The Soul Truth
Volume 5, Issue 7
August, 2010
SOJOURNER TRUTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Reverend Kamal Hassan: Fondly Do We Hope, Fervently Do We Pray
Special Interest Articles
Message From Pulpit
Grief Recovery Workshop
Minority Marrow Donors
in Demand
“But now I am coming to you, and I
speak these things in the world so that
they may have my joy made complete
in themselves.”
John 17:13
Omnipotent Power of God
In This Issue:
Message from Pulpit
1
STPC News
2
A Future at Harvard
University
3
2010 Women’s
Conference
4
Minority Marrow Donors
in Demand
5
PVJ Whole Gospel
Congregation Award
6
Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray”
is the name of a dance company
production that is now touring the country.
Its creator and choreographer is the
renowned African American dancer and
Bill T. Jones’ theme for this work is the life of
Abraham Lincoln and how it intersected
with, informed, and was informed by Black
people. This title deeply resonates with me,
but perhaps in a different way; I fondly
hope that what God has done among us in
the past to deliver our ancestors from
slavery and abject oppression, to bring
down Jim Crow segregation, and even to
place a Black man in the seat of power in
Washington DC, will not stop in this present
age. I also fervently pray that Sojourner
Truth Presbyterian Church will be an
instrument of God’s gathering, healing,
informing, strengthening and advocacy
that helps our world change for the better.
What are your fond hopes and fervent
prayers for this new age? What does your
soul really want for yourself, your family,
your church, city, nation, and world? How
can these goals be achieved? Can our
streets be safe again? Can the public
schools serve our children again? Can our
church be a place of welcome where
people from diverse racial, gender, age,
and economic locations can come
together to serve the Lord and one another
As we stand at just past the midpoint of the first
year of a new decade, many will snap their
fingers and suck their teeth now, just
remembering the resolutions they made at the
beginning of the year and have forgotten about:
to stop smoking, be happier, or lose those pesky
extra few pounds. However, those of us who are
committed to the causes of Christ have a much
greater question to grapple with. Have we been
living in the way that God wants us to live for the
next ten years of our lives? Signs of a need for
serious Christians to get active in the community
and in the world are all around us. Our young
people need direction and support, all people in
our communities need Jesus centered leaders to
help in addressing the spiritual crisis that plague
their lives, this country is desperately in need of
people whom are willing to stand upon just and
moral principles on behalf of the “least of these”
so that the peace, power and love of God will be
extended to all.
.
in life-giving and life-saving ways? Fondly do we
hope, fervently do we pray.
Chapter 17 of the Gospel of John is called, “The
High and Priestly Prayer.” In it Jesus fervently
prays that God sanctify, protect, inspire, and use
his disciples to continue the work he had done
and taught them to do, because he was going to
be leaving them and ascending to sit at the right
hand of the Father. His prayers to God spoke into
existence his highest hopes for humankind. How
often do we pray high and priestly prayers?
Through prayer do we speak into existence our
highest hopes for humanity? Are you praying that
God will reveal to you in new and more powerful
ways how you are being called to be an
important participant in helping Sojourner to
claim its legacy, come fully out of the wilderness,
and wholly embrace its new, resurrected self?
Pray fervently and live into the hope that as
God’s will is being done among us, through
service to the Lord, and to others our joy will be
complete. Fondly do we hope, fervently do we
pray.
“Live into hope of captives freed from chains of
fear, or want or greed God now proclaims our full
release to faith and hope and joy and peace.”
“Live into Hope” #332, Presbyterian Hymnal
Growing Need for
Mental Health Care a
Legacy of Katrina and
Oil Spill - 08/27/10
Today, five years after
Hurricane Katrina,
AmeriCares works closely
with many communitybased health care groups in
Louisiana and Mississippi,
helping people grapple with
new threats to their lives
and livelihoods from the
massive BP oil spill coupled
with the worst recession in
70 years.
