FBCP Family Updates | 01.16.21

Hey, Friends!

We hope you are enjoying this beautiful Saturday and the sunshine! And in case you missed John Jay's communication on Wednesday, we will be taking a few more weeks off from outdoor church in the garage and releasing a Liturgy for the Living Room online. We pray that your family finds ways to worship God and make time for play and rest in your home. 

Because Monday is when we remember and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we wanted to share this short video by Kid President that your kids might enjoy watching. We pray that we would all continue to seek God's vision for justice, goodness, mercy, and righteousness. 

Bad Weather Supplies

We have the opportunity to partner with Friends In Deed as they gather supplies for those without shelter in the upcoming months, especially when weather is less predictable and often harsh. You can check out the full list of supplies that are needed here, and we will be collecting them the next time we are back in the garage for worship. If you need us to come pick up items or arrange a handoff, we can do that, too! 

On that note, we will be sharing some information from Zach Hoover at LA Voice on Monday regarding ways to contact local representatives regarding an extension of the local eviction moratorium. This initiative is important to keep people in their homes during this particularly challenging time. Stay tuned for more information on how you can participate (and youth can, too!).

Iris Chen's New Book!

Our own Iris Chen just launched her book called Untigering: Peaceful Parenting for the Deconstructing Tiger Parent, and we are so excited for her (and that she is part of our church family!). We have copies for our families with kids if you would like one, and we'll be interviewing her on an upcoming liturgy. Yay! Stay tuned for information about a chance for parents to talk and hear more in a virtual discussion. 

Sunday 

Kids

This Sunday we will not have a video since we had our liturgy in the park today (and what a great day it was!). But here is a resource that includes scripture and a few activities you might want to do at home to create some space for worship. We encourage you to read scripture as a family and allow wonder and questions to guide you as you engage with God's word!

Youth

We are sad that we will not be gathering with the youth in the park tomorrow, but we know that will help us all stay safe and healthy during the surge. So, this week we will have a Youth Zoom gathering at 2pm. Here is the meeting link that you can use to hop on the hangout. 

Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!

With gratitude for you,

Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary

A Song for Friday Night

I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me, and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary, and worn, and sad;
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water: thirsty one,
Stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that Light of life I’ll walk
Till trav’lling days are done.

Outdoor Church Update

Hello church family,

Anyone else feel like the year 2021 found out how insane 2020 was and thought, "Oh, I can do better (worse) than that!"? But I keep saying (to myself as much as to y'all) that our work is to see the world as it actually is, and then abide within that world with courage and clarity. I am as tired of shifting plans as I am sure you are. But we must continue to be nimble and flexible, which is why I am writing you. After consulting with our staff, Covid Advisory Team and Board of Deacons, we have decided to remain online-only for Sunday worship. So for at least the reminder of January we will not have outdoor church in the garage.

The surge in Covid cases in our area is a real concern, with holiday travel still causing significant spikes in infection rates. So we hope that a couple more weeks online will allow the cases to level off and us to regroup with an adjusted outdoor strategy. We will be communicating about returning to the garage at the end of this month. Nothing is for sure, but we are prayerfully hoping that the virus subsides enough for us to return to outdoor church responsibly.

This Sunday, January 17, at 7pm, we will be hosting a Zoom prayer service led by our staff. There is a lot of turmoil that dominates our minds right now, but it is always wise to slow down, breathe deep and enter into a practice of prayer. I am as guilty of running ahead of prayer to search for knowledge and solutions as anyone else. So let’s come together to pray and quiet our hearts. We’ll send out a link on Sunday so you can join.

We are also seeing some positive Covid infections within our church family and one of our staff members. Marco Echaury, our head of Building and Grounds, tested positive over the weekend. He has given us permission to share this update, and we are grateful that he is showing mild symptoms at this point and continuing to improve. We do not have further staff exposure, in large part because of safety protocols Marcie Lumpkin has established within the building. Tom Harris is also in the hospital with Covid and other health complications. He is 93 and physically vulnerable in lots of ways. So this is a more serious case. Be praying for his family.

