Thanks to all who came out for our Indoor Picnic potluck, and especially to Anita Baker who organized the event and set up our games and prizes! It was a wonderful evening of fellowship and play! Our next potluck will be October 3rd, and we’re hoping to hear from a representative of the League of Women Voters.
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!
Last Thursday evening, we invited our wider community to join us for a food truck fundraiser for the Black Wealth Builders Fund and it was a rousing success! We only ended up with one food truck, but we learned that we can definitely pull a crowd big enough for two, or maybe even three!
Southern Jazz Kitchen raised $300 with their 20% of profits donation. The owner, Michael, who manned the truck along with his wife and daughter, told us he made as much in a few hours at our event as he usually does in a full day! He wasn’t quite prepared to make over a hundred orders that evening, but he said next time he’ll be ready!
An additional $700 was donated at our information table, manned by Barry and Tom, surely aided by the nearby ice cream table where Elena and Susan Frances served ice cream to all who made additional donations. That brought our total to $1,000! Someone came by at the end of the evening after the truck was closed and still wanted to make a donation, so we added another $40!
People had to wait a while for their orders, but there was a beautiful spirit of community and fellowship with people chatting while they waited and kids running around on the patio. We had a wonderful presentation from Jim Becker from the Richmond Community Foundation, Eric Mills from Neighborhood Housing Services, and Ebony Blake, a recent BWB loan recipient. Each of them spoke of their faith in God and the way they have seen God at work in their lives, in their work, and specifically through the Black Wealth Builders Fund.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to putting together this event and all who came! We provided a fun event for our community that brought people together, and raised awareness about this amazing fund that will surely continue to bear fruit!
On Sunday February 18 we celebrated the installation of our new pastor, Rev. Jen Chapman! There was a lively procession, music, and official service of installation. Prayers for guidance and thanksgiving were given followed by a party with food & dessert! Thanks to everyone who was able to attend and to all of our guests, planners, and participants!
Bob Stokstad took some lovely pictures which you can view in the gallery below!
From Faith Abel
Pastor Jen now has official Ordained Ministerial Standing in the Northern California Nevada Conference of the UCC. The process took a little extra time because several committees were involved, but now we can proceed with her installation on Feb. 18, at 3:00 pm.
Pastor Jen reported that she mentioned our “Blue Christmas” service on a neighborhood Facebook page and received several positive responses. There were some new visitors at the service, possibly because of that posting. God is at work!
The Pictorial Directory is under construction.
The financial secretary reported that as of now there are 32 pledging units totaling $107,430 for 2024.
Treasurer’s summary: In November expenses exceeded income, but we expect to finish the year a little in the black. Randy noted that our electric bill in 2024 was about $3,400. The solar system is definitely reducing our bill. The solar panels were installed in 2015. Before that, the annual electric bill was $8,000 to $9,000 (and the price of electricity has gone up since then).
The Deck Roofing project is completed, and the skylight repair will be done in early January. The Social Hall Deck refinishing will be completed after the winter.
Based on what is currently kept on our office computer, it was decided to not take out a cyber insurance policy at this time.
A budget amount not to exceed $1500 was approved for Pastor Jen’s installation, with the money to be taken from the Search Committee Accrual Fund.
A decorating committee was formed to decide on the décor of the Narthex and possibly the Fireside Room, with a budget not to exceed $1000 during 2024, to be taken from surplus. Pastor Jen, Nina Harmon, Elena Caruthers, and Linda Jones make up this committee.
Council has been actively considering additional hours/week, and increased salary and health insurance benefits for Jacob Day in the office. After discussion and vote, the Council will offer Jacob additional hours and pay as a more fair compensation for work he does for us. With the additional hours, Jacob will have better opportunity to assist with outreach, community programming, and increase in rentals.
An increase in salary and health insurance benefits was also voted for Javier.
Budget meetings have been on-going, and Council will propose a budget with a deficit to be presented at the Congregational Meeting. Where appropriate, some designated funds may be used to balance the budget; these transfers will be identified as such.
The Nominating Committee, headed by Vice Moderator Dudley Thompson, will meet to consider officers for the 2024 Council. The slate of Council members will be voted on at the annual congregational meeting.
