Northminster Presbyterian Church

“Caring for all with God’s love and grace.”315 E. Alvin Drive _Salinas CA 93906831-449-2717 _ www.northminster.org

Don’t Miss

Music Music Music MusicAppreciationAppreciationAppreciationAppreciation Day Day Day Day

Sunday, May 20Sunday, May 20Sunday, May 20Sunday, May 20thththth

Featuring Events that Highlight Northminster’sGlorious Musical Tradition! Details inside!

Vol. XVI, No. 5 May 1, 2012

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From Your Pastor

God is good.... all the time! And all the time...God is good!

This is an amazing affirmation of faith.Many Christians use this as a form of greeting,

and it is something worth remembering. It is easy tosee the “goodness of God” when everything is goingwell, but when life is giving us grief, it is harder to seethat, indeed, God is good.

David wrote in the 23rd Psalm, “Even though Iwalk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, youare with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfortme.” It is in these hard places that we need toremember how good God is, and that God carries usthrough these dark places.

Last month, we said “good bye” to twowonderful members of our congregation, Pat

Strand and Adolph Brusa. It may have seemed thatGod was absent, or cruel. But we know that God waspresent at their deaths, and God has welcomed themhome.

Maybe your kids are giving you grief, or you arefacing the loss of a job, or continued under- orunemployment. Maybe you're facing a devastatingillness, your own or of a loved one. It seems unfair,and it may seem that God is punishing you.

Know this: God doesn't “punish” us, and Godwill never give us more than we can handle. In theletter of James we read, “Blessed is anyone whoendures temptation. Such a one has stood the test andwill receive the crown of life that the Lord haspromised to those who love him. No one, whentempted, should say, ‘I am being tempted by God’;for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himselftempts no one.”

(Continued inside)

May

5 Edna Herrier8 Andy Rausch15 Rita Hignel

Lisa Loder16 Rubye Riggs24 Jeff Cuda

Gerardo DominguezNancy Palmer

26 Leona Hull30 Cleda Goldman

Joy Lohuis

June Early Birds

1 Dorothy Cavanagh4 Viola Baker

Bob BrammanRick Giffin

7 Kristine AbbottAimee Cuda

May

24 Don & Carol Suggett . . . . . . . 36

June Early Birds

1 Bob & Jean Bramman . . . . . . 21Al & Daisy HarnerAl & Daisy HarnerAl & Daisy HarnerAl & Daisy Harner . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 65656565

CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS

Regular Events(Check the Sunday bulletin for updated info.)

Sundays8:45 am Adult Bible Study - Rm 11/1210:00 am Traditional Worship - Sanctuary11:30 am Cribbage Club - Rm 114:00 pm Cornerstone Fellowship - Chapel5:00 pm Youth Connec^ion -Youth Rm

Mondays6:30 pm Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts - Rm 25

Tuesdays9:30 am Women’s Bible Study - Rm 1110:30 am Staff Meeting - Library

Wednesdays12:00 pm Lunch Bunch - Library3:30 pm F.L.O.C.K./Satellite - Ministry Center6:00 pm Chancel Bells Rehearsal - Bell Rm (13)7:30 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal - Choir Rm

Thursdays7:00 am Men’s Breakfast Fellowship - Geneva Rm

Other Events This Month

May1 7:00 pm Men’s Grief Support Fellowship6 11:15 am Personnel Committee8 5:30 pm I-HELP Homeless Meal/Lodging13 11:15 am Worship & Arts 14 10:15 am Finance14 6:30 pm Board of Deacons15 Newsletter Deadline15 7:00 pm Men’s Grief Support Fellowship19 5:00 pm Relay for Life Mystery Dinner

“The Good, The Bad & The Guilty”20 Music Appreciation Sunday

10:00 am Special Music-Filled Worship Service11:15 am Fellowship Potluck/Inquirer’s Class11:15 am Outreach Committee

21 6:30 pm Mission Committee 21 6:30 pm Session (Rescheduled due to holiday)22 5:30 pm I-HELP Homeless Meal/Lodging24 1:30 pm Priscilla Circle at Nancy Forsman’s27 11:15 am Christian Ed Meeting28 Office Closed 29 5:30 pm I-HELP Homeless Meal/Lodging

OurOurOurOurHomebound Homebound Homebound Homebound

FriendsFriendsFriendsFriends

Beulah Adams - The RidgeFlorence Bower - Madonna Drive Care Home

Jim Cherry - Santo Nino Care HomeBob Leighton - Eden Care

Emma Price - EmeritusDorothy Cavanagh, Rita Hignel - Madonna Manor

Bob Rogers - Napa Care HomeWanda Stark - home (Florida)

( Contact Micki for mailing information.

