Colorectal cancer is the second most deadly cancer for both men and women. Yet according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most of these deaths could be prevented if everyone over the age of 50 got screened for colorectal cancer. The best way to prevent colorectal cancer is to get screened. There are often no signs or symptoms of colorectal cancer. If left undiagnosed or undetected, colorectal cancer can spread throughout the body.

The Department of Health and Human Services states that colorectal cancer screening tests can detect cancer early, when treatment is very successful.

Allen Temple's Cub Scout Pack 409 welcomes boys who are incoming first through fifth graders who like to go camping, skiing, hiking, swimming, football, basketball, fun and more to join! The Cub Scout Pack meets at the Allen Temple Wildy-Carpenter Hall on Monday evenings at 6:30pm. For more information, contact Cubmaster Don Smith at [email protected].

Do you like to praise God through movement?  The Allen Temple Praise Dance Ministry invites you to come join us in class Fridays from 6pm to 7:30pm (Children 11 and under), and 8pm to 9pm (Youth and Young Adults) in the Family Life Center's Dance Studio.   The ministry meets on Monday evenings from 6pm to 7:30pm.  As a ministry, we worship through movement, we learn different dance techniques, we minister through dance, and most importantly, WE HAVE FUN!  For more information, contact Sis. Andrea Spearman at [email protected]!

The Betty D. Gadling Fine Arts Academy offers instruction in reeds, brass, guitar, voice, percussion, strings, music theory, piano and dance for children and adults!  Classes held on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays!  For more information and to enroll, call (510) 544-8924!

Are you called to work with nursery aged children (four and below)?  Come work with the Allen Temple Nursery Ministry!  We serve during Sunday worship services in the Family Life Center. Even one worship service period per month can make a difference; it will help us to reopen our Nursery and serve our youngest Church family members!  For more information and to sign up, contact Dea. Leslie Allison at [email protected], or Rev. Dr. Brenda Guess at [email protected].   A background check is required prior to beginning work.

The Allen Temple Prison Ministry has been a staple of our church for over 35 years.  We are seeking members as young as 18 who have a heart for those who are in prison.  We regularly take our ministry to Santa Rita Jail, Glenn Dyer (Alameda County Jails) the Federal Correctional Institute (FCI), and San Quentin.

We are also in need of a pianist or musician, singer(s) and/or a musical group. 

Our meetings are the Second Saturday of each month in Family Life Center Room C213. We welcome you to become an active and vibrant part of this ministry.  If you are not sure come out anyway and check us out.  God may be leading you to work on His behalf in this way.  Looking forward to seeing you!

For more information about the ministry, please call (510) 544-8910

Come join us at the Persons with Disabilities Ministry as we strive every month to make Allen Temple Baptist Church accessible to everyone!  We want to ensure that the sanctuary is accessible and accommodates people with disabilities, educate our faith-based community partners and friends about the disability community, and encourage the congregation to recognize people for their abilities rather than their disabilities.  We also want to ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities are afforded an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from worship services, events and programs, as well as develop awareness on how to interact and assist people with disabilities.   Your input on these subjects will be much welcomed.   We meet on the fourth Monday of each month from 6pm to 8pm in Family Life Center Room D-104.

Are you seeking a place to serve?  The Church Library Committee is seeking committed workers for the Family Life Center Library!  Our goal is to make our library the study center for the church! 

Each year, MTC sponsors a High School Internship Program. The purpose of the program is to introduce high school students (in the 10th, 11th or 12th grade) to career opportunities in the field of transportation, to show them how public transportation agencies play an overall part in the community, county, and regional transportation operations, and to provide MTC's transportation partners (such as traffic engineers at city and county public works departments or planners at transit agencies) with assistance.The program was conceived of by MTC's Minority Citizens Advisory Committee to encourage young people who might not otherwise consider a career in transportation to do so. Students of all races and ethnic backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.  Click here to be redirected to the MTC website to apply. 

The Barbara Lee & Elihu Harris Lecture Series welcomes Civil Rights legend Rev. James Lawson, who will speak on "The Future of Nonviolence in America - Chaos or Community: Where Do We Go From Here" on Saturday, March 21 at 7pm at First African Methodist Episcopal (FAME) Church Oakland! To RSVP, call (510) 434-3988.

