Dear Church Family,
 
As I type this, I can hear the wind howling and the rain pouring down outside. After a brief break, the storms have returned — and while it's cold in the office, I'm warm and dry, sheltered from it all. That thought keeps leading me back to three families in Ensenada who are also sheltered from the storm today, because of your love and generosity.

Dear Church Family,

Back in 1994, I took a group of Youth on an “Urban Plunge” mission trip. We had about 30 junior high and high school students and brought them to work with various mission organizations in Los Angeles. It was an amazing experience with a lot of surprises (some great and some challenging).

It’s been a while, but I recall that we handed out sandwiches on the streets, served meals in a soup kitchen, and learned about ways people became the hands and feet of Jesus for those in need.

But there was one part I will never forget…

Dear Church Family,

If you're a parent of daughters with long hair, you know about one of life's most glamorous tasks: the quarterly "Clearing of the Drains."

This ritual happens every time those long hairs become too much for the drains to handle. Armed with a special tool designed for just this purpose, I wrestle the bundle free from deep within. And then, like the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, the water suddenly falls away.

I have found that over the years, the same thing can happen to our spiritual life. The stuff of life begins to collect in our spiritual pipes. And over time, less and less living water makes its way to our souls. We can easily find ourselves clogged.

Dear Church Family,

If you’re building a structure that is going to stand strong, one of the first things you have to do is to lay a strong foundation. 

A few years ago, I got really into researching Tower Cranes and how they work. These are the big cranes that build skyscrapers. One of the amazing facts I learned is that before they even bring in the crane parts, they pour a massive concrete foundation to support the equipment. You can’t even begin to build a skyscraper without creating a solid foundation for the tools.

The same is true of churches. In fact, that’s why there is a famous hymn entitled, The Church’s One Foundation. And that one foundation is, “Jesus Christ her Lord.” Jesus is our firm foundation. But after Jesus, we still need to shore things up to build a strong church.

Dear Church Family,

I just finished having dinner with my cousin. That may not sound particularly noteworthy or "article" worthy, but perhaps this will change your mind: it was the first time we had seen each other in over 25 years!

You might think he lives out of town or was passing through, but he lives and works about 15 minutes from our home. We just haven't connected in all that time. To be fair, we didn't spend much time together growing up and hadn't been all that close. But regardless, his mom and my dad were siblings, so we are family.

Dear Church Family,

My day started with a text from a friend that read, "Tell me today is going to be a good day." I could tell from those words that their morning had started in the opposite direction, and they were seeking a word of hope.

I quickly responded, "It's going to be a good day!" How could it not be? My day had started ahead of schedule with a wide-open calendar to get lots of good tasks done. I even had a meeting get cancelled! Can I get a hallelujah?!

Dear Church Family,

I begin this week's article with a big, "Thank You!" I was so touched by your gift last week for Pastor Appreciation month. But reading all the cards and notes you wrote—over 100 of them—has been even more meaningful. Truly, my heart has been overwhelmed and humbled.

So, as I thought about my article this week, I decided that I wanted to do the same for you. The writing prompt on your cards was, "Pastor Karl, you inspire me because…" Therefore, today's article begins:

Dear Church Family,

They say, "Where there is smoke, there is fire." That may be true, but I discovered an equally true statement this week: "Where there is a smoke alarm going off, there isn't always smoke."

The alarm in the sanctuary started blaring yesterday afternoon—and let me tell you, it's really loud. Even though it said it was on the ground floor, after walking through the entire children's area, including the rock room, we found nothing. No smoke. No fire. Not even a hint of either one.

Dear Church Family,

Yesterday, I had high hopes for the day. My schedule was open for most of the day, and I had set aside time to work on my sermon and Bible study for next week. And it was only Wednesday! It was going to be a highly productive day.

