in this issue available 30 hours a week. i will be in the...
TRANSCRIPT
October Birthdays page 2
Welcome New Member / Congratulations, Brazells page 2
PNC UPdate, September 22 page 3
A Note from Ara page 3
Education & Fellowship Opportunities page 4
You’re Invited to the Garden Team! Page 4
Manos de Cristo Un-Gala Page 5
Forgotten Songs & Modern Spirituals Page 5
125th Anniversary Steering Committee Page 6
Youth UPdate page 7
2016-17 Committee Structure page 8
Highlights & Commendations page 8
In This Issue
Dear Friends,
First, I am deeply grateful for the warm reception you have extended to me since I returned as your Acting Head of Staff. Your support and encouragement are just another sign of your love for University Presbyterian Church.
We are in a transitional time in the life of UPC. The Pastor Nominating Committee is hard at work searching for a new Senior Pastor. And I am cheering them on! The sooner they complete their work, the sooner I can get back to my true vocation in this chapter of my life: being with my five grandchildren at every available opportunity and traveling this country and the world with my beautiful bride.
When the Staff Support Committee asked me to do an “encore” as Acting Head of Staff, we all agreed that I would concentrate on three immediate challenges / opportunities:
1. Plan a vibrant Worship life through the end of 2016, and preach regularly. The worship calendar has already been presented to the Worship & Music Committee and the Session.
2. Work with the newly formed Stewardship Committee to plan and execute a fall Stewardship Campaign. We are already at work gathering together a Stewardship Campaign Team. And the Finance Committee is working on a proposed 2017 budget.
3. Make the Pastoral Care of the congregation a priority. To that end I have been making regular hospital visits and am scheduling home visits. And the associate pastors are joining me as we reach out to the members of UPC. If you would like a visit, contact me at [email protected] or call the church office.
In addition, I will serve as Head of Staff and Moderator of the Session. I agreed to be available 30 hours a week. I will be in the office or attending meetings or making pastoral calls on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday each week. Thursday will be a day at home for sermon preparation. Friday is my day off and most Saturdays I will spend with my amazing grandchildren: at a football game watching Brynn lead cheers, at a soccer game watching Jorren play goalie, at a baseball game watching Hadden pitch, and at gymnastics watching Olivia and Eva do flips. Some Saturdays I am able to work every single one of them into my schedule!
UPC has a great history of service in the name of Jesus Christ. This is a strong and vibrant congregation full of devoted and devout disciples. I am honored to serve alongside of you during this transitional season. Each morning I pray a prayer taught to me many years ago by an African pastor:
Lord, good morning! I love you. You have great things planned for today. Let me be a part of them. Thank you. AMEN
Blessings,
David M. Evans, Acting Head of Staff
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Welcome New UPC Member
1 Caroline Crocker
1 Liam Phillips
2 Scott Collins
2 Roberta Mitchell
2 Les Gage
2 Ben Bradford
4 Ebby Graves
4 Susan Watson
4 Allene Evans
4 Steve Scheibal
5 Sally Barnhill
5 Kathy Escandell
5 Don Gladish
5 Ellen Gladish
6 Scott Sloan
6 Liz Wright
7 Allison Harris
7 Shannon Matthews
8 Shannon Middleton
9 Eve Lawrence
9 Karen Grice
9 Brian Bucknall
10 Bill Greenway
10 Eileen Williams
10 Finn Jensen
11 Bill Moore
12 Sharon Bayer
12 Glenn Bridges
12 Sally Harlow
12 Matthew Johnson
12 Maddie Carlson
13 Andrew Allen
13 Jody Horton
14 Marilla King
15 Carter King
15 Stephanie Morris
16 Robin Dennis
16 Johnny Wall
17 Aaron Thorp
17 Katie Harris
18 Johanna Hosking
19 Remie Martin
19 Shelby Wenk
20 Sarah Maddox
21 Nancy Hohengarten
21 Matt Norman
22 Annie Lott
22 Wyatt Norman
23 Zoe Drew
24 Rachel Chao
25 Steve Elliott
26 Carol Fowler
26 James Brazell
27 Bill Martin
28 Ken McWilliams
28 Elliott Bucknall
29 Lucile Blackburn
29 Elin Fagerberg
30 Harry Sloan
31 John Warden
31 Martin Twilla
Congratulations to
James & Linnea Brazell Wed Sunday, September 25, 2016
September 21, Session welcomed Ezequiel Isaias Herrera-Rodriguez as new member of UPC.
