“No matter who you are, no matter where you are, you are welcome here!”

June 16, 2023

Dear Pali Pres,

It’s hard to believe, but later this year Mary and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. I know it’s not 40 or 50 years like some of you have been fortunate enough to experience, but it’s a start!

As a way for us to celebrate, we are taking a trip with our boys back to where it all got started…Tokyo, Japan. We depart next week and will miss two Sundays here at Pali Pres. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to take vacation, and very thankful to Pastor Grace for holding down the fort while I am away.

Mary and I met while she was working at an international school in Tokyo and I was a pastor at an international church also in Tokyo. Having each lived there for several years (Mary for eight years, and me for five years), Tokyo remains a very special place to us. We have many good friends who still live there and several places (including her former school and my former church) remain special to us. We are very much looking forward to showing our boys our old neighborhood, introducing them to our friends, taking them to our favorite ramen restaurants (if they still exist!), and having a fun walk down memory lane together.

Mary and I sincerely value your prayers as we make this long journey with our boys. We pray for safety, only mild jetlag, and lots of fun and laughter as we share with our children the place where our little family got started.

While we are gone, please know that you and the church will be in our prayers. We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks. Who knows, maybe the sun will come out by then!

God’s peace be with all of you,

Pastor Matt

Juneteenth

We want to take a moment as a church to remember Juneteenth, and celebrate an important maker in the journey for freedom and justice in our country.  Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, marks the day when news of the emancipation reached Texas, which was two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.  Juneteenth reminds us of the strength and sacrifice of people who fought for their rights and dignity. As believers in the risen Christ, let us use this day as inspiration to help create a world that values each individual and works together to recognize God’s face in every person.  Juneteenth is a time when we can answer the call to listen, learn, and change our world together!

Shelby Larsen Memorial

On Saturday, June 17th, please join us for a memorial service and reception for Rev. Shelby Larsen at 2pm. The service will also be livestreamed HERE.

Pali Pres Book Drive Continues

Pali Pres is holding a book drive June 11-25. Bring your books to church and drop them in one of the marked boxes in the narthex or church office.

Books will be donated to ‘Re-Book It’! They have partnered with the Pasadena City Library to provide books (hardcovers, paperbacks, even magazines and LPs) to charities, hospitals, local libraries and schools. Their goals are to keep books out of landfills, maintain our community’s literacy, and provide books into the hands of readers throughout Southern California.

Questions? Contact Nancy Gillette, Elder for Missions & Outreach Committee.

Save the Date: New Members Class

Mark your calendars now for our fall new member class here at Pali Pres, which will be held on Sunday, September 10. The class will be led by Pastor Matt and Pastor Grace; a light breakfast and lunch will be provided, as will childcare. Contact Pastor Matt for more information.

Pali Pres Prodigals: Winning Streak

Three up, three down! Our church softball team has been firing on all cylinders winning their last three games in a row!

This week’s game was close and came down to the final inning. Holding a lead of 9-5 at the top of the final inning, the University Presbyterian “Bible Ninja Warriors” had one last chance to tie the game as the visiting team. Whether it was due to nerves, or the Prodigals’ penchant for dramatic endings, a string of errors tightened the score to 9-8. But with two outs and the bases loaded, superstar pitcher and preschool parent, Kevin Homsy, decided to take matters into his own hands, sealing the victory for the Prodigals with a clutch strikeout.

Will the streak continue? Can the Prodigals thread the needle and clinch and playoff spot? Come to our next game and find out!

Monday, June 26th, 7:30pm, Field 4

OK, we won a game yesterday. If we win today, it's called ‘two in a row’. And if we win again tomorrow, it's called a ‘winning streak’... It has happened before! - ‘Lou Brown’, Major League II

Pali Pres Preschool News

That's a wrap on another great year at Pali Pres Preschool!

Friday, June 9th was a day filled with memories and fun. Each child has grown so much over this past school year: friendships were made, milestones were achieved, and lessons were learned. Each child matriculated forward and will head off to a new classroom next year; some in another school, others at Pali Pres. This was our first year since COVID that we were able to have all our regular activities from Snow Day to Mr. Silly, from our Spring Carnival to Parent's Day and everything in between. What a special year it was!

Summer camp will begin on June 19th and run for 7 weeks. It's not quite good-bye yet, since most of our children will return to enjoy those last few special summer days.

Enjoy some photos from our family picnic, this year with a photo booth and graduation concert with Teacher Chrys from Do, Re, Mi Music. The children love getting up and dancing to the beat!

Scam Email Alert

It has been brought to our attention that some church members have received strange emails that are made to look like they are from Pastor Matt. They are not. They are phishing/hacking/scam attempts.

Please know, you will never receive an unsolicited communication from any church staff member asking for personal or financial information or favors.

If you receive something and it looks or sounds the least bit 'phishy', report it to your email service as spam if you know how. At the very least, delete it and please contact the church office immediately.

Helpful Hint: Don't simply rely upon the "Name" of the sender. Take the time to expand the details of the sender and take a look at the exact email address.

Join us for our Livestream Worship!

Join at 9:50am on Sunday Morning to enjoy the prelude, with worship beginning at 10am.

Sunday Refreshments

Bringing refreshments on Sunday mornings to share with our church is a loving and very important ministry. Thank you to all of you who have been doing this so faithfully. We need folks to sign up for summer and fall. Please contact Refreshment Coordinator Jan Gong.

Thank you to The Nathan Family for last week's refreshments! This week's goodies are brought to us by Cynthia Block.

Sunday Sanctuary Flowers

A BIG thank you to Bill Walker for donating last week! This week’s flowers are brought to us by Staci & Clay Mitchel, in honor of their fathers, George Mitchel & Wally Bigelow!

We invite all of our church members and friends to provide donations for flowers to adorn our sanctuary, along with a special dedication of your choosing. The cost is $75 per week.

Please contact Will at will@palipres.org and the church will order flowers from a local florist to be placed in the chancel on Sunday morning.

Our Deacons will distribute the flowers to one of our members/friends after the service.

Thank you for helping make our sanctuary even more beautiful!

Sunday Sermon Teaser

This coming Sunday we will explore the prominent (but often misunderstood) biblical themes of covenant and chosenness.  Join us in worship as we learn together!

Give to Pali Pres

Don't forget, you can easily give your tithes and offerings through our website!

There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.

-Proverbs 14: 12