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THE SEARCH FOR A NEW PASTOR
On January 30, 2000, the newly appointed Pastoral Search Committee (PSC) held its organizational meeting. It's members were: Dennis Murphy, who was elected Chair, Paul Deisler, who was elected Secretary, Susan Ashton, Sharon Brown, John Burlinson, Lynne Lemley, Tommie Pinkard and Suzanne VanderPoel. Only one, Tommie Pinkard, had served on a pastoral search committee in the past. The PSC as a whole had a lot to learn, and that was its first order of business, The PSC soon found that the South Central Conference (SCC) was to be our major source of help. Rev. Mark Miller and Rev. Bill Royster, from the beginning, have supplied the PSC with thick files of written materials and instructions, have given us face-to-face tutorials, and have supplied other assistance. This kind of help continues to this day. And, as Rev. Miller, the Conference Minister, has only recently reiterated he, personally, will be our chief helper, recruiter and guide throughout the search. The SCC will also check all candidates' profiles and references for us to ensure that we have the best information on which to base selections. The PSC also soon realized that time was short: Rev. Royster told us that 18 months is the kind of time a search takes with a year being very short and unlikely to be possible. Since Rev. Yoshi Kaneda is to retire on January 9, 2001, we were already behind as of the PSC's formation, and the question of whether an interim pastor was needed answered itself. The Committee set about finding out how an interim pastor could be obtained. With the approval of the Coordinating Council, the Board of Deacons, the Board of Trustees, and the Congregation, the matter was settled. A congregational vote on May 21, 2000 confirmed that Rev. Rich Thompson will become our Interim Pastor starting on January 1, 2001 with his wholehearted agreement.
The first action item was to write and publish a Profile of our Congregation and church to be sent to prospective candidates. This job involved seeking out materials (for example, items of church history, photographs of church activities, statistical data and much more), involving the Congregation in providing information or exhibits members might have, and obtaining the Congregation's aggregate views on what kind of church we are and what kind of pastor we should seek. In addition to asking for individual contributions, questionnaires on the kind of pastor sought were distributed (with the request that the 12 most important out of the given set of pastoral characteristics be named), and a program was mounted at the Spring Retreat dealing with the results of the pastoral characteristic questionnaires, with six questions designed to provoke discussion on what kind of church we are (or might become) and other matters germane to writing a profile. Some 59 members had filled out the questionnaire on pastoral characteristics and a tally of the responses was made available to participants at the Spring Retreat. All of these inputs proved to be essential in writing the Profile.
Between the organizational meeting and the middle of June the PSC met almost weekly, seeking out and absorbing the materials (including the study of five profiles of other churches), searching out other resources, mapping its plans, outlining the Profile and writing initial drafts of portions of it (done by assigning portions to every individual PSC member; Mary Sinclair, with her special knowledge of our refugee project, contributed as well, as did Michael Adams). Dennis Murphy prepared initial graphs and charts to illustrate the Profile, John Burlinson summarized practical statistics on our Church, and Dave Ross took the picture of the massed Congregation that appears on the covers of the finished Profile.
Tommie Pinkard volunteered to pull the individual written contributions into a smooth whole. She thus became the editor of the Profile, and by mid-June had produced the first of many drafts of the text for comment by the PSC. By mid-July, the text had been completed, including a review by both Rev. Mark Miller and Rev. Bill Royster. At this point the text also included charts Dennis Murphy had prepared and the statistical data. The final selection of the photographs was yet to be made. By the end of July all had been assembled and was ready to go to the graphic artist for preparation of a dummy copy for comment by the PSC. By the end of September a satisfactory dummy had been produced which was sent to George Lemley to be printed.
Numerous problems appeared along the way, including technical ones, scheduling delays and, even, the illness of key people. Dennis Murphy, in whose hands the process lay, solved all these problems and, at its October 25, 2000 meeting, the PSC saw the first completed, published copies of the Profile, copies of which were then placed in the hands of the SCC. In anticipation of publication, an employment notice was prepared and is now in the November issue of UNITED CHURCH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. To reach more candidates, this notice has also been posted on the church's web site, http://congregational.faithweb.com. Further, members of the Committee are searching their own memories for possible names to be considered by the Committee and the Committee asks that members of the Congregation please bring any suggestions they may have to the attention of Dennis Murphy. Please -- do not contact possible candidates directly but pass their names and information to the PSC via Dennis Murphy for a coordinated follow-up.
