Community Life
We seek to create a community that can live out their faith in the world.
Look below for family trips facilitated by Our Savior's Lutheran Church.
Click here for more information on family programs (in another part of this website).
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Retreats
I can’t say enough about how special Rancho Santa Marta has been for so many of us over the years. As you have heard over the years from many who have gone, the trip is a wonderful way for families from our congregation and friends to join together in fellowship and be part of a fantastic travel experience. The mid-February timeframe is a beautiful time of year to be in Mexico, with flowers blooming, warm weather and clean air. This is also a great opportunity for families to participate in service, enjoy fellowship with others from our community, spend time with the students and faculty at the Ranch, and learn about this very worthwhile Christian Orphanage and School in Mexico. The ranch is about 3 hours south of San Diego and is easily accessible by car. Logistics: If you are interested in more information about participating in next year's trip to Rancho Santa Marta , please email Greg Wikler. Note that ALL travelers (regardless of age) must have a valid US passport. This is a new requirement of the US government and is strictly enforced.
There are times in your life you are overwhelmed, unsure, or that things are going too fast. A retreat can bring you back to center, clearing your mind, so God's spirit can speak, and renew and refresh. A retreat is also a means of meeting other people like you. Our annual retreat has great surroundings, an awesome speaker, time for old and new friends, excellent food and accommodations, space for rest and recreation, and programming for all ages. Watch for details in the newsletter and the Sunday bulletins on our next retreat
October 7 - 9, 2011 at Mt. Hermon Conference Center.
Group photo from OSLC's 2007 Retreat
Community Supported Agriculture
A number of faith communities have begun to participate in the Community Supported Agriculture project operated out of Temple Isaiah in Lafayette. We would love to have you join us! Here is how…
In a CSA project, individuals or families commit in advance to buy produce from a local farm for a whole season. This helps build a strong relationship between food buyers and their local farmers, and provides substantial economic, social and environmental benefits for all. There are a number of CSA's that operate with drop-off locations in and around the Lamorinda area, including some that deliver organic produce directly to your home.
In 2010 the Temple Isaiah/CCJDS Community supported Agriculture Project brought fresh, organic produce from three local farms, grass-fed, free range meats and delicious organic soups and prepared meals to Temple Isaiah. Membership in the CSA is open to the entire community. Every Tuesday afternoon, CSA members came to pick up their food, share recipes and cooking tips, learn about organic farming and visit with their friends. More than 85 families participated in the CSA in its first season. Together, they helped support organic farming on six acres of of farmland in Fairfield, Pleasanton and Santa Cruz, kept more than 9000 ponds of chemicals out of the environment, and donated more than 750 pounds of fresh organic produce to the Contra Costa Food Bank and a Lamorinda based cancer support group called "When God and Cancer Meet."
For the organic produce, small boxes (serves 1-2) cost $15/week and large boxes (serves 3-4) cost $25 week. You must pay in advance for the remainder of the "season". In other words, if there are eight weeks remaining in the "season", you would pay $200 for a large box, or $120 for a small box. You can order boxes of all fruit, all vegetables, or combinations of fruits and vegetables. Attached is a list of what was included in each box for the week of February 1.
For those interested, organic, free-range, humanely raised and slaughtered meats (beef, lamb and chicken) can be ordered by CSAmembers directly from Hunter on the Holding Ranch website (www.holdingranch.com), and their packages will be available for pickup on Tuesday with your other items. You can order small boxes (10 lbs of meat) or large boxes (15 lbs of meat). If this is more meat than you eat, this can be a good item to split between one or more families. Ground and stew meat packages cost $6 per pound. Grill meats cost $13 per pound.
Organic prepared foods (soups, entrees and cookies) are available by special order directly with Nature's Bounty Cafe, with order forms are available at the CSA pickup site or emails sent in advance to Lynne Kutsal, one of the owners (www.NaturesBountyCafe.com) . Soups are priced $6 for small portions (serves 1-2) and $12 for large portions (serves 3-4). Entrees are priced at $12 for small portions and $20 for large portions. Full ingredient lists are available in advance.