Sunday, May 20Sunday, May 20Sunday, May 20Sunday, May 20isisisis

A Special DayA Special DayA Special DayA Special DayIt’sIt’sIt’sIt’s

MusicMusicMusicMusicAppreciationAppreciationAppreciationAppreciation

DayDayDayDayWorship: 10:00 am - Our choirs and bell choirs willshare music and song for a glorious worship experiencefor all ages.

Fellowship Potluck: 11:15 am - Directly followingworship, we will adjourn to the Ministry Center for a greattime of food and fellowship. Bring your favorite dish toshare.

Inquirer’s Class: Time TBA - Whether you’ve been aregular attender at Northminster and want to become anofficial member, or you’re just curious about church orthe PC(USA), this is your opportunity to find out moreabout the family of God at Northminster.

Y’all are invited to a

Murder Mystery

Dinnerto benefit

Relay for Life

It’s

“The Good,

The Bad,

and

the Guilty”!!

The setting: June 1881 in Roadkill, Wyoming Territory

The question: Who killed Judge Waylon Payne?

Butch Chastity? Helena Handcart?Elvira-Lynn Fekshin? Dee Adela Muerte?P’elvis Swagarin? Chief Breaking Wind?Wyatt Hertz? Elias Truist-Heath?

Sign up in the narthex orlobby to be one of thesehigh-fallutin’ characters andjoin us for a great BBQdinner with all the fixins.

You’ll receive a costume guide and script tocomplete your transformation.

So saddle up and join us as we raise funds to“Corral the Beast” that is cancer!

Cost is $25, with proceeds going to Relay forLife!

Our Website Has Our Website Has Our Website Has Our Website Has A New Look!A New Look!A New Look!A New Look!

Check out our website formore information on your church! Downloadthe newsletter or read about youth programs! It’s a great resource to share with your familyand friends, especially if they are looking for achurch home!

So visit us at www.northminster.orgwww.northminster.orgwww.northminster.orgwww.northminster.org

Senior Singers

In Concert

Sunday, May 27

2:30 p.m. Good Shepherd Lutheran

Spring is in the air, and so is the sound of ourfabulous Senior Singers in their seventh annualcelebration of “seasoned singing”. The special magicof 50+ vintage voices and their delightful mixture ofsacred and secular music will leave you inspired andbursting into song for weeks to come.

Admission is free; an offering will be taken to helpsupport their expenses. Don’t miss it!

The Senior Singers are now on the road as part oftheir spring touring schedule, bringing the joy ofsinging to our community. If you find yourself in thevicinity of one of their performances noted below, besure to come over and support our friends!

5/7 2:00 pm Pacific Coast Care

5/10 12:15 pm Active Seniors

5/14 1:00 pm Regency Court2:00 pm Emeritus

5/21 1:00 pm Villa Serra2:00 pm Madonna Manor

5/27 2:30 pm Spring Concert, LutheranChurch of the Good Shepherd

6/4 12:30pm Retired Public Employees at BingoParlor

The group will take a well deserved break for thesummer, and return in September. If you’d like toadd your voice to their ranks, please contact JoyceSolazzi, Director.

Northminster

is a

Proud Supporter of

2012 - Our Ninth Year!!

Relay for LifeSaturday, June 9

10:00 am

to

Sunday, June 10

10:00 am

Sign up to join our team! Support our great fund raisers!

Registration Forms available

in the narthex and lobby!

From the Pastorcontinued

When we are tempted, when we feel like Godhas abandoned us, we need to turn our eyes back onGod, and know that God will help us get throughwhatever is distressing us.

In 1937, Mary Stevenson wrote a poem that hasbecome widespread, called “Footprints in the Sand.” I leave you with this poem:

One night a man had a dream. He dreamedhe was walking along the beach with the LORD.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.For each scene he noticed two sets offootprints in the sand: one belongingto him, and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed beforehim,he looked back at the footprints in the sand.He noticed that many times along the path ofhis life there was only one one one one set of footprints.He also noticed that it happened at the verylowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and hequestioned the LORD about it:"LORD, you said that once I decided to followyou, you'd walk with me all the way.But I have noticed that during the mosttroublesome times in my life,there is only one set of footprints.I don't understand why whenI needed you most you would leave me."

The LORD replied:"My son, my precious child,I love you and I would never leave you.During your times of trial and suffering,when you see only one set of footprints,it was then that I carried you."

God is good... all the time!Andy

PILLOW TALKPILLOW TALKPILLOW TALKPILLOW TALKGreetings, “Pillow Pals”!

