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Visit Us Online @ www.faithlosgatos.org
“LIKE” us on Facebook @ Faith Lutheran, Los Gatos
Pastor Johnson’s Office Schedule*
Tuesday and Thursday
———————————————————
In case of a need (24/7): Pastor 916.956.4111
Office 408.356.5055 *Pastor Johnson’s last Sunday with us is Sept. 6th.
He will continue to be available throughout the following week for emergency pastoral services.
Lutheran Web Links
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America https://www.elca.org
Sierra Pacific Synod
http://spselca.org/
The Lutheran https://www.thelutheran.org
*IF THERE IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE NEWSLETTER, PLEASE
CONTACT THE CHURCH OFFICE, 408.356.5055
16548 Ferris Avenue | Los Gatos, California 95032
(408) 356-5055
Voice of Faith SEPTEMBER 2015
A publication of
Faith Lutheran Church, Los Gatos
By the Power of God: Caring, Sharing, Praying, Growing
2
Bruce Johnson, Interim Pastor Written on Weds. 08/26
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shortly after the news of the new
Term Call Pastor, subject to the ap-
proval at a Congregation Meeting,
Faith is to have a new pastor.
Several thoughts and prayers from
me...
1. I will probably be here a couple
more Sundays depending on Church
Council and the new Term Call Pastor.
Last Sunday will be Sept. 6th.
2. Thanks be to God that after a pro-
longed wait, the conclusion came
quickly.
3. My own opinion, based on not a small amount of
knowledge, is that the Office of the Bishop and the Church
Council made a good decision.
4. Prayers from me to our LORD is that you seek continuous-
ly to know and do, not your will but God's.
5. Refer, not infrequently, to a devotion led by Mimi at the
last Council meeting. It is printed elsewhere in this newslet-
ter. It might well be called "Touches". Read it to find out
more of what the author means in that there are statistics more
important than counting money or people.
6. I thank God for this past year, being called by God and you,
to be your interim pastor.
~ Pastor Johnson
Congregational Meeting—Sept. 13, 2015 At the beginning of the service, we will host a
congregational meeting to call
Pastor Anne Carlson as a Term Call Pastor
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Pastor Anne Carlson
Photo: Courtesy of Facebook
22
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President’s Point of View
Bob Balcomb, 2015 Council President
At a special called Council Meeting on Au-
gust 25, the council was introduced to Pas-
tor Anne Carlson. She was presented by the
Synod’s DEM, Pastor Carlton Monroe, as
their candidate to become our term Call Pas-
tor. Interview lasted approximately two and
a half hours and she presented a very able,
confident, experienced and exciting candi-
date. After the interview, the council met
and after a short discussion we agreed,
unanimously, to continue the process of
calling her as our Term Pastor. I notified her
by e-mail after the meeting and she replied
immediately that she would be “humbled”
to join us in our continuing worship of the triune God.
I wish to extend our sincere gratitude, thanks and appreciation to Pastor Bruce
Johnson who has been leading our worship service, bible study, doing person-
al counseling, visiting and doing all those other things pastors do without any
fanfare. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS.
The recommendation of the council to the congregation at a specially called
congregation meeting for the calling of Pastor Anne and the probable ac-
ceptance and issuance of a Letter of Call will be opening a new and exciting
door in our history. It is the responsibility of the congregation to determine if
Pastor Anne should become our pastor and this responsibility should be taken
very seriously, ask questions of the council members, talk to each other, if you
know people from other congregations who might be acquainted with her, talk
to them. Pastor Anne was the Senior Pastor at New Creation Lutheran Church
in south San Jose for 6 years and was Dean of our conference 6 years. She has
also served as the full time Interim Pastor at Christ the Good Shepherd in San
Jose. As you can see she is very well acquainted with the local Lutheran
church. In addition, she served as the Pastor for Congregational Development
in Watsonville. I am of the opinion that God has led us to a leader with the
necessary skills and experience to help us determine our future. ~Bob
EXCITING NEWS!!!!
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The Essence of Summer Summer reminds us to enjoy life, moment by moment, as we center our
attention on God.
