Welcome our Newest Members!

On Sunday, Oct. 25, the First Church Berkeley community welcomed these new siblings in Christ to our beloved church family.

David & Jennifer A.

(he/him/his) (she/her/hers)

David and Jennifer are newer parents to toddler Theo and also have two cats and one dog that fill out their busy household.  They have been coming semi-regularly to First Church since Palm Sunday 2018.  David is a video game software engineer who grew up in Colorado.  Jennifer has an education in art therapy, marriage and family therapy, and is currently a freelance artist and illustrator.  Theo is an energetic almost 14-month old who currently loves to toddle around, point, and use his own unique language for identifying things.  David and Jennifer came to First Church Berkeley looking for an affirming church that lives out the teachings of Christ.

Winnie B.

(she/her/hers)

Winnie writes, “I’ve enjoyed this church since I attended two years ago with my daughter, Chelsea Boyle.  It was love at first service!  From sponsoring and building tiny houses for young people on the Berkeley campus, to hosting a family who are immigrating, to the ways in which this church has organized caring for members of the congregation when the need arises, I’m a fan!  Now that I’ve moved out here, I’m so pleased to be joining, and I can’t wait to attend the nonviolent communication book group.”

Gail & Sean P.

(she/her/hers, they/them/theirs) (he/him/his)

Gail and Sean grew up in Illinois and came to CA about ten years ago for Sean to attend graduate school at UC Berkeley.  Sean is a scientist at a biotech startup.  Gail is a nearly licensed marriage and family therapist who primarily works with children, adolescents and families.  They have two children, Arlan who is four and a half, and Evaline (pronounced Eh-va-leen) who is two and a half years old.  They came to First Church nearly two years ago because they were looking for a progressive church with a strong children’s program.  In their free time they love outdoor activities like hikes, camping and going to the beach.

Ann N. & Paul C.

(she/her/hers)  (he/him/his)

Ann is a native Midwesterner who came to the Bay Area for seminary in Berkeley 21 years ago and never left.  She and her husband Paul live in Alameda with their two girls, 14-year old Madeleine and 11-year old Rachel.  She tries to live her life grounded in the four values she learned as a part of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps: community, social justice, simple living, and spirituality.  Along with her girls, Ann loves to bicycle, garden, teach others to grow food, and cook and bake.

After working for 20 years as a software engineer, Paul pivoted into the field of pastoral publishing where his focus is on supporting churches and church ministers as they help families grow in their faith.  Along with his wife Ann, two daughters, three chickens, and seven baby chicks, he lives in Alameda, where they operate a mini-urban farm and look for creative ways to build community in their neighborhood.