Our Church Family – March 2007

Our Church Family, Christmas 2009

Our Church Family, Christmas 2010

All who call upon Christ as Savior our invited to join us for

Communion this Sunday

We take a picture of our Church Family each year so we can record how much we have grown!

Disney Ducks (see below)

“Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was not dressed as one of these.”

Matthew 6:29

Recently I have the privilege of going to Disneyland here in Southern California.  It is a wonderful place and the Disney Company has done a first rate job of creating a fun place that families and people of all ages can enjoy.

They work so hard at keeping the place clean, safe, and entertaining!   Everyone who works at Disney knows their role, and knows how to do it well!  Of course all of this comes at price ($), but I would say that you get good value for your money.

Yet, there in the middle of this splendid park I photographed two ducks.   Now Disney has tons of animated and robotic animals in their ingenious park, yet I tell you that even Disney, in all of its well deserved glory, cannot compete with the glory that  God hath created with these ducks.

If God can provide such beauty, such wonder to you freely then what in the world do we have to worry or fret about.  You do not “NEED” to travel to Disney to such wonder…it is as close as your local pond that God’s free migrating ducks happen to stop at.

Peace,

Pastor John

From Psalm 37

²⁵ I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
²⁶ They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.

This picture was taken last Friday in Santa Monica.   As Christine and I walked along the board walk I looked over and saw a parent, a child, and a stroller all back lit by the setting sun.

The scene reminded me that it was not too long ago when my own daughters were that age.   Now the oldest is 30 and the youngest will reach that mark next year.

There was a time when they were growing up when I thought time was standing still, the responsibilities of being a young father weighed heavily and on me and thus I worked very hard.

While I did appreciate my daughters while they were growing up, little did I know how quickly they would become wonderfully successful young women.  Sometimes I wonder if I could have slowed down a little more when they were young and thus appreciated them even more.

However, that time has passed and now it is time to appreciate my new life, for I have been blessed with being very much in love and I have a wonderful grandson!

Perhaps the psalmist and the scene reminds me that we only come this way once and that God wishes us to appreciate this moment by placing our concerns with Him and thus we can be free from worry and be grateful for the blessings that surround us.

Peace,

Pastor John

Glendale Church of the Brethren Youth Group met for the first time last Sunday!

Christine Found-Jackson has agreed accept the call to be the leader of the this wonderful new ministry.   Christine is an experienced youth worker and has high hopes for this new group.  Everything from fun social activities, serious Bible Study, attending larger Youth Gatherings  and service projects will be part of this new ministry for youth people.

They  meet during the Sunday School hour (9:30am to 10:30am) each Sunday at the Youth Room near the Church Office.

Please feel free to contact Pastor John at 818 636 8098 for more information.

Upcoming Sunday Events During Advent:

Pastor John’s Famous Breakfast every Sunday Morning Between 8:30am and 9:30am in the Fellowship Hall

Dec. 5th – Special Musical Sunday with Tom Martin on guitar.

Dec. 12th – Anointing for Healing Service during Sunday Morning Worship and Miniature Golf Outing after Church

Dec. 19th – Annual “Gather Around the Christmas Tree” photo (come dressed in your best!) and a Christmas Celebration with a Special Guest right after worship in the Fellowship Hall.

Dec. 26th – Receiving New Members by Reaffirmation of Faith or Transfer of Letter, plus a Children’s Christmas Play.

January 2nd – Bread and Cup Communion plus Consecration of Leadership Team and Youth/Children’s Ministries.

Also, we will have a 10pm Candlelight Christmas Eve Worship on Friday, December 24th!

Yes, it is a “estrogen fest” tonight at the Monday Movie Ministry.  Yet this popular film does touch on some spiritual issues that we can understand more fully in the light of the New Testament.   There are great scenes of Rome, India, and Bali in this film and the ending is surprisingly good.   The Children will be watching “Cats and Dogs.”   so we are in for a wonderful night of Theology and Pizza!   As always, this event is free!