Newsletter May 2024

From the Vicar’s Desk

Dearly beloved in Christ,

It’s almost time for Pentecost! We commemorate the Church’s birthday fifty days after Easter! This year, we celebrate on May 19!

The second chapter of Acts contains our account of Pentecost. After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension to be with God, the disciples gather to discuss how to spread his message of love and grace. Following these events, Jesus also made multiple appearances for the disciples. Abruptly, a powerful gust of wind rips through the space, causing tongues of fire to flare up on each of their heads. They are all seized by the Holy Spirit and begin to proclaim the Good News of God’s love and grace in tongues they have never spoken before. This is the Church’s birthday!

The Good News is given to the disciples so that they might share it with everyone. They can accomplish things they never would have thought possible because the Holy Spirit is within them. They carry on the movement that Jesus started.

And we’re still commemorating that day on May 19th, two millennia later! The particulars—wind, flames, and speaking in tongues—as well as the date, which fluctuates every year like Easter, don’t really matter. The purpose of this celebration and gratitude is to honor these initial moments when the Church was conceived by the Spirit.

Just as when we celebrate a loved one’s birthday, what we’re actually doing is giving thanks that these individuals exist in the world and all the ways that they continue to make the world a better place simply by participating in another year of life.

That is precisely what we will be celebrating on Pentecost: our gratitude for the Church’s presence in the world and for all the ways that the Church continues to make the world a better place simply by participating in another year of life.

How can the existence of our San Francisco Mar Thoma Church for one more year benefit the world? I’d like you to consider that in prayer over the next few weeks and let us know what you think.

We will truly celebrate another year of church life together on May 19 when we come together for worship at 10 a.m.! I’m hoping you’ll come to celebrate with us!

Yours in Christ,

Sajiachen

Meet the 2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

• President: Rev. Saji Thomas
• Vice President: Tom Tharakan
• Secretary: Maya Mathews
• Trustee (Cash): Melvin Thomas
• Trustee (Accounts): Riju Myladumkunnel
• Lay Leader (Malayalam): Cherian Philip
• Lay Leader (English): Mathew (Robin) John
• Mandalam Member: Shaiju Varghese
• Diocesan Member: Sincie Chacko
• Diocesan Member: Kurien Idiculla

Organization Secretaries

• Senior Fellowship: Nell Thomas
• Choir: Rachel Anish
• Sevika Sangham: Sapna Cherian
• Sunday School: Shanu Thomas
• Edavaka Mission: Pothen Joseph
• Yuvajana Sakhyam: Roshan Mathews
• Youth Fellowship: Isabel Roy

Area Prayer Group Representative

• Central Valley – Anu Philip
• Tri-Valley – Feby Raju
• Fremont – Deepak Cherian
• San Francisco – Santamma George
• South Bay – Philip Mathew

Sub Committee Conveners

1. Mission Board : Kurien Idiculla
2. Building: NO CHANGE
3. ASR: Feby Raju
4. Parish Picnic: Roshan Mathews
5. Maintenance: Anu Philip
6. Retreat ( Budget allocated): Shanu Thomas
7. Audio/Video: Deepak Cherian
8. Web, Communication and Publicity: Rachel Thambi
9. Medical Team : Santamma George
10. Welcome & Hospitality: Tom Tharakan

Worship Schedule

Come join us every Sunday for Sunday School at 9am and Edavaka Mission Bible Study at 9:15am
DATE	SERVICE ASSIST	WORSHIP ORDER	LANGUAGE	LAY LEADER
Sunday, May 5, 2024	Fremont	HOLY QURBANA 10 AM	Malayalam	Cherian Philip
Sunday, May 12, 2024	Tri-Valley	HOLY QURBANA 10 AM	Malayalam	Cherian Philip
Sunday, May 19, 2024	San Francisco & South Bay	HOLY QURBANA 10 AM	English	Mathew (Robin) John
Sunday, May 26, 2024	Central Valley	HOLY QURBANA 10 AM	English	Mathew (Robin) John

May 2024 Lectionary

	SUNDAY, MAY 5TH	SUNDAY, MAY 12TH	SUNDAY, MAY 19TH	SUNDAY, MAY 26TH
THEME	Bhoo-bhavana danam: Remember the Poor (5th Sunday after Easter)	Holy Spirit, one among the Trinity& Mother’s Day	Pentecost: the Holy Spirit who renews the whole creation (50th day after Easter)	Trinity Sunday; Sing to the Lord: Sacred Music Sunday (1st Sunday after Pentecost)
LESSON 1	Lev. 19:9-16	Ezek. 37:1-14	Joel 2:28-32	Exod. 19:17-25
LESSON 2	II Cor. 8:1-9	Gal. 5:16-26	I Cor. 12:1-11	II Cor. 13:11-14
EPISTLE	Gal. 2:1-10	Acts 1:6-11	Acts 2:1-13	Gal. 4:1-7
GOSPEL	St. Matt. 25:31-40	St. John 14:14-21	St. John 16:1-15	St. Matt. 28:16-20
EVENING READING	Eccl. 9:1-10James 2:1-13	Num. 11:16-17I Cor. 12:1-11	Ezek. 36:25-30I Cor. 2:10-16	Isa. 44:1-8I Jn. 2:18-25

