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 09/30/24
Join Us for Sunday Worship, October 6 at 10:00 AM
Pastor Paul will be preaching from Exodus 1:6-10; 5:1-9, 21-23; 6:6-8.
“The Fear Factor”
Reflection Questions from Last Week’s Sermon, “Send Someone Else! Hear God Call, See Moses Skirm”
If it’s true that God calls each of us, what might your calling be? Do you have a personal mission statement?
Which of the objections discussed sound familiar to you? Are there other objections not on this list?
Who am I? I’m a nobody.
How can I possibly pull this off? I have no authority?
What if they don’t believe me? I have no credibility.
Why me? I’m not competent.
If you want to re-listen to Pastor Al’s sermon, you can do so on our church’s website.
Sermons | GFCC (gfccsf.org)
Here is the Children’s offering on what the sermon was about:
We Had a Wonderful Time at the Family BBQ Last Saturday
Thank you to our grill masters (Daniel, Mike, Craig and Irene) who barbecued hamburgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs and hot links for us. Thank you to all who brought delicious sides and desserts. Good Food - Good Fellowship!
The new “This Is Us” picture is below.
Happy Birthday to Robert Everett!
Robert turned 90 on Tuesday, October 2. Praise God for Robert’s life and being part of our congregation.
In gratitude, Robert has provided some of Sunday morning’s refreshments.
Session Point of Contact
Margie Chiang will be the Session point of contact for the next 3 months. If you have a question, concern or problem that you wish to talk about with the session, you can use the email provided in the gray box (GFCC Email Addresses) at the end of this email.
Rebecca Zahrte and Kristi Lounsbury, Sunday, October 13
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, October 13 and sharing about their ministries.
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
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.
Please contact the church office if you would like to sign up for this event.
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.
Audio-Visual Help
We have a group of volunteers who serve us each week with running the sound board, handling the zoom portion of the service and presenting the slides for our song lyrics, powerpoint announcements and videos.
If you would like to volunteer to join and help with the slide presentations, please let Matt McDonell or Robert Chiang know. Once trained, the commitment would be “minimal” (once or twice a month).
Food Pantry Volunteers Needed
Here is an opportunity to serve our neighborhood by signing up to help in the weekly food pantry. If you have a few hours on any given Saturday and want to meet our neighbors and work alongside our other food pantry volunteers, please sign up. If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Peterson.
This is Us Quilt
Another set of words that have been stitched on the crumbs:
Love
Awe and Wonder
多謝
Beheld to Behold
Wholeness
Be
Imagine
Verdant
Trust
Letting go, falling upwards
Beloved
Delight/Wonder
Jesus says Follow Me
Generosity
Anticipation
A Set of Keys Have Been Found
If you have lost a set of keys in the church building, please see Caroline.
Ministry Partners Update
New College Berkeley
“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
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