Reverend Valerie Brown-Troutt's sermon isn't online this morning. Technical difficulties: I'm figuring out how to join together the mp3 files of the recording (the website configuration requires a single mp3)

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