Faith Presbyterian Church of Valley Village

5000 Colfax Avenue • Valley Village • CA • 91601 • (818)766-8103 • Fax: (818)766-2987

Sunday School at Faith Pres

"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
-Deuteronomy 6: 6-7 (NIV)

The spiritual education of our children is very important to us. Sunday school is made available to all ages, and children are very involved in the worship services. Highlights of the Christian education program include The Christmas Pageant, The Community Easter Egg Hunt, and the Rally Day Worship Service.

Register for “Mommy & Me”

Christ centered “Mommy & Me” classes for ages 18 months - 3 years.

Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.,
Starts on January 14 (12 weeks), ends March 25.

Cost: $180 per 12 week session.

Taught by Annalou Weir, experienced and much loved Mommy & Me teacher, with over 40 years of experience.

Please call Shari at the church office (818) 766-8103 if you have any questions.

Pre-Register

Pre-register online: Send email with subject "mommy & me", include your name, phone number and/or cell-phone number, your email address to: Faith Pres

Or stop by the church office and register in person.

Winter Camp for Jr./Sr. High School

Camp Pondo, January 22 - 24, 2010. Register by Dec 15, 2009. Call Shari or Dave for more information, (818) 766-8103.

We Spread the Son-Shine in Vacation Bible School

Vacation Bible School

By Shari Lynn Bates

Our theme for Vacation Bible School was "Spreading the Sonshine," and our key verse for the week was Mark 15:16 "Go everywhere in the world and tell the good news to everyone."

We learned Bible stories from 2nd Kings 4:1 - 17, and how the woman who had very little trusted God to meet her needs. From Luke 21:1 - 4, we learned about the woman who gave all she had to God. We learned from Luke 10:25 - 37 that our neighbor is anyone who needs our help, and from Acts 9:36 - 42 that when we help others we are being a witness for Jesus. Acts 16:22 - 34 taught us how Paul and Silas shared about Jesus with their words and their actions.

The kids memorized daily verses and the week’s verse and recited them in chapel each morning.

We had Bella Briscoe (from Bel Air Pres) lead us each morning in worship songs and dance moves. We had news reporting skits that brought each morning’s lesson into present day. We had Joanne Gallagher retell each Bible Story with passion and props. Our daily crafts were created by Catie Merrill to tie into the Bible lesson each day, and Jane Poole did an excellent job of leading the craft team.

Hans and Mathias Leier created fun and, most of the time, water friendly games, again that tied into the day’s Bible Lesson.

A special thanks to all those who helped make the program successful.

Kurt & Theo with trophy and Green Goblin

A Race Car Named Green Goblin, A Photo Named Squiggles, & A Tomahawk!

By Christine Tutak

Theo Leier won first place in his Cub Scout Pack’s annual Pinewood Derby. He and his dad, Kurt Leier, made the winning car, “The Green Goblin,” together.

Theo also won Honorable mention in the Burbank Public Library’s Annual Photography Contest with his photo named “Squiggle Lights”, taken of neighborhood Christmas lights. The winning photos were displayed at the Burbank Central Library for a month.

And finally, Matthias, Hans, and Kurt attended the Cahuenga District Boy Scout Camporee, held from April 24 to 26. It is an annual event for several hundred boys that takes place in the back hills of the Tejon Ranch. It was exciting this year because Matthias made a Bull’s Eye in the Tomahawk Throw!

My Faith Journey

By Christopher Poole

I arrived at church on the evening of Friday, March 6, to meet up with Jaxon, Bryan, and Dave. Dave drove us up to Arrow-Bear, where a Christian camp called Ponderosa Pines waited for us. I have to admit, I was still a little iffy on the whole ordeal; it was mostly because I did not know what to expect. Well, we arrived a little late, and the night-time sermon was already being given. After that, however, Jax, Bryan, Dave, and I walked up to our cabin, and once inside, discovered that we had it all to ourselves!

The next morning, we walked through the snow up to the worship hall and listened to that morning’s sermon. They would just keep on getting better and better, and finally, the last sermon that was given was truly incredible.

There were five whiteboards, and the speaker (I believe his name was Derrill) told us to write our sins on the boards, whether it be talking back to our parents, or disobeying God’s Word. Afterward, Derrill walked up to the boards and read some of them aloud, and then erased them, telling us that there is no need to dwell on the past. There is no need to dwell in the past as long as we look to our future. And that future is with God.

I was in tears by the time that the sermon was over because I realized that although I was going to church almost every Sunday, although I believed that Jesus Christ is my one and only Lord and Savior, I was not truly a follower. I had to give up everything, surrender my soul to Christ, if I wanted to become a true follower of His Word. At that very moment, I surrendered my soul and my heart and my life to Him, wondering all the while what would become of me. The I found the answer: A better person. I walked up to Derrill, and I told him that he had changed my life forever, and that I was ready to give up everything, as my Savior did, so that I may follow Him. I was in tears and Derrill hugged me.

That weekend at Ponderosa Pines really did shape who I am right now, even though it has only been a little over a month. I am so thankful that I went, and I hope to return (there) soon. But remember, once you surrender your entire life to your Savior, Jesus Christ, you will become a follower. I gave my life to Him. My faith journey began there, and it will continue as long as I live.

For My Mother

A Mother's Day Poem by Emma Poole

Roses are red

Violets are blue.

My heart spills out love

Just for you.