Broken City: Is There Hope For Los Angeles?

Create more bike lanes, make the streets safer, fix potholes, and oh, by the way, reduce poverty were the top recommendations from Southern California Public Radio listeners when asked what issues they wanted Eric Garcetti to tackle during his first term as Mayor of Los Angeles back in 2013.Other recommendations on issues listed among the Top 7 by KPCC in its #DearMayor initiative included, lower the cost of parking tickets, preserve the entertainment industry in L.A., keep Metro’s expansion on track, and don’t cut the arts programs in schools.But what if what is broken or needs fixing in Los Angeles goes beyond basic infrastructure issues? The answer to the following question may be obvious, but can a mayor really fix this city?Is it at all possible for a government official to address even more serious problems that seem to permeate this town?In his post, Homage To LA, City Of Broken Dreams, poet and author Boris Glikman, writes:

The smell hits you as soon as you step out of the air-conditioned airport. You feel the residue, the fallout of broken dreams hitting your palate. The charred remains of incinerated hopes mix with the omnipresent smog and invade every pore of your being…...Every delusion gets hunted down and taken care of in this town: the delusion that one is special and unique; the delusion that one has singular and extraordinary talents; the delusion that one is in possession of insights into life that the rest of the world lacks and that one is privy to truths that no one else can access; the delusion that one is destined for greatness; the delusion that one is a genius whom the world doesn’t appreciate; the delusion that one will find a soul mate meant just for them and whose love will save them…...the delusion that a lucky break will come to you in the end; the delusion that somewhere some person, angel or god is working on your behalf, trying to help you with your journey through life and is looking after you; the delusion that one is protected by fate and special luck from bad things happening to them; the delusion that there will come a day when one will begin to live happily ever after; the delusion that one will find meaning in one’s tribulations and that one’s struggles will be justified in retrospect; the delusion that it all will turn out well in the future…

You may want to read more of Glikman’s homage, but it’s pretty depressing, isn’t it?So, what can we make of L.A.? We know it was once a “promised land” of sorts for all sorts of people. And we know a lot of promises have not been delivered.

Broken city

Issues in Los Angeles are not just about bike paths and celebrity stars, either. Issues that should take priority are an elevated homeless population, an alarming violent crime rate, loneliness in a mobile, commuter town that’s wider than any canyon, a hub for sex trafficking, a haven for the addicted, and a depot for the discontent — see L.A. Riots, Occupy Wall Street/City Hall, Trump Protests, and protests in general of all varieties.According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the city is home to 45,000 gang members, organized into 450 gangs. Among them are the Crips and Bloods, which are both African American street gangs that originated in the South Los Angeles region, as stated in Wikipedia. Latino street gangs such as the Sureños, a Mexican American street gang, and Mara Salvatrucha, which has mainly members of Salvadoran descent, all originated in Los Angeles. This has led to the city being referred to as the "Gang Capital of America."With a census-estimated 2017 population of 4,042,000, it is the second-most populous city in the United States (after New York City) and the most populous city in the state of California, also as stated in Wikipedia. It is home to people from more than 140 countries speaking 224 different identified languages. Ethnic enclaves like Chinatown, Historic Filipinotown, Koreatown, Little Armenia, Little Ethiopia, Tehrangeles, Little Tokyo, Little Bangladesh and Thai Town provide examples of the polyglot character of Los Angeles.Challenges abound. All of us, together, need to ask and discuss...

Is there hope for Los Angeles?

In many cases, L.A. is still an amazing place where people do incredible things, including service for others. However, with a critical eye, it’s easy to see that many parts are broken. I’ve named a few social issues already.Together LA has made an effort to tell the stories of hope for the city, first, in hosting a conference a couple years ago, and secondly, on TogetherLA.net, since the new website's start in February.Next, we will try answering the question of whether there is hope for L.A. by way of a panel discussion with the theme you may have sensed already while reading this article — Broken City - Is there hope for Los Angeles?The panel is scheduled to take place at Metropolis in Santa Monica on Philosopher’s Cafe night on June 15 at 7:30 pm. Pastor Steve Snook of Metro Church will moderate the panel that will include urban leaders talking about the tough issues and the possible solutions. The event is free and everyone is invited.

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Let’s continue the discussion!>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<UPDATE: Since the publication of the article above, the 4-part series on the panel discussion and videotaped comments from the pastors has been published at TLA. The series links are below.4 Pastors Get Real About the City – Together LA Pop-Up Part 1 (Michael Mata)Urban Church Planter: First, What Does the City Need? Part 2 (Cedric Nelms)‘Beautiful’ Westside Striken with Spiritual Poverty a Unified Church Can Cure – Part 3 (Steve Snook)LA Pastors’ Bottom Line: We Want to Help the City That We Live In – FINAL (Brannin Pitre)

What Should We Do with Difficult People?

It was only a three-minute escape. Listening to my name being chanted over and over, louder and louder, with greater urgency, along with pounding on the door, you might imagine me to be a rock star.But in reality, I’m the mother of a toddler who has decided he is only content when he is in my arms. My escape was merely a trip to the bathroom in which I took a deep breath behind the locked door before re-entering my world of diapers, blocks, and Daniel Tiger. And even though I love this little guy with all my heart, at times he can definitely be a difficult person to keep showing love to, especially in the midst of tantrums and tears.

Difficult People Are Everywhere

It probably isn’t hard for you to think of a difficult person in your own life. In our broken, sin-filled world, they are everywhere. The coworker who is willing to do anything to get ahead, including taking credit for your ideas. The in-laws who always seem to be peering over your shoulder, critiquing your parenting skills, and offering “suggestions” for improvement. The child who knows exactly how to push your buttons to leave you exasperated and flustered again. The person in your ministry who is constantly complaining about your leadership, who thinks he has better ideas and communicates them with a sharp and biting tongue. The passive-aggressive friend who is kind one moment and gives you the cold shoulder the next. The list can go on and on.So, what do we do with these people? With constant strained relationships? Our natural tendency is to want to run the other way, to avoid them as much as possible. But is that what honors God in these hard situations?

Difficult People Have Been Around Forever

Moses was no stranger to leading a group of difficult people. Even after rescuing them out of slavery and leading them safely away from the Egyptians, the Israelites were not happy with him. Instead of being grateful for their new freedom and provision from God, they were shedding tears over the menu (Numbers 11:4–6), grumbling about not having water (Numbers 20:2–3), wishing they had died in Egypt and could choose another leader (Numbers 14:2–4). Even Moses’s own siblings were jealous of his leadership (Numbers 12:2) and complained to God about their brother and his Cushite wife.Yet what amazes me about Moses is that he didn’t retaliate against this annoying group of people. He didn’t even defend himself against the harsh accusations. Instead, he demonstrated amazing humility and compassion on those he led, repeatedly interceding for them.Moses pled with God to heal Miriam’s leprosy (Numbers 12:13). He begged God to forgive Israel’s unbelief when it was time to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:19). He lay prostrate before God, fasting forty days and nights after Aaron and the Israelites had made the golden calf to worship (Deuteronomy 9:13–18).[ictt-tweet-blockquote via=""]Difficult people aren't obstacles to overcome, but the very means God may choose to sanctify us. [/ictt-tweet-blockquote]Admittedly, there were moments when the Israelites’ constant complaints drove Moses to the brink of despair (Exodus 5:22; Numbers 11:14–15), yet by God’s grace he persevered. And even at the very end of his life, he was still lovingly leading the disobedient Israelites.

Keep on Loving

Moses remained steadfast to his last days and made sure God had another leader in place to take over. He didn’t want his wandering sheep to be without a shepherd (Numbers 27:16–17). Moses never stopped loving them, even at their worst.By God’s grace, we too can keep loving the difficult people God has placed in our lives. The easy thing is to cut the troublesome person out of your life when possible, or just avoid them at best.But I suggest we are more like our patient and loving Savior when we bear with each other and seek to show mercy and kindness, no matter how we are treated.Here are six practical ways, among many others, to show love to a difficult person God has placed in your path.

1. Pray for your own heart.

Ask God to soften your heart towards this person, to put off anger and irritability, to put on meekness and kindness, to understand this person’s struggles and meet them with compassion (Colossians 3:12–14).

2. Pray for them.

Ask God to be at work in their hearts, drawing unbelievers to himself and sanctifying believers to become more like Jesus (Philippians 1:9–11).

