Be sure to join us to hear guest preacher Rev. Laura Cheifetz! Laura is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and is recognized for her leadership in areas of Social and Racial Justice (particularly AAPI) and Christian Faith. She serves as Assistant Dean of Admissions, Vocation, and Stewardship at Vanderbilt Divinity School.

Our CARAVAN participants will be commissioned this Sunday during the 11 a.m. worship service. Please join us onsite or online as we send off our young people to learn about housing segregation in Chicago.

We are looking for people who consider themselves handy to come help put together a shed to replace the old storage containers that were in the back parking lot. The new shed is a kit that is scheduled to be delivered on July 14. We are tentatively planning to work on building this on July 15. Our maintenance team will be there to lead the project. If you are interested, reach out to Carol and she can tell you more!

6:30 p.m. videos • 7 p.m. discussion • Zoom

We know that summer means a different rhythm of life for many of you — but that doesn’t mean that connecting with God through study and connecting with each other in conversation has to wait. This summer we’re going to offer another series of drop-in discussions that will keep you learning, reflecting, and growing in your faithfulness.

This year’s edition of “Conversations from NEXT Church” comes to us from the same great network of Presbyterian leaders and friends who are always seeking a more dynamic, more just, and always practical understanding of our faith and our traditions. We’ll be using materials adapted from the most recent NEXT Church national gathering, which have been put into this Bible study format:

You will be provided links to the short videos and study guides to check out ahead of time. If you can’t get to them in advance, don’t worry — we will also start the online Zoom meetings early so that those who haven’t watched the videos can do so right before we jump into conversation. Look for the links to the videos and the Zoom meetings soon on our website.

Conversations from NEXT Church will be taking place on July 20, August 10, and August 31. The discussions will start at 7 p.m., or you can join at 6:30 p.m. if you want to view the videos with the group.

Join us for one, two, or all three sessions. We look forward to having these important conversations together with you!

Join us for a potluck in the park! We’ll have the grills hot and ready, so bring your own meat/food to grill and a side dish or dessert to share. The church will provide beverages (water, lemonade) and popsicles from Bliss Pops. Beer will be provided by the Grateful Goat Brewing Community. Fun for the whole family — invite a friend!

As you may be aware, representatives from Presbyterian congregations all over the country (along with advocates and other delegates from all over the world) have been gathering in Louisville, KY — where our denomination is headquartered — to deliberate in committees, discussing the business before the national church. All of that is culminating this week as the many business items and “overtures” (legislative proposals) will be sent to the plenary (the gathering of all the voting elders) for final consideration.

I know this can all seem very distant from, and unrelated to, what we are doing as a congregation here in Sunnyvale. However, the people doing the business are very much regular church folks like you and me. They are giving their time, attention, and energy to help guide us all in figuring out how to address some very critical issues that we all care about — and how we can use our collective resources to address them. They’re talking about things like how we as Americans and people of faith should relate to Israel and their treatment of Palestinians. They’re also proposing policies around race and gender justice, trying to reduce our financial investment in the fossil fuel industry, designing tools for us to combat gun violence in our communities, and trying to ensure just and safe reproductive healthcare for our church employees and beyond.

If you want to follow along with the business of the General Assembly, you can read articles like the ones linked above through Presbyterian Outlook. (You will need to purchase a login if you want to read them all.) You can also check out the Presbyterian News Service. Some of our denomination’s actions will certainly be drawing attention from other news outlets in the days ahead as well.

I ask you to pay attention to all these things because they might help you see the value in being a part of our wider Presbyterian Church (USA) family. The guidance and support of our General Assembly can help us understand how our faith is meant to be lived out in this complicated world where we can’t possibly know everything there is to know but in which we still want to make a positive impact.

Please be praying for the General Assembly and all of the commissioners. Their work will not be done when the plenary meetings end. Their commission is for the next two years, during which they will be helping to finalize, explain, and implement all of the policies and decisions that are being made now. May all of this — our collective work of being a “connectional” church — be blessed and guided by God’s Spirit.

A copy of Jesus and the Disinherited (1949 with a new forward dated 1996) by Howard Thurman is available. This renowned American author, philosopher, mystic, theologian, educator, and civil rights leader was a spiritual advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He is considered one of the most important religious figures of the 20th century.

Also look for 40-Day Journey with Howard Thurman, a book of inspiring passages edited by Donna Schaper.

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it,” said Thurman. “Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

To learn more about events for children and youth subscribe to their e-newsletters. Also, check out the Children’s ministry Facebook page or Youth ministry’s Instagram or Linktree, or text ‘FLASH’ (Middle School) or ‘CLUE’ (High School) to 51400 for live updates.

Please apply for a matching employer donation if your workplace offers this option. If you’ve tried unsuccessfully in the past, please try again, because recent changes have made Sunnyvale Pres an eligible charity for more employers.

In place of the blue prayer cards you filled out on Sundays, please send your prayer requests anytime to prayer@sunnyvalepres.com. Be sure to include whether your request should/can be:

Look for the red banner at the top of our new website (SunnyvalePres.com). Click the white button, “Join online worship & events.”