News - The Week Ahead at UUCB

Emotional Accounting
Rev. Amy Zucker-Morgenstern
Sunday November 30 Worship Service 11 amGiving: transferring something from one person’s possession to another’s. But which of the many possible ways, with their markedly different feelings and meanings, do we give? Giving can be joyful, or done out of duty, or inspired by fear, or motivated in any number of other ways–and while the effects look the same in our bank accounts, they are very different in our emotional and spiritual accounts.

In Person, Facebook Live and YouTube
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Sunday November 30, 2025

10 am Youth and Children’s Choir Rehearsal
Meditation Room (below the Sanctuary) – Open to all children and youth, ages 5½ and up. Prior musical experience is not required. Email Teacher Katie for questions.

10:30 am Coffee and Community
Atrium – Starts at 10:30 am in the Atrium

11 am All Ages Children’s Chapel
In Person – Join us for Religious Exploration (RE). We have activities for children from kindergarten through 12th grade. Together, we will talk about building the common good. Please email Kathryn Jay, Minister of Congregational Life for more information: kathryn@uucb.org.

11 am Worship Service
In Person, Facebook Live and YouTube – Emotional Accounting. Rev. Amy Zucker-Morgenstern, preaching.

12 pm Potluck Lunch
Social Hall – This Sunday’s lunch will be our first last-Sunday-of-the-month potluck! Your contribution could be a main dish, salad, side dish or dessert. Bring at least six servings if you are single or twelve if you are a couple or family. Please provide a note if your item contains meat, nuts, gluten or dairy–or if you would just like to identify it! Nothing requiring individual bowls, please. Email Rev. Kathryn Jay for more info.

1 pm Humanist Connections
Zoom and Safir Room – Don Anderson will lead the discussion “Bertrand Russell” followed by a group discussion. The Humanist Connections group meets weekly to discuss topics relating to our humanity, values, ideas. “A free and responsible search for truth and meaning.” (4th principle of Unitarian Universalism.) For more information, contact Harold Ogren.

Click here to join on Zoom

The Week

Monday, Dec 1

9 am Write for Your LifeZoom – “Write For Your Life” is a meditative sharing practice for people who like to write. Please email Kit Hewitt for Zoom link and details.

9 am Women’s Meditation Group
Zoom – This group meets weekly to practice “Mettā” (pr. METTT-tttah) or “loving kindness” meditation in the Southeast Asian Buddhist philosophy tradition. Contact: Evelie Delfino Såles Posch.

11 am Textile and ArtSafir Room – Provide support, fellowship and growth through sharing and exploration of fiber and other arts/ media. Contact Karen Tripp, Helen Toy, and Judy Sam

Tuesday, Dec 2

10 am Improving Your Balance Through Tai Chi
In Person – Email Neil Clark for more information.

12:15 pm Applied UU Buddhist SanghaZoom – A weekly discussion group with time for meditation. Contact Lynnette Delgado for more info.

11:30 am – 1:30 pm Immigrant Solidarity Project VigilsIn Person – Join us to show solidarity with people going to immigration court in Concord at 1855 Gateway Blvd. We’ll be on the sidewalk between the entry and exit lanes of the building driveway. Bring sun protection, water and a chair if you need one. We have signs in English and Spanish. Contact Francey (970) 391-2547 for more info. Interest Form and Calendar.

Wednesday, Dec 3

10 am Walk & Talk Group
A small group meets for a vigorous one-hour walk. All are welcome. We are building loving community while supporting our physical and mental well-being. On 1st Wednesdays, meet at Pt. Isabel (dog park) parking lot. On 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, meet at the UUCB front parking lot and we will walk from there. On 3rd and 5th Wednesdays, contact Ann Harlow or Lisa Maynard for meeting location.

10:30 am Aging with Grace
Zoom – A weekly gathering of people sharing ideas and encouragement as they age. Contact Anne Greenwood or Jane Ramsey.

7:15 pm Board of Trustees Meeting (1st Wednesday)
Zoom – Contact Selene Fabiano for more info: secretary@uucb.org.

Click here to join on Zoom

Thursday, Dec 4

5:30 pm Learn Javanese music at UUCB! In Person – Experience firsthand the meditative Javanese gamelan. All ages and levels of musical skill welcome. Contact Daniel Schmidt or Tom Tripp.

7:15 pm Choir Rehearsal
In Person – Luminescence, our choir of adults, joins to sing on Thursday nights in the Sanctuary. New singers are most welcome! You don’t need choral experience, nor do you need to read music—though both help in learning the new music.

Friday, Dec 5

9:30 am Improving Your Balance Through Tai Chi
In Person – Contact Neil Clark for more information.

7:30 pm Contra Costa Chorale: Darkness into LightSanctuary – Join CCC for its 2025 Fall Program with the music of Esmail, Thompson and Handel. Livestream available. More Info.

