FBCP Families | 05.07.2021
Hi Friends,
I hope some of you saw our communication yesterday that we are partnering with the City of Pasadena to provide a free COVID-vaccine clinic on Friday, May 14th, held in our park and gym. There are a certain number of doses we're making available to our own church and friends of our community. We expect to hear early this week that children 12 years of age and older will be able to receive the vaccine, so we wanted to make sure parents knew about this opportunity.
To receive the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, you can click on this link and reserve an appointment between 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. Please forward this to friends or family who may be interested, as we still have plenty of spots open. The city has requested that we fill those slots by Tuesday, May 11, so please make sure to register by then. We are so excited for this opportunity to help more people get access to the vaccine!
Liturgy for Families with Kids
Yay! Tomorrow our families with kids will gather, see one another, sing, and grow together in faith at our family liturgy in the park. And rumor has it we may have some furry and colorful special guests joining us, so we hope you can head to the park around 10:15AM to settle in and join the fun!
We wanted to let you know that we will once again serve snacks during the service. A while back during the surge in Covid cases, it felt safest to maximize mask-wearing and send food home for later. Now that most of our parents are vaccinated and local guidelines are allowing restaurants to open safely with certain precautions, we feel we can safely offer snacks again. As a reminder, each family will have a circle to sit in that is safely spaced from others, and we will have hand sanitizer available for everyone. We’ll also still have our masks for when we aren’t eating. We are excited to share some yummy treats and enjoy this outdoor setting together! If you have any questions or concerns about snacks, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Here's an RSVP link if you still need to let us know you plan to attend. And if you know other friends who need a church community, this is a great event to invite them to attend. We hope you will join us!
No Youth Gathering This Week
This week the youth will not meet so that they can spend time with their moms. Next week we will have our (new) regular gathering in the park right after worship. If your youth would like to join the Pit Crew on any Sunday, we would welcome their presence and help! Just email Chip at chip@fbcpasadena.com to get them signed up. We look forward to seeing our youth next week and hope you enjoy a wonderful Mother's Day on Sunday!
Treasure Hunt for Mom
To all the family members wanting to celebrate their moms, this is a fun and easy way to honor your mom right at home. All it takes is paper, tape, markers, and lots of love for the mother figures in your lives. Have fun sharing all that appreciation!
Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!
With gratitude for you,
Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary
Weekly Updates 05.07.2021
Friends at FBCP,
Happy Friday! We have a lot of important and fun updates to share with you this week, so read on for all the details.
We are gathering for worship in the garage at 10:30AM on Sunday. Come early to settle in and see the faces of your church family. (And if you know someone who needs a church home, we would love to welcome them to our concrete sanctuary!)
Friends In Deed Food Pantry is in need of cereal, canned tuna and canned chicken, so we invite you to bring one of those with you to worship on Sunday! (Pouches are also acceptable.) We are excited to resume this regular practice of collecting donations for Friends In Deed, and right now this will help meet a major need in their supply. Thanks for contributing!
In case you missed our communication yesterday, we are hosting a free vaccine clinic on Friday, May 14th. You can find out all the details and register for an appointment time here. Yay for getting vaccinated!
On Saturday, May 15th, our global partner Melanie Baggao will be hosting a time of prayer over Zoom at 10AM. Melanie is preparing to return to Beirut after being in the U.S. for several weeks of rest and renewal. We pray she is blessed as she goes back to her ministry amidst a number of challenging circumstances in the country of Lebanon. To join the prayer time, please register with this link. Thank you for your continued prayers for Mel!
We’ll be hosting a Basics Class following the worship service in the courtyard on Sunday, May 16th. If you are newer to this community and want to learn more about church life at FBCP and what membership looks like, this is designed for you. It’s a no-pressure time to hear more about who we are and a chance to ask questions, too! Lunch will be provided. You can register online here or contact Pastor Gretchen at gretchen@fbcpasadena.com with any questions. We hope to see you there!
Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 23rd! After worship we will head to the park area for a time of celebration and blessing for Pastor Gretchen and John Kelly. Both of these friends are finishing up their work contracts with our team in early summer, and we want to gather to say thanks for their presence and service. Gretchen is finishing up her Pastoral Residency program with us and has plans to stay in the area and continue in our community as a lay leader. Fantastic! We are so grateful for all the work she has done to build community within our church and around the city. After his internship ends in June, John Kelly is heading to Dallas, TX to join Wilshire Baptist Church as one of their new Pastoral Residents. We look forward to this time of fun as we honor their contributions to this church family!
Many of you may have heard that our own Charlie Wang is on a journey right now hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. You can check out his adventures on his blog, which he updates regularly and with tons of fun details and insights. Prayers for a great rest of the journey for this dear friend of ours!
We are so grateful for all the folks who have been able to get the vaccine already. Thanks for keeping us posted on your status so that we can plan ahead for when we can be in the sanctuary. If you have any new information, you can let us know your vaccine status, including whether or not you have received it and if you still have questions about it. Click here to share that info with our staff.
Grace and peace to you as we head into the weekend. We can’t wait to worship with you on Sunday!
Less without you,
The FBCP Community
Mary
FBCP Vaccine Clinic
Hi, friends!
We're excited to be partnering with the City of Pasadena to provide a free COVID-vaccine clinic on Friday, May 14th, held in our park and gym. There are a limited number of doses we're making available to our own church community. To receive the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, be sure to click on this link and reserve an appointment between 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. When you sign up, please be sure to sign up for just one appointment so that doses would be available for others.
We have 50 slots to offer folks connected to our community, so please forward this to friends or family who may be interested. The city has requested that we fill those slots by Tuesday, May 11, so please make sure to register by then. The city will also open up appointment times outside of the 9:30-11:00 window for general public, and those will be available using the MyTurn website at https://myturn.ca.gov/. There will be a limited amount of walk-ins on the day of, so please make sure to get an appointment if you are available that day.
If you need help scheduling an appointment or have any questions, please contact Pastor Gretchen via email at gretchen@fbcpasadena.com or via phone at (617) 894-6833.
Thanks,
Pastor Gretchen
Weekly Updates 04.30.2021
Friends at FBCP,
Happy Friday! We have a lot of important and fun updates to share with you this week, so read on for all the details.
We are gathering for worship in the garage at 10:30AM on Sunday, and this week’s service includes communion. You can bring your own elements or take one of our prepackaged juice and wafer kits. Come early to settle in and see the faces of your church family. (And if you know someone who needs a church home, we would love to welcome them to our concrete sanctuary!)
Friends In Deed Food Pantry is in need of canned tuna and chicken, so we invite you to bring a can with you to worship on Sunday! (Pouches are also acceptable.) We are excited to resume this regular practice of collecting donations for Friends In Deed, and right now this will help meet a major need in their supply. Thanks for contributing!
Vocal Health Zoom Clinic: Singing is an integral part of our collective worship, and it is so important that we take care of our instruments! Please join us on Wednesday, May 5, at 7:00 pm for a Vocal Health Clinic over Zoom. Terry Ma will be our clinician, and she is an extremely talented singer who is also a clinical specialist speech therapist for Emanate Health. She’ll be sharing some best practices for how to take care of the voice you have through vocal hygiene and vocal recovery. We are inviting our whole community to participate since singing is our work to do together, but this will also be a great opportunity to consider joining the choir as we make preparations to resume rehearsals. Hope to see you there, ready to give your voice some love and self care!
We’ll be hosting a Basics Class following the worship service in the courtyard on Sunday, May 16th. If you are newer to this community and want to learn more about church life at FBCP and what membership looks like, this is designed for you. It’s a no-pressure time to hear more about who we are and a chance to ask questions, too! Lunch will be provided. Keep an eye out for registration link in the coming week!
Join Union Station Homeless Services and The Gourmandise School for an evening of cooking for a cause! Sharpen your chef's knife and ready your apron for an evening of cooking and community on May 12th from 6-8 pm. Chef May Henneman from The Gourmandise School will teach an intimate cooking class with lessons on how to make Gnocchi with Brown Butter & Sage, Salad with Dill Vinaigrette, and Olive Oil Cake. While we're cooking, you'll also hear the latest updates from Union Station Homeless Services. All proceeds will go to benefit some of our most vulnerable neighbors. For more information and to register, click here.
