First United Methodist Church of North Hollywood
GOOD NEWS
e-mail: nohofumc@gmail.com
April 2023
facebook.com/nohofumc1 www.nohofumc.org
IN THIS ISSUE:
• Holy Week Schedule
• Single Board Update
• Meet our Interim Pastor
• Easter Weekend Events
GOOD NEWS is published monthly by
First United Methodist Church of North
Hollywood, California 91601
Phone (818) 763-8231
Rev. Dottie Frank Escobedo
Bishop
Rev. Melissa MacKinnon
District Superintendent
Pastor Christian Washington
Interim Pastor
Congregation
Ministers
Michael McKenzie
Director of Music
Roger Eshleman
Organist
Jesse Boone
Administrator
Nylean Rapinac
Membership & Financial Secretary
Patty Kelsey
Director, Program Ministries
Tonya Peat
Director, Outreach Ministries
A CHRISTIAN SIGNIFICANCE MOVEMENT
I believe the vision of Christian “Significance” is what walking with Jesus is all
about. We live in a city filled with people who have discovered the pursuit of
happiness, success and independence is an empty one. Our thesis is “Happiness,
success, and independence are idols that will never truly satisfy the human need
for eternal meaning. As Gospel-Centered Christian’s we should believe that all
people are fashioned for a life of significance where fulfillment is found in the
loving pursuit of interdependence and freedom."
A ROADMAP TO SIGNIFICANCE
Journey to significance includes 6 identifiable movements that are revealed in
scripture. As you awaken to your biblical call to do significant things consider
these principles your roadmap to the life you were born to live.
THE BEGINNING OF SIGNIFICANCE: Creation of Humans and Job
description (Genesis 1:26-31) Key Takeaway: Humans were created to represent
LOVE in the world and take care everything in the world. Humans are called
“very good” by God and that is the image we must hold of ourselves.
QUESTION: How does knowing that you are inherently “very good” and
valuable (versus deprived and bad) effect how you view God and your life?
THE BIRTHRIGHT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Abraham’s Covenant to bless the
World (Genesis 17 and 22) Key Takeaway: We are part of the family that God
chose to bless the world. The family business is to, by our very presence, inject
hope, wonder, favor, and connection to the divine to the world.
THE VOCATION OF SIGNIFICANCE: Isaiah’s prophetic call to save the
world (Isa 61) Key Takeaway: Our “job” is to be the delivery system for God’s
grace and salvation.
THE EMBODIMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Jesus’s Job description and echo
of Isaiah (Luke 4) Key Takeaway: Jesus is the ultimate example of how to live a
life of significance. We must likewise embrace our “true identity” as “salt” and
“light”. We are called to be heroic and “hero makers”
THE COMMISSIONING OF SIGNIFICANCE: Jesus’ instructions to the 12
(Luke 9) Key Takeaway: We have the same “job description” as Jesus —
THE COST OF SIGNIFICANCE: Paul’s call to be a living sacrifice (Romans
12) Key Takeaway: Choosing the life, a life of significance, requires a “reasonable”
sacrifice.
Enjoy the journey and always remember: "You are significant, because God says
so. You are significant and created to do significant things."
Pastor Christian

April 2 Palm Sunday It’s Time for Some Good Trouble Matthew 21:1-3
Jesus got into some Good Trouble! Riding in like a King, getting the money changers out, letting the sick and their
families into the temple and continuing the undignified party. Jesus was a revolutionary. Jesus was radically
inclusive. Jesus made a ruckus...and they killed him for it. He gave us a glimpse of the Kin-Dom of God.
April 9 Easter Sunday The Significance of Jesus
The resurrection of Jesus birthed a new kind of church, housed in a new kind of temple...the human
heart.
April 16 We Announce Our Significance Matthew 3:13-17
“My life belongs to God.” The Hero's Journey of Jesus begins with going public with his faith in God and
acknowledging that he was put here for a significant purpose. Jesus went public - we need to go public.
April 23 We Affirm Our Significance Luke 4:14-22
“I am significant, because God says so.” Jesus affirms his significance and God's "job description" for his life as an
example for humanity. Jesus affirmed His purpose. Jesus tells us what we are here to do.
April 30 We Activate Our Significance Luke 7:18-23
“I was created to do significant things.” Jesus exemplifies the necessity of putting faith and purpose into action. He
does this through serving the needs of humanity and being a true "philanthropist". This message challenges us to
dedicate our lives to being DOERS of significant things.
HIGHLIGHTS OF ONLINE WORSHIP
Tune in every Sunday for a brand new worship service!
We share on YouTube @nohofumc and on Facebook @nohofumc1.
Vocals - Michael McKenzie Welcome & Farewell - Norman Kelsey
Prayers of the People - Jesse Boone
Moment with Children - Patty Kelsey
March 5 - Born Again
March 12 - Living Water
March 19 - Don’t Be Afraid
March 26 - Not the End
Scripture Reader for March
Jesse Boone
John 2:18-22
Guest Pastors: DS Rev. Melissa MacKinnon & Pastor Marry Dennis |
Interim Pastor, Christian Washington
Sermon Titles and Scripture
March 5 - Eyes on Jesus| John 3:1-17
March 12 - Rose: The Woman at the Well | John 4:3-42
March 19 - Destroying the Fear Factor| Luke 6:27-38
March 26 - How to Come Back from he Dead | John 11:11-44
Organist/Pianist - Roger Eshleman

