July 28, 2015
Dear LABC,
I hear that worship on July 26 was wonderful. I haven’t yet listened in at www.labcoakland.org but I will. After worship our kids, teens, and sponsors went to the SNF at Piedmont Gardens to minister to the residents there. The photo above, sent by a very appreciative Rita (daughter of Irene) Jennings, captures the spirit they conveyed.
This coming Sunday Karen Okusu will preach. Her sermon will be “The Symbols of Our Faith.” Her theme will be ” Symbols have great power because of the emotions and memories they stir up. Yet, ‘with great power comes great responsibility’.”The central Scripture will be John 6: 24-25.
Karen and I will greatly appreciate your prayers as we travel to Oregon on August 2 to help her mom move from her home in Forest Grove to our home in Oakland. This represents a major change for us all. A change that we trust will be good for us all.
Prayers of the Congregation
- Maxine and Thomas O’Guinn as they mourn the death of their grandson, Christopher
- A pathway out of the wilderness of gun violence in which our nation wanders
- The family of Maddyson Middleton (8 years old as they mourn her tragic death)
- Pastor Tanner for her dad who is scheduled for surgery on July 28
- Rae Rita Thompson for her dad who was hospitalized in Monday evening
- Ted and Doris Evans and family
- All who are traveling
- Cordia Lee for her workplace, her director, her brother John, her friend Elyse, and herself
- Margaret Oladoja and family
- All who teach and mentor our youth
- Carolyn Matthews for her son William as he begins teaching math to middle school students
- The Meads family for Deanna, June, Alice and Jerry
- Larry Sims and family
- Katrina Lau and family
- Patrick Dawkins II and family as he begins his studies at UC Santa Barbara
- Sandra Dunn for her dad
- Al Johnson and Roy Browner
- Evern Azer Koculu upon his profession of faith and baptism
- The drought and fire stricken West
- The residents and staff of Grand Lake and Piedmont Gardens
- Thanksgiving with Mary Karne on good news in regard to her daughter Maryla
- Thanksgiving for a wonderful Vacation Bible Camp
- Thanksgiving for the good work of Ceasefire Oakland. There will be another call-in at LABC this Thursday evening
- Thanksgiving with Celestine Bennett as she and Sandra Lee attend the Church and Synagogue Library Association Convention at which Celestine will be honored as the 2015 Outstanding Congregational Librarian
- Thanksgiving for the August 2 birthday of Pastor Tanner and all who will celebrate their birthday in August
- Thanksgiving for the ministry of the American Baptist Seminary of the West, all of our August preachers are part of the ABSW family
Announcements
If you are planning on coming to the tailgate in advance of Friday’s A’s game we will be in Parking Lot A and will try to be near sign A7. The hot dogs will start cooking at 4:45. Bring your own beverage. We will need to start heading into the stadium at 6:00.