Week of July 7, 2024 | Issue: 635

Our long awaited “Faith & Poverty” class finally begins next week!

And it’s not too late to join us! 

As a continuation of our anti-poverty work, we are offering an eight week program from JustFaith Ministries, "Faith & Poverty: A Solidarity Response" on Wednesday evenings from 6-8pm on Zoom. The dates for the class are July 10 - August 28. Aaron Bolerjack will be facilitating the class along with the support of co-facilitator Dorothy Streutker. This program explores local poverty looking at workers’ rights, housing, healthcare, and addiction. 

Participants will read selections from the following books: 

• Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond 
• Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help by Robert D. Lupton 
• The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong Can Be Made Right by Lisa Sharon Harper 

In addition to the readings, group members engage in prayer and spiritual practices, and emerge from this program better equipped to help alleviate poverty in their communities, as well as stand in solidarity with those experiencing poverty. 

To sign up for the group, you'll need to complete the following (probably in this order):

• TO LOG IN: Visit https://justfaith.org/dashboards and click on "Create an Account"
• TO REGISTER: Visit https://justfaith.org/product/faith-poverty-a-solidarity-response-arlington-community-church-ucc/ to register for our individual  
• TO PAY FOR THE CLASS: Choose a payment level on the ACC discussion group page and click on "Add to Cart."  (Notice that the price of the class is variable. Pay what you think you can afford. There are also scholarships available.)
• TO PURCHASE THE BOOKS: Select the book(s) desired on the ACC discussion group page and click on "Add to Cart". (You can also find them used at a lower price, or check them out from the library.)
• TO CHECK OUT (class registration + books, if any): Click on the Shopping Cart icon at the top right of the ACC discussion group page



If you have questions, or trouble getting registered, please contact Aaron Bolerjack, aaronbolerjack@norcal.org, or Dorothy Streutker.

Pastor Jen will be on vacation Monday, July 8 through Sunday, July 14. While she’s away, Rev. Julie Stockstad will be available for pastoral care and will be leading the service on Sunday, July 14th, which will feature Faith Abel’s Spiritual Journey. 

On Monday, July 15th, Pastor Jen will be back in the office, but she will be preaching at Berkeley Chinese Community Church on Sunday, July 21, while their pastor, Rev. Kathryn Schreiber, preaches at ACC. Pastor Jen and Pastor Kathryn hope this “pulpit swap” will nurture a deeper relationship between our churches, and BCCC is already very excited about this!

Pastor Jen looks forward to being back at ACC for worship on July 28th, for “Summer Camp Sunday,” a fun, relaxed service in Social Hall. (If you have kids in your family, invite them to come! This service will be fun for all ages!)

Your Health and Safety Team (Faith Abel, Eleanor Crump, Nina Harmon, Susan Russell, and Ruth Robinson, pictured here with Captain Traviss Crumpacker of the El Cerrito-Kensington Fire Department) has met with the Kensington Police Department and the El Cerrito-Kensington Fire Department in the process of creating an Emergency Information poster and developing a written Emergency Operations Plan for ACC.

The team looks forward to presenting the poster and the plan at information and training sessions later this year. Please contact a team member any time if you have health or safety concerns, questions or suggestions—we would love to hear from you!  

It is 1959, Chicago, in an all-white neighborhood. A Black family wants to buy a house there. Hmmn…seems trouble is brewing. Fifty years later, 2009, this same neighborhood, Clybourne Park, is all Black, but becoming gentrified. Enter a White family wanting to buy a house to tear it down and rebuild. Hmmm…different trouble brewing.

The play, “Clybourne Park” by Bruce Norris received the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and in 2012, the Tony Award for Best Play. Some say this is a sequel to “A Raisin in the Sun” but it certainly can stand alone as a play about racism.

The Masquers Theater in Pt. Richmond is putting on this production.  There are Sunday matinees starting at 2pm.  Tickets are $30 each, and a 10% discount for seniors.  If we go as a group on Sunday, July 14, some of us might want to follow up the play with dinner at Los Moles Mexican food in El Cerrito.  No group discounts for tickets, so….if you want to attend, please do the following:

1. Purchase your tickets by going online to Masquers. If you are planning to go, note that the theater opens 30 minutes before 2pm. Seats are all good.
2. Let Ruth Robinson know if you’re going and how many of you.  AND, if you want to have dinner afterwards at Los Moles in El Cerrito, let Ruth know so she can reserve tables for us. Check it out!

Questions?  Ask Ruth.

ACC had a wonderful Pride Sunday on June 30th, celebrating queerness in the church and in the world! Outdoor greeters waved flags and received many friendly honks and waves from passers by. We had a joyous service, followed by a delicious potluck. Pride and joy were abundant as we rejoiced together in God’s favor that lasts a lifetime! 

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the celebration by greeting, bringing potluck items, and spreading the word! A special thanks to Anita for her work on the altar (with Susan’s help) and organization of the potluck (with Faith’s help), to Barry our lead outdoor greeter and liturgist, and to Bob for taking lots of great photos!

Click HERE to See The Picture Gallery!

Our summer is full of special Sundays in all kinds of flavors, some contemplative, some justice-oriented, some relaxed and great for the inviting grandkids. Check out our list of summer Sundays below and mark your calendars for the ones you don’t want to miss!

Have you tried out the yoga or meditation classes on Wednesday mornings at ACC? If not, feel free to drop in anytime for a special first-timers fee of $5! All you need for yoga is a mat or a large towel (if you happen to have blocks, a strap, or a blanket, bring them along, but those are all optional), and for meditation you don’t need anything at all! 

See the July flyer for more information!

One way of keeping our congregation strong is by staying connected. You are invited to join us every Tuesday morning from 11.00 – Noon for an hour of checking in, sharing, listening and prayer. No experience necessary. Come as you are.

Discussion Topic:

"What do you think of when you hear the word "prophet"? Who are some of your favorite prophetic voices in the Bible, in history, or today?”



Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81662345620

Meeting ID: 816 6234 5620

Password: NONE

No Sermon Scripture Study for the rest of the summer!!!

Arlington Community Church | arlingtoncommunitychurchucc.org