Church News (Page 2)
Sermon Note: The Gospel Truth
Introduction As we continue our worship series Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith, we turn to a question that underscores a lot of other questions: How do we approach the Bible? For some, scripture has been a source of comfort and clarity. For others, it has felt confusing, internally conflicted, or even used to keep score. And when that happens, it can be hard to know what to do with the Bible. This week we are exploring our sacred text critically…
February and March Book Talk Info
For our February 4 meeting, we welcome back Dr. Diane Schneider, who will present a very popular bestseller, The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans. In this wonderful “epistolary novel” (one told through letters), the main character, a spiky retired attorney, reveals her life, conflicts, heartaches and discoveries through the letters she writes to everyone she knows – and many she doesn’t! This book has been a big hit with book clubs. On March, Cindy Rushing will present the novel The Librarianist, by Patrick DeWitt. In…
Sermon Note: Doubt and the Existence of God
Introduction As we begin this five-week series based on Adam Hamilton’s book Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith, we start with the question that grounds all the others: Does God exist? Most of us have carried this question at some point—when prayers seem unanswered, when tragedy strikes, when the world feels too broken. This series empowers us to bring our hard questions out into the open and to wrestle honestly with what we believe and why. This week, we explore the…
La Jolla UMC Joins Pacific Beach UMC for Interfaith Shelter January 17 – January 31
The Interfaith Shelter Network is now providing shelter for the unhoused at churches throughout San Diego County. We are part of the Beaches branch, and we will be supporting the shelter to be held at Pacific Beach UMC beginning January 17th. We will be signing up volunteers for the two-week program. These are the opportunities that will be available: Dinner Host — Prepare a dinner ready to be served by 6 pm. The dinner needsto feed the 12 guests and…
Sermon Note: The Journey to Bethlehem
Introduction As we continue our Advent series based on Adam Hamilton’s The Journey, we follow Mary and Joseph along the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem. What might sound like a simple line in the story—”they went… to Bethlehem”—was in reality a demanding trip over rugged terrain, taken late in pregnancy, under the pressure of an imperial decree. The journey is marked by weariness, risk, and uncertainty as they press forward under impossible conditions. By the time they arrive, there is…
Sermon Note: Mary’s Visit with Elizabeth
Introduction As we continue our Advent series based on Adam Hamilton’s The Journey, we follow Mary from Nazareth into the hill country of Judea. She arrives at Elizabeth’s home carrying both the weight and wonder of news she can barely comprehend. The distance she travels is more than geographical—it marks a search for understanding, safety, and a trusted family member who can help her sort through the challenges ahead. What happens in that household is immediate and joyful: Elizabeth responds…
2025 Alternative Christmas Giving
The Missions and Concerns Committee is providing an Alternative Christmas Giving opportunity again this year. By donating to these organizations, you can give an “alternative” Christmas gift to someone or you may just give because you want to support that effort. Your gifts will support some great causes that are a part of the mission of our church. Give Online You can contribute online using the button below. Use the Mission Projects section to indicate your donation(s). Give by Mail You may also…
Sermon Note: Disappointment, Doubt, and a Dream
Introduction As we continue our Advent series based on Adam Hamilton’s The Journey, we turn from Nazareth to a moment of personal crisis for Joseph. His world has been quietly unraveling—an engagement upended, a future he had planned suddenly uncertain, and a choice thrust upon him that carries tangible cost. This week’s Gospel passage gives us a picture of someone trying to do the right thing with limited information, guided only by his character and compassion. Into this mix of…
Sermon Note: The Annunciation
Introduction As we begin our Advent series based on Adam Hamilton’s book The Journey, we start with a story set in an overlooked village in Galilee. Nazareth is not a town with status or influence, yet this is where God’s messenger steps into an ordinary day with news that changes Mary’s world forever. The moment is both unexpected and intimate. Mary asks practical questions, faces a future she doesn’t fully grasp, and then responds with openness and courage to God’s…
Sermon Note: Anticipation
Introduction This Sunday we conclude The Days are Surely Coming with Week Three: Anticipation. Jeremiah points toward a promised shepherd-king who will lead with wisdom, gather the scattered, and make daily life secure. This is anticipation with substance—rooted in God’s commitment to justice and the care of people who have been harmed by poor leadership. It honors the ache of the present and leans into God’s promised future, trusting that righteousness belongs in public life as much as in prayer.…
Christian Community Service Association Christmas Baskets
The Community Christian Service Agency (CCSA) is collecting Christmas food baskets to be provided to families in need. This is an opportunity for families or groups at La Jolla UMC to provide support for a family during the Christmas season. Information about the program can be downloaded from this link:https://www.ccsasandiego.org/christmas-gift-basket Each food basket may be as festive as you decide, but it should be filled with non-perishable foods and a $50 gift card ($75 for larger families) from Target or…
Sermon Note: Celebration
Introduction This Sunday we continue our series, The Days are Surely Coming with Celebration. In our reading this week, Isaiah sketches joy that is more than a mood: it is a community where tears are quieted, houses are built and lived in, gardens feed their planters, children start strong, and elders finish well. This is celebration that carries significance—tied to workbenches and dinner tables, neighborhoods and long-term commitments. It is celebration that acknowledges pain, and trusts that God is bringing…