Word is Spreading!

This Sunday, September 27th (10am at Club Nokia at L.A Live) is the Grand Opening service! The word is getting around town - Councilwoman Jan Perry is coming to the service and will do a short greeting. Did an interview and took some pics today with a downtown news source (I'll let you know if its gets published). The Farm of Beverly Hills located just beneath Club Nokia is giving us free coffee and lunch specials so everyone can hang out after. Thank you for your continued prayers. We are a new church start-up and we have start-up needs. We are believing God will provide above and beyond all we could ever ask for or imagine!

New Strategies

When I look at what has made the biggest impact on the city of Los Angeles it has been things like economic development, jobs, small businesses, and lower crime, cleaner more sanitary streets etc. I think that most churches have good models for bringing Christians together and serving each others needs. I am challenged now with making a real, non-Christian attention getting, impact on my city. I want the low income families, the homeless, the police, city council and the mayor to bring up the names of Churches when they are asked what has made this city a better place.
What I typically find is that most models end up putting all their focus and energy into creating these communities and having big gatherings but little time, effort, and considerable resources are put into the tangible touch on the city and its people.
Having a big gathering does not impress the city, it doesn't show them unity, it shows them that there is a bigger group of Christians and they are probably going to use their leverage to unify on voting issues. That's how non-churched, non-Christians think. Until we display that we can really make a tangible difference in our city that isn't a church-growth strategy in disguise or political meddling, I don't think we are anything more to them than a religious gathering.

Cultural Shift

Just read a great book (very challenging and controversial). "Thy Kingdom Come" - An Evangelical's Lament: How The Religious Right Distorts The Faith And Threatens America, by Randall Balmer. In short, this book is a call to Christians and the Church to untangle itself from the distracting propaganda and power of the religious right and to realign with the message of the gospel. The message that God loves us and has made a way - that there is hope, forgiveness, redemption and real power to change the world - the message of Jesus Christ. That is what we should be known for, not for what we are against or who we endorse or what we stand on the corners of streets protesting.

Websit is LIVE!

Website is LIVE - this is really happening!! www.livechurchla.com

Official Name!

The church is now officially recognized by the State of California (what would we do without that) and filed with our officially registered name "Live Church LA". I am working on our website, the address will be www.livechurchla.com just like the name (it should be ready soon). We also have a logo and will send to print this week for business cards, letterhead, flyers etc. A huge 'Thank You' to Sarah Pata who has donated her time and her God given gift and passion for graphic design to help with all of this - her work is incredible! Thank you for your prayers and to many of you the financial support towards establishing this new church in downtown LA!
(P.S. We finally have most boxes empty and worked all day yesterday making it feel a little more like home in our new place. If you are ever in the area let us know and stop by - we will make you a nice fruit smoothie with our new blender....is that weird?)

Update 8-01-09

Wow - the move was tuff! Thank God we had great friends come and help (thanks Kaylyn, John, Jasmine, and especially Ryan, Andy and Zach for coming all the way down to LA for the toughest part. Getting out of the house was easy. When we arrived here we had to take everything up a freight elevator one trip at a time, then walk it all the way across the top to our unit on the other side. It will take me a week to recover. Everything is just pilled in our house.
Sleeping here last night for the first time was wierd. Getting used to the new sights and sounds. Looking forward to worship, communion, and connecting at the Cause tomorrow.

Update 7-30-09

I know its been a few days since the last update but things are really moving fast and slow!? We are moving out and into downtown Los Angels tomorrow. Our renters will move into our house in Chino Hills on Saturday. Shelley has been collecting boxes from work and packing a little every night for the past week. Most big stuff we either sold, gave away, or are leaving for our renters so it shouldn’t be too big a job (I hope). Funny thing is, four other people are moving into the same complex in LA so we have a one-hour window from 1-2pm to use the loading dock and freight elevator.
Things with Club Nokia are going well. I met with them last week and we should have a signed contract soon to use their facilities. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers!