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. If you have an announcement or prayer request that you want to be included in next week’s email, please send it to office@gfccsf.org by Tuesday night.
Grace and peace, The Session and Staff of GFCC
Announcements for the week of 10/7/24
Join Us for Sunday Worship, October 13 at 10:00 AM
Pastor Al will be preaching from Exodus 7:1-13; list the nine plagues; 10:24-29.
“The Plagues: Nature, Politics and the Power of God”
Reflection Questions from Last Week’s Sermon, “The Fear Factor”
So how do we posture our hearts to listen to God?
How does God want to tell us who we truly are?
Where is God wanting to make us freer from our fears?
How will we come to know God by taking this journey?
”He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you want to re-listen to Pastor Paul’s sermon, you can do so on our church’s website.
Sermons | GFCC (gfccsf.org)
Welcome Rebecca Zahrte and Kristi Lounsbury
Becky (Rebecca) Zahrte, Director of Cumberland Presbyterian Church Ministry with Women, and Kristi Lounsbury, Director of Congregational Ministries, will be worshiping with us on Sunday and sharing about their ministries.
Happy Birthday Robert Everett
Last Sunday, we celebrated Robert’s 90th birthday.
It is Official!
Our new session members for 2025 are Jensa Woo and Albert Jew (agreed to a 2nd term). Mike Peterson will be retiring from the session at the end of the year.
Our new nominating committee members for 2025 are Matt Crawford and Paul Yee. Heidi McLaughlin and Sharon Jung-Verdi will be retiring from the committee at the end of the year.
Reimagining Spiritual Formation
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, October 16 at 7 PM. We will continue to explore what spiritual formation is and how we can create a rich, brave space for its flourishing in us. This in-person biweekly series will combine teaching, dialogue and breakout spaces for engaging how God is at work and how we participate in God’s life. Important themes include formation as a journey, restoration, vulnerability, authenticity, listening and companionship.
October 16
October 30
November 13
Mike Peterson Follow Up from our October 2 Meeting
Hello Spiritual Formationers!
This is a follow up note to our Authenticity meeting last Wednesday. If you'd like to do more thinking about Authenticity, consider the following questions.
1. At the end of Luke chapter two, the text says, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor."
-Does this mean Jesus' humanity was yielded to his Father in a way that formed him like clay on the Potter's wheel? If so, how?
2. Jesus showed us the Father's intention for how a human should live, fully alive, fully authentic. Why is it important that Jesus be "good clay"? What does Jesus' model of authenticity demonstrate to us, his disciples?
3. Invite the Trinity to make you good clay: soft, malleable and yielded to them.
Here is Mike’s Presentation from that evening:
Mike Peterson Notes from Oct 2 Meeting
The recording from that night malfunctioned and so there is no recording from that evening’s meeting.
Come Join Us for an Evening with Bill Clark, Saturday, October 19,
5:30PM - 8:00PM at Church
Bill Clark is the U.S. Northwest Program Director for Peace Catalyst International.
About Us — Peace Catalyst International
Bill will be preaching on Sunday, October 20. On the day before, Saturday, October 19, we will have the chance to hear more about his ministry with the Uyghurs who have been displaced. We will also get to meet some Uyghur families from the Bay Area.
As dinner will be served, we ask that if you plan to come on Saturday evening that you sign up.
Joint Love Feast with The First Mennonite Church of San Francisco, Sunday, October 27
Stay for lunch and get to know our neighbor, The First Mennonite Church of San Francisco.
If you can help with the lunch preparation, please let Jennifer or Caroline know.
Ekklesia SF Regional Gathering, Saturday, November 2
The escalating signs of climate collapse can provoke a range of responses in us. Denial. Numbness. Dread. Anxiety. Anger. But what if we could begin to reckon with the collapse of the world we have known in the company of God’s people? What if we could find gospel partnership and learn steps of hopeful repentance, love, and action?
The first ever Ekklesia SF Regional Gathering will engage with the reality of climate collapse through the lens of grief and congregational practices grounded in hope. The gathering will be held in the church building.
Saturday, November 2, 2024
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Cost: $25
DETAILS & REGISTRATION: https://www.ekklesiaproject.org/gathering/sf-regional-gathering-2024
If you have any questions, contact Joel Balzer, Shane Chao or Kim Towsley
Advent Retreat at the Mercy Center, December 6-7, 2024
Join us for a retreat at The Mercy Center in Burlingame, titled "Curiosity, Doubt and Hope: An Advent Journey"
Participation Options:
Overnight rate = $250 per person includes accommodations, meals (includes dinner Friday night, breakfast and lunch on Saturday) and retreat costs.
Commuter rate = $165 per person (only lunch on Saturday is included)
If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Paul.
This is Us Quilt
Another set of words that have been stitched on the crumbs:
Caleb
Wonder/Rest
Listen & Respond
Childlike
Healing into Wholeness
Hope is Alive!
Being Healed
Peace/Freedom
Holy Mystery
Praying for Upcoming School Year
Renewal
Life/Beauty/Dignity
Glorious
Breathe
Curious
Ministry Partners Update
Latest Issue of Missionary Messenger, Fall 2024
The Missionary Messenger is a quarterly publication issued by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church regarding its missionaries.
Below is the link to the Fall issue.
Missionary Messenger Fall 2025
New College Berkeley (3 Events)
“Faith & Film/”20 Days in Mariupol”, Friday, October 11, 7PM - 10PM, First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley
“An Associated Press team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting atrocities of the Russian invasion. As the only international reporters who remain in the city as Russian forces close in, they capture what become some of the most defining images of the war: dying children, mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital, and more…..”
Hosted by Doug Dunderdale, co-director of the film series.
Register using the link below:
Faith & Film / "20 Days in Mariupol" — NEW COLLEGE BERKELEY
The Communal Practice of Theological Discernment, Saturday, October 19
“Over the past decade, Covid, war, climate catastrophe, political upheaval, and anti-immigrant rhetoric and policy, have produced radical social and political transformations. At the same time, we have experienced a “browning" of the U.S. and global church, in which the global pendulum of Christianity has shifted to Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and among immigrant churches in the United States….”
Register / Regístrese – Teología en Conjunto: The Communal Practice of Theological Discernment - Dr. Robert Chao Romero – Berkeley Covenant Church (tickettailor.com)
Fostering Harmony with Land & Neighbor, Thursday, October 24 at Oakland City Church
Extremes. Opposing poles. Ideological trenches. Echo chambers. What, in the midst of the current winds, is the role of the church? Does it have anything to propose? Can it offer any alternative or does it simply rubber stamp the unjust status quo? Out of her experience as part of Casa Adobe, a small intentional Christian community in Costa Rica, Ruth will offer some hints regarding what a communal embodiment of the good news can look like.
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/newcollegeberkeley/1379480?
Rise University Preparatory Gala, October 26, 6PM -9PM
The Rise Prep Gala is on Saturday, October 26 from 6-9 at the San Francisco Design Center. It's a very fun event and helps to support Rise. Tickets are normally $250 each, but because we are a partner church, we have just been offered 50% off. Go to the link below to register and use promo code FRIENDOFRISE50. Brian Chinn will be keeping track of who is going. Please contact him after registering so that we can seat everyone at the same tables. If you've already registered and want to sit at a GFCC table, please let Brian know.
https://support.riseprep.org/event/road-to-rise-gala-2024/e614194
Community Events
Free Covid Tests
Every household is eligible for 4 Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests. You can order your Covid-19 test kits by using the below link:
COVID Home Tests | USPS