Dear Grace Family,
These announcements and prayer requests are being sent out every Thursday to inform us of what is happening in and the needs of our church. Please send any announcements or prayer requests to office@gfccsf.org by Tuesday evening.
Grace and peace, The Session and Staff of GFCC
Announcements for the Week of 03/31/25
Join Us for Sunday Worship, April 6 at 10:00 AM
Pastor Al will be preaching from Exodus 32:7-14, 30-35; 33:12-17. “Lord, Have Mercy:
Reflections on the Personality of God.”
Last Sunday, Pastor Al preached on “Idols in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear:” People of the Broken Tablets, Part 2”
“Idolatry is not an external thing so much as it is a heart orientation toward an external thing.”
PowerPoint Slides from the Sermon
If you want to re-listen to Pastor Al’s sermon (and any other previous sermons), you can do so on our church’s website.
Sermons | GFCC (gfccsf.org)
Lenten Retreat on Saturday, March 29
Thanks be to God for our time together on Saturday as we spent time individually and corporately on the Emmaus story. Thank you Paul, Karen, Margie and Irene for leading us.
During our Lenten Retreat, Pastor Paul, Margie and Karen Seth shared this imaginative rendering of the Emmaus story. It is a way of entering the story and making it our own. Ignatius of Loyola encourages us to place ourselves in a story, look around, and take in the sights, smells, and feelings. This is one example of doing so.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i5dDcAWOG-FLzvWQ2JS885RIFkLgp67XGIC4hkiu-vs/edit?usp=sharing
From our personal quiet time of envisioning ourselves walking on the Emmaus road and encountering Jesus, we had a chance to hear from each other about our reflections.
Leni Juarez shared her reflection with us:
God’s Presence - How Does It Feel?
While Waiting…
Going through sadness
Going through uncertainty
Going through disappointment, frustration
Going through confusion
Going through pain - of heart, of body
Going through unfulfilled longing, and still longing…….
Please take time to read the rest of Leni’s reflection here.
Easter Offering
This year’s Easter Offering will be given to the work of Jubilee Immigration Advocates. Given today’s political and social atmosphere, Jubilee is on the front lines of helping immigrants and the undocumented who are being persecuted and marginalized.
You can place a check in the offering box (clearly marked as “Easter Offering”) or give online.
Invitation to Hear Bishop Marianne Budde Speak (Sponsored by GTU - Pastor Al’s Alma Mater), Wednesday, April 9, 5:00pm - 6:30pm
The Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington D.C., will deliver the inaugural Robert N. Bellah Lecture on Religion and Public Life hosted by the GTU. The lecture will take place on April 9 at the First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. Click here for more information about this special event and here to register.
Note that the tickets to see Rev. Budde in person are sold out. However, you can register to see the event livestream.
Maundy Thursday Service, April 17 at 7PM
Good Friday Service, April 18 at 7PM
Easter Sunday Worship Service, April 20
We will have a special Easter Love Feast. It will be a POTLUCK. Bring your favorite dish to share.
Jubilee Immigration Advocates Has a Job Opening
Jubilee is seeking a full-time Administrative Program Manager. Jubilee utilizes a 4-day 32 hour work week and hybrid work plan with staff working remotely and in the office. See the link for more information.
Jubilee Administrative Program Manager
Lost and Found
We have accumulated quite a few things, including a T-shirt, water bottles, cups, etc… in our Lost and Found. If you see anything of yours, please claim it by the reception desk in the courtyard. If there are still items left at the end of the month, we will be donating the items to the Salvation Army.
Church Giveaways
We are doing some spring cleaning and have the following items to give away. If you want an office chair(s), Cuisinart food processor, Hoover furniture cleaner, please let Caroline know.
Ministry Partner Updates
An Invitation From Bill Clark of Peace Catalyst International (Peace Catalyst was the recipient of our Alternative Gifts)
Join Uyghur scholar Abduweli Ayup for a documentary film screening and discussion. His film, Behind the Mask, follows Abduweli’s story, documenting how he endured torture at an internment camp in China and sought refuge in Bergen, Norway, with his family. The film was directed and produced by Havad Bustnes.
You can watch this film virtually on Sunday, April 6 from 1:30pm - 3:00om at https://mcceastbay.org/live
This showing is sponsored by the Uyghur Foundation and MCC (Muslim Community Center) East Bay.
Now part of the Uyghur diaspora, Abduweli Ayup speaks to give voice to those voiceless and defenseless Uyghurs back home. He will talk about what you can do to stop China’s crimes against humanity.
If you have any questions, contact Mike Peterson.
INFEMIT (International Fellowship for Mission as Transformation) Community From Around the World Shares Lenten Meditations (Jensa Woo is the Ministry Partner Liaison)
In this season, we have been reflecting together on what it looks like to bear faithful witness to the gospel in a world fraught with unjust wars, genocide, forced displacement, poverty, human trafficking, corrupt leadership, and state-sanctioned abuse. Throughout this time of Lent, we invite you to join us by engaging in short weekly Lenten reflections offered by members of the INFEMIT community from around the world. Read the fifth week's reflection in our Faithful Gospel Witness series by Andrea Toledo Baker.
Let us sit with our questions as we examine the Bible and our own contexts. Let us journey forward in solidarity as we seed actions of hope and resistance. Let us lean into the story of Jesus who forged his path through a world full of greed, shame, and violence, much like the world in which we live today.
InterVarsity Spring Conference Update (Robert Chiang is the Ministry Partner Liaison)
“Jesus Brought Healing to My Broken Heart” ….
Read the entire update here
CWRD (Covenant World Relief and Development) Update (Our LA Fires Relief Money was sent to CWRD)
“Covenant World Relief and Development has long held as a core value a commitment to holistic transformation. Through global partnerships, we aim to serve the whole person - mind, body, and spirit - and entire communities…..”
Read the complete newsletter here.