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 09/16/24
Join Us for Sunday Worship, September 22 at 10:00 AM
Pastor Brian K. (BK) Woodson will be preaching from Exodus 2:1-22. “Origins of a Freedom Fighter or How To Make A Moses”
Welcome Pastor BK Woodson and some of the congregants from the Bay Area Christian Connection.
BK Woodson Bio
Our Church Family Barbecue is on Saturday, September 28, 10AM - 4PM
Washington Park in Burlingame
850 Burlingame Avenue
Plan on coming that day for a barbecue, games(?) and good fellowship. This will be a good opportunity to invite your family and friends. Dogs are welcome as long as they are on a leash.
It is not too late to sign up to attend and/or to bring food. Contact the church office if you have any questions.
If you are bringing food, please bring your own utensils.
Nominating Committee
We are pleased to announce the slate of nominees.
Session Elder (2025-2027):
Albert Jew
Jensa Woo
(Mike Peterson will be retiring from Session at the end of 2024)
Albert has been nominated to serve a second three-year term.
Nominating Committee (2025-2026)
Matt Crawford
Paul Yee
(Heidi McLauglin and Sharon Jung-Verdi are retiring from the NomCom at the of 2024)
We are receiving Confirmation Ballots until Sunday, September 29, 2024. If you are a GFCC member that is eligible to vote, you should have received an email with a link to the online ballot. If you have not received this email, please reach out to Shane Chao via nomcom2024@gfccsf.org. If you prefer to vote by paper ballot, please reach out to Shane.
Reimagining Spiritual Formation
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, October 2 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 2
October 16
October 30
November 13
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.
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. He 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 in China and to meet some Uyghur families from the Bay Area.
Dinner will be provided.
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 (Early Bird Price until October 1):
As we need an accurate count for planning purposes, please indicate whether you will be attending the retreat on the attached sign up sheet.
If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Paul.
Scripture Readers Needed
Please consider serving our congregation by being a Scripture reader during our Sunday service. We invite everyone, including the youth, to sign up. If you have any questions, please contact Elaine Joe.
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. Presently, there are no people signed up after this Saturday! If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Peterson.
This is Us Quilt
Another set of words that have been stitched on the crumbs:
Gratitude
Set
Enlightened
Open Arms
Redeemed
Grateful
Mustard Seed
Unrelenting Love
Reconciliation
The Wonder of God’s Work in our community - Lightness and Darkness
Gracias Senor!
Openness
Newness
How Great Thou Art/Great is Thy Faithfulness
Learning Delight & Play
Ministry Partners Update
INFEMIT
We are invited to join and pray for the ongoing online conversation around the
Stott-Bediako Forum that INFEMIT is hosting through the end of this year. If interested, you can sign up on this link and be added to the mailing list to receive the zoom links.
Please pray for several INFEMIT members attending the Lausanne Fourth Congress this week to help continue and nudge the conversation toward a more holistic understanding of God’s mission.
If it is helpful to understand the current context of the Lausanne movement, INFEMIT’s response to Lausanne’s “State of the Great Commission Report” has been
published here.
Looking ahead, next year, INFEMIT will be one of several organizations helping to organize and host a Peacebuilding Summit to specifically consider the current challenges in Palestine-Israel. Please pray for the preparations and the people who will be a part of this!
Finally, please pray for the leadership team as they move forward in discerning INFEMIT’s priorities as each person is juggling the ministries and opportunities he is involved in at local and international levels. Pray for being attentive to the Holy Spirit’s leading and being faithful witnesses as individuals and as a fellowship.
New College Berkeley
If you are interested in this event and other events, you can register using the below link:
New College Berkeley Events
Greetings from Pastor Nelson (via a text message sent to Caroline)
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to reach out to you and let you know that Annet and I are doing great. I am fully settled back into life in Kenya. The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of reconnecting with loved ones, friends, and my church community.
Last Sunday, I had the privilege of preaching at PCEA (Presbyterian Church of East Africa) Olooseos Parish, where I previously served. It was wonderful to reunite with one of the congregations after many months apart. Currently, I’m working on registering The Bridge, refining my teaching manual, and consulting with my presbytery for a potential placement starting January 2025.
Please extend my warm greetings and love to everyone at GFCC. I shared with my church last Sunday about the incredible welcome I received from GFCC, how you embraced me as a stranger and provided a spiritual and material home. They were overjoyed to know their pastor was in good hands and has Chinese cuisine as his new favorite dish.
Thank you again for your kindness and hospitality. I’m grateful for the connections made during my time in San Francisco.
Blessings,
Pastor Nelson