—RYAN

I asked the congregation to think about three options:

1. Raising a significant amount of money to do the urgent repairs (est. $100,000–$200,000). This would likely not include any cosmetic renovations like improvements to the bathrooms or the sanctuary. These improvements are urgent and essential but would not be visible to most people. It includes things like major plumbing and electrical, roofing, heat and AC units, etc.

2. Raising a larger amount of money to do the things included in option 1 above and cosmetic improvements. This includes renovations that would improve people’s first impression of our church and its ministry. I’m sure you can think of a few of these things yourself!

3. Sell the church building and move to a different location—most likely renting a worship space of some kind (either another church or a warehouse-type space or store front) in Hollywood. This would allow us to live off the interest from the sale price of the building (rather than the rental income that currently makes up 68% of our total operating budget) and be less occupied with maintaining a building and managing renters.

I’m happy to report that our members took these challenges very seriously. We have only begun to have this conversation but all indications so far are the we really want to stay here and renovate our building as much as we possibly can. One thing is clear: the status quo is not an option. We absolutely MUST do some work to our building if we intend to stay here.

The closing comment came from one of our new Elders, Brian Lauritzen, who challenged us all to keep these important issues in our prayers. So I pass his challenge on to you. Please be praying about our needs! Just in the past week God has already proven, one again, that he is ready and able to provide.

If you wish to talk to me or any of the other leaders about these issues, please don’t hesitate to do so. This is a wide open conversation and will require each and every person who cares about the Hollywood Adventist Church to get involved.

Thank you, once again, for being the amazing congregation that you are!

—RYAN

Our new Sabbath School class will be meeting each Sabbath before the main worship service at 9:45 a.m. in the downstairs classroom. We’re following curriculum, videos and discussion topics from well-known Biblical scholar and minister N.T. Wright in a series called Simply Christian. This class is a safe place for those who are new to Christianity to explore the faith and some of life’s big essential questions and also offers deep insights and challenges to those who are more seasoned Christians.

We be examining the scriptures and have discussions around questions such as: Why do we expect Justice? Why do we crave spirituality? Why are we attracted to beauty? Why are relationships so painful? How will the world be made right? Is it possible to really know anything about God? How does God relate to the world? How do we “do business” with God? How do I read and engage with the Bible? And much more! It’s a fun and illuminating journey. Hope you can join us—all are welcome! E-mail pastors Ryan or Syd.

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege to speak to N.T. Wright on the phone from his home in Scotland. Those of you who know me and have heard me speak over the years know that Tom Wright is my favorite New Testament scholar and someone whose writing and speaking has deepened my understanding of Jesus and the gospel in profound ways. I will be publishing the full interview on The Hillhurst Review in a few days, but at a friend’s suggestion I want to share a short excerpt here.

This statement below was Wright’s response to a question about how the work of the church goes beyond simply getting people in the pews.

A lot of folk in the church have simply said, “Well, it’s basically the more people we get in the pews the more people we get to heaven at the end of the day.” And, though obviously, as you know from some of my other works, the whole question of the long-term future and the new world and the new creation and resurrection is absolutely vital—you can’t do without that hope, but that plays back into the present life precisely because the resurrection of Jesus. God has actually started this new creation project right now and when somebody becomes a Christian and starts to worship God in Christ, and join with others in doing so in the power of the Spirit, then things are supposed to be happening both in that community and through that community, in and for the world all around them. Of course the church has always basically done this and if you go back into the second and third centuries and so on, that’s the reputation that the church had: “Who are these funny people who go around being kind to everybody even though they don’t need to be?” And that’s how Christianity spread, rather than just the communication of great ideas.

Watch www.hillhurstreview.com for the full interview.

—RYAN

There are also some long-range issues that we really must address. One of those is our financial viability. Each year we depend upon our rental income for fully three-fourths of our operating budget. When one of our tenants moves, as is about to happen in February, our entire budget is in jeopardy. In addition, you may have noticed that the church is in need of some cosmetic improvements, to say nothing of more serious infrastructure repairs. With every passing year these maintenance issues grow more serious. We have tried our best to follow God’s leading, which has meant putting almost all our money into ministry and outreach. Now we have reached a crossroads. Together we must discern God’s leading for the next chapter of our ministry together.

We will begin this process together at our Congregational Meeting on Sabbath afternoon, January 21. If you are a member of the church, please PLEASE prioritize this meeting in your schedule. We really need your input. Also at this meeting will be news and information about upcoming opportunities to grow spiritually and put your faith into action.

At the beginning of this new year I hope you will resolve to be more intentional about your spiritual growth, your service to the community and your commitment to your brothers and sisters in the church. I’m not sure if this is the best way to say this, but your church needs you right now. Actually, you are the church. Without you there is no church at all. So in whatever way God is calling you to engage, do it with all your heart and 2012 will be the best year yet.

—RYAN

We stand on the threshold of a new year, full of hope and possibility. Each day, in fact, holds the same new hope, the same fresh possibility. You might even have the experience of getting partway through a day that is going badly and saying to yourself, “I can start over right now and make this day better.” In that sense, every moment is a new opportunity to experience the goodness that God has for us, which is all around us if we have the eyes to see it.

But in a special way, the new year holds out new hope. Whether you make official resolutions for yourself or just think about the way you’d like this year to be different than the last, the turning of the calendar gives us a chance to think in new ways about our life. I hope you’ve had time this past week to reflect on the past year and the ways God has led you. As you look back over the joys and the sorrows, I hope you can trace the hand of God leading you, comforting you, rejoicing with you. I hope perhaps you see evidence of a deeper commitment to Jesus’ way than you had last year.

As we look ahead to 2012 there is a great deal that is unclear. We don’t know much about what this new year will bring. What we do know is that God has come among us in the person of Jesus. By God’s Spirit, Jesus is among us still and the future is in his hands. As we look forward to this coming year together, please join me in praying for our congregation and our future together!

—RYAN