PANA Update - May 24, 2007

Upcoming PANA events:

Events are at various locations. Scroll down for more information.

May 24, 7pm: Theology in Action: Achieving Social Justice through Rural Leaders Training
May 27: Ordination of Elizabeth Leung
June 1: San Francisco Chinatown Premier Screening of In God's House: Asian American Lesbian and Gay Families in the Church
June 1: 「在教會裡的同性戀家庭」“In God’s House” (中文字幕) 三藩市華埠首映
June 1 and 3: (non-PANA) play about Japanese American internment at Oakland Museum
June 7: Rev. Deborah Lee speaks at screening of film trailer "Water Babies: Coming to Terms with Abortion"
June 17: Honolulu Showing of In God's House
June 17: interfaith Nagar Kirtan singing at the El Sobrante Gurdwara

* * *
Theology in Action: Achieving Social Justice through Rural Leaders Training
Thursday, May 24, 2007
7:00pm

Speakers: Fr. Laksiri Peiris (Asian Rural Institute Graduate) and Steven Cutting (ARI Staff Member)

At Sycamore Christian Church, 1111 Navellier St., El Cerrito, CA

Fr. Peiris is an Anglican Priest from Sri Lanka, a graduate of the ARI training program in 1995 and currently serving at ARI as a missionary through the Anglican Church of Japan. He will share the community development activities he initiated in his rural parish in Sri Lanka. He works closely with ARI Buddhist graduates in in Sri Lanka, and this close working relationship was important after the tsunami hit Sri Lanka in 2005.

Asian Rural Institute is a training institute for rural grassroots leaders from Asia, Africa and the Pacific. Each year ARI conducts a nine-month Rural Leaders Training Program through which they teach sustainable agriculture, community building, and leadership. Upon completion of the training, the graduates return to their home communities where they use what they have learned to work for the betterment of their people. ARI is a mission oriented interfaith training institute.

Sponsored by PANA and Sycamore Christian Church.

* * *
May 27: Ordination of Elizabeth Leung

The Bay Association of the Northern California Nevada Conference and New Fellowship United Church of Christ, Berkeley, California, cordially invite your presence and prayers for The Ordination to the Ministry of Word & Sacrament of Elizabeth Leung.

Pentecost Sunday
May 27, 2007 at 3 p.m.
at San Lorenzo Community Church
945 Paseo Grande, San Lorenzo, CA

Dress with a touch of red for Pentecost
Clergy: red stoles

RSVP requested by May 20th

Kindly RSVP to eleung-AT-psr-DOT-edu
The ordination service is followed by a light reception.

* * *
San Francisco Chinatown Premier Screening of
In God's House: Asian American Lesbian and Gay Families in the Church

In celebration of API Heritage Month and LGBT Pride Month, the Network on Religion and Justice for API LGBT People (NRJ API LGBT) and its partners present the San Francisco Chinatown premier screening of In God’s House: Asian American Lesbian and Gay Families in the Church.

June 1, 2007 @ 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Chinese for Affirmative Action
17 Walter U. Lum Place
(near Portsmouth Square in San Francisco)
Opening reception begins @ 6:30 p.m.
Light refreshments will be served

Film screening begins @ 7:30 p.m.
English language film with Chinese subtitles

This program is free and open to the public.
Seating is limited to the first 50 people.

Please RSVP Elizabeth Leung if you plan to attend at eleung_AT_clgs_DOT_org or (510) 849-8937.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker, Lina Hoshino, In God’s House is a critically acclaimed film documentary that tells the stories of Asian American lesbian and gay Christians, their pastors, and their parents. The film comes at a critical time in the national debate over lesbian and gay families. Some of the most intense opposition against them has come from the Asian American church. By telling the stories of Asian American gay and lesbian Christians, In God’s House attempts to promote greater tolerance and acceptance in the church. To learn more about In God’s House, check out: www.ingodshouse.com.

The film screening is co-sponsored by: API Equality-SF § API Family Pride § Asian Equality § Chinese for Affirmative Action § Community United Against Violence § Gay Asian Pacific Alliance § GRACE § Marriage Equality USA § NRJ API LGBT § PANA Institute

If you would like a printable PDF flyer for this event, in English or Chinese, contact Elizabeth Leung at eleung_AT_clgs_DOT_org or (510) 849-8937.