The impact on the oil,
tourism and fishing
industries has added yet
another burden for families
in the region, struggling
daily for economic survival
and finding themselves
without access to basic
health care. Since the
April 20 oil spill,
AmeriCares has donated
more than $270,000 worth
of medicines and supplies to
11 Gulf Coast clinics
serving the poor and
uninsured, and we continue
to send shipments to meet
the increasing demand for
health services. The
remaining images from
Katrina – abandoned
homes, empty lots,
remnants of once thriving
neighborhoods – are now
joined by idle fishing boats,
oil rigs and closed
businesses. Many children
are especially vulnerable to
the long term psychological
effects of fear and loss. The
need for mental health
services spike in the
aftermath of major crises.
Story Continued at:
http://www.americares.org/
whatwedo/emergency/hurri
cane-katrina-recoverycontinues.html
STPC News – “We’ve Come This Far By Faith”, August
THINGS THAT WERE
Black Presbyterian Women – June 26 … Success of The Career Works
Senior Group Picnic, June 2nd … A success.
THINGS TO COME:
MOVING Back into our Neighborhoods – Consultation, August 13 – 14, 2010
For additional info. contact Community Presbyterian Church at 925/837-5525 in Dublin, CA
Family Picnic
Golf Tournament
Men‟s Fellowship
Men‟s Fellowship
Church Revival
Dinner
Pantry Committee
24th Annual Harmony Walk
August 14
August 21
September 18
October 23
October 18 – 20
October 22
Every 3rd Sat.
October 9
Come One, Come All
Franklin Canyon Golf Club – Hercules, CA
Fish Fry
Prayer Breakfast
Senior Choir Dinner Party Fundraiser
Fellowship Hall, 12 noon to 2:00 pm)
GRIP (Greater Richmond Interfaith Walk)
The 2010 – 2011 EIGHTEEN MONTH PRESBYTERIAN PLANNING CALENDARS are now
on sale for $6. Please see Mrs. Farlough or Sue.
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE ALL CHURCH PICNIC on Saturday, August 14th at Kennedy
Grove Park from 12 noon to 5pm, 6531 San Pablo Damn Road, just before the San Pablo Reservoir.
There will be fun and games for all, and good food. The meat will be provided by the Church.
Please bring and share your dishes from home. Members A to C, Macaroni salad; D to G,
Potato salad; H to K, Green salad; L to M, Beans; N to R, Corn on the cob; S to W, Deserts
or Fruit cut up. Please bring your dishes in disposable containers such as aluminum pans, if you
have them. There is a $5.00 per car fee at the park gate. Our site is at the Hitching Post next to the
park entry on your right. Hope to see you there, bring your friends!
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE ELECTION OF ELDERS AND DEACONS FOR
THE YEAR 2010. Nominations will close October 1st. Candidates must meet the following criteria:
two years church membership, participation church activities, programs and ministry, voluntary
financial support of the church, agree to attend mandatory officers training classes, whether it is a
self nomination or nomination from a church member. Training classes will be announced at a later
date. Officers must be approved by the governing body and elected by the congregation. If you are
nominating another member of the congregation, please contact that person and obtain their
permission prior to submitting their name. Applications are in the narthex. Please give your
nomination to one of the Nominating Committee members, Elder James Dickson, Elder Kathy
Sanders, Deacon Gloria Gideon, Jonathan Mobley, Sylvia Baron, Blaine Davis or Vernettia Pree.
THE 12TH ANNUAL STPC GOLF TOURNAMENT is fast approaching. August 21st is the date.
We have extended the registration date to Sunday, August 8th. Even if you are unable to play, there
are other ways you may be of help. We need more raffle prizes, sponsors, contributors and patrons.
To drop off raffle prizes or refer a sponsor to us, contact one of the committee members: Janet
Johnson, Wanda Barfield, Bea or Ken Jett. Thank you
HAVE YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW EXPERIENCED the death of a spouse recently or
within the last couple years? Sharing our experiences during this 10-week class is extremely
helpful to our healing process. Find hope, support and successful ways to process this significant
life event. Course is open to all Widows and Widowers. Enrollments are now being accepted – you
can start up to the 3rd week. Over 10 weeks of the group, topics will cover: facing loss,
understanding grief, when grief returns, choosing to recover, letting go of the past, getting back in
balance and building a new life. Pre-Registration is required. The workbook is $10.00. Please call
the contact at the church where you would like to attend the group. Flyers are in the narthex.
