PASTOR'S PEN
Snippets of Peacemaking “And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations…” Revelations 22:2
Every year as we approach what we now refer to as
‘9/11’, I am reminded of how God calls each of us to be peacemakers in this
world. This month, I would like to share with you CUPC’s journey over the
last couple of years as a committed peacemaking congregation.
Christ United Presbyterian Church has had a proud
history of social justice. And using the opportunity to formalize this,
over twenty years ago, CUPC made a covenant with our denomination - the
Presbyterian Church (USA) – to become a ‘peacemaking congregation’. We
made an active commitment to bring peace into our world and our communities as
a congregation. On May, 22, 2005, we made a formal ‘re-dedication’ to
this commitment as our church held a ‘Peacemaking Commitment Sunday’. And
we have been trying to do regular, intentional peacemaking since…
In 2006, we had a Six-Week Peacemaking Series
leading from the end of September to World Communion Sunday (1st Sunday of
October). After exploring various ways of doing peacemaking at both
personal and corporate levels through our Moment for Missions and sermons, we
received the PC(USA) Peacemaking Offering in faith that the resources could be
used for both local and global peacemaking.
Earlier this year in August, a group from CUPC
participated in the Sixth Annual Bay Area Japanese Peace Lantern Ceremony
– held at the Aquatic Park in Berkeley. In remembrance of the 62nd
anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombings, close to 300 people came from
all over the nation (and from the world!) to remember and pray for peace.
The twelve of us from CUPC volunteered to help set up, teach how to make
lanterns and cranes, and helped to float the lanterns on the water. This
was a way for us to be involved in peacemaking in regards to something that had
a great impact on the Japanese and Japanese-American community.
Later this year in October, we are planning to do
another Peacemaking Series. Beginning October 14th, we will again be
intentionally thinking about peacemaking and our roles as followers of
Christ. The theme verse for this year’s Peacemaking Series is from
Revelations 22:2 - “And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the
nations…” This passage from the Bible refers to the ‘end of the world’
when all things are renewed. There are trees growing beside the river
that runs through the city where God reigns – and the leaves of those trees
bring healing to the nations.
As we are called by God to bring this Kingdom of
God into the midst of our current world, now, what are the ‘trees’ we need to
cultivate in which the leaves could bring healing to all the nations of our
world? How can CUPC become a healing tree of peace, a healing force in
our wounded world – as we are rooted in Jesus, the Living Water? How do
we work with others around us – our communities, our denomination and our
sister religious organizations to become this presence?
These are some of the questions that I keep on
asking – for myself and for CUPC – as we continue our journey as a peacemaking
congregation. I am always reminded how the face of peacemaking is
constantly changing as our world is constantly changing. This is not an
easy task – to be faithful and relevant! And so, I invite you to pray and
discern with me, and become co-participants with the Divine in living out this
call…
Peacemakers, arise!!
DEACONS' REPORT
I hope everyone had a great summer. With
summer coming to an end and the fall season just upon us, some of our youths
will be off to college. Yes, it’s back to school time! With this in
mind, please keep the college youths in your prayers. Please pray that
the Lord keep them safe, continue to guide them, and provide them with the
wisdom to make wise choices while away from home. I also think it’s also
important that we, as their church family keep in touch with them. I’m
sure they would enjoy a card, phone call, email or even a care package.
So reach out and touch a youth!
The Deacons will be having their quarterly
meeting in October. Upcoming activities to look forward to include our
annual Thanksgiving dinner and a Deacons led worship service.
The Deacons also provided a special coffee hour
fellowship on August 26th in appreciation for the summer camp leaders.
There was an abundance of great food that was enjoyed by all. Special
thanks to all who brought food and helped with food set up and clean up.
If you have any prayer request or needs, please
contact the church office.
COFFEE FELLOWSHIP:
The Deacons would like to thank the individuals
who have contributed to the coffee fellowship during the month of August and
the 8/19-special refreshments for summer camp directors & leaders thanking
them for their leadership and dedication during the 8 weeks of camp.
