Rev. Case Van Kempen, Interim Senior PastorRev. Betsy Aho, Associate Pastor

Rev. Drew Filkins, Associate Pastor

SEPTEMBER 2018PortalMonthly Newsletter of The Peoples Church, 200 W. Grand River Ave., East Lansing, MI 48823 l 517.332.5073 l ThePeoplesChurch.com

I know that Steve Harvey is currently hosting a contempo-rary version of the TV game show, “Family Feud,” but I will forever associate Richard Dawson’s rising voice with the phrase, “And the survey says?” Family Feud’s researchers survey the public with important questions like, “Name a yellow fruit” (to which someone said, “An orange”), or “Give me a boy’s name that starts with the letter H” (which elicited the answer, “José”).

We’re going to be focusing on more important questions when the Pastoral Search Team invites the congregation to participate in a survey during both morning worship services on Sunday, September 16. We’ll be using the Percept Group’s Context Survey (perceptgroup.com), filling it out as part of our response to God, an offering of information to help the Search Team, as well as our Ministry Teams and the Council. It will take about 15 minutes, so we’ll take seven or eight minutes from the end of the service and another seven or eight from fellowship time after church—and then it will be done! Nothing to fill out at home, nothing to bring back to church, nothing to dis-cover under a stack of papers two months from now.

It’s actually the Percept Group’s recommendation that the survey be com-pleted as part of worship. Their materials say, “Remember the goal of tak-ing a survey. You want the respondents to represent the broad spectrum of adults in your congregation. For most churches, there is only one setting where you have a captive audience that best represents at a moment in time the full range of your church: Sunday morning worship.” They also suggest that the survey be completed by all adults, youth age 15 and up, and chil-dren age 13 and up if their parents/guardians deem them mature enough to give useful responses. (Note: If you know that you will not be present in worship on September 16, copies of the survey will be available beginning on September 2, and must be returned by the 16th—however, we strongly recommend that you plan on taking the survey on the 16th).

Once we’ve completed our surveys, they get mailed off to California for pro-cessing, and within two weeks, we’ll have the results. We’ll be sharing these with the congregation through a series of Pulse Activities (“taking the pulse of the congregation”) which are still to be scheduled, after which the entire survey report—all 62 pages of it—will be available to anyone who is inter-ested.

Here’s one more Family Feud question that goes back to the Richard Dawson era: “During what month of pregnancy does a woman begin to look preg-nant?” The female contestant said, “September.” In our case, that’s the month we’ll be taking our survey, on the 16th. I hope you’ll be there!

AND THE SURVEY SAYS?

Pastor Case

It is an honor to welcome nationally re-nowned speaker, Rev. Traci Blackmon, to The Peoples Church. Rev. Blackmon is the Executive Minister of Justice and Witness Ministries for the United Church of Christ, who gained national and international recognition as a result of her communal leadership in the aftermath of the killing of Michael Brown, Jr. in Ferguson, Missouri. Listeners will be challenged and encour-aged as Rev. Blackmon, a bold voice for justice, explores how we are called to be faithful witnesses in a wailing world. Rev. Blackmon will preach at both services, and lead an afternoon presentation, with lunch being served at noon. This event is made possible by the generosity of the Henry & Annabel Larzelere Memorial Lecture Series.

8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.—Worship ServiceNoon—Luncheon, Snider Social Hall1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.—Presentation, Rev. Traci Blackmon

FAITHFUL WITNESS IN A WAILING WORLD

Featuring Rev. Traci Blackmon

Executive Minister of Justice and Witness Ministries, United Church of Christ

October 28, 2018The Peoples Church

Henry & Annabel Larzelere Memorial Lecture Series 2018 Presents:

Peoples Church volunteers have again contributed needed support in the devel-opment and up-keep of the Edgewood gardens, which are looking beautiful ac-cording to Rebecca Taylor, Tower and Garden Program Director. This assistance is much appreciated by Edgewood residents and staff members.

A new program this season will be the implementation of the 4-H Junior Master Gardner Program for Edgewood Village Youth. Also, a big thank you to the Wom-en of Peoples Church for a grant they provided for the completion of the Village Veggies Produce Share Garden! The garden includes additional raised beds and plots to grow donation/distribution produce, as well as space to hold educational garden workshops and sort produce.

Currently, there is a need for additional volunteers to support the Village Veggies Share Program. The program serves low income senior and disabled residents by providing produce via donation and distribution directly to participants from this community garden. Volunteers are needed every Thursday for one to two hours from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Tasks may include: plot maintenance, harvesting garden produce, weighing and recording weight, packing produce into containers and packing educational materials with the produce.

