Small Group Launch

Interested in small groups?  Want to meet some small group leaders?  Would you like to join a group just starting?  Come to our Small Group Launch!  6:45 PM, Sunday Jan. 9th in Mears.  RSVP appreciated: Evans.

Winter Retreat - Save the Date!

Get ready for our annual Winter Retreat, Jan 28-30th, this time to Twain Harte, CA!  Details forthcoming, but know that we'll be staying in two adjacent cabins with room for about 25 folks and with access to an outdoor hot tub!  Skiing option at Dodge Ridge. Register Online Today!

Christmas Party Dec 10th!

Young Adult/Veritas Christmas Party
Friday, Dec 10th
7:00pm in G202

Enjoy an evening celebrating the holiday spirit at 3rd Annual Young Adult & Veritas Christmas Party! Come dressed to impress in holiday attire with appetizer or dessert in hand. A main dish and drinks will be provided. Also, we will be collecting nonperishable canned goods to donate to the Food Bank.
So that's:
- Dress to Impress
- Appetizer or Dessert
- Canned Good(s)

And yes, gingerbread shenanigans are back. See you there!

Dinner & Movie this Saturday: Harry Potter

Interested in seeing the new Harry Potter movie this Saturday, 11/27? A group of us will grab dinner about 7pm in Emeryville before catching the show in the 9pm hour.

Contact Patrick if you're interested!

Dinners 4 Eight - Nov 5th, 6th or 11th

Join us for dinner on Nov 5th, 6th or 11th!  Danny is in Berkeley, Nicole's in Oakland and Kristin's in Alameda.  Meet other Young Adults in a casual small group setting while sharing food and conversation.  

Sign-up here to let us know your preferred date and location, and if you would like to come with a another friend or spouse.

YA Women's Retreat! Nov 12th - 14th

Register Today for the YA Women's Retreat! 

Are you ready for this?  The Young Adult Women are going on retreat!  We'll be at Kristin's cabin in Twain Harte, CA (about 2.5 hrs away) Nov 12-14th .  And best of all, the cost is only $30!  Sign-up below and bring a check written to "FPCB."  Any questions?  Contact Kristin: kristin.codiga@gmail.com.

Halloween Party - Oct 30th

Join us for food, fun, and good ol' fall country times with caramel apples, bean bag throw and horseshoe toss.  The grill will be hot and the night cold, so dress warmly as your favorite character and bring a dish, snack or drink to share. 

6-10 PM
Evans' Place
557 Vernon St.
Oakland, CA 94610

GCC Follow-Up

For those of you who missed some of the amazing speakers at the Global Church Conference, go here for the audio files.

If you went to the GCC, please fill out the feedback survey.

What's the next step? Join us on November 14 at 1:00 PM in the Calvin Room for "Know Your Neighbor: Local Mission Partners Address the Needs of the East Bay." We'll hear from four Bay Area organizations as they share about the challenges they are facing and what they are doing to address them. Then, you consider opportunities to join in and care for your neighbors.

GCC Oct 15th-17th - Deadline this Sunday, Oct 10th!

Our main upcoming church-wide event is the Global Church Conference, or GCC, Oct 15th-17th where we hear from various speakers from the Majority World. The places represented this year are Nicaragua, Indonesia, Ethiopia and Palestine. You can find out more and register online today: http://www.fpcberkeley.org/gcc2010.asp. Deadline is this Sunday, Oct 10th.

Bike-As-You-Like, October 14th -18th

Are there really any Fall Colors in the Sierra Foothills? Find Out!

Pedal as little or as much as you like on the Sixth Annual First Pres Bike-As-You-Like Tour. We'll start south of Placerville and dip in and out of the Sierra Foothills headed towards Angel's Camp. We'll see really, really, really big trees in in the Calaveras State Park and dance on the dance-floor stump there. We'll sleep under the open stars, appreciating the crisp snap of Autumn and the fine riding weather it brings. Support vehicles will carry your gear or your tired body as necessary. Rumor has it that the food will be excellent. Fee: $100 plus a share of the gas for the full 4 days, pro-rated for portions thereof. Scholarships are available. Space is limited. E-mail Brett D'Ambrosio (outdoor@claresco.com) for more information.

