CHRISTMAS JOY OFFERING

This year’s Joy Offering local recipient* goes to THE PEOPLE CONCERN in Santa Monica, specifically for their sack lunch program for the homeless at the Annenberg Access Center.

Annenberg Access is a drop-in day center for people still living on the streets. Open seven days a week, it provides critical resources, including showers, restrooms, laundry, a clothing closet, counseling, and daily sack lunches.

For individuals who are unhoused, a sack lunch is much more than a meal—it’s a consistent lifeline, a way to build trust with the outreach teams and staff at the center. It opens up an opportunity to connect individuals to essential services that support their journey toward stability and self-sufficiency.

Last year The People Concern distributed over 59,000 sack lunches, serving approximately 1,400 people each week. Unfortunately, this vital program recently suffered a major loss in financial resources, which could cause a major cutback in services.

One of its main supporters, however, the Sikand Foundation, has made a generous offer to help cover the loss. They are willing to match any contributions raised over the next few months dollar for dollar, up to $32,500. What that means is any gift will go twice as far in providing crucial nourishment to those experiencing homelessness on the Westside.

So with our special offering, we at BPC have decided to help The People Concern reach their goal of funding the sack lunch program for another year. There will also be an opportunity for us to visit the access center early next year to witness their operations firsthand as well as to help make the sack lunches themselves.

In the meantime, just remember every dollar you give will turn into two dollars of food for those who most truly need it.

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*As is tradition, the other half of our offering this year will go to the PC(USA) for its various assistance programs.

CLICK HERE to donate on our secure Vanco Mobile App

or scan the QR Code below:

Hurricane Helene & Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

Helen made landfall in Florida late evening on September 26th as a very dangerous Category 4 hurricane. PDA is in communication with all affected presbyteries and National VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) to share information and coordinate resources. PDA has deployed a National Response Team to Tampa Bay Presbytery, Presbytery of Western North Carolina, Northeast Georgia Presbytery and Holston Presbytery. We have approved several initial assistance grant requests and are anticipating additional request from affected presbyteries to help respond to needs in their communities. Your generous gift will bring hope and encouragement. Give Generously Here.

BE A PART OF THE BPC MISSION TEAM

Interested in becoming part of the BPC MISSION TEAM

or learning more about the Church’s mission activities and partnerships?

Contact Mission Elder Norma McNair (ndmcnair@gmail.com)

or Pastor Lora East (Lora.East@bpcusa.org).

The Mission Team meets on the second Sunday of the month, in person as well as via Zoom. ALL ARE INVITED.

MISSION PASTOR: REV. LORA EAST

MISSION ELDER: NORMA McNAIR

TEAM MEMBERS: I-JOEN BEER, ZACHARY BOLTON, TOM ELANDER, FRANCIE GOODRICH, REBECCA HENEISE, ROBERT HUDNUT, WADE HUIE, TRICIA McREYNOLDS, STEVE RUTH

Matthew 25:37-40

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

BPC is a Matthew 25 Church! Matthew 25:31–46 calls all of us to actively engage in the world around us, so our faith comes alive and we wake up to new possibilities. Convicted by this passage, Brentwood Presbyterian Church joins our denomination, the PC(USA), to act boldly and compassionately to serve people who are hungry, oppressed, imprisoned or poor.

The themes of the Matthew 25 invitation are grounded in the gospel. Jesus calls us to serve with and for “the least of these” — not as a group to be pitied, but as people who are deeply loved by Jesus. This loving commitment to radical and fearless discipleship has three focuses:

• Building congregational vitality by challenging congregations and their members to deepen and energize their faith and grow as joyful leaders and disciples actively engaged with their community, seeing new disciples engaged in ministry and longstanding believers develop in faith as the gospel of Jesus Christ is shared in word and deed.

• Dismantling structural racism by fearlessly applying our faith to advocate and break down the systems, practices and thinking that underlie discrimination, bias, prejudice and oppression of people of color.

• Eradicating systemic poverty by acting on our beliefs and working to change laws, policies, plans and structures in our society that perpetuate economic exploitation of people who are poor.

· Link to current OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE

· Link to current LOCAL MISSION PARTNERS

· Link to BPC’s INTERNATIONAL MISSION PARTNERS

· Link to BPC’s SEASONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE