Worship:

Saturday 6 PM

Sunday 9 & 11 AM

Wednesday 9 AM

This Week At Ascension

Called to create opportunities for all people to become devoted followers of Christ

February 6, 2022

Grace and peace to you my sisters and brothers in Christ,

Did you know that Jesus is calling you?

There is an old hymn that says it best: “Jesus calls us o’er the tumult of our life’s wild, restless sea; day by day his voice invites me, saying ‘Christian, follow me!'”

In our day-to-day moments it’s hard to realize this. We’ve got so much else to do. So many other things to focus on. “If God is calling me to do something,” we ask, “why wouldn’t he make it more obvious?”

But if we look hard enough, we know that he has. We just tend to avoid it.

Our avoidance doesn’t stop Him from calling us though. Come to church this week and hear what he has to say.

Blessings,

Our Prayer

We pray that you may once again meet the Risen Christ through the Word and Sacrament ministry, and through the fellowship of this family of faith.

If you do not have a church home, we would like to invite you to worship with our Ascension family again.

All people who are baptized and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are welcome to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

May God bless you in your worship!

Pastors Tim Delkeskamp, Steve Herder, & Julie McCain

Lenten Journey

Is an impostor robbing you of God’s love?

If you have been with us at Ascension for very long then you know that every year at Lent, we study a book together as a congregation. This year will be no exception; our book will be Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging by Brennan Manning.

Adult Education

Feb. 6

Pastor Steve will lead a discussion on Ascension’s ministries that he helps oversee. So come with your questions and ideas for these ministries: prayer, women’s ministry, senior adult ministries, adult education, community concerns, and global ministries. Founders Hall, 10:10 to 10:55

Feb 13:

Who knew that podcasts would become such a big thing? Did you know that Pastor Tim and his friend and fellow Ascension member Troy Schulze produce a podcast together called Where There’s A Story? The podcast explores good stories in movies, books, and various other media in connection with the story of God. Come and hear and discuss the experiences they’ve had with creating this podcast. 10:10 AM, Founder’s Hall

News Briefs

The Faith Quilt Milestone Is Coming

Each year we celebrate high school seniors the first Sunday in June with the gift of a faith quilt. If you’re interested in receiving a quilt, please let us know by emailing Pastor Julie by Sunday, February 7th so we can make sure to have this beautiful and meaningful milestone ready for you. Email Pastor Julie.

Commitment Cards

Our 2022 Generosity Commitment Cards have been mailed and some have already been returned. If you haven’t yet received one, please let the office know by emailing or calling (805) 495-0406. Thank you to those who’ve turned in their cards. These commitments are vital to our ability to plan for the church. Please make a point to turn in your card or, if you would prefer, you can fill it out online HERE.

Mattresses for Foster Kids

We get word from our friends at James Storehouse that “beds and mattresses are our most requested items. This is because caregivers must show proof of a proper bed before a child can be placed into their home. Countless mattresses are delivered every week, yet we still currently have a waitlist for 10 mattresses!” If you are willing and able to contribute a new mattress, to be delivered directly to a caregivers’ home, you would be providing a new, warm bed for a child in need. Here is the ordering link: Click here.

The Force is With New Principal Rich Gregory

At Ascension Lutheran School, one of the favorite activities is God Spotting – singling out those breathtaking times that reveal God’s presence in our lives. The perfect alignment of timing and events that led to the arrival of our new principal, Rich Gregory, makes for a God Spotting item to cheer.

Mr. Gregory is already well known to many at Ascension. A former contemporary worship leader here, he did his undergraduate studies at Cal Lutheran, where one of his classmates was CONTINUE READING

AL Church Foundation_Color_FINAL_Outline 2

Grants & Scholarships Committee:

Who we are and what we do

Everything you always wanted to know: CLICK HERE

In Need Of Prayer

Click Here For The Ascension Prayer List

Attendance & Offerings

Click here for the latest figures.

“Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

In honor of Black History Month, we remember and celebrate the powerful work of God in and through the lives of African Americans.

During Black History Month we remember that to love our neighbor and seek justice for them (Micah 6:8), we must first gain understanding and open our hearts (John 15:12).

