Thoughts from Your President ......
Kay Pushman
September 2024
Message from Our President…
Dear Members and Friends,
It is with a heavy heart that so soon after Jerry Brady's Memorial Service, we are again planning one for our beloved Pastor Gil. The Memorial Service is Saturday, September 14 at 10:00 am with a luncheon to follow. We will setting up on Friday afternoon at 2:00. If you are able to provide transportation to the Memorial, bring a fruit salad, help with the preparation on Friday, setup/serve/cleanup on Saturday, there is sign-up sheet in the Narthex. The GRF Community Swap Meet is being held on the same day from 8:00-12:00. It will be held in the parking lot in front of Clubhouse 6, and you will not be able to park there. The parking lot in front of the Health Center and the Amphitheater lot will be available for our use. However, the people participating in the Swap Meet will be parking there also. If at all possible, please carpool to the Memorial. I am arranging for nonmember drivers to shuttle anyone who has to park in the Clubhouse 4 parking lot. There will be signs in their car windows. I will give the Security office maps to direct our guests to all of the parking options.
Redeemer's long-time involvement in God's Work, Our Hands where we collect food from our members and community is on Sunday, September 8 from 1:00-3:00. We will be setting up in front of the church right after Fellowship. If you can help with this project, there is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex. Of course, your contribution of food is central to this endeavor, and you can bring your food to church anytime. Call me at 818 470 0480, and I will meet you to bring in your donations. Redeemer has always had a very successful program providing a generous amount of non-perishable food to those in need.
At the last Council meeting, it was decided that we would make our outside wall with crosses a Memorial Wall. The large cross on the wall was made and donated by my son and his wife. I will be removing the plaque under it remembering my husband, and purchase a smaller cross to attach it to. The Brady family has made a donation, and we will be putting up a cross and plaque remembering him. I checked with the family of Pastor Gil, and they were so happy that we would be memorializing their dad in the same way, and they have picked out the cross they would like. I hope to have the cross and plaque on the wall while the family is in town. We will be making this available to all of our members that would like to remember their loved ones in this way, and are finalizing the program.
The Council also has decided to look into improving our sound system, and we will keep you updated on the progress.
I am always overwhelmed with the volunteering at our church. We are indeed blessed by so many helping hands, which makes any task much easier. Many thanks always for your help.
God's Blessings to you all.
Respectfully,
Kay Pushman
Council President
October 2024
Message from Our President…
Dear Members and Friends,
Approximately 100 family and friends were present at the Memorial Service where Bishop Finck's message was so meaningful and appreciated by all as we lovingly remembered our amazing Pastor for 17 years. The bulletin was beautifully done by Margo, who had been with Pastor Gil during his time at Redeemer. The luncheon was delicious, provided by family and members, and planned to be similar to one that Pastor Gil always suggested. A cross and plaque on our Memorial Wall was dedicated by Bishop Finck after the luncheon, and was attended by the family. He has been remembered by many generous memorial gifts in his honor. This was a very special time for our church, and many thanks to all of the volunteers that contributed to the success of remembering our special time with Pastor Gil.
God's Work, Our Hands which hadn't been done since covid was very successful on September 8 even though it was a very hot day. We collected so much food, and are grateful for the generosity of our members and neighbors. I would especially like to thank all those who showed up in the hot weather to help; Carol and Mickey Costello, Sylvia Makus, Doris Weinert, Karen Ford, Shirlene Bradrick, Wendy Alfageme, my neighbor, Midge Bash, my daughter, son-in-law and grandson and Carl and Jessica Keene, who made two trips to deliver all of the donated food.
We are still working on the sound system for the church. My son has found some Bose speakers at a very reduced price, and will install them at a different location than the ones that are on our walls now, which should help our members hear every inspirational word of Bishop Finck's sermons.
The Memorial Cross Wall has been implemented with Pastor Gil's cross and plaque being the first. We have decided the following if you would like to have one of your loved ones remembered in this way. If we provide the cross and plaque a $200 donation is suggested. If you provide the cross, and we provide the plaque a $150 donation is suggested. The plaques will all be uniform with the option of the Lutheran rose, Episcopal flag, or a cross. After the purchase of the items, the donations will be added to the Memorial Wall Fund which is part of our Operating Budget. We will have a form available if you would like to have your loved one permanently remembered in this way. If you have any questions, please see me.
