MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF PIONEER CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
JUNE 2019 VOLUME 19, ISSUE 6
This is ‘Pride Season’ Letter from the Pastor
I f you grew up like me, you may struggle with the idea of pride as a good
thing. I looked up the word recently in my old-fashioned dictionary. Five
out of six definitions described pride as a positive thing. The first one,
however, made it a synonym of arrogance, a false sense of superiority. For
too long the church has never gotten past that first definition.
Pride is about self-esteem, a sense of dignity, and the best of who you are. Equating pride with arrogance robs us of those other understandings of self. It is devastating. Over the next two months there will be several occasions for us to express our pride in good and healthy ways. On Sunday, June 9 we will express our pride in our graduates. Several people in our Pioneer family are transitioning. They are metamorphosing like butterflies, showing more of their potential as free and beautiful human beings. They are our pride and joy in a good way. In June, the LGBT community holds Pride Festivals. On June 8 and 9 the Sacramento Pride Festival will celebrate the 50
th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the beginning of the LGBT equal
rights march. This year one of our local UCC ministers, Rev. Casey Tinnin of Loomis Basin Congregational UCC will be the Community Grand Marshall. We are proud of him. On June 23, Natomas will hold the Natomas Big Gay Celebration. Jessica Vroman, our Outreach Board Chair, has enrolled Pioneer in that event. We are the only church the organizers have accepted to participate, combatting the shaming and condemning rhetoric that other churches are spouting. Healthy pride is a proper sense of personal dignity and this is what we are celebrating in these festivals. Independence Day, July 4, we express our pride in our nation. Being aware of our imperfections should not keep us from celebrating the good that America has done in the world. We take pride in what is good about our country and use that as a template to correct our shortcomings. On July 21, United Church of Christ churches in Sacramento, Elk Grove and Loomis will host Linda Kay Klein. She is an author and noted speaker on the subject of overcoming the shame that is so often part of the message heard in fundamentalist churches. Hers is a message that we in the UCC want to share with the community. Being a follower of Jesus does not include feeling shame for who you are. We celebrate and take pride the best of who we are as human beings. We would be proud for you to join us in any of these celebrations.
Pioneer Congregational United Church of Christ 2700 L Street Sacramento, CA 95816 www.pioneerucc.org
Pioneer Congregational United Church of Christ 2700 L St. Sacramento, CA 95816 www.pioneerucc.org
PIONEER POST JUNE 2019 2
Pastor Casey Tinnin honored for Pride 2019
Rev. Casey Tinnin
A s noted in Pastor Phil’s column on page
1, fellow UCC minister Casey Tinnin
has been named one of three
Community Grand Marshals for the 2019
Sacramento Pride Celebration.
Rev. Tinnin, pastor of the Loomis Basin
Congregational United Church of Christ in
Loomis, Calif., since 2016, is the church’s first
openly gay pastor.
Tinnin says, “My role as pastor is to empower
people to take on the task of following Jesus; to
be the hands, feet and voice of God in the
world.”
Sacramento Pride organizers said more than
5,400 votes were received from community
members to select the three honorees. The
others honored are Ebony Harper, an activist
and philanthropist for transgender people, and
Tiffany Lorenz, producer of a gender
diversity and visibility effort in Sacramento, and
LGBTQ children’s advocate.
Tinnin is being recognized specifically for his
efforts to form a support group known as “The
Landing Spot” for LGBTQ identifying youth and
their adult caregivers in Placer County.
Born and raised in Manteca, Calif., Tinnin holds a B.A.
from Trinity Lutheran College of Washington, a Master’s in
Theological Studies from Pacific Lutheran Theological
Seminary, and a Master’s of Divinity from the Pacific
School of Religion. He was ordained by the United Church
of Christ in 2014.
Spring has sprung
We need help deadheading our beautiful plants that are growing by leaps and bounds! Please come Saturday, June 8 at 9 a.m. Bring gloves, clippers, and a shallow box for gathering the snippets. Sign-up sheet in Fellowship Hall. Questions? Contact Vi McNally via email at: [email protected] or 916-896-7766
T he Pioneer Church Family will take a few moments on Sunday, June 9 to honor our 2019 graduates.
Diane Mahan, chair of the Christian Education Board, reports the following members of our church family are celebrating milestones in their lives this month: Leona Dotson will attend Folsom Lake College and then transfer to Sacramento State University to earn a degree in business.
Jakob Hinman graduated from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla. with a bachelor of science in film. He is currently working at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.
Monique Lonergan will be graduating from Sacramento Country Day School and will be attending the bachelor of fine arts degree program this fall in musical theatre at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee in Boston, Mass.
