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The Great Grief

Posted on by Kymberly

By Emily Lawrence

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that sometimes out of nowhere I am made wholly aware of the Earth’s moaning as she slowly becomes uninhabitable. Perhaps it’s when I realize how much I miss the flocks of birds. I do miss birds. Maybe it’s when there’s a horrendous fire that consumes beloved forests and innocent people, billowing suffocating smoke that burns my eyes and makes me cough more than usual. I sometimes wonder about the migration of people whose political and natural environment is failing, and how long before I, or my children or grandchildren, will be among them. And where will we go? The Creation is our home … and it is us simultaneously.

Everywhere we go, there we are; there it is, and there is no safe place. Everyday in the news I read about new dire warnings of environmental collapse, and then I come face-to-face with my denial. But often, it’s late at night when my day is done, and my world is quiet that I feel the anxiety paralyze my verbal mind and grip my throat with tears as my heart falls and falls; I am helpless and overwhelmed with this great grief.

I love and because I do, I grieve.

I would like to start a conversation in my church home about what others may be thinking and feeling as it pertains to The Great Loss. My hope is that through these conversations and prayer we will begin to lift our hearts in hope and action, rejecting isolation and silence, unifying and strengthening ourselves in Jesus. To this end, Pastor Raygan and I are convening a meeting to gather our energy, grief, and concern for Creation, and to explore how we might move this into action within and beyond our church. Anyone who has felt this grief, anxiety, or hopelessness is invited to join. “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

Please join us after church (11:30am) on March 17th in the Heritage Room.

Getting to Know You: Alan Coles

Posted on by Kymberly

Written by Dale Buchanan

On a recent Tuesday, Gayle and I traveled to Clovis for a much-anticipated sit-down time with Alan. His office is on the corner of Ashlan and Willow. Gayle turned on Google maps which directed us to his door at exactly ten o’clock and our appointment. A young lady greeted us at the front desk and Alan came from a back room and greeted us immediately. I sensed from the start a friendly informal atmosphere. That front office was conducive to conversation. Near the front door sat the young woman who greeted us. Between the front door and the reception desk sat two comfortable chairs and out in the middle of the room was a solitary desk. My first thought was this must be where business gets done.

We stood chatting and Alan asked if we would like to see his office. We agreed and again I was impressed with the information the office revealed about Alan. First of all, it is a small space—sort of like an afterthought. It has no windows and looks as if it might have been originally designed as a storage room. In the far end of the room away from the door is a desk. One chair sits behind the desk which is against a wall. This is obviously Alan’s private place. Standing at the office entrance I was wondering why this tour of a very private space?  I was not left to wonder long. On the wall opposite the entrance was a collage of caps arranged around a wooden tennis racket. The caps were autographed souvenirs from famous tennis players and the racket one of his from years back.

We were guided back to those comfortable chairs in the great room. I was presented with a cup a coffee. Alan sat down behind the desk placed strategically to remind us that the occupant of that chair was after all still in charge.

Several months ago at a housewarming I overheard Alan talking about his direct line back to the pilgrims and this scribe has been anxious to tell his story in this column ever since.

“Robert Coles first appears in the Massachusetts Bay Colony around 1633. Governor Winthrop was not pleased with his public intoxication. He was required to wear a shirt with a red “D” on it and when that failed, he was banished to Rhode Island where he came under the influence of Roger Williams and was involved in establishing the first Baptist church in North America. One of the most influential ministers in colonial history, Williams had also been banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and coined the phrase: separation of church and state.

Dale, I was born in Selma. The journey from Rhode Island to California required many generations and several hundred years. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, and Nebraska were all stops along the way.

