Sanctuary Church - San Francisco

Valentine’s Day is Sunday and we’re looking forward to being together in Golden Gate Park as we continue our teaching series “One: Unity Despite Difference”, pray, encourage each other, and enjoy community.

As usual, we’ll follow city guidelines for us to safely meet together.

Email for more details if you’d like to join us [email protected]

W A T E R • F R O M • T H E • R O C K
Major new teaching series on the Holy Spirit
Coming soon....

“My heart is overflowing as start to read, pray & prepare for a major new teaching series at Sanctuary on the person and work of the Holy Spirit: particularly relevant amidst these ‘wilderness’ days we are all living in.

When so much is stripped away, it is beyond wonderful that the Person Jesus was so excited about, is nearer and more able to transform our fragile selves, than we could ever imagine.
His Power, His Joy, His Hope poured into our hearts by the Presence of the Holy Spirit is the very inner lifeline that never be taken away!”

Tom Shaw

Anyone feeling zoomed out?? I know many of us have felt that way, so we’re excited that we get to meet in Golden Gate Park this Sunday.

We’re thankful that the city has provided guidance for us to safely meet together in person in a socially distant setting. This will be an opportunity for encouragement, prayer, and the building up of our souls by simply being together.

Email for more details if you’d like to join us [email protected]sanctuarysf.com

Try Alpha

36 hours to go till our taster evening..

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https://vimeo.com/182419434

Alpha is an opportunity to explore life, faith and God in a friendly, open and informal environment. Find an Alpha near you today. #TryAlpha alphausa.org

Alpha San Francisco

Alpha might just change your life!

We’re hosting a “taster night” to try it out in Feb 3. No commitment, no obligation, no pressure.

What’s holding you back from giving it a try?

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“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” — Martin Luther King Jr.

This past year has shown us that while we can celebrate how come far we’ve come, there’s still so much work to do to bring racial justice, equity and healing to our nation.

One of the things we admire about Dr. King is his vision of redemptive love. The type of love he championed wasn’t a cheap love that wallpapered over real suffering and pain. It was a love tough enough to extend even to his enemies. On one notable occasion, he was able to proclaim:

“To our bitter opponents we say, ‘... Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you... Throw us in jail and we shall continue to live you. Bomb our homes and threaten our children, and we shall continue to love you... One day we shall win freedom but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process and our victory will be a double victory.”

In our increasingly divisive world where people with differing views are demonized and yet where there remains much racial injustice to confront, it’s this vision of Christ’s redemptive love that we hold as our guiding light.

Excited to be praying for our dear brothers sisters amidst this pandemic both globally and locally tomorrow morning at Sanctuary. We love you Scott Marques in Mozambique and Pastor Dave Ainsworth of Citizens Church SF. A privilege to stand with you in prayer at this time.

VISION SUNDAY 2021

VISION SUNDAY 2021
Tom shares some of the celebrations and lessons from 2020 as well as looking ahead to 2021 and stirring faith for what God might have up his sleeve for Sanctuary, SF and beyond

“An agile festive movement” 

[01/08/21]   “Have felt sick, shocked, disoriented and somewhat paralyzed as to what to do or say in light of the last 24 hours at the capital building in DC.

It is so heavy. So disturbing. Especially as it comes after possibly the worst year for most of us.

In particular the connecting of these happenings by some of these people to Jesus and Christianity just makes me want to weep.

There are few things that I’ve lived through that feel LESS like the spirit of Jesus.

This is, in my opinion, a spirit of rebellion/mistrust/rejection of any healthy submission, masquerading as a value of freedom and liberty.

“The treacherous are ever distrustful” - Gandalf, Lord of the Rings.

In Bible it says in 2 Timothy Ch 3: 3

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”

Don’t get me wrong, there is much of this nation that I do love and huge swathes of people who are kind, intelligent, thoughtful and generous. But I just want to add my voice to those already out there and feel compelled to say something, albeit in a very inperfect, in utter condemnation of what has happened.

It is wrong. It is evil. It is grown adults, many of whole claim to be Christians, having a tantrum and acting like babies. And they are modelling rebellion to the younger generation which is of profound and significantance.

Romans 13: Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established

Jesus could have rebelled 1000 times in light of tidal wave of genuine injustices levelled against him and yet demonstrated dignity, humility, quiet but profound inner authority.

