Spiritual Care Committee invites the congregation to sign up for the Easter prayer vigil, which will run from Good Friday, April 2nd (immediately following the Easter cantata) until 8 a.m. Easter Sunday, April 4th. Spend an hour or two in prayer or contemplation in the sanctuary as we await the risen Christ on Easter, and help continue this very fulfilling Berkeley spiritual tradition. Youth are invited to participate, but we request that they be accompanied by an adult.
The older elementary “Bible Detectives” Sunday School class has been hard at work on a mission project. Look for them to be selling travel-size Tic-Tac-Toe boards, cookies, and bunnies on March 21st and possibly March 28th. All proceeds from the sale of items will be donated to our friend Margaux Mann.
Donations are now being accepted online at http://www.helpsheryl.com/. Thank you for your love and support.
The Staff, Professors, and Students of the center for Latin American Theological studies, ask for your daily prayers. Today we ask that you pray for Alvaro Perez, Librarian at Latin American Biblical University, San Jose, Costa Rica.
Starting Sunday, February 21st Berkeley will have a Wesley nurse, Rebecca Sweet, available to visit with the congregation about health concerns. She will be checking blood pressure and screening for diabetes. She will be here the 3rd Sunday of every other month. Since this is her first Sunday she will mainly be passing out information and getting to know our congregation. If you have questions about this service please call the church at 447-6633.
The 32nd Annual CROP Walk (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) will take place on Saturday & Sunday, March 6-7. CROP Walk is a community effort to raise awareness and funds for international hunger relief and development, as well as local hunger-fighting. In 2009, 2000 walkers representing 110 faith communities and other organizations in Austin raised nearly $132,000! The walk this year will be held at a new location – Walter E. Long Park. If you are interested in participating, contact the church office at 447-6633 for further information.
You are invited to join the Monday night covenant group in a 10 week Companion series study of “The Way of Discernment.” It is our desire to do the right thing, make wise choices, and to live in a fruitful manner. What help is available to pursue these goals? The study is described as a journey, not a how-to book. Please contact the church at 447-6633 for more information.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is collecting money for relief efforts in Haiti. You can send checks to:
Treasurer, Southwest Texas Conference, United Methodist Church, 16400 Huebner Rd., San Antonio, TX 78248. Please specify your donation is for 418325 Haiti Emergency Relief.
Place these items in the narthex and we will get them to the SW Texas Conference office in San Antonio, where they will be sent to Haiti.
Pray for all of those in Haiti at the time of the earthquake. Pray for their families. Pray for their future. Pray for all those persons from around the world involved in rescue, recovery, and restoration.
A ten week sermon series, “Serious Answers to Hard Questions”, will begin on January 17th and continue through March 21st. The beginning topics include:
January 17—What is Evil?
January 24—Do Religion and Science Intersect?
January 31—Other Religions and Christianity
Additional topics will be: Evangelism and Tolerance, The God of the Old Testament, Jesus and Christianity, Resurrection, The Gnostic Gospels, The Sins of the Church, and Forgiveness. A corresponding small group study on each of the sermon topics will begin on Sunday, January 10th, from 5:30—7:30 p.m. in room 7 of the Christian Life Center with a discussion of “What is Evil?”. All are welcome to attend and childcare can be provided if reservations are made the Wednesday before each Sunday night session.
Kick off the New Year at the Building and Grounds Task Force Paver Party! We’ll be removing and redistributing about 4 to 5 inches of dirt from both sides of the sanctuary entrance, compacting the soil, replacing the dirt with leveled, compacted sand, and then laying the pavers (yes, that’s the plastic-shrouded mound hiding behind the red-tip shrub at the front of the church). So how can you help? Come to the church on Saturday, January 2nd, at 9:00 a.m. Please bring durable work gloves, strong back, long-handled shovels (if you have), and wheelbarrow (if you have). Depending upon the number of workers, we hope to complete the task that morning. Come one, come all…active women and youth are also encouraged to participate. Call Myrna or Tara in the church office for more details.
