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 03/17/25
Join Us for Sunday Worship, March 23 at 10:00 AM
Elder Joel Balzer will be preaching from Exodus 24:15-18; 32:7-11; 25-31;
2 Corinthians 3:4-8, 17-18. “Broken Tablet People, Right Where We Need to Be”
Last Sunday, Pastor Paul Preached on Sabbath: Sanctuary in Time.
What Does the Sabbath Offer Us?
The gift of contemplation/savoring life
Gathering up the gifts of relationship
Seeing the difficult things with more perspective
Relinquishing control
Releasing the unfinished work into God’s hands
Ceasing from resentment, competition, worry
Enjoying food, drink, laughter, making love with your spouse
Sabbath: Sanctuary in Time PowerPoint Slides
If you want to re-listen to Pastor Paul’s sermon (and any other previous sermons), you can do so on our church’s website.
Sermons | GFCC (gfccsf.org)
Last Sunday, We Heard From Kristyn Komarnicki
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.
If you wish to re-hear the update that she gave on Oriented to Love, you can watch Sunday’s video of our service in the below GFCC Links in the gray box below (begin at 15:17).
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 at the end of March.
Lunch will be provided. This is not a potluck.
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.
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.
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
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
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
Community Events
Respiratory virus season isn’t over yet! Click to Learn More!
California Department of Public Health says: “Respiratory virus season isn’t over yet! Older adults are at higher risk for getting very sick from respiratory viruses like COVID-19. Everyone 65+ (and those with weakened immune systems) should receive a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine 6 months after their first dose to stay protected from severe illness.” (Click the link above)
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 3rd Week's reflection in our Faithful Gospel Witness series by Thandi Gamedze.
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 Newsletter from Brenden and Samantha Gutierrez-Graczak (Robert Chiang is the Ministry Partner Liaison)
“At the beginning of March, we intentionally took an afternoon to practice engaging the CCSF campus with spiritual questions and practice sharing our faith. Many students met that idea with hesitation….” Continue reading on the link below:
InterVarsity Newsletter
Rise University Preparatory (Brian Chinn is the Ministry Partner Liaison)
Amanda Crawford is showing Robert and Margie Chiang her senior project on how the preservation of whales is critical to humans, because they naturally clear the toxins in the air.
She, along with fellow RISE scholars, reflects the Light of Christ, presence of the Holy Spirit and the Hope for a brighter tomorrow.