Dear OSC family,
As we near the end of the second year of a global pandemic, I am amazed by the resilience, passion, and impact of this church. I can honestly say that we have never been stronger or healthier over the past 6 years than we are today.
The end of the year means it’s time for our year-end fund drive. If you’ve been at OSC for a while, you know we only talk about money twice a year: during our annual pledge drive in June and during our annual year-end fund drive in December.
Our mission is “to grow together in the peace, love, and justice of Christ for the sake of our relationships, our cities, and our world.” Here are a few ways we have worked toward that mission this year:
Our New Mission Commitment through 2023 was ratified in January, after 5 months of listening, prayer, assessment, and feedback from the whole congregation.
Through Sarah’s Hope Pantry, we provided fresh meat, dairy, produce, and shelf-stable food to roughly 100 local households and houseless neighbors every month who are hungry and struggling to make ends meet.
In our Groups & Classes this year more than 50 people have taken classes like our “Roots” class, “Outgrowing Immature Religion”, and “How (Not) To Read The Bible”, or participated in our monthly Call & Response Bible study and our monthly Book Club.
Our New Family Ministry began collaborating with Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad to bring our youth together for outreaches and outings. Together they have packed lunch bags for homeless neighbors, learned to make pottery, and explored explored the Christian faith.
Our New Anti-Racism Team formed in January of this year and launched “No Greater Love” in September, our first anti-racism group process and spiritual retreat. 17 people participated in the first cohort for No Greater Love.
Our New LGBTQ Open & Affirming Team formed in October and is already at-work setting goals for how our church can live more faithfully into our stated priority to be more empowering to LGBTQ persons.
Our Justice Works Team worked hard this year in collaboration with St John Church and St Thomas More Catholic Church to successfully advocate for a change in The Oceanside Police Department’s de-escalation policy that will make it enforceable within the department. They also hosted the first of a series of community forums on homelessness.
That’s a whole lot of community impact for a relatively small church! And there is more to come in 2022. We are planning new classes and groups to begin in the spring and new ministries to impact our community for the common good.
But as a charity, we can’t do any of this without your support.
Our year-end fund drive goal this year is to raise an additional $25,000 over-and-above regular membership giving.
That may seem like a big goal, but if every household in our congregation gave an extra $250 in December, we would exceed that goal.
Of course, not everyone can give an extra $250, and that is okay! In God’s economy, we are called to give generously according to our own means, not according to someone else’s means (see 2 Cor 8:13-15). Our goal is not that you would feel pressured, but instead, that you give whatever amount brings you both a sense of peace and joy in supporting our ministries.
Whatever amount you choose to give for a year-end gift, you can give two ways:
You can give securely online by clicking on our giving page.
Or you can give by mailing a check to PO Box 360, Oceanside, CA 92049.
If you’ve already made a year-end gift to us, thank you!
It is a genuine privilege to serve as your pastor. Blessings to you and your family this Advent and Christmas season. Stay safe and be well!
Sincerely,
Rev. Jason Coker
Lead Pastor
PS: If you’re new to OSC, I encourage you to read our FAQ’s About Giving.