April
8 - 21, 2007
Cover
Story
A
360 VIEW OF THE NEW YOUTH LOUNGE
by Charleen Smith, photos by Rachel Eaton
Please
come and visit the new, expanded Youth Lounge! With the help of
Casey Cutler, Jessica Jones, Conor O’Hara, JP Shanks, Morgan
Von Buskirk and Julia and Christian Wallace, Adam Guerrero, Ron
Theile, and Sean Theile took down the wall dividing Rooms 304
and 306. We now have one, big room with enough space so that the
entire youth group can meet together. And, we have enough space
so that we can host groups like the Alternative Breaks team from
Northwestern University who came to work in Los Angeles at Covenant
House during their spring break in March. As well as creating
the extra space we needed, Ron, Sean and Adam had an opportunity
to teach a few skills that will be needed when the Youth Gulf
Coast Work Team goes to New Orleans this summer to once again
help with the rebuilding of New Orleans.
Highlights
WE
WELCOME NEW ORGANIST
Sunday, April 15
We extend a warm welcome to our new organist Christoph Bull, whose
first Sunday with us will be April 15. Come join us in worship
as we begin this new relationship and visit Simkins Hall during
coffee hour after the second service (11:30 am) to greet Christoph
and introduce yourself.
CHRISTIAN
BASICS CLASS
Four Weeks Beginning April 15
Rev. Larry Young will lead a four-week class on the “Basics”
of our Christian faith, presented from a United Methodist perspective.
The class is designed for those new to the church, those interested
in joining the church and anyone wanting to refresh their knowledge
of Christian beliefs and practices. The class will meet 9 - 10
am on Sunday mornings in Rm 303 from April 15 through May 6. Register
for the class in advance by contacting the church office.
ALL-CHURCH
THRIFT SALE
Friday, April 20 - Saturday, April 21
The UMW and the Boy Scouts are sponsoring this year’s Thrift
Sale which will benefit many mission projects and organizations.
You may lend a helping hand on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or
Saturday, you may donate your own Thrift Sale items to the Work
Room starting on Monday, April 16 or you may just come and shop!
Any way you do it, be sure to participate in this worthwhile endeavor.
Sale hours are 9 am - 5 pm on Friday and 9 am - 1 pm on Saturday.
AMBASSADOR
RECOGNITION
Sunday, April 22
On Sunday, April 22 we will be celebrating our Welcome Ambassador
Ministry. Our Welcome Ambassadors will be commissioned in both
worship services and then a luncheon will be held in their honor
following the second service. This is Guidance and Outreach’s
opportunity to say thank you and to check in and explore what
could be next for this important ministry. For more information
or to RSVP please speak with Rev. Brad Beeman or contact the church
office.
A
FEW NOTES FROM OUR TRUSTEES
Though you can’t yet detect work on Simkins Hall, a great
deal is going on behind the scenes as we finalize the electrical
plans and contracts. We anticipate the kind of work you can see
to begin in April. Thank you for your continued interest and prayers.
The dedicated members of the SH Task Force are working very hard
to put all our plans and dreams into place just as soon as possible.
A few weeks ago, it came to our attention that the property at
1038 11th Street (adjacent to our Preschool playground) was again
for sale. The Trustees established a special Task Force to explore
the feasibility of acquiring this property and to consider potential
usage scenarios. After completing preliminary research followed
by two meetings of careful deliberation, the Task Force concluded
that, for financial and missional reasons we would not attempt
to purchase the property at this time. Discussions focused on
the financial burden that the purchase would entail, existing
obligations for major work on our current facilities which will
become necessary over the next several years (roofing, plumbing,
etc.), and the needed focus at this time on the great programming
potential of the new Shelby Center. Any questions may be addressed
to John Youngman, Chair, FUMC Board of Trustees.
MID-WEEK
RECITAL - APRIL 11
Cedric Berry, bass-baritone, studied at Interlochen Arts Academy
and received both his Bachelors and Masters degrees from USC.
He has performed a variety of operatic roles, and made his first
European stage apperances in Spain as Jake in a concert version
of Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess. More recently he appeared
with LA Opera and sang a concert in tribute to Paul Robeson for
the Banlieurs Bleues Festival in Paris. He has appeared as a guest
artist with the LA Master Chorale and LA Philharmonic. He has
also been the recipient of several awards, including first place
in the Metropolitan Opera Western Region Competition. The program
begins at 12:10 pm in the sanctuary.
APRIL
BOOK STUDY AND POTLUCK - APRIL 22
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense
N.T. Wright, author, professor of New Testament Studies and Anglican
bishop of Durham, England, wrote this book to walk the reader
through the Christian faith, step by step, question by question.