GRIP NEEDS YOUR HELP: We are seeking walkers & coordinators for GRIP‟s 24th Annual
Harmony Walk to end Hunger, which will take place October 9th at the Richmond Civic Center.
Walk to raise money for GRIP‟s homeless programs, which benefit more than 15,000 people
annually.
Sign-Up Today!
Call Kia Croom at 510/233-2141, Ext. 304 or email
[email protected].
Minority Marrow Donors in
Demand
East Bay group plans drives in region to boost registry of
potential lifesavers
By Sean Maher
[email protected]
Josiah Zumot was diagnosed at 3 months old with a rare,
likely fatal condition. The now-healthy 6-year old San
Mateo boy can thank a stem cell donor from Australia for
his recovery.
But many others in the Bay Area – especially ethnic
minorities – won’t get the matches they need unless a lot
more people register as potential donors.
Donations of the kind Josiah needed require an extremely
close blood match between the donor and patient, so
compatible donors are rare. It took a year before Josiah
got the stem cell treatment he needed to fix his immune
system.
Josiah probably wouldn’t be alive without a registry of
potential donors to rely on for a match. But, such registries
are dangerously low on names when it comes to ethnic
minorities, said Carol Gillespie, treasurer of the Asian
American Donor Program, an Alameda nonprofit that’s
taking on the problem.
To increase the chances for ethnic minorities to find the
match they need, the program has been staging donor
registration drives across the Bay Area, with more in
coming weeks in San Jose, Oakland, Hayward and
Redwood City.
Minority donors needed
The donor program primarily works for patients with
leukemia, which is “an equal-opportunity disease” in terms
of who gets it but poses a special threat to members of
ethnic minorities, Gillespie said.
“When you need stem cells, you’re essentially looking for
your unrelated, identical twin,” she said.
As a result, most donors come from similar ethnic
backgrounds as the people they save.
For white patients, the outlook is relatively bright; There are
six million potential donors registered in the United States
alone. Only a 10th of that number of Asian Americans are
registered, and other ethnic minorities have similarly low
numbers. “But we know there’s no such thing as just-anAsian,” Gillepsie said. “They’re Chinese, or Korean, or so
on. So if you’re Chinese-American, you’re looking at a
pool of 63,000 people, and you’re not likely to find that
match.”
About 10,000 people a year need a stem cell or marrow
donation in the United States, and only half are able to get
it, Gillepsie said.
Waiting for a match
Oakland resident Hannah Yoo, 29, grew up an active
girl, playing every sport she could get into until about 10
years ago, when she was diagnosed with aplastic
anemia, a rare blood disorder that required her to get a
blood transfusion every six weeks or so, but worsened to
the point that now she needs one biweekly.
“They’re not painful except for the needle,” she said.
“I’ve been pricked so long, my veins have hardened
and scarred, so it’s hard to find a vein.”
A transplant cold turn things around, but Yoo is
ethnically Korean, “and we have the smallest pool of
donors out of any ethnic group, so my chances of
finding a match are basically slim to none,” she said.
If a match miraculously came through, she said tearfully,
“I could stop living in a bubble. I could do things
everyone else takes advantage of and they don’t really
think of, even just like elbowing people in a crowd.
“I’d just be grateful just to be able to walk a hill without
having to stop and take a breather,” she continued, “I
would be able to go out and hang out with any of my
friends, I could chop onions and I could get married and
have children.”
Shattering myths
The process of registering is fast and painless, Gillepsie
said, and her biggest obstacle is misconceptions by
potential donors.
Images of the donor experience common in people’s
imagination – those of huge needles that crack and
pierce bones, painfully sucking out the marrow – are
wildly inaccurate, Gillepsie said. Stem cells are found in
bone marrow, but also in “peripheral blood” taken from
arm veins and from umbilical cord blood.