A copy of the Profile is on display for inspection (please do not remove it) by members of the Congregation. Dennis Murphy has a limited number of copies if members wish to have one for themselves. Because the Profile was costly to produce, despite reasonable charges, a donation of $10.00 is suggested to defray costs.
The PSC has already received and is evaluating several applications by potential candidates and is awaiting others. The Committee intends to choose the best qualified among the applicants to be our new pastor. Please pray for success in this challenging and delicate task.
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DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS
1 Sarah Moore
3 Sally E. Tomasek
6 Lisa Miriam Hall
7 Jeffrey Lemley
8 Robin Rosson
10 Hester Novotny
12 Jennie Peet Ashton
Sarah Clarissa Kirch
13 Carol Ann Burlinson
Audrey Loomis
14 Jake Burlinson
15 Sara Ross
Gedeon Karasi Bukasa
20 Carol Barrett
27 Jeri Winter
28 Larissa Pickens
29 Lynn Loomis
30 Mouloud Randal Sennour
HOSPITALITY WORKSHIP SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 20TH
The Board of Deacons, Sharon Brown, Chair, is announcing an important workshop for members and friends. On January 20, 2001, Bill & Gail Royster will conduct a Hospitality Workshop at our church, beginning at 9:30 a.m. PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS
INTRODUCING OUR INTERIM PASTOR
"...May we all be touched in a creative way by the Spirit of the living God in the days ahead..." Richard Austin Thompson
We are pleased to introduce The Rev. Richard Austin Thompson, who begins his interim Ministry on January 1, 2001. Our Pastor, Rev. Yoshikuni Kaneda, will end his service with this church on January 9, 2001, following an eleven and a half year pastorate.
Many of you have already met 'Rich,' as he served this church as interim pastor during Yoshi's sabbatical, September through December 1995, and through his occasional visits to us. For others, newer to our church, we know you will appreciate this brief biographical sketch, as follows:
Professional History
-Interim Minister, First Congregational Church of Houston, 1999
-Media Literacy Resources Coordinator, Office of Communication of the General Assembly Council, PC (USA) Volunteer in Mission, January, 1996-1999
-Pastor, Central Presbyterian Church, Austin, 1986-1995
-Pastor, Southminster Presbyterian Church, Glen Ellyn, IL, 1964-86
-Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Bristow, OK., 1961-64
-Assistant Pastor, 1959-61, Second Presbyterian Church, Tulsa, OK.
Academic Background
-M. Div., Yale Divinity School, 1959
-B.A. Oberlin College, 1955
Community Activities
-President, Friends of O. Henry Museum, Austin, Texas
Professional Activities
-Host, Austin Faith Dialogue, KNVA-TV, ecumenical series, 1988-
-Author, "Christian Spirituality and Ten Commandments of TV" Alert, August 1998
-Author, "How One School Board Formulated a Religion Policy," The Christian Century, April 25, 1979
-Editor, The Journal of the Academy of Parish Clergy, 1974-76
Personal Background
Date of Birth: August 28, 1933
Family: Spouse, Jane Neth Thompson
Children: 2 adult sons
Sports Interests: tennis, golf
Other: Traveling, photography, piano
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Restrospectively. . .
NOVEMBER "HATS OFF"
Our Corporate Worship
Sunday, November 5th 12th 19th 26th
Scripture Readers: Bree Hawes-Domingue; Michael Adams; Jeri Winter; Kathleen Hawes-Domingue
Children's Time: Michael Adams Michael Adams; Yoshi Kaneda
Acolytes: Jeffrey Lemley Olivia Deisler Sarah Ashton Kaitlyn Newell
Ushers: Doyal & Tommie Pinkard Don & Sharon Brown Karl & Andrea Putz Mary Sinclair & Dick Jackson
Hosts Fellowship Hour: Suzanne VanderPoel Lisa Kirch Maggie Taylor & Florence Castle
Other "HATS OFF" Recognitions:
Dennis Murphy continues his supply of printed mailing labels for the church newsletter, and we are grateful to him.
Ben White met with persons from AMM recently, showing them our church basement for housing the homeless in cold weather.
The church office is now cozy and warm, as Vic Appel came and made windows air-tight for Louise's comfort.
Vic Appel, Craig Headley, Richard Jackson, Mark McCoy, Karl & Andrea Putz and Mary Sinclair showed up to repair and paint the basement walls and haul the debris away on Saturday, Nov. 11.
John Moore and Vic Appel worked to check out and repair drains around the church, following worship, Sunday, Nov. 12.
