Diamond Bar UNITED Church of Christ

March 2020

“The faith community of Diamond Bar United Church of Christ is committed to Jesus’ gospel message of inclusion, justice, and peace. We are a diverse group

who worship, sing, eat, serve our neighbors, care for the vulnerable, and welcome all to explore their relationship with God . . . “

Musings from the Pastor’s Study

Rev. Dr. Jeanne Favreau-Sorvillo

Earth is crammed with Heaven. And every bush aflame with God.

But only those who see take off their shoes. Elizabeth Barrett Browning

One of our favorite spirit songs to sing during Sunday service is “Take

Off Your Shoes!” Whether this song was written based on the quote

from Elizabeth Barrett Browning, or not, I do not know. But it

expresses the same beliefs that all of creation is holy and aflame with

the beauty and mystery of God. Yet, we as the human element have

not honored our part to live our lives as if we are on holy ground.

During the next Sundays of Lent, we will gather as a congregation in

the round symbolizing the earth and circle of life. We will reflect on

how we can better connect to the wondrous gift of Creation with all

its nourishing and healing elements and explore ways to offer back to

Creation healing and nourishing human action.

Bring your curiosity, your imagination, your openness, your appetite,

and your wisdom as we reflect together on our deep connection to

God’s creation.

Blessings and Peace,

Jeanne

Niki Kop (Dow)

Our children, youth, and teachers

and special requests received by Pastor Jeanne

Prayer Ministry

Prayer Ministry will be meeting the fourth Friday of each month. Join us on March 27th at 1pm in Pastor Jeanne’s office.

As Luck would have it, we have lots of Birthdays to

celebrate this month! Make sure you find time to wish

them a Happy Birthday

Child Sponsorship There are a lot of wonderful things we do here to support the “3 Great Loves” commitment – Love of Neighbor, love of children and love of creation. Supporting Brenda is just one of them. Brenda Chipikauka is the "child" we sponsor through Child International. In 2004, our Council decided to sponsor a child affected by AIDS who lives in Africa. Brenda was 4, going on 5. She had lost both parents, being raised with her siblings by her grandparents. At age 18, we were asked to continue 5 more years of support as she continued her education. We agreed. She will be 21 on June 12 and is pursuing her education as teacher.

MODERATOR’S MESSAGE A Few Words…What was your epiphany word? Do you remember? Do you have it in a special place in your car or home to remind you? My word was “change.” How do you feel about change? I am not a fan. I recently learned that there is actually a part of our bodies, the amygdala, that interprets change as a threat to the body and releases the hormones for fear, fight or flight. Our bodies are protecting us from change….so it is actually human nature to avoid change. No wonder resisting change seems to be out first reaction. We are not “dinosaurs” longing for how it used to be…. we are just human. For me that helps me to be more understanding with myself and others as I try hard to adjust to changes that are thrust upon me by the ever changing tide of life. Let’s be gentle with each other as we adapt to an ever changing world. You are a blessing. Karen

What a blessing it is that we have this wonderful patio area out front with fresh doughnuts and coffee each Sunday morning! We encourage everyone to spend a little time after church with a cup of coffee and a few minutes to chat with your fellow partners, friends and visitors! We have beautiful weather (usually!) and great conversation (always)! We hope you’ll make time soon!

