Hey? Where are you? Well actually, the question is where are we, and where are we going? As we

enter into this wonderful season of discernment, Em-manuel needs you more than ever! So, PLEASE COME Sunday, October the 13th at 4pm.

* We will have some ice cream to sugar down our dry business.

* Some reporting and feedback from our Town Hall Meeting.

* Some updating of progress from the Mission Study Team.

* Some opportunity to give input into the Purpose of our Church.

Remember our three operative words during this season are: GPK - Grace, Patience and Kindness.

The theme for Children’s Ministry is Adventures with Jesus! The classrooms are getting a dose

of color to reflect this fun theme, along with specific themes for each room--Lets go with Jesus for grades 1-3 and Hang Time with Jesus for grades 4-5. Anyone interested can help paint the creative new landscapes in rooms 2 through 6. A skilled muralist would be particu-larly helpful. Check out room 3/4 to see a preview!

As separate classes are developed for grades 1-3 and 4-5, Children’s Ministry is seeking additional Sunday School helpers. These helpers support the teachers and focus primarily on safety and security. Helpers only teach if they want to.

For our children four and under, there is a new cur-riculum creating excitement in the nursery as well. The Lord has graciously provided several new volunteers. There is still a need for one or two additional volunteers for pre-K Sunday School. If this is how God has gifted you, please consider using these gifts to serve God and the church.

As always, you are encouraged to cover EPC’s youth programs in prayer…that they invite God’s spirit in a powerful way, so that the children in our church would know and experience Him.

For questions, or to volunteer for any of these oppor-tunities, please email Doug Gonce, Children’s Ministry Director (DougG@epconline.org) or Rachel Del Dosso,

Nursery & Childcare Coordinator (RachelDelDosso@gmail.com).

A reminder to all parents: Kids need to be in the sanctuary with their parents for worship before being dismissed for Sunday School, and for safety reasons, parents are required to pick them up immediately fol-lowing the end of service. Thank you!

Parents Night Out in NovemberChildren’s Ministry will host another Parents Night

Out on Friday, November 1. Mark your calendars and watch for more information coming soon.

Join Us for a Fun Fall FestivalSunday, October 27, from 4-6pm in the Fireside Room

at Emmanuel. The evening of festivities include: t hot cider and treatst pumpkin decoratingt a cake walkt a station to give thanks to God for all He has blessed us with. Everyone is welcome and admission is free. Feel free to wear costumes!

Adventures with Jesus!Get Excited About Children’s Ministry

Congregational Meeting - Sunday, October 13

OCTOBER 2013 VOLUME 9 | ISSUE 8

Social Security & Healthcare Workshop

Meet Elder, Caroline Ross

On Wednesday, October 23, Emmanuel is hosting a Social Security and Healthcare Workshop in

the Fireside Room starting at 7pm. Presented by Betty Berry, Senior Concern’s Advocate, Betty will provide the latest information explaining - who is entitled to what and when to apply. All the changes to Medicare for 2014 and the new Covered California Plan (the new

Affordable Care Act healthcare plan)will be discussed. People of all ages are encouraged to attend. This workshop is open to the public, so feel free to bring a friend. Call the church office at 805-498-4502 by October 21 to reserve a seat.

2

Beginning with this issue of the InSight, we will be highlighting members of the Emmanuel Session.

How long have you been a part of the Emmanuel family? We joined the church in 1997. We were looking for a church that David and myself AND our young family could thrive in. We had been attending a church in Moorpark but wanted to be closer to our home and attending church in the community where our children were going to school. We loved the range of ages represented at the church and the childrens’ program.

What is your profession and education background? I was born in Seattle and grew up in the Northern California East Bay. I attended UCSB as an undergraduate and majored in Communication Studies. I was resolved to never move farther south than Santa Barbara. However, I met my future “born and raised Southern Californian” husband, through a mutual friend in SB, and I ended up getting my Master’s degree in Rehabiliation Counseling at Cal State LA. I worked for 10 years as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in the private sector. When our kids were little I worked at Interface Children Family Services here in Thousand Oaks, then as a para-professional in the local school district. The last 8 years I have worked part-time for the Regional Center at Rainbow Connection Family Resource Center in Oxnard, working with families who have children with special needs.

Tell us about your family. Exciting news in the Ross family this fall is that our eldest child, Courtney Jane, is getting married! Courtney attended Westmont College and met her fiance at Mt Hermon Christian

Camps in Santa Cruz where they both worked as summer counselors. Courtney currently works for Colony Capital in Santa Monica as an administrative assistant. Daniel is 21, and will be a senior at the University of Oregon this fall. He is all sports all the time, is majoring in journalism/communication/public relations and would like to be a sports writer. Sky is 19, and attending Ventura College and participating in an independent living program through Villa Esperanza.

What special interests do you have? I love to read, stay up with current events, hike, garden, travel and cook special meals. I’m also obsessed with the Myers Briggs Temperament Analysis and am trying to put that to use in my husband’s business.

What activities are you involved with at Emmanuel? I have been involved with a little of everything! From teaching Sunday school, feeding the needy, Deacons, small group involvement, and helping with the disability group we held for several years here, The Teddy Bear Brigade. Emmanuel has been an endless source of opportunities. The Mother of Teens (MOTS)Book Study has been a central part of m life the last 5 years. One of the things I’ve loved about Emmanuel is the openness to exploring new service opportunities. I’m excited to see where God leads us as we move forward.

