Journey Community Church

05/19/2026

New Summer Series on the Book of Revelation! Join us and find out about "Your part in the end-times!"

05/14/2026

Pastor John will begin his summer sermon series on the Book of Revelation starting on Pentecost Sunday, May 24, 2026!

The series: "Your part in the End Times" will include the following messages:

May 24 The Start of the End Times
May 31 How Long will the End Times Last?
Jun 07 Big Bad John
Jun 14 The Loveless, Persecuted, Compromising, Corrupt Church
Jun 21 The Father Gives a Gift to His Son
Jun 28 The Dead, Faithful, Lukewarm Church
July 05 The Church as the 144,000
July 12 The Church and the Anti-Christ
July 19 The Church and Armageddon
July 26 The Church as the New Jerusalem
Aug 02 The Church Shall Overcome Today: The Final Message

05/14/2026

Pastor Larry recently announced his retirement. All are invited to his retirement Luncheon following the Sunday Worship Service on May 31, 2026.

A LETTER FROM PARISH ASSOCIATE LARRY BALLENGER

Dear Journey friends,

It has been my privilege to be associated with Arcadia Presbyterian/Community/Journey Church since 1971.
From that time Judy and I have been worshippers, choir member, accompanist, youth director, adult ed teacher, associate pastor, interim pastor, and, since 2023, parish associate. I was ordained into the PCUSA by this congregation in 1977. We have maintained friendships and supportive connections with members, friends, worshipers, students, parents, and brothers and sisters of this community through the years. Our lives have been enriched by the nearly half-century of relationship with this beloved congregation.

Now the time has come for me to submit my notice of intent to try retirement one more time, and conclude my role as parish associate. By church policy, the parish associate yearly contract requires a thirty-day notice of termination by either party. I would respectfully request that my termination date be May 31, 2026.

Judy and I are both grateful for pretty good health as we approach our 89th birthdays, thanks be to God. I have some congestive heart stuff, and this most recent blood clot episode is concerning, but causing me no distress, and seems to have caught the attention of the docs. A hip replacement and cancer surgery are more than five years behind me and seem to be OK. We are weary at the end of the day, but then, we are doing a lot of stuff. Mostly, it is because our bodies and our minds seem to be ticking along relatively well that we feel the importance of making the next years as fulfilling and as purposeful as we can. We have three adult kids and spouses and five grandchildren to enjoy and live with as fully as we can for the next decade or so, as the Lord gives us grace to do so.

I have allowed myself to be a part of a few boards and committees in the last few years, and I continue to be part of some musical groups, a couple of community bands, in Burbank and Covina, and Canterbury Choir. Those are fun, but they do require rehearsal and performance time. At times, I feel as though I am short-changing my involvement in one commitment (like Journey events and worship) because I have something I am obligated to at that same time. That is concerning, but I thank you for your patience.

I will always keep Journey church and its ministries and people in my heart. I am sure that others can be found who can continue the work of pastoral care and visitation. Senior Luncheons, Changing Seasons, Stephen Ministry and Deacons are under the direction of excellent leadership teams. The congregation is in good hands. No one is irreplaceable. God calls all of us into Kingdom work!

Thank you for the joy of ministry together

Larry Ballenger

Parish Associate for Pastoral Care

05/14/2026

Finney Premkumar, President of Truth Matters International, and one of Journey Community Church's missionaries, spoke at Grossmont College, near San Diego, CA, at the invitation of Pastor John. Finney spoke to students and faculty on the topic entitled: "Am I replaceable? AI and the Uniqueness of Human Agency."

Pastor John has taught at Grossmont College, in the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department, since 1997 and holds the rank of Assistant Professor of Religion.

05/14/2026

Journey Community Church support CHOA (Creative Housing Options in Arcadia) and was recently represented by Linda Larson at their April 18, 2026 gathering. If youi don't know about CHOA here are some of the details:

CHOA is a faith-based, volunteer group working on housing in Arcadia, CA.

