Once at a church gathering someone posed the question, “What is your favorite Christmas song?” My daughter, a middle-schooler at the time, replied, “I like the spooky Advent music.” We asked her for some examples, and it turned out she was talking about that genre of Advent hymns in a minor key: O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, Rejoice, Rejoice Believers, and others like that. 

My experience as a congregational pastor taught me that anything in a minor key is a very hard sell during December. People want to sing joyful carols and festive Christmas tunes. Yet much of what the season of Advent invites us to embrace: waiting, repentance, longing for redemption for ourselves and this broken world is often best expressed in a minor key. My daughter called the songs “spooky” but I think what she was trying to say is that these songs are mysterious. They invite us to ponder the ineffable mystery of God’s coming into this world in ways we do not always recognize or understand.

During Advent we often awake in darkness, waiting for dawn to arrive. The day is both already and not yet here. Advent invites us into the mystery of the Reign of God which is both already and not yet here. This mysterious space is the place in which we do our ministry--embodying God’s presence for that others might know the Divine love that has come to us in Christ; always pointing to the greater light that is coming into the world.

Rejoice Believers! Let your lights appear.

 Karen Sapio

Where is Karen?

December 8—Sunday worship, Geneva Modesto

December 15—Davis/Mosaics Christmas Festival

December 19—Federated Placerville midweek Carol service

January 5—morning worship with Trinity Stockton, afternoon worship with GKI, Sacramento

Left to right:

Nancy Disher, Karen Sapio, Jeri Viera Dahlke, Tayler Stone, Janice Hall, and Maria Mar

from the Stated Clerk, MWS Jerilyn Viera Dahlke

At the November Presbytery meeting, NCCP voted in the affirmative on the amendments that were brought before them. There are four more for discussion and vote at the February meeting. We will hold a Q&A Zoom session in January to help ensure everyone has accurate information. Here are those amendments and some basic information:

24-A The categories gender identity, sexual orientation, be included as protected classes of people in the Unity in Diversity section of Foundations of Presbyterian Polity, F-1.0403. Based on Galations 3:27-29, this section currently speaks of our unity through baptism “regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sex, disability, geography, or theological conviction.”

24-C Adds principles of participation and representation in F-1.0403 to required areas for examination for ordination of Ministers of Word and Sacrament, Elders and Deacons. As always, Sessions and Presbyteries retain full authority to discern a candidate’s suitability for ordination/installation. It requires questions, not answers.

24-I Eliminates the need for a concurrence from another presbytery to have business brought before GA (concurrences are still allowed but not required). The concurrence functions much like getting a “second” on a motion. The requirement has been cumbersome for presbyteries, preventing business from coming forward due only to missing deadlines.

24-M Episcopal-Presbyterian Agreement on Local Sharing of Ministries is a step towards being in full communion with the Episcopal Church, with a primary focus on Ministers serving in the other denomination.

7pm Monday, January 13^th

Q&A Zoom Session

This one-hour session will be an opportunity to ask clarifying questions about the four amendments and to help people understand the proposed changes accurately.

The Stated Clerk will summarize the questions and responses, then share along with the call to the meeting later that week.

Please use the button below to register. You will then be sent the Zoom link.

Now that we are using Constant Contact for presbytery-wide communication, we need to create separate emails in each language. Everyone will receive emails in English. At least for communication from the Stated Clerk, we need to know who wants to receive an email in a language besides English.

Beginning January 1^st, Stated Clerk Jeri Viera Dahlke will work 20hrs/week: full days on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Wednesdays will be half-days. She will check email at 8:30am and 1pm those three days. If your question is urgent, please call and leave a message at 916-414-2080 ext. 2. 

Youth Director, Trinity West Sacramento

Do you like pizza and silly games? Trinity Presbyterian Church of West Sacramento is looking for a part-time Youth Program Director. We have a young youth group of 10-15 enthusiastic students, middle school and early high school age. They love coming on Friday nights for pizza, silly games, and a positive message. Several of them also make a point to attend our Sunday morning youth discussion class, often getting rides to church even if their parents don’t attend. They have powerful questions and curiosity, and are ready to grow in their faith and serve our community. Trinity Church is seeking a leader who is gifted at building relationships with teens, who can guide them in their faith journey, and who is available on Sunday mornings and some weeknights to lead our youth program. We have a supportive staff of other part-time ministry leaders and one full time pastor. For an employment application, please contact Cora Hocker with the personnel department at cbhocker@yahoo.com.

With hearts filled with gratitude and a deep awareness of God’s presence, we celebrate a meaningful milestone in the life of GKI Sacramento, Indonesian Fellowship of NCCP. Eleven dedicated leaders and Pastor Tri Yeni Sulistiani Oey have completed an eight-session Officer Training Course, guided with care and wisdom by Rev. Dr. Stephen Moon of Intercultural Mosaics. Beginning in April 2024 and continuing monthly, this journey culminated in a joyous conclusion on November 19, 2024.

Each session was more than a class—it became a sacred space for learning, growth, and connection. Month by month, these leaders came together with open hearts and a shared purpose: preparing for the chartering of GKI Sacramento as a member church of NCCP. Their commitment to this process and their collaboration as a group reflect their devotion to God’s call and their shared vision for the future.

This journey was about more than gaining knowledge—it became a transformative experience. Each gathering brought new insights, encouraged broader perspectives, and sparked a vision of hospitality and intercultural ministry. Participants were challenged to step beyond familiar boundaries, to see Christ’s presence in one another, and to reflect God’s love in ways that celebrate diversity and inclusion.

The training became a time of spiritual renewal, reminding everyone that building Christ’s church is both a sacred responsibility and a collective effort. Through prayer, meaningful dialogue, and the shared journey of learning together, these leaders have been shaped and inspired for the work ahead. They step forward equipped not just with skills but with a deep passion to serve with compassion, justice, and hope.

This milestone is a true Ebenezer, a marker of God’s faithfulness and grace. As GKI Sacramento prepares for its next chapter, we celebrate this moment as a reminder of how far God has brought us and how God’s hand continues to guide us. May this be the foundation of an even greater story—one where GKI Sacramento becomes a beacon of Christ’s inclusive love, welcoming all into God’s embrace.

To God be the glory, now and always. Amen.

Please see the quarterly report from Rev. Jeanie Shaw.

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.)

You are invited to attend a Special Annual Event on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Sponsored by the North State Ecumenical Conference (NSEC), which was established in 1968 and is comprised of Christian faiths in the Greater Sacramento Area.

You are invited to attend this event in person at:

St. Francis of Assisi Church

(916-443-8084)

1114 26th Street Sacramento, California 95816

Event schedule:

11:30 am-12:15 pm - Lunch and Presentation in Brunsman Hall

12:30 pm-1:45 pm - Panel Discussion in Church

2:00 pm-2:45 pm - Worship Service in Church 

Submitted by Nancy Disher, Mission Organizer

Livestream link:

https://www.youtube.com/@StFrancisOfAssisiSacramento

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  

The February Regular Presbytery Meeting will be in-person only and held at:

Shepherd Of The Sierra

5400 Barton Road

Loomis, CA 95650

North Central California Presbytery

5645 Marconi Ave.

Carmichael, CA, 95608

www.nccpresby.org