Fall Retreat!

Update:

View Facebook Photos here!

Old Post:

Register today for our YA Fall Retreat @ Big Basin Redwoods, Sept 24th - 26th!  For more info, visit the registration page and register online today!

Hike Tilden!

Hike this Saturday!
10am - 12pm


This Saturday 8/21 we're hiking in Tilden Park. Meet at 10am at the Environmental Education Center (parking & public transit accessible) for a 2 hour hike. Bring a water bottle and sun protection. Evans' cell: 302 220 6479 (spotty reception - try text if call doesn't go through).

Directions:
 
Public Transit: Take #67 from Berkeley BART.
 
Driving (on Google Maps: Tilden Park Indian Camp):
Take the Buchanan Exit off of I-80/580. Follow Buchanan through Albany up towards the hills. Buchanan turns into Marin Avenue. Take a Left on Euclid. Take your 2nd Left onto Grizzly Peak. At funky intersection, head straight but to the right to go onto Canon Drive. Follow Park signs to Indian Camp / Environmental Education Center. See you there!

Outdoor Movie Night!

Hi friends,

This Saturday, join the young adult group for an outdoor movie night! To begin the evening, our own film maker Tim Sloat will showcase his 15 minute film 'Expected.' We'll take a brief intermission and then begin a fun comedy, possibly a Will Ferrel flick, all on the outdoor big screen.

Hope you can join us! Feel free to bring a snack, drink, chair and or friend.

Time/Date:
August 7, 8:00pm - 11:30pm

Location:
Nicole Johnston's (Hamilton Hacienda)

112 Hamilton Place

Oakland, CA

Suggested parking:
First Christian church, lot behind the house. Enter from Fairmount Street. Park and enter backyard directly.

Map:

View Outdoor Movie Night! in a larger map

Alameda Beach Day!

Come join us for an afternoon at our local beach down the road in Alameda. We're going World Cup style with games, face paint, and flags. Opening ceremonies (we start the games) at 1:30.

Regardless of your level of competitive spirit or physical ability, we would love your presence for this fun afternoon together! kook, hoops, kicking, throwing, smiling. Feel free to bring a drink or snack to share and your game face.

We'll be along the beach somewhere between Park St and Kitty Hawk Rd (link to a map).

Looking forward to seeing you and a few new friends there!

Organizers:
Kristin: kristin.codiga@gmail.com
Nicole: 510.316.6196 nicolemjohnston@gmail.com

Late Afternoon in the Park!

Join us at Ohlone Park in Berkeley this Saturday, July 10th, 4pm - 7pm.  We'll be enjoying the late afternoon soon, throwing a frisbee or other ball around, and just hanging out.  Bring a snack, side dish or other munchies to share.  See you there!  Email Andy if you have any questions.

Sci-Fi Book Group

Interested in science-fiction? Want to read and discuss themes in sci-fi books? Join a group of others unabashedly interested in exploring multiple universes. Most discussions will happen online about once a month, with opportunities to meet at a local pub for further sharing. Contact Carl Olsen for more info.

Rafting - Spots Left!

We still have spots available for the rafting trip, June 17th-20th with the deadline tomorrow, June 9th!  Past this date, email Evans to see if there's a spot left.  For more information and to reserve your spot today, click here!

Habitat Build - June 5th!

Join other Young Adults on Saturday, June 5th for a Habitat Build!  The site is located at 940 84th Avenue (and E Street) in Oakland.   People can call Jeremy at 415-748-1108 if they can't find it (or have
other questions).  It's also 1 mile from Colisem BART for people who want to bike or walk.

Folks should plan to be there by 8:30am, work till 4pm, and bring their own lunch. 

Register Online to reserve your spot today (available only to us until Friday, May 28th), and then let Jeremy know!

BBQ Saturday!

