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NEWS BRIEFS - Fall 2005
First Christian Church of Oceanside (Disciples of Christ)
Celebrates 130 Years of Ministry
Statistics tell us the average mainline church has a life expectancy of 70 years in a community. So, it is a very special time in the life of First Christian Church of Oceanside (DOC) as it prepares to celebrate 130 years of ministry and mission in the Tri-City area. More about the history and beliefs of the church can be found at www.disciples.org.
First Christian Church, the first (DOC) congregation in Southern California, began with 13 members in 1875 when William Webster Borden, 15 years old, helped form a church in San Luis Rey. William's parents moved to Encinitas, but he continued attending by walking 17 miles to church. The church moved to rural Oceanside in 1908 and soon relocated to a one room building within the city.
Then something bizarre happened. A man saying he was wealthy promised to build the finest church in Oceanside. He ordered a pipe organ, set of chimes, stained glass windows, $1,000 in furniture and hired contractors and architects. The old building was on wheels being moved when the bubble burst. The benefactor turned out to be penniless. After starting over in a two-room church on a lot purchased by one of the members, 20 years later, in September 1928, the present facility was built at 204 S. Freeman Street at a cost of $38,000.
For more information see www.missiongathering.com.
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Current Oceanside statistics
The latest numbers prove what every Oceanside resident knows: we are a growing City with more people, more homes and more cars. SANDAG – the San Diego Association of Governments – has released new population and demographic estimates for cities in San Diego and the region as a whole. Oceanside’s 2005 population is 175,085, the third largest city in the County and 22nd in the State, and will grow to 189,000 by 2010. There are 62,557 housing units in the City, counting homes, apartments, condos and mobilehomes. The City has 59,332 resident households with an average size of 2.9 persons per household – higher than the regional average of 2.8. The population is younger than the region, with a median age of 32.8 v. the region median of 33.7. Household income is lower than the region, $56,285 median in Oceanside v. $58,280 for the region. The City reflects Southern California, with 50.8 percent of residents estimated as white/Caucasian, and 32.4 percent as Hispanic/Latino. Need more information? The Oceanside Public Library has census information at the reference desk, and the Planning Department has material at the counter. Extensive population and demographic data can be found at www.census.gov or at www.sandag.org.
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The Federal Citizen Information Center in Pueblo, Colorado, has a new public service program. FirstGov.gov can solve problems and answer questions about the government. You can also get the same helpful information by calling 1 (800) FED-INFO.
FirstGov.gov is the official portal of the U.S. Government. It’s fast, easy-to-use and always there with federal, state and local information that helps everyone. You can even e-mail questions and FirstGov.gov will send a personalized answer.
With FirstGov.gov, you can…
· Apply for Social Security
· Change your address
· Renew your driver’s license
· Apply for government jobs
· Find government benefits
· Shop government auctions
· Get a passport application
· Contact elected officials
· Get your voter registration form
· Find out about small business loans
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