New Year,  New Beginning

I am excited heading into the new year to leave the busyness of the holidays and the frustrations and disappointments of 2016 behind.  Yes, I am concerned about the political future of our country, but we have work to do.  Coming up in January, we will have a chance to stand together and proclaim the inherent worth and dignity of every person at our annual MLK Rally.  It will be especially important this year to make our voices heard, and to stay engaged.

At the end of last year, we introduced the Latin American Christmas tradition of Las Posadas to the congregation.  In the new year the children will learn about Sihkism and visit the Sihk Gurdwara  in Hayward where we have been welcomed thanks to our connections with the Eden Interfaith Council. Interfaith activities with Eden UCC church and Shir Ami, Jewish congregation are also in the works.

Another issue to tackle in the new  year is our church babysitting policy. Although we want to make childcare available for church members to attend church events, we have limited resources.  I want to simplify the process.  But, in order to take the responsibility off of committees, I need the help of a babysitting coordinator.  So, if you know someone who is a good organizer and communicator, please let me know.   The time commitment will be about ½ hour per event.

Babysitting (Childcare) Coordinator Responsibilities

• Be the point person for babysitting requests
• Call or email babysitters on the designated list
• Notify requestor if a babysitter is or is not available
• Cancel babysitter within 24 hours of event if services are no longer needed
• Work with DRE to expand provider list within safety guidelines

FESCO CHRISTMAS DRIVE A SUCCESS!

I want to thank all of you who generously contributed to the FESCO Christmas drive.  It was a huge success and we delivered  4 bedding sets, 7 bath sets, and 10 coloring sets to the shelter before Christmas.