Pastors Get Help Fighting Loneliness Crisis
/A new study aims to help pastors and churches identify demographically where loneliness tends to hit most. Researchers said the study is crucial because the Church is in the best position to help.
By CV Outreach
Former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy raised the alarm in 2017 on the significant health risks of loneliness, an epidemic affecting more than 40 percent of adults. CV Outreach, an organization that empowers churches to use digital technology to intersect with those far from God, recently released research identifying the cities, states, gender and age most likely to be lonely.Topping the list of the U.S.’s loneliest cities is Las Vegas, followed closely by Washington, D.C. and Denver. All three cities have a loneliness rate triple the national average. Los Angeles also makes the list of loneliest cities.
“In the past several years, we as a society have begun to understand the seriousness of loneliness to not only our emotional state, but also our physical health,” said Nick Runyon, executive director of CV Outreach. “Through this study, we hope to provide useful information to church leaders so they can be aware of and respond to the lonely in their communities.”Beyond geographical location, the CV Outreach study identifies that women are more likely than men to suffer from loneliness, and millennials are at a significantly higher risk of loneliness than any other age group. Though millennials make up just 21 percent of the total population, they are more than 50 percent of the lonely population.The study also explores common online behavior of a lonely person. For example, by analyzing Google searches, researchers were able to identify common keywords that accompany a search for loneliness help. These include life, husband, time, feel and marriage.“This data shows us that loneliness often surfaces not as a core issue, but as an underlying symptom of another, more immediate issue such as marriage or relationship issues, existential struggles or financial difficulties,” said Chad Hugghins, author of the study and content and marketing director for CV Outreach. “Given individuals often turn to the church for help with their struggles, church leaders should be looking for signs of loneliness as well.”In addition to the study, CV Outreach provides insight into how individual Christians can reach the lonely such as exhibiting healthy online behavior and intentionally getting to know your neighbors. Church bodies can respond by speaking publicly about loneliness and connecting with people online. To see the full study, visit http://info.cvoutreach.com/loneliness.About CV OutreachLaunched in 2016 as part of CV Global, an international evangelism ministry with the goal of touching 1 billion people with the Gospel, CV Outreach seeks to empower pastors and church leaders to utilize social media and digital advertising to intersect with individuals who are far from God. Visit cvoutreach.com for more information.
White was at the Los Angeles premier of God’s Not Dead: A Light in Darkness at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood Tuesday evening, just a couple days after the highly successful opening of I Can Only Imagine. The Roadside Attractions-Lionsgate’s movie “crushed early box office forecasts with a surprisingly strong $17.1 million at 1,629 locations in North America,” 
When asked about what the current faith-based film trifecta and God’s Not Dead coming so shortly after the box office smash means, White didn’t attempt any red carpet prophecy.“Whether or not it happens again we really don’t know. We don’t control that,” he said.
When asked the same question, I Can Only Imagine Producer Kevin Downes said it’s a win-win situation for the faith-based film industry.“I think it’s a jolt of energy. At the end of the day, we all root for each other,” Downes said. “The LA Times came out with an article recently ‘wondering’ if Christian films were in a slump, but guess what, God showed up, and the audience showed up, and the numbers are huge.”He added, “Whether it’s my film or someone else’s film, it’s just energizing. We are alive and well. Jesus is alive and well, and it’s a great time to be making films.”
