have started back to school…practicing their instruments and learning their music. I heard pianos, I heard horns, I heard violins and I heard some stringed instruments I couldn’t identify either because they were unusual instruments or they were familiar instruments played in an “unusual” manner. I even heard my all-time favorite – welcome to the new school year musical instrument...the Flutophone! In one home after another you could hear it...students making the time and taking the time to practice…practice, practice, practice. A new season has begun and you can tell because all around us students are practicing in order to learn and to improve and to excel and to someday come to find the joy and the wonder and the life that is written into the heartbeat of every piece of music.

A new season has begun in the life of the church as well. And now we, as Jesus’ Disciples – Students of The Master- have to put away our summertime routines and begin again to make the time and take the time to practice, practice, practice the life of Faith. Yes, Faith takes Practice…and Acts 2:42 tells us that we practice the life of Faith most fully when we share in, or as Luke puts it “devote ourselves to” experiences of Learning, Fellowship, Worship, and Prayer.

Practice Learning - Tuesday morning Bible Study begins on Tuesday Sept. 6th at 10:00. Thursday evening Bible Study begins on Thurs. August 25th at 6:00. This year we will be studying The Parables of Jesus. Come - be a part of learning and living the life of Faith.

Practice Fellowship - We practice Fellowship through our Sunday morning Fellowship Teams. And a wonderful Fellowship Experience coming soon that you can be a part of is our annual - Great America Autumn Adventure together on Sunday September 11th after worship. Sign Up in Calvert Hall or just contact the Church Office (408-252-4478 or admin@unionchurch.org).

Practice Worship - As Pastor Rick Warren points out, God has given us the great gift of experiencing Joy and Gladness and of sharing Joy and Gladness with God. We were made for God’s good pleasure…and God finds pleasure in those who Worship Him and Trust in His Love.

Practice Prayer - Join with our Deacons in the ministry of Prayer...by becoming a part of our Prayer Team. Share your joys, your sorrows, your needs and hopes and dreams in a prayer request with the Pastor. Take time to pray…every day…in the midst of a busy world.

It is time to practice, practice, practice, practice our Faith…that we might find the fullness of joy and wonder and life that is written in to the heartbeat of every child of God. Grace and Peace,

Union Church of Cupertino Serving Cupertino since 1884

The Communicator

AUG/SEPT 2016

REV MARK J. BRADY

I went for a walk last week, out around the neighborhood one evening and I could tell that the season is changing. It wasn’t because the nights have gotten a little cooler now than they were in the peak of summer...on that evening I could hardly notice the difference. And it’s not that the leaves are changing color, I suspect we still have a while to wait before we see the seasonal change from the greens of summer to the red, orange, yellow and gold of Autumn. I couldn’t feel the change in the air…and I couldn’t see the change happening around me. I heard it.

I could tell that the season is changing because as I walked through the neighborhood I heard, coming from one house and then from another, the sound of students who

Lothar Bandermann Debbie Barr Vicki Bliven Sue Burchell & her Parents Lynne Carlton Taffy Connors | prayers for healing Cynies | Nicolle’s aunt Anita DeSmet Nancy Dunagan | friend of Richard Kurkowski, undergoing treatments for cancer Wally Evans Diane Ferrell | health concerns Joan Greene Robert Herman | brother of Diane Ferrell, has Parkinson’s Joyce Hitchens | Carol McEwen’s mother Doreen Huston Ruth Hutson Beez Jones Louise Levy Eric Lyon | MaryLou Lyon’s grandson Chung & Cecelia Lung | difficult recovery from Chung’s stroke and hip surgery Mary Lou Lyon Mike Lyon | grandson of Mary Lou Lyon

