FEB2019. The Magazine of Glendale City Church E. California Ave., Glendale, CA intersections

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1 FEB E. California Ave., Glendale, CA intersections The Magazine of Glendale City Church

2 Revealing Christ, Affirming All Welcome At City Church, our mission is to reveal the love of Christ in all its tenderness and grandeur to the community in which we live. We desire to embrace the wonder of humanity in its complexity, diversity, and beauty and to do so without precondition. In short, we yearn to reveal the splendor of Christ and to affirm the worth of all people. Finding God at the Intersection of Our Lives Glendale City Church welcomes people of all backgrounds into our church community. We do not discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, race, culture, wealth, education, or religious background. If you are learning to love God and others, you belong here. God excludes no one. Neither do we. PROUD TO BE AN ADVENTIST PEACE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH adventistpeace.org Glendale City is a Christian church affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. Our congregation was one of the first Adventist churches established in this part of Southern California. While we continue to partner with this denomination, we are in a posture of protest against the unjust actions taken by our General Conference that attempt to undermine the contextualized work of the Adventist churches and centers of education in the Western United States. We are in solidarity with the actions of our Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists that: Ordain both women and men as clergy Protect the right of Adventist centers of education to teach current science to its students while honoring God as Creator Stand with congregations that welcome and include our LGBTQ loved ones in their faith communities Intersections is a monthly publication of the Glendale City Church of Seventh-day Adventists Editors Leif Lind, Todd Leonard Designer Javier Gutiérrez Layout Victoria Lucero Feb 2019

3 intersections The Magazine of Glendale City Church Pastor s Corner Todd Leonard 4 Musical Concerts 8 Personal Growth Marketplace 6 Featured Article by Mike Kim 7 Financial Update 10 City Kids & Open Door 12 Church Directory & Facility Map Pastor Todd s sermon series for January 26, February 9 &16. Podcast audio sermons: Glendale City Church Glendale City Channel Download our APP for FREE

4 P A S T O R S C O R N E R In December and January, I received invitations to be a guest speaker at two local Adventist churches. Both pastors wanted me to share my journey with depression. These pastors know that depression, anxiety, and other forms of mental illness are sources of embarrassment and isolation for their members. Christians don t get depressed, some people say. Or, If you just pray harder, God will deliver you from your anxiety. To these pastors credit, they know that you don t pray away depression, let alone bipolar or schizophrenic disorders. It was important to them to help their churches shine a loving light on mental illness so that those who suffer will be encouraged to seek treatment and those who don t suffer can be agents of restoring dignity and respect to all. We don t shame people who need heart surgery or get diagnosed with breast cancer. And there s no shame in having mental illness. The brain is part of the body, too. After I spoke at each congregation, we had dialogue sessions in the afternoon. During those sessions many members shared their own journeys with mental illness. They were so grateful to finally be open and honest about their struggles and not fear being spiritually-shamed in response. Ironically, within the invitation to authentically address the stigma of mental illness in these presentations, I was also asked by these congregations leaders to hide a different part of who I am: the name of the congregation that I serve as pastor. One of the pastors told me that if word of where I worked got to certain members of their congregation, they would disrupt the worship service and undermine the purpose of my visit. So during my visit to these churches, when people asked me where I was pastor, I said things like, In Glendale or I moved to California because the Vallejo Drive Church hired me as an associate pastor. Something similar happened five years ago when I was invited to be one of the speakers at an Adventist young adult weekend teaching on how to prepare relevant and thought-provoking small group bible studies for millennials. Fifteen minutes before I was scheduled to present, the event organizer pulled me aside to tell me that he couldn t let me speak because the leaders of one of the conferences in attendance found out what church I pastored and they would instruct their attendees to walk out of the session so they would not be exposed to my heretical ideas. If you ve been part of Glendale City Church for a while, you re probably not surprised by these stories. If you re newer to our congregation, you might be bewildered by this news. You probably come here because you love the music, crave your group study and discussion, resonate with one or more of the preachers, or because your children can t miss City Kids worship; and, at some deeper level, you know that being here on Saturday morning is an important part of keeping you open and aware to God s presence, experiencing the love of Christ, and re-centering yourself to the work of the Spirit in your life. So how is it that people who don t attend Glendale City s worship believe that our church is such an awful place? It s because they are appalled that we don t participate in the act of shaming certain people in which most other Adventist churches engage. Because we don t shame these people, our opponents think we should be intersections 4 Have You No Shame? By Todd Leonard ashamed of ourselves and the Adventist denomination should be ashamed of us. A couple years ago, a visitor from another local Adventist congregation attended our worship service. After attending a dynamic study and then being inspired by the music and a sermon from Anthony Paschal, one of our previous associates, she was confused. She pulled Anthony aside and started asking him questions about the church. Then she found me and started asking me questions. Her consternation at the paradox of the horrible report she had heard about Glendale City Church and the meaningful worship she experienced here left her wondering if she had come to the wrong place. This couldn t be the church that everyone said was so horrible. For decades, Glendale City Church has been the place that accepted those who were shamed by other Adventist churches. We ve been the place for singles, divorcees, second marriages, the Adventist married to a non-adventist, a person of one race married to a person of another race. We ve been the place where you would be accepted as an orthodox Adventist even if you had questions and disagreements with Adventist orthodoxy. We ve been the place that welcomed women in all levels of leadership deacon, elder, committee and board chairperson, and pastor before other congregations were ready to do so. But the unpardonable sin in the eyes of some other Adventists is that our church also deeply values the presence, ministry contributions, and leadership of those who identify as gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and queer. We have

