Vistas
PINNACLE
the newsletter for pinnacle presbyterian church, scottsdale, az |
November 2014
2015 STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN
Pinnacle Stewardship Ministry Group presents a closer look at how your pledges are serving God, the community and each other. Pinnacle uses your contributions to make a difference in people’s lives in the local community and beyond. While much of our mission funds comes from special donations and volunteers, your pledge dollars do help support regular programing for our mission partners. These include: Harmony Ministries, in Haiti, is supported both financially and with volunteers from Pinnacle. Several churches, including Pinnacle, work to facilitate and support Harmony's Ministries' 2,000 members with churches, schools, medical care and development programs. In 2013, eleven congregation members traveled to Haiti with its focus on children and music, but also as in the past, provided medical care to several hundred people. Construction of the new church is nearing completion thanks to a consortium of churches and organizations, of which Pinnacle is a member. Habitat for Humanity has been supported by Pinnacle since 1996. Pinnacle provides both financial support and volunteers in order to Please see UNITING on page 8
INSIDE... PINNACLE MISSION FAIR is November 2 SEE PAGE 3 THANK YOU DEBBIE! Debbie Lisk goes on long-term disability SEE PAGE 4 PINNACLE EXPLORES Middle East Concerns SEE PAGE 6
Tracings A Letter from Dr. Wesley Avram
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Dear friends, I love my friend Bill Smith's daily email postings. On October 10, he quoted from Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: In many of the more relaxed civilizations on the Outer Eastern Rim of the Galaxy, the Hitch-Hiker's Guide has already supplanted the great Encyclopaedia Galactica as the standard Dr. Wes Avram, repository of all knowledge and wisdom, for though Senior Pastor it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate, it scores over the older, more pedestrian work in two important respects. First, it is slightly cheaper; and secondly it has the words DON'T PANIC inscribed in large friendly letters on its cover. Being slightly cheaper can be a good thing. But what prompted my chuckle was the "DON'T PANIC" in all caps. As a summary of a guide to the supposed wisdom of the universe, "DON'T PANIC" might come out about right. Reminds one of Jesus' constant word to his followers, "Don't be afraid." Of course that doesn't mean "Don't bother," or "Don't work," or "Don't think it matters." It simply means, "Don't panic." And how often we do panic. How often we look at circumstances, or challenges, or things that rightfully upset us and wonder, "Why?!" or "How?!" or "Oh, my God! What do I do now?" Or, worse, "I can't face this. I've failed. I've been failed by others. I've been failed by God. All I've left is rage, blame, and panic!" But panic is a product of feeling isolated in the face of unexpected challenge. Faith, by contrast, is a gift of accepting the idea (and awareness, if you're lucky) that you're NOT alone. God's Spirit is there. Faithful others are there. Knowledge is there. Possibilities are there, even when Please see TRACINGS on page 8 2
Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
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MISSION AT PINNACLE
SMALL STEPS THAT
MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 | MISSION FAIR Your Steps Make a Big Difference!
Mission Fair | November 2 | 11:15 am | Sanctuary Patio Did you know that the average number of steps taken by an American woman is 5,210 steps per day? An American man takes an average of 7,192 steps per day according to the pedometer researcher Dr. Catrine Tudor-Locke. That is a lot of steps! We do a lot of things with those steps: walk the dog, make meals, clean our home, grocery shop, walk at our job, through our home and while playing sports. Each step seems to matter because it gets us from one point to another and helps us get things done. Each step makes a difference. Only a few steps in our day can make a world of difference to the people around us. It only takes an hour to read to a child at UMOM to touch a child’s heart, a few steps in serving a meal to the folks at Andre House who are hungry, a few days to walk with the people in Haiti to hear their stories, or an afternoon to support a senior who needs help getting to the doctor. How do you use your steps? Join us at the Mission Fair to discover how your small steps can make a big difference to someone else’s life. Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
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OUR COMMON LIFE
Thank you, Debbie! If you're on Pinnacle's mailing list you received a letter recently letting you know that our Director of Children's Ministries, Debbie Lisk, has gone on long-term disability to address an ongoing medical condition related to diabetes. Her decision came after a 90-day short-term leave was completed on October 9. We celebrated Debbie's work at Pinnacle on Sunday, October 19. We all continue to pray for her continuing recovery and healing. We're also glad that she and her family will remain a part of our lives here at Pinnacle as members. Debbie has served our children and their families ably and faithfully for seven years, and we've all benefited from her ministry. Please wish her well when you see her and pray for those who are charting the future course of this important ministry at Pinnacle. We can also use your volunteer help in our children's programming in the meantime! Please contact Pastor Frank Harmon at fharmon@ pinnaclepres.org or 480.585.9448 ext 230 if you can offer some time and energy. Thank you, Debbie. We send prayers for continuing recovery.
