FIFTY YEARS OF LOVE CHURCH MARKING MAJOR MILESTONE.Byline: Holly Andres Staff Writer WOODLAND HILLS - A warm welcome, hugs and down-to-earth Sunday sermons are some of the reasons people have faithfully attended Woodland Hills Christian Church since it was founded in 1954. The congregation originally met in the American Legion American Legion, national association of male and female war veterans, founded (1919) in Paris. Membership is open to veterans of World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Hall on Fallbrook Avenue until the current sanctuary, built by some of the founding members, went up on the southeast corner of Shoup Avenue and Oxnard Street. Former and current members will celebrate the 50th anniversary at a program at the church tonight and during the worship service on Sunday. ``If you come once, you'll come back,'' predicted Joyce Scott, a member since the early 1960s. ``We have been known as 'the church with the golden glow' because we're so friendly. Almost always after the welcome and the opening song we say hello to each other and give each other a hug. We're very hugging.'' Woodland Hills Christian Church is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ Disciples of Christ: see Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Disciples of Christ Group of U.S. Protestant churches that originated in the frontier revivals of the early 19th century. ). Communion communion: see Eucharist; Lord's Supper. , open to all Christians, is celebrated at every Sunday service. Ministers and lay church members lead services. They practice baptism baptism [Gr., =dipping], in most Christian churches a sacrament. It is a rite of purification by water, a ceremony invoking the grace of God to regenerate the person, free him or her from sin, and make that person a part of the church. by immersion immersion /im·mer·sion/ (i-mer´zhun) 1. the plunging of a body into a liquid. 2. the use of the microscope with the object and object glass both covered with a liquid. . ``We're not the real contemporary church that some are but we try to be flexible and provide interest for all ages. We're still preaching the Gospel as it is laid out in the Bible. That doesn't change,'' said Joe Weber, a retired firefighter with the Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), also known as the Los Angeles City Fire Department to distinguish it from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Los Angeles. , an elder and a member for almost 50 years. ``We're accepting of all who come to our door. We try to offer a friendly, family atmosphere. Come in wherever you are in life and seek community with us.'' The Rev. Greg Daum - and the congregation calls him Greg - has officially been the pastor at WHCC WHCC Warwick Hills Country Club (Grand Blanc, Michigan; site of the Buick Open) WHCC Washington Health Care Center (Washington, DC) for about a year. Daum also teaches public speaking and religion at Pepperdine University Pepperdine University is a private institution of higher learning affiliated with the Church of Christ in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States. The university's location overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is adjacent to the city limits of Malibu. in Malibu. When Daum came to the church as an interim minister for a couple of years, he was pleasantly surprised to find out that his grandfather and Weber knew each other in the LAFD LAFD Los Angeles Fire Department LAFD Los Alamos Fire Department LAFD London Association of Funeral Directors (UK) . ``It's a neat connection for me. He is like a second grandfather to me. Joe is the voice of maturity at this church. He is a very faithful and an excellent example of what this congregation has been for the last 50 years,'' said Daum. ``I think the church has been around for 50 years because they are a loving group of people. They extend that love and warmth to you and people want to go to a church where love is preached.'' Feeling accepted no matter what your age, culture or history is what Daum hopes visitors feel from the moment they are greeted at the door - almost always by Weber - to the coffee hour at the end of the service. ``We were actually looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a different church when my wife, Deanna, and I walked in,'' said Mike Brown, who joined the church this year. ``We were greeted and accepted with open arms. Greg, a young guy like me, drew us right in. We never went looking for that other church we couldn't find that first day.'' Brown, his wife and daughters Justine and Jasmine jasmine (jăs`mĭn, jăz–) or jessamine (jĕs`əmĭn), any plant of the genus Jasminum of the family Oleaceae (olive family). enjoy the charm of a small congregation. They are pleased by the weekly youth program, recently started by some of Daum's students from Pepperdine. ``Everyone knows everybody. Everybody sticks around and talks about their week (during the coffee hour),'' Brown said. ``Our girls, who are 13 and 10, can't wait for the Friday night youth group that the Pepperdine students lead.'' A 50th anniversary program will be held at 7 p.m. today and the Rev. Greg Daum will deliver the message ``A Celebration of the Past, a Vision for the Future'' at the 10 a.m. Sunday service at Woodland Hills Christian Church, 5920 Shoup Ave., Woodland Hills. Call (818) 340-5613. Holly Andres, (818) 713-3708 holly.andres(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: From left, the Rev. Greg Daum, Joe Weber, Kent Miller and Joyce Scott stand outside the Woodland Hills Christian Church, celebrating its 50th anniversary today and Sunday. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer |
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