Weekly Updates 06.25.2021

Friends at FBCP,

Happy Friday! Here are all the updates and announcements for this week.

• This Sunday we will be gathering in the garage at 10:30AM for worship, and we can’t wait to be together! Come early to say hi to friends and settle in. We know that it’s been a hot week, so we’ll have water stations where you can fill up your water bottles. We’ll also be singing a new song, and you can listen to it here in preparation for worship.
  
  

• Kids and Youth: This Saturday (tomorrow!) we have another Liturgy for Families with Kids at 10:30am in the park! It’s not too late to RSVP if you plan to come. Our nursery is now open on Sundays for kids under four years old. Parents can enter off Union Street through the park, and we’ll be there to help guide you to the nursery rooms. For more info on kids and youth, check out this weekly communication that Pastor Lindsay sent out to families yesterday.
  
  

• This week we are asking you to bring cereal for the Friends In Deed Food Pantry if you are able. Right now this will help meet a major need in their supply. Thanks for contributing!
  
  

• Choir has resumed! If you want to join the fun and the singing, the last choir practice this month is in the church park at 7pm on June 30. We’d love to see you there! You can email Pastor Leslie for more info.
  
  

• Join us on Thursday for our Bible study at noon in the park. We’ll be there every week for a time of discussion and fellowship as we look at scripture together. Our first focus is on the book of Galatians. There are no materials to download, but you are encouraged to bring a Bible (or we can loan you one!). Feel free to bring your lunch to eat, too. Hope to see you there! Email Pastor Chip with any questions.
  
  

• Please keep Ian Tan and his family in your prayers this week. On Sunday, June 13, Ian’s dad went to the ER with a tear in his aorta, and he was immediately taken in for surgery. Unfortunately, he suffered catastrophic and irrecoverable brain damage, and he passed peacefully at 5:54 pm CDT on Thursday, June 17. A service is being held on Saturday at 1pm PST with an option to join over livestream. For more information about the service and to send flowers or words of love, please see this page.
  
  

• On Sunday, July 4, we will have a worship service in the park with lunch right after. We hope you’ll join us on this first Sunday of the month as we share both communion and a full meal together. It’s also a service we hope that families with kids will feel encouraged to attend, and we promise more fun songs with hand motions that our kids know well!
  
  

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 | 06.24.2021

Hi Friends,

We had a blast with our kids in the park last Sunday, and it was just so good to see our young ones playing together. Our next Sunday with kids programming in the park will be July 18th, but we also hope you will join us for all-church worship in the park on July 4th. We'll have a fun worship service with songs that our kids know, and there will be lunch! 

This Saturday we are pumped for our June Liturgy for Families with Kids, and we hope to see you at 10:30AM in the park. Just bring a blanket or towel to sit on—we will be ready with songs, activities, and snacks. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend. Though we will welcome anyone who shows up on Saturday, the RSVP just helps us plan for supplies. See you Saturday!

Helping Kids Transition

I came across this resource and thought it was worth sharing as parents prepare to help our kids transition to more social interactions. After over a year of pandemic life, our kids have a lot to navigate in returning to various situations. There is a range of emotions that might come up, some our kids may not even anticipate. If this is something you find useful, great! If this isn't your style, that's okay, too. I am praying for all of our kids and parents as we continue into summer and look ahead to the fall. We are here to walk with you!

Kids

Our nursery rooms are now open regularly for babies and toddlers under four years old! Childcare will be open from 10:15am until the end of garage worship. We hope this allows our youngest children to have a safe place to play and connect with each other and our loving nursery staff, Tasha Cronin and Engry Lopez. Parents can enter the building through the Union Street park gate. Please note that the nursery will be closed on the first Sunday of July so that everyone can join us in the park for worship.

Our kids four years old and up are still welcome to join us in the garage for worship, and we have snacks and coloring supplies ready for them. We look forward to a beautiful morning of worship this Sunday!

Youth

This week the youth will be gathering in the park for their regular time of lunch and fellowship after worship. Please note that this week we have some fun water activities for them, so they should consider bringing a towel and shoes that can get wet (and maybe a change of clothes, though we always have extra shirts on hand!).