3. Move toward them, not away from them.

Although our tendency is to want to steer clear of people with whom we have strained relationships, they are exactly the people we need to be intentionally moving toward. Find ways to engage them in conversation, meet them for coffee, send them a text.

4. Find specific ways to bless and encourage them.

Write them a note of appreciation. Buy them a book that has been an encouragement to you. Tell them you are praying for them.

5. Give them grace, just as God extends grace to you.

Remember God’s lavish grace poured out for your own daily sins. Ask God to help you bear with them, forgiving them, as he has forgiven you (Colossians 3:13).

6. Realize that you too could be the difficult person in someone else’s life!

You might not even realize that you are a thorn in the flesh for someone close to you. Don’t be oblivious to your own shortcomings and sins.So, when that child has you on the brink of tears, or you’ve just received a harsh and critical email about your ministry, or you’re confronted with that extended family member who drives you up the wall, ask God for grace not to run away, but to keep engaging that hard-to-love person in love.God will be honored and our hearts will find deeper satisfaction as we seek to love people just as Christ loved us when we were his enemies.Note: The above post was originally published at Desiring God.  

Kindness Inside Jail: That Time I Saw a Blessing This Side of Heaven

Have you ever done a simple act of kindness and later found out it made a difference?Many such acts, done in Christ’s name, go unacknowledged. We may never know the outcome of some of these acts this side of heaven. Let me tell you about something I did in which I will not have to wait to find out the result.In my service on behalf of The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI), I spend time each week teaching and counseling inmates in the L.A. County Jails. When I recently met Sean (on right in photo) at a reception for “returning citizens” I did not recognize him nor did I recall that we had met months earlier in jail.At that time, he was not fitted with his prosthetic leg and was hopping around on one leg. That probably sounds odd, but it’s not unusual to see men in this condition on the jail’s “ADA” floor, where many have suffered amputation or similar trauma.He was just another inmate asking for a Bible. I had only small-print Gideon Bibles with me and he was hoping for larger print and a more readable version. So, I took time to search the Chaplain’s office and returned with a large print, Life Recovery Bible. The inmate thanked me for it, and I went on my way—something that has happened countless times at the jail.At the reception, Sean told his story to a dozen men who either had taken or taught our ministry training classes at the jail. As a teen, he had followed every rebellious urge, indulging in drugs and alcohol, which led to trouble with the law. When he turned 21, he decided that he would change his ways and transform himself into a model citizen.At his first honest job, however, he suffered an accident and the tragic loss of his leg. He thought, “How could God allow this to happen?” Sean’s “faith” in his ability to earn God’s favor turned to doubt, then to a return to his rebellious ways and soon back to jail.Here in California, many jails and prisons now offer our TUMI ministry training classes. In one of these classes, Sean heard the Good News of God’s grace and mercy in Christ. For the first time in his life, he experienced forgiveness and began his journey toward genuine life recovery!As he finished his testimony that evening, Sean held up his Life Recovery Bible and reminded me that I was the one who had given it to him at the jail.At that moment, I felt as if a window from heaven had opened, showing me how our willingness to serve in small ways is multiplied by our great and awesome God.Let us “not get tired of doing what is good,” because “at just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9 NLT) 

On the Web

The Urban Ministry Institute of Los AngelesEditor's Note: Bob Lay is currently the Dean of The Urban Ministry Institute-Los Angeles, as well as a class facilitator and mentor.Editor's Add: Would you like to tell your story? TogetherLA.net is about sharing stories that point to how God is moving in Los Angeles. We want to share stories of His love through you and others in the local area. Please email your ideas and stories to alex@togetherla.net. Also, don't forget to leave a comment about the story above in the comments section below. Thanks!

Benghazi Battle Vet Helps the Forgotten Soldiers

After recovery from severe wounds while defending lives at the Battle of Benghazi, former special operative contractor Mark “Oz” Geist, chose to serve his country in a different way by establishing the Shadow Warriors Project.Geist, who also co-authored the book 13 Hours: The Inside Account Of What Really Happened In Benghazi which later became the premise of a movie, recently had the opportunity to talk about the project with Every Man Show radio hosts Kenny Luck and Anthony Dever.

Leading into Memorial Day Weekend

Geist, whose interview on the show airs in three parts this week beginning Wednesday (May 24, 2017) on KKLA 99.5 FM in Los Angeles, said the project is his “way of continuing service” to Americans.“Ninety percent of us in the military are there because it’s our sense of service, and that service can continue,” said Geist, who also served in the Marine Corp for 12 years. Private security contractors, unlike military personnel, do not have a workman’s comp policy. “The day I left Benghazi, which was the morning of the 12th, my pay stops. It’s not like in the service where if I get injured I still get paid, get benefits and all that. I get nothing.”He explained that there are 270 U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world. “There’s contractors at every one of them,” he said. “Since 2001, we’ve lost almost 5,000 contractors killed and almost 30,000 injured. That’s a lot of people who have sacrificed for this country and they need to be taken care of.”[ictt-tweet-blockquote hashtags="ShadowWarriorsProject" via=""]5,000 private military security contractors killed & 30,00 injured since 2001[/ictt-tweet-blockquote]Shadow Warriors Project founders, Geist and his wife, Krystal, said the foundation is dedicated to the support of private military security contractors, conducting paramilitary security operations in some of the world's most dangerous areas. “It is the only charity of its kind,” they said. “Although the private security contractor has served in the military he is considered a civilian and does not receive the same support offered to injured active military or veterans.“We want to take care of the families,” said Geist during the Every Man Show interview. “We want to help the wives because in many cases they become the primary caregiver. We also do college funds for the children.”The founders add, “We are a foundation that has been formed because of events that have taken place throughout the world where men have so bravely and anonymously offered their own life for the lives and safety of others.”Geist, who was contracted by the U.S. to help protect diplomatic personnel inside Libya, not only gave the show hosts a detailed account of the Battle of Benghazi in which he was hit and wounded by three different IEDs landing within 15 feet of him, but shares how his survival and that of others could only be described as divine intervention by God.Geist, known by his fellow warriors as “Oz,” gave remarkable details of the battle from his perspective, one that includes being part of the Global Response Staff (GRS) that was told to “stand down.” While Oz and the team were unable to save the lives of U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens and three others, many lives were saved on the night members of Ansar al-Sharia attacked the American diplomatic compound and CIA annex in Benghazi.Geist Interview Teaser #2 from Dever Creative on Vimeo.

Untold Benghazi story: Something more than sound bites

Every Man Show host, Kenny Luck, said he is excited for listeners to hear from Geist, firsthand, something more meaningful than sound bites often driven by political spin.“What differentiates this interview from most coverage the public has seen or heard reported about The Battle of Benghazi is the discussion of the transcendent ‘meta-themes’ of freedom, sacrifice, and the high cost of liberty in any form,” Luck said. “In today's culture, events such as Benghazi get chopped up and parsed out to the media hyenas which, in turn, gets over-politicized and sound-bited.“The book and the film go a long way to uncover and reveal what happened but this interview affords listeners many moments where the transcendent philosophical and spiritual themes are allowed to burst through in a truthful and refreshing way,” he said. “When you watch the mainstream media there is a little voice inside that is dying to be heard—that voice is saying ‘You are missing the big ideas!’ This interview satisfies at that level.”The Every Man Show, produced by One Ten Pictures, airs on KKLA 99.5 Los Angeles on radio and through its website Monday-Friday 10:30 to 11 pm. The interview with Mark “Oz” Geist airs Wed-Fri, May 24-26.  

On the webShadow Warriors Project

Did Billy Joel Have It Right? Has It Always Been a Matter of Trust?

It would be easy for me to say that I’m constantly searching for the will of God.But I would only be fooling myself. And if I told another person that, it would be a lie.The truth is that God has a very long leash. He lets me gravitate towards my will all the time. Unfortunately, I can hang out in that my-will-world way too long. Fortunately, God loves me enough to bring me back to his reality, and sometimes even ask me, “So, you had fun and then you hurt bad. Wha-dyah learn?”Left to my own devices, I could easily veer off the path and into tangent city, where God’s will seems to be in some far off land, a land that I vaguely remember how to get back to.Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. (Genesis 22:1-2)“Our difficulty is not that we don’t know God’s will,” I read in the Experiencing God Day by Day devotional for May 20. “Our discomfort comes from the fact that we do know His will, but we do not want to do it!"

