So often we can get caught up in our struggles as individuals or churches and lose sight of the larger world where people are enduring significant hardship. Thankfully, our vision was expanded on Saturday, September 9, at the educational and compassion-evoking Mission Support Dinner held at Campus Commons in Sacramento.

The African food was delicious. Speaking at the dinner were Dr. Beatrice Russell, elder at Sierra Vista Community Church and Associate Professor at Sacramento State University, and Rev. Dr. Keefa Sempangi, founder of the Presbyterian Church of Uganda. Rev. Sempangi told of his persecution under Idi Amin’s forces in the 1970s and his work with orphaned children in Uganda.

Joining with people from a number of our churches in the presbytery were adults and youth from our presbytery’s Ugandan Fellowship. The youth offered a particularly moving tribute to Rev. Sempangi for the humanitarian work he has done in Uganda for many years.

Thank you to all the churches who set up tables describing their mission work. Also, thank you to the presbytery’s Mission Support Committee, particularly Mission Support Chairperson and event coordinator Edrine Ddungu, and Nancy Disher, Mission Organizer, who helped get the word out to our churches.

Your presbytery continues to engage the world in meaningful mission and witness!

Your partner in ministry,

      Wes

COUNTRYSIDE COMMUNITY CHURCH

    CELEBRATES 100 YEARS

    SERVING ESPARTO

OCTOBER 22, 2023

Worship at 10:00 AM

Luncheon to follow at 11:00 AM

Come join us to

Give thanks and rejoice!

Please RSVP

Countryside Community Church - 26479 Grafton St, Esparto, CA 95627

https://www.espartocountrysidechurch.org        530-787-4040

Join us for an extraordinary celebration aimed at spreading joy and nurturing unity within our Presbytery community. This special event is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the North Central California Presbytery (NCCP) and the expert coordination of Intercultural Mosaics and Davis Community Church.

 Date and Time: Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 28, 2023, from 4 pm to 8 pm. The BBQ Dinner, featuring mouthwatering options, will be served from 5 pm to 7 pm.

 Venue: We invite you to the enchanting North Lawn Picnic Area and Patio Seating Area at Davis Community Church, located at 412 C Street, Davis, CA 95616.

 Culinary Delights: Indulge in a delectable feast featuring Korean/Hawaiian Short-Ribs, Lemon Chicken, Grilled Veggies, Grilled Fish, an array of Korean/Hawaiian side dishes, refreshing beverages, and delightful desserts.

 Costume Contest: Embrace the festive spirit and wear your favorite Halloween costume for a chance to win exciting prizes!

Entertainment: Experience the captivating Ukweli Performers, showcasing Uganda Dancers, from 6 pm to 7 pm. Get ready to be enthralled!

This is a wonderful opportunity to come together, share delicious food, and engage in intercultural activities designed to strengthen our bonds of fellowship. We can't wait to see you there! For more information, please contact Rev. Dr. Stephen Moon at 916-217-5470 or [email protected]. Thank you!! 

You can help facilitate the important work of the Nominating Committee by letting us know what interests, gifts, and passions lead you to service in the church, along with the ways you can serve the presbytery. There is a simple form entitled "Equipped for Service" that enables the committee to help connect people's gifts and abilities where they are most needed. Everyone is encouraged to fill this out!

Second, perhaps you like matching people to service, and becoming a part of the Nominating Committee! This is very important work, and the Council will gladly receive your interest in serving with our committee. Let Stated Clerk Jeri know: [email protected].

To encourage faith formation at home through equipping households and the worshiping communities that serve them, the Presbyterian Mission Agency is partnering with the Presbyterian Publishing Corp. to offer 10 copies of “Psalms of Wonder,” in either English or Spanish, free to those who apply by Oct. 15.

Preference will be given to small congregations.

“Any PC(USA) worshiping community or church is encouraged to apply,” said Miatta Wilson, associate in the Office of Christian Formation. “We will prioritize smaller congregations and worshiping communities who do not have the budgets to easily purchase books.” Spanish-speaking congregations will have priority over the Spanish version, but others are welcome to apply. There will also be a downloadable guide for parents and caregivers available in English and Spanish to accompany the books when they are delivered in November.

