My Dear Friends,!!! We are made for worship. When we worship God on Sunday mornings, so many of us have different ways we connect with God. For some, it’s all about the music. For others, it’s about hearing the stories of God working in our midst. For many of us, it’s the sermon. Still others find their sacred moment when we pray the Lord’s Prayer. My own family has these differences. My wife loves to sing hymns. My son, Jonah, loves to jump in his wheelchair when the Praise Band is leading a contemporary song. I love hearing the stories. The point is simple: in our church we find connection with God in worship in so many different ways.!! This last month I looked over the past year of our worship on Sunday mornings, looking at the songs we sing and the parts of the service. I noticed something—we’re singing far more contemporary songs than hymns. I also noticed something else—we’re not praying very often as a body of Christ for each other or the community. There’s a balance between being a church that non-Christians would be willing to attend and also meeting the worship needs of us who are here. I think I can do a better job of creating that balance. So I wanted you to know that worship is slightly changing so that each of us, young or old, new to faith or seasoned veterans, can worship God and find connection with Him on Sundays. !! On Sundays we will have: - A balanced blend of hymns and contemporary praise songs!! - Prayer for our church and the community, ending with the Lord’s Prayer!! - Stories of faith and change (like Change for a Dollar and Innerviews)!! - A four hour sermon.!! - A time of prayer after the service!! !I’m kidding, of course, on the length of my sermon. And I love it that so many of you tease me about my sermon length. Keep it up!!! It’s tempting for me to try to please all of you, which of course, would be an impossible task. Even now these changes will not please everyone, and that’s ok. One of the great joys of loving one another is making room for each other. So let’s make room for the great variety of people we have in our church. And at the same time let’s praise God that we even have this variety. After all, this has always been our great prayer! Praise God that we have multiple generations! Praise God we have talented musicians who can offer this variety of music! Praise God people are passionate about worship in our church! !

Much Love,!! ! ! ! - Pastor Andy!

First Press

Summer 2014

An Information Center is coming…. Part of developing a clear vision for the church is establishing a way to communicate it. Session was overjoyed last month when we heard of the ongoing efforts of Connie Royster, Mary Smith, and Susan Cleek to create an Information Center for the church. We’re putting resources behind this effort so that the Information Center can be completed soon.!

! At the Information Center you will learn about our Elders, Deacons, and Staff—their contact information and areas of responsibility. You’ll have access to current calendars, ongoing events, and opportunities to get involved in the mission of our church. Look for the information center to be completed by the end of the summer.

These are the steps we’ve taken to accomplish our shared goals for 2014! God is alive and active in our midst!

First Press Summer 2014

Renovation is happening! In late May, Elders voted to move forward with several important projects around our campus. !!- The back Fence at the Lowell Center is

being replaced !- A new garage door will be installed at the

Young Life Club House for easier access to the Lowell Center Yard!- Trees were removed on Farroll Road. New

trees will be planted in their place.!- A plan for sanctuary expansion and renovating our entrance

way will be presented to the congregation in August.!!!As always, we want to make sure you know what’s going on. We’d love to hear from you if you have concerns. Contact Pastor Andy at 805-473-2766.

2014 Goal: !Develop a clear and captivating vision and comprehensive strategy for our church by November 2014.

2014 Goal: !Reach more people in our community by increasing capacity and renovating our campus.

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Summer Camp and Activities !This past month we have had some wonderful times with our youth! A few weeks back we took 30 Jr High and High Schoolers to Pismo Bowl for unlimited bowling and pizza. It was a blast and so great to see all of the students! This week we also had a beach bonfire where we played games, roasted s’mores, and had a great time catching up! !!Last week our Jr. High students got back from Oakbridge Camp! I was able to be there as they got off of the bus, and I heard multiple students explain to their parents that they had the best week

ever! One boy came up to Michael, our leader, on the last night saying “I decided to take the leap!”, meaning, he took the leap of faith to personally follow Jesus! Thank you for your support and prayers, and please continue to pray for the students as they process the things they learned at camp!!! Our High School students leave for Woodleaf Camp this Saturday. Please pray for our week at camp and for the students that are attending. I am excited to share with you all about it when we return! !! We are incredibly grateful for the love and support you show us. Thank you for walking alongside us and these students!!!Much Love, !