Many of you may have heard that our own Charlie Wang is on a journey right now hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. You can check out his adventures on his blog, which he updates regularly and with tons of fun details and insights. Prayers for a great rest of the journey for this dear friend of ours!
We are so grateful for all the folks who have been able to get the vaccine already. Thanks for keeping us posted on your status so that we can plan ahead for when we can be in the sanctuary. If you have any new information, you can let us know your vaccine status, including whether or not you have received it and if you still have questions about it. Click here to share that info with our staff.
Grace and peace to you as we head into the weekend. We can’t wait to worship with you on Sunday!
Less without you,
The FBCP Community
Mary
FBCP Families | 04.29.2021
Hi Friends,
We are continuing to pray and ask for God's leading as we look ahead to summer and imagine what we might offer kids and youth. Their safety is still our top priority, and we will keep you posted as we discern what opportunities we can offer for our kids and families to connect in meaningful ways. We also are praying as many kids finish out another strange year of school either on campus or at home, and we are sending all our young people so much love and gratitude for their resilience during the pandemic!
Local Market on Saturday
If you are looking for something fun to do outside this Saturday, you might check out the local pop up market Loretto's Community Place in Filipinotown from 11am-4pm. There will be a variety of vendors selling food and handmade items, and Carla, one of our FBCP parents, will be there with a booth for her succulent creations! You can find out more details here, and the address is 285 N Union Ave, Los Angeles 90026.
Contemplative Walking
I read a brief post about contemplative walking last week and thought about how many of us have walked our neighborhoods more during the pandemic. I know from strolling with Brody that paying more attention to the flowers and the tiny creatures and the huge trees has been a very centering experience for me. If you're looking for reminders about how to use a walk to connect with God and the whole of creation, you might find the tips in the last section of this post helpful. Happy walking!
Next Family Liturgy for Families with Kids
It's almost time for our families with kids to gather, see one another, sing, and grow together in faith at our family liturgy in the park! Mark your calendars for Saturday May 8th at 10:30AM. We are so thankful for our families and these times we get to be together, and we are dreaming up new ways for us to connect and learn in this format. If you know other friends who need a church community, this is a great event to invite them to join. Here's an RSVP link so you can let us know if you plan to attend. We hope you will join us!
Youth Group After Worship
This week the youth will be in the park, but our gathering will be after worship. Our hope is that youth can attend worship at 10:30AM if they want and that they will serve on our Pit Crew if that is something that interests them. After worship we will head to the park for lunch and our time together in fellowship and Bible study. We will continue to maintain our safety precautions and adjust as it is safe or necessary to do so. If you have any questions about these changes, feel free to reach out. I will, of course, send reminders in the coming weeks.
Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!
With gratitude for you,
Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary
FBCP Families | 04.24.2021
Hi Friends,
I am so grateful for the leadership and presence of our youth in last Sunday's service! They bring so much to our community, and it was a privilege to amplify their voices and hear more of their hearts as they led us in gratitudes, prayer, scripture, offering, and The Church Organized for Work. Thank you to our families for sharing your kids with the church and for allowing us to learn from them as we continue to pursue God and the way of Jesus. They are a source of good questions, valuable insights, and renewed hope in the midst of such a challenging and heavy time in our world. I pray that we can continue to cultivate and honor the gifts of being a diverse body, including diversity in age. Thank you all for being a special place for them to belong!
There are some important updates for kids and youth this week that we are excited to share with you. We hope to see you Sunday if you are able to join us in the garage!
Next Family Liturgy for Families with Kids
It's almost time for our families with kids to gather, see one another, sing, and grow together in faith at our family liturgy in the park! Mark your calendars for Saturday May 8th at 10:30AM. We are so thankful for our families and these times we get to be together, and we are dreaming up new ways for us to connect and learn in this format. If you know other friends who need a church community, this is a great event to invite them to join. Be on the lookout for an RSVP form next week. We hope you will join us!
Important Youth Group Changes
We have been so thankful for the ways that our youth have chosen to stay plugged in to our church community during the pandemic. Through Zooms, outdoor and spaced-out movie nights, and safe gatherings in the park, they have been so flexible as we have shifted our plans and adapted to the ever-changing world we live in. They are amazing!
With things opening up and vaccine levels rising (our youth leadership team have all received at least one of two shots!), we are grateful for the increased safety we have in meeting together. While Zoom has served us well in many ways, it feels like the right time to shift to mainly in-person gatherings going forward. We are also going to change the time we meet in order to make all-church worship accessible to our youth as it was before the pandemic .
So, this Sunday we will not gather as a youth group (we hope you enjoy time with family!). Next week (May 2) we will be in the park, but our gathering will be after worship. Our hope is that youth can attend worship at 10:30AM if they want and that they will serve on our Pit Crew if that is something that interests them. After worship we will head to the park for lunch and our time together in fellowship and Bible study. We will continue to maintain our safety precautions and adjust as it is safe or necessary to do so. If you have any questions about these changes, feel free to reach out. I will, of course, send reminders in the coming weeks.
Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!
With gratitude for you,
Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary
P.S. Here's a poem for our children from author Kayla Craig in honor of Earth Day.
Weekly Updates 04.23.2021
Friends at FBCP,
Happy Friday! Here’s what you need to know for worship this Sunday and the week ahead:
We are gathering for worship in the garage at 10:30AM on Sunday. We have increased our seating area but still have parking for those who want to remain in their cars. We continue to be grateful for the chance to gather safely and worship together! Come early to settle in and see the faces of your church family. (And if you know someone who needs a church home, we would love to welcome them to our concrete sanctuary!)
Our own Cynthia Kirby is part of an ongoing series hosted by Union Station Homeless Services, and you’re invited to attend the next online session on April 29 from 5:30-7:00PM over Zoom. In this webinar, Changing the Narrative Series: Broken Systems, Not Broken People, three prominent panelists will discuss how broken systems, not broken people, are the causes of homelessness and how to change those systems to be equitable for all members of society. You can register to attend here. Thanks to Cynthia for her continued advocacy and engagement in this important work!
We are so grateful for all the folks who have been able to get the vaccine already. Thanks for keeping us posted on your status so that we can plan ahead for when we can be in the sanctuary. If you have any new information, you can let us know your vaccine status, including whether or not you have received it and if you still have questions about it. Click here to share that info with our staff.
Grace and peace to you as we head into the weekend. We can’t wait to worship with you on Sunday!
Less without you,
The FBCP Community
Mary
FBCP Families | 04.17.2021
Hi Friends,
Your families and your kids have been on my heart extra after another heavy week in our national news. There are no easy answers to give our kids, but this community is a place where we will continue to lament, share our pain, love each other well, and stay grounded in hope together. If your child would like to talk or pray with us, we are standing by to be another source of love and support. This article has some good reminders about how to talk to our kids about the news they see or hear. I'm also aware that some of our kids are starting back with school in person, and that can bring a whole set of worries with it. Know that we are here to help in any way we can as our families navigate these new challenges. We are praying for smooth transitions, space to process and acknowledge all that they are feeling, and for God's personal and sweet encouragement with each step. We love you!
Here are some fun and inspiring resources for the week:
Lyrid Meteor Shower
There's a meteor shower happening over the next few days, and here's some information about how to see it. Let us know if you get any fun photos or glimpses of this beautiful display. Even if you don't catch it, I love knowing that a light show is happening in the sky above and remembering how amazing and awesome God's creation is. Yay for meteor showers!
Lego Challenges
The LEGO company has a cool website with all kinds of LEGO games and challenges for kids to do right at home. Brody loves these colorful building blocks, but I know some youth and adults who also take their LEGO projects very seriously. What a great intergenerational activity—let the building challenges begin!
