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The Latest From Bethany UMC

Stay up to date with all the latest announcements, news, and updates.

Upcoming October 2023 events:

Join us on October 1st for our annual Blessing of the Animals worship service.  All animals are welcome and we’ll be worshipping outside on this Sunday!

 

Our 3rd Annual Sanchez Street Block Party will be on Sunday, October 15th from 12-3 pm.  Join us for an afternoon of community fun!  There will be a free succulent planting bar, live music, face painting, a Zumba dance session, a Bouncy House for kids, lots of Arts & Crafts, a visit from a firetruck from Fire Station 11, and a variety of food options provided by Noe Cafe for purchase.

July 2023 events:

Join us in assembling bagged lunches for the homeless in San Francisco,  Sunday, July 9th at 12 pm, at Bethany.  We will also be assembling lunches on September 10th and November 12th.

 

Towards a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines, July 9th @12:30 pm.

Join us as we welcome a special guest from the Philippines, Snap Mabanta of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines. Along with Brandon Lee of SFCHRP, they will provide us insight into the impacts of failed economic policies promoted by APEC and other similar frameworks imposed by the U.S.

About Jimarie Snap Mabanta:  Snap Mabanta is the Program Assistant in Program Unit of Faith, Witness, and Service (FWS) of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines from 2014 – May 2023. Her work covered human rights, migration, and human  trafficking. Currently, she serves as a Secretariat member to the Churches Witnessing with Migrants (CWWM), a tripartite international platform for advocacy and forthright action focused on global migration, particularly forced migration in all its forms. In the national level, she is a member of the Secretariat of the Philippine Interfaith Movement Against Human Trafficking, an alliance formed by the Roman Catholic, Evangelicals and the Protestants in the Philippines for advocacy against trafficking in the country. She is also the lead coordinator of the Consortium ‘United Against Online Sexual Exploitation of  Children.’  This June, she was appointed as the Assistant Program Secretary of the Program Unit on Ecumenical Education and Nurture (EEN) of the NCCP, which work centers on youth, women, and children – providing ecumenical education and leadership formation to member churches.  Mabanta is a member of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, an indigenous Catholic church in the Philippines. She served as a youth leader in her church in the diocesan and national level, and later on led the ecumenical youth formation Philippine Ecumenical Youth Council as its General Secretary and Chairperson, successively.

 

June 2023 Pride Month events:

Come hear the History of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc. on June 7th at Bethany UMC! Sistory history, known as “Sistory” is the catch-all term for the origins and ongoing story of the Sisters. Now a global organization, it all started right here in San Francisco! Come hear how!

Come learn more about the 1966 Compton Cafeteria Riots in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. This documentary connects transgender activism to the larger activism of the 1960s. Especially relevant today as anti-trans legislation is passed across our country.

 

Jennifer Laude, a Trans Filipina Woman, was murdered by a US Marine in 2014. Her case shone an international spotlight on Filipino trans folks and the relationship between the US and the Philippines. Join us for snippets of the documentary and conversation. 

 

Join us for a special Pride Sunday worship service and a BBQ after the service.

 

 

Join us for our 5th Annual Pride Drag Show and fundraiser for Trans HeartLine!  Wednesday, June 28th at 7pm.

To Donate to Trans Heartline, use this LINK or the QR Code below. More about Trans HeartLine here: https://transheartline.org/

May 2023 events:

Join the Justice for Brandon Lee Coalition for a special Earth Day and Cordillera Day, celebration and silent auction! Sunday, April 23rd at 2 pm.  RSVP:tinyurl.com/423Justice4B

Human rights attorney AK Gillen will be present to speak about his continued advocacy for human rights in the Philippines despite surviving a near fatal stabbing, and recent delegates who went to the Philippines and the UN will discuss updates from their trips and the worsening situation in the Philippines. Come to learn about and support Brandon and all those who work to honor and defend land and life across the world!

Join us in assembling bagged lunches for the homeless in San Francisco,  Sunday, May 14th at 12 pm, at Bethany.  We will also be assembling lunches on July 9, September 10, and November 12.

 

Join us for our Third Cafe Bethany worship experience on Sunday May 21st, 2023. This time Cafe Bethany does Pentecost.