We are aware there are others who do not sign up
on the list, but contribute. We would like to thank you all. Also,
if you haven’t signed up recently, I encourage you to sign up on the bulletin
board next to the social hall. Thank you in advance.
Irene Woo, Vice Moderator
SUMMER CAMP
Reflections
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND DEPARTMENT
DIRECTORS
(Reprinted from the Summer Camp Parents’
Night Program, August 1, 2007)
Hello everyone! Well, another summer has
flown by, but this summer seemed to go by faster then ever. This
year I was honored to be the Executive Director of the summer camp program.
Honestly, I had no intentions on working this summer. As a matter of fact, I
turned down this job offer the first time around. In the
beginning of the year I started school again at Sacramento State University to
get two more degrees, one in Speech Pathology, the other in Audiology and I had
my mind set on taking summer school. As the school year went on I received a
call asking again if I would come back to be theExecutive Director. I took the
time to really think and pray about it and realized that although my mind was
set on taking summer school my heart was really with camp. School is important
to me and I wanted to try to finish as early as possible because I didn't want
to be 30 and still be in school. But camp is just as important to me. Summer
camp has been a part of my life for about 17 years now and even though camp
will always be here, I know that without it I will be missing out on
opportunity to build on friendships and memories that wouldn't be the same any
other summer.
With the summer coming to an end, I must say that
this was a challenging experience. As a person, I want everything to be perfect
and run smoothly, but most importantly I want everyone to be happy, the
campers, the parents, the leaders and the directors as well. Being the
executive director, I know it all lies in my hands, no matter what the
situation is, no matter who's involved, it all comes back to me. So when
something goes wrong like when I see a camper hurt, or the leaders not doing their
jobs, the unhappy parents, and even when the weekly words are not out on time,
I feel like I'm failing as an executive director and I want to say that I'm
sorry.
To the parents: I want to thank you
for trusting me and this camp with your child. I know it's hard to let go and
not worry about whether or not your child is going to be okay, but I assure you
that they are in good hands. Yes I know to you, the leaders may seem a little
young, but the reason they are here is because of the heart and dedication they
have for your child. They plan weekly activities, they come up with creative
crafts and devotions, they take care of the trouble ones, they listen to
complaining and whining everyday, they do everything to keep your child happy,
they stay way later than they have to, and that is just a glimpse of what they
do. I would also like to thank you for all your donations, whether it be
monetary or through food, and support you have given to us.
To the campers: You guys are
hilarious and I really enjoyed getting to know all of you. Thanks for coming
and I hope you will all come back again next summer.
To the Leaders:
Thanks for choosing to spend your summer here at CUPC. You have all sacrificed
so much this summer and your commitment and work does not go unnoticed. Thanks
also to all the leaders who are always there to help me out and cheer me up
when I am stressed.
To the directors: Thanks for not making my job any
harder then it is. You guys were always on top of things, well most of the
time, and you did an awesome job with your departments this summer. I am so
glad that I got to work with each of you.
To everyone else: Thank you to
everyone else who has supported me and this summer camp. I don't want to name
names because I don't want to miss anyone out but there were so many of you who
have helped me out in some way and I thank you.
Thank you again for giving me
this opportunity and trusting me to be the Executive Director. I'm sad that the
summer has come to an end, but I know I can count on the friendships and the
memories I have made this summer to get me through the school year.
Kimby Satow, Executive Director
"Even
youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope
in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary they will walk and not be faint." -
Isaiah 40:28-31
Good evening, My name is Mike Toy. For the past
few years, I've been waiting and hoping for the call to be a director. And
finally, after years of anticipation, 1 was finally called. And although I've
waited so long to acquire this position, I always overlooked the fact that I am
suppose to write this insert, so as the time drew closer I had no idea what to
talk about. So I thought I'd start off with a little background of
myself. Not only have I come here since I was
a mere child, I have the lineage. Both of my brothers and my sister have come
to this camp to work. I even have multiple cousins who have worked.
