Update on Jesse Ham, Pastoral Resident
Last September, Jesse Ham joined us as a pastoral resident for service and justice. In this role, he helped to coordinate “Last Monday of the Month” volunteering with our partners at City Hope, as well as opportunities with the Civic Joy Corps. In addition to his responsibilities, one of the expectations of his time has been to explore his sense of call around service and justice. In the last couple of months, Jesse has sensed an urgent pull leading him to return to Kenya, where he grew up. While we are sorry to say goodbye, we are also grateful for the ways in which Jesse’s time with us created the opportunity for him to hear God more clearly.
Hi everyone!
When I moved to San Francisco last fall to start working here as a resident, the initial plan was to complete a 1-year term here learning under the staff team and gaining experience as I finished up graduate school. Unfortunately, for a variety of personal reasons and amid some vocational discernment, that residency is going to come to an early end here at the 6-month mark. I am so happy to have been a part of the City Church San Francisco community for these last six months, and am grateful to have found a collection of people so committed to each other and to the love of God - I always tell people that I if I wasn’t working at the church, I would most definitely go to this church :) Getting an insider look at the values and vision that keep this team going as they lean trustingly on the foundation that holds it all together has been a gift to me.
What’s next for me is a move that has been on my mind for as long as I remember, and I’m finally going to listen to it and make the move back to Nairobi, the home of my childhood, where I’ll finish up my Master of Divinity education. I’m both really looking forward to this next chapter, and am leaving incredibly grateful for this last chapter and all of you who I came to know and love in the last six months here. Please stop me at a church service in the next few weeks to say a goodbye :)
Jesse Ham