What is Cafe Bethany?
Cafe Bethany is an alternative worship experience that is centered on a brunch experience. During our Cafe Bethany worship services you can expect to sit at small tables in the round, a brunch menu is set and served, and the worship service involves conversation around the table based on the week’s theme.
 
What is Pentecost? 
Pentecost is a Celebration that happens in the Chrisitian church 50 days after Easter (note we’re celebrating one week early at Bethany). This is after Jesus has departed his disciples for the final time, and tells the story from Acts about the arrival of the Holy Spirit. While many traditions and churches celebrate Pentecost differently, we encourage our members to wear red, and celebrate what we call the birthday of the church. In our Cafe Bethany we will tell the story of Pentecost which was shared in a variety of languages, and the power of the Holy spirit and the work of our church in the world now. 
 
What to Expect?
Cafe Bethany won’t feel like our typical worship experiences and that’s the idea. Community and connection are core values of our church, we hope that worshipping around a table, a place Jesus did so much of his ministry, will invite you into a deeper connection with one another. We’ll still sing, pray, hear scripture and enjoy a pastoral reflection, but the atmosphere will feel different. The sounds will be different and we hope that you will come with an open heart, open spirit and a hungry stomach and join us in our second Cafe Bethany experience on May 21st, at 10:45am. 

 

 

April 2023 events:

Join us for Holy Week Services, April 2nd through April 9th.

Maundy Thursday is the service on Holy Week where we remember Jesus’ last gathering with his disciples. This was the time of Passover and they likely would have engaged in a Passover meal together. This is also where Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. This last meal is the foundation of our act of communion. To commemorate these actions of Jesus before he died on the cross we gather together for a simple service of Communion and foot/hand washing. Join us at Bethany at 7pm.

 

Good Friday is the remembrance of Jesus’ death on the cross. It is traditionally a service of grief, lament, silence, and meditation. In our Good Friday service we’ll make use of all of those things, as we mourn not only for Jesus’ death but also our own griefs and sorrows that still persist in this broken world. Join us for this meaningful service at 7pm on Friday April 7th. 

Join us for our Easter Sunday service, April 9th at 10:45 am.

 

March 2023 events:

In collaboration with Folio Books, Bethany is the host site for Noe Valley Word Weekend, March 3-4-5.  This will be an incredible weekend with authors, poets and songwriters.  For more information go to:  https://www.foliosf.com/wordweekend

 

Join us for a Lunch & Learn sharing on Sunday, March 5th at Noon.  Members of Bethany will be sharing their experience and visits with Indigenous Filipino youth through songs, videos, and stories.  Filipino lunch will be served.

 

Everyone is welcome to join our Monday night book study launching February 27th at 7pm, on the book Queer Virtue by The Reverend Elizabeth M. Edman. The study will be co-facilitated by Lyra and Gloria. Study starts on Monday, February 27th and continues for 4 subsequent Mondays. For more information contact Gloria at glosol@aol.com.

Join us in assembling bagged lunches for the homeless in San Francisco,  Sunday, March 12th at 12 pm, at Bethany.  We will also be assembling lunches on May 14, July 9, September 10, and November 12.

 

Best selling author, Judd Winick, will be at Bethany on March 18th at 4pm.

Advance registration is required (at this link).

In collaboration with Folio Books at Bethany, Noe Valley resident Judd Winick will be sharing from the latest addition to the Hilo series, Gina and the Last City on Earth! Judd lives in San Francisco with his wife, Pam Ling; their two kids; and their cats, Chaka and Sleestak. When Judd isn’t collecting far more action figures and vinyl toys than a normal adult, he is a screenwriter and an award-winning cartoonist. Judd has scripted issues of bestselling comic series, including Batman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Justice League, and Star Wars, and has also been head writer on the Hulu network’s animated series, The Awesomes.  Visit Judd and Hilo online at www.juddwinick.com or find him on Twitter at @JuddWinick.

 

 

February 2023 events:

Join us for our Second Cafe Bethany worship experience on Sunday February 19, 2023. This time Cafe Bethany does Mardi Gras!

