Nyhetsbrev från Svenska kyrkan San Francisco, april 2024

Var med och stötta kyrkans arbete genom att teckna medlemskap eller lämna en donation. Du kan enkelt göra detta genom Paypal eller att skicka in en check. Mer info här.
 
Då utlandssvenskar inte betalar någon kyrkoskatt i Sverige är detta ett sätt att stödja vår församling i San Francisco när det ekonomiska stödet från Sverige på sikt minskar.
 
Enbart genom ett starkt lokalt engagemang och ekonomiskt stöd kan Svenska kyrkan San Francisco fortsätta sitt arbete i norra Kalifornien och finnas här som stöd för bosatta och besökade svenskar.
 
Ett enkelt sätt att göra detta är att bli månadsgivare och på så sätt ge församlingen en stabilare ekonomi. Man kan välja vilken summa man vill och sätta upp direkt betalning varje månad. På så sätt behöver man ej oroa sig för att förnya sitt medlemskap.
 
Du kan även betala in genom att skicka en check till kyrkan: Church of Sweden SF, 2454 Hyde Street, San Francisco, CA 94109.

Välkommen på svensk gudstjänst i San Francisco söndagen den 12:e maj kl 11.00 i kyrkan på 2454 Hyde Street.

Joakim Schröder är pianist och Therese Brewitz musiker. Tillsammans sjunger vi svenska psalmer. 

Detta är söndagen före pingst och temat för gudstjänsten är Hjälparen kommer. 

Agendan och delar av gudstjänsten är på engelska så ta gärna med engelsktalande familjemedlemmar och vänner. 

Efteråt samlas vi till kyrkkaffe och gemenskap. Hör av dig till Kristin om du vill bidra med något till kaffebordet. 

Vi bjuder in till pingstgudstjänst i Los Altos lördag den 18:e maj. Pingsten är kyrkans tredje största högtid, och den helige Andes högtid då vi blir påmind om att Gud finns mitt bland oss och inom oss. 

Gudstjänsten leds av Joakim Schröder med musik från Therese Brewitz och Zaida Singers. 

Efteråt samlas vi till kyrkkaffe och gemenskap. Det finns alltid mycket gott svenskt fikabröd på kaffebordet. Vid kyrkan finns en stor parkeringsplats och lekplats för barn. 

Adress 460 S El Monte Ave, Los Altos.

 

Welcome to our yearly spring fundraiser event hosted by Barbro S. Osher and Mr. Bernard Osher at their residence in San Francisco. Cocktails and dinner will be served. Join us for a wonderful evening!
 
Space is limited so make your donation today! We ask for a donation of $150 per person (or more if you are able). With your generous support and contribution, the church can continue its ministry among the Swedes in the Bay Area: a meeting place for families, students, au pairs, and immigrants from Sweden.
 
Make checks payable to Church of Sweden San Francisco and mail to: Church of Sweden San Francisco, 2454 Hyde St, SF CA 94104. You can also pay by PayPal.
 
Please R.S.V.P by May 14th. Please let us know if you have any food allergies or have any special dietary needs. If you are unable to attend, your donation would still be appreciated.
 

Kom och se nordisk film! Vi visar den prisade finska filmen "Fallen Leaves" från 2023. En romantisk dramakomedi regisserad av Aki Kaurismäki om två personer i Helsingfors som träffas på en kareokebar. Vann juryns pris på Cannefestivalen.

Kyrkan öppen från 18.30, det kommer finnas varmkorv, dryck och popcorn. Filmen startar 19.00.

Finsk tal med engelsk textning.

Efter filmen kan de som vill stanna för en kortare diskussion. 

Kom till kyrkan och träffa andra skandinaviska ungdomar. Sista träffen innan sommaruppehåll. Vi bjuder på hemlagad tacobuffe och det blir quiz tävling.

För studenter, au pairer och andra unga vuxna. Perfekt om du vill knyta nya kontakter och uppleva genuin stämning och hemkänsla. 

