When our Presbytery leadership team met in December, we reflected on new energy stirring in North Central California Presbytery. For a number of years, we have been in a season of preparation: preparing to merge two Presbyteries,preparing for life after COVID, preparing to welcome a new Executive Presbytery. Now it feels like we are ready for a season of building: creating new ways of collaborating that will help our congregations and worshiping communities build dynamic and sustainable ministries to meet the present moment and form the foundation for future endeavors. We were inspired by these words from Ephesians 4

He himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers  to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity,[e] to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 

We look forward to opportunities to fill our toolboxes with skills, resources, and ideas for building towards the future into which God is calling us.  At our February Presbytery meeting, we will hear from John Fong, a PCUSA Elder from New York who has been working with churches and presbyteries to develop new strategies for outreach and growth. He is also active in the Presbyterian Church Growth Network. His presentation will also be an invitation for interested congregations in our Presbytery to take a deeper dive by working with him more extensively. 

Tentative “Toolbox” presentations for upcoming Presbytery meetings include

Building New Funding Models for Ministry (May)

Building Accessible Community (September)

Building Multicultural Community (November)

Between Presbytery meetings we are planning both ZOOM and in person Toolbox presentations to equip and cultivate collaboration.  Do you have an idea for a topic or presentation?  Let us know. 

Karen Sapio

Executive Presbyter, North Central California Presbytery

916-414-8105

To make payments to NCCP, you can find the remittance form HERE. 

NOTE: There is a change to the PCUSA schedule for annual special collections. Where there have been 4 collections, there will be 3. Also, the retention of funds at the church and Presbytery level has been replaced by a grant process. You can find more information, including links to upcoming information sessions, HERE.

True Or False?

I must register for a presbytery meeting to get the Handbook, meeting summary and any other communications about the meeting.

FALSE! Those materials are sent to the entire NCCP mailing list.

If I register for the meeting, I will be counted as present for the meeting.

FALSE! Only those who register in advance AND attend either in person or via Zoom are counted as present for the meeting.

Please register for the meeting only if it is your intent at that time to attend the meeting. Advanced registration aids in planning. We understand that life happens, though. Thank you!

--from Stated Clerk Jeri Viera Dahlke

Special Annual Event for Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 

You are invited to attend a Special Annual Event on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Sponsored by the North State Ecumenical Conference (NSEC), which was established in 1968 and is comprised of Christian faiths in the Greater Sacramento Area.

You are invited to attend this event in person at:

Pioneer Congregational Church (916-443-3727)

2700 L Street

Sacramento, California 95816

Event Schedule:

11:30am-12:30pm - Lunch and Presentation

12:45pm-1:45pm - Panel Discussion in Church

 2:00pm-2:45pm - Worship Service in Church

For more event details, please contact Deacon Paul Friedrich at pfried28@gmail.com. There is no charge for this Special Event. Donations may be made to Midtown HART. To donate please click on the following link: https://www.hartstogether.org/midtown (when making a donation please make reference to: NSEC Special Event). Thank you!

Please RSVP via the appropriate Jotform link below.

Public: https://form.jotform.com/233367380273155

Clergy: https://form.jotform.com/233377460213149

Steve Sylvanus, our NCCP Hunger Action Advocate, visits The SHARE Food Pantry in Placerville. Housed in the facilities of El Dorado County Federated Church (a PCUSA/UMC congregation), SHARE Is a non-profit that represents a consortium of six local churches and the Food Bank of El Dorado. The need for healthy, nutritious food for our neighbors is increasing. Our client base is ever increasing. In 2025 alone we served over 17,000 people. SHARE is open M-W-F from 10AM to noon and is run by volunteers from the churches and our community. We appreciate the ongoing support of the NCCP and we were delighted to give Steve a complete tour today.

Submitted By: Rev Dr Laura Barnes 

Is your congregation engaged in ministry with people in your community experiencing Food Insecurity? You are invited to join the next ZOOM gathering for leaders in congregations with Food Ministries. This is an opportunity to share information, questions, resources, and ideas. Register here to receive the ZOOM link for the meeting.

Disbursing grants is one of the ways North Central California Presbytery supports our churches, pastors, and ministries. We have been blessed with financial resources to make this possible and we want to steward those resources faithfully. To create a process that fosters prayerful discernment by committees and equitable access by those seeking funding, NCCP is making two important changes to its grant making procedures in 2026. 

1. A Common Grant Application (Click Here For Application) All those seeking grant funding from one of our NCCP Committees will begin the process by filling out a common grant application. This will help ensure that those reviewing grant requests are receiving the same kind of information from all applicants. Committees may request supplemental information as needed. The form will also enable our staff to keep more accurate and readily accessible records of what grants have been approved and funded.
2.  A Common Schedule for Grant Applications and Approvals: Committees considering grant applications need sufficient time to receive, review, and discuss these applications in order to make thoughtful decisions supported by prayer and holy conversation. Considering a number of grant applications on the same schedule also allows various committees to share information, collaborate as needed, and identify emerging needs. In 2026, Committees will review grant applications at their February, May, and October meetings. The deadline for applications will be the 1st of the month preceding grant reviews. (January 1, April 1, and September 1.) Emergency grant applications can be considered at any time. 

