Hi everyone,

Santa Clara County revised its public health order this week. We will leave it to each of you to decide whether to wear a mask at church. The fellowship hall will remain a masks-only area during our Sunday service times.

Please continue to pray for our civil authorities to model wisdom and humility, and for the Church to know how to relate to them in a way that honors God and shows true love for other people.

On another topic, I hope many of you will be able to join us for Adult Sunday School over the next couple of weeks. Jonathan will be teaching about the history and teachings of Islam. We need to know about this subject, because we have many Muslim neighbors who need to hear the truth about Christ.

Hi everyone,

As July turns to August, our minds turn to the Fall, when vacations will be over and normal rhythms of school and work will resume. God is good to give us seasons of work and rest. In grace, he gives us six days to work and one to rest and worship. In nature too, he gives us springtime and harvest, summer and winter.

I have been reminded recently to pray for rain, as we seem to be entering another period of drought. Certainly, we should pray for God to send rain to make our fields fruitful, our homes comfortable, and our forests safe.

This week I have been studying Ezekiel’s prophecy of renewal to the people of Israel. Their time in exile was like a severe drought: their lives were barren and dirty, spiritually. God promised to give them new life, including a renewed land for them to live in.

Hi everyone,

This Sunday morning I will be addressing the subject of child safety in the Adult Sunday school class. The goal is to equip our church to prevent abuse and to respond appropriately to abuse if and when it happens.

For a variety of reasons, this subject is becoming more important and more complex. I plan to address 4 key developments in the past year that we need to be aware of as we consider how to nurture and guard our children, and how to live as “children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

Another item to look forward to in Adult Sunday school is a presentation from Jonathan Bartlett on what Christians should know about Islam. He will give this presentation on August 8, with some follow-up on August 15.

Hi everyone,

It has been a wonderful and valuable week of ministry to kids, both inside and outside our church. Thank-you to everyone who helped out, and to all the kids who joined in. And together we thank God, who gave his Spirit so that we would have the gifts we need to serve together for his glory.

This Sunday evening, we are going to resume our custom of singing together before the evening service. This will be at 5pm (not 4:45, as in the past), so please come at the normal time. The only change is that before the usual announcements, there will be about 10 minutes of singing.

Hi everyone,

The apostle Paul wrote:

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

Hi everyone,

Please note that the park day we had planned for tomorrow morning is canceled. Please stay tuned for announcements about future park days!

Sincerely,

Pastor Goligher

Hi everyone,

This is an eventful period for our church. After the upcoming long weekend, we only have one more week to prepare for Vacation Bible School, which starts on July 12.

There are a number of other items coming up, so please read carefully through these announcements.

Sincerely,

Hi everyone,

Some of you asked about the mobile app for the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. It is currently available only on Apple devices, but there is an Android version in the works. Here is the link to purchase the app for iPhones and iPads.

On the same “note” (see what I did there?), remember to order a copy or two to use at home. You can join the church’s order, which will save you a bit on shipping. The cost is $20 per copy, and we need your order by next Sunday, July 4. You can use to get in on this order, or speak to any of the church officers about it.

Hi everyone,

First, a quick note. Some of you have asked about using Zoom to join our lunchtime conversation with Tabitha Ewert. You can do so with the usual link. Of course, you can’t have pizza if you join by Zoom - up to you!

Resuming Sunday School last week was a great joy. So many things were the same as they used to be: telenews, singing happy birthday and the “world bank,” and some lively discussion. The kids also had a grand time learning about Pilgrim’s Progress.

Hi everyone,

First, two quick notes.

1. Please notice the announcement below about using masks in the fellowship hall during worship.

Hi everyone,

There are two special announcements I want you to notice:

Serving Christ in Ottawa

This , everyone is invited to join a conversation with Tabitha Ewert. Tabitha is a friend of mine who works in Ottawa, Canada as the legal counsel and spokesperson for “We Need A Law” ().The purpose of this organization is to save the lives of unborn children by advocating for legal restrictions on abortion.

Hi everyone,

We’ve been waiting a long time, and finally this week we return to Sunday School. Remember to set your alarm a bit earlier, and join us for edifying and enjoyable conversation and instruction. There are some more details below about how that will work. If you were not already in the habit of attending Sunday School before last year’s hiatus, now is the perfect time to get started!

