Shift your mindset and your profits! Find your purpose and create your legacy. Network with other great minds and grow together every 4th Saturday
Business professionals, receive coaching to form strategic partnerships, build referrals and sharpen your skills to help grow your business and make it both profitable and sustainable at the Entrepreneur Incubator at Genesis Church in Antioch every fourth Saturday of the month.
The next session presented by Bay Area Urban Development Association (BAUDA), in association with Dalet Access Labs, Genesis Church and Urban Business Network, will be held Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
The church is located at 1800 Woodland Drive on the corner of E. 18th Street in Antioch.
Learn of the Advent during Sunday morning services
Candlelight Services at 7:00 pm and 11:30 pm
Join us at Golden Hills Community Church on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2023. Come celebrate Jesus with us as we explore what this season of Advent is all about during our normal Sunday morning services at 8:30 am and 10:30 am. There will be no kids’ classes that morning. We encourage all ages to sit in the service with their family.
Then join us that night and worship the Lord during one of our annual Candlelight Services. We will sing Christmas songs of worship and hear from God’s Word as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!
Our first service will be inside the Sanctuary at 7:00 pm. We will offer ASL interpreting at this indoor service.
Our second service will be outside on the plaza at 11:30 pm. Please bring your own chair and wear something warm!
These services are for the whole family. Each service will last 30–45 minutes.
All boys and girls ages 8 to 14 are invited to participate in the local level of competition for the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship. Age eligibility is determined by the age of the contestant as of January 1, 2024. Proof of age is required (please bring a copy of your birth certificate).
The competitions will be held on January 5, 2024, at Giovannoni Parish Center.
Ages 8-11 registration at 5:30 pm competition begins at 6:00 pm
Ages 12-14 registration at 6:30 pm competition begins when the 8-to-11-year-old competitors are done The Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship is sponsored annually, with winners progressing through local, district, and jurisdictional competitions. International champions are announced by the Knights of Columbus international headquarters based on scores from the jurisdiction-level competitions.
2023 local winner and State qualifier, Justin Uribarri, with organizers (L) Wayne Steffen and (R) Mike Hayes. Photo: Knights of Columbus
2023 Winners
The two State qualifiers from this year’s competition were 14-year-old Justin Uribarri who placed 3rd at State, 11-year-old Ezra Palec but she was unable to attend the State competition. Ezra made 22 out of 25 shots at Regionals. That would have been enough to win the State competition. Another local winner was 12-year-old Thalia Pham. She lost at Regionals in a shoot-off to the girl who ended up being State and International champion.
For more information contact: Wayne Steffen 925.890.0119 or Mike Hayes 925.565.4482
Council #3265 in Antioch, CA is one of 17,000 Knights of Columbus councils that make up the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in 1882 to assist working-class and immigrant Catholics in the United States, today the approximately two million members of the Knights put their faith into action through a broad range of charitable causes locally, nationally and internationally with financial contributions and hands-on service.
Reaching across 22 prisons in four states, Pastor Chris Mullen, a Discovery Bay resident, has touched the lives of tens of thousands of prisoners. The unique journey that led him to this position is nothing less than remarkable.
Pastor Chris has walked a tumultuous path with a familiarity that extends to the prison gates. His journey into the dark realms of drugs and dealing began at the age of twelve, escalating to his first incarceration at fifteen when he set fire to a teacher’s classroom, fueled by a sense of perceived injustice. As the years unfolded, he found himself in a relentless cycle of criminality, convinced that his mission was merely to excel as a drug dealer, viewing the revolving prison doors as an unfortunate norm. Serving a total of six years behind bars, Chris’s redemption journey began with a spiritual awakening—a “tug on his heart” echoing through the confines of his San Quentin cell as volunteers sang Christmas carols, sparking the rekindling of his faith.
Amidst a history marked by recurring encounters with the legal system, one of Chris’ parole violations unfolded in a harrowing incident—a collision with a police car during a traffic stop while under the influence.
Years later, he was arrested again. Faced with the consequences of his actions, he recognized the urgent need for a transformative change. Upon his release, Chris sought assistance for his struggles with substance abuse and, in a pivotal moment, rededicated his life to a path guided by faith in God.
In 1999, facing denial to serve in San Quentin State Prison, Pastor Chris secured access to the California Division of Juvenile Justice. For years, he dedicated one day a month to this mission without financial compensation until he felt a compelling calling to take a leap of faith. After fervent prayer, he courageously resigned from his high-paying job, navigating the challenges of the Great Recession in 2009 with no backup plan, solely driven by his commitment to serving the inmate community. Throughout this transformative period, he relied on donations of free food from food banks and churches to make ends meet.
Inspired by his pastor’s definition of mercy as ‘not getting what we deserve’ and grace as ‘getting what we don’t deserve,’ Chris named his prison ministry “Mercy and Grace”. Based in Livermore, the ministry is a beacon of hope within correctional facilities, offering inmates the transformative power of compassion and unmerited favor. It is a 501c3 non-profit corporation registered in the State of California.
Mercy and Grace Ministries has since expanded its reach to outside California, to Utah, Idaho and Florida, with preparations underway to launch their Idaho Region. Amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pastor Chris’ sermons found a unique platform on the Division of Rehabilitative Programs Television, broadcast on Inmate TV across every state prison in California. Additionally, the ministry actively engages with inmates through a robust letter-writing program, connecting with men and women in California and Idaho, as well as women in Utah. The organization thrives with 60 passionate volunteers, fueling impactful change behind bars.
To extend his service to a broader audience, Pastor Chris enlisted the help of a translator to connect with Spanish-speaking prisoners. Leveraging available resources, he had his sermons translated and shared in Spanish over 100 times. In the past six months, the Spanish arm of Mercy and Grace Ministries was launched, with dedicated individuals now delivering the Good News in a second language.
In a society that often turns its back on the demographic of prisoners, Pastor Chris stands as a beacon of unwavering commitment to the overlooked. In a candid conversation, when remarking on the gravity of crimes committed by some in his congregation, he responded with a touch of humor, saying, “All of the guys I work with are in there for jaywalking.”
His experiences are far from lighthearted, though, as he has braved the chaos of violent gang clashes, enduring the ominous rain of powder rounds from guard turrets, and even donned the weight of body armor. Despite these challenges, Pastor Chris remains undeterred in his mission, extending a compassionate hand to those that society often chooses to forget.
