Christmas Eve at First Congo!

Dear FCCO Members and Friends,
 

Come join us for a wonderful musical Christmas Eve celebration for the whole family. We'll have lessons and carols and special music and childrens' poems and movement. Lasts from 7:00pm to 8:20pm. Invite your family, friends, and neighbors-or reach out to someone that you miss from church that you haven't seen in a while. 

Everyone should invite someone. 

Those of you who like to bake, bring cookies or a pie or cake to share after the service!

Peace and blessings,

FCCO Worship Leaders

October 22, 2009

Dear Members and Friends of First Congregational Church of Oakland,

This message is to inform you of two extremely important meetings that the Board of Trustees urges you to attend.

The first meeting is this Sunday, October 25.  Its purpose is to inform you of the year-to-date operating deficit we are incurring.  This is an informational meeting to ensure you are fully informed to participate in a decision-making meeting on November 8th.  Details follow.

On October 25, the meeting will begin at 12:10 (or earlier if worship time allows) in the sanctuary, and end at 12:50 so we can go to Lauren Haralson's birthday potluck.

On November 8, the meeting will also start immediately following worship in the sanctuary.  Its purpose will be for the congregation to decide whether to authorize the Board to continue funding the ministries as budgeted for 2009.  Such funding requires deficit spending, and drawing down our endowment to do so.

You will receive all necessary information on October 25 and have the opportunity to ask questions of the Board and our Treasurer, Tony Lewis.  During the time between 10/25 and 11/8 you'll have time for reflection and to ask any further questions of Tony.

See the separate announcement concerning the November 8th meeting.

We earnestly hope you will attend these meeting and contribute your wisdom and voice to our deliberations concerning funding First Congo's ministries.

Peace be with you,

Pat Bruce-Lerrigo
Moderator

To Members and Friends of First Congregational Church of Oakland

This is to inform you that there will be a

Congregational Meeting

 November 8, 2009
Immediately following worship in the sanctuary
Time: 12:15 - 1:15

The desired outcome of the meeting is:

The congregation's decision whether to authorize continued deficit spending to fund our ministries as planned in the 2009 budget, and to cover the deficit from our endowment.
 

All are invited to attend the meeting. Only voting members may vote.

A word on being a Congregational church:

The voting members of the congregation comprise the governing body of our church. You are a voting member if you completed the Freedom Train class and made the commitments of membership during worship.

Our bylaws require that official congregational meetings be announced at least two weeks prior to the meeting. No agenda items requiring a vote may be added once the notification is made. Therefore the one vote to be taken at the November 8th meeting is stated in the above desired outcome. 

It's essential to our congregational system that members have full understanding of all aspects of our ministry, including its financial realities.  To help ensure your understanding, please attend the informational meeting immediately following worship on October 25. That meeting is to inform you of our current deficit and its implications, and to allow time between then and November 8th for you to ask any further questions.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I urge your attendance at both of these meetings.

God's peace be with you,
 

Pat Bruce-Lerrigo
Moderator

Grant Kinney's sermon from yesterday begins after 10 seconds of silence. 

Pastor Lynice's Last Sermon Before Her Upcoming Sabbatical this coming Sunday, Sept. 27:

The last Board of Trustees meeting before Pastor's sabbatical will follow the service at 1:15 p.m.

Dearest Members and Friends of First Congregational Church of Oakland,
 
This email is to let you know that Pastor Lynice Pinkard will be on sabbatical beginning October 1, 2009.  She will return  in mid-January following 3 months of sabbatical time and having used the remainder of her 2009 vacation days.

As most of you know, Pastor Lynice was our Associate Pastor for seven years prior to being called last November as our Senior Pastor.  She is more than due this time off.

The Board of Trustees and a newly-formed Sabbatical Committee will be directing full attention to ensuring that the life and ministry of First Congo will continue to flourish in the Pastor's absence.  As a congregational church, this provides us with a great opportunity to allow God to empower our individual and collective gifts and graces for the good of our whole church.

You will hear more from the Pastor, Board and Sabbatical Committee in the service tomorrow [Aug. 23] and throughout the coming weeks and months..

I am profoundly grateful for your presence among us,

Pat Bruce-Lerrigo
Moderator, First Congregational Church of Oakland Board of Trustees
United Church of Christ

Blessings, all!

Starting this Sunday, September 6, we will gather after worship on every first Sunday of the month for a potluck meal.

Please bring a dish to share, if you can, and plan to stay for food and fellowship.



Love,
Pastor Lynice

Join Us on Sun. Aug 30 for a Special Service where our Kids Will Lead the Way!

I hope you all have had an incredible summer with your children and that all is well!
I'm writing because we are hosting a special service at First Congo on Sunday, August 30th where kids will be involved in all aspects of the ministry, leading the way for grown-ups to experience church the way we do in our Kids LIFE program. With play, exuberance, reverence, music and dance, we'll celebrate the children, youth, families and volunteers that make this ministry possible.

There will be performances, testimonies, a slideshow, and a blessing from Pastor Lynice


Allison