Campaign Updates

As we move into the Fall, the Growing Together in Mission campaign is well into its second half. I wanted to briefly share with you some of the exciting developments that we are seeing:

• Promotional Materials: We now have a page that compiles all the promotional inserts, videos, and links. It can be found by visiting https://rebrand.ly/GTM55-Materials. They are all in one place! Please feel free to share them as broadly as appropriate within your congregations and groups.
• Broad participation: I am pleased to share that we have seen contributions to the campaign coming from New Worshiping Communities. Let’s keep inviting people in our congregations to be engaged!
• Celebrating our history: Former Executive Ken Baker has agreed to write the foreword for the upcoming celebratory volume we are preparing, and the Pre-Presbytery meeting will feature Campaign Chairman Bill Craig as part of our 55^th Anniversary emphasis.

I am grateful for your ongoing interest as we celebrate the Presbytery’s past and present collaborative impact and go deeper into the pursuit of our goals as part of Christ’s work into the future.

Juan J Sarmiento

Executive Presbyter 

818 891 4781

www.sfpresby.org

The Coming Harvest: A Liturgy for Innovators and Starters

curated by Brianna Kinsman



Without leadership, all Cyclical networks would cease to exist. In Luke 10:1-2, Jesus reminds us to pray for leadership for the harvest of the kin-dom of God. Today, we invite you to join us in praying for the faithful innovators and church starters of Cyclical LA. These bright minds are using all their gifts and capacities for something bigger than themselves, and they need your partnership in prayer and support to keep going. Take a few moments to move through the litany below and join us in a prayer written by Cyclical LA starter, Ryan Brown.



Invitation to Breathe

• Pause here.
• Take a breath. Inhale…exhale.
• Place both feet on the ground beneath you. 
• Allow your muscles to settle in your body.
• Relax the space between your eyes. Unclench your jaw. Unstick your tongue from the roof of your mouth. Bring ease to your shoulders, your ribs, your hips, your shins, your ankles, your toes. Feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest as your breath carries you from one moment to the next.

Contemplation: Luke 10:1-3

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way; I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.”

Brianna Kinsman

Assistant to the Executive Director, Cyclical LA/Cyclical INC

Brianna Kinsman is a liturgist, theatremaker, poet, and expressive arts facilitator. She currently works as the assistant to the executive director for both Cyclical LA and Cyclical INC. She resides in Pasadena, CA with her husband, Michael, and house rabbit, Samwise.              

[email protected] | IG: @brianna_kinsman

Nick Warnes has created 6 videos on faithful innovation for our presbytery. This is the fourth video in this series.

Click the graphic below to access the 3 minute video from Nick

on YouTube or direct link HERE

Starters and Discerners

Event Dates

for 2023

Starters Lunch, 12 pm - 1:30 pm

at Señor Fish in Eagle Rock 

September 13 

October 4

November 1

12 PM December 6 (CLA Starters/Discerners Christmas party) 

Discerners Dinner, 5:30-7 pm

at Señor Fish in Eagle Rock

September 20

October 18 

November 15 

12 PM December 6 (CLA Starters/Discerners Christmas party) 

Our Presbytery rejoiced over recent installations in two of its member churches:

On August 27, Reverends Ross Purdy (Head of Staff) and Cindy Frost (Associate Pastor) were installed at La Cañada Presbyterian Church.

On September 9, Reverends Lance Allen (Head of Staff) and Niki Rodas (Associate Pastor) were installed at First Presbyterian Church of Granada Hills

GOOD NEWS UPDATE - SB4

If you haven't already heard, SB 4 (Affordable Housing on Faith Lands) passed the CA State Assembly! 

Because of our efforts and those of others across the state, more affordable housing will be built, and communities will be more integrated! The UCLA Terner Center estimates that almost 40,000 acres of land belonging to religious congregations will now be available for affordable housing. Conservative estimates put the potential number of housing units on the religious sites at 300,000.

SB 4 will now go back to the CA Senate to approve the changes made while it went through the Assembly, but this is usually just a formality. We hope Gov. Newsom signs it into law. 

If your church is interested in learning more about this possibility click HERE.

Thanks to all of you for your faithful perseverance!

We want your news!

Do you have a story about your church that could encourage and inspire others? Are there ministry resources that need to be shared? Do you have an announcement that the Presbytery should know about? Our editorial team will be happy to consider publishing it in The Wire.

Please read our NEW Guidelines for what can be submitted, how to submit, and the new deadlines. Click Here to Read.

Send items by email to: [email protected]