Dear Friends
by Pastor Bea

A bout of bronchitis has upset my schedule and I have no article to share this month. Instead I am offering you the words from a hymn called “I Am forever who I Am.” I heard this hymn sung recently by the Schola Choir of the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary under the direction of Pr. Joel Wudel, and I was deeply moved.

I Am forever who I Am,
Above you, beneath you, around you and within you.
Be still and know that I AM GOD

Though mountains slide into the sea,
and waters rush where fields should be,
Though monuments and nations fall,
Your Holy City stands through all.
When nothing seems to stay the same,
You teach us Your Eternal Name.

I Am forever who I Am,
Above you, beneath you, around you and within you.
Be still and know that I AM GOD

We buy and sell, we lose or gain;
our fortunes shift like sun and rain.
Sustain our lives, reward our toil
with bread and honey, wine and oil.
Save us and others from our greed;
You always give us what we need.

I Am forever who I Am,
Above you, beneath you, around you and within you.
Be still and know that I AM GOD

Our lust for power, wealth and land
diminishes the earth You planned.
Prevent our crimes and futile wars;
convince us that all things are yours.
We rage and burn and kill and steal,
but You redeem, restore and heal.

I Am forever who I Am,
Above you, beneath you, around you and within you.
Be still and know that I AM GOD

Like shepherds watching for the light,
aware of dangers in the night,
We hear the angel: “Do not fear,
the Savior of the world is near.”
We run, we see, we touch, we laugh.
You come to earth on our behalf.

I Am forever who I Am,
Above you, beneath you, around you and within you.
Be still and know that I AM GOD

Each generation looks for truth,
and doubt can trouble age or youth.
If other gods would take Your place,
remember us with love and grace.
Reclaim us if we go astray;
You are the Truth, the Life, the Way.

I Am forever who I Am,
Above you, beneath you, around you and within you.
Be still and know that I AM GOD

Some days seem long, though life is brief,
and death is waiting like a thief.
When vision fades and dreams go dry,
we will on Unseen things rely.
Our stories take but a page,
but Yours goes on from age to age.

I Am forever who I Am,
Above you, beneath you, around you and within you.
Be still and know that I AM GOD

From Pastor Jim
He is Risen!

Easter is upon us! What a wonderful time in the church year. Not only are we coming out of Lent and the passion of our Lord but spring is around the corner bringing warmer weather and new growth.

There is new growth in Sunday School as well! Before I catch you up on what is in the works I would like to offer a belated welcome to Joelma, our loving and caring nursery supervisor. She has been with us for a while now and has not only connected with kids and families but has seen to improvements in our nursery. CGS is now an official member of KaBOOM, a volunteer driven group that seeks to support the building of play areas. Now that we have a ‘site’, we just need to find members of the family of CGS who have a passion for improving the lives of children. All skill sets are needed; planners, leaders, accountants, snack supporters, designers, fund raisers, etc….KaBOOM has all the information that we need to make CGS even more kid inviting. Feel free to speak with myself or any of the Sunday School teachers about where we need support.

Our Sunday School teachers are doing a great job. We have two instructors per class and they are working to guide our children into a close relationship with Christ. If you should feel called to share your passion with our kids please don’t be shy – let one of the teachers know.

The Education Committee will have its first meeting on April 20, 2011. At press time there are four members of the Education Committee. If you feel called to exploring what Christian Education is made of, feel free to join us! You can get a more personal sense of what this ministry is about by speaking with either Adolfo or Linda.

And lastly, look for a list of our summer family activities in May. The parents have planned a summer of fun and affordable activities for anyone with the heart of a child.

If you have any questions, feel free to call me at (408) 761-2062 or email me at youth@cgslc.org.

He has Risen indeed!

Pr. Jim

Join us for Family outings!
by Beate T.

Several of us mom's have met and decided to start a regular event for families with children. These family outings will occur starting in May on every 4th Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00. We will meet i.e. at a local park and play together, go bowling, have an ice cream social, etc. These events are open to all families who want to participate. Kickoff will be May 29th where we will go bowling, location to be determined.

There will also be activities throughout the summer that are aimed at having fun together with our children, get to know each other better, and create lots of memories. The Summer Kick-Off Family Event will be the June 10th "Pajama Party" at the church, Friday evening starting at 5:30pm, with a barbecue dinner, stargazing, games and s'mores around the campfire. Bring a sleeping bag and, if it is hot, a swim suit for sprinkler games! Friends and families are welcome. For more information, contact Beate Teufel.

New Books in the Library
by Paul T.
The Library recently added quite a few books. In addition to books on theology, spirituality, Christianity and Martin Luther, we added some books for the kids and some books for the nature-lovers. Click here to read more about the books that we have added.

Second Mile Giving for May is Mt. Cross

The 2nd Mile Giving for May is designated for our local Lutheran summer camp in Felton, CA.

Their mission: igniting passionate faith, equipping servant leaders, spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mt. Cross's constituency is comprised of over 400 Lutheran Churches in California, Nevada & Hawaii.

Mt. Cross is open year-round for retreat groups & other programmed events.

Each summer, Mt. Cross hires 40-50 college age students to work on the staff to provide programming for summer camp programs. In doing this we provide valuable leadership & training experiences to potential clergy, youth workers & outdoor ministry professionals.

CGS is Turning the big 4-0!

CGS is going to be celebrating 40 years in May so please look into your old drawers for any pictures you might have of anniversaries, baptisms, weddings, or any other celebration that happened at CGS over the last 40 years. Please send your pictures in an envelope with your name on them so they can be returned to you in good condition after being scanned. Send them to Laura please.

Thrivent Builds night at the San Jose Giants game

The San Jose Giants, last year’s California League Champions, will be playing the Stockton Ports May 14th. The San Jose Giants are the farm team for the San Francisco Giants. Perhaps you are familiar with the names of Matt Cain, Pablo Sandoval, Brandon Belt, and Buster Posey? All these guys were recent players on the San Jose Giants. Come down and see the next future big leaguers.

See Janet or Dave for tickets. Donations of any size will get you tickets to the game. Once in the game, being a special ticket holder, you will get a free hot dog and soda and other goodies. Habitat for Humanity will also have a large wooden beam where everyone can pound in a nail or two.

Also available at the game, for a donation of $40, BBQ chicken or ribs served on the Martinelli Deck, a designated patio area near the third base line. Take me out to the ballgame!

W.E.L.C.A.
by Suzanne B.
WELCA will meet Sunday May 15th at noon in the fireside room. We will join Rosy McCloskey on her tour of middle-eastern religious facilities. A typical Mediterranean vegetarian light lunch will follow. Child care will be provided.

The Donuts have returned!

Lent is over and the donuts have returned. Did you know that the donuts and juice and all the other nummies cost money, either to the church or to the team that hosted the goodies? If every one who partook of the tasty morsels were to contribute just $1 per week, it would go a long way towards reducing out-of-pocket expenses to the team or to the church.

So rejoice that the donuts are back, and help to defray the costs if you can.

May Good News

In this issue:

Dear friends
From Pastor Jim
Join us for Family outings
New books in the Library
Second Mile Giving-Mt Cross
CGS is turning 40!
Thrivent Builds night at the SJ Giants
WELCA
The donuts are back!