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News, Happenings and Connections
with the community of faith at CAPC Oakland
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CAPC
OAKLAND

safe | open | real
November 18, 2015

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,
Monte's signature
Worship This Week (Header Image)

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


Worship Leaders this week (Header Image)


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!


 


Prayer Requests Header



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.


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.
 

 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/
 

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!
 



 Monday, November 23rd,
starting at 8:00am until we finish

 



 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.
 



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]
 


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.

 
Joy Barnes helping at an ESL class


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
 
Good Reads (Header Image)

 about Church, Society & Oakland
 
Monte gets multiple links each week to online articles 
about Church, Culture and Society.  
Instead of saving them or sharing them only on Facebook, 
I'm trying to  also do so through 
our e-newsletter for those who are interested.


Presbyterian congregation creates a home for Syrian refugees
PCUSA.org

"Finding Peace Within the Holy Texts"
David Brooks at NY Times
 
Happy Reading - Listening & Watching!  
Please email or chat with me 
[MONTE - link to email
if you have reactions, 
any new ideas, or sudden illuminations!
Upcoming Events (Header Image)
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

 
Regular Events (Header Image)

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

 
Happy Birthday Header Image
             
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 ! 
 
Copyright © 2015 College Avenue Presbyterian Church, All rights reserved.


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