Church Planting: The 4 C's of Connection

Collaboration is a buzz word. Cooperation is all the rage, especially among millennials. Collaboraton can be fun. Cooperation is necessary to get certain things done, especially in the church planting world.Here are what I believe to be the four "C’s" of “Connection in Church Planting.” They also apply in every collaborative effort. I’ve certainly adapted and adopted these ideas from many other sources. The fact that I cannot correctly attribute them is one of the issues with collaboration.Each "C" is a step on a scale towards complexity, with corresponding potential greater risk and reward. Communication and coordination must increase for progression.1. CompetitionAre we working toward the same end? Does blowing out your candle cause mine to burn brighter? Is it a zero-sum game where for me to win you must lose? Some things are rightfully competitive. Kingdom Expansion and Church Multiplication are not about competition. Our friends at New Thing Network talk about the four "A’s" of Movement: Awareness, Agreement, Alignment, and Accountability. New churches are not competition for one another or existing churches. We need to agree on this before we can align any further.2. ComplementEvery person and organization has a mission, a purpose or objective that drives them. Our missions are like fires we’ve been entrusted to tend. We can add fuel to another’s fire based on our expertise, abundance, and Kingdom-mindedness. Complementing another mission may not cost much and it does not mean integration. In fact, complementary efforts involve strategic alignment versus redundancy where we recognize the value of another person’s work and where we help them do what they do best. To complement is to add value without any reciprocation; it is a gift.3. CooperateThoughtfully and intentionally aligning two or more fires can mean situating them closer together so they collectively are more visible, or spacing them out so they can light a longer path. Strategic proximity requires increased communication and coordination, but it still does not necessitate integration. For example, when Stadia helps churches host Church Planting Residencies, we encourage them to cooperate by bringing residents together for strategically shared learning but not to collaborate by sharing or swapping residents. Cooperation is alignment in the same direction without intersection, like rails. It does not even require alignment on distance (where) or speed (when), cooperation is about the way (how).4. CollaborateThe high point of connection involves at least some integration of effort and it often requires resources. This is painfully difficult and often why collaboration breaks down early on. Progressing from the relatively low bar of recognizing we are not in competition to the high bar of integration is facilitated by complementary and cooperative intermediary steps. Collaboration involves continual and mutual re-prioritization of the mission. Integration reduces redundancy. It is about stewardship, yet it is often initially inefficient. Time and continual realignment prove collaboration is most effective for long-term initiatives. Ego is the enemy of collaboration.Trust is the foundation collaboration is built upon. It is developed as we endeavor and experiment openhandedly, as we make adjustments and are graciously moving through stages together. This process can only be expedited through shared liminal experiences. More often it takes time, and in either case, it can be painful. I am convinced collaboration is worth the cost. Nothing is more God-honoring or Kingdom-minded than believers working together. Jesus prayed for collaboration in John 17, asking his Father that his followers would be unified so that the world would know God’s love. What else is worth collaborating for?Are you ready to start your church planting journey? Stadia is ready to help. START HERE.Nathan “Chivo” HawkinsStadia’s West Regional ExecutiveAs West Regional Executive, Nathan implements Stadia’s overall strategy in the western U.S., focusing on partner development, U.S. church planting, global church planting and Stadia advancement. Before coming to Stadia, Nathan played a key role in our Global Church Planting strategy as a Compassion International Church Relations Director. He also has first-hand U.S. church planting experience, having led in a church plant re-launch in post-Katrina New Orleans . As an adoptee and adoptive father, Nathan is passionate about children who come from difficult backgrounds. Originally from inner-city Minneapolis, Nathan grew up in a Christian home in a culturally diverse environment. After completing his bachelor’s degree in Minnesota, working in sports broadcasting and spending all his free time rock climbing, he hungered for greater purpose. He served a church in Juarez, Mexico for a year and a half, which led him to seminary, where he caught the church planting bug. Nathan and his wife Joy have three young children: Benicio, Taegen and Grace. The Hawkins are a family that welcomes foster children and love connecting with the local church.

World Impact's Urban Church Assoc Develops Trust and Unity

The office of Pastor can be compared to having children, it can be a wonderful experience but it can leave you with a few gray hairs. The calling of pastors is one that is typically approached with honor and an awareness that the work of the office has a lot to do with the Holy Spirit.The Holy Spirit is something that pastors need but the other thing that is needed is training. There are trainings throughout the country for pastors and ministry leaders. There are hardships at times that make it difficult for pastors, especially urban pastors, to attend conferences due to traveling expenses, registration fees, and not being able to get time off from their jobs.Ninety percent of pastors feel inadequately trained to cope with the demands of ministry, according to PastoralCareInc.So, where does the urban pastor go to get trained so that they don’t have to be part of the statistic? Where does the urban pastor find the tools to use in the cities where God has called them?Over the last three years, I have been working with World Impact as an Associate and now as the LA City Director. World Impact is a Christian missions organization committed to facilitating church-planting movements by evangelizing, equipping and empowering the unchurched urban poor.World Impact’s purpose is to honor and glorify God and to delight in Him among the unchurched urban poor by knowing God and making Him known. One of the initiatives that World Impact has for the urban pastor is the Urban Church Association (UCA). It is a coalition of urban church pastors that meet once a month for networking, resourcing, reproduction, and soul care. The Urban Church Association is a place of resourcing urban pastors with the tools to do ministry more effectively and economically. Some UCAs do outreaches, retreats, block parties, and unity services together. Not only do they collaborate and encourage each other, they seek to bring unity to the Body of Christ while transforming their communities together.We have a ministry that is part of the Los Angeles Urban Church Association by the name of Jesus Knows My Name, which is lead by Jennifer Chou. Her ministry is located in Downtown Los Angeles near Skid Row. Every Sunday she, along with her team, set up to serve the Skid Row community with food and the Gospel. One fifth Sunday, the R.O.C.K. Church (Pastor Peter Watts) and Chosen Generation Church (Pastor Cedric Nelms) in collaborating with Jesus Knows My Name served the Skid Row Community. It was truly a blessing to serve those that are the under-served and the forgotten of our community.We were able to pray for and engage those that were in the line waiting to be served a hot meal. I recall one gentleman that was leaving with this meal. I told him a blessing and to be safe. He turned to me and said that he doesn’t hear that from people that often. As we engaged in a short conversation I found out that he was a war veteran who was living in downtown LA. He had been living down there for a couple of years and let me know that there was a sense of community on Skid Row.These pastors are a valuable link to the communities, churches, and pastors who need resourcing the most. Urban Church Associations are a great example of missional partnerships in that trust is transferable. The UCA is a place urban pastors are introduced to the ministry and resources of World Impact, and pastors in the UCA know the World Impact staff’s heart for the Lord and urban missions.In short, any urban missions worker or pastor quickly learns that planting and pastoring churches in areas of urban poverty is a high-risk, high-reward effort. We believe that one of the keys to success is profoundly simple — we need each other. We need to link arms and work together to transform our communities.

Urban Church Planter: First, What Does the City Need?

To truly be an urban pastor planting an urban church one must first get to know the broken parts of the city, said Pastor Cedric Nelms of Chosen Generation Church in Long Beach, during a panel discussion about Los Angeles.

PART TWO – CEDRIC NELMS

“We are very diverse here in our city and I think the best way for us to come together is to be able to plant transformational communities … so that means we are walking into the community asking the questions about what are the needs of the community,” said Nelms, who was recently named City Director for World Impact Los Angeles.He told TogetherLA that Jesus assessed the needs of every situation he came upon “before he actually brought the solution.”“That’s how you begin to transform a community because now you are getting into the dirty part, the grimy part of what it actually means to be an urban pastor planting an urban church,” he said.

