News of the Presbytery of San Jose
"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.  And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability."
Acts 2:1-4
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, particularly the Events page at www.sanjosepby.org.

SJ PBY logo.
Presbytery Meeting
September 28, 2019

Join us Saturday, September 28th for our upcoming Presbytery meeting being held at Westminster Presbyterian Church at 1100 Shasta Ave., San Jose 95117 . Worship begins at 9:00 am . Check our website closer to the meeting date for a copy of the current docket.
There are currently two part-time positions open in the Presbytery.

The first is for a Music Director at Foothill Presbyterian Church in East San Jose. A church information sheet and job description may be found here: Church Information and Job Description. Contact Andy Wong at revandrewwong@gmail.com or (408) 258-8133 for more information.

Second, a position of "Mission Program Coordinator" is also open at Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church. Contact Rev. Karin Hejmanowski at (408) 739-1892 or karin@svpc.us for more information. Job Description may be found here:
For those who could not attend either of the two clergy boundaries training events offered so far this year, a make-up session has been scheduled for Wednesday, November 6th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Presbytery offices.

Note that clergy are *REQUIRED* to attend a training within 2019.

Lunch is included.

To RSVP, please email Collette at collette@sanjosepby.org.
The Mission Team to Puerto Rico welcomes your prayers! They will be gone June 17th - June 23rd , and will be revisiting many of the people and sites they engaged with last time. Pray for their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being and for strength. Please also be praying for the people of Puerto Rico as they're still dealing with the devastation and trauma of Hurricane Maria. More information may be found here:

First Presbyterian Church
of San Jose Closing

*SAVE THE DATE*

As it was announced in April's Presbytery meeting, First Presbyterian Church of San Jose will be closing its doors at the end of June.

FPCSJ has a long history in this community and birthed several churches in our Presbytery. We are saddened by this transition. However, steps are being taken to preserve its legacy in the downtown area, and we are grateful for the work of its session as they have been carefully and prayerfully working their way through this process.

*A gathering to celebrate 1st Presbyterian's legacy will take place on Saturday, June 22nd at 5:30 pm at the Presbytery Offices , located at 890 Meridian Way, San Jose. Please RSVP to Collette here: Invitation Link .
Public Town Hall Meeting

Stone Church is honored in being able to host Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren for a Town Hall meeting on Sunday July 21st, at 11 AM. (Stone Church is located at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Clark Way, San Jose, 95125.)

Rep. Lofgren represents California's 19th District and many of us in Congress. She's been a Member of Congress since 1995.

Rep. Lofgren is recognized as an established champion of top-to-bottom immigration reform and a national leader in immigration policy. In that and in many other areas, she has worked for social and economic justice for all.

Bring a friend and come prepared with questions. We look forward to having you there!
The 35th annual Ecumenical Retired Clergy/Partner Retreat will be gathering February 4th & 5th at the San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville. The speaker this year is Dr. Kah-Jin Jeffrey Kuan, Ph.D. who is associated with both the General Conference of the United Methodists, and is also strong advocate for religious pluralism and LGBT rights.

More information regarding Dr. Kuan and retreat registration may be found here:

The Mid-Council newsletter for the denomination may be found here:

Pastoral Reflection 

Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday! Our worship space at Evergreen Presbyterian Church was filled with the color red, and it was inspiring to reflect on the Spirit's outpouring on the Church.

In preparing for my message, I was reminded that the origin of Pentecost was really the Jewish holiday "Shavuot,", the "Feast of Weeks" with an emphasis on the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai and the story of Ruth.

The celebration marks fifty days since Passover. And while Passover is a celebration which looks back and remembers God's deliverance, Shavuot is a celebration which looks forward and is a call to obedience to God's word. The tongues of fire descended with this celebration in a way that was open, overwhelming, and powerful.

It moved me to think about obedience to God's Word and a movement of the Spirit being bound together that day. There's an implication of order and structure, but also a freedom of expression and room for creativity, a powerful conduit for the Spirit's work. And it was a work that gave us the Church, the body of Christ in our midst.

I hope that as the Church, as we pursue a legacy of faithfulness, that we continue to find that crossroads of obedience and empowerment, and that we live into our call to creatively share the Good News with others.

Rev. Jenni Bales
Director of Communications
Presbytery of San Jose

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