The community is invited to join in services of worship and celebration for Allen Temple friend and son in minstry Pastor Elect Rev. Dwayne D. Eason as he is installed as Senior Pastor of Church of The Good Shepherd in Oakland on Sunday, March 29!  Worship services will be held at 11am at Church of the Good Shepherd (799 - 52nd St. in Oakland) and at 3:30pm at First AME Church (3701 Telegraph Ave. in Oakland) 

Join iGirl Institute and Women Lead Forward for Our Voices Our Girls: Black Girls Matter: A Call to Action on Saturday, June 20 from 11:30am to 3:30pm at the San Leandro Public Library Lecture Hall, 300 Estudillo Avenue in San Leandro. This town hall meeting will address the critical issues affecting our black girls and call us to action on how we can help! RSVP for this free forum by visiting blackgirlsmatteracalltoaction.eventbrite.com!

The Prostate Health Education Network is sponsoring PHEN Walk 2015 through September 18, a virtual walk to raise Prostate Cancer awareness. The objectives are:

• To raise the national level of prostate cancer awareness
• To increase federal government funding for prostate cancer research, education and awareness
• To initiate a public review of the scientific evidence and process used by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force for its' Grade D Recommendation for prostate cancer tests, and to protect the medical benefits for patients' access to prosthetic urological devices
• To increase the visibility, participation and support for PHEN's "Rally Against Prostate Cancer" initiatives 

To learn more and to sign up, click here to be redirected to PHEN's website

Oakland Parks & Recreation is accepting applications for its' Youth Explorer program. This program trains youth, ages 13 to 17, for leadership positions within children's recreation, business and community activism. Participants will also learn how to apply for jobs, including resume writing and applying for jobs using online application platforms such as NEOGOV. Since the program needs to be self-sufficient, participants will also learn business tactics to raise funds. This program is ongoing and youth can apply to participate at any time. Please contact any recreation center for an application. For more information, please contact Michelle Doppelt, Recreation Supervisor, at (510) 482-7831.

Free tax return preparation for 2014 and prior tax years for low to moderate income individuals and families is offered by the Allen Temple VITA site through Wednesday, April 15!  Our hours are Wednesdays from 3pm to 7pm and Saturdays from 9am to 4pm; we are located in Family Life Center Room D102.  Should you have questions, feel free to contact (510) 544-8971 or [email protected].  We are happy to offer this service to our community and look forward to serving you!

Do you or your family need healthcare or have healthcare questions?  Visit The Enrollment HUB at Allen Temple!  We're open Tuesdays from 9am to 1pm and the first and third Thursdays from 2pm to 4pm! The Enrollment HUB is a center for enrollment into various health coverage and food programs such as Covered California, Medi-Cal, HealthPAC, and CalFresh. But most importantly, it's a place where community members can receive information, education, and support to navigate through the process of enrolling into and accessing health care.  For each household member you wish to include on your application, please bring a social security card or proof of citizenship/lawful presence in the US, driver's license or photo ID.  Have questions?  Call (510) 544-8975!   

Young athletes are invited to join the Athletic Ministry for Open Gym in the Family Life Center on Monday evenings from 7pm to 8:30pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6pm to 8:30pm!    

The Allen Temple Computer Lab is open for people of all ages Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 9am to 2pm in Family Life Center Room C-124!  Training and assistance available.

Early Oakland is a campaign to help you find early care & education services and free or low cost, quality preschool programs in Oakland with safe learning environments that help build positive relationships and serve nutritional food. Visit earlyoakland.org or call Oakland Headstart at (510) 238-4165, Oakland
Unified School District at (510) 273-1590, The Unity Council at (510) 535-6102, or Bananas at (510) 658-0381.

The Mercy Brown Bag program provides food to eligible Alameda County residents 60 years of age and above twice per month (second and fourth Fridays) for a $10 annual contribution. If you are interested in signing up or would like to sponsor a senior, please contact Krista at (510) 534-8540, ext. 369 or Mother Brown at (510) 638-4085.

The Oakland Public Library Second Start Program offers a confidential setting in which adults with low skill levels are able to get a "second start" at learning, for free. Adult students meet on-to-one with volunteer tutors. They can also participate in the computer learning lab and in family literacy programming if they are parents or have children in their lives. Small learning groups focusing on reading, spelling, math, and book discussions are also available to adult literacy students enrolled in the program!   For more information, click here to be redirected to their website.

"These essays speak of how we have incorporated our contemplative practices into our family life; our urban, non-religious background; how we have been nurtured in struggles for health and life through our contemplative prayer practices and our courage to survive and even thrive in the midst of dire circumstances. We speak of the unfolding bridge between faith and culture; our conflicts with an Interspiritual journey with a Christian foundation; our sexuality; our journey to healing and authenticity; and how we are taking this practice that began in the first centuries of the church with the desert mothers and fathers to the present and into the future with spiritual direction through the Internet across the world."  

- from the Introduction