A New Time!
Sunday Morning Schedule to Change
On Sunday, September 5, First Congregational Church of Berkeley will transform its way of worshiping, celebrating, learning, serving and being together as a community on Sunday mornings.
The new schedule includes two services—a 45-minute service at 9 am in the Large Assembly and a service in the Sanctuary at 11 am that will be over by noon. Between the two services a Learning Hour will provide a variety of opportunities for both adults and children at 10:00 am.
The worship planning staff are creating services that will be quite different in style and character but will also include similar elements. The same team of two assigned to design worship for a particular Sunday will be planning both services.
Read more about the plans for this new experience of Sunday morning.
Axis of Friendship
Sunday, September 12 is Axis of Friendship Sunday, a celebration of relationships between the US and Iran. In 2009, FCCB and several other UCC churches submitted a resolution to the UCC General Synod, which was passed, that established this special day. FCCB will mark this occasion in several ways.
On Friday, September 10, Ali Shiek, President of the Oakland Islamic Cultural Center has invited members of our congregation to join them in the breaking of Ramadan fast at 9:30am. It is an especially powerful time to reaffirm our connection with our friends at the Oakland Islamic Center. Join Pat de Jong, Rita Brock and others in this unique opportunity. Please contact Louise Halsey at 510/848-3696 ext. 11 or lhalsey@fccb.org if you are interested in coming and she will provide you with details of the event.
On Sunday, September 12, Senior Minister Patricia de Jong (11am) will preach on the controversy surrounding the building of an Islamic center in downtown New York City and Sam Rennebohm (9 am) will preach on the subject of friendship.
During the Learning Hour (10 am on September 12), our special guest will be Hamid Azimi of the Iranian American Community of Northern California which has been advocating for the pro-democracy folks inside Iran and for protecting a group of Iranian exiles in Iraq. Barbara Grady-Ayer has had opportunities to interact with this community and has written about them in the Oakland Tribune.
Also, members and friends of FCCB are invited to light candles in their windows on September 11, as did thousands of Iranians following the attacks on the World Trade Center Towers.
FCCB/UCC Response to Flooding in Pakistan
The devastating floods in Pakistan have affected millions of people. Because this disaster has been building relatively slowly, it may not have received as much attention as other similar situations have.
On August 27, the United Church of Christ issued a special disaster appeal seeking $300,000 to support the emergency relief and long-term rehabilitation initiatives of Church World Service in Pakistan. You can read more bout this appeal on the United Church of Christ website.
You can make an online donation through the church that will be forwarded in its entirety to help with this disaster. The process is simple. Click on this link and you will be taken to a page where you can make your donation. Mark the “other” box on the form and type in “Pakistan.” Your contribution will be tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
Rev. Mark Wilson Preaches at FCCB
Rev. Mark Wilson was our guest preacher on Sunday, August 15, 2010. Mark is a long-time friend of FCCB. He has directed the FCCB Gospel Choir and shared his gifts in preaching and liturgical leadership with our congregation on a number of occasions.
Mark is the director of the Gospel Choir at UC Berkeley. Mark has served as a local church pastor and has taught at Pacific School of Religion and UC Berkeley. He travels internationally to perform, direct and speak.
Steindl-Rast & Keen Team Up at FCCB
Brother David Steindl-Rast and Sam Keen, both incisive thinkers and spiritual explorers, recently headlined an event called “A Spirited Life in the Secular World,”, at First Congregational Church of Berkeley. Together they explored this fundamental question: What does it mean to get beyond the veneer of gratitude in popular culture and live a spirited life?
On Friday night, Brother David reflected on “The Scandal of Gratitude,’ in conversation with Sam. Together they pierced the surface of the too-easy concept of gratefulness. About two hundred people attended. You can listen to this fascinating conversation below.
On Saturday, the two led a workshop from 10 am to 4 pm. They conducted a lively dialog on Sam“s belief of the importance of “Dwelling in the Presence of the Sacred,” and Brother David’s translation of vision into action via “The Practice of Gratefulness in Contemplation.” There was time for much discussion, for asking and answering questions, and for sharing a lunchtime meal. About 80 people shared the day with Sam and Brother David.
An introduction by FCCB Senior Minister Patricia de Jong.
Presentation by Brother David Steindl-Rast.
Conversation between Brother David and Sam.
The entire weekend benefitted A Network for Grateful Living (ANG*L). Best known for its interactive website, gratefulness.org, ANG*L is dedicated to providing education and support for the practice of grateful living as a global ethic, based on the teachings of Brother David and colleagues.
