Beloved, as coronavirus reaches our borders with the first recorded case in Berkeley, we are readying to respond so that our touchy-feely community doesn’t become a disease vector! We also want to make sure we are taking good care of our most vulnerable and isolated members.  Most importantly: if you feel unwell, stay home from church and watch worship on …

Our 9-church East Bay UCC consortium has already raised over $14,000 toward our goal of erasing ALL the medical debt available for purchase in Alameda and Contra Costa counties–$13,000 of it has come from First Church Berkeley alone! This is $1.4m of debt forgiven already, in the first week of our campaign!  Every dollar you donate forgives $100 of your …

We are revving up to accompany a newly arrived refugee family! Are you interested in joining our church’s next accompaniment team? If so, the first step is to sign up to take an accompaniment training through the nonprofit Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity. The next one is March 7th. Contact Carolyn Ash ([email protected]) to sign up.

Huge thank you to everyone who hosted last night’s Mardi Gras celebration! An extra special thank you to Roger Bash who coordinated the dinner chefs and donated all the food! We felt you and Holly with us in spirit even though you couldn’t be there this year in the flesh. Also thank you to the Dixieland Band Stan, Bob, Greg, …

Pick up your copy of the 2020 Lenten Devotional by the UCC’s StillSpeaking Writers’ Group (Rev.  Molly is part of this group!) in the Hall of Entrance this first Sunday of Lent, March 1, and throughout Lent while supplies last.

If you have gotten BINGO on your church vision Bingo cards, email Ben at [email protected] and say “I got Bingo!” He’ll include your name on the announcement slides the first Sunday of each month so we can celebrate the ways in which God is deepening our life together: intimacy with one another in community, intimacy with God in worship, encounter …

Molly is due for sabbatical in summer 2021, and is applying for a Clergy Renewal Grant from the Lilly Foundation. The strongest grants include input from the congregation about the sabbatical plan, with a coherent theme between congregation and pastor.  Moderator-Elect Sara Woods is helping Molly write the grant application, and we would both love your input!  In conversation, they …