We also lost Bob Maase this last week at the age of 97 (a week from his 98th birthday). He died from complications unrelated to Covid. Death after a long life is always both a joy and a grief. But when we are unable to gather in the sanctuary to share in the rituals of grief and loss, the entire process of saying goodbye and remembering well are complicated. So we are praying about how to best honor Bob's life, as well as others we have lost this year and may yet lose in the months to come. Death is a normal part of church life, but once again nothing is normal these days.

There is more to speak about, and plenty of time to do so. But for now those are the highlights.

Be safe friends.

Less without you,

Pastor John Jay

Family Liturgy Reminders

Hey, Friends!

The January Liturgy for Families with Kids is on for this coming Saturday at 10:30AM in the park, and we are so pumped! Thanks to those who have let us know they can come. We’d love it if you would please fill out this quick RSVP form if you didn't have a chance to yet. (But please know that we will welcome all on Saturday morning, no matter what!)

Safety in the Park

We are following pandemic updates closely and know that safety and protection are as important as ever. We believe we can continue to host this event safely and will have the following precautions in place:

  • All families will go directly to a circle upon arrival to get settled and remain a safe distance apart (but don’t worry—we have white boards so you can hold up messages to other friends!).

  • We will remain masked the entire event.

  • We will maintain safe physical distance.

  • We will have to-go snacks ready for you to take with you when you leave so that you can eat them safely and unmasked in the car or at home.

  • We will have sanitizer on hand for anyone who needs some.

Thanks for being loving toward one another (and toward our healthcare workers!) through all of these precautions. We are so grateful that you have been willing to come and love each other well so that we can continue to host these events with safety and trust. We are saving up so many hugs for whenever it is safe to share them!

Friends In Deed Winter Supplies

This month we are collecting some important items for Friends In Deed to help them prepare supplies to distribute in Pasadena. We are asking each family to could bring gloves, socks, or an umbrella if you are able. These will go to help those who do not have a home or shelter this winter. (The whole church is invited to participate, and we are excited that the kids can, too!)

Let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We love you and are praying for you this week—and we hope to see you Saturday!

Much love,

Pastors Lindsay and Mary

John Jay

Today John Jay has an important update for our church family. You can listen to the audio below to get more detailed information. We are sad to share that Bob Maase, longtime member of the FBCP community, died last night. We invite you to send any stories of remembrance to us as we compile an online space to honor his life and legacy. You can send written memories, photos, or audio recordings to lindsay@fbcpasadena.com or use the button below. We lift up Bob’s family as they grieve and for our church in this time of loss and remembrance.

Sunday Online Gatherings

January 10, 2021

Friends at FBCP,

Today we have two opportunities for you to connect over Zoom with your church family in light of recent national events. We hope to see you later today as we come alongside one another and seek God’s heart together.

Today at 3:30PM | Conversation with Parents/Guardians
Parents/Guardians (or those who care for young people) are invited to join us for a Zoom discussion about how to have meaningful conversations about national news with kids and youth. Click here to join the conversation:

Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86066602473
Meeting ID: 860 6660 2473

Today at 7:00PM | All Church Time of Lament and Prayer
Join us in a sacred gathering online as we make space for prayer, lament, and encouragement. Click here to join the conversation:

Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86278567506
Meeting ID: 862 7856 7506

Less without you,

The FBCP Community

Sunday Special | EP 44

Hi, Friends at FBCP,

We have some important reminders and a short video to share with all of our families with kids today. Read on for all the info!

Parent Zoom Today at 3:30PM

Today we share an opportunity to connect with parents over Zoom at 3:30PM. We know that having conversations about national news with our children can be difficult, but there is a lot of shared wisdom in our church families. We are meant to be a resource and support for one another, especially in times like these. To that end, we are inviting parents to join us over Zoom for a discussion about having thoughtful conversations with young people regarding our ongoing national news. John Jay will help lead that time, and we hope you will join us to share your questions and input.  You can join us using this zoom link.

Liturgy in the Park Next Week!

