Dear OSC friends,
November 21st 2024 marks our 149th birthday as a church and the beginning of our 150th year. This is an incredible milestone! Our church has existed longer than telephones, record players, or light bulbs! We would love to see you this coming Sunday November 17th for a 149th birthday celebration immediately after church in our new downstairs community room.
2025 also marks the final year of our five-year strategic plan, what we call our Mission Commitment. In 2020 our congregation came together to discern the vision, mission, values, and priorities of our church. We think our 150th year is the perfect time to come together again and dream about what God is calling The Oceanside Sanctuary to be and do over the next five years. Over the coming weeks and months, you will have opportunities to provide your input on this question. We hope you will join this process to help shape our future!
Of course, we haven’t forgotten that many in our community are rightfully anxious about the future after the recent national election.
Whatever the outcome of our Mission 2030 process, OSC’s essential character will not change. We will remain a sanctuary for women, for people of color, for the LGBTQIA+ community, and for all who suffer under the politics of cruelty. The recent election made it more important than ever to proclaim loudly and boldly that bigotry has no place in our churches, our communities, or our nation. The gospel of Christ is literally good news for the poor, healing for the hurting, liberation for the oppressed. That is our faith commitment.
In the meantime, may we suggest, in this time of great uncertainty, that you consider leaning into the rhythms and rituals of our community life together at OSC? Come to church when you can! We need to get to know each other and be there for each other at this time. The Christian new year begins with Advent, a season of intentional hope, on Sunday, December 1st! During those four weeks, we learn to cultivate an expectation for better things in spite of our circumstances. Isn’t that what we need right now? To help, we have prepared daily 5-minute Advent reflections at The Collective Table podcast to begin on Dec 2nd. After that, Christmas begins with two Christmas Eve services at 4 PM and 5:30 PM. Join us for one of these celebrations (come early to find parking)! Consider taking a little time each of the 12 days of Christmas from December 25th to Jan 5th to celebrate the gift of God’s love by giving some small kindness to a friend, family member, or neighbor. In the spring, join us for Ash Wednesday on March 5th to lament the brokenness of our wold and begin the procession toward the promise of resurrection on Easter Sunday, April 20th.
These are the rythms of the Christian community. As we come together regularly and often to share our faith, we create hope and learn to love.
There will be other rythms as well. Groups and classes to help you connect and grow. Opportuities to serve and take action to help make North San Diego county a better place for those who suffer. Throughout our 150th year, between now and next November, we will pause several times to celebrate important milestones in the long history of our church.
We hope you’ll join us for these gatherings and celebrations in coming year as we seek to deepen our connection to this community of faith together.
Blessings,
Jason & Jenell Coker
Co-Lead Ministers
PS: We need a few more people to join the Queer Committee. This team includes queer and allies, and creates safe spaces for the LGBTQ community at OSC. Click here to sign up!