The Riot and the Dance is a glorious uproar of creation that follows acclaimed biologist Dr. Gordon Wilson as he traverses our planet, sharing nature’s masterpieces everywhere from the jungle, to the desert, to his own backyard. Through inspiring narration and a powerful visual experience, audiences of all ages will develop a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, the Creator’s workmanship and personality.Critics are raving about “The Riot and The Dance”:“The Riot and the Dance celebrates God, the great Designer, and it will thrill the entire family, earning the Dove All Ages Award.” - Dove.org“Fun for all ages and scripturally based, this is Creation as you’ve never seen it before.”- Christian Cinema.“THE RIOT AND THE DANCE is beautifully produced with stunning footage and intelligent, interesting narration. Dr. Wilson’s hands on approach and wide variety of scenery and animals is sure to be a treat for the whole family.” - Movieguide“Whatever your view on the origins of the universe, it’s an experience you shouldn’t miss.”- Patheos / Mere Chrisianity“Breathtaking documentary makes it impossible not to marvel at the Creator” - Life Site News“A stunning, gripping and thrilled glimpse of God’s creation that leaves us in awe but also wit insight of this world in which we live. Do not miss this film.” – Christian Film Review.“This film takes things otherwise seen as boring or overlooked and reminds us of the intentionality God gives to every details of his creation. This documentary reminds viewers to focus on the ways that we can see God in nature. Don’t miss your chance to see this film!”– Hollywood JesusDistributed through Fathom Events, fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event TONIGHT (March 19) in more than 750 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). “The Riot and the Dance” will be shown in each market at 7:00 pm local time, and tickets available for purchase online at 
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“My prayer for all that live in LA and Orange counties and wherever you live is that people would recognize large communities of men for one thing: they recognize them for having been with Jesus. That they become sources of life and it’s a noteworthy miracle, and that would be a witness for God that would create so much salvation in a city and so much life,” Luck said.“Knowing the Lord is the main thing of life. The only thing left for us to do is to declare surrender,” Luck adds. “I’m not surrendering to anybody, but I’ll surrender to Christ.”On Friday, the conference opens for check-in and coffee at 5 pm, and Session 1 from 7-9 pm. Saturday’s schedule includes a 7 am check-in, Session 2 at 9-11 am, lunch, and Session 3 from 12 to 2 pm.For registration and more information go to the conference website: 
So what is evangelism? Thankfully, it is not terribly complicated. Theologian Wayne Grudem provides an accurate and simple definition: It is “the proclamation of the gospel to unbelievers (from the Greek word euangelizo, “to announce good news”). In other words, it is the announcing, teaching, or communicating of the good news of the gospel to the unsaved with the hopes that they might come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. This is the essence of evangelism. Nothing more and nothing less.We find this definition in two key passages, both defined by Jesus Himself. The first is Luke 24:47, which says that “repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” The second key passage is Mark 16:15, which reads, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”Understanding what evangelism is according to Scripture also helps us to discern what evangelism is not. In understanding the difference, we have a clearer focus on our mission as Christians. It also should give us soberness to not pass up good opportunities to speak the gospel to people, especially when we are tempted to replace evangelism with another program or method that we think constitutes true evangelism.Here are ten common practices that can tempt us to believe we have evangelized (especially when these activities are used as a replacement for verbal gospel proclamation):1. Inviting non-Christians to church: This is one of the common practices of Christians today. Christians think that they have done their evangelism job once they have brought the unbelievers into the church gathering. It’s not bad to invite a friend to church, since the assembly of the saints is a good place for unbelievers to see the living testimony of Christ lived out before his eyes. But when using this as a crutch or a substitute for your obedience to evangelism, then it becomes a problem. And is there really any guarantee that your pastor or any church leader will personally evangelize your unbelieving friend on that Sunday?2. Conversions: Another term for this is “the results of evangelism.” This is when you have both proclaimed the gospel to the unbeliever and converted them. Nowhere in Scripture, even in passages like Romans 1:15 and Galatians 4:13 when evangelism is used as a verb, does the word imply that evangelism is successful when we procure conversion. Failure to grasp this concept has lead to unnecessary pressure on evangelists, which in turn leads them to try to get conversions at nearly all costs. When this happens, Christians experiment with unbiblical, pragmatic methods of evangelism that produce manipulated “decisions,” and ultimately spurious conversions.3. Apologetics: This is the art of defending the Christian faith with answers to objections. The problem is that some Christians use apologetics, rather than the gospel, to try to win over unbelievers, thinking that clever arguments, such as kalam cosmological argument, the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery, the DNA structure, and biblical prophecies, will win the day. Other than the fact that commonplace experience shows us that unbelievers are