Upcoming Regional Stephen Ministries Learning Event Hosted at San Diego Church Offers Insights for Building a More Caring World

San Diego, California—On Saturday, January 30, 2027, Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego will be hosting a regional, cross-denominational celebration and learning event by Stephen Ministries, the international Christian educational nonprofit best known for the Stephen Ministry system of lay caregiving.

The event, part of Stephen Ministries’ 50th anniversary tour, is open to the general public and features presentations on topics such as grief, what Jesus teaches us about empathy, caring for full-time caregivers, cancer ministry, expanding congregational care through Stephen Ministry, and how churches can help combat the mental health crisis. Stephen Ministries’ founder, Dr. Kenneth C. Haugk, and other members of the organization’s teaching faculty will be speaking at the event.

Stephen Ministries was founded in 1975 by Haugk, a pastor and clinical psychologist. Over the half-century since, the organization’s resources have been used by tens of thousands of congregations worldwide, representing over 190 Christian denominations. Through Stephen Ministry in particular, more than 600,000 people have been trained as lay caregivers, and they in turn have provided care to millions of hurting people.

To mark fifty years of ministry, Stephen Ministries is conducting a nationwide tour of celebration and learning events. The tour began in St. Louis in August 2025 and will continue throughout 2027, with additional stops planned in Raleigh, Detroit, the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the Sacramento area, and more. The theme of the tour is “Building a More Caring World,” which reflects Stephen Ministries’ vision to help all people care and relate with greater compassion and excellence. In addition, Stephen Ministries is introducing a new initiative for helping congregations combat the mental health crisis.

“We’re so excited to welcome Dr. Haugk and the Stephen Ministries team to San Diego,” says Jason Ko, Lead Pastor at Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church. “Our congregation has used and benefited from their resources for years, and we can’t wait for others in our community and region to learn from their staff’s decades of research and experience.”

The Stephen Ministries 50th Anniversary Celebration and Learning Event hosted by Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2027, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. On-site check-in begins at 8:00 a.m. The cost is $15 per person, and a box lunch can be purchased for an additional $12. To learn more and register yourself or a group, visit stephenministries.org/celebrateSD.

Spots are limited. For additional details or questions, call the Stephen Ministries office at (314) 428-2600.

BREAKING BREAD, OCTOBER 2026

PSWR Disciples,

May the peace of God be with you.

2 Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 3 He said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels—and not just a few. 4 Then go in, shut the door behind you and your children, and start pouring into all these vessels; when each is full, set it aside.” 5 So she left him and shut the door behind her and her children; they kept bringing vessels to her, and she kept pouring. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” But he said to her, “There are no more.” Then the oil stopped flowing. – 2 Kings 4: 2-6 NRSVUE

These past few weeks, the story of the Widow and the Oil have been helping me process some of the frightening times we’re facing as a society and as a church. With some intention, I begin with verse two as it is no longer difficult to imagine such a family who can become so indebted by the loss or separation of a parent or guardian. Some of our communities and congregations have been enduring the increase of immigration enforcement. Like Elisha, we are doing what we can in partnership with the families, congregations, and help of our general units to bring some temporary stability. Like this story, we may be faced with one family, and still a responsibility to question and act on behalf of the many more vessels around us in need to be filled with oil.

I admire Elisha’s question of the Widow, like other prophets, before and still today who pose an invitation, provide an opportunity for empowerment, and liberation. What may seem small and insignificant in the eyes of someone can become more than enough when the community becomes involved. In order for there to had been so many more empty vessels in the community other families must have been struggling as well. This Widow defied the culture milieu, saved her family and very well her community.

In a recent visit of a congregation, a retired pastor sat with me and declared himself to be an empty vessel. We really don’t know what struggles we each carry as individuals, families, and communities. What we can takeaway from the Widow and the Oil is that many challenges can be faced and overcome with others, the community, and the church. In this month of Pastor Appreciation, I give thanks to God for clergy all across the PSWR who continue filling their vessels with oil to help bandage the sick, heal the wounded, and proclaim hope to the hopeless. Although, not just any hope, the kind of hope that is defiant in ways to bless their neighbors, communities, churches and so many more.

Please congratulate our Associate Regional Minister, Rev. Dr. Jo Ann Bynum on her recent honor and celebration by the PSWR African American Convocation and so many more partners. She has had a great impact on the body of Christ and indeed has shared oil with so many empty vessels.

Pray Continually. Speak Out on behalf of the Voiceless. Do the difficult work of the common good. Be gentle to yourself and to all people.

Blessings,
Richie

Breaking Bread, September 2026

PSWR Disciples,

May the peace of God be with you.

18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook. 19 Your way was through the sea, your path through the mighty waters, yet your footprints were unseen. 20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. – Psalm 77: 18-20 NRSVUE

As many across the nation are enduring an almost unbearable rise in temperatures these past few months, we can’t help but think about the heat, the changing climate, and the world around us. Some of us can’t wait until the summer is over. Can you believe only three weeks remain? Maybe you are like me and are wondering where the summer went. So many people I encounter during these times are living with whirlwind schedules.  If you live on the West Coast, you might have some experience with earthquakes, trembling, and shaking. We're also hearing more and more about it happening around the world. Sudden, unpredictable actions and changes in the environment can arise, which are (for the most part) beyond our control.