April 2nd Palm Sunday Observance
10:30 AM in the Sanctuary (receive your Holy-Week-In-A-Box)
April 3rd Labyrinth Mediation is available in the Social Hall until Good Friday
April 6th Maundy Thursday Observance
7:00 PM in the Sanctuary
April 7th Good Friday
Online Stations of the Cross (All day)
Worship at 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary (Service of Shadows)
April 8th Children’s Easter Celebration
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM in the parking lot & egg hunt by age group
April 9th Easter Sunday Worship & Celebration
Sunrise Service at 6:30 AM in the Courtyard
Continental Breakfast following
Easter Worship at 10:30 in the Sanctuary

It is time to order your Easter Lilies!
A gorgeous Easter Lily cross is erected in the chancel of the Sanctuary
every year. The lovely plants are given in memory and in honor of loved
ones and are $10 per plant.
The plants may be taken home following the 10:30 am
worship service on Easter Sunday, April 9th
Your Name ______________________________________ Phone Number ________________________
Please Circle One:
(In Memory) or (In Honor) of _____________________________________________________________
(In Memory) or (In Honor) of _____________________________________________________________
(In Memory) or (In Honor) of _____________________________________________________________
Total Number of Lilies Ordered _________ @ $10.00 per plant Total Due ______________

Our Interim Pastor - Christian Washington
For the past 10 years Pastor Christian Washington, served
as the founder and Lead Pastor of Upper Room Houston
an intentionally multi-ethnic church plant of Chapelwood
United Methodist Church (www.chapelwood.org) in
Houston, Texas. Additionally, Christian started REAL
Coaching, Incorporated (realcoaching.net) in 2004 as the
first “rapid solutions” consulting practice that focuses on
faith-based and non-profit organizations.
Much in demand as a public speaker, Christian enjoys
inspiring people to make a significant impact on their
world. He completed graduate studies in theology and
ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary,
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Cornell University, and undergraduate studies in management
science at the University of California, San Diego. Christian sits on numerous non-profit boards, is a
Faith and Justice Fellow with the Lilly Endowment, and a Fellow of the Loyola University Institute of
Politics.
He is married to his wife and best friend of more than 21 years, Johanne Swain Washington, and they
reside in South Pasadena, CA. Christian has published numerous articles and papers on innovative
organizational development and collaborated with Dr. Rudy Rasmus on his book TOUCH: Pressing
Against The Wounds of a Broken Worl, published by Thomas Nelson. When he is not doing the
work that he loves, Christian enjoys travel, tennis, live music and cheering on the Lakers, Dodgers and
USC Trojans.
In the two weeks that Pastor Christian has been with us, he has made a significant impact in our
church office and amongst the congregation. We are so blessed to have Pastor Christian until the end
of May and will cherish the gifts and wisdom that he will share with us.
By Muffett Brinkman
Can we just say, “God is great?” We were so blessed that our church
forefathers and mothers, with God’s help, built this amazing and incredibly
large church campus, to share with the North Hollywood community. Can
you believe our beautiful church turns 74 years old this month? Our
buildings need some upkeep after years of abuse from Mother Nature,
which means, the rehab continues! This summer, your Single Board, plans
to hit the next phase of the roff repair and hopefully will tackle the
Sanctuary, Social Hall, and Church Office roofs.
This summer’s work is just the tip of the iceberg...Our beautiful buildings need a lot of upgrades and
improvements to ensure it can still continue to withstand everything mother nature will throw at it, and
continue to provide us with the space to gather together, in order to help God make an impact on the
world.
Of course, none of this vital work can be done, without your generous giving. Please show this old
building some love and designate your extra offering to the General Fund, allowing your single board
can give this great old campus, the love it needs to be around for many more generations.

