2023-12-14 Good News

Rev. John OdaHappy New Year!As I pen this reflection, the journey of 2023 will soon be part of our history, and the dawn of 2024 summons us with promises of new beginnings, fresh opportunities, and untold blessings.Each month in 2023 was full of joys and sorrows, victories and challenges, growth and introspection. It was in those moments that we discovered the resilience of our faith and the unwav...

It is already December and the holidays are upon us. Umbrella Ministry visited some of our dear Wesley members this past Saturday. A warm thank you to Rev. Bobbie Corson, Rev. John, Mary and Dale Sasaki, Marcia Yasukawa and Shelley Nakashima who helped spread some joy.......

Thank you to all members who contributed to this year’s Stewardship Campaign! The Stewardship Campaign plays a critical role in funding the church’s operating budget, as around 80% of this budget is typically met through the estimates of giving received under the campaign. To date, we are at 17% participation (based on total church membership). While the formal campaign has come to an end, Wesley ...

      2023年ももうすぐ終わり、2024年が目前に迫っています。この一年が長かったと思われる方、短かったと思われる方、夫々でしょうが、皆さまにとって意義深い年であったことを願っております。      今年最後のニュースレターという事で、今回は固い話はさておき、私たちのこの一年の活動を振り返ってみたいと思います。まず日語礼拝ですが、今年も毎月第4週に守ることができました。松下道成牧師（1月）、石田求牧師（2月、11月）、三浦啓牧師（3月）大森照輝牧師（5月、10月）、鈴木央子牧師（6月）、山本一牧師（7月）、吉岡恵生牧師（8月）、近藤誠牧師（9月）と、多くの先生方がメッセージを担当してくださり、私たちには代え難い恵みとなっています。また礼拝出席もYouTubeのライブ配信によるオンライン参加も含めると毎回20名を越え、ビデオ配信も時間と共に100回近くになることも珍しくなく、私たちの...

What an early Christmas Gift to our Wesley church members as the Wesley Jazz Band performed holiday music for us. The brass section featured solos by Duane Takahashi, Michael Yoshihara, and Len Fujita, but you should have seen Ryan Miyahara on percussion and especially the bongos. Pretty terrific and I hear, it’s all natural and unrehearsed. Other band solos came from Melina Takahashi and Peter Ho...

Look at this beautiful spread which included baked ham, healthy salads, rice dishes, baked squash, sautéed Chinese brocolli, sushi, chicken daikon soup, etc. here dominated by Kazuko, Kelli and Richard. Yummy! Let’s not forget to thank the hardworking crew from the Missions Committee who were servants and served us: some from that committee were Mary Sasaki, Bev Acuna, and Doris Tabuchi above and ...

The Amanda Halbakken family, her mother and her children, were on hand to light the Peace candle of Advent.In part, they read the importance of peace. “We are the ones who are now called to stand as a signal to the world, to the future, to all creation, that peace is the will of the one who created us. Peace is the knowledge of the Lord, that we proclaim from sea to shining sea.” The family lit th...

Jim and Pat Higuchi lit the candle of Hope kicking off the first week of Advent on Dec. 3. Our church focus this Advent season is on community and to that end, Pat in the photo below, read Psalm 122:1 with a focus on joyful hope…” We are glad to be here in this community, this family. It is a place of joyful hope, radical welcome. It is a place where, together, we can wait in wondrous anticipation...

......

SAN JOSE— With a sigh of relief, finally the Wesley Primetimers were able to have a face-to-face gathering after three years of COVID restrictions. Being a senior group with imuno-compromising conditions, it took a little longer to move past that fear of socializing. Fortunately, it was the infinite wisdom of Warren Hayashi and the group’s leaders to implement ZOOM meetings during that hiatus to ...

On Saturday, December 2, Wesley hosted our annual Hanging of the Greens with the theme, “Be the Light Help Spread Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace” The evening included delicious food, and festive music was provided by the talented Wesley Ukulele Band......

On November 19, Wesley celebrated our Thanksgiving Share Our Substance or S.O.S. potluck lunch co-hosted by Compassion Ministry and Mission Committees. This year thirty roasted chickens were donated by Compassion in appreciation for the congregation support over the years. Thank you to everyone who brought side dishes, salads, and desserts......

On Tuesday Nov. 14, Compassion Food Distribution volunteers were surprised by a huge homemade lunch! Grant School Moms, under the direction of Grant Elementary School Family Liaison Lilian Flores, prepared a tremendous meal to show their appreciation. There were handmade tamales with all the fixings including authentic Mexican food items that volunteers had never seen before, but enjoyed immensely...

On Sunday Nov. 19, Boy Scout Troop 201 under the direction of Scoutmaster Tom Oda and Supermom Lynn Luong collected an amazing amount of non-perishable food and warm jackets! These much needed items were packed away in the Compassion Workshop and Office, and are now being distributed by the Compassion unhoused ministry and Tuesday Food Distribution.Seven Scouts worked together to make a tremendous...

Dear Wesley Community,Greetings in the name of Christ! As we approach the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, I am filled with gratitude and warmth for each and every one of you. The Christmas season is a time of reflection, love, and togetherness, and I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you.First and foremost, thank you for your unwavering support throughout t...

The 2023 San Jose Japantown Curry Cook Off (CCO), held on November 18th, was a huge success. The 2023 Japantown Curry Cook Off was co-sponsored by the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin and Wesley United Methodist Church. All of the proceeds went to Yu-Ai Kai Japanese American Community Senior Service and the Nikkei Matsuri Foundation. There were well over 200 people who attended this wonderful i...