News and Events

Mini Miracle Day to Happen on July 18th

2009-06-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

Over 100 people will converge on First Christian Church of Vallejo on July 18th to help revivalize and tranform the building and in doing so the congregation. Painting, landscaping, plumbing, concrete work and much more will take place during that day. A new cross will also be placed at the peak of the church. Look for fellowship and sweat joining together to beautify God's building. The volunteers will be coming from all over the bay area, the Sacramento area and beyond. If you wish to join us, please see www.ccncn.org for registration forms and more information.

Crop Walk a Great Success

2009-06-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

Last April, 87 people turn out the walk for the less fortunate. The 2009 CROP Walk raised more then $8000.00 for the four agencies and for CWS. Check out www.vallejcropwalk.blogspot.com for more information.

Vallejo Christian to Participate in Local CROP Walk for the Hungry

2009-03-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

It has been many years since Vallejo has had a CROP Walk for the Hungry. On April 25th this will change. Vallejo Christian will participate in the 6K walk which will take place along the beautiful waterfront on Mare Island Strait starting at 9:00am. The event raises hunger as a issue as well as raises money for many needed causes. Church World Service (www.churchworldservice.org) is hosting this event with the help from 4 local agencies. If you would like more information just visit www.vallejocropwalk.blogspot.com. This will be a rewarding event and it doesn't hurt to get a little exercise.

Souper Bowl of Caring-Great Time for a Good Cause

2009-02-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

We at the First Christian Church participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring by having a Super Bowl Party. As you can see we all watched the 3D commercial and enjoy the afternoon together. We shared 4 different kinds of soup as well as played games. Of course some of us just watched the game.
In order to join in, you were to bring a $1.00 or more or a can of food or more. We collected $205.00 and over 20 cans of food. What a great time for a cause that is very needed. If you would like more information on this cause, just visit www.souperbowl.org and read about the awesome effect.

Coming Out Movie to be Presented

2009-02-03T19:10:00.000-08:00

First Christian Church-Vallejo will present on Saturday March 28th at 2:00 pm, the viewing of "Anyone and Everyone" a documentary about young adults coming out to their families. This is a moving documentary regarding a sensitive family and religious subject, and the struggles families face when a son or daughter asks their parents, "have you ever wondered if I might be gay"? The documentary examines the fear, and the love as the family unit hangs in the balance.
The video is an hour long and will be followed by a half hour panelist discussion. The panelists will consist of compassionate professional psychologists and religious leaders who are committed to being supportive of LGBT people and parents of LGBT children.
The parents in the documentary also talk about struggling with the pain of their sons and daughters dealing with not being accepted by relatives or friends, and being ostracized by religious congregations.

"It was so evil and so bad that we almost couldn’t talk about it... You just had the idea it was so terrible that it was unspeakable," said a Mormon mother in the film.

"Having heard all these awful things and what homosexuality was and then having a member of your family, a person that you have seen, a child that you have seen since the child was born, a person that was absolutely wholesome, good, kind, gentle and that put together with the word lesbian didn’t add up," said a Hispanic mother.

This film is especially important since up to 26% of gay teens who come out to their parents or guardians are told they must leave home. Of the approximately 1.6 million homeless American youth, 20-40% identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Nearly 40% of LGBT (GLBT) students report being physically harassed. In a 2001Department of Health study of youth in Massachusetts, about 40 percent of gay and lesbian students attempted suicide, compared to about 10 percent of their heterosexual peers.
The film also depicts meetings of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) where people get support and help.
The First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ in Vallejo offer themselves as safe haven for people who are struggling with their identity and purpose in life. One can not truly know oneself until you are honest with yourself.

John Grose, Moderator, First Christian Church

If you wish to attend, please call the churches phone number and let us know how many are coming.

Great Fun at the Epiphany Dinner

2009-01-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

Over 40 people attended this years Epiphany Dinner in honor of our newest members; Traci, Ginger, Clifton and Barry. Being an annual event for the church, this year it was very special with great food prepared by Fred Jones, great stories about our newest members and good conversations during the meal.

11th Annual Global Holiday Faire: amazing again!

2008-12-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

The annual Global Holiday Faire - the one-of-a-kind gift faire which we host in our church fellowship hall - was held on Saturday, December 6th! Our ecumenical committee - made up of members from 6 churches in Vallejo, American Canyon, and Benicia - created another successful event for what was (amazingly!) our 11th year!

The Faire is unique among holiday gift faires because it combines elements of traditional crafts shows, church bazaars, alternative gift markets, and fair trade sales to present the community with a wide range of gift choices, including gift baskets, book bags, and just plain good food, with all of the money spent going to nonprofit organizations.

This year we raised more than $8300.00. What an awesome job!

To read more about this outstanding and fun-filled event, and see how much we raised for 15 local and national nonprofits, click here.

United in Love: Homosexuality and the Bible; Evaluation

2008-11-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

Roland Stringfellow evaluates the Marriage Symposium;

I was very impressed with the quality of information that was shared during the Same Sex Relationships and the Bible Workshop and Symposium that was held on October 25Th.... No matter what your level of understanding of scripture, the presentation was clear and accessible for all. I particularly enjoyed having the opportunity to break into smaller groups to discuss the information presented. Many people in my group had great questions and were challenged to stretch their understanding on the contemporary issue of homosexuality and the Bible.
One of the most touching moments of the day was listening to the personal testimonies of the same-sex couples and their families who recently got married in California. It was wonderful to see photographs that chronicled their relationship and marriage which provided a very strong argument for legitimacy of marriage for all. I was also impressed by the turn out from the community to attend the Workshop and Symposium. I had to give kudos to John Grose, the organizer of the event, for a job well done in publicizing in the community. Obviously John was "forward thinking" in putting together a topic that would attract people to discuss an important topic.