Young Adult BBQ this Saturday!  Join us for fun, food, games, music and more!  Bring a side dish or snack to share.  We'll provide the meat and drinks.

Where: Hamilton Hacienda (Nicole's Place)
            112 Hamilton Place, Oakland, CA
When: 5:30pm - 9pm, Saturday May 15th

Parking can be found behind the1st Korean Christian Church Of Oakland: 111 Fairmount Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611-5918.  In the back corner of the parking lot you will find a large wooden gate in the fence.  Come on in!  We're on the other side.

Register Now! River Rafting June 17th-20th!

Join us as we make the return to Bigfoot Country for another round of River Rafting with our stupendous guides, Andrew & Holly! Register today!

June 17th-20th (Thurs-Sun)
Curly Jack Campground, Klamath National Forest
$119 (Scholarships available! Email Evans)
Reserve your spot today!  Register online here.

Plan to drive up Thursday the 17th during the day or night, raft Friday and Saturday with downtime Saturday afternoon, and return on Sunday, arriving in Bay Area late afternoon. It's an adventure of a lifetime as we raft, swim, camp, cookout, rock jump, paddle battle, creek walk, and more!

Just how big is this adventure?  For your reference:

Register online here.

First Pres Live! ... Hang out afterwards

This Saturday, May 8th @ 7pm is another First Pres Live event!  Come to First Pres for an evening of worship - pure singing and prayer.  When it's over around 8:30pm, gather with other Young Adults in the back of the sanctuary to hang out afterward!

Hike 'n' Bike Photos

We had a grand ol' time in Redwoods Regional! Who's up for round 2?

Hike 'n' Bike - Sat April 24th

We're headed to Redwoods Regional Park for a Hike 'n' Bike on Saturday, April 24th!  Plan to meet at 10am, we'll finish by 12pm.  You'll have your choice of hiking or biking.  Plan for a light snack afterwards in Redwood Bowl (the field off to the right from the Center):


View Larger Map

Park at the Redwood Bowl Staging Area off of Skyline Blvd, right before turning into the Space Center. 

Directions: Off of US 13, take the Joaquin Miller Road Exit.  Head away from the bay (Right if heading N on 13, Left if heading S on 13).   After a little over a mile, take a left onto Skyline Blvd. The staging area will be on your right in about 1.5 miles (if you see the Space Center you've gone too far).

Address for the Space Center: 10000 Skyline Blvd, 94619 (but only gets you to intersection of Joaquin Miller & Skyline).

Pics from the Pizza & Game Night

See pictures here from our Game Night:




And the now-infamous Crash of Stash:

Fun Friday 4/9 - Pizza & Game Night!

Come join us in the College Lounge for Pizza & Game Night!  Feel free to bring your favorite game or join in with others!

6:30 PM
Friday, April 9th

First Pres Berkeley
College Lounge

Fun Friday March 12th!

Come join us for Fun Friday, March 12th!  6:30pm is dinner, with a short Nooma video to follow and discussion.  We'll be awarding a Fenton's gift certificate to one of you who took the Young Adult survey, so come join us in the College Lounge (1st floor Geneva) for the fun, food & fellowship!

Facebook Event Page

House Worship!

Join us this Friday for house worship, hosted by Tricia Crispens!  Gather around 7pm, with worship beginning around 7:30pm.  Stay as long as you like.  Click here to go to facebook event.

Location: 1149 Norwood Ave. Oakland, Ca 94610


View Larger Map

Men's Summit - Register Today!

Men -

We have an all-church men's retreat coming up, March 19th-21st.  It's going to be quite a fun, full weekend at Redwood Glen Conference Center in the Santa Cruz Mtns, with Highland Games on Saturday (feel free to bring your kilts!), small groups, former First Pres pastor Doug Bunnell speaking, and plenty of free time to relax & recreate.

Register now - scholarships are available... we want everyone who wants to be there to come, regardless of ability to pay!