I was a latchkey kid and began playing the piano by ear around the age of six or seven. I was not much older when I got my first tennis racket. My mother was involved in music and played tennis. From her was born my two lifelong passions. My first public performance was at the Grand Lodge in Yellowstone when I wandered over to a grand piano while waiting with my family for Old Faithful to erupt. I sat down and played “The Moonlight Sonata” unaware an audience was gathering. In high school I was a member of a rock and roll band and we played all over Fresno. Once when BB King played in Visalia, our band opened for his concert. In my senior year at Selma High School my varsity tennis team won thirteen championship tournaments. Playing the piano and tennis remain constant sources of pleasure.

You are right, Dale. My story cannot be told without a chapter entitled “Marilyn.”  She has been my true love and wife since we pledged our vows over thirty years ago in the Big Red Church. I met this remarkable woman in 1980 when she was assigned to my fledging insurance business as an underwriter who specialized in farm insurance. Think of an underwriter as the cop on the block protecting the carrier and charging appropriate premiums for the risk at hand. From a business standpoint, I found Marilyn to be a woman of high integrity and extremely fair.

On a personal side, I was smitten with Marilyn. She was an exciting person to date. With her living in Sacramento and me here, we were forced to give each other space which only intensified that spark which made our time together so special. It was a very romantic time—trips to Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, the wine country, and lots of times we met half-way in Modesto at the Hungry Hunter.

Work, distance, and circumstances resulted in a period of apartness. Then one week I went to Hawaii with my bowling league. When I got home a fellow insurance agent called and told me that Marilyn was in town making agency visits. I called her. We went to dinner and the rest is history.

Dale Buchanan is a member of FCCF with a passion for stories and writing. In between penning his own memoirs, he is helping us get to know our members, one pew at a time.

Getting to Know You: The Pantry Gang

Posted on by bigredch

A column dedicated to the folks in the pews.

Written by Dale Buchanan

In the spotlight this week are the members of what this scribe affectionately calls the “Pantry Gang.”  Now it is true that “gang” has some bad connotations and may refer to an organized group of criminals, hoodlums or wrongdoers. Now our gang is organized, but here the resemblance to the above definition ends. This Pantry Gang is a group of people organized for a particular purpose. My investigative reporting has led me to believe that this definition is perfect.

Is this to suggest that some one individual dominates. Of course not!  Or that they are subject to mob rule? Definitely not! They are—every one of them—passionate about their cause. They speak, they listen, and the result is an operational plan that moves them as a cohesive gang toward the common goal.

Once the blueprint is complete and clear goals are established, this gang goes to work as one to accomplish that one purpose that unites them. They share a clear vision:  to feed the hungry. That is it. Everything they do is focused on providing nourishment for the malnourished.

Notice that they are “people from the pews,” which meets the criteria of this post. For certainly this gang comes from the pews. You will observe that this report will have no names because this gang has emerged from the pews and the social nature of their mission has melded their identity into one cohesive social unit. This systematic arrangement did not just happen willy-nilly. It is the direct result of gang activity. Once a month they meet and arrange the next operation. And mind you, it is a planning session. The amazing thing is the orderly, methodical way that these pew people proceed.

The Pantry Ministry is labor intensive. The planning is essential. The meetings are necessary. The growth has been phenomenal. From a closet in a back room providing primarily canned and dry goods to a very few to now providing meals to feed hundreds, the Pantry Gang at Big Red is literally heeding the words of Jesus when he said: “FEED MY SHEEP.”

Have you ever thought about joining a gang?  Now is your chance! Show up at the next gang meeting. Take part in the gang’s work. You will find the joy of belonging to the Pantry Gang a great experience.


Dale Buchanan is a member of FCCF with a passion for stories and writing. In between penning his own memoirs, he is helping us get to know our members, one pew at a time.

Getting to Know You: A Big Red Halloween

Posted on by Kymberly

A column dedicated to the folks in the pews.