But it wasn't long before the everyday rhythms of life began to weave their way into my "perfect" plans. The first moment came when I left the house a bit later than I had hoped. Before I knew it, I was stuck in rush hour traffic, and I had chosen the wrong route. I tried to get out of the lane, but there was no turning back. It would be an extra 10 minutes on my drive.

Dear Church Family,

It's been a noisy week. Not the kind of noise measured in decibels, but the overwhelming cacophony of activities, obligations, news feeds, social media, and the relentless demands of daily life.

Last night, driving home from our Board of Trustees meeting, my mind was racing—not because we faced particularly difficult decisions (though that plumbing issue did require some serious deliberation), but because it was my fifth meeting of the day. Between trying to catch up in the spaces between commitments, my heart and mind couldn't seem to quiet down.

Dear Church Family,

As you know, our church family has experienced significant growth over the past year. Each Sunday as you come to worship, there are always familiar faces. However, some faces are new. And what's even more likely, there are probably faces that you aren't sure if they are new or not. 

Dear Church Family,

As I write this, I’m staring out the window looking over the Lazy W campgrounds. As you know, this is a place where my faith was formed as a child, youth, and young adult. But today, I’m looking over an empty camp from the comfort of an air conditioned retreat space.

For the last 4 days, I have been in retreat listening for God’s Spirit as I plan our worship life in 2026. (Yes, we are already thinking that far ahead!) This is one of my favorite rhythms of the ministry year—taking time away to think and pray about what God wants our church to focus on in the months ahead.

Dear Church Family,

Next week, I will be taking a few days away to plan my sermon series for the upcoming year. Every year I do this, and I want you to know that I take you with me. I think about your hearts. I think about what concerns you. And I have been thinking a lot about what God wants to say to our church this coming year. 

Dear Church Family,

Sunday mornings at St. Andrew's are a busy place. A lot happens before our 10:00 AM worship begins. Let me share a bit about what you might miss if you aren't here early.

Shortly before 8:00 AM cars start to pull into the parking lot. Our organist and sound tech are usually first on the scene. Next Emily, our Sunday Custodian, and I make our way into the office to begin printing materials, setting up tables, etc. Then the band begins to make their way in to set up for rehearsal. Around 8:45 choir members start to arrive and choir rehearsal begins at 9:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall. Somewhere in there our Coffee Team begins the most important part of the day: brewing our coffee! And 10 minutes later, I usually grab a cup.

Dear Church Family,

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Never talk politics or religion among friends.” Usually, this is meant to avoid disagreements. And of course, that’s because politics and religion are often centered around deeply held beliefs and values.

This morning, I had breakfast with a good friend—something we do often. And, against the old saying, we intentionally talk about politics and religion. What’s more, we often come to both topics from very different perspectives. But I can tell you that the differences of opinion are exactly why we come to the table and what makes our time together meaningful. We want to challenge one another. And we want to open our perspectives to see beyond the waters we normally swim in. 

Dear Church Family,

As I write this, it's 4:40 on Thursday afternoon—and I have to admit, The View usually would be out by now. But this week at St. Andrew’s, things have been wonderfully busy! Why? Because it’s Vacation Bible School week, and this year's theme, True North, has taken us on an exciting journey to the Alaskan wilderness every day.

Dear Church Family,

This week marks an important moment in our Methodist heritage as Ann Small, Nancy Brashear, and I prepare to attend the 41st Annual Conference of our California-Pacific Conference of United Methodists.

Albert Outler was one of the best-known historians of John Wesley and the Methodist movement he founded during the 18^th century. Professor Outler once said, the annual conference was “one of those strokes of practical genius that marked off Wesleyan Methodism from other vectors of the Evangelical Revival.” (John Wesley, 1964)

Dear Church Family,

This was a short week because of the Memorial Day holiday, and I was reminded of it in an unexpected way. Walking to the sanctuary on Wednesday, I saw our trash truck pulling into the parking lot. It struck me as odd—trash day is Tuesday. Then I remembered: every holiday week, pickup gets pushed back a day.

My math brain started spinning.