If you would like to help with this program to share produce with residents in need, please contact Rebecca Taylor at: rebecca.taylor@kmgprestige.com or give her a call at 517.489.2850, ext. 207.

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS *80 & OVER

9/1 - Janet Ronk9/4 - Lois Bauer9/4 - Crary Grattan9/5 - Jeanne Cargill9/5 - Patricia Finch9/7 - Judy McCalla9/14 - Mary Lou Johnson9/15 - Clare Mackey9/20 - Arylie Campbell9/22 - Renate Carey9/23 - Louise (Anne) Bailey9/24 - Vera Gerhardt9/24 - Marion Bird9/28 - David Smith9/28 - Pat Bunce9/29 - Marilyn Grove9/30 - J. Clyde Spencer

SEPTEMBER ANNIVERSARIES9/12 - William & Linda Dansby (62)

If we missed you, please accept our apology. Contact the office to make sure we have your correct informa-tion on file.

SENIOR PASTOR SEARCH COMMITTEE UPDATE

The senior pastor search committee is off to a great start. We've spent the summer determining the scope of our mission and laying the founda-tion for the search process. We've spent time examining our traditions and working with staff from our denominations to blend the denominational processes with our bylaws. We are starting to assemble comprehensive information about The Peo-ples Church, our membership and ministries as well as determine final content, de-sign, theme, and packaging of “call materials” that will elicit the greatest response of qualified prospective pastoral candidates. We are targeting the post-Christmas window as our time to release the call for our new senior pastor. In order to meet that timeline, we meet as a whole group on a bi-weekly schedule. This schedule has allowed the group to create a climate that is open to full discussion and discern-ment. Each person on the committee brings a different perspective and experience and each person has the opportunity to speak, share and listen.

We know God is working through us and we try to understand the message of Christ through scripture, prayer, process, and grace. We will be conducting a con-gregational survey on September 16. We look forward to gathering more data from the congregation to assist us in our search. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement and we look forward to continuing to share our progress with you.

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES

MONDAY MORNING BIBLE

Monday Morn-ing Bible will begin on Mon-day, Septem-ber 17, 2018. Pastor Drew will open up the often over-looked Hebrew scriptures of Leviticus and shed some light on these ancient laws. Join us in the Robertson Room at 11:00 a.m. each Monday. All are welcome to participate.

PEOPLES FORUM

Join us each Sunday for interestingand informative “Voices of the

Community” at 9:30 a.m. in the Robertson Room.

SEPTEMBER 16 SPARTAN MARCHING BANDCarol Brownell, Researcher

SEPTEMBER 23 UP CLOSE WITH CASERev. Case Van Kempen, Interim Senior Pastor

SEPTEMBER 30 DEVELOPING MEN FROM BOYSBrian Philson, Director, Camp Highfields

OCTOBER 7 PLANS & IMPORTANCE OF PCYGJoe Kennedy, PCYG Director

OCTOBER 14 POETRY READING & WRITING TIPS Aram Kabodian and Joyce Benerventu, Published Poets

OCTOBER 21 STATE OF THE SCHOOLSDori Leyko, Superintendent, East Lansing Public Schools

CONNECT | GROW | SERVE | SHARE

A SPECIAL THANK YOUA very special thank you to the anonymous donors of personal need items to our baskets near the Welcome Desk. The recent collection of diapers, wipes, bar soap, dish soap, facial tissue, and paper towels are very much appreciated. Your gen-erosity is heartwarming and frees up funds dedicated to support the program. Please continue your donations which are given to our Greater Lansing families in need. God Bless you! ~ Mary Heiderson, Coordinator

THE PEOPLES CHURCH VISITATION TEAMWe have a team of church members who visit other members who can no lon-ger attend church on a regular basis. They make contact with our homebound members at least once a month and keep them up-to-date on what is happening at The Peoples Church. This is a rewarding Christian ministry and provides an op-portunity to get acquainted with some of our long time members. If you are in-terested in joining the visitation team, or if you are aware of someone who would appreciate a regular visitor, please call Gretchen Rosenbrook at 517.332.5132 or Pat Brogan at 517.337.1446.

MEN’S WEDNESDAY NOON DISCUSSION GROUPThe Men’s Wednesday Noon Discussion Group will begin meeting again on Wednesday, September 12, 2018. The group meets every Wednesday from 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m. in the church Library. Our discussion leader is Rev. Dr. Frank McAuley. Frank is a retired Baptist Minister and a member of our church. All men are welcome.

