The PC (USA) has updated its website, and imagine my surprise to see video footage from an interview last summer at the Big Tent Conference in Atlanta on the home page! Check it out here. http://pcusa.org/ The site is a welcome upgrade from the old version, which was very difficult to navigate. Much thanks to Bruce Reyes-Chow, Moderator until this weekend for all the good work he has done encouraging the church to enter into the 21st century. (Now, if only we could coax an advertising campaign out of Louisville!)
Our Shared Ministry with First Congregational Church of Antioch was highlighted in the Contra Costa Times recently. Check out the article here. Thanks to Tammy Hansen for writing the article. Our next joint service is Sunday, June 27th at 10:00 am at FCCA (620 E. Tregallas Rd., Antioch).
Vacation Bible School this year will be the Galactic Blast August 1-5 from 5:30-8:30 PM. Dinner served first and then lots of fun learning and playing and singing! Tell your friends. Registration forms available at the link above.
Community Calendar Events are listed below.
CPC is truly a community church, welcoming those of multiple church backgrounds to be the unique, open, caring community that it is. CPC is the product of the 1971 merger of Community Congregational Church of Pittsburg (UCC, established 1864) and the First United Presbyterian Church of Pittsburg (PC (USA), established 1953). We are a diverse, welcoming and affirming church family that values the traditions from which we have come, while looking to the future that God is calling us toward.
I share some of my personal musings on a blog at http://willymac4.blogspot.com in which you are welcome to participate. Feel free to read and respond to my irreverent thoughts on the church, the christian life, and our loves. There is a "Comment" link underneath each entry where you can respond and share what you think.
If you would like to see a bit about the recent mission trip to Israel-Palestine a few members of our church and I participated in, please visit: http://keephopealiveca.blogspot.com
The primary term we at CPC describe ourselves with is family, sharing in each other's joys and struggles, so please take a while to get to know us here and then come out to one of our events. I am sure you will find your place in the family of God here!
Pastor Will McGarvey
Who We Are: A Progressive Christian Church in East County! CPC is affiliated with the Center for Progressive Christianity, affirming the 8 Points. You will find God's welcome here among us.
"By calling ourselves progressive, we mean that we are Christians who…
1Have found an approach to God through the life and teachings of Jesus,
2 Recognize the faithfulness of other people who have other names for the way to God’s realm, and acknowledge that their ways are true for them, as our ways are true for us,
3 Understand the sharing of bread and wine in Jesus’s name to be a representation of an ancient vision of God’s feast for all peoples,
4 Invite all people to participate in our community and worship life without insisting that they become like us in order to be acceptable
(including but not limited to):
believers and agnostics,
conventional Christians and questioning skeptics,
women and men,
those of all sexual orientations and gender identities,
those of all races and cultures,
those of all classes and abilities,
those who hope for a better world and those who have lost hope;
5 Know that the way we behave toward one another and toward other people is the fullest expression of what we believe,
6 Find more grace in the search for understanding than we do in dogmatic certainty - more value in questioning than in absolutes;
7 Form ourselves into communities dedicated to equipping one another for the work we feel called to do: striving for peace and justice among all people, protecting and restoring the integrity of all God’s creation, and bringing hope to those Jesus called the least of his sisters and brothers; and
8 Recognize that being followers of Jesus is costly, and entails selfless love, conscientious resistance to evil, and renunciation of privilege."
"The 8 Points” (version 2003)
The Center for Progressive Christianity, www.tcpc.org
Faith and Pride: Sunday, June 27th at 5:00 pm at the Chapel of the Great Commission, campus of Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave., Berkeley, CA. This is a first of it's kind event joining Welcoming and Affirming Congregations to celebrate Pride in an interfaith service. CPC is a part of the Coalition of Welcoming Congregations, and voted to co-sponsor this event.
Remember the Deacon's Fund, highlighted on the first Sunday of each month, our Deacons receive and distribute donations on this Sunday to help families in need in the Church and East County.
The One Great Hour of Sharing Offering will be received during Lent, beginning February 21st through Easter, April 4th. This offering benefits The Presbyterian Hunger Program with 36 percent, while the Self-Development of People and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance each receive 32 percent.
Pennies for Peace: We accept the Pennies for Peace offering on the first Sunday of the month, during our Shared Ministry services. May 2nd we will be at FCCA (620 E. Tregallas Rd., Antioch).
Addressing Hunger in East County: CPC is a charter member of PICES, Pittsburg's food pantry at 585 W. 10th St. in downtown Pittsburg. We have also recently partnered with FB² - the Faith Based Food Bank - currently dispersing food at the Antioch Salvation Army at 525 E. 18th St. in Antioch. The Salvation Army is receiving frozen hams through Easter, so buy your holiday turkey, ham or canned meat a twin and drop it off at the Salvation Army!
The 22nd Annual East County Hunger Walk: was held Sat., Oct. 3rd and we raised over $900.00 to battle hunger in East County.
Upcoming Events at CPC:
Next Shared Ministry Joint Services: Sundays, July 11th & 25th at CPC and August 15th at FCCA at 10:00 am (no services at CPC on 8-15). Wednesday Bible Study: In July, the Bible Study will take a break. On Tuesday, August 3rd, we will begin our Tuesday Morning Bible Study with a walk through the Book of Revelation.
Summer Book Study: “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortensen – which meets the first Wednesday evenings of the month in the CSR at 7:00 pm. On Wednesday, July 7th – we will be discussing the second quarter of the book.
Summer Classic Movie Series: 2nd Wednesday Nights at 7:00 pm in the CSR.
July 14th, August 11th, Sept. 8th! July 14th will be the 1935 classic Enchanted April.
“The Book of Acts – God is still speaking” is taking a break until September. Shared Ministry Study will resue Friday afternoons at 3:00 pm at FCCA (620 E. Tregallas Rd., Antioch) once the curriculum is available. This study is led by Sandy Henry.
Upcoming Small Group Meetings:
• Men’s Breakfast Group will take a break in July and meet again August 7th.
• Women for Betterment: Anti-Human Trafficking Seminar. Thursday, July 8th at 6:45 in the Stoneman Room. For more info, call Maggie at 925-473-9991 or Elvira (en español) at 925-813-1512.
• Women's Fellowship, Luncheon Thursday, July 15th at 11:30 am at the New Oriental Buffet on Somersville Rd., Antioch.
• Eco-Stewards Group - to be announced. Youth Group:
• Remember to get your permission slips in for the Mission Trip! We will be serving at First Presbyterian Church of Orange's ministry and going to Disneyland July 18th-23rd in Southern California. A New Way: The Alternative Worship service has been name "A New Way." Our team will be taking a summer break until our next New Way Service Sunday, August 22nd. Thanks team!
First Congregational Church of Antioch Addendum
We had wonderful 145 Anniversary Founder’s Day at FCCA. We dedicated 182 rainbow stoles for the Presbyterian Church General Assembly. Congratulations on 145 years of faithful ministry in Antioch!
