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At Urban Sanctuary, we believe that stewardship of the planet is part of our Christian duty. God’s creation should be cared for, not exploited!

On October 25 and 26, Urban Sanctuary will be going on a retreat together to Pacific Grove to participate in Blue Theology, a program focused on the intersection between spirituality and the ocean. Rev. Deb Streeter leads the program, which includes a visit to the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium!

If you would like to go, please contact Pastor Lauren. You must RSVP to attend!

As our focus on incarceration continues, after worship every Sunday we gather to discuss The Church of the Second Chance: A Faith-Based Approach to Prison Reform, by Jens Soering.

Meet us at 11:30 in room 7. You don’t have to have read it before, or be caught up on anything. We love to learn in community, and all you need to bring is yourself and your questions!

…In the Silicon Valley Community Foundation Magazine!

You can catch John, who is now a Very Famous and Important Celebrity, on Sunday mornings, playing piano, singing, setting up mics, and generally being a blessing to everyone he comes across.

Come meet him–and the rest of us–this week, at 10am on Sunday!

After Rev. Sophia Jackson came to USSJ, we knew we had to work with her more. She had so much to teach us.

So, in conjunction with the Joint Youth Ministry, Cambrian Park UMC, Los Gatos UMC, Willow Glen UMC, and SURJ at Sacred Heart, Urban Sanctuary will be participating in a workshop led by Rev. Jackson entitled, Introduction to Racial Injustice, the Prison Industrial Complex & Mass Incarceration and the Church’s Response: more Conversations on Race & Privilege (CRP).

Event Info:

Sat., Sept. 21, 2019, 10 AM- 3PM. Lunch served.
Willow Glen United Methodist Church, Kohlstedt Hall, 1420 Newport Ave., San Jose, CA 95125
Register here.

Suggested reading before the workshop: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

Sophia Jackson, called to the work of Justice for those Marginalized by Incarceration and Addiction, June 2

Minister Sophia Jackson is a graduate of Ohio Christian University. She is currently enrolled in the Master of Divinity & Certificate of Spirituality and Social Change at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley California, where she is pursuing her dream of becoming ordained in the United Church of Christ and becoming a Prison Chaplain; she is also a Member in Training and Care with the Disciples of Christ.

She answered the call to do the work of justice for those marginalized by incarceration and addiction, and her goal is to one day create a foundation that works to end the cycle of recidivism that Mass Incarceration fuels and feeds. She enjoys life to the fullest, even when it is full of the challenges and rigors of being a full-time student, minister, life-partner to Tysha Hayes, and parent to an 2 year old Pitt Bull puppy named Rootie Marie.

We’ll have an informal Q and A with her during coffee hour. Come join us!

________________________

Rosario Ibarra, Disciples of Christ Church Extension Fund advisor, June 9

From Rev. Ibarra:

“If our church buildings could talk, what story would they tell? Challenging times inspire creativity in our communities of faith. Let’s explore how our congregations are responding to God’s call to mission and ministry.”

Rosario is building and capital services advisor for Disciples Church Extension Fund and is passionate about the church using its space to its fullest extent. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Ricardo Palma University in 
Peru and a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. She is originally from Peru.