READING PEOPLE Reading People will meet Thursday, September 20, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. in the Robertson Room. Barbara Potter will lead the discussion of the book, My Beloved World, written by Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor. KNITTING PEOPLEKnitting People will meet on Thursday, September 27, 2018, from 1:00 p.m. -3:00 p.m. in the Robertson Room. Please bring completed items for blessing. We invite new knitters to join us as we knit and crochet baby items, prayer shawls, hats and mittens for local children and adults.

NEW! CONNECTED HEARTS IN CHRIST (CHICs) WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDYThere is much change happening around the church, in the world, in our com-munity and in our own personal lives. Life changes and sometimes that change is unexpected and difficult on many levels. Join us this fall starting on Thursday, September 13, 2018, for a new Bible study for women of all ages. We will meet in the Robertson Room from 6:45 p.m. - 8:30 a.m.

We plan to study Unexpected, a book by Christine Caine. She writes about the topic of trusting God and embracing the unpredictable events that happen in life. The book encourages readers to leave fear behind and to move forward in faith—embracing unpredictable change as an adventure where God is working in our lives.

Stay tuned for more details to come! If you have any questions about this Bible Study and/or the book we will be reading please email Beth Lundy at Lundybb@comcast.net or call her at 610.246.0029.

FALL RETREATJoin us for our annual Women of Peoples Church Fall Retreat. We will gather at the St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt, September 21-23, 2018, for a workshop on Practicing Peace: Developing Spiritual Practic-es that Foster Peaceful Living. We have a variety of guests who will work with us throughout the week-end. Come for the whole weekend or drop in on sessions as you are able. For more information, please contact Loretta Johnston or Jenn Worthington at wpc@thepeople-schurch.com. Registration is going on now!

Women of Peoples Church

GREAT DECISIONSSPONSORED BY THE FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION

Great Decisions is America’s largest discussion forum on world affairs and you can participate in the discussion right here at The Peoples Church. All meetings take place in the Robertson Room from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25: RUSSIAN FOREIGN POLICY Dr. Norman Graham, MSU Professor in International Relations

Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia is projecting an autocratic model of gov-ernance abroad and working to undermine the influence of liberal democracies, namely along Russia’s historical borderlands. Russia caused an international up-roar in 2016, when it interfered in the U.S. presidential contest. Putin’s foreign pol-icy toolkit includes other instruments, from alliances with autocrats to proxy wars with the U.S. in Georgia, Ukraine and Syria. How does Putin conceive of national interests and why do Russian citizens support him? How should the United States respond to Putin’s foreign policy ambitions?

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15: CHINA & AMERICA—THE NEW GEOPOLITICAL EQUATION

Dr. Yasu Kamori, MSU Associate Professor, James Madison College

In the last 15 years, China has implemented a wide-ranging strategy of economic outreach and expansion of all its national capacities, including military and diplo-matic capacities. Where the United States has taken a step back from multilateral trade agreements and discarded the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), China has made inroads through efforts like the Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). What are Beijing’s geopolitical objectives? What leadership and political conditions in each society underlie growing Sino-American tensions? What policies might Washington adopt to address this circumstance?

My family and I are in the midst of a remodel at our house. While the dust is annoying and the work is hard, I love that we are going to have a space just like we want it. And I am really excited about adding outlets so that I can keep my electronic devices charged. We all have been in the times and places where we could not find an outlet to charge our de-vice. But, what about our spiritual life, are we plugged in there?

At The Peoples Church, there are so many ways to get plugged in and have your spiritual life charged up. We have men’s and wom-en’s groups, a knitting group, discussion groups as well as Bible

study groups, reading groups as well as groups that discuss current events. There are so many places to plug in and get charged up. Check out the weekly bulletin and the Portal to find out about when and where groups meet. If you’re spiritualy drained, there is a place to get plugged in here at The Peoples Church. We want to see you connected to the power of community!

GET PLUGGED IN

CANDID MOMENTSCandid Moments, a new exhibit by Michigan art-ist, Kerri Goodman, is now on display through-out the church halls bor-dering the Sanctuary. Other pieces can also be found in the Thomsen case across from the Library.

The exhibit, which includes 23 pieces from her collection, depicts life mo-ments of sudden realization, inspira-tion or insight. Kerri, a resident and na-tive of Portland, Michigan, has always embraced life’s candid moments in simple, yet natural ways, whether it be children at play, animals in their hab-itat or rays of light that beam down from the heavens onto a beautiful garden. She welcomes the challenge to bring those stolen moments that make people laugh, smile or just say “aww” to life by taking brush to canvas.

