Oaklands Presbyterian Church USA

07/31/2026

Join us tonight at Laurel Lake (Gude Park) for a delicious meal and community time! The weather looks perfect, and the food smells delicious, so we hope you’ll come join us!

06/26/2026

🚩*CANCELLED*🚩

Hello Friends! Due to the imminent thunderstorms, we are making the decision for everyone’s safety and comfort to CANCEL tonight’s Dinner Church event. We apologize for the inconvenience, and we hope you’ll join us on July 31 for our next one!

Oaklands Presbyterian would like to invite any and all to join us for June's Dinner Church on June 26 at Granville Gude Park! Never been to Dinner Church? Neighbors and friends, many meeting for the first time, gather to share a home-cooked meal and each other's company-completely free. After the meal, you're invited to stay for an optional sharing of a story from Christian scripture and discussion. We would love to share this time of delicious food and connection with you.

RSVP: https://form.jotform.com/261595885148170

06/25/2026

Getting things ready for our annual Pride Worship service this Sunday, June 28.

This is God’s table where a seat has been set that only you can fill.

This is the water of creation where you are named and gifted with a unique expression of the image of God.

No one else will do. Come as your full self.

We know that many LGBTQIA+ people have experienced exclusion, rejection, or harm in Christian spaces. We are committed to embodying a different way—one rooted in dignity, belonging, and radical hospitality.

If you’ve been looking for a church where you can bring your whole self, we’d love to welcome you on Sunday at 11:00 AM.

06/24/2026

Life can feel uncertain. Many of us carry worries about family, work, health, finances, or the future.

Julian of Norwich lived through plague, political upheaval, and social unrest, yet she trusted that God’s love was deeper than fear.

What helps you find hope when life feels uncertain?

06/19/2026

“For this is why we were born: Men, all men, belong to each other, and he who shuts himself away diminishes himself, and he who shuts another away from him destroys himself.” -Howard Thurman

On Juneteenth, we celebrate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans and honor the resilience, faith, leadership, and contributions of Black Americans throughout our nation’s history.

Juneteenth is both a celebration and a reminder. Freedom is not simply an individual gift - it is something that shapes how we live together as neighbors and community members.

As Howard Thurman reminds us, our lives are deeply bound together, and we are created for mutual care. May we continue the work of building a community where every person is treated with dignity, every voice is valued, and every neighbor knows they belong.

Happy Juneteenth from Oaklands Presbyterian Church.

06/16/2026

Oaklands is grateful to be part of a community that celebrates Juneteenth.

Juneteenth invites us to remember the long struggle for freedom, honor the resilience and contributions of Black Americans, and recommit ourselves to the work of building a more just and equitable society.

We encourage our neighbors to join the City of Laurel's Juneteenth events this week and celebrate together as a community.

Thank you to the City of Laurel Juneteenth Committee for organizing these events.

In honor of Juneteenth, the City of Laurel Juneteenth Committee will be having a flag raising ceremony on June 19th at 10am in front of the Joseph R. Robison Municipal Center.

On June 20th, join the community for a Juneteenth Celebration at Emancipation Park from 4-7p!

06/12/2026

Oaklands Presbyterian would like to invite any and all to join us for June's Dinner Church on June 26 at Granville Gude Park! Never been to Dinner Church? Neighbors and friends, many meeting for the first time, gather to share a home-cooked meal and each other's company-completely free. After the meal, you're invited to stay for an optional sharing of a story from Christian scripture and discussion. We would love to share this time of delicious food and connection with you.

RSVP: https://form.jotform.com/261595885148170

06/10/2026

Today, we're reflecting on the first epistle of John and its message that God has gifted us with the fellowship of God. John's epistle reminds us that God's greatest gift through Christ is love, and when we join in the fellowship, we move closer to God. May we put God's love at the forefront of our minds and hearts as we move through the world. At Oaklands, we put love first, for all people, in God's name.

06/09/2026

Oaklands loves its Laurel neighbors.

One of the things we love about Laurel is that there are so many beautiful places to slow down, get outside, and reconnect with nature. Whether it’s a quick stroll after work or a longer walk with family, places like Granville Gude Park remind us of the beauty that’s right here in our community.

What’s your favorite place in Laurel to take a walk?

06/05/2026

What’s a hymn that has stayed with you throughout your life?

Sometimes a hymn becomes more than a song. It becomes a memory.

Maybe it was sung at your wedding. Maybe your grandmother loved it. Maybe it carried you through a difficult season.

Our Adult Sunday School class has been sharing favorite hymns and learning the stories behind them. It has sparked some wonderful conversations about faith and life.

We’d love to hear yours! What hymn has meant something to you, and why? Share in the comments below.

And if conversations like this interest you, you’re always welcome to join us on Sundays at 10:00 AM, followed by worship at 11.