Sunday's Message
Dr. Joe Watkins
Forty Days and Forty Nights: When the Floods Come
Genesis 9:12-17
Eaton Fire Response
PazNaz is working to respond to the the Eaton fire that has deeply impacted our neighborhood. If you need help, here are some of the resources that are available right now:
- Contact Us – If you need help, please call the church office at 626.351.9631 or via email at info@paznaz.org. PazNaz has received numerous requests for assistance and is determining the best way to respond as more requests come in. But donations of all kinds are already being received and PazNaz leadership will work to connect you with the resources you need.
- Helping Hands - If you or someone you know needs food assistance, Helping Hands Ministries distributes food through the LA Food Bank on Wednesdays, 9:00 am - noon. Volunteers are already preparing for an increase in families seeking aid. If you need help, please come.
- Disaster Processing Group - As part of the Common Table classes, Pastor Brad Strawn is leading a group that will help those impacted by the fires process their experience. See inside the worship folder for more details.
If you would like to help those who have been affected by the fires, consider one of these options.
- Fire Relief Fund - PazNaz has set up an Eaton Fire Relief Fund that will be used to assist those who have been affected by the fire. You may give online at paz.nz/give or place your donation in the offering plates. Be sure to mark your donations, “Eaton Fire Relief Fund.”
- Helping Hands - Volunteers are needed for Helping hands on Tuesdays, Wednesdays. Helping Hands provides food to more than 700 families weekly and that number is expected to increase significantly in light of the fires. For more information, please contact Jim Yang at jwyang57@gmail.com.
- Donations - The most effective way to give in a crisis situation is to give monetarily. By pooling resources, PazNaz can more easily respond to different needs as they arise. However, PazNaz is currently accepting donations of over-the-counter medications, work boots (not rain boots), coveralls, hazmat bunny suits, toiletries, cleaning supplies, KN95 masks (not surgical masks), and gift cards. No other items are being accepted at this time.
Other avenues of support and ways to help are in the works. Look for more information here and in the weekly email update as these opportunities become available.
Practices
For Children
- Nursery and Preschool care for children birth through 5 years old is located in Arms Hall. Check-in begins at 9:15 am.
- Children’s Church for children grades kindergarten through sixth grade is located in Lower Sanctuary 102. Check-in begins at 9:15 am.
- Please ask a greeter if you need directions. Children’s Sunday school will follow at 11:00 am.
For Guests
- If you complete a Connect Card by clicking this link, we will make a $10 gift in your name to one of three faith-based social service organizations. By sharing your contact information with us, we’ll be able to keep you up to date on what’s happening at PazNaz.
Life at PazNaz
Women in the Word
On Tuesdays at 9:15 am, January 28 - March 11, Women in the Word presents Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer. You can’t escape Life’s Interruptions. They shock us; they shake us; they compel us to change. You can’t escape them but you can change your perspective on them. Dive into the study of Jonah and discover that what you see as an interruption may truly be God’s divine invitation to a life bigger than you can imagine. Childcare is provided and Zoom options are available. For more information contact Darlene G. Weaver at darlenegweaver@gmail.com.
40 Days and 40 Nights
PazNaz is starting the new year with a sermon series called "40 Days and 40 Nights." More than twenty times in the Bible, someone endures something that lasts 40 days and 40 nights. Like Noah and his ark, Jonah and the whale, or Jesus in the wilderness, these experiences are always disruptive and disorienting. Most of us can likely think of examples from our own lives when it felt like a challenging situation would never end. But these biblical stories remind us that 40 days and 40 nights isn’t forever; and when we survive the flood, get out of the whale, or through the wilderness we can see the ways God was with us the whole time. Times like this are hard, but they provide the opportunity to reorient our lives toward greater faithfulness and greater trust in God. It is our prayer that this series will encourage, inspire, and form us as we are reminded that God is with us.
In conjunction with this sermon series, PazNaz is making available a daily reader that will be sent out via email on a weekly basis. If you would like to receive the reader, please sign up by filling out the online form at paz.nz/40.
Common Table
Wednesdays, January 8 - February 12
January 15 menu: spaghetti and meatballs, salad, and dessert
Dinner will be served 5:00-6:15 pm. The cost is $5 per person if reserved by noon on Wednesday, and $7 per person if reserved after noon on Wednesday or at the door. Any first-time guest who does not currently attend PazNaz and makes a reservation by noon on Wednesday can enjoy their dinner for free. Reservations can be made in the Welcome Center on Sunday mornings between Worship and Sunday School or by calling the church office during the week at 626.351.9631.
Common Table Learning Opportunities, 6:30-7:30 pm.
