Author Archives: Brian Young

Dear Friends:

Here is what’s on the horizon this weekend at BFC:

1) On Saturday, 10/11, we’ll have the bimonthly Harvest Day for the Berkeley Neighborhood Food Project. All of the donations from the various neighborhoods will be coming in to the Food Pantry that morning. This time around, the Food Pantry has a large volunteer group coming from Cal, so unless you’ve been asked personally, volunteers will not be needed.

But: if you’re participating in BFC’s “neighborhood” and didn’t bring in your bag last Sunday, you’re welcome to bring yours by any time between 10:30 AM and noon.

2) Then on Sunday, 10/12, we will begin with Sunday School at 10 AM for children and adults. In worship at 11 AM, we will gather for song, prayer, a spoken message examining what the Gospels tell us about specks and planks in various people’s eyes, and silent waiting. Fellowship time follows worship, and then the Singing Ensemble will rehearse at 1 PM.

We hope to see you this weekend!

Dear Friends:

Here is the schedule for this coming Sunday:

The Trustees Committee bats first, meeting at 9 AM. Then, at 10 AM, we’ll have our regular Sunday School classes for children and adults. In Meeting for Worship at 11 AM, we gather in song, prayer, and quiet, and hear a message from Steve Sims: “Show Me the Fruit,” drawn from Matthew 21. Fellowship time follows worship, and then the Missionary, Outreach and Christian Education Committee will meet at 1 PM.

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Dear Friends:

1) This Saturday, 9/20, we will gather to celebrate the life of Lynn Leonard (Len) Williams. Service begins at 1 PM. We will need help with setup starting at 11:30 AM; if you can help and haven’t yet told me, please drop me a line.

2) On Sunday, 9/21, the Singing Ensemble will start things off with rehearsal at 9 AM; then our regular Sunday School classes for children and adults will meet at 10 AM. We gather for worship at 11 AM, with our regular monthly extended time of open worship, and a special observance: welcoming baby Leila Remington Bowie into our meeting and dedicating her to the Lord! The Singing Ensemble will also offer ministry in music.

The monthly potluck lunch follows worship; please bring a dish to share if you can, or a few dollars to help with the purchase of supplies. (If you are bringing something to eat, please also bring a list of ingredients so that people know what’s in your dish.) Then at 1 PM, there will be our Monthly Meeting with a Concern for Business. Members should please attend, and all others are welcome.

Please join us as we celebrate both the end and the beginning of life–trusting that all things are in God’s hands.

Dear Friends:

Are you wanting to go deeper in your life with God? Have you ever been frustrated when it seems like you’re not making progress? Would you like the opportunity to learn with and support others in the journey towards Christ-likeness?

Ministry and Counsel is forming one or more small groups to engage in a quarter-long study this fall of The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith. Smith is a well-regarded Christian writer who teaches at Friends University (Wichita, KS) and has worked with Richard Foster’s Renovare movement for many years.

The Good and Beautiful God starts from the understanding that we all carry around with us many false narratives about God: “God wants me to try harder;” “God blesses me when I’m good and punishes me when I’m bad;” “God is angry with me.” Smith asks us to consider if the “God that Jesus knew” is truly embodied in these narratives, or if the Gospels actually have a different story to tell.

Participants will read through a chapter a week, engage individually in each chapter’s recommended exercises, and then come to the group meeting ready to reflect on their experience and prayerfully support one another. One possible meeting time would be on Wednesday evenings parallel to our regular Bible Study, but we encourage any group of sufficient size (three or four people) to form if there are other more convenient times or places.

If you are interested, please see Brian for more details!

Dear Friends:

Our busy August continues, with the following goings-on this weekend:

1) On Saturday, 8/9, we’ll have the bimonthly Harvest Day for the Berkeley Neighborhood Food Project. All of the donations from the various neighborhoods will be coming in to the Food Pantry that morning. Volunteers are always appreciated to receive, weigh, sort and store the food! Please let Brian know if you can be there. You can come by as early as 10:00 AM and there will be things to do through 1 PM. And if you’re participating in BFC’s “neighborhood” and didn’t bring in your bag last Sunday, you’re welcome to bring yours by any time between 10:30 AM and noon.

2) Then on Sunday, 8/10, we will begin with Sunday School at 10 AM for children and adults. In worship at 11 AM, we will gather for song, prayer, a spoken message from the Scriptures, and silent waiting. Fellowship time follows worship, and then the Singing Ensemble will rehearse at 1 PM.

We hope to see you this weekend!
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Dear Friends:

It’s a very full weekend at Berkeley Friends Church this time around–and much of August is going to be busy!

1) This Saturday, 8/2, we host the first of a two-part Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) workshop. AVP offers experiential, hands-on workshops that empower people to lead nonviolent lives through affirmation, respect for all, community building, cooperation, creative conflict resolution and trust. The workshop  is a full day; registration & snacks are at 8:30 AM, and the program begins at 9. The second workshop will be Saturday, 8/16. A sliding-scale donation is requested. For more information, see the attached flyer, and if you want to register, contact Dorothy Kakimoto ASAP.


2) Then, on Sunday, 8/3, don’t forget that we are going to bring all of the church’s contributions for the Berkeley Neighborhood Food Project together so we can give thanks and pray for all of the hungry folks in our community. Don’t forget to bring that green bag with you when you leave the house on Sunday, and bring it with you into worship!

That morning, the Trustees Committee will begin the day, meeting at 9 AM. Then, at 10 AM, we’ll have Sunday School classes for children and adults. In meeting for worship at 11 AM, we will gather in shared prayer and quiet, with Kirsten Bohl sharing a message entitled “Sing A New Song,” drawing on Psalm 98, the story of Zacchaeus in  Luke 19, and other texts. Kirsten, Nikki and the younger people will also help us sing a new song together!

Fellowship time follows worship, and then the Missionary, Outreach and Christian Education Committee will meet at 1 PM.

Please join us!

It’s another busy buzzing weekend at Berkeley Friends Church–here’s the rundown:1) A reminder about registration for Quaker Heritage Day, which is a week from Saturday (4/12): if you would like lunch or child care on the 12th, please register by tomorrow, Friday, 4/4. The online registration is quick and easy, and you can pay at the door on the 12th.

2) On Saturday, 4/5, we’ll have the bimonthly Harvest Day for the Berkeley Neighborhood Food Project. All of the donations from the various neighborhoods will be coming in to the Food Pantry that morning. Volunteers are always appreciated to receive, weigh, sort and store the food! You can come by as early as 9:00 AM and there will be things to do through 12:30 PM. And if you’re participating in BFC’s “neighborhood” and didn’t bring in your bag last Sunday, you’re welcome to bring yours by any time between 10  AM and noon.

3) Also on Saturday, and overlapping with the Harvest Day, the Trustees will sponsor an indoor work day to get things spiffed up for Quaker Heritage Day. 10 AM to 2 PM; bring a bag lunch. Note: the parking lot will be occupied with the Harvest Day in the morning, so please park on Cedar or elsewhere in the neighborhood.

4) On Sunday, 4/6, the Trustees Committee is first up, meeting at 9 AM. Then, at 10 AM, our Sunday School classes for children and adults will meet. In meeting for worship at 11 AM, we will sing and pray together, hear a message related to Philippians 2:1-11, and listen in expectant quiet for the Lord of all life.

Fellowship time follows worship, and then the Missionary, Outreach and Christian Education Committee will meet at 1 PM.

Please come join us!