Thanksgiving Eve Service
with our friends at Living Water Lutheran Church
Pinnacle Presbyterian Church Wednesday, November 26 | 7 pm Message by Pastor Mark Rossman
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Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
PINNACLE FINANCE REPORT 9/30/14 YTD Actual
9/30/13 YTD Actual
2014 vs 2013
%
Total Income
$363,724
$317,016
$46,708
15%
Total Expenditures
$480,315
$475,504
($4,811)
-1%
($116,592)
($158,488)
$41,896
(Over)/Under Cash Balance - Operating
$286,182
Cash Balance - Restricted
$150,972
Total Cash Balance
$437,154
For the three months ending September 2014, total income was higher than last year's September YTD by 15%, which was mainly due to a generous one-time gift. We managed our total expenditures to be approximately the same as last year, above by 1%. This is a good result as compared to last year since we are now fully staffed this year and our personnel expense is higher than last year and our other expenses were lower than this time last year to compensate. Overall the shortfall was $116,000, but $42,000 better than last year at this time. Our cash balance ended the month at $286,182. Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
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ADULT EDUCATION
Join us as we continue a series of opportunities to explore, discuss and learn more about the complex issues of concern within the Middle East.
Pastor's Forum Sunday, November 9 | 11:30 am | Teen Center
Hope for the Holy Land
Special Presentation by World Vision Sunday, November 16 | 11:15 am | Music Rehearsal Hall
Tracking the Rise, Threat and Response to ISIS Special Presentation by Cap Dean
Sunday, November 23 | 11:15 am | Music Rehearsal Hall
How Far Apart? Whose Narrative, Which Truth? Dr. Wesley Avram
Adult Education Classes Thursday Evenings | Nov. 6, 13, 20; Dec. 4, 11 7 pm | Fellowship Hall, Room 4
Considering Zionism Unsettled and More Led by David Schaller
For more information please visit www.pinnaclepres.org/middle-east/ 6
Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
ADULT EDUCATION
Adult Education Offerings This Month Faith Formations: Adult Study Rev. Kelsy Brown Wednesdays | 6 pm | Fellowship Hall, Room 2 A meaningful time of fellowship, conversational prayer, and meditation on God’s word. Our time will be guided by a meditative worship liturgy in a small group setting.
Ladies’ Bible Study: I AM - Discovering Who Jesus Is Marti King Tuesdays, November 4 & 11 | 10:00 am | Chapel Library - or Thursdays, November 6 & 13 | 6:30 pm | Various Homes A look at the powerful claims in the book of John. We’ll discover how Jesus’ words help us see Him more clearly as these truths take hold of our spirits.
Illuminating Words of Faith in Music and Dance Video Lecture Series by Stephen Crosby Mondays, November 10 and 17 | 7:00 pm | Chapel Experience a different musical interpretation of words of faith each week in addition to a choreographer’s further interpretation in dance. November 10 - Contemporary Christian songs as interpreted by Ballet Magnificat and choreographers Tara Thibodeaux Drew and Jiri Voborsky. November 17 - The Trials, Faith and Hopes of Black Slaves in the Spirituals Tradition as interpreted by choreographer Alvin Ailey. For detailed information about these and other Adult Education classes, please visit www.pinnaclepres.org/adult-education. Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
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UNITING from page 1 annually build homes for families in our community that are selected by Habitat. UMOM, celebrating its 50th year, is Arizona's largest homeless shelter for families, assisting over 6,000 people annually. UMOM provides emergency shelter for families in immediate need and those seeking shelter from domestic violence. Their services also include: transitional and permanent housing, employment services, medical care, educational opportunities, childcare, legal aid and transportation. In addition, UMOM has specific services for very low income veteran families. Pinnacle provides financial support and member Ambassadors to work with Pinnacle volunteers. Your Pinnacle pledge works in conjunction with our considerable volunteer efforts to provide the elderly in the community with the support they need to live their daily lives. DUET and Foothills Caring Corp promotes health and well-being through a broad range of services. Volunteers provide transportation, computer assistance, friendly visits and respite for caregivers. Pinnacle supports both organizations with financial support and a dedicated volunteer effort. Each dollar you give is a small step that makes a big difference. Thank you!