The Lunch Bunchcontinue their diligent efforts,working on pillows while theyenjoy lunch and fellowship onWednesdays. Their faithfulwork leaves the Comfort PillowMinistry with a dilemma: Weare running out of ribbon towrap and secure the cards (pictured)!!

If you have any extra or unwanted spools of thinor medium width ribbon around the house, or ifyou’d like to make a donation of ribbon, please bringit by the church office.

And if you come on a Wednesday around noon,why not stay for Lunch with the Bunch? You’ll have agreat time!

New New New New

Prayer Partners Prayer Partners Prayer Partners Prayer Partners

Wanted! Wanted! Wanted! Wanted!

Do you have a little spare time and are looking to fill it? When you hear about the suffering of friends or aroundthe world are you moved to talk to God about it? Thenwe need you on our prayer team! When we receive arequest for prayer, Dorothy Elliott calls the prayer team tomobilize our spiritual army. We issue regular updates forthose requests, and pass along answered prayer withpraise reports. If you would like to join the team, pleasecall Micki in the church office at 449-2717, ext. 10.

Our Our Our Our

CondolencesCondolencesCondolencesCondolences

To the family of Eric Wyatt. Eric died March 31st

after a three year battle with cancer. He was 45. Bornin Visalia, Eric and his younger brother Keith wereraised in Salinas.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in economics in1988, Eric earned his law degree from Santa ClaraUniversity and began his law practice in the early1990’s. He would later become a partner in the firmbefore leaving to begin his career with the MaderaCounty District Attorney’s Office where he worked withthe Madera Area Drug and Narcotics EnforcementTeam (MADNET). For his work Eric would be honoredby the California Department of Justice with the DrugProsecutor of the Year award. Later he was promoted toAssistant District Attorney and, at age 38, wasappointed to his judgeship by then Governor ArnoldSchwarzenegger. He served 11 years before steppingdown a year ago for medical reasons.

The Honorable Eric C. Wyatt is survived by hiswife of 16 years, two sons, his parents and brother.

To Shirley Booth and the family of Adolph Brusa. Adolph died April 12 suddenly due to healthcomplications. He was 89.

Adolph was born August 23, 1922 to Swissimmigrants who settled in Gonzales.

Adolph served in the Marines in World War II,fought on Iwo Jima and was awarded the Purple Heart.He married Betty War on July 5, 1947. He worked as ameat cutter and became an owner of Salinas Drive InMarket.

Adolph was active in Salinas youth baseball andhelped bring Pop Warner Football to the area. He wasinvolved in many religious and community groups: FirstUnited Presbyterian Church, Northminster PresbyterianChurch, Meals on Wheels, elementary student tutoring,SIRS, Swiss American Club, and the Monterey CountyHistorical Society. For the last decade he tutored adultsin English at the California Educational Training Centerworking there up until the week before his death.

Adolph is survived by his son, daughter, fivegrandsons, a granddaughter, several greatgrandchildren, his brother, two sisters, numerous niecesand nephews and the “comfortable companion” of hislater years, Shirley Booth.

He was known as a man with an unerringpragmatism tempered with a loving heart; although asoldier, he was a man of peace, who was lovinglyremembered at a memorial service on April 21st atNorthminster.

Dear Friends,

On behalf of my family, Randy, Jim and Paul, I wantto express my love and appreciation to the church familyfor their prayers, love and support during Pat’s illness. What comfort it was to know that God was hearing yourthoughts and prayers through those several weeks.

So many of you have been through the loss of yourmate. The empathy I feel for you has encouraged me asI have begun this grieving experience.

Thank you for being there for us.

With God’s love and comfort,Norton Strand

Church Staff / ParticipantsPastor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andy RauschOrganist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Claire VincentDirector of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dana VivitChoir Accompanist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adrienne NoggleDaycare . . . . . . . . . . Laura Hunter-Michels, Susan Fox. . . Michelle Dominguez, Tasha Layman, Beret StocktonDirector of Children’s Ministries . . . . . . Jessica MonteroPreschool/KP . . . Laura Hunter-Michels, Krynda MichelsCustodian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pete GomezChurch Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Micki Brown

A Poem for

Lord, let me not in service lag,Let me be worthy of our flag.Let me remember, when I’m tried,Those heroic who have diedIn freedom’s name, and in my wayTeach me to be as brave as they.

In all I am, in all I do,Unto our flag I would be true;For God and country let me stand.Unstained of soul and clean of hand,Teach me to serve and guard and loveThe Starry Flag which flies above.

~ Edgar A. Guest