Linberg's Line Within the past few weeks I've talked to a few members of our congregation who have some anxiety about what will happen after Darrell is no longer our Senior Pastor. For the most part, the ones I've talked to are going through the first transition of pastoral leadership they have experienced in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Each of them has wanted to know more about how the process works. I've done my best to explain the process and to assure them that I'm confident our Search Committee will be able, in time, to recommend a person to us whom we will call as our new Pastor. I've further shared with them that I am confident that he or she will bring strong gifts that will effectively lead our congregation into the future. I've also told them that I am praying for our Search Committee as they move ahead in their assigned task and that I hope they, too, are supporting the Search Committee with their prayers. These conversations got me to thinking about a book I read in the early 1980s. It was written by a friend with whom I went to college and seminary, Chris Hobgood, who later served as the Interim General Minister and President of our denomination. It dealt with the dynamics of a long-term pastorate. At the time Chris wrote the book, published by The Alban Institute, he had served First Christian Church, Alexandria, Virginia for about 20 years. When I read the book I was probably in year 14 of what turned out to be a 16-plus-year pastorate with the Temple City Christian Church. Two things struck me about that book. They were the terms "personal trust" and "institutional trust." As a congregation, we are coming to the end of a time when we have had a high level of "personal trust" in Darrell McGowan, our Senior Pastor since June 2001. We know the gifts Darrell has for ministry because he's demonstrated them to us week in and week out for a long time. We know the things that Darrell either doesn't feel gifted to do, or he feels are of lesser importance in the list of a pastor's responsibilities. (By the way, no single pastor is good at all of the things that congregations expect of them.) We know we can trust Darrell. We know he will prepare and present a good sermon and be a very effective worship leader. We know he has a disciplined prayer life and that he prays for us individually and collectively. We know he will challenge us to grow spiritually, to be a missional church and to be a people who welcome and embrace people from a wide variety of backgrounds. We know he will be very supportive of us when we are in need of pastoral care, visiting us in both the hospital and in our homes. We also know that he is very effective in conducting funeral/memorial services for our members, as well as for people he may never have met. And, we know he is honest about his personal life and has never tried to give us the impression that he is without fault. In other words, we have high personal trust of Darrell as he prepares to conclude his ministry with us at the end of June. When Darrell became our Senior Pastor in June, 2001 our personal trust in him was very low. That was not because he didn't make a good impression on us when he was introduced to us by the Search Committee before we voted to call him as our Pastor. It was because we didn't know him. We didn't know we could depend upon him to be a good pastor when a crisis hit our lives. We didn't know how, or even if, he would challenge us. We didn't know his vision for our church. We didn't know whether or not he could preach good sermons Sunday in and Sunday out. We didn't know very much about Darrell at all. While our personal trust of him was at about zero, perhaps a few digits higher than that when he became our Senior Pastor, thirteen years ago, we had high "institutional trust" with almost no "personal trust." What's this "institutional trust" about which I'm writing? We trusted that Don Shelton, then our Regional Pastor, knew about and had confidence in Darrell's ability as a Pastor, based on his leadership of Foothill Christian Church, La Crescenta so that he believed Darrell would come to Fullerton and be able to effectively lead us in ministry. Beyond Don Shelton, we trusted that the Arden Christian Church in Sacramento and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Northern California Region, where Darrell first became acquainted with us Disciples after growing up in the Roman Catholic Church, had thoroughly examined Darrell's

