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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A DISCUSSION ON CHURCH FINANCES
Sunday, January 19th (11am) Wesley Room and via Zoom
Join Jerry Whittemore for a presentation on the long, complex saga of church and clergy financing from the Bronze Age (Deuteronomy 16) to the 21st century.
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UPPER ROOM DISCIPLINES DEVOTIONAL AVAILABLE
We have copies of the 2025 Upper Room Disciplines available in the church office. This devotional offers daily readings and reflections. Unlike in previous years, for 2025 this devotional includes the whole year; pick one up in January and use it all year! We are happy to make them available to our congregation for no cost – as long as supplies last.
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“PARABLE OF THE SOWER” FIVE-WEEK READING GROUP
In Person Group – Tuesdays (11am) Carter Home
Online Group – Wednesdays (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 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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WILDFIRE UPDATES
We continue to pray for everyone impacted by the wind and fires in Southern California. As we near the weekend, we’d like to lift up the following for specific prayers:
- For congregation members who are currently evacuated from their homes. We are aware of a few church families who have lost their homes, as well as extended family of our church members who have lost homes. Please hold them in your prayers. To our knowledge, they all have a place to stay in the present moment. We will be available for needs that arise in coming weeks and months. If you are aware of a need for assistance, please let us know. We have a list of people who have volunteered to offer short-term housing to others who are displaced.
- The buildings for two churches in our Conference, Altadena UMC and Community UMC of Pacific Palisades, were both lost to fires on Wednesday. We know that too many others in our congregations and communities have also lost their homes. Our prayers are with everyone as they grieve. God, please draw close to them.
MONETARY DONATIONS: Our UMC Conference has set up a special fund – the Los Angeles Fires Recovery Fund – where you can contribute directly towards relief and recovery from the effects of the winds and firestorms this week. You are welcome to contribute through Westwood UMC (mark your donation “LA Fires”) or give directly at www.calpacumc.org/donate.
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We celebrate that we have already received over $12,000 that we are forwarding on to the Los Angeles Fires Recovery Fund from your donations through the church.
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OUR CHURCH is exploring ways that we can use our building to offer needed space to others. We look forward to share more details in coming days.
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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, January 25th 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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