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Message from Rev. Renee Rico, our new interim pastor: Dear friends, By now you've heard that I will be joining you as a "temporary shepherd" (interim pastor) beginning on the 20th of July. I'm excited to become part of the ministry that you are already doing in God's name. I come to you as a trained, intentional interim pastor, having served in that capacity since graduating from San Francisco Theological Seminary in 1998. So far I've been an interim in Salt Lake City, Sacramento, San Rafael (Christ Presbyterian), and San Anselmo (Sleepy Hollow). I love the changes and new experiences involved in interim ministry, but I'll confess that I'm glad I won't have to move this time! So, who am I? Well, I grew up in Southern California in the greater Los Angeles area, and got a BA degree in economics from Pomona College in Claremont, CA. From there I went to Washington, DC and worked for the Federal Government for 14 years for the Environmental Protection Agency before entering seminary. I am single, but owned by two beautiful cats, Brandy and Isadora, who entertain me constantly. For me, the "Superbowl" of sports is the World Figure Skating Championships each winter, even though I can't even do a back crossover, and one of my favorite hobbies is knitting. Our journey together will be one of discovery - discovering what the Holy One desires for this congregation, and leading to the election of a new pastor, gifted with the talents to lead the congregation into its new identity. At times, the journey can feel like hard slogging, at others, filled with grace. Together, we can make it a meaningful time of healing and growth in the life of SPC. Like the apostle Paul, my ministry is to help for a while and then move on. That does not mean I won't be fully with you while I'm here as your pastor to provide pastoral care, worship, training, and the many other tasks outlined by Session. But it does mean that we walk into this relationship knowing that it is only meant for a season until a more permanent shepherd joins you for the next part of the journey. I'm looking forward to getting to know each of you individually and as a collective congregation making up the SPC family. As announced earlier, my job as interim will be about 70% time. Within the time that we have together, I'll work closely with Session to see that we address the most important issues for the healing, growth, and continued strength of SPC. Blessings and light, Renee |