TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2025 | |
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Don't Miss A Beat!
Our church calendar is updated almost daily to include all meetings, worship times and special events.
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SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 MEDIA
Steve Schibsted preached. Music by Becca Burrington, Stephen Moore, our Chancel Choir and Stephen Main. WATCH
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Ash Wednesday Dinner & Service | |
You are invited to a delicious dinner on Wednesday, March 5, 6pm in Guild Hall prepared by Loaves & Fishes. After dinner and a wonderful fellowship, we will attend the Ash Wednesday service in the Sanctuary.
Cost is $20/adult and $10/child in advance ($25 & $15 at the door).
Click the registration link below or sign up in the Courtyard after worship by Sunday, March 2. Contact Kathy Hurd at (916) 343-1519
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Celebrating our 21st year of the Alternative Gift Market, your generosity raised over $38,000 for our local and global communities. This is an increase of $14,000 over last year's total.
- 40 Warrior Canine Connection service dogs will be provided with new Vests and Treats
- 49 Foster youth will receive school supplies or household items for their first apartment through First Place for Youth
- 74 Oakland students and families will receive math tools and literacy kits through Children Rising
- 186 After school meals and Summer camp field excursions for San Antonio Oakland students through Harbor House
- 23 PIPH Hispanic families will receive food supplies in Oakland
- 10 Sessions for trauma-informed therapy and healing with horses through New Day for Children
- 65 Inmates and their families will be supported through the Angel Tree Program and Prison Fellowship Academy
- 31 George Mark Children’s House families and nurses will receive meals and PPE kits
- 4 Community street libraries and 34 Weekly BBQs supported through Oakland Trybe
- 12 Families will receive kitchen supplies and share of beds through Grateful Gatherings
- 11 Mobile health clinic nurses and 17 malaria kits for rural Malawi through GAIA Global Health
- 32 people will receive Glasses, medications and Sight saving surgery through SEVA Foundation
- 15 African villages will receive protected water wells through Marion Medical Mission
- 19 Child survivor kits and law enforcement trainings through International Justice Mission
- 17 people in rural Africa will be lifted out of extreme poverty and provided training and mentoring through Village Enterprise
- 66 Ethiopian students will have food and education and 8 [LOWER CASE I]mproved jersey cows provided through Project Mercy
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Couples Workshop
Registration Deadline Jan 21
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Thriving, Loving Relationships: The Art of Fulfilling Communication and Deep Connection: On Friday, February 7, 6:30-8:30pm and Saturday, February 8, 9am - 12pm, Piedmont Church will host a workshop for married couples and those in long-term relationships. The workshop will be led by Laura Taggert, an experienced couples therapist, author and presenter. It will provide practical tools and exercises to strengthen communication and understanding, as well as guidance on how attachment, or love style, can impact your relationship.
The cost per person is $60, with a limit of 25 couples. Scholarships available by contacting Don Ashburn. Refreshments will be served, and childcare is available if a request is made by February 1. Contact Don Ashburn at Don@PiedmontChurch.org
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Enneagram & Spirituality Class | |
Starting Sunday, January 26, Dr. Kate Rankin returns to Piedmont Church to teach a 4-week class on how understanding your Enneagram type can be a wonderful tool to support richer spiritual development.
The class will examine how each personality type can benefit from an individualized program of spiritual practices to live as God desires each of us to live.
Class is held from 11:15am - 12:15pm in the Kettlewell Room. No sign up required. Contact Don Ashburn at Don@PiedmontChurch.org
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Mondays at 10am, Don Ashburn leads an online study. Starting in January, the focus will be on the Book of Revelation. To participate fully, no previous experience in Bible study is expected or required. Just come with an open heart and mind and see where the Spirit leads you.
The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83211177073
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Life Groups Begin Thursday
Registration Deadline Today
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Life Groups return on Thursday, January 16. And now, there are 2 ways to participate — in person and online.
Groups meeting in person get together starting at 6:15pm in Guild Hall for a shared meal, then meet in separate rooms in the church. There will be two online groups meeting at different times during the day. Once we know who can participate in online groups, we’ll finalize the days and times.
If you’ve never participated in a Life Group before, it is a way to participate in small group discussion and support. Discussion usually focuses on the previous week’s sermon, but at other times addresses books or other topics. It's a great way to learn about the Bible while finding fellowship and support.