The youth are also invited to join us in the garage and to help with Pit Crew. You can email Pastor Chip to get them plugged in with the blue apron crew. We look forward to our time with our awesome youth!

With love and gratitude for you,

Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary

Thy Mercy My God

This coming Sunday we will be singing a new song for our congregation, so we invite you to listen this week in preparation for our time of worship. We are so excited to sing with you!

Thy Mercy My God

Text: John Stocker
Music: Sandra McCracken

Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart. and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast.

Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair;
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.

Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found.

Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.

FBCP Families | 06.24.2021

Hi Friends,

We had a blast with our kids in the park last Sunday, and it was just so good to see our young ones playing together. Our next Sunday with kids programming in the park will be July 18th, but we also hope you will join us for all-church worship in the park on July 4th. We'll have a fun worship service with songs that our kids know, and there will be lunch! 

This Saturday we are pumped for our June Liturgy for Families with Kids, and we hope to see you at 10:30AM in the park. Just bring a blanket or towel to sit on—we will be ready with songs, activities, and snacks. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend. Though we will welcome anyone who shows up on Saturday, the RSVP just helps us plan for supplies. See you Saturday!

Helping Kids Transition

I came across this resource and thought it was worth sharing as parents prepare to help our kids transition to more social interactions. After over a year of pandemic life, our kids have a lot to navigate in returning to various situations. There is a range of emotions that might come up, some our kids may not even anticipate. If this is something you find useful, great! If this isn't your style, that's okay, too. I am praying for all of our kids and parents as we continue into summer and look ahead to the fall. We are here to walk with you!

Kids

Our nursery rooms are now open regularly for babies and toddlers under four years old! Childcare will be open from 10:15am until the end of garage worship. We hope this allows our youngest children to have a safe place to play and connect with each other and our loving nursery staff, Tasha Cronin and Engry Lopez. Parents can enter the building through the Union Street park gate. Please note that the nursery will be closed on the first Sunday of July so that everyone can join us in the park for worship.

Our kids four years old and up are still welcome to join us in the garage for worship, and we have snacks and coloring supplies ready for them. We look forward to a beautiful morning of worship this Sunday!

Youth

This week the youth will be gathering in the park for their regular time of lunch and fellowship after worship. Please note that this week we have some fun water activities for them, so they should consider bringing a towel and shoes that can get wet (and maybe a change of clothes, though we always have extra shirts on hand!).

The youth are also invited to join us in the garage and to help with Pit Crew. You can email Pastor Chip to get them plugged in with the blue apron crew. We look forward to our time with our awesome youth!

With love and gratitude for you,

Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary

Weekly Updates 06.18.2021

Friends at FBCP,

Happy Juneteenth! Here are all the updates and announcements for this week.

• This Sunday we will be gathering in the garage at 10:30AM for worship, and we can’t wait to be together! Come early to say hi to friends and settle in. We know that it’s been a hot week, so we’ll have water stations where you can fill up your water bottles.
  
  

• This Sunday we also have programming in the park for our kids during worship! We’ll have a fun Father’s Day craft and an exciting Bible lesson, too. Parents can park in the garage and then bring kids down to the park at the Union Street gate to sign kids in. You can read more info in the weekly communication that Pastor Lindsay sent out to families today.
  
  

• This week we are asking you to bring soup, canned tuna, and canned chicken for the Friends In Deed Food Pantry if you are able. 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!
  
  

• Choir has resumed! If you want to join the fun and the singing, the last choir practice this month is in the church park at 7pm on June 30. We’d love to see you there! You can email Pastor Leslie for more info.
  
  

• Yesterday we started up our Bible study at noon in the park! Join us every Thursday for a time of discussion and fellowship as we look at scripture together. Our first focus will be on the book of Galatians. There are no materials to download but you are encouraged to bring a Bible (or we can loan you one!). Feel free to bring your lunch to eat, too. Hope to see you there! Email Pastor Chip with any questions.
  
  

• This month we invite you to consider giving beyond your contributions to FBCP by supporting a special offering called One Great Hour of Sharing. We take up this offering each year because it is such an important way to support urgent needs around the world in partnership with our American Baptist global servants. When you give to One Great Hour of Sharing, your funds support disaster relief, development projects, and refugee ministries of the American Baptist Churches and its partners. Thank you for considering how you might partner with this important work. To give to OGHS, click here and select the option in the drop-down menu.
  