___________________________________________________

「在教會裡的同性戀家庭」
“In God’s House” (中文字幕)
三藩市華埠首映

6月1 日 (星期五) 晚上7時30分
華人權益促進會會議廳
地址 : 17 Walter U. Lum Place

免費入座。由於場地所限, 祗設50座位。
首映前6時30分, 簡單茶點招待。
查詢留言 (510) 849-8937。

In God's House
- Asian American Lesbian and Gay Families in the Church
San Francisco Chinatown Premier

June 1, 2007, 6:30-8:30 pm
Chinese for Affirmative Action
17 Walter U. Lum Place (nearby Portmouth Square)

Directed by award-winning filmmaker, Lina Hoshino, In God's House is a critically acclaimed film documentary about Asian American Christian gay and lesbian people, their parents and families. Opening reception starts at 6:30 pm; film screens at 7:30 pm. Free admission. Seating is limited to the first 50 people. Light refreshment. Members of San Francisco Asian American community are encouraged to attend. Please RSVP at (510)849-8937.

This event is co-sponsored by the Network on Religion and Justice for Asian American and Pacific Islander Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender People ( www.NRJ-API-LGBT.org), a coalition of organizations and individuals affirming the dignity and spiritual wholeness of API LGBT people of faith, and Asian Equality, a statewide project of Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) committed to working in our Asian and Pacific Islander American communities for equal marriage rights and fair treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) families through education and advocacy.

* * *
June 1 and 3: Dust Storm

Sharon Hwang Colligan recommends this beautiful intergenerational play about the JA internment, with opening scenes in set in Berkeley including the UCC church. Performed by Zachary Drake, member of the UU congregation in Berkeley.

Friday, June 1
Dust Storm
Theater
Reception at 6 p.m.; performance at 7 p.m.
In Dust Storm, playwright Rick Foster weaves a story of art and paranoia. The play is about an episode involving artist Chiura Obata at Topaz Relocation camp in Utah during the World War II internment of Japanese Americans, and is told through the eyes of a radicalized young Japanese-American student. Dust storms were common in the barren Utah desert and are also a theme of Obata's artwork from the time. Slides of Obata's work enhance the scenes in the play. The program is a presentation of the museum's Art and History Guilds. $8 advance tickets/$10 at the door; $5 seniors and students (with ID).

Sunday, June 3
Dust Storm
Theater
Sunday, June 3, Reception at 1 p.m.; performance at 2 p.m.
In Dust Storm, playwright Rick Foster weaves a story of art and paranoia. The play is about an episode involving artist Chiura Obata at Topaz Relocation camp in Utah during the World War II internment of Japanese Americans, and is told through the eyes of a radicalized young Japanese-American student. Dust storms were common in the barren Utah desert and are also a theme of Obata's artwork from the time. Slides of Obata's work enhance the scenes in the play. The program is a presentation of the museum's Art and History Guilds. $8 advance tickets/$10 at the door; $5 seniors and students (with ID).

Advance tickets available by mail. Please make check payable to OMCA/AG and mail to R. Hussey, 510 Starmount Ct., Danville, CA 94526. Indicate performance date and the number of tickets (adult, student, or senior). All advance tickets will be held at the door. Dust Storm is a presentation of the museum's Art and History Guilds.

For an online PDF flyer visit: www.museumca.org/pdf/Dust Storm.pdf

For more information:
http://duendedrama.org/pCHT_DustStorm.htm
http://www.museumca.org/cal-public/calendar.cgi?month=06
http://zdrake.blogspot.com/2007/04/dust-storm-june-1-3-at-oakland-museum.html
http://www.manythreads.org/events/ksw2.html

* * *
Water Babies: Coming to Terms with Abortion

Thursday, June 7, 2007
7 - 9:00 pm
Screening of film trailer "Water Babies: Coming to Terms with Abortion" by Lina Hoshino
followed by Panel Discussion facilitated by Rev. Deborah Lee featuring

Lina Hoshino, filmmaker of "Water Babies: Coming to Terms with Abortion"
Maria Nakae, Alliance Building Coordinator, Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice
Talia Walsmith, Exhale

Abortion is a critical issue for API women. Thirty-five percent of pregnancies end in abortion for API women, compared to 18% for white women, representing the second highest percentage for all racial and ethnic groups. In addition, from 1994 to 2000, abortion rates fell for all groups except API women. Yet Asian perspectives are rarely heard in the heated public debate on reproductive rights.

Abortion itself is both intensely personal and intensively politicized. It is perhaps unique in the way that it brings political and moral judgment to bear on painfully intimate personal choices -- judgment that can prevent women from making the best decisions for themselves and from coping with their experiences in healthy ways.