Written by Dale Buchanan

It is Wednesday, October 31, and Halloween is here. Gayle has volunteered to help with serving snacks at the Big Red neighborhood party. As we drive, yours truly is reminiscing about Halloween in his childhood. I grew up in a village seven miles north of Fresno. Halloween was exclusively for children and celebrated in the pleasant autumn streets. There were no sidewalks and no street lights. The only part adults played was to provide candy and be the recipients of our tricks. I remembered that in those days “trick or treat” was more than a polite request. It was understood that those laughing spooks and goblins were actually threatening a trick if there was no treat. This old man smiled in delight as memories of tricks played were recalled as the children of Hi-way City for one night of the year turned our ramshackle village into a magic place where we ruled.

The Halloween party was scheduled from five to eight p.m. Gayle and I strolled in right at four p.m. She went straight to the kitchen for her marching orders. I went into the Fellowship Hall, found an out-of-the-way place, pulled out my pen and notebook, and watched the evening unfold.

My first observation was that a whole lot of preparation was going into this party. My second realization was the presence of what I call “The People of the Pews.” They were busy as bees—organized and efficient. They were in fact a great functioning crew—diverse, happy, and above all each and every one working.

This reporter remains amazed at the involvement of the number of Big Red congregants who step out of the pews to serve the church and the community. The primary focus of this weekly report is on individual members and their stories. However, there are many activities that require a group effort and our dedicated pew people are experts in these social activities. My reluctance turned to delight as I watched these talented folks combine their respective talents to make Halloween happen at the Big Red Church.

At just five p.m. costumed children of all ages, along with their smiling and costumed parents, began to arrive. Traditional Halloween decorations provided a fun atmosphere. The assigned crew members assumed their positions at the serving tables and began to serve the excited children and their happy parents.

From where I sat near an open door, I could hear the strains of spooky music playing. I stopped a busy crew member and inquired. The hurried answer was, “Oh, the organ is haunted.”  This I had to see. I stepped outside and heard our pipe organ pealing out traditional haunted music. I walked in the sanctuary and there was our beautiful pipe organ covered in spider webs and being played flawlessly by a grinning skeleton. His legs were lying on the floor, his boney fingers were poised above the keys, and the organ magically produced the haunting sounds of Halloween. Everyone who walked in—from toddlers to seniors—was spellbound.

Meanwhile, back in the Fellowship Hall, the little people dressed in their imaginative costumes continue to arrive in an unbroken promenade. These beautiful children lead their parents to the fantastic feast of hot dogs, nachos, lemonade, and yes, candy treats too. Oh, what fun!

My table, which has remained my solitary observation post, suddenly becomes a coveted place to eat, and I am invaded by a three-year-old pirate accompanied by his smiling parents. Max is an extraordinary swashbuckling rogue. Both hands are holding treasures of Tootsie Rolls. Max is in pre-school and at his swashbuckling best reveals that he has girlfriends. Before losing interest and turning his attention to the hot dog his dad has delivered, Max confesses that he has a treasure map that will lead him to a chest of gold.

The hot dogs are flying off the tables and children transported by their imaginations and costumes transform that room into a magic world as they march leading their parents. Here comes a little pink butterfly rushing along to get her treat. There in his stroller and pushed by his proud dad is Spider-Man.

I have moved outside where Pastor Raygan is being”trick or treated” by the neighborhood children. I remember Jesus saying, “Suffer the little children to come unto me.” Methinks this has happened at Big Red Church this Halloween evening. Families have flocked to this safe and friendly environment, and as they leave they are smiling. One lady in a smiling family group approached me as I sat observing and said, “Thank you. This was wonderful. We got no sermons and no guilt trips. Your church has provided a safe, friendly place for neighborhood families to interact with their neighbors in a relaxed family-friendly environment. Thanks again!”


Dale Buchanan is a member of FCCF with a passion for stories and writing. In between penning his own memoirs, he is helping us get to know our members, one pew at a time.

Getting to Know You: Catherine Cooper

Posted on by Kymberly

A column dedicated to the folks in the pews.