Jack Lonergan just graduated from the University of the Pacific with his a bachelor of science degree in physics (concentration in astrophysics) and applied math. He will continue to study and do research in physics this year, and he plans to apply to doctoral programs in astrophysics for fall of 2020 admission.
Sophia Mahan has been promoted to 6th grade and will be attending Leroy Greene Middle School in the fall. Rev. Dr. Bob McGrath has completed his doctorate degree at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calif. His dissertation was titled, “Pastoral Compensation in Today's World of Smaller Churches and the Need for Most Ministers to Find a Bi-vocational Solution to Following Their Calling Yet Managing to Survive.”
It’s graduation season at Pioneer!
Pioneer Congregational United Church of Christ 2700 L St. Sacramento, CA 95816 www.pioneerucc.org
PIONEER POST JUNE 2019 3
Liam Murdock has graduated from El Camino Fundamental High School and will join the U.S. Navy in October to become a Naval Intelligence Specialist. Liam qualified for California State Seal of Biliteracy on his diploma.
Emilio Salas will attend Folsom Lake College and then transfer to Chico State University to earn a degree in law enforcement.
Dr. Andrew E. Stoner has been promoted to the rank of associate professor and granted tenure at Sacramento State University.
May He give you the
desire of your heart
and make
all your plans
succeed.
— Psalm 20:4
A total of $46,102 is in the Kitchen
Renovation Project Fund ($40,000 from
the SMUD grant) - and another $6,102
from member donations.
Committee members recently met with Craig
Hausman, an architect assisting with the
project. He has suggested Pioneer consider
listing the church building as an Historic
Landmark. Hausman believes there are certain
financial benefits associated with such a
designation and has promised to provide the
committee with more information for further
review.
The committee has voted to purchase
appliances for the new kitchen from Cullincini
Restaurant Supply of Sacramento. The
committee is working with the company’s
representative, Luis Castro.
Quotes, diagrams and product information
was reviewed for all of the items, and all of
them will be National Science Foundation
(NSF) certified. NSF certification means the
products have met strict standards on product
quality.
The committee has asked Castro to review
whether the existing stove and hood could be
cleaned and refurbished and used in the new
kitchen. A quote on that is expected later.
Committee member John Wallace was
designated to meet with Hausman; Joe
Estrada, electrical engineer; David Weston,
Kitchen renovation project moves along
Pioneer Congregational United Church of Christ 2700 L St. Sacramento, CA 95816 www.pioneerucc.org
PIONEER POST JUNE 2019 4
LEED contractor; and Jeff Von Rotz, general
contractor. The committee was to ascertain from
them a layout a plan for the health and city
construction permits needed for the kitchen work
to begin.
As part of the meeting with the engineers, an
inspection of the church’s rooftop condenser
units was completed, as well as review of all
electrical boxes and services.
Hausman will coordinate the permitting
process—a process expected to take six to eight
weeks to complete. The permits required must be
paid by the church, and are not included in the
SMUD grant received for the project.
Current estimates are the health permit to
proceed with the work will cost $1,700 and the
city permit, $1,500. Engineering fees for the
entire project are estimated at $8,000.
Ponderable:
It’s often said, the kitchen is the heart of
every home.
If that is so, what could the kitchen of a
church be? Something to ponder as Pioneer
moves forward in upgrading the “kitchen
heart” of our church home.
Pioneer Congregational United Church of Christ 2700 L St. Sacramento, CA 95816 www.pioneerucc.org
PIONEER POST JUNE 2019 5
Pioneer birthdays
T hroughout the year, Pioneer members
have the opportunity to join with fellow
UCC members across the globe in trying
to make a difference.
Sunday, June 9 we will be
collecting the “Strengthen the
Church” special offering for the
United Church of Christ.
The “Strengthen the Church”
offering supports the expansion
of ministry and growth of United
Church of Christ local
congregations. Your gifts help the church fulfill its
commitment to creating a just world by investing in
new ministries and practices that meet the
emerging needs of local communities.
In 2018, the offerings from this collection
supported:
Twelve grants totaling $350,000 for the New
and Renewing Spiritual Communities Program.
Ensured excellence in ministry through the
completion of the Habakkuk group and the
Manual on Ministry.
Special day offerings make a difference
JUNE BIRTHDAYS
June 2 — Trisha Wallace
June 11 — Jack Lonergan
June 17 — Margaret Griffin
June 18 — George Hinman
June 23 — Betsy Wilson
June 24 — Bernadette Wallace
June 26 — Diane Ryder
Worked to alleviate poverty through the
Adese Fellowship program for spiritual
entrepreneurship.
Strengthened local churches
through services provided by the
UCC conferences across the
nation.