By Amy Sparkman – www.BibleWise.com/living/parenting
There is nothing like summer to inspire us to get our priorities in or-
der—namely, to put God first and to simmer down the rest of "life."
Summer reminds us to enjoy life, moment by moment. The longer days
and warmer weather are terrific incentives to loosen the holds that tie us
to our daily routines and obligations. In fact, the longer days and warm-
er weather give us time and space to breathe much more slowly and
deeply – to absorb the world around us in more vivid color and detail –
and in doing so, to gain welcome insight and refreshment, even to re-
boot. Summer invites us to kick back, ratchet down, step away for a
week, a day, or just an hour at a time from the racetrack of our usual
"normal" life.
Why can summer refresh us so readily? Because it centers our attention
on God. It reminds us of a powerful point Jesus makes in his Sermon on
the Mount:
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do
they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory
was not arrayed like one of these. Therefore take no thought, saying,
What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we
be clothed? …for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of
all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his right-
eousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore
no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the
things of itself. (Matthew 6:27-29, 31-34)
It's a great exercise to think about the metaphor of the lilies in relation
to our lives.
With one sweeping statement of spiritual truth, Jesus sets us up for a
life of true wealth: knowing God, feeling His ever-present love, and
following His guidance, which can't help but include all that we need.
"…seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you." All shall be added AFTER we
seek God (read: find out what God IS) and a right (read: solid and
21
The subject of a behavioral covenant toward each other came up.
Stefan moved to approve a term call for Pastor Anne Carlson to be term pastor for this congregation. Rudy seconded, passed.
Stefan moved we accept the salary proposal as stipulated in her doc-ument. Mimi seconded, passed.
Meeting closed with the Lord’s Prayer around 9:00 PM..
Added message from Bob: If you have any question before the con-
gregational meeting about the call, please feel free to contact myself or
any of the council members. Resume and Salary requested is posted on
the board by the office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Congregational Meeting—Sept. 13, 2015
At the beginning of the service, we will host a con-
gregational meeting to call Pastor Anne Carlson as
a Term Call Pastor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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SPECIAL MEETING of COUNCIL TO INTERVIEW/APPROVE TERM PAS-TOR
Council Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Attendees: Pastor Monroe, Pastor Anne Carlson , Bob Balcomb, Mimi Shilov, Linda Perez, Rudy Camarena, Stefan Myslicki, Skip MacAskill, Catherine Werner, Gwennie Balcomb, Joanne Peronto.
Opening at 7:00 PM Bob Balcomb
Opening devotion – Early in the Bible, God asks “What do you want me to do for you? A good subject for our meeting.
Pastor Anne Carlson
She said options are pastoral care and pastoral ministry. How do ALL Lutheran churches need to change for modern times? Faith is a gift from God and this is God’s church, not ours. We are still the body of Christ and we have a lot of work ahead of us.
Pastor Carlson came well-prepared with a mission statement, a very impressive resume’, a list of tasks a pastor can do, for us to priori-tize, a list of what a pastor usually does with the hours it takes, and a compensation package we can afford! She would like to work about half time, preaching three Sundays a month with six weeks of vacation. She would plan to stay for a term of eighteen months.
Pastor Carlson said she would be a companion and coach, helping us to grow. What do we need as leadership? She would walk with us to get started on our plan, but it is our discernment, and the work is ours. She accomplished this kind of task at New Creation Lutheran Church. Questions for us are: what realistic options are possible for us, given the resources we have. How do we move forward? Com-pare the church to a life and look at the whole life including the end of life.
Pastor Carlson said she could not start until September 15, but we know it will take that long to have a Congregational Meeting to ap-prove her as term pastor, so timing is good.
Bob commented we are in a precarious position. We need someone to energize us. We all felt very fortunate to have someone available with such wide experience and exceptional ability.
5
secure in our hearts) relationship with Him. Through the seeking pro-
cess, we discern more and more clearly that God is the source of our
identity and our lives – is the provider and the caregiver, the protector
and the guide each and every day throughout our lives.
