My friend, Tom, was a pastor of a large church on Fifth Avenue in New York City. He was a great preacher and had terrific sermon titles. Once I asked him how much time he spent generating them. He said, “quite a bit!” and then revealed why: roughly one million people walked by the sign on the front of their campus every day!
In fact, Tom made it a practice several times a week to go out and stare at this sign until he drew a crowd. Then he would say, “what a really great sermon title! Must be a fascinating sermon. I think I’ll come Sunday!” Every week some who would gather around him randomly during the week would show up, only to realize with a shock, the enthusiastic stranger was the preacher and title creator. Must have made for some fun conversations after services.
Tom had a creative and humorous outreach strategy that still makes me smile. Have you developed an outreach strategy? So many people around us lack of connection to God and community with others: at the gym, or work, or in our families and neighborhoods. Each of us has unique opportunities to listen, care, and invite others to experience the love and warmth of VPC.
For some people, a visit to Awaken Café opens a window into our intergenerational life together. For others, it’s a concert or special event that helps them become comfortable on our campus. Quite a number come to know us through material from our services or teaching events that is shared online. I invite you to think and pray this Lent about your own strategy to help others discover God’s love and presence. It usually begins with discerning someone’s spiritual background, outlook, and story.
I am always amazed at how willing people are to share about their experiences with the church, positive or negative, and the character of their faith or disbelief. God promises to be present in these moments of discussion and disclosure. I can’t imagine my own life without the encouragement and support of our wonderful church and the presence and joy of Jesus’ presence and grace.
I will never be as good as Tom at sermon titles, but every day I trust God will give me an opportunity or two to engage with someone in a conversation with spiritual possibilities. I am certain God’s outreach strategy involves us!
Blessings for Lent and Easter,
MARCH 24
9 & 10:30AM
Sanctuary & Livestream
VPC kids will also present the annual Palm Sunday Processional.
MARCH 28 6:30PM
Sanctuary & Livestream
Join us as we come together at the beginning of the end of the Journey to the Cross.
MARCH 29 Noon
Sanctuary & Livestream
This service gives us the opportunity to observe the darkest day in human history, and honor the sacrifice that changed everything, forever.
MARCH 31
7:30AM, Chapel
9 & 10:30AM, Sanctuary & Livestream
He is Risen! We invite you to a Sunday morning unlike any other; the Sunday that confirmed that life has the final say. We will have flowers for you and your friends and family to place on the cross, photobooth, and a community eager to celebrate with you!
Nourish Phoenix Food Drive Starts March 10-April 7
Your donations help food insecure people around the Valley. More information coming soon!
Contact: Travis Kingma, travisk@vpc.church
One Worship Service
Sunday, May 5
9:30AM, Sanctuary & Livestream Celebrate Student Sunday with us!
RSVP: vpc.church/opendoor
Open Door at the Dunlap's
Saturday, April 13, 4-6PM
Charlie & Barbara Dunlap's Home Adult only
An Afternoon with Rodgers & Hammerstein Valley Singers & Chancel Choir
Sunday, April 14, 4PM, Sanctuary
Tickets on sale now!
vpc.church/music
With Scott & Leslie Turner & Friends
Wednesday, April 3-May 1, 6-7:30PM, Room C9
Register: vpc.church/classes
Scott Turner: scott.turner.edu@gmail.com
Leslie Turner: froebturner@gmail.com
How do people you care about connect with God? What opportunities do they have to strengthen their relationship with Jesus? This course is developed to create space for you or those you know who have questions or who have drifted away from their faith.
Think of 5 Steps Closer to God as a kind of VPC mini-Alpha. Alpha is an international series familiar to many at VPC that tackles the big questions about life and faith over 11 weeks. 5 Steps Closer to God has the discussion vibe and open, welcoming format of Alpha, but over five weeks, and is specific to life here in the Valley.
Our class conversations respect that everyone is coming from a unique place, with unique experiences. Here's a great example: once during an Alpha course we heard the comment: “I think of God as a cat.” Instead of correcting this seemingly odd and kind of incorrect observation, the facilitator asked to know more. “When I was a girl, my father abused me–and my mother did nothing. The only thing I trusted was my cat, who gave me unconditional love. She protected me emotionally, no matter what I was going through.”
This interactive course helps get those conversations started for:
• People who go to church sometimes, like Christmas and Easter, but do not feel they have a real relationship with God.
• Or they’ve never been to church, don’t really know what faith is, or know little or nothing about the Bible or Jesus.
• People who just don’t think about God, but are missing something in their lives that God can provide.
Maybe they (or you?) are frustrated and feeling unconnected: not “getting” what having a relationship with God means, not praying much—if ever, not connecting the Bible to your daily life, not knowing where to begin, or what to do next? In this “course,” really more of a series of relaxed informal discussions, you only talk about what you are comfortable discussing, in a non-judgmental exploratory environment. Any question or comment is welcome–and encouraged!
We’ll discuss topics like:
• What are your beliefs about God?
• What are your questions about God? Jesus?
• What is your relationship to God? Jesus?
• How can I know God personally? Or get to know Jesus better?
