Karen Meyer
Campus Upgrades Kris Bahr
Work is part of the good design of a good world created by God. But work is deeply impacted by the fallenness of human separation and rebellion from God and is often pursued in selfish and destructive ways. Work can contribute to the renewal of the creation and human life, when we allow the grace of God to rule our hearts and form our minds.
We have the unshakable hope that God will ensure that peace, justice, and joy will overcome all that is broken in us and our world. We have the honor of being part of the process!
I wonder what story you are living out? How does God fit into it? How does your work fit into it? As we explore together, I’d love to hear your reactions to these questions and to our services. Call or email me or take a moment to chat. We are a community that works together to help our faith lives deepen.
Yours Faithfully,
Cover art by Jene Stephaniuk from Unsplash.
VPC is teaming up with Feed My Starving Children (fmsc.org) again this year to create a unique Fall Festival experience! We will serve together and then fellowship together at the Mission Marketplace, hosted by Presbyterian Women.
Pastor Chris Woodard
Pastor of Mission & Engagement chrisw@vpc.church
In partnership with FMSC, we will host four packing sessions throughout the day. (9AM, Noon, 3PM, & 6PM). Last year we packed over 55,000 meals, and your financial support allowed us to pay for enough additional meals to total over 100,000 meals to combat hunger throughout the world. This year our target is to pack 100,000 meals—ready to ship to food insecure children throughout the world. Yes, you read that correctly: one hundred thousand meals! And you can play a role, regardless of age or ability.
Why do we bring Feed My Starving Children to VPC? Besides being a fun and engaging couple of hours, there are several reasons:
• VPC is a place where people serve. FMSC brings an opportunity to do that with a very low barrier for entry
• Anyone, age five and up, can help to pack meals!
• World hunger is a heartbreaking and huge problem. FMSC is doing real work across the globe to ensure people are fed.
• This is a great way to invite people to church! There are very few opportunities as easy to bring people into the life of our faith community.
Before or after your packing session, tour and shop the Mission Marketplace in and around the Landes Patio. You will find one-of-a-kind items handcrafted by members of our church. From sweet treats to crafted treasures, you will truly enjoy these exceptional items; they also make great gifts for the holidays.
After packing with FMSC and browsing the Mission Marketplace, you will be hungry! Food from VPC's Chef Sandra will be for sale. While you eat, we invite you to listen to the trio RISO, from Run Boy Run.
This Fall Festival will be a wonderful time for the entire family! Childcare will be provided at the 9AM and noon packing shifts. There is something for everyone. Invite your friends, family, and neighbors to enjoy a wonderful experience as we together and have fun together. We will see you there!
Our church is so blessed to have our amazing pianist and organist, Mutsumi Mori! She joined our staff last fall, and has left an indelible mark on VPC's Music Ministry through her talent, her caring and considerate heart, and her love of the Lord. She also has a great ear—she expressed to me concern about the Bechstein piano in the Sanctuary.
Over the past several years, it had been having trouble holding its tune, and there were cracks in the bridges. The keys were very stiff to play and hard on the hands of a pianist. It took a great deal of control to play the Bechstein for musical phrases to come out evenly.
Jennifer Hamm
Minister of Music
480-991-6424 ext. 0142
jenniferh@vpc.church
Mutsumi started shopping for replacement pianos last spring and she fell in love with a 2019 Bösendorfer from Riverton Piano Company. At the time, it was out of our price range, so she kept looking. A newly formed Piano Committee, consisting of David Herzer, Bob Turpin, and Kay Randolph, narrowed our purchase down to a Fazioli and a Steinway. These were wonderful instruments, but not near the quality of the Bösendorfer. With a final decision nearly made, Riverton Piano Company reached back out to us. Sonja, the Store Manager at Riverton, called Mutsumi just in time to offer us an incredible price on the Bösendorfer she fell in love with. God had His hand in this entire process and we could not be happier!
Mutsumi Mori Pianist/Organist mutsumim@vpc.church
The Bechstein piano was purchased 15 years ago through a donation from Bob and Polly Turpin. We were blessed to be able to trade in the Bechstein for a price very close to its purchase price, enabling the Turpin’s legacy to live on in our new piano. Additionally, Barbara Patterson, former VPC member, left a generous donation to the Music Ministry through the Valley Presbyterian Foundation. Her dear friends Barbara and Woody Johnson, who manage the bequest, felt that this would be the perfect way to use a portion of her contribution. She loved music and is, I’m sure, enjoying this piano from heaven.
The Bösendorfer has been in use in the Sanctuary for a few weeks, and it has improved the quality of our music ministry. It sounds better in our space and on our livestream and the sound of the choir has greatly improved! Mutsumi is thrilled to be play such an amazing instrument. Here is what she has to say about the Bösendorfer…
I first played on a Bösendorfer during my time as a collaborative piano and vocal coaching graduate student. They had a Bösendorfer in one of the recital halls. It had two extra keys on it and really had a special sound. I looked forward to playing on it every time I got a chance. That was almost 20 years ago. I’m so thrilled that I get to play on a even more special Bösendorfer every week! It has 4 extra keys, increasing the space inside the piano to create a larger sound space. It is a glorious instrument; how fitting that I get to be a part of creating music that glorifies and honors God on this fine, special, handmade piano! Soli Deo Gloria!
A little history on Bösendorfer and our specific piano, written by David Herzer…
Ignaz Bösendorfer started his piano manufactory (Klavierfabrik) in 1828, the year following Beethoven’s death.