Jenny Maddox | Mary Jean Proud’s daughter-in-law, health concerns Bonnie Martin Jenelle McEwen | Carol McEwen’s daughter Annette Olsen Gayle Pinkston | Karen V’s brother-in-law, has lost his battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma on 8/15. Prayers for Karen’s sister, Darlene, and her family. Jean Prisock Mary Jean Proud | George passed away, please pray for Mary Jean and her family Ethel Roten Dorothy Shirk Jacqueline Smith | Leon Smith’s daughter Kimberly Smith | Leon Smith’s daughter Anne Tseng’s Father | recovering in Taiwan from a critical heart attack Joseph V | prayers for recovery Nancy Walter’s brother, David Ruth Wesley Bernice Yorke | recovering and spending time with her son, Gordon, in San Diego

In Our Thoughts and Prayers

UNION CHURCH OF CUPERTINO - THE COMMUNICATOR AUGUST 2016

August 2016

8/20 Lothar & Billie Bandermann 8/24 Hirotsugu Toyoda & Yuko Shima 8/24 Phil & Connie Wilson 8/29 Dick & Nancy Walter

September 2016

9/05 Burt & Gini Townsend 9/12 Dick & Jean Taylor 9/26 Mario & Laverne Rabinowitz 9/27 Jim & Yan-Zhang Kuehnis 9/28 David & Susan Snook-Luther

August 2016

8/01 Raj Abhyanker 8/01 Bettey Baeta 8/06 Rabia Kumar 8/06 Gini Townsend 8/06 Sherry Zimmerman 8/12 Alexis McEwen 8/12 David Snook-Luther 8/13 Mac McFarland 8/13 Misaki Ozawa 8/14 Susan Trost 8/18 Doreen Huston 8/21 Holden Trittelvitz 8/21 Dick Walter 8/23 Connie Waters 8/23 Lorraine Leonelli 8/25 Rumyana Yanakieva 8/25 Claire Tsai 8/25 Nicolle Wang 8/31 Billie Bandermann

September 2016

9/03 Burt Townsend 9/08 Tom Mey 9/10 Debbie Barr 9/10 Austin Brady 9/16 Morgan Dickens 9/16 Shabnam Rani 9/17 McKenna True 9/18 MaryLou Lyon 9/19 Jian He 9/22 Rich Parker 9/23 Dorothy Ventura 9/23 Min Ju Lee 9/24 Laverne Rabinowitz 9/26 Brad Trost 9/27 Mark Brady 9/28 Sonal Abhyanker

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

21 (Aug) 9:30am: Worship on the Lawn 10am: Worship Service 10:15am: Sunday School 11:15am: Coffee Fellowship

22

23 7:30pm: Official Board Meeting

24 25 6:00pm: Evening Bible Study

26

27

28 9:30am: Worship on the Lawn 10am: Worship Service 10:15am: Sunday School 11:15am: Coffee Fellowship

29

30

31

1 (Sept) 1:00pm: Women’s Fellowship Meeting

2

3

4 Communion

10am: Worship Service 10:15am: Sunday School 11:15am: Coffee Fellowship 11:30am: Deacons Meeting

5 Labor Day

(office closed)

6 10:00am: Bible Study Resumes

7 7:30pm: Worship Practice Resumes

8

6:00pm: Evening Bible Study

9

10

11 9:30am: Worship on the Lawn 10am: Worship Service 10:15am: Sunday School 11:15am: Coffee Fellowship 12pm: Great America Fun Day

12 10am: Missions Meeting

13 10:00am: Bible Study

14 7:30pm: Worship Practice 7:30pm: Trustees Mtg

15

16

17

18 9:30am: Worship on the Lawn 10am: Worship Service 10:15am: Sunday School 11:15am: Coffee Fellowship

19

20 10:00am: Bible Study

21 7:30pm: Worship Practice

22

23

24

25 9:30am: Worship on the Lawn 10am: Worship Service 10:15am: Sunday School 11:15am: Coffee Fellowship