The psalmist in our selected reading cleverly continues the psalm by describing thunder as a crash in the whirlwind. Like in the environment, some occurrences in our lives are completely unexpected, sudden, and come with no time restrictions. We can look at a calendar and prepare well for the seasons. But… the unpredictable and changes are always possible. Yet, in verse 19, what a gift it is to find, recall, and remember the miraculous when standing before what seems improbable; what incredible courage the people of God must have had to expect a way through the sea and a path through mighty waters. While there were no footsteps to follow. They had other signs. They also had committed and faithful leadership to follow. Please pray for your pastors, chaplains, elders, church, and community leaders who are finding themselves facing very challenging times and waters to cross. They are not targets for our anger, fears, and pain. We count on those faithful for leadership, encouragement, care, and reminders of the triumphs from our past as well as the promises for our future (even when it all seems improbable).

There is a classic proverb that says, “Nature, time, and patience are the three great physicians.” Over all these healers and teachers, “God has been our help in ages past and will be our hope for years to come.” (NIB, 1996) Let us continue defiant in hope, trusting our ways and paths forward through the improbable can/will be visible soon enough. Breathe. Love life. Stay cool!  Enjoy ice cream or a shaved ice where possible.

Pray Continually. Speak Out on behalf of the Voiceless. Do the difficult work of the common good. Be gentle to yourself and to all people.

 Blessings,
Richie

Recognition: Border Dignity Project

Over the past ten months, the Border Dignity Project has grown from a vision into a living ministry of hope, compassion, and solidarity. Through a strong partnership with CESFOM (Centro Scalabrini de Formación para Migrantes/Scalabrini Formation Center for Migrants) and alongside other organizations committed to social justice in Tijuana, the project has expanded opportunities for migrants through educational programs and professional job training skills. Together, we have accompanied people from many walks of life, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals, Haitian families, and migrants from across the Globe, with the mission of affirming their dignity, nurturing their gifts, and helping build pathways toward a more hopeful and stable present-future. 

On June 20, CESFOM joyfully celebrated five years of serving the Tijuana community. During this special anniversary gathering, CESFOM honored the Border Dignity Project as one of its valued sponsors and trusted ministry partners. This recognition is a testament to what can happen when communities come together across borders, cultures, and experiences to embody justice, hospitality, care for one another, and human dignity. 

The plaque engraves the following script: ‘The Scalabrini Formation Center for Migrants thanks the Disciples of Christ for believing, supporting, and being part of the Scalabrini mission; with deep appreciation to University Christian Church, Week of Compassion, DOC Pacific Southwest Region, and Southern California-Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ.’ 

As Program Director, I give thanks for all who have made this ecumenical ministry at the border possible (all the sponsors mentioned on the plaque) and look forward with hope to the many lives that will continue to be transformed through this shared work of compassion, accompaniment, and belonging. May this milestone be only the beginning of this ministry that highlights voices and narratives at the border in the line of dignity and justice. 

In the spirit of Justice and Care, 
Rev. Diego Salazar-Galvis 
Program Director 
Border Dignity Project 
Disciples of Christ /United Church of Christ 

Special Invitation - 2026 General Assembly Beyond: Love Surpassing Ephesians 3:14-21

On Friday, July 10th, and Saturday, July 11th, 2026, designated Church delegates (congregations using Alex - Data for Disciples), and Clergy with standing, will serve as voters (automatically included), and registered participants across our wider church will celebrate the beginning of our Trienium as the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. This meeting will be online for the first two years of the Triennium and in person every third year, allowing more Disciples to connect more frequently and work together more fully “to be the church we say we are.”

Additional dates for the Upcoming General Assembly Triennium:
2027 General Assembly Online, July 9 - 10, 2027
2028 General Assembly In Person, July 8 -11, 2028

You may register here and join this General Assembly from almost anywhere with an internet connection.

Wouldn’t it be great for you to connect and enjoy the General Assembly with your PSWR Disciples and friends at a local gathering site? On May 21, 2026, an invitation was sent from the Office of the General Minister and President to congregations across the 31 regions, inviting them to become local gathering sites (the Pacific Southwest Region sites are listed below), and online, all will be using a single primary platform (BigMarker) for our collective virtual participation.

To encourage you to attend a local gathering near you, our regional office will reimburse the $30 registration fee for any registrant / church-designated delegate (max. 3 per church) who chooses to join one of these gatherings on-site on Saturday, July 11th, 2026 (8 am – 3 pm PDT). All we’ll need is for the host site leader to email our office at reception@docpswr.org confirming your attendance (name and email address).

Also, at each local gathering site, we’ll have access to a few signed copies of Staying at the Table by our General Minister and President, Rev. Terri Hord Owens. These may be an individual gift or part of a door raffle at each local gathering site (subject to site size, attendance, and/or availability on Saturday, July 11, 2026). Clergy who report their attendance can earn 0.5 CEUs by reporting it on their standing forms.

I am looking forward to attending the General Assembly at one of these Local Gathering Sites (confirmed open as of July 7, 2026):

First Christian Church, 4390 Colfax Ave, Studio City, CA 91604 (open Friday, July 10th, 12 pm - 4:15 pm PDT) RSVP for the Friday Event https://tinyurl.com/2026GeneralAssemblyWatchParty

First Christian Church, 1130 E Walnut Avenue, Orange, CA 92867 (open Friday, July 10th, 12 pm - 4:15 pm and Saturday, July 11th, 8 am - 3 pm PDT)

Iglesia Nueva Vida, 4055 Jurupa Avenue, Riverside, CA 92506 (open Saturday, July 11th, 8 am - 3 pm PDT) - Closed Caption in Spanish

“If you’ve never attended General Assembly before, a special welcome is extended to you.”

Blessings,
Richie

Click here to download 2026 General Assembly Resources (pdf link)