July, 2020 Council Summary

Council Summary - Linda Young, Moderator

Council met via Zoom on July 16th. 

·     Nate’s return from vacation was warmly welcomed, and he reported on his ministry including arrangements for the two months of paternity leave coming up in September and October.

·     Elena recommended the Online Donation System be adjusted for clarity. Council encourages large donations to continue to come to the church via mail to avoid the percentage charged by the online system.

·     Randy’s financial status report showed ACC is still fairly stable in spite of the Pandemic, however a long time without rents, and precarious school attendance, could hurt both the schools and the church.

·     The new sign that will hang over the steps on the balcony is paid for and is “in the works”.

·     The Face Mask project has received a boost from a several large donations of fabric. Donations of both money and fabric are still very welcome. Face masks recently have been donated to YEAH (a drop-in center for homeless youth in Berkeley), Punks With Lunch (volunteers who deliver meals to homeless in West Oakland), and the Zuni Pueblo.

·     The ACC Knitting Ministry, which is not currently active, was pleased to donate about 4 dozen skeins of yarn to a local group who crochet ear-savers for people who have difficulty wearing behind-the-ear masks. The crocheted piece is a rectangle with a button on each end. It fits across the back of the head, and the elastic from the mask wraps around the buttons instead of the ear, preventing damage to skin and hearing aids.

·     Eleanor reported and we reviewed the Reopening Committee’s work on protocols for small group gatherings up to 18 using the large social hall, deck and patio. Sanctuary use is still a way off.

·     Faith’s team is reviving pot luck plans to begin No-Food Potlucks via Zoom coming up on FIRST THURSDAYS - including programs on the Labyrinth, Voting Guides, Ashby Village and others. 

·     A Memorial team was formed to draw up a list of potential memorial gifts since the church has learned that a donor wishes some options. The team is already busy generating ideas.

Re-Opening Committee Update: Thursday July 9, 2020

Re-Opening Committee Update: Thursday July 9, 2020

ACC’s Re-opening Committee has met twice.  We’ve reviewed State guidelines for Covid-19 safety measures, both broad ones for workplaces and specifics for places of worship. In addition to studying the guidelines, we’ve learned about what other organizations have been considering in their re-opening (such as the Albany Y).  We agreed that a high priority for our work is keeping an open line of communication between this committee and the Congregation.  Members include: Eleanor Crump, Faith Abel, Susan Russell, Nina Harmon, Linda Young, and Rev. Nate Klug.   Please feel free to ask questions or share ideas. 

The work is now focusing on developing ACC guidelines for small groups.  These guidelines will govern both ACC small groups, and small groups that rent our spaces.  We will have a comprehensive draft of these guidelines completed in about 2 weeks, and then will present to Council for approval and communication with the Congregation.  When opening for small groups does begin, it will most likely be limited to outdoor spaces, and the large social hall where people can spread out.  All groups using our space will be required to have a monitor who has people sign in, does temperature checks, , documents attendance, and monitors compliance with Social Distancing protocols. We are also working on the guidelines for the “behind the scenes” extra cleaning that will need to be done. 

A Little Update on the Work of Jubilee USA During the Covid-19 Pandemic

A little update on the work of Jubilee USA during the Covid-19 Pandemic

ACC Supports Jubilee USA

By Linda Young

A couple of weeks ago,  I had the opportunity to sit in on a live international discussion lead by Eric LeCompte, Executive Director, Jubilee USA Network. Panelists discussed  a real solution for helping developing low and middle income countries reeling under the economic effects of Covid-19.  In the past, solutions have been austerity, or loans from the World Bank or the IMF.  Under current circumstances, more debt is the last thing these countries need.  How could they ever gain the funds to pay back the debt?

The proposal:  Appealing to the G20 and the IMF to allow these countries to draw on the Global emergency funds which exist – and have been expressly set up for a crisis just such as this.  That would mean the use of SDR’s, Special Drawing Rights. SDR’s are international reserve assets – in practice, a global currency created by the IMF.  SDR’s can be exchanged for Currency such as dollars.  The fee for their use: 5 hundredths of 1%. The SDR is neither a currency nor a claim on the IMF. Rather, it is a potential claim on the freely usable currencies of IMF members. SDR’s can be exchanged for currencies.

