A Great Compton Work Day on Feb 2nd!

IMG_5674.JPG
Originally uploaded by urbanfocus

A Great Compton Work Day on Feb 2nd!

"I feel like we have a new house!", said homeowner Alisha from Rose Street. She cried, giggled, laughed and did alot of hugging over the period of the day.

Over 50 volunteers, mostly from West Coast Sand and Gravel in Buena Park, scraped, painted, plastered, dug and landscaped Alisha and her family's home. "We have been here over forty years and we have never seen anything like this", she exclaimed. She expected a three or four painters to do a little bit on the house, but she became quickly overwhelmed when she saw all the vehicles and volunteers arrive bearing paint, ladders, rollers, etc.

This past Saturday, over 600 volunteers participated in the most recent Compton Intiative Work Day, making it the most populated work day so far! One hundred and sixty people drove up from Saddleback Church in south Orange County for the day, along with forty staff and college students from Campus Crusade for Christ, as well as over fifty students from Biola and University California at Irvine.

Six Compton churches including, Faith Inspirational Missionary Baptist Church, Citizen's of Zion Missionary Baptist, The Salvation Army- Compton Corps, and New Birth Foursquare Church had close to 200 volunteers represented.

Thirteen different sites were worked on, most of which were on Alisha's street, Rose close to Faith Inspirational Missionary Baptist Church. Two of those locations were churches, Faith Inspiratonal and Martin Temple, but the others were private homes like Alisha's.

See some of the days pictures from the Feb. 2nd Work Day by clicking here http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanfocus/sets/72157603844189992/

Don't forget the next work day, March 29!

Who says LA dosen't get any "weather"?

Tornado Warning


SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OXNARD CA
917 PM PST THU JAN 24 2008

CAC037-250600-
/O.CON.KLOX.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-080125T0600Z/
LOS ANGELES CA-
917 PM PST THU JAN 24 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM PST FOR
SOUTHERN LOS ANGELES COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA INCLUDING
THE CITIES OF LONG BEACH...SAN PEDRO...LAKEWOOD AND NORWALK..


AT 912 PST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
TORNADO. THE CELL WAS 4 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF LONG BEACH..
AND WAS MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. IT WILL MOVE ONSHORE BY
930 PM PST.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
HAWTHORNE...TORRANCE AND LYNWOOD

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR
HANDS.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 3370 11835 3373 11838 3395 11837 3394 11796
3391 11796 3385 11804 3379 11808 3375 11808
3373 11811 3375 11818 3369 11831
TIME...MOT...LOC 0517Z 183DEG 90KT 3442 11821

$$

+++++++++++++++++++

This is the first tornado warning I can ever remember here!

Currently, it's raining pretty hear & Syd is having a hard time going to sleep due to the noise.

It pays to get A's, especially in Compton!

The importance of education can never be stressed enough.

Rewarding students for getting good grades in school may not be the best way to get students to value education but it certainly doesn’t hurt. The extra push, extra encouragement, and extra incentive often motivates students to do better.

Best Buy is offering an incentive for students to get A’s on their report cards. Students have an opportunity to earn up to $50 in Best Buy gift cards. For every A that a student gets, Best Buy will give a $10 gift card.

Why are Best Buy giftcards great incentives?

Kids want cd’s, dvd’s, video games, mp3 players, and electronics! The “It Pays to Get A’s” program gives students an opportunity to earn giftcards to pay for what they want.

In order to participate, students must bring an official copy of their report card and get it stamped by the store manager. This special student incentive is only being offered at the new Best Buy at Gateway Towne Center in Compton and is exclusive to students attending schools in the Compton Unified School District.

If you know a kid in Compton with A’s be sure to tell them about the It Pays to Get A’s program. For more information see the general manager (Marco Orozco) at:

Best Buy, Compton CA (Store 1432)
230 Towne Center Dr
Compton, CA 90220
Phone: 310-884-6822
Hours: Mon-Sat 8:00am-11:00pm
Sun 8:00am-11:00pm

++++++++++++++++++

I have met Marco and he's a great guy and a strong believer and a pastor's kid. He has already offered for the store to sponsor Compton United. We'll meet in January.

Our Anniversary!

Today, November 1st, is the 10th anniversary of us living in our house in Compton. We have been Comptonians for ten years!

I don't know if that makes us official or not but we sure are blessed by it! We would not want to live anywhere else.

< Our living room (usually a bit more disheveled than this!)

LA Times: Compton's homicide rate is dropping

California | Local News

_

Compton's homicide rate is dropping

An antigang task force has been ridding the streets of guns and violence. At 29 slayings, the city is on track to have its lowest total in more than 20 years.

By Stuart Pfeifer, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 29, 2007

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies used to brace for trouble each time they pulled into a cluster of apartment buildings on South Grandee Avenue near the Compton airport. It's a cul-de-sac where they could be easily cornered by gang members

But on a recent Friday night, deputies Jose Sandoval and Larry Waldie spotted only a few teenage girls who didn't appear to be causing trouble. There were no gang members in sight.

Gang violence has plummeted in Compton in the nearly two years since Sheriff Lee Baca assigned a team of deputies and detectives to turn back a menacing tide of crime as part of the department's contract to patrol the mid-county city. With 29 homicides to date, the city is on pace to have the lowest number of killings in more than two decades.

"Six months ago when we'd go in there, it was wall-to-wall knuckleheads," said Lt. Paul Pietrantoni, who supervises the Compton antigang task force. "Now they're all in prison."

Baca's decision to beef up the Compton policing effort was unusual. As a city that contracts for sheriff's services, Compton gets only as many deputies as city officials are willing to pay for. And they couldn't afford the cost -- which would have run millions of dollars a year -- that would have accompanied the 28 sworn personnel Baca sent to the city. So the sheriff decided not to charge for the additional resources, pulling deputies out of other assignments within the nation's largest sheriff's department.

At the time, gang violence in Compton was rampant, with 65 homicides in 2005. Baca said he viewed the violence as "an emerging social disaster."

"It's our responsibility to not let any part of the county deteriorate," Baca said. "I see this as a social responsibility."

In 2006, the task force's first year, murders fell to 39. The task force sends deputies, Sandoval and Waldie among them, onto the streets to look for gang members and guns, while different deputies handle other calls for service. They confront suspected gang members and search them and their homes for guns.

"Marijuana ain't killing anybody right now. I'll get the drugs when the streets are so clean the mothers start complaining about the kids coming home with grass in their pockets, not bullets in their bodies," Pietrantoni said. "We're after guns because guns kill people, and we're after gangsters because we're out to lower the murder rate."

This year, sheriff's officials and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives shut down a Compton gun store that had sold nearly 900 weapons that ended up being confiscated during criminal investigations. Store employees had illegally helped criminals buy guns by encouraging them to use friends or family with clean records to pass background checks. Thousands of guns were seized during the raid.

Getting guns out of the hands of gang members is a much more time-consuming effort. Deputies Sandoval and Waldie recently spent a shift trying to identify gang members and searching them and their cars. Those on probation or parole can be searched for any reason. In other cases, they'd cite evidence of criminal activity: gang tattoos, the odor of marijuana. Between 7 p.m. and midnight, the deputies stopped about half a dozen cars and searched them for weapons. They looked under seats, in trunks and in glove compartments. They popped hoods and checked engines in search of hidden items.

"If there's no gun in the car, if there's no gun on them, onto the next one," Waldie said.

In the last six weeks, Waldie and Sandoval have seized six handguns from suspected criminals. They didn't find any that night. And they encountered only a couple of suspected gang members, each unarmed.

Their experience on the South Grandee cul-de-sac was repeated throughout the night. "We drove through neighborhoods tonight where before you'd see a lot of gang members hanging out. Now, it's quiet," Sandoval said. "It's a lot different since they started the task force."

Compton Mayor Eric Perrodin said he believes the sheriff's crackdown "has been major for us." And as the city celebrates the opening of big-box stores, including a Home Depot, Target and Best Buy, and its first Starbucks -- businesses that could generate additional tax revenue for crime-fighting -- the mayor wonders how long the sheriff will keep up the enforcement.

"I'm afraid as soon as they leave, it's going to kick back up," Perrodin said. "I analogize it to roaches. You turn the light on and they run. You turn it off and they come out of hiding."