  

• On Sunday, July 4, we will have a worship service in the park with lunch right after. We hope you’ll join us on this first Sunday of the month as we share both communion and a full meal together. It’s also a service we hope that families with kids will feel encouraged to attend, and we promise more fun songs with hand motions that our kids know well!
  
  

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 | 06.11.2021

Hi Friends,

We had so much fun worshipping in the park with you last week, and it was so great to see our families with kids lead the way in singing with hand motions! We will have another time of worship and food in the park on July 4th, and we look forward to that time together. In the meantime, families with kids are always invited to join us for worship in the garage as we enjoy these last weeks before returning to the sanctuary in August. I'm so grateful for the creative and flexible ways that y'all have chosen to engage in worship in this season and for the joy I have experienced worshipping with you in unexpected places. I hope to see you this Sunday! 

This Sunday John Jay will be preaching on the scripture about mustard seeds and faith. As you prepare to hear the teaching, you might enjoy reading this poem by Denise Levertov. It's a beautiful word portrait of the parable of the mustard seed, and a reminder of the ways the Kingdom spreads in unexpected ways.

Kids

This Sunday we are opening our nursery rooms for babies and toddlers under four years old! Our nursery staff is fully vaccinated and will wear masks as extra precaution for our little ones. Childcare will be open from 10:15am until the end of garage worship. We hope this allows our youngest children to have a safe place to play and connect with each other and our loving nursery staff, Tasha Cronin and Engry Lopez. Please note that the nursery will be closed on the first Sunday of July so that everyone can join us in the park for worship.

On June 20 we will have kids programming in the park during the garage worship service. Kids can be dropped off at 10:15 and picked up once worship in the garage ends. We are excited to do activities and Bible lessons together, and our staff and volunteers will be fully vaccinated and ready to welcome the children in our church family. 

On Saturday, June 26, we will have another Liturgy for Families with Kids! We are looking forward to seeing kids and parents for this special worship service, and for families to continue to get to know one another better.

Youth 

This week the youth will be  gathering in the park for their usual time of lunch and fellowship after worship. They are also invited to join us in the garage and to help with Pit Crew as always. We look forward to our time with our awesome youth!

Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!

With gratitude for you,

Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary

Weekly Updates 06.11.2021

Friends at FBCP,

Happy Friday! Here are all the updates and announcements for this week.

• This Sunday we will be gathering in the garage at 10:30AM for worship, and we can’t wait to be together! Come early to say hi to friends and settle in. We have a great group of folks leading worship this week, and we hope to see you there!
  

• This week we are asking you to bring rice for the Friends In Deed Food Pantry if you are able. 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!
  

• Hooray for all those who have been vaccinated! If you recently got your first shot or forgot to let us know you received your second dose, you can click here to share that info with our staff. We are grateful that so many in our community have been able to receive their shots.
  

• The American Red Cross is hosting a Blood Drive in our gym on Tuesday, June 15, 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. Please visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code FBCP to to schedule an appointment. Each donor will receive a $5 Amazon discount, too!
  

• Choir has resumed! If you want to join the fun and the singing, this month choir practice is in the church park at 7pm on June 16 and 30. We’d love to see you there! You can email Pastor Leslie for more info.
  

• This Thursday, June 17th, we are starting up a Bible study at noon in the park! Join us every Thursday for a time of discussion and fellowship as we look at scripture together. Our first focus will be on the book of Galatians. There are no materials to download but you are encouraged to bring a Bible (or we can loan you one!). Feel free to bring your lunch to eat, too. Hope to see you there! Email Pastor Chip with any questions.
  

• This month we invite you to consider giving beyond your contributions to FBCP by supporting a special offering called One Great Hour of Sharing. We take up this offering each year because it is such an important way to support urgent needs around the world in partnership with our American Baptist global servants. When you give to One Great Hour of Sharing, your funds support disaster relief, development projects, and refugee ministries of the American Baptist Churches and its partners. Thank you for considering how you might partner with this important work. To give to OGHS, click here and select the option in the drop-down menu.