Come join us at KSW and learn about Japanese ritual of addressing the experience of abortion, API reproductive justice movement today, and Exhale, a hotline for women who have abortions.

Lina will talk about her new documentary about the Japanese "water baby" ritual of consecrating the spirit of the unformed child to the protection of a Jizo bodhisattva.

Maria will give a brief overview of today’s reproductive justice movement, which places the reproductive health and rights of women and girls within a social justice framework. She will discuss how the politicization and stigma around abortion silence the voices of women who are most impacted, and how the reproductive justice movement works to address the real needs of
women and support their well being by allowing for the complexities of people’s beliefs and lived experiences around issues of abortion. Finally, she will share ACRJ’s experience of working with young Asian women to explore their own values and opinions around abortion, and their efforts to fight for the self-determination of young women in their communities.

Talia will talk about Exhale, who's mission is to create a social climate where each person's unique experience with abortion is supported, respected and free from stigma. Exhale operates the nation's first free, nonjudgmental after-abortion talkline which provides emotional support, resources and information to women and girls who have had abortions and to their partners, friends, allies and family members. The talkline is available in six languages, seven day a week. Talia will discuss Exhale's services and the various healing rituals and self-care options their talkline callers have found useful for post-abortion emotional health and well-being.

Panelists
Lina Hoshino
Many Threads
Lina Hoshino is a filmmaker and new media designer whose films, including the award winning Story of Margo, In God's House: Asian American Lesbian and Gay Families in the Church and Caught in Between: What to Call Home in Times of War screened internationally in many film festivals. As a co-founder of Many Threads and Tactile Pictures, Lina has led creative and design efforts for many community organizations. Her mother is from Taiwan and her father is from Japan. Lina grew up living in the U.S., Japan, and France. She studied painting and sculpture at Carnegie Mellon University.

Rev. Deborah Lee
PANA Institute of Pacific School of Religion
Deborah Lee is program director of the PANA Institute (Institute for Leadership Development and Study of Pacific Asian North American Religion) at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley and coordinator of the Civil Liberty and Faith project. She is a minister in the United Church of Christ and the coordinator of the Network on Religion and Justice for API-LGBT persons (NRJ-API-LGBT).

Maria Nakae
Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice
Maria Nakae is the Alliance Building Coordinator and a New Voices Fellow at Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice (ACRJ). Her work at ACRJ focuses on building alliances, conducting trainings, and developing tools and resources to advance the reproductive justice movement. Prior to joining ACRJ, Maria worked with community- and school-based programs to increase access to reproductive health services for youth in immigrant communities and communities of color. She also has research experience on a wide range of issues including parenting and child development, homelessness and mental health, and domestic violence prevention. Maria is first-generation Japanese and grew up in Portland, OR. She holds a BA in Psychology from New York University and a Masters in Public Health from UC Berkeley.

Talia Walsmith
Exhale
Talia Walsmith started at Exhale in 2002 as a volunteer after-abortion counselor and served on Exhale's Board of Directors from 2004-2006. Currently, Talia coordinates the day-to-day operations of Exhale's programs which include the nation's first nonjudgmental post-abortion talkline, regional trainings for health care providers, and Exhale's bilingual abortion zine. Prior to joining Exhale, Talia served as administrative staff for the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network and as Associate Clinic Manager at the Women's Community Clinic in San Francisco. She is currently getting her Masters in Women's Spirituality at New College of California.

* * *
June 17: Honolulu Showing of In God's House

Date: Sunday, June 17, 2007

Time: 6 - 7:30 pm

Address: 3608 Diamond Head Circle, Honolulu, HI 96815

Contact: jonipherkwong_AT_aol_DOT_com, 808-728-8811

About the film: www.ingodshouse.com

* * *
The Sikh Center of San Francisco Bay Area invites
the Interfaith Community of the Bay Area to participate in a

Nagar Kirtan
(singing of spiritual songs around town)

Please Join Us!

El Sobrante Gurdwara
3550 Hillcrest Rd., El Sobrante, Ca

June 17, 2007
10-A.M. to 3-00 P.M.

