August 22, 2007

Gail Peterson, Editor

Wow, what a summer! 

We followed the centennial celebration. . .

with a wonderful Camp Elmwood , led once again by that lover of fun, Fred Harvey.  Thanks Fred, Kathy, Nick, Nelly, Mark, Gloria, Marietta , Martha, Anne, and Don.

            Don Rising, in addition to running bells and science for camp, has been constructing a half pipe for skate boarding in the parking lot.  Kids from the neighborhood have been coming around wondering when they can get on it! The half pipe will be a special ingredient to our after-school program starting Sept. 5.  Wednesday afternoons we will have homework, free time in the gym and skate ramp, dinner, music and drama.  Volunteers and prayer needed. For use of the half pipe we will require helmet and pads, along with a parental liability waiver and emergency information.  We don't anticipate much injury, but this is a precaution.  What we do hope and pray for is more kids who want to come to St. John's —and opportunity to talk and invite families into being blessed by God in our wonderful community.  Last week I talked with almost all of our neighbors at a community block party.  They love the idea and are grateful for a fun safe space for kids.  As soon as the half pipe is complete, we will conjure up a skater to give you all a demonstration.

            This Friday and Saturday, St. John's will be hosting the SABEEL Conference on Peace in Palestine and Israel .  SABEEL is a Palestinian Christian organization and the conference is loaded with strong speakers.  Check it out as we continue to pray and work for peace.  In early Fall, look for a conversation from a more conservative Israeli position as we continue our dialogue in an attempt to hear and understand the complexities of the Middle East .

            I will be on vacation next week.  Patrice Mbo, the pastor of the French Speaking African new church development at St. John's , will be preaching August 26.  I will see you the following Sunday.   

Saturday, September 1, 11:00am we will be celebrating the life and resurrection of our beloved Don Worth, missionary, scientist, father and husband.                                                                            

God be with you till we meet again. 

            Pastor Max

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A 90th Birthday Party for Dick Hall, Sat., Aug. 25, 3-5pm

Plan to attend this festive event for our beloved and revered friend, at Piedmont Gardens , 5th Floor, Oakmont Lounge, 110 42nd St. , Oakland . 

Flick-Flak meets a week later this month. . .

Friday, August 31, 6:30pm, to continue St. John's tradition of cinema fun with potluck and discussion of the films "Hairspray" and "Once." 

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St. John's Childcare Garage Sale & Fundraiser, Sat., Aug. 25

9:00am to 1:00pm in St. John's Childcare area.  Slightly used children's toys and gear, and lots of good stuff for adults, too.

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At St. John's , Aug. 24 & 25:

Conference to Explore Resolution of Israeli-Palestinian conflict

            A lineup of prominent speakers will participate next month in a two-day international conference focused on finding a just resolution to the Palestine-Israel conflict. “Breaking Down the Wall of Silence: Voices We Need to Hear” will be held at St. John’s this coming weekend.

            Jean Zaru, a Palestinian Christian from Ramallah, Palestine , who is former president of the Jerusalem YWCA and a member of the International Council of the World Conference for Religion and Peace, will be a featured speaker along with Rosemary Radford Ruether, Carpenter Emerita Professor of Feminist Theology at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley .  She is the author of “The Wrath of Jonah: The Crisis of Religious Nationalism in Israel-Palestinian Conflict.”

            Other speakers include Stephen Zunes, professor of politics and international studies at the University of San Francisco ; Isham Ahmad, professor of politics at St. Mary’s College in Moraga who is originally from Birzeit University in the West Bank; Anna Baltzer, granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor and author of “Witness in Palestine: Journal of a Jewish American Woman in the Occupied Territories”; Mitchell Plitnick, director of Jewish Voice for Peace, and Craig and Cindy Corrie, the parents of Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old Olympia, WA resident who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer four years ago in Gaza.

            On the opening night of the conference, there will be a premier showing of the documentary film, “ Holy Land : Common Ground,” produced by Ed Gaffney.

            The conference has been organized by SABEEL (Arabic for “the way” or  “spring of water”), a Jerusalem-based ecumenical international grassroots peace movement initiated by Palestinian Christians. SABEEL promotes the Gospel teaching on justice and peace building,  nonviolence, human rights, international law, and  democratic principles.

            Partner organizations include the American Friends Service Committee, Christian Peacemaker Teams, The Episcopal Peace Fellowship, Pax Christi USA and the US Campaign to End Israeli Occupation.

            Local co-sponsors of the conference includes the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose and San Rafael; the Episcopal Diocese of California; the Justice, Advocacy, & Caring Committee of the Presbytery of San Francisco; St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, Berkeley, BerkeleyJewish Voice for Peace, The Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Berkeley; The Middle East Children’s Alliance, Church & Society Committee of First Presbyterian, San Anselmo; Fellowship in Christ Fremont Church of the Brethren; and the Buena Vista United Methodist Church, Alameda, and St. John's Presbyterian Church, Berkeley, to name a few.

            Conference hours on Friday, Aug 24 are 1:00pm to 9:45pm and Saturday, Aug 25, 8:00am –6:30pm.

A Middle East buffet will be served on Friday evening.  Cost of the conference is $70 for both days and include three meals; a reduced price of $40 for students, seminarians and others on low-income budgets. The Saturday-only fee is half price.

