“No matter who you are, no matter where you are, you are welcome here!”

January 12, 2024

Dear Beloveds,

This coming Monday, our nation pauses to honor the memory of a man whose life has become a symbol of hope and justice for our world. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. truly stood as a testimony of the transformative power and message of Christian love. His message reflected everything that Jesus taught about equality and justice for the marginalized in our world, and his commitment to justice was firmly rooted in the belief that every individual is created in the image of God, deserving of dignity and respect.

Today, sadly, antisemitism, racism, and even daily micro aggressions of racism exist, and we are constantly reminded that the fight for justice and equality must extend beyond color and ethnicity. Dr. King's legacy teaches us that the struggle against injustice is universal, and our clear duty as Christians is to stand in solidarity with those who face discrimination, no matter who they are. The message of the Gospel is crystal clear: we are one body in Christ, and in Him, there is no room for division or hatred.

As we celebrate MLK Day, I hope we can reflect on how we can be part of a commitment to nourishing a more unified community and world. Dr. King's dream was not just about the absence of discrimination, but the presence of true and sincere brotherhood and sisterhood.

More importantly, I hope we can all draw inspiration from the teachings of Jesus, who hoped that we as His followers may be one in both heart and soul. So perhaps we can take a moment to ask ourselves: how can we actively work towards dismantling the walls of prejudice, and how can we support a community where love prevails and the light of Christ shines sincerely among us?

May God's grace and spirit guide us on this journey towards reconciliation and justice and may the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. inspire us to be bold ambassadors of love in a world so desperate for the amazing power of Christ's redeeming love!

Here is an inspiring clip of Dr. King.

With great love for you,

Pastor Grace

Pali Pres Preschool News

Happy New Year to One and All!

We hit the ground running starting back to school on January 2nd by opening a new classroom, the Red Room! With the opening of this new classroom, we have hired two new assistant teachers: Ms. Elizabeth and Ms. Wendy. They are working in the Red and Teal Room respectively. I know you will join me in welcoming them to Pali Pres!

Ms. Elizabeth is originally from Zambia and has a BA degree in Child Development from the University of Zambia. Prior to joining PPP she worked at Bright Horizons, in Los Angeles, for the past four years.

When asked about her values on education, Elizabeth responded, "I value the importance of Early Childhood Education as this is a gateway for our children to be successful and grow up to be good citizens of the world. Teaching is my passion and I am excited to begin a new chapter of my career at Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church."

Ms. Wendy comes to PPP from Westside Jewish Community Center where she was an Assistant Teacher for the past three years. Wendy also has a BA in Child Development from California State University Los Angeles.

Wendy's view of Early Childhood Education includes, "I believe that the foundation of learning and interaction that a child receives at a young age greatly impacts their learning in the future. Each child needs a secure, caring, and motivating atmosphere in which to grow and develop emotionally, physically, and socially. I look forward to contributing positively to the Pali Pres team and making a positive impact on a child's life."

Welcome Wendy and Elizabeth!

Quarterly Giving Statements

If you’d be interested in receiving your Quarterly Giving Statement a little earlier while saving the church postage and handling, the option of receiving quarterly statements by e-mail rather than by regular mail will be available in 2024! All you need to do to change delivery from mail to e-mail is by sending an e-mail request to our Accounts Coordinator, Natasha Perez.

Lost & Found

Did you know that we have a Lost & Found in the church office? If you’ve lost something around campus, come by and take a look!

Join us for our Livestream Worship!

Join at 9:50am on Sunday Morning to enjoy the prelude, with worship beginning at 10am.

(If you click on ‘Last Week’s Service’, please ignore the incorrect title card that says ‘12-24-23’. It is indeed the service from 1-7-24. We experienced a technical issue last Sunday.)

Sunday Refreshments

Bringing refreshments on Sunday mornings to share with our church is a loving and very important ministry. Thank you to all of you who have been doing this so faithfully. Please contact Refreshment Coordinator Jan Gong to sign up to serve.

Thank you to Katie Brown for last week's refreshments! This week's goodies are brought to us by Annie Amitin, Marie-Anne & Norm Helgeson!

Sunday Sanctuary Flowers

Thank you to The Roswell Family for providing last week’s flowers! This week’s flowers are in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We invite all of our church members and friends to provide donations for flowers to adorn our sanctuary, along with a special dedication of your choosing. The cost is $75 per week.

Please contact Will Saunders and the church will order flowers from a local florist to be placed in the chancel on Sunday morning.

Our Deacons will distribute the flowers to one of our members/friends after the service.

Thank you for helping make our sanctuary even more beautiful!

Sunday Sermon Teaser

This Sunday we will reflect together on what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. referred to as “Beloved Community” and what it takes to build such a community as people of faith and followers of Jesus. Be sure to join us!

Give to Pali Pres

Don't forget, you can easily give your tithes and offerings through our website!

Save the Dates

Sunday, January 14th: Sunday Funday

Monday, January 15th: Campus closed in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Tuesday, January 23rd: Session Meeting

Sunday, January 28th: Adult Education; “Senior Living Simplified: Making Smart Choices For Your Senior Years”

You have heard that it was said, ‘love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

-Matthew 5: 43-48