Coming back to Sweden
The mug of our friend Stewart Webster graces the cover of Horizons -- the magazine of The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM). He and Beth (a Turlock High grad) recently moved from France to Sweden to help with the revitalization of the church there. They are featured in a story (.pdf). The magazine is dated spring 2005 but I had not seen it before.


Church of the week
Each Monday I am highlighting a church website. Most of the featured sites are off the beaten path. This week -- Light and Life Church in North Long Beach, California. It is probably more accurate to say that this is a network of small and medium-size very mission-driven congregations. Their extended church family is Free Methodist.


The weddings are off
A small liberal Presbyterian church has announced that it will no longer do weddings. They don't want to "discriminate."


Tithing
Cornerstone Covenant Church held its annual meeting yesterday -- adopting the 2006 budget. Anytime we talk about money in the church the concept of tithing comes up. This is probably one of the most misunderstood topics in the church. So I would again refer people to the fine little survey on the subject that Fr Thomas Zell, of St James Orthodox Mission in Modesto, did for Again magazine.


Short visit
One of our visitors in worship yesterday bailed before we were 15 minutes into the service. He had a panicked look on his face along about the time that I began to explain that it was the last Sunday in the church's calendar and that next Sunday we start the cycle all over again with Advent.

Of course, I was at the same time explaining that our congregation is a part of an extended family of churches called the Evangelical Covenant Church. Perhaps he thought that he was visiting an independent church and the idea of interdependence somehow threatened his faith to such a degree that he couldn't stay another minute longer.

I'm not sure if it was the mention of the denomination or the church year -- or perhaps he suddenly got sick -- or all of the above. But he sure made a quick exit.


Advent guide
Following the Star, the online Advent guide, goes live next Sunday, November 27th.


Hilmar Cheese
Hilmar Cheese, the largest single-site cheese and whey products manufacturer in the world -- which happens to be located just outside of Turlock -- is getting ready to make a major announcement -- perhaps by the end of the month.


Taco trucks
The taco truck which we most often frequent (parks on Canal behind near Christina's Coffee House) wasn't there last night so we drove on down to East Avenue. What an operation that is -- three or four trucks/trailers together -- paved parking. Awnings and tables seem to be more and more common these days. All of these amenities are new since we moved here 10 years ago. Turlock is really going upscale -- in the taco truck world.

This is one of the great things about living here -- so many good Mexican food choices -- many of them on the street, out of the trucks.


Walk This Way
The eight-week common emphasis in the Turlock churches ended last evening with a full-house Thanksgiving service at Monte Vista Chapel. I have not yet heard about the offering total (If you have figures feel free to post them to the comments section below) which is going to be used to help fund the We Care Homeless shelter this winter. The churches are aiming to raise a total of $20,000.