So much of what this season offers helps us see more clearly what real-
ly matters. One day soon, gather your family around the fire pit or the
picnic table or on the front stoop, and jot down ideas that each family
member thinks of as classic summertime activities. Below are ones that
my family has come up with:
spending time with family and friends,
being outside in the sunshine (or the rain!),
lying in the grass to watch the night sky and feeling swallowed
up in infinity,
smelling summer rain
feeling and hearing thunder
watching lightning crack the sky,
hearing birds sing, cicadas chirp, frogs croak,
seeing fireflies,
feeling sand or grass between your toes,
smelling flowers and barbecues in the air,
watching wind play across water,
licking a melting ice cream cone,
bike riding, skateboarding, rollerblading, playing tennis and soc-
cer and golf, sailing and swimming,
wearing the fewest possible clothes and shoes
letting your thoughts roam in any direction without someone
telling you, "Stop, pay attention, get to work, do something con-
structive, stop wasting time!"
Talking together will generate an inspired list that radically differs from
the lists we usually make of all the things we have to get done. This list
focuses on what we choose to do for the sake of pure joy—of refreshing
the soul.
Summer and all the good therein was established and is perpetually sus-
tained by God: The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast pre-
pared the light and the sun. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth:
thou hast made summer and winter (Psalm 74:16-17). We have the right
to claim the utter joy and delight of summer as a precious part of our
lives—and to enjoy it in all its glory. Happy days to you and your fami-
ly!
6
The purpose of the Back-to-School Backpack and
School Supply drive is to ensure that low-income and homeless children in grades K-12 start the
school year with the tools they need, feeling pre-pared and ready to learn. In 2015, we plan to serve
more than 100 youth for back-to-school season in
Santa Clara County.
Each child in the programs we support is given a
backpack filled with grade-appropriate school sup-plies. All backpacks and school supplies are gener-
ously donated by Faith Lutheran with matching
grants by Thrivent Financial. These items make a difference! A social worker who distributed back-
packs and school supplies to children has told us that the items, “made a big impact on their lives
and were a huge motivation for the at –risk
children to start school.”
You may place your donations for the monthly Social Concern
of the Month into the offering plate or mail directly to Faith
Lutheran Church office—Please note in memo line “Social
Concern of the Month”.
Back To School Backpack and School Supply
Drive in Conjunction with Thrivent
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CAN YOU HELP? September Sign-Ups Please find our sign-up binder in the Narthex to check future availabilities
or call the church office, (408) 356-5055 to fulfill specific dates.
FLOWERS
Sept. 6:
Sept. 13:
Sept. 20:
Sept. 27:
LECTOR
Sept. 6:
Sept. 13:
Sept. 20:
Sept. 27:
ACOLYTE
Sept. 6:
Sept. 13:
Sept. 20:
Sept. 27:
ALTAR CARE
August: Joanne Peronto
GREETER
Sept. 6:
Sept. 13:
Sept. 20:
Sept. 27:
USHER (2)
Sept. 6: Bob Balcomb/Les Grundy
Sept. 13: Bob Balcomb/Les Grundy
Sept. 20: Bob Balcomb/Les Grundy
Sept. 27: Bob Balcomb/Les Grundy
REFRESHMENTS
Sept. 6:
Sept. 13:
Sept. 20:
Sept. 27:
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Backpack Stuffing Event
The church office applied for and was approved
for $500.00 for backpacks
for a new project from
Thrivent. An additional ac-
tion team project was also
approved for $250.00 to fill
them with an additional
$100 from a member dona-
tion.
The Backpack Stuffing
event was held follow-
ing the service on Sun-
day, August 23rd. A table was prepared
with the “stuffing” supplies and back-
packs. There were a total of 75 back-
packs completed. Several volunteers of-
fered their help and it was appreciated!
There will be 75 very happy children go-
ing back to school thanks to Faith Luther-
an Church and Thrivent.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU ! THANK YOU!
A big THANK YOU to Carl Kruger for his help in getting the
front yard started by digging the ditch around the sidewalk.