Sheriff's Capt. William M. Ryan, who supervises the Compton station, said a key element to reducing crime in the city of nearly 100,000 residents was to intervene with youth early. The department opened a youth center on Alameda Street at which youngsters can play sports, use a computer lab and get help with homework.

The department started a new program to encourage Compton elementary school children to study and enjoy science. Ryan meets with residents once a month for community coffees, most recently at the new Starbucks. (The department picked up the tab.)

"If we can work with the kids, say from 5, 6, 7 years old up to 16 or 17, and do everything we can to get them involved in a variety of programs and on the right track and away from gangs, it's going to go a long way toward eliminating gangs in this community," Ryan said.

Compton is a city still besieged by crime. Deputies received 55,000 calls for service last year. There are robberies and car thefts almost daily. Early into their recent shifts, deputies Sandoval and Waldie saw just how quickly the city could turn violent. It was 7:10 p.m. and the report of a "GSV," or gunshot victim, sent them to the intersection of Dwight Avenue and 151st Street.

They arrived to find a man sprawled on his back, blood pooling beside his head. The deputies saw the man take his final breaths before Compton Fire Department paramedics pronounced him dead at 7:15 p.m.

Investigators believe gang members quarreled with the victim inside a nearby liquor store, then followed and shot him. Jhovanny Rodriguez-Ramirez was the city's 29th murder victim of 2007.

Pietrantoni said there was still reason for hope.

"The community realizes what we're doing. They in turn are giving us information they wouldn't ordinarily give us," he said. "When you can go to Compton and see ladies walking with water bottles in their hands, enjoying their community, you know we've come a long way."

The Story of the Soccer Club

A year ago this summer, Mike launched the first season of “Compton United” – an official, US Soccer sanctioned soccer club for kids in Compton. Up until that point, no such thing had been available. Soccer is everywhere in our community, and the talent level is stunning, but our youth play in independent Hispanic leagues that are not involved with the traditional competitive soccer system. While our kids may have some of the best talent in the country (literally), they have no opportunities to use that talent to open any other doors for their future. In our area, college and team scouts do their recruiting through clubs. To play in a club, you have to have the funds to do so (they are incredibly expensive), a local club available to try out for, and/or the transportation to travel to a not-so-local club. (Even during Ramiro’s senior year when his high school team went all the way to state semi-finals, there were no scouts at their games.) As Mike watched Ramiro and Jose play soccer growing up, saw the incredible talent, and began to understand the inequity of the system, he determined to do something about it. His vision wasn’t just to create a club where the boys could play soccer, but to build an entire program where education, tutoring, leadership development, community service, and character would all be emphasized and the Gospel would be lived out. Last fall after 2 years of dreaming and planning and networking – and seeing God do continual miracles to put him in contact with the right people – the Compton United Soccer Club was born.

We started with one boys’ U17 team (17 and under), one sponsor to buy the uniforms (my brother’s company, MessageFirst), some borrowed equipment, and a whole pallet of Powerade that someone donated for us to sell. Our family spent every weekend last fall with the team, driving all over to games and tournaments and cheering them on. By the time the season ended, the boys had won every game but one and taken the league title. The Cal South soccer quarterly magazine had featured Mike, Ramiro and Jose on the cover, telling the story of Compton United. Fox Sports Soccer channel had created a 5-min blip on CU that was running in between shows. Most importantly we had fallen in love with 14 new teenagers and ministry again -- It was the most fun we’d had since Mike took over the directorship and we stopped having as much time to just be in the community.

Number 10 on the team was Victor Lopez, a defender with great hustle and skill who led by his solid example of determination and consistency. Victor was one you could always count on in a game – when he was needed, he was there. He was a quiet kid who was well-liked, always teachable, and humble. In one of the most memorable moments of the season, our team was playing in the exclusive Rancho Palos Verdes against a team of extremely wealthy kids. Unhappy that his team was getting beat by a bunch of poor Latinos from Compton, one player turned, spit on Victor, and remarked angrily, “Just remember, your parents work for my parents”. In an amazing show of character, Victor did not retaliate, but rallied his teammates to play even harder. When we finished the game 3-2, it was our sweetest victory of the season.

In July when Mike and I were in Colorado at CCC’s staff conference with our kids, Ramiro, and Jose, we received word that Victor had been tragically shot and killed. He was riding home from an indoor soccer game with his brother driving and his 2 younger brothers in the backseat. During an attempted carjacking, Victor took a bullet through his upper body while trying to protect his older brother. He died on the way to the hospital. As you can imagine, this news was devastating to both us and the boys. Jose and Ramiro had played soccer with Victor for years, Jose since they were children. Immediately we cancelled our plans to vacation a few extra days and headed straight home to LA.

What followed was a week mixed with tears and sorrow and a great sense of pride. We witnessed the mind-numbing pain of parents who’ve had their entire family devastated by someone else’s lust for a car. We saw the lost look in a teen’s eyes as he stood over the open casket of a lifelong friend, his hand reaching out to touch Victor’s face. And I understood a newdefinition of hell, as the guttural wailings of a mother who’d lost her teenage son echoed off the vaulted marble walls of a basement mausoleum.

We also witnessed amazing strength in the kids of our community. The week before the service they spent every day going door to door, washing cars, selling tee-shirts/ and anything else they could think of to raise money so that Victor’s family could afford his funeral. One morning they headed to the high school at 7 am -- summer school was in session, so the boys went classroom to classroom, passing the hat to all the teachers and students present. They raised almost $200 that day. They spent every evening at his parent’s house attending the Catholic prayer vigils. They brought his family pictures and made tee-shirts and signed and framed his soccer jersey – anything to stand with each other and surround the family with the support they needed. For the most part, they did it without parents or adults supervising them or organizing their efforts. And, quite honestly, most of them did it without Christ, as these are youth that mostly know faith as an ideal more than as a daily, living reality. Their creativity and initiative was profound.

Though many images are seared into my heart from that week, one stands out above the rest. Before I share, here’s a little context. Throughout the years of playing on high school and league teams, the players have ended every win with a special ritual. They circle up with arms around each other’s shoulders, locking them together, then jump together around and around as they call out a Spanish cheer that ends by shouting the team’s name. It is always a beautiful, inspiring display of solidarity and friendship, victory and celebration -- a symbol of all the good things in sports.

At the end of the burial service in the basement of the mausoleum, Victor’s older brother requested that all his friends step forward. Thirty to forty high school and college-aged guys crowded in, circled arms, and to the wails of Victor’s grieving mother and father, they did that cheer. It was absolutely electric in the corridor, as though everyone’s pain met collectively in the midst of that circle. When they finished, the boys clung to one another desperately, pouring out all their grief, weeping and laying out their broken hearts. The grief of the rest of us in the room surrounded them. This lasted for several moments. The pain and beauty there were almost too powerful to behold – it was one of the most moving experiences of my life.

As the circle eventually broke up and the boys began to file past, stopping to hug each one of us on their way, Mike said to them, “I wish everyone could see and understand that you are the youth of Compton. You all have done such an amazing job holding up each other and Victor’s family -- Compton has never been more proud.”

It’s true – they are the youth of Compton. Many from outside our community would look at their baggy clothes, brown skin, and tattoos, and make assumptions that they are hard-hearted, uncaring, dangerous, menacing kids. Those assumptions would be wrong. They are not gang-bangers or drug dealers; they are not the nameless faces of thieves or murderers. They are Emilio and Juan and Roque and Bene’. Yes many of them have drank their share of alcohol and smoked some weed along the way, as many teenagers in the suburbs have. Yes they use language that I often wish they wouldn’t and most don’t understand the sanctity of sex or God’s plan for marriage. But by in large, they are caring and respectful kids who love their families, support their friends, and are a delight to those around them. They are kids that Jesus sees, that He died for, that He sent us here to love. We are continually humbled that God has chosen us for this task as it is an honor and a privilege to know them.

To see the magazine article and watch the Fox Soccer Channel video on the Club, visit www.comptonunited.org.

Corporate sponsors needed!

Project Photos!

Check out the project photos here!

http://www.flickr.com/groups/intersection2007

Summer Project Update #2

Summer Project Wrap Up!

The last student just left for home.

We are tired but rejoicing.

