courtesy of shutterstock

Seek Grace & Truth by Dr. Dave White
Want a two-point checklist for an amazing life? Be a person of grace and truth. Value grace and truth. Get involved with a church that exudes grace and truth.

Like two wings of a plane, or two pans on a balance scale, or better yet, two complementary chains of a crisscrossing DNA strand, grace and truth form the very helix of wholeness we all seek. Don't you love a person who is both tough and tender, thinking and feeling, able to use both their head and their heart? I do.

We all know it's not just what you say, it's how you say it. The apostle John sums up Jesus as the loving God-man, "full of both grace and truth" (John 1:14). He is both the lion and the lamb, able to be righteous and just, while also being loving and forgiving.

When choosing friends, life partners and even churches, I look for people who are both gracious and truthful. A fellowship that is gracious, but not truthful, is often loose and licentious. A congregation that is truthful, but not gracious, is often legalistic and limiting.

If you want to be fully known and yet fully loved, journey with people of both grace and truth. And if you ever find yourself looking for a church home, please join us at The Bridge - where grace and truth meet on Sundays at 10am at 24955 Avenue Kearny in Valencia.
thebridgescv.com

A Church for People who've Given Up on Church by Nicole Reilley
I grew up in the church but left when I was a senior in high school. I left because I felt there wasn't a place for me to ask the many questions I had. But, by my late 20s, I started searching again. Eventually, I found the United Methodist Church, and for the first time, I felt at home. Why?

The United Methodist Church is far from perfect. But, I never felt I had to leave my questions at the door of the church. I found people who were working on loving each other and making the world a better place.

My husband didn't grow up in the church, but as someone with a strong science background, he was looking for a church where bigger issues were answered in light of modern-day knowledge. He became part of the United Methodist Church and found a place for his faith to grow.

If you have given up on church and faith, I invite you to give it one more try this fall. We'd love to meet you at Valencia UMC. If you want to check us out before you arrive, we Livestream each Sunday at 9am and 10:30am. Faith is a journey, and there is a place for us all.
Reverend Nicole Reilley is the lead/teaching pastor at Valencia UMC. umcv.org

Christ Lutheran Church's Coat Drive & More
At Christ Lutheran Church, we're busy making preparations for the annual Harvest Fest - a family-friendly event open to the community. There will be food, games and activities - including pony rides! Enjoy some delicious chili at the 21st-annual chili cook-off and test your skills at the pie-eating contest.

CLC is also inviting the community to participate in a Coat Drive with the goal of collecting 500 new/gently-used coats that will be delivered to the Navajo Reservation in Black Mesa. Over the summer, a team of 60 high schoolers and their adult leaders traveled to the reservation to work with Pastor JR of the House of Joy Church on building projects. After witnessing Pastor JR's ministry to the people of the Navajo community, the students were inspired to continue to support the work of his church. The coats will be delivered by a group from CLC in November.

If you would like to participate in the cook-off or pie-eating contest, please register at our website: clcscv.org. Please note that it's not required that you donate a coat to attend the Fest. Worship with us at CLC every Sunday at 8am, 9:30am and 11am.
Christ Lutheran Church 259-0200