News of the Presbytery of San Jose |
The Presbytery of San Jose resides on
unyielded Ohlone land.
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But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.” Then the Lord said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”
Jonah 4:9-11
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Board of Pensions Resources
2022 Committee Assignments
GA 225 RE Delegates
COM Policy updates
Doctrine of Discovery Statement of Confession
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2022 Presbytery Meetings
February 5
May 7
September 24
November 19
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This month, the Peace and Justice Working Group highlights the
Has your church considered becoming open and affirming? Are you open an affirming but still want to work on educating your congregation around the topic more? Visit https://sunnyvalepres.com/affirming-series/ to access free videos of community conversations held at SVPC shortly after the SVPC Session voted to become a More Light Church in 2020.
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These videos are free and open to any church who might be interested in questioning the same topic within their community.
Would you like to recommend a piece of justice work going on in your church to share with the Presbytery? Do you have a group devoted to peacemaking and justice at your church? Interested in joining the work of the Peace and Justice Working Group? Please email the new Peacemaking Advocate, Addie Domske, at addie@sunnyvalepres.com to connect.
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Epiphany During a Pandemic
by Rosaleen Zisch, PW Moderator.
Presbyterian Women engage in another year of creativity since we can't be back to our traditional celebration of tea, cheesecake, Taize service with music and in-person fellowship. Maybe 2023?
Reply to Rosaleen Zisch, rmzisch@gamil.com to receive Daily Readings Sat Jan 1, 2022 to Sat Jan 8, 2022.
Register at this link for an invitation to a Zoom gathering Sunday, Jan 9, 2022 at 2pm with scripture readings, stories, prayers and music.
There is no cost. This will offer a special way to greet the New Year with HOPE.
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To list an event that is supported by your church or committee, and that is open to the entire Presbytery, go to
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Taizé services will be held in person only at 6:45 p.m. each Tuesday of Advent: Nov. 30 and Dec. 7, 14 and 21. The prelude begins at 6 p.m. All attendees must wear masks. Covid policies are subject to change.
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Held by Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church on Thursday, December 16, at 7 p.m., the Longest Night Service creates a worship space in which we acknowledge our grief, whether the loss of connection, loss of jobs or opportunity, the loss of loved ones, a lack of justice, or any other grief, and allow worship to lead us to the hope of restoration. Our worship will include music, poetry, prayer, candle-lighting, and a brief meditation. All are invited.
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PRESBYTERIAN YOUTH TRIENNIUM 2022
Do you have youth at your church (entering 9th graders - 12th graders) that would like to go to Triennium? The dates next year are July 24-27, 2022 in Indianapolis, and we'd like to send a delegation from the Presbytery of San Jose. We are also looking for adult leaders to help lead this trip.
If you're interested or if you have questions, please contact the official registrar for our Presbytery, the Rev. Irene Pak Lee at Stone Church (pastor.irenepak@gmail.com), and provide her with the number of youth who will be attending.
Registration is $515 for youth and $535 for adult. This does not include housing and travel, but we may have scholarships and grants available to assist with that.
Official registration begins in early February, so we need to know if you're interested!
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For various reasons, churches sometimes need an official letter from the denomination stating their 501(c)3 non-profit status. The contact person for obtaining these letters is Rebecca Rayner at rebecca.rayner@pcusa.org.
Your email request should include the name and address of the church, as well as the tax identification number. Please be sure to also include the name, email address and phone number of the contact person.
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The current Mid-Council Newsletter may be found here:
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A gathering for retired clergy/church professionals and their partners is scheduled for the SAN DAMIANO RETREAT CENTER (Danville) for Monday and Tuesday, February 7 & 8, 2022
This year's speaker is the Rev. Alan H. Jones, speaking about “Palaver and Power: Exploring our Experience, Uses and Abuses of Power.” The registration deadline is January 15, 2022. Retreat Flyer and Registration Form.
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Internet Links for County Information Relating to Covid-19
Monterey County
Santa Clara County
Santa Cruz County
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Pastoral Reflection
Evergreen Presby is following the themes of the Advent wreath this year as we wait with anticipation for the celebration of Christmas. This last week we focused on peace.
We've also been reading and discussing The Book of Joy together on Wednesday nights. It's a dialogue about joy in the face of challenging circumstances based on a conversation between the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. (I would highly recommend it!)
We've learned from our reading that one source of joy is found in extending compassion and empathy to others. I would equate peace with that kind of joy. When we focus on ourselves, joy eludes us, but in practicing compassion, we discover the deep seated joy and peace for which we've been searching.
With our reading in mind, rather than drawing from the prophet Isaiah for Sunday's sermon, I chose to use the prophet Jonah. He serves as a good example of what not to do as we search for that elusive contentment. Jonah's focus was on himself rather than the people of Nineveh for whom God wanted to extend compassion. Jonah never discovered his peace. The challenge question is "How will we choose to respond to God's promptings in our own lives?"
May we find joy and peace this season as we extend compassion to others.
Amen
Rev. Dr. Jennifer Bales
Director of Communications
Presbytery of San Jose
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Phone: (408) 279-0220 Website: www.sanjosepby.org |
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