Christian Women's Fellowship to Hold a Diaper Drive

In conjunction with the Christian Church in Northern California/Nevada's Disciples Women, the Christian Women's Fellowship of FCC Concord is starting a month-long disposable diaper drive.  The diapers collected will be given to local organizations who serve low-income families, many of whom spend over $100 a month for each child wearing diapers (about 6 per day).  This is a great stress on an already small budget.  In addition, food stamps can't be used to purchase diapers!

You can help out either by purchasing diapers, or if you'd like to make a financial donation, CWF will purchase diapers through jet.com, which has an inexpensive way to buy diapers.

Checks should be made out to Christian Women's Fellowship with 'Diaper Drive' in the memo line.  

There will be a table in the Narthex to deposit diapers and monetary donations.  If you have any questions, please contact Cecelia Ambach, 925-687-9531.

Church to Host Town Hall Meeting on Preserving Health Care for All

We are thrilled to host an event on Saturday, January 28 from 10:30a - 12n that will bring together people committed to preserving quality health care for all.  Present at this meeting with be Congressman Mark DeSalunier and recently retired Congressman George Miller, as well as Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, among many others.

Come be a part of a statewide movement to find out how we can work together to ensure that all residents are covered and have access to life-saving health care.

Please join us!

In addition, we'll be looking for volunteers to help host this event.  If you are interest and able to help out, please complete the following form to let us know we can count on you!

I can Help!

Dismantling Racism Workshop Wonderful Success

We had over 43 people show up -- physically, emotionally and spiritually -- for our Dismantling Racism Workshop on Sunday, November 20. We spent four hours going deeper into our exploration around racism. It was hard, difficult, sometimes painful work, but also enlightening and hopeful. A huge thanks to our facilitators for this event, Rev. Shayne Flowers and Rev. Bentley Stewart of the Reconciliation Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), who did a tremendous job in leading us and engaging us in these essential conversations. 

This is just the beginning, but a great initial step.

Watch for news soon on our next steps in this process.  

Church to Participate in Winter Nights Program

For the 9th year, we will participate in the Winter Nights shelter program, an interfaith program that provides a warm place to sleep for up to 30 homeless family members in the East Bay. 

We will be co-hosting with the Lafayette United Methodist Church which means that we will be providing dinners and after school activities for four nights.
 
Please check your calendar. We will need volunteers to help prepare the dinner for the evening of November 21, 25, 26 and 27.
 
Contact Diane Maltester if you are interested in supporting this program.

Support the Church While You Shop Online using AmazonSmile

AmazonSmile
Doing some online shopping for Christmas? You can support First Christian Church, Concord by using AmazonSmile. Simply click on the link below each time you shop and a portion of your sale will be donated back to the church!
 
https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-1231013
 
Please note, this is ANY TIME you shop.  When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to the church. 
 
To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile. 

Advent Sermon series: Unwrapped

Unwrapped: The Surprising Gifts of Advent

The theme for this Advent season is “Unwrapped.”  We will focus on some surprising gifts that come to us if we are able to be patient, still, and pay attention.  

Traditionally, when we think of Advent we immediately call to mind Mary, Joseph, and the angel Gabriel.  But in the Gospel of Luke, Zechariah and Elizabeth are the first two people we meet in the Advent narrative.  They’ll be our guides in this journey through Advent and will teach us about the living in the pain of unanswered prayers, the power of silence and simplicity, the blessing of life-giving relationships, and the promise of God to make a way, even when it seems no way is to be found.  

Nov 27
Unanswered Prayer
Luke 1: 5-7

Dec 4   
Silence and Simplicity
Luke 1: 8-23

Dec 11   
A Sense of Belonging
Luke 1: (26-38) 39-45, 56

Dec 18    
The Promises of God
Luke 1: 57-64 (67-80)

A Prayer for the 2016 Election

O God of all peoples, lands and nations, we join with the nations to sing our celebration of our homeland.  We praise you for the gift of this great country and the freedoms and privileges we have here.

We offer our thanksgiving for all our ancestors who envisioned these freedoms, expressed their passion for freedom, and sacrificed for freedom.  They did not give up.  They did not cease to struggle or abandon hope.  They did not forget that one day they would be free at last.  We ask in the midst of the week ahead that you will move us with the same courage that they witnessed.

Remind us, O God, as we enter the polling places that before we are democrats and republicans that we are children of God, called to seek justice and embody kindness and humility. 

Remind us, loving God, that while it is good to have political convictions, that we need to recognize and remember that there are people of faith all over the political spectrum, and that just because someone may different convictions than we do that it does not make them any less of a child of God.  

