LCIF Welcomes Community

Local teens looking for community service work can find it at Lutheran Church in the Foothills (LCIF). Volunteers are welcome to help out with this summer’s

Vacation Bible School, better known as VBS. Training and community service hours are provided for the week-long program to be held on the LCIF campus Monday, June 16 through Friday, June 20. Registration for VBS is currently open. The cost for VBS day campers is $35 for one child and $25 for each additional child in the same family. 

This year’s theme,  Victory, will guide day campers to learn about victory through courage, obedience, faith, unity and Jesus. There will be singing and skits, crafts, games and lots of fun – all centered on learning about God in new ways. Parents are encouraged to dress their children in play clothes and safe shoes as activities can get a little messy. A water bottle and sunscreen are also recommended for comfort and safety during the active day.

LCIF will hold its next book club meeting on Monday, May 19 at 1 p.m. in the church’s conference room. This month’s book is “The Life Impossible” by Matt Haig. All are welcome to join in a discussion of the book. The book for June is “Before We Forget Kindness” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. The LCIF book club meets monthly and is open to anyone in the community with a love of reading.

Visit lcifoothills.org for event details. For more information or to request/offer help, email office@lcifoothills.org or call (818) 790-1951. The church is located at 1700 Foothill Blvd in La Cañada Flintridge. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Honoring Mothers and Mentors: A Special Gathering at La Cres Press

Women in the community are invited to “Legacy of Love: Honoring Mothers & Mentors,” a special event taking place Saturday, May 17 at La Crescenta Presbyterian Church.

This daylong gathering will celebrate the influence of mothers and mentors across generations. Through worship, inspiring speakers and meaningful discussions, the role of motherhood in all its seasons will be honored, from actively raising children to guiding adult children and future generations. Live worship music and a catered lunch are included in the $40 registration fee.

“Legacy of Love” will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at La Crescenta Presbyterian Church, 2902 Montrose Ave. in La Crescenta. To sign up, go to bit.ly/LCPCLegacyofLove. Tickets are limited, and early registration is encouraged.

For more information, please contact Jamie Given at jamie@givenguidance.com.

UUCVH Hosting Author

Unitarian Universalist Church of the Verdugo Hills will host prominent author and cultural proficiency consultant Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins on May 18 at 10:30 a.m. Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins will again grace the UUCVH pulpit with her expansive and generous thoughts about humankind. Nury-Robins authored six books including: Cultural Proficiency, Culturally Proficient Responses to the LGBT Communities, and Fish out of Water. She serves on several social-service organizations in Los Angeles and is a beloved speaker at the church. 

UUCVH is located at 4451 Dunsmore Ave. in La Crescenta. Attendees can either attend the presentation at the church or visit the UUCVH website for the Zoom link at https://www.uuverdugo.org/.

Glendale First Methodist Church Hosts Organ Recital

Several of the finest church organists in the LA area will participate in a joint recital on Monday, May 19 at 8 p.m. in the Glendale First United Methodist Church. The concert is free and the public is invited.

Among local area musicians participating are Dr. Ladd Thomas, church organist at Glendale First since 1960, and Cherry Rhodes, who has performed in churches throughout the world. In addition to the guest organists, the choral group Cantori Sine Nomine, directed by Linda West Brown, will perform. 

The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, along with the Ruth and Clarence Mader Memorial Scholarship Fund, are co-sponsors of this event, which will honor Clarence Mader (1904-1971), a past AGO LA dean and former Glendale resident.

During his lifetime, Mader was recognized as the “Dean of Organists” on the West Coast and one of the most influential teachers in the U.S. He was head of the organ department at Occidental College from 1955-1968.

Glendale First United Methodist Church is located at 134 N. Kenwood St. Free parking will be located across Wilson Avenue at the Administration Center of the Glendale Unified School District. 

For more information visit www.laago.org.

Mt. Olive Offers A Breakfast Bible Study & A Community Lunch

Mt. Olive invites the Crescenta Valley community to its monthly breakfast Bible study at Panera Bread Restaurant, 990 Town Center Drive, Suite A in La Cañada on the third Saturday of each month at 8:30 a.m. They are currently in the Book of Second Corinthians. Also, a weekly Bible study is held at the church on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. 

Mt. Olive also offers a community luncheon every second Wednesday through May. For a suggested minimum donation of $5, a delicious lunch is offered including a brief uplifting devotion and some great entertainment provided by various local artists. 

Mt. Olive is located at 3561 Foothill Blvd. in La Crescenta.

Walk and Word 

Walk and Word participants will meet in the parking lot of Deukmejian Wilderness Park, 3429 Markridge Road in La Crescenta/Glendale at 8 a.m. on May 18 & 25. Participants will walk for the first hour and then gather to read a selection of scripture. About a half hour will be spent journaling about what was read and then there will be conversation, sharing thoughts.

Participants are asked to bring something to write with, anything wanted to eat or drink, and a chair to use for the writing part of the morning. Because people will be outdoors and social distancing will be practiced, masks will be optional. 

Those with questions can email Jeanne at jnlavieri@earthlink.net. 

All are welcome. If the hike is too strenuous, there are level paths at the park. There are ramps from the parking lot to the field where the group gathers after the hike.