We all are so very blessed by our inspirational Wednesday Bible Study, led by Bishop Finck, for which we have had to add extra tables. If you don't already attend, consider adding this to your calendar as we continue through the Ten Commandments.
Mark your calendars for November 14 and 15 from 8:30 a.m.3:30 as we will be offering our Fall Bazaar featuring arts and crafts, baked goods, gently used treasures, jewelry, ceramics and more. There is a sign-up sheet if you would like a table to offer your wares. 10% of all sales will be donated to the church, except our Boutique, which is 100%. There will be a work party on Wednesday, November 13 at 4:00. If you have any questions, please call Carmen Leslie, Chairperson at 562 430 6950.
As always, I thank you for allowing me to serve.
Kay Pushman
Council President
November 2024
Message from Our President…
Dear Members and Friends,
The Council has passed the criteria for our Memorial Cross Wall, and that is printed in the newsletter separately. There are signup sheets in the narthex if you would like to memorialize your loved ones in a permanent way, and, also, beautify our outside Prayer Chapel. As a neighbor of our church, I have seen people stopping to sit on the bench spending time in prayer.
Please be sure to attend our first of two Congregational Meetings on November 10th. We will be presenting the Council for 2025, which includes the nomination by the Council of three new members: Susan Avila, Carol Costello, and Linda Peters. Also presented will be the Proposed Budget for 2025 for the congregation’s approval. We will meet in the Sanctuary immediately following the service. The meeting usually takes about 10 minutes, and we will have fellowship downstairs after the meeting.
We are working on our Holiday Bazaar which will be advertised in the Leisure World News for our community to take advantage of the many tables of holiday gifts, homemade baked goods, and our Boutique tables. It’s time to look through your home for items for the Boutique, bake same goodies, or sign up for a table. We appreciate all of your donations, as this event will be a major fundraiser for our church. For information, the chair is Carmen Leslie (562) 430-6950.
As we get closer to the holidays, and our calendars are filling up, please be sure to add these dates to yours.
Advent Suppers in the Fellowship Hall
Wednesdays: December 11 and December 18 at 3:00 p.m.
Christmas Service
December 24 at 10:30 a.m. with brunch following the service
There will be signup sheets for these events as we get closer to the dates.
Our church directory is in the narthex. I apologize for any information that is incorrect, so if there is any, please make the correction on the form in the pew pockets, and put it in the collection plate. The correction(s) and / or addition(s) will be completed in the next printing of the directory.
On the cover of our directory, you will find our church’s motto, “The Church with a Heart, In the Heart of Leisure World”. Thank you also much for making sure that our members and visitors are welcome in our friendly church.
I am always grateful for the opportunity to serve our congregation.
Kay Pushman
Council President
December 2024
Message from Our President…
Dear Members and Friends,
We had a very successful Holiday Bazaar on November 14 and 15 with many people from Leisure World coming to purchase from our vendors who were selling baked goods, candy, jewelry, art, pottery, handicrafts, jellies, bric-a-brac, Christmas decorations, clothing, and items from all over the world collected by Bishop Finck and Rhoda. The vendors donated 10% of their sale to the church. We had 100% profit from the baked goods, our Boutique table, and several of our members donated all of their sales to us. The final tally was:
Bake Sale $620.00
$620.00 Vendor Tables $536.00
$536.00 Boutique $315.66
$315.66 Total Deposited $1,471.66
$1,471.66 I thought it was a wonderful few days that brought new friends to our church who found it to be a very welcoming, friendly atmosphere, with the plus of being serenaded with beautiful music by Mickey Costello on his guitar. Throughout the day many people took advantage of our sofa and chairs to sit, have some coffee, treats and good fellowship. There were always many people at the Bishop's tables deep in conversation about his many treasures. Several of whom that had been former members of Redeemer. If you weren't able to attend, please be sure to come, and maybe participate in some way, for our Spring Fair. Many thanks to Chair, Carmen Leslie, Committee members Betty Lucera, Barbara Long, John Robinson and so many wonderful volunteers that made it a very successful event.
