Thanksgiving Bags Donations:
Making Thanksgiving complete for others
You’ve provided literally TONS of Thanksgiving food for those in need over the years! Thanks! You can do that again, but due to COVID, only monetary donations will be accepted this year. You can fill one bag for $25, two for $50, etc.
You may donate by clicking on the Five Oaks Thanksgiving Bag Donation website. We won't see actual grocery bags accumulate in the Commons this year, but you can see the donations pile up when you make your financial donation. Let’s do this! Questions? Email impact@fiveoakschurch.org.
Middle school Pumpkin Fest is this week!
Being together has been challenging this season, which makes middle school Pumpkin Fest all the more important! Come and experience an amazing Minnesota fall evening at the Vierlings’ farm on October 23, from 6-9 pm for all-out pumpkin fun including a pumpkin drop, bonfire, good food, night games and so much more! Bring a friend, $5, and click here to register on Realm ahead of time. Email Kyler Albert, kalbert@fiveoakschurch.org, with any questions!
You can make a difference in one hour per week
Too many students stand just one close adult relationship away from thriving in school and in life. Could you be that adult? As a Kids Hope mentor you spend one hour with one student once per week either online or at Woodbury Elementary School (depending on COVID guidelines). It’s that simple, and it is life-changing.
Two different types of involvement
Do you see the good in people, especially children? Are you fiercely reliable? Do you enjoy connecting one-on-one? Become a Mentor
Do you enjoy praying for others & being part of a team? Become a Prayer Partner
Woodbury Elementary currently has a waiting list of eight kids in need of a mentor. Five Oaks goes beyond mentoring, serving not only the students, but the students' families and the school staff. Interested in mentoring or in being a prayer partner? Email khusa@fiveoakschurch.org.
Five Oaks Kids is ready for you!
We’re now offering our Elementary drop-off Service at both 9 and 11 am in the gym. This is a chance for your kids in grades K through 5 to engage with our amazing Orange curriculum and our dedicated volunteers in a masked, socially distanced setting. (And yes, you may drop them off!) Please click here to RSVP in advance on our website. We can’t wait to see your family again! Questions? Email Kelly Bauman, kbauman@fiveoakschurch.org.
Mark your calendar: Congregational meeting is November 15
The unofficial word of 2020 is “pivot,” and that’s what we’ll do with our annual congregational meeting as well. Join us on November 15, 4-5 pm, in a Zoom call format. Because of this different format, we’ll also host two Cottage Meetings, November 1, 6-8 pm, and November 2, 7-9 pm, at Five Oaks. The Cottage Meetings will be an opportunity for Q & A about any of the agenda items. Questions? Email Brian Burquest, bburquest@fiveokschurch.org.
In November we’ll celebrate two important family milestones
Dedication and baptism are two important milestones on the Family Discipleship Journey. Both represent individuals making a public declaration for their kids, teens, and even themselves, and we look forward to these celebrations as a church. Join us on November 8 for dedications, and on November 22 for baptisms. If you have interest in either of these milestones, please contact Kelly Bauman at kbauman@fiveoakschurch.org.
Weekend fellowship is only a click away
Did you know that serving at Five Oaks on Sunday also scratches your fellowship itch? “What?” you may be wondering. “I didn’t even know I had a fellowship itch, let alone that it itches?” Fellowship is a word bandied about in Christian circles, and among other things it means socializing, relationship-building, conversation time. When you serve on the weekends in our building, you’re also getting a healthy dose of what Americans have been craving since we met Covid-19: time to catch up with people, get to know new folks, and even laugh a bit. We’d love to have your help this weekend or any weekend in the future, and we’d love to see your smile when you’re here. “Fellowshipping” does that.
Click here for serve opportunities in our Connections Ministry
Click here for serve opportunities in Five Oaks Kids
Do you engage with social media regularly?
Social media can be a complicated place these days, but you can make it a little brighter by serving as a volunteer on our social media team. We’re looking for folks who are interested in helping us generate content for our main Five Oaks Facebook and Instagram pages. Your commitment: 1-2 hours per week, and you’d have access to resources and ideas from the team, a mix of volunteers and staff. This is one serve role you can engage in virtually anywhere! Interested or have questions? Please email Stephanie Kiel, skiel@fiveoakschurch.org.
Six meals per year = a huge impact
Did you know you can be a BIG blessing to a local foster family with a very SMALL commitment? How? By dropping off one store-bought supper for a foster family every OTHER month. Did you know our caring community of meal providers here at Five Oaks commits to each family for at least on year? That's a long commitment, right? It is, but by building teams of eight, no one needs to provide more than 6 meals a year. And when you sign up, you get a regular assignment, such as "3rd week/even months" so you can mark your calendar for the entire year. Email meals@fiveoakschurch.org if you’re interested in helping a local foster family.