A number of resources will be included each week and we welcome your additions to: Reading, Black History in the Lutheran Church, Visual Arts, and Inspirational Content. READ: Ascension Lutheran Church’s library now has a “Section 19” curated by our librarian Dolores Ledbetter, with rich resources on Strategic Authentic Diversity: Race, Religion and Working for Justice. As we celebrate the history of Black Americans this February, we invite you to browse this section and jumpstart your learning journey.

The library will be open from 8:30-9:00 AM before services each Sunday during February.

CLICK HERE for a sample of one book to discover, and a list of all the books to date in this section.

Next week: Lutheran Black History

SAVE THE DATE: Feb. 26

Fair Trade Wine Tasting

We recently added Equal Exchange Fairly Traded Chilean Flame Raisins to our product list and we got to thinking: if Fair Trade grapes become Fair Trade raisins – what about Fair Trade grapes becoming Fair Trade wine? READ MORE

Career Opportunity:

Senior Accountant Position

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Take Faith Home with

Join Pastor Julie for a five-session series about doing faith at home. Faith 5 is a tool to use for about 5 minutes every day and see your family grow closer!

Between worship services from 10:10 to 10:50 in the Library.

We’ll hear the challenges and success of others and discuss practical ways to implement it in your home. Come to as many as you’re able (it’s easy to catch you up)! This practice works great with kids as young as 3!

Feb 6: Introduction and sharing highs and lows

Feb 13: How might including a Bible reading in your bedtime routine enrich your child’s well being?

Feb 20: What does it do for a family to come together nightly seeking God?

March 6: What happens to children who grow up praying for others?

March 20: Hear about the transformational power of giving and receiving a blessing every day.

Bring your kids, because Sunday School (age 3– 6th grade) is available at the same time.

Donuts and coffee are on the patio just before!

RSVP here so I can purchase plenty of materials for you! (But come even if you forget to RSVP!)

Part time employment position available at Ascension Lutheran School

Supervise students before and after school as well as during recess during school hours. Must be willing to be trained in CPR/1st Aid and have a live scan fingerprint. Experience in working with children is preferred but not mandatory. Must be 18+ years old. Part time position only within the hours of operation: 7:30 AM-6 PM – hours may be flexible $14 per hour. See Career Opportunities at ALCTO.org

Don’t miss another TWAA

Click HERE to receive a link to every issue!

Pericopes

This Week:

Isaiah 6:1-8
Psalm 138
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Luke 5:1-11

Next Week:

Jeremiah 17:5-10
Psalm 1
1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Luke 6:17-26

Best Practices for Submitting Your Newsletter Stories CLICK HERE

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Lenten Journey 2022: Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging

If you have been with us at Ascension for very long then you know that every year at Lent, we study a book together as a congregation. This year will be no exception; our book will be Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging by Brennan Manning. For a description of the book, here is what is on the back cover:

Is an impostor robbing you of God’s love?

We’ve bought into the lie that we are worthy of God’s love only when our lives are going well. If our families are happy or our jobs are meaningful, life is a success. But when life begins to fall through the cracks and embarrassing sins threaten to reveal our less-than-perfect identity, we scramble to keep up a good front to present to the world and to God. We hide until we can rearrange the mask to perfection. Sadly, it is then that we wonder why we lack intimate relationships and passionate faith.

All this time God is calling us to take the mask off and come openly to Him. He longs for us to know in the depth of our being that He loves us and accepts us as we are. When we are our true selves, we can finally claim our identity as God’s child, Abba’s child, and experience His pure pleasure in who we are. Brennan Manning encourages us to let go of the impostor lifestyle and freely accept our belovedness as a child of the heavenly Father. In Him there is life.

Lent starts Wednesday, March 6th, Ash Wednesday. Here are ways you can be involved:

Please order your book, download it on Kindle or purchase the audio version and read it along with the rest of Ascension.
Join us on Wednesday evenings for our Holden Evening Worship and listen to the pastors as they reflect on the weekly readings.
Sign up for a weekly Life Group discussion that focuses on the book.

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The Force is With New Principal Rich Gregory

Mr. Gregory is already well known to many at Ascension. A former contemporary worship leader here, he did his undergraduate studies at Cal Lutheran, where one of his classmates was our Early Childhood Center director, Jenni McCoy. He had none other than Pastor Julie McCain in his youth group when he was youth director at Resurrection Lutheran in Redondo Beach, and later, when he was an associate director of Lutheran Retreats, Camps and Conferences at El Camino Pines, she was on his camp staff.

