Urban Sanctuary is a boldly progressive spiritual community in downtown San Jose, rooted in the Christian tradition.https://urbansanctuarysj.org/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/soulful-sunday/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/soulful-sunday/Sunday, August 9th Add some soul to your Summer!  Join us for Soulful Sunday featuring a special “mini-brunch” at Urban Sanctuary and Recovery Café in downtown San Jose—just an easy…Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:05:57 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/position-announcement-lead-pastor-part-time/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/position-announcement-lead-pastor-part-time/Urban Sanctuary is a boldly progressive spiritual community in an extraordinary location adjacent to City Hall, arts venues, and San Jose State University. The congregation is actively involved with the…Wed, 24 Dec 2025 08:48:16 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/christmas-eve-service/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/christmas-eve-service/We invite you to join Urban Sanctuary and St Paul United Methodist at our joint Christmas Eve Service Date: 12/24/2025Time: 5:00 p.m.Location: Urban Sanctuary, 80 South 5th Street, San Jose…Wed, 24 Dec 2025 08:43:43 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/november-sunday-gatherings/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/november-sunday-gatherings/Three of the Sundays this month will be a time of learning more about the story and the ministries behind our church budget. So often when we look at a…Wed, 12 Nov 2025 07:50:21 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/soulful-sunday-with-san-jose-summer-jazz-festival/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/soulful-sunday-with-san-jose-summer-jazz-festival/August 10, 2025 at 10 a.m.   Urban Sanctuary 80 South 5th Street San Jose CA 95112Mon, 16 Jun 2025 13:04:04 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/soulful-sunday-benefit-concert/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/soulful-sunday-benefit-concert/Sunday January 12, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Urban Sanctuary 80 South 5th Street San Jose CA 95112 Neil MacPherson and the Soulful Sunday Quintet Event is…Thu, 26 Dec 2024 13:45:25 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/jazz-event-at-urban-sanctuary/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/jazz-event-at-urban-sanctuary/Sunday, 8/11/24, from 10am-11:30am80 South 5th Street, San Jose CA 95112 A history of the B3 in song, featuring local celebrity vocalist Juanita Harris, internationally-knownjazz guitarist Hristo Vitchev, San Jose…Thu, 16 May 2024 11:41:57 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/break-every-chain-musical-event/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/break-every-chain-musical-event/Urban Sanctuary San Jose presents the Palo Alto Community Gospel Choir in a “Break Every Chain” musical event on Saturday, April 13, 2024, 5-7 p.m. Special Guests: Recovery Café’s Closing…Mon, 08 Apr 2024 12:28:39 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/ccncn-170th-annual-gathering/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/ccncn-170th-annual-gathering/April 19-20, 2024 (Clergy Day April 18) First Christian Church 3039 Willow Pass Rd. Concord, CA 94519 Register here: https://ccncn.regfox.com/170th-ccnc-n-annual-gatheringWed, 21 Feb 2024 13:22:55 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/celebration-of-the-life-of-marianne-gallagher/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/celebration-of-the-life-of-marianne-gallagher/Join us in celebrating the life of our beloved Marianne, wife, mother, nana, and friend. A person full of vigor and life, dedicated to her family and to making her…Mon, 12 Feb 2024 09:23:44 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/2023-reincarnation-symposium-expanding-consciousness/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/2023-reincarnation-symposium-expanding-consciousness/Saturday October 28, 2023 In-Person and On-Line Urban Sanctuary, 80 South 5th Street, San Jose CA 95112       Split souls: One Soul, Multiple Simultaneous Incarnations       The Path of Co-Creator…Thu, 21 Sep 2023 12:57:27 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/urban-sanctuary-after-sessions-in-july/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/urban-sanctuary-after-sessions-in-july/Our After-Sessions in July are all about “The Good Life:  Lessons From the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness”, a book by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz discussing a study…Thu, 29 Jun 2023 09:55:51 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/poems-to-preserve-our-homes/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/poems-to-preserve-our-homes/Sunday, June 11, 2023 from 10am to noon A free retreat and gathering of the community to speak up for affordable housing through poetry and storytelling. Special guests: McTate Stroman…Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:18:19 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/art-market-resource-fair/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/art-market-resource-fair/Friday May 26, 2023 from 4:30 to 7:00 PM. Recovery Café, 80 South 5th Street, San Jose, CA 95112 Live music, arts and crafts, games, food and drinks, resources. Join…Thu, 11 May 2023 09:14:31 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/ashes-to-go/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/ashes-to-go/Ashes to Go on Ash Wednesday was a meaningful ministry for Pastor Dana and Lita as we literally took the ministry outside on our street. People stopped all through that hour…Tue, 28 Feb 2023 13:27:35 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/whats-an-organizing-campaign-and-why-does-it-matter/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/whats-an-organizing-campaign-and-why-does-it-matter/Venus Jones, our Arts and Culture Organizer, and I took a training with Sacred Heart in December that was full of insight. There are so many issues in front of…Tue, 28 Feb 2023 