What needs to match up between donor and patient
are proteins that sit on white blood cells, Gillepsie said,
and getting a sample sufficient to determine that match
is a fast, painless process. A potential donor fills out
some paperwork and answers some questions – less
personal and extensive than those asked for blood
donations – and lightly swipes cotton swabs on the
inside of the cheek.
Three-quarters of patients in need of donor cells can get
the help they need simply from a specific kind of blood
donation, which requires no anesthesia for the donor
and, aside from a few needle pricks in both arms, is
pretty painless.
To see this article printed on Monday, July 20, 2010 in its
entirety or to get further information, please contact The
West County Times.
Sojourner Truth
Presbyterian Church
2621 Shane Drive
Richmond, CA 94806
Receiving the PVJ Whole Gospel Congregation Award:
Church Phone
510/222-2020 (P)
510/222-6551 (F)
Though the adversity and afflictions of its members and the neighborhood may seem grim to some, the
ministry of Kwanzaa Community Church stands as a beacon of hope and transformation in the
community. While intentionally celebrating African American culture, Kwanzaa practices an ethic of
radical inclusion both as a worshipping community and through its community engagement efforts.
The basic philosophy of the congregation is to merge the church and the community, or as co-pastor the
Rev. Alika Galloway puts it, “to get them in raise them up, and send them out.”
Church E-mail
[email protected]
Fax
(510) 222-6551
Rev. Hassan
(510) 691-5204
Pastor’s E-mail
[email protected]
Health Ministry
[email protected]
San Francisco Presbytery
www.presbyteryofsf.org
Weekly Calendar of Events
Sunday:
10am
Sunday School
11am
Morning Worship Service
Tuesday:
2pm – 5pm
Sunday School
12pm
Bible Study
5pm
Prayer Service
7pm
Senior Choir
7pm
Youth Choir
Wednesday:
10am – 2pm
Pastor’s Office Hours
7pm
Bible Study
Thursday:
10am – 2pm
Pastor’s Office Hours
Kwanzaa Community Church, Minneapolis
Kwanzaa Community Church, PC (USA), grew out of a declining, aging white congregation in north
Minneapolis. This new church was chartered in 2002 by the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, partly
in response to demographic changes in the neighborhood of Highland Presbyterian Church, whose
leadership wanted to provide for a continued Presbyterian presence that could relate to those changes.
As the only African American Presbyterian congregation in Minnesota, it was designed to serve as a
model for church development. Its aim has been to provide ministry to a poor, urban, transient
community that was increasingly populated by unchurched African Americans.
Kwanzaa‟s
Hawthorne/Jordan community has one of the highest murder, addiction, and single-parent family
rates in Minneapolis and the higher teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDS infection rates in the entire nation.
Theologically the church might be called genuinely evangelical: they are open and inclusive, value
relationships, and their outreach is in a style of “merging into the community.” As Alika Galloway
puts it, this church doesn‟t choose mission projects, they are a mission project. Their goal is to be out
working with an engaged with the people in their community, many who are poor, disadvantaged,
oppressed. In the words of the Brief Confession of Faith, they seek “to hear the voices of people long
silent,” and follow the style of liberation theology, with the Exodus serving as the core narrative of
their life and mission. All Kwanzaa‟s work is based on the belief that every life is significant and that
every life has meaning and value; the Kwanzaa community is therefore called to take action; they live
the words of Dr. Gwendolyn Brooks, that “we are each other‟s business.”
This style began to take on form in the early years of 21st century, with the opening of the Freedom
School, which is now in its ninth year. It follows the model developed by the national Children‟s
Defense Fund, as a five-week, intergenerational summer program designed to teach the love and
power of learning through reading and other activities. It targets African American children ages 6 –
18 who are at risk for failing in school. It is the only congregational-based Freedom School in the Twin
Cities, and only one of two in the national that goes through Senior High.