When God first spoke to Abraham, His commands were straightforward. “Go to a land I will show you” (Gen. 12:1). Then God led Abraham through a number of tests over the years. Abraham learned patience as he waited on God’s promise of a son, which took twenty-five years to be fulfilled. Abraham learned to trust God through battles with kings and through the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The pinnacle of Abraham’s walk of faith was when God asked him to sacrifice the one thing that meant more to him than anything else. Abraham’s previous obedience indicated that he would have quickly and decisively sacrificed anything else God asked of him, but was he prepared for this? God did not ask Abraham to make such a significant sacrifice at the beginning of their relationship. This came more than thirty years after Abraham began walking with God.

Abraham’s previous obedience. Wow! So, even though it appears that Abraham led a life that was pretty much in God’s will for a lot of the time, he still needed to be tested. So, God, waiting for Abraham to walk out his faith slowly, didn’t simply zap him with another item on the big to-do list until he was ready.

As the Father progressively reveals His ways to you in your Christian pilgrimage, you, like Abraham, will develop a deeper level of trust in Him. When you first became a Christian, your Master’s instructions were probably fundamental, such as being baptized or changing your lifestyle. But as you learn to trust Him more deeply, He will develop your character to match bigger tests, and with the greater test will come a greater love for God and knowledge of His ways. Are you ready for God’s next revelation?

The 3-day Together LA conference with 50 speakers present to share their experiences as Christian leaders serving the city was more than two years ago. This website was launched just three months ago. As editor of TogetherLA.net I often want to go beyond my Master’s fundamental instructions. But in the end, when I wander my way it most often feels like I’m forcing something to happen. When I don’t simply lean into Jesus… you know, turn the keys over to Him, things have a tendency to go sour.How did Abraham do it? Sounds like it’s a matter of trust.And that, my friends, is not just a Billy Joel song. However, Joel had it right in that song as far as the topic of relationships and trust. As nearly as I can tell, he was referring only to earthly relationships. But there is a greater relationship we must put our all into. That one is our relationship with God.Yes, it’s a matter of trust.For we walk by faith, not by sight. (II Corinthians 5:7)

Ecclesia Hollywood Asks, 'What Is Good News For LA?'

Since its beginning, and especially this month, Ecclesia Hollywood is on mission to discover and share the answer to the question: “What is good news for the people to whom we are sent?”The church announced a few weeks ago that every Sunday in May will be dedicated to hearing from a speaker hailing from a different part of Los Angeles. “Each will share about how God is bringing good news to the neighborhoods and social or professional networks where they live,” the church states on its website.TogetherLA recently interviewed Ecclesia Hollywood’s lead pastor, Jon Ritner, who shared that, halfway through the series, a common theme is emerging which is that “privatized personal faith” within local churches should instead be a faith that intersects with the culture around us.TogetherLA: Describe your current series at Ecclesia Hollywood.Jon Ritner: In May, we have been using our Sunday morning gatherings to ask “What is Good News for Los Angeles?” Since I am still new to the city, I have invited LA natives in each week to lead us in answering that question for the specific area in which they live. By the end of the series we will hear from leaders in East LA, Compton, Highland Park, and Hollywood itself who are each bringing a message from God’s Word and applying it through the lens of their local neighborhood. One of the common themes that is emerging, is how the local church must move away from our practice of a privatized personal faith and instead let our faith intersect with every area of culture around us.TLA: How did you personally get a passion for serving in Los Angeles?Ritner: My family and I moved from Brussels, Belgium to Los Angeles in the summer of 2015 to allow me to serve as Lead Pastor of Ecclesia Hollywood. During my time as a church planter in Post-Christian Europe, I saw how Europe’s rejection of institutional Christianity and its forms of church are forcing the body of Christ to reclaim its original first century roots as an organic movement of God's people living out God’s mission to redeem and renew all of creation through Jesus Christ. After 10 years on staff at an East Coast mega church building church programs, my time in Europe convinced me that the future of the American church will depend, not on services or programs, but on each follower of Christ taking responsibility to join God in his mission and flesh out Jesus in his or her own life. Rather than trying to get the world to come to a Sunday "church", we must be God's Church every day in the world around us.

TLA: What does your church do to stay on mission in LA?Ritner: At Ecclesia, we believe that each one of us is called to live as a missionary to the places where we have already been sent in our life; the places where we live, work, play and create. As missionaries, we are asking God to help us understand the context of our local neighborhoods and subcultures and then spiritually discern “What would the Good News of Jesus look like and feel like for these people in this place?” Then, we prayerfully join God in manifesting those elements of the gospel; such as beauty, justice, forgiveness, reconciliation, and radical love. We want to be midwives assisting God as He births His new Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven.TLA: What have you learned about Los Angeles?Ritner: In my very limited exposure to Los Angeles, I have been heartbroken to learn of the city's tragic history of racism and ethnocentrism that has created deep cultural divides amongst its rich diversity of inhabitants. Whites only beaches and discriminatory housing policies are just some of the stains on our recent historical record, not to mention the resulting public outrage expressed in our two well documented riots. Sadly, too often followers of Jesus have divided along ethnic lines rather than standing together against injustice and the oppression of the marginalized in the city. Thankfully, there is great momentum through organizations like LA Voice, Covenant House, The Gospel Coalition LA, LA Church Planting Movement, and many others to work together for the common good to see our great city flourish as God intends.TLA: What do you see in the city in terms of "unity" among churches? Christians?Ritner: To our own deficit, Ecclesia is by no means a truly multi-cultural, multi-ethnic church. However, we live in a multi-cultural city and we want to be in partnership with churches and organizations who are engaging all over the city. We also want to be a prophetic witness in the industry of Hollywood and be sure that we are promoting cultural diversity in a sphere of culture that has traditionally been dominated by a narrow set of voices. It continues to be my prayer that God’s Kingdom would come in Hollywood as it is in Heaven!

Fellowship Monrovia: Hungry (I'm Falling On My Knees) [Worship Video]

Fellowship Monrovia posted on its Facebook page recently this masterful video below with the suggestion (caption) to: Take a few minutes out of the busyness of your day to come to the Lord and worship.

Hungry (I'm Falling On My Knees)

Hungry, I come to youFor I know You satisfyI am empty but I knowYour love does not run drySo I wait for YouSo I wait for YouI'm falling on my kneesOffering all of meJesus, You're all this heartIs living forBroken, I run to YouFor Your arms are open wideI am weary but I knowYour touch restores my lifeSo I wait for YouSo I wait for YouI'm falling on my kneesOffering all of meJesus, You're all this heartIs living forHungry, I come to YouFor I know You satisfyI am empty but I knowYour love does not run dry

About Fellowship Monrovia

Founded in Monrovia, California in 2012, Fellowship is a Gospel-centered, multiethnic, intergenerational church that exists to make disciples.Join us on Sundays!One church. Two Locations. Five Service Times.Monrovia High School Campus (MHS)845 W. Colorado Blvd.Monrovia, CA 91016Service Times: 8:15, 10, 11:45 AMHuntington Drive Campus (HDC)401 E. Huntington Dr.Monrovia, CA 91016Service Times: 9 & 11 AMWebsite: https://madeforfellowship.com/

Editor's Note

TogetherLA.net is your platform, Los Angeles, to share what's on your heart with others. Please let us know if you have something that reflects the love of Jesus and the message that more people need to hear. Send story ideas, including video, blogs, articles, event announcements, and photos to alex@togetherla.net.Thank you!#TogetherLA

Prison Fellowship Leaders Past and Present: Advocates of Hope and Peace

There is a large army of Christians fighting to give hope through the gospel to those in and getting out of Los Angeles prisons.Earlier this week, we pointed to a Prison Fellowship article about a man whose life of gangs, drugs, and violence was transformed in the process of accepting Jesus while in prison.Among the responses Together LA received as the result of recommending the article was one from Marty Angelo, someone who was mentored by Chuck Colson, the founder of Prison Fellowship. Angelo, who leads an outreach ministry to prisons/jails, substance abuse recovery programs, and troubled celebrities, wanted to compliment the work of Together LA and share his own story about his relationship with Prison Fellowship.His own transformation is quite dramatic when you consider that Angelo describes himself as being transformed "from a left-wing, '60s, radical, liberal, drugged, hippie Democrat to an on-fire Christian Conservative.In a memorial tribute piece about Colson (1931-2012), “How Jesus Christ Used Charles W. ‘Chuck’ Colson to Inspire Me,” he writes:

Chuck Colson was once considered Richard Nixon’s “hatchet man” and his special legal counsel, so how in the world would someone like me ever get to meet a high-caliber politician like him... leave alone turn out to actually like the guy?Well, we met because we both got arrested and went to prison. In both of our lives we praised God for allowing that to happen. By experiencing our “prison moments” we came to understand that God had a much different purpose for our lives then we could ever dream possible.Colson taught me that we both experienced in our own ways the long arm of God. We learned first-hand that prison is what God uses as a common denominator breaking down social and political barriers proving He is God and not us. Chuck also taught me that self-righteousness/pride is what stood in the way of our understanding that Jesus Christ is in control... not us.Prison has the potential of bringing one to his or her knees crying out to God for help and that happened to both Chuck Colson and myself at just about the same time in history... over 30 years ago.