4 Pastors Get Real About Los Angeles – Part 1

It may seem like a daunting task to figure out what’s broken in Los Angeles then offer a way to fix everything, but that’s not what four Christian leaders from various parts of L.A. set out to do during a panel discussion at Philosopher’s Cafe (Thursdays at Metropolis) in Santa Monica last month.Co-hosted by Together LA, the panel — Broken City – Is there hope for Los Angeles? — began with moderator Steve Snook of Metro Church giving a heads up to the direction the discussion will go.“I’m going to tell you right now, there’s hope all the way across this panel,” said Snook, a longtime pastor in Santa Monica. “You’re going to hear us being really honest about the brokenness that we see, but not spending much time on the brokenness without getting to a place where we talk about some of what we see happening even now and what is coming based upon the hope that is within us.”Nelms is certainly on the same page.“We have to get unified in understanding that yes, we can be a different color, we can be a different culture, we can be a different race, we can even have a different creed, but we also have to understand that there is only one gospel and one Lord,” he said.The demographics of the community Nelms ministers in includes a population that is 60 percent Hispanic, 40 percent African American, he said. “In that context, three of their top four things on their list community-wise (needs and desires) were job training, youth engagement, and most of all, unification.”Nelms recently described the work of World Impact.“World Impact is a Christian missions organization committed to facilitating church-planting movements by evangelizing, equipping and empowering the unchurched urban poor,” he said. “World Impact’s purpose is to honor and glorify God and to delight in Him among the unchurched urban poor by knowing God and making Him known.“One of the initiatives that World Impact has for the urban pastor is the Urban Church Association (UCA). It is a coalition of urban church pastors that meet once a month for networking, resourcing, reproduction, and soul care. ...Not only do they collaborate and encourage each other, they seek to bring unity to the Body of Christ while transforming their communities together.”This article is the second in a four-part series about the panel discussion hosted by Philosopher’s Cafe and TogetherLA.net on June 15, 2017. The full panel discussion can be viewed on Facebook by clicking on Part 1 and Part 2.Video and photos by One Ten Pictures.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)

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

It may have seemed like a daunting task to figure out what’s broken in Los Angeles then offer a simple solution.

PART ONE - MICHAEL MATA

But that’s not what four Christian leaders from various parts of L.A. set out to do during a panel discussion at Philosopher’s Cafe (Thursdays at Metropolis) in Santa Monica on a recent June evening. Co-hosted by Together LA, the panel — Broken City - Is there hope for Los Angeles? — began with moderator Steve Snook of Metro Church giving a heads up to the direction the discussion will go.“I’m going to tell you right now, there’s hope all the way across this panel,” said Snook, a longtime pastor in Santa Monica. “You’re going to hear us being really honest about the brokenness that we see, but not spending much time on the brokenness without getting to a place where we talk about some of what we see happening even now and what is coming based upon the hope that is within us.”

Together LA: Passion for a unified Koreatown

Prior to the panel discussion, an upstairs meeting and video taping by TLA (One Ten Pictures) led to some fascinating revelations about Los Angeles, a city that's often associated with big dreams, both fulfilled and broken.Michael Mata, director of the transformational urban leadership program at Azusa Pacific Seminary and a Together LA speaker, is an experienced urban planner and pastor. He has spent over 30 years in leading and equipping others in urban transformation 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.Mata lives in and loves his neighborhood — Koreatown.“Even though it’s called Koreatown, 70 percent of the people are not Asian,” Mata told TLA. “Even with this great vitality of humanity it’s broken in that we don’t have the interaction as we should.“We live in close proximity to each other, almost 200,000 people within two-and-a-half square miles, and we bump into each other and we eat in the same places and we hear each other’s music but we’re not necessarily connected. Rarely do we actually know the name of our neighbors — actually I do, but many people don’t.“[Residents] live in high rises, in homes they’ve invested in, they live with multiple families or extended families, and they are struggling to survive because even though there’s a sense of great economic energy there, the per capita is one of the lowest in L.A. County.”

Immigrants and young professionals consumed with ‘making it’

“So, you have a population that’s come to the United States who are contributing and being very productive but it seems their lives are consumed with ‘making it,’ maybe not so much becoming affluent, but certainly surviving,” Mata explained. “In that regard, we need spaces, we need a way to come together. Certainly in 1992, when our community was the second flashpoint in the riots, our community did come together.”Churches in the area and various religious institutions gathered together, he said, and asked “How are we going to rebuild together?”Within less than a year, Koreatown did rebuild, he said.The infusion of energy and “new life and looking for the future” gave way to a retreat of sorts.“We all went back to our regular spaces of work, relationships, and of cultural identity,” Mata said. “So those spaces or that bridge are sorely lacking and that’s where I think the faith community can come in.“We have great historic sanctuaries in K-town. Beautiful French-Gothic structures, some of them thousands of square feet, but on Sunday mornings they are pretty empty because the populations that once populated the pews are no longer living in the area. We have a new influx of not just immigrant people but young professionals and some churches are being more successful at that.“But that’s the space where God calls us to be reconcilers,” he adds. “We need to step up as a faith community to be that person, or that facility, or that body that brings people together and helps us to know one another even though we may not have the same beliefs or traditions. Nonetheless, we are living in the same space so why not move beyond just residing to becoming members or members of a community becoming neighbors to one another.”[gallery type="slideshow" size="full" ids="2949,2952,2953" orderby="rand"]

What does Jesus ask of us?

“I think that’s what Christ asks of us — to find our identity in knowing that we are created in the image of God — that the other person across the street may speak a different language, may be more permanently tan than me, eats exotic foods that I might enjoy, but beyond that, knowing that God really has something more in store for them then just survival. That God sent his only beloved Son that we may have life more abundantly that we can flourish and thrive. I think we have that opportunity and K-town can demonstrate to the world that we can come together. That the faith community, the Christian community can be the vehicle by which we, [and] the relationships [we are in] create a vital tapestry of God’s kingdom here in Koreatown.”This article is the first in a four-part series about the panel discussion hosted by Philosopher’s Cafe and TogetherLA.net on June 15, 2017. The full panel discussion can be viewed on Facebook by clicking on Part 1 and Part 2.Video and photos by One Ten Pictures.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)

New ‘Stand Up and Fight’ Video Reveals Benghazi Hero’s Spiritual Battle

After defending lives at the Battle of Benghazi, former special operative contractor Mark “Oz” Geist, not only had to deal with physical recovery from severe wounds, but had to fight to recover from emotional and spiritual wounds as well.

In a new program video, Stand Up and Fight, by Every Man Ministries and produced by One Ten Pictures, released on Friday, Geist talks with founder Kenny Luck and co-host Anthony Dever about how he battled the spiritual war confronting him during and after his assignment in the Middle East.

Geist, who was contracted by the U.S. to help protect diplomatic personnel inside Libya, not only gave the program 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.

Known by his fellow warriors as “Oz,” he gave remarkable details during the exclusive interview 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.

Every Man Ministries Offers FIGHT Book Resources and PROMO Discount Code

Pastor and author, Kenny Luck, said he is excited for listeners to hear from Geist, firsthand through the Stand Up and Fight program video, 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.”

Luck said the interview with Geist, who co-authored the book 13 Hours: The Inside Account Of What Really Happened In Benghazi which later became the premise of a movie, goes even deeper towards revealing “transcendent philosophical and spiritual themes that are allowed to  burst through in a truthful and refreshing way.”

In conjunction with the release of the Stand Up and Fight video, Every Man Ministries is offering a special promotional discount of 15% off resources that utilize Kenny Luck’s book, FIGHT.

“Many men ignore the dangerous spiritual war surrounding them. And that willing surrender ensures the total destruction of all they hold dear. This eight-session study can help men respond to the fight with boldness and duty. The DVD Leader Kit will equip men—in a devotional setting, accountability partner setting, and in group-to do spiritual battle with the enemy. This includes recognizing the deceptions about doing true spiritual battle, realizing the roles men play at the front lines, and rescuing the captives from the enemy's stronghold,” Luck states.

To watch the captivating interview with Mark Geist in Stand Up and Fight simply go to the homepage of Every Man Ministries ( http://www.everymanministries.com/ ). To take advantage of the discount (ends July 5, 2017) on the FIGHT book and curriculum, go to EMM’s class resources page, and use the promo code “fight15”.

“Stand Up and Fight” was produced by Every Man Ministries in association with One Ten Pictures, Executive Producer Jeremy Gant. Press and media contact, Anthony Dever, anthony@everymanministries.com.

