Chancel Choir to Perform Gospel Mass
The Chancel Choir will perform Robert Ray’s Gospel Mass on Sunday, May 20, at the 11 am service. It wil be conducted by First Church’s organist and choir director Larry Marietta. The work was composed in 1978 when Dr. Ray was a liturgy team leader for the National Office of Black Catholics. The Gospel Mass is Dr. Ray’s interpretation of two thousand years of liturgical tradition with the more contemporary music of the African-American Church.
The composer states: “It is my desire to combine centuries of old traditions of Mass settings with sounds of the contemporary Black Church. The move from Latin to English created new opportunities for composers to express their feelings about the texts of the Ordinary of the Mass. I wanted everyone to experience the sense of joy and celebration that is generally felt in true African-American worship.”
Dr. Ray is Professor of Music at the University of Missouri at St. Louis and the Director of the In Unison Chorus for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Read more about Dr. Ray and the Gospel Mass.
Rachel Bauman Called as New Minister of Community Life
On Sunday, May 6, the First Church community voted unanimously to call Rachel Bauman as its next Minister for Community Life. She will have major responsibilities for children, youth and families and will serve on the Worship Planning Team. Rachel will graduate at the end of this month from Pacific School of Religion. She entered seminary after a significant career in student affairs at several colleges and universities including UC Santa Cruz.
She and her partner Laura Engelken were hosted at a reception on Saturday, May 5 and Rachel preached at both services on Sunday morning. The congregation met in a specially called meeting after the second service to vote on her candidacy.
In the photo at right, Rachel is signing the letter of agreement for the position as Search Committee Chair Bonnie Hester and Senior Minister Patricia de Jong look on. Other members of the search committee were Emma Fujii, Richard Wong, Amy Hiestand, Judy Huston, John Wright and Phil Porter.
Rachel will begin officially on June 1. She wll be eligible for ordination in the fall.
Download a full bio for Rachel Bauman.
What Money Can’t Buy: Michael Sandel
Acclaimed Harvard University professor Michael Sandel, will speak about his new book What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets at First Church on Tuesday, May 15 at 7:30 pm in the Large Assembly. The book asks fundamental questions about the reach of markets into our daily lives.
Why worry that markets have come to define our lives as never before? Inequality and corruption stand out as crucial concerns. The marketization of society leads to a greater divide between people of means and those without; putting a price on things such as children, the environment, and citizenship can corrupt their value. Neither is good for democracy and both are products of our having drifted from having a market economy to being a market society.
Michael J. Sandel is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government at Harvard University. He is the author of Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?, an international best seller, and he teaches a legendary class by that same name at Harvard, which has been shared widely online and on television.
Tickets $12 ($6 students, including OLLI) in advance only at Brown Paper Tickets online or 800-838-3006; $15 at the door (all).
UCC Coalition to Meet Near Chicago in June
The United Church of Christ Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns will hold a National Gathering at Elmhurst College near Chicago June 25-28, 2012. All who share a commitment to the full inclusion of the LGBT community in faith communities and in society are invited to attend.
The Coalition will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Coalition and the 40th anniversary of the ordination of Bill Johnson, the first openly gay person to be ordained in the United Church of Christ. Bill’s ordination took place at the San Carlos Community Church here in the Northern California Conference of the UCC.
The event will include rousing worship, informative workshops, a banquet, and many opportunities to meet and connect with others. Bishop Yvette Flunder, minister at City of Refuge UCC in San Francisco and Rev. Da Vita McCallister, from the Connecticut Conference Staff will be special preachers and the Rev. Ben Guess, Executive Minister of Local Church Ministries will be the keynote speaker at the banquet. Ben is the first openly gay man to be called to serve at part of the UCC’s Collegium.
FCCB’s Minister of Art & Communication, Phil Porter, serves on the Leadership Team of the Coalition.
Download a flyer for more information about the event…
Summer Worship Schedule to Change
Beginning on Sunday, May 27 (which is also Pentecost), First Church will move to having one service at 10 am each Sunday through the end of August. Some of the services will be in the Sanctuary and some will be in the Large Assembly. The Cafe will be open occasionally during the Summer and there will be some Adult Education programs at 11:15 am.
On Welcome Sunday, September 2, we will return to having two services each Sunday morning.
First Church Raises $4172 to Address Hunger
“Take one step…” The Ministry of Outreach, Mission and Service, the 20-30s fellowship group, and the FCCB Farmers Market team were all sponsors for this year’s Berkeley CROP Hunger Walk on Sunday, April 29. The Walk, a program of Church World Service, raises money to fight hunger at home and around the world. Eleven communities were taking part in a weekend of events in the Bay Area. First Church’s contributions also targeted water projects in Kenya that Senior Minister Patricia de Jong visited on a recent trip.