Ezequiel, a junior at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, is an ordained Ruling Elder recently relocated from New York.
Ezequiel is currently serving at Faith Fe Presbyterian Church in Lockhart. He and his wife Ines Geronimo-Herrera live in Austin and have two teenage daughters, Lilliam Herrera, 17, and Sarah Herrera, 15. Welcome!
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PNC UPdate from September 22 A requirement of PC(U.S.A.)’s Mission Information Form that your PNC completed, was to select 10 “Leadership Competencies” that we are seeking in our new senior pastor. From a list of 30 provided on the form, we selected Preaching and Worship Leadership, Hopeful, Spiritual Maturity, Public Communicator, Technologically Savvy, Change Agent, Organizational Agility, Strategy and Vision, Motivator, and Bridge Builder. As we review applications, one of the many things we consider is compatibility between the PNC competency choices and the candidate’s.
We are having phone and Skype conversations with a number of the candidates. We listen to sermons on-line, make reference calls, and gather as much information as we can before taking the next step with a candidate. We are inspired by the quality of candidates we've reviewed and we pray for discernment as we go forward.
Thank you for your continued support through prayer and words of encouragement.
With deep gratitude, Your PNC Members:
Rosanne Becker
Bob Bridge (Chair)
Michael Dodd
Jon Eddison
Byron French
Meg McReynolds
Stephanie Morris
Debbie Warden
UPdates from the PNC can be found on the UPC website at upcaustin.org/about/our-staff/pastor-nominating-update
The PNC welcomes question and comments. email: [email protected]
To You from your Choir, Favorite Anthems
All of us remember that song about some of our favorite things. This past summer I proposed to our choir members that they tell me two of their favorite anthems, the ones they most love to sing. One of the two was to be a favorite anthem for our church seasons called Ordinary Time; the other needed to be for our Advent season, one especially appropriate for our annual Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols service on December 11.
So, ever since Rally Sunday, that’s what the Chancel Choir has already been offering on Sunday mornings. It’s highly likely that some of your favorites will soon be on your choir’s schedule, but you’ll have to come Sunday mornings to find out. In no particular order, here’s the list of most of our Anthems before the end of 2016:
My Lord Has Come, by Will Todd Sing To the Lord, arr. Alice Parker Salvation Is Created, by Pavel Tschesnokoff Let Peace Then Still the Strife, by Mack Wilberg Climb To the Top of the Highest Mountain, by Carolyn Jennings Lux Aurumque, by Eric Whitacre Like As the Hart, by Herbert Howells Cantique de Jean Racine, by Gabriel Fauré O Magnum Mysterium, by Morten Lauridsen E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come, by Paul Manz Te Deum in C, by Benjamin Britten Keep Your Lamps, by André Thomas The Word Was God, by Rosephanye Powell Sure On This Shining Night, by Morten Lauridsen Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord, by Stephen Schwartz
. . . . . . . and several others as well. Enjoy!! Ara Carapetyan
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Tuesday Evening Bible Study meets at 7:00 p.m.
in the UPC Fellowship Hall. The study continues with the wonderful short book Being Christian by Rowan Williams.
For more information, email
Jon Eddison or call 512-988-0333.
October Presbyterian Women
Circle MEETINGS
The MARTHA CIRCLE does not meet in October. Instead, everyone is encourage to attend the Women’s Retreat..
For more information, email Karen Grice.
The RUTH-DORCAS CIRCLE meets Tuesday, October 11, at 2:30 p.m. at the home of Dottie Penn.
UPC Needleworkers Welcome You
UPC Needleworkers will meet Thursday, October 6 in the Fellowship Hall at 7:00 p.m. to stitch and chat. We invite anyone with an interest in any kind of needlework, or who just needs a place to crash on a comfy couch and enjoy good conversation, to come and join us.
You’re Invited to the Garden Team! We are reviving the Community Garden on the south side of the church, and we need some help. UT Microfarm, a University of Texas student organization, will be tending to the land during the school year, but we need a Garden Team made up of UPC folks to get the garden up and running. Katie Pace, a Sustainable Food Center employee, will give us the plans to get
the garden started, and once we build it, they (the UT microfarmers) will come! During the summer, the Garden Team will also be invited to tend the garden, as the students will be out of town for the summer. Some of the food will be donated to the Micah 6 food pantry, so it’s a win-win. So if you love gardening or if you’re just really excited about this project and can follow directions, then you should be a part of the Garden Team!
We will start an email chain to try and nail down some workdays to learn about how to build the garden and then raise the beds!
