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 03/10/25
Join Us for Sunday Worship, March 16 at 10:00 AM
Pastor Paul will be preaching from Exodus 31:12-17. “Sabbath: A Sanctuary in Time”
Last Week, Mark Charles preached on “Radical Inclusivity”
If you want to re-listen to Mark Charles’ sermon (and any other previous sermons), you can do so on our church’s website.
Sermons | GFCC (gfccsf.org)
Prayer of the People From Last Week’s Service
Many of us were touched by last week’s prayer of the people that we want to share it.
“Lord, we have had two months of emotional, political, and social turbulence. This
week has been once again tumultuous both here in our country and around the
world. We confess that we feel paralyzed with the confusion of not knowing what
to do. Our souls long for release, to fly from this chaos. But then we hear you
saying close to our ears…”
Read the entire Prayer of the People here.
Ash Wednesday Service - Here are a few highlights from the service.
If you wish to rehear any part of the service, you can do so by using the link in the GFCC Links (gray box) below.
Pastor Al shared a poem at the beginning of our Ash Wednesday service.
"We Are Dust" by Rev. Ainsley Herrick
Remember, you are dust and to dust you shall return.
That’s what they tell me: remember, you are nothing but the dirt
Beneath my feet. You are sinful and broken and worthless
Dust only dust, nothing but dust
But I have to ask, didn’t God create the dust……
Read the poem in its entirety.
Call to Confession
“On this Ash Wednesday, we come before our Lord in humility, remembering that we are dust, formed from the earth, and yet made alive by God’s breath. As we pray the prayer of confession in a responsive reading, we cast our eyes on the Triune God who knows our frame, and we are invited to repent by the faithful Son of God (who journeyed to cross ) that we might partake in fullness of His life. Let us pray.”
Ash Wednesday Service Prayer of Confession
We Welcome Kristyn Komarnicki This Sunday, March 16
Kristyn is the director of dialogue and convening at CSA (Christians for Social Action). The creator of our Oriented to Love dialogues about sexual/gender diversity in the church, Kristyn gathers Christians of different sexual orientations, gender identities, and theological convictions together so they can begin to know, understand, and love each other, in search of a unity that is deeper than agreement.
Kristyn will be giving us an update on Oriented to Love (one of our ministry partners - Matt McDonell is our ministry liaison).
Love Feast and Jennifer Appreciation Day on Sunday, March 23
We will be having our Love Feast on March 23. We also get to share our love and appreciation for Jennifer who will be retiring as our church administrator in March.
Church Lenten Retreat, Saturday, March 29, “The Hiddenness of Resurrection…an Emmaus Story”
During this Lenten season, is there chaos or suffering inside of you or out in the world that you are struggling with? Is hope hard to find?
Join us for a Lenten Retreat, entitled, “The Hiddenness of Resurrection…an Emmaus Story,” where we will sit with the passage from Luke 24: 13-35 in contemplative prayer, personal reflection, small group and large group sharing. Continental breakfast and lunch will also be enjoyed together.
Date: March 29, 2025, Saturday
Time: 9:00am to 3:00pm
Location: GFCC, 3265 16th St, San Francisco
Registration Fee: $20
Please register through the online sign-up sheet and pay the registration fee through the GFCC donation portal by Sunday, March 23. If a scholarship is needed or if you have any questions, please contact one of the planning committee members: Pastor Paul Conti, Margie Chiang, Irene Fong or Karen Seth.
Pastor Paul sent the online sign-up sheet via a separate email this week.
Camera Operator, Zoom Host, Uploading to YouTube
Brian Lee is looking for partnerships in videoing, editing, and posting worship services. Opportunities for partnership: videographer, Zoom host, recording, post-production, uploading media and YouTube management.
Some ability in videography, iMovie and Open Broadcasting Software is preferred but not required and training is available.
See Brian for details.
Sign Up to Bring Refreshments
Please consider bringing some refreshments for our family time after our worship service. There are many empty slots!
If you have any questions, please contact Caroline or Samantha.
Sign Up for Refreshments After Sunday Service
Scripture Readers are Needed (2 slots need to be filled)
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
Eastertide Cards
Once again this year, we have Eastertide cards (thanks to Melody Lou’s creativity) available to anyone who would like to send a card to celebrate the Easter season. Please feel encouraged to send these cards (any time between Easter and Pentecost) to others of another generation.
If you are interested in getting these cards, you can sign up on the link below or on the signup sheet on the bulletin board.
Contact Cindy Jew or Sabrina Lee regarding the distribution of the cards or if you have any questions.
Eastertide Cards Sign Up
Ministry Partner Updates
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 second week's reflection in our Faithful Gospel Witness series by Zac Niringiye.
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.
Week 2 INFEMIT Lenten Reflection
New College Berkeley Event, March 22, 2025, 9AM - 4PM, First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley (Karen Andrews is the Ministry Partner Liaison)
“Learning from the Inklings in Wartime: When Civilization and Cultures Are on the Brink”
Join some of today's leading experts on the Inklings as we discuss the timely topic of global unrest and the lessons of war as seen through this legendary group of friends. Together we shall grapple with questions such as:
What were the Oxford Inklings up to when the winds of war were blowing?
What can we learn from Lewis, Tolkien, Barfield and Williams during two world wars and the rise of fascism in Europe?
When "the center cannot hold," how shall we then live?
If you are interested, you can register using this link:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/newcollegeberkeley/1560274
New College Berkeley Newsletter (Karen Andrews is the Ministry Partner Liaison)
“Welcome to the new newsletter from New College Berkeley! In this issue, you will hear about exciting new opportunities to get involved with NCB in 2025. Hear how retreats take ideas deep through relationship building, how a cohort member is engaging with new and old ideas, and what is coming out of the newest partnership with Radix Magazine.”
Winter newsletter from New College Berkeley!