In another part of his Colson memorial tribute article, Angelo writes:

Who knows what God is going to do with us once He comes into our lives? One thing I know for sure is that I am grateful that Colson didn't turn his back on prisoners, ex-prisoners or their families. I don't know where I would be today if it wasn't for Chuck's commitment and drive to spread the message that Christ has a better way.Only Jesus Christ could have changed Chuck Colson’s heart as He did my own. We were both considered brothers and it took Jesus to miraculously make that happen.Chuck Colson never hid for one minute the Christ that lived in him. He became one of my first Christian role models from the moment I met him.Colson became known in our nation’s prisons... in prisoner lingo, as "the real deal.” He never forgot where he came from. It wasn’t the White House that changed Charles W. Colson... it was facing the Big House... pouring out his heart to Jesus Christ while sitting in his car in a driveway facing an unknown future in prison.

READ FULL POST HERE: “How Jesus Christ Used Charles W. ‘Chuck’ Colson to Inspire Me”[gallery type="slideshow" size="full" ids="2740,2741,2742"]I wanted to point out one more article in regards to Prison Fellowship because the community of Christians within prison ministry in Los Angeles is larger than we might expect. If you throw in addiction recovery ministries (because the two are often inter-related), then we can begin to realize that there’s a lot of inter-connectivity. We are all better together.World Magazine, in their current issue, features a piece on James Ackerman, who last year became the president and CEO of Prison Fellowship. World states that Ackerman was previously an executive at media companies including A&E Television Networks, British Sky Broadcasting, Documentary Channel, and Broadway Systems. World published edited excerpts of its Q&A in front of students at Patrick Henry College.

WORLD: And you have a lot of work, in part because of the theological background of U.S. prisons. Quakers and others thought prisoners in penitentiaries would sit and think about their crimes and become penitent. How has that worked out?ACKERMAN: Not well. The population in American prisons has ballooned from approximately 440,000 men and women in prison 40 years ago, to 2.2 million men and women in federal and state prisons today. We are warehousing men and women.WORLD: We have a higher percentage of people in prison than Russia or China has.ACKERMAN: The United States represents just under 5 percent of the world’s population, but we house 25 percent of the world’s incarcerated population.WORLD: I spent a night in a cell at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at the invitation of Warden Burl Cain, a member of your Prison Fellowship board. He encourages some of his inmates to get seminary degrees in prison and minister to others.ACKERMAN: It’s his vision to get seminary programs launched in prisons all over the country. Long-termers and lifers become advocates of hope and peace.

READ FULL WORLD MAGAZINE ARTICLE HERE: FROM HOLLYWOOD TO PRISON REFORMFinally, I’d like to add this from the Preface of the Life Recovery Bible:The Bible is the greatest book on recovery ever written. It its pages we see God set out a plan for the recovery of his broken people and creation. We meet numerous individuals whose hurting lives are restored through the wisdom and power of God. We meet the God who is waiting with arms outstretched for all of us to turn back to him, seek after his will, and recover the wonderful life he has for each of us…...Let us set out together on the journey toward healing and new found strength — not strength found within ourself, but strength found through trusting God and allowing him to direct our decisions and plans...

Salvation Army Breaks Ground on 64-Unit Bell Oasis Apartments For Vets, Homeless

BELL — Construction of 64 affordable studio apartments for the homeless began in earnest on Monday as the Salvation Army hosted the official groundbreaking ceremony adjacent to the organization's existing Bell Shelter.The permanent supportive dwellings, named the Bell Oasis Apartments, are planned for U.S. veterans, including those facing chronic mental illness or disability and chronic homelessness. The complex is scheduled to open in Spring 2018.

Salvation Army So Cal: Not Just Bell Ringers and Thrift Shops [VIDEO]

“A project like this doesn’t just happen in a vacuum,” said Major Osei Stewart, General Secretary for the Southern California Division, at the ceremony as reported by New Frontier Chronicle. “It happens because of many like-minded people in the community come together for a common cause and for the common good.”The New Frontier Chronicle, The source of news and networking for The Salvation Army, reports:

Over the past few years, Los Angeles has been working to increase low-cost rent throughout the city to address the growing homelessness population. The city declared homelessness to be a state of emergency, with an estimated county homeless population of 47,000 people.The 68,000-square-foot Bell Oasis complex will allow the Bell Shelter campus to offer facilities for people in all stages of housing transition such as crisis housing, transitional housing and, once completed, permanent supportive housing. The apartments will also have an on-site health clinic, employment services, an exercise room, gym, and community room. Residents of the apartments will be allowed to stay as long as they can pay rent. Residents will also have access to on-site case management and supportive services through referrals and partnerships with other organizations.

“The only reason we knew this project was going to happen was because there was the support of the community,” Salvation Army Lt. Col. Kyle Smith said. “None of us just woke up one day and had a whole lot of money. It didn’t fall from the sky. The Salvation Army is representative of the support of the community in which we are in."Smith added, “I’m excited about this and the lives that are going to be changed.”At the ceremony, Territorial Commander Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder challenged the idea that the 64 units will not make a sizeable difference in the fight against the rampant homelessness in Los Angeles County.“The victories for which we fight in The Salvation Army happen one at a time,” said Hodder, as reported by the Chronicle. “Whenever a person comes off the street at night, it’s a victory. Whenever a hungry person receives a hot meal, it’s a victory…whenever one person has a roof over their head and can live with dignity and with hope, and a future, it’s a very big victory indeed.”

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church, according to its mission statement. “Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”

Entrepreneur's Program Prepares Youth With Shark Tank-Like Panel

A free 2-month youth program teaches students the power of entrepreneurship and concludes with the challenge of presenting themselves before other local business professionals in a Shark Tank-like panel.The Young Entrepreneur’s Program presented at World Impact Los Angeles Teen Center also teaches business ethics, budgeting, marketing, design, and other skills.

The program had its start in the summer of 2016 by way of some grant money that was given to the center. Through a long chain of conversations with many interested people, it was decided that the center should invest into the youth by teaching them the basics of a t-shirt business, including logo design and screen printing.The initial run for the class was so successful, program leaders decided to retool for another round of students. This time they developed a curriculum, modified the process to be more financially sustainable, and bought some more screen printing equipment.The students now apply for interest-free loans for all of their materials, which they qualify for by showing up on time, participating, and developing a solid business plan.It is a powerful thing for them to see, hear, and interact with other entrepreneurs like them who are just a few years ahead of where they are at. This program fits right into the holistic model and focus of World Impact to empower indigenous urban leaders. It gives them practical skills that can be built on for life, helps to network them with other local business professionals, progresses them financially, and shows them the power of entrepreneurship for community development — all through the filter of being a Jesus-follower.The program has now graduated nine students, and is preparing for another cohort in June. The deadline for all Summer 2017 applications is June 2. You can find out more at the Young Entrepreneur’s Program webpage at World Impact Los Angeles Teen Center.

