We all live and worship on land that sits on the ancestral land of one of the bands of the Ohlone Tribe. This land was and continues to be important to the Ohlone people. Consistent with our values of community and inclusion, as bearers of truth and love, we have a responsibility to acknowledge, honor, and make visible the relationship this land that we live on has with the Indigenous peoples of what is now called the Bay Area. 

November is Indigenous American Heritage Month and is a time that we, as a country, celebrate Indigenous people's diversity and contributions. In addition, it is a time to raise general awareness about the unique challenges and injustices the Indigenous people have faced throughout our country's history. We want to be respectful as we raise awareness of the Indigenous people's diversity and contributions.

John 4:24 God is Spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.

Prov 4:7b Though it costs all you have, get understanding.

Here is some information about the Ohlone Nation:

* The Ohlone family of tribes has been living in the Bay Area for 10,000 years.

* The Ohlone territory consisted of the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula down to Big Sur in the south.

* In pre-colonial times, the Ohlone lived in more than 50 distinct landholding groups and did not view themselves as a single unified group. They were 50 different "nations or tribes" with about 50 to 500 members each, with an average of 200 members.

* Only a few Ohlone sacred stories have survived Spanish colonization during the 1700s and 1800s. Therefore, many Ohlone bands today feel responsible for re-adopting these narratives and discussing them with cultural representatives and other Ohlone people to decide their meanings. This process is essential because the Ohlone can further piece together the cultural identity of their past ancestors and ultimately for themselves. 

* In the 1950s, the Ohlone tribal council supposedly received $150 for the value of 8.5 million acres of land from the federal government.

* The Muwekma Ohlone have been here for more than 2,000 years. The federal government says they're they're not a tribe. Indigenous people are still fighting for their rights under the law.

*Ohlone Peoples from diverse tribal communities come together and share their history through music, song, dance, and stories every October in Fremont at Coyote Hills. 

This information and more can be seen by clicking on the button below on the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe's website.

This upcoming Saturday is Veterans Day, a day to pay our respects to those who have served in the military. 

This holiday started as "Armistice Day," a day to reflect upon the heroism of those who died in our country's service. It fell on November 11 because that is the anniversary of the Armistice signing that ended World War I. However, in 1954, the holiday was changed to "Veterans Day" to account for all war veterans. (Information from https://www.military.com/veterans-day)

If you are a veteran, we want to thank you for your service and wish you a Happy Veterans Day this Friday!

We are excited to announce the HOPE worldwide 2024 Community Service Brigade (CSB) dates! Most trips are family-friendly, and anyone age ten or older can join. Jamaica is on for 2024 as well as a return to the Dominican Republic. They will also be visiting Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador twice each in 2024. 

They will be serving in the following ways:

Honduras - Winter: January 25-28, 2024 - Registration and Payment Deadline: December 1, 2023, OR Summer: July 18-21, 2024 - Registration and Payment Deadline: May 18, 2024 - Volunteers will be serving individuals and communities in San Pedro Sula, the Village of Monteverde, the Chamelecon neighborhood, and the Village of San Antonio de Majedain in need of medical, dental or psychosocial services.

Guatemala - Winter: February 15-18, 2024 - Registration and Payment Deadline: January 1, 2024, OR Summer: August 22-25, 2024 - Registration and Payment Deadline: June 22, 2024 - Volunteers will be serving individuals and communities in the beautiful locations of Guatemala City, Escuintla, Solola, and Chimaltenango who need medical, dental, or psychosocial services.

El Salvador - Summer: May 16-19, 2024 - Registration and Payment Deadline: March 2, 2024 OR Fall: November 7-10, 2024 - Registration and Payment Deadline: September 7, 2024 Volunteers will be serving individuals and communities in San Salvador, San Antonio, and Suchitoto who need medical, dental, or psychosocial services.

Jamaica - Summer: July 11-14, 2024 - Registration and Payment Deadline: April 1, 2024 - Volunteers will serve individuals and communities in Kingston and St. Katherine who are in need of medical, dental, or psychosocial services. 

Dominican Republic - Fall: October 17-20, 2024 - Registration and Payment Deadline: August 17, 2024 - Volunteers will be serving individuals and communities in Santo Domingo, the Municipal of San Gregoria de Nigua, San Cristobal and San Victor Moca. who are in need of medical, dental, or psychosocial services.

HOPE worldwide's Community Service Brigades (CSB) program provides short-term, high-impact volunteer opportunities. Medical and non-medical professionals are needed. No matter how young or old, no matter what professional qualifications, if a heart is to serve, there is a need!

They need volunteer doctors, dentists, PAs, nurses, EMTs, pharmacists, educators, mental health providers, and others who want to serve alongside volunteers from the host country. Those in the medical, dental, counseling and education fields need your skills and experience to help the materially poor. CSB volunteers help our brothers and sisters and others' needs in their outreach program communities. Volunteers will empower individuals and families to invest in and improve their health and well-being. Volunteers will have a chance to engage with people needing quality health care. Expect to work hard, be tired, have fun, and have transformational moments.

The registration fee for each participant will be $450 of which $50 will be left in the host country to sustain their work.

Click on the button below to go to the CSB webpage for more details about each trip, and sample volunteer expense budgets.

We will meet in different locations around the Bay Area for church next Sunday. The place and time for all Sunday Services are on our website.  

Our last Midweek Class for the Thoroughly Equipped Bible Study Class is this Tuesday at 7PM. 

In addition, we have a couple of opportunities to serve with HOPE worldwide here in the Bay Area this month. Please click HERE to find out more about those. 

Finally, we have many other events happening in the upcoming weeks for the holiday season. You can click the button below to be taken directly to our events page. 

Remember this as you go about this week:

Phil 4:19 - And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. 

Have a wonderful week!