To sign up, just email Krystal Leedy at [email protected]
Save the Date! Stewardship Sunday November 13, 2016
UPC: 125 Years Growing into the Future
Worship and Thanksgiving
Lunch and Fellowship
Choir Concert & Celebration
The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program featured UPC’s local, Mission Presbytery, and global witness offering on their Facebook page!
To find out how other Presbyterians are supporting local peacemaking initives, visit Presbyterian Peacmaking
Program on Facebook.
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Come support the ministry of Manos de Cristo by attending Beer, Wine, and Swine October 20! At this fun event, you can sample a wide variety of craft beers and fine wines, enjoy delicious and unique barbeque creations, listen to live music, and learn about how Manos de Cristo provides quality dental care, education, food, and clothing to the Austin community.
Tickets are $75 each, and sponsorships are available. For more information, visit the Manos website or contact Sarah French at
Dr. Nicole Taylor Sings Spirituals, & much more... It’s a too-rare matter to have opportunity to hear the very significant gifts of our four Chancel Choir section leaders as soloists. Earlier this year, Dr. Nicole Taylor joined our choir ranks as soprano leader, and at long last, we are about to hear her in an important recital of Forgotten Songs & Modernized Spirituals.
Nicole’s personal career is dedicated to educating the public on the contributions of Black American composers, particularly those unknown to most of us. She is widely versed in performance of more traditional music as well.
On Sunday, October 9, at 4:00 p.m., Dr. Taylor will present her recital in the UPC sanctuary. She will be accompanied by pianist Nikki Birdsong, also well-known in the Austin musicians’ scene as a director and collaborator in many local productions. Works include Ariettes Oubliées by Debussy, Valse Oubliées by Liszt, and Cantata by John Carter
Dr. Taylor received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Houston Moores School of Music, and both her Master of Music degree in Opera (2006), and her Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance and Opera (2011) from the Butler School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin. Nicole will began working on her nonprofit arts company, Noted Lavish Tones (TM), that will provide performance opportunities for artist while continuing to educate the public on the contributions of Black American Composers to the classical music landscape, and while still continuing to perform in various productions, concerts, and recitals herself.
Pianist Nikki Birdsong has most recently served as musical director with Once Ounce Opera (Thyrsis and Amaranth, A Miller's Tale) and Austin Summer Musical for Children (The Big Bad Musical); she is a founding member of Ensemble Cameranze, a chamber group devoted to music of the Romantic era, and an accompanist/teacher with the children's theater company KidsActing. Ms. Birdsong was featured in several episodes in the inaugural season KMFA's newest show, ICONS of Broadway with Mela Dailey, is a frequent collaborator with PKW productions, and can be heard on the Viola by Choice album Florilegium. She has performed with members of Austin Symphony, Austin Opera, Conspirare, and the Texas Guitar Quartet. She especially enjoys performing new music, and her premieres include works by P. Kellach Waddle, Donald Grantham, David Heyes, and Steven Serpa.
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UPC Is Turning 125!! On January 29, 2017, University Presbyterian Church will be celebrating our 125
th anniversary
and we want to make the celebration last all year long!
If you are interested in helping to think creatively about how we might commemorate this milestone in our church’s history, please contact any of the Associate Pastors (Kathy, John, or Krystal) about joining an Anniversary Steering Committee.
We would like to have a team together by mid-October, so if you've got some ideas or are interested in helping out, please let us know!
Ground Breaking for the New Sanctuary 1952
2200 Nueces Street San Antonio at 22nd Street
Ground Breaking for the North Courtyard, 2011
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We Still Need Your Hygiene Supplies! On Sunday, October 23, the UPC Youth will be assembling hundreds of hygiene kits for homeless and low-income families in our community. So if you have any travel sized hygiene supplies, please bring those to the church by the morning of Sunday, October 23
rd. You can place them in the
grocery offering cart during worship or place them in the basket outside John Leedy’s office door. Thanks!
Reformation Faire Is October 30
The UPC Youth will be hosting our second annual Reformation Faire and you’re invited! Church members of all ages are welcome to join us in the Great Hall following worship on Reformation Sunday, October 30, as we celebrate our Reformed Heritage with food and fun. Bratwurst, hot dogs, pretzels, and root beer will be available for lunch, as well as opportunities to get your picture taken with a reformer like Martin Luther or John Calvin and to nail your own “theses” to a door. We’ve got some new historical characters that will be joining our cast of Reformers and some fun new surprises as well. Kids and adults alike are invited to learn more about the Reformation in anticipation of the 500
th
anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, which will be celebrated in 2017. The Reformation Faire will also be a fundraiser for the UPC Youth Ministries, with all proceeds going to support our youth mission projects and scholarships.
october
2—Youth Fellowship 12-2:30 pm
9—Youth Fellowship 12-2:30 pm
16—Youth @ Austin AIDs Walk
23—Ding Dong Hockey 5 pm, Westminster Pres
30—Reformation Faire!!!