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

Weekly Updates 06.04.2021

Friends at FBCP,

Happy Friday! Here are all the updates and announcements for this week.

• This Sunday is an exciting and different kind of outdoor service! We'll be gathering in the church park at 10:30AM for worship, including communion and a celebration of our graduating seniors. Because it's Senior Sunday, brunch will be included, too. It's going to be such a fun worship party with our community! You can park in the garage and head to the Union Street gate to enter the park. Bring your ticket with you for validation. We hope to see you there!

• Hooray for all those who have been vaccinated! If you recently got your first shot or forgot to let us know you received your second dose, you can click here to share that info with our staff. We are grateful that so many in our community have been able to receive their shots.

• This week we are asking you to bring canned chicken or tuna for the Friends In Deed Food Pantry if you are able. 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!

• Choir has resumed! If you want to join the fun and the singing, this month choir practice is in the church park at 7pm on June 16 and 30. We’d love to see you there! You can email Pastor Leslie for more info.

• The American Red Cross is hosting a Blood Drive in our gym Tuesday, June 15, 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. Please visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code FBCP to to schedule an appointment. Each donor will receive a $5 Amazon discount, too!

• The Memorial Service for Dr. Harold Lane will be tomorrow, June 5, at 10 a.m. at Royal Oaks Manor, 1763 Royal Oaks Dr N, Duarte, CA 91010. A reception will follow the service. You may email Nancy Jelinek at jelinek90@gmail.com for more information. There are plans to also have a Zoom broadcast, and more information about that will be shared the week of June 1. We will keep you posted with any new details we receive.

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

FBCP Families | 06.04.2021

Hi Friends,

This Sunday is an exciting and different kind of service, and it's one that we hope our families with kids will join! We'll be gathering in the church park at 10:30AM for worship, including communion and a time of celebration for our graduating seniors. We'll be singing songs that we have sung together at our family liturgies, so our kids will be able to join in easily. Brunch will be included, too, and it's going to be such a fun worship party with our community! You can park in the garage and head to the Union Street gate to enter the park. We hope to see you there!

June Dates for Kids

We plan to open our nursery rooms for babies and toddlers under four years old on Sunday, June 13. Our nursery staff is fully vaccinated and will wear masks as extra precaution for our little ones. Childcare will be open from 10:15am  until the end of garage worship. We hope this allows our youngest children to have a safe place to play and connect with each other and our loving nursery staff, Tasha Cronin and Engry Lopez. Please note that the nursery will be closed on the first Sunday of June and July so that everyone can join us in the park for worship.

On Sunday, June 20, we will have kids programming in the park during the garage worship service. Kids can be dropped off at 10:15 and picked up once worship in the garage ends. We are excited to do activities and Bible lessons together, and our staff and volunteers will be fully vaccinated and ready to welcome the children in our church family. 

On Saturday, June 26, we will have another Liturgy for Families with Kids! We are looking forward to seeing kids and parents for this special worship service, and for families to continue to get to know one another better.

Youth 

This week the youth will not be meeting after worship since we are having such a special service and brunch with the whole church family. Next Sunday, June 13, the youth will be back in the park for their usual time of lunch and fellowship after worship. They are also invited to join us in the garage first and to help with Pit Crew, of course! We look forward to our time with our awesome youth.

Congratulations to Judah, who just graduated from 8th Grade, and to high school seniors Thomas and Ryan—we are excited to celebrate these milestones and can't wait for the adventures ahead!

Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!

With gratitude for you,

Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary

Mary

Weekly Updates 05.28.2021

Friends at FBCP,

Happy Friday! Here are all the updates and announcements for this week.

• Hooray for all those who have been vaccinated! If you recently got your first shot or forgot to let us know you received your second dose, you can click here to share that info with our staff. We are grateful that so many in our community have been able to receive their shots. The city is also hosting another vaccine clinic at FBCP on June 4th, so make sure to spread the word if you know folks who still need their shots. They can sign up for our location at myturn.ca.gov by searching for clinics in the 91101 area.

• 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. If you haven’t read John Jay’s letter about our updated safety agreements and plans for summer, you can read all the important info here.