Anne Rowe, who spearheaded First Church’s participation shared this news about the walk:
Sunday, April 29 was a beautiful day for the Berkeley CROP Hunger Walk. The FCCB group of 30 included four of our enthusiastic youth, Laura, Helen, Krystina and Seth (with their leaders Andrew and Judy); and Paul Chapman with his dog who was eager to be at the head of the pack! With donations from approximately 40 FCCB sponsors and friends from the wider community, we raised $3015. $690 of that amount came from five especially successful fundraisers who used the new “online option”. A hearty thanks to the walkers who joined the parade down Shattuck Avenue and to all those who participated with generous donations. Let’s do it again next year!
An additional $1,157 was raised through First Church’s Fifth Sunday offering. The Ministry of Outreach, Mission and Service organizes a special offering for each Sunday that has a five Sundays in it.
The Rich Journey Through Holy Week
Beginning with the exciting processionals of Palm Sunday through the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday, 2012’s Holy Week provided a range of experiences and opportunities. A Wednesday Taizé service, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, walking the Labyrinth on Saturday filled out a rich week.
Easter Offering to Benefit Local Agencies
This year’s Easter Offering will benefit two local agencies: Solar Richmond and The Berkeley Food and Housing Project. Collections were taken during both worship services on Easter Sunday morning (April 8) and donations may be made online as well.
Solar Richmond, directed by First Church member Michele McGeoy, provides training in solar installation to young adult East Bay Residents. It also offers transitional employment and job placement in green jobs.
The Berkeley Food and Housing Project is the city’s only agency that addresses both hunger issues and homelessness. BFHP feeds around 150 per day and its shelter facilities for both men and women are full. First Church member Amy Hiestand is a member of their board.
Bring your contribution to church, send it to 2345 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA 94704 or donate online. Enter “Easter Offering” in the “other” line on the online form.
First Church Mourns Death of Trayvon Martin
Last Sunday, a photograph of Trayvon Martin and a “hoodie” were placed on the communion tables at both services at First Church. Trayvon was a 17-year-old African American who was shot by a neighborhood watch captain in Florida. The man who shot Trayvon was not arrested based on his claim that he fired in self-defense. Public attention and outrage has grown steadily in the month since the shooting.
First Church mourns this death and stands with those who seek justice in this case and with all those affected by violence and discrimination.
Read a response to this tragedy on the First Church blog by Phil Porter.
Rebuilding Together Helps Berkeley Neighbor
Two large groups of First Church members participated in this year’s Rebuilding Together on two Saturdays in April. The project was coordinated by the Ministry of Outreach, Mission and Service. This national program rehabilitates homes for low-income homeowners, particularly the elderly and those with disabilities free of charge.
The First Church groups worked on a home in Berkeley to provide much-needed upgrades to the safety of the home as well as general clean up and yard work. The homeowner was very appreciative of the time and effort provided by the volunteers. First Church members Moe Wright and Robin Kempster provided crucial supervision and organization for the project.
Taizé Worship Each Month
The Taizé service meets the first Wednesday of each month in Loper Chapel to connect with God and one another through chanting, prayer, and contemplative silence.
This service offers the unique experience of genuine Taizé worship that carves out a sacred space where the heart can open to God’s presence. The chants we use are easy to learn. We meet at 7 pm in Plymouth Assembly for fellowship and refreshment (on the same side of the building where the chapel is), which is followed by a candlelit service in Loper Chapel. The Berkeley Taizé community is growing together in spirit and song. Come be a part of it!
You can “like” Berkeley Taizé on Facebook to stay connected.
First Church Berkeley Issues Statement About the Use of Religion in Political Debate
After several members raised serious questions about the way the religion is being in the current political debate, First Church has issued a statement in response. You can read the statement on the “Wisdom from First Church” Blog.
Cellar Thrift Shop Spreads the Love Around
Most popular items to donate to the 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.
Exciting Video Spot: “Uniquely UCC”
The United Church of Christ has created a video called “Uniquely UCC” that was launched through the internet. It dynamically captures the vision of our progressive denomination. The ad was first distributed through the UCC email newsletter, website and Facebook page. UCC members and friends then passed on the message “virally”. In only a week almost 40,000 people had viewed the ad.
Watch the video, share the word and invite your friends to church!
Read more about the United Church of Christ.
Inspiring UCC Ad!
The Language of God from United Church of Christ on Vimeo.
Watch the powerful United Church of Christ’s StillSpeaking Ministry video spot which was launched on the internet in 2010. At first, the video message was delivered to tens of thousandsóby email, thorugh internet ads, and posts to social networks. From there we all pitched in to link to the ad on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, myUCC, our blogs or any other places where people will see it.
Sign up on the UCC website to get UCC news and events.
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 2009 on 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.
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
