For Christians, Eastertide is a time of new hope that’s just what we need to recover from the trauma and isolation of the past year. If you’re looking to find a way to connect (and reconnect!) with spiritual friends, we hope that one of the options below will be right for you. We are especially excited to welcome new folks to our community, so please take the risk of reaching out to us!
Questions?
Contact Pastor Gary VanderPol (gary@churchwithoutwallsberkeley.org) with any questions that you might have. Responses guaranteed within 24 hours! 🙂
Life Groups
The Original Virtual Group
Led by Jake Qian
Tuesday evenings, 8:15 – 9:30 pm
Our group exists to form community and discipleship for people in circumstances that makes attending a weekly, in-person group challenging (e.g., parents of young children).
Hesed
Led by Anne and Ryan Park Grant
Tuesday evenings, 7:30 – 8:45 pm
We desire to experience God’s extravagant loving kindness by connecting with God and with one another. During this season, we will follow the sermon series and pray for one another.
Racial Justice Lab
Led by Lynn Lee & Kim Winkleman
Thursday afternoons, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
This group experiments with creating a compassionate space that pays special attention to dismantling white supremacy in all the ways we worship Jesus.
Environmental Justice Learning Community
Led by Gary VanderPol
Meets once a month in 2021
From the first page of the Bible, God gave us the honor of caring for this very good world. Healing our beautiful but battered planet remains one of our most fundamental callings. Shouldn’t Christians be known for our environmental justice activism? Our group will does the hard work of activism and lifestyle change in community, unlocking how a little church like ours can effectively combat a big issue like climate change.
Spirituality in Everyday Life
Led by Loretta Matty and Erin Schweng
Tuesday evenings, 7:30 – 9:00 pm
*Note: this group is currently full, but please check back later for availability!*
We have an unstructured approach, but often include worship songs and time for sharing. We attempt to understand and experience Ignatian spirituality as well as engaging with historic and present injustice, especially as it regards race, in our culture.
Special Eastertide Groups
Late Pandemic Support Group
Led by Gary VanderPol
Weekly on Saturday or Sunday, whenever it works for folks
This pandemic has been like a marathon with no finish line. For some of us, even as we can see reopening around the corner, this may be the hardest time of all. We’ve learned to live in isolation. We’re missing friendship, vacation, freedom, parties, hospitality, and face-to-face community. And it has all become normal. So in this simple support group, we’ll run these last miles of the marathon together. We’ll figure out what reopening and reconnection means for us, our families, and our community. And we’ll do it all in person in the best socially-distanced backyards, decks, and parks the East Bay has to offer!
Raised Up
Led by Gary VanderPol
Thursday evenings for 60 minutes.
This group will focus on re-learning what it means to live in hope after a long season of devastation and isolation. As we look carefully at the appearances of the risen Christ in Luke, we’ll remember together how hope can still raise us up, even now.
Pastoral Care Circles
Build community & find support
led by Vinita Lee & Gustavo Smok
Bi-weekly on Tuesdays, 7:30-8:30pm
Pastoral Care Circles provide a space for connection, bonding and community. Come, be seen, and be heard in a safe, supportive environment. This is a valuable time to receive as well as to give support. NO commitment required.
Spiritual Direction Groups
Led by Sharon Henthorn-Iwane
Meeting when it’s convenient for you-please inquire!
God is speaking, but how do I hear him? Through group spiritual direction, we will form a little community that assists people in ongoing individual discernment.