Written by Dale Buchanan

Catherine is a wife, a mother, a teacher, and one of those people from the Big Red pews that everyone should be acquainted with. Born in Salisbury, Maryland, her journey from that birth on the opposite coast to Fresno is a fascinating tale in and of itself.

One little aside seems appropriate at this time. In our interview Catherine was more than generous with her time and freely answered my questions—even expanding the answers giving me a wealth of background and anecdotes. There is so much to choose from as I try to convey the impressions gleaned from this charming, dedicated teacher of children.

Catherine was an only child. Her father went to work one morning when she was eleven months old and never returned. This event which appears on the surface as tragic was the impetus for forging a loving and nurturing bond between mother and daughter. In addition to her mother, Catherine’s Uncle John provided a stabilizing father figure during her childhood and youth.

I asked Catherine to tell me a bit about her mom:  “Mother’s people were farmers and she was the first in the family to graduate from college. She was a special education teacher for forty years. My mom is smart, witty, humorous, and independent. She still lives in New Jersey and visits us here in Fresno.”

Now I must narrow my focus to what I see as the defining characteristics of today’s pew person. While pursuing her undergraduate degree at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, this determined young woman taught youth ministry and music programs at camp meetings in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, in the summers. During the school year she cleaned houses, walked dogs, sat cats, clerked in a candle shop, and served as a nanny among other things to earn money to come to the West Coast and attend the University of Southern California for graduate work.

With her mother’s help she packed her little car and headed west exhibiting the same courage and determination already described. She succeeded in securing lodging and part-time work, and she was on her way. While attending USC, Catherine’s passion for music and an urgent compulsion to teach led her to South Central Los Angeles where she taught volunteers to teach music—something Catherine decribes as a part-time job and a life experience.

It was here at USC where Catherine met Kevin who was to become her husband and father of her children. In 2002 Kevin was offered a position at Fresno City College and Big Red inherited this young couple. They picked the Big Red Church specifically to expose their children to the diversity they would experience in this church family. We as a church are the beneficiaries of their choice.

From the vision of this amazing woman came something called Kidmunity. Like so many ministries at Big Red, this summer camp is the vision of one and the successful labor of a multitude. For five days every summer a truly unique community outreach turns Big Red into a place of joy, learning, and hope as children from our diverse neighborhood are taught music fundamentals. On the last day of camp this June, Gayle convinced me to attend the gala windup of this wonderful week which included to the children’s delight water balloon fights and relay races. A concert for family and friends demonstrating their week’s learning was on Saturday. I went more than a little skeptical, but lo and behold, the concert was actually very good and a delightful experience.

Thank you, Catherine and all your dedicated fellow visionaries, for ministering to the children of our community through music and giving them through your service a glimpse of God’s love.


Dale Buchanan is a member of FCCF with a passion for stories and writing. In between penning his own memoirs, he is helping us get to know our members, one pew at a time.

Moderator’s Message: Part Two

Posted on by Kymberly

Hi Big Red Congregation and Friends!

Last week I wrote the first segment of a much anticipated council retreat trilogy. That first segment was about the bylaws, operating policies and procedures, and the organizational structure of the council. This week’s segment is about communication and I know you’ve been sitting on the edge of your seat to get this second installment! (That’s moderator humor!)
 
Communication…what does this mean? We do know from our New Beginnings series and Day of Discovery done some months ago, that people generally agree we need to improve our communication. To communicate well, for example, one says things with clarity while another carefully listens, so the speaker’s message is clearly and fully understood by the listener. Easy, right? Well, maybe not easy.
 
By all accounts, communication includes speaking, listening, reading, and writing. But is also includes broadcasting, mailing, posting, handing out, calling, announcing, reporting, documenting, and summarizing. Past communications need to be filed, organized, located, recalled, reviewed, re-read, acted on, or tossed. 
 