God showed up in a significant way these last three weeks in Compton on the Intersections/Project Revolution - 2007 Summer Project.


Instead of me rambling on let me share with you what the students said... (This is a lot of text, but if you take the time to read it all you will be blessed!)

“I learned a lot on this trip. I learned a lot about myself..a lot about God’s heart. The solid truths that I have heard before have become heart knowledge instead of just head knowledge. I experienced the grace of God and saw what it truly means and what it looks like. The Lord has proven himself faithful. I have seen more of him. I loved this trip because I was able to meet a lot of other people and work at different ministry sites. It gave me a glimpse of other people’s experiences with God and has left me yearning to know more about him.”

Ashley- Akron, OH


“I learned about myself and my heart during this trip. I’ve always wanted to serve the community but learned that to truly serve the community that I must be be ONE with them. Eat, live, suffer and experience joy with them.”

Dalia- Paramount, CA


“I think God is opening my eyes and calling me to change my city- to be a leader in my community. God has really shown me a lot about cultures through the unity in this group. I have different eyes. I know now that I need to feel more compassion for people who are suffering and living in poverty. If we just stop and try to help out people who are suffering…we are doing what we have been called out to do. God is really helping me to understand that we can all really do something to help….One person can affect a family, that family can affect a community, that community can affect a city and that city can affect a nation. God sees something that is going on in Compton. I am happy to be a part of that. I challenge you all to be a light. Be strong. You can make that difference.”

Ramiro- Compton, CA


“I just feel that God has really spoken to me…that I really need to let God do whatever he wants with my life. This week I have experienced dwelling in the presence of God with such peace. I am so glad that I was able to be honest and speak about my life. I am so thankful for the community that I have become a part of. I can just dwell and listen to what God is trying to say to me. God is good.”

America- Paramount, CA


“This trip has flipped my heart and mind 180 degrees. I had a plan for my future, however, this trip has opened my heart to working in the ministry and serving communities like Compton. I feel like God has spoken to me and given me a new passion for life.”

Caylee- Atlanta, GA


“This week has affirmed and made the importance of community resonate within my heart. We got a chance to get away from all the noise and witness true Christianity in its purest form. I was a part of a diverse group of believers who all had 1 vision -to see justice from oppression and salvation through Christ.”

Ahmad- Lynwood, CA


“I came on this trip with the intentions of sharing God’s love with others but rather I experienced God pouring his love into me. That is the most overwhelming feeling I have ever experienced. That is what the inner city did for me.”

Hannah- Canoga Park, CA


“The whole experience has been about being able to hear God. God will put things in my mind, where I would be holding back to say things and others would say them and it would affirm my beliefs. It was amazing that I was able to spend a week with a group of people and feel like I have known them my whole life. I have been able to be myself and I truly appreciate the fact that I was able to have good conversations with people who I just met. What God has been challenging me with is…when all this is over…then what? It is something we really need to think about. We need to serve the community on a daily basis. Our actions of love and for justice don’t always have to be called a revolution or justice…it is our OBLIGATION. Its about love…not only justice. God spoke to our group and we ran with it. This is where its at! If you’re not a part of project revolution this summer then you’re not having fun.”

Celestine- Los Angeles, CA


“The hunger and the extensive physiological changes my body went through made me truly reflect upon the poverty that exists here in LA.”

Sunghee- Los Angeles, CA

“I realized how self absorbed I am through the poverty simulation. I do put a lot of emphasis on my outer appearance and what the simulation revealed to me was that I had a lot of work to do on my inner perception of myself.”

Esther- Buena Park, CA

What an amazing project.

Summer Project Update #1

From Day 4 of the Project:

Wow, we're off to an amazing start! God is already doing huge things in and through the lives of the college students here.

We have;

• Three African-American students.
• Five Hispanic students.
• One Filipino student.
• Three White students.

Five students are from out of state (Florida, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina), all the rest are locals with six from Emmanuel Reformed Church (our church!) who has adopted Compton for the next 40 years. These students are here as part of that strategy.

Sunday, we attended Faith Inspirational Missionary Baptist Church and the students were blown away. We spent the Sunday School hour with the Pastor, Rafer Owens and his staff hearing his amazing vision for Compton and all of what his church is doing. Then we went into service. Most of the students have never had the opportunity to experience worship in an African-American church before. One of the team leaders came up to me about mid-way through th worship and asked, "Is this ALWAYS this way?" with a huge smile on her face. I smiled back and said , "Yeah, it is".

After the sermon, Pastor Owens called Tonya and I up to talk about the project and what the students were doing here in Compton. We had a few moments to share the vision for the project and what we all are working towards in Compton. Then he had all the students also come up to the platform and told them the church had been praying for them for 10 years to come and help them! It was a huge vision-casting moment for the students as well as the congregation showing both sides that God is doing something big and it's definitely bigger than any one church or group.

Pastor Owens called the group his "Angels". And that he was so touched and energized that they would give up their summer time and come serve in Compton.

The students still have not stopped talking about that, and I don't think they will!

Yesterday, the three teams started their ministry sites. They're doing very well!

Please continue to pray that we will love Compton well, serve our ministry partners and learn more of God's heart as how to reach Compton in the long-term.

-more to come!

Our Soccer Club on Fox Soccer Channel

Watch the video (after the commercial)

The Bible in the Public School & How We Do It

The chairman of the religion department of Boston University [link=http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-prothero14mar14,0,5385607.story?coll=la-opinion-rightrail]argues that the Bible should be taught in public schools[/link]. Even though his in not Evangelical reasoning, he has quite interesting points.

Biblical illiteracy is not just a religious problem. It is a civic problem with political consequences...

But barren of the Bible is just what our public school curriculums are. According to a study by the Bible Literacy Project, which publishes a Bible textbook for secondary schools, only 8% of U.S. high school students have access to an elective Bible course. As a result, an entire generation of Americans is growing up almost entirely ignorant of the most influential book in world history, unable to understand the 1,300 biblical allusions in Shakespeare, the scriptural oratory of President Lincoln and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. or even the prominence of Ezekiel 25:17 (actually a mishmash of this verse and passages from Genesis, Psalms and other books) in the film "Pulp Fiction."

This past week some of our staff helped in piloting the domestic version of [link=http://www.charactersolutions.org/index.html] Character Solutions International's curriculum at the notorious Fremont High School of the Los Angeles Unified District. They taught over 30 kids for one full week, all day long this faith-based character curriculum. They shared their testimonies, prayed, discussed church, etc., all in a public high school with parents and staff in attendance.

These kids were somewhat of a captive audience this was part their first two weeks "off-track" meaning they are in year-round school and they are now on starting a two month break and they could come for two additional weeks and participate in this program to work off a $250 truancy debt.

However, our staff reported the students were lively, enthusiastic and excited about what they were learning.

Donna, one of our senior women staff heard a girl say, "I'm gonna keep being late if it means I can go to special classes like this one!"

In Compton, I (Mike) had a lunch time Bible study in a local middle school for years before I became the director. And it was at the administrations request! We had the former LA (and St. Louis) Ram Jackie Slater come in and he laid out the Gospel with every student and teacher present in the auditorium without anyone batting an eye.

Just a week and a half ago, I was just able to introduce the Compton Unified School District to the [link=http://www.josephsoninstitute.org/]Josephson Institute of Ethics (and their well known Character Counts program[/link]), whom I have admired from afar and providentially just recently met. Pray with us that these two organizations will continue to be as positive as they are now with each other about working together in some very significant ways.

In the inner city both the African American and Hispanic cultures in general hold spirituality in high regard, its almost an insult not to. So we can get away with a lot more than the suburbs can. And in the schools, principals will allow almost anything that can give them some extra help. But than can be good and bad.

As Christians, we must take advantage of these opportunities as much as possible, while the windows are open. In this post (or post-post depending on who you talk to) Christian society we don’t know how long we will have this window, even in the inner city.

Lord, Help Me to See

Every once in a while I catch something like what Thompson describes here. I want to slow down and catch more.

Do you believe that God is present in the smile of a child, in the tears of a parent's grief over a suffering adolescent, in the sudden breakthrough of understanding between quarreling spouses? Eternal truths can be learned by observing the most common elements of life: nursing an infant may be a window into God's nurturing care for each of us; bandaging a cut can help us know the healing desire of God; playing games may speak of the divine playfulness that knows our need for recreation; tending a garden may teach us the dynamics of growth. Families learn that they are sacred communities when they begin to name and claim the many forms of God's grace in their daily life.