The annual congregational meeting will be on January 21, 2024, following worship. Online voting will be available.
All year-end Board and Committee reports are due by Jan. 10 to Linda Young, who will deliver them to Jacob for inclusion in the Annual Report. 4th quarter Board reports are due to Eleanor before Christmas.
Year-end bonuses were voted on for our 5 employees with sincere thanks for their work at ACC.
Faith Abel, Moderator
How does a weary world rejoice? What a pertinent question for the times. We hope you’ll join us this Advent season as we come together acknowledging our weariness and welcoming joy.
We just have three Sundays of Advent this year as the fourth is Christmas Eve and we will only be gathering for a 5pm Christmas Eve service that day. To make the most of our Advent Sundays, we have special festivities planned each week during Social Hour, including concerts by “Two of Hearts” (who you may know as Elena Caruthers and Anthony Knight), as well an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest on Dec. 3rd, a Cookie Exchange on Dec. 10th, and a Nativity Scene Display on Dec. 17th!
A wonderful Advent devotional from A Sanctified Art, full of art, poetry, music, and thoughtful reflections, will be available to pick up at church beginning this Sunday (Nov. 26th). Please email Jacob in the church office if you need a copy mailed to you. Our Faith Formation team will be offering weekly evening discussions on the devotional book beginning Wednesday, December 6th at 7pm on Zoom.
We also have some special events this year, beginning with a meditative Moonlight Labyrinth experience led by Ruth Robinson on the first Sunday of Advent (Dec. 3rd at 6pm). And we’ll have a “Service for the Weary,” a Blue Christmas style service, for those who are grieving this holiday season, on Tuesday, Dec. 12th at 7pm (this service will be live streamed on YouTube, but will not show the congregation).
Don’t forget to join us for the Greening of the Church on Saturday, December 2nd! Come at 9:30 for refreshments and fellowship, and we’ll work from around 10am to noon.
By Rev. Jen Chapman
Around twenty ACC members and friends gathered on Saturday, November 11th, for a half day follow up Focus Retreat. We took the goals discerned during our initial Focus Retreat in August, and broke up into three groups, one for each goal. Our work was to brainstorm ideas and choose a few areas of focus and first steps toward each goal to work on in 2024. It was another Spirit-filled day and each group did a fantastic job! I’m noticing that the work we are drawn to seems to center on three major themes: Spirituality, Community, and Justice.
Below is a brief summary of the ideas selected and the point person for each effort. Please understand that while there is plenty here for all of us to be engaged in, these ideas are only “first steps” toward each of our goals. Some of them will come to fruition and others may not, and still others may shift into something different. Additionally, you may have ideas of your own that haven’t yet been shared, and the Spirit may lead us to something none of us have yet anticipated. The important thing is that we’re getting started. Arlington Community Church has been activated toward the work of meeting these goals!
1) To nurture spiritual vitality in our congregation that leads to peace, joy, and transformation.
Potlucks for Spiritual Nurture - Using some of our scheduled potlucks for activities that would foster an enhanced spiritual life. Potential ideas include meditation and learning about other faiths. Point People: Nina Harmon and Chieko Chambers
Book Study Spectrums - Regular book studies offered as Spectrums beginning in January. Point Person: Susan Francis
Lectio Divina Small Groups - Introduction of this method of Scripture reading/reflection as a Spectrum followed by one or more ongoing small groups. Point Person: Caro Grosvenor
The Spiritual Vitality Focus Group hopes we can be as least as much interested in “being” as in “doing”!
2) To become a recognizable positive presence in the community, offering tools for spiritual growth and support for the journey
Comfort Dogs - Providing visits by dogs to help people feel better and feel loved. Point Person: Ruth Robinson
Black Wealth Builders Community Fundraiser - Developing a community event for fundraising and awareness around Black Wealth Builders. Point person: Susan Russell
Community Choir - Bringing people together to sing just for fun, potentially starting in September. Point Person: Linda Young
Marketing Plan - Developing a strategic plan for marketing church activities. Point person: Susan Russell
The Presence in the Community Focus Group hopes people in the community would know us for our works, and know they are free to participate in our events whether they are members or not.