Let’s look at the parties in a communication. The speaker, the listener, the writer, the reader. If one speaks or writes but the other doesn’t listen or read, is there communication? What if the words of the speaker, heard exactly as said by the listener, have an interpretation by the listener that is different from the speaker? Is there communication? What if the words of the writer, read and re-read and re-read again by the reader are interpreted by the reader differently than intended by the writer? Is there communication?
 
Communication is a beast! It is hard to make it effective. One only needs to look at the bible and consider the multitude of interpretations and meanings that readers all over the world have on the very same words, written in the very same order with the very same spelling and the very same punctuation from the very same version.
 
So…what is the council going to do about communication? Form a committee, of course! I know…this sounds like a joke, but it’s not. In fact, the bylaws include a standing Communications/Public Relations Committee. Here’s what the bylaws say about this committee:
 
ARTICLE XIV
​SECTION 7. COMMUNICATIONS/PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE: The Moderator shall with Council approval appoint a Communications/Public Relations Committee of at least 3 people, designating one as the Chairperson. The committee shall be responsible for publicizing the Church’s work and events to the community through releases to the media, distribution of flyers and other available means. The committee shall ensure the distribution of a newsletter and such other notices as needed to the Congregation.
 
The council wants to expand the scope of this committee to include looking at ways to help our members feel like they know what is going on in the church. People genuinely just want to feel connected and involved and council wants to facilitate this. In addition, your council wants to improve our filing system so we can spend more time better serving you and less time trying to find the things we need to better serve you!
 
There’s a lot in this writing and I hope it makes sense. I also hope each of us will be diligent about our role in the communication process. We will speak and write when needed, AND listen and read…even seek out…communications and information when we needed. Your council knows we can improve this process and we are committed to finding better ways of facilitating the communication process! This will be a fun and interesting process, so stay tuned!
 
Sincerely,
 
Your wanting to be a better communicator Moderator

Scott’s Thoughts: Focus

Posted on by Kymberly

From Scott Baucher, Moderator

This morning I rolled out of bed at the ungodly hour of 1:35. I couldn’t sleep and had something to write. Now, it’s 3:25 and I’m just getting started. Or…more accurately…restarted…again. Ironically, the topic is focus.

For this writing, focus means concentrating and acting on a plan. The plan for 2017 and 2018 is to create a 5-year-rolling-plan called the Road to 202X (pronounced twenty, twenty X). In 2017, we are creating a 5-year-plan that will take us to 2022. Next year, we’ll review and revise the plan to take us to 2023, etc. Hence, a 5-year-rolling-plan to 202X. 

While this plan is being developed, we also want to consider our “infrastructure”. This primarily includes technology for better communication, accounting, financial reporting and membership info that can connect us in more interesting and meaningful ways. Infrastructure also means talented, qualified, dedicated people as well as improved revenue and stewardship. 

But let’s look beyond our own walls and boundaries. Let’s look at neighboring real estate to understand what property might fit with our sanctuary, social justice, and community connection hopes and dreams. This involves fact finding and creative input. 

At this writing, we are focusing and we are making progress, thanks to so many of you! I am EXTREMELY proud of the people we have at our church. Our members, our staff, our leadership. An amazing group! We are lucky people to find ourselves surrounded and supported by so many who do so much!! 

Focus. Focus on the future…the Road to 202X. Interesting? Interested? Let me know! 

Your Friend in Focus,

Scott

Scott’s Thoughts

Posted on by Kymberly
We’ve all heard the expression: What gets measured gets done.
 
One thing our church measures well is money. We have ushers who count money each Sunday. We have a bookkeeper who records the money. We have a Chief Financial Officer who reports our money in great detail. We have a Ministry of Resources which reviews the changes in our money and checks to see if our money is working hard to make more money. We have an annual money campaign. Finally, we have a Council which takes all the info generated by all the people who measure money which it uses to help make decisions. We know how to measure money.
 
But I wonder if we know why? Why do we measure money so well? Is it the #1 vital of a church? Or is it simply because that’s what good stewards do? I’d suggest it is both and this is good.
 
