Dear friends in Christ,
In scripture, we frequently see the metaphor of the Good Shepherd. This motif spans
both Testaments and tells us a lot about the Kin-dom of Heaven, the nature of God, and
the role of Jesus in the world and in our lives. Jesus tells his disciples not only that he is
the gate to the Realm of Heaven, but that He is the only way. Often misinterpreted, this
message – and where and how it is relayed to Jesus’ disciples, is the cornerstone of our
faith and the bedrock of our discipleship in Jesus. It is one of the clearest messages we
have about the promise of abundant life – not in the afterlife – but right here, right now.
Please join us this Sunday as we learn more about what Christianity is and what Jesus
promises us.
I’d like to give a special thank you to Rev. Howard Fauntroy and minister Rodney
Chadderton for preaching in my absence.
After worship, we will begin Bible Study in the Fellowship Hall where we launch into our
new series on the Clobber Texts, but also the Affirming Texts. This Sunday after worship
we will talk about the authority of scripture – what that means, why we believe it, and
where there might be room for interpretation.

We will look forward to seeing you there!
Many blessings,
Pastor Tracy

SAVE THE DATE
Sunday, May 3 – Special Guest Preacher Rev. Teogenes Tawagon will join us as Pastor
Tracy preaches at Church of the Foothills in Sylmar. This is part of the Pacific Asian
American Ministries (PAAM) of the United Church of Christ annual Pulpit Swap to foster
more fellowship and understanding amongst our churches from many cultures.
Sunday, May 3 – After worship, the youth will shop for our Sack Lunch Program.
Saturday, May 9 – Knitting Ministry
Sunday, May 10 – Mother’s Day
Saturday, May 16 – 10 to Noon in the Fellowship Hall – Trans Support Group

Sunday, May 17 – We will assemble Sack Lunches in the Fellowship Hall immediately
following worship. Our youth have made a goal of 1500 sack lunches for 2026 and we
are now at 557. We need all hands on deck to help us get there!