3) To dig deeper into what it means to be stewards of creation
Just Faith Class - Offering an 8 week spiritually grounded educational course on a justice issue this winter. Point person: Eleanor Crump
Inviting Speakers - Inviting speakers to educate us further and invite us to action. Topic will be selected in connection with Just Faith class. Point person: Dudley Thompson
Investigating Safe Parking - Learning more about Safe Parking programs at local churches and looking into potential viability for a similar program at ACC. Point Person: Jen Chapman
Investigating Heat Pumps - Continuing to learn about heat pumps and investigating their viability at ACC in cooperation with Building & Grounds. Point person: Dorothy Streutker
The Stewards of Creation Focus Group hopes we will be able to look back and see that we have taken significant action on issues of poverty and creation justice.
It’s been just a few short days following the retreat and we are off and running! People are sending emails, making connections, and buzzing with excitement. And we are just getting started! If you weren’t able to be with us on Saturday, I hope you’ll find something on this list that interests you and get involved. (If you’re not sure how, or need help connecting, email me and I’ll get you started.)
May the Spirit continue to guide us and empower us as we work to deepen our spiritual vitality as a congregation, our positive presence in the community, and our active engagement as stewards of creation.
- by Linda Young at the conclusion of the Church’s restroom upgrade project Oct. 2023
Curiosity can take us down strange and revealing paths. During demolition of the “old” 1960 restrooms at Arlington Community Church in Kensington, CA., I watched with curiosity as the skeletal structure of this area of the church was revealed. Old wires and cable pipes were found in odd places, such as a fat pipe running up through the exterior wall just as you step into the new “hallway” to restrooms. When investigating, we found the pipe went through the ceiling and out the wall to the balcony. It was capped there, but opening it, we found wires with no purpose. Something probably left over from the 1947 entry. But my curiosity was most aroused by something revealed under the floor of the women’s restroom. When the floor was opened to find routs for new pipes, I noticed something perfectly round on the ground under the floor joists. It looked like an elephant footprint, but a worker went down and helped check it out. It was wood! It was a round piece of wood almost a foot across, that had been surrounded by the “rat barrier”, a coating of cement on the ground. It must have been a tree stump!
With a little help from Javier, the church Caretaker, we collected some samples of the wood. Curious to find out what kind of tree had stood there, I reached out to an old friend in the Biology Department at UC Berkeley, Randy Shekman. He said yes, he could help. He knew someone who might be able to identify the species. So, a few months ago I delivered a little box of dark bits and chunks of wood with photos of the stump to Randy. Several weeks later I received a text forwarded from Lew Feldman, director of the Berkeley Botanical Garden: “I’ve had a look at the anatomy of the cell types making up the mystery wood you previously sent. I can say for sure that it is a gymnosperm, not a flowering plant. Further, the wood anatomy suggests we are looking at wood from a member of the pine (Pinus) family. Beyond that, I am not skilled enough to offer any additional insights.”
Thrilled, but a little disappointed to not have more detail, I accepted the answer and sent a thank you note. But apparently his curiosity persisted. The very next day Randy forwarded a 2nd text: “I did some more reading yesterday after I first wrote you. It seems it is also possible that this could be a Coast Redwood.”
Apparently, his curiosity spread to colleagues, because weeks later, Julie Stokstad, who has been a long-time volunteer at the Botanical Gardens, sent me the attached article by Lew Feldman in the Garden’s newsletter. “Given that this stump persisted for such a long time, and the fact that redwoods are well-known to resist decay and deterioration, we concluded that the stump was most likely that of a redwood.” Now, we not only know that ACC’s building inhabits Ohlone land, but that at least one Coast Redwood stood here as well. It is well documented that vast forest of redwoods once stood in this area. So, when you relax in our new restrooms, think with curiosity to yourself: “You could be sitting under a coast redwood tree. How would that feel?”
Here is an opportunity, presented by Everytown for Gun Safety, to encourage adoption of sensible gun laws:
A background check could have saved our daughter's life.
On January 8, 2010, armed intruders burst into our daughter Darien Richardson's home in Portland, Maine, shooting several times into her bedroom.
Her world—and ours—was turned upside down in an instant.
