Christian Leaders React To Charlottesville Chaos; Enter Twitter Firestorm

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LOS ANGELES — A firestorm of reaction to the events unfolding in Charlottesville, Virginia, continued Sunday morning with Christian leaders taking to Twitter to express their views.Charlottesville chaos"The 'Cross' will always be more powerful than the swastika! #Charlottesviille," tweeted Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President of National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC)/CONEL, which is America's largest Latino Evangelical organization.

On Saturday evening, author and pastor Erwin McManus of Mosaic in Los Angeles, tweeted, "We cannot unite with hate. We must stand against it. You cannot reason with racism. You must condemn it. The church must lead the way. NOW!"

Leaders all over the United States are responding via social media to an eruption of demonstrations and violence in Charlottesville that began overnight on Friday and included the death of Heather Heyer, 32, run over by a person driving a car on Saturday, who is in police custody.It is reported that violent clashes between white nationalists and counterprotesters began prior to a Unite the Right rally that was being held to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The city of Charlottesville voted to remove the statue earlier this year, but it remains in the Emacipation Park, formerly known as Lee Park, pending a judge’s ruling expected later this month, according to the Washington Post. Police have ordered hundreds of people out of a downtown park, resulting in the cancellation of a noon rally, according to reports.Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency shortly before 11 a.m., blaming the violence on “mostly out-of-state protesters.”“I am disgusted by the hatred, bigotry and violence these protesters have brought to our state over the past 24 hours,” McAuliffe (D) said.“I am heartbroken that a life has been lost here. I urge all people of good will — go home,” Signer wrote on Twitter.Harvest America and Harvest SoCal evangelist Greg Laurie tweeted, "These people in Charlottesville do not represent the Christian faith in any way, shape or form. Racism is sin."

D.A. Horton, who serves as Pastor of Reach Fellowship a church plant in North Long Beach and as Chief Evangelist for the Urban Youth Workers Institute (UYWI), began a long Twitter thread by stating, "Healing begins when infection is cleaned out. #Charlottesville needed to happen so more people realize our nation isn't 'post-racial'! 1/2."

Charlottesville Chaos: Leaders Chime In (LIVE UPDATES)

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LATEST UPDATE: Christian Leaders React To Charlottesville Chaos; Enter Twitter Firestorm

LOS ANGELES — Leaders all over the United States are responding via social media to an overnight and ongoing eruption of demonstrations and violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, including the death of one person run over by a person driving a car on Saturday.It is reported that violent clashes between white nationalists and counterprotesters began prior to a Unite the Right rally that was being held to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The city of Charlottesville voted to remove the statue earlier this year, but it remains in the Emacipation Park, formerly known as Lee Park, pending a judge’s ruling expected later this month, according to the Washington Post. Police have ordered hundreds of people out of a downtown park, resulting in the cancellation of a noon rally, according to reports.Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency shortly before 11 a.m., blaming the violence on “mostly out-of-state protesters.”“I am disgusted by the hatred, bigotry and violence these protesters have brought to our state over the past 24 hours,” McAuliffe (D) said."I am heartbroken that a life has been lost here. I urge all people of good will — go home," Signer wrote on Twitter. He did not provide details as to how the death occurred.The following are posts by leaders in the Christian and political world in response to the events at Charlottesville:UPDATE: 9:04 PM PT

UPDATE 3:41 PM PT

Published 1:30 PM PT

TLA Charlottesville imagePhoto: Screengrab of Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesUPDATE 2:25 PM PT

UPDATE 3:15 PM PT

UPDATE 3:25 PM PT

Backyard BBQ Evangelism: True Story Of Outside-The-Church-Walls Ministry

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We have to start letting go of some of our long-held ideas about church and ministry. Especially when it comes to evangelism and outreach.But it’s not always easy.[ictt-tweet-blockquote]Don't force people to do ministry your way. Help them with the ministry they're already passionate about.[/ictt-tweet-blockquote]Here’s a true story that illustrates that reality. (I’ve kept some details vague, and adjusted others slightly to protect the identity of the pastor and church in question.)

The Backyard BBQ

Recently, I was talking with a small church pastor who was upset at his deacons."I have five deacons," he told me. "And they help out everywhere but at the church. One of them builds houses for Habitat for Humanity, the others volunteer at the senior center, the homeless shelter, the food bank, and as an assistant coach for the high school football team. That last one makes me especially angry.""Why is that?” I asked.“Well, we have no youth group. On youth nights my wife and I set everything up, then we hope someone shows up. Usually it’s only two or three kids. Sometimes none. But this deacon spends a lot of time with teenagers outside the church. In fact, he has a huge backyard, so two or three times a year he has all the football players over for a BBQ. Since all the players go, all the cheerleaders go, and soon half the high school is at his house, but our church doesn’t have a youth group.”“It sounds to me like your church does have a youth group,” I told him. “It’s in his backyard.""You don't get what I'm saying," the pastor responded. "Those kids don't come to our church, just to his backyard BBQs."“No, I heard you," I responded, as gently as I could. "But you're not getting what I'm saying. You need to call him and volunteer to help out at the next BBQ. Then, when you show up, don’t bring a big ol’ Bible or wear your clerical collar. It’s a small town. They all know who you are. Help flip burgers and toss a ball around with the kids.“After a couple parties, you can earn their trust. If you do, some day one of the kids will pull you aside to tell you his parents are about to get a divorce, or that she's been cutting her arms with a razor blade, and you’re the only pastor they know that they can tell these things to.“Your deacon’s BBQs are giving you a chance to meet and minister to kids who would never come to a church. Don’t get upset about it, be there for it!“And while you’re at it, call the other deacons and ask them how your church can help them build houses, feed the poor and minister to seniors. Don't force people to do ministry your way. Help them with the ministry they're already passionate about.”backyard bbq

Go Where They Are

Unfortunately, this pastor never got what I was trying to say. For him, the only ministry that counted was what happened inside the walls of the church.I wish this was an isolated incident. But we all know it’s not. There are far too many pastors and churches that don’t consider ministry valid unless it happens within the walls of their church building.But Jesus never called us to bring people into a church building. He told us to go to them. On the streets, in the marketplaces and at backyard BBQs.If we’re going to reach the next generation, we’ll need to get much better at doing ministry from the church, not just in the church.Keep your eyes and ears open to what’s already happening in your community through the members of your church. Then step up to help.