For further reading

The panel consisted of:   Andres Arauz, former Director of the Central Bank of Ecuador,

Patricia Miranda, Global Advocacy Director, Latindadd

Jean Saldanha, Executive Director, Eurodad

Matthew Martin, Advisor of OIF Finance Ministers and Director of Development Finance International

Info on SDR’s

https://www.imf.org/en/About/Factsheets/Sheets/2016/08/01/14/51/Special-Drawing-Right-SDR

G20 meetings

https://www.jubileeusa.org/pr_world_leaders_meet_to_tackle_covid_debt_and_development_crises

Eric LeCompte from Jubilee USA speaks to the UN

https://www.jubileeusa.org/lecompte_remarks_un_financing_covid

Tips for clear & efficient online communication during Shelter in Place

Hi everyone,

As you know, the majority of ACC’s communication is happening over email these days. Staff members are receiving and sending hundreds of emails per week. We thought we’d reach out to everyone with a few pointers for helpful email tips, to ensure that we can do our jobs as efficiently as possible.

Here are some specific things to pay attention to, to make sure that important information isn’t lost in the internet ether, and that lines of communication are clear.

Subject Line

The subject line is very important to your email for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it helps the receiver(s) know what the contents of your email are in regard to. Second, a well-chosen subject line makes it easier to sift through your inbox when searching for specific information. 

For instance, if you have the subject line “RE: Virtual Worship” that will pull up hundreds of email results, making it difficult to find. However, if you title your email, “RE: June 21, 2020 Virtual Worship: Testimony” it will make it much easier to find. 

Basically, the idea is make your subject as specific as possible, if it needs to be searched for.

Email Body

The body of the email should be where you type out your message. This can be short or long, but should always include the details about the relevance of the email. If multiple people are included on the email, do make sure to address why they are included. If you need to draw specific attention to any details or actions to an individual, please make sure to address them by name with any necessary instructions.

Attachments

When attaching a file to an email or using a file share platform like Google Drive or Drop Box, make sure that your file/image/document has a title that is easily distinguished and searchable much like your subject line is. Having a file/image/document titled “My Song 4,” “IMG,10745,” “Document 7,” etc.. will make it hard to find and can often be mixed up with other files as they may even share a generic name with another existing file. A good example of an attached or shared document would be, “Pic of John and Jane for 6/28/20 for Worship Video” or “Prelude: On Golden Pond for 6/28/20 Worship Video,” etc…

Reply or Reply All?

When replying to an email where multiple people are included, please make sure to only reply to the people the information is relevant to and include why it is relevant to them. When Reply All is used frequently to people that don’t necessarily be included, it makes them less likely to read the information and perhaps miss vital information in the future. Hitting Reply All also has the consequence of an overloaded inbox, which can also make it difficult to find relevant information.

Reply or New Email?

When sending an email, it is also important to only reply if it is relevant to the current email thread. For instance, if you are communicating with the pastor about the coming week’s worship, you should only reply to a thread if it is relevant to that week’s worship material. If you also need to talk to the pastor about another subject like scheduling a meeting, make sure to start a new email with an appropriate Subject Line to distinguish the two conversations from one another.

Even if a conversation is ongoing, it’s often best to start a new email thread at a certain point, to avoid information overload.

To…

If you address your email to multiple people, you may want to specify why that person is being included in the body of the email. For instance, if you send an email about something that pertains to a council meeting, and you include the Office Administrator in in the “to…” please include any pertinent actions that need to be taken like “Jacob, please print 10 copies of this document” or “Please save this for future records.”  You don’t always need to tell every person why they are included, but if you expect a certain action to be carried out or need to draw their attention to something specific, do make sure to mention it in the email body.

Forwarding

Much like an email with multiple recipients or a well-formed email body, it is important to explain why an email is being forwarded and to highlight the information you want that/the recipient(s) to be aware of. 

If you are forwarding a forwarded message, or a message that has a long thread of information, it is especially important to be clear what information is relevant.

To sum up the Basic Ideas…

-Be specific to who and why an email is being sent.

-Title your emails and attachments so they are easily distinguishable, searchable, and relevant.

-Be concise with your message.

-Reply and Forward only to whom the information is needed and explain any necessary actions.

-New Email, Reply, or Forward based on the subject of the conversation and it’s relevant participants.

Communication technologies can be overwhelming and are constantly changing. Even the most technically savvy among us can have a difficult time keeping up. While I’m not the most gifted in this arena, I’m happy to help with any questions that you have about the above or other subjects to the best of my ability.

I’m proud to be a part of the team at ACC and admire this congregation’s ability to adapt to the times of COVID.