For those who wish to purchase individual copies, “Psalms of Wonder,” which will be published Oct. 3, can be preordered at the PC(USA) store.

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 [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you.)

Ethnic Concerns Consultation, or ECC, is dedicated to bringing education and awareness of the concerns of ethnic groups to churches and all of Christendom. The ECC is a place of encouragement that provides avenues for ethnic groups to be connected to and involved in the ministry of the Presbyterian Church (USA).  Special time for youth engagement and activities for all ages is planned. The ECC invites those who seek the full diversity of the church in our growing and changing culture. All are welcome to join us at Zephyr Point in October as we come together to enable spiritual growth and cultural awareness and learn how the ECC will advocate for racial and economic justice issues in the church and society.

Event Theme: THIS IS THE MOMENT

This is not a time for complacency or continuation of the status quo – This is the Moment…..

1. To center the voices of Black, Indigenous, People of Color, voices from within and outside the Church
2. To act for racial justice within our churches
3. To do the work of deconstruction for the transformation of the Church and the world
4. To envision how the restorative justice of God can reshape our nation and our world
5. To celebrate the diversity of Creation in all its majesty.

*A discount code is available for PC(USA) participants. Please call (665-588-6759 ext. 113) or email ([email protected]) our office for more information.

We are living in a weary world. Join fellow church leaders for a retreat that will blend respite with generative work for the immediate season and the months to come. We will explore hope on levels both theological and practical: the stories that form our communities, and the systems, structures, and practices that foster hope and purpose. Come for a rich blend of scripture, theology, psychology, pop culture, and more, as we dream, discuss, play, and build resilience together. As busy pastors and ministry leaders, give yourself the gift of a reflective time away to pause, restore, and orient ourselves in the direction of hope.

Event Theme: HOPE ALL THE WAY DOWN

The Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana is a writer, pastor, speaker, and ministry coach living in the Virginia suburbs of DC. She is author of three books, Hope: A User’s Manual, God, Improv, and the Art of Living, and Sabbath in the Suburbs. In addition to her books, her writing has appeared in TIME.com, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Religion Dispatches, Journal for Preachers, Coaching World, and the Christian Century, and in a monthly column for Presbyterians Today for three years. She was featured on PBS’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly for her work on Sabbath and was recognized by the Presbyterian Writers Guild with the 2015-2016 David Steele Distinguished Writer Award.

She is a sought-after speaker, preacher, conference leader and writer around issues of leadership, faith formation, and congregational transformation. She served as co-chair for two years of NEXT Church, a movement within the Presbyterian Church (USA) that seeks to call forth vital ministry for our changing cultural context. She currently serves as associate pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Herndon, VA. MaryAnn is a graduate of Rice University in Houston, Texas and received her M.Div. from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. She is a mother of three, an imperfect knitter, and an occasional ultramarathoner. Connect with her at her website. 

*North Central California Pastors are eligible for a $75 price total

October 13-15, 2023

Zephyr Point Conference Center

Zephyr Point volunteers are always appreciated at this bi-annual event where so much work is accomplished, readying and improving the grounds for the upcoming season. How about spendinga weekend during the Spring or Autumn in the Sierras this year? If working in a beautiful setting painting, hammering, raking, sewing and having fun with other volunteers sounds like a great way to spend a weekend, consider joining

us for Sprucing Up in the Pines.

Stay in one of our cozy cabins. The cost for the weekend is our reasonably priced meals, or you can cook in your cabin and only pay the $20 per person registration fee! Let us know what your talents are and we will match you up with something

that needs to be done.

Young Adult Advocacy Conference for College Students and Seminarians

October 20-22, 2023

Louisville, KY

Submitted by Faith and Politics team at Faith PC

North Central California Presbytery

5645 Marconi Ave.

Carmichael, CA, 95608

www.nccpresby.org