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Committee on Local Arrangements
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| - Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 - |
COLA Information and Activities
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Sign up NOW
to Volunteer! |
GA COLA STAFF
GA/COLA
Promotional Publications
(Jan. - June, 2008)
PDF files of all publications as available ready to download, print
and distribute. |
INTRODUCTION TO GA CLASS
at Stone Church, Sunday evenings,
May 11 - June 15, 7:30 p.m.
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GA GIFT PROJECT
Many families as well as individual men and women in the San Jose Presbytery area are sorely in need of new clothing such as underwear and socks and find that they can no longer afford them. After much thought and conversation with local service providers the COLA Committee decided that the mission of this year’s gift project would be to ask General Assembly participants and volunteers to bring gifts of new underwear and socks for men, women and/or children that can then be distributed to the underserved in our community.
Gifts of books for children ranging in age from preschool to young adult would also be warmly received by children and their families. These books can be in either the English, Spanish or Vietnamese languages and would be a happy addition to the underwear and socks.
Four local mission organizations have been designated to receive these gifts. Emmaus House, located in Hollister, CA provides shelter and aid to women and children who are victims of domestic violence. The Sacred Heart Community Service group provides a wide range of services for families including a food pantry, clothes closet, housing assistance, children’s and adult education, job assistance, and legal assistance. InnVision programs reach throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties in 17 sites addressing the multiple needs of people in transition including emergency shelters as well as transitional/supportive housing, food and clothing, showers, laundry, healthcare, job training, children’s programs and educational programs. Lastly, EHC Life Builders provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling and mental health support, food and nutritional programs, substance abuse support and legal assistance.
Thank you in advance for the gifts you have given to help the families and their children, as well as individual men and women regain their lives and their places in the community. |
San José's McEnery Convention Center
Downtown San Jose Information
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IMPORTANT
Volunteer
Need!!! |
NEEDED:
USHERS AND COMMUNION SERVERS for Sunday 6.22 Worship in 2 venues!
Whatever you sign up for, sign up for that as well!!
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WHAT IS GA? WHAT IS COLA?
PLEASE CONSIDER
MOVING WORSHIP TO GA
ON JUNE 22 at 10 a.m.
Contact Charlotte Powers at the COLA office for more information: (408)286-0927
OPENING WORSHIP SERVICE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
All churches in the San Jose and San Francisco Presbyteries are invited to attend the General Assembly Opening Worship Service on Sunday, June 22nd at 10:00 a.m. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our churches to join together to celebrate worship and communion with thousands of Presbyterians from across the country and around the world as the 218th General Assembly gets underway.
A part of the planning process we are asking head Pastors and their Sessions to consider moving their regular Sunday service to the General Assembly Service in San Jose. Some churches are already making arrangements to provide transportation for their members so that all members of their congregations will be able to attend.
In an effort to create a warm and inviting worship service the same service will be held at two sites, the San Jose State University Event Center and the San Jose Civic Auditorium. The services will be linked via the miracle of technology.
At each location there will be a 250 voice choir, an organ and brass orchestra, as well as a beautiful worship setting. Outgoing Moderator Joan Gray will preside at the Event Center while the incoming Moderator will preside at the Civic Center. Each location will hear the same music, say the same liturgies and join together to receive communion. Technology will allow us to move between locations as we join together to sing or listen to the sermon. Moderator Gray will preach at the Convention Center. The sermon will be shown at the Civic Auditorium. Moderator Gray will move to the Civic Auditorium to officiate at the serving of communion while the incoming Moderator will officiate at communion in the Event Center.
This is a very exciting way to celebrate General Assembly with our Presbyterian brothers and sisters from around the country and the world. The service begins at 10:00.
Charter a bus and come together. What a wonderful opportunity to know that you and your church are such an important part of the Presbyterian Church USA.
The Communion ware for GA
Jim Kachler owner of Parrot Ranch Pottery in Carmel Valley, was identified by Moderator Bob Bowles as the perfect candidate for the General Assembly/Committee on Local Arrangements task of making the communion ware for General Assembly worship. Jim is busy these days in his Carmel Valley studio making 400 chalices and 100 plates in four glaze colors. After the big Sunday worship service on June 22, the communion ware will be for sale in the Cokesbury Bookstore space in the San Jose Convention Center Exhibit Hall during General Assembly.
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 Register to Volunteer NOW!
Click on the Volunteer Now button that appears below, to become one of the many Presbyterians helping to make our hosting efforts to be a big success.
Volunteer Now
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Most shifts are 4 hours and opportunities are available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.
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You may sign up for multiple jobs or shifts
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There are 1,500 spots that need to be filled. Choose something that looks right for you.
There are all sorts of jobs available which require various amounts of time and different skills. Examples: serving communion at the big Sunday worship service, setting up before the event, serving as an ‘ask me’ person giving out information, greeting at the airport, working in a booth, etc.
If you volunteer you get to attend General Assembly any time (with your volunteer nametag) and not have to pay the $20 registration fee.
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| Some (OF MANY) Exciting Things to Know about GA: Joint Worship Service
One of the highlights of the week long meetings and worship services will be the joint worship service on Sunday, June 22, 2008 at the San Jose State Event Center. All Presbyterian Churches in the area are invited to participate in this spiritually uplifting service. Entire congregations are encouraged to come together to join with the those attending the General Assembly in this special Sunday worship. Choirs from several churches will join together to sing anthems and lead the entire congregation in worship and music. Moderator Joan Gray will preach her final sermon as Moderator. We will be joined by ecumenical guests from around the world. Congregations make your plans now to join with 7,000 other Presbyterians from around the country and world for the first worship service of the 218th General Assembly.
Moderator’s Reception
The Moderator’s reception will be held in the new San Jose City Hall Rotunda and Plaza. The reception provides the opportunity for the newly elected Moderator to greet the commissioners and other invited guests and will follow the Joint Worship Service.
Gift Project
This year the Gift Project will benefit several non-profit groups that provide shelter and services to the homeless men and women and families of our area. Bring your gift to add to those being contributed by the commissioners and others.
Mission and Cultural Tours
The tours being planned for this year’s guests are remarkable. Specific descriptions are found at the link provided. Plan on visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium, or the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Library a 500,000 square foot library that houses the San Jose State Library and the San Jose City Library. |
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Copyright
Committee on Local Arrangements - 218th General Assembly - PCUSA
All Rights Reserved |
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