Dear OSC friends,
July at OSC marks the start of our new fiscal year, which means it’s time for our annual membership drive (this usually happens in June, but returning from the pandemic has set us a bit behind this year!). As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we can only operate by the generosity of our supporters. So just like your favorite public radio station, once a year we invite you to become a supporting member of OSC.
How does this work?
It’s pretty simple! Supporting Members are those who contribute regularly to our church’s mission. Here are three simple steps you can take:
Step 2: Complete a pledge form to let us know if plan to support OSC this year.
But what are you supporting?
Our mission is to “grow together in the love, peace, and justice of Christ for the sake of our relationships, our cities, and our world.” This means we are on a life-long journey to learn how to be followers of Christ by the grace of God. And even though we suspended in-person gatherings for 14-months during the pandemic, our ministries grew busier than ever!
Like most churches, we gather weekly to learn how to put Jesus and his teachings at the center of our lives. We also host regular groups, classes, and learning conversations to grow in our faith.
But that is just the beginning. We also put these teachings into practice by serving the needs of our community.
Sarah’s Hope Kitchen & Pantry operated weekly throughout the pandemic lockdown, and continues to do so, helping to feed more than 100 hungry households and unhoused neighbors every month with fresh meat, produce, and shelf-stable food.
Our Justice Works team also grew busier during the pandemic. Last summer and fall they successfully conducted a campaign to advocate for a more open and transparent hiring process for the new Chief of Police in Oceanside. This year they are working with other Oceanside churches to advocate for the implementation of an enforceable de-escalation policy in OPD.
These campaigns are driven by our commitment to anti-racism, since communities of color suffer the most, by far, from inequitable police policies and violent practices. But last summer we began to pursue anti-racism and racial healing more directly, which led to the creation of our first Anti-Racism Team in January. This fall, that team will be launching “No Greater Love”, our first ever anti-racism and racial healing group at OSC.
Also in January, our congregation approved our latest 3-year Mission Commitment, which included a new stated priority to, “Become a more empowering community for women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ persons.” This led to our first celebration of Black History Month in February, Women’s History Month in March, and Pride Month in June. And this month, we are recruiting a new team to pursue more intentional practices to serve and empower the LGBTQ+ community in our midst.
Lastly, we saw changes in our leadership and staffing this year. Marté Riley joined the Board of Elders; Alex Kip stepped into a new role as our Associate Pastor in charge of Outreach and Media; Jenell Coker stepped into a new role as our Family Minister, overseeing a growing youth ministry; and Joey Pearson came on board as our new Music Minister.
As you can see, despite the pandemic, it’s been a busy year.
Do you value our work?
We really can’t do any of this without your support. So if you value our mission and our work, please consider becoming a Supporting Member today by clicking here. Any amount you can give makes a big difference.
Thank you so much for your participation in this unique community of faith! I continue to be humbled and inspired to serve as your Lead Pastor.
Rev. Jason Coker
Lead Pastor
PS: If you’re already a supporting member, and don’t wish to make any changes to your giving, you don’t need to do anything. Thank you for your continued support!