Regaining Trust

For generations, local churches were the center of many communities. They were places of hope and welcome. They aren’t seen that way anymore.We’ve lost people’s trust. Through scandal after scandal and one political fight after another, we’ve so diluted the pure, simple gospel message that more and more people no longer have the church on their list of possible places to find help, healing, or answers to their questions.In addition to keeping our doors open, we need to look for places where their doors are open so we can meet them on their turf. Start new relationships and nurture friendships where they are, instead of insisting they do it our way.We need to earn their trust again. But it’s not about getting them to trust an institution. Quite frankly, I don’t care if people who have been burned by the institutional church ever trust it again. They need to know they can trust Jesus. And his followers.For a lot of people, that will only happen outside the church’s physical and institutional walls, not inside them.That’s okay. In fact, it’s more than okay. It may force us to rediscover our true mission and purpose again.After all, outside the walls is where Jesus did his best work. Why should his followers be any different?This article first appeared on ChristianityToday.com. Used in its entirety by permission of author to republish.

8 Questions For Churches at a Crossroads

Skid Row: Not By Bread Alone

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The homeless on LA’s Skid Row are in desperate straits, but giving them more food will not solve their problems

Editor's Note (World Magazine): This article includes disturbing and graphic descriptions of homeless life in LA’s Skid Row.On a warm Friday afternoon in downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row, the acrid stench of fresh-spilled blood stung the congealed odors of fossilized urine and unwashed feet. A man whom locals call Turban stabbed three individuals, leaving a half-mile trail of blood and screams until police officers shot at him six times.

BY SOPHIA LEE

Ronald Troy Collins heard the shrieks from the store he manages at the corner where Turban stabbed his first victim—then his second, and then the third (all, including Turban, survived). Collins knows Turban as the guy who sells cigarettes on the streets, relatively harmless until the day he smoked spice, a synthetic marijuana that regularly sends people to emergency rooms. As sirens blared and the police swarmed over in cars, bicycles, and helicopters, Collins prayed, “Oh Lord, help him, help them, help us.”Such savagery doesn’t surprise Collins, who calls it “another normal-day event in Skid Row.” It only made news because the police shot a man. As someone who’s lived homeless sporadically for 35 years and is still homeless, the 50-year-old Collins has witnessed a multitude of base acts in Skid Row: that deranged, reeking man with an unzipped fly who harasses women with his exposed crotch; drug sale transactions right outside of drug-rehab facilities; spontaneous combustions of shrill arguments and brutal fistfights; public urination and defecation; sex between men and men, women and women, even some bestiality. “There are no rules or regulations down here, nothing! A modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah, pretty much.”I’ve also heard locals refer to this 11,000-resident territory as “Devil’s Den,” “man-made hell,” and “where people go to die.” If LA is the homeless capital of America (see “Homeless on the streets of LA,” April 1) , Skid Row serves as its junkyard, collecting the rusting heap of issues that encompass the city’s homelessness crisis.... READ FULL STORY AT WORLD MAGAZINETLA skid rowPhoto: Edward PadgettLA Pastors’ Bottom Line: We Want to Help the City That We Live In

8 Questions for Churches at a Crossroads

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One of our core values at Grace Hills is, “We stay fast, fluid, and flexible. There are no sacred cows. We embrace the pain of change for the win of seeing more people meeting Jesus.”I wrote that one knowing that of all of our other core values, it would probably be the hardest to honor over the long haul. It addresses the crossroads where theology meets psychology, where truth, mission, and fear intermingle. Change is hard.The American evangelical church is in a rather desperate condition. You’ve heard that America is a “Christian” nation and that Christianity is dominant. Perhaps it’s the popular religion, but far fewer people are attending church than we realize. And we’re only planting one-fourth of the number of new churches needed to keep pace with America’s current population growth and rate of decline in existing churches.churches at a crossroadsSo churches absolutely must change and adapt if they will remain relevant to the culture.I realize many Christian leaders don’t like that terminology, so let me clarify that God’s Word, the Gospel, Jesus, and the church as Jesus intended it to be have always been, are now, and always will be relevant without our help. But we often hold on extra-biblical traditions and ideas that severely limit our ability to communicate with a young generation, an influx of immigrants, and a culture being shaped by its technology and entertainment more than its religious and historical roots.In other words, if Satan’s goal is to blind the minds of those who don’t know Christ to the Gospel, we often help by handing out blinders such as inauthenticity, racism, ethno-centrism, traditionalism, and political power struggles driven by fear and selfishness.But if God’s desire to enlarge his family matter . . . if people who are lost forever without the Gospel matter . . . and if the church of the future matters . . . we will embrace the pain of change for the win of seeing more people meeting Jesus.I don’t have all the answers, but I think I have a few, and they are rooted in my understanding of the Gospel’s effect on a community and my experience interacting with thousands of pastors and churches in the last few years. As I look at the landscape of stable or slightly declining existing churches that are fighting hard to stay afloat in the current of a rapidly changing culture, I see some common factors that must be addressed by church leaders. Here are some tough questions I believe every church ought to honestly ask:

  • Are we really all about Jesus? Is he the head? Does he have preeminence? Are we clear with people that it is to Jesus, and not to a consumer-oriented experience, that we are inviting them? Attraction is good. Jesus was attractive. But are we honest about to whom we are inviting people?
  • Will we hold tightly to our historical, biblical theology? Will biblical inerrancy, which has survived a tough struggle in some circles, continue to thrive among evangelical leaders? Will we be faithful to the Word of him who is the one and only way, truth, and life?
  • Will we place our need to control, which is based on fear, on the altar as a sacrifice and begin to rely on the Holy Spirit? Will we trust his under-shepherds without the red tape of boards, committees, and votes? Will we listen to Hebrews 13:17?
  • Will we embrace people from other cultures and backgrounds? Will we finally put to death the idea of the white church, black church, Hispanic church, etc.? Can we value our cultural heritage without the competitive idea that my culture is better than your culture?
  • Will we create a safe place for people to deal with their hurts, habits, and hang-ups in the light of the Gospel? Can we ever assure people that we won’t use their past against them and handcuff them to their shame?
  • Can we grow up and get over our demand for our own preferences to be met? Will we be able to adapt our communication to the language of humanity instead of church-ese? Will we welcome newcomers with love and wisdom, and listen and learn from them rather than leaving the responsibility of adaptation to them?
  • Will we make prayer and submission to God the priority over polished productions and performances?
  • Will we take risks, spend money, change names, reconstitute, relaunch, help the new church plant down the street, and venture into new mission fields by faith rather than remaining safe and comfortable? Not all of these apply to everyone, of course, but will we take the necessary risks?

More than ever, we need to keep our passion hot for Jesus, his truth, his church, new churches, new mission fields, unreached people, uninvolved believers, unforgiven sinners, the least, the last, and the lost. Pretty much everything else can be left behind.Any tough questions you would add? Or how are you wrestling with these and similar issues?

'Justice Rising' Asks Churches to Invest in Ed of Youth in War-Torn Syria

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The Los Angeles-based ministry/advocate group, Justice Rising International, is asking churches to invest in the education of children in war-torn Syria by sending financial donations that would go toward sending them to school this year and next."We keep hearing about the violence in Syria, the incomprehensible pain and suffering of fellow humans, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ," Nicole Watts, Justice Rising's Strategic Development Manager, wrote in a recent article for Church.org. She asks: "How are we as the church in America going to respond?"Justice Rising Aleppo SyriaIn April, a Justice Rising team went to Syria, "going from house to house meeting with those who suffered from war," Watts writes. "Over a cup of thick coffee and some small cookies we asked many people what their greatest needs were. Without hesitation they all replied, 'When you leave, tell the church not to forget about us. We are watching them from here and we see how many are responding to Syria. But we need them. Tell them this is our greatest hour of need, and we need the help of the global church community.'”In the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, a school recently re-opened after being closed for two years as the result of the conflict, according to Justice Rising. The organization wants to help the school and its students.The school was founded with Christian roots and fights against extreme ideology in a predominantly Muslim context. Some of the best teachers have fled, students are traumatized by the war, money is hard to come by and bombs are a constant reminder that each day could be their last."We as a church have the opportunity to respond and support the 880 students that are currently attending this school," Watts wrote. "Teachers need to be paid, materials need to be purchased and the building needs to be repaired from the bombing."Watts continued, "As the sound of bombs could be heard in the distance, Cassandra (Justice Rising Co-Founder) asked at what point they should respond and become worried. Their response: 'We don’t know. We don’t know when they will strike. When a bomb comes and you feel it hit the house, that’s when it’s a concern. But we don’t know when that will be. So we keep living. All we know is that God is good. Even still. He is our protector.'”Justice Rising team members asked the headmaster of the school why he continued to stay and work in Syria, "surely no one would have blamed him for leaving."“After the war, everything was damaged in a critical way. All the furniture was stolen. We had nothing. But we knew the power of education. That is the greatest tool to end terrorism, building schools. So we restarted and opened up our classes. We are growing a generation that knows what the word ‘love’ means,” he said.Every house we visited we seemed to find individuals who were rising up in the midst of conflict, having a stare down with war and coming out with an attitude that said, “I’m not a victim to this situation, but an architect of it” (Quote by: Simon Sinek).

How to Help with Justice Rising in Syria

Justice Rising is asking for people to join them by getting their churches or communities involved in helping to send these students to school in the fall. "For $130 you can send a child to school for the 2017/2018 year or for $1,300 you can send 10 kids to school," organizers state. "Be a part of responding to the crisis. Join us in bringing education to the next generation of leaders in northern Syria."We as the church have the opportunity to respond and invest in the future leaders of this war-torn nation, let us not look back and wish we had done more."For more information and to donate go to www.justicerising.org/donate or text “give” to 213-893-4246.

Did Justin Bieber Gossip Prompt TogetherLA To Start Christian TMZ?

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And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t. — 1 Timothy 5:13I have a confession to make.I think a Christian TMZ would be a successful TV show.Can’t you just see the paparazzi-like action of a Christian TMZ reporter waiting at LAX for Pastor Erwin McManus to arrive from a flight from who-knows-where to stuff a microphone in his face while a camera hurriedly edges-in closer before he closes the door on his, uh, limo?“Erwin, what’s your favorite toothpaste? Can you tell me what your relationship with the LA Clippers is all about? Oh, OK, have a good day, sir!”Of course, back in the newsroom, “Harvey” and his reporters would be watching the video clip and discussing Erwin’s motive for being a Clippers fan.Yes, I think it could work, but the “Harvey" (Levin) role, the newsroom editor-in-chief, would have to be awfully discerning. After all, today’s news is gossip-centric. Much of the world views gossip as king.Do Christians really want to engage in this arena? Apparently so.Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. — Romans 1:29Perhaps because of the unprecedented tracking of Justin Bieber, and perhaps because of his professed love for Jesus, we see a perfect illustration of the fact that there has been no other time in history when celebrities’ “faith journeys” have been reported on with such frequency and intensity.TLA Justin BieberFaithwire, an online news site has chronicled Justin Bieber’s fascinating faith journey, “one that appears to be growing by the day.” And although I belieb (sorry) there may be times when the coverage crosses over the line into unadulterated gossip, I applaud Faithwire for staying on top of the Bieber chronicles."It's fascinating to watch Bieber's faith journey unfold,” Dan Andros, who is the managing editor of Faithwire, told TogetherLA. “Here's a young man with the world at his feet, yet he's discovering that even that isn't enough. He's searching for more — and it sure seems like he's looking in the right direction."Friend and journalist colleague, Billy Hallowell, who is the senior editor at Faithwire, told me this: “Justin Bieber appears to be on a journey — and it’s been fascinating to watch. There are few people in the public eye who are so torn between the secular and spiritual worlds.“Watching him navigate growing up, the pressures of fame and his faith allegiance is intriguing and, on many levels, offers a lens into the struggles that so many of us have as we attempt to reconcile and lead with our faith in a world that doesn’t always value that quest.”Back to my Christian TMZ show.Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. — Proverbs 26:20I once considered being that “Harvey” in the Christian TMZ newsroom.Today, I think not. I’d prefer to see quarrels disappear.Editor's Note: The headline for this story goes totally against my old-school grain. However, when need be, I can play that SEO (search engine optimization), key words, tugging on emotions, game, too! Please forgive me for initiating anything that may appear to be gossip! Headline used for illustration purposes only. ;-)

