In the Progressive Christian Bible Study (PCBS), we understand what we do as conversation, conversation with the text, with our ancestors in faith, with time (theirs and ours), and with G-d. And that conversation is not a monologue (or for the spiritually squeamish)! Every voice counts. PCBS is unabashedly ‘progressive’ in orientation. For us, ‘progressive Christianity’ understands each of us as continually evolving in our experience of G-d … if we’re doing faith right, that is. That growth is nurtured by challenging unexamined beliefs and interrogating shallow understandings. That’s what we’re about at PCBS, that and nuts (…you’ll have to join us on Wednesday evenings to find out about the nuts!). Email Geoffrey for more information: [email protected]. Every Wednesday, 7pm, Durant House.

Curious about meditation? But convinced it wouldn’t work for you? A small meditation group has been meeting at FCCB for since 2009. We meet in Loper Chapel at 6:00 pm on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month. The group is led by long-time meditation teachers Barbara McHugh and Bill Coffin. This is a great place to learn more about meditation; there are two guided sits and plenty of time for Q&A. These sessions last about 1 ¼ hours, so it should be easy to fit into your day.

FCCB Friday Book Group meets monthly on Friday mornings in member’s homes, usually the second Friday in the month. We owe our present existence to a group started in the late sixties called The Friday Group. It met weekly for over 40 years for book discussion and sharing of lives. Some years ago we changed to a monthly book group, except for the January meeting , which is devoted to poetry. All are welcome to come. We have about 20 members. It’s ok if you haven’t finished or even read the book. We find it interesting and fun to hear various reactions to the books we choose. No consensus required. Meetings and books are announced in the Carillon newsletter. Contact [email protected].

This bookish, welcoming group (18-30s) gets together every other month or so to explore big questions through spiritual writing -- theology, novels, plays, memoir, etc. Recent titles include: The Overstory, Why Religion?, My Bright Abyss, and Jesus and the Disinherited. 

Secretly searching solutions serving simple satisfaction sequences some Sundays? Seriously, Second Sunday Sandwiches supplies such simple sustenance solving samples! You guessed it! PB&J to the rescue of hungry folks in the area every Second Sunday. We gather to make 50 bag lunches of 2 peanut butter and jam sandwiches, homemade cookies, fruit, a sweet treat and moist towelettes. You can donate ingredients, $$, spreading PB&J on bread, bagging, stapling or simply serving them to those in need on your way home. Unfortunately it is impossible to drive from church and not see someone hungry. Contact Richard Brabham. 510-234-0545, [email protected]. Everyone can serve in some small way.

The sanctuary team is a large group of concerned people who have mostly supported immigrants through interfaith demonstration/vigils at the West County Detention Center in Richmond. 

Every month, we prepare dinners to support the YEAH! Shelter for homeless youth. We deliver the meal to the shelter on the fourth Thursday at 3:00 pm. For many years we cooked in the FCCB kitchen but for the last 3 years we have parceled out the dishes to be cooked in our own kitchens and delivered our efforts to the shelter. If you would like to participate send me an email at [email protected].

The Berkeley Food Pantry has been part of First Church’s outreach into the community through the Justice and Service Ministry efforts. Over the years, First Church members have put their commitment to helping to feed families and individuals in Berkeley and Albany into unloading trucks of food, cleaning and organizing the Pantry facilities, organizing a weekly peanut butter and cereal drive and helping out by grant writing. This commitment has spanned more than half of Berkeley Food Pantry’s 50 years. First Church volunteers at the pantry have been seniors, middle and high school students and adults. Please join with First Church by donating nutritious breakfast cereal and peanut butter every Sunday in our Hall of Entrance or volunteering at the pantry. Contact Anne Rowe for more information.

The Affordable Housing Aficionados educate, advocate, and take action to prevent homelessness and to restore unhoused individuals and families to safe, permanent, dignified shelter in Berkeley and throughout the East Bay; and actively advocate for increased availability of fair, inclusive and affordable housing for all.  Contact Alice Clark at [email protected].

Our Disability Empowerment Team welcomes all who identify as a person with a disability, without a disability, or a little bit of each to roll their way with us as we seek to go beyond the ADA and create a more inclusive and intersectional church, community, and world. We all have gifts to offer and receive from one another. Just as bread needs to be broken to be shared, so too we are blessed by each other's unique gifts in community across a diversity of dis/abilities. Contact Helen Walsh ([email protected]) and Drew Sperling ([email protected]). 

The ​Mental Health Spiritual Support Group​​ meets the ​third Sunday of each month, ​11:45 am–1 pm​​ in Durant House and is an opportunity to share our stories with each other in a safe space. This is an on-going group but anyone is welcome to join at any time.

Mindful Self Compassion (MSC) is a 9-week course periodically led by Rev. Nancy DeNero. In Mindful Self-Compassion, participants have the opportunity to re-examine outdated beliefs and habits, and learn how to be self-motivated by kindness instead of criticism—an effective way to care for yourself in times of stress, dislocation or difficulty.

⚠︎ Currently on hiatus. ⚠︎
Parents, grandparents and people of all parenting/child caring experiences meet monthly for this drop-in affinity group to share, listen and empathize with other parents. The group is led by therapists within our church as well as special guests. Topics are usually sourced from the group in the moment.

We're a regional church serving the entire Bay Area. To help us feel connected, we have newly forming neighborhood groups that get together for occasional potlucks and community support. Contact [email protected] for more information.

First Friends ​​are trained lay volunteers who are matched 1:1 with anyone who needs a confidential listening presence. First Friends meet with you for an hour each week (for up to four weeks) to listen, pray, and hold sacred space for you. Our current First Friends are: Carolyn Ash, Leonard Ash, Janet Eadie, Ann Jensen, Rick Ayer, Jacki Dennis, Annis Kukulan, and Kathy Helliesen. Please contact Louise ([email protected]) if you would like more information.

Both staff ministers and ministers who are members of the congregation are available for extemporaneous healing prayers in the sanctuary after worship every Sunday and during communion on the first Sunday of the month. Meet by the Prayer Pole in the back of the sanctuary. 

Our parish nurse Robin Kempster (​[email protected]​​) is available for questions about medical issues and/or referrals to local health resources.

Companionship is: offering hospitality, sharing the journey side by side, listening, accompaniment. Two Companions are assigned each Sunday to be aware of people at church who may be experiencing difficulty due to a variety of things—loneliness, sadness, confusion, and in-the-moment mental health challenges. The assigned Companion will respond by talking with them and inviting them to talk, possibly share a cup of coffee. The Companionship Team leaders are Louise Specht and Karen Summers.

Visitation team volunteers are linked with members of the congregation who are 75+, and/or have mobility issues and therefore find it hard to get to church, and/or who would like a monthly visitor. Please contact Louise Halsey (​[email protected]​​) if you are interested in joining the visitation team or if you would like to be matched with a visitor.

The art of snail mail is alive and well at First Church! The Ministry of Worship and Spiritual Life hosts card writing for those in our community who are homebound, far away, ill, recovering from injury, surgery or having a difficult time. Open to all ages, and held quarterly on Sunday mornings.