So I have been a part of camp basically every
summer since I was little, excluding last year. Last year I took a
sabbatical from camp, looking for a "real" job...at Bath and Body
Works. So instead of having fun in the sun, I was locked up in a storage room,
completely miserable. Now as the summer was drawing near, I found it myself at
a crossroads. Either I work camp or I go to summer school. As I analyzed the
situation, I figured being a director at camp was such an honor that I could
not pass it up. Sure I would have to stay at San Diego State University an
extra semester, but that is a sacrifice I was willing to make. So I made a
return to the place I have known all my life as the Omega Department
director.
I was a little weary of how things would be coming back. I was
worried that the campers would not remember me or like me. I was worried that
my knowledge of camp has withered away with my aging mind. However the moment I
stepped into the yard, I was welcomed with kids screaming my name. And as for
the camp knowledge, as I was going through the motions, it all came back to me.
It felt like I had never left. The campers who were here before my year off
remembered me, and the ones who weren't got a chance to know me, and I was so
glad I got a chance to know them better over the past six weeks. I am so
grateful that I had the opportunity to get to know your kids better and I hope
that they took from their experiences at camp as much as I have.
I would like take this opportunity to thank the
parents for bringing their kids here. I know that it's a hard thing to entrust
others with the wellbeing of your kids, and I consider it an honor that you
grant us that responsibility. Getting to know your kids and making sure they
all have a great time is the primary reason any of us come back and I'm so
thankful that you grant us that privilege. I would also personally like to
thank all the leaders that came out to help. Our camp does not exist without
all of you. Going into the final weeks before camp, we only had about twenty
leaders. But suddenly, our prayers were answered and we had an outpouring of
leaders. It's amazing how so many leaders come out to volunteer, with the knowledge
that they will be receiving nothing in return but the experiences and
friendships formed with the campers I am so grateful that all you decided to
come volunteer, whether it be your first, second, or last summer coming. I hope
that God calls all you back next summer because when it's gone, that's when
you'll miss it. I would also like to thank my fellow directors. I like to
also thank my parents and siblings. You were always quick to help out whenever
I needed it....whether it be picking stuff up for me, giving me ideas, or
lending me a few bucks. I don't know what I'd do without you guys. I'd also
like to thank my extended family, because I know that I haven't been able to
make it to a lot of gatherings because of camp and I appreciate your understanding
and always saving me some leftover food from dinner. With that, I conclude this
insert Thank you
Mike Toy, Omega Department Director
CUPC summer camp has been the place I spend each
summer for the past 14 years. At the end of each summer, that same question,
“Are you working at camp next summer?” always seems to return to
everyone’s conversations, which is of course exactly what happened last
summer. Last summer, I could not have told you that I’d be hear
describing my summer as the Alpha Director. But as you can see, I could
not step away from CUPC just yet.
Last year I was the 8th grade director, but this
year I was in charge of the Alpha Department, so as opposed to being in charge
of just one group, I had to keep track of five. And let me tell you, that
was not the easiest task, but working with amazing leaders did help take a big
load off my back.
The past six weeks have zoomed by, but I can
clearly recall a special memory, whether it be good or bad, about each and
every day. Whether it be something simple like having a good time playing
games with the kids or something big like song contest, all the memories have
become embedded in my head.
Each day I sit in the yard and watch the leaders
go home, exhausted and barely able to walk, after a long day at camp, but
everyday they keep coming back for the kids and the tight bonds and friendships
that are built each summer. But our camp would not be kept alive without
those kids that return to camp everyday; those kids that can make any day better
just by flashing you a smile, make you act crazy without a care in the world
and make you laugh like there’s no tomorrow. Each one of them is special
in their own way and they all bring a smile to my face.
Thank you parents for dropping your kids off every
morning and trusting that they’ll be okay under our watch. Directors,
thanks for being there throughout this whole summer. We’ve shared many
laughs, delicious dinners, late nights, and good times together. Leaders,
thank you for helping make my job so much easier. I never had to worry or
stress about how each group was doing because you are all fantastic.
There aren’t enough “hearts” in the world to reward you guys for everything
you’ve done this summer. Thanks for all the wood laughs and memories in
seminar and throughout each day. You guys are like my second family, I
know I have definitely spent more time with you guys than with my own family
over the past six weeks, but I’ve loved every minute of it.