not generally converted by hard data, Scripture even tells us that God does not use solely empirical evidence to draw a sinner to belief in Christ. Instead, the Lord uses the gospel. God has chosen to use the “foolish message” of the cross to be the power of God onto salvation (1 Cor 1:18).4. Praying with unbelievers: This is when you pray with unbelievers. Some people believe this to be evangelism, and have actually replaced evangelizing unbelievers with praying with them. This is a case of the fear-of-persecution syndrome. Let’s face it; it is a lot more “loving” to pray for them than to be “confrontational” by being open with them about the issues of sin, judgment, and the need to repent before a holy God. The problem with this approach is that it clearly does not square with the biblical definition of what evangelism is. Another roadblock is that nowhere in Scripture are Christians exhorted to pray together with unbelievers, as if they have a common saving faith or a common god. Instead, Christians are commanded to pray and intercede for an unbeliever’s salvation (Rom 10:1; 1 Tim 2:1).5. “God loves you” or “Jesus loves you:" You’ve probably been a part of evangelism teams, or have seen groups, that said or held up signs that read, “Jesus loves you!” Yet these evangelists rarely mention sin, heaven, hell, the atonement, the resurrection, or any information that a sinner needs to know in order to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It’s not a bad thing to say “God loves you” to an unbeliever, because it is true. But when proclaimed without any context, it can be misleading. When unbelievers hear this statement, they think that God will accept them eternally, no matter what kind of lifestyle they are living or what they believe.6. “Accept Jesus:” This is very close to evangelism, but not quite. This is when you take a gospel presentation, chop out all the content, and simply call the unbeliever to “accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.” In other words, you don’t actually explain the gospel message to them. There is a problem with this approach. The unbeliever will obviously not desire to believe in Christ because he does not see why he needs to come to Christ, and does not understand why Jesus is the only way for him to be saved from hell. Gospel proclamation, although not an encyclopedia of data, is certainly more than just telling someone to “accept Jesus Christ.”7. Lifestyle evangelism: This is when you live a certain way before your unbelieving friends, relatives, and co-workers, thinking that your actions will impress them, illicit curiosity to your faith, and eventually draw them to salvation in Christ. It is somewhat based on the salt-and-light principle from Matthew 5:13-16. Although this Sermon on the Mount passage does teach us to be living witnesses to unbelievers, it is not identical to evangelism. Evangelism, once again, is the proclamation of the gospel to the person, and “lifestyle evangelism” does not fit that bill. Unbelievers will not understand the gospel just by observing your lifestyle. They can very well see a respectful lifestyle in a moral Buddhist and an atheist. As Romans 10:14 declares, “…How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?”8. Personal Testimony: This is when you share your life story with an unbeliever about how you came to Jesus Christ or what he did or is currently doing in your life , with the hopes that this “bait” will attract your prospect to the faith. The problem with personal testimonies is that many of them are devoid of the gospel message. Once again, we must remember that it is not apologetics, clever stories, or arguments that win people to salvation, but the gospel (Rom 1:16). A downfall with personal testimonies is that unbelievers will approach such stories with an attitude of, “That’s good for you. But I have my own path and happiness.” However, the gospel is not relative or optional. It sets one path of salvation, and calls for a response from the sinner.9. Humanitarian or social action: A popular trend among many evangelicals, especially in urban settings, is to spread the Christian influence by doing good deeds for the city, such as feeding the poor, serving in soup kitchens, cleaning up the streets, and tutoring underprivileged children. They call this “servanthood evangelism.” In this pursuit, the gospel is sometimes preached, but other times, it is not. In the latter case, the church becomes no different than the Angelina Jolies of the world who do humanitarian work in the name of “love.” Giving a sandwich to a homeless guy on the street is noble, but what does it profit him if we feed him physically, yet he dies spiritually?10. “Revival” events: These are special events designed to rally Christians up in “worship” of God. They are usually centered on high-tech music designed to stir up the feelings of the attendees so that they can get an emotional high for God. The problem with this approach is that this type of event does not place the preaching of the gospel as its centerpiece. Therefore, it cannot qualify as a “revival” in any way, because the historical outworking of revival is the mass salvation of unbelievers as a result of gospel proclamation, such as the case with the Great Awakening. Emotional feelings for God do not save people; only the gospel can do this, as the Bible teaches.These ten practices should always be kept in perspective. This is not to say that these practices are evil or counterproductive. Most of them can actually be of great benefit to supplement or open opportunities for the preaching of the gospel to non-Christians. This is why if they are done, they should be done to the glory of God and in some sort of partnership with evangelism opportunities. Creative approaches should always serve the cause of biblical evangelism, and not be replacements of it.As defined earlier, evangelism is the proclamation of the good news of Christ to unbelievers with the hope that they might turn to Christ in faith and be reconciled to Him eternally. And the content of that faith should center on God's authority, man's sinfulness, eternal punishment, and the good news of Christ's incarnation, atonement, resurrection, and our need to respond in repentance and faith in order to be saved. That is the successful communication of the gospel. And that message alone has tremendous power, as Paul states, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16).Steve Cha is the teaching pastor of 
