Dear friends in Christ,

The Separation of Church and State is inviolable. If we want evidence, we have to look no further than Jesus’ arrest and execution. It is critical to understand Jesus’ insistence that he did not want political power. This consistent assertion still rings true today when we look at our current political and religious climate. As we are striving to build a compassionate and just response to the egregious attacks on human rights in our cities and government right now, Jesus’ words and example give a powerful example for how and why to balance power that has become corrupted.

Membership Class: This Saturday, February 7 we are hosting a Membership Class from 10 AM to 2 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Please let Pastor Tracy know that you’re coming before Saturday so that we can arrange for lunch for everyone. Call or text: 323-793-9059.

Coffee Hour Sign-ups: Thank you to everyone last Sunday who signed up to host Coffee Hour on an upcoming Sunday. We appreciate you!

Superbowl Sunday: In honor of Superbowl Sunday, we will be honoring the tradition of singing our special Superbowl song (with accompanying dance moves.) You won’t want to miss it!

Bible Study: Before church we will gather for Bible Study in the Fellowship Hall at 9 AM. We are diving into the book of Revelation and will delve into the passage about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Snacks will be provided!

2/8/2026 – Sack Lunch Assembly Postponed: Because the youth were unable to go shopping last week, and in light of the Superbowl this afternoon, we will not be assembling Sack Lunches after worship on Sunday, February 8. We are rescheduling our Sack Lunch Shopping Trip for March 1 and our Sack Lunch Assembly for Sunday, March 8.

We will look forward to seeing you there!

Many blessings,

Pastor Tracy

SAVE THE DATE

Friday, February 13 – our local chapter of Dare to Struggle is helping to coordinate the national walkout in protest of ICE policies and tactics. Find more information here.

We will gather for our annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday, February 22 immediately following worship. At this meeting our Treasurer will present the budget, Pastor Tracy will give a State of the Church Address, and we will confirm our new Council Member for 2026. We will also be discussing our goals for 2026 and beyond, as a key culmination of our discussions over these next few weeks. On 2/1, our Council Secretary Jenni Nichols asked the congregation to identify 1-5 words about what church means to them, and write those words on a paper in the Fellowship Hall. We will be continuing this brainstorming and visioning exercise over the next few weeks preceding the Congregational Meeting.

Forum Against Repression on 2/28/2026. Our local chapter of Dare to Struggle is hosting a Forum on how to fight repression. Find more information here.