Pastor Sandy Has Been Ordained

"These services of worship are an acknowledgement of a lot of work, a lot of prayer...on the soon to be minister's part and on the part of the community," said Rev. Dr. Erin McGee, Lead Transitional Presbyter of Whitewater Valley Presbytery. She was referencing Pastor Sandy Garcia's Ordination Day on March 15 at Grace Presbyterian, in the North Highlands neighborhood.

"It is a joy that so many are here to surround Sandy with the love, care, and confirmation of the call that God has placed on her heart."

"It was a lot of steps to get to ordination. It's been a process," Garcia said, not taking the moment for granted. For the ordination, she taped affirmations around the church to greet the attendees, like "God is love." She also encouraged her audience to write their own positive sayings to be shared later.

Garcia was a substitute pastor for churches in the area--a practice called pulpit supply--when Grace Presbyterian asked her to do the same three years ago. That's how she got to know the city. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she was originally a South Central teacher for 22 years, kindergarten through 2nd Grade. Her husband Martin Garcia pastors at Amistad Presbyterian Church, an all-Spanish speaking congregation; they moved to the city when he received the call to serve. Sandy became a district coach with the Fort Wayne Community Schools.

"When you're teaching kindergartners, you better know your art. Some of those kids draw better than I do," she said. She's a fiber artist who likes to doodle so much she encouraged it when she taught; she has brought with her the best practices from those careers to her new role.

Fiber is actually what yarn starts out as. "It's something I would love to teach kids to do someday, maybe like a little club here in the future," Garcia said. Art has always crept into her life. Everyone at the ordination received a crochet heart as a reminder of the day and a thank you from Garcia, who made them herself.

"I see a lot of excitement here," said Garcia about her new church. "Just the ordination alone, they're doing all sorts of things without having to be asked. They are excited to help." There's a garden in Hamilton Park that the North Highlands Neighborhood Association wants to adopt; the church can help with that.

She also wants to restart a daycare system that was once in place but with Spanish/English dual language immersion. "I used to teach in that in Los Angeles. It's a beautiful thing when kids learn each other's culture and language. Kids learn fast."

The neighborhood is full of former and active elementary school teachers, she said. "We have a lot of people here who really want to do and learn things that are different."

Once as a substitute pastor, Garcia used Mexican bread for communion instead of the usual offering. And the newness was more than well-received. "It makes it more fun, gives it more life. I like to give things pizzazz. I think people come back for the pizzazz," said the pastor who's known to ride around blasting techno music in her car.

Her office, sparse because it's her first week, has some art items and fiber pieces, including one amazing blanket crocheted by someone at the church. Garcia was told that the church's staff has laughed more since her arrival. "YOLO: You Only Live Once," Garcia described how she's going to approach everyday at Grace Presbyterian. YOLO was one of the positive affirmations she displayed around the church, for her first day.