|
|
February 2001 OUR NEW INTERIM PASTOR: THE REV. CORNEL BARNETT Old First's Session has voted to accept the Reverend Cornel Barnett as our new interim pastor beginning Feb. 1, 2001. Cornel, who has been pastor of Community Presbyterian Church in Calistoga, has developed a specific interest and calling to the Interim Ministry. Born and raised in South Africa, he is a graduate of San Francisco Theological Seminary, and has served churches in Florida and New York as well as Northern California. He is enthusiastic and interested in helping us as we travel together in preparation for a new permanent pastor. As we spoke with the references provided by Cornel, we were impressed that each one spoke of his ability as a bridge-builder, a person with a gift for healing divisions and enabling groups of diverse people to work together. Once again, we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Revs. Susan Ashton and Erwin Barron, who have served us so well individually and as a team these past few months. Erwin will return to his position as Director of Christian Edu-cation and continue with his studies. Susan will continue to be a friend and supporter of Old First. • Jean Olson -- Moderator, Personnel Committee
Greetings! At a luncheon recently California State representative, Wes Chesboro, spoke. He said he had three priorities: "My district, my district, my district." This prompted me to think about my three priorities as a pastor: "Church, church, church." My priorities take on a different twist. As opposed to being regional it is the church local, the church national, and the church universal.. I am looking forward to my new calling to serve as pastor of Old First Presbyterian Church -- the church that has served so significantly in San Francisco since the rush to establish this beautiful area by the bay as a city. This new "church local" on the corner of Sacramento and Van Ness is the place where I will pitch my tent for a year or so. From what I gather it is a very good place to be. I am grateful to have been called to you as your interim pastor. I have responded because this is where God has called me. From the beginning of the negotiations I have felt a strong pull and urging to be pastor with you. I have enjoyed and appreciated meeting with members of the interim search committee and the session. I have caught the spark of creativity, vibrancy, and expectancy among you. I am excited about your commitment to ministry and your love of worship, education, community and music. You are diverse and inclusive, which blends with my theology. The church has a deep and rich history and is "the church reformed always reforming under the word of God and the call of the spirit." I am looking forward to being your pastor. I am looking forward to serving you in ways that will best serve the church in this next exciting phase of your ministry. In this brief period I hope to work with a coordinated staff team and with you, the members, to make this a full and worthwhile experience for us all, and all to God's glory. I am looking forward to meeting you, getting to know you, and learning from you as we move forward together in ministry. As we go forward, I am confident that we will continue to have a wonderful sense of church at the corner of Sacramento and Van Ness as well as our place within the nation and world both denominationally and ecumenically. May God bless us all as we embark on this new phase of the journey. Shalom, The Rev. Cornel Barnett
SUN, FEB 11, 12:30 PM The 2001 budget, the 2000 Annual Report, our new Interim Pastor, plans for the coming year ...... It’s What’s Happening Now at Old First Church, at the first event sponsored by the newly revived Congregational Care Committee. Be there or be square!
Lent begins with the imposition of ashes, symbolizing the "putting to death" of attitudes, behaviors and thoughts that get in the way of our relationship with God through Christ.
On Saturday, March 10, at 2 pm, you are invited to take a musical tour through the historic heart of Europe with Polly Day performing piano music of composers from Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Germany. This will be the twelfth piano recital by Polly Day under the tutelage of Richard Rogers. The recital is given as a benefit for the renowned Old First Concerts, founded in 1970. Any donation you care to make will be gratefully received. A reception immediately follows the recital and all are cordially invited to attend.
MARCH 16-18, WESTMINSTER WOODS What would you do if.. Ethical Decision Making in a Confusing World Decisions! Decisions! Daily, we all must make hundreds of decisions, large and small ............ What do I wear? How do I react when someone cuts me off in traffic? Do I give money to the beggar on the street? Do I go to the expensive, trendy restaurant or the greasy spoon diner?
Should I go to church this Sunday? Did I study enough for that test? Do I move out of the city? How do we decide these and many other ethical questions we must face constantly? Does our Christian faith play a role in our decision making? Are there better ways to decide? Our spring retreat will deal with the issues of ethical decision making as Christian people. We will examine how we make decisions and explore several different philosophical and Christian ethical methods. We will examine various sources of authority such as the Bible, tradition, and experience to determine how they are related to our decisions. The workshops will be both practical and informative. We will be given new resources to use and have an opportunity to try them out in case studies and real life situations. One portion of the retreat will offer a choice of focus on a particular type of ethics that interests you: sexual ethics, bio-ethics, business ethics, or feminist ethics. We hope everyone will come away with a better sense of how they already make moral decisions, and will have many new ideas to try. A portion of the program and one of the small groups will be oriented to children who also must face moral decision making at their own level. The Rev. Erwin Barron will be our retreat leader. For those of you who only see Erwin leading humorous children sermons, you may not know that he is also completing a PhD in Christian ethics at the Graduate Theological Union. He is teaching Christian social ethics at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley. Come join us to see another side of Erwin. and besides, you know it will be fun with Erwin leading! Our new interim pastor, Cornel Barnett will be working with Erwin and leading worship, and Ken Matthews will lead music. Save the weekend of March 16-18. Registration forms and more information will be available at tables in coffee hour beginning February 11. PLANNING FOR 2001 AT OFFICERS’ RETREAT Old First’s elders, deacons and staff -- including our new interim pastor, Cornel Barnett -- met Jan. 19 and 20 at the Ralston Retreat Center in Mill Valley to set priorities for the coming year. This task-oriented group agreed on their most important task for the year 2001: “Build a strong membership”, with sub-topics like Community, Communication, Evangelism, and Fellowship. They expect to look to the Congregational Care Committee and the Board of Deacons for leadership in these efforts, and to the Evangelism Committee for the construction of an Irresistible Evangelism Vehicle to be ready for the arrival of our new pastor.
