First Church Berkeley United Church of Christ (UCC) will hold retreats for families this summer and fall, and these will be held at St. Dorothy's Rest Retreat Center in the Russian River Valley.
The first retreat is called "Summer Family Retreat" and will be held on Aug. 20 to 21, Saturday to Sunday, while the other one is called "Fall All-Church Retreat" and will be held on Sept. 16 to 18, Friday to Sunday.
Summer, Fall Family Retreats
The upcoming Summer Family Retreat is an opportunity for people who are currently parenting children of any age to gather together to foster friendship, let children play together, sing, pray, be in nature, and share their faith, questions, strengths, and struggles as they become apparent.
As stated on a church post, at the St. Dorothy's Rest Retreat Center in the Russian River Valley, guests have the option of either staying the night at the facility, in which case they will be given with meals, or only visiting for the day.
Meanwhile, First Church Berkeley UCC has fell short to get together as a community for one year to do things like play, hike, do art, learn, sing, dance, eat, and worship together, due to a pandemic.
This Fall Retreat, according to the post, participants will be staying in private and semi-private rooms, and all of their meals will be prepared for them at the upgraded retreat facility that the church has upgraded.
At the St. Dorothy's Rest Retreat Center, which is located close to Occidental in the Russian River Valley, participants may stay at the facility for one night, two nights, or just coming for the day.
All the information stated above is available on the church’s website, where they can register online.
Interfaith Coalition for Justice in our Jails
The Justice and Service Ministry of First Church Berkeley UCC recently made the announcement that the congregation has become a member of the “Interfaith Coalition for Justice in our Jails” (ICJJ).
According to the announcement, recent efforts by ICJJ have been directed toward putting an end to deaths that occur in the Alameda County Jail and ensuring that family members are notified of the passing of a loved one within twenty-four hours.
ICJJ is a member of the Care First-Jails Last Coalition, which promotes care and treatment in the community rather than jail as the primary solution to social problems.
It also stated that ICJJ got off to a strong start at Service as Worship on Aug. 7, Sunday, where over a dozen members of the First Church community each sent 70 postcards in support of the organization.
About First Church Berkeley UCC
At First Church, they place a higher emphasis on belonging than belief. Together, they ponder profound issues, investigate their uncertainties, find motivation in a variety of religious traditions, and strive to courageously adhere to the principles that Jesus taught.
According to the church’s website, they have a fundamental theology that is unmistakably Christian, but their attitude to the Bible, which they believe is a holy book that can teach them something new each time they read it.
They also stated that they will never demand that everyone believe something that is patently false, contradictory to the findings of scientific research, or either overtly or subtly abusive to one's spiritual well-being in any way.