December 1 is the first Sunday in Advent. Many thanks to Sylvia Makus who is preparing for the decoration of our church. The Advent wreath will be in place, the first candle lit, and poinsettias will adorn the altar this Sunday. In the next few weeks, the creche will be set up on the outside, the Three Wise Men Painting done by Carmen Leslie and Barbara Simundza will be hung at the entrance, a Christmas tree decorated by members of the Altar Guild in the Sanctuary along with more poinsettias, and a display of Nativity Scenes in the Fellowship Hall. We would love to have you bring your Nativity scene to share during the Advent Season. Sharon Heck and Cedric Elmer will begin our Sunday services during Advent with beautiful piano duets. The Choir is practicing Christmas music as we begin our celebration of the birth of Jesus.
We will be having two Advent Suppers on Wednesday, December 11 and 18 beginning at 3:00. We will start with an hour of Inspiration and Christmas Carol singing accompanied by Nancy Anderson on the piano followed by supper.
We will celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on December 24 at 10:30 am followed by a brunch. At this brunch on Christmas Eve morning, we will also have a Christmas Cookie Exchange. Cookies will be available to purchase too. There are sign-up sheets for volunteering to make food for these events, and, also, if you would like to participate in the cookie exchange. Please mark your calendars for these special dates to join with your fellow Christians as we celebrate the Christmas season.
It is a wonderful time of year, and, as we near the end of 2024, and take time in prayer and thanks for our many blessings, if you are able, you might want to consider a tax-deductible year-end gift to our church.
Wishing you many blessings,
Kay Pushman
Council President
January 2025
Message from Our President…
Dear Members and Friends,
Happy New Year! 2024, as in all years, brought our church many blessings and some sadness. We have been so fortunate that Bishop Finck has agreed to be our interim pastor, has re-instituted our Bible Study, and our attendance on Sunday has increased significantly since he came. We have had people come to membership, have brought back some members that had not been active, and many Sundays we have visitors attending. Our finances are in good shape, as we have several people that have blessed us with large donations some year-end, and some monthly. Indeed, we have much to be thankful for. However, the saddest time in 2024 was the passing of our dear Pastor Gil, who led our congregation lovingly for 17 years. We are so very fortunate to have known him, and had him as our Pastor. We also mourned the loss of Jerry Brady, who served as the leadership of our Church for so many years.
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas with friends and family. Our Advent Suppers and Christmas Eve service were especially meaningful. We have learned so much from Bishop Finck’s teaching, and they always lead into such thought-provoking comments. Adding to that the time visiting and sharing a delicious meal was particularly rewarding. Unfortunately, we have had several members with a long-lasting virus, and a few that have had injuries. It’s always so sad when some of us cannot be there during this special time of the church year. Many thanks to all of the volunteers that help to make our Christmas season so successful. Each of you is sincerely appreciated.
We have several issued with regard to our property. The wonderful rain brings with it water seeping into our Fellowship Hall. To help alleviate that problem, Orange County Pump has done some preventative maintenance on our pumps, and found one is not working. We are waiting on an estimate of repair or replacement. My son, who has a good understanding of sound systems, has set our speakers to the correct level, and will move one of the speakers to give us better sound. We are hoping this will help our members hear every word of Bishop Finck’s inspirational messages. The loss of our furnace brings us on Sunday mornings to a very chilly sanctuary. We are looking into how we can replace our heating system, and will keep you informed as we move along in this project.
When this newsletter reaches you, it will be the beginning of a new year; a time of reflection and new opportunities. You will be receiving your sealed pledge card asking you to prayerfully consider all of your gifts to your church including your time and talents. If you are able, I hope you will find a way to be more involved in the working of your church. There are some of you that have been very active in the past, and cannot serve any longer. For those years of dedication, we are so very grateful, and we have others that will help to fill those needs.
It was an honor to have served as your President in 2024. I am so fortunate that I had such an amazing congregation that were always ready to help, and support me whenever they could, a wise, hard-working Council, a church secretary that always helps to make things run smoothly, a dedicated organist and choir that add so much to our worship service, and, of course, the opportunity to work with a dedicated man like Reverend Finck, who brought such life back to Redeemer and St. Theodore’s.
