Easter Season – Thursday, April 16

Family,

I thought you might be interested in some notes from some of the Zoom meetings I have been part of this week.

LABC Youth Group – Listen to Ryan Gurney tell “Bad Dad” jokes on Encinal High School Radio mornings at 8:50 on encinalradio.com (96.1 KJTZ)

David Fowler, Criminal Justice Researcher/Reformer – “Returning citizens need housing, food, education, jobs and a host of other resources. What is hardest for them to find is a community to help them address the deeply seated feeling that they are unworthy of belonging, that they deserve to live forever on the margins.”

No Soup, But Study – “LABC needs to make sure that there is always room for doubt in our community, just as the followers of Jesus welcomed Thomas even when he doubted.”

Wednesday Prayer and Bible Study – “Forgiveness is not forgetting. It is releasing bitterness but it is not excusing destructive and damaging behavior.”

Education for Liberation (Faith In Action East Bay) – “We are making real progress in improving graduation rates for Oakland students. Since we worked together to pass the College and Career for All Measure N in 2012, OUSD’s overall 4-year graduation rate has gone from 59% to 72%. For African American students, the rate has gone from 53% to 76.5%
and for Latinx students, the four year graduation rate has improved from 55% to 61%. But there is much more work to be done. Each year, more than 350 Oakland students drop out of school completely. Even for those who graduate, it is estimated that more than 700 are not enrolled in any post-secondary institution, including union apprenticeships, one year after graduation. Over 1000 of our youth each year are left disconnected from our educational and support institutions, and cut off from opportunities that others enjoy.”

Peace,
Pastor Jim

Thursday, Friday and Saturday Zoom Gatherings – Together In Spirit, Tomorrow evening at 6:00; A Time To Connect, Friday at noon; A Time For Prayer, Saturday morning at 10:00

Announcements

Sad News – We received word on Wednesday of the death on Tuesday evening of Raymond Thompson, father of LCC Director Rae Rita Thompson. Please reach out to Rae and let her know of our love.