We confess that this election has not always brought out the very best in all of us or the very best in our nation.  We pray that moving forward we might find ways to be united in our common good, that we might be undivided and that we might seek liberty and justice for all.

Amen.

Church blesses dogs, cats, and a chicken!

We had a great turnout for our annual Blessing of the Animals service on Sunday, our largest one yet! People brought their pets or pictures of them to receiving a blessing.  We even blessed a chicken! Thanks to all who came out and brought their furry and feathered friends. We gave thanks for all of the beautiful creatures that enrich and enhance our lives.

There was also a time of remembrance for pets loved and lost. 

The blessing is a tradition in many Christian churches, and usually held near the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, celebrated worldwide on Oct. 4.  St. Francis is known for his generosity towards the poor or ill, however he is widely remembered for his love of animals.

An offering of unopened dog and cat food was taken that will go A.R.F. who will make sure it gets to low-income pet owners.

SHARE receives $2500 grant through the Bridge Club!

As you know, this summer we began renting our Fellowship Hall to the Contra Costa Bridge Center, the local branch of the American Contract Bridge League.

As their members played their bridge games, they noticed people walking on campus empty-handed and leaving with bags of food. Curious, they discovered that SHARE, our resident food pantry, was doing wonderful work making sure that hungry residents of Contra Costa County had enough food.

But one of their members took it a step further. 

It turns out that each year, the American Contract Bridge League gives grants to charitable organizations. This member put together a proposal extolling the terrific job that SHARE was doing, the local bridge club board approved it unanimously and sent it to the district for their consideration, and SHARE was selected to receive a grant of $2500!

But it gets even better: the grants are normally given out in January, but our local club convinced the folks distributing the grants that SHARE would be able to make sure that their clients would be able to have nice holiday meals if they received the grant early.

So on Saturday, October 1, members of the Bridge Club board of directors, representatives of SHARE, and members of our Admin and Ministry Councils met in the Fellowship Hall to celebrate this generous grant!

Also, SHARE informed us that because of the agreements they have with various organizations, they only pay 18-cents per pound of food. That means that this grant could pay for more than 13,000 pounds of food for needy families!

We join both the Bridge Club and SHARE in celebrating this wonderful and generous grant that will go a long way towards helping hungry families in our community!!!

Church to host Dismantling Racism workshop

Dismantling Racism workshop

Sunday, November 20
11:30a – 3:30p

Following the recent onslaught of violence and hate that seems to permeate our culture – most of it fueled by racism, homophobia and fear – our congregation came to the realization that our prayers for peace are no longer enough.  The time has come to do something.  As people of faith we must find appropriate ways to respond to curb this culture of fear, violence and hate.

But what should we do?  Where do we begin?  Many of us feel called and convicted to act, but are at a loss of what we should do.

Together we agreed to enter into a program of education and discernment.  We began by reading together a book about racism, Pre-Post-Racial America: Spiritual Stories from the Front Lines by Sandhya Jha. 

Our next step will be to host a Dismantling Racism workshop in which we will be going deeper into our exploration around racism.  This workshop will be led by Rev. Shayne Flowers and Rev. Bentley Stewart, both trained facilitators within the Reconciliation Ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

The event will be held on Sunday, November 20 and is open to all who are interested in learning more about the root causes of racism and what we can do to combat it in our own lives and the community around us.

More information, including how to register, will be coming soon.  In the meantime, please save the date and plan to attend this incredibly important event.

Special Offering: Reconciliation Ministry

On Sundays, September 25 and October 2,  we’ll be receiving one of our six over-and-above Special Offerings that go directly to support ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  This Special Offering is for Reconciliation Ministry.  The theme of this offering is “Be Reconciled: Move, Heal, Bound Together.”  These are simple words describing incredibly worthwhile and hard work.  The message of Christ consistently beckons us toward each other, pushing our notions of what it means to live as the one body of Christ.   “…First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 24)  Throughout our faith tradition, Christians have been called to move against our nature to be at enmity with one another. We are admittedly a counter-cultural movement.

Your giving to Reconciliation Ministry is one way to help move us toward wholeness and empowers the Church to advance healing in our communities through safe and intentional dialogue. Through training and granting programs together we move from debate to dialogue. We as a church must live and act to demonstrate the love of God to a world so desperately in need of a Beloved Community.  Let us take action and move in ways to show that love is stronger than hate.

For more information about Reconciliation Ministry, go to www.reconcilationministry.org

'Beginnings' Membership Seminar

New members of First Christian Church join a congregation with a 130-year history of fostering community and spiritual growth through worship, learning, missions, pastoral care and fellowship.

