Dear friends,
If you’re like me, you have some weird sunburns after last Sunday’s glorious Easter service. (Perhaps we prayed too hard for sunshine?) Regardless, it was a wonderful resurrection celebration and culmination to a rich and vibrant Holy Week. From shared meals on Maundy Thursday to the depths of Good Friday, and the gratitude of Holy Saturday, we journeyed with Jesus in the way he always preferred to journey: together. Now, we look toward Life After Life After Death to explore what it means to embody the resurrection hope and faith that we proclaim. This is not only our next sermon series but also, in a way, the circumstance in which we find ourselves.
Later this month, our hiring teams will begin their work in earnest and we move decidedly into our next chapter of life as City Church SF. As I’ve been working with our personnel team and elders to plan our next steps – and with Holy Week behind us – I am glad to introduce you to the members of our Worship Hiring Team and Discipleship Hiring Team. These folks will review feedback from the recent congregational survey and insight circles, along with the ministry descriptions, to guide them as they interview, assess, and make their recommendations for hires. (If you would like to contribute to an insight circle, we will hold one after worship this Sunday and Wednesday April, 19th at 7pm on ZOOM.) Results of the insight circles and congregational survey will be shared at our Congregational Meeting on May 7th.
You may be wondering what is next for worship. On April 30th, we will say goodbye to our longtime Worship Arts Director, Karl Digerness, along with members of the band Jason Muscat and Adam Shulman, who have also decided that it is time to move on. I am thrilled to share that Jason Morrell, former worship director of our Mission campus, will step into the role as our interim worship leader. Since the closure of the campus, Jason has served on staff at City Church even as he has continued to plan and lead worship for a number of other communities around the city–most notably with The Vine at Grace Cathedral in SF and The Sunday Night Service at All Soul's Parish in Berkeley. Jason’s gifts and skills as a musician and faith leader, along with his deep knowledge of our processes and worship at City Church, grants us strong leadership and the most seamless transition as we move through the search process for worship leadership.
Please pray for our church throughout this transition and for our hiring teams, as they exercise wisdom and discernment. I am grateful that there are so many folks participating in this process and feel deeply that the Spirit is active among us as we walk into our future together!
Faithfully,
Pastor Emily
Beyond Deconstruction: Faith After Disorientation - begins April 18th
There is a time to tear down and a time to build (Ecclesiastes 3:3, 7). In this class with Rev. Dr. Peter Choi and guests, we will learn what it means to do both – to deconstruct an inherited religious tradition that does not represent God and reimagine a living faith that draws us closer to God. Exploring five shifts for faith after disorientation (from triumphalism to lament, from morality to dignity, from certainty to mystery, from superiority to mutuality, and from rhetoric to embodiment), we will help one another discover and follow God’s Spirit at work in the world. Over five consecutive Tuesdays, we will share a meal, listen to a short lesson, and spend the bulk of our time exploring concrete examples of faith beyond deconstruction. In-person and streaming options are available. Register here for dinner and conversation!
Queer Theology Study Group Part 2 - begins April 19th
Our LGBTQ Community Group will be hosting a 5-week discussion group for LGBTQIA+ and questioning folks on the subject of queer theology. Becoming affirming can be one part of the theological journey, but what comes next? What does it mean to be queer and how can that strengthen our faith? How might we view Christianity and the stories of the Bible through a queer lens? Dinners will be provided. Please register here as space is limited!
Grief and Loss Support Group, now beginning on May 1st
Grief is a natural response to great loss and it's okay to feel it. It's a messy and non-linear journey, but you don't have to navigate it alone. Join this new 8-week ONLINE group to cultivate a safe space where you can be yourself and explore your feelings without judgment or expectations. Together we'll shift the focus from fixing grief to tending to our experiences together. You can learn more about what you can expect in this group and register here.