Please take time to enjoy this inspira-tional, creative and colorful display.  Candid Moments was curated by Mary Liechty and installed by members of the Fine Arts Committee. It will be on display through October 15. Pick up a catalog for the exhibit located in the NW entrance of the church. Many of the pieces are for sale and 20% of the proceeds will be donated to the Peo-ples Church Youth Programs. You may contact Kerri at: kerrionbaby@yahoo.com or 517.526.1586 for information and pricing.

PORTAL DEADLINE: The deadline for submissions to the October 2018 Portal is Sep-tember 15. Submit content to Rachel Giddings at, rgiddings@thepeopleschurch.com.

The Portal is a monthly newslet-ter that is mailed each month and also included in the Friday email.

Pastor Drew

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DORCAS CIRCLE Dorcas Circle will meet Tuesday, September 18, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. in the Robertson Room. “Active Aging” with the Lansing YMCA will be presenting. For more information call Phyllis Gaulden at 517.482.0930.

PHOEBE CIRCLE Phoebe Circle will meet Wednesday, September 26, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. at Sally McCoy’s home (926 Wildwood Dr., East Lansing). Margie Steinkamp will be pre-senting “Weaving Across Cultural Paths...It Changed My Life.” All are welcome to join us and share a morning of fellowship. Call Pat Brogan at 517.337.1446 or Renate Carey 517.324.0262 for more information or to request a ride.

REBEKAH-HANNAH CIRCLE The Rebekah-Hannah Circle will meet Wednesday, September 26, 2018, at 1:00 p.m. in the Robertson Room. Tasha Stetler, Community Nutrition Manag-er, TCOAPS, will be our special guest.

DONATIONS FOR THE PEOPLES CHURCH PRESCHOOL The Peoples Church Preschool is looking for donations of the following items: Paper (at least one side blank), large plastic jars, glue, art supplies, buttons, pipe cleaners, pine cones, straw bales, pumpkins and gourds, corn stalks, acorns,acorn lids, shells, drift wood. Donations can be dropped off in the Preschool office during regular business hours.

CONNECT | GROW | SERVE | SHARE PEOPLES 101 Interested in learning

more about The Peoples Church? Contemplating

Membership?

Peoples 101 is a 30-minute informal discussion about The Peoples Church. Bring your questions and meet with a Pastor and Welcome Ministry Members in the Robertson Room. New Members Classes take place in the Centennial Room and last roughly an hour and a half. Child care is provided.

This meeting explores the history, gover-nance, mission and values of the church as well as programming and volunteer opportunities. Membership is also dis-cussed, but there is never any obligation to join. For more information, call Diane Shafer at 517.388.0437 or email at dm-shafer2001@gmail.com. You can also call Robin Matheson at 517.290.3223 or email at matheso4@msu.edu.

SCHEDULE:(Upcoming Peoples 101 or New

Membership Classes dates and times)

October 3New Members Class during WNL!

October 7New Members Class

November 4Peoples 101

December 2Peoples 101

There will be more dates and times offered in 2019 as well; stay tuned for more information.

FROM OUR KITCHEN TO YOURS RECIPES BY GERRI LYNNGerri Lynn Nichols, our talented Hospitality Coordinator, shares a recipe with us each month. Enjoy!

EASY REFRIGERATOR BREAD & BUTTER PICKLES

INGREDIENTS:12+ cucumbers, thinly sliced2 onions, thinly sliced1 green bell pepper, diced2 cloves garlic, chopped1/4 cup salt1-1/2 cups cider vinegar2 cups white sugar1 tablespoon mustard seed1 teaspoon celery seed1/4 teaspoon whole cloves3 teaspoons ground turmeric

DIRECTIONS:In a large bowl, mix together cucumbers, onions, green bell peppers, garlic and salt. Allow to stand approximately 3 hours.In a large saucepan, mix the cider vinegar, white sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, whole cloves and turmeric. Bring to a boil.Drain liquid from the cucumber mixture. Stir the mixture into the boiling vinegar mix-ture. Remove from heat shortly before the combined mixtures return to boil.Transfer to sterile containers. Seal and chill in the refrigerator until serving. Enjoy!