Sunday Youth Gathering
We have a special service in the works for tomorrow featuring our youth! They will join us in the garage for the liturgy and can sit with their families or in the seating area. After worship ends in the garage, the youth are invited to head to the park for lunch and fellowship. We can't wait for the youth to help lead us in worship as a church family!
Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!
With gratitude for you,
Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary
Mary
Weekly Updates 04.15.2021
Friends at FBCP,
This week’s announcements are coming a day early in case some of you want to join a Zoom at 2pm tomorrow with one of our global partners, Melanie Baggao. We are praying for you and look forward to our time of worship on Sunday!
Here’s what you need to know for this week:
Tomorrow (Friday) at 2pm over Zoom there is an opportunity to hear from our global partner Melanie Baggao, an American Baptist Global Servant with International Ministries serving in Lebanon. Melanie will share what it's been like doing ministry with local communities and refugees in Lebanon the past year, including realities with the pandemic and the country’s economic crisis. This is a great opportunity to be reminded about challenges people deal with around the world. To join the meeting from a computer or smartphone (video and audio) use this link and when prompted enter the password: 490382. From the Zoom app or website, enter Meeting ID: 970 1280 0480 AND Password: 490382.
We are gathering for worship in the garage at 10:30AM on Sunday. We will have spaced out seating available and parking for those who want to remain in their cars. We continue to be grateful for the chance to gather safely and worship together! This week we are excited to have some of our youth help lead us in worship, and we are grateful for the ways they give us a fuller picture of God’s love and presence in the world.
As we look ahead to when we can be in the sanctuary, it would help us if you let us know your vaccine status, including whether or not you have received it and if you still have questions about it. Click here to share that info with our staff.
And don’t forget to check out the new album we released on Easter Sunday! It’s full of tracks that we remastered and put together as a tribute to the year we have been through together and the faithfulness of God in all of it. Enjoy!
Grace and peace to you as we head into the weekend. We can’t wait to worship with you on Sunday!
Less without you,
The FBCP Community
Blood Drive
Friends at FBCP,
The American Red Cross is hosting a Blood Drive in our gym Tuesday, April 13th, from 10:00am-4:00pm. They are still in need of sign-ups, and we hope you will consider this opportunity to meet a very urgent need. Here’s a word from the Red Cross:
With everything opening back up and schools on spring break, our inventory levels have significantly dropped. We are asking the community to support the local hospitals by donating blood. Plasma from antibody-positive donations may even help current Coronavirus patients. Will you roll up a sleeve to help? We also rely on you to spread the word to those who are reluctant or have never donated before. Tell friends to sign up, too. All Donors ages 16-24 will be emailed a $10.00 Gift Card.
Please visit RedCrossBlood.org or use the button below and enter sponsor code FBCP to to schedule an appointment. Thanks for considering this life-saving offering!
Less without you,
The FBCP Community
Leslie
FBCP Families | 04.10.2021
Hey, Friends!
We had a beautiful Easter with our families with kids and our church at large, and I'm so thankful we were able to find creative ways to celebrate and dwell on the hope of the resurrection. Christ is risen—He is risen, indeed! I pray you have a wonderful weekend and that we get to see some of you tomorrow in the garage for worship. Below are this week’s updates and some resources. Happy weekend!
Recycling at Home with Kids
In honor of Earth Month, here are some tips on how to delegate recycling jobs to your family members in ways that are fun for kids while also saving time and money. Thanks for taking care of creation!
Kids and Doubt
This week's scripture includes the story of the infamous "Doubting Thomas," and that reminded me about the research the Fuller Youth Institute has done on young people and how doubts impact lasting faith. This in-depth article has some great points about how to make space for doubt and come alongside our kids in their questions about God, even and especially if we don't have all the answers. If your child is starting to ask doubting questions about God, be encouraged that those doubts can be a way to strengthen their faith if you will be present to them. I pray we continue to be a safe place for kids to wonder, doubt, and grow in their walk with God.
Youth Happenings
This Sunday we are gathering over Zoom at 2pm for our regular time of fun, connection, and learning together. We will also be planning some worship elements for the following Sunday (see below), so they won't want to miss this time together. Here is the meeting link that you can use to hop on the hangout. We hope to see your youth there!
