Many of you know that Trinity UMC closed its doors as a congregation last year. After many attempts at making it a viable community of faith and after much prayer and discernment over many years, the church was officially closed. A team of people - both lay and clergy - were formed to discuss what would be the best use of the property where Trinity UMC met. With months of discussions and discernment, the recommendation of the team was to "sell the air" and retain a presence for the church. What type of ministry will inhabit this new space is still to be determined, but this is what the team came up with so far: The front of the now condemned portion of Trinity UMC in Berkeley Missional Use Recommendation for Trinity United Methodist Church in Berkeley, CA To: … [Read more...]
Bring Treats for the Easter Egg Hunt!
We need your Easter eggs! Drop off filled eggs / Easter treats at the church before Saturday 4/3!Drop off by appointment; just contact Rev. Craig (craigy@bmuc.org)Each child / family will receive about 8 eggs / treats eachPlease stuff your eggs with individually wrapped items only We need your eggs! We are hoping for a great turnout for our traditional Easter egg hunt and want to make sure we have enough eggs for however many kids show up. It's okay if we have "too many" eggs. Can you really have too many by the way? Any extra eggs we have, we will donate to a local shelter. So don't be afraid to bring eggs to the church! Just make sure you drop them off before Saturday 4/3 so we have them in time for the event. https://youtu.be/oXwtKvkRyzs How to fill an Easter … [Read more...]
UMCOR Sunday 2021
Join us in giving to UMCOR from 3/14 to Easter On March 14 it will be one year since we met in person. To mark this unprecedented moment, let us join together in supporting the United Methodist Committee On Relief. The United Methodist Committee on Relief helps thousands if not millions of people each year, but it is made possible by our giving on UMCOR Sunday UMCOR Sunday is one of the special Sundays observed by the United Methodist Church and provides all the funding for the entire year to support their ministry - from salaries to utilities. It seems appropriate that we mark the occasion with a donation to UMCOR for all the work they have done around the world, not only in helping with relief during the pandemic, but for the relief they have brought to … [Read more...]
BMUC Supports the Black Community
THANK YOU! Because of your thoughtfulness and love of Christ, BMUC was able to raise $6,288 toward our support of the Black community! As we promised, 50% will go to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and 50% will go to OCCUR in Oakland and their Black Business Relief Fund. The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), established in 1987, is one of the largest organizations exclusively representing the Black College Community through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships. It distributes 98% of its assets exclusively to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). Their web site is requesting donations to a COVID-19 HBCU Emergency Fund. OCCUR, founded in … [Read more...]
Online Giving Now Available!
BMUC has partnered with Tithe.ly to bring you online giving! We are excited about this new opportunity for our friends and church family. Now, you can give conveniently from your phone or online from anywhere at any time. We are working on continually improving your experience with BMUC and hope this will be a big addition to the "plus" column. We have two new ways to give: On your mobile device (phone, iPad, etc.) or online from your computer (laptop or desktop). To access giving from your mobile device: Download the Tithe.ly App from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android). Once you've downloaded the app, search for Berkeley Methodist United Church and just follow the prompts. If this is your first time giving with Tithe.ly you will be prompted to … [Read more...]
Join the Discussion Against Racism – Mon 7/20 and Tues 7/21
We are on a journey together. Most of us have been deeply affected by the move toward racial justice that has swept our nation. Our church in particular, having its roots in the Japanese-American community, understands better than most how racism can rear its ugly, unjust head. While we are encouraged to do something about it, at the same time we are challenged to look within and see the ways we might be perpetuating systemic racism. If you're interested in joining us on this journey toward self-discovery, we invite you to join us for a free event with Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be An Antiracist. Sponsored by the Prince George's County Memorial Library System, this will be broadcast on multiple social media outlets on Monday, July 20 @4pm. It says 7pm on the website, … [Read more...]
Bay District Virtual Choir Project Begins Wednesday 7/22
Do you love to sing? If you answered "yes" then the Bay District Virtual Choir Project might be perfect for you. You've probably seen many of those virtual choirs online like the Bay Area Blessing. We're hoping to do something similar and want your participation. You don't have to be a professional singer, just someone who loves to sing and wants to lift up glory to God. Bay Area Blessing screenshot with voices from multiple churches Our Bay District is hosting this brand new virtual choir to offer hope through the gift of music. We plan to sing together the song "Rise Up" by Andra Day. Right now, a team of artists from our churches are laying down tracks to help you out and our own Naomi Sanchez will be the Musical Director. Along with Pastor Emily Lin and our own Deacon … [Read more...]
No In-Person Worship Until at Least June 30
Bishop Carcano announced no in-person worship until at LEAST June 30 Bishop Carcano, the episcopal leader of our California-Nevada conference, announced on Thursday 5/28 there would be no in-person worship until at least June 30. The Conference Cabinet and staff have been working extensively on protocols for re-opening and hope to use this time to further refine, study, test, and train pastors and lay leaders on how to implement them safely. You can read the Bishop's full statement here. Bishop Carcano leading our Communion liturgy and serving with us at BMUC in 2019 As you know, the state has authorized worship spaces to re-open under very strict guidelines designed to protect the populace at large. While some are recommendations, considering the demographics of our … [Read more...]
Should We Have A Church Retreat in 2021?
Goodbye 2020. Hello 2021? Our Council of Ministries (the church leadership team) decided in an abundance of caution to cancel the 2020 retreat. The amount of planning needed to host such an event along with the cost were the deciding factors leading to this decision. Safety is one of our primary concerns and the council thought this was the best way to go. However, we want your input for a possible 2021 retreat! For the past seven years, we've had the retreat on the fourth weekend in September, but is that the ideal time for us? It always meant skipping Sunday worship in our building, and while we would still have meaningful worship at the retreat, those who couldn't come were not able to join us. It also meant closing our doors on the one day visitors expect the church to … [Read more...]
