Join Berkeley School of Theology by Zoom on the first Friday of the month at 12p Pacific Time to learn about a fun and interesting topic from a member of the BST community! The speakers and topics will vary each month. Please see our “Upcoming” section at the bottom of the page. The guest speaker will talk for about 30 minutes, followed by a brief Q & A. This program series is entirely remote.
Please register through the portal below under “Registration” to receive the Zoom link. Limit one participant per registrant. Please check your SPAM/Junk folder for the confirmation email. We hope you can join us!
Our speaker is Rev. Benjamin T. Sullivan, National Coordinator for Native American Ministries at American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
This Month’s First Friday Lunch & Learn!
Please join us for a contemplative, joy-filled journey through the themes of the Advent season. This service will weave together the lighting of candles, the reading of scripture, the enjoyment of seasonal hymns, and opportunities to reflect on selections of Wendell Berry’s poetry. We anticipate a meaningful gathering of the BST community as we center our hearts on God’s gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love.
Can’t make it to the December 5, 2025 session? Don’t worry, it will be recorded and uploaded to our YouTube Channel. Also, check out the list below of Upcoming First Friday Lunch & Learns!
Please check your SPAM/Junk folder for the confirmation email
Upcoming First Friday Lunch & Learns!
Date: Friday, January 9, 2026
Speakers: Rev. Dr. Anna Piela and Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf, authors of Challenging Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice
Topic: From Fear to Fellowship: Reclaiming the Church’s Witness
Description: Anna Piela and Michael Woolf invite Christians to moral and theological transformation work. They argue in their new book, Challenging Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice (Judson Press, 2026), that confronting Islamophobia is the responsibility of Jesus’s followers, as modern Islamophobia has roots in early Christian writings. More than that—they assert that education in Islamic history and teachings helps one be a better Christian. They believe that the historical Baptist commitment to religious freedom is a solid foundation for engagement with Islam, which can take the form of integration of Islamic scripture into worship. They illustrate the overlaps between Christianity and Islam by drawing attention to Islamic stories about Mary, Jesus, the prophets, as well as to various shared teachings. This talk is a proposal for a vision for how Christians can move from participating in prejudice to becoming witnesses of peace.
Date: Friday, December 5, 2025
Topic: Advent Chapel Service
Description: In collaboration with the Worship and Student Life Committee