FROM THE DIGITAL OUTREACH DESK
By Tonya Peat
Some super exciting things have been going on in the digital world of
NoHo First UMC and I’d love to tell you all about it! Let’s dive right in!
We have been putting together the online service for a couple of years
now, or is it three years? I’ve lost count, but we have almost 210 Online
services under our belt and about 270 messages of the week. With 166
subscribers to our YouTube channel. I would love to hit 200 subscribers
soon and I bet you can help with that. We have some new and exciting
video series going on now! So if you have yet to subscribe to our
YouTube page and our Instagram (we are closing in on 400 followers),
now is the time!
First, Jesse Boone is hosting a new video series called, “Come with the
Light & Reveal.” It is centered around the beautiful stained glass in our
sanctuary. We chose the name as a tribute to Pastor Joey and the
beautiful prayer he inspired us with each Sunday. Which was based on
the prayer in the book, “Scene Through a Window.” Featuring the
eternal flame in the sanctuary to the left of the altar. Shortly after Jesse
started working in the office, Muffett suggested starting a video series on
the stained glass and I was super excited to edit the project. So Jesse will
tell the story behind one stained glass window in the sanctuary every
Wednesday.
Second, we added NoHo First: After Church, a new series I call
installments for their quick 30-second congregation interviews about
what their favorite part of the day's service was. This was something I
had been thinking of doing, but hadn’t obtained the courage to put
myself out there until Pastor Christian mentioned it at our first meeting
with him. He was the encouragement I needed to tap into my journalism
school training and point my camera and ask my questions. Have you
been cornered by me yet? If not, don’t worry, your turn will come! We
have a notes section in the bulletin for a reason.
Third, speaking of the bulletin, have you tried out our digital bulletin
yet? There are QR codes on the welcome desk and the greeters table in
the sanctuary for those who prefer to go paperless. Prepare your favorite
takeaway now. You never know when your turn to be on camera will be.
In addition, I have a sneak peek of the online service Children's Time
with Patty & Pastor Christian has been filming promos for the online
service as well. We’ve also added highlights of the in-person services on
our YouTube. You can find these, among many other exciting things, via
our Instagram and by scanning our QR code, which can be found on our
You’re Invited, social media cards, also available on the welcome table.
Last, I’m very excited to see our online presence grow and hope you will
subscribe, follow, and volunteer your favorite thing about our church the
next time you see me with my camera at coffee hour.

Second Thursday of the Month
All Women are invited...
Thursday, April 13th
Noon
In the Lounge
This month’s focus will be on Social Action
with a program shared by
Wendy Welch.
Bring a sack lunch.
As we live our Statement of Inclusivity at
NOHO First, we wanted to bring your attention
to Joel Hernandez, who is the Head of Custodial
for The Wesley School, and has been a blessing
to us on Sunday mornings. He is always first to
jump up and help, trustworthy and is
emotionally invested to the school and the
church. We are so appreciative of him.
It came to our attention, recently, that we have
been pronouncing his name incorrectly. His
mother named him with the Spanish
pronunciation of Joel (Joh-el).
Going forward, we would ask, that everyone
remember to say his name as it was given to him
at birth. It is incredibly important to do this, and
allows individuals to feel seen and respected.
Names are very much attached to who we are as
individuals, their part of our personal DNA.
Names are also often linked with our ethnicity
and culture. Pronouncing names correctly shows
respect and signals inclusion.
NEWS FROM THE NORTH HOLLYWOOD
INTERFAITH PANTRY
Pantry Needs
Do you have a surplus of grocery store plastic
bags that you don’t know what to do with?
Perhaps you have been recycling them. I have an
even better solution. The Pantry needs them.
Every bag of food distributed by the Pantry is
double bagged. Some of you have been donating
paper grocery bags for that purpose. But there is
also a need for the plastic bags. A paper bag is on
the inside and a plastic bag is on the outside.
Please place your surplus store bags in the plastic
bin outside of Boyer Chapel, along with
donations of non-perishable foods.
At this time the Pantry has plenty of rice. What
they need is diapers – sizes 4, 5, and 6 for
children, as well as adult diapers. Baby wipes are
also needed. Financial contributions would be
very much appreciated.
40th Anniversary Celebration
A Gala will be held at First Christian Church,
4390 Colfax Avenue, Studio City, on Saturday,
June 4th, 3–5 pm, to celebrate the 40th
anniversary of the Pantry. Put the date on your
calendar. It is hoped that NoHo FUMC will be
well represented.