• What does God/Jesus mean for my life? How can I grow deeper in my relationship with God?
We invite you, or encourage you to invite someone you know, who could benefit from these kinds of conversations.
We invite you, or encourage you to invite someone you know, who could benefit from these kinds of conversations. God is already at work in the hearts of those who long for Him, our role is to encourage and be present with those we know and care about. 5 Steps Closer to God is designed to help those you know and love (maybe even yourself?) get closer to God. We’ll even have snacks, beverages, and childcare is also available.
Dinner available starting at 5:15PM ($5/person, $20/family)
Childcare (0-3) available by registration
With Pastor David Joynt & Wally Larson, Jr.
Wednesdays, March 6, & 20 7PM, Sanctuary
Study the principal beliefs of the Christian faith.
For kids 3 years old—5th grade, 6-7:30PM Register today! OasisKids! is a safe and fun environment to learn about the world in creative ways. Your child will build, draw, play, craft, sing, have fun and learn more about Jesus with staff members from our Children’s and Music ministries.
Middle School: 6-7:30PM
High School: 7:30-9PM
Middle School
Program, 6-7:30PM, B108
Homework Space, 7:30-9PM, Awaken Café
Connect and dig deeper with other students. Awaken Café will also be open as a homework room available for students and families to use after program is over.
High School
Program, 7:30-9PM, B108
Homework Space, 6-7:30PM, Awaken Café
Connect and dig deeper with other students. Awaken Café will also be open as a homework room available for students and families to use before the program.
With Larry Kirby
Wednesday, April 3-May 1
6-7PM, Room B106
The Love and Logic approach to parenting is built around the science of caring and respectful relationships. Whether you’re a first-time parent or navigating the turbulent teens with your child, these strategies and techniques will help you create calm and loving solutions.
A class for those with questions
With Scott & Leslie Turner, & Friends
Wednesday, April 3,-May 1 6-7:30PM, Room C9
This class is for those who grew up in the church, those who have left or don’t understand the church, but feel there is something significant missing in their lives.
In A Short Attention Span World
With Dr. Phil Eaton
Wednesday, April 3-24 6-7PM, Sanctuary
Who reads the Bible anymore? Why read the Bible? Can the Bible change our lives? The Bible is poetry, story, metaphor, and parable. Can the Bible transform our lives and change the world? Yes!
NEED SOME INSPIRATION IN YOUR DAY?
DAILY DEVOTIONALS
BY PASTOR DAVID JOYNT
During the Summer months of 2022, session responded to requests from our congregation for a security plan on our campus. A VPC committee was formed to assess and address the safety and security concerns on our nearly 70-yearold, multi-use, 10-acre open campus. We approached this task with a conscious intention to protect the experiences of everyone, maintaining VPC as a sacred and welcoming place to worship.
The VPC Security Task Team (STT) founding committee is comprised of standing elders from Congregational Care, Worship, and Finance and Operations, our Congregational Care Pastor, Directors of Facilities, Children’s Ministry and Valley Day School, a representative from Risk Management, and an ad-hoc member from our congregation. The industry standard to securing houses of worship initiates with a security evaluation by local first responders. Our first steps were taken in collaboration with our Paradise Valley and Phoenix Police Departments, Phoenix SWAT, and a hired security consultant. An assessment was performed on our campus to identify any areas in need of security upgrades. The historical evolution of our campus construction, without security consideration, has presented us with seven operational buildings each with unique challenges. An assessment report was generated, and our law enforcement consultants helped us to identify our next steps to better secure our church and day school campus. One of our primary goals at the inception of our Security Task Team was to collaboratively share safety and security information with our “greater campus” neighbors, Kiva Elementary and Temple Solel. We are gratified to announce that these relationships have been established, and through our initiatives, will prove as a prototype for other SUSD campuses and their neighbors going forward. Everyone is engaged and working together to open communication channels relating to safety and security. Monthly meetings are being held to share information and to coordinate training exercises. This tri-campus effort will make us all better prepared for any potential crisis.
During the Spring of 2023, our committee applied for and was awarded a FEMA/Department of Homeland Security nonprofit security grant. The monies awarded were applied towards strengthening those areas that were highlighted in our assessment report. Access control systems and ballistic resistant film were installed in various locations around our campus this past December to better control access on our campus.
Last Spring also brought a few new faces to our campus in the form of law enforcement officers. Our officers have been assimilating into our routines of Sunday worship and Vacation Bible School. The reception has been tremendously positive, and the officers enjoy being with us as much as we appreciate their presence. A congregant benefactor is to thank for this generous gift and added layer of security protection.
Over the summer months, we began the roll-out of an emergency response application called Share911. Our VPC and VDS staff along with key people in church leadership have been trained and are operational on the app. The app serves as a communication device that can be used for medical alerts, a missing child report, help needed, or concerns of a higher security status. Additionally, our First Impression and Usher ministries are using two-way radios to communicate as a team while engaged in greeting members and escorting visitors around our campus each Sunday. These two avenues of communication have proven to be effective in connecting and facilitating messaging throughout our campus.