5 when they were quietly removed from the choir or the children s ministry team. There was a lot of whispering among church members about them, but very little talking directly with them. Then after all the silence, a spokesperson often gets delegated to finally break the silence with the lesbian or bisexual member to inform them that the church board would be meeting soon to disfellowship them. That s why those who disapprove of Glendale City Church are frustrated with us. We re not silent. We don t hem and haw when someone asks us why we are inclusive. We re clear: we love our LGBTQ family! It s that simple. That s dangerous to the status quo that prefers the shadows of theological moralizing and backhanded shaming. I ve never been asked by Adventists to speak about creating open and affirming churches. And that probably won t happen anytime soon. When I m asked to speak, it s on unrelated topics. Yet, because of the church where I serve, people are worried I won t play by the rules of silent shaming. I ve been counseled or canceled because gasp I might talk about my LGBTQ friends as redeemed human beings. Glendale City is one of only half a dozen Adventist churches in the world that publicly states that we fully include our LGBTQ brothers and sisters in our faith community. I am longing for the day when it s no big deal that gay men are actively ministering as part of an Adventist church. Until then, we have a mission to be God s peculiar people, a remnant proclaiming God s last-day message of love and salvation for all. discovered that LGBTQ Adventists are just like the rest of us a mix of light and dark, brilliance and ignorance, comedy and tragedy, love and hate, humility and pride in other words: people made in the image of God and marred by sin. Our LGBTQ church family members are human, and therefore, have as much right to be in this congregation as anyone else. And our church is stronger and healthier because they belong here as much as anyone else. The closetings that I ve experienced recently as the pastor of a shameless congregation has reminded me of why what we do here matters. I m not suffering in any major way from having to hide who I am. But these moments remind me that tens of thousands of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters have been traumatized, some to the point of taking their own lives, because of the shaming they experienced in their Adventist congregation or school. What did that shaming look like? It wasn t a Westboro Baptistlike picket line protesting their presence at church. Sometimes, it was the offhand comments and jokes that made it clear that there s nothing worse than being gay. At times, it was the pastor preaching a sermon on one of those biblical passages on sexual immorality where, in his fervor, goes overboard in condemning the abomination and perversion of same-sex attraction. But, most of the time, it was the utter, breathtaking silence. The real shaming that took place was that no one in the church spoke up for the gay teen or transgender woman. No one invited them to lunch to listen and learn. No one advocated for them I know that there are times when those of us who are straight and cis-gendered get tired of wearing these scarlet letters on our chest when people learn what church we attend. There s so much more to our congregation than just the fact that LGBTQ people are part of the family. But the only thing that other Adventists care about is our letters. And sometimes, we feel ashamed. May I gently remind you that there was no greater shame for a Roman citizen than being crucified naked on a cross. Yet, because Jesus was willing to go to the grave for you and me, the wounds in his hands, feet and side and the scars on his back and scalp have been transformed from wounds of shame into glorious adornment because Jesus was willing to suffer shame so we would never feel shame again. Let s keep working on removing shame from our personal and congregational practices. Let s make sure that those of us with mental illness know that they are family. Let s go out of our way to love our members with physical and mental disabilities and cheer on their parents and family members. Let s make sure that those of us who were outcasts in previous congregations for our progressive theology and politics don t turn around and shame those of us who cherish more conservative views. Let s be supportive of our members whether they choose celibacy or monogamous marriage. Let s make sure that as a historically upper middle-class and collegeeducated congregation that we don t turn up our noses towards our blue-collar members. And let us always show generous welcome to our family members who are homeless who reveal Jesus as much as anyone else. No silence. No shaming. No embarrassment. Let s keep bringing each other into the light of love and removing the dark corners of shame from our families, our church and our world. Have you no shame? I hope so. I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith. Romans intersections

