Face masks are required for all in-person church activities. DO NOT come to the church if you have cold or flu like symptoms.

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At Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church, we support people as they seek to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
We are an American Baptist Church in partnerships with American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island and American Baptist Churches, USA.  We are ecumenically minded and seek opportunities for worship and service with other community churches.
 
Our church welcomes diverse families. We provide for Christian Education (Sunday School) for school aged children, as well as a nursery for pre-school children during worship services.
 
A very important part of our worship at Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church is our music program. We have been blessed with a strong music ministry consisting of a Sanctuary Choir, Hand bell Choir, two organists, and many musically talented members who readily share their gifts during the worship services throughout the year.
 
At the conclusion of worship every Sunday all are invited to the fellowship hall to join in conversation and refreshments.
 
Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church is located at 229 Wilbur Avenue in Cranston.  We warmly invite you to worship with us on a Sunday morning at 9:30 am.  Until then, may our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you!

Pastor Barbara's Facebook Page:

 https://www.facebook.com/barbara.annpastor

Members of the Board of Christian Education have continued to work many hours in the various classrooms to completely clean all items, books, and surfaces to provide a safe place for your childrens' Christian learning. Each child will receive his/her own box of crayons, markers and/or pencils which will be stored in a sanitized personal pencil box for his/her use throughout the year.

Christian Ed has decided to reopen Church School classes tentatively on October 11, 2020 but, unfortunately at this time, we do not feel we will be able to safely open the Nursery. We will inform you of any future changes.

Thank you for your understanding.

Corinne Ricketson, Chair of Christian Education

Ever since college I’ve been involved in social justice issues. And recently, since the deaths of George Floyd and John Lewis, I’ve been wanting to do more particularly in relation to the poor. I asked the Spirit to guide me in finding the perfect way to be of additional help. I received the guidance that I asked for.

I was cleaning out my purse one recent morning because it had gotten unusually heavy with coins I’d carelessly dropped inside. It occurred to me as I did so, that this money, upwards of three or four dollars, would be appreciated by people who were in deep financial distress. I thought of the individuals that have taken their place in the public eye begging along the roadside.

My attitude towards them until fairly lately, had been tinged with mistrust-suspecting them of wanting money for alcohol or drugs. Recently, however, I‘d read something the Catholic Pope had said about it. He’d encouraged generosity in giving and suggested letting God worry about how the money would be spent. This softened my outlook considerably and relieved me of my harsh, judgmental unkindness towards these unfortunates.

The Spirit was bringing my guidance into focus, I decided to give all my change as well as my change purse to one of these roadside beggars. I now had a sense that they were God’s roadside beggars.

One day as I was out doing errands, I had the sense that it was time for my small gift to be given. I kept my eyes open for the right opportunity. Soon I found myself pulling into position right next to one of these individuals with the traffic light turning red. This was my chance.

When I held my arm and the change purse out of the window, he saw me and came over. I told him that I wanted to give him all my change and the change purse too. He took it and thanked me. He told me his name was David when I asked. He had a softly kind air about him but also seemed weary. I told him my name was Mary, smiled and got ready to leave. As I did so he hustled up next to my window and said “There’s a key in here. Do You want it?” I took the key as I pulled away not knowing how it had gotten mixed in with the coins or what it might open.

I had a sense that the key was a gift from the Spirit and that I was to figure out it’s significance and meaning. For days I pondered this question. I believe that more of the answer about the key will be revealed as I interact with more of Gods roadside beggars. For now, I believe that giving my little gift of change is the key to increasingly opening my heart and awareness to this segment of the population. My awareness will grow and it will be a blessing to me as well as to the recipients of my change and change purses. May it be so!

I am an essential worker in a nursing home. I have been employed there for 25 years. I am a member of Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church, Pastor Barbara has asked me to say a few words about what it has been like to be an essential worker in a nursing home.

It has been a very challenging time. We have faced many obstacles in implementing the directives from Governor Raimondo, Dept of Health and CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). These directives affected all of us – the residents, the families and the staff. We were all affected on different levels.

The residents were isolated from their families early on. Residents have felt secluded, alone and scared. Their daily routine has been turned upside down. They have not been able to have group activities or spend in person time with their families. Activity staff has been able to provide face time so that there has been some connection with their families.

Several residents were infected with the coronavirus, scared and uncertain as to what was to happen. Even after recovery it has affected them both mentally and physically. And some of the residents have lost their friends to this virus. Families have been shut off from their loved ones. Although they have been able to see their loved ones on a computer screen, they long to see them in person, to give them a hug, to give them a kiss, just to see for themselves that they really are okay. Family members wait patiently until they are allowed once again to visit their loved ones.

Staff has been devastated by the coronavirus – caring for sick residents, holding their hands to comfort them, reassuring them things will be okay. Staff also worked short as employees were afraid and scared to work, and some tested positive with the virus and were unable to work.

Several employees worked double shifts to help out their coworkers, causing exhaustion both physically and mentally. Prior to the major outbreak, there was an uncertainty as to how this virus would impact the residents and the staff, fear of the unknown. Many expressed concern about how to protect themselves and the residents from this virus.

I was infected with the coronavirus. I had to isolate myself from my family for 14 days. I was fortunate that the virus did not affect my respiratory system, however caused extreme fatigue. I was able to work from home when I was not sleeping which was most of the day. However, I missed the residents as they are part of my extended family. Working from home I had no contact with the residents – it was difficult as I was not able to talk with them, not able to see how they were doing during all of this.

It was also difficult because I was not there physically to help support my co-workers. My prayers and thoughts were with both my co workers and the residents, praying for their strength and well being during this time.

Many people have been supportive of the essential workers in nursing homes through prayer and fellowship, staying connected with each other through phone calls and texts . As a community many have pulled together to provide meals for the workers, provide necessary PPE and other items. God does not give us more than we can handle. Through His strength and our faith we will weather the storm.