26 27 10:00am: Bible Study 7:30pm: Official Board Meeting

28 7:30pm: Worship Practice

29 30

Union Church of Cupertino

“Share with us in the joy of the journey” Rev. Mark J. Brady

Inter-denominational Church

Come Join Us…

Sunday Worship Service 10:00 am

Sunday Coffee Fellowship 11:15 am

Tuesday Bible Study 10:00 am (Sept-May)

Thursday Bible Study 6:00 pm (Sept-May)

Office Hours Monday – Friday 8am -1pm

20900 Stevens Creek Blvd Cupertino, CA 95014

Telephone: (408) 252-4478

Email: admin@unionchurch.org

Website: www.unionchurch.org

Union Church | Aug/Sept 2016

UNION CHURCH OF CUPERTINO - THE COMMUNICATOR AUGUST 2016

Rides to/from church needed for members who are

no longer able to drive

Please let the church office know if you might be interested in picking up or taking home some of our church members. This could be done on a regular basis or whenever you can help.

There is a growing need for some of our older members who can no longer drive. They miss their friends at the church and this would help them out so much.

Jack Kempf

Jack Kempf passed away in the late evening of Thursday, June 30th in his home. He was a truly great man and a wonderful guy... He did so much for so many people... and we were blessed to share in the journey with him. "Well done good and faithful servant, enter in to the joy of your Lord."

Join us for our grand finale…

Worship on the Lawn

(entire service outdoors)

August 28th at 9:30am

Coffee | Donuts | Music

Hear the Word of God Learn the Word of God Live the Word of God

George Proud

Our church family wishes to extend our sympathy to Mary Jean Proud and her family, with the passing of her husband, George Proud this week. George was a dedicated member of Union Church for the past 23 years. He devoted many years to the Missions Committee, which included great support to the Men’s Rotating Shelter. The memorial service was held on Saturday, August 6th at 1:00pm here at Union Church.

June Tulencik

We are sad to announce another death of one of our church members, June Tulencik, July 31, 2016. June was an elementary school teacher. She joined Union Church in 1982. Over the years, she was active with the Missions Committee and the Women’s Fellowship. A graveside service will be held for June at a later date, in Coopersville, Michigan.

Baptism We celebrated with Ross and Rumyana and their families on the Sunday morning of August 21st as we shared together in the sacrament of the baptism of Oliver James. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Choir Practice Resuming The Union Church Choir will resume this fall starting with the first rehearsal of the season on Wednesday, September 7th at 7:30pm in the Sanctuary. If you are interested in joining the Choir or the Band please email Ross at musicdirector@unionchurch.org for more info.

Church Facility Keys If anyone has a church key that they no

longer use or need, please return it to the

ushers or to the church office. Thank you!

Missions Update

Second Harvest Food Bank

Why do we give away food the first Sunday of each month as well as support “The 2nd Harvest Food Bank each week”? I believe one of the answers might be that Union Church has a really big heart for those in need so close to home. I also believe that many of you realize that food is not only a basic need but also is the basic core of our giving.

Below you will read about one of the organizations that our Union Church family supports throughout the year. Read about the story of Amanda who has been directly affected by your generosity.

“Dear Friends of Union Church

Amanda’s oldest son has been struggling with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) when she learned through a nutrition class, that the processed foods she was feeding him were making his condition worse. She wanted desperately to feed both of her sons healthier food, but couldn’t afford it. When Amanda’s family began receiving fresh fruits and vegetables from Second Harvest, everything changed.

‘My son’s condition is improving and we’ve actually all lost a lot of weight, which is funny because we’re actually eating more! We’re not hungry as often and we are snacking on things like broccoli, which get us through to the next meal.’ --Amanda

Because of our donors, Amanda can put food on the table that keeps her family healthy.

Thank you for supporting our hungry neighbors and providing them with nutritious food that helps kids thrive, seniors stay strong and keep families in good health.

Kathryn Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of the Second Harvest Food Bank”

Want to listen to the sermon again?

A recording of the entire service will be available on CD after the service has concluded. You are welcome to help yourself to a copy or you can find the sermon posted on the church’s website at www.unionchurch.org located under the “Resources” tab. For questions you can email the church office.

