So we begin.  My colleagues on the conference cabinet, particularly Bishop Warner Brown, were gracious in appointing me to Davis UMC as your next pastor, especially as I know that your pastoral pedigree is rich with very capable, competent and considerate colleagues, the latest being the beloved and highly respected Pastor Kelly Love.  I am honored to be the next pastor in your rich legacy of faith and hope to further develop with you what you have begun together over the years. 

Already we have had occasion to experience five worship services, several meetings and I have received the gracious goodwill and elbow grease of generous souls who took upon themselves the tasks of repainting my office and cleaning my Manteca house as if the tasks were a volunteer in missions effort! They were!  Now, I look forward to the coming weeks, when we will have opportunity to meet in the social settings of your homes, where we will connect beyond the moments of sharing in worship and between committee meetings to know one another better.   In my experienced estimation, this is a good beginning.

I pray that, over the years to come, we may be the fellowship where others might discover and know that Spirit who welcomes intellectual rigor, capacious compassion, and the grit of gracious works that bear witness to Jesus, whose way we dare to follow and who inspires us to give expression to the beauty of God's eternal creation. Is that so much to ask?  ;o)

May God's blessings follow all that we have been called to be and do,

Pastor Brandon

 

Our August special offering will be split equally between two organizations that provide healthcare for the underprivileged: CommuniCare and Doctors without Borders.  CommuniCare works on the local level, including Davis.  Doctors Without Borders acts on the national and international level.

 

CommuniCare has its origins in the Davis Free Clinic, started in 1972.  Its mission today is simply to provide high quality healthcare to those in need.  Specifically, CommuniCare provides medical, dental, behavioral and teen services, as well as health education.  Its clinics are in Davis, Woodland, and West Sacramento.

 

Doctors Without Borders provides healthcare worldwide where it's needed most, particularly due to conflict, exclusion, epidemics or disasters.  They are recognized internationally for their work in some of the very dangerous places around the globe.  Not only does the organization work in the medical area, it gives voice in advocating on humanitarian issues, and is a contributor to peer-reviewed medical and public health research in conflict zones.

 

Please help us with a contribution to these vitally important organizations.

We've been harvesting lots of fruit and vegetables at Grace Garden. The pluots and plums are loaded with fruit and just starting to get ripe. So far, our harvest totals for this year are 336 pounds. Cid amended the soil in the raised beds and replanted the strawberries. Read More