CPC Life October/November 2021 by Christ Presbyterian Church

What you’ll discover in this issue:

A WORD FROM Pastor Petey STORIES OF Community

03 04-06

FAITH@WORK Retreat

PRAYER: A How-to Guide

MEET CLAY from the Prayer Team

SERVING REFUGEES in the Twin Cities

10-11

NEW WEBSITE and New Elders

12-13

YOUNG ADULT Ministry Highlight

IN OUR FAMILY CPC Updates

Please email communications@cpcedina.org Email Subscriptions: To receive a link to the online version, contact communications@ cpcedina.org

Editorial Assistants: AnnaLisa Buol, Claire Sweem

Next Steps T to Go Deeper

he great hockey legend Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” I can’t help but think this applies to our church and our spiritual lives. You can’t expect progress without effort. You can’t expect life change if you pass on opportunities to get involved and take a next step. This is how faith works: when we put it into practice, it becomes real to us. We step into the reality of what we believe by trying it out! Jesus says those who hear His words and put them into practice are building a strong foundation for their lives, as opposed to one that crumbles when life gets hard (Luke 6:46-49). Yet how many of us stand on the sidelines—wrapped up in layers of excuses or paralyzed by doubt, fear, or distractions? Our church is led by Jesus. It is bound up in the truth that He has done for us what we could never do for ourselves! We then live in that truth by putting our faith into practice by worshiping, serving, connecting, and making space for others. One of the reasons Scripture has always been meaningful to God’s people is that it gives a tactile, consistent, and practical point of contact between God’s desires for our lives and our own everyday experiences. You might say that Scripture is meant to be “daily bread,” providing nourishment in the midst of our ongoing journeys. Scripture is powerful for so many of us explicitly because it gives Christ followers a tangible next step to grow in our faith.

That’s what we want to do at CPC—call you to take tangible next steps to go deeper in your dependence upon Jesus, in serving and belonging, and in helping us be a church you can’t wait to invite your friends to. In this issue, you’ll witness how CPCers are taking their next steps and also find opportunities open to you. CPC belongs to Jesus, and I hope and pray that as we hold that truth up in front of you, you respond to His calling to engage your faith every single day in every single place you find yourselves.

P E T E Y C R O W D E R serves as SENIOR PASTOR

CPC LIFE

O C T/ N O V I S S U E 2 0 2 1

Building Community JAMIE HOLM

O C T/ N O V I S S U E 2 0 2 1

CPC LIFE

have always felt God through community. Growing up in a Christian home, my parents did a good job building a faith community around me, and I was super involved in my church. After going to a Christian school through eighth grade and feeling like I owned the place, I went to a public high school. It was a shock! I knew four people out of 450. No one knew me; I was a nobody. It was also shocking how many kids didn’t know God, but it was good because it opened my eyes to the world. After my experience in a public school, I decided to go to a Christian college. It was interesting, though: since everyone was assumed to be a Christian, faith was not the primary focus of our conversations. A Christian college doesn’t force you to find that community—it just kind of exists. So when I moved back to Minneapolis after graduation, I was craving Christian community again and started attending Upper Room at CPC on Sunday nights. Although I started at Upper Room—which was primarily focused on twenty-somethings—I knew long-term I wanted to get involved in a multigenerational church. I became a member at CPC and later got married, and I went through the membership process again with my husband, Austin. Then someone told us about Catalyst, a Sunday Community for newly married couples without kids. We decided it would be good for us to get to know some people in the church, and Austin and I also wanted to figure out what we wanted our marriage to look like. As members of Catalyst got older, we became young couples with young kids. And now our kids are becoming friends. In our Sunday Community we really care for each other. Every time someone has a baby (this seems to happen a lot!) or is sick, we have meal trains. We vacation together and do weekends at people’s cabins. Women check in on each other and offer prayer requests in a text chain. I love surrounding my kids with a community that loves Jesus and loves them.