A new VPC governing document, the VPC Emergency Action Plan, has been instated to organize and direct our safety and security protocols. This document was extensively researched using the foundational information provided in the FEMA Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operation Plans for Houses of Worship and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security documents. We also reached out to neighboring houses of worship and referenced their emergency operation plans. Utilizing the talent of available attorneys, experts in risk management, and those vocationally trained, the result is a foundational safety and security protocol document that will continue to evolve as we practice new procedures and as new information develops.
New medical and emergency equipment is being purchased and installed in all buildings. We currently have three AED devices available to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. The AEDs are located at the Sanctuary usher’s closet, the Landes Hall lobby, and in the admin building. Wheelchairs are also available and are in the Sanctuary usher’s closet and in the admin building. Emergency buckets will be placed in each building soon. These will contain equipment needed during a campus lockdown or evacuation. Emergency relocation maps and signage will be going up in the bigger campus areas that foster larger gatherings. A no-trespassing sign has been installed to enable our PVPD to arrest should ever the need arise. The reopening of our Sanctuary drive thru now allows for individuals with mobility issues an easier and safer route into worship on Sundays.
Our committee has many more items on our list to address this year and updates will be forthcoming. In the meantime, each of us can contribute to these efforts through awareness. If you see something, please say something. Providing a safe and welcoming environment is paramount for all who come to worship and connect with VPC. Our committee appreciates the support we have received, and we are humbled to be called to service in His name.
God’s peace to all,
Elizabeth MillsSTT Chair, Congregational Care Elder
Cars & Coffee
Saturday, March 9
8-11AM
IG: @awakencafe.az
It’s the stuff of dramatic tension in books, movies, and TV shows: who’s named in a will, who isn’t, and what money or possessions are at stake. And while most estate plans aren’t nearly that exciting, there are some cases where bequests have been outside the box:
• Imagine getting a letter announcing you’d inherited a significant amount of money—from someone you’d never met. Luis Carlos de Noronha Cabral da Camara, a wealthy Portuguese bachelor, randomly selected 70 names from the Lisbon telephone directory and bequeathed his fortune to these individuals.
• Billionaire Leona Helmsley’s will made headlines when she left $12 million to her perhaps-aptly-named dog, Trouble (and excluded two of her grandsons, who were none too pleased).
• Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, included a special gift in his will: his birthday. A friend didn’t like her December 25 birthdate, so he gave her his, November 13.
While stories like these are entertaining, they illustrate a larger point: your estate plan is less about who gets what and more about what’s important to you. You may not be leaving gifts to random strangers, your dog, or a friend who wants a better birthday (though if you want to, go for it!), your will is one of the best ways to communicate with your children and loved ones about the beliefs and values you hold dear. It shows them what matters to you so that they, in turn, can carry on that legacy in their own lives.
Here are two suggestions to get you started:
1. Write a Legacy Love Letter.
Sometimes called an Ethical Will, a Legacy Love Letter is like a cover letter for your estate plan that outlines guiding principles, memories, stories of personal faith, and future wishes for your family. VPF will send you a worksheet for writing your own – simply speak to a VPF trustee or Kris Bahr at the contact info below.
2. Include a Gift in Your Will to Valley Presbyterian Foundation. An in-will gift makes your priorities clear and helps us continue to impact lives.
If you would like your copy of a Legacy Love Letter Worksheet or more information about the Valley Presbyterian Foundation, contact Kris Bahr at krisb@vpc.church or speak to a Valley Presbyterian Foundation trustee.
Karen Gill Meyer Clerk of Session 480-368-6567
VPC has brought in eight new members since November.
The town of Paradise Valley approved a permit to open the Sanctuary drive-through for Sunday and other services for those with mobility issues. The drive through is working well.
Session approved the Emergency Action Plan presented by the Security Task Team. Representatives of the committee have met with Kiva Elementary School and Temple Solel monthly to coordinate their emergency plans. Six access control systems were installed around campus and Armormax ballistic resistant film was installed on Sanctuary windows and at Valley Day School. A federal grant was used to pay for these.
2024 Pastor housing allowances were approved in December. A balanced budget for 2024, with income of $2,895,600 and expenses of $2,895,600 was approved by Session in January and presented to the congregation at the Annual Congregational Meeting. Also in December, Session approved the insurance policy covering the VPC and VDS. Mayer Hoffman McCann was also approved to be hired as VPC's annual auditor.
The Transition Committee presented amended and restated Articles of Incorporation, adding certain provisions required by ECO and updating the document to the Planning & Organization committee and Session. After being passed, the document was passed by the congregation.
In February Session heard from Michael Roth, Awaken Café Manager since September 2023. Attendance in all age groups has grown dramatically. The month of February is trending to be up, 98% year over year! Social media is helping spread the word. Another Car & Coffee event with Eurosport Phoenix will be Saturday, March 9. Session was impressed how Michael is working to bring down costs while looking for better pastry and kid's meals options. Michael has a great vision for Awaken Café and a wonderful style.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns: kgmeyer@cox.net or 602-568-2196.
Blessings,
Karen Gill Meyer, Clerk of Session