- Marjorie J. Thompson from "Family: The Forming Center"

Recent Update We Sent Out

VICTORIES & PRAISES:
We have seen incredible unity and coming together of churches here in Compton. We hosted "Lift Up America", a huge food give-a-way sponsored by Tyson Foods in December and invited over 30 ministries from Compton, many of which we had not known before. This brought a renewed since of hope, purpose and camaraderie amongst the ministries here. Our church has brought between 150-350 volunteers every 2 months for the last year to help paint and rehab churches and homes in Compton. We work on 10-12 sites each work day. This has started an incredible movement that has sparked other churches, civic groups and even the city council to get out and “do good” as is the theme. People are being touched in Jesus’ name and I believe we are at the beginning of an amazing movement of God.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
• That this movement would continue and grow in Compton
• For Ramiro (19) who lives with us, as he goes to college and plays soccer – that he would begin to see himself as God sees him & make long lasting Christian friendships
• For our families health, we have been bothered by a lot of little things (sicknesses) lately
• Our main family vehicle (minivan) is having a lot of engine & transmission problems (again)
• Balance in ministry and life
• For Sydney & Zachary (all of us really!) to know Jesus intimately
• For our Compton United Soccer Club to reach lives and families

FINANCIAL REQUESTS/NEEDS:
We need to raise about $800 a month+ but finding/making the time to do it is very challenging

FAMILY NEWS:
We have really enjoyed having Ramiro in our home. He has been a delight. Sydney is doing VERY well in 2nd grade and has an excellent teacher (that could be teaching college) that has really pushed her and she has simply rose to the challenge. Zach was moved to a different school during the first part of kindergarten (a risk of being on an interdistrict permit outside of our district), so that slowed him down a bit. But he likes his newer teacher and things are going well. He is typical boy and never stops! Both Syd and Zach are playing club soccer with Compton United the soccer club we started as an outreach to our community. They are doing well and learning Spanish too!

We are meeting tons of community families, more than we ever have living here through the club. Compton United has opened so many doors and God has exploded the opportunities for it to grow. It’s been amazing and scary at the same time. We are going from one team last year to probably 12 teams this year! Pray for us!

2.56 Percent???

If Christians had given a 10 percent tithe to their churches in 2004, instead of the actual 2.56 percent, there would have been an extra $164 billion. And if churches spent $70 to $80 billion of that on missions and humanitarian works, the basic needs of every person on the globe would be provided.

(Relevant, Nov./Dec. 2006, p. 30)

What happens to the Superbowl Losers Tshirts?

Very Interesting.

The Super Bowl will end about 10 p.m. Sunday, and by 10:01 every player on the winning team — along with coaches, executives, family members and ball boys — could be outfitted in colorful T-shirts and caps proclaiming them champions.

The other set of championship gear — the 288 T-shirts and caps made for the team that did not win — will be hidden behind a locked door at Dolphin Stadium. By order of the National Football League, those items are never to appear on television or on eBay. They are never even to be seen on American soil.

They will be shipped Monday morning to a warehouse in Sewickley, Pa., near Pittsburgh, where they will become property of [link=http://www.worldvision.org/]World Vision[/link], a relief organization that will package the clothing in wooden boxes and send it to a developing nation, usually in Africa.

[link=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/04/sports/football/04gear.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin]The whole story from the NY Times.[/link]

Our family is proud to sponsor children from [link=http://www.worldvision.org/] World Vision specifically in the Sithobela Area Development Project in Swaziland.

Hi Nelly!

For First Time, More Poor Live in Suburbs Than Cities

Very Interesting...

All Things Considered, December 8, 2006
A move from the city to the suburbs used to signal prosperity for American families. But last year, the number of poor suburbanites outnumbered poor people in cities by 1 million for the first time. That startling statistic is part of a new report that examines poverty trends in the first part of the decade...

Full story at NPR's site @ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6598999

Boxes of Love

Boxes of Love are this week. We will distribute about 5000 boxes on Saturday. We also have about 250 people serving 11 churches and private homes in Compton, painting, rehabing and cleaning up.

Pray for God's hand of transformation and revival as we love His people of Compton and South Central.

Look forward to some awesome stories soon!

Mini-Church Tonight

Led our mini church-- small group tonight. It's an awesome group of former gang members, criminals, chikdren from tough -- some very tough backgrounds and we're all striving to love and follow Jesus together.

We talked about how we often view our own relationship with God as the primary aspect of our walk; our prayer closet, quiet times, personal retreats, "being alone w/ Him", etc. But that was never the intent of the biblical writers. The intent was scripture to always be interpreted in community -- the letters to the churches of the New Testament, the Gospel accounts for all to read and be aware, even Old Testament accounts to be accounts to pass on for the generations after. The writers never dreamed of the modern day miracles of the printing press, where everyone could have their own copy of the Holy Book, much less several copies around the house, on their palm pilot, on the web and in every hotel!

We talk alot about 'doing life together', taking each others kids to school when needed, helping one another move, hospital visits, financially when possible, etc. But we also need each other, in community to help make the word real, understandable, relavant and more accurate than I could all by myself. My perspective is narrow. I need John who has spend years in prison to help me understand grace and mercy better. I need Joey who is a recovering white supremest to help me understand forgiveness, etc., etc.

My culture teaches me to focus on independence and individualism but I'm trying to break out of that and learn more about community and how much I need the people that I live with.

Micro-Finance: A Way Out of Poverty

Very interesting article...

[link=http://www.acton.org/ppolicy/comment/article.php?article=348]
“The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2006 divided into two equal parts, to Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank for their efforts to create economic and social development from below. Lasting peace cannot be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty. Micro-credit is one such means. Development from below also serves to advance democracy and human rights.”

Last Year Crime was High -- better this Year

A list of the most and least dangerous cities overall, as compiled by Morgan Quitno Press, which bases the rankings on FBI figures released in June.

1. St. Louis
2. Detroit
3. Flint, Mich.
4. Compton, Calif.
5. Camden, N.J.

Fresh Start

This past year has been a blur.

Most of the time we didn't know if we were coming or going! So I want to start again, fresh with the blog. Update this with current happenings with our life and ministry (both the same) to keep you posted but also to dialogue with you about what God is doing in not only LA and Compton, but across the inner cities of America.

Republishing the Blog

It's been a while since I posted here. My upsaid.com account was halted because they froze all the free accounts and tried to get people to upgrade and I had to upgrade our free web hosting at doteasy.com because 20 mb was no longer enough.

With the account upgrade they offer free movable type - so I'll probably try that although I'm liking blogger.com's new changes, templates, etc.

Experiencing Unity in Orlando

It is always fun to get together with other leadership and see what God is doing around the country and world. But this time here has been even a bit more exceptional.

Let me give a little background. Crusade has been known to partner with outside ministries on a national level. However, at the local ministry level we have not only ignored each other we have often competed against each other. The last 4 years I have seen God do amazing things to begin to change this stain with in our ministry's culture.

Here, I have been even more amazed. These meetings are the first time we have facilitated a time where all the ministries (now over 70 of them) get together to focus on working together and even supporting one another in the area of fund development. Praise God!

We have learned through our experience in urban ministry that this not only mandated but also critical for our effectiveness. When you’re talking about life issues such as teenage pregnancy, cycles of poverty, generational addictions, gangs, etc., you can't waste much time on protecting your ministries boundaries. That is simply not often a luxury (although I'm amazed how much I try to do this).

Now Crusade is focused much more in working together and building into each other. A national director of one of our primary ministries just stood up and said to the effect pf, "if we all would raise up one gift for another ministry each year, the resulting unity would be so powerful we wouldn't know what to do". That's God!

As Steve Douglass, our President said today, God is mobilizing His Body for an unprecedented time of harvest. If I wasn't a part of what God is doing in the inner city, I sure would be looking for ways to get involved!

Off to Florida

I go to Florida tomorrow for a Crusade development conference... fun. No really, this time it is fun because Tonya is going with me!

My Mom flew in yesterday and we got to spend Mother's Day together with her (for the first time in a while!) and she will watch Syd and Zach while we're gone!

