Bay Association

SAVE THE DATE!!!

Save the Date! Saturday November 14, 2020 Bay Association Fall Meeting and Ecclesiastical Council for Lori Ortiz As part of the agenda for the Fall Meeting of the Bay Association this year, there will be an Ecclesiastical Council held directly following for Lori Ortiz. Lori will be considered for ordination to the Christian Ministry. In preparation for this meeting you are invited to read Lori’s Ordination paper which will be distributed via the NCNC Newsletter. The Fall Meeting will be held via video conference: instructions for joining via phone or online to will follow, so be on the lookout in the Newsletter events so that we can avoid hackers.

As Moderator of the Bay Association, please join me in holding the family of Rose Lee in your thoughts and prayers as her loss has taken many of us by surprise. Currently the family is making arrangements for a private family service of interment. There will be a Celebration of Life that will follow when it is safe for public gatherings. According to Pastor Kathryn there may be a virtual event. Rose will be honored at their All Saints/All Souls Gathering (2pm) on November 1st. More information will be forthcoming, so please honor and respect the family during this time, and contact Pastor Kathryn through email if you have any questions for sending condolences or gifts.

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I would like to thank those who registered for our modified Board meeting on 7/29/2020. We gathered, we learned, and we brought our full selves to a difficult topic regarding defunding the police. We learned the difference between reform and abolishing from the most gifted Dr. Sharon Fenemma. Clergy and lay leaders were allowed to be transparent in a safe space and we were asked to reimagine what our world could be as we theologically explored what is next as we continue to l...isten to God speak in these times of trouble. As Moderator of this Association I am godly proud of those who came to learn and those who brought their knowledge. It is my hope that we are able to follow up with a second session so that we can discuss how those present have been able to implement conversations and action with their congregations. The burning questions that still have me reflecting are... 1. What makes you feel safe? 2. What is safety? 3. Do we all have the same access to safety? And I will add this question... Is safety a privilege? As you finish up this post, please consider the last question thoughtfully and don't be ashamed or offended if the answer is not obvious to you or if you realize as I did, safety can be an elusive concept for many. Big shout out to my Vice Moderator Reverend Todd Atkins-Whitley of Danville Congregational UCC, Reverend Pepper Swanson of Eden UCC, and Reverend Dr. Sharon Fenemma from Pacific School of Religion, and Joy Barnitz for capturing the minutes of our meeting. Look forward to more Bay Association...we are on the move to bring action to our desires for a more just community, society, and world.

Aloha Friends! E Como Mai! This year’s Luau will be virtual! You are invited to sway with ocean breezes on Sunday, August 16th at 2pm on ZOOM (links below). Put on your finest Aloha-wear, drape on a lei, click on an island background, and assemble a luau-inspired meal for our unique Sunday Gathering/Virtual Luau.... We always begin our Sunday Gathering with joyful greetings from all present and look forward to doing so with island flare on the 16th. BCCC folks are preparing special music and dance performances (via video) and we will share a time of community prayer and a celebration of Aloha Communion (prepare your own juice and bread). While we can’t physically gather in one place, we can gather online. God’s Big Love Aloha Spirit will weave us together and bless our pandemic-worn souls with beauty and a deep, deep sense of life abundant. Please share this invitation widely! We’d love to share this afternoon of Aloha Spirit with everyone! In the Big Love, Pastor Kathryn ZOOM Links: SUNDAY Join by Computer, Tablet, Smartphone. Click: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88554102713 SUNDAY Join Phone (landline or flip-phone): Call: 1 669 900 9128 When asked for Meeting ID, enter: 885 5410 2713 (followed by # key) When asked for Participant ID, press # again When asked for Password, enter: 639986 (followed by # key) It’s that simple! You’ll be in the ZOOM gathering with audio-only able to listen and speak. UPDATE: Sheltering in Place at home. On cloudy or rainy days my phone connection is very poor, better if you call from a landline. Please use email or text if calls aren't getting through. Thank you! Rev. Kathryn Schreiber Lead Pastor, Berkeley Chinese Community Church, UCC

Two Bay-area UCC churches (First Congregational Church of Oakland and Skyline Community Church) are founding members of the Alternatives to Policing Coalition. Devastated by the violence committed against Black, Brown, poor, and disabled people, the coalition hosts training's designed to help us all show up for each other and keep each other safe without bringing police onto our campuses and into our communities. Together we have learned skills in de-escalaton, self-defense, ...crisis intervention, first aid, disaster response, transformative justice, and more. We also amplify and organize support for demands from Black-led organizations around police reform and reallocation of resources to support community services rather than militarized policing. To follow this work, like the Alternatives to Policing-East Bay Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AlternativesToPolicingEastBay See more

CLERGY LEADERS!! Your Association Board has been in conversation regarding how we can support you as well as your congregations in having the most delicate conversation regarding the systemic injustices that have perennially affected the Black Community. Thankfully we have State Representatives that understand the urgency of resolving the issue with flagrant and brutal policing that occurs for POC, but most especially Black men, women, and children. As Churches, more importa...Continue reading

https://us02web.zoom.us//-OdRLKzgxjtIa4H8tHD1Z_ccQdr7aaa82

Bay Association churches; here is the link to the recorded Zoom worship and installation. Thank you all for your participation today. May God continue to bless us all!! https://us02web.zoom.us//-OdRLKzgxjtIa4H8tHD1Z_ccQdr7aaa82

2020 Spring Meeting and Installation of Erin King