Pris $5 som du kan betala på plats. Anmälan via Facebook event eller epost. 

Varmt välkomna!

Barn med föräldrar, far/morfäräldrar, aupairer och så vidare är välkomna på barnsång i kyrkan på Hyde Street varannan fredag. Vi sjunger svenska och norska barnvisor tillsammans. 
 
Vi börjar med sångstund med rörelser med och för barnen. Sedan tänder vi ljus  innan vi går upp till övervåningen för fika, samtal, lek och gemenskap.
 
Vill du komma - hör av dig till kristin.hamren@svenskakyrkan.se.
 
Träffar i maj 3:e, 17:e och 31:a maj.
 
Varmt välkomna
 

Välkommen att vara med på konfirmationsgudstjänst för församlingens konfirmander!

Vi firar gudstjänst och att har konfirmation söndag den 26:e maj kl 11.00 i San Francisco. En gudstjänst där konfirmanderna deltar på olika sätt, bekräftar sitt dop och församlingen ber för konfirmanderna.
 
Präst Joakim Schröder. Alla välkomna! Fika efteråt!
 

Vi samlas i kyrkan för en enkel, kort andakt med musik kl 12.00. En chans att samla kraft och få en stunds stillhet under dagen. Sedan äter vi lunch tillsammans i kyrkan och läser poesi. Ta gärna med en favoritdikt som du kan dela med dig av. 
 
Du kan komma bara på andakten eller lunchen men anmäl om du ska äta så vi kan planera portioner.

Onsdag 29:e maj kl. 12.00

Kom och prata böcker med andra litteraturintresserade svenskar. Just nu läser vi den fortsättningen i Milleniumserien  "Havsörnens skrik" av Karin Smirnoff, där vi får fortsätta följa Mikael Blomkvist och Lisbeth Salander.

Vi syns lördagen den 1:a juni kl 10.00 i kyrkan för att samtala om boken och våra intryck. Alla välkomna! Hör av dig till Kristin om du vill vara med eller har några frågor. 
 

by Karl Mettinger

On March 14-16 about 25 representatives from Church of Sweden North America, met in Minneapolis for almost two days with leaders of SKUT (Svenska Kyrkan I Utlandet) and the Diocese of Visby including the new Bishop Erik Eckerdal, installed on 15th of January 2023. All clergy and 2-3 members of the Church Councils from each church were invited to get to know another and discuss the evolving plan for a new organization of the Church of Sweden in USA and Canada. The delegation from San Francisco included Rev Joakim Schröder, Kristin Hamrén, Kristina Bünger and myself.
 
This meeting was immensely helpful as we have been involved in this process for the last two years and now had a chance to give feedback on the proposal to work closely with one another in each congregation as well as supported by the other churches at regular video conferences with representation from the clergy as well as church that council members. It is envisioned by the Rector (Kyrkoherden”) in New York will oversee these meetings and that each of the local churches will have a “Församlingsherde” as leader of the local work.
 
After I joined the church council in San Francisco almost 5 years ago, I have had the pleasure to work closely with the leaders of SKUT, and Rickard Jönsson, Department Head, and Johanna Holmlund, Associate Department Head, who visited us twice during this period.
 
In Minneapolis I had the great pleasure to meet our new Bishop Erik Eckerdal who evidently has a solid background in all aspects of the Ministry of the church, not the least unique background of social and diaconal outreach as the Director of “Samariterhemmet Diakoni” in Uppsala for 4,5 years and deep understanding of ecumenical work in Sweden and additional European perspectives after being an Erasmus Scholar studying in Nottingham, England. During his years in Uppsala, he also held several positions such as member of the Uppsala Archdiocese diocesan council, (Stiftsfullmaktige), Chairman of Uppsala City Mission (Stadsmissionen) and Board member of the Foundation for the Fjellstedtska school currently used for the Educational Institute of the Church of Sweden.
 