As always, thank you for allowing me to serve.
Kay Pushman
Council President
February 2025
Message from Our President…
Dear Members and Friends,
I hope this article finds you well and filled with the peace and joy of God's Love. I am reaching out today with gratitude as we begin a new year to continue to work together to build a stronger, more vibrant church community.
We remain deeply thankful for the spiritual leadership of our interim pastor, The Rev. Murray Finck, Bishop Emeritus who continues to bless us with his Sunday messages and Bible Study sessions on Wednesdays. His teachings and wisdom inspire us all, and we encourage everyone to take advantage of every opportunity to learn from him as he guides us in faith and understanding.
I am pleased to announce that the Church Council has elected new officers who will serve our congregation in the coming term. These dedicated individuals have accepted their call to lead and serve our church community with faith and commitment.
The newly elected officers are:
President: Kay Pushman, Vice President: Wendy Alfageme, Treasurer: Doris Weinert and Secretary: Nancy Anderson. Doris Weinert has agreed to continue as Finance Chair, and the rest of the Council consists of Susan Avila, Carol Costello, Sandra Langdale, Carmen Leslie, Betty Lucero, Sylvia Makus, Linda Peters and Michael Vanvales. This group of dedicated Church Members play a vital role in our congregation. These leaders not only chair and serve on committees, but also help guide decisions about the workings of our church, ensuring that our ministry thrives and our mission is fulfilled. This new Council will be officially installed during the Second Congregational Meeting, which will take place on Sunday, March 2 immediately following the worship service in the Sanctuary.
During this meeting, we will also:
*Elect two members to represent our congregation at the Pacifica Synod Assembly 2025, which will be held on May 16-17, 2025, at Gloria Dei Lutheran in Dana Point California. This assembly provides a wonderful opportunity for our representatives to engage with others in the Pacifica Synod, participate in decision-making, and be part of shaping the wider ministry of our church. We invite all members to prayerfully consider representing our congregation at this important assembly. If you feel called to serve in this capacity, please let me know before the meeting.
*Receive and review the Annual Reports from our various committees, highlighting all the wonderful work accomplished in the past year.
We encourage everyone to attend this important gathering of our congregation as we reflect on the past year, plan for the future and affirm our commitment to serving God together.
With heartfelt thanks for the privilege of serving this congregation,
Kay Pushman
Council President
August 2025
Message from Our President…
Dear Members and Friends,
July has been a very exciting month for at our July 13, 2025 Congregational Meeting, we unanimously voted to accept the Council's Resolution to have Greenwood Heating and Air install HVAC systems in our Sanctuary, offices, and fellowship hall. We sincerely owe Reverend Finck a debt of gratitude, as this wouldn't have happened without his diligence. He alone worked with vendors, and went to the Pacifica Synod and the Episcopalian Diocese for financial help. Consequently, after their help, we are working to raise the final $15,000 using the “Blessed To Be Two Blessings” (B2B2B), which was voted on and accepted by the Church Council at the July 16, 2025 meeting. 90% will be applied toward our HVAC system cost, and 10% of the funds raised will be donated to the non-profit Leisure World Cares Fund, which is helping vetted persons that are having trouble paying the increased association dues in Leisure World. As of July 27, we have raised $6,510 toward our $15,000 goal thanks to many generous donations.
Again, many thanks to Reverend Finck. We will be thanking you many times over as we have heat in the winter, and cooling in the summer. We are waiting for the building permits from the City of Seal Beach, and anticipate the installation of the systems to begin soon.
As with any building, particularly one that was built in 1965, there are problems that occur. Over this month, we have had a termite infestation in our Electrical Room, which is off the outside Memorial Cross Wall. We did hire a company to take care of this infestation. Thank you to Sylvia Makus, who cleaned up the mess after them. We had GRF do some needed maintenance which included replacing tubes in overhead lighting fixtures to led tubes which cost $156. We also needed to replace the refrigerator in the kitchen which cost $873.01. Thanks to a generous donation from a member, out actual cost of the replacement is only $178.01. Also, we had a slow running faucet in the kitchen. The Council was all set to call a plumber, and Reverend Finck stepped in and said, let me look at it. He fixed it. Thank you again.