I will miss all of you during the school year,
but I know one of the unforgettable memories from this summer will pop back
into my head while I’m sitting in one of my classes, bored out of my
mind. I hope all of you return next summer for another fun year at
camp. And finally, my family, there aren’t enough words to describe how
much I appreciate you guys. Whether it be dad, getting cardboard for
parents’ night props, or mom lending me her car so that I can drive to camp or
brothers providing their wisdom and knowledge as past directors, you guys have
been there through it all. Regardless of how little time I have spent at
home this summer, you guys still support and help me when I need it the
most. Thank you for everything.
Traci Otsuki, Alpha Department
Director
Let me be the next to welcome you to our annual
Patents Night in this 31st installment of CUPC Summer Camp. Tonight you
will see your sons and daughters take to the stage and perform and entertain
the masses live. This is first time I have been apart of tonight’s
festivities since 2004 and I am very excited to be apart of this years Parents
Night. This is because every year previously I have been busy with either
Boy Scout camp or San Francisco Boys Chorus international tours.
This summer marks the first time I have been able
to fully commit to camp despite attending CUPC Summer Camp since 1st
grade. I am have been blessed to be able to be apart of this camp for
more than a decade and give back to the program by serving as a leader and now
as a director. I previously had no idea how immersive, stressful,
intensive and tiring being a director would possibly be. And after
working at camp seven weeks, I can testify it is most certainly all those
things. However, all of that proves trivial to the many rewards that
summer camp brings each and every year. To be able to witness and play a
role in the growth of the camper and leader’s faith and leadership skills is
truly a great pleasure and an enormous privilege. CUPC Summer Camp and
the community it offers is truly a unique and invigorating experience that is
to be cherished. I have just finished my first year in college, and
during the year I missed CUPC immensely. No other place can offer the
same vibe and energy that CUPC brings.
This year I have been blessed with the
opportunity to serve as the 8th Grade Department Director. It has been a
radical shift from being a leader for the other two departments. I have
the unique task guiding a group of eighteen 8th graders on their journey to
becoming responsible, committed, compassionate, loving leaders not only in our
camp setting, but in their communities as well. Admittedly this summer
has been the most difficult I have ever faced here at CUPC, but it has also
been the most rewarding.
In just six short weeks, I have already seen them
grow, develop, and apply their leadership skills through ministry at our
service projects and with the younger campers. This is true no matter how
frustrating, stressful, or hectic camp got. They all pulled through and
I'm very honored to be able to spend my summer being their director. This
summer's theme is "Change my’Heart O God” and I found to be very relatable
to the campers. But as the summer progressed, I started to realize that
it wasn’t my job to change the hearts of the campers or the leaders.
Rather, it was more about planting seeds of big ideas and leadership skills
that will grow and flourish later. It’s about preparing them to become
spiritual leaders in the future and providing them with a firm foundation from
which they can go forth in the years to come.
This summer served as a reminder that no leader
is perfect overnight. Becoming a great leader is a process that takes
years. We all fall short and I am certainly no exception. If not
all of the campers understand the principles of leadership now, hopefully they
can reflect back one, two or five years from now and still draw upon the
experiences, friendships and ideas they have had at CUPC. My vision for
the 8th graders is that they can all that they take away something from camp
this year. Whether it’ll be the bonds and new relationships they have
made, or the fun times with the younger campers, or even their growth in their
faith, my hope is that they leave camp better people than when they first set
foot in the yard during week one. Each one of them has distinct
personalities that challenge me as a director in a different way, and I am able
to learn from them as much as they learn from me.
The summer has certainly flashed by extremely
fast, and it is unfortunate that the it is already almost over. Soon this
year of camp will fade into mere memories. But those friendships, skills,
and spiritual growth could potentially last a lifetime and serve as building
blocks to be refined and added upon in the years to come. For the 8th graders,
as much as the summer is about enjoying life in the moment, it is also about
preparing them for the future, no matter where their path leads in life.
