Menu
Bridge Builders Respite Event – September 23
Join us on Saturday, September 23, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm for our next Respite event. Volunteers are needed in several positions including 1:1 buddies. Volunteers arrive at 8:15 am and are finished by 1:15 pm. Families can register by contacting Christy Woosley, and volunteers can register on our website. For more information, contact Christy Woosley.
Jerry’s Retirement Celebration – September 24
On Sunday, September 24, we will be celebrating Jerry Bruce all morning. We want to thank him for his many years of service here at SFC. Come stop by to wish Jerry and Mary Jane well on their new adventure.
Caregiving for Aging Well Discussion Group – September 24
Join us for our discussion group on Sunday, September 24, at 12:15 pm in the Care Center. Our guest speaker, Dedra Jize is the Geriatric Care Manager with Litherland Associates. She will share things to know about wills, trusts and Medicare. All are welcome. For more information, contact Sarah Penzel.
Grief Recovery Workshop – September 24
The Care Ministry is hosting a workshop focused on self care and mutual care for those who are grieving and those supporting the bereaved on Sunday afternoon from 3:00 to 4:30 pm in Douglass Hall on September 24. This session will include stories, tips, discussion groups and recommended resources to encourage those suffering any type of loss. Childcare is available upon request. Register on our website. For more information, contact Peggy Beck.
Century Club – September 27
The Century Club, a discussion and support group for those approaching 100, will meet again on Wednesday, September 27, at 1:30 pm in the Library and on Zoom. Contact Peggy Beck for more information.
Women’s Fellowship Luncheon – October 3
Ladies, reserve your seat now with Kay Abelar for the Women’s Fellowship luncheon on Tuesday, October 3 at 11:00 am in Richards Hall. Our speaker will be Helen Fujishin who will share her story of how God’s grace brought light into the darkness at a Japanese internment camp during World War II. All women are welcome.
After School Art Class – October 4
All first through fifth graders are invited to join us for a 6 week after school series of just-for-fun art classes, Wednesdays, October 4 through November 8 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. Seasoned art teachers, Amy Sells and Savoy Stevens will lead students through fun, themed lessons focused on the elements of art, engaging the work of well-known artists and inspiring budding artists. Register on our website. Can’t make it there by 1:30? No worries! Join us when you can! We’d love to see you there!
Art & Spirituality – October 4
We are created in the image of our Creator, the Great Artist who painted the stars in the sky and the glorious colors of sunsets. If we are truly created in God’s image, then there is an artist somewhere in us…even when we think we have no creative talent at all. This class will bring together contemplative practices and creative work, drawing us closer to God. Join us on Wednesday night, October 4 at 7:00 pm in Douglass Hall. Please contact Sally for questions and to register.
Mom’s Meet Up – October 9
Moms of all ages are invited to join us on Monday, October 9 at 10:00 am in Douglass Hall for a fall craft and time together. Cost is $5 to cover the craft supplies. Register online. For more information, contact Allison Robinson.
Bible Skills, Drills & Thrills – October 11
Calling all 3rd, 4th and 5th Graders! Come join us for some fun on Wednesday nights, October 11 through November 15 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. This six week class will be full of activities that will help you learn your way around the Bible. Register online!
Aging Well: Plan to Thrive – October 14
Make plans to join us on Saturday, October 14 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm at the Foothill Club to learn how to maximize your health span by making lifestyle changes that promote payoffs across your lifespan. The cost is $15 per person, and you can register on our website.
SFC Prayer Walk – October 15
You are invited to join us on October 15 at 8:45 am in front of the church for a prayer walk. We will head out in 2s or 3s, going where God directs us. Invite a friend! For more information, contact the Care Ministry.
Back Wall Volunteers Needed
If you are looking for purpose and community, consider partnering with our back wall team. We are looking for help with our presentation slides so people can worship effectively and our volunteers can have a healthy rotation. There is camaraderie and friendship to be found! Contact Kyle Logan for more information.
Middle School & High School Youth Group meets on Sundays from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on the third floor. Contact Malia Clark for more information.
