VALLEY VINE Valley Presbyterian Church
January 2017
Volume 61, Number 12 Dear friends, A church is a place for the broken and the blessed. It is a place where we are blessed when we bring our brokenness to Jesus, the one who said “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven,” the one who comes to heal and help, to restore and renew. To begin 2017, our devotional and worship themes will center on the ways God blesses his broken saints, and the way we can become blessings to others. Abraham and Sara were “blessed to be a blessing,” and in the economy of grace, every Kingdom gift God gives is deepened and multiplied as it is shared. Look for our new series to begin January 8 and to lead us toward the great celebration of Easter on April 16. One longtime blessing to our church and community has been Valley Presbyterian Day School (VDS). For decades, our preschool has embraced children and families in a gracious and loving way. Julie Johnson has served the school for ten years, first as an outstanding teacher and then as a dedicated Director. Her time as Director concluded in December, and we are grateful for her passion for our children, our teachers, and our school. The VDS Board and the VPC Session have selected Meghan Gottfredson as our new Director. She has been leading our Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) program as well as our church nursery over the last several years and has brought an engaging spirit and contagious faith to both roles. Meghan graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Journalism and received her graduate degree in Elementary Education and Teaching from the University of California, Irvine. She has eight years of classroom experience in the public school system with first and second graders (in California, Tucson, and Phoenix). She has also facilitated staff development training at both the school and district level, coached new teachers, and mentored student teachers.
Meghan is married to her college sweetheart, Bryan, and is the mother of two beautiful daughters, Julia and Emily. Please pray for Meghan and for our teachers at VDS as we enter a new year and a new era of cooperation and connection between our church and our preschool. One of the best ways to be a blessing is to welcome little ones in Jesus’ name and to encourage them to grow as special children of God. MOPS will continue to be a key element in our ministry to women within our programs for discipleship and spiritual growth. Rev. Kelly Nieto will oversee a great steering committee of leaders, and Meghan will continue to lend her warmth to our outreach to young moms. May VPC continue to be a place where all our Kingdom gifts are shared and multiplied. Yours faithfully,
SERMON SERIES STARTS JANUARY 8
Valley Presbyterian Church 6947 E. McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253-5342 Phone: 480-991-6424 Fax: 480-991-6427 Email: church@vpc.church Website: vpc.church