"Spirituality" sounds a bit vague and ethereal, but it need not be so.

In fact, a vital, healthy spirituality has considerable embodiment.

"Spirituality Con Carne" asks each of us how we are living out our faith in ways both large and small, and helps us develop deeper and more active expressions of faith.

This is the last Sunday worship service conducted by our summer minister, Rev. Dr. Gordon Gibson, before he and his wife Judy return to Knoxville. A reception will be held following the service -- our last chance to thank them for enriching our congregation with their personal warmth and Rev. Gibson's thoughtful sermons.

from Andrea Jorgensen

The premiere of the 9 @ Night Film Series kicks off at 6:30 tonight (August 28) with a Pre-Opening Benefit supporting Faithful Fools Street Ministry. The celebration will be at the Delancy Street Foundation, 600 Embarcadero.

Admission is free, and the program will feature tastings from Prager Winery & Port Works and Chocolatier Blue and a live auction with opportunities to bid on items such as a role in an upcoming Rob Nilsson film.

Rob Nilsson is a Cannes Camera d'Or and Sundance Grand Prize winner and Bay Area native. From 1992-2007, he worked with the Tenderloin yGroup, an actors' workshop recruited from the streets. Recovering homeless, drug users, and street people mingled with professional actors, inner city residents and all-comers. For many years, these workshops were held in the upstairs space at the Faithful Fools.

The result is 9 @ Night, a series of nine dramatic feature films chronicling the lives of 40-50 fictional characters living on the edges of society in San Francisco's Tenderloin. Each film stands alone but the 9 together weave a single 14-hour portrait of 21st century urban characters struggling to survive.

Sponsors, supporters and speakers include:

• San Francisco Film Commission with Stefanie Coyote
• Mill Valley Film Festival with Mark Fishkin
• Bay Area Video Coalition
• San Francisco Film Society with Graham Leggat
• Stacy Keach
• Ron Perlman

Please RSVP online at or call 474-0508 during business hours.

You're invited to meet new people, share important parts of your life, explore interesting topics, and grow spiritually in a welcoming setting! Small Group Ministry invites anyone who is interested -- members, friends, and visitors -- to sign up for this year's small groups. Each group of about 10 people will meet for two hours twice per month from late September through May.

To join a small group, apply online or fill out a paper application in the church office by September 14. Please feel free to contact Carol Ruley, Chair Small Group Ministry, at 846-3986 or via email with any questions.