Week of October 18, 2026 | Issue: 754 | | This Sunday, October 18th | | |
This Sunday we’re kicking off a new series on faith, belief and doubt. If you ever feel like a bit of an imposter standing in church, reading the liturgy, or singing a hymn, you’re not alone. Our Scriptures (and our churches) are full of doubters, and that might be for the best, as our doubting can lead to a deeper faith, not “fool’s gold,” but the real, good stuff, a true treasure. The United Church of Christ is a non-creedal denomination, but we do have a statement of faith. What’s that about? As we look at calls to faith in Scripture, we’ll explore the meaning of belief and consider orthodoxy vs. orthopraxy. Finally, 1 Corinthians 13 will remind us that while faith, hope, and love remain, the greatest of these is love.
The ACC Ensemble, directed by Tim K. Murphy, will bring us soulful music throughout the service, helping us wrestle with faith through song. Rev. Jen Chapman will preach and Larry Brookes will serve as liturgist.
Childcare will be available during the service for children ages 2 and up.
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Parade Watching Party & KCC Picnic
Sunday, October 18th, After Morning Worship
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Remember our four goals as a church? One of them is:
To be a recognizable positive presence in the community
We have a very easy opportunity to do that this Sunday after worship! All we have to do is go outside together and watch the Kensington parade, which will end right in front of the church, probably around noon.
Bring your favorite lawn chair or grab a folding chair from the church (be sure to ask for help if you need it). After worship and a little coffee time, we'll go outside around 11:45am and find a spot to sit together close to the church to cheer on our neighbors as they come by. Wear your ACC t-shirt if you have one, and everyone can wear a smile!
After the parade, all are invited to come up the hill for the annual Kensington picnic, which will begin at 12:30pm. (There is a cost for the food.) Pastor Jen is still looking for one volunteer to help with our table at the picnic!
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Fall Sermon Series: Finding Faith
Oct 18 - Nov 22
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What is faith? How do we find it? What does it mean to be a non-creedal church? And does it really matter what any of us believe? During this six-week series we’ll dig deep into questions of faith and doubt. We’ll consider the value of a “statement of faith” and wrestle with what we believe, sifting and mining for what shines true.
Oct 18 - “We Believe?”
Exploring the meaning of belief, orthodoxy vs. orthopraxy, and the value of claiming a statement of faith
Oct 25 - Listening & Sifting
Contemplatively listening to Statements of Faith from various communities, old and new
Nov 1 - Remembering the Faithful
All Saints Sunday; Finding faith and belief in the Beatitudes
Nov 8 - Shifts & Shakes
Losing faith and finding it again, exploring the grief of lost faith and the hope of rebuilding
Nov 15 - Together
Considering the connection between faith & belonging in light of the Good Shepherd
Nov 22 - Faith, Hope & Love
Returning to the the foundation of what faith is for
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“Wrestling with Belief”
Statement of Faith Workshop
Oct 28 - Nov 18, Wednesdays, 7pm (Zoom)
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Alongside the sermon series, Pastor Jen will offer a four-week workshop for those who would like to consider working out their own personal statement of faith. The goal is get a better grasp of what you believe right now, not to make any long term commitments! Beliefs sometimes change, but the hope of this workshop is to find a faith you can stand on for the time being.
On the second Sunday of the “Finding Faith” sermon series, we’ll listen to readings of statements of faith from various communities, and in our first workshop session, Pastor Jen will share her own. We’ll discuss what resonates (and what doesn’t!), and each participant will choose a statement of faith (or a few) to modify and make their own. During our final session, we’ll look at what beliefs we share, crafting a shared statement of faith, to see what we can stand on together!
The workshop sessions will be held on Zoom on Wednesday evenings at 7pm, from October 28th through November 18th.
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"Shuumi Stories” Featuring ACC
Gill Tract Community Farm, Friday, Oct 16, 7- 8:30pm
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Pastor Jen has been invited to represent ACC at “Shuumi Stories,” an Indigenous People’s Day event by Good Guest Kensington. In 2025 our church began “giving Shuumi,” a financial contribution to the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, given as an acknowledgement of our presence as guests living on Lisjan Nation land. This summer there was an article in the Outlook about this decision, and now Pastor Jen has been invited to share our Shuumi story at this event, along with other panelists and speakers.
Join Good Guest Kensington & Pastor Jen on Friday, October 16th, 7- 8:30pm, for “Shuumi Stories” at Gill Tract Community Farm in Albany.
| Annual Giving Commitments | |
Last week we mailed out letters and pledge cards to all ACC members.
If you have not received it, please contact the church office.
