Events Around the Community

  • Overview
  • ACTS Summer Salad Suppers
  • Black History Month
  • All Church Camp
  • Alpha
  • Bad Weather Shelter
  • Food Bank
  • Women's Prayer Brunch

Connected to Our Community

God has placed us in our homes, in our workplace, in our schools, in our community to grow and to contribute to the growth of others.  ABCers are teachers, nurses, business owners, seniors in assisted living, stay at home parents, police officers, attorneys, city workers, realtors, cleaners, students, artists, volunteers, community activists… Each of us has our own sphere of influence in which to shine.  Our activity in daily life is part of our spiritual worship.

Connected Together to Our Community

God has also brought us together as a church body to accomplish together what we cannot do alone.  We believe we honor God when we work together in his name.  Here you will find some of the ways we have united our efforts to bring God’s love to our larger community.

So grow where you are planted!  And check out some of these other avenues of service.  Maybe one is just right for you.  You will discover the great joy of giving of yourself to others.

ACTS (Altadena Congregations Together Serving)*

Summer Salad Suppers

A Friendship Gathering of People of Different Faiths. Four Thursday nights, 6:30 PM.
Meatless potluck** meal, followed by sharing of that congregation’s outreach/ministry experience.
Meatless potluck is out of respect for religious and dietary observances.

Call the church for more information (626-797-8970).

2018 Theme: “Hope and Progress”

Thursday, June 14th – Sharing Thoughts of Hope and Progress
An opportunity for personal reflection
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Altadena, 942 East Altadena Drive

Thursday, June 28th – Make a Joyful Noise of Hope and Progress
A lighthearted evening featuring creative expression of hope and progress: music, poetry, dancing, clapping.
To lead or share an act in this session, please contact Lori Stein, 626-833-1492.
Altadena Community Church United Church of Christ, 943 East Altadena Drive

Thursday, July 12th – Caring for Our Vulnerable Elders
Dementia Friendly Communities, Pasadena Village, and Monte Cedro
Christ the Shepherd Lutheran Church, 185 West Altadena Drive

Thursday, July 19th – Hopeful Voices of Young People
Hearing from Young People Who are Working to Make a Difference
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1014 East Altadena Drive, Altadena

ACTS including representatives from local Baha’i, Baptist, Christian Science, Episcopal, Jewish, Islamic, Lutheran, and United Church of Christ Communities.

Donations will be accepted to help sustain the A.C.T.S. Food Pantry. Checks may be made out to “ACTS.”

*ACTS (Altadena Congregations Together Serving) is an interfaith group dedicated to improving the understanding between religions on a local level

**Please bring vegetarian dish to share: appetizers, main, dishes, fruits, salads, desserts, etc.

**Please bring a vegetarian dish to share: appetizers, main, dishes, fruits, salads, desserts, etc.

See http://www.ourwebsite.org/ABCBlackHistory for photo archive

When ABC’s ancestors started a Swedish-American church in the 1920s, they  never could have imagined that eighty years later the church’s third biggest celebration in the church calendar would be Black History Month (behind Christmas and Easter)!  Altadena’s demographics changed in the 70s, and our congregation was committed to changing right along with it, in order to be a true community church.  While many Caucasian churches fled to the east side of Pasadena, we grew into one of the very few ethnically diverse congregations in our area.  We appreciate our earliest roots, but we also celebrate all of our ethnic backgrounds as a rich tapestry within which to live as community.

One of the big highlights of our year is the month of February, in which our African- American heritage is celebrated.  The entire church undergoes a colorful transformation, as all areas are decorated according to that year’s theme.  Our worship services that month begin with “deacon devotionals,” following southern Black church traditions.  Throughout the month we learn about our history through different events, but the pinnacle is always the third Sunday evening program. Our larger community has learned that ABC’s African-American History Celebration is a quality event, which always includes great music, interesting speakers, thoughtful presentations of history with hooks to our future.  The soul food meal which follows allows even more connections to be made over the dinner table.  Mark your calendar!  We’ve celebrated this way for over 29 years, and look forward to more in our future.

Announcing 2018’s Black History Celebration

Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater, Executive Director of Friends In Deed and former leader of Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, will be the keynote speaker at Altadena Baptist Church’s thirty-fifth annual Black History Celebration, on Sunday, February 18. The program, which will begin at 5 pm, will also include several musical genres to emphasize the theme, “Finding Harmony in a World of Dissonance.” Afterwards, all those attending will be invited to enjoy a free soul-food fellowship meal.

Altadena Baptist Church has been a racially-integrated congregation since the mid-1970s, and this annual Celebration has become one of its most meaningful and important events of the year. Recent speakers have included TV news anchor Beverly White, Fuller Seminary’s Dr. Joy Moore, Seattle Pacific University professor Dr. Brenda Salter-MacNeil and Metropolitan Baptist Church Pastor Rev. Tyrone L. Skinner.

Rabbi Levine Grater has been an activist on behalf of various social causes, locally, nationally, and internationally His writings have been published in The Huffington Post, The Jewish Journal of Southern California and The Times of Israel. In his current position with Friends In Deed, he is responsible for running the Pasadena Bad Weather Shelter, which provides a hot meal and safe sleeping space for homeless people when weather conditions are poor. His agency also sponsors the Women’s Room, a place where women with limited resources can find a helping hand, as well as supportive friendship. When not working, Joshua rides his motorcycle, hikes in the hills around his home, plays percussion, teaches Jewish meditation, and enjoys playing and watching sports. He loves live music and being with his family. He lives in Pasadena, CA with his wife, Franci, twin teenagers, Noah and Ella, and his dog Luna.