'Joni' Newly Digitized Film; Tada 'Celebrates' 50th Anniversary of Accident

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Joni Eareckson Tada plans to mark the 50th anniversary of the diving accident that left her a quadriplegic in a wheelchair with a celebration, including a red carpet premiere of the newly-digitized film “Joni” on Sunday (Aug. 6, 2017).“While most people wouldn’t celebrate their 50th anniversary in a wheelchair, we see this event as a true celebration of Joni’s life, and all that God has accomplished through her ministry because of her 50 years as a quadriplegic,” said Joni and Friends President and COO Doug Mazza, clarifying the reason for the festivities surrounding the digitized film’s Premiere.“So we thought this timing for the ‘Joni’ digitization and Red Carpet Premiere couldn’t be better, and we wanted to mark the occasion with fanfare as well as recognition for others who have been used by God in disability ministry, including our great friend Pastor Shawn Thornton.”Joni and Friends contracted with Fotokem to complete the digitization, and has exclusive rights to show the film for one year, before Worldwide Pictures assumes distribution rights.“We appreciate our friends at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for their cooperation on this project, and look forward to seeing how Joni’s story will be further used to reach people for Christ,” Mazza added. “I have seen some clips of the digitized film and it is beautiful; I pray even more people will be able to view the movie and be impacted by this new, enhanced version.”In addition to the film screening of the 1979 movie, Tada will share stories from the making of the film in the starring role in which she had to re-live her accident.Tada recently wrote in an article published at The Gospel Coalition: “It sounds incredible, but I really would rather be in this wheelchair knowing Jesus as I do than be on my feet without him. But whenever I try to explain it, I hardly know where to begin.“Yet I know this: I’m in the zone whenever I infuse Christ-encouragement into the hearts of people like Tommy (17-year-old boy who broke his neck body surfing off the Jersey shore. He’s now a quadriplegic). It feels so right to agonize alongside them. Better yet, to participate in their suffering in the spirit of 2 Corinthians 1:6: “If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation.”Along with Tada, others involved in the making of the film plan to be in attendance. Calvary Community Church pastor Shawn Thornton will emcee the event and interview Tada before the audience.“Doing the movie wasn’t the smooth, easy process I thought it would be, but I learned a lot, including that the closer I got to Jesus, the more I found out who I was supposed to be,” Tada said. “It had always been my prayer that as people witnessed the struggle of a young girl coming to terms with her hardships and gaining trust in God, hundreds of thousands would embrace Jesus Christ for the first time. I pray this digitized version of the film will have the same impact on a new generation.”The premiere is scheduled to be held at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village at 6:00 pm. Guests are encouraged to arrive at 5:30 pm to experience the red carpet.Directions to the church are available here: http://www.calvarycc.org/maps-directions

On the Webhttp://www.joniandfriendsnews.com/

Information for this article was provided by A. Larry Ross Communications.

Building Relationships: The Cause Behind Strong Tower Ministries and the WetNWild5K

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At first glance, it may appear to some that Strong Tower Ministries, based in Orange County, Central California, and Baja, Mexico is simply about providing construction labor and services for other, already established ministries in Mexico.However, after more than a decade of serving orphans, youth, and families needing care up and down our neighboring country to the south, it is clear that God is using Strong Tower for so much more, including building relationships that reflect the love of Jesus.This coming Saturday (August 5), the ministry is hosting its annual WetNWild5k in La Mirada, which is not only a fun event (race course includes a Lazy River run at the end) but a worthy cause. Current fundraising goes towards the completion of a Wellness Center (Siloé Ministries) in La Mision, Mexico.

UPDATE: More Than 1400 Participants Run, Wade The WetNWild5k Fundraiser For Children, Families in Baja; Photos on FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM (#wetnwild5k)

“Our mission is to help bring children out of danger, hunger, and terror by delivering them into God’s strong tower of safety, warmth and love,” Strong Tower organizers said. “It is our mission to change the world by delivering these children from extreme poverty, releasing them from spiritual emptiness, eliminating their illiteracy, and enabling them to fulfill their life’s purpose through God’s love.”Strong Tower’s relationship with Siloé Ministries includes building the organization's permanent home in the heart of the village it has served for the past 9 years. Since 2008, Siloé has provided free medical care and health education to thousands of needy patients from a tiny two-room clinic in La Mision.“We've forged lasting relationships and earned our patients' trust through our long-term commitment to this small agricultural community,” Siloé states.“In addition to a well-equipped medical and dental clinic, the Center will also serve as a regional hub for health education, patient advocacy, Christ-centered family counseling, and medical-missions training,” organizers said. “The community center and outdoor gardens will provide a peaceful and safe setting for the families of La Mision to gather and share fellowship for generations to come.”The 2017 WetNWild5K, to be held at SPLASH! La Mirada Regional Aquatic Center and Park features a grassy run through the 100 acre scenic park that is home to multiple cross country events that concludes with the race’s signature “lazy river” finish. “This is truly a ‘family friendly’ event as long as the kiddos are over 42" in height,” organizers said.