What is Cafe Bethany?
Cafe Bethany is an alternative worship experience that is centered on a brunch experience. During our Cafe Bethany worship services you can expect to sit at small tables in the round, a brunch menu is set and served, and the worship service involves conversation around the table based on the week’s theme.
 
Why Mardi Gras? 
Mardi Gras, like many of our Christian traditions, is a pagan in origin and dates back thousands of years. When Christianity arrived in Rome the Pagan tradition was incorporated into the Christian tradition. In current times it is generally celebrated on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, and in some places is a week long festival. Mardi gras is experienced as a final celebration of excess before the Lenten season which is 40 days Leading to Lent.
 
What to Expect?
Cafe Bethany won’t feel like our typical worship experiences and that’s the idea. Community and connection are core values of our church, we hope that worshipping around a table, a place Jesus did so much of his ministry, will invite you into a deeper connection with one another. We’ll still sing, pray, hear scripture and enjoy a pastoral reflection, but the atmosphere will feel different. The sounds will be different and we hope that you will come with an open heart, open spirit and a hungry stomach and join us in our second Cafe Bethany experience on February 19th, at 10:45am.

Join us on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at 7pm in the Bethany Sanctuary as we start our Lenten* journey together with an Ash Wednesday service. We’ll sing, reflect, and receive the imposition of ashes.  This service will also be live streamed on the Bethany Facebook page.   * Lent is the 40 day liturgical season in the church that precedes Easter. Link to Workship Bulletin.

Everyone is welcome to join our Monday night book study launching February 27th at 7pm, on the book Queer Virtue by The Reverend Elizabeth M. Edman. The study will be co-facilitated by Lyra and Gloria. Study starts on Monday, February 27th and continues for 4 subsequent Mondays. For more information contact Gloria at glosol@aol.com.

January 2023 events:

Join us in assembling bagged lunches for the homeless in San Francisco, this coming Sunday, January 8th at 12 pm, at Bethany.  We will also be assembling lunches on March12, May 14, July 9, September 10, and November 12.

 

December 2022 events: 

Bell Appeal Christmas Concert: Dec 18th, 12:15pm

Following worship, join Bell Appeal, our hand bell ensemble for a Christmas concert with refreshments.

Christmas Eve Services: 4pm & 7pm

We will have two Christmas eve services: family service at 4pm, followed by lessons and carols at 7pm. All are welcome.

Christmas Service: online only  

Bethany will gather online only on Sunday, Dec 25th. You can find the worship service on our Facebook page. The worship link will be emailed in advance for our 10:45am worship.

Interfaith Shelter Meals: Dec 26 & 27

We will cook and serve 80 meals for the Interfaith Shelter. If you’d like to volunteer, please let Shannon or Cathy know. We need folks to cook in the Bethany kitchen from 3-5:30pm, transport to St. Mary’s and help serve from 6:30-8pm.

November 2022 events: 

This year we saw the overturn of Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court, leaving in question access to abortion for folks across the country. At the center of that debate, is always religion. Join Pastor Sadie for this important study using Rev. Katey Zeh’s book, A Complicated Choice. Rev. Zeh is a Baptist minister and CEO of the Religious Coalition of Reproductive Choice. Together we’ll look at our faith, abortion, and how to be advocates for reproductive justice, and wrestle with the hard questions that might come up for each of us. We’ll meet on Wednesday evenings via zoom at 7pm, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, and 11/16. Please let Pastor Sadie know if you’d like to join the study and if you need help obtaining a copy of the book.

Last one of the year! Bethany will be providing bagged lunches to support the night ministry on November 13th at 12pm after service. Help by donating food and assembling the lunches with other Bethany members.

In anticipation of Advent, Bethany will be hosting a potluck and movie screening on November 13th at 12pm, after service. Bring something to share, and we’ll eat and watch the story of Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer. 

September & October 2022 events: 

Join Bethany, Friends of Slow Sanchez, and Noe Café at the 2nd Annual Sanchez Street Block Party on Sunday, October 16th. There will be live music, face painting, art making, a succulent planting bar, food vendors, a bounce house, and so much more! It will be an afternoon of family fun from noon to 3pm on Sanchez Street between Clipper and 26th. Check out our Facebook event.