Tonya will hang out, read, do whatever she wants! Now that's a Mother's Day present!

Crazy May

Usually May has been a time to slow down a bit, winding down in preparation for summer. This May is not slowing down at all! This has been one of our busiest times of the year!

TechExchange (website in progress) our refurbishing center project has been slow to get off the ground due to the Architects concern of using the roof (inside our warehouse) to store computer donations. So hopefully the build out will begin in the next week of so.

We have been brainstorming with several other interested ministries in coming up with some type of leadership development alliance focused on assessing and developing church planters and indigenous leadership. This is an amazing concept that can literally change the face of urban ministry in LA!

We have been talking to the LA County Sheriffs Department about sort of cooperative with S.A.Y. Yes! Youth Development Centers.

Habitat for Humanity in LA has asked us to help identify four families for their new Compton development project.

We are working with TechMission to facilitate the AC4 West Coast Regional Conference Saturday, June 5, 2004.

And I'm trying to focus on raising our personal support up to where it needs to be. The past two years I have been working very hard on our team's overall budget and have neglected our own support. For that reason and some other factors (increase of health care costs, some supporters unable to continue their support, etc.) our need is now significant.

All of this is on top of the normal busyness!

Family Update
Sydney turned 5 yesterday! At the age of three she decided that when she turned five, she wanted to go to Disneyland! So, last Monday we did. It was only 102 degrees, which greatly reduced the waiting lines!

Syd was so thrilled to meet Cinderella! She kept talking about how nice her voice was! Zach was also excited because he got to meet Buzz Lightyear!

It was hot but we had a great family day!

Where does all the time go?

Do you ever get to the end of your day and think, "Did I accomplish anything?"

If you're like an average American, in your lifetime you will …

eat out 14,411 times (including 1,811 trips to McDonald's!)
spend 13 years and 4 months watching TV
spend 5 years waiting in lines
spend 1 year looking for misplaced items
attend 35 weddings
drive 413,226 miles
… and a whole lot more!

Time and balance are a constant struggke in urban ministry. Rick Warren has a good little article on it here.

Isaiah 1:17-23

"Los Angeles has become one of the largest prostitutes-trafficking centers with an estimated 10,000 immigrant women are brought here and forced into prostitution each year, a city councilman said Thursday". Read Article

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.

"Come now, let us argue this out," says the LORD. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool. If you will only obey me and let me help you, then you will have plenty to eat. But if you keep turning away and refusing to listen, you will be destroyed by your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken!"
See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers. Once like pure silver, you have become like worthless slag. Once so pure, you are now like watered-down wine. Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them take bribes and refuse to defend the orphans and the widows.
-Isaiah 1:17-23

Growth...

I have had a lot of opportunities to grow recently. Being stretched is not fun, to say the least. I have been struggling under the weight of realizing the need for this growth. It's not easy continually realizing how in deficit you are!

We had a great staff prayer time today.

During that time I realized that this pressure I have been putting on myself to grow is exactly that, pressure that I have created, not God. So I remembered that He wants to be responsible for my growth! I can't do it.

So now I'm trying to walk in the knowledge that growth is His responsibility and my availability to His leading is mine.

Blogging in Compton...

I just blogrolled Ramiro Caldera, one of our main SAY Yes! student leaders. He is helping me test blogging as a discipleship tool. This can help him process his life and what's happening as he walks with God and be used to encourage, challenge and share the journey with others. Visit Living in Compton... and let us know your thoughts on discipleship blogging!

Downtown LA Urban Hike

Today I led some of our LA Campus Crusade staff on an all-day hike through downtown LA. What an amazing place. The contrasts are amazing. The dead ducks hanging in the window of Sam Woo's restrauant in Chinatown to the opulence of certain Little Tokyo shops, the suprisingly peaceful beauty of the Civic Center plaza and the Bonzai garden on top of the New Otani Hotel and the noise of the busiest retail street in the country, Broadway.

I love the Grand Central Market where a sheep head is going for $1.19 a pound and you can get a huge serving of Pad Thai for $3.00! Across the street from there is my favorite LA building, the Bradbury. It is unbelievable inside. I love the 'ohhs and ahhs' of people seeing it for the first time. My other favorites are the Biltmore Hotel and Union Station. I fall in love with this city more and more each day!

Los Angeles Leads U.S. Counties in Population Growth

Apr. 9 - Driven by immigration and new births, Los Angeles County's population swelled by 352,000 people from 2000 to 2003, the largest growth of any county in the nation in the period, according to new U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released Thursday.

L.A. County continued to be a major destination for immigrants, primarily from Mexico and Asia, gaining 335,000 foreign-born residents. At the same time, the county lost 286,990 residents to other counties in the United States.

Read entire Article

The world is coming to Los Angeles. What a great place to live and minister! If I didn't live here, I would move here.

HIV/AIDS Links

"This generation will be remembered for three things: the internet, the war on terror, and how we let an entire continent go up in flames while we stood around with watering cans. Or not." -Christian rock singer Bono of U2, on his efforts to raise funds to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa - Christian Century (Dec 27, 2003)

HIV/AIDS is projected to wipe out half of Zambia's 10 million inhabitants. The disease has already resulted in more than a million deaths and created nearly 600,000 orphans. - Christian Reader (Sep/Oct 2003)

Every single day, 9,500 African contract AIDS. The daily death toll is 6,500. - Christian Reader (Sep/Oct 2003)

Understanding HIV/AIDS - Do you and your church understand the basics of HIV/AIDS? Before you can attack the global HIV/AIDS crisis, you'll need info on how the disease spreads, where the trouble spots are and what's being done elsewhere to combat the problem. This website is a good place to start.

HIV/AIDS Timeline - It has been 23 years since HIV/AIDS first received public attention in 1981. Here is a review of how the disease has spread around the world.

Tutorial on HIV/AIDS - Before your church members will get involved in the HIV/AIDS epidemic, they need good information. On this website you'll find articles about the global HIV/AIDS fight, along with an interactive map and a moving photo essay on the subject.

MediaLink download - HIV/AIDS: Milita's Story - Free Video download - The thief comes only to kill, steal and destroy. But, Christ came to give life to the fullest. The thief is using HIV/AIDS to devastate vast regions of our world. Young orphans are left to survive on their own. But there is hope in Jesus Christ. As believers, we are responsible for sharing that plan with those hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. (Length: 1:10)

Jesus only answer to HIV/AIDS crisis, missionary tells youth - Sue Sprenkle

Abstinence one of five keys to battling global HIV/AIDS problem - Randall Tobias

Nightmare becomes sweet dream in Uganda's HIV/AIDS battle - Barbara Brake

I'm on our church's 'TeamSwazi', a committee to discover what we as a American church can do in light of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. We have partnered with WorldVision to adopt the Sithobela Area Development Project in Swaziland. So far our church has started sponsoring 120 of the 474 available child sponsorships from that area. We hope to make some trips there and build much awareness here in our church, community, area. I agree with Bono, we must act now, our lives literally depend upon it.

Galaxy edge Revolution in opener

Go Galaxy!

Our new guy Andreas Herzog is amazing! We picked up Jose and Ramiro, met up with friends and had a great time. Fireworks were awesome as well.

Syd did cry when she found out Cobi Jones didn't play!

8200 Easter Bags!

Just got home from our Easter Bag Packing Party. Hello Advil.

63 churches were involved and we sent out 8200 bags and a ton (probably 3 pallets) of bulk candy and Luna bars (not there not really just for women!).

Pray for these bags as they go out today and tomorrow. Pray that God will use these bags to touch peoples lives.

We had a great time. We did a bit of a vision pull-out session from a group of folk from some churches in the Inland Empire. Dave and Heidi are finishing raising their personal support to open an IE team and the brought almost 20 people to show them what can be done up there in the future! Go God!

Also spend a few good minutes with Craig from Kairos LA.

Now were napping and resting up for the LA Galaxy home opener tonight. We got tickets for all of us to go including Ramiro and Jose. We're all excited! Go Galaxy!

Hopefully we don't get so excited we forget to set the clocks back and get to church late!