How Jesus’ Servant Heart, Humble Love Came to Oaxacan Migrant Farm Workers Through Clean Feet

Strong Tower Ministries

More About Strong Tower Ministries

Towards the end of the summer of 2005, God laid it on the hearts of a small group of individuals, to start a ministry called Strong Tower. It was the result of trip taken into Mexico, by people who were willing to step out of their comfort zone and bring the message of our Lord Jesus to children. We are an established non-profit organization that focuses its efforts towards orphaned and destitute children living both within and outside our borders.Our goal is to identify and reach out to Christ-centered organizations and ministries throughout the world, enabling them to have the resources needed to effectively bring change to the lives of children, exposing them to God’s love and grace, and enabling them to make a difference in the lives of others.We are a serving ministry that exists to be a conduit between those with the resources and the heart for serving, to those with a need and where serving opportunities exist.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE WETNWILD5K COMING UP ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

Racial Justice Requires Natural and Supernatural Change

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Both are necessary.

Should we pray or should we act? Should we seek political and social change or should we seek the face of God and wait on the Lord to move on our behalf? Should we protest with signs and activism or should we protest with silence and prayer meetings?

BY CHARLES HOLMES JR. - RELEVANT MAGAZINE

These are some of the questions and debates people are having in light of our political and social climate. These questions are very important and essential as the Church engages our culture with the Gospel. If these questions go unanswered the consequences will be damaging. A focus on prayer while neglecting biblical action can be socially harmful and a focus on biblical action while neglecting the vital importance of prayer can be spiritually blinding.racial justiceIn Isaiah 58, the prophet Isaiah is commanded by God to confront the hypocrisy of His people and to make clear the pathway to God’s blessing. The people of Israel were divorcing the practical implications of their relationship with God from their spiritual worship toward God. Their delight in the commandments of God was false and manipulative because their actions were oppressive and harmful toward fellow image bearers of God.When our commitment and delight in God are not expressed in our relationships to people, our faith is dead. A pursuit of God in prayer without the pursuit of God in practice is false religion. Often the pursuit of justice and the talk of ethics are put up against the pure Gospel message or ministry of evangelism and making disciples.Ethics and justice aren’t secondary to who God is. Ethics and justice are a part of who God is.... READ FULL STORY AT RELEVANT MAGAZINECharles Holmes Jr. is a pastoral fellow at McLean Bible Church who is passionate about teaching the Word of God, writing about the Word of God, and learning how to enjoy God in everyday life. He has a beautiful wife whom he has been married to for almost two years. He has previously written for the Reformed African American Network (RAAN), the Jude 3 Project, and Southeastern Seminary Intersect, and more. (RELEVANT)

The Vacuum Christian Indifference Creates

Urban Youth Workers Institute Invitation to ManHood Camp LA

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Youth workers are invited to bring themselves and the young men they mentor to ManHood Camp LA hosted by Urban Youth Workers Institute. The camp, which organizers said will feature a ManHood challenge and a Rites-Of-Passage journey, is scheduled to be held at Biola University on Friday and Saturday (7/28-7/29)."ManHood Camp is an event designed for youth workers to bring their high school and middle school guys to gain practical wisdom, inspiration, and tools for becoming the men God created them to be," said UYWI camp organizers. "Learn from dynamic speakers who will keep it real and share valuable insights that they wish someone would have taught them when they were in high school."

SKILLSHOP OFFERINGS

UYWI states that skillshops offered at the ManHood Camp are designed to give campers "a hands-on lesson for things every guy should know how to do." The various skillshops, as described on the organization's website include:

– Grease MonkeyWhips, Rides, American Muscle, Import Racing, Rarris and Lambos. We get it, you like cars, then it helps to know your way around one. Learn how to change a tire, jumpstart a car, check the oil and brakes. Gentlemen, start your engines!– The Dapper GentlemanWhen it comes to interviews and making a first impression it takes skill to dress to impress. In this skillshop, you’ll learn how to tie a necktie, dress for an interview and make a first impression.– Fit ChallengeBeast MODE, Gainz, and Do You Even Lift Bro? It’s impressive to see professional athletes do amazing physical feats, but every pro still needs to master the basics. Come out to test your fitness and learn the fundamentals of getting fit.

SPEAKER WORKSHOP OFFERINGS

Urban ministry leaders are scheduled to discuss biblical principles as they relate to life's challenges. Topics and speakers include:

