Author Archives: Brian Young

Here’s what’s happening this weekend at Berkeley Friends Church and elsewhere:

1) On Saturday, 12/14, 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 donations! You can come by as early as 9:30 AM and there will be things to do through 1 PM.

Also, 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 12:30 PM.

2) Also on Saturday, but not at BFC this time, is the quarterly gathering of the Christian Friends Conference–Western Region (CFC). You are invited to take part in waiting worship and Bible reading in the manner of Conservative Friends, and to share fellowship and  discussion with Christian Quakers from around the Bay Area and beyond. 9 AM – 4:30 PM at Palo Alto Friends Meeting, 957 Colorado Avenue in Palo Alto. Beverages and bagels will be provided in the morning; please bring your own lunch. See the attached flyer for the full schedule.

3) On Sunday, 12/15, the Singing Ensemble will start things off with rehearsal at 9 AM. Then our usual Sunday School classes for children and adults will meet at 10 AM. In meeting for worship at 11 AM, we will we seek the Living God together in prayer, song, reflection on the Scriptures, and silence.

Fellowship time follows worship, and then Monthly Meeting for Business convenes at 1 PM.

In this season as we await Christ’s coming, let us gather in expectancy and hope!

I hope everyone had a happy and joyous Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family yesterday, and that you took some time to give thanks and meditate on how God is working in your lives right now. I am thankful for this “church family” and for the opportunity that you have granted me to walk alongside you as we grow in faith.

Here’s the schedule for this coming Sunday, 12/1: we’ll start off with the Trustees Committee, 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 hear a message from John Maurer, speaking on John 3:16-17; we will also praise God in song and listen together for the Living Word in our midst.

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

Also, a reminder of two events this coming week:

1) Singing Ensemble will gather for an additional rehearsal at 6 PM on Wednesday, 12/4.

2) A week from tomorrow, on Saturday, 12/7, we will welcome Ann Riggs of Friends Theological College in Kenya for a potluck lunch and discussion at 12 noon.

Please join us as we seek God together!

Here is what’s going on this weekend at BFC:

1) On Saturday, 11/16, from 10 AM to 12 noon, pantry volunteers will be packing more Thanksgiving bags in the fellowship hall. This will be for the second half of the month. BFC folks are welcome to help, although it would be best to check with Pantry director Tami Groves to make sure that she still needs people. You can reach Tami at berkeleyfood@hotmail.com.

2) Also on Saturday, the Knit & Crochet Fellowship will meet from 11 AM to 12:30 PM (probably in the worship room rather than in the fellowship hall because of the bag packing).

3) On Sunday, 11/17, the Singing Ensemble will meet to rehearse at 9 AM. Then, Sunday School classes for children and adults meet at 10 AM. We gather for worship at 11 AM, seeking God’s presence together with an extended period of open worship, corporate prayer, and Spirit-filled singing.

Our 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, we will gather for Monthly Meeting with a Concern for Business. Members should please attend, and all others are welcome.

(Reminder for members of the Singing Ensemble: we will not be presenting this Sunday, but instead on the following Sunday, 11/24. There will be a 9 AM rehearsal both this Sunday and on the 24th.)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

It’s a little bit slower pace this weekend at Berkeley Friends Church, with just the usual Sunday happenings:

On Sunday morning, 11/10, we will begin with the Stewardship and Finance Committee, meeting at 9 AM. Then, at 10 AM, our Sunday School groups for adults and children  will  meet. We gather for worship at 11 AM, which will include a message on Luke 20:27-38. Fellowship time follows worship, and then the SInging Ensemble will meet at 1 PM.

Let us gather, together in the Lord!

It’s going to be a busy weekend at Berkeley Friends Church–we hope to have you with us! 

1) This coming Saturday, 11/2, you are invited to meet Colin Saxton, General Secretary of Friends United Meeting (FUM), at a series of informal meals. FUM is a global fellowship of Friends that we are part of,  that supports ministries of communications, evangelism, global partnerships and leadership training in many places in the world. Come meet Colin, learn more about this work that you share in, and dialogue with him about how FUM can be a resource for BFC. You can read more about Colin here.

There will be breakfast at Nikki Gage’s at 9 AM (606 The Alameda, Berkeley), lunch at Brian & Stephanie’s at 12:30 PM (1424 Harmon St, Berkeley), and dinner at Dorothy Kakimoto’s at 6 PM (2918 Bayview Dr, Alameda). You are welcome to attend more than one gathering! Please let the respective hosts know by tonight that you would like to come, and be sure to ask for directions if you need them.

2) On Sunday, 11/3, rather than our regular Sunday School classes, we will all gather at 10 AM in the fellowship hall to see a slide presentation on FUM‘s work by Colin. Then he will share more with us in meeting for worship at 11 AM, including a message from Luke 5:1-11, entitled “Deep Water Faith”. Fellowship time follows worship.

3) Following fellowship time on Sunday at 1 PM, we will pack Thanksgiving bags for the Food Pantry, enough for about half of the 700-800 families from Berkeley and Albany that we regularly serve. Things will be a little bit different this year–the Pantry is giving out the Thanksgiving bags throughout the month, so we’re starting earlier, we’ll pack plastic rather than paper bags, and we’ll store the bags in the fellowship hall closet rather than staging them in the hallway & lobby. Please stick around and help us help the Pantry!

Let’s not forget that together, we are Christ’s Body–something to celebrate, together!

This coming Sunday, 10/20, the Singing Ensemble will meet to rehearse at 9 AM. Then, Sunday School classes for children and adults meet at 10 AM. We gather for worship at 11 AM, seeking God’s presence together with an extended period of open worship along with corporate prayer and Spirit-filled singing, including a presentation from the Singing Ensemble.

Our 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, we will have a special event: a baby shower for Wendy and Micah Remington-Bowie! Please stay and bless them with your presence and prayers. If you’d still like to give to the gift, you can contact Nikki Gage, or see her on Sunday morning.

Following the shower, we will  gather for Monthly Meeting with a Concern for Business. Members should please attend, and all others are welcome.

We hope to have you with us for worship, fellowship and celebration!