From the December 19, 2000 meeting Pastors’ Report - Rev. Ashton’s activities for the last month included a visit to Edna de Martini with Communion on her 100th birthday. Finance - The current budget is near balance due to generous contributions from the recent appeal to the congregation. A Finance Com-mittee meeting with all committee moderators is scheduled for Jan. 13 to balance the 2001 budget. Congregational Care - Co-moderators Libby Klitsch and Doris Bebb are still collecting comments on their draft Mission Statement. Mission - In addition to gifts, over $1000 was contributed to the Edgewood Children’s Home Christmas Giving Tree. DEACONS NAME OFFICERS FOR 2001 John Weems and Bryan Nichols will be co-moderators of the Board of Deacons. Jeanne Kirkwood has been named treasurer and Jeanne Englehart, recording secreary. Mary Culp will represent the Deacons on the Church Nominating Committee. OLD FIRST HOSTS VERY SATISFYING PRESBYTERY MEETING by Pam Byers Old First hosted San Francisco Presbytery on January 9 for a very important meeting with a very satisfactory outcome. There were three especially significant items of business: • We defeated Amendment 00-O (the “holy union” ban -- we call it the Ministry Gag Order) by 212 to 158. • We passed an overture to delete G-6.0106b (“Amendment B”) from the Book of Order. (Approximately two dozen presbyteries will be sending similar overtures; we want the G.A. to understand very clearly that they have to do something about this rule!) • We elected six G.A. commissioners, at least three of whom should be strongly supportive, including former Parish Associate Joan Huff. All the calling and get-out-the-vote work that got started at the presbytery organizing meeting at Old First last fall paid off. And we got to show off our sanctuary, our choir, our friendly volunteers, and our talented sushi chefs! Thanks to all who helped!
LECTIONARY Feb. 4 -- Isa. 6:1-8 (9-13); Ps. 138; 1 Cor. 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11 Feb. 11 -- Jer. 17:5-10; Ps. 1; 1 Cor. 15:12-20; Luke 6:17-26 Feb. 18 -- Gen. 45:3-11, 15; Ps. 37:1-11, 39-40; 1 Cor. 15:35-38, 42-50; Luke 6:27-38 Feb. 25 -- Exod. 34:29-35; Ps. 99; 2 Cor. 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:28-36 (37-43) Feb. 28 -- Ash Wednesday -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 or Isa. 58:1-12; Ps. 51:1-17; 2 Cor. 5:20b-6:10; Matt. 6:1-6, 16-21 Mar. 4 -- Deut. 26:1-11; Ps. 91:1-2, 9-16; Rom. 10:8b-23; Luke 4:1-13 Candidate under Care: DEBRA MCGUIRE McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago Once upon a time, I went to Seminary. I am now in my fifth year of a three year program. The school promises to get me a letterhead that says “Executive Senior”. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here, and am almost sorry to go. Almost. When I heard the words, “this committee will recommend to the faculty that upon completion of the four classes remaining, you be awarded the Master of Divinity degree,” I was more excited than I thought I would be! Seminary is a busy place. The classes, workshops, interest groups, meetings, and social activities are all full of stimulating discussion, fun play, and sharp minds. I wouldn’t have done anythying else with my time these past few years. However, at the end of my second year I fell ill, and did not return to school until the following September. It was a long road back, but a good road. With support from more directions than imaginable, I have been gifted with the past two very good years. I received a major preaching award last June, spent two years as the teaching assistant for the preaching class here, was the teaching assistant for the pastoral care class as well, and had a really fun filled year of learning as the seminary intern pastor at Evanshire Presbyterian Church in Skokie. The pastor there and the congregation were and are a remarkable addition to my life. This year I became a Candidate under care of the San Francisco Presbytery and passed all four of my ordination exams at the first sitting -- all of which means that I should soon be able to do some actual negotiating for a job. I am working as a student pastor in Bookfield until May, with an option to renew the contract. This church job has some options for a called ministry of Word and Sacrament in the future, so I am keeping my mind open about future jobs. Graduation is in early June, and everything seems on target for some kind of job when I finish. I was also tremendously affected by my work as a chaplain in the hospital one summer and find myself wondering how I might fit chaplain work into a call. All in good time. The next thing is a diploma, and the rest will come! (Old First’s Candidates Under Care studying for the ministry receive the help and encouragement of the church. At present, this assistance is given by a committee comprised of Pam Byers, Mary Culp and Esther Kim. Watch for future reports from our other two Candidates Under Care, Jeanne Choy Tate and Terry Stumpf.) |
 Access
our news archives: January 2001, December 2000, November 2000, October 2000, September 2000, July/August 2000, May/June 2000, April 2000, March 2000, February
2000
|
Home About Us Calendar News Worship Education History