Oakland City Center Parish

Our Parishes are organized around a common geography (neighborhoods) and a common need (mission).

Our Neighborhoods

At the moment, the Oakland City Center Parish is made up of Downtown Oakland, Grand & Lakeshore Avenues, Jack London Square, and Piedmont Avenue. As God blesses us, creates new relationships, and opens up opportunities, we would eventually we would like to create Parishes for each of these neighborhoods.

Oakland is the eighth largest city in California with a population of almost 400,000 residents, and it is the 10th most walkable cities in the U. S. These days, the downtown core appears on the verge of achieving a critical mass of heritage, hipness and housing. The drive to add housing (read: lofts, condos and apartments) for 10,000 residents has brought in newer bars, restaurants, and clubs, and the diversity of the people hanging out speaks volumes about Oakland at its best.

The Grand-Lakeshore district is the crossroads of Oakland. Seemingly everyone in town spends time here, whether they walk in from the surrounding neighborhoods, ride in on one of the major bus lines that pass through or drive in for a couple of hours of shopping and noshing. The district is also just a short walk from Lake Merritt, Oakland's crown jewel, making it a great place to stop before or after a leisurely stroll along water.

Jack London Square was originally developed in the '70s into a Ghirardelli Square-type tourist attraction and is in the middle of further changes, with freshly renovated public spaces and a constantly evolving commercial life. The layers of different eras and uses give the area a lot of its appeal; it's a place where '50s coffee shops, turn-of-the-century warehouses, and recent far-out architecture coexist in heterogeneous companionship. When you look at the Square it seems pretty compact; but many of the most intriguing places to go are found in the surrounding streets, where the hurly-burly of the wholesale produce market mixes with restaurants, clubs, businesses, new lofts, and artists living in the remaining cheap-rent buildings. Ferries from the Square go to downtown SF, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf and, during the summer, Angel Island.
 

Our Mission

UP - Loving God

Our Parish worships together on Sundays and gathers at least once per month to cultivate relationships and serve the community.  We also gather a few times a month in small-sized Community Groups (8-12 people) to share a meal, pray, read Scripture, discuss what God is saying to us, and discern what we are going to do about it.

IN - Loving One Another

Our Parish seeks to take care of one another when we are in need (i.e. sickness, trauma, new baby, unemployment, etc.), we take care of the church (welcoming newcomers, hosting Sunday worship services, etc.), and we encourage one another to follow Jesus and live out the life of the kingdom of God.

OUT - Loving Our Neighbors

Our Parish serves World Impact which serves West Oakland by building relationships, providing physical assistance, and teaching them at a local church and ministry institute. We also seek to reach out to the people in our neighborhoods and networks who are spiritually open and curious in order to share with them the love of God and the good news of his kingdom. 

Join Us

If you are new to Christ Church, joining The City Network is the best way to get connected to people, groups, and events at the church.  To create your account please do the following: 1) click the link below, 2) choose your Parish based on where you live, 3) enter your basic information, and 4) click the "Help Me Get Connected" tab.  You will receive an email with further directions for creating your account. Join The City Network.

To find and join a Community Group that works best for you (proximity, transit, schedule, etc.), go to your City Network account, go to Groups and Group Search, and please join only one Community Group.