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Hello friends,
As we enter this season of anticipation and hope, I want to share with you a reality that has weighed heavily on our local mission partners—and, in turn, on all of us who care deeply about our neighbors. Over the past year, significant cuts in federal spending have created profound gaps in services that many in our community rely on. These reductions have especially impacted permanent supportive housing and access to food. As a result, the requests coming to us from our partners—Stand!, Hope Solutions, the Food Bank, and Monument Crisis Center—have grown in both number and urgency.
These organizations are carrying an immense burden. They are working tirelessly to keep families housed, to provide stability for survivors of violence, and to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry. And behind every program, every distribution line, and every home visit are staff members who show up every single day with compassion, creativity, and resilience—often while working with fewer resources than ever before.
This December, I’m committing myself to a new spiritual practice: praying daily for the staff of our mission partners. They are doing Christ’s work on the front lines of human need, and the weight they carry is real. I invite you to join me in lifting them up—asking God to grant them strength, encouragement, and hope as they serve our neighbors with such unwavering dedication.
I also want to share something I hear consistently when I visit our partners: LOPC is deeply loved. Again and again, they express gratitude for the ways our congregation shows up—through financial gifts, through countless hours of volunteering, and through our steady commitment to advocate for their essential work.
Thank you for being part of Mission at LOPC. Together, we continue to live out our call to be the hands and feet of Christ in this world.
Peace, Pastor Lauren
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Christmas Special Offering 2025: Feeding Children Near & Far
In this Season of Giving, our hearts turn toward children, those in our neighborhoods and around the world, who face hunger each day. This year’s Christmas Special Offering supports two mission partners providing life-changing nourishment locally and globally: the JF Kapnek Trust in Zimbabwe and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
For more than 20 years, LOPC has partnered with the JF Kapnek Trust, whose Early Childhood Development program serves preschoolers across Zimbabwe. A key element is a daily fortified porridge, partially funded by LOPC, that feeds 12,000 children at just three cents per child. The program also brings health checkups, immunizations, and nutrition education to thousands of children and parents, improving attendance and long-term wellbeing.
Closer to home, the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano supports 1 in 5 local children living in food-insecure households. Through school and community partnerships, the food bank provides fresh produce, staples, and essential nutrition to more than 275,000 people each month.
Our goal this Christmas is to raise $20,000. Your generosity will help children near and far grow, learn, and thrive. Thank you for giving the gift of nourishment this season. Learn more at www.lopc.org/specialoffering.
| | love does: Christmas Mission Opportunities | | |
THANK YOU to everyone who participated in Love Does Christmas 2025! Thank you for helping bring joy and hope this Christmas season to our neighbors who need it most!
Hope Solutions’ Spirit of Giving (through December 14)
There are still over 30 individuals in need of sponsors for their wish-list gifts, and many grocery gift cards are still needed. Please consider sponsoring an individual or contributing a grocery gift card to help ensure every family is cared for this Christmas.
Our Giving Tree, available both in person and online, is filled with wish list items for more than 35 families (100+ children and parents) supported by Hope Solutions. Choose an ornament from the physical tree or select a gift through our new virtual tree by clicking HERE. Shop for your gift and drop it off anytime before December 14, or bring it to Love Does: Cocoa and Cookies. We’ll be delivering all gifts to Hope Solutions on December 17 and would welcome a few more volunteers to help with transportation and delivery.
Love Does: Cocoa and Cookies • Sunday December 14 • 10:00 am–12:00 pm • Fellowship Hall
NEW! Family Service Project Added
All are invited to drop in for a joyful morning of wrapping (or dropping off) Giving Tree gifts while enjoying cocoa, cookies, and community cheer. We’ll also have a family-friendly service project – making cards and ornaments for the Hope Solutions families we’re supporting through the Giving Tree. Come say Merry Christmas, connect with our Mission Team, celebrate all the good we’ve been able to do together this year, and learn how you can support our mission partners this Christmas.
Additional information at www.lopc.org/holiday. If you have questions, contact Michelle Browning.
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2025 Mission Year in Review
In 2025, our congregation showed how love in action can transform lives. From love does Day, where 250+ volunteers served, to year-round support of mission partners and friends, every act of service made a difference. Volunteers in immigration advocacy, youth programs, and Winter Nights brought hope, encouragement, and joy to children, families, and unhoused neighbors. Generosity shone through donations, food and clothing drives, and Christmas love does opportunities, supporting hundreds of families. love does participation more than doubled, proving the incredible impact we can make when we serve with heart and purpose.
2025 Highlights:
- Over 250 volunteers joined Love Does Day, sorting 10,000 diapers, assembling 60 shopping carts, creating 80 blankets, and packing hundreds of meals and toiletry kits. Off-campus teams made a difference at STAND!, Loaves & Fishes, White Pony Express, and Habitat for Humanity.
- More than 225 volunteers served year-round at love does service events, supporting Monument Crisis Center, Food Bank, Trinity Center, and Hope Solutions.