I think without the people, church just becomes a building. If I just wanted to hear a sermon, I could go to any church. The people make the church, and the people keep me there. We also learn together. We’ve done Bible studies and marriage studies. We workshopped family mission statements: what is our family going to be about? Kids’ Ministries taught us about sticky faith. And currently we’ve invited older mentor couples to share ways they have made their families and faith stronger. Each couple chooses a different topic to discuss with us: boundaries with extended family during holidays; the importance of tradition in a family; using Myers Briggs to better communicate with our spouses. We are working to put God at the center of our relationships, and I can definitely say our family is stronger and our marriage is better because of Catalyst. I still think about this advice I heard in a sermon years ago: surround yourself with people to make you stronger. Being with other Christians helps you grow in your faith, makes you a better version of yourself. I think without the people, church just becomes a building. If I just wanted to hear a sermon, I could go to any church. The people make the church, and the people keep me there. I love that CPC has become a second home for our kids. I know it can be intimidating to be the new person in a group. But I would just say, show up—and then keep showing up. That was us when we first joined Catalyst. Relationships are never immediate; you have to put in the time to build them. The first time is the hardest, but we’re welcoming! Give it a try. Then give it several tries. It is so worth it.

MORE Community Profile

Lee and I have been part of the MORE Sunday Community since we returned to Minnesota five years ago. I like that the group is small enough that we really get to know each other. MORE is also a great place for singles. As a senior group, we have an array of people: some married, some single, some who have lost a spouse or simply attend alone. It’s just a very caring community, where you can be who you are. There’s no need to be a Bible scholar—just join us to socialize and learn from some great teachers. When COVID hit and we had to switch to Zoom meetings, it was an adjustment! A lot of us aren’t as savvy on the computer, so we saw a lot of tops of heads! Yet we learned. And we even had some join us for the first time when we were just online. But everyone is really excited to be back in person again. MORE has been a place of support and encouragement for me. It’s a great place to be known, and we’d love the chance to welcome you!

-Betty Norby

CPC LIFE

O C T/ N O V I S S U E 2 0 2 1

Community@10 The 10:00AM hour is a shared time when our community can connect on Sundays. Hang out in the Commons, where you can grab a coffee and meet someone new or connect with friends, or check out one—or a few— of our Sunday Communities that meet throughout the church. Check out the options below!

Sunday Communities Intergenerational • Fellowship Hall West Credo is an intergenerational community that meets for fellowship, followed by a time for teaching and robust discussion. 20s-30s • Room 201/202 Young Adults gather to enjoy donuts, coffee, and to find a smaller community of people in this stage of life while diving a big deeper into faith. Millennial Couples • Room 116 E3 is a group of engaged and married millennial couples, with a few cute kids in the mix, who connect through faith and community as we walk through life’s seasons together. Couples with Young Kids • Fellowship Hall East Catalyst is a group of married couples with young kids pursuing Jesus and authentically sharing life together.

Late 40s-Early 60s • Room 10 S.A.L.T. (Sharing and Learning Together) is a mix of single and marrieds in their late 40s to early 60s who come together for Bible study, lively discussion, laughter, prayer, and community-building. Late 50s+ • Fellowship Hall Center A.C.T.S. (Affirming Community Trusting the Savior) is a mix of singles and marrieds in their 50s and beyond who gather for interactive discussions between people with advanced knowledge of Scripture, those new to the Bible, and everywhere in between. 70+ • Chapel MORE is a delightful community of active retired people, led by excellent teachers on engaging Bible studies and topics, who want the “more” Jesus promised.

PARENTS: Community@10 is for you, too! Your kids (birth-5th

grade) will experience Kids Community and your middle schoolers (6th-8th grade) will experience a SIX8 gathering in the Fireside Room so that you can participate in a community or hang with other adults. MOSAIC WORSHIP • Westview October 17, November 21, December 19 Mosaic is a worship service that occurs once a month, serving the special needs community and their families to provide an inclusive faith community for all. Please join us!