For more information regarding the Celebration, please call the church office, at (626) 797-8970.

 

Do you need some change in your life? Do you feel the need to grow in a healthy direction? Have you ever wondered what God is up to in your life? Maybe All Church Picnic/Retreat is right for you. We will escape the routines of our lives for a time to be together, to look inward and to look upward. God will be there, and we would love for you to come meet God with us.

Wilderness Church Picnic
August 26, 2014
10 am to 2 pm
Lunch will begin at 11:30am

Arcadia Wilderness Park
2240 Highland Oaks Dr.
Arcadia, CA 91006
626.355.5309

Directions:
• 210 freeway (to Arcadia)
• Exit Santa Anita and turn north
• Turn right on Elkins (1.4 miles above 210)
• Left on Highland Oaks Dr. (0.4 miles)
• Gate to the park will be on the right hand side (0.6 miles)

Join us for an afternoon of outdoor recreation and a picnic. ABC will provide the hamburgers, hot dogs, and condiments. Please bring a picnic side-dish, drinks, or desserts to share. Also bring lawn chiars, picnic blankets, and outdoor games. Wear Outdoor shoes.

Overnight Camping Available from Friday night to Sunday morning. (For those who are interested in overnight camping, please contact Claudia Rempel.

Searching for the Meaning of Life?

Alpha is for thoughtful people with questions on a journey of discovery.

Why are we here?
Does life have meaning?
Is there something more?
Can we really know God?
Who is Jesus?
Does prayer work?

The Alpha course is a great place to explore the “big questions of life.”

No question is too simple, too difficult, or off limits.

Conversation around a meal, listening to a talk, and small group discussion provide a place where friendships grow.

Everyone is welcome!  Alpha is for those who have questions about God’s existence, those looking for purpose and meaning in life, or those looking for a new connection with their faith.

No one is required to say anything, and there is no homework.

The next series will be on the calendar.

Altadena Baptist Church has helped staff Pasadena’s Bad Weather Shelter since it opened to volunteers in 1987.  During the winter season a team of 10-15 volunteers is on duty every other week to prepare a hot, nourishing meal, set up the sleeping area, and help guests find their blankets and get comfortable for the evening.  On a cold, wintery night our hearts are warmed by reaching out in love to the homeless in our community.

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.”  Mt. 25:40

The Bad Weather Shelter is closed now for the season.  Many thanks to all who helped make life a little easier for some of the homeless in our community.  Some of the ways ABCers stretched themselves in giving:

  • Generous ABCers donated 17 turkeys, which became the basis for our hot, nourishing meals.  Some volunteers cooked the turkeys in advance, preparing them for use in the hearty main course.  Other volunteers shopped for the ingredients to our meals.  This behind the scenes preparation for our service was invaluable.
  • Our coordinator of volunteers, Paula McCall, does the work of making sure we are well staffed every night.
  • 12-15 volunteers were on hand each of five nights the shelter was open on our rotation.  These cheerful workers cooked, served and cleaned up after meals, set up cots, distributed blankets, registered guests.
  • In addition to our own ABCers, we were greatly helped by friends who came beside us, and by Elvira, our partner from St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, who was also our head cook.  ABC provided the ingredients for the main course, and Elvira provided the other half of the meal.

This past season we especially enjoyed these unique moments:

  • Robert DeVaughn sang for the guests once they had eaten and were settled for the evening.  His voice, singing “Amazing Grace,” joined by everyone who knew the song, filled the gym with beauty.
  • We are one of the few groups that brings children with us to volunteer.  We especially appreciate teaching our youngsters compassion and service as part of their faith in action.
  • Lori Ottaviano spearheaded a crew of volunteers to put on two weddings within two weeks of each other.  These two couples needed to be married to be considered for shelter in the Door of Hope.  Two beautiful, but simple ceremonies and receptions were held at ABC, given as a gift of love so these families could have a solid foundation as they build their lives back up.

BWS2013jan-1

BWS2013jan-3

BWS2013jan-4

BWS2013jan-5

BWS2013jan-6

In cooperation with ACTS (Altadena Congregations Together Serving) ABC staffs the Altadena Community Food Bank the 4th Saturday of each month (10:00 AM to Noon). We are responsible for providing the following personal hygiene items each month: bathroom tissue, bath soap, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine items. Please bring your donated items to the church office by the Wednesday before. Thank you for helping with this community ministry.

Also needed are plastic shopping bags. If you are able to help with this request, please bring your bags to the ABC church office. Thank you!

Women’s Prayer Brunch

The 4 E’s of the Women’s Prayer Brunch:

Eat together
Encourage one another
Enjoy God’s Word together
Enter into His presence

The Women’s Prayer Brunch  meets 4-6 times a year at different homes. See the Church Calendar for more specifics.

Food

A member (actually, your webmaster) was looking for a copy of the Strata recipe that is the main feature of the “brunch”, and couldn’t find it. So, for everyone to find at a moments notice:

The ABC Women’s Prayer Brunch Basic Strata Recipe
8 eggs
8-10 slices white bread
½ to ¾ pound cheese (grated)
3 cups milk
10 slices of bacon or 1 package of sausage
[or ham approximately ¾ to 1 pound]
½ to 1 bunch green onions

Mix milk and eggs. Cook green onions and bacon. Drain and hold. In 13 x 9 inch pan layer bread, then cheese, then onion and bacon; repeat. Cover top with milk and egg mixture. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Refrigerate over night. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Turn up to 425 degrees for another 15 minutes or until done.

Feel free to add your own unique touches.

* * * * *

At one of the Prayer Brunches, there was a new casserole that was a hit. Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup is copyrighted, so here’s the link to the recipe at the Food Network.