Jordin Sparks Hopes to Record Worship Music; 'It's Like Breathing'

A career move to make Los Angeles home a few years ago included a “prodigal son” story for singer/actress Jordin Sparks, who now says she hopes worship music will be a part of her recordings list.“I do sing worship at my church in L.A. I haven’t recorded any worship songs yet, but I’m hopefully going to be starting the process soon. I worship all the time. I have to. It’s like breathing. Singing is like breathing. I wake up and I have to sing and it’s usually a worship song. I know where I’ve been and I know where He’s brought me from so I’m grateful all the time,” Sparks, 27, told Together LA backstage at the recent Harvest America 2017 in Phoenix where she was a guest artist.At age 17, Sparks' rise to fame kicked off in 2007, when she won the sixth season of American Idol, and she became the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debut studio album, released later that year, was certified platinum and has sold over two million copies worldwide. Sparks' second studio album, Battlefield (2009), debuted at Number 7 on the Billboard 200 chart. Throughout her career, Sparks has won numerous awards, including an NAACP Image Award, a BET Award, an American Music Award, a People's Choice Award, and two Teen Choice Awards. Her third studio album, Right Here Right Now, was released in August 2015.Sparks made her feature film debut playing the lead role in the music-themed "Sparkle," a remake of the 1976 film inspired by the story of The Supremes. Sparkle was filmed in the fall of 2011 and also starred Whitney Houston.“I would love to say that my journey has been amazingly straight, but it’s been up and down and all around in curlie cues and circles, and I think that’s how everybody is, but in terms of music lyrically there are things I try and stay away from,” she told TLA. “I know some things I did were crazy. I see pictures of myself a couple years ago and I don’t even recognize myself and I am like ‘What was I doing?’ Who, where was I? And I was not where I could have been.”[gallery type="slideshow" size="full" ids="2924,2925,2923" orderby="rand"]At Harvest America, Sparks sang “My Redeemer Lives” and also sang Crystal Lewis’ “Come Just as You Are” as part of the call to the field by Harvest pastor Greg Laurie for those making decisions to follow Jesus. She also was able to give a brief testimony of her life from the stage, led by questions from Laurie.“The great thing about Jesus and about God is that he uses you right where you are, as you are, so even if there was a time like I wasn’t really seeking him he was still using me and even now when I am seeking him a lot deeper,” she told TLA.Sparks added, “Not that I did anything crazy, but little compromises, a couple months later and all of a sudden you’re like how did I get here? But God is so good in his grace and pulling you back.”She said that moving to L.A. presented its challenges which she was eventually able to overcome by finding a church family.“I didn’t move there immediately after winning Idol. I moved there about 3-and-a-half years ago and it was difficult because I moved by myself,” Sparks explains. “I do have family there but they’re working, their busy, they have a son in high school, but it was crazy.“I didn’t have a home church. I didn’t have a base. I tried a few churches. It gets a little crazy because just like in Times Square, people are looking for people who do things in the industry so it’s kind of hard to be worshipping when people are trying to film you.“So, there was a few churches that I tried and I was like this isn’t going to work for me. And finally, last year, I went to Angeles Temple in Echo Park, Pastor Matthew Barnett and Tommy Barnett (Phoenix First Assembly). I went and my life was absolutely changed. It was absolutely incredible.“Jesus met me there and I had this moment of ‘Oh, my gosh. What am I doing? This is insane’ and it’s been amazing, diving in, seeking him, trying to get the Jesus who walks next to you,” she said. “I knew God the Creator of all things, but the person that walks right beside you every single day I’ve gotten to know him and it’s the most amazing thing. But there’s always going to be those times when I’m tempted to say ‘yes’ to do something and it’s not easy, but the good path isn’t always the easy path.”When asked about where she is at in terms of the genres of worship and popular music she said, “I go back and forth on that. I think about that a lot. I love the music that I get to do because he’s placed me where I have an amazing platform. I know there are some songs that I did record that I will never sing that song live again.“I will never do that again because the place I was in, where my mind was at, it was almost like I had this haze over everything that I did,” she continued. “But I was also not going to church consistently, I wasn’t diving into the Word, and I wasn’t surrounding myself with people that were like-minded or at least somebody that I could turn and talk to and it was hard to find moving out to L.A. when I did not know anybody.“I finally found those people. It’s been amazing to get back on track. There are things that I try and stay away from lyrically but there are times when there are stories that are part of my testimony that if I want to write about them I’m going to write about them,” Sparks said. “The cool thing about what I do is that a song can reach so many people. It’s like a universal language and to not share some of the things that I’ve gone through I think would not only be a detriment to my testimony but to those people who need to hear it.”She said she is in “this really cool place” where she has the freedom as an independant artist to choose whatever she wants to do musically. “If I want to cover a worship song I’m going to cover a worship song if I want to...Songs I’ve known my entire life but I’ve never performed them.”She adds, “God is so good in that way because I felt so chained down for a long time. And when I say freedom, there’s a boldness for Christ that I got instantly after he hit me with a 2-by-4 last Easter and there’s just a boldness there but in that there’s also freedom."

What a beautiful night @harvestamerica. So many people coming home to Jesus' loving arms. I'm overwhelmed in the best way. 💛💛💛 #harvestamerica

A post shared by Jordin Sparks (@jordinsparks) on Jun 11, 2017 at 9:22pm PDT

RECENT POLL: Moviegoers See a Pro-Choice Bias in Hollywood

Is Hollywood pushing a pro-choice agenda? Americans seem to think so.Sure, movies like The Cider House Rules, Dirty Dancing and Fast Times at Ridgemont High make a strong case for legalized abortion, but pro-life groups have praised the likes of Arrival, Juno and even the raunchy comedy Knocked Up — all movies where lead female characters choose to give birth rather than abort.When push comes to shove, though, moviegoers see more pro-choice messages in films than they do pro-life messages, according to a poll made public for the first time Friday.The scientific poll, conducted by Barna Group, indicates that, when abortion is presented onscreen, 29 percent of Americans think Hollywood is favoring the pro-choice position, while 25 percent say it is favoring the pro-life position. Only 14 percent say no agenda is pushed, while 18 percent don’t recall seeing a movie in which the topic was even discussed.As the audience gets older, they are far more likely to see pro-choice messages. Thirty-six percent of boomers (ages 52-70), for example, think Hollywood makes movies sympathetic to the pro-choice position, while only 13 percent think it makes more pro-life films.On the flip side, 36 percent of millennials (ages 18-32) think that Hollywood’s messages are primarily pro-life, while 28 percent think they are mostly pro-choice.The results also break down according to party, with Democrats seeing more pro-choice messages and Republicans seeing more pro-life messages, which could be attributed to confirmation bias or the simple fact that conservatives and liberals are oftentimes choosing to see different movies, especially when they know that the touchy issue of abortion will be a major plot point.Like the public at large, registered Independents also see Hollywood largely pushing a pro-choice agenda — 27 percent, compared to 16 percent for pro-life.A recent Gallup Poll indicates that Americans are almost exactly split on the issue of abortion, with 47 percent calling themselves pro-choice and 46 percent saying they are pro-life.As for the Barna movie poll, it was commissioned by the filmmakers behind Because of Gracia, an independent title planned for a theatrical release in September. The film stars former American Idol contestant Moriah Peters as a high school student ridiculed for her commitment to save sex until marriage.Because of Gracia includes a parallel story of abortion — hence the filmmakers were curious to poll American moviegoers on the topic — and also stars John Schneider, who previously made two films with strong pro-life messages: October Baby and Doonby.Barna is a Christian polling firm. Participants in the Barna study were provided through the Harris Panel.The above article was originally published at The Hollywood Reporter.