O C T/ N O V I S S U E 2 0 2 1

CPC LIFE

A Mini-Retreat for Men November 12 (7:00-9:00PM)November 13 (8:30AM-12:00PM) Cost: $39 Sign up: cpcedina.org/events rediscover God’s grace for you

explore how the upsand-downs of work can draw you closer to Jesus

meet and connect with other men from CPC

I believe that the bulk of our struggles in life stem from identity problems. And it’s common for men to find their identity in their work. But what we’ll be exploring during this mini-retreat will speak to everyone, whatever stage they’re in—working or retired, passionate about their job or feeling restless. This retreat will explore where we find our true identity, which is in our relationship with Jesus. Serge is hosting this retreat, and they have been the most influential organization in my life that has helped me grow in my relationship with Jesus. If you’ve been in a class of mine or heard me preach or teach, pretty much any diagram or concept I’ve shared has come from their Gospel Renewal materials! That’s why I’m so excited to be hosting this event and to hear from Patric Knaak. I hope you’ll be joining me on November 12! —JAMES MADSEN, PASTOR OF GROUPS

Everyday Approach to Prayer

any of us want to pray more, pray better . . . but we’re just not sure where to start. Especially in a season where we’ve weathered new circumstances, new fears, and new ways of doing life, we long to bring our stresses and questions and uncertainties before God.

In How to Pray: A Simple Guide for Normal People, Pastor Pete Greig outlines an easy guide to use when engaging in prayer, encouraging people to P.R.A.Y.:

P: Pause R: Rejoice & Reflect A: Ask Y: Yield

We begin by Pausing. This means physically stopping, but it also means pausing our minds so that we may fix our attention on God. Look around for what may be distracting you. Are you awaiting a text? Is the TV on? Are there tasks undone or upcoming events that you need to release before entering into a time with God? After pausing, we Rejoice and Reflect. Here we celebrate who God is and remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness. During hard seasons it may be tempting to simply ask God for help. But if we start by naming who God is and the ways He has provided in the past, we can receive comfort and strength in the truth that God is big enough and compassionate enough to hear us and provide. We then Ask. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” When we pray, God wants us to name what we desire. This does not mean that we are entitled to receive all that we ask, but it does mean that in humility, we can acknowledge that our God is a generous provider, and He calls us to rely on Him for all that we are and all that we have. Finally, we Yield to God’s will. The Lord’s Prayer closes with the lines, “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.” As children of God, participants in God’s Kingdom, we recognize that God is God and we are not. We worship a God who loves and cherishes us, a heavenly Father who already sacrificed His Son on our behalf so we may rest in our relationship with Him. Therefore, we can trust in His will and surrender all to Him. This P.R.A.Y. method of prayer can allow us to come before God—in times of pain and in times of joy—with whatever we are carrying and to lay it before God. I encourage you in the coming weeks to try this prayer guide. If it feels overwhelming to try it on your own, you can download the Lectio365 app, which has morning and evening devotions that follow this P.R.A.Y. guide. And if you find yourself going deeper in your prayer life and feel called to pray with others, please reach out to care@cpcedina.org. We would love to have you join one of our CPC prayer teams.

M E L I S S A S C H A S E R serves as P A S T O R of C O N G R E G A T I O N A L C A R E

O C T/ N O V I S S U E 2 0 2 1

CPC LIFE

Each week at the end of services, our congregation is invited to pray with someone in the front corners of the Sanctuary. Meet one member of the team of everyday people who serve our community through prayer. Clay Kilber shares how he views this act of service and what praying together is really about. Clay and his family

First and foremost, prayer is just spending time with God. The idea that we have easy access to God—the Creator of the universe—at any time is amazing. We’re not put on a waiting list, we don’t have to call a special number and wait for a call back. We can connect with God at any time we want, and that’s an incredible thing that I know I often take for granted. When I have the chance to pray with someone, I approach it in a very simplistic way. I know it’s not about the words I say or how I say them—I’m just helping facilitate a connection with God. Most people know that they can pray themselves, but praying with someone, for someone . . . it takes a weight off of their shoulders to have someone advocating for them. We’re just opening our hands to what God wants to do in our lives. I think two assumptions can happen when you see someone going forward for prayer. One is that when you look at someone standing there, waiting to pray with someone, you might think