Ever have this thought? “My life would be so much better if (pick one): my spouse wasn’t so

irritable all the time, my parents stopped being so critical, my boss/teacher wasn’t so picky, my friend wasn’t so self-centered, etc.” Many of us devote precious time and energy focused on the flaws of others. We hope, expect, even demand that they change so that our lives will be better. Those of us who have tried changing someone else know it is a futile effort! Focusing on others distracts us from examining our own actions, feelings, and motivations. We may fear introspection because we think it will be too hard or too painful. Friends, we are all flawed,

wounded in some way, the result of living in a fallen world. But there is good news! God gives us the choice to live honestly and courageously, with hearts and minds committed to moving from flawed to improved, from hurt to healing. I hope you’ll make that choice. I heard someone say today, “Imagine that you’re standing before God at your best.” What might that look like for you? Barbra Winter is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist providing counseling at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Thousand Oaks and Moorpark Presbyterian Church. She can be reached at City Impact (805-983-3636, ext. 157).

Choral Arts Opens Doors for Holidays

Just Between Us... By Barbra Winter

3

On Thursdays, October 17 and October 24, Em-manuel will host open houses from 7–9pm for

its choirs, Novum Voce, a consortium of voices, and the Emmanuel Choir. Friends and neighbors in the community, as well as members, are invited to experi-ence the joy of singing and sample the different styles of music that will be performed during the upcom-ing holiday season as they kick off their Christmas rehearsals. The first hour will focus on Emmanuel’s annual Christmas production, and the Sunday worship music the second hour. Refreshments will be served.

Whether you have past choir experience or are sing-ing for the first time, everyone is welcome to check out the open houses and consider singing in the upcoming Christmas extravaganza on December 8 or participate in the choirs each week. This year’s Christmas concert will feature Novum Voce along with soloists, dancers,

band, chamber orchestra and handbells. There will be two performances, and Novum Voce is looking for singers in all sections.

Under the direction of Elation Arts producer and director Tony Chunn, Novum Voce has performed a vast array of music during the last several years, from such major works as Duruflé’s “Requiem,” Vaughn Williams’ “Dona Nobis Pacem” and Bernstein’s “Chich-ester Psalms” to Gospel greats, popular Broadway show tunes and British pop music. Emmanuel choir leads worship with contemporary settings of traditional anthems and hymns, as well as modern anthems and praise music.

For more detailed information about the open hous-es, the choirs, or the upcoming Christmas production, contact Tony in the office at 805-498-4502, ext. 12.

Epc Softball Sunday!Sunday, October 20 from 1:30-4PM. We will gather at

Peppertree Field in Newbury Park for fun, fellowship and softball. Bring your glove, because everyone will play. Questions, directions? Call John Pace 805-625-3748.

Disability Ministry at Emmanuel By Claudine Schooley

Listening, friendship, fellow-ship, and faith, are the four

words that our group found essen-tial to our new mission statement for the new Disability Ministry. We don’t want to limit our mission to a single group of people with disabili-ties, and we want to let the Holly Spirit guide us along the road.

Our group discussed the oppor-tunity to start a Buddy Break class at Emmanuel for kids with disabili-ties. The class would meet once a month on Saturday and would be part of the network of churches in our area. This network started this month at the initiative of Joni and Friends Church Relations, and

pastors and leaders in Disability Ministry will meet once a month to support each other.

The need for a place at church for families affected by disability is growing. Please consider being part of this ministry; the new class will be a great way to serve the kids and their parents, and ultimately bring them to Jesus.

I look forward to sharing with my Emmanuel Family in the near fu-ture my experiences and the needs that God has laid on my heart for these precious people. I always thank God for you, my Christian family and your interest and sup-port of mission and service!

Beyond Suffering & Disability Ministry Class

We are looking to highlight what we do here at Emmanuel. If you run or help with a ministry, could you email Jared at

JaredDelDosso@gmail.com with the name of the ministry, an explana-tion of it, what the ministry does and contact information that would be helpful to someone who wants to get involved. Showcasing these min-istries on the website will make ministry opportunities more accessible to those within the church body, as well as, those who are simply check-ing out the website! So whether it be a Bible Study, a ministry of service, prayer, volunteering, etc., send it along to Jared and it will be included on the website! Thanks!

EPC Website Information

4

10/4 Parents Night Out 6-10PM, Nursery

10/5 Healthy Aging Workshop 9:30AM, Fireside Room

10/13 Congregational Meeting & Ice Cream Social 4PM, side patio & Sanctuary

10/20 All Church Softball Game 1:30PM, Peppertree Field Newbury Park

10/23 Social Security Workshop 7-8:30PM, Fireside Room

10/27 Kids Fall Festival 4PM, Fireside Room

Coming in November

11/1 Parent’s Night Out 6-9PM, Nursery

11/9 Christmas Mission Market 10AM-2PM

Weekly & Bi-Monthly GroupsROMEOS - (Retired older men

eating out), Thursdays 8am at the Newbury Park IHOP

Mom’s In Prayer, 8:30am, every Friday, Youth Room

MOPS - Mothers of Preschoolers, 2nd & 4th Wednesdays at 9:15am

MOTS - Moms of Teens, every Wednesday, 12pm, Youth Room

Ephesians Bible Study Wednesday, 7pm, Fireside Room

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Ephesians 1:15-17

The dates for this class are: January 13 to April 7, 2014. The class will be in session every Monday from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, in the Fireside Room, at Emmanuel. You can register now at Joni and Friends website, using this link:

www.joniandfriends.org/christian-institute-on-disability/ bys-emmanuel-pres/