Matt Blackstock installed two door stops for our basement restrooms, Sunday, Nov. 19.
Oh, what a joyous banquet on Thanksgiving Sunday, Nov. 19! Thanks to all for the delicious potluck to enjoy. And, thanks to those who set up and cleaned up.
Our thanks to Rev. Brent Hampton who preached on Sunday, November 26. Brent filled in for Kristin Galle, his fiancée, who is recuperating from a bout of pneumonia.
Jamie Adams and Doyal Pinkard responded to the call to head up our church's participation in the March, 2001 CROP Walk
Dec 1, 7:30 pm Anniversary Celebration of Eleanor & John Towery (50th) and Mary & Danny Masters (25th) at Saengerrunde Hall
Dec 3 FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT with HOLY COMMUNION
9:30 am Choir Rehearsal
10:00 am Sunday School for adults and children
Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36
"Be Alert" -Rev. Kaneda
12:20 pm Board meetings: Trustees, Christian Education
Dec 4 7:30 pm Women's book Club, hosted by Lynne Lemley
book focus: "Snow Falling on Cedars" by David Guterson
Dec 6 7:30 pm Men's Book Club, hosted by Don Brown
Book focus:"Farewell to Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
Dec 7 7:30 pm Board of Deacons meeting, hosted by Paul Deisler
Dec 10 SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Human Rights Day
9:30 am Choir Rehearsal
10:00 am Sunday School for adults and children
Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 3:1-6
"The Repentance/Forgiveness Motif" -Rev. Kaneda
Dec 16 5:00 pm Wedding Bells ring for Kathleen Walsdorf and Yutaka Kono
Dec 17 THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
9:30 am Choir Rehearsal
10:00 am Sunday School for adults and children
11:00 am Church School "Christmas Pageant" Don't miss this!
Noon Annual Christmas Cookie Swap
12:20 pm Board of Christian Education meeting
7:30 pm Candlelight Service Sermonette: "Power of the Candles"
Dec 24 ALL CHURCH CHRISTMAS WORSHIP SERVICE
9:30 am Choir Rehearsal
10:00 am Sunday School for adults and children
11:00 am Luke 1:39-45
"Getting In Touch With Us" -Rev. Kaneda
The Veterans of the Cross Special Offering
******News items/articles due for January issue of The Visitor
Dec 25 CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE
Watch for further information
Dec 26 Church office closed.
Dec 27-31 Yoshi will be on vacation
Dec 28 1:00 pm Wedding Bells ring for Kristin Galle and Brent Hampton
Dec 31 GUEST MINISTER SUNDAY
NO Choir Rehearsal
10:00 am NO Church School for adults or children
11:00 am Mrs. Enid Ross, Guest Minister
JANUARY, 2001
Jan 1 New Year's Day. "A Happy New Year to You!"
Jan 5 Brazos Association "Farewell Party for Yoshi and Setsuko" at St. Peter's UCC, Coupland
Jan 7 FAREWELL SUNDAY with Holy Communion
9:30 am Choir Rehearsal
10:00 am Sunday School for adults and children
11:00am Farewell Sermon: "Jacuzzi" -Rev. Kaneda (Scripture readings will be selected.)
NOON Epiphany Potluck, followed by FAREWELL PARTY, in the sanctuary
CALENDAR AT TRANSITION
Jan 8 Yoshi and Rich Thompson meet for the baton touch
Yoshi's last working day at the church
Jan 13-15 YOUTH FEST WEEKEND for Youths in South Central Conference
Jan 14 SUNDAY SERVICES
9:30 am Choir Rehearsal
10:00 am Sunday School for adults and children
11:00am
Annual Report due from all officers
Jan 20
(Sat.) Hospitality Workshop, with Bill & Gail Royster, sponsored by the Board of Deacons
Jan 21 SUNDAY SERVICES
9:30 am Choir Rehearsal
10:00 am Sunday School for adults and children
11:00am
Pick up and study Annual Report
Jan 28 SUNDAY SERVICES
9:30 am Choir Rehearsal
10:00 am Sunday School for adults and children
11:00am
Annual Meeting. All members are urged to participate!
FEBRUARY
Feb 4 New Officers Installation
Feb 10 Three Board's and Coordinating Council's Retreat, called by Rich Thompson
W E L C O M E !