- Our community contributed both financial support and prayers for our international partners - Fotokids, Atfaluna, Children of Faith, Kapnek, and Congo - helping them to continue their important work and serve their communities.
- Immigration advocacy teams distributed 7,000+ Know Your Rights cards, trained as Welcome Navigators, and served as Court Watchers.
- Over 45 youth volunteers brought joy and encouragement to children and families at KidsFest.
- Over 240 volunteers supported Winter Nights at LOPC.
- Voyager Ship and Bible Study Groups in Action: Groups organized their own service projects, including Schooners packing 100+ toiletry kits for Operation Dignity, Women’s Bible Study assembling 200+ lbs of rice & beans for Primera Iglesia, and Hobie Cats hosting an auction that raised over $1,200 to fight food insecurity.
- Generosity flourished with $98,980 donated to special offerings, 88+ barrels of food and 140+ holiday food boxes donated to MCC, and hundreds of families and individuals supported through Trinity Center clothing drives, Extended Family Program linen and bedding drives, and Hope Solutions’ Spirit of Giving program.
With heartfelt gratitude, thank you to every volunteer and supporter - your time, energy, and generosity made 2025 an extraordinary year of service. Here’s to an even more impactful 2026!
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Through December 14 - love does: Hope Solutions Spirit of Giving (Giving Tree). There are still over thirty individuals in need of sponsors for their wish list gifts, and many grocery gift cards are needed too. Pick an ornament from the Giving Tree, shop for your gift, and drop it off anytime before December 14, or bring it to our Cocoa and Cookies wrapping party following both worship services on December 14.
December 14, following both Worship services, love does: Cocoa and Cookies. Join us for a festive Giving Tree party with cocoa, cookies, and community cheer! Wrap or drop off your gifts and make cards and ornaments for Hope Solutions families while celebrating all the good we’ve done together this year.
December 22, 10:00 am on Zoom - Prayer Group for Atfaluna and Gaza. We invite you to join us monthly on Mondays in prayer for Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children and all those affected by the ongoing violence and displacement. Register to receive the Zoom link by clicking HERE. All are welcome.
January 14, 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, at Monument Crisis Center - love does: MCC Food Distribution. We’re looking for 5-8 volunteers to help with MCC’s Food Distribution Program. Volunteers will assist with food distribution and should be able to stand for about four hours and walk frequently throughout the shift. Thanks in advance for lending a hand! If you would like to join us, please email Michelle Browning.
January 17, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm - love does: Volunteers at the Food Bank. Join us and volunteer at the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano! By working together (up to 20 of us), we'll sort, box, and bag food to provide for those in our community facing hunger. This is an opportunity to serve those in need while building connections at LOPC. Click HERE for more information and to register.
February 22 - love does Congregational Day of Service. Our special day of service brings the LOPC community together to support local mission partners across the Bay Area. Mark your calendar and start thinking about how you’ll join in! Service opportunities and details coming soon. Learn more at lopc.org/lovedoes.
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Advocate for Peace and Aid to Gaza. LOPC remains committed to peace, justice, and the dignity of all people. As part of our faith in action, we invite you sign up for PCUSA Action Alerts to advocate for aid to Gaza and an end to U.S. military support for Israel. Let us continue to walk in compassion and work toward healing in our world.
Feed our Neighbors. Food insecurity is on the rise, and local families need our support. Donate, volunteer, or spread the word to help Monument Crisis Center and the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano provide groceries and emergency aid. Learn more and take action!
Continue the spirit of United in Prayer from wherever you are. In October, our community gathered to support mission partners through reflection and intentional prayer, and you’re invited to join in. Click HERE to access the prayer booklet.
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A Holiday Message from Fotokids
LOPC recently received this heartfelt note and video message from our mission partner, Fotokids:
Dear LOPC Family,
I hope this message finds you well and surrounded by the warmth of the season. On behalf of all of us at Fotokids, I want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support. Your generosity continues to bring light, hope, and opportunities to our students, and we feel deeply blessed to walk this journey together.
We are happy to share that we have recorded the video with our Christmas message and words of appreciation. We hope it conveys even a small part of the gratitude and joy we feel for the beautiful partnership we share with you.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for believing in our mission and in the potential of every child we serve. Your support truly makes a difference.
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LOPC Congo Team Funds School Desks in Kinshasa
At the recent Congo Mission Network conference in Alabama, representatives from the LOPC Congo team met with Rev. Kalonji, president of the Presbyterian Church of Kinshasa (CPK). CPK is one of the Presbyterian Church’s two mission partners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and operates 432 schools in Kinshasa and the surrounding area.
Rev. Kalonji shared some of their education needs with us. Improvements in infrastructure and school supplies are needed in many schools. He mentioned that any support to furnish desks would be greatly appreciated, as desks (standard in our schools) are in short supply in the DRC. At one school in particular, 15 primary-grade classes and two secondary-grade classes are in dire need of desks. The pictures below show these classrooms.