– Hang Time with Jesus by Tommy NixonCome learn how to have an actual relationship with God and how that fits into your everyday life. Walk out with a plan on how to grow deeper in your relationship with Christ.– What Just Happened?: Navigating The Blast Zone by Eric VasquezIn this workshop we’ll discuss 3 areas surrounding Anger. React, Remorse, Rebuild• React (Proverbs 15:18): We’ll explore our triggers and discuss our buttons that are frequently pushed. Here we’ll hit on the ways we react that are unhealthy and ungodly.• Remorse (2 Sam. 12) (Isaiah 55:8-9): We’ll touch on remorse “guilt” and begin to introduce the idea of forgiveness (a Christ-like forgiveness). Youth don’t always see the lasting results of their anger.• Rebuild (2 Sam. 12): We’ll begin to equip the young men with tools to rebuild their brokenness due to anger.– Lust & Porn: When Sex Becomes Unsexy! by Jose RodriguezIt feels good to indulge, but what happens when it becomes an addiction versus a God given gift. We will have a talk as real men, dealing with real issues. We’ll discuss the lies, the truth and what God has to say about it all. Let’s explore ways to fight against our failing flesh.– How to Treat a Woman by Adrian GreerAs men, we are bombarded with conflicting messages that shape our ideas of how women should be treated by men. In this workshop, we will address some of these messages, examine the various ways these messages are sent to us and consider our response to it all in light of God’s Word. We will equip you to more fully understand and more full walk our your call as Christian men.– Strength in Numbers: Who’s in Your Squad? by Matt SanchezWhether you see it or not, most people have an entourage around them that influences them to some extent. The difference in people’s entourages can often times determine the course of your life. Who you surround yourself with is a very important aspect to your well being in life. Chances are people are around you, but are they the right people?– From da Hood Life to da Good Life by TBDFatherless-ness, drugs, gang life, teenage parenting, and incarceration, sounds like a movie, right? This is the reality for many young men growing up in the hood. So how can you go from the Hood life to the Good life? In this workshop you will learn how to experience the freedom and peace following Jesus gives to all who are willing to make the commitment.– INTEGRITY – what is it? by D.A. HortonOur World is in desperate need of Godly men who will lead with integrity by confessing their sins to God, confronting their shame with the gospel, in order to model compassion to the godless.– Our Words are the #Hashtags of our Hearts by D.A. HortonA man’s words and actions reveal what’s in his heart.– Guys Ministry: Restoring Manhood, Breaking the Fatherless Cycle (Youth Workers Only) by Larry AcostaOne of the greatest priorities in youth ministry should be your ministry to build up young men. We have to do what we can to help kids heal through their father wounds and to give them the tools that will begin to prepare them for life, marriage and family. Come and learn the core elements for shaping a guys’ ministry and gain practical resources for helping guys transition to healthy, God-honoring Manhood.

What is Manhood Camp?Camp organizers state that young men will be challenged to "overcome the pain of their father-wound and to dare to allow God to re-write their future.""We envision young men learning the core competencies for becoming leaders worth following, men of integrity, discipline, and purity and one day…loving and faithful husbands and dads," said UYWI.

For more information, including registration, schedule and location click here: ManHood Camp LA 2017 hosted by Urban Youth Workers Institute

manhood camp

Stadia and World Impact Offer Urban Church Planting Vision Trips To LA, NYC

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The national and global church-planting group, Stadia, wants to give Christian leaders and potential leaders "a front row view of urban church planting in action" at vision trips planned for Los Angeles (Aug. 15-17) and New York City (Sept. 19-21)."Come spend time with us and World Impact as we experience what God is doing through new urban churches," Stadia's Urban Church Planting Vision Trips organizers said. "Get an up-close perspective of how the partnership works and how you can join us."Stadia and World Impact said they are making the trips as accessible as possible by offering two options, one on each coast."We’ll cover your food and accommodations; you’ll just need to get yourself there," they said."During these Urban Church Planting Vision Trips you will get to know World Impact church planters as well as Bob Engel, National Director of Church Planting for World Impact" and "spend time learning how God is using Stadia and World Impact to reach under-resourced cities."Organizers plan for those attending to walk the communities where Stadia and World Impact will be planting future urban churches."From One World Trade Center (NYC) and Griffith Observatory (LA), you’ll hear World Impact and Stadia’s vision to transform urban poor communities for Christ,'" they said.

Every Child Has a Church

Stadia states that it has had "the honor of helping hundreds of great leaders start new churches.""With these leaders, we share a passionate desire to see a world where every child will experience the love of Jesus Christ through local church," the organization states on its website.In the trips announcements, Stadia asks, "Are you a leader who is ready to invest in the next generation through church planting? Do you know someone who is?"Stadia is ready to help! Because we won’t stop … until Every Child Has a Church."To learn more about the vision trips and to register click here.

World Impact’s Urban Church Assoc Develops Trust and Unity

Stadia and World Impact Church Planting

Jewelry Company The Giving Keys Employs LA Homeless

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Jewelry company The Giving Keys offers hope, strength by employing the homeless

Last Sunday's Closer, NBC’s Morgan Radford visits the Giving Keys factory in Los Angeles, where the company is helping people transition out of homelessness and offering a chance at redemption.

On the Web:

The Giving Keys - A Pay It Forward CompanyThe Giving KeysPhoto: The Giving Keys Facebook page

War for the Planet of the Apes: A Simian Re-Telling of Exodus Story?

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The Planet of the Apes saga-in-sequeldom continues to suit Russell Moore well. During the weekend release of the War for the Planet of the Apes he tweeted that the movie is "a simian re-telling of the Exodus story."The tweet by the president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (the public-policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention) expands on a lesson he gave several years ago to his students that three of the movies, including the 1968 original "are about the intersection of eschatology with contemporary fears."Eschatology is the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind.

"In the 1968 version, the era is worried about nuclear holocaust, as the U.S. and the Soviet Union are engaged in a high-stakes Cold War," Moore wrote in his piece, The Planet of the Apes and Christian Eschatology. "By the remake in 2001, society’s fears focus on the more imperceptible threats of domestic and international terrorism, and of the loss of society from within. The 2011 film focuses on the fear of a future in which our technological prowess and our good intentions turn on us."All three present a dystopian future in which our worst apprehensions are realized. That’s an eschatology, and a dark one."

Moore admits that the same point could be made with "virtually every film and art genre." He writes, "In the background or in the foreground, there’s a purpose, a goal, that’s either hopeful or tragic. Even in the realm of romantic dramas, there’s either a utopian goal (the 'happily ever after') or a dystopian end (the tragedy of love lost). But, whatever the genre, we have to live in light of the future."He makes the case that churches are often fearful to talk much about eschatology "to keep from indulging in those speculative end-times enthusiasts we’ve all encountered." He compares eschatology and discipleship in the church as "kind of like sex education in the home.""Just because you don’t talk about sex with your kids doesn’t mean they will grow up ignorant of sex. It means they’ll hear about sex from somewhere else," he stated."Just because you don’t preach and teach about the Christian vision of the future, that doesn’t mean your church is void of eschatology. It means your church is picking up an eschatology from somewhere else, sometimes from the local cineplex," he concluded. "A Christian vision of the future proves the dystopian movies to be right, in some sense. There’s a fire being kindled somewhere, and not even the Statue of Liberty can withstand it. But, after that, there’s the kind of new creation that makes everything new."

