2024-12-19 Good News

Throughout the month of December, CAF and MYF have been exploring a monthly curriculum series on our strength in numbers as a community. We are holding a worship night lock-in to further re-affirm our sense of belonging to the various communities we are a part of, especially our church community.We are the Body of Christ: We are all part of the church, specifically the body of Christ. Every one of...

Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I cannot believe it is 2025 already!  As 2025 rapidly approaches, I feel a mix of emotions: hope, uncertainty, excitement, and even a little fear of the unknown. What will 2025 hold for us?  How will our health fare during 2025?  How will the ne...

ベイエリア日語　クリスマス賛美の集い ウェスレー教会日語部では長い間「クリスマス賛美の夕べ」として、賛美歌を歌いクリスマスを共に祝う行事を持ち続けていました。手元にある役員会議事録では、1999年12月10日（金）午後7時半から賛美の夕べを開き38名の出席者があった、とあるのが最古だったのでした。当時の日語牧師は塚本潤一先生でしたが、この会を始めたのは前任の荒谷出先生、或いは更に前任だった大友愛郎先生の頃だったと思います。その後山本一先生の2016年からは「桑湾日語クリスマス」をベイエリアの日系教会日語部の方々と持つようになりました。そしてコロナ禍を経てからは、この二つが合併し、「賛美の集い」として土曜日に開くようにしています。一方で、今のベイエリアの日語教会の現状から、教派を問わずより多くの教会の方々と共に歩むことをこれからの日語伝道の方針としていますので、今年は特に他教会の方々にお声が...

"Mele Kalikimaka!" will ring out from the Wesley Sanctuary on Tuesday, December 24 at 4:00 pm for our Hawaiian-themed Christmas Eve service. Ukuleles strumming, dancers doing hula, with lots of people singing--it will be a treat for the whole family! Rev. John will share a message and we'll read the Christmas story together. And we'll sing your favorite carols like "O Little Town of Bethlehem", " ...

Guest facilitator Coke Tani, long-time friend to Wesley, has led "Embodying Advent thru the Magnificat". People in-person and online have used movement and poetry and journaling to consider the words of Mary from Luke 1:46-55: "Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Coke, who lives in Torrance and attends Faith UMC, traveled to Wesley for the first se...

Neighborhood Food Distribution is still happening on Tuesdays, December 24th and December 31st from 10am-11am! Contact (markteagle@wesleysj.net) for questions or to volunteer.......

If you want to know who runs the church, how the pastor gets compensated, who leads, what are our various ministries, and what went on all last year, this is the meeting to attend. Our church’s annual Charge Conference was held on Nov. 25, with the election of Pam Urauchi as the Charge Conference Recording Secretary, District Superintendent Samuel Hong, presiding and Rev. John Oda, the subject of ...

The Scouts held a very successful food drive to support the church’s Food Distribution Program with can goods, snacks, and other dry goods on Nov. 17. Our church patron’s came forth in support with boxes and bags of food to help our underserved neighborhood folks and food insecure families.......

Reiko Tsukamoto celebrated her 100th birthday in church on Dec. 1 seen here with Rev. John Oda (left) and her son, Mimune.......

After surgery earlier in December, Jim Higuchi says he felt well enough to attend church on Dec 15, seen here with Mary Sasaki. ......

Betty Hayashi and Ron Ogi helped give Grant School a wonderful Christmas by passing out hats to all in our congregation contributing money for toys for the children and gift cards to families for this elementary school on Dec. 1. Hats were given to all donors with a hearty thank you. Brian Hamilton makes a donation and received by Ron Ogi. Spearheading the Project of making it a Merry Grant School...

The Wesley Jazz Band performs wonderful familiar and contemporary holiday songs at a pot luck they host for all our church on Dec. 8. What a great show and party.......

The children have been busy the last few weeks:putting together care packages, practicing songs and practicing a play. At the end of November, God’s Garden children put together care packages filled with socks, toiletries and snacks to be passed out to the unhoused.On Dec 8, after learning new lyrics and practicing hard, the children sang “It’s a Small World” in Japanese and English with the Wesle...

The Brian and Jessica Garrison Family lit the first Advent candle of Hope on Dec. 1, signaling a time for all of us to prepare for Jesus with our open hearts and minds allowing Gods grace to work in our midst. The Tricia Kuwada and family lit the second candle of Advent, the candle of Peace, as in this second week, we work towards making peace in our hearts, our families, our communities, and thro...

At Thanksgiving, we often take for granted our blessings of abundance of food, freedom, and our family and health.  We occasionally neglect to include the security of a safe place to call home.During our Thanksgiving Share Our Substance lunch, Eseralda Virales from Destination Home, a Santa County agency focusing on our unhoused neighbors, addressed many key issues with the congregation. Simply pu...

On December 4, 2024, 12 Sarah Circle members, 2 Sarah Circle guests, and 6 church staff members attended our holiday Christmas party.   The food was catered by Bucca de Beppo.A White elephant gift exchange game was played.   Everyone enjoyed a lot of fun, fellowship, and yummy figgy pudding!  We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!......

Advent Begins With Hanging of The Greens On Saturday, December 7, Wesley hosted our annual Hanging of the Greens with the theme, “Joy for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow!” We had over 200 attendees this year, which was our biggest turnout yet! This year we were delighted to have the CYS hula dancers perform for us, and loved having the girls and their families join us for the festivities! The e...

Wesley Celebrates New Garden Area By Rob Hikido After much anticipation, the Wesley congregation gathered on Dec. 1, to celebrate the completion of the outdoor Garden project right outside our Fellowship Hall door!  This being the culmination of a real team effort involving many people, all contributing their gifts and volunteer time to take the project from idea to reality.Kudos to the Garden Pla...

by Barbara HiuraThe Primetimers are BACK! Their Christmas Party held on Dec. 11, was proof that no one is being held back by COVID as the Fellowship Hall, so nicely dressed for Christmas, was full of merriment and excitement as some 70 attended this festive event. After a four-year hiatus, finally it was a return of this traditional Holiday party. All I can say is this group has a wealth of wonder...

Christmas is a season of miracles shared with grateful hearts. Our UWF Crèche Display added a beautiful visualization of celebrating this holy Christmas season. Each crèche carried its own story and each viewer surely experienced a different space and time. The crèche displays were traditional, whimsical and artistic…all expressing the joys of the season.Your UWF is grateful for our Wesley UMC con...