While we believe it's important to meet in person, we recognize that for many reasons, some may need to participate remotely. That’s why we now offer virtual Life Groups. All participants need to sign up to be part of a Life Group. Contact Don Ashburn at Don@PiedmontChurch.org
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Women Together Spiritual Dance |
On January 25, 2pm, Kimery Leong will lead the group in a one-hour introduction to liturgical/spiritual dancing in Guild Hall. The session will involve a warm up, meeting each other and learning to use movement to express spiritual themes like joy, love, praise, peace, worship, struggle and strength.
Contact Kimery at kimarj@gmail.com
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Grief Group Returns Jan 25 | |
Grief Group will meet Saturday, January 25 at 10am in the Clara Barton Room. The group is open to both church members and non-members.
We will decide ongoing schedule at that meeting. Contact Alison Fletcher at alisonfletcher2843@gmail.com
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Our NextGen ministry is very active, with lots of events throughout the month. Visit the NextGen web page by clicking below. | |
NextGen Kids and Parents – you're invited to Rockin' Jump Concord on Sunday, January 19, 12-1:30pm. Come bounce, laugh and kick off the year with some high-flying fun. It’s the perfect way to burn off energy and enjoy time together. The cost is $15/person. | |
'Little Saigon' Day of Service Feb 1 | |
You are invited to a day of service on Saturday, February 1, 9am-12pm at Clinton Square Community Center and Park, 655 International Boulevard, with Trybe.
Trybe is a cutting edge organization in Oakland transforming communities focusing on children and their families. The project will involve beautification and gardening and is open to all ages.
Sign up in the Courtyard after worship or use the registration link below. Contact Blaire Jahn at blairejahn650@gmail.com
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Help overcome food insecurity. Nearly 12% of Bay Area residents are food insecure. Members and friends of Piedmont Church will gather at Alameda County Food Bank on Wednesday, January 22 at 8:30am to bag food for distribution to the food bank’s recipients.
Contact Janet Peterson at janetp201@gmail.com. She will send you a link to sign-up on the ACCFB website. You can also sign-up Sunday after worship. Carpooling can also be arranged. Deadline for sign ups is Wednesday, January 15.
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Adult Mexico Mission Trip | |
While the High School student Mexico Mission trip is on pause, the Mission Board is organizing an Adults- only Mexico Mission house-building trip with Amor Ministries.
We will be building one home in the Tijuana area for a local family over three days (no concrete mixing required) and staying in the Amor campsite. The trip will be led by experienced builders and will be open to a total of 15 Piedmont Church members. No special gear or construction experience is needed; just be able-bodied and ready to work.
The trip takes place Thursday, March 27 through Sunday, March 30 and will cost between $1,200-1,500 per person, depending on the cost of flights and hotel. The fee covers the cost to Amor, transportation, hotel in San Diego on the first night, van rental for equipment and food.
Contact Mike Bandrowski at mike.bandrowski@gmail.com
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We are so grateful for the generous donation you gave us during the holiday season! Your support has been crucial in helping us continue to do the work we do.
The partnership between CityTeam Oakland and Piedmont Community Church has been a tremendous blessing and your commitment to our mission is truly inspiring.
We also want to thank you for creating the wonderful video that highlights Ben's testimony, our pantries and the work being done to serve the community. We are honored to work alongside you to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Thanks again for your compassion, dedication, and continued support. We look forward to furthering this partnership as we serve our community together. - Steven Martinez, Executive Director
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Refugee Family Arrives Soon | |
For those who wish to be involved in Piedmont Community Church's Refugee Task Force (RTF), here's what's important to know:
Our family arrives soon
We have been in discussion with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and we will be receiving a family sometime in the first half of January, 2025. They must be assigned prior to the January 20 Presidential Inauguration Day. We do not know anything more specific about their arrival date or country of origin.
Contact Scott Willis at scottwillis724@gmail.com. Please pray for our family to have a safe trip.
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In seeking to meet the needs of people in our community who cannot - or no longer can - drive to church on Sunday mornings, we are seeking a volunteer Ride Coordinator. The responsibilities consist of finding out who may need a ride to church, what their physical capacity may be and arranging for people to drive them to church.