Jackie Brown March 9

Niki Kop March 13

Katie Ruud March 15

Charlie Cogger March 17

Suzanne Toms March 17

Dee Shaw March 19

Ben Bradley March 26

Belita Fox March 29

Paul Cogger March 30

Jehaziel Manguiat March 30

Mental Health Moment Jeanne’s sermon last Sunday was such a treat. She quoted one of my favorite writers, the psychologist Clarissa Pinkola Estes. You may know one of her books “Women Who Run with Wolves”. Clarissa (and Jeanne) speak of how natural it is to get exhausted, discouraged, depressed, and despairing when the world has so much injustice and suffering seems only to be rising, not calming. Clarissa said “Do not lose heart. We were made for these times!” Wow! She goes on to liken us to great ships. If ships are in harbor, in calm waters and tethered to the dock, they are safe and secure, it is true. But being moored is not what great ships were built for. Neither are we. We are made for great deeds, great love, great moments of tender outreach. And the state of the world is such that the things we were made for are precisely what the world needs! What a perfect fit. And of course, not a coincidence. After the suicide of my daughter, Erika, there was one thing that returned me to a place of recognizing myself, and to deciding I would continue to live. It was the love and outreach of all of you. It wasn’t comfortable for you. It was not a safe harbor, facing along with me the horror, and not backing away. But it turns out you were made for a time such as that. And the one thing now that continues to heal is finding out I can parent, I can love, I can make a difference in children’s lives. Having the boys is such a deep joy I didn’t think I could every again experience. To get there I had to face my fears and step out into a very scary world. And there came Alex and Xavier, facing their own scary time. Maybe John and I, and all of you, are made for such a time in their lives.

Sometimes our mental health depends on just recognizing who we really are. A great ship made precisely for the waters in which it finds itself. What peace there is in knowing this. Thank you, Jeanne, for bringing us these beautiful words! I will have copies of more of what Clarissa said at the first meeting of “Through Thick and Thin”, our Mental Health Support Group. Join us on March 7 at 3-5 pm in the sanctuary. Vicki Hoffner

Church Precautions for Coronavirus

(COVID-19) Your Pastor and Church Council are monitoring the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) guidelines for precautions regarding this new virus which also apply to other respiratory diseases such as influenza. We recommend the following to all of our church family:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds

• Cover mouth when coughing

• Stay home if you feel ill

During Sunday service we will be recommending the following adjustments:

• Sharing of the Peace: Instead of handshakes and hugs, using

the Namaste greeting.

• Communion: we will serve only pre-broken bread pieces with

no juice.

If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to the pastor or a member of the church council. We are family and care about the well-being of each person so practicing appropriate hygiene habits is always important. Thank you for helping us all stay well and healthy!

Outreach Ministry – Table of Nine

“What’s past is prologue” and our Table of Nine conversations in

January and February confirmed that we are indeed beneficiaries of

laborers who came before us. Some sixty years ago, neighbors in the

newly born community of Diamond Bar gathered together to

worship, sing, and nurture their families in a church congregation.

There was often dancing, as well as shared meals, childcare, camping,

game nights—even a schism that grew out of political strife—really

every aspect of friendship and community blossomed around this

“church.” These activities led to a decision to purchase land and to

build a sanctuary at our present location.

Each Table of Nine discussion left the facilitators with a strong

understanding that we are a church that has continually re-invented

itself, according to the demands of the times and the gifts and desires

of the people. We are not the church we were in the 1960s, no more

than we are the church we were in the early 2000s. DBUCC has

changed and adapted with the times and with the members. We

haven’t “tried that” before, because we are not the church that we

were before.

The Table of Nine conversations revealed many of the reasons

Partners and friends love DBUCC, but the following themes were

always present in discussions:

➢ Our scholarly and progressive preaching and teaching from

the pulpit

o Variety of worship styles

o Music

➢ Our commitment and community presence for social justice

o Demonstrations and vigils

o Urban Mission

➢ Our extravagant welcome

o Open & Affirming

o W.I.S.E.

o Partners and the congregation are always and

unconditionally “there for me.”

o There is a palpable sense of safety and love in our

sacred space

Conversations took place on the following dates:

➢ January 18 (Beverly & Bill Carey)

➢ February 5 (Margo West—Senior Fitness)

➢ February 7 (Pat & Ed Cogger)

➢ February 9 (No Host—Women’s Fellowship)

Participating Partners gave valuable insight and historical context.

Your Church Council will be sharing a chart of your input, along with

what actions are being taken to implement your suggestions. You

may be asked to help achieve some of these goals, so stay tuned!