Our Information Seminars, Beginnings, are an opportunity to learn about how this church came to be, our ongoing message of grace, joy and inclusiveness; as well as the many opportunities to get connected and meet other members.

All those interested in finding out more about this congregation are invited to join us Sundays, September 25 & October 2 at 11:30 a.m. in the Plambeck Room.  A light lunch will be served and there will be plenty to time to ask any questions you may have.

To reserve your place, please fill out the form below:

No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.

FCC to Serve as a Host Congregation for the XPLOR Program

In 2014, the National Benevolent Association, the health and social services general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), created a program designed to help young adults unleash their own potential, while positively impacting their community.  The program is called XPLOR and it is a faith-based, 10-month, congregationally-hosted residency program designed for 21-30 year olds looking to explore lives of care and service.  Several houses have been set up around the country to provide opportunities for these residents to live simply in community and engage in direct service and justice work.

The Residency program offers residents an extended, residential experience during which deep spiritual reflection, communal living and hands-on service will help them explore God’s call on their lives.

Each resident is placed in Community Engagement Site, a non-profit organization that provides direct services to the community, working 30 hours a week doing hands-on ministry.

This program also “embeds” young adults within a Host Congregation that is already committed to accompanying their neighbors and already has a passion for coming alongside young adults as they consider the deep connections between the life of faith and the work of justice.  That’s where FCC Concord comes in. 

This year, we have been invited to serve as one of these Host Congregations to one of these residents.  While this person will not be on staff, our role is to provide this individual with a church home and welcoming community; to provide him with a place to worship, study and be a part of a faith community.  Our role will be to take this person “under our wings” and help him find his strengths.

Josh de la Trinidad

Starting in September, we will be welcoming Josh de la Trinidad into our church community.  Josh is from Southern California and is an active member and often praise-band leader at his home church, East Whittier Christian Church in Whittier, CA. Josh names himself very shy. He has worked for the last two years as team leader in a machine shop. He’s also worked for a year with people with mental and physical disabilities.  He is very proficient in Spanish and English, written and spoken, and he loves to cook. His sister, Belen, will also be in the program, living in NBA XPLOR Tucson-Marana.

During the week, Josh will be serving at the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, an non-profit organization that works to achieve an equitable, inclusive and healthy society where all people, including the most vulnerable, disenfranchised and marginalized have equal opportunities and access to the resources and tools needed to achieve a dignified of life.  Josh will be working primarily with the undocumented population in their Immigrant Justice program.

This is an exciting opportunity for Josh.  He’ll be living with 3 other residents in an apartment in Alameda, who will be working in local agencies around the Bay Area, while being a part of other local Disciple congregations. 

We hope you will help us welcome Josh and make him feel welcomed and included, just as you would any other new member in our congregation.  Invite him out for coffee or into your home for dinner!  We’ll also be looking for folks to help with transportation from BART on Sunday mornings. 

In addition, we need a few volunteers to help prepare the apartment for their arrival on August 20.  This will include setting up the bedrooms and upstairs bathrooms – making beds, lining shelves, etc.  If you would be available to help out for a few hours on that day, please be in touch with Russ (925/234-3303, russ@concordfcc.net).  He’ll greatly appreciate your help!

Welcome, Josh!

Finding a Way Forward in the Midst of a Culture of Violence and Fear

Following the recent onslaught of violence and hate that seems to permeate our culture – most of it fueled by racism, homophobia and fear – we have come to the realization that our prayers for peace are no longer enough.  The time has come to do something.  As people of faith we must find appropriate ways to respond to curb this culture of fear, violence and hate.

But what should we do?  Where do we begin?  Many of us feel called and convicted to act, but are at a loss of what we should do.

To begin to find answers to these questions, as a congregation we will begin a three-month program of discernment and education.  To begin, during the month of August we will invite the congregation to read together a book about racism, Pre-Post-Racial America: Spiritual Stories from the Front Lines by Sandhya Jha.  This book allows us a way to talk about the hot topic of racism in America in a way that is grounded in real people’s stories and that offers solid biblical grounding for thinking about race relations, reminding us that God calls us to build Beloved Community.  Sandhya is a friend of the congregation, and will be a guest preacher on July 31!  During August we’ll have two discussion groups as we read this book together – on Sunday mornings at 9am, and one on Wednesday evenings at 7p.  Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the church starting soon. 

In September we’ll be holding a day-long training event on dismanteling racism.  Dates and details will be made available soon, once they are confirmed.

