Presbytery of San Jose

March 19, 2025

The March 27, 2025 5:00pm Presbytery meeting is a zoom meeting.

Don't miss this new devotional by Teaching & Ruling Elders of the Presbytery of San Jose

"Building Dreams" is open to all, but if you're interested in joining a table of Presbyters, please contact Rev. Dr. Bryan Franzen, Westhope Presbyterian Church at bryan@westpres-sj.org.

GA 227 in Milwaukee, WI - save these dates

Neal Presa is at MidCouncil Training in Louisville, KY this week. He sends greetings, this selfie with Rev. Jihyun Oh, and breaking news about GA 227 dates.

• Online committees: June 22-24, 2026
• Transition: June 25-26, 2026
• Community Day (local causes, mission fair, committees enjoy fellowship, reception): June 27, 2026
• In-Person Plenary: June 28-July 2, 2026

Overture deadlines.

• Overtures with constitutional implications: February 22, 2026
• All other overtures: April 22, 2026
• All concurrences: May 7, 2026

September 10, 2026: deadline for names of commissioners and advisory delegates. Instructions for Nominations are posted to sanjosepby.org

*YAADs have to be 18yrs old by June 21, 2026 and no older than 23yrs old.

**All commissioners and advisory delegates must attend all committees and plenaries

Neal Presa's ninth book was released this month! Read more:

Clergy Women's Luncheon, March 26, Country Gourmet, Sunnyvale, 12pm

Moderator Libby Boatwright and Rev. Erica Rader invite women clergy of the Presbytery to a quarterly luncheon. Please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/aUxVQYiHCv7RMFpw7

Commissioned Ruling Elder InfoSession Zoom scheduled for April 1, 4:00pm [Registration Link] This one-hour session is open to all presbyters and churches. Executive Presbyter Neal Presa will answer questions like,

• What is a Commissioned Ruling Elder (CRE)?
• Why a CRE?
• What are our Presbytery's policy and process on CRE support and preparation? How does one become a CRE?
• The Presbytery's new Policy and Program for Commissioned Ruling Elders (CREs) is posted to sanjosepby.org.

Funding opportunities are available through Presbytery Work Groups for your church's local mission project or church health and growth project.

Community Mission Grant

A Community Mission project increases the service of our churches to meet the physical, spiritual, social, or emotional needs of our greater San Jose community or otherwise develops our mission capacity. Mission and Outreach Work Group co-chairs are Pam Siu (RE, Santa Teresa Hills Pres, also member of Coordinating Council) and Pastor Vincent Arishvara (TE, Trinity San Jose).

Congregational Growth Grant

explores new ways to express the love of Christ within our churches or provide health, vitality, care or revitalization for the church community. Contact CHG Work Group chair David Watermulder or Executive Presbyter Neal Presa with your ideas or questions about Congregational Growth projects.

Now Hiring: Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church seeks Chancel Choir Director

Job Description at this link - Contact Carol Heath for more information.

PWP Mystery Book Club Meetup March 29, 1:30-4pm PCLG (Hybrid meeting) RSVP here.

"In a Manhattan brownstone that has long served as a manse for him and his predecessors, the Rev. Seth Ludington discovers the bones of an infant...49 years dead."

PWP San Jose invites you to escape this month into a true Presbyterian mystery in this book club for the first of a 4-part series by father/daughter novelist team MM Lindvall. Details at sanjosepby.org All are welcome - snacks served!

Registration Deadline Approaches: Attention Asian Presbyterian Women, before March 20, please complete and mail in your registration form to the National Asian Presbyterian Women's Triennial Gathering with a check to: APW, C/O Jeanette Huie, 5080 Kearney Avenue, Oakland, CA 94602. Registration and payment must be received by March 22. Questions? Please email apwnoca@gmail.com

The word Stigma comes from the Greek word “stigmata.” Stigmata was used by the Catholic Church to mean a mark that appeared on someone in the same places where Jesus was wounded on the cross. Before that, stigmata meant a brand on a soldier in the ancient military that designated to which general that soldier belonged.

In modern times, stigma means a prejudice or false belief about a person or group, like those who are mentally ill. Mentally ill people even today have been treated as if they were demon possessed. This belief is often held by people who are ignorant (uneducated) that mental illness is just that…an illness of the brain. Because of stories in the news of shootings or other acts of violence, often those with a mental illness are thought to be dangerous when in fact they are the victims of violence more often than the perpetrators.

What can we do to combat stigma? We can educate ourselves about mental illness taking away fears and false beliefs. We can be conscious of our language removing words like “crazy” “Wack job” and “nuts.” Showing compassion for someone suffering with a mental illness by including them in conversations and events is another way to fight stigma.

Mental Illness is a brain illness. Let us work together to remove stigma and see people with these illnesses as just the people they are.

Resources: caring for vulnerable communities

sanjosepby.org chronicles efforts across the presbytery to do justice.

Last week, two churches in our Presbytery were involved in immigration support training sessions. One focused on accompaniment and the other on rapid response. There is considerable overlap between the two areas of volunteer work but they are distinct. Accompaniment is just that - go along with a person to an appointment (or something similar,) offer encouragement and moral support as they go inside, and wait for them to come back outside, ready to call the Rapid Responders out to document anything that goes awry.

A Teaching Elder who went on such a visit reports, "It can be a little intense and scary, but it's an incredible experience and a real honor to be with people in those moments." Consider joining an accompaniment team. Write to the Presbytery Office to be put in contact with someone who will help.

We're asking all churches and worshiping communities to pray for the host of the Unity Candle each week, including mention in their worship bulletins and pastoral prayer/congregational prayers.

Lincoln Avenue Presbyterian Church is a Salinas Valley church. The congregation is over 100 years old and consists of families from all different walks of life.

The Children's Bible study Lincoln Avenue Presbyterian Church is conducted in both Japanese and English language! Sermons are recorded and audio is posted to their website http://www.lapcsalinas.org/ and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lapcsalinas.

Follow the path of the Unity Candle:

https://sanjosepby.org/the-presbytery-unity-candle

• 17-20 March EP Neal Presa at Mid-Council Leaders Training Orientation, Louisville, KY
• 22 March, 9:30am Treasurer Training Zoom (registration link)
• 22 March Registration Deadline, NAPW Retreat
• 23 March Unity Candle is at Lincoln Ave. Pres.
• 23 March 1:45 Youth Ministry Collaborative Escape Room Event
• 27 March 5:00 pm Presbytery Meeting by Zoom (registration link)
• 29 March, 1:30pm Church Mystery Book Club, PCLG (rsvp)
• 30 March Unity Candle is at Gilroy Pres.
• 30 March, Neal preaches at St. Andrew, Aptos
• 1 April, 4-5:00pm, CRE InfoSession Zoom (registration link)
• 6 April Unity Candle is at San Martin Pres.
• 6 April, Neal preaches at Westview Pres, Watsonville
• 13 April Palm Sunday, Unity Candle is at Santa Teresa Hills Pres.
• 20 April Easter Sunday, Unity Candle is at Foothill Community Pres. and First Thai Fellowship
• 3 May N.E.A.R. Gathering, First Pres. Church of Monterey (registration link)

www.sanjosepby.org

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