News of the Presbytery of San Jose
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”

Matthew 2:1-2

We want to keep you informed!
Below is a list of current events happening in the Presbytery of San Jose.

Also remember to check the Presbytery
website at www.sanjosepby.org.
SJ PBY logo.
Presbytery Meetings

With the passing of the new standing rules, the Presbytery is consolidating the annual number of meetings to four in the coming years. The dates available for the 2021 meetings are below. Check back on the Presbytery website closer to the date for registration information and the docket.

February 6th

May 1st

September 25th

November 20th
Trinity Pres Santa Cruz
Join the Rev. Darrell Yearney, HR on February 21st from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm as Trinity Santa Cruz's Education Committee hosts a Zoom discussion forum relating to "Faith, Ethics, and Social Concern" specifically addressing racism in the Church and society.

Contact Darrell at [email protected] to register.
Author Miriam Kishi, illustrator Jim Peterson, and artist Lucy Janjigan (all of Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church) have published a children's book called God is With Us Always, Even in a Pandemic. The book is designed to help children process their feelings related to the pandemic by encouraging them to develop positive relationships with each other and find creative ways to respond to the challenges in their environment, all under the auspices of God's loving presence in their lives.

The Amazon link to the book may be found here: Click Here

Mrs. Kishi, Mr. Peterson, and Ms. Janjigan recently led a productive discussion and book reading with the LOGOS children at Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church. They are available to host additional virtual discussions with young people from other churches.

Please contact Miriam at [email protected] for more information.
Be sure and visit the new and improved Presbytery website at www.sanjosepby.org.
It's also a great place for current information.
There are some upcoming events for Clerks of Session:

1) Clerk Training on Saturday, Jan. 16th from 9:30 am to 11:00 am on Zoom. Link will be provided by email and on the presbytery website soon.

Save the date for clerk training! We encourage experienced clerks to attend to share your knowledge with the new ones. The training is also recommended for new clerks to help prepare you for the new position.

We will be reviewing the clerk's responsibilities, provide time for a Q & A session, and also briefly cover the statistical report.

2) The statistical report will be due mid-February, 2021. The specific date TBD.

3) A records review session for 2019 and 2020 records will be scheduled sometime in the coming spring or summer months. Various meeting options will be available depending on pandemic developments.

Please ensure your congregational and session minutes are in chronological order and that any pertinent congregational changes has been transferred to the church register.
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Learn how to engage in peace and justice in our communities by attending the Peace and Justice Working Group's monthly meeting. Our January meeting will focus on how to offer education and action opportunities for congregations to explore the connections between environmental justice and racial justice.

Message Meredith Hurley for Zoom Link information at [email protected].
"Let Them See Us: Black Beauty Beyond the Mask—
A Community Conversation on Becoming an Anti-racist Church" 

On January 21st from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Rev. Denise Anderson, former co-moderator of the PC(USA) and current Coordinator for Racial and Intercultural Justice for our denomination, will be leading a conversation about how Blackness has been portrayed in mainstream art and media.

Zoom details may be found on the church's website: Click Here
The Rev. Katheryn McGinnis was recently called as the pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church (Santa Cruz). As we haven't had a chance to sit down with her in person after a Presbytery meeting and get to know her a little bit, I've included her responses to some interview questions I recently asked her. More biographical details may also be found on Trinity's website at https://www.trinitypressc.org/staff. Please welcome Katheryn to our community!

1) Tell us about your call to ministry. What compelled you to attend seminary and pursue ordained ministry?
 
I grew up in the Presbyterian church. My grandfather was a PCUSA minister, as well as my great-grandfather, great-great grandfather, and great-great-great grandfather. My great grandparents bought a home in Montreat Conferences Center in the early 1940s that has been shared by my extended family ever since. I grew up deeply molded by both my family history in the PCUSA and wonderful family memories of spending summers in Montreat with my cousins. In college, after trying out many different majors, I finally landed in religious studies and I absolutely loved it. I knew then I wanted to attend seminary, if only just to learn more. After college, I served in the Philippines as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV). It was there, being part of church communities in the mountains of Luzon, that I knew I wanted to pursue ordained ministry. After coming home I immediately started attending Princeton Theological Seminary in pursuit of my M.Div. After many classes and internships in both chaplaincy and parish ministry, and lots and lots of discerning, I felt the call to follow in my grandfather's footsteps and pursue ordained ministry. He died when I was very young, but looking back, I think I've always wanted to follow in his footsteps, even though it took me a while to realize it.
 
2) What drew you to Trinity and Santa Cruz?
 
Trinity is an open and affirming congregation that is very active in their community. I was drawn to their dedication and commitment to outreach and mission, and their love of both traditional Presbyterian worship and progressive theology. I knew they were a strong lay lead congregation and would provide a lot of support and guidance for me as I started my first call. 
 
I was drawn to Santa Cruz because of its natural beauty and opportunity for adventure. I am an avid hiker and backpacker, so I was instantly drawn its beautiful trails: both in the mountains and along the coast. 
 
3) What has surprised you about California?
 
The weather! Especially in Santa Cruz. The weather here changes so quickly. I was warned shortly upon arriving here to always bring a jacket, no matter the weather - that has proven to be true! Also the lack of humidity. Being from North Carolina, humidity is the norm. I was shocked when I first experienced 90 degree weather here. 90 degrees with no humidity in Santa Cruz is drastically different from the humid 90 degrees in N.C.
 
4) How can we pray for you?
 
Prayers for the grace to embrace humility and adaptability. Starting your first call in a pandemic is not ideal, so having the humility and flexibility to try new ways of ministry and then adapt has been crucial to my time here so far. 

Katheryn, we're so glad you've joined us!
Images of
The Kingdom of God
while Sheltering-in-Place

We are continuing to celebrate how the Church worships, ministers in the community, and cares for one another while sheltering-in-place.

Last month, the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos organized a drive-thru Christmas story and light display for Christmas Eve. As cars entered the parking lot, they were directed towards the drive-thru entrance. At this point, they were able to slowly pass various booths manned by volunteers in costume, creating a Christmas story experience. Christmas lights were also strategically strung around the campus and added a lovely ambiance to the event.

While our churches weren't able to gather this year, outreach opportunities were still available to the community, allowing us to celebrate our traditions in new and creative ways.
Pastoral Reflection

Elder Frank Bernstein, the Presbytery moderator for 2020 has written a letter reflecting on the unprecedented year we just completed together. A Presbytery website link to his reflection is posted below.



Phone: (408) 279-0220 Website: www.sanjosepby.org