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 01/27/25
Join Us for Sunday Worship, February 2 at 10:00 AM
Pastor Al will be preaching from Exodus 24:1-18. “ “The Covenant Seal: The Blood That Leads to Access”
Last Week, Pastor Al preached on “God, Idols, and Nationhood: Toward a Just Theology of the Promised Land”
“Any biblical interpretation that results in the justification of hatred, marginalization, enslavement, exclusion, genocide and any other kind of injustice against any people should be roundly rejected.”
“From Idolatry to Faithfulness”
1/26/25 Sermon Slides
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)
Spiritual Formation Spaces
Beginning the week of February 10, we will offer five groups that explore Richard Rohr’s book, Falling Upward. There are daytime and evening options. Groups will be limited to 10. The schedule will be every other week. We have removed the Peterson group and 2 groups (Jew and Conti) groups are already at capacity. However, you can put your name on the waitlist.
Please contact the church office if you want to sign up for a group.
Shane - Tuesday evenings, host at church, 7PM Shane Group at Church
Robert and Margie - Wednesday daytime, 10:30-Noon Chiang Group
Albert and Cindy - Wednesday evenings, 7PM Jew Group
Paul and Ellen - Thursday evenings, 7PM Conti Group
View Pastor Paul’s Invitation to Join the Falling Upward Spiritual Formation Groups
Pastor Paul Video
Please obtain your own copy of Falling Upward. The book is available from Amazon.com, but you can purchase from your favorite bookstore or vendor. Please note that Falling Upward is a hardback book. If you see it in paperback, it is the Companion Book.
Falling Upward on Amazon.com: Books
Falling Upward is available as an audiobook on Hoopla through the public library, if you have a library card. Richard Rohr is the reader.
If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Paul.
Special Offering to Give Aid and Relief for the Los Angeles Wildfires - Sunday, February 2 is the Last Day to Give
We all have been watching the news of the devastating fires that have led to the loss of lives and property in southern California. Many of us have loved ones or know of people who have lost everything in the fires.
In response, we have already sent $5,000 from our church’s general fund to send to Covenant World Relief and Development of the Evangelical Covenant Church. As you may remember, we sent funds to CWRD in 2023 for the work in the aftermath of the Syria-Turkey earthquake.
We will all have the opportunity to personally give to this relief aid. You can give online or drop a check (indicate that the check is for the LA fires) in our offering.
Note that Sunday, February 2 will be the last day to give this special offering.
Los Angeles Wildfires
Denomination Day Sunday, February 2
Our denomination, Cumberland Presbyterian Church (CPC), was founded on February 4, 1810. Sunday, February 2 will be celebrated as Denomination Day Sunday. On Denomination Day Sunday, CPC takes a special offering for the Historical Foundation of the CPC. The money will help fund the conversion of fragile and deteriorating analogue media to digital formats.
If you would like to know more about this project and are interested in making a special offering to the Historical Foundation, please use the provided link:
Denomination Day
The Young Messiah Movie Night, Wednesday, February 5, 6:00PM to 8:30PM
Pastor Al mentioned The Young Messiah during his sermon a few weeks ago. He is inviting the congregation (friends and family also) to watch this movie in our church courtyard.
The Young Messiah is a 2016 biblical drama film based on the novel Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice. The film revolves around a fictional interpretation of a seven-year-old Jesus who tries to discover the truth about his life when he returns to Nazareth from Egypt.
“Movie” food and snacks will be served during the movie so there is no need to eat dinner before coming.
For those who wish to discuss the movie afterwards, we will also have an opportunity to stay a little longer.
Contact Pastor Al with any questions.
Loops of Love Delivery, Monday, February 10, 1:30 PM
If you are available to help deliver our knitted gifts to the Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, please let Linda Kay know.
Cultivating Creation Care Communities, Saturday, February 15, 9AM - 3PM
Have you ever longed to see your church respond to the climate crisis with prophetic imagination? Would you like to be part of a community moving from despair to hope? If so, come join Rev Dr. Ben Lowe and other experienced creation caregivers for an action-focused workshop empowering Bay Area churches to birth and nourish Creation Care Communities.
eventbrite description
Rev. Dr. Ben Lowe Will be Preaching on Sunday, February 16
Ben is the Executive Director of A Rocha USA. A Rocha USA is part of a worldwide family of A Rocha organizations spanning more than 20 countries, with a 40-year history of caring for creation. Our name means ‘the rock’ in Portuguese (our first initiative was a field study center in Portugal). Our global vision is to see a world where nature flourishes as people live equitably and sustainably.
Ben Lowe
In addition, Redeemer Community Church will be joining for Sunday worship.
Scripture Readers are Needed
Help serve our congregation by being a Scripture Reader for our Sunday services. You can sign up on the attached sheet. If you have any questions, contact Elaine Fong-Joe.
Scripture Reading Sign-Up
Church Clothes Closet
We have organized a clothes closet in the Multi-Purpose Room (formerly the Children’s Room). There are mainly Men’s and Women’s clothes (including jackets) that can be given freely to anyone who asks (including your friends and neighbors). As there is limited space in the Multi-Purpose Room, additional clothing is being stored in the Youth Room closet. If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer or Caroline.
Use of the Church Library
As our church is getting more busy with meetings and gatherings, we want to coordinate the use of the Church Library. There is now a calendar in the library.
If you are having an impromptu meeting in the library, please check to see if there are any conflicts. If you know in advance that you need to use the library, please let office@gfccsf.org know. If you have any questions, please contact Caroline Kennedy.
Community Events
Employment Authorization Document Clinic, February 26th, 2025
“The Waiting Period” - A Performance by Brian Copeland, Saturday, February 22
Caroline Kennedy’s sister is on the board of the Mental Health Association of Alameda County. The organization is sponsoring Brian Copeland’s biographical dramedy about depression. Brian Copeland was a host on San Francisco’s KGO radio and TV.
The 'Waiting Period' in the title, refers to California's mandatory ten-day waiting period before Copeland could bring home the gun he had purchased for the purpose of ending his life.
If you are interested, use the link:
The Waiting Period with Brian Copeland Tickets, Sat, Feb 22, 2025 at 7:00 PM | Eventbrite
If you have any questions, contact Caroline.
Ministry Partners Update
INFEMIT (Jensa Woo is the Ministry Liaison)
Below is the link to the first session of the Beyond 15 Minutes lament service.
Beyond 15 Minutes: Justice, Lament, and A Call to Faithful Gospel Witness (Part 1)
InterVarsity Update from Brenda Wong (Cindy Peterson is the Ministry Liaison)
Praise God for 1000 InterVarsity students, staff, volunteers, alumni and community members who gathered January 9-12 in Denver to learn more about planting ministries with partners, empowered by the Holy Spirit, including 5 of us from Hawaii! …..
Praise God for an exciting start to 2025!!!!