If you were at chapel for Mr. Gregory’s installation last month, you heard Pastor Chamie’s account of Mr. Gregory riding for Jude Delkeskamp in a 100-mile bike ride for diabetes research, along with Pastor Tim.

“We’ve been the best of friends for a long time,” he says of our senior pastor. “He is one of the best people I know. I met him when he and I were in a Bible study, studying Dallas Willard together, in the early 2000s at First Lutheran in Northridge. I was so impressed with him.” Subsequently, he hired Pastor Tim to speak at a youth retreat at El Camino Pines.

It’s a beautiful sunny afternoon out at the school lunch tables and Mr. Gregory is speaking above the loud chatter of an energetic cluster of children with cute little faces and blue uniforms -- third graders enjoying their midday repast. He remains unruffled despite kids continually coming to him with questions and reports. Someone is sharing their lunch, a no-no in this time of Covid.

“No sharing food please, thank you,” announces Mr. Gregory.

“Mr. Gregory, are we in trouble?”

“No, you are not.”

To begin at the beginning, Mr. Gregory was born in Mississippi. He was raised in Ipswich, England, from age three to 11, during “my dad’s 30 years in the Air Force. He married a Brit. My sister’s Korean; they adopted her when he was stationed in Korea,” he notes.

“Mr. Gregory!” He stops talking for another alert. One of the girls is pointing at a boy standing between the tables. “He’s eating a whole packet of mustard!”

“That’s good stuff,” observes Mr. Gregory. “It’s hard to ketchup.”

He is on lunch monitor duty, having volunteered to spell the teacher who was here without a break on a short-staffed day. Three teachers and two aides are out with situations ranging from a death in someone’s family to a positive Covid test. It’s obvious that Mr. Gregory is enjoying these children, and vice versa.

“I love them. I love them. It has been a breath of fresh air,” he says.

Mr. Gregory comes to Ascension after seven years at Oaks Christian School, where he taught middle school and high school Bible classes, mentored numerous young worship leaders, and was part of the leadership team. He is an ordained pastor himself — Pastor Rich, to his flock at Lifesong Christian Communities in Newbury Park.

It was at El Camino Pines that Mr. Gregory felt the call to become a pastor.

“Many of the visiting pastors during the summers would say things like, ‘You really should go into the ministry,’” he recalls. “So, after a couple of years there, and after discovering Dallas Willard, I wanted to spend my life preaching the Gospel in a way I now understood.”

He went on to earn his Masters in Divinity at Fuller Seminary. Now he is completing doctoral studies at Azusa Pacific University.

While serving as contemporary worship leader at Ascension, he was approached by “a rag-tag group of six people who wanted to start a church in Newbury Park, and through them, the Lord spoke and said, ‘You have to start pastoring.’ So, Tim gave me his blessing, and we went and planted that church, Lifesong.”

This was not a traditional, full-time pastorship, however. Thus, Mr. Gregory branched out and became a teacher — like his mom and his wife, Kristin.

He and Kristin met at CLU. They’ve now been married more than 20 years. Their children are Noah, 8; Corinne, who is a freshman at Oaks Christian School (and a former Ascension student); and Nate, a senior at Oaks.

In case you missed the lively infographics and videos announcing Mr. Gregory’s arrival on Ascension Lutheran School‘s social media, he and his kids love to paddleboard. Another tantalizing factoid: Mr. Gregory loves “Star Wars” and he built his own light saber.

Can we see it?

“I actually shipped it to my brother in Wisconsin. He is the keeper of it,” says Mr. Gregory with a laugh. “I choreographed a light saber duel with my son when he was 10 for a school talent show. It was super fun.”

Asked to cite a favorite passage of scripture, he says, “Matthew 11:28-30 — especially The Message version. It says ‘Experience the unforced rhythms of grace.’ Yeah, that’s my hope for every kid here, that they’d experience unforced rhythms of grace.”

There are steep challenges facing all schools these days, what with pandemic burn-out and stress. How does Mr. Gregory feel about taking on his new post at such a time?

“I feel like we have an amazing team who are pulling together to get us through,” he says. “They have been kind and gracious and ready to accept my leadership.”

