FAQ | Sacred Snapshots

General

But isn’t PSR a Christian seminary? Is this some sneaky way to get me to go to church?

Pacific School of Religion is a Christian seminary. As such, we’re committed to preparing the next generation of Christian leaders for ministries of justice, of compassion, of respect, and of community. And part of that mission is living out these values not only in what we teach but also in the way we live our lives as people of faith.

Sacred Snapshots is based in the idea of radical Christian hospitality. If you are a Christian and this event gives you new excitement about your faith, great. If you aren’t a Christian and you suddenly feel moved to join a faith community, we won’t be sad about that. If you find a new tradition that motivates you to work for justice, or if you discover a spiritual practice that deepens your connection to the holy, we feel the event will have fulfilled its purpose. (And hey, if you get motivated to take some theology classes at PSR, that’s cool too!)

Isn’t this some kind of take-what-you-like-leave-what-you-don’t “cafeteria spirituality”?

Maybe, maybe not. Spiritual practice takes commitment, and we’re not trying to give you an instant spiritual buzz. We just want to have a day to try things, to think about ways to experience the divine, and maybe meet new people and have fun doing it. Just as we don’t pretend to give pastors-in-training every bit of knowledge and training while they are in seminary, neither do we think we can give you a sense of the incredible depth and richness of one tradition, much less many traditions, in one day. But our hope is that we create a space that is open to laughter, to discovery, to community, and to joy—in short, to the divine.

OK, I want to come: how does this work? Can I sign up for classes ahead of time?

We’re happy you want to join us. First: please, please, please, pre-register here. This will save time and make check-in a breeze (really, who likes lines?). You can of course register on the day of the event too. You cannot sign up for workshops or class sessions ahead of time. We’ll try and accommodate popular sessions with larger rooms, if possible. Basically each hour, head to the workshop you want and sit right down. There are many great options to choose from!

Location

Directions to PSR

Our address is 1798 Scenic Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709.

By Car
From the north (I-80) or west (I-80):

Exit onto University Avenue and head east (toward the hills). Turn left (north) on Oxford Ave.; then turn right (east) onto Hearst Ave. Take the steep, oblique left onto Le Conte Ave., and drive uphill to the top of the bluff. The PSR campus is on your left. Continue towards the left onto Scenic Ave. to enter the PSR parking lot a half block downhill.
From the east (Hwy 24):

Take Telegraph Ave. exit and go north up Telegraph Ave. towards UC Berkeley campus. Turn left (west) onto Bancroft Ave.; turn right (north) onto Oxford Ave.; turn right (east) onto Hearst Ave. Take the steep, oblique left onto LeConte Ave., and drive uphill to the top of the bluff. The PSR campus is on your left. Continue towards the left onto Scenic Ave. to enter the PSR parking lot a half block downhill.
From the south (I-880/980 or I-580):

On I-880/980, continue past I-580 interchange to Hwy 24. From 580, turn off at Hwy 24 and head north towards Berkeley. From Hwy 24, exit immediately on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and go north. Turn right (east) on University Ave.; turn left (north) on Oxford Ave.; then turn right (east) on Hearst Ave. Take the steep, oblique left onto LeConte Ave., and drive uphill to the top of the bluff. The PSR campus is on your left. Continue towards the left onto Scenic Ave. to enter the PSR parking lot a half block downhill.
By Public Transit

By Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART): Take BART to the downtown Berkeley station (not the North Berkeley station). It’s a 15-minute walk to the PSR campus. On foot, proceed north on Shattuck Ave. from the station; turn right onto University Ave.; turn left onto Oxford Ave., right onto Hearst Ave.; then make an oblique left onto LeConte Ave. and walk uphill to the top of the bluff. The PSR campus is on your left.

By AC Transit bus: From the downtown Berkeley BART station, cross Shattuck Ave. to the bus stop at the corner of Shattuck and Center St. Take the #65 bus to the first bus stop on Euclid Ave. Walk one block west (towards the bay) along Le Conte Ave. to the PSR campus.

For online transit information for the San Francisco Bay Area, visit transit.511.org.

Lunch

Lunch happens between 12:45 and 2:00. You can choose to purchase lunch at the Pacific School of Religion’s cafeteria for $8 — this is a buffet style lunch featuring meat and vegetarian options. If you don’t sign up for this option online, please bring cash or check, our cafe is not set up for credit card purchases You also can visit the restaurants in the neighborhood.

Parking

We strongly recommend you consider public transit, though there is free street parking on Saturday around the campus. Parking in PSR’s lot is extremely limited and mostly reserved for presenters. Otherwise, it’s first-come, first-served only, and will cost $5 for the day of the event. We recommend you come early for parking in the PSR lot.

Registration

Registration is $10 for the day or any part of the day. Registration and check-in begins at 8:30. While you can register on the day of the event, we strongly recommend you register online. This will make check-in a delightful breeze for all involved! While PSR students, staff, and presenters can register for free, we do ask that you register using our online system.

Contact

Questions? Please contact us.