By now we hope you have marked your calendars for the next Liturgy for Families with Kids on Saturday, January 16th, at 10:30AM in the park. We will maintain our safety protocol with distance and masks so that we can keep each other healthy. And, of course, we will worship God with songs, a Bible lesson, and activities for the whole family. This time we are also inviting each family to bring gloves, socks, or an umbrella to donate to Friends In Deed. They are preparing some winter kits to pass out to folks without shelter, and we are eager to partner with them in supplying some of the needs. We hope you'll join us as we celebrate Epiphany and begin a new year in the spirit of generosity and wonder! You can RSVP here to help us plan ahead for supplies.

To help explain a little bit more about what we will be doing at the liturgy in the park and why it's so important to partner with Friends In Deed, we have a short video to share a few more details and a scripture to ground us in God's call.

We pray you are safe and able to worship in a way that is meaningful wherever you are this morning, and we hope to see you next Saturday!

So much love,

Pastors Lindsay and Mary

Leslie

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Steven Taylor | Helen Lemmel

O soul are you weary and troubled
No light in the darkness you see
There's light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

His word shall not fail you, He promised
Believe Him and all will be well
Then go to a world that is dying
His perfect salvation to tell

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

Friday Updates 01.08.21

Today we have important updates about church happenings this week and a special preview of a song from this week’s coming liturgy. Here are the highlights from today’s video announcements:

  • Sunday, January 10th | Liturgy for the Living Room. This week we will continue to worship online and will share a new Liturgy for the Living Room in the morning for you to worship wherever you are.

  • Sunday, January 10th, 3:30PM | Conversation with Parents/Guardians. Parents/Guardians (or those who care for young people) are invited to join us for a Zoom discussion about how to have meaningful conversations about national news with kids and youth.

  • Sunday, January 10th, 7:00PM | All Church Time of Lament and Prayer over Zoom. Join us in a sacred gathering online as we make space for prayer, lament, and encouragement.

  • Saturday, January 16th, 10:30AM | Liturgy for Families with Kids in the Park. We’ll have our January liturgy in the park for our families with kids (and following all our regular safety protocol), and we can’t wait to worship with all of them! Families with kids can RSVP here.

  • Sunday, January 17th, 10:30AM | Outdoor Church in the Garage. We hope to be back in the garage for worship with those who are able to join. We will continue with increased safety protocols and will livestream the audio for those who need to worship online.

FBCP Families | 01.07.21

Hi, Friends at FBCP,

I hope you received Pastor John Jay's letter yesterday evening and his reminder that we are here to pray and talk with you if at any point you need some pastoral care given the events that unfolded yesterday at the nation's capital. We love you and are praying for you and our country. We believe God's people are called to love and work at such a time as this, and we will continue to seek God's will in the pursuit of justice and goodness. 

We know that having conversations about these things with our children can be difficult, but there is a lot of shared wisdom in our church families. We are meant to be a resource and support for one another, especially in times like these. To that end, this Sunday at 3:30PM we are inviting parents to join us over Zoom for a discussion about having thoughtful conversations with young people regarding our ongoing national news. John Jay will help lead that time, and we hope you can join us to share your questions and input. I’ll send out a Zoom link and a reminder Sunday morning.

And now for some regular updates for our families with kids.

January Liturgy for Families with Kids

The next Liturgy for Families with Kids is Saturday, January 16th, at 10:30AM in the park. We will maintain our safety protocol with distance and masks so that we can keep each other healthy. And, of course, we will worship God with songs, a Bible lesson, and activities for the whole family. This time we are also inviting each family to bring gloves, socks, or an umbrella to donate to Friends In Deed. They are preparing some winter kits to pass out to folks without shelter, and we are eager to partner with them in supplying some of the needs. We hope you'll join us as we celebrate Epiphany and begin a new year in the spirit of generosity and wonder! You can RSVP here to help us plan ahead for supplies. (If you want to invite some friends who need a church family to belong to, we would love to have them! Just share this info and our RSVP link so we can plan for them.)