His watchwords for this time are Healing, Stability and Joy, with increased enrollment part of the planned stabilizing influence. “This is such a special place; people need to know,” he says. “To be honest, the sky’s the limit.”

He adds, “I feel that everything I’ve done so far has been preparing me for this. It’s a real blessing.”

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Ascension Foundation

Grants/Scholarship Committee: Who We Are And What We Do

Reflecting on Pastor’s Steve’s sermon from last Sunday and recalling one of his grandfather’s favorite verses embodies the duty of Ascension Lutheran Foundation’s Grants/Scholarship committee. Although most of us on the committee – Eric Harrison, Kris Swavely, Don Weeks, and Anita Cohen—probably prefer to stay behind the scenes, following God’s direction, it is practical for us to be known to the congregation and we are delighted to address any questions pertaining to scholarships and grants requests that we recommend be funded.

The purpose of the committee is to review requests for grants and bring recommendations to the Foundation as it provides financial support for our Ascension Lutheran church congregation, its community, and global/synodical needs in a manner that is separate and apart from normal church expenditures. Some past examples of these grants have been refurbishing the altar rails, purchasing the church’s AED equipment, funding Luther League projects, and assisting with VBS expenses, helping fund a community garden, supporting food banks, donations to Lutheran World Relief, Harbor House, and Lutheran Social Service. These are just a few of the many past approved grants.

Our committee meets at least once prior to the Foundation's quarterly meetings to discuss, review, and make recommendations to the Foundation board regarding grant requests received. In addition, we meet annually to discuss, review, and make recommendations to the Foundation board regarding scholarship applications. Between these meetings, we connect regarding any other issues, questions, or thoughts that relate to grants or scholarships. We also communicate to the donors of each endowment/scholarship as to how the funds from their endowment or scholarship has been awarded for the year.

We are happy to answer any questions regarding how to apply for a grant or scholarship, or how to establish a new endowment or scholarship. With quite a few members worshiping virtually, if you don’t see us at church, you may email us at or visit at www.ascensionfoundation.org/scholarships and click on contact form.

God’s Blessings and thank you.

Grants and Scholarship Committee

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IN NEED OF PRAYER

A name is added to this list only with the permission of the person or the person's family

Link to printable prayer page

PRAYERS OF COMFORT FOR:

Irene Nelson and family on the death of her mother last week

PRAYERS OF HEALING FOR:

Donald Berven, Linda Morrow’s cousin, for recovery following heart ablation surgery

Bob Herder, going through some heart tests

Shaeley Huber, for diagnosis, treatment, and cure

Marilyn Johnson, who was admitted to the hospital with chest pains

Barbara Krum, getting over bronchitis

Sue May, for successful surgery and healing

Gary Phillips, for smooth and compete healing following successful knee replacement surgery this past week

CONTINUING PRAYERS FOR:

Lara Abounayan

Kyle Ayers

Karen Barrows

Maria Bartush

The Bauer Family

Addie Behm

Gloria Benfatto

Teri Bettum

Carl Bohning

Debi Bing

Skip Brenner

Mary Cartrett

Dominic Cavaliere

Beverly Clark

Nancy Coffman

David Corra

Linda Crabill

Margo Dameron

Harry Delkeskamp

Carl Dietrich

Diana Doerfler

John Ernst

Becky and Al France

Jane Ganske

Terry Gillette

Kimberly Harner

Malia Hassenbein

Penny Hunter

Micky Johnson

Bob Kielhorn

Jack Koenig

Dr. Allen Leland

Henry Leland

Grace Lugo

Judy Marshall

Colleen McCarthy

Sandi Meyer

Shirley Meyer

Verlon Meyer

Bill Munn

Angela Naginey

Helen Nenne

Jim Neumann

Paul and Betty Olson

Carol O’Gorman

Orlando Orozco

Brandt Stephen Oschner

Dale Ota Laurie

Peyton Lois Phillips

Mike Ricci

Dave Rosinbum

Pastor David Palma-Ruwe

Tom Saldin

Shari Saucerman

Dorothy Scholz

Barb Schornstein

Arnold Schwarz

Margaret Skinner

Bill Swiontkowski

Cheryll Swiontkowski

Dan Thiel

Jan Timmons

Taty Valladares

Todd Wallace

PRAYERS FOR SAFEKEEPING:

Connor Braaten, USMC

Scott Clark, U.S. Navy

LCpL. Alexander Daley

Cody Davidson, US Army

Tim David, US Army

Jack Ingles, USMC

ET1 Patrick Maccarone, USN

Jake Marshall, USMC

Scott Mochatel, USCG

LCJG Caroline Truesdell, USCG

PRAYERS FOR OUR GLOBAL PARTNERS IN MINISTRY:

For our missionaries, Rev. Kristen Engstrom in Zambia, and
Rev. Wal Luot Reat serving in a South Sudan refugee
camp near the border with Ethiopia.