From Annette Olsen:

“I do appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers, visits, phone calls and lovely cards from the Church members. They have certainly meant a lot to me during these long months. I miss everybody and look forward to getting back to Church.”

UC Library Everyone is welcome to check out a book from the church library in the Fireside Room. Three new additions were just added thanks to Dick and Jean Taylor.

1. Heaven Is Beautiful 2. Falling Into Heaven 3. Heaven Is a Breath Away

Reason to buy a Tree of Life leaf:

To honor a friend or family member

To memorialize a person who has

passed away

To celebrate a wedding, anniversary

or birthday

To recognize an achievement such

as graduation

A simple donation of financial

generosity

A gift on behalf of someone

To thank God for blessings received

To thank God for health or recovery

To celebrate children or

grandchildren

To celebrate a birth

UNION CHURCH OF CUPERTINO - THE COMMUNICATOR AUGUST 2016

Tree of Life Latest Additions:

Marilyn Lawson Loving Wife, Mother and Teacher

3/28/1924 - 3/1/2010

Sam H. Lawson Loving Husband, Father

& Cupertino Educator

8/20/1921 - 4/30/1999

With love for our Heavenly Father

and our Lord Jesus.

The Perry family 2016

In Memory of Howard & Ken

With Love

The Howard Larson Family

Rideshare / Car Hailing Services

For many people, gone are the days when you must stand on a street corner to hail a cab, and for us, gone are the days when you must call for a cab to get anywhere. We have all heard of Uber and maybe Lyft. These are known as Ride Sharing or Car Hailing services which, for many people, are convenient ways to get around. You can either arrange a ride yourself with your smart-phone or have a friend do it for you from their home. In general, the cost is much cheaper than that of a taxi. However, the fare may vary depending on demand. Your ride will usually arrive at your pick-up point within a few minutes of hailing it and when you are ready to return home from church or the hair dresser, you hail it again. It will not be the same driver, and unlike a taxi service, they do not wait for you to finish your appointment. No money changes hands, all transactions are electronic/paperless. .

To get started you will need to download the Uber or Lyft APP (-lication on your smart phone) and open an account (on –line) and enter your credit/debit card details. To start your trip you open the app. and type in your pick-up point (address) and your destination. For example: Type in your home address and then type in your destination, such as 20900 Stevens Creek Blvd., Union Church. A map is displayed on the screen and tells you that there is a car available only 3 minutes away. Check the fare estimate box, it is between $6 and $7 within Cupertino and environs.

If there is enough interest, we will hold a training class at the church to help get you started. If you are interested, please call or email the office and leave your name with our Office Manager, Heather, and tell her you want to sign up for the Uber Class.

Dear friends of Union Church, “Lord, I love the house where you dwell, the place where your glory resides.” These words from Psalm 26 should echo in our hearts as we worship in our beautiful church, a precious legacy from parishioners who have gone before us. It is our duty to be grateful for what we have received and to celebrate the blessings of God in our time as a sign for future generations. We’d love to have your family’s name on our TREE OF LIFE, as you remember your roots and your loved ones. Sincerely, Pastor Mark

Buy a Leaf and be a part of Union Church’s Tree of Life. Here is your chance to have your name, or the name of a friend or family member, etched into a beautiful brass leaf as part of Union Church’s Tree of Life in the entrance hall of our Sanctuary. Our Tree of Life will greet visitors as they enter the church. Personalized leaves make great permanent gifts and are a special way to recognize families, friends and loved-ones. All money raised through the Tree of Life will go into our Paviso Endowment Fund and will provide for the life of the church for years to come.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

PLEASE PRINT LEGIBLY IN UPPER CASE

DIRECTIONS: You can choose up to twenty letters or spaces on each line, and up to four lines on each LEAF. Fill out the form to the left exactly as you want it to be mounted. PLEASE PRINT – leaving spaces wherever necessary. (Use a new form for each additional LEAF you wish to order.)