The company only makes 300 instruments a year. VPC’s is elegant polished ebony Black, the renowned Model 225, meaning it is 225 centimeters in length. Uniquely, the piano has 92 notes, not the standard 88. The four additional keys are black painted bass notes, offering unparalleled sound opportunities.
When you lift it, be prepared, 419 kg is heavy- 925 pounds.
Bösendorfer is the oldest piano manufacturer within the premium segment of the industry; constructing pianos with 80% spruce, similar in principle to a violin. The spruce is grown at a minimum of 800 meters above sea level (2,600 ft).
Senator Jon Kyl, narrating featuring Valley Singers & Chancel Choir Sunday, November 13, 4PM
A True Family Christmas Thursday, December 8, 7PM
Chancel Choir & Phoenix Symphony members Sunday, December 11, 9AM & 10:30AM
Jenina Gallaway, soprano, with Valley Singers, & friends Thursday, January 19, 2023, 7PM
Grammy-nominated, Dove Award-winning trio Sunday, February 26, 2023, 4PM
Chancel Choir & Phoenix Symphony members Sunday, April 30, 2023, 4PM
Fall is here! Have you noticed the change on Sunday morning? Familiar faces gone for the summer are returning. The doors on the Awaken Café are open, welcoming the wonderful desert mornings, serving tasty coffee and sweets; providing a place for our congregation to converge and greet one another. Classes on Christian life developed over the summer are offered throughout the week. Valley Presbyterian Church is abundant with life.
It is also the time when we are called to prepare ourselves to renew our financial commitment to God. It is the time to HARVEST the abundance we have received. I associate the Harvest every fall as a time when we see the results of our work. At VPC, our opportunity to see the results of our work will be Commitment/Stewardship Sunday, November 13. It is a day when we commit to God the results of our Harvest. It is a time for giving – to make a present of ourselves to God.
Giving is a spiritual discipline, an expression of love and gratitude that stems from the knowledge that everything we have comes from God (1 Chronicles 29:14). We are simply stewards of God’s possessions; we should be able to return them to Him without any thought of sacrifice or reluctance. Scripture instructs us to “let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
The Harvest VPC receives each year recognizes the results of our labor and challenges us to support his kingdom. VPC, through the efforts of a multitude of committees, ministries, volunteers, programs, staff, and pastoral leadership work diligently to fulfill God's mission. We fund our campus ministries. We coordinate with local community programs to support MentorKids USA and Family Promise. We look across the globe and support the people of Malawi through Villages in Partnership and Ministry of Hope, building facilities for orphans and constructing wells. These are all God’s people; we are all God’s people.
Join God’s people on November 13 Stewardship/Commitment Sunday and cheerfully give to the glory of His work and to the work of the spiritual church community at Valley Presbyterian Church.
Candy Unruh
Jim & Candy Unruh
Dinner available starting at 5:15PM ($5/person, $20/family)
Childcare (0-3) available by registration
With Larry Kirby, MBA, trained Love and Logic facilitator
October 19—November 16, 6-7PM, Room B106
October 19—November 16, 6-7PM, Chapel
Facilitator: Elizabeth Weiss
October 19—November 16, 6-7PM, Room D201
Instructor: Stephan Sciacca
For kids 3 years old—5th grade 6-7:30PM
Back for another great year of play, music, friends, and learning about our great God!
Oasis Students
Middle School: 6-7:30PM
High School: 7:30-9PM
480-368-6567
• This past summer, Session formed the VPC Security Task Team. Under the leadership of Elizabeth Mills, the team will assess, create, and implement a campus wide security plan.
• VPC has welcomed six new members since July.
• Session approved the purchase of a new piano for the Sanctuary. The previous piano went out of tune regularly, had some body cracks, and a sound board that could not be repaired.
• Session approved a 5% salary increase for staff effective July. VPC's Staff had not received an increase this year; high inflation was an important reason for the increase.
• Session called a Congregational Meeting to review Pastor salaries. A 5% increase retroactive July 1 was passed.
• VPC will host Feed My Starving Children MobilePackTM event on Saturday, November 19. Presbyterian Women will have sales and food booths on campus that day.
• VPC's Negotiation Team continues to work on an agreement for dismissal from PCUSA.
• A Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, October 23, to receive the slate of nominations for Elders, Deacons, and Trustees for the class of 2025.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns: kgmeyer@cox.net
—Blessings, Karen Gill Meyer
Many campus upgrades have been completed over the course of the summer, with the carpet and paint project outlined in the August Valley Vine being the latest.
Next up on the list is repainting the 41 hollow metal doors on the Administration, Landes and Education buildings. Twenty years of wear and tear has resulted in scuffs and marks on the doors, some much worse than others. During the week of fall break, Arizona Painting Company will be painting the interior and exterior of the doors.
Fall break week will be a busy time on campus, with repair and repaving of the west driveway and parking spots also taking place. As part of the new shared use agreement between Kiva Elementary and VPC, the cost of the repaving will be paid by SUSD. Further, they will maintain the driveway and parking spots at the same time as the regular maintenance and upkeep is done on their parking lots.
VPC finances year-to-date as of August 31, 2022:
Actual $ Budget
Faith Giving 1,391,200 1,390,000 1,200
Other Income 134,200 86,900 47,300
Total Income 1,525,400 1,476,900 48,500
Pastoral Ministry 311,400 314,500 3,100
Admin & Facility 774,600 754,700 -19,900
Mission, Outreach, Cong. Care 67,600 46,500 -21,100
Christian Education 241,600 263,600 22,000
Worship & Music 195,900 202,700 6,800
Total Expense 1,591,100 1,582,000 -9,100
Net Income less Expense -65,700 -105,100 39,400