Open Door: Sundays 9:45-10:30 a.m. @Youth Room
Youth @ Austin Aids Walk October 16
On Sunday, October 16, the UPC Youth will be marching in the Austin AIDS Walk If you would like to make a contribution to the UPC Youth AIDS Walk Team, look for the teenagers wearing their UPC Youth T-Shirt in the courtyard following worship on October 16. This event also helps to raise awareness among our young people concerning those living with stigmatized illnesses and the importance of HIV testing in our cities. This is one of many ways our youth are connecting with our community.
Ding Dong Hockey is Coming! All youth, 6 – 12 grade, are invited to Ding Dong Hockey on October 23
rd at Westminster Presbyterian
Church (3208 Exposition Blvd, 78703). Be sure to bring a broom from home (but not one you have an emotional attachment to) and wear shoes you can run around in. After dinner and our hygiene
kit mission project, we will kick off our annual Ding Dong Hockey game. For those of you who are new to UPC Youth, Ding Dong Hockey is broom hockey played with frozen and foil wrapped Ding Dong snack cakes. It’s hilarious and fun and we hope to see you there!
UPC PASTORS AND STAFF
David Evans, Acting Head of Staff
Kathy Escandell, Associate Pastor for Christian Formation
John Leedy, Associate Pastor of Youth and Family Ministries
Krystal Leedy, Associate Pastor for Campus Ministry
Ara Carapetyan, Director of Music
Meg McReynolds, Director of Joyful Noise Handbells
Austin Bradley, Children’s Choir Director
Keith Womer, Organist
Jan Hames, Office Manager
Sandie McGee, Financial Manager
Trudi Capotosto, Financial Assistant
Danny Dennis, Facilities Manager
Barbara Litchford, Building Monitor
WEBSITE: www.upcaustin.org
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SESSION COMMENDATIONS Debbie Russ for new acolyte banner New acolytes: Liam Phillips, Sally Barnhill,
Craig Miller, Weslee Jeffers Sunday School: Debbie Warden, Dave Jensen,
and Rosca Toulouse for teaching 4 plus class Karen Miller for teaching Elementary class
SESSION HIGHLIGHTS Received Ezequiel Herrera-Rodriguez as new member Approved wedding of Linnea Almquist to James
Brazell during worship on September 25, 2016 Approved wedding of Janis Reinken to Doug Hastey
on October 22, 2016 Approved inviting Tamar Wasoian, PC(USA)
International Peacemaker, to preach for World Communion Sunday, October 2
Approved moving the Saturday, December 24, 2016, Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion service from 11:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Elected Tyson Payne as Treasurer, Bob Bridge, Assistant Treasurer and Helen Ingram, Clerk of Session
Called Session meeting for October 2, at 10:30 to welcome children to the Lord’s Table
Endorsed Krystal and John Leedy to apply for Doctor of Ministry program at APTS
Approved the 2017 Annual Congregational Meeting for February 12, 2017
Approved the October 2016 Session meeting for Monday, October 17
Approved minutes of the August 17, 2016 stated meeting, Congregational meeting of August 17, 2016
SESSION COMMITTEES & CHAIRS 2016-2017
Rooted in worship... Building & Grounds John Parker, Rey Legett
Finance Katherine Ray, Becky Pigott, Tyson Payne, Treasurer
Staff Support Julie Miller
Stewardship Max Werkenthin
Worship & Music Linda Evans
Growing through education & service... Christian Formation Tommy McReynolds
Service Claire Baxter, Roscoe Overton
Connecting to campus & community... Communications Neal Grice, Brad Turpin
Congregational Connections Luther Parker, Tyson Payne
Social Witness Mary Dodd, Marvin Wofford, Shannon Middleton
Ukirk Kay Bryant
Christmas Planning Already?
Save the Date: Alternative Gift Market December 4, 2016
Would you like to sell something for your favorite charity? The Alternative Gift Market provides an opportunity for life-changing, life enriching items to be purchased to benefit people who really need them and to support great causes around the world. Great vendors make a great Market! If you want to participate, contact Kathleen Turpin [email protected] or 512-468-6389.