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A Publication of First Christian Church of North HollywoodA Congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Robert M. Bock, Senior PastorLouise Sloan Goben, Associate PastorChristi Anderson, Director of Children’s MinistriesJeremy Gillett, Director of Youth MinistriesAlfredo Gomez & Loydi Rivas Gomez, Pastor, Spanish Speaking CongregationYoung Lan Kim & Young Jun Yang, Korean Pastors
Volume LXI No. 70 November 23, 2016
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
—Psalm 100:4
Page � November �3, �016 First ChristiaN News
help. So—sign up or just stop by and plan to spend an hour, or two or three or an entire day with some of the best volunteers in the world.
Sunday, when you enter the building, make sure you get one of the Elder’s Advent Devotional Booklets. For decades our Elders have been preparing these book-lets for the Holy Seasons of Advent and Lent. This year their Advent theme was “In All Things Love …” I think you will enjoy reading these meditations every day of this glorious season. I usually read the booklet through when I first receive it and then re-read the meditations each day as the Season progresses. There are so many wonderful books of meditations being published these days; including one we read entitled “Jesus Calling” and, of course, the old favorite “Daily Word.” I think you will find the Elder’s booklets an excellent compan-ion piece during this Season to whatever regular medi-tation book you are reading.
Two big events on Saturday, December 10th that you will want to put on your calendars. The first is Operation Santa Claus which begins early Saturday morning and continues until all the children who come have seen Santa and received a gift. Pastor Alfredo will again be our bi-lingual Santa and Ken Wilson, “Mr. Santa-Claus” himself, will be coordinating his crew of elves Thursday and Friday afternoons/evenings and then all morning Saturday. If you want to be an “ador-able elf ” this year contact Ken on Sunday in church or call the church office.
On Saturday afternoon and evening, December 10th at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM, our marvelous Chancel Choir will give us their special Christmas gift. The an-nual concert is entitled “We Need a Little Christmas” and having listened to a couple of rehearsals I highly recommend that you bring your family, friends, neigh-bors, shopkeepers and everyone you know. I guarantee this concert will fill you with the Christmas Spirit and
You’ll read this elsewhere in the newsletter (and please make sure to read that article) but I have to add to it that there was a caring, loving and sharing attitude for others permeating our campus last Sunday as our children, assisted by our youth, packed 104 boxes for Operation Christmas Child. And there was a generous spirit among the adults who donated an “over-and-above” amount of $1,624 to help pay for supplying and sending these boxes to the children of third-world-un-derdeveloped-nations. We won’t know for a few weeks where FCCNH—OCC boxes go but we do know, from personal testimony, that these boxes may be the only Christmas gifts these children receive. And in each box of pencils, combs, tooth brushes, etc. there will be a note from one of our children wishing a child of an-other nation Merry Christmas.
That is spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the world. To everyone who helped in any way make this annual ministry such a success – Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.
This coming Sunday is the first Sunday of the Advent Season. But before we arrive at church on Sunday the first load of Christmas trees will already be on our Lot bringing in revenue for our children’s charities. This traditional ministry is extremely labor intensive and needs the assistance of every able bodied woman, man and child to make it successful. Last year, because of the drought in Oregon, we had to close a few days earlier than planned. We are hoping this year we will have a full run with quality trees. We need your
First ChristiaN News November �3, �016 Page 3
For those of you who know someone serving in the armed forces, as well as people serving in other capacities, we want to lift them up in prayer... please let us know when they come home!
Brian JohnsonJoshua Bigbee
Christopher A. Bernstein1st Battalion at PendletonChris Diaz
We also want to continue to pray for peace, for wisdom for the world’s leaders, and for the people of all war-torn areas of our world.
leave you humming and singing some beautiful songs.One of the highlights of every Advent Season is the
Children’s Pageant which will be on Sunday, December 11th. I know that Christi Anderson, Jennifer Le’au, Ty Parr and others have been working for several weeks with our children and youth. Our children always make the story of Jesus’ birth live in our hearts and their lit-tle personalities add so much charm to the traditional story. You will not want to miss this annual gift of our children so plan to come early. The sanctuary has a ten-dency to fill up early on these special days.