To register by phone, call 503-653-6625, on-line registration and information www.fosna.org, or send a check to Friends of Sabeel, P O Box 9186 , Portland , OR

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ST. JOHN’S ALL CHURCH PICNIC AND OUTDOOR THEATER PARTY

Friday, September 14, 2007 - Joaquin Miller Park , Oakland

The Picnic: 5:00 –7:30 PM, Craib A. Picnic Area (adjacent to the theater)

We’ll have a fire going, condiments, and watermelon. Bring something to barbeque and a side dish to share.

Come when you can. Come anytime before 7:00.

The Show: Producer’s Associates production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAM COAT

at 8:00 PM in Woodminster Amphitheater

We are selling our reduced price tickets at $20.00 for adults,
$10.00 for ages 13-18, and $5.00 for 12 and under. The price includes the picnic. Please submit reservation request and payment (payable to St.John’s) to Fred Harvey or the church office, 2727 College Avenue . Berkeley 94705. Tickets will be distributed at the picnic.

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More Coming up in September at St. John's !

The English literature seminar will open its new season on Thursday, September 6. The time, 2:30pm, and place, the Ark Annex, remain the same. We will discuss Hamlet, Acts I and II, plus Act III, scene 1 and will hear the Royal Shakespeare Company speak some of the lines.  See you there.            - Virginia Anderson  

Women’s Bible Study:  Jonah and Ruth

We begin the new Horizons lessons about these two people who were outsiders, a cross-cultural experience for them. Here’s a question:  How can a story be true if it isn’t technically factual?  Read both stories. Thursday, September 13, noon to 2:00pm.  Bring your Bible and your lunch.  For information, call Marietta Harvey

Horizons Bible Study Day

San Francisco Theological Seminary, September 15, 2007, 8:45pm to 3:15pm.  Cost $18 per person.   Please telephone Marietta Harvey at by September 7 to make a group reservation.  We will carpool.

St. John's will participate in the annual Shoreline Cleanup

at the Berkeley Marina, Saturday, September 15, 9:00am-noon, as part of an international effort to clean up shorelines around the world.  This local cleanup focuses on picking up trash that appears in the creek outflows and bay shores around Berkeley to make the shoreline cleaner and safer for animals, kids and everyone else.

            Last year, 900+ volunteers picked up nearly 7.5 tons of trash and recyclables from our shoreline in three hours. We also collected data on the trash that was picked up.  This data is used in research and is published to help change laws and people's behavior regarding the use of disposable and recyclable items.

            We've had a good crew the last two years.  On both occasions St. John's was assigned the shoreline at the mouth of Schoolhouse Creek. For more information please contact Fred Goff.

 Prospective New Members' Inquiry BBQ

Sept. 16 at 4:00pm

If you know of someone who may be looking for a church home, has questions/doubts or just wants to hang out, tell them to come (bring them!) to the BBQ at the home of Martha & Howard Perdue. For directions and RSVP call church office or Howard and Martha.

Pledges are still coming in
for the St. John's Centennial Capital Campaign!

and the total amount pledged is now $934,615!  We're starting to put the money to work.  Todd Jolly, our new music director, is being funded in part through the Capital Campaign.  You've probably noticed beautiful new furniture in the lobby outside the office and in Pastor Max's office. These furniture items were donated to the capital campaign.  A team is working on plans to replace the old carpeting in the office.  Commissions are working on budgets for the larger parts of the vision statement.  You'll be hearing more throughout the fall on the progress. 

- Lynn Royer

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Volunteer for Football Parking!

It’s that time of year again!  With Cal ’s strong showing in preseason polls, we can again help balance our budget by using our parking lot for game day parking.  But we need assistance from MANY of you who have never before participated!!  The volunteer for the first shift puts out signs, collects money, and directs drivers to parking stalls.  That volunteer usually leaves before the game starts.  The second shift volunteer helps collect money for a brief time before kickoff and during the game if there are spaces left.  The third shift volunteer works from approximately half-time until forty-five minutes after the game ends.  Second and third shift volunteers usually may sit in the shade, read, work in the garden, etc.  Their role is simply to check the garage area regularly to assure that the parked cars are safe.

            We need volunteers to cover five of our six home games:  Tennessee on September 1 (kickoff at 5:00pm), Louisiana Tech on September 15 (kickoff at 3:30pm), Arizona on September 22 (TBA), Oregon State on October 13 (TBA), and USC on November 10 (5:00pm).  Please call or email  Claudia Cate

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Free!! Upright piano and bench. . .

belonging to the Coudens but residing at the home of Andy Benson. Will transport to a good home.

St. John’s Prime Timers

August 28         11:00    Shirley Pan will show slides of her travels in Eastern Turkey .

                                    Lunch will be served

September

04                     11:00    To be announced.

11                     10:30    Dr. Helen Christensen will do blood pressure screening

18                     11:00    Mary Jacobs will do a sari demonstration

25                     Our Annual Senior Picnic will be on the terrace here at St.John’s.         

                        We will be inviting the community (flyers in the mail). Be prepared to be

                        friendly and welcoming to visitors! We will have exhibits from the

                        ceramics classes, weavers, writers. And others.

PRIME TIMERS TUESDAY SCHEDULE

9:45-10:30         Exercise

9:30-12:00         Ceramics, weaving, copper enameling.

11:00                Speakers, various programs

12:00                Lunch

12:45- 2:15        Writing Class

2nd Tuesday      10:30 –             Blood pressure

Thursdays:       

9:30-12:00         Tap dancing, beginning and intermediate.

12:30-2:30         Ukulele

9:45-10:30         TAI CHI with Lydia Shiozaki