Anyway - I love America. And I value freedom of speech. But the violence, aggression, and binary thinking that is increasingly gripping this place is a poison that must be called our for what it is.”

Tom Shaw

$54k already given/pledged!! After

U P D A T E
Just 2 weeks after launching our “$90k for ‘21” giving campaign, $54k has already been given or pledged!

This is so humbling. THANKYOU!

The “gap” that remains dramatically reduces

Would you consider helping close the gap by giving what you can?

Giving link: https://sanctuarysf.com/give/

Thanks friends

This time last year we launched our “$20,000 for 2020” giving campaign. Incredibly over $40,000 came in!

That money enabled:
• The launch of our website/branding and logo.
• The launch of our first ever Alpha course.
• The resourcing of our ever growing kids’ work.

THANK YOU so much!

So as we look to next year we are full of faith.
And, as we look ahead to next year, we are we believing God for $90k for 2021!

This would further enable:
• The leasing of a Sunday venue in the city of San Fransisco.
• The releasing of a PT kids’ worker to lead our unusually large kids population at Sanctuary.
• One off set up costs we anticipate as we prepare for the launching of our regular Sunday public services (e.g. PA etc).

Already almost $20k has been pledged towards that! The gap is closing.

Would you prayerfully consider standing with us? Some can give much. Others smaller amounts. But when we all stand together, it’s incredible what God can do.

We truly can do so much more together than we can apart.

Click here to give: https://sanctuarysf.com/give/

Sanctuary Report

It has been just the craziest and In many ways most difficult and disorienting year of our lives. As the end of the year approaches I do feel battle weary. However, I’m also deeply grateful to how Jesus has been faithful and as we present to the world our first ever Sanctuary Annual Report, I am struck at how much good God has brought into my life and this church family’s life, despite the insanity that has been 2020.

Enjoy...

https://sanctuaryannualreport.com/

sanctuaryannualreport.com CHURCH PLANT REPORT2019-2020 Our Heart for the city OUR VISION LOVING WELL, ONE PERSON AT A TIMEWe believe Jesus is the safe place that we can all run toward. He is someone who loves us and listens to us. So we are endeavoring to find sanctuary in Christ, be sanctuary to each other, and ex...

Loved meeting the students at San Francisco Adult Teen Challenge last night and having the chance to speak about the scandalous grace of God towards Abraham when he was messing up beyond belief.

In a city with an opioid epidermic spiralling out of control, what this ministry is doing, in terms of loving men, well, one person at a time, fathering them and equipping them practically, is just breathtaking. Love ya @stephenasmus & Pastor Kenny Rogers

https://www.sfteenchallenge.org/

Heart bleeds when read stats like this. So love SF. But this is a city in huge huge pain. Please pray for San Fransisco

Looking forward to gathering together in the park this Sunday for some teaching, prayer, and connection. This week we are in a NEW spot/park, this time in the SE of the City.

Email us for details if you’d like to join [email protected]

Excited 11am-3pm for our beach outing this Sunday for some unhurried fun and connection. Email us for details if you’d like to join us at [email protected]

So good to simply lift our voices and focus on King Jesus as planet earth seems well...a bit of a turbulent place right now #SanctuaryMonthlyWorshipEvenings

New teaching series kicks off THIS SUNDAY @sanctuarychurchsf

This Sunday Part 1: Unity Requires Humility

All of us are profoundly relational beings. We are defined by relationships and designed for relationships. We are both damaged by relationships and healed through relationships. We serve an eternally relational triune God. As humans made in his image we just cannot escape our hardwiring and our good and righteous soul ache for deep, life-giving relationships both with each other our and God.

And yet, might it be true that we live more divided as a nation than at any other time in living memory? Black vs white. Rublican vs Democrat. City vs rural. Old vs young. The list seems to be growing of things we can divide on. Tensions seem to be getting more not less. We feel less like a ‘united’ states and more like a fragmented, warring states.

And yet we all deep down know that relational harmony is something none of us can live without. Unless we all just head for the hills and isolate from each other out of anger and fear, we simply must find a path to deep lasting robust relational closeness despite difference. We are all different! And actually that is good! We cannot rely on only being close to those we feel similar too. This a shallow unity. A fragile and fake thing. Difference is here to stay.

So the great question then is HOW do we live in deep, life giving relationships with each other as we see our many differences? HOW do love those who see things from another angle? HOW do we not press the eject button when called to live up close and personal with those whose cultures, pasts, histories and viewpoints jar with our own?

