Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church has a history of generously supporting the Peace and Global Witness offering. Twenty-five percent of the offering received this year will be sent to two local organizations, which were chosen after careful discernment by the Mission & Service ministry team. The recipients selected for 2022 are California Moms Demand Action and the PC(USA) campaign to support Syrian refugees.

Moms Demand Action is a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. We will request that our donation be directed to the San Jose MDA.

Since the beginning of the Syrian war in March 2011, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has been engaged in responding to the needs of displaced persons and refugees. The response has been in collaboration with and support of ACT Alliance (Action by Churches Together) members and other ecumenical partners that provide relief to refugees in neighboring countries and to internally-displaced Syrians.

Thank you for your generous support! You can contribute in two ways:

This PDF has even more information 

Please join us in thanking Richard Collins for his tenure in Children’s Ministry as Assistant Children’s Director. Richard has been Acting Children’s Director since October 2019, working closely first with Adam Lee and then Jenna Burkhalter. This past spring, Richard took on the additional role of Contributions & Membership Specialist and now will be devoting all his time to this important function of tracking contributions and membership at Sunnyvale Presbyterian.

Richard will continue supporting Children’s Ministry until the new Assistant Director is hired. If you know of anyone who would be a good fit for the role nurturing the children of the church, please contact Jenna Burkhalter, Director of Children’s Ministry and Inclusion, at jenna@sunnyvalepres.com. The job description is here.

Again, please extend your appreciation to Richard for making a difference over the years in Sunnyvale Pres’s Children’s Ministry.

We have an invitation for you and it’s really easy! We are desperately in need of more volunteers on Sunday to be a smiling presence during the coffee hour and to then clean up afterwards. All the instructions are available to make the job a breeze. Grab a friend and sign up! (This is also an ideal job for students who are looking for service hours.)

Hybrid: in-person or Zoom (passcode: 09112022)

If you have been attending worship and are interested in the next step, come and explore membership with us. This one-session New Member Class, led by Rev. Karin Hejmanowski, will be a hybrid class taught in-person and on Zoom. Those who become new members will also need to meet with our leadership on the evening of Tuesday, September 20, and be received during our 11 am worship service on September 25. Find more information on the website or join us directly via Zoom (passcode: 09112022).

2nd Wednesday of the month • 9:30–11 am • Room 750 • Info

If you have kids that are neurodiverse, differently wired, or have learning or behavioral differences, there’s a good chance you feel alone. You may have a sense that your parenting journey isn’t average, and you may feel overwhelmed. Come join Karin and other parents who understand. This group is a safe place to share experiences and learn that you are not alone. We hope to see you there!

Wednesday, September 14 • 7 pm • Zoom

Amber Cantorna, most widely known as the gay daughter of a 30-year Focus on the Family executive, lost everything when she came out in 2012. This all-too-common narrative has made Amber passionate about dissolving shame, fostering self-acceptance, and generating messages of hope for LGBTQ+ people and their families, especially those from conservative faith backgrounds.

Do not miss this next installment of our Affirming Church series, as we continue to learn together what it means to love, welcome and affirm all!

Walk in or make an appointment • Volunteer to help

To help keep our community safe, PELC and Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church will partner with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to host a vaccine clinic on campus on two Fridays, September 16 and October 14. (This timing allows people to receive first and second doses within the recommended time frame.) Boosters will be available in addition to first and second doses of the vaccine. The clinic will be open to all members of the community, including children, families, and staff. Walk-ins are welcome, or to sign up in advance, please go to the MyTurn website.

Volunteers are needed to help guide people through the vaccine clinic. If you are available for a 2-hour shift, please sign up on the church website.

Sunday, September 18 • 12–1 pm after worship • Onsite and online

The adjustments we’ve made because of the pandemic have led us to church experiences we never would have expected. This is particularly true for the ways that we have worshipped together. We’ve been through a lot of changes. We’ve experienced different patterns. We’ve expanded and transformed the ways we can connect with each other. In this moment when we are starting to come to terms with our new reality, we have the chance to learn from what we’ve been through, and to build on opportunities we’ve encountered.