Jim Hazlett, Outreach Ministry

Pizza & Politics 14 church friends met at Mr. G’s Pizza on Thursday, February 27 for Pizza & Politics. Many brought their sample ballots for the upcoming Primary Election, and everyone brought questions and ideas to share. It was gratifying to realize that when 14 different people talking about politics (!) we were able to listen to each other and have a civil and respectful conversation. I know that I left with a strong sense of re-assurance that, even in these crazy political times, all will be well. Democratic candidates for the Presidential nomination were evaluated, as were the two propositions on the ballot. It should also be noted that “Mr. G” was, as always, the consummate host. He had reserved the semi-private dining room for our group, and the staff was most accommodating, helping us to move tables and benches to welcome our group as it grew from two to 14 during the first 15 minutes. Participants ordered at the counter, then joined our table group. The server and Mr. G brought out each of the orders, made sure we had refills on beverages, and worked hard to make us feel welcome. Mr. G even told us afterwards that he had learned a lot listening in to our conversation. We will definitely return to Mr. G’s for our next Pizza & Politics event. Watch for an announcement and join us!

Lenten Action Practices from CreationJustice.org (adapted from the Presbyterian Hunger Program’s Environmental Ministries and

Enough for Everyone offices.)

“Our faith teaches us that humans were put on this earth with the

responsibility to be stewards. We also know our individual as well as

collective U.S. lifestyles have led to serious harm to God’s good

creation. “

May these suggestions for correcting and changing the course of

negative human impact on the earth serve as a guide for action during

your Lenten journey.

MEATLESS MONDAYS: If the world reduced meat consumption

by 15% it would save the same greenhouse gas emissions as taking

240 million cars off the road each year. Try new recipes and share

them with the office as we compile alternative ways to delight our

palates!

STOP UNWANTED JUNK MAIL: The average adult receives 41

pounds of junk mail annually. This requires 53 million trees and 56

billion gallons of water to produce. Visit www.dmachoice.org to help

stop unwanted junk mail. Call companies to unsubscribe from

mailings and catalogs.

ADOPT A NEW SPIRITUAL PRACTICE: The average person

spends 87% of their time indoors, and another 6% of their time inside

a vehicle. Consider adopting a new spiritual practice that makes you

more attuned to God’s creation. Find ideas at

www.centerforspiritualityinnature.org/practices.

Communion outside in the fresh air! A little fun in the free time!

Working hard at the Food Link warehouse in Tulare County!

A Visit to The Cesar Chavez National Monument.

Healthy Cooking Lessons using fresh ingredients straight from the local area.

Community Garden Our community Garden just got some wonderful support from Scout Troup #730 and an Eagle Project by Evan Thomas! What a blessing!

Stewarship Report Since our last work party was so successful we would like to continue them! Here are some of the dates being considered; please mark your calendars and watch your bulletin for confirmation. March 21 April 18 May 16 June 20 July 18 August 15 September 19 October 17 November 21 December 19 The hours will always be 9:00am to 12pm unless otherwise stated. It really is a work “party”! We start out with coffee and donuts and make a plan for what we want to get done. When we finish we usually go to Mr G’s for pizza. We mix our work and pleasure pretty well! Hope to see many of you any work day you can make it. Thank you, Beverly Carey, Stewardship

Update from our Safety Team

Your Team is focused on gathering cost estimates for items that will add to our safety and security. Will submit a State Grant Application for Funding by the end of March. We are hopeful to be accepted as a Vulnerability Risk to receive needed funds for improvements.

We, the DBUCC Youth Group, would like to thank the congregation for its support of our trip to the Central Valley. We look forward to sharing details about the trip with you one Sunday soon as part of the church service.

A big THANK YOU all for your support of our “Souper Bowl of Caring” food collection. The generosity of this family is inspiring! I wish you could all see how much the gift of this food is appreciated! If you are interested in volunteering to work at the Pantry for a day to see how impactful these gifts are, please see Dana. As always you are welcome and encouraged to keep them in mind as you shop and place your items in the baskets up front.

We’ll make sure they get there. Single serve items are generally the most needed! Thank you again!