Thank you to our Grants Task Force for developing the Common Grant Application and Grant Tracking spreadsheet. If you have any questions regarding these new processes, please ask any of our Presbytery staff.

Search Continues for 
Young Adult Advisory Delegate!

Are you or do you know of a young adult who will be 18 - 23 as of June 22, 2026 (the start date)?

Interested in being an influencer at the General Assembly in Milwaukee, online starting June 22nd and in person on June 28th with the main expenses paid by the denomination? While the delegates do not have a vote, their collective votes on each overture (motion) are shown to the commissioners before they vote. YAADs also are assigned to a committee, participate in the discussions and have time together as a group.

We still have time to elect someone as the GA deadline for YAADs is now after our February meeting! The information below will help discern a possible call. Any person wishing to be nominated by their session needs to be available for the election on Saturday, February 7th via Zoom to share (up to one minute) the sense of call to be the YAAD at this time. If there is more than one nominee, the one with the most votes will be the delegate and the one with the second most votes will be the alternate.

The deadline for submitting the nomination form to me is January 28, 2026.

Westminster Woods is blessed to welcome Rev. Gretchen N Sausville as the 2026 Women’s Weekend Speaker! During this inspiring weekend, gretchen will focus on 

stories of agency, integrity, identity, and authenticity — drawing from scripture and the lived experiences of women across generations.

Registration is officially open for the More Light Presbyterians 2026 National Gathering!

Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center to offer our LGBTQIA+ community a weekend of rest, respite, and reconnection. Ferncliff has generously provided a 50% discount on all accommodations for attendees!

If you have questions about the gathering, scholarships, or whether you can bring a partner or spouse, reach out at hello@mlp.org.

We are inviting all of the local affiliated churches to attend the 2026 Racial Justice Conference in Sacramento April 24th (evening) and 25th (day). 

The conference will have speakers from Ecumenical, University and Community presenting convergent and intersecting ideas between all the stakeholders.

Where: Sierra Vista Community Church, 890 Morse Ave. Sacramento, 95864

Program: Friday Evening focus on Sacramento State University, a Leader in Advancing Racial Justice. Dinner included. Saturday focus on Interfaith Communities as catalysts for Racial, Immigration and Homeless Justice. Lunch provided.

Vision Statement: To cultivate a just and loving society where Universities, Churches and Communities unite to dismantle Racial and economic inequities through education, faith and social action, upholding the dignity of every person.

Cost: Free for all who attend

We ask that participants register before the event so the planners can calculate how much food to order from the caterer. 

To register please visit: www.ncncucc.org

The NCCP Immigration Task Force has learned that recent ICE activity within the bounds of our presbytery is impacting our congregations and the communities they serve. We have heard about family separation, emotional trauma, and, quite frequently, significant financial hardship because of lost income, emergency travel to detention centers, and other urgent needs.

Because of the great need for immediate relief, the NCCP Mission Support Commission has authorized our Immigration Task Force to provide small amounts of funding to meet emergency needs. If you know of members of your congregation or community who need help and could use this assistance, please complete the attached form and forward it to Executive Presbyter Karen Sapio at karen@nccpresby.org 

If your church, Presbyterian Women’s group, or other groups within your church would like to contribute to this fund, please contact the NCCP treasurer, Maria Mar, at treasurer@nccpresby.org

For further information, please contact the Presbytery Office.

Davis Community Church, Full Time Pastor 

First Presbyterian Church, Colusa, Part Time Pastor

Please contact, Bob Harper, Bob@chiconut.com for more information.

First United Presbyterian Church Turlock, Part Time Pastor

Auburn Presbyterian Church, Part Time Pastor

Davis Community Church, Communications & Outreach Manager

Davis Community Church, Children & Youth Program Director

St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Yuba City, Church Organist

Faith Presbyterian Church, Sacramento, Communications Coordinator

Faith Presbyterian Church, Sacramento, Director of Congregational Care

Elk Grove Presbyterian Church, Temporary Pastor

Clergy Bible Study

Please consider joining us on Zoom weekly (Tuesday at 1-2pm) to discuss the lectionary passages for the coming Sunday. Our group shares thoughts, insights, and questions about the passages. Our conversations not only offer differing perspectives, they provide a forum for support and connection for clergy.

(If you would like to know more about the group or to join, please e-mail Laura Barnes at revlaura@eldoradofederatedchurch.org

We look forward to hearing from you.)

North Central California Presbytery

5645 Marconi Ave.

Carmichael, CA, 95608

www.nccpresby.org