ABOUT US
God’s love is not coercive, but inviting, accepting, forgiving. God’s grace is ever-present and enables us to believe in the Lordship of Jesus Christ – to accept God’s love as revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus – and to live with assurance, joy and purpose through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
OUR VISION
Evergreen Valley UMC is a welcoming congregation that adheres to the United Methodist motto: “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.”
While we hold to an orthodox Trinitarian theology, grounded in a Wesleyan understanding of God’s three-fold demonstration of grace through Jesus Christ – we welcome those who are journeying in their faith toward a deeper and clearer understanding of who God is and what it means to be a Christian
WHAT WE DO
The life of faith is a challenging one – which is best lived out in a community where questions are welcomed and humility and grace are generously supplied. Here you will find the Gospel preached and taught with conviction, authority and passion – but you will also find compassion, understanding and an openness to questions about faith and doctrine, scriptures and beliefs. In the many dimensions of our life together as disciples we seek to learn from one another, grow in our faithfulness to God and be shaped more and more into the image of Jesus Christ.
OUR COMMUNITY
It takes a community to raise a disciple.
Faithful discipleship is the goal of all believers – yet it is not a solitary occupation, but learned and experienced in a supportive, loving community. Balancing the interior life of faith and devotion – through prayer, study and spiritual disciplines - with exterior expressions of faith by participation in worship, and serving others inside the church and in the community – is our goal as a congregation.
MEET THE CHURCH STAFF
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the
Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Genesis 2:15
Rev. Craig Yoshihara
Lead Pastor
Pastor Craig has been serving the local church for 15 years before coming to EVUMC. He attended Candler School of Theology at Emory University and graduated with a Masters of Divinity with thesis. He also has degrees from UCLA (BA in Political Science and Psychology) and CSULB (MA in Political Science). He is passionate about sharing God's love and helping to make Christianity relevant in today's world. Feel free to follow him on his website - www.craigyoshihara.com. For more about Craig at EVUMC, click "Read More" below.
Chris Suba
Youth Ministry Director
My name is Christian Suba and I am excited to become a part of Evergreen Valley United Methodist Church as the director of the youth program! My three siblings and I were born here in San Jose and have spent the majority of our lives just a few blocks away from this church. So being a part of a community that works to strengthen the values and integrity of our neighborhood is a very exciting prospect for me. I love new experiences which have culminated in what I call a "hobby of taking up hobbies." As such, I am eager to engage with the youth in a plethora of things that I love, while in turn learning new things from them.
Gwen Phan
Office & Facilities Manager
Gwen is the Office and Facilities Manager and bookkeeper for EVUMC. She is a 3rd generation United Methodist. Gwen was a member of First United Methodist Church of Pasay City (Philippines) until she migrated to the US in 1980 and then at Valley Faith UMC before coming to EVUMC in 2003.
She and her husband, Khoi, have a daughter, Katrina, who is now a teacher in Massachusetts, and a son, Nicholas, who is finishing up college at UCSD. Gwen earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree (Accounting Concentration) from SJSU and worked for IBM’s Storage Systems Division on Cottle Rd. for several years before becoming a stay-home mom when her son was born. Now an empty nester, Gwen enjoys working in the office, volunteering for church activities, and visiting with members of our church community.
Red Concepcion
Music Director
More to come...