The members of the choir and the elderly Church members from the 13 congregations in the Ecclesiastical District of Los Angeles County, in California, USA, conducted special gatherings separately on January 20, 2024 and February 3, respectively.

Both events had as venue the Los Angeles Local Congregation‘s house of worship and were led by Brother Artemio Pilon Jr., district supervising minister. In each occasion, the particular group of attendees offered praise and thanks to the Lord God for His goodness and generosity to them as manifest in their remaining in the sacred duties and divine election. Moreover, they received further spiritual strength and inspiration through the words of God taught by Brother Pilon.

“We praise our Almighty God for, through the instrumentality of our district minister, the biblical message was delivered to not just the seasoned officers but also the Children’s Worship Service choir members,” Brother Pierre Perez, Christian Family Organizations district overseer, said in an interview after the choristers’ gathering. “In gatherings like this, we are given inspiration and strength to continue on.”

“We were reminded of the importance of our duties during the worship services because we’re not just leading the brethren in hymn singing but, more importantly, in giving glory to the Lord God,” said Gavin Lee Johnson, a choir member for almost nine years now from the Santa Maria Congregation.

Glad to see his fellow choir members from the other congregations, Germaine Ross Gitana from Eagle Rock, said, “We were all eagerly prepared to receive the words of God. It’s where we see the unity of the brethren.” He added, “We are thankful for having a dynamic and loving leader such as Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, our Executive Minister, for launching such activities. May God continue to bestow many blessings upon him.”

The choir members who excelled in performing their duties as Church officers and in helping out in the work of propagation in 2023 received certificates of appreciation.

Meanwhile, in the other special gathering, the attendees were commended for their significant role in passing the true Christian faith to the younger generations. Willie Cabobos from the Northridge Congregation said, “The lesson taught to us is timely. The importance of the Church Of Christ and truth about salvation should be passed on to the next generations so that the Church will continue to spread.”

Evelyn Tabin, a 77 years old member of the Santa Maria Local Congregation, advised the younger brethren to “intensify their services to God.” She added, “It’s great to see how the young members in the Church give importance to their membership. May all of them remain active until the end to receive salvation.” – With reports from Andrew Macadangdang of INC News Section