“Putting God first, we are committed to using spiritual principles to support the vision and purpose of The Santa Anita Church in a responsible manner.”
Ulf Israelsson – President
Ulf is retired from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. His grown children, David and Annika, both went to Barnhart School. He is an avid runner, having completed marathons on 6 different continents. He previously served as a Board member for the Church from 1998 to 2003, including five years as president during that time.
Jean Grabowski — Vice President
Jean has been a member of the church since the mid-80’s and has been volunteering as the bookkeeper for several years. She has also served on the healing team and been an usher frequently. After more than 35 years, she has recently retired from her bookkeeping and tax services. She loves to travel and is exploring the world as much as possible. Her favorite places are England and Maui. Her play place here in California is Disneyland.
Mona Ross – Secretary
Mona is a retired social worker/family therapist with a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois. Since 1984, she has worked in the field in Illinois, Arizona and California. Mona has been a member of Unity in Chicago, where she met her husband, a member of a New Thought Church in East Mesa, AZ, and a member of several churches in Religious Science in the L.A. area, (Claremont and Burbank) before coming to The Santa Anita Church. Mona has taken classes in Unity and Religious Science in the past. She and her husband became members of the church in 2017, and she sings in the choir.
Shonte Tucker – BHS Board President
Shonte is in her ninth year as a Barnhart School Board of Trustees member, and has been a member of the Barnhart Community since 2014. As President of the BHS Board, Shonte is also a member of the SAC Board. Shonte has been a full time employee at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory since 1999.
Nancy Merrill
Nancy first attended the church at the age of 16, when it was still located on Rosemead Blvd. in Pasadena. She and her mother became members together in 1977. Nancy retired from LAUSD in 2000 after 40 years of teaching 1st-6th grade including ten years in special education. All four of her children attended Barnhart School where she was a Girl Scout leader, a Den Mother, and a Summer school teacher for several years. This is Nancy’s third term on the Board where she does her very best to serve with love, compassion, and humor.
"Our prayers are to be made to God in the secret place of our own being. They are not to be shouted aloud for the ears of men. The soul must enter this secret place, naked and alone. This is how the One returns to the One."
Life can hit hard and sometimes it feels impossible to believe that there’s a Divine Hand guiding things. But if we can find even the smallest light of hope, clarity can find us and we can grasp that Divine Hand, fully awakened. Join us as we find that light and join hands with Divinity! April 20 – Resurrecting Hope (Easter)On this Easter Sunday we look at the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus as a metaphor for how far Ego will go to destroy peace, sabotage our relationships, and deflect the miracles of our Divine inheritance and how God’s power, through love, can conquer it all. April 27 – Light of HopeBad news and personal struggles can leave us feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and emotionally drained. The last thing we want to do in such times is work on finding hope, but that is exactly what we should do. Taking steps like expressing gratitude, learning something new, acknowledging an accomplishment, and delighting in the simplest thing – no matter how small – can break up the negative thought patterns we get stuck in and re-orient our thinking. In doing so, we rediscover a sense of hope, and a belief that things really will be okay. May 4 – Hope Is In…Taking inspiration from Tim Burton’s 2010 adaptation of Alice in Wonderland and her own personal struggles, Rev. Gina reminds us that there is always hope. Having trouble finding hope? Seek evidence. Look at your life and see evidence of your having survived and grown through other challenges. May 11 – Here’s Hoping”I hope they get what they deserve.” This not uncommon thought, despite using the word “hope,” is actually a judgement. Being able to find hope – true hope – when the going gets rough takes effort in acknowledging there is a Divine Hand in everything. This Divine Hand, the Spirit of Love, moves even the worst situation toward good. May 18 – Only HopeRev. Gina closes this series by bringing pieces of seemingly shattered life events together to form a beautiful kaleidoscope of hope showing that even when it looks like all hope is lost, in our deepest winter, Spirit was planting a seed we’d one day call our greatest gift. When the Light seems entirely gone, even when the world seems so dark you can’t imagine it spinning any more, inherent in the darkness – bringing you vivid color – is a glorious reality waiting for you if you only choose to see it.
Have you or one of your loved ones been affected by the Eaton fire, or other local fires? Whether you're in need of tangible goods or need a place to express your feelings, The Santa Anita Church community is here to help. Reach out to our church office or join us at the Fire Support Group held every 2nd and 4th Friday.
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