Steve McQueen Finally Tells World 'What Christ Did For Me' Through Film

Legendary actor Steve McQueen returned to the screen Sunday (June 11) before an audience of 38,000 packed into a Phoenix stadium for the Harvest America Crusade as Pastor Greg Laurie shared the most important part of McQueen’s saga.Laurie, a McQueen fan whose book, Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American Icon has now been made into a documentary, gave the audience a preview of his film.“I thought this is a story that needs to be told,” Laurie said. “It’s a story McQueen, in his own words, worried he’d never be able to share with the world. Now, almost 40 years after his step into heaven, he’ll finally get the chance.”“And one thing Steve said before he died was, ‘My only regret in life is that I was not able to tell people about what Christ did for me,'” he added.McQueen, who starred in more than two dozen films from 1953-1980, died in 1980 at the age of 50 from mesothelioma.“In a significant turn toward the end of his life, ironically, just before he found out that he had cancer and while still the top movie star on earth, Steve did something that showed me that he really was ‘the coolest of them all.’ He put his faith in God and became a believer in Jesus Christ,” said Laurie.“He was simultaneously the most unlikely and then again maybe the most likely person to come to faith in God,” Laurie said.

Steve McQueen: Something was missing

Despite being one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood at the peak of his career — and one of its highest-paid — Laurie said McQueen sought out a spiritual significance in his life.“When you’ve experienced everything that this culture offers, you will see how empty it is,” Laurie said. “That was true of Steve: He had it all, but something was missing, and that led him to a little church in Santa Paula, California, where he heard the message of Jesus Christ for maybe the first time in a way he understood it.”

Steve McQueen’s Missing Bullitt Car: The Big Reveal [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO]

Laurie said McQueen’s experience was like that of many others: He asked a church-going friend if they could attend church together. In this case, Laurie noted, the friend was flight instructor Sammy Mason, who was teaching McQueen to fly a biplane.Leonard DeWitt, the pastor of Ventura Missionary Church at the time, helped McQueen accept Christ, Laurie said.“I know this because Pastor DeWitt met with Steve maybe a month after that, and they had a long discussion where the pastor answered a lot of Steve’s questions,” Laurie said. “The pastor asked Steve, ‘Have you become a born-again Christian?’ And Steve said he had.”

Steve McQueen: American Icon Official Trailer

Laurie said there is a message in McQueen’s journey.“Steve had the statistical cards stacked against him — no father in his life, an alcoholic mother who really didn’t have time for him,” Laurie said. “The fame and all the power he acquired actually, in some ways, made his life worse. It was like throwing gasoline on a fire.“He could have ended up overdosing on drugs or killed behind the wheel of an automobile, but yet he made his way to hear the gospel and so I think the takeaway truth is, ‘Wow, if God can reach someone like Steve, he can certainly reach me,’” he said.The article above was originally published at Western Journalism.

Behind the Scenes Harvest America and NAMB Unify Christians, Churches

Behind the scenes of Harvest America 2017 in Phoenix on Sunday (June 11), a huge urban outreach partnership between the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) Crossover Arizona and Greg Laurie’s Harvest America was a success story on many levels.The two organizations joined forces to host a three-day evangelistic outreach in Phoenix that involved training, street evangelism and service projects before culminating in Harvest America’s Sunday night crusade, NAMB reported.“God is faithful to glorify His name! 38,000 people came to #CrossoverArizona with Harvest America, and 42,305 people watched the live stream from 83 different countries,” stated NAMB. “But it gets better—2,904 stepped forward in the stadium and decided to follow Jesus and hundreds more committed online! All glory and thanksgiving to God as we anticipate what He will do next year in Dallas.”NAMB also reported that another 494 indicated that they had made salvation decisions online.Fifty Crossover volunteers gathered on Saturday (June 10) to fix up Arizona homes, Josie Bingham wrote in an article for NAMB. "They repaired plumbing, cleaned houses, painted walls and landscaped yards during the 'Love in Action' service project at several transitional houses owned by Dream City Church and its affiliate, Dream Center.TogetherLA.net spoke with Joel Southerland, who is the Director of Evangelism with North American Mission Board, backstage at Harvest America on Sunday and was asked more about the partnership with Harvest.“What we’re doing here is called Crossover and it happens every year around the Southern Baptist Convention,” Southerland told TLA. “We do an evangelistic effort around our annual meeting and have been doing so since the late 80s.’He added, “We felt like this partnership would give us the biggest reach we’ve ever had for a Crossover event. Greg and his team met with us and it was great from the very beginning.”More than 400 churches in the Phoenix area and Arizona area partnered to host and participate in Crossover Arizona and Harvest America. More than 5,000 volunteers signed up to be a part of the event from Arizona and from around the nation. “It’s a really Kingdom-minded effort between Southern Baptist Churches and even non-Southern Baptist Churches of similar theologies that are coming together and preaching the gospel,” Southerland said.[gallery type="slideshow" ids="2904,2901,2905,2906" orderby="rand"]“For us it’s been a great experience of churches coming together,” he continued. “When we got together 16 months ago with the Phoenix leadership team and cast the vision, the leadership team from the very beginning was really excited about the ability to partner and have that unity around the city and have that unified vision of reaching as many people as we can with the gospel in the Phoenix area.”Southerland said that NAMB has a “great network of churches,” including in the Phoenix area where the Southern Baptist churches are greatly respected. “Harvest and Greg Laurie have a great reputation in this area. So, I think that when we take our great network and the network and reputation of Harvest and Greg Laurie that already existed it was just easy to match. I don’t think unity was ever a problem from day one.”When asked about the way urban outreach fits into the event, he said, “We have 32 focus cities all around the United States, all major cities, and Phoenix is one of those cities. We have a big church planting effort that goes on in all of those 32 cities. Doing it in an urban context fits right into our philosophy of ministry.”What about non-Southern Baptist churches with perhaps a different theology?“If your main goal is to reach people with the gospel we are willing to partner and see that happen,” Southerland said.

WATCH Harvest America 2017 from Phoenix [VIDEO]

Greg Laurie: Harvest Christian Fellowship Joins Southern Baptist Convention

[ictt-tweet-inline hashtags="" via=""]I’m happy to announce a new partnership with the SBC, focused on bringing the Good News to our country and the world![/ictt-tweet-inline]RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Greg Laurie, founding pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, has announced that Harvest Christian Fellowship will join the Southern Baptist Convention:“Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus told his disciples to take the Good News of the gospel to the entire world. I believe we are the first generation that can actually accomplish that task. Because of today’s technology, we have more opportunities for global evangelism that any generation before us and to accomplish this we must renew our emphasis on evangelism as never before. Most importantly, we must unify our efforts. We must learn to walk in common purpose and common vision. I believe the need is urgent and the time is now.“On June 12, I announced that Harvest Christian Fellowship would be joining the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Harvest is an independent congregation that will continue fellowship with the Calvary Chapel family of churches as well, and this decision does not change our theology, philosophy of ministry or our history. It merely extends the reach of our fellowship within the Christian world at a time when the vision and mission of Harvest remains — as it has been for 42 years — focused on the teaching of God’s word and the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

WATCH Harvest America 2017 from Phoenix [VIDEO]

“Long ago, I came to realize I am called by God to simply do two primary things: to teach God’s word and to preach the gospel. This is the calling of the Lord on my life. Other than my personal walk with the Lord, and loving my wife and family, this is my only focus. My passion is to reach as many people as possible with the Good News of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ until my final breath. One of the reasons why we proclaimed 2017 ‘The Year of Good News’ is because I intend on even further amplifying my focus on gospel proclamation. It’s also why Harvest Crusades, with the assistance of the Southern Baptist Convention, organized the Harvest America 2017 crusade on June 11 at the University of Phoenix Stadium. It’s why we’ll do it all again next year in Dallas on June 10, 2018.“We need a national revival as much as at any time in our nation’s history. We must pray for it, work toward it and do everything possible to prepare the ground for it. We must preach and pray until it comes. This is why we’ve chosen to extend a hand of fellowship to the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest protestant denomination of churches. We’ve chosen to partner in total, unrelenting pursuit of our nation’s next great awakening.“I know the effect of the revival we seek firsthand because I came to Christ during the last great American revival, often referred to as the ‘Jesus Movement.’ That revival emanated primarily from Calvary Chapel in Southern California, and I learned to preach the gospel and to teach God’s Word myself within the Calvary Chapel movement under the example of Pastor Chuck Smith. Since that time, I’ve invested my life in the Calvary fellowship of churches while working with countless Christians from nearly every other denomination. I’ll continue to do just that, and I also look forward to continuing to build bridges between our communities. It has also been my privilege to be friends with evangelist Billy Graham (himself a Southern Baptist) for many years, and from him I learned how to preach the gospel.“I believe that the time is right to reach across the church and to lock hands in total support of the rapid advance of the gospel in our nation and in our world. I believe this decision is a powerful step in that direction. I appreciate the SBC’s focus on evangelism as well as their outreach in missions and relief ministries that touch our world every day in a significant way.“I look forward to partnering with them and all believers who have a passion for evangelism. The need in our country and the world is so great.”

