Now it’s time…to say goodbye…to all our company…again… If you missed last Sunday’s worship (4/24) you may not have heard but the Bishop and Cabinet are appointing me to a new church. If this sounds like a flashback, it is. In an unusual circumstance, my appointment to Wesley UMC did not work out and instead I will be appointed to Evergreen Valley UMC, also in San Jose but on the East Side. My appointment begins July 1 so until that time, I will still be your pastor and will still be journeying with you in faith. If you’re unfamiliar with the process in the UMC, a pastor is only guaranteed to serve a particular church from year-to-year. BMUC was fortunate to have been under the leadership of Rev. Naomi for so long, but typically a pastor is at a church … [Read more...]
Craig’s Corner 2022 April
Craig’s Corner Now it’s time…to say goodbye…to all our company… If you missed last Sunday’s worship (3/13) you may not have heard but the Bishop and Cabinet are appointing me to a new church. I will be joining the people of Wesley UMC in San Jose (not too far) beginning July 1. Until that time, I will still be your pastor and will still be journeying with you in faith. We have some exciting things coming up (including Easter!) so it’s not over yet! As we reopen to the public, I hope you will take the opportunity to come by the church and take part in all we are doing. If you’re unfamiliar with the process in the UMC, a pastor is only guaranteed to serve a particular church from year-to-year. BMUC was fortunate to have been under the leadership … [Read more...]
Craig’s Corner 2022 March
Getting ready for Easter! Although the mask mandate has been lifted state and county wide, our COVID team decided to remain worshipping online to get a better feel for how the infection rate will be affected by the change. We all remember last summer when mandates were first lifted before we discovered Delta and Omicron variants to the virus and the need to shut down again because of the rapid spread of the infection. We definitely wanted to avoid that scenario and decided to play it safe for now. The good news is we plan to reopen on Palm Sunday – April 10. Just in time for Easter Sunday. We hope that the COVID infection rate and the relatively low number of cases will remain low and there won’t be a need to do anything differently. But just … [Read more...]
Craig’s Corner 2022 February
Help Wanted! The proverb goes, “Many hands make light work.” And it’s true. The more hands we have, the more we are able to do together. The saying is also true we shouldn’t “burn our candle on both ends.” Which we seem to be doing more and more of. It’s a delicate balance to run and maintain a church and its property. It requires skills and knowledge that encompass a wide range of talents. From keeping financial records, to project management, to facilities maintenance – those are just fancy words for the tasks we need to have done on a routine basis. The more people we have who can do those jobs, the easier it is for us to do all the exciting and meaningful things we do together. The wonderful thing about BMUC is we often have … [Read more...]
Worship resumes online-only
With the support of our Council of Ministries and our COVID Task Force, we are temporarily suspending in-person worship effective this week, 1/16/22. We hope to resume in-person worship as soon as possible, but will keep a careful watch on the developing situation with COVID and the pandemic, but at least through the end of the month, worship will ONLY be online. You can find details to visit us online through our website at www.bmuc.org/live.If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know. We hope to see you online this Sunday!Peace in Christ, Rev. Craig … [Read more...]
News from your Trustees/January 2022
Happy New Year!!!! from The Board: Joy Goto, Randy Hill, Lee Marrs, Michael Williams, Rev. Craig Yoshihara I. Another year begins with the promise of better days to come. Yes, though the COVID virus is not through with us yet, we have learned a lot about it over the past two years, and know better how to guard ourselves and our community against infection. We will continue to adhere to our health guideline protocols, adjusting them as needed. Thank you all for your flexibility, understanding and cooperation as we strive to keep everyone healthy. II. Cheers to the New Year, to new hopes, new goals, new resolutions, and also, to renewed energy, renewed commitment, and renewed dedication in ourselves for our community and for our beloved Berkeley Methodist United Church. III. … [Read more...]
Craig’s Corner 2022 January
As has been the tradition the past few years, our first Craig’s Corner of 2022 is taken from the Pastor’s report to our annual charge conference. Not everyone gets to attend, especially this past couple of years when we’ve had to limit attendance, and even though this report is available to anyone who asks for it, I know not everyone gets a chance to read it so here it is (with some updates from when I wrote it back in October). Please enjoy! Pastor’s Annual Report The journey of faith goes on… Who would have guessed that a year after my last annual report we would still be doing virtual worship? The pandemic is still the backdrop against which everything else is measured in 2021. However, things have gotten better. With the vaccine readily available, everyone who wants it … [Read more...]
Craig’s Corner 2021 December
Being prepared… But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. – Matthew 24:43-44 Advent is a time of waiting…but not idle waiting. Just as the early Jews were preparing for the coming of Christ, so we too are preparing for his eventual return. Whether that happens during our lifetime or not is beside the point. It’s the journey that’s important. I’m especially reminded at this time of the story of the Ten Virgins. Five of them were prepared for a long wait and five were not. The ones who were prepared … [Read more...]
Craig’s Corner 2021 November
What I did forsummer vacation Sabbatical Having the opportunity to take time for education is a blessing! I love learning and sometimes it’s hard to take time out from our regular routine to pursue new interests. But it is important because when we have time to explore new ideas and new ways of thinking we have the chance to grow in new directions. During my time away, I attended two different conferences. The Experience Conference was all about worship and I really enjoyed it. Not only was it well done, but they had a good slate of topics and smaller workshops to attend. I went to one about copyright use in the streaming age, one on how to use social media effectively, and “Be Our Guest” – The Value of Positive First Impressions on … [Read more...]
What’s Going on With Trinity UMC?
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...]