Finally, in October we’ll be holding a conversation led by members of the Justice Commission of the Christian Church in Northern California/Nevada about how we, as a congregation, can move forward and put our efforts into working to end hate, fear and violence in our culture and community.  We’ll be using the Circle of Inquiry process.  Again, dates and details will be made available soon, once they are confirmed.

Upcoming Sermon Series: Jesus is the Question

Some say that Jesus is the answer to all of our questions.  They may be right.  But before that is the case, Jesus is something different.  He is the one who asks the questions – hundreds of them, it turns out.  

Like many people today, his early followers wanted answers, and simple ones at that.  Instead, they got so much more.  Jesus refuses to dole out pat answers to life’s hard questions.  Rather, Jesus asks provocative questions to evoke new understandings and change lives.

In this series we'll pay attention to a few of the questions Jesus asks us -- and what they imply about following him.

Aug 7                       
What Are You Looking For? 
John 1: 29-42

Aug 14                    
Do You See This Woman?  
Luke 7: 36-50

Aug 21                    
Why Are You Afraid? Have you Still No Faith? 
Mark 4: 35-41

Aug 28                    
“Do You Want to Be Made Well?”
John 5: 2-9

New Sermon Series: Half Truths

There are a lot of simple phrases that we often use to guide our lives.  And they may even sound Christian – like something you might find in the Bible.  They capture some element of truth, but yet they miss the point in important ways.  In this sermon series we'll look at some of the things that we often accept and say because they sound true, but can lead people to conclusions about God that not only are untrue but hat may push some people away from God.  

June 12                 
Everything Happens for a Reason
Romans 8: 18-28

June 19                
God Helps Those That Help Themselves
Psalm 10: 14b, 17-18a
Psalm 18: 6, 16
Psalm 121: 1-2

June 26                
God Won’t Give You More Than You Can Handle
Psalm 46: 1-2
1 Corinthains 10:13

July 3                     
God Said It, I Believe It, That Settles It
Deuteronomy 23: 12-14

July 10                  
Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin
Matthew 7: 1-5

Don DeGiobbi honored as Elder Emeritus

Congratulations to our newest Elder Emeritus, Don DeGiobbi, who was honored in worship on June 5.

This is the highest honor bestowed to members of our congregation. In the 131 year history of the church, only 40 individuals have received this honor.

Don has been a strong and faithful member here since 1972 and has continually served this congregation in many ways and roles, including serving as Board Chair and as our Church Treasurer for many, many years.

He is such a gracious and welcoming gentleman that is called upon to be usher at many memorial services and has served as a faithful deacon for many years. He continues to serve as a deacon and always presents a welcoming, positive greeting to all.

Congratulations, Don! We are blessed by you.

Sanctuary Rededication!

Finally!  The Day we’ve all been waiting for and working towards!  This Sunday, June 5, we’ll be moving back into the sanctuary!  And what a glorious day this will be.  In addition to rededicating the worship space to the glory of God, we’ll also be doing a baptism, recognizing our graduates, and honoring our newest Elder Emeritus!  

We’ll also have a special guest preacher, the Rev. Dr. LaTaunya Bynum, our regional minister.  She will have a challenging word for us as we consider what comes next as we continue to Widen Our Welcome.

We do hope you’ll join us on this incredible day.  You’ll be glad you did.  

Join us for Pride on the Plaza

Would you like to be a part of FCC Concord's presence at Pride on the Plaza, sponsored by the Rainbow Community Center, letting people know that there are Christians who believe there is room in the family of God for everyone?  That they are loved as they are?

This 9th annual event celebrating Contra Costa County's LGBT community will be held at Todos Santos Plaza.

Come for the whole time or even an hour or two.  We'll simply be handing out fliers, holding up signs, and sharing the radical, inclusive love of God!

Please register below.  Questions?  Contact Russ Peterman (russ@concordfcc.net) or DeVonn Powers (devonn_powers@yahoo.com)

Summer Camp!

Welcome to the Table
Summer Camp 2016

Join us as we examine our journey of welcome and hospitality. God calls us to this work and Jesus is the ultimate teacher of this practice.

 Camp will be hosted by the Christian Church in Northern California/Nevada and held at the Community of the Great Commission (CGC)

June 9-12 - Young Adult/Adult Camp

June 26 - July 2 Junior Camp (graduates of 3rd-5th grades)

June 26 - July 2 Chi Rho Camp (graduates of 6th-8th grades)

July 2-4 - Grandparents and Me Camp (K-3rd grade)

July 3-July 9 - CYF Camp (graduates of 9th-12th grades)

Forms are available online and due to church office by May 26, 2016