Thanks for making #CrossoverArizona possible, @HarvestAmerica & @AZBaptists. Imagine what God will do June 8-10, 2018, at #CrossoverTexas! pic.twitter.com/PZkj7kt7z6

— NAMB (@NAMB_SBC) June 13, 2017

Photos courtesy of Harvest America Phoenix 2017This post originally published at Greg's Blog.

Hollywood Film & Faith: 'The Hanoi Hilton' Director Lionel Chetwynd Speaker Saturday

We are pleased to announce that Hollywood Film & Faith's next speaker will be legendary Writer/Director/Producer Lionel Chetwynd whose works have included biographical pictures of Joseph, Moses and Jacob as well as The Resurrection. He's perhaps best known for his work as director of The Hanoi Hilton.Lionel was born in London, England, and moved to Canada at the age of eight, growing up in Montreal and Toronto. He left school at age 14, later enlisting in the Black Watch, Royal Highland Regiment of Canada. Upon completion of military service, he gained conditional admittance to Sir George Williams University (Now Concordia), Montreal, B.A. (Honors Philosophy/ Economics), graduating valedictorian after three years and receiving a scholarship to McGill University Law School, where he received his law degree. During that period, while debating at Oxford University as a Champion debater, he was accepted by the University and completed his graduate studies in Law at Trinity College.Chetwynd then joined the London office of Columbia Pictures, remaining four years. By then, he had begun to expand his horizons with freelance writing and his first produced work, "Maybe That's Your Problem," staged in London's West End. Later that year, he wrote "Bleeding Great Orchids," also staged in London and subsequently Off-Broadway. While in England, Chetwynd wrote the motion picture screenplay adaptation for "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz," and received an Academy Award Nomination and the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Feature Comedy. To date he has over 50 feature and long-form television credits, including the Vietnam trilogy: "The Hanoi Hilton," "To Heal a Nation," and "Kissinger and Nixon," as well as the recent Emmy-nominated "Ike: Countdown to D-Day," which was the highest rated movie ever to air on A&E Networks.

Broken City: Is There Hope For Los Angeles?

He has also written, produced, and directed over 21 documentaries. He has received both Oscar and Emmy nominations, six Writers Guild of American nominations, including an award, the New York Film Festival Gold Medal, two Christophers, two George Washington Freedom Medals, and six Telly Awards. A naturalized U.S. citizen, Chetwynd wrote "The American 1776," the official United States Bicentennial Film. In 1987, he helped create and he wrote a tribute to the U.S. Constitution as part of the Bi-Centennial celebration staged before members of the U.S. Supreme Court, Congress, and members of the President's Cabinet.In 2001, he was appointed to The President's Committee on the Arts & Humanities. In 2003 Columbia College - Hollywood conferred upon him a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, and in 2004 he received The Caucus of Television Writers, Producers and Directors Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2006 he was installed as an Honorary Fellow in the Carl DeSantis Business and Economics Center for the Study and Development of the Motion Picture and Entertainment Industry. In 2008 The Smithsonian Institution/National Portrait Gallery conferred upon him the John Singleton Copley Medal for service to the artistic community and in that same year he received The American Spirit Award, presented by the Caucus for Writers, Producers and Directors in Association with Screen Actors Guild, The Producers Guild, AFTRA and the WGA. In 2011 he was named Writer of the Year by The Caucus.Other civic involvement includes membership on the National Sponsoring Committee of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; Little League of California District 14; Board of Directors UCLA Theater, Film and Television Education Associates; former President, American Cinema Foundation; Member Board of Directors, The Entertainment Industries Council; former Executive Board Member, American Jewish Committee; The Oxford Society of Southern California; Trinity Oxford Society; Captain, 78th Fraser Highlanders, Fort St Helen Garrison.He is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, and was admitted to the Bar of the Province of Quebec. He has taught and lectured extensively at the University of Southern California, Loyola-Marymount University, Columbia College, American Film Institute, Los Angeles, New York University's graduate Film School, the Frederick Douglass Center in Harlem and UCLA. His articles have appeared widely, including The Weekly Standard, The National Review, The National Post, Encounter, L'Exprès, Aujourd'Hui, and publications of The American Enterprise Institute and UCLA Communications Center. Chetwynd is married to motion picture, television and stage actress Gloria Carlin. They reside in Los Angeles, and have two sons. He is fluent in French.RSVP to event here: http://chetwynd.doattend.com/

WATCH Harvest America 2017 from Phoenix [VIDEO]

Greg Laurie's Harvest America 2017 Delivers Org's Largest 1-Day Audience

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Harvest America at the University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday (June 11, 2017) reached audiences across the country and around the world with a message of God’s love in what became the single largest event in the history of the organization.Evangelist Greg Laurie took the stage Sunday evening in front of a live audience of 38,000 gathered in Glendale, Arizona, as well as even larger simulcast and broadcast audiences. Before the sun went down in the Valley of the Sun, the gathering had gone down as one of the largest one-day evangelistic events in American history.“Earlier this year we proclaimed 2017 the ‘Year of Good News’ with the singular mission of bringing the gospel to as many people as possible,” said Greg Laurie, the founder of Harvest America who has been called “the evangelist of the future” by Billy Graham. “Our goal remains to deliver that message through as many channels as possible in order to reach all the way to the ends of the earth, and Harvest America 2017 demonstrated what’s possible in this new world.”In addition to the 38,000 people who attended the free Harvest America outreach at the University of Phoenix Stadium, millions around the world participated in Harvest America 2017 through a live broadcast via Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), which this year broadcast Harvest America live for the first time on its global family of networks which spans 174 countries; online streaming via www.HarvestAmerica.com and on World Net Daily; live radio broadcasts carried by more than 600 radio outlets; and live simulcasts to more than 3,758 host locations across the U.S., including churches, homes and theaters.The online stream at www.HarvestAmerica.com was viewed live in 83 countries around the world. The broadcast was additionally available on Facebook LIVE.Appearing onstage with evangelist Greg Laurie was Phoenix’s own American Idol Jordin Sparks, as well as popular Christian artists NEEDTOBREATHE, MercyMe, Trip Lee, Phil Wickham and NBC The Voice’s Brennley Brown.All who participated in Harvest America united behind one message, the eternal hope that can be found through a relationship with Jesus Christ, which was presented by Laurie during his talk which answered the question, “what is the meaning of life?”Referencing the story of the prodigal son, Laurie said, “Maybe you don’t know God or maybe, like the prodigal son, you know God but you’ve turned your back on Him. Maybe you have things that should make you happy, but don’t make you happy. What’s the answer? Jesus. The missing piece you are looking for is Jesus Christ, because he will give you the meaning in life that you want.”Laurie continued, “If you decide to come back to God, He wants to throw his arms around you and say welcome home son, welcome home daughter, I’ve missed you—just like father of prodigal son. The father ran to the son, and that’s what he will do if you come to Him. He accepted the son as he was, in tattered rags. You might think that you need to clean up your life before you come to God, but He says come as you are and he will forgive you, he will accept you, he will change you. You’re not too old or young.”Laurie preached from one of Billy Graham’s Bibles, a Bible first given to the Hollywood icon Steve McQueen after his conversion. McQueen is the subject of Laurie’s latest book, Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American Icon, which releases Tuesday, June 13.Inviting those in Phoenix and those watching around the world to put their faith in Christ, Laurie urged, “One sin is enough to keep you out of heaven. Every one of us has sinned. God doesn’t grade on a curve, but that’s where Jesus comes in. You must recognize you are a sinner, but then you must recognize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you. If you want your sins forgiven, if you want your guilt taken away, if you want to find meaning and purpose in your life, come forward. I’m going to ask you to get up out of your seats and make a stand for Jesus Christ.”At the end of the evening, thousands of people walked down to the floor of the University of Phoenix Stadium to indicate their decision to follow Jesus Christ, and thousands more registered their commitment online or at host locations nationwide.More than 420 local churches and up to 10,000 volunteers participated in Harvest America 2017, many of whom are members of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), which is gathering in Phoenix for its annual convention this week. The SBC and its North American Missions Board (NAMB) collaborated with Harvest America to make the outreach its 29th annual Crossover evangelism event. Crossover support included local community service, street evangelism and a “Tell Someone” rally held Friday night.“We are unbelievably grateful for the support of local churches throughout the Valley of the Sun, the Southern Baptist Convention, the North American Mission Board, and especially for Kevin Ezell who saw what we envisioned from the beginning,” said Laurie. “Together, we all worked to bring the Gospel to this community and to bring it from this community throughout the world.”Before Harvest America 2017, Greg Laurie’s Harvest events had drawn more than 5.7 million people to stadiums and arenas around the world since 1990, with another 1.8 million people attending virtually via the internet.Harvest Crusades with Greg Laurie will hold its next outreach, 2017 SoCal Harvest, at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, Aug. 18-20. On June 10, 2018, Harvest Crusades will take Harvest America back to the Dallas Metroplex.In addition to founding the Harvest Crusades, Laurie also serves as senior pastor of one of the largest churches in America, Harvest Christian Fellowship, which has campuses in Riverside and Irvine, California, and Maui, Hawaii. He serves on the board of directors for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.WATCH HARVEST AMERICA 2017 - GREG LAURIE'S MESSAGE: WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE?