You do not have to be a member of the church to make a giving commitment. We cherish all participants and your generosity! If you would like a pledge card, you can pick them up from the table in the narthex. If you can't find them, ask an usher or Pastor Jen to help you locate a card.
We will begin receiving Commitment Cards this Sunday and will celebrate and bless our commitments on Sunday, Nov. 1st.
Thank you for prayerfully and thoughtfully considering your giving!
If you would like to learn more about how our church finances are used and managed, please attend our Budget Spectrum!
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Budget Spectrum
Sunday, October 25, 11:30am
| On Sunday, October 25, Dudley Thompson, the ACC Treasurer, will lead a Spectrum after church. The subject will be a review of the 2026 budget through the first 10 months of the year. Several board chairs will attend to explain how their board budgets have been used. This is in preparation for the 2027 Stewardship Campaign and the development of the 2027 church budget. | |
Focus Retreat
Saturday, November 14th, 9am - 3pm
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Our annual Focus Retreat is an opportunity to come together as a congregation, connecting and listening to God and one another as we consider again our values and vision as a church. This year, while we will spend some time on our goals, the focus will be on belonging.
How can we nurture a deeper sense of belonging for our current congregation and also make room for others to belong?
We will discuss the results of the survey, talk about our worship services and other programming, and consider the questions around connection. Then, we'll return to our goals and the projects that came out of last year's Focus Retreat, consider our progress, and to determine our next steps, seeking the Spirit's guidance and help.
The Focus Retreat is for all ACC participants (in person or online, members or not!). If you would like to participate online in the Focus Retreat, please let Pastor Jen know.
The event will include lunch, and we'll be glad to accommodate your dietary needs if you let us know what you need. Please plan to join us if you can!
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Congregational Survey
Open through October 25th
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We want your feedback and ideas!
This survey is for all who attend ACC, whether occasionally or regularly. We want to hear from our current congregation, as well as those who stop in from time to time. All entries are anonymous.
The results of the survey will be used by Pastor Jen, the Committee of Ministries, the Worship Planning Team, and participating boards as we plan worship and programs for ACC. We will also review survey results together during the Focus Retreat, coming up on Nov. 14th.
| | In a world full of suffering, it's empowering to know how we can help. Here are a few opportunities to make a difference while also partnering with others in our community. How great is that!? Please know that no one expects you to give to each one, just follow your heart and do what you can! | | |
Mutual Aid for Detention Center Pilgrimage
Donations accepted through Tuesday, October 20th
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Support people impacted by ICE detention!
Interfaith Movement 4 Human Integrity was planning to lead a pilgrimage to the 4 ICE detention centers in Kern County. Because of increased activity in the area, the pilgrimage is cancelled, but the mutual aid items are needed now more than ever and will be delivered!
We are invited to participate by providing mutual aid to support people impacted by detention, their loved ones, and the surrounding communities they will visit. We can help by donating to the commissary and gathering material donations such as backpacks, diapers, hygiene products and other essentials. Pastor Jen is coordinating the gathering of donation items and getting them to those delivering them. Needed items can be brought to church through Wednesday, October 21st. If you bring items on Sunday, you can put them in Pastor Jen's office, or on the landing of the indoor stairs to the office. (Please let Pastor Jen know if you drop something off and where you left it.)
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Zakat Foundation Walkathon
Ends Sunday, Oct. 18 (We need sponsors!)
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Four ACC members are participating in the Zakat Foundation Walkathon for Orphans, October 9th-18th.
The Zakat Foundation is a Muslim organization, so this a great opportunity for interfaith action!
Would you be willing to sponsor one or both of our teams? You can make a pledge to donate per mile, or just make a flat donation. Sign up below and be sure to mention one or both of the teams, Arlington Community Church (Sara, Elena, and Jen) or Power Moms (Lauren Eastland).
Any amount will go a long way in helping to take care of precious vulnerable children around the world!
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Food Drive with Preschools
October 13 - November 19
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We’ve been invited to join our campus partners, Hearts Leap School & Kensington Nursery School, for a community food drive. Together we will be collecting canned and non-perishable foods for the West Contra Costa County Food Bank. The food drive will begin October 13th and end November 19th.
*Please note the requeted items on the flyer.
You can leave your donations in the green bin located in the Narthex.