Moore isn't alone in making biblical comparisons or referencing the Bible in discussion about the movie.War for the Planet of the Apes - Russell MooreFilm critic Alissa Wilkinson argues that War for the Planet of the Apes is "a better Biblical epic than most recent Biblical epics.""That the movie evokes a Biblical epic so successfully is significant all on its own," she writes. "Though the form flourished in Hollywood’s Golden Age — when a studio might be willing to spend enormous amounts of money on lavish productions that nearly bankrupted the studio — a more recent wave of Bible movies that popped up a decade after the runaway success of Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ haven’t been quite as successful."

Apes comparison: Where is the lie?

Rapper Lecrae, who's had great success in bridging Christian and secular worldviews, replied to Moore's first tweet on the movie, "Where is the lie? All facts." Moore appeared a bit confused and tweeted: "Which lie?"However, Camilo Buchanan replied, "This was a colloquialism Dr. Moore. Lecrae is saying what you said is very true, lacking lies."

Harvest America 2017 from Phoenix [VIDEO]

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LA Pastors' Bottom Line: We Want to Help the City That We Live In

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In conclusion of TogetherLA’s 4-part series on LA pastors who participated in a panel, we ask again: Is there hope for the City of Angels even though it often appears so broken, so filled with spiritual poverty among its people that a diagnosis may very well be — beyond repair?The answer as expressed by the four pastors that met at the beginning of this summer for a TogetherLA pop-up held at Metropolis Santa Monica during its Philosopher’s Cafe Night was a resounding: “Yes, there is hope!”The LA pastors on the panel were Steve Snook of Santa Monica, Michael Mata of Koreatown, Cedric Nelms of Long Beach, and Brannin Pitre of Pasadena, all sharing their heart for the city they not only minister to but reside in.

LA PASTORS FINAL - BRANNIN PITRE ON PASADENA

 “We have a context in which we are divided racially. We’re divided economically. We are divided by educational bounds. We’re divided by political bounds,” said Brannin Pitre, who is the senior pastor at Grace Pasadena. “There’s just a great sense that at any given block in the city of Pasadena you’ll find somebody that’s completely different and aligned differently from you, which can cause a great sense of brokenness.“My joy in that is that it also provides an endless sense of opportunity.”Pastor Steve Snook of Metro Church in Santa Monica, who moderated the panel — Broken City – Is there hope for Los Angeles? — said that there is a lot wrong with the Los Angeles area, but rather than having a negative focus he wanted to share “the hope that is within us.”Pitre agreed with Snook’s statement and said in an interview videotaped before the panel that what he appreciates most as someone who transplanted himself and his family to Pasadena is that “we have multiple voices from different avenues coming together to express a similar theme — we want to help the city that we live in.”When it comes to people trying to address the city’s problems, asking questions such as how can they help, how can they come together, or is there common ground to do so, Christians have an answer, Pitre said.Brannin Pitre - LA Pastors “For Christians, we say that the common baseline is the cross,” he explained. “When we see injustice we look back to the cross and say that Jesus is the solution. When we see economic poverty issues [in] our city we look back at the cross and say that Jesus has an answer to that.”Whether someone is of a certain denomination or no denomination is not the issue when it comes to providing a solution, he said.“The common bond that we share as brothers and sisters in Christ is that we can look at the cross together and say Jesus did it all for me,” Pitre said. “When that humbles us, when that makes us soft, then we can look at our brother or sister who’s walking next to us, they might not look like us, act like us, dress like us, think like us and say I’ll walk with you.”He added, “That is the joy that I find in our city. That is the joy that I find in the folks who come into the city, the folks who have lived here for so long, the folks who have said, ‘This is my town, walk with me.’ It’s a very open, very encouraging place to be if you just embrace it and say, ‘This is mine, too.”Editor’s note: This article is the final in a four-part series about the LA pastors' 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.Read Pitre's discussion about how the Together LA conference, held more than two years ago, happened in a two part series at the Christian Post here: Interview Church Planter Brannin Pitre: Los Angeles Is on the 'Cusp' of a New Mov't; How Tim Keller's Church Supported Vision LA (Pt. 1) and here: 'Together LA' Organizers: There's More to Loving a City Than Planting Churches (Pt. 2)Finally, we'd love to hear from you! Please join the conversation in the Comments section below. Thank you!>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<< 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)

Christmas in July Concert Benefits People on Skid Row

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A Christmas in July Concert featuring Israel and Adrienne Houghton was presented by PS Media Talent owner Francis Perdue with major sponsor The Belasco Theater at its venue in Los Angeles on July 10.Christmas in JulyOrganized by The Salvation Army Southern California Division with Friends of The Salvation Army Entertainment Industry Committee, the event benefited The Salvation Army and Besos Care Packages coordinated outreach to homeless individuals living on Skid Row. Inspired by Isaiah 58:10, the Houghtons created Besos Care Packages, which offers basic necessities plus handwritten notes of encouragement to people living on the streets of downtown Los Angeles.Last Comic Standing finalist Ron McGehee served as host with Major Osei Stewart, General Secretary for the Southern California Division.“The event was a great success,” Stewart said. “What was presented that evening touched the hearts of so many—we shared Salvation Army videos and stories in an intimate setting for blessed individuals who were able to experience Israel Houghton and his wife Adrienne Bailon-Houghton as they performed selected Christmas songs and some of Israel Houghton’s popular praise and worship songs. It was heartwarming and a worshipful evening concert.”The concert offered an up-close listen to a Christmas album currently in the making.In addition, it included a performance from Laci Kay and a message from United Nations youth representative Meredith O’Connor. Performing from The Salvation Army were David Longoria, Lt. Alexander Williams (aka Shalem) and Naia Tillery.Before the concert, over 300 athletes and celebrities attended the PS Media Talent Fuse Event ESPY pre-party, a charity and networking event benefiting The Salvation Army.
“We are still counting proceeds from the evening, but for an event where we did not have to invest a lot of up-front funds, we were able to do some fundraising and friend-raising, which I believe will be invaluable in the long run,” Stewart said.This article originally was published at New Frontier Chronicle.Photos: Jude St-Aimé

'Unbridled' To Screen at 168 Film Festival

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The 168 Film Festival announced today that on Saturday, August 26th, it will screen the victory-over-human-trafficking feature film, Unbridled, starring T.C. Stallings (War Room; Courageous), Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight; The Pope of Greenwich Village) and Tea McKay, (Pass the Light, The Iceman).Tickets are available at www.168Film.com.