Darien endured great physical and emotional pain working to recover, spending three days in the ICU, 18 days in critical care, and she even had future surgeries scheduled. But tragically, on February 28, 2010, she died from complications of her gunshot wounds, and her life was cut short at age 25.
Darien's homicide has never been solved, in part due to dangerous loopholes in the current background check system that allow unlicensed sellers to sell guns online and at gun shows without running background checks.
But the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recently proposed a measure that would help close these loopholes.
The handgun used to shoot Darien was recovered a month later at the scene of another murder. And further investigation led law enforcement to a man who originally bought the gun at retail but sold it at a gun show soon after to someone he didn't know.
No background check, no records kept—because that's not required by law when unlicensed gun sellers are the ones selling guns.
Darien's death was preventable, and no one should have to endure the pain she did or the pain we now live with. This is why we honor her by advocating for better gun laws, like closing these dangerous loopholes. Join us: In just two clicks, submit your comment and demand background checks.
It's too late for us. We can't have Darien back, but it's not too late to prevent future tragedies.
Thank you for taking action,
Judi & Wayne Richardson, Everytown Survivor Network
Do We Still Need Churches?
By Rev. Jen Chapman
Do we still need churches? This is a question many are asking and a question I have wrestled with myself. I recently accepted a call to be the new pastor of Arlington Community Church in Kensington, so clearly I believe the answer is yes! But it’s not just a blanket yes. What I have found in ACC is a church that is making significant contributions to equity and justice in the larger community, meeting important needs for the people in the congregation, and that has great potential for the future. And that is why I am here!
Many who grew up in a Christian tradition have left it behind because it no longer aligned with their values. I was raised in an evangelical denomination in churches full of people who loved me well and that shaped me in many positive ways. But my values, along with my understanding of God and humanity, are much different now. ACC is part of the United Church of Christ, a denomination that has given me a lot of hope for the future of the church with attention to issues of justice, full affirmation of the LGBTQI+ community, and intentional diversity in all areas of leadership. This summer the UCC elected Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, the first woman, and the first Black woman, to lead the denomination as General Minister and President. The election of a Black woman to lead a denomination, or even to lead a congregation, should not be radical or exceptional, but it is. This is the kind of Church I believe is greatly needed, and is one of many reasons I am so grateful to now be a minister in the United Church of Christ.
When I spend time talking with people both inside and outside of the church, there are mixed feelings about religion, but many have deep longings for community, spiritual nurture, and to be engaged in caring for others and for our world in a meaningful way. These are needs that the church can meet, especially as we leave behind beliefs and practices that have caused harm, and open ourselves to new ways the Spirit is moving.
I am passionate about abundant life, for myself, for my community, and for all. I long to see the church continue to become more inclusive, her gatherings and offerings a ‘thin place’ where people connect more deeply to the divine and then go out into the world challenged and empowered to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. I believe my calling at this point in my life and ministry is to help the church find new life, not just survival, but abundance.
If you visit Arlington Community Church, or watch a service on YouTube, you might just see another small, aging congregation. But this church is so much more! ACC is a spiritual center that welcomes people of all ages, races, mental and physical abilities, gender identities, gender expressions and sexual orientations. These folks are both open-minded and full of wisdom. They love to learn. They value science, the arts, and insights from all spiritual paths including those of other world religions. Committed to being a community where all can explore and deepen their connection with God, they support and care for one another well, and joyfully serve the community, engaging in actions of compassion, justice, racial equity, and care for the planet.
I believe so deeply in this little church that my family and I moved from Southern California to El Cerrito this July so that I could become their new pastor! My son, Michael, will be a sophomore at El Cerrito High School this year. And my husband, John, is a huge San Francisco 49er’s fan who hosts the 49ers Rush Podcast. If you see me around town, you’ll likely see me with my sweet sidekick, Lucy, our french bulldog. We are enjoying the bay area and looking forward to exploring it more, especially the hiking trails! And I also look forward to meeting many of you and your pets at the annual KCC Community Picnic this fall for the Blessing of the Animals!
I could not be more excited to see how ACC will continue to thrive, and to participate in the work of this church in our community and beyond. Together, we’re listening closely to God, and seeking to live a life of faith in the Christian tradition, in community, for the sake of the world. If that sounds like something you might want to be part of, come join us!