The school uses both of the congregation‟s church buildings, as well as one public school building and
the local technical college. It offers a reading enrichment program using the model developed during
the time of the Civil Rights campaign in the South, and employs a number of adults and high school
youth as staff. It also provides a feeding program, which is especially important during the summer,
since the students are not getting meals through their school lunch programs. As growing hunger
problems have become apparent, the program has been expanded so that siblings and parents are able
to get food as well.
Kwanzaa‟s newest project is the Northside Women‟s Space, a drop[-in space that is scheduled to open
in May, which is designed to provide women and teens who trade sex, or who are “in prostitution,” a
safe holistic space based on the values of empowerment, respect, dignity, integrity, community and
hope. This space was birthed out of research conducted in 2007 by Dr. Lauren Martin. Dr. Martin
began working with Rev. Alika Galloway and Kwanzaa two years ago, when their paths crossed at a
women‟s health conference. Both had been working toward sustained and lasting capacity-building
and trauma healing with African American women in north Minneapolis – Kwanzaa focusing on
HIV/AIDS and Dr. Martin focusing on sexual exploitation. The two identified a common cause and
began visioning for the drop-in space. This program will be housed at Kwanzaa, and is designed for
short-term engagement that will lead to and solidity long-term inter-generational; lasting change
requires that we address the immediate concerns associated with those „in prostitution‟ and implement
a long term and comprehensive strategy that will change longer-term cycles and destructive patterns
of behavior.
Spring 2010
A FOND FAREWELL
As I will be moving on from the position of Church Secretary at STP this will be the last issue that I‟ll
have the pleasure of bringing to you. It has been a pleasure to play a small part in bringing the News
to you and in parting I wish you every success in all future endeavors. Bettye Randle
2010 Western Christian Educator’s
Conference
On behalf of committed Christian educators – Presbyterian
UCC and Episcopal – we want to extend a warm invitation
to you and your fellow Christian educators to register for
the October 10 – 13 Western Christian Educator’s
Conference at beautiful Zephyr Point Conference Center
in South Lake Tahoe. This year’s keynote speaker will be
Joyce MacKichan Walker, teaching on “Generous In Every
Way: Growing a Fully Formed Faith.”
The website for full conference description and easy online
registration is http://westernceconf.org. For follow up
information, email Julia McCray-Goldsmith, 2010 Publicity
Chair at [email protected].
Carnival Victory
7 day Southern Caribbean cruises from
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Caribbean vacation begins in San Juan.
Your first
destination is St. Thomas/St. John, where shopping is a
popular pastime. Next, you are in Dominica, an exotic
garden of rain forests, lush valleys, and many rare plants.
In Barbados, you will see cricket and afternoon tea. The
magnificent twin peaks in St. Lucia, the Pitons, will amaze
you. In St. Kitts, you will enjoy the charms of its tiny towns
and colonial-architecture. Your final stop is the half-French
half-Dutch and totally entrancing island of St. Maarten.
On this cruise, you will enjoy one fun adventure after
another.
REMINDER:
2nd Installment due Monday, October 25, 2010.
For information call Cruise Coordinators: Kathy Sanders at
707.645.7197; Josie Abrams at 510.724.7879; Ken Jett at
510.799.3738.
Source:
http://www.morning-glow/holidays/father/father.html
2010 Women’s Conference
On June 26, 2010 more than 100 people gathered at
Sojourner Truth Presbyterian Church for its second
Women’s Conference. The theme for the event was,
“Empowering Out Youth” and it was coordinated by a
coalition of women at STPC who worked together under
the name of an organization called “Women Empowering
Women.” This group was a coming together of members
of the Emily Shehee Circle, Delphia Matthews Circle,
Presbyterian Women and concerned sisters who just
wanted to work. What they all shared was a desire to
reach out to young people and build stronger intergenerational ties through prayer, dialogue, guidance and
spiritual support. The keynote speaker was Terrence Elliott,
a member of STPC who is a Dean at the Contra Costa
College and is completing doctoral studies.
His
presentation was focused on Hip Hop culture and helped
to inform the audience about this very important social
and artistic force that is shaping the lives of young people
all over the world.