Bring your beloved pet to our 10:45am worship on October 2nd for a special service and blessing where we celebrate our furry (or scaled or feathered) family members. Check out our Facebook event. 

The Justice 4 Brandon Lee campaign would like to show appreciation for all the support Bethany has given over the past few years and invite our faith community to continue standing with the oppressed people of the Philippines. Stay after service on Sunday, Sept 25th for some delicious Filipino food and a prayer circle lifting up the concerns of the indigenous people and human rights workers of the Philippines. Check out our Facebook Event page.

JUNE 2022 – Pride Month events: 

Please join us for our Pride discussion group, centering on the book “Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians” by Austen Hartke. It will be an exciting discussion about what the Bible has to say about gender identity. If you are pressed for time and want to understand the main ideas of the book quickly, there is a 40 minute long youtube video in which Austen presents a condensed version of his book. The title of the video is “Austen Hartke: The Bible and Transgender Christians” and you can find it here: https://bit.ly/3MEdZHK
 
We will meet on zoom at 7pm on June 7th, June 14th, and June 21st. Come to just one session or all of them as you like. The sessions on the 7th and 14th will be focused on the book, while the session on the 21st will be focused on the youtube video. 

Join Queer and Trans activists from the Philippines along with SFCHRP on Wednesday, June 8th at 7pm, as we discuss the boiling hot political situation in the Philippines, how queer/trans activists are at the forefront of a movement fighting for national liberation in the midst of dictatorship, and the complexities of being queer and trans organizing for, not only their lives, but for everyone in their homeland. Learn how we, as concerned people in the US can contribute towards their struggle for a just and lasting peace. 

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/hotqueerPh

Slow Sanchez and Bethany UMC are beyond excited to host this year’s Pride Stroll. It’ll be a day of family-friendly pride-filled fun! We’ll be gathering at Day and Sanchez at 11 and then continuing the festivities at Bethany following our stroll.

RSVP to the Facebook event!

Pride month is kind of a big deal for us at Bethany. And we’ll be closing out the month with a pride celebration party on June 26th with a hybrid worship service followed by a BBQ! All are welcome! 

RSVP on Facebook! 

4th Annual Bethany Drag Show
Bethany UMC – 1270 Sanchez St, San Francisco
Thursday, June 30th – Starts at 7pm
Join us for a Fabulous Drag Show at Bethany to end Pride month! We have many talented, Bay Area Drag Artists lined up to help us share some joy and raise money for SEEDS: a local non-profit that provides resources for unhoused queer youth in the Bay Area. Bring friends, family, and plenty of tips for the performers!

Events Archive

Homeless Sack Lunch Ministry

Homeless Sack Lunch Ministry

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During the Pandemic the needs of the unhoused have only increased. Bethany prepares bagged lunches to support the homeless.  We need donations: peanut butter, jelly, bread, bottled water & juice, soft fruits, prepackaged desserts, and chips. Donated items are then assembled from Noon to 1:30 pm by a small team and transported to those attending the San Francisco Night Ministry’s open worship service (“Open Cathedral”) in the Civic Center area on Sunday afternoon at 2pm.

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Blessing of the Animals

Blessing of the Animals

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Join us for the annual Blessing of the Animals. In person Blessings, socially distanced, Saturday, October 3rd, 12-1 pm. Virtual Blessings, during worship service, Sunday, October 4th, 10:45 am.

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Online Book Study – Wednesday’s, July 8th to August 12th

Online Book Study – Wednesday’s, July 8th to August 12th

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We’re excited to begin a 6 week study of James Cone’s book The Cross and the Lynching Tree — every Wednesday at 7pm, starting July 8th through August 12th. If you have never studied Cone before you are in for rich Black liberation theology that is transformative in our understanding of the Bible and our faith.We will explore a chapter a week, and it will be helpful if you read the chapter ahead of time.

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Postponed: Walk to support Interfaith Winter Shelter

Postponed: Walk to support Interfaith Winter Shelter

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Please note: This event has been Postponed and will not occur on March 29th. Join Team Bethany to participate and/or fund raise for the San Francisco Interfaith Winter Shelter. Walk begins and ends at the parking circle at Lake Merced (intersection of Sunset Blvd. and Lake Merced Blvd.). 

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