13:26:21 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/welcome-venus-jones/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/welcome-venus-jones/Venus Jones , Arts and Culture Organizer, Center for Spirituality, Arts and Activism Venus is a poet, educator, and social justice advocate. She speaks passionately and poetically about social justice…Wed, 25 Jan 2023 10:08:28 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/pastor-danas-new-hours/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/pastor-danas-new-hours/Pastor Dana has expanded her hours from .5 FTE to .75 FTE at Urban Sanctuary. In October, she stepped back from her PT role as Regional Catalyst with the Recovery…Wed, 25 Jan 2023 10:05:41 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/the-peoples-agenda-action/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/the-peoples-agenda-action/THE PEOPLES’ AGENDA ACTION The Peoples’ Agenda Event was held at Urban Sanctuary and San Jose City Council on January 10, 2023 The early experience of what it might mean…Wed, 25 Jan 2023 10:03:26 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/giving-tuesday/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/giving-tuesday/Urban Sanctuary invites you to participle in the National Day of Generosity, #GivingTuesday. Generosity begets generosity so go out of your way this #GivingTuesday to start a chain reaction of…Tue, 29 Nov 2022 11:14:16 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/reading-the-book-of-acts/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/reading-the-book-of-acts/Join us as we learn how the Early Church found its way forward after Pentecost as we communally read the Book of Acts. Beginning December 1, 2022, we will meet…Wed, 16 Nov 2022 11:41:19 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/this-sunday-april-21-2022-there-is-a-special-event-in-downtown-san-jose-which-involves-a-number-of-street-closures/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/this-sunday-april-21-2022-there-is-a-special-event-in-downtown-san-jose-which-involves-a-number-of-street-closures/Urban Sanctuary is at 80 S. 5th Street, located near the intersection of San Fernando and 5th Street.  To avoid delays, we invite you to consider using 10th Street (from…Thu, 21 Apr 2022 10:19:48 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/may-1-2022-screening-of-the-award-winning-documentary-youth-v-gov/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/may-1-2022-screening-of-the-award-winning-documentary-youth-v-gov/Urban Sanctuary is hosting a screening in partnership with Interfaith Power and Light Sunday, May 1, 10 a.m. to noon Post Screening Discussion 12 -12:30 p.m. Armed with a wealth…Thu, 14 Apr 2022 13:59:00 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/learn-about-disciples-partners-in-ukraine/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/learn-about-disciples-partners-in-ukraine/As the relief, refugee, and development mission fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Week of Compassion works with partners to alleviate suffering throughout the world. Click www.weekofcompassion.org/stories/the-latest-on-ukraine to…Mon, 07 Mar 2022 13:43:39 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/covid-guidelines-at-urban-sanctuary-march-6-2022/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/covid-guidelines-at-urban-sanctuary-march-6-2022/With mask mandates recently loosening up here we are still aware we share our space with those who have vulnerable health challenges. Here’s the current guidelines: Sundays: Since we do…Mon, 07 Mar 2022 13:34:50 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/effective-climate-conversations-classes/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/effective-climate-conversations-classes/One of the most important things we can do for our planet is have effective conversations about climate change. THIS! Is What We Did, which was incubated at Urban Sanctuary…Wed, 02 Mar 2022 11:48:46 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/we-dont-talk-about-jeremiah-no-no-no/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/we-dont-talk-about-jeremiah-no-no-no/Our guest speaker on Sunday, January 30, was Sandhya Jha The topic: “We Don’t Talk About Jeremiah, No No No… Intergenerational trauma and Intergenerational discernment.” Bruno, a character in the…Tue, 01 Feb 2022 13:42:40 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/a-note-from-jim-thompson-thich-nhat-hanh/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/a-note-from-jim-thompson-thich-nhat-hanh/On Saturday we learned that Thich Nhat Hanh had passed. Our minister at Urban Sanctuary San Jose, Dana Bainbridge, decided to throw out plans for the next day and devote…Thu, 27 Jan 2022 10:43:24 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/worship-update/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/worship-update/January 2022 We gather in person at 10 a.m. on Sundays and on Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/urbansanctuarysjMon, 17 Jan 2022 11:12:15 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/worship-update-june-2021/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/worship-update-june-2021/Due to COVID-19, we are currently meeting on Zoom. If you would like to join us on our 10 AM Sunday gatherings please email us at office@urbansanctuarysj.org.Wed, 02 Jun 2021 13:38:26 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/join-us-for-easter-sunday-services/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/join-us-for-easter-sunday-services/In-person outdoor service Church Courtyard 10 a.m.   