Glendale Church of the Brethren

When disruption interferes in your life, where do you turn? Who do you blame? How do you make sense of your situation? What is your response?

This week our church will consider one story of disruption found in Genesis 11:1-9, The Tower of Babel account. This story illuminates our fallen human nature, but also points to a God who will not abandon His people. As Christians, we serve a merciful and gracious God. Even when we forget what it means to be faithful, God is there to gently remind us, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, deliver us from ourselves.

The builders at the Tower of Babel built walls to glorify themselves, they built walls for power and protection. And aren’t we like them sometimes? Don’t we also put up walls so that others only see the beautiful edifice we want to display? God sees our minds, He knows the desires of our hearts. Like the builders at the Tower of Babel, God will find a way to redeem and renew us to be a witness to Jesus to all those we meet, we will also be sent out! 

Disruption may be uncomfortable. Disruption may be scary or even immobilizing. But we are not alone as we go. God walks beside us, blessing us in our going out, rejuvenating us as we keep in step with the Spirit.

Interim Pastor, Annali Topf 

Welcome! On Sunday, September 9, 2018, Pastor Robert Aguirre will be our guest Pastor.

All are welcome to join us for breakfast at 9:30 am, followed by fellowship and Pastor Robert’s message:  Matthew 5:46-48  “The way that God loves…” 

How will this message speak to you?

Robert is an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren. He felt the call to ministry while serving in the Navy back in 2003. After an honorable discharge in 2008, Pastor Robert enrolled at Fresno Pacific University Biblical Seminary, where he would meet his wife Roxanne. After graduation Robert found work as a retirement home chaplain before serving as Pastor of Cornerstone Community Church of the Brethren in Reedley California.

Today Pastor Robert is on staff at a Mennonite Brethren non-profit that combats poverty and gives work opportunities to people looking for a fresh start.

Pastor Alex Herrera was born in Detroit and raised here in Los Angeles.  He and his wife Rosa have been married for 30 years are blessed with 4 children and 4 grandchildren.  At the age of 25 they received our Lord Jesus and fell in Love with Him since that day…

In his own words, “I’ve been a Pastor now for 6 years and I love what God has done in my life.”

We are happy to receive Pastor Herrera as our guest Pastor this Sunday, August 19, and hope you can join us!

We’re excited to welcome Guest Pastor Annali Murray, Sunday, August 12, 2018

Annali Murray is from Orrville, OH but has lived in southern California for the past three years to pursue her Masters of Divinity degree at Fuller Theological Seminary. She plans to graduate this fall.

Annali is also pursuing ordination in the Church of the Brethren and currently attends Pasadena Church of the Brethren. Annali’s vocational desire is to pursue chaplaincy. She is currently working at Methodist Hospital in the Spiritual Care office.

PASTOR RANDY SHORT 

March 31, 1968 – July 11, 2018

We wish to share the sad news of the passing of our wonderful Pastor Randy Short. He served as Pastor of Glendale Church of the Brethren with great joy. His faith and love of God was strong and he truly loved sharing his faith, and love for Jesus Christ, with the congregations and communities he served. Please hold his wife, Kathie, daughter Bailey, his family and his congregation in your prayers during this time.

Please join us: A memorial service to celebrate Pastor Randy’s life and ministry will be held at the Glendale Church of the Brethren, 626 N Pacific Ave, Glendale CA 91203 on Friday, July 27 at 2 pm. All who knew Randy are welcome. Directly following the service, everyone is invited to Randy’s “celebration of life” luncheon gathering in the Fellowship Hall.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS we request that donations be made to Brethren Disaster Ministries (BDM) at  or Children’s Disaster Services (CDS)   Both are organizations that Randy loved and supported.

Letters or cards for Kathie and Bailey Short can be mailed to: Glendale Church of the Brethren 626 N Pacific Ave, Glendale CA 91203.  You may post fond Memories and Condolence messages here on Legacy.com Pastor Randy’s Memorial Page

SUPER HERO THEOLOGY CONTINUES!

Join us this Sunday for the final installment of superhero theology as we explore the Dark Knight and how we all at times make choices “for the greater good” in spite of the pain it may cause others.  Luckily, we follow a different superhero in Jesus Christ that gave us examples like “love your neighbor as yourself” among others.

After worship we will have lunch and watch the movie together.

Join us these next two Sunday’s as we continue to look at the theology of superhero’s.  This Sunday we will look at Spider-Man and clear the webs away from the idea of “With great powers comes great responsibilities”!  Stick around after the service for lunch and then to watch the movie.

On Sunday, April 23, 2017 Pastor Randy Short accepted the call to become the new Pastor of Glendale Church of the Brethren.  Pastor Randy  and  his wife Kathie sold their home in Michigan, packed up their 26 foot trailer and headed west to sunny California, along with their daughter, Bailey and chocolate Lab, Maddie.  We suspect that part of their travels involved singing “California Here We Come! ” at the top of their lungs, but we have no solid evidence…  Now, what we do know with confidence is that our entire congregation is very excited to welcome Pastor Randy and his family.  We hope that Pastor Randy and Kathie will be happy in their new home, that they and our congregation will flourish and grow under his leadership and spiritual guidance. Welcome Pastor Randy, Kathie, Bailey and Maddie Short!

COME JOIN US for Pastor Randy’s first official Service as Head Pastor of Glendale Church of the Brethren

Breakfast at 9:15 am and Service begins 10: 45 am.  We will have a luncheon following our Service.  All are welcome! 

Sunday, April 2 is Friendship Sunday at the Glendale Church of the Brethren.  We’re inviting everyone to join us for breakfast beginning at 9:00 am, Bible Study at 10:00 am, Worship at 10:45 and lunch following worship.  Please join us as we are always looking to make new friends.

On Sunday, March 5 the Glendale Church of the Brethren will join other faith communities in Glendale on the annual CROP Walk.  Glendale will be one of 1000 communities nationwide who are joining together in interfaith CROP Hunger Walks around the theme “Ending hunger one step at a time.”  Many of the Walkers will be wearing  t-shirts proclaiming their solidarity with the millions of neighbors around the world who have to walk to live — as well as with the millions served by local food pantries, food banks and meal sites here in the U.S.  These local ministries share in the funds raised by CROP Hunger Walks.

From combating droughts in Nicaragua to providing agricultural training in Indonesia to stocking shelves in hundreds of food pantries across the United States, CROP Hunger Walks are fighting hunger.  Twenty five percent of the funds raised will be used to fight hunger in Glendale.  

For more information and to donate to this worthy effort please go to http://www.crophungerwalk.org/glendaleca