Outreach Ministries Update – July 2026 Kellie Stoddart

My email asking for an update went out late, earlier this week.  Consequently, some Outreach groups were not able to respond in time to be included in this update. Here is a brief overview of activities in our Outreach Ministries over the last two months:

• Make Your Voices Heard will be hosting the Interfaith Coalition for Justice in our Jails next weekend for a workshop after church.  In August, they will discuss the Oakland Arms Embargo. 

• As you may know, five Epworth youth embarked on a week of service work in Del Norte County as a part of the Sierra Service Project. Most of the work has an environmental stewardship lens and is locally led in partnership with community based organizations.

• Insight Housing and Dorothy Day House have not had any Epworth volunteers to help provide services for the past three months. How to recruit volunteers is actively being discussed. The plan is to pause over the summer and look for volunteers more actively in the Fall.

• A small group gathered after church on June 7th, to learn about the Uganda School Mission and the Kumi School.  The plans to deliver Godly Play supplies and curriculum has been postponed for a year, due to the Ebola outbreak and other factors. However, there will be upcoming fundraising opportunities for the Kumi school; we will be able to create art cards and then sell/buy them to raise money to help Kumi repair their water pump.  Look for this at upcoming coffee hours.

• Plans are underway to sponsor a Backpack Drive for Berkeley High students during August/early September through the Parent Resource Center. Stay tuned for details.

• Reparations Group and the Black Wealth Builders – 

  • Kim writes, “Reparations begin with truth-telling and lead to tangible acts of repair and restoration. We are honored to be on this journey, and to be making an impact at the Annual Conference.”

  • An official reparations recommendation passed at the recent Cal-Nevada annual conference.  It calls for the creation of an Ad Hoc Committee of the Annual Conference to conduct a transparent and thorough financial accounting of how the funds and assets derived from the closure or sale of historically Black congregations have been disbursed, and to recommend reparative action if indicated.  

  • A 2026 Resolution was also passed which supports endorsing local and federal African American reparations legislation and encourages all members of the Annual Conference to study and engage the final report of the state reparations task force, as well as denominational and ecumenical resources on reparations. 

  • The tabling at the Annual Conference went well.  There were sign-ups for the upcoming September 19 “Reparations Toolkit Training,” which will prepare clergy and laity to bring a reparations study to their congregation.  They also distributed literature about how to support state legislation. 

• Reconciliation Ministries –. Plans are percolating regarding possibly appearing at Oakland Pride Sunday August 16th. The group also plans to support Epworth’s presence at the Solano Stroll in September.

• Possibilities for other intergenerational friendly Outreach activities are being explored. I’m in the process of running these ideas by various people to assess their viability. Please let me know your thoughts, if you have any.

  • Rise Against Hunger, recommended by the UMC, sponsors one day mission projects with local congregations and organizations.  They come to your church with all the know-how to organize kids, youth, adults and seniors in a two hour session to put together food packets for school lunches which are then distributed to countries of need. There’s a minimum number of volunteers and financial donations required.

  • Dorothy Day House has Saturday morning events where volunteers provide coffee and donuts to unhoused neighbors.

  • Community Kitchen Oakland offers 2-3 hour shifts for 5-10 volunteers from the community.