NEW MEMBERS, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13th
J. Craig Headley(h) 512-644-3070
350 N. Guadalupe, Ste 140, San Marcos, TX 78666
Adolescent/Family Counselor; gardening, art, Reading, yard saling (5/18)
e-mail: craigheadley@yahoo.com
Craig was born and raised in Virginia before he moved to Texas and finished his undergraduate degree at Texas A and M. He worked for several churches as youth director in College Station and taught school for several years in Bryan, then moved to Alaska to work for the Presbyterian church as Wilderness Camp Director. A year ago he moved to San Marcos to prepare for entrance to seminary at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest. In January, 2001, he expects to start his studies there for a Masters in Pastoral Counseling.
Mark McCoy (h) 512-644-8181
350 N. Guadalupe, Ste. 140, San Marcos, TX 78666\
Civil Engineer (o) 388-3885
Reading, Mountain Biking, Outdoors, gardening (10/26)
Mark McCoy is the oldest of four sons growing up in Elkhart, Indiana. He attended Purdue and obtained a degree in Civil Engineering. Since February he has lived here in Texas, designing roads and bridges for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
Jeri Winter, 2200 Willow Creek Dr., Apt. 705 78741 (h) 416-6578
Student, U.T. Major: Latin American studies;
Art, guitar (12/27)
e-mail: thejeri@yahoo.com
Jeri Winter is from Freeport, Illinois. During high school she spent a year in Sao Paul, Brazil. Back in Illinois she started in Community College but moved this last July to Austin, where she has transferred to the University of Texas as an undergraduate majoring in Latin American Studies.
Welcome to all of you! And joy at Christmas!
A Note to share:
Fellow Members,
My sincere appreciation for the tribute paid to my father by lighting a candle in his memory on November 5th. My dad was a wonderful man - I wish everyone could have known him.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Marcus Borg gave four mini-lectures in the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 5, at Trinity United Methodist Church. It was a delightful, uplifting experience for all participants. Attending from our church: John & Carol Burlinson, Yoshi, Joe Nordstrom, Doyal Pinkard and Jim Tomasek.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Truth About Christmas Traditions
Christmas Trees - evergreen trees have long been used to brighten the darkness of winter. But it wasn't until the 16th century that bringing cut trees inside became a holiday tradition in Germany. Decorations often consisted of candy, fruit, nuts, tinsel, and small, unwrapped presents for children. Candles were used for lights until the 1880's.
Christmas Cards - Traditional Christmas cards are a fairly recent custom compared to other holiday traditions. The first cards weren't sent until the mid 1800's - mostly because mail service wasn't all that great. The steam locomotive helped speed the process. In 1843 the first printed Christmas cards were sent by Sir Henry Cole of England. He hired a man to design the cards and a shop owner to color them by hand. A few years later, America saw its first cards.
Candy Canes - the candy cane's unique "J" shape is believed to stand for Jesus or a shepherd's crook. Its characteristic hardness symbolizes Jesus as the rock of ages. The white stripe signifies his virgin birth and purity, and the red stripe symbolizes his shed blood for our sins. Peppermint is in the same family as hyssop, an herb used during Old Testament times for purification and sacrifice.
NEW CHURCH DIRECTORY, 2000-2001
Updated church directories are available from the Fellowship Room.
Please note addition:
Oakes, Mardie, 2 Peabody Terrace, #704, Cambridge, MA 02138
P E R S O N A L S
by Catherine Hubbs
We hope your Thanksgiving was happy and filled with family and friends. Hildegard Everett was hoping to be home with Rizer. She had spent most of November in the hospital. On November 5 she evidently suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA), momentarily lost consciousness, and fell. Rizer was able to catch her and prevent the worst damage. She was examined and returned home. But the following morning she suffered another attack. This time Rizer was unable to catch her in time to prevent some injury and had to call EMS for help in lifting and transporting her to the hospital. On Tuesday, November 20 she was still there, able to speak and carry on a conversation and hoping to be released by the holiday. Late breaking news: On Wednesday she was indeed able to return home for Thanksgiving. She is now awaiting the coming of a therapist, who will help her regain enough mobility to use the walker in going to the central dining hall for their midday meal. Congratulations, Hildegard and Rizer!
Martin Bukasa has been undergoing a series of diagnostic tests to determine the cause of his indigestion and stomach problems. They have ruled out ulcer, and he is to undergo a colonoscopy.
