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Blog Celebrations Holidays Special events Updates

Upson Downs 1.3.22

Greetings friends and family, Here we are beginning a new year once again. Loosely quoting Dylan Thomas from A Child’s Christmas in Wales, “It was a never-to-be-forgotten day in a memorable year.” Of course, the author is referring to one of those snowy, wonderful, Christmas days of his childhood. Among many other traditions, we watched the sweet, lovely, […]

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Blog Celebrations Hospitality Special events Teaching Travel Updates

Upson Downs10.31.21

Well, it’s nearly Halloween and fall is upon us, (whatever that means in Southern California!) We have been making several trips to the Northwest (where they do have actual autumn,) hoping to encourage our brothers and sisters in their struggles. As the McCorkels return from Portland, the Kjos duo heads up to hang out for […]

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Blog Celebrations Hospitality Our story Special events Updates

Upson Downs 4.1.21

Greetings! Tonight our men are reviving an old tradition- the baseball draft. I am giving thanks for the special memories that such celebrations bring. Jack Read has been participating in this event since his teen years; now he carries on his father’s legacy. Some things, of course, have been interrupted by Covid-19, notably dinner at […]

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Blog Celebrations Our story Partnership Special events Updates

Upson Downs: March Madness?

Shall I start with an apology or a cliche? Or shall I just start on the daunting task of updating you all on our latest goings-on? I choose the latter, so here goes: Already in the month of March (!!), we are shooting for full coronavirus vaccinations among our adults. I hope you get the point! As […]

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Celebrations Special events

Turn and become like children

We just finished our Celebration of the Children and it was brilliant! Thirty some years ago our pastors conceived the idea of a church calendar where sacred events would be celebrated as a church family. We would celebrate the faithful, that “cloud of witnesses” such as the ones listed in Hebrews 11. We would set […]

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Partnership Special events Updates

Spring Break

You won’t find this on MTV’s “Spring Break”! Today a busload of teenagers and adults from Texas is arriving in El Segundo, California, donating time off work and school to improve a church building desperately in need of help. New lighting will be installed and new coats of paint will “cover a multitude” of scars, […]

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Special events

Love

“Above all, hold unfailing your love for one another.” It’s Valentine’s Day and the table is laden with gifts: candy, cards, mugs, gift boxes, home-made pictures, bookmarks, and other mementos of the day of “love.” This unfailing tradition of including all on this day typically reserved only for romantic love elevates the occasion. One single […]