Center for Climate Justice and Faith at PLTS

Sister Emilia, Pastor David, in Pachacamac, Peru

Filadelfia Lutheran Church, Peru

Pastor John Rutsindintwarane, Rwanda

Our Companion Synods in El Salvador and Hong Kong

ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Response

Corus/ Lutheran World Relief/IMA Lutheran World Relief/IMA

Eric LeCompte and the Jubilee USA Network

Bread for the World

Fair Trade

Guardian Angels

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service

Lutherans Restoring Creation

(To learn more, ask our Global Ministries Team.)

PRAYER FOCUS:

Thanking God for our school and ECC staffs as we ease out of the Omicron surge. We are grateful for their nimble adaptability in the face of changing situations and regulations, and for their patient self-control and tolerance in this time of frayed nerves and social burn-out. Prayers for increasing enrollment at our day school and of thanks for the ECC being filled.

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Attendance & Offerings

Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Offerings to Date

Through January 30, 2022 (week 31 of 52)

FY2022 Received: $836,234

Budgeted: $794,048

Windfall/(Shortfall): $42,186

FY2021 Received: $829,005

Budgeted: $794,200

Windfall/(Shortfall): $34,805

Attendance

All three weekend services

Jan 24-30

In Person: 174

Online: 205

Jan 17-23

In Person: 169

Online: 170

Jan 10 - 16

In Person: 143

Online: 185

Jan 3 - 9

In Person: 155

Online: 185

Dec. 27 - Jan 2

In Person: 120

Online: 168

Dec. 20-26

In Person: 826

Online: 397

Dec. 13-19

In Person: 98

Online: 108

Dec. 6-12

In Person: 254

Online: 194

Dec. 4-5

In Person: 236

Online: 179

Nov. 27-28

In Person: 220

Online: 162

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Black History Month: Reading

Ascension Lutheran Church and School Library New Section 19:

Strategic Authentic Diversity: Race, Religion and Working for Justice

Children’s Books: (Good for adults as well)

l. Crossover by Kwame Alexander

2. Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

3. The Dress and the Girl by Camille Andros

4. Crown: Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes

5. Ida Twist Scientist by Andrea Beaty 6. Abuela’s Weave by Omar Castaneda

7. New Kid by Jerry Craft

8. The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

9. Last Stop on Market Street by Matt deLaPena

10. Rosa by Nikki Giovanni

11. Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

12. Brother Eagle, Sister Sky Paintings by Susan Jeffers

3. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

14. Snowy Day by Ezra Keats and Bryan Mealer

15. Goin to Someplace Special by Patricia Mekissack and Jerry Pinkney

16. La Frontera: My Journey With Papa by Deborah Mills and Alfredo Alva

17. Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

18. In My Momma’s Kitchen by Jerdine Nolen

19. Martin and Mahalia-His Words-Her Song by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney

20. Martin’s Big Words -Life of Martin Luther King by Doreen Rappaport

21. Promises to Keep by Sharon Robinson

22. The Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Sauci and Jerry Pinkney

23. This is the Dream by Diane J. Shaw and Jessica Alexander

24. Radiant Child by Javaka Steptoe

25. Moses: When Harrriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carele Boston Weatherford

26. Brothers in Hope -Story of Lost Boys of Sudan by Mary Williams

27. Coming on Home Soon by Jacqueline Woodson

28. The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson

29. The African-American Struggle for Legal Equality in American History by Carole Boston Weatherford.

Adult Books

l. Penguin Book of Migration Literature by editor: Dohra Ahmad

2. Little Dreamers: Vision of Women Around the World by Vashti Harrison

3. Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History by Vashti Harrison

4. After Whiteness: An Education in Belonging by Willie James Jennings

5. White Too Long by Robert P. Jones

6. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

7. Luther’s Small Catechism with African Reflections

Click for sample.

8. Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison

9. A Mercy by Toni Morrison

10. Nobody Cries When We Die (God, Community and Surviving to Adulthood) by Patrick B. Reyes

11. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

12. Here is My Kingdom: Hispanic American Literature and Art for Young People editor Charles Sullivan

13. The Warmth of Other Suns: Epic Story of America’s Greatest Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

14, Fences (a Play) by August Wilson

15. God and the Pandemic by N.T. Wright

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Fair Trade Wine Tasting

Saturday, February 26, 2022 from 3-4 PM

Off-Site Location in Newbury Park, CA

Tasting Limited to a Small Group – Registrations on a First-Come Basis

Must Be Over 21 Yrs of Age

Contact

Join us and learn more about Fair Trade wine – the grapes, the growers, the winemakers, and the products. The wine tasting includes 4-5 Fair Trade wines (a white, a sparkling & some red wines). This is a tasting – small sample/tasting portions only. Every participant gets their own individual Fair Trade “nosh” or snack plate - Fair Trade cheese, crackers & pita chips, nuts, dried fruit & chocolate to enjoy with the tasting. This event is fully self-sustainable -- costs of wine, snacks & logistics are covered by the registration /tasting fee -- no Ascension funds and no Fair Trade donation funds will be used to cover the cost of this event. The fee will be $13.00 per person (payable at the event). A non-alcoholic beverage will be provided for those who wish to enjoy the snacks, the learning and the fellowship but opt to pass on tasting the wines. The $13.00 per person fee applies for all participants. No wine will be sold. Participants will be provided with information about retail locations where the wines can be purchased.

Save the Date: Fair Trade Gift Fair -- Saturday May 7th, 10 AM - 2 PM. Outdoors at Ascension. Several Fair Trade Vendors with Lots of Fair Trade “Wearables & Shareables”. More Details in the coming weeks.

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Position Description January 2022

Position Title: Senior Accountant

Reports to: Director of Administrative Ministries

Summary: This is a full time regular exempt position. This position will work closely with the Director of Administrative Ministries and Finance Team on the accounting operations and reporting for the Church, School and Foundation.

Duties and Responsibilities

Accounts Receivable:

Assist contributions input by advising on account mapping, review activity monthly, and answering questions on complex transactions Oversee the team in preparing contribution statements quarterly

Accounts Payable:

Coordinate with accounting clerk for timely processing of invoices Validate new vendors and approve before the accounting clerk adds them to the system Annually review and update authorized vendor list

General ledger maintenance:

Recording and maintenance of general ledger, all bank accounts, investments and loans

Create journal entries not created through Shelby modules

Payroll entries
Thrivent Choice, Amazon Smile, and other income allocations
Various monthly and annual journal entries for closing and financial reporting
Correcting/adjusting entries as needed
Maintain fixed asset and depreciation schedules

Bank reconciliations

Ensure accuracy of accounts through account analysis

Reporting:

Perform close of accounting month end and prepare reports for Finance Committee and Council.

Preparation of all financial reports, statistical and trend analyses, forecasts and projections

Present monthly reports to church leadership

Attend and participate in monthly Finance Committee meetings

Report fundraising results to various group volunteers

Budget:

Assist in populating budget items with the Director of Administration

Input, maintain, and report on the Church and foundation budgets throughout the fiscal year

Maintain fixed asset and depreciation schedules

Collaborate with Church and Foundation leadership to compile annual budgets and prepare presenters for the Congregation

External Audit:

Coordinate and prepare supporting reports for annual audit from outside agency

Collaborate with auditors to answer questions and sign management letter

Accumulate data files and provide financial information summaries as requested

Journalize any required audit adjustments Implement audit requirements and suggestions

Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in related field: finance, economics, or business administration preferred

5 years general accounting experience S

olid understanding of accounting practices and internal controls under GAAP

Strong attention to detail with a high degree of accuracy

Good written and communication skills Good presentation skills

Good working knowledge of Excel

Shelby Systems church management software a plus

Active, demonstrated faith

Work Environment:

This position will function in a typical office environment, utilizing a personal computer, telephone, and other normal office equipment to perform the necessary job duties.