Don't Hold it Against Me; I'm an Elected Official and I Love Jesus

We follow Christ. We want to be active American citizens. In this day and age and in this culture of outrage, can we be both of those people at the same time? You see, this is something I struggle with on a day-to-day basis because — well, don’t hold this against me — I’m an elected official and I love Jesus.As people who follow Christ, how we participate in the political process and how we lead when we have the opportunity matters.At every online turn, there are opportunities to defame, criticize and offend. The schoolyard bully has become a grown-up and he is now the social media rock star! Then there are haters who want to be on TV so they attend city council meetings. Every two weeks I subject myself to all manner of criticism, some more constructive than others. I’m belittled, I’m questioned and second-guessed, I’m accused of being in the pocket of special interests, my job as a public relations consultant is smeared and my faith is called into question. I’ve learned that as soon as one is elected to public office, one by default becomes an idiot of the highest proportion. Tough lesson to learn. If I happen to find allies in local government from across the political aisle then I’m a turncoat, a castoff from my political party. Just how am I supposed to cope with these oppressive influences and honor God in the process? Ah... my favorite prayer comes to mind: “God, please don’t let me embarrass you.”[ictt-tweet-blockquote via=""]The schoolyard bully has become a grown up and he is now the social media rock star! [/ictt-tweet-blockquote]Look, it may not be pretty, but it’s where I am. And where are you? Where is our humility, our other-centeredness, our grace being born out in the world of politics? Are we so full of ourselves that we have forgotten that we’re all in the same hell-bound position but for the abundant grace and relentless pursuit of our God?Hear me, God is in control. He is working mightily in my community and all over this world, but too often it’s in spite of his followers. We think we need to back a presidential candidate because the fate of the world hangs in the balance! We think Jesus cares about high-density housing and public employee pensions! We question each other’s faith when we disagree on these and many other issues. I’m not saying those things aren’t important, but of highest importance? Give me a break! We all know what our Savior cares about. He came to set the captives free. He came to give abundant life, he came to care for widows and orphans and bring an everlasting hope. And he invited us to join him.[ictt-tweet-blockquote via=""]Where is our humility, our other-centeredness, our grace being born out in the world of politics?[/ictt-tweet-blockquote]I joined him in my community as a member of our city council, and for the last four years I’ve had a front row seat as he’s healed divisions in our community, united our community in love for each other, brought dignity back to our people as they’ve loved their neighbors as themselves. I stand in awe of our God as I see disparate people in just the right position to all enable God’s work in the hearts of our residents; reconnecting the disconnected and taking hopelessness and turning it right into hope.Tonight I read a Facebook post from a professing Christian who railed against me, my job and my service on the city council. He called my faith into question, calling me a wolf in sheep’s clothing. My initial thought was that I’ve never met this person. They claim Jesus, as I do, and yet instead of reach out personally to me, they went online to beg people to vote against me in this election. How often do each of us take action like that, without personal knowledge, without facts, guided only by the allegations of others. I’m called to something other than that, higher than that. God calls me to love people above all. That has to apply to politics and it has to characterize our political engagement or we are no different than the world.Jesus stood out like a sore thumb in his community and that’s my new prayer starting right now, that I do too. I pray that as they hurl insults at me I make way for Jesus. Won’t you do that too? Commit to engaging in politics to further Jesus’ goals ... to set the captives free, to care for widows and orphans, to bring light to a dark world. At no other time has our world so longed for radical love and hope. If we don’t point them to it through our grace and radical kindness ... no one will.Note: This opinion column was originally published at The Table, a blog at Biola University's Center for Christian Thought.Jennifer Fitzgerald was elected to the Fullerton City Council in November 2012, and served as mayor during the 2016 year. Council Member Fitzgerald represents the Council on several Orange County boards. She spoke at the Biola University Center for Christian Thought’s 2016 Table Conference on “Love and Humility in Politics.”

168 Film Project Grand Prize Fully Funded Feature Film

BURBANK, Calif. — The 168 Film Project, an annual short filmmaking competition in it's 15th year, announces that the grand prize this year will be an independent feature film budget, for the winning filmmaker to make a feature film.Contest entry registration is open through May 11, and completed short films are due on June 2.Named '8168', the grand prize title refers to the number of hours projected to complete the feature film in 2018, from script to screen. Beginner to expert, all filmmakers from anywhere in the world may participate in the 168 Film Project.Similar to contemporary filmmaking competitions "Project Greenlight" and "On the Lot," the 168 competition provides finalists the opportunity to pitch their film proposal, and for one artist, to win the grand prize.Prospective filmmakers will first prove themselves by making a short film to enter in the 168 Film Project competition. At the 168 Film Festival, Aug. 26-27 in Los Angeles, California, finalist producers will be announced and will begin preparing their feature film proposals. Preferred film genres include action-adventure, thriller, mystery, Sci-Fi, & kids/family adventure.Additionally, the winner of the Best Writer award at the annual "168 Days" feature screenwriting competition, entry deadline April 30, will also become an eligible finalist, invited to compete for the '8168' prize.Feature film pitches will be heard and judged by a panel of experts, and the winner announced in November, 2017. The winning filmmaker will produce a fully-funded independent feature film with 8168 Film, LLC, under one of the SAG-INDIE low-budget feature contracts. The feature film will be shot in Los Angeles County, California."This is a dream-come-true for one deserving artist, an opportunity to make a feature film and break into the entertainment business," says John David Ware, 168 Film Project Founder and President. "This big of a Grand Prize challenges filmmakers to reach for much more and it greatly accelerates their development."The 168 Film Project competition includes opportunities in all areas of filmmaking, from producing, directing, writing, cinematography, acting, and even craft/food service. 168 can often match interested individuals with local filmmaking teams, and beginners can potentially connect with a team and learn about filmmaking.Globally since 2003, over 1,000 films have been made by an estimated 17,000 artists in 14 years through the annual 168 Film Project filmmaking and writing competitions. 168 provides a proving ground for artists, and has helped to launch careers in filmmaking, writing, directing, and acting. The 168 Film Project is a worldwide, faith-friendly filmmaking incubator.Sponsors of the 168 Film Competition include Roush Media, Advent Media and Arri.More information is available at https://www.168film.com/Contests/8168.

What is Men Standing Against Trafficking (MSAT)?

Men Standing Against Trafficking (MSAT) is an initiative birthed from the CARE 18, a multi-sector collaborative committed to mobilizing faith and community advocates to support the efforts of service providers, government and law enforcement agencies fighting local human trafficking.The idea came from Brad Fieldhouse, who is currently the executive director of City Net, and based on some initiatives that were done years earlier and centered on ending or at least reducing homicides in Compton. The idea to get men involved in the fight against human trafficking is key and strategic, as they provide most of the demand side of sex trafficking. There is a lot of work being done on the other end of things as well, including but not limited to legal advocacy, policy change, rehabilitation and healing for survivors, job training, etc.However, when it comes to actually preventing human trafficking in the first place, there is room for improvement. That is where MSAT comes in.The idea is threefold:• To stand at or near trafficking hotspots to raise awareness in communities where trafficking is happening so those communities will engage in the fight against it as well.• To stand as witnesses against the perpetrators in those communities who are paying money to have sex with trafficking victims (many of them underage...or were when they were coerced into it).• To provide a first experience and next steps for men who want to get involved in this battle but have traditionally been on the sidelines, or worse, the main perpetrators.The actual process of a stand involves gathering men for a brief introduction to the issue of sex trafficking and how they can fight it. They then grab some signs (e.g. Men Standing Against Trafficking, Real Men Don’t Buy Girls, etc.), go to an intersection, and stand as a silent witness for an hour and 18 minutes. The timing is specific to remind the men why they are there — to stand for the victims of CSEC (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children), kids 18 and under. They have flyers available for people who want to know more, and they are usually well-received. There have been incidents with people countering the groups, but even more examples of people who have been inspired, educated, and blown away by this grassroots movement.The initial stand was in June 2015 at MacArthur Park. For the first year, it gained momentum with numbers and circle of influence, moving from hotspot to hotspot monthly: Hollywood, Long Beach, South LA, Pomona, Pasadena, Van Nuys, and Santa Ana. Eventually, the organization came to a point where it could multiply — meeting at various geographies in the same month.Currently, there are five MSAT sites which meet quarterly: Pasadena, Orange County, Pomona, Long Beach, and South LA.If you are interested in starting a new MSAT in your community, please contact Bryan Cullison at bcullison@worldimpact.org or visit the following websites to learn more:www.care18.org/msatwww.care18.org/fiatHeadline banner photo: Toviah Photography/Albert Halim.

