Church Updates
Week of September 24th, 2023
Church Updates
In-Person Offerings will be taken the first Sunday of each month. This change will only impact the English congregation at this time. Based upon feedback received during the Open Forum, we will begin taking in-person offerings on the first Sunday of each month. The intent is to encourage and reinforce the giving relationship between us and the Lord as well as recognizing the importance of giving in the overall worship experience. Online giving will still be available at all times as well as the offering boxes at the rear of the Sanctuary.
2023 Shoebox Ministry: It's almost Shoebox Time!!! Praise God for allowing our 765 shoeboxes, despite the pandemic, journeyed to places like Mongolia, Thailand and Peru to proclaim the Gospel in 2022! From October 1-31st, there will be a special love offering for the Shoebox ministry in preparation for this year's shoeboxes. For Online Giving, please select the Fund Designation “Love – Shoebox”. For all other donations, please indicate on the check or donation envelope, it is for “Love – Shoebox”. More details to follow in the next few weeks on packing and collecting shoeboxes. If you have any questions and suggestions, please contact Lannie Mok at cibcshoebox@gmail.com
We recently installed beige colored fabric sound panels on the Sanctuary walls, please do not attach anything or cover them. Do not attach anything using tape, push pins or anything else and do not cover them either.
The bank that we use for CIBC's online giving, Bank of the West, has joined a new banking institution, BMO, so the previous links (QR codes and url) to our online giving have changed. The CIBC website has already been updated with the new url as well as signs posted around the church. But, if you happen to have the online giving bookmarked on your web browser, please update that with the new url https://dpm.billeriq.com/ebpp/CIBC/
Note: Links to the English Sermons from All Church Camp can be found on the church website.
For the English Children Sunday School we switched the room assignments for these grades: For 4th & 5th grade, they will be in Room 311; For 3rd grade, Room 312.
If you need to park in the parking lot right next to our church on 8th St and block other people's cars on Sundays, please remember to give your car key to the parking lot usher or people in charge in Room 101, and provide your name and contact number as well. In addition, please pick up your car key in the parking lot after the Sunday services as soon as possible. If you come late, please find your key in a black box on the wall of Room 101.
The English Worship Service will begin at 9:15am instead of 9:00am every Sunday. This change is being made to better align our schedules with all three congregations. Here is the new schedule:
-
English Adult & Youth Worship 9:15 AM – 10:35 AM
-
IBF 10:35 AM – 11:00 AM
-
Adult Sunday School 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (or 12:15 PM if needed)
-
Children, Middle and High School SS Ends at 12:15 PM
Parents: Please be sure to pick up your children promptly at 12:15 PM.
If anyone is in need of a ride to CIBC for Sunday Service, please contact Transportation Chairman Lawrence Mue at (925) 980-6713, or email him at larry.mue@gmail.com
The English Children and Youth Sunday Schools will be ending at 12:15pm instead of 12:00pm every Sunday. From now on, parents with children in grades 1st-5th should promptly pick up their children from their Sunday School classroom instead of room 313. (Grades: 4th & 5th - Room 312, 3rd - Room 311, 1st & 2nd - Room 315)
The 2023 FLOWER CALENDAR is available for signup. It is posted on the Church Ministry and Church News bulletin board on the hallway. If you wish to sign up, please use the flower envelopes placed on the wall next to the flower calendar, and designate your date(s) to commemorate someone or something.
The Chinese Youth Sunday school and worship service have restarted. Sunday school will be meeting in-person at 9:45am in Rm 320, and the worship will begin at 11:00am in the Amphitheater every Sunday.
Please note that the Children’s Church, Children Sunday School and Beginner’s Church will be combined under the joint leadership of the English Children and Chinese ministry teams. The purpose of uniting these activities is to provide an effective children’s ministry to the whole church during in-person worship services. The new arrangements are as follows:
1) English Beginner’s Church (3-5 years old) 9:15am -10:45am Room 202
2) Children’s Church (1st-5th grades) 9:35am -10:45am Room 313
· Note: The Children will participate with the Congregation in the Sanctuary from 9:15am to 9:35am.
· Between 10:45am and 11:00am, the children will be provided with snacks and have supervised free time.
They can be picked up by their parents during this time, or they can remain in the room until their
teachers escort them to their Sunday school class rooms at 11:00am.
3) Children Sunday School (1st-5th grades) 11:00am-12:15pm
· 1st-2nd Grade: Room 315
· 3rd Grade: Room 311
· 4th-5th Grade: Room 312
4) Cantonese Beginner’s Church (3-5 years old) 11:00am-12:15pm Room 202
· Note: Both English and Cantonese preschoolers are welcome to attend.
For further clarification or registration, please email children@cibc-oakland.org
The English Caring Ministry representatives are: Jeanette Fong and Brenda Yip Teensma. You may email any prayer requests to Jeanette and Brenda through this email address: cibccaring@gmail.com. You may also continue to contact Jeanette Fong through her personal email: jeanettefong@yahoo.com or call (510) 351-6251 (Home Phone), if you prefer.
The Cantonese Tuesday Bible Study class will be live streamed via Zoom from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM (NO in-person class at church) or from 8:30 PM to 10:00 PM every Tuesday. We are currently studying the book of Hosea. If you would like to join the class, please email Pastor Patrick Lai at pastorpatricklai@cibc-oakland.org to register. Here is the online Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81615076941?pwd=Q2tKaWtKYkJtTHdxU0k1YzhZY0JuQT09
The English Youth Fellowships will be meeting in person at CV First Baptist Church in Castro Valley. The address is: 18550 Redwood Road, Castro Valley, CA, 94546. Our regular meeting time will be from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM on most Friday nights.
The Chinese CPR (College Prep Review) ministry for high school students and New Creation Fellowship for middle school students will be meeting in person on most Saturdays, from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM.
English Sunday School (adult and youth): The English Sunday School (adult and youth) will be meeting at church every Sunday at 11:00AM.
Cantonese Adult Sunday School: The Cantonese Adult Sunday School will have In-Person Only class every Sunday, from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM.
Mandarin Adult Sunday School: Please note that the Mandarin Adult Sunday School will be meeting in-person every Sunday, from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM, and it will also be live-streamed via Zoom at the same time. Please check the church website at www.cibc-oakland.org for more information.
Sunday Worship: This Sunday, the English in-church worship service will begin at 9:15 AM and will also be live-streamed on Youtube at the same time. The Cantonese in-church worship service will begin at 11:00 AM and will also be live-streamed on Youtube. The Mandarin in-church worship service will begin at 11:00 AM and will also be live-streamed from church. Check the CIBC website at www.cibc-oakland.org for links. The parking lot is available to everyone on a first come first serve basis.
Online Giving: https://www.cibc-oakland.org/online-giving We can now accept separate donations for the Benevolent Fund and we’ve set it up to accept credit card donations for your convenience. The church will pay the credit card fee from the bank.
Offering and benevolent donation can also be sent by mail to the church at Chinese Independent Baptist Church Oakland, 280 8th Street, Oakland, CA 94607