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The Fall/early Winter is a busy season for us in our congregation. No matter how much I prepare and anticipate it, it still sneaks up on me. Between the Halloween Parade and Out and About in Rockridge, through Christmas Eve we open our doors and garden to numerous visitors discovering us anew, or maybe for the first time.
Thanksgiving and Advent contribute to an even more busy pace when we empower others to serve and be served, to experience the promise and praxis of what it means to follow Jesus as a disciple for us. It's a great time to invite friends or neighbors to an event - to peel potatoes, sing a carol, hear our choir, walk a labyrinth of light or join in our beautiful Christmas Eve celebration.
It's also a chance for you to give of your time, your prayers, your money, your love. We are surrounded in our culture by innumerable choices and options, yet many of us struggle to find any meaning in all of it. That's the message of Christmas and Advent: our lives matter. God comes to us that we might come to God - because God values us, loves us, needs us - you.
This week's e-news edition contains lots of information and invitations to action, generosity and prayer. I hope you find it spiritual nourishing and challenging.
Plus - don't forget tonight's Health and Wellness gathering about end-of-life issues!
See you Sunday in worship, if not before,
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This coming Sunday
November 22, 2015
Mark 10:32-52
Start the sermon today by wrestling with the texts via Monte's blog post online
at capcoakland.wordpress.com or
www.montemcclain.com
Our Vocabulary of Faith of class,
working through the text of the day via conversation
and dialogue, will be meeting this week
from 9:20-10:15am in the Library.
Download the exegetical study notes Monte wrote
on our website capcoakland.org HERE
Ushers
Anne Marie Adams, Albert Hussian
Liturgist
Lori Castner
Fellowship
Louise Hirschman, Linda Davis
Godly Play
Bill Beatty, Chris George
These updates could be incorrect if switches have been made between different people.
Be sure to update the office if you've done a switcheroo so that we can
have our publications as up to date as possible. Thanks!
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Check out our new Online Prayer Tools
Submit a prayer request for Sunday's service
You can share your prayer via the internet during the week. This is the same thing as filling out a prayer card during our weekly service, but it can be done in advance on our church blog at
http://capcoakland.wordpress.com/prayer-requests/
Join the electronic prayer chain
We use google groups to discreetly share urgent prayer needs during the week. Sign up on that same blog page.
Prayer Requests shared in worship on November 8, 2015
Prayers of praise and gratitude for:
- Linda Trowbridge continuing in remission on the one year anniversary of her cancer diagnosis;
- Kathryn Dernham and her service to our community as our office manager;
- Albert Hussian doing well after his recent surgery;
- A wonderful getaway to Guerneville with a friend;
Prayers for God to intervene for:
- My son to be strong and find God’s love and trust him again;
- Co-worker Danielle and her family in their time of mourning;
- Peace for the city of Oakland and the families of those who lost their lives in the senseless killings in our city;
- The homeless and those who are hungry in our city;
- Mary who has terminal cancer
- Ray and his failing kidneys
- friend Ronnie who had neck surgery and is recovering in rehab;
- healing for Cecilia Jackson, Terry Joseph and Jewel Sierra;
- Lisa Montoya hospitalized at Alta Bates following a back surgery.
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TONIGHT
Health & Wellness Forum
Talking about end of Life Issues &
Wednesday, November 18 at 7:30pm
Come watch a documentary film on the recent best-selling book Being Mortal which talks about end of life issues, inviting and challenging us to think and talk about the life and deaths that we would like to have. It's a subject that is important, yet tragically we often don't want to talk about it.
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Our Annual
Community Thanksgiving Meal is
Thursday, November 26th,
11:00am-1:00pm in the gym
We need help with many things:
Donate money to help cover the cost
Donate a turkey
Cook and carve a turkey at home
Donate new underwear and socks
Help prepare on Monday, November 23rd from 7-9pm
Help prepare on Tuesday, November 24th from 7-9pm
Help prepare on Wednesday, November 25th from 7-9pm
Help Set up on Thanksgiving Morning 6-10am
Help serve and welcome folks 10:30-1:00pm
Help Clean-up 12:00-2:00pm
Sign up and learn more online at our church website
under the Thanksgiving Section
- or click on this link:
http://www.capcoakland.org/thanksgiving-meal/
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Make a huge difference for someone with a small gesture. Donate new underwear and/or socks for us to distribute to the hungry who come to our Annual Thanksgiving Community Meal this year. It seems like a small thing, but it’s actually an XXXLLL Help. Many folks don’t have clean undergarments.
Talk to Linda Davis for more information.
[ EMAIL LINDA]
You can bring your donations next week to worship!
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Monday, November 23rd,
starting at 8:00am until we finish
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Advent Start on Sunday, November 29th
Monte will be writing a daily online devotional that you can use to center yourselves in this oftentimes distracting and attention dividing season of busyness.
Entries will appear each day. Each week will alternate between interactive and reflective themes, revolving around scripture, theology and spiritual disciplines.