May I also recommend that you join us for our evening services. Most Sunday evenings for the next couple months, Jonathan Bartlett (our summer intern) will be preaching through the book of Ruth. This is a fascinating and very personal story of God’s grace to one woman, her family, and to the whole people of God. This week, Jonathan is planning to preach on Ruth’s conversion and confession of faith in the true and living God.

Sincerely,

Hi everyone,

I hope you have all had a good week. It has certainly been a busy one for the church! We are thankful for all the opportunities God has given us for service.

Please take special note of the announcement about our plans to resume Sunday School next Sunday, June 13.

Sincerely,

Hi everyone,

The great English Bible translator William Tyndale once wrote:

Where the Holy Spirit is, there it is always summer, for there are always good fruits, that is to say, good works.

Hi everyone,

Before we get to our usual announcements, let me share the news that Rev. Sal Solis died yesterday. Rev. Solis pastored First OPC Sunnyvale for several years in the 1980s and 90s, and several other congregations in our presbytery as well. Here is a note from the stated clerk of our presbytery:

Pastor Solis was involved in the formation of Sovereign Grace Community Church as mentioned above. He served in several pastorates in this presbytery including First OPC, San Francisco, and First OPC, Sunnyvale as well as serving for a time in his retirement as stated supply for the Hughson Church. Please pray for Pastor Solis’ wife Amy; they were married for 66+ years, as well as for their children and other family members.

Hi everyone,

Please see this announcement from the Women’s Ministry Team:

On Sunday after the morning service we will gather outside under our tent to hold a baby celebration for Chloe Goligher. Given the current circumstances, this celebration is being held instead of a baby shower.

Hi everyone,

You and your friends are invited to Vacation Bible School at First OPC this summer!

Please share this email with anyone you think would like to join us for VBS this summer.

All the details are below. Looking forward to seeing you there!

May 16

Hi everyone,

One benefit of preaching twice a Sunday is that I often notice connections between two far-flung portions of Scripture. For tomorrow morning, I am preparing to preach on Psalm 125, which shows us the spiritual stability of God’s people who live by faith. Our text for the evening (Philippians 4:4-9) is another classic description of that spiritual stability, where we see what should come out of our minds (prayer, not anxiety) and what should go into our minds (“Whatever is true…”).

I’m thankful for these glimpses of Scripture’s wonderful unity, and also for its clear relevance to us as we seek to live in faith today.

Hi everyone,

Summer is just around the corner! This is exciting for all the usual reasons, but also because it means that some of our ministry plans are about to launch. Please take a minute to review these announcements, mark your calendars accordingly, and pray for God’s blessing on our efforts to serve him.

I am hoping to resume a more regular rhythm of pastoral visits. You can book a visit using this online tool (by the way, you can always find this link at the bottom of our announcements). If none of those times work, feel free to reach out to me directly. Most of the time, one elder and I will visit together. Over the summer, Jonathan will likely join many visits as part of his internship.

Hi everyone,

I am looking forward to worshiping with you all on Sunday. our text for the morning service is a good one for the Lord’s Day: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!’” (Psalm 122)

Here are the announcements for this week. Please take particular notice of the opportunity to serve at CityTeam Ministries on May 22.

Sincerely,

Hi everyone,

Don’t forget that tommorrow morning at 10am all the ladies are invited (without children) to Sylvan Park for coffee and conversation. Please bring your own coffee and a blanket.

Sincerely,

Hi everyone,

Last week, we saw that Psalm 120 helps us to acknowledge the trouble we face in setting out for heaven. Other ascent Psalms shed light on the troubles that we meet with on the way. Still others tell us of the blessing that we hope to enjoy at our destination.

Some of the most familiar ascent Psalms show the help that God gives to pilgrims on the way. Our text for tomorrow morning, Psalm 121, is one of these. If you’ve been asking lately, “Where does my help come from?” then this Psalm is for you.

I hope that preaching through these Psalms will strengthen our faith in God’s promises, our love and desire for him, and our hope to one day reach the home that Christ is preparing for us in his Father’s house.

Hi everyone,

Here are this week’s announcements. Sorry that they are a bit later than usual.

Tomorrow, we will be starting a new morning series on the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134). These are songs for pilgrims, to help them on their way to God’s house. They have been an encouragement to me already, and I hope they will be a blessing to you as well.

In the evening, we will press on in Philippians. We are all constantly dealing with the problem of distraction. In Philippians 3:12-16, Paul shows us how to live with spiritual focus.

Hi everyone,

Happy Easter! Here are this week’s announcements.

