CAPC
OAKLAND

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving - a day in which we host a vibrant community meal for the hungry - homed and homeless - for food and for the chance to serve others.  It's an event that takes a church community to make happen.  Thank you to each and every one of your for helping us to empower others to know and experience what service in the name of Jesus Christ means for us.

Thank you as well to everyone who has helped this week with so many diverse things - Brian and Jeff Trowbridge chairing our Christmas Decorating; Bill Beatty for hosting a Men's Breakfast, Lina Foltz for her tireless shopping; Louise Hirschman for the countless hours she's spent at church with and without people; Stewart Washington for his deep cleaning of the kitchens,... and so many others.

I find this week to be the craziest in terms of schedule for the whole year, but also one of the most meaningful for me in terms of seeing how we as a church are being the Church and how God is at work in our world through and around us.

Sunday also marks the beginning of Advent, I hope you'll join us for a special and fun worship, topped off with a beautiful Advent hymn sung by our choir.
 

This coming Sunday
November 29, 2015
Jeremiah 33:14-16 & Luke 21:25-36
  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
Chickwendu Okereke, Joy Barnes 

Liturgist
Anne Marie Adams

Fellowship
Beth & Bill Beatty

Godly Play

Linda Davis, Fredora Darmstadt

   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!

 

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 22, 2015
 

There is choir practice happening tonight
Wednesday November 25th from 6-7pm

We're practicing for our performance this Sunday and throughout Advent.
 

 Our Annual
Community Thanksgiving Meal is
 Thursday, November 26th,
11:00am-1:00pm in the gym

We need help with many things:

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/

Check out photos of the fun service online on our website at:
http://www.capcoakland.org/community-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 additional donations with you on Thursday
if you're coming to help with the meal!

 

 Advent Starts 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.

Look for daily e-devotionals during advent posted to our church blog at
http://capcoakland.me

and to Monte's blog website at:
http://montemcclain.com
 

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.
 

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
 

 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.

"MY CONGREGATION TRIED TO HELP A SYRIAN FAMILY SETTLE IN THE US"
Religion Dispatches

"TLC: Think Like a Christian"
Presbyterians Today

"The real meaning of the War on Christmas"
The Week
Suggested by Bob Brylawski
 

Happy Reading - Listening & Watching!  
Please email or chat with me 
[MONTE - link to email] 
if you have reactions, 
any new ideas, or sudden illuminations!

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
 

             

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