MY NAME: ____________________________________ TELEPHONE #: _____________________

ADDRESS: ____________________________________ CITY/ZIP: __________________________

Yes, place my LEAF on the TREE OF LIFE, enclosed is my payment of $200.00 (tax deductible).

If you wish to memorialize a MINI-TREE, FOUNDATION STONE or ACORN, please contact the church office at 408-252-4478 or admin@unionchurch.org.

Please make checks payable to UNION CHURCH and mail to: Union Church, 20900 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, CA 95014.

SIGNATURE: ___________________________________ DATE: ____________________________

The Christian Flag

You may be familiar with the white flag in the sanctuary and another one, which is often seen flying on our flag pole near Calvert Hall. These are Christian Flags.

The Christian Flag was designed in the early 20th century to represent all of Christianity and Christendom and is popular among Protestant churches in North America, Africa and Latin America. The flag has a white field, with a red Latin cross inside a blue canton. The red symbolizes the blood that Jesus shed on Calvary. The white represents Jesus' purity. The blue represents the waters of baptism as well as the faithfulness of Jesus.

How did all this come about?

The Christian Flag was first conceived on September 26, 1897, at Brighton Chapel on Coney Island in Brooklyn, where the superintendent of a Sunday school, Charles C. Overton, gave an impromptu lecture to the gathered students, because the scheduled speaker had failed to arrive for the event. He gave a speech asking the students what a flag representing Christianity would look like. Overton thought about this for many years afterward. In 1907, he and Ralph Diffendorfer, secretary of the Methodist Young People's Missionary Movement, designed and began promoting the flag.

Various church organizations adopted the flag and on January 23, 1942 and it was dedicated to all of Christendom. The famous hymn writer, Fanny J. Crosby, devoted a hymn titled “The Christian Flag”, with music by R. Huntington Woodman, in its honor. On Sunday, September 26, 1997, the Christian Flag celebrated its one hundredth anniversary.

We see our flag every week in our sanctuary. Maybe we take it for granted as a permanent exhibit – or just maybe, we should take a closer look and remember the red, white and blue – the blood shed for us and the purity and faithfulness of Jesus.

-MARK YOUR CALENDARS! - INVITE YOUR FRIENDS!! - SAY YOUR PRAYERS!!! - IT IS THAT TIME AGAIN…

UNION CHURCH FAMILY DAY AT GREAT AMERICA!!!!

Things to Do… (There's something for everyone from mild to wild!)

Rides & Attractions

If speed and adventure are your calling card, don't miss our THRILL RIDES,

including Flight Deck and Vortex. If slower speeds are for you, FAMILY RIDES

such as Carousel Columbia and Barney Oldfield Speedway are perfect.

Boomerang Bay Water Park

BRING YOUR SWIM SUIT!!!

Boomerang Bay and its 13 water slides, heated lagoon, lazy river and wave pool.

Planet Snoopy

The world's most popular beagle and his friends welcome kids of all ages!

Featuring Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and Sally, Planet Snoopy is sure

to thrill little riders as they fly, whirl, dive and swoop their day through the park!

Sunday, September 11th after worship… Depart at 12:00pm NOON… Return - Early Evening…

Sign up today in Calvert Hall…Look for the sign-up sheet!!!

Call/email the church office for more information:

(408) 252-4478 or email Pastor Mark at pastor@unionchurch.org

UNION CHURCH OF CUPERTINO - THE COMMUNICATOR AUGUST 2016

Like us at:

facebook.com/unionchurchofcupertino

Check us out on and see the

wonderful things that are happening

at Union Church!

UNION CHURCH OF CUPERTINO THE COMMUNICATOR AUG/SEPT 2016

Share with us in the joy of the journey... .

UNION CHURCH OF CUPERTINO 20900 Stevens Creek Blvd.,

Cupertino, CA 95014 Phone: (408) 252-4478 www.unionchurch.org