This Sunday December 15, 2019

Sun 10:00 AM Sunday School (children downstairs)

Sun 10:45-11:00 Carols

Sun 11:00 AM Worship

Sun 12:15 PM Potluck

Sun 1:00 PM Monthly Meeting for Business

Tues 7:15 PM Bible Study and Prayer Meeting

Wait and watch for the Lord is drawing near to us. We gather here to hear the good news and to gather strength for the times to come. Be at peace with one another. Let love and wisdom prevail. Open your hearts and souls to God’s healing word. Lord, touch our hearts. Teach us to patiently listen for your words of love.

Sunday we will be having our Monthly Business Meeting preceded by a potluck lunch. A $3.00 contribution is requested if you have not brought a dish. First time guests do not need to pay.

Throughout December we will have special events on Sunday mornings during our 11:00 am worship. 12/1- Welcome the Season with Song- No sermon. Lots of singing of Christmas songs and open worship. 12/8- The Peaceable Kingdom. 12/15- Waiting and Watching- Open worship Sunday. 12/22- Celebrate His Birth- Special musical presentation by our kids.

Christmas Party– Thursday December 19 at 6:30 pm– Join in singing Christmas songs, reading the Christmas story and crafts for kids. Bring a dessert to share if able. Friends and family welcome.

Christmas Eve Service, December 24 at 5:00 PM: Start a new tradition by joining us for singing, scripture and a little bit of open worship as we await the birth of the Christ child.  No childcare provided but the service will be engaging for all ages.  Make sure to invite family and friends to join us.

The Berkeley Neighborhood Food Project’s next Harvest Day is Saturday, December 14th. On Sunday 12/8 bring your contributions together with the rest of the church’s so we can give thanks and pray for all of the hungry folks in our community. If you would like to participate on the 14th, or learn more about it, please speak to Dharma Galang.

Safeway’s Feed the Need campaign has begun and will run until December 25th. Please purchase a $10 bag for the Berkeley Food Pantry at the checkout stand at one of the following Safeway stores in Berkeley: 1550 Shattuck Ave., or 1850 Solano Ave. Thank you!

January 1, 2020: Ring in the New Year BFC!  Join us for brunch at Dorothy’s house from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, January 1.  Please RSVP with Dorothy if able to make it.

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p class=”p3″>Berkeley United Methodist Church, a historically Japanese-American Congregation, will be traveling to Washington, D.C. for the “National Pilgrimage to Close the Camps” from June 5-7, 2020. This event will be a historic pilgrimage for people of Japanese ancestry to heal intergenerational wounds by standing in solidarity with immigrants and all people of color being targeted by the current administration’s policies. BUMC will be bringing over 1,000 paper cranes to be included in the 125,000 paper cranes to be placed on the White House fence.  The BUMC is seeking our spiritual and moral support and asked for signatures of support. To learn more, please speak to Dharma Galang.

Free Ben Lomond Quaker Center workshops are available through the church’s membership subscription. A complete list for the year and next is on the table in the back and can be found online. The next workshops is Is God Violent?  Making a New Beginning with the Bible from December 27 to January 1. If interested in this or any other workshop on the list, please let John Maurer or Faith Kelley know ASAP.

Broken Vessels Quaker Ministries is happy to announce the return of The Deeper Roots program. Deborah Shaw, Deborah Fisch, and Lloyd Lee Wilson will lead a group of committed Friends in a “deep dive” into the history of our Quaker faith, a Quaker perspective on the Bible and how to benefit from it, sampling spiritual practices and disciplines valuable to Friends, and building authentic spiritual community. Four long weekend residencies over 18 months, beginning 9/10-13, 2020, at Ben Lomond Quaker Center in CA. Suitable for seasoned Friends as well as those relatively new to Quakerism. For more details or to request an application, visit Broken Vessels Quaker Ministries.