BUT WHY…
WHY are we doing this?
At Hope the Mission, we are getting
ready to open 3 Interim Housing
Complexes for Homeless Families.
Together, we will provide 181 living
units with 724 beds! This is huge!
BUT, we need to raise the final funds
to get the sites open.
To raise the final $350,000 on our WELCOME HOME Campaign, we decided to launch our ALL IN
Campaign, thus our 350 mile run from Vegas. Our goal is to have each of the 350 miles sponsored for
$1,000 by the time we make it back to LA on Friday March 10th.
At this time we have raised over $160,000 for our ALL IN Campaign. Ken Craft, personally had the
privilege of sponsoring the first mile for $1,000.
Ken and Rowan were exhausted, but felt it was worth it, if the money is all raised. Please give a generous
gift today. Consider sponsoring a mile for $1,000 or a 1/2 mile for $500.
Please give what you can...My heart and feet will thank you! Thanks for being part of Team Hope!
Every $50.00 gift will allow us to purchase bedding for our soon to be residents!
Donate today @ www.hopeofthevalley.org

April 5 Andrew Shuford
April 7 Tara Varilek
April 13 Lisa Cheby
April 15 Tonya Peat
April 16 Gail Acosta
April 19 George Peters
April 23 Brian Ellis
April 24 Jim Tyree
April 27 Letha Watts
April 30 Charles Minetree
April 30 David Varney
• Genelita Ancheta’s father, Alfredo Garcia, underwent a partial
colectomy at City of Hope and is recovering.
• Charles & Carrie Minetree are grieving the loss of Carrie’s mom,
Norma Braden, who passed away at 92 years old.
• Jose Guzman requests prayers for chest inflammation.
• John Walter requests prayers for his sister, Kari Lankford. She is in
ICU at Riverside Community Hospital, suffering from a disease.
• Dani St. Clair’s Uncle, Bill Steinmeyer is being treated for cancer.
• Sherri Perry’s friend and work mate, Alice, has been feeling overwhelmed with multiple stressful life struggles.
From her husband, Benji, losing his job. Her sister-in law, Tess, was diagnosed with color cancer that spread to
her lymph nodes and does not want to treat her cancer.
• Joan Velde’s recent cancer treatments have not been successful and she is hopeful that radiation will help slow
the growth of her tumors.
• Jaz Pinero’s friend, Fred Delgado, is undergoing cancer treatment.

WORSHIP LECTIONARY & LITURGICAL COLORS (Year A)
April 2 Palm | Passion Sunday. Purple | Red
Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 118:1-2, 19 (UMH 839); Matthew 21:1-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66
April 6 Maundy Thursday. Purple | Red.
Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10) 11-14; Ps. 116:1-4, 12-19; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31b-35
April 7 Good Friday. Black | None.
Isa. 52:13-53:12; Ps. 22 (UMH 752); Heb. 10:16-25; John 18:1-19:42
April 9 Easter Sunday. White.
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 (UMH 839) Acts 10:34-43; Col. 3:1-4; Matthew 28:1-10; John 20:1-18
April 16 Second Sunday in Easter. White or Gold.
Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16 (UMH 748); 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31
April 23 Third Sunday in Easter. White or Gold.
Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 (UMH 837); 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35
April 30 Fourth Sunday in Easter. Native American Ministries Sunday. White or Gold.
Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23 (UMH 754 or 137); 1 Peter 2:19-25; John 10:1-10
Sunday Worship Services are Posted Online Saturday Eve| Worship In-Person at 10:30 AM
Join us online via Facebook @nohofumc1 or YouTube @nohofumc
Communion will be served, in-person, on April 2nd during worship.
Holy Week is April 3-7, 2023
Easter Worship Services In-Person & Online - April 9th
6:30 AM in the Courtyard Patio | 10:30 AM in the Main Sanctuary | Online @ Youtube
Please have your articles for the Good News to the church office by April 17th for the May 2023 publication
or email them to pattyfumc@gmail.com
If you no longer wish to receive this publication, please contact the church office
or return this address label noting that we are to discontinue sending it. Thank you.
POSTMASTER - Please send changes of address to:
First United Methodist Church of North Hollywood
4832 Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91601
“NoHoFUMC is a community that practices the all-inclusive and transforming love of God as modeled by the life
and ministry of Jesus Christ. We celebrate our diversity in race, ethnicity, marital status, sexual orientation, gender
identity, age, gender, ability, citizenship, and socioeconomic status. Moved by the Holy Spirit, we welcome all people
into the full participation of the life of the church.”