July staff schedule

Music Director Jim Meredith will be off from July 21-28. Ellen St. Thomas will be our guest accompanist.

Office hours and staff schedule in July

Church Administrator Ken Schoon will be working remotely July 22-25 while visiting and assisting family. The office will be staffed by our volunteers, although our hours may be abbreviated. Please email office@lakemerrittumc.org and schedule an appointment if you need to stop by the office. Music Director Jim Meredith will be off from July 21-28. Ellen St. Thomas will be our guest accompanist.

California-Nevada Conference welcomes new bishop Sept 1st

Bishop Sandra K. Olewine, elected to the episcopacy on July 12th at the 2024 Western Jurisdiction Conference of the United Methodist Church, has been assigned to the California-Nevada Conference beginning September 1st. She currently serves as assistant to the bishop in the California-Pacific Conference. She comes to us with many years of experience as a pastoral leader in a variety of settings, including serving as a District Superintendent (2021-2024), senior pastor of Pasadena First UMC (2014-2021), United Methodist Global Ministries liaison to Jerusalem (1996-2006), and associate pastor at Los Angeles Holman UMC (1990-1995) under the leadership of renowned civil rights leader Rev. James M. Lawson Jr., who passed away last month. You can read more about Bishop Olewine here on the Western Jurisdiction’s website.

Bishop Olewine was the second bishop elected at the July 10-13 meeting, after the California-Nevada Conference’s own Rev. Dr. Kristin Stoneking, United Methodist Studies professor at the Pacific School of Religion, who has been assigned to the Mountain Sky Conference. More news and information from the 2024 WJ Conference may be found here.

Please read ALL of the ANNOUNCEMENTS!

Sound Bath

6:45pm Friday, July 12th

Our Sound Bath returns this Friday, July 12th with special guest musician and sound healer Madhu Anziani. After a spinal cord injury that left him quadriplegic, Madhu used sound and energy healing to achieve a full recovery. He now offers the deeply healing modalities of music, vibration, divination, hypnotherapy and ceremony to communities around the world. You may learn more about Madhu by checking out his bio on our Eventbrite page.

Bring your favorite yoga mat, blanket, and pillow and take a deeply meditative sonic journey. Admittance for the church community is donation-based; $20 is suggested via cash, check, or Venmo. Doors open at 6:30 and close promptly at 7:00pm. Arrive by 6:45 to check in, find a spot, and get settled. Download our flyer and share to invite family and friends!

Western Jurisdictional Conference begins

The 2024 Western Jurisdictional Conference, themed “Love Without Limits,” is being held on July 10-13, 2024, in Spokane, Washington. Delegates will travel from the eastern edge of Colorado, the islands of Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan in the west, from Alaska in the north, from Arizona in the south, and all places in between to live out and model our vision: A home for all God’s people, gathered around a table of reconciliation and transformation, the Western Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church is multicultural and inclusive, engaged in the life of its communities, with confident, effective lay and clergy leadership who, in diverse ministry settings, form disciples who live out the Good News of Jesus as global citizens. 

Delegates will elect two bishops. They will also celebrate retirements and consider legislation that moves us toward living into our values and vision. The conference will conclude on Saturday afternoon (July 13) with a Service of Consecration at 1 p.m. for the new bishops. You can livestream the proceedings, read about the episcopal candidates, view the proposed legislation and reports, and review the days’ results at the following website: https://westernjurisdictionumc.org/wjc2024/

Office hours in July

Our church office hours may be abbreviated, and staff working remotely, while re-roofing continues on the church office wing. Additionally, Church Administrator Ken Schoon will be working remotely July 22-25 while visiting and assisting family. Please email the office and/or schedule an appointment if you need to stop by the office.