WEEKLY PCYG PROGRAMS

SUNDAYS

9:30 a.m. Bible Exploration for 6th - 12th graders in the Youth Den

10:30 a.m. Worship for everyone

6:30 - 7:30 p.m. High School Youth Group for 9th - 12th graders in the Youth Den (beginning September 9)

WEDNESDAYS (beginning September 12)

5:30 p.m. Community Meal for everyone

6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Middle School Youth Group for 6th - 8th graders in the Youth Den

PCYG CALENDAR Sep. 9 Kick-off Sunday; High School Youth Group begins Sep. 12 Middle School Youth Group begins Oct. 6 PCYG Parking Lot Fundraiser Oct. 12 High School Lock-in Oct. 19 Middle School Lock-in Nov. 18 Youth Sunday/Cake Auction Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Service Feb. 1 Winter Retreat Jul. 14 Mission Trip to Philadelphia

You can also look forward to semi-monthly service days, summertime lunches and activities.

PCYGPEOPLES CHURCH YOUTH GROUP

PEOPLES CHURCHCAMPUS MINISTRY

WELCOME COLLEGE STUDENTS & YOUNG ADULTS!Peoples Church Campus Ministry is a welcoming place for college students and young adults to ex-plore faith and grow. The weekly events below begin on September 9, 2018, and all students, undergrads through doctoral candidates, are welcome. We also have service trips, fun adventures and many more opportunities to get involved, most at no cost! Check out ThePeoplesChurch.com or email Pastor Betsy at eaho@thepeopleschurch.com for more information.

SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP AND LUNCH & LOUNGE

10:30 a.m. - Worship Service in the Main Sanctuary.

11:30 a.m. - Lunch & Lounge Lunch & Lounge takes place following worship throughout the school year. We gather for lunch (FREE!) and a variety of discussions and activities in The Lounge, a comfy space ded-icated to Campus Ministry at The Peoples Church. Look for the Peoples Church Campus Ministry sign after worship in the back of the sanctuary (in the space we call Friendship Hall). Just show up and we will welcome you and feed you.

THURSDAY EVENINGS: DINNER & BIBLE STUDY

6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Beginning on September 14, Peoples Church Campus Ministry gathers in The Lounge in the church’s lower level for conversation-al Bible Study that is open to people in every stage of their faith journey. We will study the passages that will be preached on the following Sunday as a way of enriching our worship experience and under-standing. Our style of Bible Study invites questions and answers, conversation and wonderings. Email Betsy at eaho@thepeopleschurch.com for more info.!

W N L !Wednesday Night Live!

WNL! SCHEDULE 5:30 pm - Dinner

6:00 pm - Youth Choir (Youth Den)

6:30 pm - Yoga (Yellow Room, 3rd Floor)

Adult Programming (Robertson Room) Middle School Youth Group (Youth Den)

Children’s Programming (Preschool 2 Room, 2nd Floor)

WNL! MENU • COMMUNITY MEAL • 5:30 P.M. SEPTEMBER 12Chicken Tortellini Soup & Crackers Roast Beef Potatoes • Carrots • Turnips • ParsnipsGreen Beans • Dinner RollSeasonal Fruit • Ice Cream

SEPTEMBER 19Minestrone Soup • BreadsticksItalian ChickenPasta AlfredoMixed Greens SaladSeasonal Fruit • Tiramisu

SEPTEMBER 26Beef Barley Soup & Crackers Rosemary Pork LoinWild RiceSteamed Mixed Vegetables Apple Crisp • Frozen Yogurt

WNL! FALL PROGRAMMING

SEPTEMBER: Pastor Case will be leading a discussion based on his book, Hard Questions People Ask About the Christain Faith. In this study, Pastor Case will look at some of the difficult questions that people ask about the Christian faith and help an-swer them. Join us, Wednesdays in September, for this wonderful series.

OCTOBER: They say that the two things you don’t talk about in polite conversation are religion and politics. Well, we are going to do both. In October, Pastor Drew will be leading conversations as we prepare for our national election. Following a model from the National Institute for Civil Discourse, Pastor Drew will help facilitate intimate conversations about what is happening around our elections. Our hope for this time is to find a space that we can hear and understand one another even if we don’t agree. Join us, Wednesdays in October, for this thought-provoking series.

200 W. Grand River Ave.East Lansing, MI 4882

517.332.5073ThePeoplesChurch.com

SEPTEMBER 2018 PORTAL

KICKOFF SUNDAY & CHICKEN DINNERSEPTEMBER 9, 20188:30 a.m. Worship Service, Chapel

10:30 a.m. Worship Service, Sanctuary & Children’s Sunday School, Third floor

11:30 a.m. Chicken Dinner Celebration, Outside Tent

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