What a joy it was to spend my first Holy Week and Easter in North Central California Presbytery! I spent Palm having Dinner Church with Casas de Paz New Worshiping Community in Sacramento, Maundy Thursday at table for Holy Communion at Carmichael Presbyterian, Good Friday with members of Walnut Grove Presbyterian walking the Stations of the Cross at Our Lady of Sacramento Monastery, and Easter Sunday downtown at Westminster Presbyterian.  I was moved to be part of these very different communities all bearing witness to Christ’s Resurrection power to overwhelm the powers of death.  More recently, I preached on Good Shepherd Sunday/Mother’s Day at Shepherd of the Sierra in Loomis. The Spirit of Easter is alive and well there. As soon as worship was over, members of the congregation began moving aside the rows of chairs in the sanctuary to make room for Gathering Inn, an organization serving the unhoused in Placer County. As I write this, we are about half way through the Great Fifty Days of Eastertide. I’m eager to see Christ’s resurrection power at work as I continue to visit the communities of our Presbytery:

May 18 Geneva, Modesto

May 25 Parkview, Sacramento

June 8 Maryville 

June 15 Corning

Karen Sapio, Executive Presbyter

Through their recent participation in Church World Service’s annual CROP Hunger Walk, eleven walkers and 41 donors enabled Parkview Presbyterian Church to raise a total of $4,800 for Church World Service, a global ecumenical service organization. Twenty-five percent of the funds raised, $1,200, will go to South Sacramento Interfaith Partnership located in Bethany Presbyterian Church. The remaining $3,600 will help support missions all over the world. Church World Service focuses on disaster relief, aid for displaced people, and grassroots community building, often in partnership with local ecumenical agencies.

Church World Service is presently comprised of 15 “covenant member communions,” including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), and 37 “historic member communions.” Founded by seventeen denominations in 1946 because of the devastation left by WW II, it has always remained firmly committed to “do in partnership what none of us could hope to do as well alone.” Its mission is to transform communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster.

Article submitted by: Maurine Huang

On the afternoon of April 30, NWC leaders and Presbytery staff gathered with joyful hearts and a shared sense of purpose, exploring new ways to share Christ’s love more deeply and widely. It was a beautiful time of unity, vision, and encouragement as we dreamed and discerned together.

A big thank you to Pastor Timothy Nguyen and the Stockton VEO community for the warm welcome and the delicious meals that truly fed both body and soul—your hospitality made all the difference!

We’re excited to keep the momentum going—our next NWC leaders gathering will be on May 28 at 1 PM at Sacramento Capital Korean Presbyterian Church in El Dorado Hills. We’d love to see you there!

Article and photos submitted by the Rev. Dr. Stephen Moon, Intercultural Mosaics

The conference features speakers/panelists from Omni Youth Services , The Sacramento Opioid Coalition, Celebrate Recovery and more. Participants will leave with Narcan, fentanyl test strips, Deterra and with the knowledge to use them.  

Local ministers from the North Central California Presbytery and Celebrate Recovery will address addiction and spirituality.

RSVP to telephone number 916-490-7079 and email address eddungu35@gmail.com.

Henry Robinet's biography can be found at https://henryrobinett.com/bio/

Trinity West Sacramento Youth Director

Davis Community Church Installed Pastor 

Journey Presbyterian Church, Folsom Installed Pastor

First Presbyterian Church, Stockton Music Director

First Presbyterian Church, Colusa Part Time Pastor

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

Come Join The Conversation

You are invited to join with clergy colleagues who gather via Zoom each week (Tuesday at 1-2pm) to discuss the lectionary passages for the coming Sunday. The group shares thoughts, insights, and questions about the passages. The conversations not only offer differing perspectives, they provide a forum for support and connection.

Come be a part of the conversation!

(If you would like to know more about the group or to join, please e-mail David Ratcliff at davidratcliffu2@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you.)

After 52 amazing years of annual Ethnic Concerns Consultations, change is on the horizon. At the ECC Business Meeting during the 2024 Annual Event, the decision was made to take a year for discerning the future of ECC for the sustainability of this ministry for years to come. We are excited to announce that in 2025, we are looking to establish a Young Adult Planning Team to help us re-envision the future of ECC. The Ethnic Concerns Committee invites passionate young adults (ages 18-40) to serve on a volunteer planning team to discern the future of ECC and its role in advocating for racial and economic justice in the church and society. APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED NOW THROUGH MAY 31.

For more or to apply go to https://zephyrpoint.org/adult/ecc/

At a recent gathering of Ruling Elders from small towns, I asked how many of their churches had been around over 100 years. All but one raised their hand. The youngest church was just over 80 years old. If you are a member of a PC(USA) congregation in a small town or rural area, there is a good chance that no one in your community can remember a time when your church wasn't there. But I understand, also, that despite their resilience and longevity, our rural churches need support and care. This is why I am delighted to tell you about the Town Square Collaborative! Based at the University of the Ozarks, a historical Presbyterian college nestled in the Ozark mountains of central Arkansas, the TSC is working to support rural communities, congregations and their leaders. Much of the work we are doing right now is regional, but one of our newest offerings is not.

This summer we will launch the first annual Rural Ideas Conference. This inaugural 3-day event from July 16-18, 2025 is offered free of charge through the generosity of the Lilly Endowment for Religion. It will create a space which focuses exclusively on rural congregations and offers opportunities for leaders and congregants to share opportunities and challenges in a place designed uniquely for them. This ecumenical conference will remind us of our calling to be the Church of Jesus Christ and contextualize that identity in our small towns and rural areas. It will give congregations tools to better engage their communities. It will bring together leaders in rural church thought from around the country. To register for the conference, or to learn more about the Town Square Collaborative, we invite you to visit our website. 

www.townsquareco.org



I understand this is a challenging time for rural churches, but if you are a member of a rural church, I want you to think about all the things your church has seen over the course of its existence. Your church has been there for generations, witnessing to Jesus Christ in your community. It has served its neighbors, ministered to its community, and nurtured its members. At the Town Square Collaborative, we want to support your work in this time and in this place. We believe your rural church has the power to transform communities and change lives, and our purpose is to support you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us, and I hope to see you this summer. 

Peace, 

The Rev. Phillip Blackburn

Director

The Town Square Collaborative 

What is Youth Triennium?

A time of worship and faith formation designed by and for young people. Find out more: https://presbyterianyouthtriennium.org

Spread the news to those who will be freshmen through graduated seniors in high school in the summer of 2025 so those interested can attend with others around our presbytery!

Spread the news to wise faithful persons who relate well with young people and are 22 or older and would make a good chaperone.

Spread the news to young adults up to 23 years old who might want to be on the Work Crew.

The presbytery has funds to contribute 1/3 of the cost to attend. Generally, the family contributes 1/3 and the church the other 1/3.

NCCP’s Registrar: Vicki Henderson (St. Andrew Church in Yuba City) … vshgolfer@syix.com  

Dates: October 6-8, 2025

Retreat Leadership: My Anchor Holds

Registration opens April 15 https://zephyrpoint.org/pastors-renewal-retreat/

North Central California Presbytery participants are eligible for a $200 registration discount by entering 25PRR at checkout. If you have any questions, please contact the Program Department at 775-588-6759 ext. 113.

North Central California Presbytery

5645 Marconi Ave.

Carmichael, CA, 95608

www.nccpresby.org