CONTACT:

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Time to stock up for the Project Response Food Drive coming up Feb. 5!

Here are the top asks:

1. Boxed Cereal

2. Canned Meats: chicken, tuna, salmon, Sloppy Joes, oven-roasted turkey, Spam (all varieties)

3. Toiletries: toothpaste, toothbrushes, paper towels, hand sanitizer, shampoo, Kleenex, toilet paper

4. Breakfast items: Pop Tarts, cereal bars, pancake mix and syrup

5. Beverages: water, sparkling water, juice boxes, shelf-stable milk and chocolate milk

6. Boxed meals: instant potatoes (e.g. scalloped potatoes), Rice-a-Roni

7. Packaged Fruits: canned/container: peaches, applesauce, fruit cocktail

8. Ready-to-eat items such as SpaghettiOs, Raviolis

9. Masa Flour, All Purpose Enriched Flour

10. Jam/jellies

11. Individual serving items (easy to eat in a person’s car)

Also:

Rice: canned, dried or packaged

Cooking Oil

Legumes-Beans: dried

Granola Bars- any type

Canned Vegetables: peas, carrots, greens (not corn)

Peanut butter

Pasta Sauces

Snack items: crackers, cheese, peanuts

Cookies and Crackers

All types of dried pasta

Soup- boxed and or canned

Cup of Noodles/ Top Ramen

Mac and Cheese

Barbecue Sauce

Condiments: Mayonnaise, Ketchup, etc.

Other Pantry Items: Any type of housecleaning supplies

Baby supplies/food

THIS WEEKEND we are providing grocery bags for those who wish to contribute. We are asking folks to bring them back next weekend (February 6 and 7) to any of the services. There will be a spot in the narthex for people to drop off their goods. We will also have an area set up by the church office from 8:30 AM until noon on the 6th for those who are not attending services to drop off goods.

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1. Observe 2 PM Tuesday deadline for the following Thursday's release (unless by advance arrangement).

2. DO NOT PRE-FORMAT MATERIAL. A text or Word file and photos or artwork in jpg or png format, along with any notes you'd like to make about presentation, links, etc. are preferred and will work best to get your message across.

More than HALF of our audience read the newsletter on their phones. The difficulty in reading PDFs on mobile devices was a key reason we switched to the new online format. By presenting information in a PDF, you are making it much harder for them to see it.

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Thank you.

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A recap of the Youth Gathering

High School Youth Group Enjoys Farm Fun, Service, Sunsets, Mountain Tops, and mostly, Lots of Laughter and God’s Hand in it All.

by Dianne Beck

“Sometimes the best way to see God is by looking backwards.”

This was something a speaker at the recent Youth Gathering at Luther Glen said on our last day of camp, and as I look back on our week, I definitely see the hand of God in everything we did.

At Bible Study this past Sunday, as we shared Highs and Lows, each youth who went on the trip, along with myself, listed our trip as a high for the week, recounting the fun times, and admitted that one low was simply the adjustment of coming back home, even though we were all glad to be home and get some rest! I know that in my mind I’ve continued to hear our jokes, sometimes even saying them out loud when no one near me would get it, and have songs like “One Name Under Heaven,” “Reckless Love,” and “Knee, Knee, Clap, Clap” on repeat in my head as well. The week is one that will stay embedded positively in our memories and continue to bring us joy as we think back on it.

Each day was packed with activity and opportunities to connect with each other as well as people from all over California and places as far as North Dakota, Minnesota, Washington, and Hawaii. In this one week, we were able to enjoy farm animals and a new puppy, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, great praise music and speakers, games and conversation, Disneyland, The Palm Springs Tramway, a service day at Helping Hands in San Bernadino, and the local fun of Oak Glen with apple turnovers and axe throwing.
Looking back, I think I saw God most in the way we all connected and got to know one another more and more each day. It’s not easy to hide behind your real self when spending a week together, which I believe is the beauty of going away together. We all see that it’s okay to be who we are and when we are, that’s when God and his love best shine through.

I am truly thankful for every person who went on the trip, every person we met, both near and far, and all the lasting connections and memories made.

If you or a high schooler you know would like to be part of another trip, stay tuned for our plans for an upcoming weekend retreat to Pismo Beach September 23-25th. If interested, contact Dianne Beck at .

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