This task would be done in coordination with the pastoral staff and the Board of Deacons. We'll start by offering a limited number of rides and then decide if we need to build our capacity. Contact Don Ashburn at Don@PiedmontChurch.org
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Our next FREE adults Game & Gab Night will be held on Saturday, February 1, 6:30-9pm in Guild Hall. Snacks, dessert and drinks will be served. Enjoy chat tables for those who don’t like to play games, Poker, Mexican Train, Rummikub, Scrabble and more. Bring your favorite game or puzzle if you’d like.
Click the registration link or sign up in the Courtyard after worship by January 26. Contact Kathy Hurd at (916) 343-1519
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New Beginners, Gentle Pickleball | |
Are you interested in playing, or learning to play, pickleball but without the seriousness or competitiveness that you may feel is associated with our current Sunday Pickleball Fellowship?
If so, you'll enjoy this new gathering of Beginners and Gentle Pickleball Fellowship Saturdays from 2-4pm in the indoor gym, second floor of the Christian Education (C.E.) Building, beginning January 11, 2025. Equipment is provided. No experience required.
A more serious version of pickleball (slam, lob and dinking battles) takes place Sundays from 1-3pm, also in the indoor gym.
Contact Lucille Yee at lucilleyee@gmail.com or Suzanne Latham at suzlatham3@gmail.com
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Buildings and Grounds is pleased to announce that the roofing project for the Christian Education building will be completed this week. The final step is building and replacing gutters and downspouts. These gutters will be seamless, meaning that the connection points won’t rot over time. To complete this project, the tile around the gutters have to be removed (pictured). Jay Foreman B&G |
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Staying Well While Gathering
Although many of us have begun to travel and widen our social lives in the past months, COVID and other respiratory infections have kept up with us, as you may have noticed in recent months. We have learned a lot since 2020 about the consequences of these infections, which continue to impact the health of the most vulnerable and those we love.
To keep everyone we love well when gathering, we should take advantage of multiple effective strategies developed since 2020: 1) get updated COVID, influenza, and RSV vaccines that strengthen our individual and community immunity; 2) use rapid home antigen tests that are now free and available again by mail from the USPS; 3) take Paxlovid and other early antiviral treatments to reduce the risk of severe complications; 4) mask to protect yourself and prevent transmission; 5) use proper hand hygiene; and 6) ensure good ventilation wherever you gather. For more information here are trusted sources:
Updated Vaccines:
https://www.cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html
Free tests:
https://aspr.hhs.gov/COVID-19/Test/Pages/default.aspx
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'Breathe' Wednesdays, 1:30pm
Join with others who seek the refreshment of meditation and the opportunity to enhance their spiritual growth through the concept of sangha or sitting in silence within a group.
Sit tall, take a breath and find your path. Contact Sara Hirsch at sara1.hirsch1@gmail.com
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Pickleball
Sundays, 1-3pm
We play on Sundays from 1-3pm in the indoor gym, second floor of the Christian Education Building. All are welcome. Equipment is provided and no experience is required. Contact Lucille Yee at lucilleyee@gmail.com
See you on the court!
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Seniors Gather
Seniors Seeking Conversation and Coffee meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month in Guild Parlor, 9:30-11am.
All seniors, aged 65-110 years, are welcome. Contact Ann Chandler at
(510) 444-0280
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Church Center App
The Church Center App is the fastest way to get information about your church, check-in your family for events, give donations, browse and join groups, register for events and get involved throughout the week. Go to your mobile App store and download 'Church Center' App.
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Messenger and Sunday Bulletin Deadlines
The Messenger
Piedmont Church’s online newsletter, The Messenger, is the primary source of communication. The Messenger is published digitally and distributed via email weekly.
Deadline for Messenger articles is 12 noon Monday
Michael Barber edits copy and designs the layout of each Messenger with careful consideration of article placement. Placement is determined based on relevance to the congregation and the wider community.
Sunday Bulletin
Sunday bulletin and worship announcements are decided by Michael based on Tuesday discussions with Staff and lay leadership.
Print deadline for Sunday Bulletin is 12 noon Tuesday
Church Calendar
All information regarding the church calendar, including event dates, setup times and meetings, should be sent to Jay Foreman at Jay@PiedmontChurch.org
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