Children’s Ministry
Children 3 months through 3 years are invited to join us for in the Nursery during the 9:30 and 11:00 am gatherings. Kids age 4 through fifth grade are invited to join us for Kids Church on Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 am. Check in is by the playground. Kids are always welcome to join their family during any of our gatherings.
SFC Mobile Giving – Text to Give*
Text saratogafc to 77977 (from a smartphone or tablet) as displayed below:
To: 77977
Message: saratogafc
You’ll receive a text message with a link to the SFC PushPay webpage. On the webpage, you will fill in your unique information, including name and bank information, one time. Bookmark this webpage for future access.
* When you send “saratogafc” to 77977 you will receive a one-time reply containing a link to give to Saratoga Federated Church (1msg/request). Please be aware that message and data rates may apply. For full terms and conditions, please visit https://pushpay.com/terms. For the privacy policy, please visit https://pushpay.com/privacy. For help, reply HELP or STOP to cancel.
If you have any questions, please contact Ryan Lipert.
Do You Need Prayer?
Our Care Ministry is confidential. The person being prayed for must give permission before their name and need is shared with others. Please include your name, the name of the person needing prayer and indicate their permission to distribute the request to the prayer team. Email your prayer requests or submit through the online web form.
We celebrate the life of Elaine Revell who died on July 18.
A celebration of life is planned for September 23 at 1:30 pm in the Chapel with a reception to follow.
Register for this class that runs from October 11 to November 15, 2023.
Eric has attended Saratoga Federated Church since he was in elementary school. He has served in many positions including mid-week youth leader, worship deacon, pastoral search team, nominating committee, elder and Sunday school teacher.
Eric and his wife, Tracy, raised their three daughters at SFC. Saratoga Federated Church has been an instrumental part of Eric’s life, and the relationships and experiences have been a source of joy from the beginning. He loves SFC and the church universal and desires to have non-believers experience a relationship with Jesus Christ and believers to grow deeper in their faith. Eric owns his own business in Santa Clara and enjoys work, playing soccer and traveling.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.
Barb and her husband Chris joined SFC over thirty years ago and raised their four children at the church. She has loved being part of the Body of Christ here, and especially treasures various Life Group and ministry experiences.
She recently retired after 21 years of teaching and now is able to spend more time with her adult “kids,” their spouses, and her seven grandchildren. She loves days at the beach, reading a good book, praying for and with others, and gathering with friends.
Glenn grew up in Cupertino and went to Humboldt State to get a degree in Social Work and Sociology and later a Masters in Education to be a school counselor.
For the last 28 years that’s what he’s been doing. Glenn joined Saratoga Federated in 2001 with his wife Janelle. They have two children who have grown up at Saratoga Federated; Katelyn (19) and Jack (16). Glenn enjoys running, reading and spending time with family and friends.
Nick and his wife, Gail, have attended SFC since 2005, and their daughter, Jennifer, was active in MadHouse and LifeHouse until moving to Portland to study nursing in 2018. During his years at SFC, Nick has taught Sunday School, joined the annual house-building trip to Mexico and helped manage Serve Sundays.
He currently helps lead a high school boys Bible study as well as serving on the Elder council. Nick grew up in the Bay Area and attended Menlo Park Presbyterian Church throughout his childhood. He has worked in the semiconductor industry for over 30 years and enjoys lots of bicycle riding whenever possible.
Margaret was born in Oakland, CA and grew up in the Pentecostal church that was founded by her parents. She and her husband, Norbert Fronczak, have two children, Paige and Cameron, and have been married for 25 years.
They came to SFC 20 years ago when Paige was a baby. The kids were part of kids choir and Mexico housebuilding. Margaret enjoys singing in the choir and engaging in other volunteer opportunities at SFC. She enjoys her family, her sisters, murder mysteries, travel and the beach.
Morgan has attended SFC since 2005. His wife Stephanie grew up at the church and teaches at SFC’s Village Preschool. They have teenage twins who are currently active in the Lifehouse ministry.
Morgan has fond memories of his childhood church where multiple generations worshiped together and cared for each other; for this reason, SFC felt like home to him from the start. He has co-led high school boys’ Bible studies and currently helps with the Sunday evening Lifehouse gatherings. Morgan is a civil engineer and enjoys running, walking his dog and watching English soccer.
