(Honored to be invited at this year’s Father’s Day Jazz Service (a full service in music) in my old neighborhood with my Point Richmond family. Am stealing a description of this event from bassist, Kurt Ribak‘s post about it):

Pastor Dan Damon is a jazz pianist – he played piano in bars to pay for seminary school.  He’s also written a number of hymns that are in Methodist hymnals.  He will lead the band and lead worship with me on bass, Tom Griesser on sax and clarinet, and Randy Odell on drums.  I’ve played jazz services here for about fifteen years.  The church itself is beautiful yet unpretentious, and has excellent acoustics.

If you’re concerned about whether you’ll be comfortable or welcome, here’s the church’s mission statement:

“We, the people of First United Methodist Church in Point Richmond, seek to embody God’s love for all people through our worship and the many ways we nurture and serve our community and world. We welcome everyone and celebrate the ways we differ in age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender identity, and sexual orientation. We preserve and embrace the beautiful diversity of nature. We cooperate with other congregations and organizations to participate in Jesus’ mission of peace, justice, and unconditional love.”

It’s a lovely, unpretentious small church with excellent acoustics.