We are very happy to receive new members into our congregation during worship this Sunday! Bios for each new member will be provided as an insert in the bulletin this week.

Please make and wear a name tag (on the table by the entrance) for yourself to help us all become better acquainted. 

Join us for a reception in their honor during fellowship time on the patio following worship, and to personally welcome these new members to our church family. 

This Sunday we celebrate Bread for the World Sunday as an opportunity to turn our faith into action by taking specific steps that create hope and opportunity for hungry people. Please join us in the Nursery/Lounge room of the Administrative building following fellowship time, to learn how you can make a difference!

Please stop by and check out the upcoming events flyers on the poster board outside the church. The current events posted are Trunk or Treat Halloween Event on Friday, October 31st; Goodwill Donation Drive to benefit the Burbank Temporary Aid Center on Saturday, November 8th; and our second annual Blessing of the Pets Ceremony on Saturday, December 6th. 

We can certainly use some support ensuring these upcoming events are both enjoyable for everyone and successful. You may sign-up to work the event, donate some supplies (like water bottles, food, decorations, gift bags, etc.), donate some money for us to buy supplies, or donate your time distributing flyers in the community (at local businesses, public libraries, anywhere there are community bulletin boards). 

Even if you are not able to help coordinate the events, we would still love your support as a participant! Thank you!

Our church will be donating a picnic basket full of Trader Joe's items to Family Promise of the Verdugos for their "Mother Road" event. 

Donations of any Trader Joe's items are now being collected for the picnic basket. Bob Nicol, our Family Promise champion, is coordinating the baskets.

Research has shown that serving does as much good for the volunteer as it does for the people they are serving! 

If you love people, there is a place for you to serve at ALC! We are currently looking for more people to serve as: Greeters, Ushers, Readers, Communion Assistants, Acolytes, Refreshments.

E-mail the church office to volunteer to help.

The Congregation Council discussed the following items on 

October 14th

• Approved new lease to present to Brighton Hall
• Received recommendation from Facility Renovation Committee of Phase 1 ideas for church remodeling
• Screenland house re-finance has been approved for new ten year fixed loan at 5.5%
• V.P. Mark Relyea will begin forming the nominating committee for 2015.
• Renewed Pastor's health care benefits for 2015
• Scheduled Congregation Chat for Sunday, November 9th

Barbara Berry, who has been volunteering her time knitting the Baptismal Blankets for our Baptism ceremonies, is offering to teach others how to knit. Please join us on Saturday, October 18th at 1:00pm in the Conference Room at Burbank Health Care & Rehab Center, 1041 S. Main St, Burbank 91506. Let the church office know if interesting in registering.

All congregation members are invited to the Bishop's Fall Conference meeting on Wednesday, October 29th, 6:30pm at Central Lutheran Church 6425 Tyrone Ave, Van Nuys, to hear about the amazing generosity of our congregations.  

In this time of drought when we feel the lack of rain in the fields, and sometimes the lack of people in our pews, we can begin to feel as if we have nothing to offer. Yet when the Generous Life leaders sat down and talked to pastors and lay leaders throughout the synod we heard story after story of abundance!  We will share some of the stories we've heard, and listen to some of your stories too! The feast is spread before us, come, eat and live! 

A free-will offering will be collected for the dinner graciously provided by the people of Central. 
 

Talk to Pastor Gretchen if interested in attending with her.

Come on out in a safe environment and fill up on pizza and good times before heading out for your night of Trick or Treating.

Our Trunk or Treat Halloween event will be held in the church parking lot on Friday, October 31st from 5:30pm-7:30pm.

Decorate your trunk, wear your costumes and bring your friends and family out on Halloween night. It's going to be a LOT of fun!

As we celebrate the saints of all time and in every place on Sunday, November 2nd, we will be remembering members and loved ones who have died in the past year (since last All Saints Sunday, Nov 3, 2013). 

If you would like the name of your loved one read during worship with a candle lit in their memory, please complete the form located on the table at the church entrance and return to the church office. You may also place your completed form in the offering plate during worship.

On Sunday, November 2nd following worship and fellowship, Pastor Gretchen and Ron Reid will lead a workshop on preparing for your own funeral. 

As a memorial to Ron's wife, Sigrid, he and his children are making available a funeral planning guide for each family of the congregation. 

When a death occurs it can feel overwhelming to make so many decisions in the midst of grieving. The ultimate gift to those we leave behind is to make our wishes known in writing.

We will host a donation drive in partnership with Goodwill Southern California (GSC) on Saturday, November 8th from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Goodwill will deliver donation bins to the church and have attendants on hand to pack the bins with acceptable donations. 

The church will receive $1500 for every 30 bins full of acceptable donation items. The funds raised through this event will be donated to the Burbank Temporary Aid Center, which is appropriate since November is "BTAC month." 

Start cleaning out your closets! 

List of Acceptable Donation Items. Copies of this document are also available on the table by the church entrance. 

Family Promise of the Verdugos invites you to join them on the "Mother Road" as they explore the 20th century western migration of families seeking a better life along Route 66...and support the journey todays' local families are taking from homelessness to sustainable independence with the assistance of Family Promise of the Verdugos. 

Event is Friday, November 14th 5:45pm Reception and Gallery Tours, followed by 7:15pm Dinner, Entertainment and Program. Gene Autry Museum. To receive an invitation, please email: [email protected].

Come join 300 Christian youth for a weekend where we raise our voices!  Speakers, music, workshops and worship give voice to God's work.  A day at Disneyland and Hotel Night Life make the experience complete.

Program:  Registration includes 3 large group sessions with our speakers and praise band. Hotel Night Life activities include extreme sports, dance, movie and much more!  Saturday workshops will focus on teen faith topics and an afternoon spent at Disneyland. We will close Sunday morning with worship.

In keeping with the theme of the TV Show "The Voice," you will be hearing the voices and faith stories of our speakers before you meet them and learn their identities.  We will hear from speakers of a variety of ages and backgrounds as their share how God's voice has called to them in their lives and is calling you in your life too!

This event is sponsored by members of the Pacifica and Southwest California Synods of the ELCA and Lutheran Retreats, Camps and Conferences (LRCC).

Please contact the LRCC Administrative Office with questions (661) 245-3519. Registration Packet.

On Saturday, November 22nd, The Verdugo Hills Chapter of Thrivent Financial invites you, family members and a guest to The Getty Villa in Malibu. 

Bus transportation starting at 9am, as well as a $15 coupon good for lunch at the museum, is included in your reservation. 

Monthly Spotlight: 

Write a Google or Yelp review

Online reviews are one of the most valuable tools we have to get people outside of the church to learn about us. Think about what YOU do when you are looking for goods or services. Chances are, you go online and do a google search and read some reviews about various companies, business or organizations. 

We have an amazing place of worship here at ALC. There are people in our community seeking the spiritual guidance and community services we provide. You can help connect those people to our church family by writing your honest reviews on google and yelp. Check it out.