6 P E R S O N A L G R O W T H M A R K E T P L A C E This month at Personal Growth Marketplace Find groups and seminars that help you strengthen your spirituality, your health and your family. Gatherings take place on Saturdays from 9:30-10:30 a.m. unless otherwise noted. Traditional Sabbath School Quarterly The Book of Revelation English Language Study - Chapel Armenian Language Study - Room 11 Grace Center Fellowship Hall, North Side The Living Project Classroom 4 A space where you can learn from other people s stories and they can learn from your story. This is a safe and open group that values authentic sharing. Current Book Study: Religious Literacy" intersections Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know and Doesn t by Stephen Prothero. In the USA probably the most religious Western country half of its people can only name one of the four gospels, and most cannot name the first book of the Bible! Such ignorance creates human targets too easily swayed by demagogues on the left or the right. And the author maintains that, despite belief to the contrary, it was not secularists who enabled this illiteracy. In one of the great ironies of American religious history, Prothero writes, it was the nation s most fervent people of faith who steered us down the road to religious illiteracy. Just how that happened is one of the stories this book has to tell. A fascinating and important book today, including a page dictionary of religious terms. Come and join the discussion with Pastor Leif! 6 Seniors Academy February 16 Fellowship Hall, North, 12:30p Come for lunch and fellowship.

7 AN INTERVIEW WITH THE HOST OF OUR COURTYARD CAFE, MERIDYTH MACDONALD BY MIKE KIM Do you remember Meridyth MacDonald? She is the one you saw every week in the courtyard café the one that prepared breakfast for our church for over a year. She is the niece of Dr. Allan McDonald, one of our members at GCC. It was Allan s idea to have the Courtyard Café and he also volunteered to fund it and do the work every week. Knowing that, you might want to give him some love next time you re enjoying the food. Anyway, he asked Meridyth to help and that is why we saw her every week. We don t see her anymore because she has taken on a job to feed the homeless on Saturdays at a church in LA. While Meridyth was with us, I had the privilege of hearing some of the amazing stories of her life. One time, my family (including my children) was spellbound as we listened to her experience at an orphanage in Mozambique. Catching an illness brought her back home, but I don t think her life here in the States has been any less remarkable. Lunch Bunch is something Meridyth started that is amazing to me, so I thought I would ask her a few questions about it and share it with you. Mike: What is Lunch Bunch and how did you get started with it? Meridyth: It s a program; not a non-profit. So what I do is I provide weekly meals, resource information, toiletries, and clothing to the homeless of Los Angeles. I focus on Sunland and Sun Valley. My friend and I started it in It s been going for 10 years now. We both had been feeding the homeless separately on a smaller scale up to that point as our personal finances allowed and in 2009 we decided to do it together. Mike: Why aren t you a non-profit? Meridyth: Because there is so much freedom doing it this way. It costs me a lot me more and it costs my donors more because they don t get tax deductions. But I save a lot of time and headaches bypassing all the paperwork and politicking that go with having a board, etc. I have my own insurance. I test the food first before I serve it. I also try to consider the homeless with a different digestive system when I make the food. Mike: Why did you start doing this, because you are not hired by any organization right? Meridyth: Right. Not for Lunch Bunch. When I started 10 years ago, I worked full time as a photographer. And sometimes people and friends that knew what we were doing would help out by matching dollar for dollar or helping to make sandwiches because they knew this was all out of pocket. There is a lot of places that provide food for the homeless. What I try to do is to find people who are not so mobile or those that don t know about the resources available. It is very overwhelming to become homeless for the first time and not know where the closest thing is. I seek them out and give them food and I try to let them know what s out there and how to they can sign up or apply for these services. Mike: Is it the same people you serve every time? Meridyth: No. People change all the time. They get arrested. They get picked up and dropped off in different locations, especially after going to the hospital. Another reason people go missing is all the real estate development and gentrification. The homeless are pushed out of their areas and have to move elsewhere and I don t know where they went, which is hard because it takes a lot time and effort to gain their trust. Mike: How often are you out there with the homeless? Meridyth: It varies depending on what donations I have in a given week, items, food or money wise. Once a week for sure but up to 4 or 5 times a week depending on the resources that came in. In 2018 I made 3300 meals. My goal for 2019 is 3500 meals. I am doing Lunch Bunch alone now. Mike: What are some challenges of Lunch Bunch? Meridyth: I really feel bad to see people suffer and disrespected. And respect is the reason I don t take photos of the homeless, even though I am a photographer. I think that is a sensitive thing for the homeless. And it takes a lot of work to develop relationships with them. Sometimes they yell at me but I don t take it personally because life is hard for them and they are often very angry especially after an encounter with the police or with each other. I ve had food thrown at my car but I keep going back because they ve been shot at and had their food poisoned. They ve been told mean things and not treated like humans. So when you pull up with a smile and hand them something, they don t know if they should trust you or not. Not allowing photos has been in issue with some people working with me. But I feel strongly about it. Mike: What would you like to say to people if you had their undivided attention concerning the hungry and the homeless? Meridyth: I don t know. I think people are generally very good and kind. If they don t come across that way, there is a good reason for that they are in the middle of something really difficult or just having a bad day. I just want to thank them for all the love and help through donations and time. To donate, please visit org or contact info@lunchbunch.org. Matthew 25: Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. 7 intersections