The UUCB community gets discounted tickets! Use the code UNITARIANUCB here to get $5 off your ticket. The code is valid up until online ticket sales end, which is the morning of Dec. 5. The code is not valid at the door.

Saturday, Dec 6

10 am Tree Decorating Party
In Person – Families and children particularly welcome! We will be decorating the tree and putting out the train underneath. There will be tasty snacks.

4 pm Choir and Chamber Winter Songs
Sanctuary – Experience the luminous choral works of Ola Gjeilo, including Tundra, Northern Lights, and The Ground, alongside exquisite chamber music by Mozart and Schumann, featuring a Mozart sonata and quartet and Schumann’s Piano Quintet. More Info.

Upcoming Events

Dec 7 – UUCB Annual Food Drive
Dec 9 – An Evening with Rev. Mary Katherine Morn, President of UUSC
Dec 13 – Holiday Remembrance Event
Dec 14 – Last Day to Vote for 2026 Good Neighbors
Dec 17 – Blue Holiday Service
Dec 19-29 – Winter Labyrinth
Dec 20 – Church du Soleil
Dec 21 – Messiah Sing-Along
Dec 24 – Christmas Eve Worship

Announcements & Resources

We want YOU TO VOTE to help select UUCB’s Good Neighbor recipients for 2026. Voting will happen at the Social Justice Council meeting, Wednesday, December 10 at 7pm on Zoom. We have prepared a document about the organizations you have nominated. Please read the informational packet about all 25 nominees. Included are the names of each non profit, their mission statements, and websites. At the Social Justice Council meeting, you will hear from each nominated organization. More Info.

Click here to join on zoom.

Please join us in Holiday Remembrance Activities December 13 10am – 4pm. We’ll create Loving Community and remember our members 80 and better and those we’re aware have had a rough year. We’ll brighten the season by writing cards and creating remembrance bags, filled with cookies baked and decorated by our children and families.You may donate holiday cards in the box in the office. After church on December 14, you may choose one or more bags to deliver and share a holiday chat. Contact pastoral care, Melissa Rosales or Barbara Cullinane.

We were just gifted with a donation for Blessings Bags. Blessings Bags had “retired,” but because there is such momentum and interest, we are re-starting the project! We ask that if you travel and acquire toiletries (such as toothpaste, brushes, soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion) please bring them to UUCB and there will be a fuchsia box in the atrium to welcome them. We also need socks. Our first assemble will be in January 2026.

We are looking for a new home for our Baldwin Baby Grand piano! If you would like this piano, or know someone who would, please reach out to Janae Heard soon – we are trying to re-home it as soon as possible!

Good Neighbor for December

Nurturing Independence Through Artistic Development (NIAD)

Mission: Through its visual arts studio program, NIAD gives people with disabilities the skills and experience to express themselves, be independent and earn income as an artist. This nurturing community of artists fosters experimentation, increases competence to make informed choices and increases connections among diverse communities through the commonality of creative expression.

UUCB Staff and Board Availability

Board Listening Presence: Helen Toy.
Rev. Marcus Liefert (Minister) meetings by appointment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Email
Rev. Kathryn Jay (Minister of Congregational Life): open office hours Tuesday and Thursday. By appointment on Wednesday and Friday. Email
Bryan Baker (Director of Music): in person Thursdays and Sunday mornings, and remotely Fridays. Email
Janae Heard (Operations Director): in office Tuesdays and Thursdays 11-5. Works remotely M-W-F. Email
Peter Barnholdt (Facilities Manager): Tuesday-Friday 11-7:30. Email
Charis Domador (Manager of Membership and Engagement): in office Thursdays and Sundays. Works remotely M-W. Email
Eliza Cantwell (Office Administrator and Rentals Coordinator): in office Tuesdays and Thursdays 10-4. Email.
Diana Steinbach (Finance Administrator) works remotely Mondays and Thursdays. Email

Stay in Touch

Pastoral Care Need? If you or a UUCB congregant you know is sick, hospitalized, recovering, grieving or otherwise in need of attention and support, please email us at pastoralcare@uucb.org. In case of a pastoral emergency, you may call Rev. Marcus Liefert at (510) 525-0302 ext. 303 He is always available for pastoral needs, as phone messages will be forwarded to him.
Subscribe to our newsletters.
Social Justice email list: Email Sheldon Jones.

Submit items for The Week Ahead to weekahead@uucb.org by 8 am Wednesday. Please limit announcements to 325 characters (with spaces).

Submit items for the Beacon monthly newsletter to beacon@uucb.org by the 15th of the month.

Our Board of Trustees Widening the Circle Vision Statement:
“We, the trustees of UUCB commit ourselves to championing racialjustice, embodying anti-racist practices, and confronting anddismantling white supremacy culture and all forms of oppression(including but not limited to racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia,transphobia, classism, ageism, xenophobia and religious oppression,including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia) in everything we do.”