“What we discovered while researching and writing the book will be shocking to many Christians in America,” said Cooke, whose book was co-written by Jonathan Bock. “If you’re interested in why Christianity continues to disappear from the culture, and how to turn it around, this is the book for you.”Heading into 
TLA: Is media part of the solution for Christians to get our credibility back? How so?Cooke: No question. We live in a media-driven culture. One British study indicates that the average person today is bombarded with up to 5,000 media messages every single day. We check our iPhones 110 times a day. We live in the most distracted and disrupted culture in the history of the world. As a result, sharing our message on multiple media platforms is absolutely essential. In the gospels, Jesus spent His life where the people were. In those days it was the temple square, the marketplace, or social gatherings like weddings. Today, the people are online, watching TV, listening to radio, or in movie theaters. We need to be there. In fact, keep in mind that today, by population, Facebook is now the largest country in the world. Who’s sending missionaries to that country? Who’s planting churches in that country? We shouldn’t just think of “missions” in terms of geographical boundaries, but also think in terms of digital boundaries.TLA: Can you tell a favorite story about how you observed God working through a specific media project you did?Cooke: Billy Graham passed away recently, and I’ve been remembering that 22 years ago, the ministry asked me to “produce a Billy Graham TV special that someone who would never watch a Billy Graham program would watch.” As a result we produced a prime Time TV event called “Starting Over.” It was broadcast globally and because it was television, it was the first time Billy had preached to 50 different countries at the same time. The Los Angeles Times reported that more than 2.5 billion people viewed the program globally and insiders at the Graham ministry told me that it generated 1 million phone calls for salvation. I can’t think of a better way to show the impact of sharing the gospel through media.TLA: What do you look forward to most about this year's NRB convention?Cooke: Helping inspire and motivate a new generation of Christian media professionals. We can’t keep doing what we’ve always done. We need new ideas, new creativity, and new energy. The Bible says God never changes, but trust me, everything else does. People change, trends change, styles change - we need to make sure we’re proclaiming an unchanging gospel to a world that’s constantly changing. We need to learn to speak that language, and I love teaching young filmmakers and media producers and challenging them to change the world.
The public response pretends to have a debate on gun control, safety protocols, and better preparedness, when what we are really having a debate on is the nature of evil and whether government intervention can contain it. It cannot. These are massive moral and spiritual issues foolishly being dealt with political squirt guns. The blowback of political talk you see right now to the events of today is exactly what the word "blowback" sounds like - gas. It smells bad, dissolves into the air, and no one is helped.My grief is same as everyone else's right now but my anger over the true sources and solutions being glossed over is rising above my grief.I, for one, am going after this generation and the coming generation of fathers because it is here where the real impact and solution lies. I will be focused on helping them own a spiritual commitment and accountability to their Maker and, by doing so, foster an identity and concern for mothers and children that make both less vulnerable and more secure in every physical and emotional dimension.I am one of those who believe that families play the largest part in forming people and their identities that eventually command powerful energies capable of great evil or good. By our absence (fellow dads) we can contribute to the rise of dangerous young men who bring pain and suffering. But if we decide to be present, own a spiritual life that possesses eternally good values, live them out, and mentor our boys in them, we can raise the next generation of sons who are dangerous with goodness. These are the men who are in high demand and low supply today. These are the men who bring life not death and blessing not pain to others. These are the men who must now assemble, associate, and focus with me on the true solutions versus the reactions.[bctt tweet="My prayers are for those families right now but my energy tomorrow, this week, and for the years I have left on this planet is toward creating ever growing communities of men who are known for being dangerous with goodness not just dangerous." username="Kenny_Luck"]My prayers are for those families right now but my energy tomorrow, this week, and for the years I have left on this planet is toward creating ever growing communities of men who are known for being dangerous with goodness not just dangerous. For me, one less Nikolas Cruz will require one more fully committed and caring father who decides that if “he” doesn't do relationships with son right he will not have done life right. Good men, young and old, are made not born. It's time we started acting on it.Share and Like if you want to see change in our communities.
