Blogs (Page 43)

Welcome to the New Year! 2015 is shaping up to be an interesting one. And by “interesting,” I mean I have no idea what is in store. The field is wide open! You can make of this year what you want of it. It’s also that time of resolutions – to make a positive change in your life. Yet, as the popular theory goes, most people give up on their resolutions before the month is out. So here’s a thought.…

Minister’s Discretionary Fund Have you ever found yourself in a stressful financial situation? Most people have at some point in their life. Yet many people are not aware that the minister has a “Ministerial Discretionary Fund.” These funds are collected from the offertory on Christmas Eve (sometimes more often if funds run out). These funds are used to help those in need, usually, but not always, people right here in the congregation. People who need a little extra help with medical bills…

What a difference a year can make! This last year has been a whirlwind for me. I moved across country and began as your minister last August. I’ve been learning to adapt to everything from the weather to the drivers here in southern California. The former being so much easier than the latter! And we’ve been getting to know one another. From meals to classes to Sunday morning, each of you is now more than a beautiful face I recognize,…

            To transform our lives and communities by living our Principles.             We have a new mission statement! At our June annual meeting, the congregation approved a new Mission Statement as shown above. It may seem kind of awkward to see it at first glance – after all, what does it mean? How do we do this? What communities? What part of our lives? Great questions! The Worship Committee and I are going to be exploring those questions all year…

Summer is here! Here at church, it’s going to be a wonderful summer. We are continuing two services to keep momentum going and although the choir is taking a break, we’ve got planned some wonderful musicians and music for you! Summer is a fun time to experiment with worship and try new ideas. For example, Rayna, our Director of Religious Education, is going to be hosting Dr. Who classes for our youth and any adults who would like to join…

Our worship theme this month is Transcendence. It’s not a very easy word to define. Yet, we all have felt it: Sometimes it’s felt as a sense of awe or wonder – like when you are in the Grand Canyon or looking at the night sky; or when we feel a deep sense of gratitude for all those around us and feel a sense of deep connection; and other times it comes when we use our imagination to transport us…

If you’ve ever been around a young child, you know about Transformers, the toys. When my nephew Max turned 5, he loved them. Only he was 5 years old and thus had a hard time transforming them himself. So with tears of frustration after trying, he would turn to his patient mother and father who got very good at transforming the toy back and forth between the car and the robot. He would watch in fascination and expectation as it…