News of the Presbytery of San Jose
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35
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”
36
And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.
37
A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.
38
But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
39
He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.
40
He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”
41
And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Mark 4:35-41
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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.
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Presbytery Meeting
Dates for 2020
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 for the 2020 meetings are below. Check back in future months or on the Presbytery website for the respective dockets.
May 2: Trinity (San Jose)
September 19: Location TBD
November 21: Covenant (Palo Alto)
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The PC(USA) Office of Theology and Worship has issued a list of guidelines for those streaming services and for temporary and/or emergency situations.
The guidelines may be found here:
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The
Coffee, Tea and Conversation through “Herstories” of the Two Janes
event scheduled for Saturday, April 4th at Stone Church has been
cancelled
.
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Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church is currently seeking a Director of Children's Ministry to help oversee staff, manage volunteers and deliver programs that develop the spiritual lives of children birth-5th grade. The position would include a commitment of 30-40 hours a week, with the opportunity to interact with a dynamic and caring staff. If you are interested please contact:
Lydia Coolidge
925-787-2316
or
Judi Pogue
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The Mid Council Newsletter may be found here:
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On behalf of First Presbyterian Church of Monterey, the Mission and Outreach Task Force donated a grant to the organization Action: Inspiring Change
in Salinas. The grant helped with the production of the film
Making a Life - Knowledge is Power,
which tells the stories of several immigrants here in Monterey County.
The YouTube link to the English version of the film is here:
The Spanish version is here:
The film is available at no charge for use at various gatherings, and Action is able to send a representative to facilitate the discussion. Their only request is to be notified of public showings. Phone "Deb" at (831) 783-1244.
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Important Changes at
Immanuel House!
Since Immanuel House opened in 2015, we have been receiving the clients of the International Rescue Committee ("IRC"). IRC remains a viable and faithful partner in refugee resettlement, but as of January we are now also partnering with Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley, based in Los Gatos.
Both agencies are authorized by the State Department to resettle refugees regardless of race, membership in a particular social group, political opinion, religion, or national origin. Opening the house to the clients of a second resettlement agency will, we hope, increase the number of residents we can welcome and help assimilate. By the end of March the house will be nearly full, with 11 expected residents out of a capacity for 12. Most residents are staying from six to 12 months before moving on to permanent housing.
If you would like to tour the house or receive the newsletter, please send your request to
[email protected]
.
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The
Presbyterian Association of Musicians
("PAM") has several announcements to share:
1) PAM is offering two separate Worship & Music Conferences this year at the Montreat Conference Center.
The first is June 21st - 26th, and the second is June 28th - July 3rd.
Details may be found here:
2) During the June 28th - July 3rd conference, a confirmation class will be offered concurrently.
Details may be found here:
3) Through a generous grant, scholarships to these conferences are available. Scholarship information may be found here:
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A lot is happening with Sweaty Sheep and the Presbytery's Hunger Advocate, Rev. Ryan Althaus! To help you stay up-to-date with his ministry, Ryan is working on the creation of his own newsletter.
If you would like to receive his specific newsletter and announcements, please submit your email address:
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Also from Ryan:
The Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative is pleased to offer mini-grants to further
our mission to empower faith communities to increase access to healthy, sustainably produced food. Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative has received funding to support 2 categories of
food projects through mini-grants. The mini-grants are intended to help a congregation start a
new project, expand an existing program, and/or help the project be more sustainable.
Category 1 Breakfast Programs: 6-10 grants of $1000-2000; and
Category 2 General: 3 grants of $500 each for food pantries, advocacy forums,
community gardens, or fruit trees.
Application is at this link:
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The
Mission and Outreach Working Group
is planning a mission trip to Peru this coming October.
It's an opportunity to meet ministry partners and to see first-hand what God is doing in Peru.
Contact Rev. Margaret Boles for more information at [email protected] or (650) 494-1760.
Informational Flyer may be found here:
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Foothill Community Presbyterian Church is currently looking for a part-time administrator for their in-house concert series. The job would involve working with a committee to locate and book musicians, contract negotiations with the artists, concert scheduling, organizing volunteer crews to work the concerts, maintaining the concert website, printing flyers, programs and other publicity items, and advertising on local event sites and social media. This job could be split into two, an administrator and a publicity person.
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Clerks of Session
Open Forum
Following the
May 2nd
Presbytery meeting at Trinity (San Jose), Clerks of Session are invited to a forum to discuss various aspects of the position. Part of the discussion will revolve around what assistance the presbytery may provide to each of our clerks.
Pick up your lunch after the presbytery meeting and join us in the designated space for our discussion.
Feel free to let us know in advance if you have particular questions. Comments may be sent to Erica Rader at (408) 279-0220 / [email protected] or Carol Holsinger at (650) 326-3146 / [email protected].
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A Message from the Executive Presbyter, Rev. Joey Lee
Love in the time of COVID (nodding to Gabriel García Márquez)
These are not the best of times. They are not the worst of times. But they are OUR times (and nodding to Charles Dickens). I trust and hope that this finds you well as we shelter in place. The past few days seem like a month, as now all three counties in our presbytery have issued the order. Our lives have been disrupted in a way that most of us have never experienced, though I am sure there are those among us who can tell stories. Talk to a refugee. Talk to someone who remembers the Japanese American Internment camps. Talk to someone who is seeking asylum. Talk to someone who survived a war, famine or disaster. I’m sure there are stories among us that talk of disruption and upheaval.
I know that pastors are doing everything they can, along with your session, to take the necessary steps to continue the ministry of the church as best they can. None of us took the class “Ministry during a pandemic.” So be gentle with one another. Check in on one another. Don’t forget to send your pledge in. While the presbytery offices are closed, we are all still working from home. If you find that you are in need of assistance, let us know.
Most of our churches went from public worship to worship without a congregation, and now, some form of virtual worship. The shelter in place instructions have been vague. While the Order is mostly the same from each county, the FAQs vary. Regarding worship:
Monterey says:
Can I still go to church, synagogue, or mosque?
No. Places of worship have not been exempted as essential activities under the order. Places of worship can still provide services listed in the order as essential such as food banks and funerals.
Santa Clara says:
Can I leave home to go to my church, synagogue, or mosque?
No. For your safety as well as the safety of your fellow worshippers, we need to help each other fight the spread of COVID-19 by staying at home. But places of worship can offer remote access to services, such as by emails, video streaming, or teleconference.
Santa Cruz says:
…. (yup, they say nothing)
We still do not recommend putting any members of your community at risk. Limit contact, and if you must meet, maintain physical distance. (I’ve been choosing to use “physical distance” instead of “social distance.”) Collette in our office has put a list of churches and how they are providing virtual worship on our website. if you’re doing something and not on the list, contact [email protected].
I invite you to join me in praying for one another. To lift up the most vulnerable in our communities, whether due to health issues or employment. Remember to be salt and light wherever you go. In the midst of the storm, Jesus did not ask the disciples “have you no courage,” he asked “have you no faith?”
Washing my hands,
Joey Lee
Executive Presbyter
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Phone: (408) 279-0220
Website: www.sanjosepby.org
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