they are a spiritual titan. Nope! I’m just as nervous for you to walk up to me as you are to come forward. There’s a level of vulnerability on both sides. The second assumption is to think that the person going forward for prayer must be dealing with something really significant in their life. That you should only ask for prayer if you have a health struggle or a broken relationship or are facing a big life change. But I’ve had people come up to me and simply ask me to pray a blessing over them. You can come forward for any reason, big or small. And when we do so, I think it sets an example for the rest of the congregation, helping us get rid of the labels in our minds for those who are requesting prayer. We all need prayer. I’d love to help people understand that receiving prayer is something beautiful. Like anything, you have to give it a shot. What’s the worst that can happen? An awkward interaction with a prayer person? On the flip side, I’d like to think you’d experience something powerful and unique . . . because together you’ve been in the presence of God.

CPC LIFE

O C T/ N O V I S S U E 2 0 2 1

Welcomin Refu ees in our Community A chat with CPCer Stacey Stewart

WHAT HAS DRAWN YOU TO THE WORK OF ARRIVE MINISTRIES? Growing up, my house was a few miles from the Mexico border. It was both frightening and heartbreaking to see the desperation of families at the border crossing. Today the refugee crisis is on the news so frequently, it's easy to lose compassion or to feel disconnected and far removed here in Minnesota. But back then it was ever present, and growing up in a Christian family, God planted the seed that I should be loving the unwelcomed and unloved who were literally at our doorstep. Fast forward to 2008, when I was a teacher in Columbia Heights. I taught refugee students from Libya, Iraq, and Somalia and was once again profoundly impacted by the hardships and resilience of these immigrant communities. I've felt God calling me to do more to serve in this space for some time, but I found myself floundering on how to meaningfully contribute. I joined the Local Missions Team this summer, and when Pastor Emily presented the opportunity to work with Arrive Ministries, I was all in! Their mission is Christ-filled—to welcome, serve, and love these new neighbors into our community!

WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR CPC? The opportunity to be a part of a CPC Good Neighbor Team excites me because it is relational! Pastor Petey often reminds us to look outside the windows because what happens in church doesn't stay in church. We are meant to carry Christ out into the world with us, into deep relationships with others. Good Neighbor Teams walk alongside their refugee family for a year. Ultimately, the hope is that the relationship moves from a support role to a lasting friendship. We may be the first Christians the refugee family has ever encountered; what a privilege it will be to share Christ's love with them!

PHOTOS FEATURED ON THIS SPREAD ARE OF LOCAL GOOD NEIGHBOR TEAMS.

O C T/ N O V I S S U E 2 0 2 1

CPC LIFE

FOR THOSE CURIOUS BUT UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHAT COMING ALONGSIDE A REFUGEE LOOKS LIKE, WHAT ENCOURAGEMENT CAN YOU GIVE? It's okay to be nervous and uncomfortable—it's uncharted territory for most of us! But in all likelihood, our refugee friends will feel the same uncertainty about us. Teams consist of around 6-10 individuals, allowing members to serve as their schedule permits, so the commitment doesn't feel overwhelming. Arrive also provides multiple training sessions, and the team meets regularly to brainstorm ways to support the family. Our goal is to be both helpers and learners, which I find really rewarding. There will be challenges, but I believe that if you ask God to give you an open heart and desire to serve, He will be there, using you in ways you couldn't imagine!

An Evening with Brian Olarte INTEREST MEETING Sunday, October 17 • 12:00PM • Chapel Explore how you can serve local refugees! Local partner Arrive Ministries will host a volunteer interest meeting where you can learn details about forming a Good Neighbor Team to walk alongside a refugee family for a year. A light lunch will be served.