Due to capacity limits and safety protocols an RSVP is required RSVP to Lorraine Glick at lcglick@earthlink.net A Pre-recorded online Easter Service available by request Email dana@urbansanctuarysj.org and…Wed, 31 Mar 2021 07:34:52 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/important-information-regarding-facebook/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/important-information-regarding-facebook/Yeah, why would we expect the world’s most successful social media site to follow its own policies and remove bogus news from its pages? I mean, besides independent fact checkers…Mon, 31 Aug 2020 11:47:19 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/video-from-urban-sanctuary/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/video-from-urban-sanctuary/Tue, 11 Feb 2020 09:03:27 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/bible-questions-join-our-study-series/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/bible-questions-join-our-study-series/Most of us have lots of questions about the Bible that we have parked somewhere and left to collect dust. There are elements in the Bible that are challenging to…Tue, 11 Feb 2020 09:01:33 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/thank-you-to-urban-sanctuary-wells-fargo-protest-participants/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/thank-you-to-urban-sanctuary-wells-fargo-protest-participants/Thanks to everyone from Urban Sanctuary that participated in Thursday’s protest outside of the Wells Fargo’s branch in San Jose, calling on the bank to stop funding Climate change and…Tue, 11 Feb 2020 08:59:36 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/christmas-at-cafe-stritch/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/christmas-at-cafe-stritch/12/24 at 5pm, 374 S 1st St, San Jose, CA 95113 Christmas at Stritch is fast becoming a favorite holiday tradition at Urban Sanctuary! This year on the 24 at…Tue, 17 Dec 2019 12:23:23 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/the-light-inside-the-fire/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/the-light-inside-the-fire/Arts and Spirituality Mini-Retreat This Sunday, December 1, during worship time–that is, 10am-12:30pm–and with the help of the Coalition of Artists and Creatives for Compassionate Communities, we’re holding an “Arts,…Fri, 29 Nov 2019 18:04:09 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/blue-theology-retreat-october-25-26/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/blue-theology-retreat-october-25-26/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…Sun, 29 Sep 2019 14:19:24 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/book-club-aftersession-sept-oct/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/book-club-aftersession-sept-oct/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…Sun, 29 Sep 2019 13:54:40 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/our-very-own-john-duckworth/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/our-very-own-john-duckworth/…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…Wed, 24 Jul 2019 19:59:39 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/introduction-to-racial-injustice-the-prison-industrial-complex-mass-incarceration-the-churchs-response/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/introduction-to-racial-injustice-the-prison-industrial-complex-mass-incarceration-the-churchs-response/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…Mon, 22 Jul 2019 15:59:33 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/speakers-coming-to-ussj-in-june/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/speakers-coming-to-ussj-in-june/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…Tue, 21 May 2019 13:12:11 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/ordination-of-pastor-lauren/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/ordination-of-pastor-lauren/On Sunday, May 19 at 3pm, we’ll gather in the Sanctuary to do three things: Worship Ordain Lauren and install her as Minster for Urban Outreach Eat. A lot.…Wed, 15 May 2019 17:31:36 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/closing-the-gap-breakfast/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/closing-the-gap-breakfast/Friday, May 3, 7:30am Though Recovery Cafe isn’t a ministry of Urban Sanctuary–that is, RCSJ has its own staff and governance–we are very proud to support the work they do.…Tue, 23 Apr 2019 12:00:11 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/easter-sunday/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/easter-sunday/Looking for a place to worship on Easter morning? Someplace that’s open and affirming, welcoming and spiritually rooted in the message and ministry of Jesus? Come join us! 10 am…Fri, 19 Apr 2019 12:16:13 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/white-ally-toolkit-training-with-dr-david-campt/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/white-ally-toolkit-training-with-dr-david-campt/USSJ is partnering with Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) at Sacred Heart, to bring you a very special event! “Encouraging, Empowering, and Equipping Allies: Using the White Ally Toolkit…Thu, 28 Mar 2019 13:16:11 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/book-club-pictures-of-a-gone-city/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/book-club-pictures-of-a-gone-city/Join us for our book club starting March 24, in the Recovery Cafe, at 11:30a, for a community discussion of this work led by our very own Kevin Haley! You don’t…Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:48:32 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/march-for-fossil-fuel-freedom-march-16-18/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/march-for-fossil-fuel-freedom-march-16-18/Wells Fargo Bank has a dirty-energy secret: it’s a leading lender to the fossil-fuel industry. That’s why 350.org and 40 other organizations are ramping up a new campaign against “Oily Wells” by marching 34…Sat, 02 Mar 2019 19:30:04 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/book-club-white-fragility-by-robin-diangelo/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/book-club-white-fragility-by-robin-diangelo/Robin DiAngelo has spent years leading diversity workshops and anti-racism training, and she’s come to find one thing to be nearly universal: white people have a lot of difficulty talking…Sat, 12 Jan 2019 14:58:32 GMThttps://urbansanctuarysj.org/jesus-was-an-illegal-immigrant/https://urbansanctuarysj.org/jesus-was-an-illegal-immigrant/What if one of the families crossing the border happened to be named Joseph, Mary and Jesus?  It has happened.  It came to be for the same reason many families…Wed, 18 Jul 2018 08:58:14 GMT