Warmest Regards,

Jacob Day

ACC Office Administrator

acc.staff@sbcglobal.net

A Thousand Face Masks

A THOUSAND FACE MASKS

What can I say about 1,000 face masks?  How it started?  Where the face masks are now?  Who got them there?

In the beginning, three months ago, we had two big brown-paper bags of fabric and sewing notions donated by quilters in our congregation.  Our custodian’s wife Beatriz Alvez is a professional seamstress, but the company she works for has been closed since the shelter-in-place order.  Beatriz started sewing face masks and was paid by the congregation.  (I have heard a rumor that Javier helped her.)  Members of the congregation requested masks and made generous donations.  The money almost always covered the cost of one mask plus one or two more.  We started giving away the extra masks to the volunteers at the Souper Center, the Richmond Food Pantry, homeless people who live under the freeway nearby, and the food service program at McGee Avenue Baptist Church in Berkeley.

We got more donations of material and elastic.  Our Board of Missions contributed $600, and our Knitting Ministry contributed about $350. 

A Facebook group formed for East Bay people who were making masks.  The group was a clearing house for those who were sewing, those who were in need, those who had materials to share, those who were willing to pick up and deliver masks.  From that group, we learned that the prison hospital in Vacaville needed masks, the farm workers in Half Moon Bay, a drop-in center for seniors, a drop-in center for homeless women and children, a Kaiser visiting nurse going to in-home patients, and the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico.  Whenever we send a package of face masks, we always include a note telling the recipients where the masks are from and wishing them good health and peace of mind.

Beatriz has now made more than 1,000 face masks.  I have about 100 on hand to distribute.  Although the initial rush has passed, there are still new organizations making requests for face mask all the time.  It’s apparent that we are going to need simple cloth face coverings for a long time yet.

We would like to keep going, but we need an infusion of materials and money.   If you’d like to help, please send a check made payable to Arlington Community Church, with “face masks” on the memo line.  If you have cotton yardage to spare, please let me know.

Thank you –

Sara Laferte

Online Giving Now Available!

Arlington Community Church relies on the donations of members and friends to support our ministries of worship and music, social justice work, community engagement, and care of creation.

Whether you are a regular participant in our programs, or simply benefit from ACC’s presence in the community, we greatly appreciate your generosity!

We have partnered with Tithely to make it safe and easy for you to give online. You can choose to give to a “General Fund,” “Pledges,” or “Special Offering,” when one is being collected. You can make a one-time donation, or set up and manage scheduled giving, by clicking here. *

* All donations are subject to a 3.3% processing fee (i.e. a $10 donation would incur a 33¢ fee). You are able to select to cover these fees if you wish. If you have any questions about how to donate, feel free to contact our office at acc.staff@sbcglobal.net

No Justice, No Peace

No Justice, No Peace

They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace.

-Jeremiah 6:14 (NIV)

In his recent UCC Daily Devotional, Rev. Kenneth Samuel writes:

"The lethal asphyxiation of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, is just the latest in a series of black fatalities brought about by overzealous policing, racial profiling, and white vigilantism. When peaceful protests of Black people against racial injustice turn violent, pastors and public officials are called upon to counsel Black people in the merits of nonviolence.

But we often fail to acknowledge the double standard that America holds for Black violence as compared to White violence.

Last month hundreds of angry White protesters, carrying guns, wearing MAGA hats and draped in American flags, stormed into the Michigan State Capital in protest of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Coronavirus stay-at-home order. Governor Whitmer received death threats, and Michigan state lawmakers were forced to adjourn their meetings.

Yet, not one pastor or public official was called to counsel angry white protesters to put down their weapons and protest peacefully.

A gun in the hand of a White American is a badge of freedom. A gun in the hand of a Black American is a license to kill or incarcerate. When are we going to condemn systemic racism with the same moral urgency that we condemn riots? When are we going to become as passionate about the endangerment of Black lives as we are about the protection of American capitalism?

We may try to limit the Prince of Peace to our conceptions of law and order … but God knows that where there is no justice, there will be no peace."

A prayer from Rev. Nate:

God, be with all the people of color in this country who are living in grief and fear. Help us, as a congregation called to build a just society, to examine our own double standards, to find ways to express solidarity, and to take action against racism and police brutality. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Council Summary for May, 2020

Council Summary for May, 2020

In May the ACC Council has been busy working for ACC.  We held a Zoom meeting May 21 in which we heard updates from Nate on the ministry, worship, calls, bible studies and devotionals.  We are also beginning to look ahead with him toward the arrival of his family’s second child, including paternity leave in the Fall. The leave will be two full months with full coverage at ACC for Pastoral support and worship.  Since the bulk of funds for the new wood sign to be hung on the church balcony  have already been disbursed (pre Covid), we’re moving forward to get an estimate on the newer proposed design mock up that is currently hung over the steps.  If you have not seen it yet, drive by!   We thanked Sara for her coordination of the Mask project.

