Worship for Sunday, 12/11/22 9:30am
Church Life Meeting Report
2021-2022 Annual Church Life Report full[...]
Microsoft Word document [1.6 MB]
Welcome to Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church
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!
From The Interim Pastor
December 2022
Dear Church Family:
Before I think about December things I want to return to the end of October. I was surprised to receive numerous cards from the Sunday school classes. Then I noticed the pastor appreciation cake that had been made for fellowship time. You have already made me feel more than welcome as your transitional pastor, but that was a special time for me. I hope that is a practice you will continue when you have a new settled pastor.
December promises to be full of worship and fellowship opportunities. Advent begins on November 27 with a focus on Waiting. We will observe communion which reminds us that during Advent we celebrate both what is and what is not yet. On December 4 the theme will be Preparing. December 11 will be our Christmas Pageant. On December 18 the theme will be Sing a New Song. We will also have a time of celebration for the music ministry of Mary Ackroyd during fellowship time.
Our Christmas Eve service will be at 5:30. The Gospel for the night will be Luke 2:1-20. The message will be “As Told Them.” On Christmas Day all who are able will gather to hear a different version of the redemption story as told in John 1:1-4. The message will be “The Gift.”
When my son, Sam, was six years old Christmas Day was on a Sunday. I wrote a newsletter column that year about how we approached Christmas on Sunday. I had thought I might reprint it this year for my December column. However, as I reread the column, I realized that I had changed a lot in the intervening 28 years. That early column seemed way too harsh. Many factors go into a decision about being in church. I want you to know that if you are able to join us for worship that day you will be joyously received. If you are elsewhere, I hope the blessing of the day will be yours.
December 25 will also be a bittersweet moment for our congregation. Our long-term pianist and organist, Mary Ackroyd will be playing for the final time. Mary has decided that it is time to retire. She will be missed, and we wish her the best in retirement.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Tim
From The Moderator
December, 2022
Dear Friends,
As an update on our pastoral search process, as our by-laws require, the Executive Board has appointed a Search Committee. The members are Bob Kolb, Corinne Ricketson, Marge Jones, Joanne Wales, John McCann, and Scott Lewis. The committee will have its first meeting to organize and to begin the search process on December 10 . They will meet with the Rev. Courtny Davis Olds, who is our ABCORI liaison during this search. Courtny has provided a detailed document about how to navigate the pastoral search.
We just had the ingathering of our pledges for next year. If you have not done so, please send in your pledge as soon as possible.
The next job for the Executive Board will be to evaluate the pledges received and to complete the proposed income side of next year’s budget. This is so that we can present a complete proposed budget at the upcoming annual financial meeting. That meeting will take place on Sunday, January 22nd after church.
As one more reminder, although most of the financial reports are presented by our Treasurer, if you are responsible for financial matters that need to be reported, please get them into the office as soon as you can. Julie will be putting together our Annual Financial Report for the first time. We need to give her as much time as we can.
May God Bless you and yours in this Christmas Season,
Jim Ellison
The Legend of the Dogwood
There is a legend, that at the time of the Crucifixion, the dogwood had been the size of the oak and other forest trees. So firm and strong was the tree that it was chosen as the timber of the cross.
That it was used for such a cruel purpose greatly distressed the tree. Jesus, nailed upon it, sensed this, and in His gentle pity for all sorrow and suffering said to it "Because of your regret and pity for My suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used as a cross. Henceforth it shall be slender and bent and twisted, and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross... two long and two short petals. And in the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints, brown with rust and stained with red, and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns,
and all who see it will remember."
Submitted by: Robin Butzier
Worship Service
Sundays, 9:30am ET
Contact Us
Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church
229 Wilbur Avenue
Cranston, RI 02921-1016
Phone: 401 944-0864
Interim Pastor: The Rev. Tim Chesser
Or use our contact form.
Print 