Wednesday is the annual Interfaith Food Pantry service of worship at 7:00 PM. This year Temple Beth Hillel, on Riverside Drive between Laurel Canyon and Whitsett, will be hosting the service. This is the one time of the year the volunteers of the Pantry gather to-gether in worship. It is a beautiful and to me very sacred moment when people of different faiths and denomina-tions worship together. If you are able please plan to attend.
NOTE—there will be no Wednesday night meditation service on our campus this Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. If you’re travel-ling do so safely and as I always say – take your time going but please hurry home. I’ll see some of you on Sunday as we begin this glorious Season together.
Pergé! Pastor Bob
This is a call to please join in the volunteer effort in 2016. The Tree Lot will be open from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday—Friday and 9:00 am to 8:00 pm Saturday—Sunday, beginning Friday, November 25th through Tuesday, December 20th. The Tree Lot will run for a minimum of three weeks, so we really need everyone to pitch in as much as possible! Please start carving out some availability now.
There are sign up boards in the narthex or contact Phil Restivo ([email protected] or at 818.915.4767) or Dorothy Brooks ([email protected] or 818.919.8085) anytime to sign up or for more info. Also, if you would like to be added to the email list for tree lot communications, we would love to add you!
We will train you at the lot! So, we look forward to having you sign up, show up and having fun!
volunteers needed
TREES for KIDS
Buy a tree. Help a child.First Christian Church of North Hollywood
4390 Colfax Avenue (corner of Colfax and Moorpark)Studio City, CA 91604
November 27 — DeCember 20moN-Thur: 10am-8pm & fri-SuN: 9am-8pmTo volunteer contact Phil Restivo at [email protected]
or Dorothy Brooks at [email protected]
Volunteers are needed in a variety of capacities: cashiers, tree cutting and standing, food angels (providing meals for our volunteers), and assisting customers.
We will be holding training sessions in the Dragonfly classroom on Sunday, November 15th & 22nd from 12:00 pm to 12:45 pm.
We will also have a “Cutting and Standing” training session at the Tree Lot on friday, November 27th.
Spread the joy! ALL profits from Trees for Kids are distributed to programs that directly help children.
TREES for KIDS is a non-profit, volunteer tree lot operated by First Christian Church of North Hollywood (Disciples of Christ) since 1982.
voLuNTeerS NeeDeDtrees for kids
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Sylvia Jefferies and her son, James joined the church Sunday morning at the conclusion of the morn-ing service of worship. I have to tell you about the most amazing thing that happened to the three of us on Sat-urday morning!
There was a crew in the Social Hall Kitchen (and in the Annex and Youth Hut kitchens) preparing a Thanksgiving feast to take to North Hollywood Park to feed the homeless.
My responsibility was to bring the green bean cas-serole. At the same time the cooks were in the kitchens, the Born to Act Players (BTAP) were rehearsing in the Social Hall. They are there every Saturday morning to practice. The leader of BTAP, Mary Ring is the mother of an adult child with Down’s syndrome. BTAP is a the-ater group comprised of adults with disabilities, many of whom have Down’s syndrome.
Sylvia, James and I were in the kitchen with the cooks and one of the other mothers from BTAP stepped inside the door of the kitchen and invited James to join the rehearsal. She said he was welcome to be there, and he would probably enjoy it very much. It was clear that James was a little uncertain, so I suggested we just step into the Social Hall and watch what they were doing.
The theater “kids” were rehearsing a song. Mary was on the stage leading them through the choreogra-phy of the dance steps as they were learning the routine. It was a joy-filled, up-lifting piece of music. While we were standing there, I just happened to make eye-con-tact with a young woman from BTAP. I smiled. She smiled back, and without missing a beat she stepped over to me, took me by the hand and said, “Come dance with us! You are welcome.” She brought me to the cen-ter of the group, and I joined in the dance!
The words to the song had to do with climbing mountains, and pushing back fears. They sang about challenges that they were up to meeting with joy, be-cause they were strong. I was made weak – literally, in tears by the end of the song, by the welcome to join the
dance and by being received with a hug when the mu-sic ended. My partner (I didn’t learn her name, though I don’t suppose it mattered) said to me, “I’m so glad you danced with us.”