Contact:
Dr. J.P. Singh, President of the El Sobrante Gurdwara, 510-543-7543
Dr. Joty Sikand, Vice President, Ik Onkar Peace Foundation: 510-825-1793

The Sikh Center of San Francisco Bay Area Gurdwara Management is organizing a Nagar Kirtan (Singing of spiritual songs) around the Town of El Sobrante to commemorate the 4001 Martyrdom Day of Sri Guru Arjan Dev ji. He compiled the sacred book Sri Guru Granth Sahib that the Sikhs consider as their eternal living Guru. It has 1430 pages of sacred verses written by the six Sikh Gurus and twenty nine saints and Sufi poets representing all different religions of India of that period, different parts of the country and different castes. They wrote in different languages, such as, Punjabi, Brij Bhasha, Sankrit, Farsi, Bangla and Marathi etc. It truly represents the spiritual unity of the universe. Guru Arjan Dev ji wrote:

The sense of enmity and estrangement is lost
Since I have been in the company of saints
Foe and stranger there is none
I am at peace with every one
I accept with pleasure my Beloved’s command
This is the wisdom I received from the saints
The Divine Master resides in every one
Beholding Him in every one, Nanak is ecstatic

Ik Onkar Peace Foundation is an Inter-faith Cooperation Circle of the United Religions Initiative (U.R.I.). It is also one of the sponsors of the Inter-faith Center at Presidio, San Francisco and a member of the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council.

AABA Update from Louis Lee (MESA) - 05.07.07

This AABA (Asian American Bay Area) Fellowship update contains the following notes -

1. Please RSVP for AABA meeting on Wed. June 20 at SLZJCC.
2. Ministry resources -
- ABC pastor available to guest preach on Sunday, June 17.
- Korean American minister seeks new church ministry.
- Pastor Ken Carlson seeks blog dialogue on English ministry in Chinese churches.
- Drs. Cloud/Townsend team teach Boundaries via satellite on Sat Feb 2, 2008.
3. Only $10/pair of tix for SF Giants home games! Contact Louis Lee!

****************************************************************************
1. Please RSVP for AABA meeting on Wed. June 20 at SLZJCC.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend our next AABA meeting on Wed. June 20 at 10:30am. These quarterly fellowship meetings are a great time of sharing ministry resources, small group sharing and praying, and an informal complimentary lunch at HomeTown Buffet for those who can stay.

****************************************************************************
2. Ministry resources

- ABC pastor available to guest preach on Sunday, June 17.
An ABC pastor friend of mine who grew up in Castro Valley at Neighborhood Church, is available to serve as a guest preacher on Sunday June 17 in the East Bay area. Derek Quan is a graduate of Western Seminary (M.Div.) and Phoenix Seminary (D.Min.). He has been serving the past 14 years as the English Pastor of the Greater Phoenix Chinese Christian Church. Churches in the East Bay can contact Derek at derekquan_AT_gpccc_DOT_org.

- Korean American minister seeks new church ministry.
My name is John Park and I was born and raised in Korea. In college, I studied English Literature. When I got to the age when I had to serve the army, I joined the 8th United States Army as a KATUSA (Korean Augmentation Troops to the United States Army) solder. During the military years, I was active in fellowshipping with other Christians and in reaching out to non-Christian American soldiers. I received my MDiv. degree from Asian Center for Theological Studies and Missions in Seoul, Korea. Upon finishing my Mdiv. studies, I came to the United States back in January 1999. Currently, I am currently working on my dissertation at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The focus of my studies is missions. As for family, I have been married to my wife, Sumi, for ten years and we have one son, Moses, who is seven years old.
As for ministry experience, I am very experienced in working with different ethnic groups. When I was in Korea, I planted an English-speaking church with a Korean-American missionary. I co-pastored the church with him. I also worked for Mission Korea, a missions mobilization organization which holds bi-annual missions conference. When the conference was held, I worked as coordinator for the 100 plus international participants in the conference. Also, when I did my MDiv. studies at Asian Center for Theological Studies and Misisons, I studied with students from African and Asian countries in English. After I came to the States, I worked as youth pastor for five years and for the last three and a half years I have been serving as college/young adults pastor at Korean-American First Baptist Church of Arlington in Arlington, TX. I have gone on several short-term mission trips to countries such as China and the Philippines and different states in the U.S. Back in 2004, I led a break-out session entitled Asian Youth Ministry at Youth Lab, an annual youth conference held at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
I am quite a unique candidate for English-speaking ministry first because I wasn't born nor grew up in the States and second because I am on an F-1 visa. I am currently planning to apply for Pre-OPT (Practical Training which I can sign up for since I finished my Ph.D. coursework) so that I can work legally in the United States. Whichever church hires me will have to help me to get an R-1 Visa (Religious Visa) and a green card so that I can continue to work in the States legally."
You can reach me via email at heyldoer_AT_sbcglobal_DOT_net or by phone at 817-881-2029 (cell).

- Pastor Ken Carlson seeks dialogue on English ministry in Chinese churches.