Along the way, the reader will cover a lot of ground—sin,
salvation, kingdom, sex, call, church, blessing, covenant, hope
and great good news. New insights will be found into such classic
theological constructs as ascension, Pentecost and resurrection.
And at the same time, readers are invited into not only new ways
of thinking, but into more faithful living as followers of the
One sent to bring life and bring it abundantly. This is a great
Eastertide read for seekers as well as for life-long disciples.
It is available for sale in our church library.
BIG
SUNDAY - SATURDAY, APRIL 28
On April 28 and 29, Big Sunday is partnering with Mayor Villaraigosa
with up to 35,000 volunteers expected to work on over 350 non-profit
projects in the L.A. area. You are welcome to join FUMC’s
young adult group the bridge and the UMYF (youth group) on Saturday,
April 28, from 9 am to 1 pm as they build, repair, paint, and
plant at Inside Out Community Arts located at Venice UMC. Inside
Out promotes healthy interaction among diverse at-risk and underserved
Los Angeles middle school youth using topical theater and art
to empower these youth to make positive choices. In addition,
FUMC will be collecting all kinds of clothing, both new and gently-used,
on Sunday, April 22 through Friday, April 27. Beyond that date
we will not be accepting donations. Join us in living the motto:
No matter who you are, where you live, or what you do, everyone
has some way they can help someone else. For more information,
visit the Big Sunday website at www.bigsunday.org
where you may sign up online. More information is also available
in the church office.
Horizons
by
Patricia Farris
EASTER 2007
Dying
and rising, dying and rising, dying and rising. This is the spiraling
vector at the heart of our Christian faith. As Marcus Borg writes:
“It means dying to an old way of being and being born to
a new way of being, dying to an old identity and being born into
a new identity—a way of being and an identity centered in
the sacred, in the Spirit, in Christ, in God.” It’s
another way of saying what it means to “be born again”
and as Methodist Christians, we know that we experience it over
and over and over again throughout life as the grace of God continues
its work in and through us.
This
Easter and through all the Sundays of Easter we will be lifting
up the power of transformation. Transformation is also about being
born again, about dying and rising, about finding life in Christ
and becoming a new creation in Christ. It’s about what happens
inside us when more and more we live with Christ at the center.
And it’s about the transformation of the world through the
strong love and the compassion of God.
The
beautiful photo that you will see frequently throughout the season
on all our materials is a cruciform empty tomb. Or so it appears.
It is actually an aerial view of a 4c. baptismal font in the Negev
area of southern Israel. Dying and rising. Through the waters
of baptism, we enter deeply into life with Christ, dying with
him to all that would deny the power of God and rising with him
to the fullness of life. The grace of God is transforming us into
disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
May
God richly bless you and those dear to you in this Easter season
and may you, with the whole congregation, this community of transformation,
experience the power of life made new.
See
you in church,
Patricia Farris
Community
JOB
OPPORTUNITY
Family Place of Upward Bound House is looking for a part-time
Food Pantry Coordinator. Job duties include but are not limited
to: creating a system of distribution of the food to the residents
working directly with donors, volunteers, and program staff, outreach
and PR with the community, schools, churches, organizations, etc.
Job Description: must be organized, detailed, a self starter,
comfortable working with the public, and able to speak to a group
of individuals. Compensation will be $15 an hour for 10 hours
per week. Mondays and Saturdays are a must. Other days are negotiable.
For more information contact UBH at (310) 458-7779.
KEISKAMMA
THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS
Children and adults who experienced the Keiskamma Altarpiece expressed
their feelings with words.
-Thank you for showing this beautiful work of art. I also hope
that this ordeal in Africa will stop.
-I listen to you, you listen to me, we both feel known for who
we are and loved for the heart of God that beats in both of us.
-It’s beautiful. I’m amazed.
-A prayer - not to go back to sleep and to continue the journey
with my awakened heart. Thank you so very much!
-That was such a cool picture.
-This picture was da bomb; very cool!
-Very interesting!
-Is it only when our hearts are broken that we truly comprehend
what Love is about? May there be waves of compassion and healing
generated by viewing of this altarpiece!
-Dear whoever it may concern: this was a great piece. It really
inspired me. I enjoyed this field trip because I got to witness
something that won’t come back to L.A.
-Thank you for the great experience. It was nice to see something
that was from a different country. It was very special.
-Thank you, it really touched me with my inner self. And now I
realize how bad it is outside of California. I am going to be
very thankful for what I have!
-I loved it!
-Thank you for a good experience. It was very beautiful and special.
-It is beautiful in every way. It touched my soul.
YOU'RE
INVITED
Our former member Amy Liggett invites you to celebrate her graduation
from the Claremont School of Theology on Saturday, April 21 at
2 pm at her home, 12310 Stanwood Drive, Los Angeles.
April
8, 2007 - Easter Sunday