We have a special service in the works for next Sunday, April 18th. That is our Sunday to be in the park with the youth, but this time will be a little different. We'll have the youth be part of the regular worship service in the garage (parents, more details to come on their participation!), and then after service we will head to the park for lunch and fellowship until 1:00pm. We can't wait for the youth to help lead us in worship as a church family!
Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!
With gratitude for you,
Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary
Friday Updates 04.09.2021
Friends at FBCP,
Easter was a wonderful celebration and time of worship! It was really special to be together in the garage and over the live broadcast to retell the story of the resurrection. Thanks to all who participated in the service and to those who helped transform our garage with beautiful flowers from around our city. We pray you continue to dwell on the power of the resurrection this Easter season.
We also have some other reminders you need to know for this week:
We are gathering for worship in the garage at 10:30AM on Sunday. We will have spaced out seating available and parking for those who want to remain in their cars. We continue to be grateful for the chance to gather safely and worship together!
As we look ahead to when we can be in the sanctuary, it would help us if you let us know your vaccine status, including whether or not you have received it and if you still have questions about it. Click here to share that info with our staff.
The American Red Cross is hosting a Blood Drive in our gym Tuesday, April 13th, from 10:00am-4:00pm. They are still in need of sign-ups, and we hope you will consider this opportunity to meet a very urgent need. Here’s a word from the Red Cross:
With everything opening back up and schools on spring break, our inventory levels have significantly dropped. We are asking the community to support the local hospitals by donating blood. Plasma from antibody-positive donations may even help current Coronavirus patients. Will you roll up a sleeve to help? We also rely on you to spread the word to those who are reluctant or have never donated before. Tell friends to sign up, too. All Donors ages 16-24 will be emailed a $10.00 Gift Card.
Please visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code FBCP to to schedule an appointment.
And don’t forget to check out the new album we released on Easter Sunday! It’s full of tracks that we remastered and put together as a tribute to the year we have been through together and the faithfulness of God in all of it. Enjoy!
Grace and peace to you as we head into the weekend. We can’t wait to worship with you on Sunday!
Less without you,
The FBCP Community
Mary
Friday Updates 04.02.2021
Friends at FBCP,
We pray you are able to pause and reflect on this Good Friday before we head into the weekend. Below you’ll find a link to our Good Friday Liturgy that is ready for you.
We also have some other reminders you need to know for this week:
This Sunday is Easter! If you took a vase to fill, please remember to bring it with your greenery and flowers to help us turn our garage into a garden. The service will start at 10:30AM, but we are asking everyone to arrive early with plenty of time to settle in, greet one another, and share any flowers you have. We will have spaced out seating available and spaces for those who want to remain in their cars. We cannot wait to share this blessed Easter morning with you, either in the garage or over the audio livestream.
Holy Week: If you haven’t had a chance yet, we hope you’ll take time to experience the guided meditation practice we released on Monday. This special audio is designed for folks to listen to while walking and observing the physical space around our church. We invite you to begin listening outside the front of our sanctuary and follow the audio recording's instructions in an embodied practice. It will be best experienced with headphones on a smartphone or similar device, and we hope it allows you to connect with the story of Holy Week in a new and powerful way.
As we look ahead to when we can be in the sanctuary, it would help us if you let us know your vaccine status, including whether or not you have received it and if you still have questions about it. Click here to share that info with our staff.
Blair High School is just down the street from FBCP, and we regularly have students from Blair in our youth group. This year we have one senior who will graduate from Blair (do you remember Thomas?!), and we are always looking for ways to partner with this neighborhood school. This spring they are still in need of about seven folks to sponsor a high school senior by sending them some Blair swag and other small gifts as an encouragement to the students and their families. If you are interested in being matched with a senior to help spread some joy during this difficult school year, you can email Pastor Lindsay at lindsay@fbcpasadena.com.
Grace and peace on this Good Friday. We can’t wait to worship with you on Sunday!
Less without you,
The FBCP Community