Encouraging Developments For The Partnership Working Group
In the winter of 2010, the Partnership Working Group made a strong commitment to two important goals:
- To build relationships with all of our Presbytery’s churches;
- To strategize with them about how partnerships could enhance each church’s mission involvement and outreach.
Their initial strategy included sending a simply five-question survey to all mission elders/pastors in the Presbytery, inviting them to list their church’s local and foreign mission involvement and how they believed a partnership would be helpful. Since that time, every member of the Partnership Working Group has chosen to engage personally with mission leadership/pastor contacts…
- Which are close geographically, or…
- With whom they already have a relationship, or…
- With whom they are seeking to build a relationship.
Partnership Chair, Rev. George Gilchrist, reports that group members realized several months ago that they lacked representation from our many ethnic congregations. In short time they succeeded in diversifying the team by adding three new members:
- Daniel Beteta, pastor at Latinos Unidos en Cristos, San Mateo
- Jenny Kim, member at Park Boulevard P.C., Oakland
- Jackie Kwan, member at Christ United P.C., San Francisco
Other Partnership members include:
- Karen Thistlethwaite, minister of education at St. John’s P.C., Berkeley
- Bill Campbell, Elder at Old First Church, San Francisco
- Paul Watermulder, pastor at First P.C., Burlingame
- Katie Freeman, candidate for ordination from Centerpointe P.C., Pleasanton
- Jake Kim, liaison to the Alpha Course in northern California
- George Gilchrist, interim/transitional pastor at Park Boulevard P.C., Oakland
In August 2011, three members of the Partnership Working Group met with the Compassion Team of St. John’s P.C. in San Francisco (Evelyn Ho, Jonathan Howe, Judd Anderson). The Compassion Team wanted insight about encouraging their congregation towards short-term overseas mission involvements. It was a most engaging evening, since…
- Bill Campbell has extensive experience in local mission through Old First Church’s community outreach;
- Jake Kim’s work with Alpha involves numerous church traditions in a variety of social settings;
- George Gilchrist has led many short-term mission teams to serve with Protestant congregations in six European countries through Alongside Ministries International.
The Partnership Working Group is eager to hear from you about how they might help your church fulfill its vision for mission. Their chairperson George Gilchrist can be reached at georgeglchrst@gmail.com or 510-520-5311.
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2 Comments
by Marian Chatfield-Taylor
On April 2, 2011
Can you let me know more about the new Peace & Justice Center?
Thanks,
Marian
by Kim L Nelson, D.Min.
On September 13, 2011
This is a great event which is in a series sponsored by the Sacramento Presbytery and funded by special grants through our denomination. This is the fourth in the series of six. Great content, great company and heavenly environment.