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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GRATITUDE TO PASTOR DIANA
We invite you to join us in celebrating Pastor Diana’s leadership at our church, giving thanks for these five years when she has served as our Children and Family Minister. Her final Sunday in this role will be December 29th, and we will have cake to celebrate her that day. We also invite anyone in the church to write a note of thanks to Diana, which will be collected into a scrapbook for her. We encourage you to write on any flat piece of paper that’s smaller than 12″x12″ and bring your note to the church office. We also invite you to contribute to a Love Gift for Diana.
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‘TIS THE SEASON FOR COOKIES, COCOA & CIDER!
You’re invited to bring homemade or store bought festive Christmas cookies and treats to share during our fellowship times after the Christmas Pageant this Sunday, December 22nd. The church will be providing hot cocoa and cider with all the fixings. It’s a fun, tasty way to celebrate the season! RSVP to [email protected] and let us know what you’re bringing!
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SCATTERED FOR SERVICE: FAIR TRADE & ALTERNATIVE GIFTS
Sundays, December 22nd (Before & After Worship) Wesley Room
Scattered for Service is an opportunity to “pay it forward” while shopping for friends and family this holiday season. Give Alternative Gifts this year – make a donation to one of the non-profits in lieu of a purchased gift. Our online Alternative Gifts market is open through Christmas Day (and is a great, stress-free way to finish any last minute shopping!)
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CHRISTMAS PAGEANT SUNDAY
Sunday, December 22nd (10am) The Sanctuary and via YouTube Livestream
Celebrate Christmas in joyful worship as the children retell this sacred story. With music from our young people, and on our Sanctuary organ, we invite you to celebrate this holy day in our beautiful sanctuary. With a message from Pastor Molly Vetter, everyone is welcome to this meaningful celebration. You are welcome to worship with us in person or on YouTube Livestream.
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CONTEMPLATIVE CHRISTMAS SOUND BATH
Sunday, December 22nd (5pm) The Sanctuary
On one of the longest nights of the year, join us for a contemplative experience that offers an evening prayer liturgy brought to life with a healing sound bath. Led by sound healer Ruth Sie and Pastor Molly Vetter, this experience brings gifts of a meditative sound bath into the sacred beauty of our sanctuary. Please wear comfortable clothes; you are welcome to sit or lie in our pews or bring a mat to lie on the floor.
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CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP
Tuesday, December 24th
5pm – Family Candlelight Worship featuring our Chancel Choir
Join us in The Sanctuary as we experience the joy and mystery of Christmas and share the good news of Christ’s birth through music, scripture, prayer, preaching and candlelight. Featuring music from our Sanctuary musicians, you are invited to sing beloved carols with us, and hold candlelight as we sing “Silent Night” together.
11pm – Candlelight Worship with Communion featuring Loft Musicians
Join us in The Loft as we experience the holy mystery of Christmas and celebrate Christ’s birth with music, scripture, prayer, preaching, communion, and candlelight. Featuring music from our Loft musicians, you are invited to sing beloved carols with us, share communion at our open table, and hold candlelight as we sing “Silent Night” together.
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FOUND FAMILY TEA PARTY
Sunday, December 22nd (4-4:45pm) Wesley Room
Join us for some tea and cookies before the Sound Bath in the Sanctuary at 5pm. This is an amazing sensory experience, and it’s a good chance for all of us to gather before going together. Invite your Found Family buddy or just come to mingle!
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DON WE NOW OUR GAY APPAREL PARTY
Tuesday, December 24th (9-11pm) Grapple Room
Stop by and watch a Christmas movie, play some games, eat some food, drink some cider, and have a Gay Old Time! Or a Gay Young Time (since it’s queer group and young adult group). We would love to see you there and celebrate the holiday. Fun sweaters are encouraged but not required!
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“PARABLE OF THE SOWER” FIVE-WEEK READING GROUP
In Person Group – starts Tuesday, January 7th (11am) Carter Home
Online Group – starts Wednesday, January 8th (7:30pm) via Zoom
In 1993, Octavia Butler wrote Parable of The Sower, a novel set in 2024 Los Angeles that, in many ways, predicted the current state of our national politics and our environmental crisis. Parable of the Sower won multiple awards and in 2021 was recognized as one of the top 125 Science Fiction novels of the last 125 years by the New York Times. If you are interested in participating, please email Rev. Dr. Carter at [email protected].
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JOIN THE WINTER CHOIR!
Sundays, January 12th & 19th
9am – Practice in The Sanctuary
9:30am – Sing in the Worship Gathering
Do you like to sing? Don’t read music? That’s okay! Join us in The Sanctuary to learn a simple anthem that we’ll sing in the 9:30am gathering that day. We don’t wear robes, and we sit in the church service as part of the congregation until the Offertory. Come one Sunday, or more! For more information, contact Andrew Schultz at [email protected].
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DISASTER RELIEF N THE UNITED STATES
Following a series of devastating hurricanes that have caused dramatic damage in the southeastern US, we invite you to make a special contribution to disaster relief through the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). United Methodists have already moved into action to provide needed emergency system to neighbors in need; UMCOR gives us a way to use our denominational connection as a practical tool for compassion and care. 100% of your gifts to UMCOR go to meet urgent needs in affected communities. You can give through Westwood UMC (mark you donation for UMCOR) or give directly online.
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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 [email protected].
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
Queer Group – 2nd and 4th Sundays
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PATH BREAKFAST MINISTRY
Saturday, November 23rd 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 [email protected].
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PRAYERS FOR PEACE
Amid unending violence in the Holy Land, we are bold to pray for peace. As people of compassion, we grieve with our siblings, holding prayer for those affected, and those presently in danger. We pray also for peace and compassion in our own nation, amid rising voices of destructive Christian nationalism. We invite you to read statements from our UMC Bishops regarding political extremism and a call for a ceasefire in Gaza. You are also invited to contribute to humanitarian relief efforts through UMCOR, who continue to extend practical compassion throughout the world.
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WESTWOOD CHURCH VIDEO UPGRADE
Though our project has been delayed because of staffing needs, we are still committed to moving forward toward installing an upgraded system for livestreaming and recording our worship. We are still grateful to receive additional donations, and invite you 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 [email protected].
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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 [email protected] or Rev. Dr. Carter at [email protected]. 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 [email protected].)
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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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