Forbes Highlights Worship at FCCB
The Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Jr., one of the most highly respected and charismatic preachers in the United States was guest preacher at FCCB on Sunday, July 11. Dr. Forbes served for several years as the Senior Minister at Riverside Church in New York City. He is in Berkeley to teach summer courses at Pacific School of Religion and we are delighted to have had the opportunity to have him in our pulpit. In their March 4, 1996 issue, Newsweek magazine recognized Forbes as one of the 12 “most effective preachers” in the English-speaking world. Dr. Forbes’ visit to FCCB was part of the long-running McCall Lecture series that has brought interesting and dynamic preachers and speakers to FCCB.
In addition to Forbes powerful sermon, the Chancel Choir returned for this Sunday to sing “On Holy Ground” with guest soloist Julie Lllanillo. Phil Porter shared reflections on his experiences in downtown Oakland after the verdict in the Johannes Mehserle trial was announced, and we blessed Music Director Larry Marietta as he begins a 3-month leave of absence to have additional back surgery.
You can watch the service below.
Addressing the Gulf Oil Spill
The Gulf Oil Spill is a major event in all of our lives. It seems crucial to address the issue from a faith perspective and the issue has been included in worship several times over the last few weeks. On Sunday, June 22, the service will be devoted to this subject. We have also created a Gulf Oil Spill newspage with online resources that might be helpful in increasing our understanding of this issue. If you have other resources that you have found helpful, please email them to Phil Porter.
Watch the video of the service including Phil’s sermon “Oil & Water Don’t Mix” (at about the 42 min. mark) and Beth Hoch’s dance “A Lamentation for the Water” (at 1:02 into the video.)
Rennebohm to Continue at FCCB as Browne Barr Intern
Sam Rennebohm, a seminarian at Pacific School of Religion, will be serving on the FCCB staff as the next Browne Barr Seminary Intern. This summer he completed a two-month stint as a Beatitudes Society Fellow. Sam grew up in Seattle, the son of a UCC chaplain and a school psychologist. After high school, he spent time volunteering in South Africa, traveling in Europe and South America, and living in an intentional christian community in the Southern US. He attended college at Columbia University, where he majored in Ethnic Studies and worked as an assistant to the University Chaplain. He moved to Berkeley in the fall of 2009 to start the Masters of Divinity Program at PSR.
Sam says, “In addition to the full time work of being a seminarian, I love to run, bike, and hike while taking in the East Bay’s beautiful landscapes. I have also continued to loyally support the Seattle area sports teams, and spend many nights relaxing by watching a game or catching up on highlights. I am tremendously excited to be working at FCCB this summer and then to return in the fall as a seminary intern. In the limited time that I have spent in worship and talking with folks from the congregation it has become clear that this is a very special community. The dynamism, energy, and abundant hospitality of the folks at FCCB seem to speak volumes. I look forward to building relationships with folks in the congregation, and to learning from you all about the joys, challenges, and intricacies of parish ministry.“
The Inspiring New UCC Ad!
The Language of God from United Church of Christ on Vimeo.
On Friday, April 16, at 9 am (EST), the United Church of Christ’s StillSpeaking Ministry launched a new powerful video spot on the internet. At first, the video message was delivered to tens of thousands—by email, thorugh internet ads, and posts to social networks. The next step is where we all get to pitch in! We can then share the link on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, myUCC, our blogs or any other places where people will see it. If we do this, the ad could very well be seen by millions in a short period of time.
Sign up on the UCC website to get UCC news and events.
Haiti Update from Margaret Trost
Margaret Trost has just returned from her first post-earthquake trip to Haiti. She recently visited FCCB to do a presentation on her work there. Margaret, a long-time friend of FCCB, is the founding director of the What If? Foundation that has been working with of St. Clare’s Parish in Port-au-Prince to provide food and education to the people of that area. She has been involved there for over 10 years. Her work has escalated in the weeks following the earthquake. She reported that the food program has been expanded to try to meet some of the needs of not only that neighborhood but to try help the thousands who have lost homes, family, and livelihood. The food program is serving 3,000 meals a day and providing interim educational opportunities since many of the local schools were destroyed.
This is what she wrote in her most current email (April 30):
Caitlin and I have just returned from our first visit to Haiti since the earthquake. It was intense and overwhelming at times, but also inspiring…In a nutshell, the pictures being shown on television don’t begin to capture the scale of destruction, which is widespread and devastating.
Tent communities with thousands of people living together without electricity, running water and, in most cases without toilets, are located in every open space. I didn’t see a single bulldozer clearing rubble—just small groups of Haitians working with shovels and their bare hands in the debris.