Contact Pastor Emily to RSVP or ask questions: emilyh@cpcedina.org

Tuesday, October 5 6:00PM • Fellowship Hall Join us as we hear an update from Opportunity International Colombia Director, Brian Olarte. He’ll share how Opportunity is using funds from our 2021 Easter Offering to support savings and loan groups, financial literacy, and community development projects in the Albornoz community of Caragena, Colombia. Dessert reception to follow. “My wife, Kim, and I saw firsthand in Columbia how OI helps to pull families out of poverty by helping them learn to save and to start a small business. One small loan can change the course of a whole family for generations! The Lord is at work through OI!” – Tim Dulas, CPC Elder

Introducing our Brand-new Website! What you'll experience

A fresh & inviting homepage geared toward those new to CPC

Simpler navigation

Easy ways to find a next step

Explore the new site at cpcedina.org!

BIGGEST CHANGES Fewer pages and navigation choices

Rather than a giant menu and lots of web pages, we kept our main menu simple and then added a submenu on most pages to help you jump to specific content on the page. With a few exceptions, you should be able to find everything you need to know, all on one page.

Worship, Watch, and Sermons pages are combined

All worship-related content is now on one page! Whether you worship with us in person or online, or want to catch up on a service or the message from a previous week, you'll find all the information you need in one place. NOTE: SERMON AUDIO FILES CAN BE FOUND ON MORE PODCAST PLATFORMS THAN BEFORE!

Integrated Events

We wanted to make events easy to find for every generation of CPCer. Upcoming events are now integrated into each main ministry page, rather than only on the full events feed. You'll also find spotlighted events and opportunities on our home page!

A New URL: cpcedina.org With hundreds of "Christ Presbyterian Churches" around the country, we thought we'd take this opportunity to change our URL from cpconline.org to cpcedina.org. We are grateful to welcome people from all across the Twin Cities in our community, and felt that adding our location to our URL makes it simpler to remember and easier for us to be found.

O C T/ N O V I S S U E 2 0 2 1

CPC LIFE

CPC

Elder Class of 2025 MARK PAETZNICK My wife, Jo, and I began worshiping at CPC in 2011 and became members in 2013. We had attended another church for many years, yet felt a tugging at our hearts to check out CPC. Our kids participated in the Student Ministries at CPC, so we were familiar with the church and wanted to see more. From the first time we walked through the doors at CPC, it felt like home. It has been such a blessing to experience life’s milestones at CPC, such as Commitment Class for our kids and both our daughter and son getting married at CPC. I served as a deacon at CPC, was a BSF Children’s Leader, and continue to be a men’s small group Bible study leader. I was surprised, humbled, and honored when asked to be an elder. I am excited to see Jesus continue to work through CPC, touching people’s lives in new and beautiful ways.

SHARON SAMPSON In fifth grade a friend invited me to CPC’s kids’ programs, an invitation that would shape my life in profound ways. I learned Scripture in CPC kids’ choir and youth programs that I still cherish (and sing!) today. As a college intern and later a CPC staff member, I was generously mentored and taught ways to integrate faith, leadership, and a lifestyle of following Jesus. My favorite way to serve these days is co-leading a Bible study of seniors (average age: 92!). I believe all of us, at every age, can learn what Jesus’ love and grace means for our lives. I’m glad to be on that journey with the CPC community, where we can discover more of how the gospel offers both hope and a beautiful way to live.

CHRISTINA WALKER I joined CPC two years ago. From the first moment I sat in the pews, I could sense the Spirit was at work in this church. Getting involved quickly was important to me, so I began volunteering with Kids’ Ministries as soon as possible. Everyone I met was so welcoming and genuine. Since then, I’ve been involved in a women’s small group, a Bible study, and the SIX8 program in Student Ministries. After God led me to become a member immediately, instead of waiting a few years like I planned, I knew He was up to something. I believe in part it was so I could answer this call to serve as an elder at this specific time in our church’s journey. I am humbled to serve the congregation of CPC as we learn to expand our capacities to live in the tension and deepen our love for Jesus and one another.

Deacon Class of 2023 Karen Baumberger • Bill Fruen • Joy Fruen • Genna Porter • Juli Seeger • Norm Siekman • Beth Van Hoever

MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT

Young Adults M A T T F E R R I S serves as A S S O C I A T E D I R E C T O R of E N G A G E M E N T , Y O U N G A D U L T S

YOU LAUNCHED A SERIES OF YA EVENTS THIS SUMMER. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO DO SO?