February was full of love as the kids all shared Valentine’s Day celebrations, exchanging cards and treats as we all remember doing when we were in school! It was also time for their annual fundraiser, the Trike-a-Thon! Rids raised around in their tricked out tricycles and big wheels raising funds for school

equipment and other supplies! It’s not too late to donate if you wish to support! Follow them on facebook to see weekly posts with their activities. It shows how devoted our school and staff is to engaging the children in all kinds of activities! Remember to recommend the DBC Children’s Center when you have neighbors or friends ask for suggestions. Any feedback you can give on facebook or Diamond Bar Buzz is much appreciated. Next time you’re on facebook, look them up (DBC Children’s Center) and follow them. There are frequent posts of the activities and it’s a great way to support the school by “liking” and “sharing” photos! You’ll find them on facebook and Instagram @dbcchildrenscenter!

DBC

Corner

Youth in March Don’t forget our Youth meetings in March. Gatherings include great discussion, activities, food and fun led by our Youth Minister, Christina Held.

March 1st – Kristina Sanchez and Jesi will join the youth for games

during the service. There will not be any Youth Group after church, however, there will be Youth Band practice.

March 8th – Let’s talk about the earth! We will be having a

discussion that follows the church’s Lenten theme.

March 15th – Come and watch a movie and eat some pizza! This is

also our Sunday to put together sandwiches for Urban Mission.

March 22nd – We will continue to watch our movie. Please

volunteer at Urban Mission to serve dinner beginning at 4:30PM.

March 29th – We will be finishing the movie and having a discussion

about it. Pizza will be provided. Any questions, please email Christina at christinaheld@ymail.com.

Youth Worship Band Practice after service on 3/1, 3/8 and 3/22. See Travis if you have any questions!

Did you know we have Family Sunday every month on the 3rd Sunday of the month? It’s a great chance to get to know other families here at DBUCC and there are always great activities for the kids to do! This month Family Sunday is Sunday March 15th. We’re celebrating some special partners today who both hit some pretty significant milestones this year (90th Birthdays!) Cliff and Iona Elmer have been here at DBUCC since the beginning. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t even called DBUCC then! The children will be making a special presentation after church and we will celebrate as we do best…. with a Potluck of course! Please plan to stay after church as we celebrate this church and some of the people who built it from the ground up! Bring a dish to share!

Congregational Meeting

We will be having a congregational meeting after church on March 1 to vote on changing our fiscal year from the calendar year to July 1-June 30. It will be a short meeting, but we need to ensure a quorum so please plan to stay after church.

Lenten Series

We’re excited to have Tom Moore and Joyce Kirk-Moore once again lead our Lenten Bible Study. The theme of the study is “Jesus in 3D”. Meetings begin Wednesday March 4th at 7pm and will run through Wednesday April 1st. Soup will be served from 6:15 to 7:00 and the program will run from 7pm-8pm.

Sign-ups for soup will be available at the Welcome Table or in the office.

In this Bible study, we will explore five different well-known passages from the Gospels that seem clear enough, but which contain crucial elements that a first-century hearer would understand but a modern reader would likely miss. Understanding these elements adds a crucial depth dimension to these passages that make them even more vivid and powerful, helping us to see and appreciate Jesus’ good news in its full three-dimensional glory. Come join us on this journey of discovery (3D glasses not required)!

NEW! WISE Support Group Join us on Saturday, March 7 at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary for the first meeting of Through Thick and Thin. This is a welcoming group designed to be a safe place to talk about feelings we often hide from others

because we try to look like we have it altogether! None of us do, and at Thick and Thin we can be honest about that. There is great comfort in sharing with others and feeling their support. If this looks to be of interest to you, or if you don't know, but are just curious and want to see what we are up to in the beginning of our WISE process, please join us. Vicki Hoffner

PB & J Teams Feeling left out because you haven’t had the chance to make PB&J sandwiches for the homeless at Urban Mission? These are SO well received at Urban Mission and SO necessary! Join us any time!

1st Sunday (March 1) – Women’s Fellowship

2nd Sunday (March 8th) – Men’s Group 3rd Sunday (March 15th) – Youth

4th Sunday (March 22) - Spirituality of Aging/Book Club 5th Sunday (March 29) – Open – Please join us!

Reminder

Daylight savings is next Sunday at 2AM. Don’t forget to set your clocks back Saturday night. We’ll put on an extra pot of coffee since we’ll all be losing an hour but know you’ll be up ready to be at service bright and early at 10:00AM!