TRACINGS from page 2 you don't think so. And an eternity of love and welcome waits beyond. In faith, rage becomes recognition and maybe even peace. In faith, blame is redirected into new questions: "What am I hearing? What am I to do? From where comes help?" In faith, panic becomes resolve to accept the challenge, accept help if it's there, let go of having to control the future, and tend to the moment without regret. First, it is slightly cheaper; and secondly it has the words DON'T PANIC inscribed in large friendly letters on its cover. Blessings,
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Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
Pinnacle Concert Series
Afrizo
Tuesday, November 4 | 7:00 pm | Free* Afrizo is a group of Daystar University students who sing in a variety of African traditions. The African gospel-style music presented by Afrizo is sung in English, Swahili and African tribal languages, resulting in a concert of joyful praise. *FREE. A special offering will be received to support scholarships for Daystar University students.
Afrizo
Classical Revolution PHX Friday, November 14 | 7:30 pm Premium Seating: $35 | General Admission: $20 | Student: Free Classical Revolution PHX presents a mix of artists and ensembles programming original works and arrangements in a variety of styles. They seek to emphasize the fun and power of classical compositions performed in a casual manner. For detailed information about these and other concerts, please visit www.pinnacleconcerts.com. Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
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CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES AT PINNACLE
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Club 45 Movie Day Sunday, November 16 | 3:00 - 5:00 pm | Teen Center Club 45 is off to a great start this year: consuming a 45-foot sundae and heading to AZ Airtime! Whether you made it to our first two events or not, we want you to join us for our next Club 45 event. This month, we will enjoy all the comforts of a movie theatre right here at Pinnacle. Join us for freshly made popcorn - not out of a bag, 120+ inch projection screen and comfy couches, while we enjoy time together watching the movie Mr. Peabody and Sherman. We would love to have all of our 4th and 5th graders and their friends join us for this fun time together.
You Can, Too... Sunday, November 30 | 10:20 am | Fellowship Hall Come join us as we get into the holiday spirit making Christmas gifts for some of our homebound members. Our You Can, Too... children will be making advent wreaths, Christmas ornaments and Christmas cards for our homebound members during their normal church school time. We would love to have your children join us and be a part of this amazing ministry.
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Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
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Banner Carriers for Advent Sundays 10 am Worship Service Every Sunday from November 30 until Christmas Advent is the time of year when we wait expectantly for the birth of Jesus. During the four Sundays of Advent and Christmas Eve, part of our celebration is to have children carry Advent banners into worship during our 10 am service and at the 5:00 pm service on Christmas Eve. If your child is interested in carrying one of these banners, please let Pastor Frank know at fharmon@pinnaclepres.org. YOUTH MINISTRIES AT PINNACLE
Jr. and Sr. High Youth Group Every Sunday | 5:30 pm for Jr. High 6:30 pm for Sr. High | Teen Center If you are in Jr. or Sr. High, we hope that you would join us on Sunday nights in November as we eat together and talk about life, faith and how they go together. Jr. High starts at 5:30 followed by dinner. Sr. high starts at 6:30 with dinner, followed by a time of sharing our lives together as we unfold how God is at work in us.
Jr. High Youth Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
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YOUTH MINISTRIES AT PINNACLE
Join Us at the Confirmation Mentor Ceremony Sunday, November 9 | 11:15 am | Chapel Confirmation is an important moment in one’s faith journey. It is the time when students examine their faith, and for many, affirm the commitment that was made for them when they were baptized. We would like to invite you to join ten students and their mentors for the Confirmation Mentor Ceremony. At the ceremony, we will pray for the confirmands and commission their mentors as they begin this journey together. We hope you will join us.