Rev. Roland Stringfellow
Bay Area Coalition of Welcoming Congregations Coordinator Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry
Pacific School of Religion
email-rstringfellow@clgs.org
office-510-849-8934
fax-510-849-8212

Relay For Life raises hope

2008-08-04T22:34:00.000-07:00

To learn about our efforts as part of the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life, click here.

Mission collection project part of region-wide effort

2008-03-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Our regional church once again made a mission collection part of this past year's Annual Meeting in April. Click here for details on how we helped the vision of people in the developing world and supported the reading efforts of kids in a women's shelter.

Time for exercise!

2008-03-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

Now that the weather seems to be turning towards spring, some of us are ready to turn our attention to getting healthy - by gathering on Tuesdays and Thursdays to walk along the Vallejo waterfront. We'll meet around 5-5:15 by the Peace Pole (near the ferry entrance) and get some exercise - along with some fellowship! Please join us.

October is Fair Trade Month

2007-10-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

What are you doing to support Fair Trade this month? Buying Fair Trade coffee? Or chocolate? (Fair Trade minis would be perfect for Halloween!) Have you thought to ask your local supermarket to carry Fair Trade items? Could you talk to even one person about what Fair Trade is and why it matters so much? If you need other ideas, visit the Fair Trade Resource Network to see what you can do.

Relay for Life success inspires community

2007-08-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

Our team did a great job raising funds for the American Cancer Society's 24 hour Relay for Life for Vallejo/Benicia. We also raised awareness about colon cancer with our paint can quiz, which fit into our booth's theme "Paint a Cancer-Free World." Thank you to everyone who supported the FCC team, and all of the teams in this year's Relay for Life!

One member adds some flowery touches to our community effort to "Paint a Cancer-Free World."

Celebrate Fair Trade - May 5th!

2007-04-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

First Christian Church held its first ever World Fair Trade Day celebration! Our celebration took two forms: a fair trade world market and a free film screening. Click here for all the details.

EarthDay Film Series a success

2007-03-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the Earth by watching these celebrated films: On March 31st, we kicked off our Saturday series with "Winged Migration" followed on April 7th by the award-winning "An Inconvenient Truth." Then on April 14th we watched "Who Killed the Electric Car?" before winding up on Earth Day, April 21st, with the blockbuster "March of the Penguins." Here at FCC Vallejo, we take our charge to be good stewards of God's Earth seriously; but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun at the same time. See you at the movies!

Annual Mardi Gras night always fun

2007-02-21T17:44:00.000-08:00

Our annual celebration of Mardi Gras - the day preceding Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent - was another fun evening. This year's celebration took the form of a game night. If you would like to learn more about Lent, which culminates in Holy Week and Easter, check out our primer.

Let's explore reconciliation

2007-01-30T15:39:00.000-08:00

The month of February will be a time for FCC Vallejo members to think about reconciliation and racial justice. This theme - coinciding with Black History Month - will be explored in worship as well as in a Sunday morning discussion using materials from Sojourners magazine. The talks begin at 9:00 a.m.; hope you will join us for coffee and a frank discussion of the role that God is calling us to as a reconciling body of Christ.

Fellowship offered at Christmas Day potluck

2006-12-21T21:36:00.000-08:00

After last year's successful and fun Christmas potluck, our congregation will once again offer a gathering time for those who would like some food and fellowship on Christmas Day. The Fellowship Hall will be open from 1 to 3 p.m. for a potluck meal; we'll provide the turkey and we would ask you to bring a side dish to share. Hope to see you there - and we'll all have a Merry Christmas!

Faire another success

2006-12-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

The 2006 version of the Global Holiday Faire has proven to be our biggest success yet. Click here for details, or go straight to the faire's web site.

You might be a Disciple if . . .

2006-10-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

How much do we know about Disciples heritage, history, and identity? Do we know the founding principles behind the Disciples? Now is our chance to find out! A new six-week adult Sunday School class begins on October 22nd, and everyone is invited to explore what we - the Christian Church(Disciples of Christ) - believe. So whether you are steeped in Disciples heritage or are a relative newcomer to the Christian Church, come on Sunday mornings at 9:30 and see what it means to be a Disciple.

October mission project

2006-10-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

During the month of October, we are are collecting for a simple - but desperately needed - mission project. Read about it by clicking here.

FCC remembers 9/11

2006-09-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

Sunday September 10th, we had a service of prayer and remembrance for our morning worship. Click here to read Pastor Judith's sermon remembering 9/11 and examining how we chose to act in its aftermath. Did we follow the path of Jesus whom we call Christ, or did we choose the way of Lamech?

Explore Prayer during August

2006-08-02T22:04:00.000-07:00

During the month of August, we will be focusing on how and why we pray. Come to worship and experience different types of prayer, hear sermons about prayer, and plan on opening up new avenues of spirituality. And don't forget that we explore prayer every month at our Peace Prayer Service - the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m.

"Relay for Life" and help fight cancer!

2006-06-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

First Christian Church participated in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life for Vallejo-Benicia. It was incredible! The event happened from the morning of August 5th until the morning of August 6th - and our team managed to be on the track for most of that 24 hour period. We didn't quite make it the whole time, which means we just need to up our efforts next year. This is a great event that raises a tremendous amount of money for cancer support and research, and we were so pleased with being able to play a part in its success.

Once again, let us "Touch the Earth Lightly"

2006-04-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

With the arrival of this year's Earth Day came another chance for our congregation to explore ways in which we can "Touch the Earth Lightly." Click here to read the details about this emphasis that we explored over six weeks. To read Pastor Judith's Earth Day sermon, click here.