Easter Bag Packing Party

Today our staff, an Urban Imersion (spring break mission trip) team from Seattle and a Jr. High School class for Calvary Christian School in Pacific Palisades prepared for our 15th annual Easter Bag Packing Party tomorrow.

At 8 am about 400 volunteers and 40 ministries will decend on Downey First Baptist' gym to pack over 8000 evangelistic Easter Bags! These bags will be distributed by these inner city churches all across Los Angeles.

This packing party event is a great example of the body of Christ working together. People from all different racial backgrounds, socioeconomic classes and regions from LA will work shoulder to shoulder packing these Easter Bags.

This is a lot like our holiday evangelistic food outreach Boxes of Love, just a bit smaller!

Los Angeles County's Poor Struggle with Hunger, Insecurity

Results from the recently released Los Angeles County Health Survey show an estimated 260,000 people in the county experienced food insecurity during 2002-03, and an estimated 141,000 experienced hunger. The survey was the largest ever conducted by the health department.

Read entire article

Setting up the program

We are setting up our newest program, TechExchange a computer refurbishing center. We just put the first page of the website up. This is keeping us busy for sure!

Our Pastor makes the LA Times!

Compton Pastor Taps Into Youths' Passion for Sports (registration is required)

This has been our church in Compton for over 10 years.

Our Agenda or God'a Agenda?

"So if I want to be on mission it’s really about getting on God's agenda. " Read this whole interview.

I see this a lot; people in ministry with their own plan and they ask God to bless it. We try to see what God is doing in the city and get into that stream. A bit subtle, but important.

A Good Read

"Taking a compelling look at where the church is today and where God wants it to be, McManus argues convincingly that we have chosen convenience and comfort and the result is deadness. He challenges churches to go beyond accepting the new reality of the changing world we live in to actually doing something about it. He offers insight about the negatives and positives of megachurches. Each chapter concludes with some excellent discussion questions."


Just got this book, looking forward to sitting down with it.

Unreached people in the US targets of evangelism

USA (MNN) -- Meanwhile, If you can believe it…there are unreached people in the United States. American Missionary Fellowship is aware of the situation and they're doing something about it. Beginning in March, AMF will begin training missionaries to start US based 'Learning Communities'.

AMF's Ed Henderson. "We believe it's a time in America that we need to create a new spin on Bible studies and we're calling them learning communities. We want them to focus on reaching some unreached people groups in the U-S." Henderson says many Americans and international students on college campuses have never heard the Gospel. He says that's not the only place the unreached can be found. "There are those in our inner cities and our suburbs that are unreached because no one has taken the Gospel into those communities. Neighborhood after neighborhood where there is no influence of the church whatsoever." Full Story

There are kids and adults in our neighborhood who have never seen snow, never been to the beach (even though it is a 10 minute drive away) and have never heard about Jesus.

Who is going to church?
According to Leadership Magazine:

People over 50 are more likely to go to church, but are also more resistant to the Gospel.
Younger people are more likely to have an interest in spiritual things, but less likely to attend church.

How does your church rate?

A church newsletter mentioned a man who visited eighteen different churches on successive Sundays. He was trying to find out what the churches were really like. He said, "I sat near the front. After the service, I walked slowly to the rear, then returned to the front and went back to the foyer using another aisle. I smiled and was neatly dressed. I asked one person to direct me to a specific place: a fellowship hall, pastor's study, etc. I remained for coffee if served. I used a scale to rate the reception I received. I awarded points on the following basis:

10 for a smile from a worshiper
10 for a greeting from someone sitting nearby
100 for an exchange of names
200 for an invitation to have coffee
200 for an invitation to return
1000 for an introduction to another worshiper
2000 for an invitation to meet the pastor

On this scale, eleven of the eighteen churches earned fewer than 100 points. Five actually received less than 20.

The conclusion: The doctrine may be biblical, the singing inspirational, the sermon uplifting, but when a visitor finds nobody who cares whether he's here, he is not likely to come back."
>From: Steve Barack - heb1035@prodigy.net

Passion in the Box Office

I have been looking for a way to chart the success of the movie. Here it is. Blockbuster Showdown - The Passion vs. Return of the King vs. Spider Man vs. Star Wars

Jim Caviezel on playing Jesus

"When this whole thing began--I met one day with Mel [Gibson], and we're talking about other roles, and then stories in the Bible, and he's looking at me. And I said, 'You want me to play Jesus, don't you?' And he said, 'Yeah.' Your life builds up to things. When you're asked a question, when the whole history of your life comes to that moment--You want me to play Christ. don't you?--God gives you a grace inside your heart that says, 'Look, this is where I need you.'

"Miraculous things have happened. When I was hit by lightning [during the filming of a crucifixion scene], it was the one day I didn't have communion. We always had mass and I always received communion but on that one day the priest ran out of hosts. I was up there on the cross and I was hit and we knew I was going to be hit, we could see it coming. And the eyes of the men below me turned glossy. Everything was pink, fire coming from both sides of my head."

The whole article.

Urban Immersion

Today about 100 college students from around the country descended into LA for week 2 of this years 4 week urban Immersion Schedule. Urban Immersion is our short term inner city project for college students during spring break.

Tonight I spoke to the group from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. About 30 of them are spending their first night in South Central LA! They are at Lighthouse Community Ministries, an amazing ministry we just found out in the last few months. They house 8-10 women and children in their woman's home, a lifestyle-discipleship program. Pastor and Sister Hall are incredible examples of dedicated heroes of the faith, who have served there for almost 20 years.

The students will do work projects, have evangelistic outreaches and endure a poverty simulation that will give them painful insight into the life of a homeless person on the streets of LA.

We are praying for many lives to be touched these next few weeks!

Tonya's Home!

Well it has been a slow blogging week! Tonya arrived home from Thailand on Wednesday to an anxious, awaiting family! We were so happy to see her.

She came home with many great stories, many about the incredible women she got to hang out with. At this Global Women's Forum she met many national Campus Crusade staff, many from closed countries. She heard story after story of how women are advancing the gospel far and wide.

They rode elephants, prayed in and around government buildings, were coached in leadership development areas and explored both Chaing Mai and Bangkok. All around a great time. We're proud of her!

Two thirds of the American women there, including Tonya and Erica (our LA team member) got sick. They had some type of food poisoning. Tonya wasn't able to keep anything down for a few days, including the antibiotic to help the infection in an upper molar. So now she is recuperating and trying to find a local dentist that can put Tonya out to perform a root canal! She says that she'd rather go through labor again than go to a dentist. Being the thoughtful and wise husband I am, I don't challenge her on that declaration!

So as Sydney says, "We're all back together again, we're all family again".

A Nice Slow Day

Today was an intentional slow day. We have been doing so much with Tonya being gone, were taking it easy today. We watched cartoons and then took a trip to Home Depot for some minor home projects. This afternoon we hung out with Ramiro and Jose, played some Bocce ball, ate pizza and watched some Lakers.

Camp Daddy!

Tonya has food poisoning in Thailand!?! Other than that she is having a great time. She has met many Crusade staff women from all over the world. There are many 'Nationals' there, many of whom are 'undercover' missionaries. She will have some amazing stories to share when she gets back!

We miss her! But we are managing. I have had so much fun just hanging out with Syd and Zach! We have camped outside, went to the Aquarium of the Pacific, rode horses, watched movies, it has been Camp Daddy!

Even though we have had fun we can't wait for mommy to get back!

Alpha Update

In my February, 22 2004 post I talked about the Alpha retreat and one of the guys in my group who invited Christ into his life.

Yesterday, this guy, his wide and three year old daughter attended our mini-church (small group) for the first time. They had seemed a bit cautious about coming but I could tell they really wanted to come.

They came and we introduced them to everyone and they seemed to have a good time. We all ate together, went through our little lesson and then prayed together. At the end of the prayer time, the wife, who was already in tears, asked if she could say something. She stated that they had never been so accepted before and how much being in this group meant to them. She paused several times between the tears and the hugs she was receiving from the group who immediately responded to her statement. The husband also got choked up and said he wanted to say something, but he was glad his wife did first.

This is just another example of how desperately people want to connect with each other, how much we need each other. Go God!

Tonya in Thailand!

Today, we took Tonya to Los Angeles International Airport and dropped her off. No, were not mad at her!?! She is headed to Campus Crusade's Women's Global Forum in Chiang Mai, Thailand! She and four other senior staff women (one from our LA team) are representing Here's Life Inner City among about 400 other Crusade women from around the world. They will participate in the Forum from March 10-15.