Sunday 

Kids

This Sunday we look forward to sharing another video for kids as usual. Today we have a little weekday story time video to share since last Sunday's video didn't work out. In honor of the celebration of Epiphany yesterday, Pastor Mary reads a story about a wise man in pursuit of the baby Jesus. We encourage kids to grab some paper and colors to draw what they imagine as they relax and listen to the story unfold. 

Youth

This week we will have a Youth Zoom gathering at 2pm. Here is the meeting link that you can use to hop on the hangout. The following Sunday, January 17th, we will have a youth gathering in the park. We hope to see you there each week!

Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!

With gratitude for you,

Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary

Jason and Natalee

Pilot Me

Jesus, Savior, pilot me
Over life’s tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll
Hiding rock and treacherous shoal
Chart and compass come from Thee;
Savior, pilot me

Though the sea be smooth and bright
Sparkling with the stars of night
And my ship’s path be ablaze
With the light of halcyon days
Still I know my need of Thee;
Savior, pilot me

When at last I near the shore
And the fearful breakers roar
’Twixt me and the peaceful rest
Then, while leaning on Thy breast
May I hear you say to me
I will pilot thee

FBCP Families | 01.03.2021

Hi, Friends!

Happy New Year! We are so grateful for the FBCP family and that we are still connected in this new year and deepening our faith together. Today we have exciting news to share about our next Liturgy for Families with Kids and some other fun information, too. Here's to 2021 with our church family!

January Liturgy for Families with Kids

It's been so wonderful to gather safely once a month with our families and kids, and we are so excited to have another time of worship and fun in January! The next Liturgy for Families with Kids is Saturday, January 16th, at 10:30AM in the park. We will maintain our safety protocol with distance and masks so that we can keep each other healthy. And, of course, we will worship God with songs, a Bible lesson, and activities for the whole family. We hope you'll join us as we celebrate Epiphany and begin a new year in the spirit of generosity and wonder. You can RSVP here to help us plan ahead for supplies. (And if you want to invite some friends who need a church family where they can belong, we would love to have them! Just share this info and our RSVP link so we can plan for them.)

OTHER UPDATES

Kids

We'll have a kid video coming later this week—our filming yesterday didn't quite work as we had hoped, but we’ll have something to share with you soon. If you're thinking about ways to start a new year with intention as a family, you might enjoy taking a look at this resource for families that came my way this week. It has some good inspiration for how your family might want to be intentional about loving and living in 2021. 

Youth

We had a great time zooming with our youth earlier today and learning from Chip about ways we can hear from God. Next week we will have a Youth Zoom gathering at 2pm. Here is the meeting link that you can use to hop on the hangout. The following Sunday, January 17th, we will have a youth gathering in the park. We hope to see you there each week!

Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!

With gratitude for you,

Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary

Leslie and Warren

We Praise You

Let faith be the song that overcomes the raging sea
Let faith be the song that calms the storm inside of me
Let it rise, let faith arise

We’ll see You break down every wall
We’ll watch the giants fall
For fear cannot survive when we praise You
The God of breakthrough’s on our side
Forever lift Him high
With all creation cry, God we praise You

This is what living looks like
This is what freedom feels like
This is what heaven sounds like
We praise You, we praise You

Lindsay

At The End Of The Year

John O’Donohue | To Bless The Space Between

As this year draws to its end,
We give thanks for the gifts it brought
And how they became inlaid within
Where neither time nor tide can touch them.

The days when the veil lifted
And the soul could see delight;
When a quiver caressed the heart
In the sheer exuberance of being here.

Surprises that came awake
In forgotten corners of old fields
Where expectation seemed to have quenched.

The slow, brooding times
When all was awkward
And the wave in the mind
Pierced every sore with salt.

The darkened days that stopped
The confidence of the dawn.

Days when beloved faces shone brighter
With light from beyond themselves;
And from the granite of some secret sorrow
A stream of buried tears loosened.

We bless this year for all we learned,
For all we loved and lost
And for the quiet way it brought us
Nearer to our invisible destination.

In Pasadena as it is in Heaven

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