BREAKFAST FELLOWSHIP
Sundays (9-11am) Courtyard
Join us for a light continental breakfast on the courtyard before worship. Feel free to bring other ready-to-serve dishes to share, potluck style. Simply bring them to the courtyard when you arrive.
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CHURCH-WIDE EARTH DAY BEACH CLEANUP
Saturday, April 20th (3-6pm) Playa Del Rey Beach
In honor of Earth Day, join us for a beach clean up at Playa Del Rey Beach! Come on down, bring a bag or bucket, and bring your friends! Bring your own gloves and bags/bucket. Limited supplies will also be available. First come, first serve. There will be fun beach cleanup competitions, games, and non-plastic wrapped snacks. If you have any questions, contact Everest Harvey at everest@westwoodumc.org.
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LOVING THE CREATION: THE BIBLE & THE ENVIRONMENT
Sunday, April 21st (11am) Wesley Room and via Zoom
Join Rev. Dr. John Holbert as we look closely at two Bible passages—Gen.1:26-28 and Romans 8:18-22—to gain at least a small understanding of what resources our Bible has to offer humanity as we face environmental challenges. Happy Earth Day!
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18TH ANNUAL ORGAN CONCERT SERIES – LUKAS HASLER
Sunday, April 21st (3pm) Westwood Sanctuary & via Livestream
As the spring approaches, so does the first half of this year’s organ concerts in their brand new format – two concerts in the spring, and two concerts in the fall. It is our hope that this will avoid the summer heat in our non air-conditioned sanctuary, and allow for more people to attend that may normally be absent during the summer holidays. Performed on the landmark Shaffer Memorial Organ and lasting about 60 minutes, our next concert will be presented by Lukas Hasler. Lukas is an Austrian concert organist who currently combines his doctoral study at USC with a busy and successful international performing and teaching schedule. Free admission (voluntary offering will be available). For more information, visit www.westwoodumc.org/2024organconcerts.
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580 CAFE REFRESH!
Saturday, April 27th (1-3:30pm) 580 Hilgard Ave, LA
Refresh with us and spend a delightful afternoon at 580 Cafe. Enjoy dance, poetry, and musical performances by our 580 community. Art Auction showcasing the creativity of our students, past and present! Take a tour of our community reflection garden. Your generous donation is greatly appreciated! Limited free parking behind the church.
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FAMILY PARK PICNIC DAY
Sunday, April 28, 2024 (12:30pm) Holmby Park (601 Comstock Ave.)
Bring your own picnic and enjoy a time with family and friends. Everyone welcome! For more information, contact Westley Garcia at westley@theloftla.org.
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CAL-PAC SUMMER CAMPS FOR KIDS
Cal-Pac Camps is a Christ-centered organization that focuses on the spiritual development of our campers. We follow three simple rules of Methodist living: Do Good, Reduce Harm, and Love God. We embody Christian community through worship, small groups, keynote speakers, prayer stations, and traditional camp fun! Click here for Summer Camp dates at Cedar Glen, Lazy W, and Wrightwood.
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SMALL GROUPS
At Westwood UMC, we strive to create a culture of belonging, and our small groups are one of the primary ways we create that culture. Whether you are longtime member or a recent visitor and whether you worship in The Sanctuary or in The Loft, you are invited and encouraged to join a small group as way to deepen your connection to our community. If you are interested in joining a group, contact Westley Garcia at westley@theloftla.org.

Culver City Group – 1st and 3rd Sundays
Westwood Group – 2nd and 4th Thursdays
Young Adult Group – 1st and 3rd Monday
Men’s Group – 3rd Wednesdays
Mom’s Group – Sundays
LGBT+ Group – 2nd and 4th Sundays
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PATH BREAKFAST MINISTRY
Saturday, April 27th at PATH West LA (4th Saturday of Each Month)
We prepare and serve breakfast at PATH West LA (Cotner & Pico) to 30+ male veterans who live at this location. Arriving at 6am, part of the team shops at Smart & Final (directly across the street), and the other team members get things started in the kitchen. Menus is open to change, but often includes scrambled eggs, bacon, some baked bread (biscuits, cornbread), fruit salad, and donuts. Breakfast is served promptly at 7 am. (Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age.) Sign up by contacting Everest Harvey at everest@westwoodumc.org.
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PRAYERS FOR ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
Following the brutal escalation of violence and war in Israel and Palestine, we pray in compassion and grief for so much incomprehensible loss. We grieve with our siblings, holding prayer for those affected, and those presently in danger. We dare to pray for peace. You are also invited to contribute to humanitarian relief efforts through UMCOR, who continue to extend practical compassion throughout the region and around the world. Our Bishops in the UMC offer the following statement and invitation.
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WESTWOOD CHURCH VIDEO UPGRADE
Technology has transformed the way we are able to reach a community far beyond our local neighborhood and region, as we see in our services and meetings — and all activities here at Westwood. In order to most effectively share our church life with members and friends in all parts of the world, we are extending this critical request for your support: We invite you to please consider making a special and one-time contribution to Westwood UMC, enabling us to upgrade our tech and AV capabilities throughout the campus. Your gift will absolutely help strengthen our services, programs, and outreach. We hope to raise $65,000, to be matched with funds from our Trustees. We are grateful for all those who have already contributed, and invite others to consider a donation.
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MID-DAY PRAYER SERVICE
Tuesdays and Thursdays (12noon) via Facebook Live
We invite you to stop, take a deep breath, and join us for a few moments of centering scripture, reflection and prayer. Led from our beautiful sanctuary, Mid-Day Prayer is live at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Westwood Church Community Facebook Group. Or, you can pray with us whenever you are able, later in the day. If you’re new to this group, go to www.facebook.com/groups/westwood.umc and click on the “Join Group” button at the top of the page.
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SANCTUARY ALTAR FLOWERS
Ever thought about sponsoring the flowers on the altar? It’s a wonderful way to honor or remember a loved one, celebrate a special event or milestone, or just make the Sanctuary space more beautiful! Cost is $85. You can even partner with a friend, committee, or other church group to help defray the cost. For more info or to sign up for a specific Sunday, please con­tact Sabrina Simmons at 310.474.451 or sabrina@westwoodumc.org.
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EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE: GOOD SAMARITAN FUND
During this unusual time of pandemic, our Covid-19 Relief Fund has been able to provide needed assistance to fill unmet financial needs for congregation members and others in our community. Moving forward, this fund is now able to provide assistance where needed, not only related to the Covid pandemic. So, we are renaming the fund as our Good Samaritan Fund. We will continue to use it to assist with unforeseen circumstances and needs. To that end, we want to encourage you to donate to the fund as you are able. Every recipient has been deeply appreciative of the assistance we have been able to provide. We invite you to make donations to the church marked “Good Samaritan Fund” so that we can continue to meet needs as they surface. If you find yourself needing assistance during this time, please let us know by reaching out to Pastor Molly Vetter at molly@westwoodumc.org or Rev. Dr. Carter at christopher@theloftla.org. This invitation extends to your communities as well—if you know of anyone in need, we want to try and relieve that need as much as possible.
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COMMUNITY UPDATES
We invite you to share updates about yourself with our Westwood UMC community to be included in this weekly church eNews–to keep us connected in this time of physical separation. (Please send updates to sabrina@westwoodumc.org.)
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PRAYER LIST
If you would like to be added to our church prayer list, please let us know via this online form. (You can indicate whether you want your name shared here in the e-news or just with our pastors.)
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