OUR CHURCH FAMILY BAPTISMS: Rose Elizabeth Kilbridge, child of Christine and John Kilbridge and granddaughter of Margaret and Richard Ebert. OUR SYMPATHY: To Virginia and Bill Belt on the death of Bill’s brother, Robert Belt Jane and Greg Barber on the death of Jane’s mother, Pat Bultmann To the family of Nell Myers To Ginny Lonn on the death of her mother, Agnes Suess To Susan Forrest and Don Balsley on the death of Don’s brother, Bob 12
Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
PINNACLE PRESBYTERIAN PRESCHOOL
Preschool Celebrates 20 Years! On Thursday, October 16, the preschool held a Family Fun Night and Silent Auction. This year marked a special celebration – the 20th Anniversary of Pinnacle Presbyterian Preschool. There was a special 20th Anniversary Celebration cake and desserts that were shared with both current and alumni families, and the continuation of our annual traditions of the “Singing Cowboy” and pumpkins on the playground. Pinnacle Presbyterian Preschool has been enriching the lives of children in our community for the past 20 years. The preschool started as a mission of Pinnacle Presbyterian Church in 1994 with two teachers, seven children, one classroom and lots of prayers. Fast forward 20 years and see how we have grown. In the past 20 years, we have been blessed to enrich the lives of over 2,500 children in our community. Currently we are a preschool staff of 24 teachers, 175 students in nine classrooms. Our thanks go out to all of our teachers, students, parents, church members and board members, past and present, for making our preschool such a wonderful place to learn and grow. We are looking forward to enriching the lives of children of our community for many years to come. Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
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PINNACLE PRESBYTERIAN PRESCHOOL
The Empty Bowls Project/UMOM A Grassroots Effort to Help Struggling Families What does it mean to be “thankful”? What does it mean to be “compassionate”? These are big words and ideas for young children to understand. This fall, Pinnacle Presbyterian Preschool has teamed up with Marjon Ceramics in Phoenix to raise money for UMOM New Day Centers in Phoenix. Founded in 1964, UMOM is the largest homeless shelter for families in Arizona. The PreKindergarten children create their own bowls, and once the bowls are glazed and fired, the classrooms will share a simple 500-calorie meal with their families. This year, Pinnacle Presbyterian Preschool’s Empty Bowls Event will take place on November 19. Children of the Preschool will also learn about the true meaning of hunger with a visit from the Director of Foothills Food Bank, who will share with them the purpose of a food bank. During the month of November, the preschool children will hold a canned food drive to support our neighbors at the Foothills Food Bank. This Thanksgiving, we are mindful of all the blessings in our lives and of our obligation to help our neighbors in need. PINNACLE ONLINE CHURCH WEBSITE Please visit Pinnacle’s Website, pinnaclepres.org, for the weekly calendar and activity listings, photos and other important news. ITUNES PODCAST Subscribe to the free Pinnacle Sermon Podcast through the Apple iTunes Store and have sermons automatically downloaded to your computer or iPod. Open iTunes and search for “Pinnacle Presbyterian Church.”
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FOLLOW PINNACLE Join Pinnacle’s Facebook page or follow ‘PinnaclePres’ on Twitter to keep up with church events, news, and more. VISTAS ONLINE Download PDFs of Pinnacle Vistas to read online or email to friends and family. Find out more about all of this by going to pinnaclepres.org. Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
OUR COMMON LIFE
Pinnacle Continues to Be Cool Chillers are the single largest energy-using component in most facilities and can typically consume over 50% of the electrical usage. The US Department of Energy estimates that chillers expend up to 30% in additional energy through inefficiency. At Pinnacle, Pinnacle’s Chiller Towers an efficient system is important, because we cool six buildings with a total of 59,000 square feet. Therefore, Pinnacle committed this summer to perform significant maintenance on our Sanctuary system to insure continued efficient cooling going forward. When the project is done, Pinnacle, with the generous assistance of the Foundation, will have invested $35,000 in rehabbing our Sanctuary system.
Before and after pictures of cooling system parts that were cleaned and repaired.
Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
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OUR COMMON LIFE
What the Pastors Read Over the Summer In the past few years we've given you a glimpse of some of what the pastors were reading, watching, or learning over the summer. One of our pastors will do this each month. Dr. Terry Swicegood tells about his summer reading this month. Over the summer I read three monumental books; Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and Nicolas and Alexandra. I read them in anticipation of the Russian River Cruise that Barbara and I embarked upon in early June. Peter the Great won the Pulitzer Prize in 1981. One reviewer summed it up with the words “Against the monumental canvas of seventeenthand eighteenth-century Europe and Russia unfolds the magnificent story of Peter the Great, one of the most extraordinary rulers in history. Impetuous and stubborn, generous and cruel, tender and unforgiving, a man of enormous energy and complexity, Peter the Great is brought fully to life in this exceptional biography.” As Barbara and I walked the magnificent boulevards of St. Petersburg, we marveled at the tenacity and ingenuity of this ruler who raised one of the most beautiful cities in the world out of swamps and bogs. Catherine the Great was the longest reigning female in the history of Russia. Reigning from 1762 to 1796, she brought the first works of art into the Hermitage, which was then the winter palace. Catherine’s reign was marked by vast territorial expansion, which greatly added to Russia’s coffers but did little to alleviate the suffering of her people. Even her attempts at governmental reforms were often bogged down by Russia’s vast bureaucracy. However, Catherine considered herself to be one of Europe’s most enlightened rulers, and many historians agree. She wrote numerous books, pamphlets and educational materials aimed at improving Russia’s education system. She was also a champion of the arts, keeping 16
Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
OUR COMMON LIFE
up a lifelong correspondence with Voltaire and other prominent minds of the era, creating one of the world’s most impressive art collections in St. Petersburg’s Winter Palace (now home to the famed Hermitage Museum) and even trying her hand at composing opera. One of my personal highlights on our trip was to visit Catherine’s Palace. Terribly damaged by Nazi shelling in World War II, it has now been restored to its original splendor. In his commanding book, Nicolas and Alexendra, Robert K. Massie sweeps readers back to the extraordinary world of Imperial Russia to tell the story of the Romanovs’ lives: Nicholas’s political naïveté, Alexandra’s obsession with the corrupt mystic Rasputin, and little Alexis’s brave struggle with hemophilia. Against a lavish backdrop of luxury and intrigue, Massie unfolds a powerful drama of passion and history—the story of a doomed empire and the death-marked royals who watched it crumble. One caveat: the books are long–over 800 pages each. It took me four months to read all three. But I can tell you–it’s worth every minute of your time. There is an email address in this image. Go ahead and click!
Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
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OUR NEWEST MEMBERS
Kim and Harlan Baerveldt with Cailyn, Blake, Addison
Susan Forrest and Don Balsley
Mary Carey
Bonnie Marshall
Not Pictured: Jeffrey DeLong Vicki Kraml Roger Tambellini
Alexa Tambellini, with Lucy and Felix
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HAPPY NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS November 1 Caroline Jones Dawn Sheaffer November 2 Dennis Niven Jacqueline Olmert November 3 John Boyd Christopher Esser Julia LeClaire Mel Steele November 4 Dabney Buckley Lindy Murillo Giavanna Smith Alexander Stein November 5 Joel Ball Anita Bryce Betty Cope John Mattox, MD November 6 Bob Adams Addie Bush Lillian Kilbridge Steven Swanson November 7 Crissie Blomquist November 8 Barbara Buzzelli November 9 Lillian Bliss Jack Hart Kacie Keller Kennedy Keller Pat MacAllen Connor Upchurch November 10 Tyler Gress Lauren Leinweber Michael Vedder November 11 Juan Castillo Serena Fechtmeyer Nathan Jones
Sam Pullen Jordan Rodriguez David Schaller Thomas White November 12 Alexis Mann Richard Rogowski November 13 Jodi Christensen Katherine Uelner Savannah Watson November 14 Troy Ball Margaret Kurtz November 15 Philip Hotchkiss Jessie Lampkin David McIntyre November 16 Alex Feldman Tommie Highwart Chuck Leonard Sue Menard November 17 Benjamin Bankoff Jake Bigler Kaelyn Gress Gail Lucky Lisa Lucky November 18 Cathy Coker November 19 Susan Beasley Betty Durham Robin Esposito November 20 Julie Fiala Jane Heidel November 21 Drew Keegan November 22 Charles Belluomini Diana Englund Stanley Hutchison Heather Lewis
Pinnacle Vistas • November 2014
Ellie Simpson Ray Williams November 23 Suzanne Becker Rhegan Blankenship November 24 Jim Hogshire Ken Moffitt November 25 Brad Beasley Meredith Downing Nancy Schamadan Curt Stewart November 26 Connor Bright Harold Byers Joyce Kasmar Stephanie Mason Sue Park Christian Reiss November 27 Wendy Neideck Chuck Rowland Jack Wilson November 28 Devin Southworth Robert Walker November 29 William Holloway Sandi Innes Ian Lisk Dave Mathews Kathie Matney Ken Salt Ted Weis November 30 Homer Holland Alexandra Loken
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25150 N. PIMA RD. | SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85255 480.585.9448 | PINNACLEPRES.ORG
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