Human Trafficking must be addressed on multiple fronts. 'Unbridled' focuses on redemption and healing. - John David Ware

Unbridled is based on true stories of at risk, teen girls assisted by equine therapy at a North Carolina non-profit ranch called Corral Riding Academy. The film shot in Raleigh NC, which is situated along the infamous I-95 corridor, a gateway to traffickers. Sex Trafficking is estimated to involve hundreds of thousands of victims in all 50 states, including many children. It may be the fastest growing criminal industry at $9 billion dollars per year.According to the film’s director, John David Ware, “This issue must be addressed on multiple fronts. Unbridled focuses on redemption and healing. It shows a great victory in this battle. At it’s heart, Unbridled is a girl-and-her-horse-film with a girl that powerfully overcomes great difficulties.”In the film, Sarah (Tea McKay) escapes from her mother’s (Dey Young - Pretty Woman) maniacal boyfriend, Roger (Eric Roberts). As Sarah begins to heal at the Academy, she learns to trust humans again by bonding with Dreamer, a badly abused horse that no one can touch. Roger will stop at nothing to get her back under his control.Unbridled is appropriate for children aged 12 and above. A discussion with director John David Ware and actor T.C. Stallings will occur immediately after the screening.The film also stars Jenn Gotzon (Frost/Nixon), David Topp (Beverly Hills Canine Country Club) and Rachel Hendrix (October Baby).The 15-years-runnning 168 Film Festival is known as a vehicle for filmmakers and actors to launch careers. Lead actress Tea McKay was cast based on her excellent work in the 168 Film Project.In 2018, 168 Film will produce a feature film with the top short film producer of 2017. 168 has birthed over 1,000 short films in 14 years.168 Film Festival sponsors include Advent Media, Roush Media, Tiffin/Steadicam and Arri.Unbridled

ERLC's Russell Moore on Courage, Need For New Moral Imagination

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Conversing with Mark Labberton

Russell Moore on CourageRussell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, reflects with Mark Labberton on the impact of the civil rights movement, the need for a new moral imagination in American Christianity, and more.As a public theologian, Russell Moore speaks and writes widely on the intersections of evangelical faith, politics, and social issues. Prior to serving as president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, he was the dean of the School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.Moore also discusses Carl F. Henry, an important voice in early American evangelicalism and one of the founding members of Fuller Theological Seminary. For more on the beginnings of Fuller Seminary, visit here.Editor's Note: This interview post was originally published at Fuller Theological Seminary's FULLER studio website.

'Beautiful' Westside Striken with Spiritual Poverty a Unified Church Can Cure

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From outward appearances it looks as though people on the Westside have everything they need to capture happiness. However, there is a spiritual poverty, especially among the young, that a unified Church can cure, says a longtime Santa Monica pastor.

PART THREE – STEVE SNOOK ON THE WESTSIDE

“Being on the Westside, you see some things differently,” Steve Snook, lead pastor of Metro Church, told Together LA (SEE VIDEO BELOW). “We live in a big city, but when I look at the Westside and see our brokenness I think about our spiritual poverty because it seems like we have everything — you have the beach, you have the hills, you have the beautiful houses, you have the cars, you have the beautiful people, you have all the industry ... even Silicon Beach right here in Santa Monica.“And yet, when you think of spiritual poverty, you think of people, you think that they have everything, that they’ve figured it all out — that they’ve figured out how to live and to enjoy what they have… but it’s that brokenness that breaks my heart… because I see the children of this community.“The over-privileged that seem to have everything yet they are crying out for their fathers who are so busy making a life for themselves that they have forgotten their children.”Snook gave his observations prior to a panel he moderated and co-hosted with Together LA last month. The panel — Broken City – Is there hope for Los Angeles? — began with him 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,” he said. “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.”Joining Snook were Michael Mata of Koreatown, Cedric Nelms of Long Beach, and Brannin Pitre of Pasadena, all sharing their heart for LA.The importance of strong Christian-based leadership from fathers within families developed into one of the major themes of the panel.“When I see the brokenness of the Westside I see the young child who has everything and yet no one has ever told them the hope of Christ,” Snook told TLA. “There’s no parent, there’s no grandparent. They’re finding that they are going to have to figure it out on their own.“But on this corner, we have a coffeehouse [Metropolis Cafe Santa Monica] where we open our arms to the community and ask, ‘What can we do?’ The hope that I find in this brokenness is that there is one who has gone before us, one who understands brokenness.”The Church“When I look at who Christ is and I look to the hope of the Gospel I realize that one of the places of brokenness that I want to see change is in the Church — to see a united Church, to see that the Church is not about any one individual congregation, that it’s about the Church that Christ laid down his life for… that he says he loves this world that is turning away from him,” Snook said.He would like Christians to “be in a place” where God’s Church is united so that together they can realize that “we’ve been given the answers.”“We’ve been given the cure,” Snook explained. Therefore, we should be “willing to serve one another, to lay our lives down for a greater cause, to lay our empires down for the sake of the Kingdom.“My eyes have been open to the brokenness of the Westside so I can understand how we can be a part of the cure.”This article is the third 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.Westside4 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)

Church Planting: The 4 C's of Connection

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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.Church Planting Together We Create wall