During our trip, we received confirmation that…the food and education programs that have been operating out of the rectory for the past ten years must move to another location. Thankfully, working closely with our Haitian partners, we’ve been able to find land in the neighborhood—land the What If? Foundation is now in the process of purchasing. It’s a big step, but with your support, we are determined to buy the land and build a new kitchen and eating area on it as soon as possible, so that the food program can continue without interruption.
In the weeks to come, I look forward to sharing more about the unfolding vision for this new land, the details of a building plan, and the resources that will need to be raised to make it possible.
Read the full update on Margaret’s What If Foundation blog.
You can read more about Margaret’s work or donate online.
The What If? Foundation was one of the recipients of this year’s Easter Offering.
Cellar Thrift Shop Spreads the Love Around
Most popular items to donate to the Thrift Shop. Bring you donations on Sunday, May 30, as we celebrate the Cellar Thrift Shop!
The Cellar Thrift Shop is an FCCB institution that first opened in 1986. It offers a wide range of attractive bargains that anyone could afford. It is open on Wednesday from 10 am-4 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm, and before and after the Sunday morning worship service which is at 10 am. The Shop is staffed by a helpful and committed group of volunteers who sort, price and display thousands of items each month. Each quarter the proceeds of the Cellar Thrift Shop are given away: more than $1,500 a month goes to outreach projects, more than $300 a month goes to the church’s operating budget, and over $1000 goes to special projects. A few of the organizations that have benefitted from Cellar Thrift Shop donations are Berkeley Emergency Food and Housing, Berkeley Chaplaincy to the Homeless, the Haiti Food Program, and Berkeley Free Clinic.
You can help this effort by checking out a list of popular items that you might donate. Donations can be brought to the church during regular business hours.
More about the Cellar Thrift Shop and other First Congregational Church Ministry Teams.
Sign up for eScrip; It’s Free!
On Sunday, June 7 and 14, the Ministry of Stewardship, Finance and Administration (SF&A) will sponsor on-site assistance in signups for eScrip in the Large Assembly after worship. eScrip.com is a national organization that enables non-profit groups to generate significant additional funding streams by means of a simple concept: by registering with eScrip, at no cost to you, FCCB will get a percentage of your purchase amount whenever you shop at an eScrip merchant, such as Safeway, Macy’s, Cal Mart, Andronico’s, etc.
You can enroll after worship on June 7 and 14, or you can sign up at home by going to www.escrip.com and registering your credit, ATM and Safeway cards, specifying “First Congregational Church of Berkeley” as the organization to support. This program has the power to generate a significant addition to our operating budget. Contact SF&A co-chair Allison Addicott with questions.
Read a list of all the eScrip merchants.
FCCB Actively Promotes Marriage Equality
Read more stories on the Marriage Equality Newspage.
First Congregational Church took a firm stand in favor of Marriage Equality, based on a 1994 decision to become and Open and Affirming church welcoming lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons. The church voted as a congregation to oppose California State Proposition 8 which would deny the right to marry to same-gender couples. It was the first time that the congregation had taken a congregational stand on a political issue.
Read more about the church’s powerful and transforming journey as it engaged this controversial topic in 2008 and 2009on the Marriage Equality Newspage.
Want to Get Married?
First Congregational Church of Berkeley welcomes all couples who wish to marry, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or heterosexual. Our ministers have performed several weddings for same-gender couples over the past decade, and will continue to do so. Please contact the church office at 510/848-3696 or info@fccb.org for more information or to set up a meeting with one of our ministers.
Audio of Codys@FCCB Presentations Still Available Here
For over three years First Congregational teamed up with Cody’s Books to present wonderful authors reading from their works and discussing new ideas for our times. When Cody’s closed that series ended, but a new one is beginning.
Although the series has ended, you can still listen to audio presentations of Codys@FCCB events featuring Wangari Maathia (pictured), Parker Palmer, Paul Hawken, Michael Eric Dyson and John Dean.
Audio: Progressive Christians Approach the Creation/Evolution Debate
The cultural debate about creationism and evolution is an important one for progressive people of faith. In a series of talks, experts in the fields of Science and Religion presented their views. Listen to Dr. Ted Peters, seminary professor and co-author of Evolution from Creation to New Creation: Conflict, Conversation, and Convergence and Dr. Robert Russell, founder and director of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences at the Graduate Theological Union.
Listen to Dr. Ted Peters—Evolution vs. Creation: Who’s Fighting Whom for What?
Listen to Dr. Robert Russell—Science and Religion: What Does A Progressive Christian Believe?
More About Us
- Read a “Seekers Statement” recently composed by members of this community
- Read our statement of inclusive community (Open and Affirming)
- Read about some of the courageous actions of FCCB and the United Church of Christ