Sylvia was also in tears, as was the mother to first invited us to join. James, I think was impressed, espe-cially when we told him that some of Mary’s kids are on TV (“Speechless,” “Glee”) in movies and have even been on Broadway. They are the most remarkable actors you will ever meet – not an ounce of self-consciousness, big egos or competiveness in the room. Just love and welcome and invitations to join the dance! It’s hum-bling.
These were the same words Roz Noziska used when she talked about sharing Thanksgiving In the Park with 120 homeless people. “It’s humbling.” We are blessed in so many ways. And it is a blessing to be able to share ourselves with one another.
Join the dance! Celebrate! Give thanks! And have a blessed Thanksgiving.
Pastor Louise
Sylvia and James Jeffries joined the church this past Sunday, November 20th at the 10 am service.
Welcome to the FCCNH Family Sylvia and James!
First ChristiaN News November �3, �016 Page �
Childcare provided.
Page 6 November �3, �016 First ChristiaN News
Xplor residents
Thank you very much for again making our Sun-day School project for Operation Christmas Child such a huge and rewarding success! Your contribution towards the shoe box contents and/or the cost per box for shipping, made this all possible. The Sunday school students (Preschool - 8th grade) packed 104 boxes filled with a wide assortment of gifts, toiletries, school sup-plies, toys, books, clothing, stickers, and more!
Before we could even begin the process of filling the shoeboxes, they all had to be assembled. A huge thank you to Mona Levin for assembling ALL the shoe-boxes (not a small task). It was amazing to have all the empty boxes ready to go on Sunday morning!
Jason Peterson, Christi Anderson and I also want to thank a very special group of student volunteers, who helped unpack over 1700 items, and sorted and arranged them by category on the various tables in the annex. These students not only set up and organized the room so it would be easy for the children to walk from table to table to select their items, but they also helped the younger children in labeling, selecting, and pack-ing their boxes. Thanks to Ryan Hirsch, Langdon Janos, Zach Levy, Alex Miller, James Jeffries, Stella McFadden, Dean McFadden, Lulu Sobel, Axel Sobel, Sophia McIn-tosh, Caroline Keenan, Anelise Pardo, and Chloe Mat-thews, for making our annual OCC run so smoothly. We also want to thank the Sunday School teachers, the parent volunteers, and of course, the students for their participation!
A special thank you to Jason not only for shopping for all the items, and then taking all the boxes to the Distribution Center, but for bringing the idea of do-ing the OCC project to our Sunday School class years ago. We used to do the OCC boxes in our 4-5th grade Sunday school class, and a few years ago we decided
to make it a Sunday School wide event. It is always heartwarming to see our older students helping with the younger ones, teaming up together to bring joy to children around the world.
Thank you all... what an amazing church family you are!
With love and appreciation,Peggy Bock
First ChristiaN News November �3, �016 Page �
Xplor residents
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I greet you in the Wonderful Magnificent name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I want to give a special thank you to Angel Bur-gess. Her support this past Friday night helped to make the sleepover a huge success. In addition, a big thank you to our parents as they brought food for our ear-ly Thanksgiving Feast! We had an assortment of food-- chicken, pasta, salad, pizza, vegetables, chips and dip, and finally a number of great tasting desserts. We en-joyed a piñata, several group games, and concluded the night with a family movie! The next morning we woke up bright and early to cereal, yogurt, fruit, granola and a donut or two. This was a breakfast for champions!
This past Sunday the youth hosted the meet and greet while others assisted our younger children in cre-ating gift boxes for Operation Christmas Child. It is a pleasure to work with young people who are excit-ed and committed about supporting others and finding ways to express their faith.
There were many special moments from this week-end, but again the one that resonates most with me, was the fellowship between middle school youth and high school youth. I truly love witnessing the ways our youth support and care for each other. Middle school and high school can be difficult years and as youth di-rector, it is very important to me that our youth develop encouraging peer relationships to help each other navi-gate the journey.
The FCCNH youth group is committed to help-ing young people explore their faith while fellowship-ping and having fun with other youth. I am grateful for a weekend of Food, Fun and Faith.
As always I ask that you pray for our youth as we are praying for you.
Jeremy Gillett,Director of Youth Ministries
november 28th, december 5th
Advent in Two TestamentsWe will look at stories, prophecies and themes of both the
Old and New Testaments that overlap as we enter Advent.