Church finances have remained fairly stable at this point, however loss of monthly rental income from cancellations of all the organizations using our spaces is beginning to have an impact. The Payroll Protection Program loan we received will help us for a limit of two months. Since keeping our staff in place has been a priority, it has been a great help. We’re in regular communication with the leadership of the Schools which are currently closed.  The new guidelines on re-opening schools are being studied carefully by school staff and leadership. Teachers are beginning to make preparation for compliance with safety protocols in the eventuality that they are able to re-open in the next month or so.  Keeping Church members and school attendees safely separated from one another has been an important part of our communication. We think that is going to be possible to maintain safety for all.  

Nate is working with a church team studying protocols for church re-opening. Given the vulnerability of much of our congregation, our approach will need to be slow and careful.  This Parishscope contains a poll to help that team get a sense of the feelings of congregation members around this issue. Please share your thoughts.   

If you have any matter you would like to bring before the Council, or any questions, feel free to contact me.

Linda Young, ACC Moderator   

510-685-4394  

linda.lapp.young@gmail.com 

Considerations for Re-Opening and Online Poll

Considerations for Re-Opening and Online Poll

Dear friends,

ACC Council has formed a “Re-Opening Team,” which is beginning the process of exploring protocols for returning to in-person worship, whenever that time comes.

Because most of our congregation is in the higher-risk age group, we are proceeding very cautiously. While we all desire to re-connect in person, we’ll be guided by considerations for personal safety above all.

As we have begun to explore the logistics of in-person worship, here are some of the considerations we are thinking about at this time (of course, considerations may change as our knowledge about Covid-19 evolves):

·       Greeters/Hosts to monitor, explain, guide, and enforce distancing

·       Hosts to document who sits where, for possible contact tracing

·       Screening (temperature checks) at home or church before entry

·       Hand sanitizing stations at entry and exit

·       Designated entry and exit doors and aisles

·       No singing (congregation or choir)

·       No recitation

·       No communion

·       No social hour

·       No personal contact, handshakes, or hugs

·       No lingering, mingling, chatting, etc. Prompt and orderly entry and exit.

This is not a comprehensive list, but it does indicate the size of the task in arranging such a worship service. It also reminds us that in-person church will certainly feel different, whenever we do return to it.

Our “Re-Opening Team” will continue to be in touch with updates throughout the summer.

For now, we’re asking for some help from you! Help us get an accurate sense of where the congregation stands, with regards to possibilities of re-opening.

Please take five minutes to fill out the poll below about in-person worship and ministry during Covid-19. The poll is anonymous, but you can always share your comments with me by email as well.

Wishing you God’s peace,

Rev. Nate

Click here to take a 4-question poll about In-Person Worship & Ministry during COVID-19.

Face Mask Update May 8, 2020

Face Mask Update

by Sara Laferte

On Tuesday, Beatriz, our face mask sewist (that's the current way to describe someone who sews), delivered 104 new face masks. Since we started this project with your generous help, she has made about 580 masks. The masks have gone as gifts to volunteers at the Richmond Emergency Food Pantry, the Souper Center, a church kitchen in Berkeley, Elmwood Convalescent Hospital, and to a Kaiser nurse in Vallejo who calls on small group homes and convalescent facilities. 

A dozen masks went to homeless people in El Cerrito, and another dozen were handed to people shopping at Safeway without masks.  About 160 masks went to the prison hospital in Vacaville, thanks to a grant from Board of Missions. 

Many masks went to members of our congregation and their friends and families, and those people donated generously in return, often paying for their own masks and one or two more. We always add a note saying where the masks come from -- Arlington Community Church -- and I have received such kind thank-yous for the beautiful masks which were so appreciated and useful.

Several times it has looked as if we might be at the end of this project.  But the beat does go on, and just recently we've received a request for as many masks as we can provide from the Center for Elders' Independence in Oakland. We're looking for additional donations of fabric and money; they will go to good use. If you would like to make a donation, please send a check to Arlington Community Church with the words "face mask" in the memo line. If you have cotton percale or calico fabric to donate, please email me at sara.laferte@yahoo.com. Thank you, and please keep safe and well.