Carol, her husband Peter and their 3 children have been attending SFC for about 20 years. They were introduced to the church by the Lillo family, in particular Debbie, who created Bridge Builders for families such as theirs, who have children with special needs who can’t attend regular church.
They moved here from Canada where Carol worked in telecommunications, but once here, volunteer work became her passion. She has worked for a non-profit, helping families with disabilities, served on the Board of the Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood Foundation and currently is a School Board Trustee. She enjoys traveling, reading and spending time with friends.
As Lead Pastor, Sean is passionate about communicating the ancient wisdom of the Scriptures in compelling and practical ways and helping people enter into the story that God is writing—one in which they are a character in the grand narrative and redemptive plan of our creator. Sean believes that the role of a shepherd is a great gift and privilege.
As a leader in pastoral ministry since 1993, Sean has been invested in the art of guiding a faith community, especially its core leaders, toward greater levels of health, connection with God, and love toward others. Over the years, Sean has spent time working with students, families, and executive teams. He is a mentor, consultant, and enthusiast for other leaders and seeks to invest in the emerging generation.
Sean has been married to Holly for 26 years. They both grew up in San Jose and have three children, Mackenzie (23), Michaela (21), and Caden (17). They both love to travel, hike, read, watch movies, and spend time laughing with friends. In his spare time, Sean loves to drink good coffee, run, cycle, take long walks and long naps.
Sean studied Bible and Theology at San Jose Christian College (now William Jessup University) and Transformational Leadership at Bethel Seminary. He has also served as Adjunct Faculty at William Jessup University, teaching The Art of Biblical Interpretation, Discipleship Praxis, and Self-Leadership.
Matthew and his family are originally from Mississippi. Matthew joined SFC five years ago with his wife, Allison, who now serves as Childcare Coordinator for the Children’s Ministry. They have three children growing with Saratoga Federated: Elisabeth, Joshua, and Charlie.
Matthew also serves at SFC in the Children’s Ministry. He has worked in various technology related fields and currently works as an Infrastructure Engineer. Matthew enjoys reading, following his children’s activities, and occasionally playing the trumpet whenever he can.
We request that everyone who is able, park at the church and walk up to the school.
There is limited handicap parking at the school and limited on-street parking by the school.
There is also a nice drop off spot at the school in the parking lot for dropping off and picking up passengers.
Fiscal Year to Date:
Last Week’s Giving:
Jill has attended SFC since moving to Saratoga in 1988. Jill and David married here over 25 years ago and raised their children, Zachary and Anna, at SFC.
David and the twins’ baptisms in the courtyard are treasured memories. Having accepted Christ as a child, Jill is passionate about helping kids and their families connect and grow with Christ. She has served in youth and children’s ministry over the years.
Jill enjoys being a Buddy in our Bridge Builders ministry, participating in Night to Shine and Scouting with David. She is humbled to be asked to serve as an elder.
Scott has been attending Saratoga Federated Church for over a decade. Scott moved down to the Bay Area for a new job in July of 2010. He searched for a new church and a men’s Bible study and finally connected with SFC. While at SFC, Scott has regularly attended a men’s Bible study on Tuesday mornings, helped with the Men’s Breakfasts, and attended the Adult Sunday School class where, after a few years, he began teaching the class. In his professional career, he spent 40 years as an electrical engineer designing analog integrated circuits in the IC industry. He retired from electrical engineering in June of 2020. Scott was married 35 years, has three grown children and three grandchildren.
Jon was born and raised in San Diego, CA and has never surfed a day in his life. He and his wife, Steph, were married in the SFC chapel 16 years ago this past June and have two kids, Sophie (11) and Joel (7). Jon and Steph began regularly attending Saratoga Federated when they moved to the Bay Area in 2007, and both have held various volunteer roles while Steph is currently on staff as a Care Associate. Jon has served with the Youth Ministry, on search committees, construction lead for six Mexico house building trips, as a small group leader, a care deacon, and is currently serving on the Sunday tech and worship teams. He enjoys photography, playing many different sports, reading, and getting to participate and attend their kids’ activities.