Upcoming special day offerings
for the rest of 2019 are listed
below:
July 28 — UCC Christmas Fund/
Veterans of the Cross
Oct. 6 — UCC Neighbors in Need
Oct. 20-Nov. 10 — 2020 Pioneer Pledge
Campaign
Dec. 22 — Pioneer Christmas Offering
Please note, donations for the “Compassion
Fund” are collected on the last Sunday of every
month. Easter and Christmas offerings benefit
Pioneer ministries exclusively.
Pioneer Congregational United Church of Christ 2700 L St. Sacramento, CA 95816 www.pioneerucc.org
PIONEER POST JUNE 2019 6
Upcoming Performances
at Pioneer
Performances at Pioneer highlights —
P ioneer members and community guests enjoyed two outstanding performances in May,
including the Cosumnes River College and the Velocity handbell choir. The choir from
Cosumnes offered their “Spring Sing” while Velocity performed their “Vintage and Vogue II”
concert. Photos from both events are pictured below.
Pioneer Congregational United Church of Christ 2700 L St. Sacramento, CA 95816 www.pioneerucc.org
PIONEER POST JUNE 2019 7
Pioneer Congregational United Church of Christ 2700 L St. Sacramento, CA 95816 www.pioneerucc.org
PIONEER POST JUNE 2019 8
Pioneer ‘Book Club’ wraps up its season
P ioneer’s Book Club is wrapping up its year with its final meeting
(including a potluck) on June 18.
Claire Chase has coordinated the club for this year and
reports one more book remains on the calendar this year:
The Charm Bracelet: A Novel (2016: Thomas Dunne Books, 336
pages) by Viola Shipman
Shipman’s novel explores how an heirloom charm bracelet allows
three women to rediscover the importance of family and a passion for
living as each charm changes their lives. On her birthday each year,
Lolly’s mother gave her a charm, along with the advice that there is
nothing more important than keeping family memories alive, and so
Lolly’s charm bracelet would be a constant reminder of that love.
Now 70 years old and starting to forget things, Lolly knows time is
running out to reconnect with a daughter and granddaughter whose lives
have become too busy for Lolly or her family stories.
Reviewers noted the book provides “A compelling story of three women and a beautiful reminder
of the preciousness of family. The Charm Bracelet is a keepsake you’ll cherish long after the final
page. “
Pioneer Congregational United Church of Christ 2700 L St. Sacramento, CA 95816 www.pioneerucc.org
PIONEER POST JUNE 2019 9
Meet ‘Viola Shipman’
W ade Rouse didn’t set out to be a
novelist.
Trained as a journalist, he worked as a
reporter and then in public relations. Along the
way, he wrote four best-selling humorous memoirs,
and contributed to People and Good Housekeeping
magazines.
But memoirs, under his pen name “Viola
Shipman,” stirred other memories of his childhood,
leading to the novels “The Charm Bracelet” and
“The Hope Chest.” Both were inspired by heirlooms of his maternal grandmother—whose name is
Viola Shipman.
Rouse said writing has been a lifelong ambition and that he wrote “The Charm Bracelet” with his
grandmother’s actual charm bracelets in mind. The Library of Michigan named his work a 2017
Michigan Notable Book—a high honor for the author who splits his time between Saugatuck,
Michigan along the shore of Lake Michigan, and Palm Springs, California.
Why did he choose to write under a female pseudonym? “It was a total Victor/Victoria thing, the
opposite of JK Rowling. I write women’s novels under my grandma’s name.”
O ur volunteer schedule for June is listed below. An empty space is only empty until you
decide to sign up and help out! The sign-up sheet is located in the
Fellowship Hall.
Pioneer Congregational United Church of Christ 2700 L St. Sacramento, CA 95816 www.pioneerucc.org
PIONEER POST JUNE 2019 10
DATE WORSHIP
READER
USHERS FELLOWSHIP
HOST
FLOWERS ACOLYTE TELLERS
June 2 Randy
Triezenberg
Philip Jackman &
Karen Shipman
Mahan Family Sophia
Mahan
Crystal Taylor
& Mark Viviano
June 9 Elizabeth
Rios
Andy Balog
& Mack Forrest
Vi McNally John & Bernadette
Wallace
Lauren
Taylor-Piazza
Robyn Taylor
& Heidi Munoz
June 16 Bernadette
Wallace
Pat Houge &
Marge Watson
Elizabeth Kordahl
& Diane Ryder
Claire Chase George Hinman
& Mary Kay Rose
June 23 Mack
Forrest
Pat Houge &
Marge Watson
Jeannene Ward-
Lonergan
& George Lonergan
Caryl Butcher
& Marietta Jackman
June 30 Randy
Triezenberg
Lidia & Angie
Barbosa
Karen Shipman
& Fay Grundel
Another busy month of events at Pioneer
H ere is our June 2019 calendar of
events at Pioneer:
June 1 Women’s Breakfast, 9 a.m.