Once again summer camp has always proven to be an engaging, challenging and
highly entertaining experience. Tonight should be the culmination of all
those things. The lights are on bright. The stage is set Let the
show begin…
Arman Hirose-Afshari, 8th grade Department
Director
Summer Camp Moments
Good morning everyone. My name is JillianYson
and I am 15 years old. I am an incoming sophomore at George Washington
High School and have been working at CUPC for two years. Last summer was
my first year ever at CUPC, and I was pretty nervous to be working with leaders
who have been either going to, or working at CUPC for several years. The
first week was pretty hard for me, just because I wasn’t really used to the
routine of taking care of 1st and 2nd graders who could never sit still.
Everyday I would come into seminar tired from the day, and wanting to just go
home and sleep. As time passed, I adjusted to the exhausting demands of
the campers, and I could go through a day without a headache from all the
fights I would have to stop. And then they stopped being screaming little
kids I would have to deal with, and became the reason why I loved summer of
2006 so much.
This year, instead of being in the Alpha
Department, I was in Omega with 5th Grade Girls. Our group was pretty
small compared to the other groups; the most number of campers we had was
10. I didn’t really know what to expect from them. I wasn’t
sure if they’d be a bit more mature since they’re in 5th grade, or start
talking back to me more because they were in 5th grade. To my relief, it
was clear to see that my group was one of the most well behaved in Omega.
I rarely had to yell at them and they followed directions well.
For this past week, Extended Week 2, which was
also our last week of camp this summer, I was with Oldest Girls. I was
happy to be with Oldest Girls because I know that I wouldn’t have to do much
yelling, as I had to do during Extended 1 with 4th and 5th Grade Boys. My
week was really fun, but extremely tiring.
On Monday, we stayed at church and watched two
movies, Flushed Away and Hercules. I watched both movies, but I also fell
asleep in both. After I woke up and went down to the yard, I was glad to
have campers coming up to me and telling me their favorite parts of the
movie. During seminar that afternoon, all the leaders thought it would be
a great idea to have a theme for each day of the week, and dress up. On
Tuesday, the theme was the rainbow. Each leader had chosen one color and
dressed fully in that color. In the morning when the campers lined up, we
surprised them with a song about the rainbow one leader thought up of about 10
minutes earlier.
For Sausalito that day, we were traveling on Muni
to the ferry station as two different departments. Alpha took the first
bus that came, and Omega would take the next. The bus came, Alpha left,
and Omega waited. The next bus finally came, and we were running a little
late to catch the ferry at 10:15 am. Alpha boarded the ferry as Omega rushed to
the station from the bus stop Omega got there exactly 6 minutes late, missing
the ferry. The next ferry was in about an hour, so we waited, waited, and
waited. We all managed to keep ourselves busy by playing cards and just
hanging out with one another. The ferry came again, and we were finally
on our way to Sausalito. There, we went to the stores and stopped, my
group spending a majority of the time in the Paul Frank store, candy store, and
toy store.
On Wednesday, the theme for the leaders was
Sports Day, so each one of us wore jersey for some kind of sport, while Traci
wore a referee outfit. We also went bowling at Yerba Buena Gardens that
day. I loved seeing the huge smiles on the campers when they hit even
just a few pins. So they were all pretty much smiling the whole time
because every lane except for the leaders had the bumpers up to prevent gutter
balls. I’m not sure how it was possible, but I heard that a camper in the
Alpha department managed to get a gutter ball even with the bumpers up.
Thursday was our trip to Raging Waters in San
Jose, and the leaders who attended CUPC as a camper, dressed as their old
camper self. After about an hour-long bus ride, we were happy to arrive
with nice weather, and luckily, the lines for the water sliders weren’t too
long. Since Oldest Girls were allowed to go off with at least one other
person with a signed permission slip, I only had two campers with me that
day. We decided to combine with 3rd and 4th Grade Girls because they were
a handful, and they needed as much are as they could get. I could see
that all of the campers were having so much fun, whether they were riding the
slides, or playing in the wave pool.