It is this crucially important issue that Paul now makes clear is perhaps his central aim in the Book of Ephesians Ch 2 v111-13.

JOIN US This Sunday at Golden Gate Park, where Tom will be looking at the first explicit key Paul gives us: Unity, Requires Humility.

Josie Shaw: Alive in Christ

Join us as JOSIE SHAW shares on what it means to be ALIVE in Christ!

In this life we seek to do everything we can to “feel” alive and stimulate our senses. We idolize youth and we hate the idea that our physical bodies are wasting away. We search and we strive for more experiences that will give us a sense of feeling fully “alive” but we never seem to be satisfied. Why is it that something inside of us seems to crave something more?

In Ephesians 2, Paul writes that before we know Christ we are all spiritually dead and that it is only through Jesus’ death and resurrection that we can become fully alive and know true fulfillment. Join Josie live to explore more of what it means to be alive in Christ.

We're looking forward to gathering in the park this Sunday, following guidance provided by the city. This will be an opportunity for encouragement, prayer, and the building up of our souls by simply being together as we endeavor to love well, one person at a time.

Email for details if you’d like to join us [email protected]

Who Do You Think You Are Part 5: "Inheritors"

Do you feel like you are running on empty? Tune in to hear Tom Shaw teach us how to live into the Truth of who we are: heirs, profoundly supplied for by our Father.

Tim Harms - The Biblical Theme of Justice

If you are unsure of how to respond to the events of 2020, join us to hear Tim Harms share the biblical theme of justice and how it calls us to pursue lives devoted to pouring out acts of justice.

Over the summer, our nation has been in turmoil as racial tensions have been revealed and inflamed. Cries for justice have been loud, and unfortunately, many have seen the church and the Bible not as offering an answer, but as being part of the problem.

THIS MORNING, we’re taking a break from our series in Ephesians as Tim Harms will explore the biblical theme of “justice” and why Christianity at its foundation offers both a compelling vision and an animating motivation for pursuing lives poured out in acts of justice.

Tim, along with his wife Kelsy and their two young children, moved to San Francisco nearly a year ago from Nashville to help plant Sanctuary Church.

Join us, on zoom, 1030 PST.

https://sanctuarysf.com/

Alpha Session 1:”Who is Jesus?” Gets underway. My personal favorite of all the Alpha talks. And a joy to see yet more guests jumping in tonight..!

https://www.alphasf.org/

Ephesians, "Who Do You Think You Are?" - Pt. 4: Redeemed

If you ever struggle to feel like you're really free, Tom Shaw's message is for you!

Alpha San Francisco

Tonight’s the night. Sign up at alphasf.org

Alpha San Francisco

Need a place in your life where it’s ok to be yourself and where no question is off limits?

Our next Alpha course launches in 1 day.

Alpha San Francisco

"Everyone's thinking more than ever about what life is about.... When I did it, I absolutely loved it."

Alpha San Francisco

If you've ever wondered if there's more, you're not alone. We're hosting a series of online group discussions where we explore the big questions of life with people from all different backgrounds.

Explore your Questions. Try Alpha Online.

Taster Night. This coming Tuesday Sept 1st. Join us!

Www.Alphasf.org

Alpha online is a series of virtual sessions where you can discuss your big questions with other people who bring their own questions - all in an open, authentic, non-judgmental environment. Many find the friendships they develop to last well beyond Alpha.

Why not give session 1 a try?

alphasf.org

Alpha San Francisco

If you've ever wondered if there's more, you're not alone.

We're hosting a series of online group conversations to explore the big questions of life with people from all different backgrounds.

Explore your questions. Try Alpha.

Alpha San Francisco

What if there’s more to life than this?

Where do you go for life’s big questions?

Why not try Alpha online?

alphasf.org

Alpha San Francisco

JOIN US! Tuesday eve. Sept 1st. Taste Night

Ever feel like this? We’re hosting conversations on life’s biggest questions with people of all backgrounds.

We’re so thankful that the city has provided guidance for us to safely meet together in person and excited for the opportunity to gather this Sunday outdoors in a socially distant setting. This will be an opportunity for encouragement, prayer, and the building up of our souls by simply being together as we endeavor to love well, one person at a time.

Email for more details if you’d like to join us [email protected]