Jodi Sorenson volunteering to “stuff” backpacks.
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FLC Movie Night
“NOAH” (PG-13) August 21, 2015
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We held the final Movie night of 2015 with an
attendance of about 7 people. What a great
time we had .
Thank you to those that attended !
In North America, the majority of churches don’t have as many members as
they did ten, twenty, or fifty years ago. Some experts say there’s no hope for
the church.
My friend Bill is not one of them. Pastor of one of those small and
getting smaller churches in the Midwest, he never seems discouraged about
that reality. So one day I asked him, “How do you stay so positive when
your membership keeps shrinking? Aren’t you afraid you’ll close?”
Bill smiled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We’re not
shrinking. We’re growing — up ten percent from last year.”
“Can’t be,” I said. “I’ve seen your membership numbers. Down
every year for the last ten.”
“You count members,” Bill said, “but we count touches. Anytime
anyone in our church does something for someone else in the name of Jesus,
that’s a touch: a card sent, a phone call made, a meal delivered, a donation to
the food pantry. And our goal is to increase touches. In the five years that
we’ve counted this way, we’ve grown every year.”
Bill’s wisdom has changed the way I live my life. My initial goal
was one touch per day; too small. Now it’s five. And here’s
what I’ve discovered: when my touches grow in number,
I grow in faith. ~Jeff Japinga
Devotional - “Touches” ~provided by Mimi Shilov from Daily Guideposts,
Sun. May 17th
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AUGUST FINANCIALS
Information is for previous month.
If you have any questions, please
contact the Church office.
Totals for August.
Attendance: 173 Monthly Average: 35
Offering: $ 11,104.00 Monthly Goal: $13,402.00
Shortfall: -$2,298.00
~~~~~~
Social Concern of the Month: $482.00
Lord’s Pantry: $50.00
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September Activity
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LUTHERAN HUMOR
You might be a Lutheran if…
… it’s 110 degrees outside and you still have coffee after services.
*Answer to August Crossword
Interesting Facts and Stats about the Bible
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Books in the Bible: 66
Books in the Old Testament: 39
Books in the New Testament: 27
Shortest book in the Bible: 2 John
Longest book in the Bible: Psalms
Chapters in the Bible: 1189
Chapters in the Old Testament: 929
Chapters in the New Testament: 260
Middle chapter of the Bible: Psalm 117
Shortest chapter in the Bible: Psalm 117
Longest chapter in the Bible: Psalm 119
Verses in the Bible: 31,173
Verses in the Old Testament: 23,214
Verses in the New Testament: 7,959
Shortest verse in the Bible: John 11:35
Longest verse in the Bible: Esther 8:9
Words in the Bible: 773,692
Words in the Old Testament: 592,439
Words in the New Testament: 181,253
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FLC WEBSITE
Have you checked out Faith Lutheran’s Website?
http://www.faithlosgatos.org
SAVE THE DATE: RALLY DAY
Children’s Sunday School
Join us as we celebrate the beginning of a new Sun-
day School Season. Sunday, Sept. 13 immediately
following our service, the Sunday
School team will host Rally Day!
What is Rally Day?... “It usually comes at
the end of the summer break, and is used as a means of rallying the forces again for the work of fall and winter. When a general is preparing for a battle he is said to rally his forces. When a sick person begins to recover it is said of him that he his rallying. When a bookbinder brings together in one place the different sections of a book to be bound into one he is said to be rallying the book. All of these phrases may be applied to the Sunday-school work; we are rallying our forces for the great campaign of the fall and win-ter."
Join us for service, food and entertainment.
COME, ALL ARE WELCOME!
The Lutheran Magazine—August Issue Doing more? But with less? In The Lutheran’s August issue, learn that small
can be beautiful. ELCA congregations share how they are redefining their mis-
sion and ministry with fewer members.
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Mario J. Chisessi
Born February 3, 1925 in
San Jose, Ca., in fact that
occurred on Oak Street just
about 1 mile south of old
downtown San Jose. I at-
tended public schools
through 9th grade. Gradu-
ated from Woodrow Wil-
son Jr. High in 1940.