At its December 7 meeting, the Congo team voted to use the remaining 2025 funds to purchase 292 locally made desks. There is still a need for an additional 200 desks.
Rev. Kalonji is always deeply appreciative of LOPC’s support.
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Celebrating Our MCC Food Drive Impact
The “MCC Barrel” count over the past five years shows impressive results, with 2025 still underway. Year to date, 85.5 barrels of food have been collected, totaling an estimated 17,100 lbs, helping provide a week’s worth of basic food for 1,000 people per week.
Barrel Count by Year:
- 2025: 85.5 barrels / 17,100 lbs
- 2024: 64.5 barrels / 12,900 lbs
- 2023: 87 barrels / 17,400 lbs
- 2022: 75.5 barrels / 15,100 lbs
- 2021: 110.5 barrels / 22,100 lbs
- 2020: 429.5 barrels / 85,900 lbs (boosted by a community push for MCC)
The Thanksgiving Turkey program provided 800 turkeys with trimmings, with the first batch of 500 distributed in about two hours. Those unable to pick up a turkey that day were able to receive one the following week during regular food distribution.
Construction of the food room expansion is progressing well thanks to favorable weather, allowing MCC staff and volunteers to continue running six core programs that support the community year-round.
| | Transforming Lives at Children of Faith | | |
This year, consider starting a new holiday tradition by sponsoring a child at the Children of Faith Home in Visakhapatnam, India. LOPC has partnered with Children of Faith for over 10 years, sending service trips to the Home to lead Bible learning programs, support education, and make campus improvements.
Sponsoring a child allows you to be part of this transformative work. Each sponsor is matched with an individual child and receives a photo and handmade cards at Christmas and Easter. Sponsors help provide shelter, nourishment, healthcare, education, and clothing - giving security and hope in an insecure world.
One-time sponsorships are welcome, but an ongoing commitment can make an even greater impact. Annual sponsorships are $480 and can be paid monthly, quarterly, or in full. Recurring contributions via credit card or bank transfer make giving seamless.
Learn more about sponsorship and other ways to help at the Children of Faith website by clicking HERE.
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Learn how housing insecurity impacts families across the U.S. The documentary, "Evicting the American Dream," produced by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Counter Stories Productions, presents the stories of children and families confronting eviction and homelessness, and explores the root causes and systemic issues that perpetuate this epidemic. Click HERE for more information, including how to watch.
Learn how the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has impacted children, families, and the medical workers who serve them. Dr. Mohammad Subeh’s interview, shared during our 10/26 Reflections on Gaza event, offers firsthand insight into the realities on the ground and the resilience of the Palestinian people. Click HERE to watch.
Learn how the history of charisma shapes American culture and politics today. In her book Spellbound, historian Molly Worthen traces the magnetic leaders, from Puritans to Black nationalists to modern political figures, whose persuasive power has steered the nation. Click HERE to watch her 11/30 presentation.
See how one act of service grew into a Girl Scouts Gold Award project. At LOPC’s Youth Sunday (August 24, 2025), Ashlyn Browning shared how volunteering at Hope Solutions through LOPC’s Kids Fest sparked her passion for service. Watch her inspiring story on our YouTube channel.
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December 13, 10:00 am at Rotator Tap Room, Walnut Creek – Yoga, Brews & Doing Good. Give back while you flow! Join Christy Brown for an energizing hour of yoga, followed by your first beverage after class. All levels welcome, and feel good knowing 100% of ticket proceeds support Trinity Center’s Seasonal Shelter Program, providing warmth and care to unhoused neighbors this winter. More info and tickets HERE.
December 14, 4:30 - 7:00 pm at The Freight, Berkeley – “No Separate Survival” Film Screening & Benefit. Join East Bay Sanctuary Covenant and The Freight for a short documentary screening followed by a discussion with director Shabnam Piryaei and filmmakers. Enjoy a pre-screening reception with appetizers and drinks starting at 4:30 pm, film screening at 5:45 pm, and live music by Larry & Joe. All proceeds support EBSC’s legal, social, and educational services for immigrants in the Bay Area. More info HERE.
March 7, 5:30 - 10:00 pm at Blackhawk Country Club, Danville - Heartfelt Masquerade 2026. Save the date for an evening of live and silent auctions, dinner, dancing, and FUN while supporting Monument Crisis Center programs! More info HERE.
March 14, 5:30 - 10:00 pm at The Club at Castlewood, Pleasanton - 2026 18th Annual Ruby Slippers Gala. Save the date for an unforgettable evening of elegance and purpose at Hope Solutions' Fundraising Gala, Ruby Slippers – There’s No Place Like Home! More info HERE.
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Connect with our partner liaisons to learn more about our mission partners: | | | | |
LOPC's Mission Ministry welcomes your financial support! Donations help fund hands-on service projects like assembling backpacks, clothing, and food kits for those in need. Click HERE to contribute and select the “love does” fund. Thank you in advance for your donation! | | | | |
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