Harvest Crusades Story: 'I'd Been a Meth Addict For Over 20 Years'

“When I came to the Harvest Crusade it was the last place you would expect me to be, but obviously God had an appointment for me there,” said Thomas, who now serves as a ministry leader for a team at his church that engages new believers with follow-up. “I came to the Harvest in 2008. That’s where I received Christ. I was 43 years old. Up until that point, I had been a methamphetamine addict for over 20 years.”Listen to his amazing story of transformation in the One Ten Pictures video below.

TogetherLA.net to LIVESTREAM Harvest America 2017

When world-renowned evangelist Greg Laurie takes the stage at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona this Sunday, a life-changing message of hope will go global, organizers said. Harvest America 2017, an unprecedented, one-day evangelistic outreach, will bring the love of Christ "live" to hundreds of millions of people worldwide.The TogetherLA.net website has been officially named as a platform to livestream Harvest America 2017 with Greg Laurie, scheduled for this Sunday (June 11) in the University of Phoenix stadium and as a nationwide live simulcast beginning at 5 pm (PT).Simply go to TogetherLA.net to watch the Harvest America 2017 broadcast on Sunday."Just before He returned to Heaven, Jesus instructed His disciples to take His Gospel message to the ends of the earth," said Laurie, founder of the Harvest America outreach. "With state-of-the art technology and the help of our partners, TBN and the Southern Baptist Convention, we are responding to Christ's challenge with a one-night, global outreach unlike anything done before," added Laurie, who has been called "the evangelist of the future" by Billy Graham and has been leading Harvest events for more than a quarter century.While technology will be used to reach a national and international audience, hands and feet will be at work reaching those in the Phoenix area. Thousands of volunteers from the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting, which will take place in Phoenix just after Harvest America, will serve in various capacities to engage and interact with attendees and the wider community before, during and after the one-night event.In addition to the message of hope delivered by Laurie, Harvest America will feature music from top name Christian artists including NEEDTOBREATHE, MercyMe, Jordin Sparks, Trip Lee, Phil Wickham and Brennley Brown. Harvest America is free to attend and open to all who come—in person, online, or via the live satellite broadcast.Founded in 1990 by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside and Irvine, Calif., and Maui, Hawaii, Harvest Crusade events have been attended by more than 7.6 million people worldwide, both in-person and via live Internet broadcasts. In 2012, a new nationwide simulcast called Harvest America was born, expanding the reach of the gospel even further. The 2016 Harvest America event, held at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, was live streamed to more than 7,200 remote host locations and drew a combined 357,000 participants, making it the largest one-day live evangelistic event in American history.

Harvest Crusades Story: ‘I’d Been a Meth Addict For Over 20 Years’

Reaching a Changing World with God’s Unchanging Word

In ministry, some things must never change but others must change constantly.Clearly, God’s five purposes for his church are non-negotiable. If a church fails to balance the five purposes of worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism, then it’s no longer a healthy church, and it’s in danger of becoming simply a social club.On the other hand, the way or style in which we fulfill these eternal purposes must continually be adjusted and modified because human culture is always changing. Our message must never change, but the way we deliver that message must be constantly updated to reach each new generation.[ictt-tweet-blockquote hashtags="" via=""]Our message must never change, but the way we deliver that message must be constantly updated to reach each new generation. [/ictt-tweet-blockquote]In other words, our message of transformation must never change while the transformation of our presentation should be continual, adapting to the new languages of our culture.Consider this: the word contemporary literally means with temporariness. By nature, nothing contemporary is meant to last forever! It is only effective for a while and only relevant in that particular moment – which’s what makes it contemporary.What is considered contemporary and relevant in the next ten years will inevitably appear dated and tired in 20 years. As a pastor, I’ve watched churches adopt many contemporary styles in worship, programming, architecture, music, and evangelism. That’s okay, as long as the biblical message is unchanged.But whatever is in style now will inevitably be out of style soon, and the cycles of change are getting shorter and shorter, aided by technology and the media. New styles and preferences, like fashions, are always emerging.Let me give you a word of advice. Never attach your church to a single style – you’ll soon be passé, and outdated. One of the secret strengths of Saddleback Church is that we’re constantly adapting; we’ve changed styles of worship, programming, and outreach many, many times in the last 24 years, and we’ll continue to do so because the world keeps changing.The only way to stay relevant is to anchor your ministry to unchanging truths and eternal purposes but be willing to continually adapt how you communicate those truths and purposes.Our members are constantly on mission to bring their friends and neighbors to our weekend services, where we reach out to non-believers – particularly those who have no real church background – by singing songs they can embrace, by voicing prayers that help them relate, and by preaching messages they understand. We make Christianity available on an introductory level to any visitor to Saddleback.You might wonder if we attract these visitors by watering down the Gospel, but we don’t; we simply communicate it in ways that non-believers understand! Jesus drew enormous crowds without compromising the message. He was clear, practical, loving, and he presented his timeless message in a contemporary fashion.Lost people have a need for meaning, a need for purpose, a need for forgiveness, a need for love. They want to know how to make right decisions, how to protect their family, how to handle suffering, and how to have hope in our world. These are all issues we have answers for, yet millions are ignoring the message of Christ because we insist on communicating in ways that make little sense any more.In a sense, we’ve made the Gospel too difficult for a changing culture to understand. Let me give you this analogy: Imagine a missionary going overseas and saying, “I’m here to share the Good News, but first you have to learn to speak my language, learn my customs, and sing my style of music.” You can immediately see why this strategy would fail.Yet, we do that all the time in a culture that is in radical flux. If we want to reach people in the current century, we must start thinking differently. Paul said, “I become all things to all men that I may, in some way, save some.” And I think that means if you’re in California, you should have a California culture church. If you’re in Ohio, you should have an Ohio culture church. If you’re in Mississippi, you should have a Mississippi culture church.But I also think that means if you’re in the 21st Century, you should have a 21st Century church. I believe the most overlooked requirement in the church is to have spiritually mature members – members who unselfishly limit their own preferences of what they think a church should look like in order to reach lost people for Christ. As Jesus said in Luke 5:38, “New wine must be poured into new wineskins!”Here’s a simple tradition to break in the 21st Century: stop thinking of the church as an institution. Regardless of the language we’ve used, we boomers have tended to see the church as an organization, but the emerging generations – and a lot of us Beatle-era boomers – are desperately looking for community.We need to present the church as a place where you belong, a family where, as they sang on Cheers, everybody knows your name. Now you and I may know that the church is a community, but emerging generations have never seen it that way. They’ve seen a list of rules, not a loving community. This is a prime example of an opportunity to re-state the eternal truths of the Bible in a fresh, contemporary way.Emerging generations are also focused on the experiential, and that means we have to adjust the way we teach and preach because most traditional churches focus almost exclusively on the intellect. In the 21st Century church, we not only want people to know about God, we also want them to actually encounter God.Of course, this means rather than preaching simply for information, we should also preach for action. Our message is not meant to just inform, but to transform the lives of those in our congregation. In almost every single sermon I preach every point has a verb in it – something to do. What are you going to do now that you know this godly truth?Why do I do it this way? Because God says, “Be doers of the word, not hearers only,” and our entire Purpose Driven process at Saddleback is designed to move people, not only into intimacy with God, but also into service for him, where they’ll experience a deep and broader faith in the midst of community and ministry.Since planting Saddleback, spiritual seekers have changed a lot. In the first place, there are a whole lot more of them. There are seekers everywhere! Because seekers are constantly changing, we must be sensitive to them like Jesus was, be willing to meet them on their own turf, and speak to them in ways they understand.Remember: the world changes but the Word doesn’t. To be effective in ministry we must learn to live with the tension between those two.My prayer is that God will use you the way he used David, as described in Acts 13:36, to serve God’s purpose in your generation. We need churches that are timeless and timely at the same time. May God use you greatly and may you fulfill his purpose for your life.The above article by Rick Warren was originally published at Pastors.com.