The highlight of the day was the breakout into small
discussion groups that allowed the youth and the adults to
engage with one another face to face. The youth were
encouraged to do most of the talking. The adults were
there to listen and ask questions for clarity. It was a time of
sacred conversation as young people from elementary
school to college ages responded to questions and talked
very honestly about what really mattered to them, and
how interested adults could help them live happier, more
godly, and more productive lives.
These talks were
supplemented by a survey the youth filled out that
provided more detailed information about how the church
can welcome and serve youth and young adults in this
present age. The aim is for the church to use the data in
building ministries that will more closely meet their needs.
The Women Empowering Women’s coalition effort was a
model of how to listen to God’s leading in the way the
church does its work for others.
After some
encouragement from the pastor to be sensitive to the
spirit’s leading in what they were doing, members of the
group diligently sought the Lord’s guidance through
devotion, prayer, and intentionally sensing the movement
of the Holy Spirit in, through, and among them. The result
of this was that times of meeting, planning and working
became acts of spiritual formation that were a blessing
and a growth experience for those who put on the event.
The work was so well done that dozens of people from as
far away as San Diego, California were deeply touched,
inspired and encouraged in their walks with Christ and one
another.
Congratulations and God’s blessing to the
Women Empowering Women. Let us continue the holy
work of listening to and empowering our youth.
A Future At Harvard University
Obama Signs Law to Save
Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs
President Barack Obama this week signed into law a bill that
provides $26 billion to save jobs and aid schools in struggling
states by closing tax loopholes for multinational companies
and cutting good aid to the poor.
The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives gave
final congressional approved to the bill on a largely party-line
vote of 247 to 161. The bill will give states, hard-hit by the
U.S. economic downturn, $16 billion more for Medicaid, the
health insurance program for the poor, and $10 billion for
education to help avoid steep cuts in already-tight budgets.
Harvard University announced over the weekend that from
now on undergraduate students from low-income families
will pay no tuition. In making the announcement, Harvard‟s
president Lawrence H. Summers said, “When only ten
percent of the students in elite higher education come from
families in the lower half of the income distribution, we are
not doing enough. We are not doing enough in bringing elite
higher education to the lower half of the income distribution.”
If you know of a family earning less than $60,000 a year with
an honor student graduating from high school soon, Harvard
University wants to pay the tuition. The prestigious
university recently announced that from now on
undergraduate students from low-income families can go to
Harvard for free… No tuition and no student loans!
To find out more about Harvard offering free tuition for
families making less than $60,000 a year, visit Harvard‟s
financial aid website at:
http://www.fao. Fas.Harvard. Edu/
or call the school‟s financial aid office at (617) 495-1581.
A Fond Farewell
As I will soon be moving on from the position of Church
Secretary at Sojourner Truth Presbyterian, I wanted to take
this time to say that it has been an enriching experience.
I have truly enjoyed the opportunity to be apart of the team
bringing the news to you via The Soul Truth and hope you
have enjoyed reading it as well.
Wishing you all the best in all of your future endeavors.
Bettye Randle
His legislation “will provide critical aid to states which will
maintain vital healthcare to our most vulnerable, save and
create 319,000 jobs, including keeping 161,000 teachers in
the classrooms,” said local Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
“Local governments across America are facing extreme
shortfalls and without federal support to create these jobs
and prevent massive public layoffs of our nation‟s teachers
and first responders, the results would be devastating,” she
said.
“Without our intervention, the fiscal crisis gripping states
and municipalities will result in debilitating service cuts and
also hurt local economies because the healthcare, education,
contracting opportunities and emergency response provide by
cities and counties is the foundation of a strong local
economy.”
“Despite the importance of the legislation … it is
disheartening that it was funded in part on the backs of the
poor who receive food stamps through the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program. This type of „robbing Peter to
pay Paul‟ will only lead to more pain and suffering by the
most vulnerable Americans.”
“It is cruel and morally indefensible to force Americans who
have the least, to suffer even more to preserve vital
programs, as the wealthiest individuals in America continue
to receive tax breaks and corporations pay out record
executive compensation.”
Source: Richmond Post, August 11 – 17, 2010