June 2 Kitchen Committee, 11:30 a.m.
June 5 Hand Bell Choir Rehearsal, 6 p.m.
June 5 Chancel Choir Rehearsal, 7:30 p.m.
June 8 Spring Garden Clean-Up, 9 a.m.
June 8 Country-Western Fundraising Dance,
6:30-11 p.m.
June 8-9 Sacramento Pride Festival,
California State Capitol Park
June 9 Graduate Recognition, during
morning worship service
June 12 Hand Bell Choir Rehearsal, 6 p.m.
June 12 Chancel Choir rehearsal, 7:30 p.m.
June 13-15 NCNC Annual Gathering
June 15 Men’s Breakfast, 9 a.m.
June 16 New Member Sunday
June 18 Book Club Potluck Year-End Meeting,
6:30 p.m.
June 23 Performance: Sakurako Kanemitsu,
3 p.m.
June 23 Natomas Big Gay Pride Event,
11 a.m. to 3 p.m., North Natomas
Regional Park, 4689 Natomas Blvd.,
Sacramento.
Mark your calendars, the Annual Church Picnic
is set for Sunday, Sept.15 across the street at
historic Fort Sutter. More details forthcoming in
future issues of the Pioneer Post.
W henever a disaster,
natural or human-caused befalls us
or our neighbors, the United Church
of Christ stands ready to help those in need.
“If you are moved to write a check or use
Givelify to donate, you can be a part of the aid
in many parts of the world,” said Rev. Dr. Bob
McGrath, stewardship chair.
UCC Disaster Ministries are assisting with:
Aid to countries in Africa ravaged by
typhoon;
Help for the people of Puerto Rico still trying
to recover from last year’s hurricane; or,
Efforts to rebuild after the devastating fires in
Northern California.
Both the Regional and National settings of
the UCC are ready to direct your finds to the
Pioneer Congregational United Church of Christ 2700 L St. Sacramento, CA 95816 www.pioneerucc.org
PIONEER POST JUNE 2019 11
Your gifts can make a world of difference
D uring the regular school year, children
from low-income families in need get
important help in accessing regular
meals.
But once
school dismiss-
es for the
summer, many
students lose
access to free
or reduced
school– or
community-
based break-
fast and lunch
programs. The result is what some have called
a “hungry summer” where meal insecurity
grows.
As former U.S. Secretary of State Warren
Christopher (1925-2011) reminded world
leaders—one of the greatest exports the United
States ever came up with was the idea of nutrition
programs for schools that have been successfully
copied the world over—reducing hunger (and
increasing education) in the world.
Pioneer has three baskets at the front of our
worship sanctuary space are in support of two of
our ongoing outreach endeavors.
The two smaller ones are for food items that are
delivered regularly to River City Food Bank. Our
goal this year is to collect 1,000 pounds of food for
the hungry. River City Food Bank is one answer to
how to avoid a “hungry summer.”
The larger basket is for items that are needed by
WIND Youth Services. WIND has a mission to help
support homeless youth and young adults.
Personal care items help these young people who
have often been driven out of their homes know
that they are still loved.
greatest need. In the memo on your
check or with your donation, just include a
notation of where you would like your help to go.
UCC Disaster Ministries donations can be
placed in the offering plate any week, turned into
the church office, or as noted, through Givelify.
Finally, a reminder, if you are an Amazon user
please consider using Amazon Smile. It is a way
to support Pioneer Congregational UCC every
time you shop at no cost to you.
How to avoid a ‘hungry summer’
Warren Christopher
WHO WE ARE PIONEER POST JUNE 2019
Join us for Sunday Service,
all are welcome!
N o matter who, no matter what, no
matter where you are on the journey
of life, you’re welcome in this place.”
There is a great diversity of beliefs held by
our members. We find that united in Jesus
Christ and our differences add to the richness
and strength of our life together. We are an
open and affirming congregation that
proclaims the love of Jesus Christ, the
compassion that His love services, and the
humanity His love seeks to embrace.
Pioneer Congregational
United Church of Christ
Office Hours:
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.—Monday-Thursday
(916) 443-3727
Visit us online at:
www.pioneerucc.org
Please send any questions, comments or updates you have for the Pioneer Post
to [email protected]. If you are subscribed, please remember to add this address
as an approved email so it doesn’t go to your “spam” folder.
2700 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95816
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