We are engaged in the following:

Increase Affordable Housing in Arcadia
Reduce homelessness in Arcadia in a loving manner
Our main actions are:

Share housing information in large, in-person gatherings every 6 months. We also speak and work with Arcadia City Council, and city staff. See our Events and Blog for examples and details.
Engage with the Housing Element, which will bring a large number of affordable housing units to Arcadia
Visit and partner with churches, and connect with the larger faith community in Arcadia, to work on housing efforts…together.
Our Mission statement:

From a faith-based perspective, CHOA aims to advocate for and share information to reduce homelessness and build affordable housing, through engagement and endurance, seeking evidence based solutions, and compassionately loving our neighbor, for the betterment of the entire Arcadia community.

04/12/2026

Come let us worship! Join us each Sunday morning at 10:30 a. m.

When the people of God gather for worship, we all show up at the same place. Whether we live in Alaska, South Africa, or Korea; whether we gather in churches, homes, or outdoors; whether there are ten or ten thousand of us; we all gather in one place, as one group, of innumerable saints.

We all gather at Mount Zion.

Pay careful attention to what Hebrews says, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (12:22-24).

In Greek, the verb for “you have come” (προσεληλύθατε) is in the perfect tense, meaning that this is an accomplished reality with ongoing implications. He does not say, “You will come,” but “you have come.”

Hebrews is not a letter but a sermon. It would have been preached as the people of God gathered in worship (probably in someone’s home). The preacher is making this point very vividly: You have come. You have arrived. You are standing on Mt. Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, in the presence of God and his angels and the righteous spirits who are with him.

In other words, as these first-century followers of the Messiah came together for worship, they were in heaven on earth.

And so are we, every time we come together as the church. We all show up late for church, for heavenly worship is ongoing. It's already going on when we arrive and will continue after we leave.

We are surrounded by fellow believers from all over the world. Seraphim sing “Holy, Holy, Holy” as they fly above the altar. Our departed loved ones belt out praises to Jesus. And we join in, our prayers and praises blending harmoniously with heavenly voices, all centered on the Lamb of God who sits enthroned among us.

To go to church is to pass through the portal into heaven on earth.
_____
We read Hebrews 12 today in Bible in One Year. Visit here for more information: https://www.1517.org/oneyear

04/10/2026

Journey invite's you to a delightful service of worship where you can bring your pet to be blessed. Our fourth annual Blessing of the Animals service will take place on Sunday, April 12, 2026. All creatures great and small are welcome!!

This is normally an outdoor service, on the north lawn of the church campus, however with a strong possibility of rain it may be inside. You will still be able to bring your pets. The service will include an Earth day message from Pastor John after which he will bless whatever pet that you bring.

Because of the possibility of rain the petting zoo has been moved to our Truck or Treat Fall Festival in October, but a free picnic lunch will still be served. Don't miss this fun and unique service.

04/06/2026

ITS seniors recently enjoyed a memorable spring break in Central California with Larry Ballenger, our own Associate Pastor of Care and Visitation here at Journey. Pastor Larry supports one of our missions the International Theological Seminary (ITS) in the Student Life Committee! During the trip, the group stayed at a desert ranch house and engaged in activities from touring walking the Pismo Pier to worshipping together at Cambria Presbyterian Church.
They shared cultures through food and music, with the retreat concluding with a heartfelt prayer circle. Thank you to our Student Life Committee for creating such wonderful memories with our students!

04/05/2026

He has risen, just as He said! Happy Easter from all of us at Journey Community Church!!

04/05/2026

On Good Friday in 1956, several New York City skyscrapers in the financial district turned on their office lights to form giant glowing crosses against the night sky.

Workers in buildings like 60 Wall Tower, 20 Exchange Place, and the Forty Wall Street building stayed late or arranged their lights just right. Each cross stood about 150 feet tall. The display honored the day Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It created a powerful scene visible across much of Manhattan and reflected how openly faith shaped public life back then.

The image has resurfaced on social media in recent years. Many people share it as a reminder of a time when cities felt comfortable showing religious symbols without hesitation. Groups such as the Catholic Action Committee helped organize similar displays during the 1950s. The sight brought a sense of unity and reflection to everyday New Yorkers going about their routines.

That moment from decades ago still sparks conversations today about how communities express what matters most to them. It stands as part of the city's layered history and leaves room for people to think about shared values across generations. This is one worth remembering.

(Photo: NYC Easter in 1956)