READ: Broken City: Is There Hope For Los Angeles?

What Doesn't Kill You Will... ?

What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.I have heard that saying all of my life. I had coaches, teachers, mentors, and even my own parents tell me that from time to time. In that statement, is courage, hope, faith, disbelief, struggle, surrender, and strength... just to name a few.In that one simple phrase is not only the hope that what is going on will soon pass but the strength to not allow for your mind to kill your effort to get to the end. Like a good fire that crackles and burns with intensity, if you don’t add wood, will soon die out. Our best efforts are just trying to get through the next hour without having a moment where we want to do like Michael Jackson in the “Scream” video.With the recent commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the L.A. Riots, it is hard to believe that this time in history made us any stronger when we still have police killing innocent black males in our cities.It is hard to believe that we were made stronger when we have folks that profess to being Christians, yet pimp and look down on the poor and disenfranchised. It is hard to believe that we were made stronger in the aftermath of the L.A. Riots when we still look at women as objects and not the crucible of generations. It is hard to believe that we were made stronger when there is more money given to prison development than to educating young minds.It is hard to believe that we were made stronger when the rich control the purse strings and the poor must dance to a tune of the puppet master. It is hard to believe that we were made stronger when families are being is dismantled systematically in our black and brown neighborhoods.The other side of what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger is hope and an unrelenting spirit to keep pushing through the pain of life’s hurdles.In the Word, it states that if we faint not in well doing, we will reap blessings. Can we find the blessings in the midst of the death that is going on in our souls? Could it be that if we learn how to control our breathing, we won’t have an asthma attack on the narratives of society? Could it be that we have to find the strength to push through the muck and mire of this journey?Strength. That is what we need in this time when we are suffocating on the smog of racism, sexism, gender-ism, and other isms.Strength is what some of the brothers who I went to Morehouse with found when they needed to stay up late nights to study, knowing that their financial aid might not come through for the next semester. Strength is what my dear friend needed when he got the call that his dad been found after looking for him for most of his life. Strength is what is needed when you want to hear the voice of your mom but there isn’t a phone in heaven.Strength is what what the young boy needs who is dealing with everything from learning how to tie a tie to knowing what to say to that young lady at school while having no father to glean from. Strength is what is needed for the woman who is abused, to say enough is enough and begin her migration to something better.Strength is what is needed to start an organization like K.I.N.G. Movement that allows men to have a space to disembark their feelings, yet have space for a brotherhood revival. Strength is knowing that marriages can survive the storm if both have faith-survival skills.Strength is that uncanny ability to not allow the vicissitudes of life to kill our spirit. Our spirit will need to live, in spite of our experiences. It is that ability to reach down inside of our being to find the fortitude to, in the words of the my grandmother, keep on keeping on.Our strength is able to capture the hope of our tomorrows and allow for us to deal with the problems of today. Strength is what is needed for the generations that will come behind us to be more educated in civic engagement and social justice. Strength is what we will need in this new age of us versus them in our political pool. Strength is how we will get over our differences of opinion on race. Strength is what the church offers on Sunday morning when the choir sings the hymn with the words, “His eye is on the sparrow, so I know that He watches, He watches me.”Strength is what I see when I hold my mother’s hand. Strength is what I see in the eyes of parents of my predominantly Hispanic students, knowing that this battle is not theirs but the Lord's. Strength is what I hear in the voice of my father, when he reminds me that my last name matters in the equation of my being.Strength is what feel when I tell my children, I love you... and as long as I live I will ALWAYS have your back!Editor's Note: This post was originally published at Cedric Nelms Ministries.

Why Unity Is an Inside Job

It’s too easy to point out the wrong in the world. So where does that leave hope for unity on this planet?Coming up with dirt on someone is not only easy, it can become an obsession.I will not mention names, but holding up a “life-like” decapitated bloody head of a U.S. president during a video and photo shoot as a person who is pretty much a mainstream comedienne — not a good idea — and an easy, quick news story for pretty much anyone in the world to share by tweet, instagram, blog, or with the resources to do so, broadcast on a 24-hr cable/stream global news network.So, I’ve made an effort, although there has been a strong temptation and I’ve also failed at times, to not obsess or comment on the fact that the aforementioned person’s error was majorly significant, and to not explain why so.You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of a cup and the dish, but inside you are still filthy — full of greed and wickedness! (Luke 11:39) We all contain some residue of wrongdoing, as stated in the Life Recovery Bible devotional I’m reading this morning.When we admit this to God, to ourselves, and to others, we will experience the cleansing of humility and forgiveness. And here is where it gets really important, especially considering the times we live in. Then we will have a life that can bring refreshment to others.It’s times like this, times like the morning after the latest attacks on innocents in London, that I believe it’s best we begin with prayer and move towards solution as quickly as possible.

God, grant me the Serenityto accept the things I cannot change.The courage to change the things I can,and the wisdom to know the difference.Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time;Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is;Not as I would have it;Trusting that You will make all things rightif I surrender to Your will;So that I may be reasonably happy in this lifeand supremely happy with You forever in the next.AMEN--Reinhold Niebuhr

How then do we move together in unity towards solution? First, as individuals, we begin seeking God for answers, whether as a non-believer who first asks Him into their heart, or as a believer, follower of Jesus, who asks Him to still their heart and give direction.Unity or revival first comes from people who have been transformed from the inside themselves. To expect others to automatically fall in line with your idea of what God wants to do in all of our lives is too much to ask.Changing those things in our life that we can change involves taking steps to clean the inside of our ‘cup,’ our heart. We must begin by turning our eyes away from everyone around us, including those we blame for our condition in life or those we condemn to make our wrongs seem less in comparison. Then we can get back to looking within ourselves.Once we come to a place of unity in prayer and thought then we can begin to shine together.If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight is shining on you. (Luke 11:36)[ictt-tweet-blockquote hashtags="" via=""]Once we come to a place of unity in prayer and thought then we can begin to shine together.[/ictt-tweet-blockquote]

Racial and Class Division: What Have We Learned?

Seattle Reboot: Life After Mars Hill; A Teaching Moment?