We want you to join us for another town hall meeting next Sunday following worship, either in the sanctuary or online via Zoom. Help us to chart a path forward by sharing your input. We want to hear about your experience of worship these days, and about how you might be sensing the movement of God’s Spirit. Together, we will listen for God’s leading and hope for renewal in our worship and praise of God.

Wednesday, September 21 • 7–8 pm • Zoom

In the coming months there is an opportunity to move Congress to address not only hunger but also food waste, creation care, and racial equity in farming — all by shaping the upcoming Farm Bill.

Congress is gearing up to reauthorize the Farm Bill, and Bread for the World sees an opportunity to shape the Farm Bill in ways that matter to YOU. By joining this brief Zoom call, you will learn what the Farm Bill is and does, and get to share what you want Congress to do. This listening session is for Bread for the World to listen to your input on this important topic.

We’ll have the Zoom room open from 7–8 pm, but even if you can only stay for 30 minutes or so, please do join us.

Saturday, September 24 • 10:30 am–noon • SCS

We will gather at at Sunnyvale Community Services at 1160 Kern Ave. Together, we will be working in an assembly line to pack a bag that is distributed to unhoused clients. Participants must be 18 and older and have proof of vaccination. If you want to participate in this hands-on mission activity, contact Mary Green Vickrey by Thursday, September 22.

Book Study: Sundays, September 25–October 16 • 1 pm • Zoom

We will discuss Pro-Choice and Christian: Reconciling Faith, Politics, and Justice by Rev. Kira Schlesinger, Westminster John Knox Press.

Join us over Zoom or at a watch party at the San Jose Presbytery. The keynote speaker will be Rev. Dr. Rebecca Todd Peters, author of Trust Women – A Progressive Christian Argument for Reproductive Justice.” Please register online.

For more information or to register for any of these PW events, visit the church website.

Sunday, September 25 • After worship • Onsite and online

There will be a congregational meeting on September 25 immediately following the 11 am service. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend either in person or on Zoom. The purpose of the meeting is the election of church officers. (The Zoom link can also be found on the church website.)

The Nominating Committee sincerely thanks the congregation for submitting so many excellent choices for church leadership during last spring’s recommendation period. The committee spent the summer working with those names and reaching out to individuals to discern prayerfully who felt God’s call to serve as new leaders of our church. At the congregational meeting on September 25, the following individuals will be placed in nomination for election as church officers:

The Nominating Committee is so very grateful to the members of our congregation who have answered yes to the call!

How do you speak love?

One of the most memorable songs from the 1973 rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar is “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.” The 5 Love Languages (The Secret to Love That Lasts) by Gary Chapman addresses this eternal issue: I don’t know how to love you. “You” being family, co-worker, friend, foe — or God.

An August article in The New York Times points out that Chapman’s books on the five methods of giving and receiving love have endured for 30 years for good reason — the advice works. Recognizing that people give and receive love in different ways helps you speak love more effectively.

Love to learn more? Stop by the Book Sale Cart after worship on Sunday and say “Hi!” You’ll find Chapman’s books on the five love languages of adults, children, teenagers and singles. There’s even a love languages adult coloring book!

To learn more about events for children and youth subscribe to their e-newsletters. Also, check out the Children’s Ministry Facebook page or Youth Ministry’s Instagram or Linktree, or text ‘FLASH’ (Middle School) or ‘CLUE’ (High School) to 51400 for live updates.

Check out this article for three popular ways people are giving to charities from their IRAs, appreciated stock, and charitable trust accounts.

In place of the blue prayer cards you filled out on Sundays, please send your prayer requests anytime to prayer@sunnyvalepres.com. Be sure to include whether your request should/can be:

Look for the red banner at the top of our new website (SunnyvalePres.com). Click the white button, “Join online worship & events.”