8 Music at City Church Second Saturday Concert Saturday, February 9, 5 p.m. Featuring composers Haydn, Debussy, and Franck Warren Hagerty, cellist Micah Wright, clarenet Rosa Li, piano Relax During Your Lunch Hour With Live Music GLENDALE NOON CONCERTS Every 1st & 3rd Wed 12:10--12:40p.m. FREE ADMISSION intersections 8 6 FEB Oboe Recital CATHERINE DEL RUSSO with MARK ROBSON - piano 20 FEB Violin Recital JOHANA KREJCI - violin BRENDAN WHITE - piano glendalenoonconcerts.blogspot.com

9 Prayers and Squares Quilting Ministry Every Wednesday from 11-3pm, in the basement of City Church, the members of the Prayers and Squares Quilting Ministry meet. The art of quilting has a long history, probably one you are familiar with personally, through a quilt that has been passed down generation to generation. A blanket as such is a symbol of comfort and care. If you do not know, our Prayers and Squares Quilting Ministry provides blankets to those who may be sick, suffering, or in need. The members of the ministry make them, then the City Church congregation is invited to pray over the quilt, and tie a knot on the quilt which represents the prayers that have been said for the recipient. The quilt is then hand-delivered (whenever possible). This past November, Thousand Oaks as a community went through some trying times: first with the Borderline Grill Shooting on November 7, and then, the next day, the outbreak of the Woolsey Fire which lead to evacuations over the course of the following week. Salem Lutheran Church in Glendale made a call to its community, which City Church heard through its connection with Communitas, asking for quilts to send to the students at California Lutheran University (CLU) for "love and comfort after the shooting and fires." Our Quilting Ministry provided 30 blankets to CLU as an expression of our love, prayer, and support. We recently received a thank you letter to City Church and the ministry: 9 intersections

10 E V E N T S Get connected While having people attend one of our worships is wonderful, we want Glendale City Church to be more than just the place you visit on Saturday. We want this to be Your Church. This is why we strive to provide you with different morning choices at Personal Growth Marketplace. Additionally, there are many other Saturday afternoon events, and mid-week events that occur. Another great way to meet people is by getting involved in one of our ministries. Joining our greeter team, helping the deacons take care of odds-and-ends around campus, working with our homeless ministries team and assisting our children s staff are great ways to make new friends. You have many chances to be a part of this Church Family. intersections 2 FEB 9 FEB 16 FEB 10 Morning Worship with Alan Reinach, Religious Liberty Director, Pacific Union Conference 9:00 a.m. Courtyard Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Personal Growth Market Place Classes 11 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary Morning Worship with Todd Leonard 9:00 a.m. Courtyard Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Personal Growth Market Place Classes 11 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary 12:30 p.m. Seniors Academy Luncheon 5:00 p.m. Second Saturday Series Concert, Sanctuary Morning Worship with Todd Leonard 9:00 a.m. Courtyard Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Personal Growth Market Place Classes 11 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary 6:30 p.m. Courtyard Campfire Alan J. Reinach is Executive Director of the Church State Council, the religious liberty educational and advocacy arm of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, representing five western states: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. He is a member of the New York and California Bars. His legal practice emphasizes First Amendment religious freedom cases, and religious accommodation cases under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related state civil rights laws. He is in demand as a lecturer on First Amendment and religious discrimination issues. Reinach is also a Seventh-day Adventist minister who speaks regularly on religious freedom topics, and is the host of a nationally syndicated weekly radio broadcast, Freedom s Ring, devoted to religious liberty issues. He is the principal author and editor of Politics & Prophecy: the Battle for Religious Liberty and the Authentic Gospel. Prior to coming to the Church State Council in 1994, Reinach practiced law in White Plains, New York and in New York City. Reinach is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill School of Law in 1987, and of the State University of New York at New Paltz, with special honors in history, in 1984.