• This week we are asking you to bring peanut butter for the Friends In Deed Food Pantry if you are able. 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!

• Choir has resumed! If you want to join the fun and the singing, choir practice is in the church park at 7pm every other week through the end of June (June 2, 16, and 30). We’d love to see you there! You can email Pastor Leslie for more info.

• The American Red Cross is hosting a Blood Drive in our gym Tuesday, June 15, 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. Please visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code FBCP to to schedule an appointment.

• We received word this week that the Memorial Service for Dr. Harold Lane will be on Saturday, June 5, at 10 a.m. at Royal Oaks Manor, 1763 Royal Oaks Dr N, Duarte, CA 91010. A reception will follow the service. You may email Nancy Jelinek at jelinek90@gmail.com for more information. There are plans to also have a Zoom broadcast, and more information about that will be shared the week of June 1. We will keep you posted with any new details we receive.

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| 05.27.2021

Hi Friends,

I hope you got a chance to read John Jay's letter last week with all the exciting updates about summer and our return to the sanctuary. I continue to be so grateful for each of you and the ways that we have carried each other through the last year. Y'all are just the best community and church family!

Because there are lots of things happening for kids, I wanted to fill in a few more details on what we are planning for the coming months. As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. We are thrilled to have more opportunities to be with our young people!

NURSERY CARE

We plan to open our nursery rooms for babies and toddlers under four years old on Sunday, June 13. Our nursery staff is fully vaccinated and will wear masks as extra precaution for our little ones. Childcare will be open from 10:15am until the end of garage worship. We hope this allows our youngest children to have a safe place to play and connect with each other and our loving nursery staff, Tasha Cronin and Engry Lopez. We have some vaccinated volunteers who are excited to return, too! Please note that the nursery will be closed on the first Sunday of June and July so that everyone can join us in the park for worship.

KIDS

We have really enjoyed our Liturgies for Families with Kids, but we also miss seeing kids on Sundays. This summer, we have both all-church events in the park and some special programming for our kids. See below for details and the calendar summary at the end of the email.

All-Church Worship

On June 6 and July 4 we will host a worship service for everyone in the park rather than in the garage. There will be communion, singing (including songs from our family liturgies!), and time to play. We hope that our families with kids will join the church for a time of fellowship in our green space! 

Special Sundays for Kids

On June 20 and July 18 we will have kids programming in the park during the garage worship service. Kids can be dropped off at 10:15am and picked up once worship in the garage ends. We are excited to do activities and Bible lessons together, and our staff and volunteers will be fully vaccinated and ready to welcome the children in our church family. 

Liturgy for Families with Kids

On Saturday, June 26, we will have another Liturgy for Families with Kids! We are looking forward to seeing kids and their families for this special worship service in the park. Details and a cute postcard to come!

Kids Camp

The week of July 26-30 we are hosting a kids camp for our church family. Pastor Mary and I have been able to keep in touch with our families during the pandemic, but we know it's been harder for all of them to stay connected with each other. So, camp this year will focus on how God loves us in fun and playful ways as we reconnect and play together with our friends at church. If your kids have other friends who want to get to know our church community, you are welcome to invite them! We just don't plan to advertise outside our community or open it up to the general public as we have in previous years because of the goals of this particular camp and to make sure that we can maintain the right safety protocols and considerations for our unvaccinated population.

YOUTH

The youth will continue to gather after worship in the park except on June 6 and July 4, when the whole church will hang out together. On regular Sundays, we hope our youth will join us for worship in the garage and help out on the Pit Crew if they are interested. We are also going to start some new youth activities we have been dreaming up in our work with the Fuller Youth Institute cohort. We can't wait for folks at our church to connect with our youth as we engage in more intergenerational opportunities! Stay tuned for details and information about a parent meeting in June.

That’s enough for now! We look forward to seeing all of you soon. Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!

With gratitude for you,

Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary

Summary of Summer Plans

• June 6 - All-Church Worship in the Park 

• June 13 - Nursery Reopens

• June 20 - Kids programming in the park during worship

• June 26 - Liturgy for Families with Kids

• July 4 - All-Church Worship in the Park

• July 18 - Kids programming in the park during worship

• July 26 through 30 - Kids Camp 9AM-12PM

• August 1 - Final Worship in the Garage

• August 8 - Return to Sanctuary and Kid Classes!

