PASTOR RIDES CIRCUIT FOR 3 CHURCHES ENERGY AMAZES HIS PARISHIONERS.Byline: Holly J. Andres Staff Writer Echoing the pioneering pastors who rode from town to town delivering the word of God, the Rev. Charles ``Chuck'' Bunnell spreads himself among three Lutheran churches each Saturday and Sunday. ``I'm like a circuit-riding pastor,'' said Bunnell, who has been the part-time spiritual leader to the three congregations since 2001. ``As far as I'm concerned, this is the answer for little congregations. Do all people want to go to big churches? I don't think so.'' Bunnell travels among St. Andrew's Lutheran and Christ the King Lutheran churches in Van Nuys and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Northridge - each of which has fewer than 100 members. All three, however, are adamant about retaining distinct houses of worship. Bunnell divides the week up with two days each at St. Andrew's and Prince of Peace and a worship service at each on Sunday mornings Sunday Morning may refer to:
n. Abbr. Sv A unit of ionizing radiation absorbed dose equivalent in the International System of Units, obtained as a product of the absorbed dose measure in grays and a dimensionless factor, stipulated by the International . ``Pastor Chuck has energy that doesn't quit. I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. where he gets it,'' said Flo Naatz, a member of Prince of Peace for 39 years and its secretary. ``He's very ebullient. He's always smiling. You get a good feeling when you talk to him.'' Prince of Peace and St. Andrew's themselves are sister churches. Naatz said the two congregations like each other, and that it was ideal to jointly hire Bunnell to keep their congregations growing. ``We both have property that is paid for and we want to use it to benefit the whole community. We have a lot of meetings here, like AA and Overeaters Anonymous Overeaters Anonymous (OA) is a Twelve Step program for people identifying themselves as "powerless over food" including, but not limited to, compulsive overeaters, those with binge eating disorder, bulimics and anorexics. OA was founded by Rozanne S. ,'' Naatz said. ``We want to serve and bring the word of God to the community - they don't have to be Lutheran, either. Pastor Chuck has been great for both of us.'' St. Andrew's and Prince of Peace alternate certain services on the Lutheran calendar. For example, the midweek Lenten potluck and service and Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday (môn`dē) [Lat. mandatum, word in the ceremony], traditional English name for Thursday of Holy Week, so named because it is considered the anniversary of the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus at the Last Supper (that observance during Holy Week are being held at Prince of Peace. The Good Friday Good Friday, anniversary of Jesus' death on the cross. According to the Gospels, Jesus was put to death on the Friday before Easter Day. Since the early church Good Friday has been observed by fasting and penance. service will be held at St. Andrew's. ``The upside Upside The potential dollar amount by which the market or a stock could rise. Notes: This is basically an educated guess on how high a stock could go in the near future. See also: Bull, Downside is there is an intermixing of people from both churches. I don't feel there is a down side. We have a happy compromise,`` said Leila Diamond, a St. Andrew's member of 30 years. ``We love Pastor Chuck dearly. He's very friendly and enthusiastic. He's a true believer true believer n. One who is deeply, sometimes fanatically devoted to a cause, organization, or person: "a band of true believers bonded together against all those who did not agree with them" and he shares that joy.'' ``I get my energy by beginning every morning with prayer,'' said Bunnell, who loves to garden on his one day off, Monday. ``The best part of my ministry is the people. You never know what people are going to do. It's a very discouraging dis·cour·age tr.v. dis·cour·aged, dis·cour·ag·ing, dis·cour·ag·es 1. To deprive of confidence, hope, or spirit. 2. To hamper by discouraging; deter. 3. world. People need to hear that God gives us the good things in life and that God is loving. We need to trust more in God.'' The Rev. Chuck Bunnell will lead the 5:30 p.m. service today at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 17400 Vanowen St., Van Nuys; and the 9 a.m. Sunday service at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 9440 Balboa Balboa, town (1990 pop. 2,751), Colón prov., in the former Panama Canal Zone, on the Gulf of Panama. The port for Panama City, Balboa was the administrative headquarters of the Panama Canal Zone. It was also the site of a U.S. navy base (closed 1999). Blvd., Northridge. Call (818) 886-1324. He will lead the 11 a.m. Sunday service at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 15520 Sherman Way, Van Nuys. Call (818) 782-5953. Holly Andres, (818) 713-3708 holly.andres(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: The Rev. Charles Bunnell, seen here at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, does triple duty, ministering to congregations at a trio of Valley Lutheran churches. David Sprague/Staff Photographer |
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