Buddy was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn’t fit in, the adult Buddy travels to New York, in
full elf uniform, in search of his real father. As it hap-pens, this is Walter Hobbs, a cynical businessman. After a DNA test proves this, Walter reluctantly attempts to start a relationship with the childlike Buddy with increasingly chaotic results.
With the advent of World War I, Europe is thrown into a brutal and vicious chaos as men are forced to kill or be killed. While blood soaks the battlefield as Christmas approaches, the men in the trenches of the Western Front face a transformation, how-ever fleeting, toward peace and goodwill. Against all odds, four unlikely individuals from opposing sides bond during this bloodless respite to experience the hope and goodness in humanity.
First ChristiaN News November �3, �016 Page �
Wednesday november 23rd —7:30 pm
the north Hollywood interfaith Food Pantry
presents our 33rd annual
interfaith service of thanksgiving
Embracing All: Helping Those In Need In
Our Community As We BuildA Culture of Caring
at
Temple Beth Hillel12326 Riverside Drive
Valley Village, CA 91607(818) 763-9148 • www.tbhla.org
donations oF staPle Foods& money are welcome.
www.NHIFP.org & www.facebook.com/NHIFP
tHis service is wHeelcHair accessible.
Suggested Food Donations:Canned Tuna, Canned Chicken,
Chili, Ravioli, Beans, Peanut Butter
c e l e b r a t i n g 3 3 y e a r s o f s e r v i c e
I remember many things about my first elders’ retreat. We spent the weekend at a beautiful spiritual center in Santa Barbara. Our retreat leader was a World Champion Magician who demonstrated for us his mag-ic, and his faith. We had countless hours of fellowship and fun together. But the memory that most often pops into my head involves our unusual communion.
You see, when Sunday morning came around, we found ourselves breadless and wineless. Thankfully, thinking outside the box is encouraged in our church. And after searching through our limited supplies, we found the elements we needed for our table. We may not have planned ahead, but our Lord provided. That morning, we had an intimate and heart-felt commu-nion . . . of seasoned crackers and red grapes.
It was a mind-expanding experience for me. One that helped me to accept a simple truth: It’s not about what you serve. It’s about Who you serve.
Jesus was right there with us that morning as we broke crackers and shared grapes. Jesus is right here with us now.
Aliza Ramos—20 November 2016
Page 10 November �3, �016 First ChristiaN News
Throughout the year, the FCCNH chancel is decorat-ed with beautiful flowers, often given in memory or in honor of a person or event such as birthdays or anniver-saries. In celebration of Christmas, we will once again place poinsettias on the chancel for Christmas Sunday. The cost of the plants is $17.50 each. If you would care to give a poinsettia, either as a gift or as a memorial, please fill out the order form, enclose it with your check with “poinsettias” in the memo line, and place it in the offering plate, or send it to the office prior to Sunday, December 11th. We will print as many dedications as we have by that date in the Christmas Sunday, Christmas Eve bulletins and the newsletter.
Your Name(s):
Daytime Phone:
Email:
Poinsettia Dedication(s):Please check one of the following and write the specifics
of your dedication(s) in the space provide below In Honor Celebration Memory of ...
No. of plants Total Enclosed $
If you would like to take your poinsettia home, they will be available following the 11:00 PM Christmas Eve service. Plants remaining after Christmas will be taken to shut-ins of our church family. Anyone who would like to help with taking plants to shut-ins please contact the Elders.
PoinsettiasProvided by Dee’s Flowers
Thursday 11/24Temple Closed - no pick up
Sunday 11/27#8 Sally Hallada
Wednesday 11/30Swing Team Art Dielhenn Robin Garner Joe White Danny Pino
Thursday 12/1#3 Rae Eiklor Mike Eiklor Ryan Eiklor Neil Eiklor Heather Hatch
Sunday 12/4#2 Fred Sloan Louise Sloan Goben Galen Goben Jeff Goben Hutch Hutchinson
Wednesday 12/7Studio City Team
Thursday 12/8#5 Rosey Tamkin Heather Hatch Barbara Erdahl Derek Reisinger
Sunday 12/11#4 Luis Oliart Ken Wilson Barbara Erdahl Hans Christoph
Wednesday 12/14Studio City Team
Sunday 12/18#6 Kevin Kenney Heather Hatch Barbara Erdahl
Wednesday 12/21Studio City Team
Food Pantry VoLUntEEr ContaCtTransportation Teams:
Heather Hatch 508.667.1609
another way to donateYou can now make recurring donations to the
Interfaith Food Pantry through the FCCNH web page (https://fccnh.charityfinders.com/Donate%20Cash).