Weekly Updates 05.21.2021

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.

• Tomorrow (Saturday) we will be sending an important letter with information about our plans for summer and our schedule for returning to the sanctuary. Make sure you keep an eye out for an email and text with all the important information!
  
  

• Hooray for all those who have been vaccinated! If you recently got your first shot or forgot to let us know you received your second dose, you can click here to share that info with our staff. We are grateful that so many in our community have been able to receive their shots.

• 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. After worship we will head to the park area for a time of celebration and blessing for Pastor Gretchen and John Kelly. All are invited to attend! 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!

• This week we are asking you to bring peanut butter for the Friends In Deed Food Pantry if you are able. 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!

• We received word this week that the Memorial Service for Dr. Harold Lane will be on Saturday, June 5, at 10 a.m. at Royal Oaks Manor, 1763 Royal Oaks Dr N, Duarte, CA 91010. A reception will follow the service. You may email Nancy Jelinek at jelinek90@gmail.com for more information. There are plans to also have a Zoom broadcast, and more information about that will be shared the week of June 1. We will keep you posted with any new details we receive.

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 | 05.15.2021

Hi Friends,

Yesterday we partnered with the City of Pasadena to provide a free Covid vaccine clinic held in our park and gym. It was so encouraging to see lots of youth show up to get their first dose, and we are so thankful for their bravery and excitement about this new opportunity to receive the vaccine! If you know some youth who aren't connected to our community but would like to receive the vaccine, we will be hosting another clinic next Friday. Parents can reserve appointments for their children through the state vaccination website at myturn.ca.gov. A parent or guardian must accompany children to the appointments. If all the slots are full, they will still take walk-ins on the day of. Parents can get more information by calling the Pasadena Service Center for help at (626) 744-7311.

Knowing When to Add or Subtract

I saw this short video about the ways our brains default to adding rather than subtracting when faced with some sort of problem. It struck me as relevant as things in the world start to open up and the option to add more to our schedules becomes more and more of a reality. It has some profound implications for lots of aspects of life including practical problem-solving. I also know that Covid forced us to subtract in so many profound and hard ways, and I pray that we can intentionally add the things that will lead to thriving and wholeness in a post-pandemic world. I'm grateful and even excited that we get to figure out that balance together as a church community, and I am so glad that hugs will soon be one of the things we can happily add back into our communal life!

Kids

We had a blast at our Liturgy for Families with Kids last Saturday, and we even had our special furry friend Moop join us! We look forward to our next gathering and to sharing more information about our summer plans in the coming month. Thanks to all of our families for making these events so special and fun!

We also are starting to welcome new guests to our church, and that includes some new families with kids. If you are attending church in the garage, we hope you'll keep an eye out for new families and help us welcome them to our community. Yay for new friends as our family grows!

Speaking of our growing family, please pray for Gaby Martinez and Grace Goodman, two moms in our community. They are both going to deliver babies this week, so we are praying for healthy deliveries and smooth recoveries as they bring these sweet new ones into the world!

Youth

This week the youth are gathering in the park right after worship ends, and we will wrap up at 1:15pm. Lunch will be served, and we'll continue to practice safety precautions together. 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 can't wait to see our youth tomorrow!

Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!

With gratitude for you,

Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary

Weekly Updates 05.14.2021

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!)

• This week we are inviting folks to bring cereal and hearty soups for the Friends In Deed Food Pantry. 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!

• 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 this Sunday. 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.

• 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!

• If you recently got your first shot or need to let us know you received your second dose, you can click here to share that info with our staff. Yay for being vaccinated!

• Union Station Services is hosting another online event on May 20th. Join them to learn the facts about homelessness and the critical need for more bridge (interim) housing for persons experiencing homelessness in our community.  Learn about “pallet shelters,” an innovative, cost-effective way to provide housing through small shelters that provide basic necessities of life as well as onsite intensive, supportive services for unhoused persons awaiting permanent housing. Find out how you can help provide bridge housing for our unhoused neighbors and help them transition to permanent housing. Click here to register for this free event!

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