(925) 682-8254
Ygnacio Valley Presbyterian Church
Small and learning
Who We Are And Who We Are Becoming
(Scroll all the way down for staff)
(Image by Kelly Latimore)
Worship Sunday
Don't underestimate us if you happen to visit us. We pray, preach and sing about God's justice pretty fiercely.
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The height of our Sunday morning worship gatherings is when we pass the peace of Christ and we welcome each other into God’s family. In this place of community, we strive to be emboldened by the Scriptures, which are centered on the LIBERATIVE mission of God through his prophets, Jesus, and his church.
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Every week, we pray for the end of violence and human-on-human oppression in all its forms and ushering of justice which leads to true peace. Just like the prophet Mary, we preach that Jesus will cast down the mighty from their thrones and send the rich away empty.
Learning/Studying/Reflecting
Study and reflection are an important part of our faith journey towards the liberation of ourselves and others from the sin nature of systemic racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, capitalism, militarism, and imperialism. Jesus saves as we work to save others in partnership with the Spirit. We are a learning community that seeks to study scripture, theology, our lives, our history, and surrounding culture in order to more faithfully live the ways of Jesus. Reading and studying about the lives of Christians and church communities helps us to examine our own lives and to live more faithfully. We understand sermons to be an ongoing conversation that is initiated by our pastor or another member and continued by our whole church as the Spirit guides us with questions and encouragement and new convictions. We study the scriptures together each mid-week in order to know God’s Story and live within that Story. To extend the warmth and closeness of our study group we sometimes share a meal with our studies.
Community
We are a congregation with deep connections and often refer to ourselves as a Gospel familial community. We bear one another’s burdens through our prayers, listening, visits to hospitals, and supportive friendships. We celebrate the joys of each other’s lives and how we see God working through us. We are a core group with layers of family, friends, and neighbors who join in different parts of our ministries. We are learning new ways to grow in belonging as we share meals together, share deep struggles of our lives, and share our skills, time and resources with each other. We seek wisdom and guidance from each other and are working on listening and understanding across difference. During the pandemic we stayed connected through zoom church services, monthly “porch drops”, sending notes/cards/letters to each other and making phone calls. Being in community gives us courage and willingness to try new things and be “bigger than who we are”.
OUR LEADERS
Ygnacio Valley is made up of men and women who serve in many ways and have significant responsibility within our congregation. These leaders play crucial roles in what happens each week in the life of our church.
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In addition to Paula and Sylvia, our worshipping community is also led by Elders and Deacons
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Elders
Elders are elected by the congregation, and they set the spiritual tone of the community, acting to make our space a sacred and safe one and partnering with our pastor in the spiritual care of our community members. Our current ruling elders, elected by the congregation include: Kathy Youngson, Paula Ash, Mike Thompson. Sylvia Chatagnier is the clerk of session.
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