+ Noe Valley Ministry | Presbyterian Church, USA | 1021 Sanchez Street, San Francisco, CA 94114 +    
 

Church Events

Sunday Parking
The Ministry Parking Lot on 24th St. at Vicksburg is available for Sunday parking! All churchgoers are welcome to park free of charge from 9 AM to 2 PM. Simply drive in, leave your car and be grateful!
Help Sought Following Worship
We would appreciate everyone's help in putting away chairs, communion table, and rug after worship.
Leaving a Message at the Beep...
NVM has undertaken a cell phone recycling drive, to raise money for the Building Fund. It is easy to participate! Just drop off your old cell phones (with interior batteries included, but not other accessories) at Marshal's office downstairs in the building foyer. There is a slot in the door.
Prayer Messages
Each Sunday you are invited to fill out prayer requests. If you would like Rev. Kelsey to send a card letting a person know that prayers are being said on their behalf, please include an address.
$10 Symphony Tix for Sept. 2
Every year the S.F. Symphony presents an All-San Francisco Concert Michael Tilson Thomas conducts Wagner, Ravel, and Beethoven. All tickets are $10; the Ministry has 12 tickets to offer. Sign up outside Keenan's office.
Parking Lot Transition
The Noe Valley neighborhood is organizing around the prospect of selling the Parking Lot to the City of SF, for creation of a Noe Valley Town Square. The website www.noevalleytownsquare.com is now up and running. The next Town Square Community Meeting is Tues, Sept 21 at 7:30 PM at James Lick Middle School.
Book Group Chooses Lessing
The Book Group is undertaking an amazing novel - an original exploration of what a primitive, all-female world might have been like - and of the chaos that ensues when they start, unaccountably, giving birth to boys. One reviewer says "Despite an infuriating absence of character and plot, Doris Lessing writes movingly of the human desire for change... and for things to stay the same... the impermanence of any situation in which human beings find themselves and the paradoxically unchanging nature of human relations." Come Wednesday Sept. 1, 6:15 PM to begin discussion.
Voices in the Middle East
On Saturday, September 18, 10 am-noon at St. John's Presbyterian Church. Arguello and Lake, you are invited to a conversation with the Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, Pastor of the Christmas Lutheran Church of Bethlehem, Dr. Raheb is one of the significant theological voices in the Middle East, an articulate presenter, a humble presence and strong voice for peace. If you want to know what is going at the heart of the Israel/Palestine conflict - this is it! I encourage you not to miss this.
Ramadan Interfaith Dinner and Dialogue
The Islamic Society of San Francisco and United Muslims of America Interfaith Alliance invite you to the annual Build Bridges of Understanding Among People of Faiths. "There will be no peace among nations if there is no peace among religions and there will be no peace among religions if there is no dialogue among religions." (Rev. Hans Kung) Sunday, August 29, Program Start is 6:45 pm, Breaking the Ramadan Fast is at sundown, 7:43 pm, and dinner is 8:00 pm Islamic Society of San Francisco, 20 Jones Street, 2nd Floor. Admission is free. Registration very helpful; Iftekhar Hai: 650-872-2578 or .
Service Opportunity in New Orleans
If you still hanker to give service in New Orleans, the Rainbow Corps, sponsored by More Light Presbyterians, will work from Nov. 14-19th. All are needed and welcomed. Individuals and church groups join with other Presbyterians in the on-going effort to restore neighborhoods. Check www.mlp.org.
Invitation to Kol Nidre,9/17
The Or Shalom congregation has invited the NVM congregation, as their guests, to the Kol Nidre service on Friday the 17th of September. This service ushers in Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year. After 40 days of reflection on their lives, and opportunities to make amends where needed, and to re-align with the will of God; by Yom Kippur, the work of asking forgiveness and making amends between people turns to asking forgiveness from God and "resetting" on the Right Path. The service begins at 7pm and is about 2 hours long. There is childcare available for a small fee. Please sign up outside Keenan's office so we can tell Or Shalom how many of us can attend.
Pilgrimage to Angel Island
Remember the experience of immigrants detained on Angel Island; Saturday, September 25, 2010 11 am Opening program and Ceremony 12 noon Bring your own picnic lunch. Angel Island Immigration Station was the entry point for 500,000 immigrants (1910-1940). Chinese were held the longest at Angel Island and deported at higher rates Last year, there were 374,000 immigrants held in U.S. detention centers. How did immigration laws affect your ancestors' arrivals? Contact Rev. Deborah Lee, 510-893-7106 x 319 or
Safehouse for Women Leaving Prostitution Seeks Supplies
Donations of the following items for art therapy at SafeHouse would be gratefully received: buttons, esp. fancy ones; art canvases of any size; ribbons; jewelry. Please leave in Keenan's office.