LA Riots: Koreatown Pastor Michael Mata Led Relief Effort to Neighborhood

KOREATOWN, Calif. — When a good dose of hell was engulfing much of the city during the L.A. Riots, Michael Mata, an evangelical Latino transplanted from Texas, said he could have vacated along with his wife and children out of the area then known as Mid-Wilshire.They had that option. They could have gone out of town for a while or simply moved. But they didn’t.Mata decided that they couldn’t leave their neighbors, who didn’t have that option, behind. Their neighbors and entire neighborhoods had nowhere to go during the six days of violence that erupted on April 29, 1992 after a trial jury acquitted four officers of the Los Angeles Police Department of the use of excessive force in the videotaped arrest and beating of Rodney King.Fifty-five people were killed during the riots, more than 2,000 people were injured, and more than 11,000 arrested. Looting and arson were rampant and estimates of property damage were over $1 billion. Much of L.A. was in chaos, as Mata describes it. The California Army National Guard, the 7th Infantry Division, and the 1st Marine Division were called in to stop the rioting when it became evident that local police was not enough.“For me and my wife, we had to really grapple, do we stay or leave with our kids? We stayed, but we knew most of these people had nowhere to go,” Mata told Together LA as many leaders and residents of local communities remember the riots that took place 25 years ago. “They couldn’t go like what happened in Hancock Park — they went on vacation. They just left, they had a vacation house. They had the means to get on a plane and go somewhere. Here, they didn’t.”Mata said he was at L.A. First Church of the Nazarene, where he was on the pastoral staff, when the verdict happened. “It was a Wednesday in which the news came out about the verdict and then you had that Florence and Normandie (intersection where Reginald Denny was brutally attacked) explosion of incredible anger, frustration, which had been building up for awhile. It was almost inevitable.”

READ: 4 Pastors Get Real About the City – Together LA Pop-Up Part 1

Later in the day, Mata said he was called by World Vision to attend a meeting in Monrovia the next morning in which his help was needed on deciding how the relief group could best help in L.A.“The focus was on South LA,” he explained. “I’m there at the meeting. The television is blaring and they said, ‘Look, isn’t that your church? Hey, your neighborhood is burning.' You could make out in the smoke on TV, [from the helicopters camera view], that it was my neighborhood.”Unable to call anyone because of the failed phone system, Mata left the meeting to head home into scenes of looting and rioting, a maze of blocked off streets, and rubble strewn avenues.“It was probably the first time I felt uncomfortable being in the city because it was chaotic, it was totally out of control,” he said.Upon his return to his church he discovered that on day two of the riot, hundreds of people were in the church parking lot looking for help. L.A. First Church of the Nazarene became a distribution and volunteer center.Just a couple blocks away from the church a fire erupted in an apartment complex in which residents, many from Central America, lost their homes.“So, it was the end of the month and rent was due on March 1,” Mata said. “Half their apartment is gone. They are in shock and the landlord said pay us the rent. Then, to just add trauma upon trauma, you had the National Guard coming in with arms and people were reliving the trauma of Central America’s civil war.“They were feeling abandoned, that no one really cares, they were frightened, not knowing what’s going to happen, the National Guard comes in and now the landlord comes in threatening to evict them. We ended up doing a lot of pastoral care and we probably needed to do more counseling for the families, and the children in particular who were really traumatized. It was just really a bad scene here.”Contributing to the tension was a lot of misinformation and lack of understanding between cultures, he said. An aspect not noticed by many was that the majority of the population in South L.A. had become Latino. “The neighborhood had changed… it wasn’t a monolithic black community,” Mata said. “And also that it was essentially Central Americans. In fact, 50 percent of the people arrested were Latino, a third of the people killed were Latino. 40 percent of the businesses destroyed were Latino owned. They suffered a lot socioeconomically, but you don’t always pick up on that.

Where was the Church?

The mainstay of the community in the area were the churches but “the pastors weren’t necessarily skilled or even knew how to do” relief or urban restoration work, he said. “It took a lot of other non-profit activists to kind of come in and fill in.”Mata said that churches were taken off guard when the riots hit, “like a deer in the headlights because, at least the established churches here never had experienced something like this. Maybe (within churches) some of the older generation Koreans remember the Korean War and its impact on their country. The younger African Americans, they probably remember the Watts riots, but with the Hispanic or Latino community in South LA, in this area in particular, who were from Central America, they had come from war torn countries, so they were very much aware of what the ramifications might be in terms of their well being.”Despite a shortage of leadership from churches, people really wanted to do something, anything to help, Mata said. “People were showing up from everywhere. We set up a volunteer station here. That went on for months even though things had settled down.”In talking about his experience during the L.A. riots, he said, “I felt like I was in a 45-day long meeting because we needed to partner with other sectors so it was the public sector, which was government local and city offices, it was the non-profit sector, those that had been doing work in the community, and a lot of faith based nonprofits started showing up as well. There weren’t as many as I thought there could have been, and then there were the churches. There were churches that were kind of floundering [and asking] how do we do this? How do we work together?”Mata, who has lived in the Koreatown area since 1980, said his church had a network of relationships between people and churches the church worked with in this neighborhood and beyond. He said they began to “leverage those relationships” in order to move supplies past the 10 Freeway to the south because “the 10 Freeway was like a border. No one wanted to cross that border because that was no person’s land.”Mata explained that because one of the church's interns at the time was doing youth work he was able to pull volunteers from young people wanting to help coming from South L.A.“We connected with those families of the youth,” he said. “Mother’s became block captains making sure the food and supplies were distributed to the blocks they were assigned. We had about 20 families here. They would help distribute supplies as needed.”Mata said his church wasn’t the only one in the mix of helping ravaged communities. “The well known church was First AME off of Western and Adams. They were kind of the church where everybody (political leaders for example) went. They did a lot in the aftermath but it doesn’t mean that other churches weren’t involved. I remember being in Kenneth Ulmer’s church (not bigger than this sanctuary) as he was also trying to respond.“There were a lot of churches trying to respond but they just didn’t have the capacity. They were trying to do something but they didn’t have the link. A lot of them were either independent or isolated churches. The ones that were doing better were the ones that were denominationally affiliated.”He added, “There were a lot of collaborative efforts. It was the independent churches that didn’t know where to get the support.”

Where is the Church now?

“On the smaller scale, the non-denominational and independent churches, their staff and pastors were not necessarily community development orientated,” Mata said. “So, out of that, in partnership with World Vision we created a program called Vision to Reality. We help [churches and ministry leaders] in terms of creating affiliate non-profits, how to do grant writing, the need for a written collaboration and networking, and those kind of efforts. That help we gave was pretty ecumenical and interdenominational.“We worked with Roman Catholic parishes, mainline Pentecostals, and churches in general. That was really important at the time in understanding that we are only going to be able to do this as the Body of Christ working together.”The riots were finally over after six days, and in the months that followed, Koreatown rebuilt quickly, Mata said. “At that point, it was helping cleanup and rebuild, in a way, our community. It was project driven. We had some goals in mind and I think that was a really important piece that has come back to me, even at Together LA (conference held two years ago), when I was on the panel discussion where we asked this question. It seems like when you work together on something that is meaningful and purposeful that it really generates the energy and the willingness to really do something. And we get to know each other. We sweat and work together and we see that we are sisters and brothers, not just, ‘Oh, that’s a pastor over there or that’s our competition over there.' To this day, when we bump into each other we kinda hug and look at each other and [say] wasn’t it amazing what we were able to do… outside of what the business community wanted to do.”

Is the Church ready?

“I’m fearful, but I’m hopeful,” Mata said. “I don’t know if another event were to happen tomorrow, even an earthquake, could we call somebody? [For example,] ‘Hey, Pastor John, what are you guys doing?’ I [personally] don’t have those relationships at that level.“The reason we were so effective at this church at what we did is because we had those relationships. Not only with other pastors and religious leaders but with the community. We had youth, we had families that knew us, trusted us and we trusted them, and we were able to really respond overnight.“Yes, we do need to get to know each other.”When asked if something like the L.A. riots could happen again, Mata looked straight at this reporter and said, “Yes, absolutely.”Michael A. Mata, M.Div., who is an Adjunct Professor at Azusa Pacific Seminary, has led and equipped others in urban transformation for more than 30 years through the creation of community and church-based programs. His work has focused on community transformation, youth leadership development, public health, intercultural outreach, and multiethnic ministry. Mata serves as community transformation specialist for Compassion Creates Change, Inc., and was the director of Tools for Transformation for World Vision’s U.S. programs. He has nearly 20 years of experience in urban pastoral leadership, and holds degrees in biblical literature, religion, and urban planning.