The Lord’s Day

The morning service is at 11:00am. We will be gathering at the Lord’s Table during the morning service. Also, Leah Joseph will be baptized. Here is the .

Hi everyone,

Santa Clara County moved into the Orange tier this week, so we are moving both worship services inside. I’ll explain a bit more below, but first, here are the announcements for the coming week.

Sincerely,

Pastor Goligher

Hi everyone,

Here are the announcements for the coming week.

Sincerely,

Pastor Goligher

Correction: In the first version of this email, the service times were not correct. See below for the correct info.

Hi again everyone,

Immediately after sending out the last email about moving the evening service inside, I realized that I neglected to mention one other change.

Next Sunday, March 14, the clocks change. On that same Sunday, we will return to what used to be our normal service times. The morning service will be at 11am, and the evening service at 5pm.

So, to summarize:

Dear congregation,

Tomorrow, we will hold our evening service indoors!

Our county’s restrictions were relaxed somewhat this past Wednesday. At our meeting this morning, the session discussed the potential implications of this change, and we agreed that moving our evening service inside would be a good first step.

Everything else about our Lord’s Day worship will remain the same. There is no longer any restriction of singing, and we do not expect to exceed the capacity limits (67 people, or 25% of 270). We will also continue wearing masks.

Hi everyone,

Here are this week’s announcements. I will be out of town most of next week, though Lord willing I will return before Sunday. If anyone needs something, please reach out to an elder or deacon.

Sincerely,

Pastor Goligher

Hi everyone,

Here are the announcements for the coming week. Apparently, in the excitement of yesterday’s event, I forgot to hit “send”!

The Lord’s Day

The morning service is at 10am. The sermon will be from Romans 1:18-32. This is the most famous passage in the Bible about homosexuality, but it is actually about a lot more than that. Here is the .

Hi everyone,

The Lord’s Day

The morning service is at 10am. In the sermon, we will be looking at the laws against homosexuality in Leviticus 18 & 20. Here is the morning order of service.

Hi everyone,

I neglected to mention one item in the email I just sent out. If you haven’t already seen the video memorial for Dorothy Lewis, you can find it at this link.

Sincerely,

Hi everyone,

I’ve included a note at the end of this email about the Equality Act. I hope it will help you to pray for our society, for our civil authorities, and for the Church.

I plan to include notes like this more regularly, in order to share thoughts, ideas, and resources as they come up week by week.

The Lord’s Day

Dear friend,

Our church is organizing a special online event on the topic of race. The quick details are at the bottom of this email, but let me share why I’m excited about this event (if you don’t have much time, at least check out this video).

Over the past year there was much discussion of “systemic racism,” “white privilege,” and “implicit bias.” Many people are wondering, though, whether these ideas are actually helping us live together in peace.

Hi everyone,

Here are the announcements for this week:

The Lord’s Day

The morning service is at 10am. We are looking forward to gathering at the Lord’s table together. Here is the .

Hi everyone,

Here are the announcements for this week

The Lord’s Day

The morning service is at 10am. We are going to take one more look at Jesus’s teaching on marriage in Matthew 19:1-12. Here is the .

Dear congregation,

It has been several years since we last updated our church directory, which means that there have been a lot of changes. Even if there are no changes, please send us your contact information and photo. This will help us prepare the new directory.

Here’s how to do it:

Hi everyone,

Due to the weather forecast, we will not hold evening worship at church today. Instead, please join for prayer meeting on Zoom, at 4pm.

You can join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.

Hi everyone,

Here are the announcements again, this time with the correct evening order of service.

The Lord’s Day

The morning service is at 10am. Our next sermon on homosexuality will be from Jesus’s teaching on marriage in Matthew 19:1-12. Here is the .

Dear congregation,

Here are the announcements for this week:

The Lord’s Day

The morning service is at 10am. Our next sermon on homosexuality will be from Jesus’s teaching on marriage in Matthew 19:1-12. Here is the .

Hi everyone,

Please take note of this announcement from the Women’s Ministry Team:

Last week we announced that there would be a baby “sprinkle” for Jennifer Estes, on Zoom, this Friday evening. That plan has changed, and a new date will be announced.

However, we plan to send the group gift to her on Friday 29 January. If you would like to contribute to the gift please contact Melissa Harvey.

Dear congregation,

Here are the announcements for this week:

The Lord’s Day

The morning service is at 10am. We will be looking at Genesis 2, which includes the first love poem in the Bible! Here is the .