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.
Announcements for the Week of 06/30/25
Join Us for Sunday Worship, July 6 at 10:00 AM
Rev. Dr. Christopher J.H. Wright will be sharing his message via video, “Bible Teaching - Habakkuk 3:17-19.
PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE NO ZOOM (NO LIVE STREAM) THIS SUNDAY
The sermon will be available on YouTube by Monday.
Prophets of Freedom Series Kicked off by Rev. Dr. Chris Wright
On July 6, we will begin a sermon series from the Old Testaments books of the prophets. Dr. Rev. Chris Wright will be kicking off the series with his video on Habakkuk.
Christopher J. H. Wright is a missiologist, an Anglican clergyman and an Old Testament scholar. He is currently the International Ministries Director of Langham Partnership International.
(Langham Partnership was one of the recipient of our 2024 Alternative Gifts)
Christopher J. H. Wright – Christian Author, Bible Teacher & Mission Theologian
Last Sunday, Pastor Al preached on “Love Wins! On Being the Community of the Boundless”
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)
Love Feast on Sunday, July 13
Please plan on staying for lunch on Sunday, July 13. We will have a chance to discuss what membership looks like for Grace Fellowship Community Church.
Summer Seminar Series on Business Creation for Justice, Every Tuesday from July 15 to August 5
Announcing a joint project between GFCC and Hanami Hope called Summer Seminar Series on Business Creation for Justice. The location will be at GFCC. Dates are consecutive Tuesdays from July 15 to August 5th. Time: 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. All are invited to attend.
The joint project is a collaborative effort between Hanami and GFCC to offer a space for people to come together to assist people with their creative efforts, to give companionship and help. Students and recent graduates have time during the summer and it is an opportunity to invest in learning new skills and supporting ongoing work. For those of us who are retired, we are experimenting with passion projects that we may not have had time for in previous years. It will be a time to participate in existing craft or social justice projects or to raise new ideas that you may want to invite others to join. It is a time to eat, talk and try something new.
If you are interested or have any questions, contact Laurie Gong or Joyce Kimotsuki at hanami.nonprofit@outlook.com.
Pastor Al Will Be Sharing About His Palestine Trip, Wednesday, July 16, 6PM - 8PM at Church
Come see the pictures and hear the stories of Pastor Al’s recent trip to Palestine. As Al has mentioned, there is much for him to process and it will take time. However, we do want to hear what God has been revealing to Al thus far.
There will be a light meal of soup and salad before Al’s presentation. All are invited.
Save the Date - Church Barbecue - Saturday, September 20
Washington Park in Burlingame (same place as last year). More information to follow,
Follow Up on the InterCongregational Men’s Brunch (Last Saturday, June 28)
The first-of-its-kind event had 20 gospel brothers in attendance. Despite the moments of panic to get the food out onto the serving tables, with kitchen cooking help coming from Shane, Howard, Galen and Daniel, along with setup and clean-up help coming from all attendees, with the star being Richard for his pan and pot scrubbing focus and determination, we fed, heard and prayed for the Holy Spirit to build unity and lasting gospel partnership at Bay Area Christian Connection (BACC), Redeemer and Grace.
Pray for the ongoing work of Holy Imagination at BACC, Redeemer, and Grace, best described in these turbulent times as a deep need to embody Christ's justice for the marginalized. As each congregation focuses on its own needs, we, as gospel partners, look forward to serving each other as we love the Bay Area.
Student Desk Needed
Jeniffer Calderon will be returning to school next semester and is in need of a student desk (and a chair if you have one). If you have one, please let Leni or Caroline know.
Community Events
Establishing an Interfaith Presence at Immigration Courts
Lauren Chinn (Brian and Natalie’s daughter) is part of a group that is interested in establishing an interfaith presence at immigration courts in San Francisco and Concord to support members of our community who are showing up for appointments. This group is organizing weekly interfaith vigils that will take place outside of the courthouse. The purpose/tone of these vigils is to show a faith presence and to protect people before and after their court appointments, focusing on and communicating care for families showing up for appointments (as opposed to confrontation with ICE). If anyone is interested in getting involved or learning more, please contact Lauren Chinn via the church office.
Note that this ministry is different from the Faith in Action Bay Area Immigrant Accompaniment Ministry (which was in last week’s email).
The SF Pathways to Citizenship Initiative Naturalization Workshop, Volunteers are Needed, Saturday, July 19
The SF Pathways to Citizenship Initiative is planning our next in-person naturalization workshop at the City College of San Francisco, Chinatown Campus (808 Kearny St) on Saturday, July 19, 2025. Depending on your assigned role, the workshop could start as early as 8:30am and could end around 5pm.
No prior experience necessary! Training will be provided the day of the workshop.
If you are interested in volunteering at the workshop, please contact Amy Wang at awang@iibayarea.org. Please only sign up if you are sure you'll be able to make it to the workshop as volunteer space is limited.
Your health and safety is important to us! As such, we will be implementing the following safety measures the day of the workshop:
· Masking is recommended, but not required during the workshop. Masks will be available for volunteers and participants at the workshop if desired.
· Hand sanitizer and disinfectant cleaning supplies will be provided at the workshop.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Amy Wang at awang@iibayarea.org.
Ministry Partners
Cana Week 2025, July 5 - 12
Dear GFCC Family,
Please partner with us in praying for Cana Week 2025, a retreat for couples to find refreshment in their marriages and enjoy time with their families, being held at St. Anthony Retreat Center in Three Rivers, CA near Fresno, from July 5-12. Robert and I are excited to be serving alongside a team of servants as we host 15 couples and 30 kids.
We humbly ask for your prayers:
For the Holy Spirit to create a sacred space for the attending couples to encounter God, experience deep refreshment, renewal, and a deeper love in their marriages.
For the children to enjoy fun activities and new friendships as they learn, create, and play together.
For the servants that the Lord provides all they need to joyfully love and care for the couples and their families.
Above all, for the couples to discover a deeper love for God and one another..
Thank you for your partnership in prayer!
Robert & Margie
canausa.org/cana-week
Ekklesia Project Gathering, July 10 - 12 in Chicago
What is the Ekklesia Project?
It is a community of Christians who have found life-giving friendship through a shared hope in the vision of God’s good shalom. From across the ecclesial spectrum we gather virtually and in person, supporting each other and our communities in the beautiful, vexing, imperfect work of bearing witness to the non-violent way of the Cross. Together as members of Christ’s borderless body, and committed to our own conversion and to unlearning habits of domination, we find courage to profess our unwillingness to be at home in structures and systems rooted in the economics of scarcity and the politics of fear.
Please pray for those who will attend this year's Ekklesia Project Gathering which will meet July 10-12 in Chicago, IL. This year's theme is "Hope Does Not Disappoint: Wrestling with God in a Groaning Creation".
Virtual Attendance: There will be a virtual registration option for those who can’t be present in person, and there will be livestream of the plenaries and worship services. We will use Zoom breakout rooms for guided conversation after the plenaries.
You can register for the event on the below link:
https://www.ekklesiaproject.org/gathering/gathering-2025-hope
It Took 8 Whole Year and We are Visiting STL
After eight long years of doing seminary part-time while doing ministry, Brenden has officially graduated with his Master's in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary!!
Read Brenden and Samantha Gutierrez-Graczak Intervarsity Update