Artesia-Cerritos United Methodist Church

Hello ACUMC, How is everyone doing tonight? My heart is immensely troubled about tomorrow’s Sunday service. It’s hard to believe we can’t worship God at our church on the first Sunday of December. This is a huge shock to me. I’ve not missed Sunday service in a church sanctuary in the past 27 years. However, tomorrow I won’t be worshiping God in the church building in the morning. This past Tuesday our church held a Zoom Charge Conference with Rev. Mark Nakagawa. Through your ...prayers and love, our conference went well this year. I would like to thank those who joined in for the charge conference this week. I also want to thank those who made questions and comments during the conference. As we were conferencing with God and others this week, I think that D.S. Mark used about 1,300-1,500 words during our conferencing. Within those, there were two words that caught my attention. They were blessing and curse. He shared these words to demonstrate our crazy situation due to the pandemic. On the one hand, he said that this pandemic can be blessing to our churches because he heard from other local churches that some were having people from faraway places who were joining in with the virtual services on Sunday. On the other hand, he said that this pandemic can be a curse to our churches because we can’t gather, hug, and do our ministries on Sundays. So, with this message, I guess one can agree that our District Superintendent was right about saying that this pandemic can be a curse/covid to certain congregations like our own, when our church service for tomorrow is CLOSED. This is making me feel pretty upset as I write this at home tonight. However, please keep in mind that I’ll be still worshiping God at our church at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. I’ll be sitting in my sienna minivan and offering my worship to God, whose is omnipresence. This means that every Christian can fully worship our Lord God everywhere in this universe. Halleluiah! This being said, what about you? How do you plan to worship the Lord tomorrow since our church is physically CLOSED? I know that most of us will have online access and can visit other churches for their worship services for tomorrow. Here is my plan for worshiping our Lord on the first Sunday of December. 1. Opening Prayer at 9:30 a.m. 2. Reading Apostle’s Creed 3. Singing Amazing Grace Hymnal Verses 1 & 3 4. Reading the Book of Philippians for My Worship 5. Closing Prayer 6. Heading Home from Church Parking Lot I’ll be offering this worship in my car tomorrow, and I sincerely pray that each one of you will have your own time and place of worship to God on the Sabbath. Blessings everyone, Pastor Robin Kim

Blessings ACUMC

Dear church members, Pastor Kim has asked me to let you know that our worship service Sunday, December 6 is canceled, as is the Upper Room Bible study scheduled, Wednesday, December 9. The ACUMC COVID Guidelines, agreed upon by the our COVID Task Force, recommends the church quarantine if anyone is exposed to COVID. The State has recently mandated isolation for at least 10 days. ... Pastor Kim would like everyone attending worship Sunday, November 29, to please consider getting tested for COVID. Pastor Kim, Christine and Kristi were tested today and await their results. If Pastor Kim and Christine test negative, our church sevice will resume, Sunday, December 13, 9:30 a.m. Please note Ronda will not be in the office until she is notified by Pastor Kim. Unfortunately the December publication of the Spirit newsletter will be delayed as well. Should an emergency arise please don't hesitate to call Pastor Kim, 213-519-1229, or Ronda, 310-991-5969. Please keep everyone who attended church last Sunday in your prayers. Prayers are also requested for: Linda Frisbey hospitalized this week. Sonia Dagdad at home recovering but still in pain. Connie and James Kim, Pastor's parents God bless you all. Ronda Benware

Happy Autumn ACUMC^*^ I love autumn. Do you? Every autumn I think about cozy scarves and delicious pecan pies with a large cup of coffee. This thought brings me a great joy. What about you? What gives you a joy during the season of autumn? After researching other cultures around the world, I found out that people associate many aspects of this beautiful season to human life. They say that autumn is a reminder that Mother Nature has an incredible influence on people’s lives.... Although we are still caught up with the ugly virus, this autumn we have so many ways to welcome and influence this new season to ourselves. I personally look forward to having the outside Sunday services in the courtyard with the members who replied to the survey that was sent out 3 weeks ago. I’m also looking forward to talking to our Lord, reading the Bible, walking with the RRC group at the beach, preparing sermons, and eating great food with my loving family. How will you enjoy God’s gift of the autumn season? On top of welcoming the new season, I also believe that autumn is a great reminder of change. It compels me to sit with the Lord and do a self-reflection with His Word every day so that I can change myself to be a better worshipper of God, as Paul said in Romans 12:1-2, Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, The only constant is change. As temperatures drop to the tune of leaves falling from the trees, I pray that this autumn will bless us to change our bodies as a living sacrifice, change our minds to please our God, change our worldly ways to the paths of the Gospels, and fully transform our hearts so that we will glorify the perfect will of God at ACUMC. Remember how I said autumn makes me think about cozy scarves and delicious pecan pies with a large cup of coffee? If anyone wants to enjoy a piece of pecan pie with a fresh cup of coffee, I would love to indulge with you at our church. We can sit 6 feet away and safely enjoy this treat. Please don’t hesitate to give me a call if you want to enjoy this autumn with me. Happy Autumn ACUMC and stay healthy! In Christ, Pastor Robin Kim

Thanks be to God to our Upper Room, Joy Belles, and all the members of our church! Keep up the good faith and work in the Lord, and Happy Advent everyone!

Sunday October 25, 2020

I’m sorry my friends. We will meet next year for pumpkin carving

Thank you for being safe and healthy Grace to you always ACUMC

Noah said, Dad, he has a very nice backyard. Blessings Lawrence & Grace

A celebration of Gloria's life held on Monday, October 19, 2020 at Forest Lawn, Cypress, California.

Thank you so much for your service and prayers for Mrs Gloria today

Gloria Gabertan's Funeral Service

October 18, 2020

I’m really sad that we, our church, will miss two of our active lovers of God who served our church and worshipped our God for the past 25 years here at ACUMC. In November, they will be moving up to the Bay area to be very close to their loving daughters. This past Wednesday, when I heard that they decided to move, I barely slept through the night. It can be detrimental to lose a member who loves God and His church so much in their lives. And I know that my words will never f...ully express my deep love and appreciation for the work they have done over the past 25 years at our church. I mean all the sound system work and the teachings that Ray did for God and His people on Sundays, and all the writings and the hundreds of hymns that Bobbi did for the glory of God will never be forgotten. Also, I want to deeply and sincerely thank them both for bringing encouragement, wisdom, discernment, administration, shepherding, help, servanthood, and leadership to our church so that our church could keep focusing on the mission that God has given us every year. I especially want to thank them during this pandemic because I have been so grateful for them stepping up to become the covid-19 task chair, doing the Children’s time, and praising offertory hymns to God during Sunday services. All this being said, ACUMC will definitely miss the strong leadership that they have shown to God and His people at our church over the past 25 years. So, on this Saturday night I dearly pray that our God will be with your family always and ACUMC will always be with you no matter how far you are away from our church. Thank you, Bobbi and Ray; you both will be truly missed! You will have our love and prayers always in Christ

Good morning everyone. Unfortunately we must postpone our plan to begin worshipping outside which was scheduled for this Sunday, Oct. 18. We are still waiting for a response from the DS to approve our request. Hopefully we will hear back soon.... We look forward to starting our annual Stewardship Campaign on Sunday, October 25. Take this time to prayerfully consider how you will continue to be good stewards in 2021 for the church. Thank you for your patience. Remain prayerful and stay healthy. Ronda Benware, Admin. Asst. Artesia-Cerritos UMC

Thank you Mrs Lorraine for your wonderful sacrifices and the love that you’ve given to your family and to your church families during your earthly life Peace to your family