December Series: Sing a Different Song
On Sunday, November 30, Advent begins. Advent is a season in the worship life of a congregation that helps us prepare for Christmas and the surprising story of God coming to us. We are invited to pray, to listen, to serve others, and to make room in our hearts and lives for love incarnate. What […]
November Series: Meet the Prophets
Dear Church, As we close out October, leaving the beauty of our Pumpkin Patch and our Stewardship emphasis behind us, I always begin with gratitude: for the hours of volunteer effort you put in to work our patch, greeting neighbors, and being a sparkle of beauty to our neighborhood for your generosity as you […]
October Series: Answering the Call
Will you answer the call? At Church of the Foothills, we have a history of answering the call for justice, love, and compassion. We support neighbors in need with meals, food, and listening ears. We take action to protect the vulnerable, including LGBTQIA+ youth. We support immigrants who are being threatened with the loss of […]
September Series: Origin Stories
Every story has a beginning. In the world of comic books and superhero movies, we call them origin stories, how dashing and courageous heroes rose from obscurity to become icons of justice and goodness. Just the same, the Biblical story has a beginning in acts of Creation, acts of divine call, acts of trust, and […]
August Series: The Story of Esther
In August, we take a deep dive into the story of Esther, a young Jewish woman pulled into political intrigue and court politics, asked to step up and save her people from death. It’s a gripping drama about resistance, hope, identity, and courage. It is also a basis for the Jewish festival of Purim. Many […]
July Series: Love on the Spectrum
https://youtu.be/eXSiyvI8cFU With the reception of a grant from the Southern California Nevada UCC, we begin a congregational conversation with joy and love about how to be more inclusive and open to the full range of human experience, including people with autism. Netflix’s recent series, Love on the Spectrum, follows a few young people with autism […]
June Series: Oh, the Places You’ll Go – Finding hope in children’s books
Hey Church, I am excited about the month of June which will be a change of pace for us as a church but invite us to continue to learn, grow, and wonder together. Our new series explores some favorite children’s books that may have made a difference in our lives when we were young or […]
Longest Night: December 21, 2023, 6 PM
Gather with us in your grief and loss at our Longest Night service, a time of prayer, music, and reflection for those who are suffering this Christmas season. Many faith communities gather for a special night of worshipon “Winter Solstice”, sometimes understood as the longest night of the year.This gathering makes space for those who […]
Eagle Scout Project: Meet Jacob
Jacob Bauer is a Senior at Irvine High School, a student of our former Director of Music, Tina Peterson, and a Scout working toward his Eagle Scout rank. His project, in response to needs from our choir ministry, will rebuild and restore our choir folder cabinets to provide more space for music and more accessibility […]
Position Announcement: Director of Music Ministries
Church of the Foothills (UCC and DOC), Santa Ana, California, seeks a creative, collaborative, and flexible music director to lead our music ministry, a vital part of our worship. We are a progressive Open & Affirming church community with a strong commitment to the work of inclusion and justice. Music is one way we inspire […]