2012 YEAR END LETTER FROM SHALOM OF OAKLAND
Merry Christmas! In this Advent season, we’ve been thinking about Mary, the mother of Jesus. We know that she was given an amazing honor and blessing to be the mother of Jesus, but she was also given a role that was terrifying and difficult. Imagine being an unwed young mother to the Son of God. Despite the fear, Mary praised God and accepted the role with an amazing faith.
In East Oakland, this past year has reminded us of the brokenness of humanity. We have witnessed gun violence. We have seen injustice in our juvenile “justice” system. We have seen turmoil and despair, both economic and social. We have comforted the hurting and prayed for the afflicted. We have walked with the forgotten and cried out for the oppressed. We have pointed everyone who will listen to the ways of Jesus and the love and hope that are available to us.
In the midst of pain, we rejoice. We are so incredibly grateful for our new meeting space and the dozens of people who contributed through physical labor, skilled labor and monetary donations. We are grateful for people throughout the Bay Area and northern California who pray for us, read our newsletters and visit East Oakland. We have received small and regular donations from so many people, and we have received unexpected large checks from others! Somehow, our Creator has provided for our needs even beyond what we expected this year. It is so good to lead an organization without the constant stress of a lack of resources, and we can take that energy and use it on people who are in front of us.
More than ever before, we are resolute in our vision for our work in East Oakland. We will continue to provide mentoring and a variety of creative discipleship opportunities to help people learn and apply the ways of Jesus to real life. We will meet one on one. We will meet in small groups. We will host events and parties, basketball leagues and movie nights to meet more people who may be interested in discipleship. We believe that the Jesus way is the best way to live, and we believe in the people of East Oakland. Our Creator loves all people, and every person has the potential and ability to live in this love and contribute to the good that God is doing on this earth.
Please keep Shalom of Oakland in mind if you make donations at the end of this year. The last couple weeks of December represent a large percentage of our giving for the whole year, and we trust that God will provide resources once again. But more than that, we hope that you will pursue the way of Jesus in your own neighborhood. We also hope that you will be inspired by all of our friends in East Oakland who daily take courageous steps towards the way of Jesus.
Grace and peace,
Nate Millheim for Shalom of Oakland