Urban Mission Meal

It’s time again to gather around the kitchen and put our hearts into preparing a hearty meal for our friends and clients at Urban Mission in Pomona. On Sunday March 22nd

we’ll assemble in the kitchen after church for a light lunch and then get to work on preparing a meal. We are always looking for volunteers here! You are guaranteed to have a good time slicing, dicing and baking away with partners and friends! You are

also welcome to join our youth at the Mission and help them serve the meal. We’d love to see at either or both! See Dana if you have any questions. Prep is right after church and serving starts at 4:30 at Urban Mission, 810 S White Ave. in Pomona.

PIZZA & POLITICS

Assuming we’ve all survived the perils of the primary and

our first meeting, we’ll be working to plan another

meeting in March. Details are TBD so watch your bulletins

and weekly updates for more information in future weeks!

Looking for an activity you haven’t seen yet? We’re always looking for ideas and volunteers to help with events. Speak to the office or one of our many Ministry leaders after church some Sunday! We welcome your ideas!

READ BETWEEN THE WINES

BOOK CLUB MARCH 23rd 7 PM This month’s book selection is In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende. It begins with a minor traffic accident—which becomes the catalyst for an unexpected and moving love story between two people who thought they were deep into the winter of their lives. Richard Bowmaster—a 60-year-old human rights scholar—hits the car of Evelyn Ortega—a young, undocumented immigrant from Guatemala—in the middle of a snowstorm in Brooklyn. What at first seems just a small inconvenience takes an unforeseen and far more

serious turn when Evelyn turns up at the professor’s house seeking help. At a loss, the professor asks his tenant Lucia Maraz—a 62-year-old lecturer from Chile—for her advice. These three very different people are brought together in a mesmerizing story that moves from present-day Brooklyn to Guatemala in the recent past to 1970s Chile and Brazil, sparking the beginning of a long overdue love story between Richard and Lucia.

The book explores the timely issues of human rights and the plight of immigrants and refugees. Please join us for a light potluck and great discussion. Bring a dish to share! All are welcome!

You’re always welcome to join a Church Council Meeting! Watch your bulletin for the March meeting date.

Steve Thomas Exhibit We have so much talent in our midst! Our own Steve Thomas has an upcoming exhibit and we encourage everyone to stop in! NEWS FLASH: I have an exhibit coming up, March 7 through 31, in Pomona at the Progress Gallery. Hopefully you will be able to see it. I am calling the exhibit, (Dis) Still Life MMXX. It would be really special if you were able to come the reception at 6 to 9 on March 14th. There will be over sixty never-to-have-been-exhibited photoprints. Gallery hours: Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 3 to 6pm

Reminder: The Spirituality of Aging group will meet on March 14th at church to carpool to the exhibit. Progress Gallery 300 South Thomas Street Pomona, California 91763 george@artcopartners.com (909) 461-3332 – (951) 202-0059

Celebrate Life Fitness Class

Our fearless fitness leader is on a brief break so class is limited this month and will only be held on March 4th and 6th. Looks like we’ll be back in business on April 1 but check with Ben to confirm dates as the schedule is subject to change. Classes are held in the Sanctuary. Please see Ben Bradley for details or contact him via email at the corporate address below: goldenstandardfitnessllc@gmail.com

Women’s Fellowship Retreat Now that we’re into the new year it’s time to finalize our plans for the Women’s fellowship retreat up at Luther Glen the weekend of May 29th – 31st. We had a good number of people get their deposits in early but it’s time to make sure we get everyone registered so we know we are meeting the commitment on the minimum number required. If you are interested in attending, please reach out to Dana and we’ll make sure you get registered. This is a beautiful new location that is easily accessible by all. Worried about the hassle of bringing up all your linens again? No worries, that’s included this time! Don’t want to work too hard cooking or ruining your new manicure doing dishes? No worries there either! The team at Luther Glen will be handling all the cooking! How relaxing does this look? We hope you’ll join us!