11 February 23, 2019 HOMECOMING G L E N D A L E C I T Y C H U R C H 23 FEB Homecoming Service with Michael Quishenberry 9:00 a.m. Courtyard Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Personal Growth Market Place Classes 9:30 a.m. Heritage Room Open 11 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary 12 p.m. Potluck, Fellowship Hall MAR 2 Morning Worship with Herb Montgomery 9:00 a.m. Courtyard Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Personal Growth Market Place Classes 11 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. Afternoon Sessions, Chapel 11 intersections

12 C I T Y K I D S CITY KIDS Providing safe places for children to learn about God, develop their faith, and learn how to love is one of our highest priorities. Our staff and volunteers are committed to your child s safety and have all undergone background checks. All our gatherings for youth are grace places, emphasizing God s love for us and our call to graciously love others no matter who they are or where they are from. Breakfast & Fellowship 9 a.m. 10:30 a.m., Courtyard Arrive early and help yourself to a light breakfast and beverage in the courtyard before worship service! You may also meet new people! Marketplace Childcare 9 a.m. 10:30 a.m., Classroom 2 Now parents can attend a personal growth marketplace class while your kids have a fun, safe place just for them! City Kids Worship 11:00-12:15 p.m., City Kids Worship now kicks off at 11:00 a.m. in the lower level Multipurpose Room. Parents can check in their children beginning at 10:45 a.m. At 11:00, your kids will engage with Pastor Mike and the City Kids Team in song and story. At 11:15, they ll break out into different age-appropriate worship options with their friends: Newborn to 3 years Room 2 (parents must be present) 4 to 7 years Room 1 8 to 10 years Room 3 11 to 13 years Room 4 Parents can pick up their children at their designated classroom as soon as adult worship concludes (12:15 p.m.). intersections Courtyard C a m p fi r e 12 February 16, 6:30 PM Bring your family to the church courtyard for a fun evening of campfire songs, s mores and fun and games for all ages!

13 Join us for worship each Saturday at 11:00 a.m. in the Open Door Cafe & Lounge 16 FEB Open Door is a community of high school students seeking to connect teens in positive relationships. Each week we guide them to a deepening experience with God and provide opportunities to love and care for others. February 16 Bowling Night See Mike Kim or Lemar Sandiford for details 13 intersections

14 C H U R C H F I N A N C I A L Church Finances Snapshot Tithe Jan - Dec 2018 Rec'd 409, 753 Goal 440, 784 Diff (31, 031) City Church Budget Jan - Dec 2018 Rec'd 479, 121 Needed 498, 573 Diff (19, 452) Church Officers Head Elder & Church Board Chair John Nielsen ( ) Head Elder Mike Quishenberry ( ) Head Deacon Ronald Matusea ( ) Head Deacon Jerry Wahagheghe ( ) Choir Director Clarissa Shan-Lewis ( ) Organist Kemp Smeal ( ) Assistant Organist Taylor Ruhl ( ) Secretary Victoria Lucero (glendalesda@gmail.com) Treasurer Dean Vendouris ( , office) Church Clerk Mindi Rüb (mindilus@mac.com) Children s Ministries Anji Arm ( ) Audio Visual Kris Wahagheghe (kris.sn.wahagheghe@gmail.com) A+ School Board Chair Glen Christensen (plbboss@aol.com) A+ School Director Malisa Smith ( ) Facilities Administrator Wayne Libby ( ) C H U R C H D I R E C T O R Y Pastoral Staff Todd Leonard, Senior ( , office) Mike Kim, Associate ( ) Leif Lind, Church Administration ( ) Rudy Torres, Emeritus ( ) Smuts van Rooyen, Emeritus Johnny Ramirez-Johnson, Ministry & Outreach ( ) Lemar Sandiford, Youth ( ) Vigen Khachatryan, Armenian ( ) Dorin Lataeanu, Romanian ( )

15 FACILITIES MAP M A I N L E V E L L O W E R L E V E L Transit Info Metro Local 90, 91 and Glendale Beeline 3, 31, 32: stop at Glendale Ave. and California Ave. Walk one block west on California Metro Express 780, 180, 181 and Glendale Beeline 4, 11: stop at corner of Broadway and Glendale Ave. Walk one block west on Broadway and two blocks north on Isabel St. 15 intersections

16 Glendale City Church 610 East California Avenue Glendale, CA PRESORT STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PASADENA, CA PERMIT # E. California Ave., Glendale, CA