Nicole

First Press Summer 2014

The True nature of God!!!Dear church family, !!This summer we have the great opportunity to share with children in our church and in our community the true nature of God through our VBS program!  Our ‘Jungle Safari’ theme is all about learning the true nature of God: God is our Creator, our Provider, our Protector, our Savior, and our King!  Because of God’s true nature, children will learn that they can count on God in every circumstance of their life, and they will learn how Jesus showed us God’s true nature while on earth. Wow! That’s a lot to take in!  !!As adults we struggle with these truths, and our pastor is constantly reminding us of God’s good and loving nature.  How much easier would our lives be today if we had not only learned them but believed them as children, being able to apply them to our lives daily as we come across hard circumstances and questions?  Some of us are just now learning the true nature of God.  If you were raised in a non-believing household, or a legalistic religious household, you learned to trust in yourself and probably count on no one other than yourself.   The enemy, along with the help of other people, are constantly feeding us lies about who God is.  We need to keep our Bibles and our hearts open to hear the truth, believe the truth, and in turn tell and teach the truth!!!I hope you will come along beside me and watch how the Holy Spirit reveals these truths to our children through Bible lessons, music, crafts, learning verses, and other fun activities!!!Our VBS program is taking place at our church August 11-15 from 1:00-4:00 daily (no early mornings necessary!). Children who are going into kindergarten through the 6th grade can be registered! Teenagers can volunteer, as well as adults! These are the areas you can volunteer to help in:  !Prayer crew, photographer, audio/visual, games leader, games crew, snack leader, snack crew, decorating leader, decorating crew, craft leader, craft crew, registration crew (we need 3 registration people daily from 12:40 - 1:15), a crew teacher for ages K-1st grade, a crew teacher for 2nd-3rd grade, a crew teacher for 4th-6th grade, and crew teacher helpers! (See next page for job descriptions.) !!Please sign-up to volunteer ASAP so we can be well prepared!  You can sign-up in the fellowship hall on Sundays at the visitor information desk, you can call me at the church office Monday-Thursday between 10-2, or you can call me on my cell at 360-589-9949.  It will be a fun week of fellowship as we work together!! !

Lovingly,!

Connie

First Press Summer 2014

! Descriptions of VBS Volunteer Positions

!Prayer crew: Pray for Jesus to be glorified in all we do; that Jesus would guide our VBS week; that children will grow in their faith and clearly hear the gospel message; that our crew will be prepared to share and serve with joy. !Photographer: Take daily pictures of activities with all age groups at VBS; produce a short video presentation to be shared on Friday, during our assembly. Take a full group picture! !Audio/visual: In charge of running our sound system and video projector during our opening and closing assemblies each day. !Games leader: Plan daily games for each age group; supervise the games crew. !Games crew: Assist the games leader in preparing for each new game, explaining the rules, and helping participants enjoy the activity. !Snack leader: Plan and organize snack donations; oversee a crew of volunteers as they prepare, distribute, and clean-up the daily snack. !Snack crew: Help prepare and distribute daily snacks for VBS participants. Help clean up the snack area and kitchen when snack time is done. !Decorating leader: Organize and plan decorating of all rooms used for VBS, with the help of the decorating crew. Supervise the set-up, tear-down, and storing of decorations. (We already have alot of decorations that can be used!) Oversee borrowed decorations (i.e. palm trees). !Decorating crew: Help the decorating leader decorate each room. Responsible for set-up and tear-down. Store reusable items in attic. !Craft leader: Organize, prepare, and instruct helpers and children on daily crafts. !Craft crew: Help craft leader prepare and organize daily crafts. Set-up and clean-up. !Help demonstrate each craft. Help children with their daily crafts. !Registration crew: Greet, register, write on name tags, and check-in all children. !(We need 3 crew members for this job, from 12:40-1:10 daily.) !Crew teachers: Study, prepare, and joyfully teach the daily Bible lessons. Supervise helpers; guide children to various activities throughout the day. !Crew helpers: Help the teacher guide children to various activities throughout the day. Help children participate in the Bible lesson, and other activities as needed.

First Press Summer 2014

Worship Rediscovered Worship doesn’t only happen in church. It happens throughout the week as well — when God’s glory is revealed through our occupations (as, say, accountants, firefighters, and estheticians (a nod to my wifes’), as we volunteer, or when connecting with our neighbors and family members. Moreover, as a music minister, I could attest to the great care and focus we, as a church, apply to crafting Sunday worship. Such a focus, understandably, puts us at risk of narrowly equating worship with worship music (yes, this includes hymns), of neglecting everyday worship, and sadly, of losing that perceived need (or longing) for daily Scriptural guidance...a bit empty, isn’t it?! Look at Isaiah 58. It challenges long-established customs in seeking God: namely, prayer and fasting. In it, we find the community of Jerusalem (on the heels of just having lived in Babylonian exile) eager to re-establish their connection to God by means of humble prayer and fasting. On the surface, these gestures seem authentic and genuine; yet God isn’t responding. Check out His explanation:!!

Yet on the day of your fasting,&you do as you please and exploit all your workers.&Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in strik-&ing each other with wicked fists. (v 4)!!

