September 25, 2013

Dear BMUC members and friends,

When it comes to the financial aspects of running a church, we put our trust in God that “he will provide”, and to the faithful, He does. Since the beginning of this church, our congregation and friends have supported us generously. In the early 1950’s we added the sanctuary and social hall in which we worship and gather as a church community.
Today, we look ahead to renew the vitality that many churches are seeking. I have learned so much about how churches operate and the most important fact is this……WE are the church. Berkeley Methodist United Church exists because God wants it to, and we have answered His call.
Look around…..we live in an abundant world and all that we have, comes from God. So when we tithe or pledge or donate, all we are doing is returning a portion of what God has given to us. Along with our financial support, we add our blood, sweat and tears and when we act with purpose and intention, we have enough to operate, and enough to minister to our community at-large and indeed to the world. This is our work.
I am particularly excited with the progress we’ve made in recent months. We are very close to hiring a half-time Assistant Pastor to focus on Family and Young Adult Ministry. In terms of our outreach to grow the church, this is an area that we are committed to. As I write this letter, Peggy and I are getting ready to attend the Fall Family Retreat, being held at Monte Toyon near Santa Cruz. We have over 40 participants ready to experience God in all His splendor. It promises to be a wonderful weekend of spiritual connection.
This past weekend, we held our annual Choir Blast which boasted the largest adult and Glee Club participation in recent memory and the music was superb along with the Elegant Cuisine that helped raise money for the many ministries at our church.
One such ministry is Congregational Care which provides visitation and constant prayer for those who are sick, hurting or in need of comfort and encouragement. Another recently created ministry is our Men’s Group which is in the midst of writing its mission statement.
Additionally, we have made a grant proposal to the Beulah Older Adult Grant Fund, in part to fund an assisted-listening system for our hearing-challenged congregants.
As you can see, we are busy at work, not just doing busy-work, but doing God’s work, by building men, women, youth and all persons in faith and in service. In this world that focuses so often on the negative and what we don’t have, we are grateful for all that we have and now we turn our attention to helping those who need our help. This is valuable work.

So as you consider your level of support to Berkeley Methodist United Church, we thank you for all your past support and we invite you to come see the work we are doing. We cannot do it without you, and with you, we will continue to change lives, transform communities and renew the church.

Blessings to you,

Lindsay Hiratzka
BMUC Council Chairperson