On the last Day of the conference I ran into Bishop Eckerdal at the Swedish American Institute. My guest was a manager for one of the nuclear missile sites in the area (married to a Filipina and member of our family), perhaps a remnant from the cold war. We came to talk about security issues for the island of Gotland in the Baltic. Since just a few months Gotland is now surrounded by NATO countries and most of the Swedish churches abroad are in NATO Countries in Europe and North America. We have therefore been praying for continued support of Ukraine by the US Congress, which finally was announced this weekend. 
 
I followed up with some questions, which he immediately responded to. Here are his answers:

Tell us about your remarkable family with your father and uncles being priests or bishops. Where did you grow up? Any siblings? Were you the only one who felt the calling to follow the calling and family tradition?

I was born and raised in a family of eight, with one sister and four brothers. My father was a priest and rector in a small rural parish in the western part of Jämtland. My mother was a medical doctor. When I was in my teens we moved to Linköping where my father later became the Dean of the Cathedral of Linköping. Two of his brothers, one elder and one younger, became the bishop of Gothenborg. Today I and my siblings are spread around in the southern part of Sweden. One younger brother was ordained as a priest for the diocese of Strängnäs but is now serving as theological director for the Swedish Ecumenical Council.
Tell us about your studies and how you ended up in Nottingham.

After secondary school and one year of military service in the army, my first choice was to study science and biology, at the University of Linköping. However, I soon realized that I wanted to study theology first, before going back to science. In the end I never did. After two years theology in Linköping followed several years of studies in history, philosophy, and theology at the universities of Uppsala and Nothingham. As part of an Erasmus exchange program of the European Union I spent one year in Nottingham where I studied church history and philosophy. The year in England gave me opportunity to meet the Anglican and Roman Catholic church traditions which gave me many ecumenical experiences and I realized in a new way the importance of liturgy and spirituality. Later, during my time as a doctoral student, I had the privilege to study in Rome during on year. During that time, I lived in the Benedictine Colegio Sna´Anselmo. Experiences that altogether have formed me as a human and a Christian.
 
How come you chose Visby diocese for your ordination? Your first position was in an ecumenical church in Visby? How long did you stay before the positions in Sigtuna, Knivsta and Alsike?

The reason for why I was ordained for the diocese of Visby was rather a coincidence than a choice. A few years before my priestly ordination I moved to Gotland and took the position as a teacher in a primary school. It was during that time I made my decision to go the bishop of Visby, my predecessor, bishop Björn Fjärstedt and ask him to accept me as a candidate for the priesthood. I was ordained in June 2000. After my ordination bishop Biörn placed me in the district of Terra Nova in the Cathedral parish of Visby. The church in that district was not really an ecumenical church, but it was runed by the intra church movement of EFS (Evangeliska forsterlandstiftelsen), that is a missionary movement in the Church of Sweden. It was a very rewarding year, and I learned a lot from a spiritual tradition other than my own background.
 
What inspired your decision to study ecumenism and ecclesiology for your doctorate? Tell us more about this research, terminology, and your main findings.

There were two main inspirations for why I focused my research on ecclesiology and ecumenism. The first is my own ecumenical experiences that I made from a quite young age and to a great deal due to the Taizé community in France. Through my participation in several of their European meetings for reconciliation and peace, which is organized by the Taizé-community every New year, I met a lot of young people from many different ecclesial (Church) traditions. That was very inspirational, but it was also painful to realize that we are divided, despite that we are all Christians. Secondly, my year at the university of Nottingham was 1995-1996. The so called Porvoo Common Statement (PCS) was signed in 1996 and my professor in Nottingham asked me to write an essay about that ecumenical agreement between the Nordic Lutheran churches and the Anglican churches in Great Britain and Ireland.

