125 Years and Still Making Noise!

Perhaps you have heard or read somewhere in the last year or so that we are about to celebrate our 125th birthday! Our two day celebration will be September 21 and 22. On Saturday, we will have an open house from 11-4. During that time, there will be will self-guided tours with special displays on our history throughout the building and outside too! This will be a great time of fellowship with current and past members, as well as friends of the church. There will be food, activities for kids and adults, and information from many of our mission partners like The Global Holiday Faire, Heifer International, Narcotics Anonymous, and Sustainable Solano. On Sunday, we will have a coffee hour at 9:30, followed by our worship service with special guest preacher, Rev. Terri Hord Owens, the General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The service will be followed by a catered lunch.

As we celebrate our past, we also look to the future. We have established the 125th Future Fund to help pay for some much needed improvements to the church building. We are grateful for all donations to the fund.

If you can’t make it to the weekend and would still like to participate, please consider making a short video (under 30 seconds) greeting introducing yourself, saying hi to FCC Vallejo, and saying what the church has meant to you. These videos will be playing on a loop in one of the special displays during the open house on Saturday.We would love to hear from you (and you can make one even if you are planning on being there!). Videos should be sent to Beth Grose,

During the build to this special weekend, we have had multiple fund raisers to help pay for this great celebration. One of those fundraisers is happening at the open house itself (although you can participate already). We are having a raffle for a beautiful handmade quilt by Beth Grose: Peace Like a River. From Beth, “The raffle quilt is ready to go to its forever home! Measuring 46” wide x 56” long, it is perfect for a lap throw or wall hanging. Get your raffle tickets at the church; if you can’t come in person you can send your money to the church clearly marked for the raffle ($5 a ticket), and we will gladly add your tickets to the mix. The drawing will be held on Saturday, September 21st as part of our open house activities and you do not need to be present to win. Good luck!”

We need to know how many people are planning on attending these events. So, please RSVP: HTTPS://FORMS.GLE/QMTANDBAOZT6COC99

 
You can find all the information about the event, and links to donate or RSVP on our website: https://vallejochristian.org/125th-anniversary

Even Jesus Was a Refugee

Our upcoming symposium, “Even Jesus was a Refugee” could not be more relevant to the time we are living in. It’s time to make noise and share with our family, friends, neighbors, politicians, community groups, and interested parties. Come and participate in this very important symposium on August 17th at 9:00 am in the Fellowship Hall. Check out the flyer below for all the information and please help spread the word by getting the flyer out there to people you know.
 

Our panelists include Rev. Larry Love who many of us have known for years, discussing the Biblical examples of immigration and the appropriate behavior towards immigrants from a Biblical perspective. Then we have former member David Lawson who will remotely present the History of American Immigration. David until recently was a History teacher at Vallejo High School. Then we have Marina Ordonez a paralegal, and Lainey Meiri an immigration attorney; both from VIDAS, Law Offices of Vital Immigration Defense Advocacy Services. Marina and Lainey will address the legal protections of immigrants and procedures of immigration. I’ll be examining the economics of immigration, its impact on the American economy, and share stories of my business relationships with manufacturers and contractors regarding immigrants. 
 

The goals of the symposium are to diffuse political rhetoric with factual information; supply a very vulnerable community and advocates with handouts so they may remember important talking points; and to provide discussion time for attendees.

Ordination Paper Discussion

The Shepherding Committee of Beth, Carl, and Sara has been meeting with Shannon Gomez as she progresses toward ordination. We are happy to share that we are nearly through the candidacy process! Shannon's final requirement for FCCV is to share her Ordination Paper with the elders for discussion and pondering. This is the paper required by the Regional Church's Training and Care Committee that will be a major part of Shannon's official Ordination Interview this fall. We are lucky to get a preview of Shannon's work and a chance to discuss it with her in an informal Q&A session. We will meet after worship on August 18 in the Fellowship Hall. In advance of this date, a copy of Shannon's paper will be distributed by email to the elders and any others who plan to attend in person. After reading on our own time, everyone will have an opportunity to submit some questions by email for discussion.

When we meet on the 18th, we'll eat our brown bag lunches and hear Shannon respond to our inquiries. We will get to listen and discuss! This will be a great opportunity for all of us to grow in understanding together and support our Ministry candidate. Don't forget to bring your curiosity and thoughtful reflections!