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credentials for ministry and his preparation for ministry before they decided to ordain him. We trusted that one institution of the Church, in particular Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, had trained Darrell well for ministry. We trusted that our Search Committee had done a prayerful and thorough job of investigating Darrell's background, as well as the background of the other candidates whose resumes they reviewed and studied before nominating Darrell to be our Senior Pastor. We may not have even known the term "institutional trust" 13 yeas ago. But when Darrell became our Pastor, our institutional trust was high. Over the years, as Darrell has led us in ministry, the high institutional trust we had in 2001 became less and less important. While that was happening, our personal trust in Darrell, which was not much more than zero when he began, has soared. At present, we will soon not have a Pastor in whom to place our personal trust, so we need to have greater institutional trust once more. In the months ahead, this will change as we meet the person who will be our Interim Pastor. We have to trust that our Interim Pastor will be an effective leader among us because the institution of which we are a part has told us he, or she, can be trusted to be an effective Interim Pastor. And, of course, our Search Committee will choose our Interim Pastor because, representing us, they have high institutional trust. Our personal trust of our Interim Pastor will increase as we get to know him or her. Then, in a time that is unknown, when we've called a new Pastor, we'll again experience higher institutional trust than personal trust until we get to know and to experience his or her ministry to us and with us. I hope these thoughts about "personal trust" and "institutional trust" as they relate to the time of transition which is upon us, and will soon be fully here, are helpful to you as, together, we prayerfully await the opportunity for us to call a new Pastor who will lead us into the future. Sunday Statist ics May 18, 2014 105 (Remember Service) 10 (Reawaken Service) 97 (Casa 5 P.M. service) Weekly Giving: 3,369.67 Missions: 374.41 PoH Second Step: $300 Budget Goal: $3,979 Farmer’s Market: $841

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Remember in Prayer Continue to pray for: Sue Bacon, Dottie Bense, Harold Brickens, Sandra Brown, Linda Christman, Chris Collett, Lorna & Skip Farnum, the family of Harold Horn, Anna Lou Horspool, Carolyn Kenrick, Flora Miller, Sue Miller, Norma Rill, Claudia Tammen, Dorothy Tanner, Connie Townsend and family, Anna Van Diest and Bob & Donna Vannoy. Please pray for the following PSWR Church: Primera Iglesia Christiana de Ventura 38 Teloma Drive Ventura, CA 93003

Readings and Prayer Concerns for Week of May 26 – June 1, 2014 Monday, May 26: Reading:

Acts 1: 6-14; pray for those we honor who died serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Tuesday, May 27: Reading: John 17: 1-11; pray for our Hispanic brothers and sisters as they worship tonight in the Sanctuary & CL. Congregational Prayer Day, May 28: Reading: 1 Peter 4: 12-14; pray for Global Ministries Missionary in Israel/Palestine, Loren McGrail. Thursday, May 29: Reading: Luke 24: 44-53; pray for all disciples everywhere who are called by Jesus on this Ascension Day. Friday, May 30: Reading: Luke 24:44-53; pray for the our congregation as we transition into a new Pastorate. Saturday, May 31: Reading: 1 Peter 5:6-11; pray for the Grand Opening of the new Campbell Lodge at Loch Leven today. Sunday, June 1: Reading: Psalm 68:1-10; 32-35 pray for the Pentecost Offering being received this Sunday and the next.

Prayer Requests: May 18, 2014 Judi Smedley Sunday morning coffee

hour and including the homeless - could use some help.

Serving in the Mil i tary: Adam Hawley, Deb Taylor’s nephew, is now at Ft. Know training West Point graduates how to work with enlisted servicemen. Lt. Cmdr. Patrick O’Conner, Betty Rollo’s grandson-in-law. Lt. Patrick Rollo, Betty Rollo’s grandson. He is based is Hawaii. PFC Brandon Vannoy, grandson of Bob & Donna Vannoy, is now stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Petty Officer Michael J. Borden, Nancy Geiger’s grandson, who is stationed in Guam for the next year. Congratulations on your New Baby: Betty Rollo’s granddaughter, Kathryn Rollo O’Conner and her husband, Patrick O’Conner welcomed Charlotte Kate at 7:10 .a.m. May 23. Charlotte weighed 8 lbs. Proud grandparents are Bob and Kim Rollo. Campbell Lodge Grand Re-opening For many years grand old Campbell Lodge has been in deterioration, with different rooms and floors slowly falling out of use. Yet, its historical character has remained, as have all the great memories generated there. So it comes as tremendously good news that Campbell Lodge has been renovated and updated. We will celebrate the reopening of Campbell Lodge just in time for the summer season of camping. Join the celebration on May 31, 11 A.M. – 3 P.M. free, just a lot of fun. For more info, go to lochleven.com.

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Calling all Photographers! The Stewardship Ministry Team

needs candid photos of the congregation for our Stewardship emphasis this year. If you have any pictures taken at recent events (picnic, baptism, tri-tip, etc.) Please email them to amystyffe@yahoo.com. between now and June. Be on the lookout for photo ops in the weeks ahead. Thanks Summer Camp is Coming! Loch Leven is looking better than ever! Theme for this year is: “Come to the Table of Love.” FCCF will pay ½ of early bird registration. For forms and more information, see Debra Todd or check with Donna in the office. Here is the schedule: “Wee Camp” (adult/child) – July 10 - 12; early bird registration deadline 6/2 - $200/pair Mini & Special Needs – July 6 – 9; early bird registration deadline 6/2 - $260 Junior – June 29 – July 5; early bird registration deadline 5/26- $355 Chi Rho – July 13 - 19; early bird registration deadline 6/9 - $355 CYF I – July 20 - 26; early bird registration deadline 6/16 - $355 CYF II – July 27 – August 2 early bird registration deadline 6/23 - $355 YOUNG ADULT CAMP MAY 30 - JUNE 1 Join young adults of the Region at Loch Leven May 30-June 1 for the first ever young adult camp. Young adults ages 18-35 are invited, cost is $100 and covers all lodging and food. Contact the PSWR office for more info 626-296-0385. Pick up an application and mail it to the regional office, along with a check made payable to the "Christian Church PSWR."

Coffee Lovers, Tea Drinkers, Chocolate Eaters, Cocoa Sippers, Cookie Bakers!!! Look for our table outside next to the Coffee Cart. Have a sample of coffee, look at the catalog, and buy something that could make a huge difference in the lives of so many people. Purchasing fairly traded products through the Disciples of Christ Coffee Project, you are directly supporting the Disciples Home Missions (DMF) and Week of Compassion. Supplies are always available in the church office during the week. Looking for Graduates We are putting together a list of junior high, high school and college graduates to be announced in our June 15 issue of the Caller and honored in our 10:15 A.M. service that day. If you would like to be included or have a loved one you’d like to include, call Donna at 714-525-5525 or send an email to fullerton1stcc@gmail.com by June 11. Please remember to include the person’s full name, the name of the school from which they are graduating, the degree they earned (if a college graduate) and plans for the future. Almost Fair Time Again It’s almost time for the Orange County Fair and Heifer is looking for volunteers to staff their booth again. Fair runs from July 11 – August 10. Most days are still available. So if anyone would like to spend three hours in the Heifer booth, please let Donna know and she will get you in touch with the Heifer Coordinator. If enough of us want to help out, we could have our own day. There are three-hour shifts starting at Noon on weekdays and 10 A.M. on weekends. You get a free ticket to the fair and parking pass in Lot E (Employees parking lot.)

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Save the Date! The congregation will be celebrating Darrell's ministry on Sunday, June 29, immediately following the worship service. More information will be coming as plans are finalized. If you would like to serve on the committee helping with the celebration, please contact me. Deb Taylor Audio/Visual (A/V) Update Have you noticed the past couple of weeks that the overhead projectors are not working? We have a temporary work around solution but only one screen has display. We are not exactly sure what is wrong with the overhead or if they can be repaired. We are approximately $8,000 short of the total needed to complete the funding for this project. The goal is in sight and we can reach our goal with your help. Would you prayerfully consider one of the amounts shown below? If you cannot meet any of these, any amount would be most helpful. Thank you for your consideration. 8 people donate $1,000 16 people donate $500 32 people donate $250 64 people donate $125 128 people donate $62.50 256 people donate $31.25 Remember to write in the memo line of your check: A/V sanctuary A/V Committee Worship Ministry Team -- AV Project Takes the Church Out of the Building (At its May 19 meeting, the Worship Ministry Team voted to share the following with the congregation.) People outside our congregation have come to recognize some members of our church by the First Fullerton Church t-shirt which reads on its back:

“The Church has left the building.” We were discussing the new possibilities of ministry we can experience when we finish funding the last portion of our

new flat screen monitors in the AV project (see our Moderator's article above.) We realized this new technology brings us the capability of evangelism and outreach by taking whatever happens in our worship center or lounge and sending it out with both sound and video to any member, distant family member, or friend on the internet. Any such person with an internet connection, even on their phone, could see and hear events such as these: We could meet the request of a family to allow remote relatives to see and hear a memorial service for a loved one. We could hold a hymn sing and have the elders assist those who cannot leave their home or assisted living center to view and participate from their home. We could allow grandparents and neighbors to see and hear special children's events We could allow shut-ins to participate in gatherings and studies they could not otherwise attend. Help us fund the remaining portion of this project, and watch our Church leave the building in new ways! Perhaps you have relatives or friends who could benefit from these services and might like to help us with the final financial gifts to make it a reality. Mission Trip To Moore, OK Five of our members, Randy Langston, Ed Linberg, Ben Stuart, Craig Wallace and Barry Woodbridge are planning to go to Moore, OK from Sept. 28 through Oct. 4 to participate in a construction project to benefit a family in that community which was devastated by a tornado last year just about this time. Two women, Sherry Herrera and Masumi Hogan, are considering joining them. The registration fee is $100 a person which we plan to send in by July 1. The airfare will probably be in the neighborhood of $400 for the round trip flight. There will be additional costs for food and for a rental vehicle. We have some funds on hand which can be used to help defray the cost of this trip. Speak to Ed Linberg for more info.

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Performances of "Elijah" The Mountainside Master Chorale invites you to attend one of the two performances of "Elijah," by Felix Mendelssohn, it will present on Saturday, June 7, at Luckman Auditorium on the campus of Cal State L.A., and on Sunday, June 8 at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Pomona. The Saturday night performance begins at 7:30 P.M., while the Sunday afternoon performance begins at 3:30 P.M. There will be between 80 to 100 singers, plus soloists, and a 45-piece orchestra involved in this performance. The work will be sung in English and it tells the story of Elijah's ministry in time of King Ahab and his Queen, Jezebel, two of Israel's less than stellar rulers. The story is found primarily in 1 Kings 17 and 18. One chorus from the oratorio that is pretty well-known is "He Is Watching Over Israel," based on Psalm 121. It is one of the standard anthems in the library of most church choirs, including ours. Ed Linberg has tickets for both performances. He has complimentary tickets for the Saturday performance at CSULA. The tickets for the performance in Pomona cost $17 for Students and Seniors and $20 for Adults. Ticket sales need to be completed by Sunday, June 1. Pentecost Offering To Be Received On June 1 And 8 The annual Special Offering of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) received at the time of the celebration of Pentecost will be received in our congregation on Sunday, June 1 and Sunday, June 8. The Pentecost Offering is designated for the establishment of new churches of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) across our nation. A decade plus ago in 2000, we Disciples set a goal of starting 1,000 new churches by the year 2020. We are well on track to achieving that goal. The Outreach Ministry has set a goal of $750 for the 2014 Pentecost Offering. This represents an increase of 10% over the funds we gave in support of the 2013 Pentecost Offering.

The poster designed for this year's Pentecost Offering reminds us of two things. One is the date our church was started--1905--which we printed on the poster. The other is that every church has a date on which it was begun. A special envelope for your use in making a gift in support of the 2014 Pentecost Offering will be available on Sunday, June 1. The Outreach Ministry Plans Of The Parlor Class The Parlor Class, our only on-going Adult class meeting on Sunday mornings at 9 A.M. in Chapman Lounge, has decided on the course it will study during the month of June. Their choice is "Embracing the Meaning of Life," one of five courses from what's known as the Embracing Study Series. It's a course that makes use of a DVD featuring Kathleen Norris with Tim Scorer. It is subtitled, "Kathleen Norris on Discovering What Matters." Here's the brief description of what this course is about. "A unique viewpoint of 'what matters most,' including: Belief--that to which we give our hearts; the Bible--the collective story of the Christian people; Community where individualism and imperfection meet grace and acceptance; Place--faith within the space of home, church, land and people; Us--what it means to remain in God's image, countering our selfishness to embrace the world and its needs." We have ordered 12 copies of the Participant's Workbook for this course, plus the DVD. We are asking each participant who is able to do so to pay $12 to cover the cost of the resources we have ordered. If you're interested in being part of this 5-week course, take the time this coming Sunday to add your name to the Registration Form that's posted on the bulletin board in the narthex. Then be sure to be in the Chapman Lounge by 9 A.M. on Sunday, June 1 for the first of the five sessions.

