Going on from that place, [Jesus] went into their synagogue,  and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on … Read More

by Sarah Douglas As we live and work in our city, most of us encounter homelessness regularly. Whether we are driving through an intersection, walking into Trader Joe’s or down State Street, we see men, … Read More

by Susi Lamoutte Amy Simpson, in her book Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church’s Mission, provides both information about mental illness and a portrait of how people who are mentally ill and their families … Read More

by Susi Lamoutte Santa Barbara Community Church… Why is it special? What has made a difference in my life? Growing up, my family did not go to church, not even on Easter or Christmas, and … Read More

by Heidi Palladino My hero is of a different breed. She does not possess any talents, gifts, or outward appearances that one might be duly impressed with. If an idol is defined as anything that … Read More

by Casey Caldwell Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not … Read More

by Children’s Ministries Pastoral Staff The first Community News article on “Confident Parenting and the Church” (September 2013) addressed the pervasive element of fear, one factor that erodes confidence in parenting. We acknowledged the obvious … Read More

by Tracy Wilcox At the Orphan Alliance for Christians Summit a few years back, a speaker boldly challenged his audience by asking, There are 165 million orphans in the world.  Can you name five of them?  … Read More

by Children’s and Youth Ministries Teams The challenges facing the children and families in our society are many but we have the benefit of facing them within the context of our church family. In an … Read More

by Todd Fearer The commonplace enjoyment of wine and other forms of alcohol among Christians has come to mirror the pattern of society at large.  This seemingly innocent pleasure has the potential to be a … Read More