Live Stream Worship:
Facebook: Los Angeles First United Methodist Church
Twitter: Los Angeles First UMC (@lafirstumc)
YouTube: Los Angeles First United Methodist Church
Call to Worship - You are invited to light a candle in your home to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit
Color Esperanza - El Dorado
Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
Announcements:
Stewardship Campaign: Our goal is to raise $20,000/month for payroll, so that we can continue to employ all the people who are working tirelessly to bring the Good News to all who need to hear it. My prayer is that we can raise enough money to cover our church’s payroll over the next three months. This allows the congregation to use any money we have on hand to directly support our ministries.
We have converted our parsonage into a co-housing community, which now has 6 residents living safely and affordably together. We have been able to support people who might not have been able to find sustainable housing in the current market, and we can ensure that they will stay housed during the pandemic. It would be an additional hope to raise $3,000/month to support the utilities and expenses of the co-housing community.
Jubilee Fund: This fund is designated to helping reduce the burden of debt in our community. As we make our way through the pandemic, the economic pressures are going to be challenging. If you feel led, you can now donate through Venmo!
VENMO: You can find us here: https://venmo.com/LAFirstUMC
PAYPAL: https://paypal.me/LAFirstUMC
SQUARE: https://checkout.square.site/pay/be673aef7fcb424e98387016d184e57d
DISCIPLE BIBLE STUDY, Monday, March 1: Week 31, “Holy” - The Books of 1 & 2 Peter, Leviticus 11, 19; Isaiah 52-53, 55-56
Time: 5:30 - 7:00 PM PST
Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/598868178?pwd=U1B2YjZYWURDRXJXMStKajI3L1RWZz09
Monday, March 1 at 5:30, Week 31, “Holy,” - The Books of 1 & 2 Peter, Leviticus 11, 19; Isaiah 52-53, 55-56
Monday, March 8 at 5:30, Week 32, “Victory,” The Book of Revelation
Monday, March 15 at 5:30, Week 33, “Ministry,” The gifts of each disciple
Monday, March 22 at 5:30, Week 34, “Remember,” A Last Supper Together
Lenten Sermon Series: Color Esperanza
February 28: Lent II - Hope in Believing the Unbelievable
March 7: Lent III - Hope in Righteous Indignation
March 14: Lent IV - Hope in Forgiveness
March 21: Lent V - Hope in What is Forgotten
March 28: Palm Sunday - Jesus Christ Superstar
April 1: Maundy Thursday
April 2: Good Friday
April 4: Easter Sunday
April 11: Sabbath Sunday
Be a Part of The United Methodist Church Easter Virtual Choir!
Upload your video by 12:00 p.m. CST on Friday, March 5
2021 Lois Balsley Scholarship
The California-Pacific United Methodist Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2021 Lois Balsley Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded annually to college bound students within the Conference. Graduating high school seniors within the Cal-Pac Conference who plan to enroll in a two or four-year institution of higher learning in the Fall of 2021 are potentially eligible to apply. For this year only, the Grants Committee has relaxed the cumulative GPA requirement from 3.0 to 2.5, to give grace to students who may be adversely affected by the pandemic and virtual learning experience. Application is attached to this email. Call Nia Bailey at 626-568-7347 for more information.
United Methodist Higher Education Foundation Scholarships - Deadline March 1st
UMHEF offers several scholarship opportunities to United Methodist students attending or seeking to attend a United Methodist-related institution of higher education. Last year, UMHEF awarded more than $2.3 million to over 1,000 students. YOU can be one of those scholars!
General Board of Higher Education & Ministry Scholarships
The GBHEM scholarship application opens in January of each year. You can only submit one application per year where it will be screened for all possible eligible programs. You may indicate on the first page of the scholarship application which of the below listed programs you would most like to be considered for. Award amounts below are a general estimate of awards given. Scholarship programs are divided into three categories: General Scholarships, Racial-Ethnic Scholarships, and Ministry as a Career Scholarships.
Bishops call Special Session of General Conference, issue timeline forward
In response to the further postponement of the 2020 General Conference, the Council of Bishops (COB) is calling a Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church (UMC) to be convened online on May 8, 2021.
The decision to call the Special Session came in conjunction with the Commission on the General Conference’s announcement of a further postponement of the 2020 General Conference to August 2022. The General Conference had been previously postponed to August 2021 due the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now scheduled to take place August 29 to September 6, 2022, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Click here to read the Commission’s announcement.
Pet Food available to low income families and those facing financial hardship every Sunday at select LA Animal Shelters by appointment only. For more information visit: laanimalservices.com/petfoodpantry or call 213-264-8985 to set up your appointment!
VACCINE UPDATE:
Residents 65+ are eligible to be vaccinated starting Wednesday, January 20th. Book your appointments by visiting VaccinateLACounty.com. For additional assistance, call 833-540-0473 between 8:00 am and 8:30 pm.
Orange County residents and workers can register for a vaccination appointment at https://othena.com.
Vaccinations for seniors (and persons with disabilities):
One of the challenges of getting our most vulnerable citizens vaccine appointments is that the methodst to do so are heavily reliant on technology. To help bridge the gap, Margaret Irwin (assistant to Bishop Hagiya), has set up her own grassroots program to match seniors in need or without computers with volunteers willing to spend hours on the phone/online to book vaccination appointments. The demand is greater than the supply as we know but this is a temporary problem, but it will be for a few months.
If you are interested in helping Margaret sign people up for their vaccine appointments, you can send her an email to let her know.
If You have not already done so, please consider signing the Petition for Justice for Our Friend and Member Dr. Aysha Khoury:
Dr. Khoury found out this week that the Kaiser medical school has terminated her contract, and she needs our help to hold the administrators of this school responsible for this racially motivated firing.
Click Here to Contribute to the GoFundMe in her name:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-aysha-khoury
Guide to Black History Month Events in Los Angeles:
https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/things-to-do/black-history-month-events-in-los-angeles
COVID-19 Testing
Updated for 1/2/21: The LA City Mobile Testing Group is bringing COVID-19 testing to communities throughout the City for those who are unable to drive to a testing site.
✅ No appointment necessary
✅Tests are free with or without insurance
Learn more:Coronavirus.LACity.org/MobileTesting
LA County Rent Relief Updates: https://211la.org/lacounty/rentrelief
- Relief extended through 12/31 for eligible applicants from the 08/20 application period
-New 2021 rent relief program coming soon
-Eviction moratorium extended through Feb. 28
The 2021 Rent Relief Program Applications are not yet available and are under development. Sign up to receive updates when the 2021 Rent Relief Application becomes available at
Distress Hotline:
If you're feeling anger, isolation or anxiety related to civil unrest, you're not alone. The national Disaster @Distressline offers 24/7 emotional support. Call or text 1-800-985-5990 and #TalkWithUs. #USCapitol
CALL TO PRAYER: Open Your Eyes - El Dorado
Joys and Concerns: We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You are invited to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together.
You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.
Scripture: Mark 8:31-38, NRSV
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’
He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’
One: This is the Word of God for us, the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God!
Sermon: Hope in Believing the Unbelievable - Rev. Mandy McDow
HOLY COMMUNION
Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time. Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.
The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
MUSIC DURING COMMUNION: Ring the Bells - El Dorado
Benediction Remember:
God is with you,
God is for you,
God refuses to be God without you.
And may all of God’s people say: Amen.
Virtual Coffee Hour Begins now!
Immediately following worship on Zoom