When I came home to Uppsala my Swedish professor suggested me to wright my doctoral thesis about this groundbreaking ecumenical agreement. Which I did later.
My thesis asks why PCS has been interpreted in different ways. It was praised by many as an ecumenical brake through, by others it was accused to present a theological solution that is not solid. My thesis is about the understanding of apostolic succession in the PCS. As most of us know we confess the church to be apostolic. But what does that mean and how is the apostolicity of the church materialized in the everyday life of the church. One result of my thesis is that the member churches that have restored the visible unity of church have so far not realized all consequences of the agreement they have signed. Today the Porvoo Communion unites 15 churches in mainly Northern Europe, with consequences also for the Church of Sweden´s relations to the Episcopal church in the USA (TEC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).
 
What inspired your decision to take the position as Director of “Samariterhemmet Diakoni “ in Uppsala? Thell us more about the scope of diaconal programs in Uppsala you were directing?

During my ministry as a parish priest the ministry for people in need has been a vital part of my work. Other important aspects of my ministry have been to develop the institutional aspect of the church. During the 2005-2012 I was responsible for a development project in my parish south of Uppsala, which meant we could build a block and start a pre-school, a school, apartments, and a home for disabled persons. After I had defended my thesis in 2017, I was offered the position as the Director of Samariterhemmet diakoni. During almost five years I had the privileged to work together with the staff of that old diaconal institution – founded by sr. Ebba Boström in 1882 – in Uppsala.

Samariterhemmet Diakoni works in different areas of social work: elderly care, social enterprises, a church, education and real estate. I learned a lot during those years, and it was my plan to stay at Semiretirement Diakoni for a long time, however, in October 2022 I was elected and appointed as the new bishop of Visby and the Church of Sweden Abroud.
 
As the Bishop of Visby Diocese, you are responsible for Church of Sweden Abroad SKUT. What are the biggest challenges for SKUT today and years ahead? Tell us about the Minnesota conference in February and what is the next step for Church of Sweden in USA / North America?

The first challenge for SKUT is to take the consequences of the decision by Kyrkostyrelsen in Uppsala in May 2023 concerning aspects of economy, organization and where priests and deacons are employed. Since the Church of Sweden annually loses members, it will in the future not be the same possibility to financially support parishes abroad. Therefore, all parishes abroad must find new ways to be more economically independent, just as the parishes in Sweden are. Of course, that is a challenge, and we need all together be creative to find new ways and to inform other Swedes of the importance to register as a member in the local parish abroad. I know that your parish in San Francisco has been successful to find ways to new members. Something I use to describe for other parishes in SKUT as a good example. Other differences are that the priests and deacons should be employed by the local parish abroad and not employed in Uppsala and sent to the local parish. However, that is already the case for you in the USA. A more important change for the USA is that all your parishes in the USA probably will organizationally be linked to each other with one responsible rector (kyrkoherde). Most of the priests that are rectors today, will, according to this alternative, be named “församlingsherde”. As before, the “församlingsherden” will be responsible for the local parish, but subordinated to the rector that will be placed in one of the parishes in the USA. This alternative is not yet decided, but it was presented at the conference in Minneapolis as a possible way to organize SKUT in the USA. In Minneapolis we had the opportunity to discuss the planned and possible changes of SKUT together. It was emphasized that it is necessary that we discuss the possible alternatives and future changes of SKUT together.

Important for the years ahead is that we can make this walk together that we can find ways to develop and deepen the lives of our parishes and the importance they have for Swedes and others living abroad. Since more and more people do live abroad for a time or for many years it is my conviction that the importance of SKUT will grow.

I am looking forward to visiting our Swedish parish in San Francisco, although I for the time being do not know when that will happen.

Wednesday May 1st, 7 pm, Movie Night "Fallen Leaves"

Thursday May 2nd, 6 pm, Young in SF dinner

Sunday May 12th, 11 am, Church service in San Francisco with coffee and community

Saturday May 18th, 3 pm, Church service in Los Altos with coffee and community

Sunday May 19th, 6 pm, Spring fundraiser at the Osher residency

Sunday May 26th, 11 am Confirmation service San Francisco

Wednesday May 29th, 12 pm, Short church service and soup lunch with poetry

Children's sing a long every other Friday 10.30 am