There is another Congregational Meeting scheduled for August 10 after our Worship Service. We have been approached by the Sa Rang Congregation, a non-denominational church to use our facility for a donation of at least $2,000 a month. They carry their own insurance liability and will indemnify Redeemer / St. Theodore. The Council has passed a motion for them to use the facility for a 12:30 Sunday Worship, Bible Study on Wednesday from 6:00pm-7:00pm, and Prayer meetings Tuesday-Saturday from 6:00 am-7:00 am. The Congregation will be voting on this recommendation from the Church Council at this special meeting. Please plan on attending.
Pastor Murray will be offering another New Member Reception in September. We would love to have you join, but, if not, we are so glad you are choosing to worship with us. If this is something you have been praying about, and have any questions or concerns, please speak to him.
Reverend Finck is working on developing a program whereby lay people would serve as Eucharistic Ministers that would bring the Sacrament from the altar to our homebound members and friends.
As you all know, Reverend Finck is an interim Pastor for us, and truly a blessing. However, we are required to be actively looking for a permanent pastor. At this point, the Synod has not presented us with any pastors. A letter is being mailed to all the Bishops in the United States which tells of all of the benefits of Leisure World, and offering a part-time position to any pastor that would choose to move to California, and perhaps live in Leisure World.
As always, many thanks for your continued prayers for my full recovery.
God's Blessings,
Kay Pushman
Council President
March 2025
Message from Our President…
Dear Members and Friends,
It has been a busy month for our Church Council, and quite a few decisions have been made. Many thanks for these dedicated members.
We decided to hire a janitorial service for $140 a month and a gardener for $200 a month to give our hard-working volunteers that have been doing this work some well-earned time off. The janitor will clean once a month, alternating between spending the major amount of time in the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall. The gardener will come 2-3 times a month. These figures were not figured into the 2025 Budget that was approved, so the accounts for these items will have a negative balance.
The Fire Department did an inspection, and we are required to replace 10 of our Exit Signs, as they don't fully light up. New bulbs would not improve that situation, so new signs have been purchased. Many thanks to our members, Ray Friedrichsen and Emil Miorelli who have said they will install the new signs for us.
Carol and Mickey Costello, along with Bishop Finck, have volunteered to represent us at the Pacifica Synod Assembly on May 16 and 17. Wendy Alfageme has also volunteered to be one of two alternates. We will ask for any other volunteers at the Congregational Meeting, and will then vote to approve all of our representatives.
The Council passed a motion to purchase two tables that will be placed behind the last pew to hold any church material that needs to be passed out, clipboards, cards, and possibly the name tags.
We have been approached by a National Prayer Group to use our conference room once a week for an hour, and we will be meeting with them to ensure this would be a group that follows our teaching.
We are so happy that Carmen Leslie has agreed again to chair our Spring Bazaar on May 1 and 2. We will be following the same format as the Holiday Bazaar except we will be offering lunch for sale.
Karen Ford graciously agreed to represent us at the Spring WELCA Luncheon March 1. Someone from the Women of the ELCA would like to speak to our congregation regarding this special program.
Susan Avila and Doris Weinert have been researching Thrivent, and the ways we, as members, can bring more income into our church. They will be giving a short talk on how we can accomplish that at the Congregational Meeting.
March 16 we will be having a Memorial Lunch remembering Dee Sessa hosted by Juanita Townsend. The church will be providing tableware, coffee and tea. There is a sign-up sheet to help with the setup on March 15, and to serve and cleanup on March 16.
Our Lenten Season begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5 at 10:30 am with Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes. We then will have Lenten Devotion and Supper at 4:00 the following 5 Wednesdays; March 12, 19, 26 and April 2 and 9. We are also planning an Easter morning brunch. There are sign-up sheets to help with the suppers, and brunch. As we get closer to Easter, there also will be a sign-up sheet if you would like an Easter Lily.
I know there are so many sign-up sheets over the next few months, and I hope you can find some way to help, and thank you in advance for volunteering.
God's Blessings,
Kay Pushman
Council President
