All the Latest News!
Welcome to Night Ministry's news roundup!
With our 60th Year Anniversary in 2024, now is a perfect time to get involved! We have a new Community Walks opportunity. We also seek new board members.
As always, your prayers, donations, and volunteerism are necessary to sustain our presence and service. Consider subscribing to Night Ministry in a recurring monthly donation.
May you have a peaceful, more hope-filled night, this very night.
- Rev. Trent J. Thornley, Executive Director
COMMUNITY WALKS
Community Walks
Community Walks involve groups of volunteers accompanying our Night Ministers out on the streets in the evening hours, providing basic health needs and care to unhoused people in the Tenderloin and around the city. The program connects privileged and unhoused community members around our shared humanity. You and your group are invited to walk! Contact us for more information
SFNM IN THE NEWS
Rev. Trent & Rev. Johnny shared about Night Ministry and the power of deep listening on KQED's Forum.
LGBTQ+ PRIDE
OPEN CATHEDRAL
Easter Week Celebrations
Celebrations included Maundy Thursday foot washing service at Open Cathedral - Mission and Easter service at Open Cathedral - Civic Center. Five parishioners were baptized at this Easter Sunday service.In 2022, we celebrated Open Cathedral - Civic Center's 15th year Anniversary! For more than15 years - rain or shine - we have been at the same site at UN Plaza (Leavenworth and McAllister) every Sunday at 2:00 PM offering Worship, Communion, prayers, pastoral care and a genuine ministry of unconditional love and presence. We also provide a meal, clothes, blankets, socks, and the like to thousands of our most vulnerable siblings in our midst! It truly takes a village - and we could not have done it without each of ministry and congregational partners.
OPEN SHABBAT
Fourth Fridays of Every Month - 16th & Mission BART
Rabbi Jeremy Sher is a volunteer staff manager of Night Ministry's Open Shabbat, our newest regular Community Program.
Click here to read a story about Open Shabbat in The Jewish News of Northern California.
In a similar model of street services as Open Cathedral, local Jewish congregations are coming forward to partner with Night Ministry and provide the hot meal. Our two Jewish summer 2022 CPE students also participated in the July service by baking two fresh challah breads for the service. They also sang portions of the service. The order of service provides verses in both English and in Hebrew.
Check out this newest offering every fourth Friday!
CL Director
Ben DeShazo-Couchot
Benjamin is an educator, lay minister, and integral life coach from Sonoma County. He holds a B.A. in Music from Sonoma State University, and an M.A. in Church Music & Liturgy/Conducting from Saint Joseph’s College, Indiana, where he completed his capstone research paper on communal grief processing rituals. He is a graduate of Wisdom of the Whole Coaching Academy and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, at Concordia University, Chicago. Ben is also the Associate for Youth Ministry at Trinity Episcopal Church, Menlo Park and Director of Care Line at SFNM.
(844) HOPE-4-SF | (844) 437-3473
Our nightly Care Line is open for everyone, on any topic!
Give us a call .... Refer others
Voices from the Line
Care Line Counselors offer reflections of service:
Who should call?
What should a caller expect?
Why donate or volunteer?
IN OTHER NEWS . . .
Rev. Lyle Beckman and Rev. Johnny confer about Night Ministry history
CPE Educator Rev. Cathy Schreiber talks with a neighbor on a night walk
Faithful & Fabulous minister John Brett speaks with a neighbor
Rev. Trent walks with street retreatants from Zen Breadloaf Mountain
Rabbi Jeremy Sher and celebrants at our first Open Hanukkah
Olivia Hart leads performers and celebrants at our 2021 Fall Harvest: Magenta Magic
Rev. Monique baptizes OC Usher Marquis on Easter Sunday
Fall CPE cohort hosted a special Art from the Heart of the Street event
Media Direcor Sam LaDue (left) at a retreat with Rev. Monique & Rev. Thom Longino
CPE Student M. Paloma Pavel (right) supporting a neighbor at the art event
CPE student Jeffrey Melcher talks with an unhoused neighbor
Grand Duchess Bobby Friday and John Brett and at the Royal Bunny fundraiser
Rev. Brian preaches on Cinco De Mayo, the 13th anniversary of OC-Mission
Sam LaDue and CPE Student Sara Yoe install the nonprofit Walgreens window
Monique and Trent with Rev. Debbie Little, founder of Common Cathedral
SF Imperial Court Empress Ehra Amaya and Rev. Trent
Nob Hill Gazette names San Francisco Night Ministry one of it's "44 things we love about the Bay Area"!
SFNM is #14 on the list.
JOIN THE GOVERNING BOARD
Night Ministry is looking for motivated leaders who will help us to build out our Governing Board. Professional skills and interests of all kinds are This is an exciting time to join us! welcome. We are especially seeking diversity in race, gender, and religious traditions.
This is an exciting time to join us!
Newest Board Members
Dr. Rob Forrest, PhD
Rob Forrest is a physicist performing research for the national laboratories. He is a Bay Area native and lives and works in San Francisco. After graduating from St. Ignatius in the Sunset, he spent many years living in San Diego and Chicago before returning home to San Francisco. When asked why he was inspired to join Night Ministry, Rob replied, “I fundamentally believe in the profound force of goodness that comes from Night Ministry for the people and city of San Francisco; SFNM is needed now more than ever.”
Kathryn Anderson, Esq.
Kathryn Anderson is a native of Minnesota of Norwegian descent. After completing my undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Minnesota, she headed west for law school. Kathryn has practiced law in San Francisco and beyond for 42 years. She is also a board member of the Norway House Foundation and a marriage commissioner with the City of San Francisco. When asked why she was inspired to join SF Night Ministry, Kathryn replied, "My inspiration in joining the Night Ministry, and my other volunteer activities, comes from my parents. They were the greatest volunteers I have even known. Through their example, my parents taught their six children that whenever we could fulfill a need that was God's calling to us. My pro bono legal work on behalf of refugees, asylum seekers, and agreeing to serve on the night ministry board is a tribute to my parents."LAST WORDS
The Rev. Nancy Pennekamp Retires
After fourteen years of dedicated and heart-full service, The Rev. Nancy Pennekamp retired. We celebrated Rev. Nancy at the Open Cathedral sevice on May 22nd.
Rev. Nancy served as the Open Cathedral deacon since the era of its inception at the Civic Center in 2008. We are especially grateful that Rev. Nancy was able and willing to volunteer her services as deacon.
Rev. Nancy also represented the Night Ministry at the Episcopal deanery meetings and she fundraised for us at local churches. Her sponsoring congregation, St. Peter’s, became one of the first to regularly offer lunches at Open Cathedral. With Rev. Nancy’s advocacy and encouragement over the years, most Episcopal churches in San Francisco contributed to Night Ministry/Open Cathedral in one form or another, including lunches, Easter eggs, umbrellas, clothing, socks and more socks, and of course with needed financial support.
Rev. Nancy’s most profound ministry has been with the Open Cathedrals congregation. In her retirement letter, Rev. Nancy reflected:
We’ve baptized, married, buried, celebrated achievements, supported the sorrowful, and upheld those in need. I’ve visited many in the hospital, prayed with them and their medical teams, and rejoiced at births. Now, after fourteen years, it is time to move on to a different phase of my life and ministry. I will continue to pray for you and will always always hold you in my heart.
Faithfully with hope and love,
Nancy
Rev. Nancy, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts! May you go forth into your next phase of life full of light and love and lifted up on our prayers. Hear always, in your heart, all of us joining in offering to you the benediction that become your trademark farewell:
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord! Thanks be to God!
Allelujah, Allelujah, Allelujah!
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