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Part-time
Administrator - Coming of Age 
Our highly regarded Coming of Age program for youth in the 8th, 9th, and 10th grades has an immediate opening for a part-time Administrator. The District program runs concurrently with a congregation-based program, and includes three retreat weekends and a celebration dinner for youth, mentors, parents, ministers and religious educators. The administrative job is estimated at 200 hours between April 2008 and June 2009. Key responsibilities include:
The position, compensated at $20/hour, requires email and word processing skills, along with being able to work with spreadsheets. The work may be done from home if there is access to a computer and printer, with the exception of being on site on Friday evenings, 5-9 p.m. for each retreat. Requests for more information or applications may be sent to Riley McLaughlin. Interested applicants should send a resume and letter of interest, along with contact information for two references. Recruitment will remain open until the position is filled. | ||||||
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Leslie Brandt took this great shot of the sanctuary of our Oakland church from their balcony. The building dates back to 1891, and all its materials (except for the stained glass windows) are native to California. It was named as a California Historical Landmark in 1977 and is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This is the fifth one of our series designed to share photos of our worship spaces with one another. Please share one of your own by sending a jpg image to cilla@pcd-uua.org, along with a short description and the name of the photographer. | ||||||
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General Synod Speech
by Obama Triggers Inquiry 
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the Internal Revenue Service has notified the national offices of the United Church of Christ that they have opened an investigation of the church's political activities. The letter said inquiry was initiated due to a "reasonable belief" that the UCC "has engaged in political activities that could jeopardize its tax-exempt status." The letter went on to say that the source of the investigation was information on several websites indicating that Barack Obama had addressed nearly 10,000 church members at their annual General Synod (similar to our General Assembly) in June 2007. His speech may be seen online. An AP report cites Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut among those protesting this action, expressing his concern "about the chilling effect on legitimate activity by religious organizations." For the record, Hillary Clinton addressed the National Baptist Convention in 1996 when her husband was seeking re-election, and Ronald Regan's famous "evil empire" speech was presented to the National Association of Evangelicals in 1983. In such a climate, let's encourage all our congregational leaders to review the Real Rules that support our social justice work, published by our Washington Advocacy Office--it's a very helpful guide! And, as the presidential contest heats up, let's remember that we still want to create a welcoming space for all, without regard to their political preferences. | ||||||
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Two ministers with connections to the San Francisco Bay Area were arrested in Washington D.C., in a nonviolent and interfaith act of public witness against the war in Iraq: The Reverend Meg Whitaker-Greene is a member of our San Francisco congregation, and founding member of the Faithful Fools Street Ministry; the Reverend Paul Sawyer, minister emeritus of the Pacific Southwest District's Throop UU Church in Pasadena, served our Berkeley Fellowship between 1978 and 1994. The story of their arrests, for unlawful assembly, was covered by UU World magazine. According to the research organization, the Bama Group, Americans report that their most important relationships are not with God, but with family; 22% named their spouse, 17% named their children, 3% named their parents, and 33% named their entire immediate family. Yet, when asked to identify the most important group or network in their lives, church friends tops the list. The Starr King School for the Ministry cordially invites you and your friends to the Balázs Scholars Program Spring fundraiser, a Transylvanian Tea featuring Balázs Scholar Rev.Béla-Botond (Bélu) Jakabház, and Starr King President and Professor of Theology, the Reverend Dr. Rebecca Ann Parker, speaking on Change in the Church: Transylvania and the USA. The event will be on Saturday, April 5 at 3:30 pm at Starr King School for the Ministry. A $25 donation is requested. For information or reservations contact Arliss Ungar, (925)283-3288. The Power of Community, an inspiring film on urban organic farming and Cuba's response to the oil depletion crisis, will be shown by our Berkeley Fellowship on Saturday, April 12, at 7:00 p.m. Discussion will follow on organizing the growing of food in our neighborhoods/yards. For more information, call (510) 540-1975 On Easter 2006, six ordinary people embarked on a 2,500 mile walk to Washington, DC. Against the background of increasing intolerance from the Christian Right, they spread a message of compassion and inclusion. The documentary film of this journey, Asphalt Gospel, , is getting rave reviews. Our San Jose congregation invites you to a screening, followed by Q&A with one of the walkers and a brief presentation on Living the Gospel in Our County on Friday, April 4, from 6-8 pm. Visit www.councilofchurches-scc.org, or call (408) 297-2660 for more information. Our Sierra Foothills congregation hosts, What I Heard About Iraq , on April 11 at 7 p.m, and again on April 12 at 3 p.m. The play is described by its author, Simon Levy, "This is a cry. A clarion call. A tone poem for five voices. A gift for history. As well as a living newspaper. ...This is about truth, about facts, about quotes. This is not about opinions or fiction. This is about what was said and is being said." For more information, contact Millee Livingston, (530) 823-2224. Our Mission Peak congregation invites you to "join the evolution," and hear Michael Dowd speak on his new book Thank god for Evolution on Friday, March 28, 7-9 p.m. in Cole Hall of the United Methodist Church in Fremont, CA. Michael's work is probably familiar to most UUs, but if not, you're in for a treat, as he lectures on a gospel that's billions of years old. For more information, contact Paul Davis. | ||||||
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