MARCH 2020 Day Date Activity Time

Sunday March 1 Communion Sunday 10am

Congregational Meeting After Service Wmn’s Fellowship Potluck After Mtng. Youth with Kristina & Jesi Youth Worship Band After Service Monday March 2 Food Addicts Meeting 7pm Rm F Tuesday March 3 ALANON Meeting 7pm Rm F AA Meeting 8pm Rm D Wednesday March 4 Spirituality of Aging Noon

Fitness Class 1pm

Lenten Soup & Salad 6pm

Lenten Series 7pm

FA Step Meeting 7pm Rm D AA Meeting 8pm Rm F Friday March 6 Garden Meeting 10am Grdn Fitness Class 1pm AA Meeting 8pm Rm F Saturday March 7 WISE Support Meeting 3pm Sanct. SDA 11am-1pm Sunday March 8 Sunday Service 10am Youth with Christina Youth Worship Band After Service Monday March 9 Food Addicts Meeting 7pm Rm F Tuesday March 10 ALANON Meeting 7pm Rm F AA Meeting 8pm Rm D Wednesday March 11 FA Step Meeting 7pm Rm D AA Meeting 8pm Rm F Lenten Soup & Salad 6pm Lenten Series Launch 7pm Friday March 13 Garden Meeting 10am Grdn. AA Meeting 8pm Rm F Saturday March 14 SDA 11am-1pm Sunday March 15 Sunday Service 10am Youth with Christina 10am Family Sunday After Svc.

Day Date Activity Time

Monday March 16 Food Addicts Meeting 7pm Rm F Tuesday March 17 ALANON Meeting 7pm Rm F AA Meeting 8pm Rm D Wednesday March 18 Spirituality of Aging Noon Lenten Soup & Salad 6pm Lenten Series Launch 7pm FA Step Meeting 7pm Rm D AA Meeting 8pm Rm F Friday March 20 Garden Meeting 10am Grdn. Saturday March 21 SDA 11am-1pm Sunday March 22 Sunday Service 10am Youth with Christina Youth Worship Band After Svc Urban Mission Prep After Svc Urban Mission Service 4:30pm UM Monday March 23 Book Club 7pm Food Addicts Meeting 7pm Rm F Tuesday March 24 ALANON Meeting 7pm Rm F AA Meeting 8pm Rm D Wednesday March 25 Lenten Soup & Salad 6pm Lenten Series Launch 7pm FA Step Meeting 7pm Rm D AA Meeting 8pm Rm F Friday March 27 Garden Meeting 10am Grdn. Prayer Ministry 1pm Saturday March 28 SDA 11am-1pm FHA 6pm-10pm Sunday March 29 Sunday Service 10am Youth with Christina Monday March 30 Food Addicts Meeting 7pm Rm F Tuesday March 31 ALANON Meeting 7pm Rm F AA Meeting 8pm Rm D

R O U N D UP

A monthly newsletter of:

2335 South Diamond Bar Blvd. Diamond Bar, CA 91765

Website: diamondbarucc.org

Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @uccdiamondbar Church Phone: 909-861-4735

FAX: 909-396-6031 Sundays, 10 a.m.

Contemporary Family Worship

Pastor and Teacher: Rev. Dr. Jeanne Favreau-Sorvillo

Children’s Center: Irene Haller, Director 909-861-6230 Aaron Foley, Music Director

Geoff Merrill, Pianist Dana Neri and Susanne Potter,

Administrative Assistants Dana Neri, Bookkeeper

Suzanne Toms, Sunday School Coordinator

Christina Held, Youth Minister Travis Melrose, Technology Media/Sunday Worship

We are an open and affirming congregation, joyfully welcoming and accepting people of every sexual

orientation, race, ethnicity, economic status, gender, age, or personal ability. We are here to bear witness to the inclusiveness

of God’s grace and love.

Just a reminder that you can find us on Social Media: facebook.com/uccdiamondbar or

@UCCDiamondBar on Twitter or Instagram.

We encourage you to take a few minutes after church to walk up to our Community Garden and

enjoy the beautiful labyrinth. It’s a perfect place for some brief silent reflection!