THE FOOD PANTRY IS IN NEED OF:Canned tuna, canned chicken, rice, canned beans
(pinto, navy etc.), boxed cereal, diapers, powderd milk, baby food, peanut butter and tomato products!
First ChristiaN News November �3, �016 Page 11
ChUrCh StaFF
Robert M. Bock Senior Pastor
Louise Sloan Goben Associate Pastor
Alfredo Gomez Pastor, Spanish Speaking Congregation
Christi Anderson Director of Children’s Ministries
Jeremy Gillett Director of Youth Ministries
Tyana Parr Director of Children’s Choir
Joshua Elson Music Director
David Rigsby Organist
Christine Karasseferian Director of Finance and Human Resources
Diane Hirsch Administrative Assistant/Web Master/Publicity Coordinator
Terri Burton Church Publications
Michele Amundsen Wedding Director
Elmer Maldonado Building & Grounds Superintendent
Miriam MancillaActing Director of Christian Nursery School
Greg Kirkland Media Director
VoLUntEEr StaFFJosé Pretlow, Susan Marble, John Henry Kreitler, Jeff McFadden, Denise Ovaldson, Tom Louie, Richard Johnson, Martin Smith, Sound Technicians
Luis Oliart Security
In MEMorIaMEarle Immel Minister of Music Emeritus
Merle E. Fish, Jr. Minister Emeritus
By Way oF rEPort
PLEASE SUBMIT ARTICLES VIA EMAIL [email protected]
or in the office M-F from 9am to 5 pm.
is midnight sunday!
n e w s l e t t e r
November 20, 2016________________________
10:00 AM Sunday Worship 204 5:30 PM Sunday SpiritSong Worship 30 7:00 PM Sunday Evenlight Worship 6 7:00 PM Wednesday Worship 2 Sunday School Children 61 Sunday School Youth 35 Evening Youth Groups 14
10:00 AM Sunday Worship $6,897.05 4:00 PM Sunday Service En Espanol $101.00 5:30 PM Sunday SpiritSong Worship $792.00 7:00 PM Wednesday Worship $220.00 Sunday School Children $5.00
ToTal GeNeral offeriNG $8,015.05
Disciples Mission Fund (Thanksgiving) $50.00 Operation Christmas Child $494.00 Operation Santa Claus $760.00
First Christian News First Christian ChurCh oF north hollywood
a Congregation oF the Christian ChurCh
(disCiples oF Christ) 4390 ColFax avenue
north hollywood, CA 91604 - 2898
First Christian Church of North Hollywood818/763-8218 • FAX 818/763-8457Web Site: www.fccnh.orgemail: [email protected]
Pastor & senior editor Robert M. Bockart direction Terri BurtonWeb Master Diane Hirsch
Production services
Mary Ann Steuterman Byron Armantrout
eMeritus
Billie Kline Lillian Carlson Heather Kenney Margaret Defibaugh Cathy Melendez Fern Donald Chuck Mont Jean Johnson Wanda Kanoy Helen Scarna Kay Smith Betty Van Zanten Shirley McClure Deborah Wheeler Virginia Stebbins Cindy Kaller
November 27, 201610:00 am Sally Hallada (O) Rodney Gould (C)5:30 pm Gaye Coffman7:00 pm Barbara Sheppard
Diaconate: Charles Hirsch Diane Hirsch Bill Drastal Karen Drastal Kathy Dantagnan Barry Dantagnan Mike Dobbin Ellen Dobbin David Olsen Dan Soderstrom
Upcoming Diaconate:
Dec. 4 Barbara Wiles & Janet Bruce Dec. 11 Cindy Caryl & Angel Burgess
THINK GREEN! PLEASE RECYCLE!NOTE: If you would like to receive this newsletter via Email, which saves
on printing/mailing costs and is better for the environment, please contact us. Annual subscription cost for first class mail version is $24.
