Presbytery of San Jose

January 23, 2025

Detail of stained-glass window at Foothill Presbyterian Church, San Jose. This window will be on the cover of the Presbytery of San Jose's Lent/Easter 2025 Daily Devotional. Photo: Rev. Dr. Libby Boatwright.

Attention Ruling Elders and Teaching Elders:

Ruling Elders and Teaching Elders are invited to contribute to the Presbytery's Lenten/Easter Daily Devotional Booklet for 2025

Sign up for one day, here
Select one passage from the lectionary texts for that day
Write a reflection / prayer (max 500 words ~ two pages, double spaced.)
Submit contributions by Feb 10 to Neal@sanjosepby.org

Theme: "Walk in Newness of Life" (Romans 6:4)

Presbytery's Unity Candle will be at Westview Presbyterian Church this Sunday, January 26.

We're asking all churches and worshiping communities to pray for Westview Presbyterian Church, Watsonville, including mention in their worship bulletins and pastoral prayer/congregational prayers.

https://www.westviewpc.org/

Lookout Santa Cruz has the lastest news on Westview Presbyterian Church's Tiny Village Project. Major hurdles in this homelessness abatement project have been overcome in the last two years.

Follow the path of the Unity Candle

http://tinyurl.com/SJUnity2025

Jan 26 - Westview Presbyterian

Feb 2 - Watsonville Public House

Feb 9 - Somos Watsonville

Coordinating Council, Presbytery Meetings and NEAR Gatherings for 2025

Updates:

May NEAR Gathering will be hosted by First Presbyterian Church, Monterey.
September NEAR Gathering will be hosted by First Presbyterian Church, Mountain View (photo above.)

Moderator Rev. Dr. Libby Boatwright explains the new dates and formats of 2025 meetings of the Presbytery here: https://sanjosepby.org/2025-presbytery-meetings

Presbyterian action outside San Jose City Hall

(L) Pastor Erik is 4th from right, (R) Pastor Bryan speaks. Click for larger images.

Tuesday, Jan 21 - Pastors Rev. Erik Swanson, Westhope Pres, Saratoga and Rev. Dr. Bryan Franzen, Westminster Pres, San Jose joined other faith leaders to pray for immigrants outside San Jose City Hall at a vigil themed on hope and healing. KTVU, ABC7(KGO) and KRON covered the event, and introduced the Rapid Response Network as a way for citizens to become involved in protecting immigrant rights.

Please Pray for Mercy in Solidarity with Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde

Presbyterian Outlook published an interview with the Episcopalian Bishop of Washington, who delivered a sermon at the National Prayer Breakfast last Tuesday begging for mercy on those who will be most adversely affected by proposed policies: families with members who are gay, transgender, or hold immigrant status.

“I found myself thinking, there’s a fourth thing we need for unity in this country — we need mercy,” she told RNS in an interview on Wednesday. “We need mercy. We need compassion. We need empathy. And after listening to the president on Monday, I thought, I wasn’t going to just speak of it in general terms.”

Our faith calls us to believe in a merciful god. (Ps. 103:8) Rev. Nan Swanson, 2023 Moderator of the Presbytery and currently an At-Large member of Coordinating Council, asks all churches in the Presbytery of San Jose to consider praying in solidarity with Bishop Budde's call for the President to be merciful. "We need to support her in her courage to speak out on behalf of the least of us, the most vulnerable of us," Nan said. "Christ called us to stand with the least and the lost."

Volunteers Can Provide Housing to Wildfire Survivors from Presbytery of the Pacific

Shirley Velasco, Executive Administrator, Presbytery of the Pacific shares this google form with families who want to provide housing for one of the wildfire survivors. "The need is great," she writes.

Presbytery of San Jose has a Linkedin Page

Established just last Saturday, any presbyter with a LinkedIn account is invited to tag/follow San Jose Presbytery at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/san-jose-presbytery