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Sun, Oct 18 • Morning Worship W/Rev. Jen Chapman • 10:00 AM
Sun, Oct 18 • KCC Parade Watching & Picnic • After Morning Worship
Mon, Oct 19 • Choir Rehearsal • 6:00 PM
Mon, Oct 19 • Bell Choir Rehearsal • 7:15 PM
Tues, Oct 20 • Souper Center Sandwiches • 9:00 AM
Tues, Oct 20 • Checking In & Reaching Out • 11:00 AM
Tues, Oct 20 • Souper Center Service • 11:15 AM
Tues, Oct 20 • Trivia Night • 7:00 PM
Tues, Oct 20 • Church Council Meeting • 4:00 PM
Fri, Oct 23 • Fireside Films: Babette's Feast • 1:30 PM
Sat, Oct 24 • Centering & Meditation • 1:30 PM
Sun, Oct 25 • Morning Worship W/Rev. Jen Chapman • 10:00 AM
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Family Trivia Night
October 20th at 7PM
| Bring your best team (3-5 people recommended) to Trivia Night or join a team when you arrive. Our guest host, Natalia Gawlikowski, will keep the evening lively and fun. Adults, teens, and older children are welcome. There will be pizza, beverages, snacks, & prizes. | | | | |
El Cerrito Senior Resource Fair
Friday, October 23rd, 10AM –1PM
From Ruth Robinson
| This free event is well worth attending. You’ll be amazed by the variety and number of services right in our locale for those of us of a “certain age.” | | |
Fourth Friday Fireside Films:
Babette's Feast
Friday, October 23 at 1:30 PM
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Some films you watch. This one you savor.
In a windswept village on the edge of the Danish coast, two devout sisters have lived a life of quiet self-denial. Then a mysterious Frenchwoman arrives at their door with nothing but a letter and a secret. Fourteen years later, she will set a table unlike anything the village has ever seen, and no one who sits down will leave unchanged.
Gabriel Axel's Oscar-winning masterpiece is cinema at its most luminous. Stéphane Audran gives a performance of extraordinary dignity, and the film's final act, an unhurried banquet of turtle soup, blinis, quail, and rare wines, stands among the most rapturous sequences ever put on screen.
Based on the novel by Isak Dinesen, this is a story about grace freely given, about the healing of old wounds, and about how a single act of generosity can open hearts long closed. Winner of an Academy Award and the BAFTA Award, it has inspired chefs, theologians, and artists for nearly four decades, and Pope Francis has named it one of his favorite films.
Join us for an afternoon of beauty, warmth, and wonder. Your place at the table is waiting.
Fireside Room at ACC
1:30 PM — Gourmet social; screening at 1:45 PM
Join us for lively discussion afterward
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Centering & Meditation
Saturday, October 24, 10AM
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"Be still and know that I am God"
- Psalm 46:10
Please plan to join us as we gather in meditative contemplation from 10:00 until 11:00am on Saturday in the Sanctuary.
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First Aid, CPR, AED Refresher Training
Saturday, November 7, 10:30-noon in the Social Hall
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Do you remember how many breaths, how many compressions for CPR? How to usethe AED? What to do if you are with someone who has a heart attack or stroke?
On Saturday, November 7 we will welcome back David Yberra who will provide a refresher training in First Aid, CPR and AED. This will not be a certification class but rather a refresher to remind us of the principles we learned from him in the certification class last year.
All Emergency Response Team Members (Council, Trustees, Greeters, Worship Hosts, H&S) are strongly urged to participate and others in the congregation are welcome. ACC will cover the registration fee ($45 per participant) but pre-registration is required. Eleanor will have a sign-up sheet—also fine to let her know in person or by email.
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Black Wealth Builders Benefit Concert
Hope & Repair
Sunday November 8 at 4PM
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"Checking In, Reaching Out"
Tuesdays at 11 am
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One way of keeping our congregation strong is by staying connected. You are invited to join us every Tuesday morning from 11:00 to noon for an hour of checking in, sharing, listening and prayer. No experience necessary. Come as you are.
Discussion Topic: Treasure Hunt
If life was a treasure hunt, what have you been searching for? And what have you found?
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83386604560?pwd=NKBWEoAxxYpzWbDEMa5eQv89bguP3I.1
Meeting ID: 833 8660 4560
Passcode: 135381
| | This Week's Prayer Circle | | |
We bid your prayers this week for:
For Benjamin, who is in the hospital with kidney failure, and for his family and loved ones
For all who suffer
For Dorothy, Helen, Linda J., Lisa and Ed, Donna and Monica
For this congregation – may we have vision, energy, patience, and a joyful spirit.
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You can make a one-time donation, or set up and manage scheduled giving.
If you are able to send your larger donations via check, we would appreciate it as it will avoid fees.
Learn more by clicking here!
| | ACC Full Calendar of Events | | |
Stay connected with the wider church through Upwellings, the weekly e-newsletter of the Northern California Nevada Conference UCC. Discover upcoming events, ministry opportunities, conference news, and stories of faith and service from congregations throughout Northern California and Nevada.
Click HERE to read the latest.
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