Winter Retreat Survey

For those who went on the Winter Retreat, please let us know your feedback!

https://spreadsheets0.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFpFU3dxMncxcTNwc1dmZ2RwWlEtV0E6MA

We're in the midst of planning a spring and summer retreat, so if you have any ideas.... email me or post a comment here!  Current ideas include a hostel in downtown Sacramento, a cabin in Truckee or camping nearby... but we're open to whatever y'all have in mind!

Fun Friday 2/12!

We're revamping the format for Fun Friday!
Taco & Burrito Bar - 6:30pm
Mixer around 7pm
NOOMA Video "Flame" @ 7:30pm
Done around 8:30pm

Meet in the College Lounge - See you there!

Watch a preview of "Flame."

See the full video here.

Hunger Justice Leader Opportunity - Bread for the World

An opportunity for persons interested in hunger justice issues, sponsored by Bread for the World:

Do you have what it takes to be Hunger Justice Leader? Or do you know someone who does?

  

Selected participants will attend an advocacy training workshop—all expenses paid—in Washington, D.C., June 12-15, 2010. Then they too will commit to going back to their communities to lead advocacy efforts.

  

Please apply now to take part in this powerful opportunity to:

• Gain skills in advocacy, team-building, and community organizing.
• Connect with like-minded young leaders from across the United States.
• Explore the biblical foundations of faith and justice.
• Speak out on Capitol Hill by visiting members of Congress.

The application deadline is March 12, so don’t wait. Apply now.

Young Adult Tahoe Photos

Facebook | Mika Pritchard-Berman's Photos - First Pres: Young Adult Tahoe Photos

YAL Winter Retreat

Friday Film Fundraiser

Middle Eastern Film and Food Night

What: The fantastic film "Garbage Dreams" and a simple Middle Eastern dinner
When: Friday January 22 at 7 pm
Where: First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, Geneva Hall Room 202
How Much: $15 for students/unemployed; $20/25 for others (as you are able)
Why:

1. To see a great film about a poor community in Cairo Egypt (www.garbagedreams.com)
2. To hear about the work Amy will be doing among a poor community in the Middle East
3. To help support the ministry that Amy will be joining (proceeds from this film night will go towards her ministry).

Buy tickets at the door, but RSVP ahead of time is helpful.

Contact Renjit at renjitm@gmail.com for more info or to RSVP

A note on parking: Pay parking is available in the First Pres garage (even FPCB members need to pay because this is not an official church event.)

Winter Retreat - Register Now!

A few spots are left!  Register Now!

Register Now!

Room for Rent in North Oakland/Glenview Area - Available Now!

I have been given the opportunity to live in a wonderful apartment in a great part of town but unfortunately I am unable to afford it by myself, therefore I am looking for someone who could pay half, which would be $800. The room that would be yours is HUGE! if needed, you could fit all your bedroom furniture plus a couch and tv area, and still have room to move around. The apartment is two stories and very roomy. I absolutely love the apartment and I am so blessed to be living in such a great town, with wonderful neighbors! I do have two kittens, so if your allergic or dont like cats, then I am sorry that this wont work out.


please contact me if you are interested!
Tricia Crispens - 631.988.0973

And I will gladly send pictures… looking for someone to move in mid January-early February

Fun Friday Films - January

Here are the films we watched at January's Fun Friday, for those who missed it!

RAM, where a boy struggles to find his identity apart from his 'friend':


Some Questions:

• How has technology aided us?
• How has technology become a part of us?
• Do I have a healthy or unhealthy relationship with technology?  How so?

A True Act of Kindness, where a robot makes a penultimate sacrifice for another:


Some Questions:

• Must 'true kindness' require sacrifice on our part?
• Who is someone in our lives that's made a sacrifice for our sake?
• Have we ever made that kind of sacrifice for someone?

The Piano, where an elderly man thinks back on his life as he plays a song:


Some Questions:

• Where do we find meaning in life?
• What relationships are most important to us?
• What are the 3 highlights of my life so far?

Fun Friday 1/8

Fun Friday Tomorrow!

• Group Game @ 6pm
• Chili and Cornbread @ 7pm
• Film and Discussion @ 8pm
• Hangout Afterwards!