Santa Teresa Hills Presbyterian Church

Santa Teresa Hills Presbyterian Church Welcome to Santa Teresa Hills Presbyterian Church (STHPC), a loving, diverse and nurturing place to grow that proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Led by Pastor Deborah Troester

A few memories from the Night of Praise and Worship back in April. Thanks, Carine and Cathy for organizing this event!
06/04/2026

A few memories from the Night of Praise and Worship back in April. Thanks, Carine and Cathy for organizing this event!

God chooses ordinary people to do God’s work – people like Abraham and Sarah in the Old Testament and people like the di...
06/04/2026

God chooses ordinary people to do God’s work – people like Abraham and Sarah in the Old Testament and people like the disciples in the New Testament. When we are open to God’s call, God guides and blesses us, and our lives are transformed. We become a blessing to others, as we do God’s work.
This week we look at the stories of Abraham and Sarah, and of one of the disciples, Matthew, to see how God called and blessed them, and their lives became a blessing to the world.
The Chancel Choir will sing the spiritual “Rain Down”; “Abraham Journeyed to a New Country,” a familiar tune with new lyrics by hymnwriter Carolyn Winfrey Gillette; and, emphasizing our theme this week, “Blessed to Be a Blessing” by Carol Petersen. Join us!

Art: Narcisse Berchère (French, 1819–1891); A Caravan in the Desert. Watercolor. Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

We hosted our Presbytery's the Unity Candle this past Sunday!
06/02/2026

We hosted our Presbytery's the Unity Candle this past Sunday!

For forty days after Easter, Jesus appeared to his followers and imparted his final wisdom and blessing to them. Then, a...
05/14/2026

For forty days after Easter, Jesus appeared to his followers and imparted his final wisdom and blessing to them. Then, as the Apostles’ Creed states, “He ascended into heaven.” This Sunday we observe the Ascension and reflect on the final words Christ shared with his disciples and what they mean to us today.
Join us, in person or online, to be inspired by our Chancel Choir and to hear what Pastor Deb has to say about the Ascension of Christ.
Art: JESUS MAFA. The Ascension, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48398 [retrieved May 24, 2022]. Original source: http://www.librairie-emmanuel.fr (contact page: https://www.librairie-emmanuel.fr/contact). In this beautiful rendering of the ascension, Jesus holds out his hands in blessing as he begins to rise to the heavens. The disciples, among whom is one of the women, gaze up at him. Their faces express mixtures of adoration, amazement, curiosity, fear, sadness, and joy. The disciples are finally beginning to realize and understand Jesus’ mission. May we too realize that we can embody the risen Christ in the world—loving extravagantly, living abundantly, and promoting justice and peace for all peoples.

This Sunday we will be celebrating Mother’s Day at STHPC. Pastor Deb will speak about some of the mothers in Jesus’ line...
05/07/2026

This Sunday we will be celebrating Mother’s Day at STHPC. Pastor Deb will speak about some of the mothers in Jesus’ lineage. What can we learn from their lives that might help us today?
We will also be baptizing one of our young people and will be inspired by music from the STHPC Cameroon Choir. Plan to join us for this special day!
Art: Presbyterian Women Horizons Bible Study, 2021-22

The church is more than a building. We are the church. As Peter says, we are “living stones” built on Christ, the corner...
04/30/2026

The church is more than a building. We are the church. As Peter says, we are “living stones” built on Christ, the cornerstone (1 Peter 2:5-6). How can we build up and strengthen our church? That is our theme for this Sunday at STHPC.
We will celebrate Holy Communion, and the Chancel Choir will be singing some beautiful pieces to complement the service, including the inspiring anthem, “In Christ Alone,” and John Michael Talbot’s “Lord, I Put My Life in Your Hands,” along with a rousing new version of “How Can I Keep from Singing?” Everyone is welcome!
Photo by Vlad Kutepov on Unsplash.

The Bible often compares us to sheep. Is that really a compliment? Sheep are not known for their intelligence or even fo...
04/23/2026

The Bible often compares us to sheep. Is that really a compliment? Sheep are not known for their intelligence or even for their endearing behavior. They can be stubborn and smelly. Yet the shepherd takes care of them. The Psalmist says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Despite our faults, God cares for us as a shepherd does his sheep. Join us this Sunday as we take another look at Psalm 23 and Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
After the service, we will celebrate Pastor Deb’s birthday with a Cameroonian feast! No gifts, please – only letters for Bread for the World’s Offering of Letters. (See the announcement in the bulletin attached below for details.) Everyone is welcome!
Art: JESUS MAFA. “The Good Shepherd,” from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, Tennessee. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48288. Original source: http://www.librairie-emmanuel.fr (contact page: https://www.librairie-emmanuel.fr/contact). JESUS MAFA is a response to the New Testament readings from the Lectionary by a Christian community in Cameroon, Africa.

Two people walking from Jerusalem to the nearby town of Emmaus one afternoon eventually realized that the Risen Christ w...
04/16/2026

Two people walking from Jerusalem to the nearby town of Emmaus one afternoon eventually realized that the Risen Christ was walking with them, even though they didn’t recognize him at first. Jesus also walks with us in our daily lives. Even though we can’t see him physically, he is present with us spiritually. Learn more this Sunday as Pastor Deb preaches on “Walking with Jesus.” You are welcome, whether in person or on-line!
Photo: Abdullah Kasim on Unsplash.com

When Christ first appeared to his gathered disciples after the Resurrection, he spoke to them, saying, “Peace be with yo...
04/09/2026

When Christ first appeared to his gathered disciples after the Resurrection, he spoke to them, saying, “Peace be with you.” But one disciple was not there: Thomas. When he heard that Jesus had been raised from the dead, he did not believe it. Hence, he is forever known as “doubting Thomas.”
This week Pastor Deb will examine the questions, “What is doubt? Is it always a bad thing? How can we have peace, despite our doubts, or is that even possible?”
Whether in person or online, you are invited to join us this Sunday at STHPC. May the peace of the Risen Christ be with you!

Art: Miller, Mary Jane. Doubting Thomas, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, Tennessee. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=59684 Original source: Mary Jane Miller, https://www.millericons.com/.

Address

5370 Snell Avenue
San Jose, CA
95123

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 11am

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