Despite their best worship efforts, it is the Israelites’ neglect of each other, their failure to reflect God’s character to the surrounding culture, that ultimately short-circuits their self-serving designs to manipulate a loving God. God exposes their worship for what it really is: a one-sided mechanism or ritual to get what they want from Him.! Do we do that? Like the Israelites, do we go through our very own kind of worship ‘motions’? Being nothing more than consumers at heart? Instead, Sunday morning, should act more as a prelude (to borrow a musical term) to a life lived on His behalf through the entire week. Otherwise, by choosing not to live in such a manner, we prevent ourselves from fully entering into relationship with Him. Verses 8-9 speak directly to this:!!

Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,& and your healing will quickly appear;& then your righteousness will go before you,& and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.&Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;&you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. (vv 8-9)&!

Allowing God to live through you, asking Him what He would have you do (not what you would have Him do), throughout the whole week, is what He desires. If you love Him and your neighbors with your whole being (24/7 of it), according to this profound passage, you will find Him.! !

Much love,!

Dave

First Press Summer 2014

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Women’s Bible Study!Every Thursday beginning June 5 at 9:15 - 11:30 am in the fellowship hall: Women’s Bible Study. We will be reading Our Daily Bread devotional books at home this summer. See them on the table in the entry and pick one up. Each Thursday morning we will be sharing what special devotional made an impact on us during the week. Come join us. Baby sitters are available if you call Sharon Lowell at 489-7282.!!Wednesday Night Out Wednesday, August 6th, we will be having a ‘hymn sing’ at!our Wednesday night out, along with our normal potluck!dinner! Come join us!!!Vacation Bible School! August 11-15 we will be having our Jungle Safari Vacation Bible School where kids explore the nature of God! VBS will take place at the church from 1:00pm-4:00pm. Contact Connie Royster for more information at !childrensdirector@groverbeachchurch.org !LifeTouch Directories Our directories have arrived! If you were photographed, or submitted a photo, please pick up your directory after church at the visitor’s table in the Fellowship Hall! One per family please. !!Flower Sign Up!!If you wish to help provide flowers for the Sanctuary on Sunday Mornings please sign up on the sign above the water fountain in the Fellowship Hall. Thank you!!!

Kitchen Help Needed!We are in need of some volunteers to help in our kitchen! We need 2 people every Sunday to help us in the Kitchen. If you would like to help please contact Marcia Shep at 489-8663!!Help Needed!We are looking for volunteers to help count the Offering on Sundays after church for about a half hour after the service. If you would like to help, please contact Laura Nelson or Karen Gregory. Thank you!! !Camp Harmony!On July 25-26 Camp Harmony will take place here at our church from 10am-2pm. Come and experience arts, crafts, and music in a hands on atmosphere where there is lots of love and creativity for everyone who faces disabilities. We are also in need of volunteers! For more information contact Victoria Lowrie @ 805-550-9484!!Wednesday Night Out-Fall preview! Starting September 3rd, Wednesday Night Out will take on a new look! We will meet each week, starting with our normal potluck, then we will flow into a short time of worship through music and into a time of teaching (led by Wynn Royster). We plan on having childcare available, so please plan on joining us at 5:45 each Wednesday with your family! !!!!!!

Jim & Laura Nelson!Paul & Abbey Rainey!

Earl & Joan Rader!Max & Jan Sidle!

Jim & Arlene Flory!Kent & Loni Kuentzel !Paul & Kari LaGraff!

John & Sandy Rodriguez!

July & August Birthdays Anniversaries Beth Summers 1!Paul LaGraff ! 4! Chad Mount Jr. 6!Tyler Melsheimer 8!Cylous Mount 10!Levi Rock 12!Jim Flory 13!Sam Willis 20!Joe Naylor 23!Larry Stees 25!Susan Drake 26!

Elaine Olson 26!Eugene Doong 29!Emily Brekke 29!Clara Midkiff 30!Kay Moore 30!Ruth Blum 31!Gary Clatterbuck 1!Marline Worsham 1!John Saulsbury 2!Barb Hehmeyer 5!Joyce Maruyama 7!

Nan Fowler 8!Michael Blue 9!Jade Pierce 12!Jo Patton 13!Brenda Mesias 14!Dave Alm 18!Tino Mesias 19!Marcia Shep 20!Bill Browne 24!Wynn Royster 24!Abbey Rainey 29!

July and August Activities

Sunday Worship

10:00am

F i r s t P r e s b y t e r i a n C h u r c h G r o v e r B e a c h

Andy Rock, Pastor: pastorandy@groverbeachchurch.org Dave Alm, Music Director: dave@groverbeachchurch.org Nicole White, Administrator: office@groverbeachchurch.org Jim Hilton, Finance: bookkeeper@groverbeachchurch.org Connie Royster, Children’s Director: childrensdirector@groverbeachchurch.org !Church office hours: Mon - Thurs, 9:00 - 1:00 Office number: 805-473-2766

www.groverbeachchurch.org

1830 Farroll Rd Grover Beach, CA 93433

first presbyterian church

1830 Farroll Rd

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