Westwood Hills Congregational Church

04/03/2026

Good Friday Service, Friday, April 3
7:00 PM in the Sanctuary and on Zoom

03/26/2026

Palm Sunday • March 29 • 10:00 AM in the Sanctuary

Come wave a palm and join the children as we dance our way into Holy Week!

03/20/2026

🙌🏾 As bombs continue to drop around the world, the children cannot run fast enough to escape the carnage visited upon them. The children are a part of the collateral damage of war, civil unrest, and the misguided notion that peace can be achieved with war or that a people should not exist because of who they are. Children are watching their parents and family members die. Children are being killed at an alarming rate in armed conflicts around the world.

The losses are staggering, so is the silence around the world. As people of faith, we must continue to advocate for the end of the war. We must be willing to demand the truth from the United States government and ask for the accountabilities for the killing of children who will be buried in a mass funeral.

-Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson
General Minister & President/CEO, UCC

👉🏾 Quote from her latest On My Mind Today blog entry: “Speak for the Children”
https://ow.ly/RVfb50Yp4HN

03/07/2026

Our March 8 worship service will be Zoom only because of LA Marathon street closures. Join us online, Sunday at 10:00am.

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

03/03/2026

The United Church of Christ’s General Minister and President/CEO, the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson issued a statement Saturday condemning the bombing of Iran by the United States and Israel, and urged people of faith to continue to call on elected officials to reject war.

The United Church of Christ’s General Minister and President/CEO, the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson issued a statement Saturday condemning the bombing of

02/17/2026

Westwood Hills Congregational Church will gather with our friends at the Lutheran Church of the Master for a quiet and contemplative Ash Wednesday Service.

Join us on Wednesday, February 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lutheran Church Of The Master, on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Kelton.

01/22/2026

Important Announcement from Rev. Kirsten Linford

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Dear Church Family,

Years ago, one of you asked me what my five-year plan was for my professional life. Without even taking a breath, I burst out laughing. “I don’t get to have a five-year plan,” I responded. “I work for God. I follow the Spirit where and how She leads.”

For nearly twenty-five years, the Spirit has continued to call me to pastor here, on the corner of Westwood and LaGrange, joining you in sharing our gifts and resources with our community. Being your pastor has been, will always be, one of the greatest honors of my life. Together, we have shared births, deaths, transitions, triumphs, trials, and everything in between. You let me grow into my ministry here, as you were growing into yours. I am more grateful than I can say for the years and the miles we have traveled together.

After a time of prayer and reflection, I have discerned that the Spirit is calling me to a different kind of ministry now. It is time for me to step back from the pulpit, to use my gifts for outreach and justice work, to take on a new challenge, and to set off on an adventure with my daughter. I have been offered a call as Community Minister with a congregation in Kelowna, British Columbia. The congregation is part of the United Church of Canada, with whom the United Church of Christ has a partnership. I know that it will be challenging to step into a new ministry in a new denomination in a new country. But I trust that I am ready and know that God will be with Riley and me.

I have been open and honest with our church leadership about my call process. Lay leaders (current and incoming) and key staff have been able to prepare transition plans, related both to continuing the ministry and to calling an interim minister and then the next settled pastor. There is such strong leadership here at Westwood Hills, and you will be well supported by our UCC conference. The work we have done together has planted deep roots, and I know those will continue to grow. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, I will be cheering for you, praying for you, and loving you always.

It will take some time for me to conclude my ministry here. Though some transitions will begin sooner, I’m hoping to keep things normal-ish through Easter and then focus solely on transition through the first week of May. I will be in the pulpit and walking alongside you through Mother’s Day, and will take the following six or seven weeks as vacation, while Riley finishes her school year. There will be lots of time for all the things we want to say and share, and I look forward to connecting on Sunday and over the coming weeks.

Our Associate Conference Minister, Rev. Chad Tanaka Pack, will be with us in worship and for our annual meeting this Sunday, January 25. He will answer any questions we may have and let us know what important support the Conference will offer through the transition and search process.

In every letter I have ever written you, I close by offering you “blessings.” I do the same now, for I am grateful for the many blessings we have lived together and all the prayers I say for us going forward. May God walk with us, every step of the way.

I love you always.

Blessings,
Kirsten

01/14/2026

More than 50 faith leaders including those from the United Church of Christ gathered outside the White House on Friday, January 9, in response to the

12/20/2025

On Sunday, December 21, our kids & youth will offer a creative expression of the season and participate in leading the worship service. See and feel this time through their eyes!

Our annual Christmas celebration follows the service. We’ll enjoy food, fun, and fellowship together. Join us for a cup of Christmas cheer!

12/20/2025

Join us for our annual Christmas Tea and Christmas Market this Sunday from 11:30 to 1:30. We'll have original artwork, handmade pottery, and unique craftwork for sale. All proceeds support the work of the church.

12/20/2025

☕❤️🎄 Be gentle with yourself this season.