Diana Miller is the architect of the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Initiative in Silicon Valley. Her strategic vision–to share knowledge of the program’s benefits to cities–will result in WHO’s recognition that Santa Clara is the first County in the United States to have each of its fifteen cities declared “age-friendly”.
Recognizing the huge shift occurring in the demographics of older persons — and the startling requirements of a swelling universe of seniors with increased unmet needs — Diana embarked on a mission to inform civic leaders and motivate them to take action. Combining her passion with focus will ultimately yield a better life for seniors everywhere who will benefit from the global Age-Friendly movement that Diana is helping guide.
Diana’s dedication and talent spring from her decades of hands-on experience as a community organizer and her deeply personal commitment to improve the lives of some of our society’s most challenged populations. For six years early in her career, Diana utilized her skills in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District, improving quality of life in housing, transportation, medical and safety issues for seniors there.
As an experienced non-profit executive, Diana has recruited, motivated and managed hundreds of volunteer leaders from diverse backgrounds, building their skills in community engagement, creative commitment and fund-raising. Noted as a strong and inspirational leader and passionate about pursuing her goals, Diana is respected and revered for her ever-present sense of humor and genuine desire to bring out the best in all the people in her life.
Bill has a Masters degree in Kinesiology from San Jose State University. He is also a Certified Athletic Trainer with almost 30 years of experience in Sports Medicine specializing in Care and Prevention and Rehabilitation of injuries. He has worked with high school, college and professional athletes during his career. For the past 13 years, he has transferred his skills to personal training. He started personal training at the Jewish Community Center in Los Gatos and since Sept. 2022 he started his own business.
His clients range in age from 43 to 83. Most have extenuating physical conditions that include, osteoarthritis, Parkinsons, and/or heart disease. Through exercise and life style changes his clients have been able to increase strength and energy, along with improving balance and overall quality of life. We are learning through exercise how to combat aging and disease.
Feel free to check out Bill’s website for additional information.
Jeannie Mirassou is the Founder of S.A.I.L. (Senior Advocates for Independent Living) Health Concierge, Certified Age in Place Specialist. Jeannie has 20 years experience in Emergency Room and Critical Care as a Practitioner of Respiratory Care.
Our goal at S.A.I.L. is to promote a safe and healthy environment for thriving as we age with focus on minimizing dependency on others. Home assessments are the cornerstone of the journey for safe living in your home for as long as possible. Preventing falls by redesigning your current floor plan (includes decluttering in certain areas), learning how to navigate through the medical system, and creating an emergency medical plan unique to you. S.A.I.L. is committed to lessening the common worries of aging; loss of independence, declining health, and running out of money. Together we will create a safe haven.
There’s a good chance that in a couple of years, Laurel Smith will complete her ninth decade still hoping to keep on keeping on. Having had three marriages, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and 32 vibrant professional years, she actively volunteers. Editing publications for various organizations, facilitating Zoom meetings, and singing in her church choir keep her engaged when she is not writing her memoirs, reading, streaming, attending online retreats and classes, enjoying outings with friends, mentoring younger women, and visiting her family in San Diego.
Vandana is an accomplished and compassionate Senior Nutrition Program Manager dedicated to improving the lives of older adults through her expertise in nutrition and wellness. She has a Master’s degree in Nutritional Science and has been a registered dietitian for over 20 years. She holds a deep understanding of the unique dietary needs of older adults and is committed to enhancing their quality of life through a holistic approach. With a solid background in public health and a passion for older adults, Vandana has successfully led and implemented innovative intergenerational programming for the older adults in the community. Her strategic vision and commitment to quality ensure that the program she manages operates seamlessly, delivering nutritious meals, educational resources, and community engagement. With her strong leadership and unwavering dedication, Vandana continues to make a profound difference in the lives of older adults, promoting their well-being and enhancing their overall health.
Complete this form to register for the Ladies Night Out event happening on September 14.
Complete this form to register for the Ladies Night Out event happening on September 14.
I believe in one God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible:
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man and crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; And He shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead: Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one united and apostolic church; I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.