Churches Gather to Fight Human Trafficking in LA

Los Angeles has one of the highest rates of human trafficking of any city in the US, said leaders from the Faith Initiative to Abolish Trafficking (FIAT), and churches across LA plan to come together to do something about it.FIAT is a gathering of individuals and churches who have been called to fight human trafficking in LA. Meetings equip and connect existing ministries, provide mentoring and support for those looking to start, and network the entire faith community to be able to stand up to the tragedy of slavery in our midst, according to organizersMembers of the Southern California faith community meet quarterly to share what others are doing in their respective churches to fight trafficking. FIAT hosts powerful workshops where participants can be trained to be outreach advocates, learn how to raise awareness within their local context, help survivors, and more.FIAT strives to be an inclusive movement without sacrificing orthodox theology. "To this end, our statement of faith is based upon the Apostle’s Creed," organizers said. We also agree with the missional commitment and theology expressed in the 1974 version of the Lausanne Covenant.The next gathering is planned for Saturday (April 22nd) at Harbor Christian Center in Wilmington. Join FIAT in the fight to end trafficking in our city.

Human Trafficking - It's in Our Backyard, the Scope, Efforts

CARE 18, another organization aimed at stopping human trafficking, states that California is a hot spot for domestic human trafficking because of its large population, international borders, large economy, extensive ports, and metropolitan regions. The group also said that gangs and other criminal enterprises have learned that the sex trade and prostitution provide higher profits—an estimated $32 billion per year worldwide—with a lower penal and detection risk than drug or weapons trafficking.Experts estimate that less than one percent of victims in Los Angeles have been identified. Only 8.5 offenders are convicted for every 100 victims identified, CARE 18 states.

On the Web

For more info and registration: Faith Initiative to Abolish Trafficking

Men Like To Get Together, But Can They Go Beyond 'It's All Good, Bro?'

In a study by Men’s Health it was revealed that the top two ways men stay connected with friends are 1.) texting, and 2.) “get togethers.”The reason we prefer these ways are twofold: texting fits the factual, short, bottom line style of communication we appreciate and “get togethers” feed our need for closer, interpersonal camaraderie and connection with each other. Whether it’s just the guys or the guys with the gals we usually huddle by gender and “dive deeper.” Guys usually assemble around wherever the meat is being grilled and sample it with a beverage in hand. At the same time, the girls keep it real in the kitchen while prepping for the meal and talk about, well, everything. That’s where the similarities end because guys do not talk about everything.In fact, guys prefer to keep it on the surface when we get together. We stick to sports, work updates, kids sports, house projects, power tools, cars, working out, and our favorite recreational pursuit. So let’s get this straight: in the one setting with the most potential power in our lives to build strong friendships we, by habit or by choice, keep things on the surface? Exactly. Like a bunch of icebergs, we present the tips of our lives while the big stuff causing emotional heartburn, relational pain, or spiritual darkness (like our marriages, temptations, families, finances, and inner demons) stay buried, unprocessed, and unresolved. We leave with full stomachs and empty souls, more lonely than when we first arrived because no one knows what’s really going on in our lives. The irony is that most of us spin it at these gatherings and say when asked “It’s all good bro.”Every Man Ministries research shows that 9 out of 10 men have a current issue they are facing that feels “out of control” in their lives that they would love to resolve. That fact combined with our willingness to “get together” should get us rethinking what it means to connect and help each other. Specifically, we need to stop limiting getting together just to “grill and swill” and start banding together to help our closest friends defeat what is defeating them. We have to help our friends get from the “red zones” of life as men into the “end zones” of victory as men, husbands, and fathers. We have to help them score touchdowns in life versus settle for field goals or, worse, go “three and out.” But how?The good news is that the recipe for having a men’s small group meeting at your house today looks no different than it did over two thousand years ago. Tell the guys your having them over, light the grill up, serve some beverages, eat like you mean it, and feed the soul while you feed the body. In fact, do it like Jesus and become a “Red Zone” friend who gets his buddies into the end zones of victory with God and people. Study Christ’s film and learn.“When they [his friends] landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it and some bread…After they had finished eating Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you truly love me?” (John 21:9,15)That’s what you call “meating” with the guys and then “meeting” with the guys for the purpose of bringing a man from the red zone to end zone of life. And we all know what happens after men successfully cross the line into the end zone.They dance.

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Kenny’s Guamanian Rib Marinade

2 Cups Soy Sauce1 Cup Fresh lemon juice24 oz. of your favorite Beer2 tablespoons of black pepper2 tablespoons of minced garlic1 Tablespoon Sesame OilMarinate pork or beef ribs overnight. Grill and serve. Expect moaning.KENNY LUCK is an ECPA Platinum Award Winning Author, who has authored and co-authored 20 books for men. Kenny is the president and founder of Every Man Ministries. As the former men’s pastor at Saddleback Church in California and current leadership pastor at Crossline Community Church, Kenny has found the proven way to improve men’s ministries around the world. Sleeping Giant is this blueprint, and gives men the tools they need to lead and understand their own men’s ministry. Watch Kenny’s teachings at EveryManMinistries.com and start your men’s group today!Follow Every Man Ministries now on Facebook, Twitter (@everymm,) and YouTube.

Former Miss USA To Host 'Crowned: An Encounter With the King' Women's Event

Kristen Dalton Wolfe is a former Miss USA turned Mrs. Wolfe who believes that every woman is made to sparkle with the radiance of God’s romance, Together LA learned at the She is More website. Though she wore the Miss USA crown, her life was changed when she realized her true identity was rooted in being a daughter of the King. Since then, Kristen has used her passion for women coupled with her background in Psychology to launch SheisMore.com, an online magazine to spread God’s message that every woman is royalty. 400,000 readers are impacted every month by the site. Kristen and her husband, Kris Wolfe, founder of GoodGuySwag.com are based in Los Angeles and speak regularly in churches, conferences, events and universities.Wolfe along with Sheri Rose Shepherd and Jen Lilly will be speaking at the Crowned: An Encounter With the King event planned for Friday and Saturday (April 21 and 22). Below is her recent post, Do You Want to Encounter God and Renew Your Sparkle?Do you want to tangibly encounter God and renew your sparkle? Many women are experiencing burnout, staleness and stillness in their lives and relationship with God. It’s time to get your radiance back.It’s happening! The Lord has told me for a while to do a women’s conference for His daughters. This past December, I spent the day soaking and praying for God to show me what to dream and plan for in 2017.He showed me a vision of a women’s conference. I felt Him say, “My heart is for my daughters to be reconciled back to me and to brighten the sparkle in their dimmed eyes.”I asked Him who He wanted speaking into the women. He showed me a picture of Sheri Rose Shepherd’s face. Sheri Rose is a best-selling author of the His Princess devotionals, which I have devoured. They helped me when I was discovering my royal identity, when I was going through a break-up and healing from depression. I have given so many of her devotionals as gifts because they are transformational and speak to the heart of every woman in a powerful way.I hadn’t even met Sheri yet, but I had an interview on TBN coming up with her in a few weeks. I knew she’d been battling stage four cancer for the last two years, so I wondered if she’d be up for doing a conference. But I trusted that I didn’t need to know the how in all this would work out. The how was up to God.I met Sheri in January when she came in the studio as a guest on my show. She told me it was her first public appearance and interview since leaving her speaking tours to fight cancer. She wasn’t sure why she said YES to me because she had said NO to all other inquiries. But, she felt the Lord had told her to say YES.We absolutely hit it off. She is a kindred spirit and even more full of God in person than on the pages of her books. After our interview, we started texting regularly. A few days later, I boldly told her the vision God had shown me of her doing a conference with me. It wasn’t even a minute later that she wrote me back and said YES.I sat there staring at the screen...Before I wrote her, she explained that God had shown her the same thing and she was going to invite me to do a conference with her. I sat there for a few minutes thinking, what world am I living in? That one of my favorite authors is texting with me for starters. Not only did she just say YES to me, but she was going to invite me to minister alongside her???I could feel God smiling down on my dumbfounded state. The thing is: This conference wasn’t and isn’t my idea. It’s His. And your King cares way more about encountering you than letting anything stand in His way.I am excited to share that the vision God gave me three months ago is coming to pass on Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22nd with Crowned: An Encounter With The King.God has laid out the framework and you are invited to an exclusive live audience experience at TBN studios in Irvine, CA for a one hour show and meet and greet with Sheri Rose, Jen Lilley, and I on Friday evening.Saturday is encounter day at the Hyatt Regency in Newport Beach from 10 AM- 2 PM.I can’t even tell you the supernatural ways God has worked to make this weekend so obviously orchestrated and anointed by Him. This is a weekend of renewal, revival, refreshment and for you to remember who you are and what you have as a chosen daughter of the King....so be sure to get your tickets ASAP as there is very limited seating. Use your influence, voice, heart and invite all the women you love. God loves who you love and wants to encounter each one of you in the way you specifically need.I can’t wait to see you there!Kristen Dalton Wolfe's article was originally published at SheisMore.com.