“Is there more to life than just going to work and coming home at night?”

Finding a community after college is hard. And it’s even more difficult to find a community where you feel like you can be authentically “you” and move beyond the surface level to talk about things that actually matter—including weighty topics like faith and purpose. Our hope was to offer small, fun, and easy spaces where young adults could just show up and spend time with people that are in their same stage of life.

But the catch is that they often don’t feel like they have a space to belong in their local church. They often feel like church is not for them. I want young adults to know that they have a place here at CPC where they are free to explore faith and ask the questions that are really on their hearts.

WHAT’S NEXT AT CPC FOR YOUNG ADULTS? WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT THIS AGE GROUP AND THE VALUE AND PLACE THEY HAVE HERE AT CPC? Every generation brings a valuable perspective to a church community, so while we want to serve and develop young adults, we also need to recognize that we deeply need them in our community. The young adults I see today share a lot of the values that you see in the Acts 2 church. Emerging adults today are community-focused, aware of the needs of the people around them, and celebrate the diversity of experiences in their circles. They tend to be really open, and when they find something that really matters—like faith in Jesus Christ—they pursue it passionately and invite others into the fold. Having more of this generation involved really excites me for the future of the greater Church and the future of CPC.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE AS YOU SEEK TO ENGAGE THIS AGE GROUP WITH THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH? I think there is this narrative inside churches that young adults are disinterested in faith, but time and time again I experience the opposite. Young adults are in a unique stage of life where they are already exploring big things like meaning, vocation, and spirituality—and asking big questions like

O C T/ N O V I S S U E 2 0 2 1

CPC LIFE

One of the new opportunities this fall is a young adults Sunday Community during our new Community@10 hour. We hope that this will be a place where our young adults can build relationships with one another while also exploring Scripture and topics of faith. We are also in the midst of organizing some specific events throughout the fall and winter, which will be added to the young adults page of our website. We will also be offering another Alpha course in early 2022, which will be great for anyone who is new to faith or wants to learn more about Christianity in a safe, judgment-free environment.

HOW CAN THE CHURCH SUPPORT AND BE PRAYING FOR YOUNG ADULTS? Pray for God to move in these emerging generations. And pray for young adults who are new to the church or who haven’t been to church in a while. It can be intimidating to try out a new church, so pray that the Spirit is very apparent to them in their experiences here at CPC.

Another easy thing that anyone can do is be open, warm, and welcoming to young adults who come through our doors. Strike up a conversation and ask how they’re doing. We can offer a bunch of great programs, but the real way to make people feel like they belong is to be welcomed by everyday people in our congregation.

BIRTHS

Lindsay and Tim Haugen welcomed a son, William James Haugen, on June 21.

MARRIAGES

Laura Hamm and Brandon Wand were married on June 27. Doug Hamm officiated. Katie Rose Morrow and Brandon Gerstner were married on July 4. The Rev. Carrie Gleeson officiated. Brianna Lundgren and Ryan Rivard were married on August 13. The Rev. Jody Phenow officiated. Alexandra Schoening and Stefan Kuester were married on August 14. The Rev. Rich Phenow officiated.

DEATHS

Patricia Schuster passed away on September 11, 2020 at the age of 95. She is survived by son Martin (Martha). James (Jim) Fetterly passed away on October 22, 2020. He is survived by wife Judy and children Peter (Mary), Tim (Kathryn), and Karen (Steve) Hartwig and seven grandchildren. Keith Schentzel passed away on June 4 at the age of 70. He is survived by his mother Genevieve Schentzel. Richard “Dick” Simonson passed away on June 6 at the age of 86. He is survived by daughter Kaari (John) Allen. Gerald “Jerry” Rygh passed away on June 21 at the age of 82. He is survived by daughter Priscilla Rygh and grandchildren Calvin and Karenna Gallagher. Gloria Tamte passed away on June 27 at the age of 82. She is survived by son Michael (Megan) and grandchildren Allison and Ryan. Vivian Pavlik passed away on July 3 at the age of 80. She is survived by children Kyle, Steve, and Blake (Denise).