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ADVENT FAMILY DINNERS
Last year we continued a tradition of Advent Sunday Night Family Dinners. It's a informal, low-maintenance way for us to connect during the season of Advent to celebrate our hope, deepen our relationships and relax together.
Each dinner is on a Sunday night in Advent from 6-8pm. We'll gather at a church member's home for a simply potluck meal. You're invited to bring a meal or drink to share with others. We'll begin with a community prayer, lighting the Advent wreath and then enjoy each other as we share whatever we provide.
You can come to none or all of the dinners - whatever works with your schedule and desires is what will work of our community!
Would you be willing and/or interested in hosting a dinner in your home this year? It doesn't involve cooking all of the food, primarily it's opening your home to our community for a place to gather. We'll all lend a helping hand!
Sundays
December 6
December 13
December 20
If you're able to help by opening your home,
contact Monte [ email] [(510) 520-0746]
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Christmas Store
We are collecting gift items for the Harbor House Christmas Store this year. This is a very meaningful ministry because it empowers low-income parents as they use a fraction of cost to purchase gifts for their children. You can bring your unwrapped gifts (gift idea listed below) to church on the Sundays of Nov 17, Nov 24, Dec 1, and Dec 8. We will deliver them to the store in Harbor House for you.
Learn more Online at hhministries.org
Download a copy of a guide to help you
with donations and shopping HERE.
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Monte is teaching a beginning English as a Second Language class for adult learners on some Monday Nights from 7-9pm at Primera Iglesia Presbiteriana of Oakland (on High Street)
Would you like to help? You don't have to be an experienced teacher, or even a teacher. The class is for approximately 30-40 immigrant new English learners. So if you speak English - you're qualified :)
Monte will mostly teach the class (unless you want to really help a lot!) You can come and meet people, check out the church and this remarkable ministry and even help lead small group activities (already planned out) to enable the adult students to have more opportunities to speak English.
Monte is using VolunteerSpot to organize the class and co-teacher Sign-ups.
Simply talk to Monte - or sign up online
on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/qLmZxz
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Happy Reading - Listening & Watching!
Please email or chat with me
[ MONTE - link to email]
if you have reactions,
any new ideas, or sudden illuminations!
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Friday Night Meal
Friday, 6-7pm
This Sunday
The Vocabulary of Faith Class (9:20-10:15am)
Choir Practice after worship
Women's Group
Saturdays
8:30-10am
in the Library
Health & Wellness Forum
Talking about end of Life Issues &
Wednesday, November 18 at 7:30pm
Come watch a documentary film on the recent best-selling book Being Mortal which talks about end of life issues, inviting and challenging us to think and talk about the life and deaths that we would like to have. It's a subject that is important, yet tragically we often don't want to talk about it.
Help Decorate our Church for Christmas
Monday, November 23rd,
starting at 8:00am until we finish
Annual Free Community Thanksgiving Meal
Thanksgiving Day
Thursday, November 26
11:00am-1:00pm
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Education :: Faith is a process not just an event
Are you looking for ways to grow in faith or to wrestle with life in community? Faith can't be lived in a vacuum. Like embers in a fire, it's in community - life together - that we become alive and shine. Here are some ways you might find a place and space to grow with others:
CAPC Women's Group
1st, 2nd, 3rd Saturdays at 8:30-10:00am in the Library
The Vocabulary of Faith
aka "Bible Study"
Sunday mornings
with Pastor Monte from 9:30-10:15am in the library
. We're currently reflecting and studying together the readings
for the Sunday in worship.
Look for them and study in advance on our blogs.
Mid Week Small Group Gathering
Welcoming, open and accessible.
Wednesdays, 7:30 pm to 9 pm.
In Berkeley near the CAL campus
call Marda (510) 540.7173
Reading through the Bible
Thursdays at 11:30am in the Library.
Ever read through the Bible or wanted to discover what it says? Here's your chance. The group always goes for lunch along the avenue afterwards.
Friday Night Meal
Friday from 6-7pm downstairs in the Light House Room
We feed roughly 100 people - homed and homeless - each Friday night. Help is always needed from cooking to cleaning, from serving to shopping. Contact Ellen Brylawski to select a date to serve or to get involved on a regular basis.
Godly Play
During worship each Sunday at 10:30am. We invite our children and families to worship as a full inter-generational community on our more kid-friendly 1st Sundays of the month.
Sunday Worship
Sundays at 10:30am
CAPC Choir
Sundays 12:00-1:00pm
upstairs in the Godly Play Room
&
Wednesday 6:00-7:00pm
in the Sanctuary
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November Birthdays
3 Nenna Okereke
5 Harry Hussian (Jr.)
6 Nico Nouri
11 Albert Hussian
13 Elaine Price
15 Pete Feltman
16 Ruth Ann Friedland
Elodie McClain
19 Radman Beatty
Have we missed your birthday?
We probably don't have it in our records.
Please EMAIL us so that we can express our love on time !
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