From there I entered Bel-
larmine College Prep. I
finished that school in
1943. In the meantime, I
had developed an interest in aviation (model airplanes and movies).
Before leaving Bellarmine, I had qualified for AAF pilot training, con-
sequently I was summoned to active duty (Aug. 3, 1943). It was many
months of sweat, worry and prayer before I actually began pilot train-
ing (Pre-Flight school). After working through three flying schools, I
graduated as a Pilot Single Engine with the rank of Flight Officer. In
the late 40’s and 50’s I served as a flying officer for California National
Guard.
World war II ended and I elected to come back to San Jose and start
college, graduating in 1949 with a BA degree. I began teaching in an
Elementary School in Madera County. Thus I began a teaching career
interspersed with stints of sales mixed in (Life Insurance Sales and Re-
al Estate—some Real Estate development).
FLC Highlight *Each month FLC would like to call your attention to an outstanding
congregation member, friend, or event. If you know someone who should be
“Highlighted”, please send your nominations to the church office, 408.356.5055.
15
Mark your calendars!
Congregational Meeting— Sept. 13th at the beginning of the
service.
Children’s Sunday School— Each Sunday starting on Septem-
ber 13th. at 8:30 AM—Rally Day on Sunday, September
13th immediately following service.
Adult Class—Each Sunday at 8:45am — 9:15am in the li-
brary
Bible Study—each Thursday at 10:45 AM
Friendship Luncheon— Friendship Potluck Luncheon, at noon
Thursday, August 6th
Lord’s Pantry Delivery— Every Monday
Council Meeting— Thursday, September 17th, 7:00pm
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SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS Jeanne MacAskill 3
Wesley Viner 9
Angie Balcomb 9
Nahri Balcomb-Fikre 10
Arlene Wyckoff 12
Elizabeth Kiedaisch 13
Adriana Vega 19
SEPTEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Mario & Dotti Chisessi 20
Hank & Linda Iversen/Sisler 23
Dr. Erich & Catherine Werner 28
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In 1982, I took an early retirement and found jobs with Santa Clara
County which I left in 1998. Until recently, I continued work as a
small building manager for the Odd Fellows Lodge in Saratoga, CA.
Presently, I’ve occupied myself with home repairs, gardening, and a
landscape project at my home which I built in 1972. Many times I’ve
worked at our church as a professional and a volunteer.
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Children of Faith
New Beginnings...
Nathan is starting to cut teeth!
Show us your smile, Nathan!
Dasia started school on Mon-
day, Aug. 17th… so excited!!
Donavan started school Thursday,
Aug. 20th. Looking good Donovan!
Looking sharp as Jimmy and
Wesley head back to school
Damian enjoying his first day
of 1st Grade. Doesn’t he
LOOK excited!!! 13
LOVING PRAYERS
“Lord, I come, I confess. Bowing here I find my rest.
Without You I fall apart.
You’re the One that guides my heart”
~ Matt Maher, Musician
Eva Woodall
Micky Mowson
Tia Balcomb-Patterson
Bob Balcomb
Jamie and Tristen Fabris
Bert and Colleen Blomquist (Carol Kruger’s parents)
Wes Balcomb
Pastor Kimm (Korean Church)
What is a Prayer Shawl?
Whether they are called Prayer Shawls, Comfort Shawls, Peace Shawls,
or Mantles, etc., the shawl maker begins with prayers and blessings for
the recipient. The intentions are continued throughout the creation of the
shawl. Upon completion, a final blessing is offered before the shawl is
sent on its way. Some recipients have continued the kindness by making
a shawl and passing it onto someone in need. Thus, the blessing ripples
from person-to-person, with both the giver and receiver feeling the un-
conditional embrace of a sheltering God!
If you know someone in need of a prayer shawl,
please contact the church office.
NOTE: We are sensitive to both the need of friends and relatives to seek
healing prayer for others and to the need we all feel to have others care and
pray for us. If you or someone you know needs prayers, please feel free to
place a request in the offering basket or call the church office.