Alternate Readings for May 12th – Mother’s Day Special Order of Worship

• Lesson 1: 2nd Kings 4:8-19 
• Lesson 2: Ephesians 6:1-4
• Epistle: I Cor.  13:1-7
• Gospel: St. John 19:25-27
• Evening Reading: St. Luke 1:46-48

Events this month

Western Region Sevika Sanghom Meeting (1st Thursday – via zoom)	At 8pm on May 2, 2024 8pm
Tri-Valley Area Prayer at Nisha Shiju & Shiju Thomas’s residence	Friday, May 3, 2024 at 8pm
Edavaka Mission Fasting Prayer at MTCSF	Saturday, May 4, 2024 10am
San Francisco Area Prayer at Santamma George & George Kaithara’s residence	Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 6:30pm
Diocesan Sevika Sanghom zoom meeting	Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 5:30pm
Fremont Area Prayer at Indrawati Joe & Nikhil Roy’s home	Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 6:30pm
Yuvajana Sakhyam – Fellowship at Dhanya Mathew & Roshan Mathews’ home	Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 11am
Mothers’ Day & SS Diocesan Exam	Sunday, May 12, 2024
Sunday School Diocesan Exam	Sunday, May 12, 2024
SPRING CLEANING!	Saturday, May 18, 2024
Central valley Area Prayer at Anisha and Sujith Oomen’s residence	Saturday, May 18, 2024 6pm
Sevika Sanghom Cottage Prayer (via zoom)	Saturday, May 18, 2024 – 11am
Sevika Sanghom Sandwich making for Homeless after ASR (3rd Sunday)	Sunday, May 19, 2024
Sunday School Anniversary & Prize day & Last Day of Sunday School	Sunday, May 19, 2024
South Bay Area Prayer at Sunita and Philip Mathew’s residence	Saturday May 25, 2024 at 6pm
Choir Sunday	Sunday, May 26, 2024
Sevika Sanghom Intercessory Prayer after ASR (4th Saturday)	Sunday, May 26, 2024
Youth Fellowship Prayer Call (every Tuesday)	Weekly on Tuesday
Western Region Edavaka Mission Meeting zoom meeting Id: 85035621765 & Pass code is: MTVEA	Weekly on Wednesday – 8pm

Recap from April 2024

April went by pretty quickly. Our Area Prayer groups are back in full swing. We had a special Prarthana Kootayama on April 20th, a session for old melodies and reminiscing about songs that have been sung for many years. The AI: Shaping a future we can all thrive in talk by Biju Abraham was an insightful session for all those who attended the event hosted by Yuvajana Sakhyam on April 13th. On April 6th, Sunday School participated in a Kids Against Hunger event, packing 7128 meal kits for the homeless community. It is encouraging to see our children stepping up and sharing God’s love with the world around them. We look forward to the upcoming VBS in June, “Breaker Rock Beach” based on the key verse: be transformed by the renewing of your mind – Romans 12:2. We are excited about the Western Region Youth Fellowship Conference that will be held in July at Santa Cruz.

Pictures

April 13th – YS Meeting in pictures

April 20th – Prarthana Kootayama April 6th – Sunday School – Kids against hunger

VBS June 13-16th, 2024

Register early and share the excitement! Theme: “BREAKER ROCK BEACH”. Be Transformed By The Renewing Of Your Mind  – Romans 12:2. Register early at https://bit.ly/MTCSFVBS-2024

Western Region Youth Fellowship Conference

WRYF – Conference Registration

Check out the conference promotional  material in this Google Drive folder. Visit www.mtcwryouth.org to complete registration and view conference updates. If you have any questions or concerns, please email westernregionyf@gmail.com.

Mission Activities this Summer

This summer there are a number of mission trips and VBS camps that can be supported by high school to young working adults who are interested in joining the church on their mission activities in various areas. Here is the list of VBS camps in North America:

• * Love in Action Ministry – Camp Israel Folsom (Broken Bow, Oklahoma): April 12 – 14
• * Oklahoma (Choctaw) VBS Camp: June 2 – 5
• * Louisiana (Houma) VBS Camp: June 6 – June 10
• * Alabama (Choctaw) VBS Camp: June 12 – 15
• * Utah (Navajo) VBS Camp: July 14 – 17
• * New Mexico (Navajo) VBS Camp: July 18 – 21
• More details in flier
• In addition to the above, the diocese is organizing a South India mission trip for college, university students (ages 18 and above),  and working young adults from June 24th to July 4th, 2024. Participants will be responsible for their air travel. Find more information here.

May Birthdays & Anniversaries – Wishing you a blessed year ahead

Crossword for May 2024

Contact: Maya Mathews secretary @ marhomasf.org  MTC SF Parish Secretary MTCSF