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.
Announcements for the Week of 9/01/25
Join Us for Sunday Worship, September 7 at 10:00 AM
This Sunday will be the beginning of a new preaching series called, “The Free Church Amid Empire” which will be based on the book of Revelation.
Pastor Al will be preaching from Revelation 1:1-20. “Keeping It Real: Revelation as Epistle”
Last Sunday, Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah preached on “The Need to Lament”
If you want to re-listen to Dr. Rah’s sermon (and any other previous sermons), you can do so on our church’s website.
Sermons | GFCC (gfccsf.org)
The Need for Lament by Joel Balzer (based on Dr. Rah’s Sermon)
Grace Fellowship Community Church’s poet laureate, Joel Balzer, wrote the following based on Dr. Rah’s sermon last Sunday.
Celebration Psalms, clock in at sixty percent,
our choruses dial it down, a five count of lament.
But our “sense of self” really needs to be disturbed;
it’s necessary for growth, so says the Holy Word…..
...continue reading here
Daily Prayer at 12PM by the People of Grace Fellowship Community Church
Here’s our prayer for the week of September 5 -September 11 written by Marilyn Paik.
From Pope Francis: Homily, Mass with Participants in the “Free from
Fear” Meeting, Sacrofano, February 2019
The encounter with the migrant, as with every brother and sister in need, “is also an encounter with Christ. He himself said so. It is he who knocks on our door, hungry, thirsty, an outsider, naked, sick and imprisoned, asking to be met and assisted”.
Prayer of Holy Resistance
Just as you never abandoned your Son as he was brought to a safe place
by Mary and Joseph, so now be close to these, your sons and daughters.
Empower us to practice radical hospitality and sacrificial love and to seek
justice for our immigrant neighbors in response to a nation that seeks to
exclude.
We offer these embodied acts as prayers of faith that You are redeeming our world. Have mercy on our nation, Lord!
Amen
Fall Spiritual Formation Offerings
As a community, we want to create rich, brave spaces for flourishing. What we value in these spaces is our desire to join the life of the Trinity where our sense of identity is grounded and through which we nurture authenticity, hospitality, presence, and engagement with one another.
Read more about the offerings here.
Sunday, September 7- Introductory Meeting for the Other Half of Church book study after service. A light lunch will be provided.
Sunday, September 21 - First Meeting of “Journeying Together” after service. A light lunch will be provided.
Jubilee Immigration Advocates 10 Year Anniversary Celebration, Friday, September 12
Please note that the dinner celebration is now at full capacity.
Joint Worship Service with Redeemer Community Church on Sunday, September 14 (Refreshment time to follow)
Rev. Dr. Robert Chao Romero will be our guest preacher that Sunday. He will also be the keynote speaker at Jubilee Immigration Advocate’s 10 year anniversary celebration.
Bio — Robert Chao Romero
If you would like to share your baked goodies for refreshment time, please let Samantha or Caroline know.
Save the Date - Church Barbecue - Saturday, September 20, 10AM - 2PM
Washington Park in Burlingame (same place as last year - 850 Burlingame Ave). Daniel Ng will once again be our grill master. Please bring your favorite side dish or dessert to share. Be aware that parking may be a challenge. Let the church office know if you have any questions.
Family Meeting, Sunday, September 28
Right after service, we will have our family meeting. Some light refreshments will be provided.
The Book Cart Has Been Refreshed
The book cart has been refreshed with books that you can check out and borrow. Included this time around is Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers, mentioned by Pastor Al in a recent sermon. You’ll also find a few books written by some of the presenters at the upcoming “Church at the Crossroads” conference, including Munther Isaac, Jemar Tisby, Lisa Sharon Harper, and Preston Sprinkle. In addition, we have two titles written by this past week’s guest preacher Soong-Chan Rah: Prophetic Lament and Unsettling Truths (co-author).
If you are looking for a title that is not on the book cart, please send your inquiry to office@gfccsf.org for assistance.
Freedom Stories
We have been blessed hearing Freedom Stories from our brothers and sisters in our congregation. Let this be an open invitation to anyone who wants to share his/her freedom story with the congregation to contact Pastors Al or Paul.
Community Events
American Indian Cultural Center
After taking a break for the summer, we welcome back the American Indian Cultural Center to our building. The group will be holding their drum and dance classes on Thursdays evenings.