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Bereavement Seminar Forest Lawn will be holding an “Understanding Grief” seminar to help those who have experienced the loss of a family member or friend. It will be on Tuesday, June 3, 7:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. at Forest Lawn, Cypress Hope Chapel. For reservations or more information contact Galen Goben at 800-204-3131 ext 4662. Pathways of Hope – Second Step Thank You With gifts that were received this past Sunday, our congregation gave a total of $1,000 toward the cost involved in furnishing the 8 new apartments built by Pathways of Hope to help people get their lives reordered after losing their homes or struggling with being homeless. Thanks to everyone who contributed toward this project. And, a special thank-you to Phil Forbes who coordinated this project for us. The Outreach Ministry Healing Touch Spiritual Workshop On Sat. July 19 from 9:30 A.M. -12:30 P.M., First Christian Church Whittier will be hosting an “Introduction to Healing Touch Spiritual Ministry: Using Your Hands to Heaven”

The Healing Touch Spiritual Ministry program helps participants connect energy healing with their faith, and with the history of healing in the Church. This program is rooted in both the Judeo-Christian perspective and Eastern healing modalities. We recognize that all healing comes from God, and that we can be conduits of God’s healing compassion.

For churches, HTSM is an effective addition to the work of the Elders, Stephen Ministries and Pastoral Partners calling on church members who are hospitalized or homebound. This workshop will explore many healing stories in the Bible, discuss the healing ministry of Jesus and his Disciples, and the work of the early Church as it continued Jesus’

call to heal and anoint. We will also consider how science contributes to our understanding of ancient techniques that come to us from Eastern traditions. Finally, we introduce a simple technique for the laying-on-of-hands that can be used in nearly any setting. Rev. Louise Sloan Goben is the instructor. Louise is an ordained minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and serves as Associate Minister at First Christian Church, North Hollywood. She is also a Certified Practitioner of Healing Touch Spiritual Ministry and an instructor with the Institute of Spiritual Healing & Aromatherapy. There will be a $15 suggested donation for the event. Register with Rev. Kel Henderson, 714-465-6991 or with Donna in the church office. You’re Invited to a Birthday Party !!!!!! Pentecost Sunday, June 8th at 10:15am. Bring a festively wrapped birthday gift for the church. Some gift Ideas are: Art supplies for Christian Education Office supplies Paper goods (coffee cups) for the coffee hour A coupon for service to the church (sharpening pencils, filling pews with offering envelopes, etc. Non-perishable food for the Food Pantry Gift card for future needs Any other creative ideas you might have WEAR RED!

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First Christian Church 109 E. Wilshire Avenue Fullerton, CA 92832 Reawaken (Early Worship Service) Sunday, 8:00 A.M. Church School for all ages: Sunday, 9:00 A.M. Remember (Traditional Worship Service) Sunday, 10:15 A.M. Youth Groups: Sunday, 1:00 P.M. & Wednesday, 3:30 – 5:15 P.M.

Serving May 25, 2014 Greeters: Youth Guest Book: Phil Forbes Coffee Host: Hospitality Ministry Acolyte Parent: Henke Sound & Video: Clare Keech Lay Leader: Craig Wallace

Children’s Moment: Barbara Hasty, Jodie Martin Elders: Kathy Robidoux, Barry Woodbridge, Judi Smedley Diaconate: Randy Baxter’s Team

Prepare: Randy Baxter, Ben Stuart Ushers: Mike Hogan, Nancy Malotte Serve: Randy Baxter, Jamie Dorrough, Annie

Frater, Bill Henke, Kim Miller, Ben Stuart Clean Up: Masumi Hogan, Nancy Knott Alternate: Randy Baxter, Mike Hogan

Serving June 1, 2014 Greeters: Guest Book: Mariette Linberg Coffee Host: Hospitality Ministry Acolyte Parent: Acquistapace Sound & Video: PJ Vannoy Lay Leader: Children’s Moment: Elders: Chris Fee, Jodie Martin, Debra Taylor

Diaconate: McCuen’s Team Prepare: Nancy Malotte, Beverly Reinke Ushers: Kelly & Shawn McCuen Serve: Luanne Bailey, Cam & Nancy Malotte, Kelly & Shawn McCuen, Paul Robidoux Clean Up: Kelly & Shawn McCuen, Paul

Robidoux Alternate:

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