Harvest Festival Set for Oct. 23
NVM has had a very successful and spirited Booth at the Harvest Festival for several years now. It is not too early to collect a committee to begin planning for it. If you are interested, willing, please see Keenan.
Next KHA Trip to Holy Land
The next Keep Hope Alive olive harvest and visit to Palestine-Israel is scheduled for October 12-28, 2010. The trip leader, Rev. Dr. Ron Shive, was the chair of the Middle East Study Committee. He has many contacts in Israel-Palestine and will make it a very interesting trip Cost: $1500 + airfare includes lodging, tips and two meals a day. Visit the Galilee area of Israel - 3 days; West Bank, - 9 days; Jerusalem & Southern Israel - 3 days. Please contact Ron Shive Walt Davis .
Study on Revelations Sept.11
You are invited to attend this year's Horizons Bible Study Day, taught by Rev. Dr. Barbara Rossing. Saturday, Sept. 11, 8:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. Registration due on Thursday, Sept. 2. Contact Sarah Campbell SFTS 800.447.8820 ext.830 or .
Faith Community Screening of Katrina Aftermath
"A Village Called Versailles" by San Francisco Documentary Film Maker Leo Chiang, demonstrates how the Versailles people, turn a devastating disaster into a catalyst for change. In a New Orleans neighborhood called Versailles, a tight-knit group of Vietnamese Americans overcame obstacles to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, only to have their homes threatened by a new government-imposed toxic landfill. Presented by San Francisco Interfaith Council. Wednesday, September 1, 7:00 pm, JCC, 3200 California Street.
We Made a Difference
Our voice was one of those joined with California Church Impact to change children's lives with advocacy! The long-awaited SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) was signed into law by President Obama. It will add 4 million previously uninsured children to the program and provide states with enough federal funding to cover the vast majority of their children's health insurance. This expanded program means that finally virtually every child in America can have coverage without bankrupting families in lower-middle income brackets.
NVM Social Networking
Are you on facebook? Join NVM's new group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=28743493740. Contact Heather for an official invite!
One Minute Each Evening
During WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as even bombing was stayed. There is now a group organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: each evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Time, stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the up-coming elections, for peace in Iraq, for reconciliation in Israel and Palestine, and for the revival of faith and forgiveness in our world. Our prayers may be the most powerful asset we have.
The Nonviolent Vigil For Peace And Justice:
Every Thursday, Noon-1:00 p.m. at the Federal Building, Larkin and Golden Gate. The vigil is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee, the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, the Episcopal Peace Fellowship and the San Francisco Friends (Quaker) Meeting. This group has held vigil for nonviolence every Thursday since September 11, 2001. All are welcome to join them.
Take the Peace Pledge
Go to (http://pdamerica.org/petition/pledge-for-peace.php) to sign a petition asking Congress to use the power of the purse to limit any addition funds appropriations to the protection and safe redeployment of all our troops out of Iraq. Seventy Congresspeople have already signed an open letter to this effect: http://pdamerica.org/articles/misc/2007-07-20-07-59-11-misc.php.
Rebuilding and Study Team to New Orleans
Saturday, March 20th to Saturday March 27th, 2010, Join Marin Interfaith Council and the Program of Christian Spirituality (SFTS) on a work trip to New Orleans to help rebuild homes after the 2005 Hurricane Katrina. Stay in the French Quarter, have a time with locals to learn about the political process, and enjoy contemplative reflection times each day. Cost $300 plus the cost of travel to New Orleans, includes all ground transportation, accommodation and food in New Orleans. (415) 456-6957 or An informational meeting will be held January 11 at San Francisco Theological Seminary.
Martin de Porres — One Bowl of Soup at a Time
For 2 years, NVM has had a ministry of shelter meals. Every fourth Saturday, members of Mercy/Justice committee show up for lunch duty at Martin de Porres in the Potrero district. They serve soup and salad to whomever is hungry, bus and wash dishes, sweep and mop floors. Iif you can join the M/J committee and help at Martin's once a month, it would be much appreciated — generally a 2-3 hour shift is expected. Contact Betsy Bannerman. Short of joining the crew, you can donate empty, clean containers for the guests to use to take home soup and salad for another meal. Bring in glass jars with twist lids (32 oz. maximum) and large plastic containers with lids (32 oz. maximum) and leave them under the refreshment table. They will go to good use.
JVS Is Employment Resource
With so many unemployed, the Jewish Vocational Service wants to develop clusters of congregations that would partner with the SFIC/JVS to provide congregants in those neighborhoods with skills, spiritual support and networking opportunities to re-enter the job market. JVS currently offers free job search workshops, strategy groups, training programs, and more! Please check out the calendar section at www.jvs.org for updated information on our current offerings.