Simply send an email to Rebecca Calahan Klein at rebeccacalahanklein@gmail.com, and put "CSA sign-up" as your subject line. State in your email what kind of CSA share(s) you would like (e.g.,small or large fruit only, veggie only, mixed produce). You can also call Rebecca at 510-612-0547.
Once you have signed up, you bring your check (made payable to Rebecca Calahan Klein) on your first pick up.
Pick up is on Tuesdays, between 3 and 7, in the Temple Isaiah Sanctuary building (first large building on the left when you go up the driveway). Parking is easy. They are located at 3800 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette, just turn up Risa Rd. right next to the Veterans Memorial Building the entrance to Temple Isaiah will be on your left about 200 yards up that road. The entrance to the Temple is one way, so just continue throughthe parking lot and you will see signs guiding you back down the hill toward Mt. Diablo.
Several days before the pick up you will receive an email letting you know what is expected to be in the different types of boxes that week, to help with your shopping/planning. They are also trying to have one of the founders/member email out one or two recipes in advance, using items in that week's boxes.
Bring your own box/bags to the pick up, but extras are available in case you forget.
People are there to help you figure out what you do, but basically it is as follows:
- Sign in on the sign-in sheet so that they know you have been there to pick up your food
- Because you have a number of choices (broccoli or cauliflower, arugula or spinach), you assemble your own order and have greater control about what you take home
- There is a large whiteboard, listing out what is included in the different order options, or you can bring the list of food items emailed to you in advance.
- The food is arranged on tables, in the order they appear on the whiteboard and the list, so it is easy to go around the tables and pick out what items are available for your own order and place them into your bag/box.
- You don't have to weigh any items, you simply work your way around the tables and put the correct number of items or pre-set bunches into your box/bag.
- They have a trading box. If you don't want something you can add the item to the trade box and trade for another item you do want that someone else has already placed for trade.
- There is also a donation box for you to place items you don't want or can't use.
- All extra food is taken to the food bank or to an organization that provide organic food to cancer patients who are unemployed and uninsured.
- If you ordered meat from Holding Ranch or prepared food from Natures Bounty Cafe, it will be available for you to pick up at that time.
- There are usually a few food items (made with items off last week's list) to sample
- Depending upon how much chatting you do, you should be able to pick up your complete order in about 5-15 minutes.
There are a couple of options available, but they don't include getting your money back for that week. You can have a friend or neighbor pick up your items either to use for themselves or deliver to you (just call Rebecca in advance and give her the name of the person doing your pickup). You can have your food items donated to the food bank. If you are just running late, you can call and see if they are able to box up your food and place it outside the sanctuary door for you to pick up after 7:00.
There is no requirement for volunteers, but they really encourage people to help. Those who do on a regular basis are able to receive their shares at a reduced cost. They also have cooking classes, lectures, music and other activities where CSA members volunteer and share their expertise. They also volunteer and do service at the CSA farms.
This particular CSA offers a number of benefits that we think will appeal to many members of the OSLC community:
- By working with multiple local farms/food providers, this CSA is able to provide an attractive array of food items
- It provides a great opportunity to meet and work together with members of different faith communities
- It provides volunteer opportunities for those who really get excited about the issue of "eating sustainably" and want to "do more" and share ideas with others who feel the same way
- The food is really beautiful and tastes wonderful
- You have options about what to take to fill your share, and an ability to "trade" items that you don't like
- The long pick up window (3-7) and great pick up location and set up (easy parking, central location, indoor layout of food) make it all very easy
- The pricing is very competitive for this type of operation
- There is no waste. All unclaimed food goes directly to those in need, and who would not normally have access to this type of beautiful, organic produce.
- It is a great opportunity to meet and work with some of the leaders in our own community on sustainable eating issues. Find out more about Lafayette's farmer market, plans for the development of a "community garden", etc.
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