Victory Outreach Antioch presents Unleashed, A Community and Family Event on Saturday, June 22, 2024. Enjoy a custom car show, free haircuts, live hip hop music concert featuring artist EGR and a food giveaway. The event will be held at Antioch City Park on the corner of A and W. 10th Streets from 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Enjoy live music from headliners The Main Ingredient and Slave
This year’s Juneteenth Celebration presented by Grace Arms of Antioch will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2024 and feature a Kids Corner, food, games, vendors and live music with headliners The Main Ingredient and Slave.
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Though the Emancipation Proclamation was given by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the beginning of the end of slavery wouldn’t be recognized until sometime later – June 19, 1865.
Early celebrations date back to 1866, at first involving church-centered community gatherings in Texas. They spread across the South amongst newly freed African American slaves and their descendants and became more commercialized in the 1920s and 1930s, often centering on a food festival. Participants in the Great Migration brought these celebrations to the rest of the country.
The day was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Juneteenth became the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983.
Start of Juneteenth Celebration
When the American Civil War ended, the Union Army arrived in Texas led by Major General Gordon Granger who was given command of the District of Texas on June 10, 1865. On June 19, in the city of Galveston, one of the first orders of business was to post Granger’s General Order No. 3 to inform a reluctant community that President Lincoln over two years earlier had freed the slaves and to press locals to comply with his directive. His order began with:
“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection therefore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”
This set off joyous demonstrations by the freed people, originating the annual Juneteenth celebration, which commemorates the abolition of slavery in Texas. The celebration’s name is a blend of the words “June” and “nineteenth”.
Why did it take so long for the news to get to Texas?
There is no one reason why there was a two-and-a-half-year delay in letting Texas know about the abolition of slavery in the United States, according to Juneteenth.com. The historical site said some accounts place the delay on a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news, while others say the news was deliberately withheld.
Due to the delay, slavery did not end in Texas overnight, according to an article by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. originally posted on The Root. Gates said after New Orleans fell, many slavers traveled to Texas with their slaves to escape regulations enforced by the Union Army in other states.
The food distribution is a joint effort of the Golden Hills Community Church Serving & Engaging Neighbors Together, (SENT) ministry and Team Jesus Outreach Ministries.
Free hot meals are also served at the Community Outreach Center at 525 E. 18th Street in Antioch Monday through Friday. Doors open at 5:00 pm. Our desire is that no one in our community suffer from hunger or malnutrition. Each night we serve a wholesome, home-cooked hot meal to satisfy our appetite. However, we also realize there is a spiritual hunger that God wants to fulfill in each one of us and we have a brief worship service designed to help us connect with the Lord each evening. Everyone is welcome to join regardless of their faith background. For more information visit Community Outreach Center.
By Sophia Martin, Regional Director, Love Life NorCal Antioch
Please support us in our annual fundraiser, LifeRide. We will be riding bikes across the nation to raise awareness and funds to unite and mobilize the Church to end abortion and the orphan crisis.
What is LifeRide?
In 2023, Pastor Jay Stewart at the age of 60, rode his bicycle over 3,100 miles across America to bring awareness to the ministry of Love Life and to raise over a million dollars. Pastor Jay has been a partnering pastor with Love Life from the beginning and his church is also a House of Refuge church. (See video1 and video2)
Locally, our goal is to raise $10,000. If you would like to give $25, $50 or $100 to help us meet our goal and learn more, please visit: https://join.liferideusa.org/team/580862.
“Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.” – Proverbs 24:11
Get your unwanted documents shredded at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Antioch Saturday, May 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donations will raise funds for scholarships and other charitable purposes coordinated by the church’s Endowment Committee.
Through its endowment, the church has given scholarships to students pursuing college degrees as well as continuing education opportunities such as gaining teacher certification. It has also given a grant to support training school tutors, said Eileen Blumhardt-Butler, Endowment Committee Chair.
The endowment has provided a grant to a childcare center to enhance art education. A teacher received a grant to purchase microscopes for her middle school classroom.
“These grants are a way our church can share God’s love with the community,” Blumhardt-Butler said.
By Kibibi Columbus, Director of Outreach & Inreach, Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch
Need some information on resources regarding work, education, or health? The Grace Closet Community Resource & Health Fair (CR&HF) will provide information on resources for Health Care, Mental Health, Cal Fresh, Housing, Career/Job Training, Education, Prevention, Food & Clothing.
Come enjoy receiving a FREE Family Fun Day, Lunch, Games, Activities & Prizes for all ages at the CR&HF on Saturday, May 11th from 11 AM – 3 PM. We look forward to seeing you all at 3415 Oakley Road, Antioch.
Special thanks to our sponsors: Grace Arms of Antioch, Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch and the City of Antioch for awarding Grace Closet with an Enhancement Grant.
Join in on the 73rd National Day of Prayer as prayers are offered for our nation, state, cities & communities, schools, churches, families & youth, homeless & others in need, military & veterans, first responders, hospitals & medical personnel and businesses.
Space is limited to the first 85 attendees. RSVP and purchase tickets for $32.50 which includes tax and tip, at eventbrite. No profit is being earned from the sale of tickets as all proceeds will be paid to the restaurant.
Resurrection Sunrise Service 6:30 – 7:15 am next to the Plaza
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus… “Why do your search for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen”
Join us for this special sunrise service as we celebrate the resurrection of our King. We will have a time of singing and scripture reading before our main Resurrection Sunday Services.
This service will be outside so please bring a chair.We are meeting in the Guest Parking Lot next to the Plaza.
Join us on Resurrection Sunday at 8:30am or 10:30am in the Sanctuary
Everyone is welcome for a time of worshipping our risen King through singing, scripture reading, and hearing from God’s Word.
We are hosting Sunday School classes for kids!
Please have your Walkers–5th Graders join us at our 8:30 service and Nursery–5th Graders join us at our 10:30 service. All other ages are encouraged to sit with their family in the main services.