Dear co-workers for the Gospel,

On my blog I have started a series entitled "30 Days on the Chinese Church." Specifically, I want to focus on how to have a mature, effective English ministry in a Chinese church. But I don't want to merely share my own opinion. Instead, I would like to invite you to join a blog based discussion on this topic.
Every day this month (except Sundays) I plan to write a new post. I welcome your suggestions for topics! I also welcome your contributions in discussion via the comments on each post. If you have a blog and want to write a longer article on a related topic, feel free to post a link to it in a comment on my blog. That way we can stimulate discussion on some key issues that we all face. The first few articles are pretty basic, but I wanted to lay the groundwork before we get into the details. Let me know what suggestions you have for the series.
I know that we all are very busy. But if some of you are able to take a few minutes to read through the articles and give me feedback, as well as add your own contributions, we will all benefit.
The series can be found via this link:
http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/category/series/chinese-church/
To read the posts in order, you will need to start with the bottom article and work upwards. If you use a feed reader, there is a link at the bottom of the page to subscribe to the series.

Blessings!
Pastor Ken Carlson

- Drs. Cloud/Townsend team teach Boundaries via satellite on Sat Feb 2, 2008.

Hello Everyone – Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ!

Exciting news from the ministry of Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend! No, not another book – although they are writing again!
First, have you seen our new web site at www.cloudtownsend.com? Forget about getting any work done during in the day; you’ll be spending your days interacting on the web site with John and Henry learning new leadership info, how to serve your church community better, advice on family matters, & marriages, parenting – the site has endless in possibilities!
Next! My most exciting news! A historic one day event…Saturday, February 2, 2008 Drs. Cloud & Townsend together for the first time in 15 yrs. teaching Boundaries all across North America! It is a satellite presentation from our partner -CCN Church Communication Network. CCN is the leader in excellence in Christian satellite programming. Along with John and Henry, many of the great Christian leaders & teachers in the world are producing remarkable programming on CCN www.ccn.tv
Many of you have desired to invite John or Henry to speak at your church or organization. For a myriad of different reasons it hasn’t happened. However! This special event will afford you the opportunity to invite them to appear (via satellite) in your church AND create a great evangelical outreach to the people in your surrounding area – It will be an immense blessing for your own church family & staff as well.
Imagine tens of thousands of people across North America getting healthy on the same day! And God gets the Glory!
For more information on this event, please contact me at kpatton_AT_ccn_DOT_tv or 800-676-4673 x4. For you early birds, I have a special pricing available until June 30, 2007.
I pray that you are healthy and life is good for you and yours!

In Christ ~ Kris Patton
Ministry Consultant ~ Group & Event Specialist Cloud-Townsend Resources & CCN
800-676-4673 x4 Pacific Time
kpatton_AT_ccn_DOT_tv
www.cloudtownsend.com, www.ccn.tv

**************************************************************************

3. Only $10/pair of tix for SF Giants home games!

I am once again lowering the price of my pair of SF Giants tix (section #330, row 9), especially for those in full time ministry! For home games Mon-Thurs, the new price is only $10 for both tix (face value is $20 for both tix) and only $15 for both tix for games on Fri-Sunday (face value is $40 for both tix)! (these prices apply to all home games except premium games vs the LA Dodgers, the Oakland A's, the NY Yankees, as well as games when Barry Bonds is getting within 3-4 home runs of setting the all time career home run record)

Please check the Giants website for their schedule, and then check with me for the games you wantl

If you have friends or family that are not in vocational ministry but want to purchase any of these Giants tix, please add $5 to the prices listed above for each pair of tix ($15 a pair for weekday games and $20 for weekend games).

Remember, the Monterey Bay Aquarium two guest passes will only be available through this July, 2007. Please contact me to reserve their use ASAP.

Southeast Asian worship renewal and leadership conference (N. Cal.)

ISAAC Board member, Dr. Russell Yee, invites you to "Deeper Roots, Stronger Shoots" - a fun, inspiring, and educational time exploring SEA worship and ministry leadership. This conference, directed by Dr. Yee, will take place June 1-2, 2007 (Friday evening and all day Saturday) at Yiu-Mienh Bapitst Church in Richmond, Northern California.

Cost: Free ($15 suggested donation at the door)
Meals: Provided
Registration: None, just come (let Dr. Russell Yee know if you're bringing a group of 5 or more)
A free book or CD to every participant!

For more information, go to: www.seacleaders.com/deeproots or contact Dr. Russell Yee ASAP.