The Children, Youth and Families barbecue

Saturday, July 18, from noon to 3 pm.

Our First Down Home Church BBQ on the lawn at First Congo

Bring your kids! Bring your friends! Bring your appetite!

This BBQ picnic is a chance for us all to come together as a church family. Community happens when people eat together, play together and share their gifts to create beauty in the world. There is so much life and love at First Congo- hosting this party out front is a chance to show our Oakland community what love looks like. There will be good food, music, a jump house- fun for the whole family!

Sign up to share your gifts in preparation for this event. (details below)

How You Can Help

Contact Allison, allison@firstoakland.org to share your gifts!

Join a BBQ Crew to help make it happen together:

· Set up Crew sets up from 11-noon

· Clean Up Crew cleans up from 3-4:00 pm

· Facepaint Crew-- no previous experience necessary

· Talent Crew performs music, stories or leads interactive games with families

· Potluck Crew bring a dish to share and/ or help grill

All volunteers are asked to join us on Sunday, July 12 from 1:30-2:30 for a planning meeting.

Interested in learning more about FCCO?
Come to the Freedom Train class for prospective members!

The Freedom Train is a friendly two-hour conversation in which prospective members, current leaders, and those who are just curious get to know each other, discuss the theological and Biblical framework of the church, and go over the covenant of membership. After participating, you are free to decide whether or not you are ready to make the commitments of membership at this time.

There is no test of creed or belief required to become a member-just a willingness to commit to your own wholeness, to enter into deep, authentic, intercultural relationship with this community, and to share in the work of the church (both practically and spiritually). Associate membership is available for those who want to maintain their primary membership in another faith tradition, denomination, or church.

The next Freedom Train will be this Sunday morning, July 12, from 8-10am. To sign up, email nichola@firstoakland.org or call 510-444-8511, ext. 11.

Those who choose to join the church will have an opportunity to do so at the service that morning.

We hope to see you there!

Pastor Lynice Pinkard
Nichola Torbett, Chair of Spiritual Formation

Music Minister Kelly Takunda Orphan Martinez announced her resignation last week after 7 amazing Spirit-filled years.

She's still going to be at First Congo, doing children, youth and families ministry and the Joyful Noise Youth Choir.

Join us for a farewell concert featuring Kelly and many amazing musicians on May 31!

There are still room for 20 more at this weekend's retreat!
Email Nichola at Nichola@firstoakland.org

You are invited to join us for First Congo's annual spiritual retreat on April 24-25 at the Sequoia Retreat Center (formerly the Raindance Retreat) in the Santa Cruz mountains. Nestled among old growth redwoods, this facility has stunning views of the surrounding countryside. "The Sequoia land has been held sacred since 1949 - it is a place where love has been experienced, where pain has been transcended, and where hope has been born. The Sequoia Retreat Center is a place where the deepest meaning of life may be explored in an atmosphere of quiet and beauty."

The program will focus on deepening our spiritual lives and our connections to one another with an emphasis on deepening intercultural intimacy. There will be a separate program for children and youth as well as childcare for toddlers.

The cost to the church is $156 for adults, $89 for children (ages 3 to 14), and $21 for children under three. We encourage everyone who has the financial means to cover their own expenses and to contribute toward a scholarship fund for those who cannot. Payment is due by Sunday, April 12 and can be given to Tony Lewis or Nichola Torbett. (Make checks out to First Congregational Church of Oakland and put "retreat" on the memo line.)

To sign up, please email Nichola at Nichola@firstoakland.org, and tell her
*whether you will be bringing children
* whether you can pay the full cost
* if you can't pay the full cost, how much you can pay
* how much, if any, you can contribute to the scholarship fund for others to attend
*whether you are vegetarian, vegan, or omnivore
* any other special requests

Plan to arrive at the center between 4 and 6 PM on Friday afternoon so that you can join us for dinner. The program will end by 4 PM on Saturday. Wholesome meals will be provided; the California style menu is organic (using mostly locally grown produce) and there will be vegetarian and vegan options available.

We hope you'll be able to join us!

Pastor Lynice Pinkard
Tony Lewis
Nichola Torbett

Holy Week is upon us! Join us as we enter this time of reflection and celebration.

Tonight in the sanctuary music minister Kelly Takunda Orphan Martinez will be in conversation with San Francisco Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll, beginning at 7 pm.

Admission is $20 and is a benefit for Park Day School in Oakland, where Kelly teaches.

And check out the current Seminary of the Street class schedule and online Holy Week discussion on Facebook

Added a page for Holy week 2009

This Sunday, March 29th, there will be a short film about neighborhood recyclers as part of the service.

Bring your recyclable bottles and cans (not paper!) to give to the recyclers in attendance.

Check out the new pages for the Children, Youth and Families ministry as well as the Toddlers ministry. Thanks to Allison, Craig and Dawn for the first in what will be an ongoing newsletter highlighting First Congo's committment to our children and families with children.