Hillsong's Colour Conference Los Angeles [PHOTOS]

Imagine — if one woman can change her world imagine what one company of women can do. — Bobbie Houston

Bobbie Houston and the women's ministry of Hillsong Church (Sisterhood) hosted Hillsong's Colour Conference at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday.The ministry is about "women from all walks of life, young and old, coming together to build friendship and champion one another to flourish in all that we do.""We are pioneering new territory with the Colour experience compressed into an exciting 'one day, power packed event' in three locations - New York City, Phoenix and Los Angeles," stated Houston on the conference website. "Our own Hillsong team will bring their unique leadership distinctive to the table, and I’m excited to host Colour in not only one city - but three."The Los Angeles conference was the last of the three scheduled.Photos: Dever Creative/Anthony Dever

If We're More American Than Christian We're Compromised, Says 'Jesus Untangled' Author

As the Church has become increasingly entangled in the pursuit of politics, the Gospel has become tarnished and often abandoned as the primary focus of the Body of Christ. — From Jesus Untangled — Crucifying Our Politics to Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb back coverJesus Untangled author Keith Giles recently shared with Together LA that unity in the Church in Los Angeles is more critical than even other big cities simply because of "the breadth of diversity and the collision of cultures that are represented." He makes the case that his book is a "prophetic call for the Church to awaken from the 'American Dream' and to return to Her first love."Our interview (transcript below) with Giles drew some rather pointed answers from him about the state of affairs for Christians and their politics today.Together LA: What parts of your book address unity?Keith Giles: The entire theme of the book is about the dangers of putting politics at the center of our faith; whether as individuals or as the church. Unity itself isn’t the goal. It’s the byproduct of placing Jesus at the center and following Him. The book certainly does examine how divisive politics can be to the Body of Christ, so as we untangle our faith and crucify our politics, we begin to see our brothers and sisters as they truly are, without seeing them through a political filter.One reason we need to untangle our faith from politics is that if we are more “American” than “Christian” then we’ve become compromised by our nationality. AS I point out in the book: You can’t convert a culture if that culture has already converted you. We need to abandon our politics and seek first the Kingdom of God.TLA: A lot of people place much of their focus on political solutions to issues of social injustice. I know your book addresses this head-on. What would you say to these people in a nutshell?Giles: First of all, there’s big difference between politics and justice. In the book I point out that people like MLK and William Wilberforce weren’t practicing the same sort of politics we’re being pulled into today. MLK and Wilberforce both fought for the rights of the oppressed. They weren’t looking to pass laws that gave their party a political advantage over others. They were both willing to lay their own lives on the line to see justice done. Wilberforce even wrote a book where he urged Christians not to become entangled with politics but to transform the culture with the Gospel, which is really what Jesus told us to do in the first place. In fact, it’s really the only way to bring transformation into our world. Politics can’t change hearts, only Jesus can do that.TLA: How is Jesus Untangled pertinent to people living in Los Angeles or any other metropolis?Giles: I think unity is more critical in a place like LA, just because the breadth of diversity and the collision of cultures that are represented. More than, say any another large city like Houston or Nashville for example.For Christians, unity is extremely important – or at least it should be. Because, Jesus said our unity would be a sign that everyone would know that He was the Messiah who was sent by the Father. If we are divided politically (or any other way) we’re denying that Jesus is who He says He is.TLA: What needs to be done as Christians and as a Christian community to advance this idea of unity in the Church (with a capital "C")?Giles: We have to find what unites us and focus on that as much as possible. According to the New Testament, our unity is only found in Christ.Paul says, “For we all are one in Christ Jesus our Lord” [Gal. 3:28]. Notice he doesn’t say “we are all one in our doctrines”, or “our opinions” or “our political views”. In those things all we have is division. But if we remain in Christ, then we experience unity.So, whenever Christians argue about politics or divide over political views, it’s because they’ve allowed something else to eclipse Jesus in their heart.As I point out in my book, “What do you get when you mix religion and politics? You get politics.”People in first century Corinth had a similar problem. They were dividing over which Apostle was their favorite and Paul rebuked them for that. Yet today Christians feel it’s ok to divide over their favorite political candidate or party. That’s in violation of what Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians.TLA: What do pastors and churches (small "c") need to do for unity in the city?Giles: Whenever we make anything other than Jesus our center, we have division in the church, and between churches. So, if within a local church our center is an issue or a doctrine, then we will experience division. If between churches the focus is anything other than Jesus, then we will experience division.TLA: What obstacles are there to unity?Giles: I think what many fail to realize is that politics is another form of tribalism. This creates an “us vs them” mentality where we spend our time and energy searching for everything that is wrong about “them” and right about “us”. We lump everyone who is not in our tribe into a single amorphous collective where “all Liberals are stupid” or “all Conservatives are racist”, when this is certainly not the case. But the more we demonize “them” the more we can justify almost anything we say or do because, hey, look how evil they are! Soon, we start to believe that they are beyond redemption. Which, of course, is exactly the opposite of what the Gospel teaches us. 

Solution For Proactive, Unified Church in LA is Already in Place, Says Rapper Propaganda

The solution for a proactive, unified Church in Los Angeles and beyond is already in place, rap artist Propaganda (Jason Petty) told Together LA off stage at the recent Catalyst West conference at Mariners Church in Irvine.“The beauty of Los Angeles is how many amazing things various churches are already doing,” Propaganda said. “Often times we have this idea that we have to invent the solution for the city, but there is a lot of people already in the trenches somewhere.”The practical approach or “practical unity,” as he puts it, for Christian leaders is to look for programs such as social services, outreaches, and serving the community that are already ongoing rather than to set-up new programs.“Participating in what’s already happening is a great way as a church that we can do more things,” Propaganda said. He said he believes that it’s important to have a perspective on “who’s already doing what.” One church or leader should not strive to be the “hub of the city,” he said, “That’s never happened where one church is the hub of the city. The geography [alone] doesn’t allow for that.”Described by “I Am Second,” under the testimonial ministry’s video of him, as an “underground rap artist” who “grew up a fish out of water” in a Hispanic neighborhood, he is considered a poet and artist “in the midst an alpha male urban environment” early in his career. At Catalyst West, he was a perfect candidate to discuss “Uncommon Fellowship,” the conference’s theme.To see the beauty of the Church, often times, "you need to know what you are looking for,” he told TLA. “Beauty is something we’ve denigrated to being something very surface. When you are looking for just surface things you might miss it. You might miss the beauty of what’s happening somewhere.“When she (the Church) is doing her job, when she is actually functioning the way she should, it’s a very quiet, behind the scenes, calm, and steady revelation. Just the process and business of saving souls. There’s no newspaper clipping, there’s no push notification when someone becomes a believer … when a marriage is saved. You have to know what you are looking for.“Like my pastor says, ‘We don’t want to be known for the outpourings of gospel living, we want to be known for just gospel living. [For example,] it’s not in any paperwork that we serve at the battered women’s shelter. That’s just what we do because we are gospel-centered people. You see this sort of thing happening in L.A. all the time."He concludes, pointing out that in the Spirit of God, “There’s no marketing campaign. I’m just going to quietly and calmly love my neighbor, and to me, that’s beautiful.”