This is quite an honor for Tonya. The purpose of the Forum is really twofold; they will be discussing the status of women on staff around the world and it is a developmental time for emerging leaders. Tonya will have a coach and look intensely at critical leadership development issues during the conference.

We all are proud of her, but we already miss her! Pray for her and us as were 'on our own' for ten days (really pray for Syd & Zach as there stuck with Dad for ten days).

We just recieved a nice Grant!

We are praising God for opening the doors for a new city-wide project. I (Mike) have dreamed of a computer refurbishing center to help support the ministries we serve for a number of years.

This past week we received a $15,000 grant to do just that. Prayerfully April 24th we will launch the LA Computer Refurbishing Center! We will build out a 400 sq. foot classroom lab to host classes for several computer instructional programs as well as refurbished hardware redistribution to ministries all across LA. Friday we brought on a computer professional who will serve as Refurbishing Center Coordinator and help us ramp the project up.

Please pray with us for some corporate partnerships, additional funds needed and a lot of donated computers to refurbish!

This refurb center is in partnership with the great group of people at TechMission.

A Key to City Reaching

Study shows Protestant ministers want more cooperation among denominations....
(In Illinois Baptist Wednesday, January 21, 2004 Vol. 98 No. 02)

Phoenix, Ariz. Just how "denominational" are denominational churches in the United States? Newly released survey results show that most Protestant church pastors are committed to their denomination but also frustrated at the lack of agreement within their own denomination, as well as the lack of interdenominational cooperation.

Results from the study, conducted by Ellison Research of Phoenix, Ariz., among a nationally representative sample of 567 Protestant ministers, are being released for the first time in the January/February issue of the magazine Facts & Trends, which is published by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. The research was independently funded and conducted by Ellison Research and included churches from all Protestant denominations.

Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research...pointed out that pastors are the ones who must make inter-church cooperation work. "The vast majority of ministers wanted more cooperation among churches of different denominations, but that level of cooperation will not happen just by hoping or desiring. The pastors themselves will have to make this happen. Maybe knowing that there's a strong chance other ministers in their community also want more inter-church cooperation will encourage that cooperation to take place."

More detailed information on the study is available at www.ellisonresearch.com.

The Passion
I have seen The Passion of the Christ twice in the theatre so far. So of our team went to see it on opening day and our church rented out 3 nights of showings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

It is incredible. When we saw the screening in January it was amazing. But seeing it in a dark theater on a big screen is even more amazing. Watching Jesus' eyes is amazing. One of the most piogant scenes for me was when the flipped the cross over while Jesus was nailed to it.

We saw it on Thursday night with the theatre filled with members from our church and their guests. The guy who accepted Christ at our Alpha retreat was speechless afterward. The two guys I brought from our neighborhood were stunned. One said I can't believe He went through that much pain for me. One of our friends, another Alpha leader's sister came to Christ in the theatre after the movie!

Praise God for how He is using Mel Gibson and this movie across the country.

If you haven't seen it yet, see it this week. According to an email from The Passion of The Christ Fan Website [listadmin@passion-movie.net]; it helps if we go the first week of opening...

"To everyone in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand -- if you plan to see this film, we strongly encourage you to see it this first week. The first week is the most crucial for a film's success, and because these four countries are showing it first, it also sends a trend of interest in the film worldwide. By seeing the film this weekend, you increase the chances that MORE theaters will carry the film in your own countries, but you also increase the chances that those in other countries will be able to see it. The film is being carried in over 2,800 theaters in the US, and some theaters are booked for showings two weeks into March! This is a great turn-out to this important film. Please consider seeing it with your friends and family. If you see it, and like it, please recommend it to your friends".

Did you see Ebert and Roeper's review? It is great! Check it out here.

Keep track of the news surrounding the movie, click here.

Alpha Retreat

Yesterday we took about 30 people from our churches Alpha class on a retreat in the mountains above Los Angeles.

We played games, went on a hike, ate a lot, and had some Alpha sessions. The three lessons revolved around the Holy Spirit; who is He, what does He do, and how can one be filled with His power?

At the end during the silent prayer time, one of the guys in my group came up to me and asked for prayer. He told me he waned more of God in his life and wanted more certainty for he and his family's future. I asked him if he had ever prayed to give God complete control of his life, and he answered, "not really".

I prayed for him and then he prayed the "I'm Sorry, Thank You and Please" prayer (I'm sorry for my sins, thank you for dying on the cross, please come into my life).

After our prayer time he was beaming! Me and another Alpha leader in our small group invited Geno and his wife to our mini-church. I think and pray they'll come.

Strike up another for community!

Our new EFD evangelism numbers

Yesterday we finished our survey process of finding out all of what is happening with our church ministry partners that pick up food weekly through our Evangelistic Food Distribution program. Here are some of the highlights...

* Currently, 238 churches/ministries pick up food every week from our Lynwood warehouse/resource center. This has increased by 63 ministries since November of 2002.

* The estimated average number of individuals who receive food every month has increased from 360,325 to 401,030.

* We have seen an increase of almost 200% in congregants involved in evangelism (from an average of 9 people to 26 people from each participating church) in the last two years.

* On average, over 2100 people are estimated to have come to Christ each month, an increase of 300% since we commenced the training procedure (the growth has been from 700 conversions a month to 2142 per month, as each ministry averages nine positive salvation responses per month).

* On average, 86% of people are being followed up in some form or another, an increase of 36% since the training process was instituted. Most of these numbers are being assimilated into the respective churches.

* An estimated 57.5% of people receiving food are non-believers, up 3.5 % from last year.

We are especially pleased to see what God is doing through this program in light of the national USDA food shortage. Our USAD food allotment dropped over 75% since January 2003 (the USDA program represents about 90% of our food supply). Unfortunately, this resulted in recipients receiving less food per week then they were in 2002-2003. However, we praise God that more churches joined the program and entered the training process, thus increasing the overall spiritual impact in spite of the lesser food amounts.

Blogging as a discipleship tool for youth...

We're talking about doing a workshop on discipleship blogging for youth at the Urban Youth Workers Insitute at Azuza Pacific University on May 13-15 (by the way, you gotta go, it's amazing).

Has anyone had any experience with using blogging for discipleship in the past? If so, let's chat.

We are just beginning to see how to use this and how we could play it out.

Wholistic Discipleship Communities

Follow up to my Sunday post.

I would describe Wholistic Discipleship Communities as an intentional community where the existing body of Christ is operating in a way to come along side each other in all areas of life; work, play, parenting, schooling, in sickness or disaster, home life, social, spiritual and any other aspect of someone's life.

In the past Christian bodies such as this have been considered 'counter culture', like Jesus People USA or The Simple Way. These communities have lived an authentic Christian community lifestyle and have shown us the value and the biblical basis in which they operate.

But now, in the midst of the 'never slow down' culture (traffic reports every five minutes around the clock, emailing, on-line dating, done-in-a-minute and off to something else microwave mentality) we are literally seeing people dying for this type of real connection with people.

As a result, we have seen the increase and the effectiveness of the cell-group strategy from Willow Creek and Saddleback, now into almost every neighborhood church. A problem with these have been the modern evangelical 'spiritual segmentation' which allows for us to deal with our spiritual/Jesus stuff on Sundays and Thursday nights in a small group, but has little play throughout the rest of the week and therefore lacks a certain amount of Christian wholeness or authenticity in the rest of our lives.

In our small group, 'Mini-Church' as we call them, we have incredible ethnic, economic and age diversity. But in three short months we have a situation where anyone would stop anything to help or minister to each other. Last week the leaders, a couple in our Mini-Church was hit head-on by an older woman who evidently passed out. This couple immediately called another sister from Mini-Church, who was there within five minutes. She accompanied them to the hospital (amazingly they are completely fine, Praise God) praying and ministering to them. Another guy needed a job and I have an Aunt and Uncle who needed a quality, experienced manager for one of their hearing aid stores. Within a week, he had a good paying job, which afforded him the necessary time with his family. There is story after story like this from just our Mini-Church, one of 50 or so in our church.