Disaster Processing Group
Led by Dr. Brad Strawn | Reed Hall, 249
Pastor Brad will offer a process group for all those impacted by the fires including those who have lost homes, have experienced damage, or been evacuated. But impact includes survivor guilt and vicarious trauma - which is the witnessing of others’ trauma. This group will be a place to share and support one another during these difficult times.
Grief Support Group
Led by Pastor Darwin Ng | Reed Hall, 247
The PazNaz Grief Support Group provides a safe space with support, care, and teaching as you journey through grief.
Living Out of Christmas
Led by Dr. Walker Railey | Reed Hall, 248
We will discuss the biblical, spiritual, theological and practical ways the Holy Child’s birth so long ago radically changes how Christians live in the present. We don’t simply remember Christmas; we are reformed and renewed because of Christmas.
Women’s Wednesday Experience: Living Like You Belong to God by Kay Arthur & The Lawsons
Led by Joan Watkins | Gilmore Hall, South
In this six-week, no-homework Bible study, you will discover that holiness is about pleasing God—living in such a way that it’s clear you belong to Him. Holiness is what makes you unique as a believer in Jesus Christ. Come explore the beauty of holy living and see why true holiness and true happiness always go together.
Oasis (Special Needs and Disabilities)
Led by Gretchen Moss | Reed Hall, 246
For teens and adults with special needs, Oasis Bible Study is a night of fun and fellowship! Contact Gretchen Moss at gretchenmoss66@gmail.com.
PazNaz Kids: CARAVAN
Led by Pastor Jasmine Brenneman | The Cave, Lower Sanctuary, 102
CARAVAN is a scouting-based program for kids age three through fifth grade. The cost is $30 per family for the year to cover the cost of materials.
Student Ministries: Youth Group
Led by Pastor Mateo Meares | Lower Sanctuary, 112
Places to Serve
Please consider serving on one of these teams.
Cart Drivers - Drivers are needed to help people with limited mobility get from the parking lot to the Sanctuary. Please contact Pastor Darwin Ng at dng@paznaz.org for more information.
Church in the Park - Volunteers are needed to help the Church In The Park ministry team with food preparation, distribution, and clean-up. People of all ages are welcome to get involved. To get connected with this ministry please contact Godwin Shen (godwinsh@gmail.com) or Vanessa Hadikusumah (gpiggy@gmail.com).
Communion Stewards - Please consider joining the team of communion stewards who help prepare the elements for communion on the first Sunday of every month. For more information or to volunteer, contact Melody Bundy at mbundy@paznaz.org or 626.351.2425.
Handy Help – If you enjoy wielding a paintbrush, drill, or hammer, please consider joining the “Any Day Crew” to help with minor maintenance and repair tasks around the PazNaz campus. Please contact Melody Bundy at mbundy@paznaz.org or 626.351.2425 to learn how you can put your ingenuity to work for PazNaz.
Helping Hands - Join the helping hands team on Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays. The Tuesday team prepares donations for distribution by the Wednesday team. To sign up or more information, please contact Jim Yang at jwyang57@gmail.com
Media Team - If you are interested in volunteering as part of the Media Team, please contact Steve Vredenburgh at svredenburgh@paznaz.org. No experience needed, come as you are.
Welcome Team - A team of people is needed in order to make sure everyone feels welcome on Sunday mornings. Contact Melody Bundy at mbundy@paznaz.org for more information or to sign up as a volunteer.
This Week at PazNaz
Simply Prayer
Sam Bowers
Vance Bowers
Armando Castaneda
Colton Cerin
Carl Divens
Cody Divens
George Eastis
Lilia Echeverria
Vivian Fithian
Joyce Forsee
Joel Goodwin
Alex Gopala
Anita Lim
Dee Freeborn
Arnitra Harris
John Hansen
Vickie Jackson
Pat Lindgren
Robert Machulla
Ann Miranda
Laura Miranda
Davion Olgtree
Angela Quiroz
Al Rivera
Annie Sakamoto
James Siebels
Helen Spencer
Grace Stock
Carol Wagstaff
Becky White
Larry Wilson
Debbi Young
peace in the Middle East, Sudan, Armenia, Ukraine, Haiti, Taiwan
In Memoriam
- Lois Ruth Fettig. Her memorial service is on Friday, January 24, at 2:00 pm, at Glendora Community Church of the Nazarene, 645 N. Grand Ave., Glendora.
- Don Grimm. His memorial service is on Saturday, February 8, at 1:00 pm in Lee Chapel with a reception to follow.
- Kathy Matlock. Her memorial service is on Saturday, February 1, at 10:30 am in Lee Chapel with a reception to follow.
- John Sambrone. His graveside service is at the Riverside National Cemetery on Friday, February 7, at 2:30 pm.