Liela Hanson passed away on August 22 at the age of 95. She is survived by daughter Sharon (Doug) Olson. Sylvia A. Bailey passed away on September 12 at the age of 79. She is survived by husband Ted and children Bob, Allison, and Jim and their families. Sandra (Sandy) Wysong passed away on September 16 at the age of 80. She is survived by husband Mark.

STAFF UPDATES

Tanja Pofahl joins Pathway Books as Pathway Associate. Ally Pehler joins Kids’ Ministries as Associate Director of Preschool. John Call joins Facilities as Custodian. Danise McMillen joins Kids’ Ministries as Director of Kids’ Ministries. Hannah Sudhakar joins Kids’ Ministries as Kids’ Program Associate. Britt Bass joins Worship as the Audio/Video Technician. AnnaLisa Buol leaves her position on the Communications Team as Digital Marketing Manager. Gil Anderson leaves his position on the Facilities Team as Custodian.

Grace Schneider passed away on July 7 at the age of 74. She is survived by daughters Tara (Tom) Wagner and Mandy (Brett) Peterson, and grandchildren Claire, Maggie, and Laci Wagner and Brady, Betsy, and Tanner Peterson.

SPECIAL STAFF ANNIVERSARIES

Randy Bacchus passed away on July 17 at the age of 21. He is survived by aunt Kathie (David) Froemming.

Trevor Tinsley, Associate Director of Media Production and Visual Design, celebrates 10 years.

Dr. Joseph Pellegrin, Jr. passed away on July 19 at the age of 88. He is survived by son Tony (Amanda Williams) and grandchildren Caroline and Henry.

FINANCIAL UPDATE

Eleanor J. Bucha passed away on July 24 at the age of 94. She is survived by son Bob (Barb).

Melissa Schaser, Pastor of Congregational Care, celebrates 5 years. Kathleen Selje, Director of Groups, celebrates 5 years.

CPC fiscal year started on June 1, 2021. June 1 through August 31: • Giving = $869,411 • Budgeted Giving = $925,920

Carol Hanson passed away on July 27 at the age of 89. She is survived by son Blake.

As of August 31, we were behind on giving revenue fiscal year-todate by $56,510.

Patricia Waack passed away on August 3 at the age of 94. She is survived by daughter Nancy (Douglas) Andrews.

CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

Stanley Nickells passed away on August 14 at the age of 88.

Join us for a congregational meeting on Sunday, November 14 at 10:00AM in the Westview Room. We will call it to order at the end of the 9:00AM service.

CPC LIFE

O C T/ N O V I S S U E 2 0 2 1

Worship With Us! SUNDAYS

9:00AM • Traditional Worship 11:00AM • Contemporary Worship Learn about Community@10 on page 6.

Supporting CPC in 2022:

What can $200 do? ur church is walking through a pivotal and historic time. Between welcoming a new senior pastor—our first in more than thirty years!—and all the challenges and societal changes that COVID has wrought, we feel that there has never been a more important time to financially support CPC.

We love this particular campaign [see below] because it shows so clearly that if each of us does just a little more, there can be a major multiplier effect in what we can do as a church. By upping our giving at this time, we are showing our gratitude and trust in God and investing in the vision our leadership is laying out for this next season at CPC. These additional resources will allow CPC to do even more ministry, both near and far, at a time when it is critically important for followers of Jesus to be showing up. We are whole-heartedly engaging in doing a little more to support CPC in this season. We encourage you to join us!

-Jeff [Elder Class of 2021] and Molly Dykstra

This year, our Resource Committee and all of Session has determined that we want to increase:

· the number of people engaged and in groups at CPC · the amount we give to our mission partners from our budget by 5% · our community's giving by 4% ($189,000) for the fiscal year To reach this goal, we are asking new givers to commit to $200 for the year and current giving partners to increase their pledge by $200. Will you fuel the work of CPC as we head into 2022? You’ll find and hear more information in your mailbox, inbox, and at services in October and November!