Last Friday, our last day of camp, we went to
Heather Farms for swimming. Our theme for the leaders that day was
different CUPC T-shirts, so each of us wore a CUPC shirt from a different
year. In the pool, I was overwhelmed with several campers telling what
kind of tricks they could do under water, how long they could hold their breath
for, and how far they could swim. Seeing how happy they all were showing
me these things made my day.
When we arrived back at camp, I was
crushed. Being with the kids and leaders I spent a majority of my summer
with was over. Camp would end, and the school year would start.
Saying goodbye to the campers felt like I was saying goodbye to them forever.
I have made so many new friends this year, and a whole school year does seem
like forever. It's only been about 2 days since camp ended for the
summer, and I already miss everyone. The memories and friendships I have
made in my two years at CUPC is what promises you all that I’m going to be
working at CUPC next summer as well.
My name is Christian Feng and I’m going to be a
sophomore at Lowell High School this fall. I have been attending CUPC
summer camp since the first grade. That means that this summer was my
tenth at CUPC and my second as a leader.
I though this year would be easier because it was
my second summer as a leader... I couldn’t have been more wrong. The
campers I had this year presented new challenges to me. Teaching games
and songs to some of the campers was difficult and sometimes frustrating for me
because their English was limited. One camper cried nearly every hour due
to one of a thousand reasons and another would just sit down somewhere and pout
for an hour. I often had to yell to get my campers to go where I wanted
them to go and as a result, often lost my voice.
Of course, there were funny
moments at camp this year too. One was my campers’ reluctance to play the
game “Romeo and Juliet” with the girls. Another is when one camper entered
a bathroom and somehow locked himself inside and was unable to unlock the door
and was stuck inside for a few minutes.
During the regular weeks of camp, all
the leaders plan, pack, and clean tirelessly to be prepared for the campers and
keep the church looking good. However, this past week, I was one of the
leaders working extended week 1 and I gotta tell you, it was a lot easier and
more fun than the regular weeks of camp. You still clean, but you don’t
have to pack, you don’t plan, and you go to all the amusement parks and
attractions. It hardly resembles the normal CUPC week of going to the
park and having ice cream and cookout.
Despite this summer being the toughest
yet, I had a lot of fun and enjoyed coming to CUPC to help the summer
camp. I made new friends and experienced different challenges. I
hope to come back next year and help the summer camp again.
ARTICLE OF INTEREST
Remembering Hiroshima
On the evening of August 5th, CUPC participated
in the observance of HIROSHIMA by making and floating paper lanterns in the
Berkeley estuary.
In HIROSHIMA, Japanese and peacemakers from all
over the world came together to silently pray for the 200,000 souls who
perished or were permanently scarred on that fateful day in 1945. Among those
present was Hiroshima’s mayor, who yearly proclaimed that there be no more
nuclear bombs manufactured or dropped in the world.
As we observe this solemn day, we are reminded
that the devastation of Hiroshima was not caused by a natural disaster. The
thousands of lives snuffed out in matter of seconds was executed by the orders
of a human being.
War incites hate for those perceived as enemies.
In today’s war, such as in Iraq, civilians seen as enemies are killed in
numbers.
The atomic bombing of HIROSHIMA ushered in the Nuclear Age. The world
now knows of the destructive nature of a nuclear bomb. Thank God no nation has
dared to use a nuclear bomb in warfare since 1945.
As we observe HIROSHIMA Day, let us not only
remember the multitude of victims of August 5th, but the true meaning of that
day to peace loving people all over the world.
Kathy Reyes
Thinking Green
We still have a supply of 100-watt compact
fluorescent bulbs to sell so please remember to pick some up from the church
office whenever you have to replace your light bulbs at home. And our
prices are much less than what you would pay at a store.
A compact fluorescent bulb only uses 27 watts but
puts out the same brightness as a 100-watt incandescent bulb. Research
shows if you replace five of your most used incandescent bulbs with the low
energy bulbs, it is the equivalent of taking about 44,000 cars off the
road. We have bene using the compact bulbs at CUPC whenever the
older bulbs burn out and have to be replaced.
VP Committee