I’ll also suggest that measuring money with such effort may mean we are ignoring other very important vitals. People, for example. I wonder what might happen if we measured people like we measure money? What if someone counted people each Sunday? Then, what if people, or attendance, were recorded each week? Then, what if an officer prepared a report of our attendance in full and interesting detail? Then, what if a ministry reviewed the changes in attendance as a measure of how people are engaged and involved in our church? What if we had an annual people campaign? Finally, what if our Council took all the info generated by all the people who measure attendance and used this info to help make decisions? What if we knew how to measure people? Is this a “vital” we should measure?
 
What is your opinion about measuring people, or attendance? Should we try harder to measure people? Would you like to see money, people, or both measures posted regularly? What other measures should we consider that might help us grow and improve as a church? I’d love to know what you think!
 
Sincerely,
 
Scott
FCCF “Measureator” Moderator
 

Sacred Pursuits: Let’s Talk About White Privilege — Week Three

Posted on by Kymberly

Week Three Resources:

Video 1: Racism is Real

Video 2: TED Talk by Kandice Sumner, “How America’s Public Schools Keep Kids in Poverty”

Week Three’s readings were from Part 3 of our text. 

The Cash Value of Whiteness or Whiteness as a Tax-Exempt Status
Chapter 1: Whiteness as a Tax-Exempt Status
Chapter 2: How Education Advantages Whites
Chapter 3: How Housing Practices Advantage Whites

After reading through the chapters above, give yourself some quiet time to reflect on these questions. You may choose to reflect in silent thought, process through dialogue with someone else, or use your journal as a way of recording your thoughts.
What does it mean to say that whiteness has cash value? What does it mean to say that whiteness is a taxexempt status?
Education is an economic tool. How does or doesn’t your own education translate into economic power? How would a different quality of education have affected your life?
How is your education a product of where you lived and the neighborhood you grew up in? If you had grown up in a different neighborhood, where houses were much less expensive or much more expensive, how do you imagine your experience in the classroom and in the general public sphere would have been different?

This week we will be reading from The Cash Value of Whiteness or Whiteness as a Tax-Exempt Status
Chapter 4: How Income and Wealth Disparities Advantage Whites
Chapter 5: How the Medical and Health Industries Advantage Whites

New Offering Card to Debut October First

Posted on by Kymberly
From the Ministry of Worship
 
The Ministry of Worship works with the pastor to assess ways to make our Worship Services a place where we can consciously connect with God through words of our faith, uplifting music, and ritual.  
 
The Ministry of Worship wants you to see the Offering Time with fresh eyes.  A lot of folks let the plate pass by because they already gave.  Many of us give by mail, by electronic pay systems direct from our bank, or through our phones (Givlify App or Square).  We want to contribute; we just do it in different ways. So it’s easy to just let the plate go by in the service.
 
But, because God loves us unconditionally, we need to respond – to offer of something of ourselves back to God – that is what the
Offering Time is all about.  Every Sunday, we should be conscious of offering back to God.  We can offer dollars, but we can also offer service, or even prayers of gratitude.
To help us do that each week, we are debuting an Offering Card on Sundays. If you are not putting a financial donation into the plate, consider using our new Offering Card: 
  •  If you have donated electronically or by mail this week, mark it on the card and put that in the plate.
  •   If you offer a gift of service, such as church office volunteer, working with children or youth, interested in serving on a ministry, or helping with a special project like Crop Walk, Gay Pride Parade, or anything else that comes up in the service, then write that on the card and put it in the plate.
  •   Or you could “offer” a Prayer of Gratitude for something or someone that touched your life in a positive way this week, knowing that God probably had a hand in it somewhere.  (Just a word or two that means something to you and to God)
In this way, we all are consciously making an offering every week.  Because God loves us unconditionally, and in response we offer of ourselves to God. You will find both envelopes and Offering Cards in the pews. 
 
Thank you from the Ministry of Worship.