In the inner city this community works best operating on an intentionally more wholistic level. I believe the suburban groups need to as well, but these communities can more easily hide felt-needs behind good paying jobs and the accumulation of material possessions.

Everyone in one of these communities whether it be a cell group, Sunday school class, support group, or group of neighbors must have a role to play. Everyone needs to have ownership to fully belong. This exemplifies the body of Christ in that we all need each other.

My Lessons

Now, let me be honest about my initial thoughts in entering this community. I was very hesitant, to say the least. I felt I didn't need any new friends. I couldn't ever return the calls I got before joining this group. But now I have lunch with several of the group each month, we meet at least bi-weekly and we talk on the phone, email each other, etc. I did not see the spiritual nurturing, encouragement, or joy that I would get out of this close knit group. I have learned much more than I have given, and the funny thing is that everyone feels that way!

I have met a new hero, a single mom raising five kids and they don't even have a permanent place to live right now! She is doing an amazing job that I couldn't even try to do. And the father of her children just joined us last Sunday night for his first time. He said, "All I have heard about you guys is that you're a big family".

This illustrates the principle that if Christians live like they're suppose to, it will be an attractive situation to the world. We don't have to go out and beat them over the head about Christ, they are drawn to Him through this authentic communities interactions and love for each other. They will know us by our love…

Community

I have been thinking alot about community for the past few weeks. Too much to write here, but it has been shaping my thinking on overall methodology in ministry.

Alot has gone into this shaping for me. That would include, the book, "Stories of Emergence", especially chapter seven by James F. Engel, visiting new church works in LA such as Kairos and NewSong LA. Also seeing the difference of sustained spiritual results between our old church of 10 years and our new church. Comparing and contrasting has certainly been interesting, challenging and sad.

I'm beginning to see the difference in what I would describe as Wholistic Discipleship Communities. We never really had that, at least to the necessary degree in my old church. But that is what I see other places that are seeing incredible transformations in individuals and communities.

More on this later.

Good Article on Blogging for Christians

Gospelcom.net has a good blogging article online now.

They say "Once you have a blog, and added the obligatory "First Post" message to it, what do you do? Well, it's really up to you. Some folks keep a blog to post about politics, news, and anything else that comes to mind. But blogs can be about technology, the Bible, and can even aggregate content from other blogs. Maybe your church could use a blog to maintain a prayer list, or to give your missionaries a place to record their day-to-day experiences. Maybe your ministry could use a blog to let your Web vistors know about upcoming events. There are quite a few ways to make use of a weblog."

The Rest of the Article

I believe that blogging can be a great discipleship tool for youth. I getting one of our youth online now.

Tim Bednar at e-church really plays this out by sharing,

"Blogging (like journaling) can be a spiritual discipline for several reasons:

:: Blogging can be a frequent, intentional habit that aids in spiritual formation.
:: Blogging interrelates with the corollary discipline of spiritual reading.
:: Blogging can be used to practice the presence of God.
:: Blogging is practiced in community.

Dallas Willard writes of spiritual disciplines, "...they are much more effective if they can be practiced in community, and you can't really practice them without community. If you have a community where they are understood as a normal part of our lives, there can be instruction or teaching about them, which brings about a kind of accountability."

I found that journaling and blogging possessed several things in common:

:: Blogs and journals are at their best when they are written frequently.
:: Blogs and journal flow best when the author resists the urge to edit or censor.
:: Blogs and journals provide a unique history of one's inner life and faith-journey.

But I have also found them to be different and distinct:

:: Blogs are public. A private journal is usually never published.
:: Blogs seek to interact with an audience by soliciting comments and feedback. Journals are isolated from external input and separate from community.
:: Blogs can sometimes be more self-focused than God-focused. (Blogging as a spiritual discipline also does not require that every word be about God. In fact, writing only in spiritual tones misses blogging's potential. However, blogging ought not become narcissistic if it is to be useful for spiritual formation.)"

Thanks Tim! Here's the rest of his article.

I think that blogging can not only help the young person in processing and journaling in there walk with God, but also be an online example/role model for other teens (establishing community) as well as be a window into what youth in the inner city (or where ever else they may be from) are going through for youth leaders, parents, donors, etc.

We will continue to try to play this out and see what happens!

I'll keep you posted.

I made it

I rushed home from Orlando yesterday just in time to hear the sermon at our church. It was on Point #5 of our churches “PEACE Plan” for addressing the giants of our city.

1. Planting Churches
2. Equipping Leaders to Serve
3. Assist the Poor
4. Care for the Sick
5. Educate the next Generation
6. Embrace Africa

Yes, there are two ‘E’s. The sermon was on the churches efforts in S.A.Y. Yes! Youth Development Center, the Jr. and Sr. High School ministries and the newest endeavor, the PEP Program. PEP (Paramount Educational Project) is a multi-faceted plan to bring mentoring, computer training, etc. to youth and adults of the community. High school graduates will complete a number of criteria and receive a four-year scholarship to college! One of the most amazing things about this is that the City of Paramount initiated with the church to do this!

The sermon was one of the best I even heard on the biblical mandate to focus on youth. It’s great to have a church that I’m anxious to get across the country for!

Orlando, FL

Heading to Orlando in less than six hours.

We have our annual Here's Life Leadership Conference. This is where City Directors, the National Team and some support staff all get together. Should be about 40 or so people there.

Among other things, we will be focusing on "understanding the Framework of the Culture of Poverty'.

Gotta get some sleep.

Some days you can't stop praying

Today our team prayed about a friend most of us know very well. She is paranoid schizophrenic and now suicidal. She is a believer but she has shut everyone out including us. Her family are not believers but they are really praying now.

We learned today for the first time that…

Another mutual friend and ministry leader who has served with us here on a summer project is now questioning his faith.

A pastor of one of our ministry partner churches has a young adult daughter who is about to be sentenced for killing a lady while driving under the influence. She has not been walking with God for awhile.

One of our staff women is a cancer survivor. Her adult daughter just had some questionable images show up in a mammogram.

A church that we are close with just had a leader admit to an affair with another congregation member.

Another staff couple is transitioning off our team to focus completely in their church plant. It is a Hispanic church within an African-American church. Today they asked prayer for some serious spiritual warfare they have felt since they made the decision to move to the church full-time.

Some days you can't do much more than pray.

"Lets Blitz 'Em"

I just had a conversation with a full-time Christian leader (parachurch) who has a heart to reach the inner city. He has had some experience with urban youth and describes himself as a visionary. We have had an ongoing discussion about what parachurch ministries, like mine can do in the inner city. He has done some good things bring suburban and inner city pastors together. Our dialogue has been meaningful and he has some good ideas.

But one thing really bothers me.

He (and many, many other Christian leaders of the same generation and ethnicity) have the same impression... that we can just bombard the inner city with the Gospel and everything will work out. They think that they can just rush in, establish their agenda and be successful. He even used the war analogy. "We're battling the enemy", he ranted.

I tried to tactfully and respectfully explain how his dominant cultural background influences his perspective and how that perspective translates to the people of the inner city. If we're at war who is the enemy? Why is it that we always have to conquer something? What are we actually trying to conquer? To plant the flag of white republican values in the lost, liberal deserts of urban despair?

Is it so hard to see how inner city residents view that?

I think people think this is the easiest way to save the inner city. We don't have to relate, seek to understand, just get them to act like me and everything will be fine.

Often, I see and hear the frustration and anger of good intentioned ministries blowing in and blowing out of the inner city. They got their good story, newsletters, TV spots, etc. But then these urban communities are left with blown expectations and frustration that no one recognizes and helps with their own visions. The visions that are rooted in lifetimes of living in and understanding the culture.

There are some well known ministries here in LA now that other ministries don't really like. They don't really talk about it much, but you can tell.

My belief and the value of our ministry is to relocate into the city, learn, seek out relationships, love, be humble ask a lot of questions. We then look for the Christians that are standing in the gap, making a difference with little or nothing. Those are the heroes we can come behind and support, encourage and resource. We show God's love by feeding, educating, clothing, training, mentoring, and loving. This is where the example of true biblical unity will shine throughout the neighborhoods. This is how entire neighborhoods will change.

Let's bring the peace and hope of Jesus into the neighborhoods, not fire Gospel tract buckshot as we run through the city and then back to our safe enclaves.