Julia Deisler sustained a back injury severe enough to keep her lying down, preferably on the floor. On Wednesday, November 22, she had an MRI which disclosed a leaking disc. The doctor advised her to wait before making a decision on surgery and first try cortisone shots. She has had one and already feels somewhat better. Julia, all our prayers are with you. We're thinking of you all the time and are so relieved that the pain is at least a bit better. Keep us posted!
Joe McMillan has been active in a fraternity which was recently participating in a service project clearing a park area behind Dell when his face suddenly started to swell, and he found himself in emergency being given a shot of steroids. He evidently had an allergic reaction called angioedema which took a couple of days to return to normal, but he had recovered and was fine when he joined the celebration at our Thanksgiving Potluck.
Our Fun and Fellowship Committee and our members' contributions of time, cooking, dishwashing, and table moving resulted in a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner on November 20. Friends were already here for the holiday. Debbie Appel was spending the weekend seeing her parents and participating in Josh's five-year-old cowboy birthday party in Kerrville with Gregg Appel's family. Marilyn Ferguson was here celebrating Thanksgiving with her daughter, Carol Barrett, and her family. Craig came over from U.T. for the occasion. Meanwhile Andrew, a freshman at U.C. Berkeley, was celebrating with his father's parents in California. Yoshi and Setsuko were with Carol and her family for Thanksgiving dinner.
Kerry Manning's stepfather was also in Austin visiting Kerry, Michael, Jamie and Julia Adams. All eight of Michael Fracasso's family came to join Michael and Paula Fracasso and the Briggs for the christening of little Giovanni on the day after Thanksgiving at St. Mary's Lady of the Lake in Lago Vista. Flo Chiles went to Bryan to be with her daughter and family. The Ashtons were in Houston with David's mother, and the Rosses were also in Houston to spend Thanksgiving with Sara's sisters before going on to Galveston State Park with Andy for Friday and Saturday. Lisa and Sarah Kirch were visiting Lisa's dad for Thanksgiving and were to see the Nutcracker together. The Hubbs were with son John's family watching grandson Eric play in two basketball games, and Catherine will be glad to hear of further Thanksgiving adventures on her return.
Flo Chiles recently had a long-time friend as houseguest. Their acquaintance dates back to days when they had their babies at the same time. The friend went on to be a librarian in El Paso High School and came to Austin for the November Book Festival. She and Flo went to the LBJ Library and enjoyed a program featuring Andy Rooney and Walter Cronkite.
Our church members continue to share their musical talents with others. Every Wednesday Florence Castle spends an hour playing sing-a-long music for the South Austin Senior Activity Center. More power to her and to Weldon Scheel and members of his musical groups, Silver Strings and Old Tunes Connection, who go to nursing homes to make life a little more cheerful for a lot of people.
Robin Rosson is first-chair cellist with the Austin Youth Orchestra. He was the cello continuo when in early November at Westlake High they gave three performances of Bach Cantata No. 79. His grandmother and aunt came from Crockett for the occasion. Congratulations, Robin!
On Friday, December 1, John and Eleanor Towery are celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary with daughter Mary and Danny Masters, who are celebrating their twenty-fifth! It couldn't happen to two nicer couples!
And on Epiphany Sunday, January 7, we will gather together to celebrate Yoshi's and Setsuko's years with us and wish them many joyful years of retirement. Please send photos, letters, cards, and memories to Fran Briggs so we can present the Kanedas with a scrapbook and any gifts to honor Yoshi's ministry to Mary Sinclair. It can't be eleven and one half years since you joined us, Kanedas! Thank you!
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AMONG OUR FAVORITE HYMNS
"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
Author: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788 Composer: Felix Mendelssohn, 1809-1847 Tune Name: "Mendelssohn"
...But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.......Micah 5:2
One of more than 6,500 hymns from the pen of Charles Wesley that have enriched hymnody, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" is thought to have been written approximately one year after his dramatic, Aldersgate conversion experience of 1738. This is one of the four most popular hymns in the English language, sung thousands of times every year all around the world. It represents one of the relatively few, important carol hymns to have been written during this time.
The text was altered to its present form in George Whitefield's, Collection of 1753. In its original version, the text consisted of ten four-line stanzas. Although there have been various alterations made on this text through the years, the present version is still basically the product of Charles Wesley.
The tune, "Mendelssohn" was contributed by one of the master composers of the early nineteenth century, Felix Mendels- sohn. He was a highly acclaimed boy prodigy, making his first public appearance as a pianist, at age nine. A noted performer and conductor, he also was a prolific composer throughout his brief life. His most popular work, the oratorio, Elijah, is widely performed today
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