Editor's Note: The era of Mars Hill Church and its founding pastor Mark Driscoll is a phenomena not easily forgotten within the Christian community—especially for members who were a part of the Seattle-based movement. TogetherLA felt it worthy to refresh our memories as to what happened in a general way and perhaps learn from what had to be a teaching moment for many, many people. Below is an outstanding piece written by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra for The Gospel Coalition. Readers can begin reading and follow the link provided below for the full article.

Seattle Reboot: Life After Mars Hill

By Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra

Four years ago, Mars Hill Church in Seattle seemed too big to fail.Just 17 years old, the church was drawing an average weekly attendance of 12,329 to 15 locations. In fiscal year 2013 alone, Mars Hill baptized more than 1,000 people, planted 53 churches in India, and supported 20 church planters and evangelists in Ethiopia. It released 50 new worship songs, gave away more than 3,000 Bibles in the United States and Ethiopia, and took in nearly $25 million in tithes and offerings.Then, in a few breathtaking months, the whole thing collapsed. Founder and lead pastor Mark Driscoll’s bent toward the provocative, which was part of his draw, increasingly came under fire, fanned by a series of controversies.Driscoll announced he was taking a break in August 2014, then resigned less than two months later. By the end of October, lead preaching pastor Dave Bruskas announced the whole thing was shutting down.“We don’t have anything in church history this apocalyptic, as far as a behemoth like Mars Hill—not only a city but national and international voice—collapsing in a two-month period,” said Taproot Church pastor Dan Braga, who watched the whole thing from the adjacent suburb of Burien.Mars Hill’s final announcement was optimistic: “With her final breath, Mars Hill gave birth to 11 newly independent churches where, by God’s grace, the gospel will continue to be preached, his name will be glorified, and thousands will be saved by Jesus.”Technically, that was true. But the legacy of Mars Hill is a lot more complicated...

READ FULL STORY AT THE GOSPEL COALITION

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Broken City: Is There Hope For Los Angeles?

BROKEN CITY: Is there hope for Los Angeles? We continue the conversation 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. #santamonica #losangeles #dtla #dtlaartsdistrict #hollywood #venicebeach #carson #boyleheights #inglewood #silverlake #echopark #westwood #culvercity #westside #southbay #valley #longbeach #torrance

A post shared by TogetherLA (@together_la) on Jun 1, 2017 at 6:35am PDT

Salvation Army's National Donut Day: Joey Chestnut Wins 1st-Ever World Donut-Eating Championship

UPDATE: Joey Chestnut, best known for being a multi-year winner of Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contests (currently reigning champ), won the first-ever Salvation Army National Donut Day World Donut-Eating Championship by downing 55 coffee and water dunked donuts in 8 minutes. The event took place at Santa Monica Place Mall on Friday before a slew of media and a lunchtime mall crowd.READ BELOW for history of National Donut Day and The Salvation Army's one of many services to the U.S. and world.SANTA MONICA – Number-one-ranked competitive eating champion Joey Chestnut, a San Jose native, will make his way to Santa Monica to compete in the first-ever Salvation Army National Donut Day World Donut-Eating Championship, an event focused on not just entertainment but giving back – as part of a fundraising challenge for much-needed veteran services in greater Los Angeles.

NEWS RELEASE

Top Competitive Eaters Converge in Santa Monica to Win $2,000 in Prize Money

Major League Eating is proud to team up with The Salvation Army for the first-ever National Donut Day World Donut-Eating Championship, slated for June 2, 2017 at Santa Monica Place, located at 395 Santa Monica Pl. Santa Monica, 90401. Competitors will be in place and ready to go at 12 noon. Then they’ll have eight minutes to consume as many glazed donuts as they can. Will there be a new world record in the donut discipline? Let’s see how the donut crumbles!“Major League Eating is honored to celebrate the Salvation Army’s significant role in bringing the donut from the Western Front of World War I to every town in America,” says event MLE emcee Sam Barclay. “And we will celebrate the only way we know how—by eating a lot of donuts, very, very quickly."

National Donut Day History

This event is part of The Salvation Army’s annual tradition, National Donut Day, which began in 1938 as a fundraiser and a way to honor the memory of The Salvation Army’s volunteer “Donut Lassies,” who served some of the comforts of home (donuts and coffee) to soldiers during World War I. At the time, these volunteers were the only female non-military personnel stationed on the front lines – and they prepared the donuts using hot oil, a stove, and the steel helmets made by the U.S. military.Today, the Salvation Army’s tradition of caring for our men and women in uniform continues full-stride. In Southern California alone, The Salvation Army operates numerous homeless shelters to help veterans get back on their feet, including Bell Shelter—one of the largest homeless shelters in greater Los Angeles. Major League Eating is honored to join The Salvation Army to help bring attention to their considerable work.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since 1880 in the United States. Today, more than 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and underprivileged children. About 82 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in 7,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmy-socal.org.

About Major League Eating

Major League Eating (MLE), the World governing body of all stomach-centric sports, conducts more than 80 events annually, including the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y. The competitive eating community, which numbers more than 8,000 veteran and rookie athletes, travels the World in search of top titles and the glory that they provide. For more information, visit www.majorleagueeating.com.Press ContactsMajor League Eating: Tess O’Brien, 212-352-8651The Salvation Army, Southern California: Robert Brennan, 818-648-9098Alexis Hauk, 770-361-5826

Racial and Class Division: What Have We Learned?

I can still remember seeing the news footage of white truck driver, Reginald Denny being pulled from his semi-trailer and beaten by a group of African American men in the street at Florence and Normandie in Los Angeles.This seemed to me at the time a horrific conclusion to the news footage about a year earlier of the vicious beating of an African American man named Rodney King by Los Angeles Police Officers. The 1992 LA Riots were a reaction to the not guilty verdicts of the officers on trial for beating Rodney King. The beatings of Rodney King and Reginald Denny became tragic symbols of racial tensions that some thought had been dealt with during the Civil Rights Movement. Our nation would learn in 1992 that we were nowhere close to truly living out the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. [ictt-tweet-inline via=""]The church still today at even greater levels must be a force of transformative truth, new life, reconciliation, justice, and empowering love.[/ictt-tweet-inline] In the Spring of 1992, I was a senior in college at Saint John’s University in Central Minnesota. This was also a time of discovery for me. During this time I had a real sense of being called to ministry. I discovered a strong passion for racial reconciliation. During my junior and senior years in college I watched the Civil Rights Documentary Eyes on the Prize multiple times. It took time to digest this original PBS series that spanned the key moments in the African American struggle for equality between the mid 1950s to the early 1970s.As I watched the news footage of the 1992 LA Riots from my college dorm room, I began to wonder how far we had really come in this nation when it came to race. I also sensed a call to play some role in being a reconciler and transformer within the racial divide in a meaningful way. The writings of theologian J. Deotis Roberts would provide a biblical foundation for me in understanding both liberation and reconciliation as central to the work of Christ.While in seminary working on a Master’s degree in theology, I would wrestle deeply with the writings and sermons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Still to this day, I don’t believe that violent riots are the answer to racial injustice. I also don’t believe that colorblind conservative commentary is the answer to violent riots.I believe that ultimately, the transformative work of advancing God’s Kingdom in a diverse yet deeply divided mission field is the way forward. A holistic and biblical understanding of missions can bring evangelism, discipleship, leadership development, church development, and Christ-centered justice to bear upon the racial and class division which still exist today. This is why World Impact exists to empower urban indigenous Christian leaders today.World Impact as an urban missions organization was originally birthed during the Watts Riots of 1965 (pictured) and was given even greater clarity of mission and purpose during the LA Riots of 1992.In the last couple of years we have once again seen protests and riots in cities all across this country. The cries and even the unfortunate violent acts of some of the poor, marginalized, and oppressed among us is a continual call to the Church to remember its true mission in alignment with the public ministry, death, and resurrection of Christ.The church still today at even greater levels must be a force of transformative truth, new life, reconciliation, justice, and empowering love. Where there is violence and riots, there must be love, redemption, empowerment, and transformation.The above commentary was originally published at WorldImpact.org.Efrem Smith is the President and CEO of World Impact, a Christian missions organization committed to the church-planting movement in the inner city.