The winner of the $25,000 Ware Foundation Prize for the Best Movie for Families -- The Boss Baby (DreamWorks/20th Century Fox) -- is a 2017 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 2010 picture book of the same name by Marla Frazee and produced by DreamWorks Animation. Directed by Tom McGrath and written by Michael McCullers, the film stars the voices of Alec Baldwin as the title character, along with Miles Bakshi, Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, and Tobey Maguire. The plot follows a baby who is a secret agent in the war for adult's love between babies and puppies.If British war-time hero, Winston Churchill was alive today, I am sure he would have be pleased that the Winner for Best Movie for Mature Audiences, was Darkest Hour, a 2017 British war drama film directed by Joe Wright and written by Anthony McCarten. It stars Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, and follows his early days as Prime Minister, as Hitler closes in on Britain during World War II. The film also stars Ben Mendelsohn, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, and Ronald Pickup.The Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring Movie of last year went to The Star, an American computer-animated Christian adventure film directed by Timothy Reckart. Based on the Nativity of Jesus, and an original idea by Tom Sheridan, the screenplay was written by Carlos Kotkin and Simon Moore. It is produced by Sony Pictures Animation, with partnership from Walden Media, Affirm Films and The Jim Henson Company. It stars the voices of Steven Yeun, Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Keegan-Michael Key, Kelly Clarkson, Patricia Heaton,Kristin Chenoweth, Tracy Morgan, Tyler Perry, and Oprah Winfrey.
Before the start of the awards show, which will be televised on the REELZ Channel at 4 p.m. on April 1, 2018, I was able to join with journalists from around the world to interview many of the well-known and up-and-coming personalities walking the red carpet, for my “Inside Hollywood with Dan Wooding” TV show on the Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network.I also interviewed another icon of the 50s and 60s, Pat Boone, who joked around with my dear friend, Lance Wilder, a top artist on The Simpsons, pretending to interview him with his electric shaver. Lance later explained how the incident came about, saying, “I've known Pat Boone now for 16-17 years, mainly from walking the red carpet. He was late and was shaving in the limo and accidentally kept it in his hand when he got out. When he saw me, he threatened to shave my beard off, and then just pretended it was a microphone.”Probably, the best-known was Bo Derek, the American film and television actress, movie producer, and model, who is still remembered for her breakthrough role in the 1979 film 10. I was also able to interview famed game show host, Wink Martindale, and his wife, Sandy, who once dated Elvis Presley, and who told me that she felt that if Elvis was still alive, he would have attended a Movieguide® event like this one. Now that would have been something!As during the many times I’ve been to the red carpet event before the start of the Movieguide® awards ceremony, it was lots of fun for me and my cameraman/producer, Tim Hathaway, as endeavored to keep up with the steady stream of people that appeared before us.
Now here is the full list of winners and nominees, sponsored by the Christian Film & Television Commission®:The Jeannette Clift George Award for Furthering Entertainment with Faith & Values, was a special award went to Rich Peluso “for his tireless and superior efforts over many years to present the truth of the Gospel through Hollywood movies.” Peluso is the Executive Vice President of AFFIRM Films, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) that is focused on the development, production, acquisition, and marketing of faith-based and inspirational films.Ten Best Movies for FamiliesWinner of the $25,000 Ware Foundation Prize for the Best Movie for Families – The Boss BabyThe Boss Baby (DreamWorks/20th Century Fox)The Star (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Ent.)Cars 3 (Pixar/Walt Disney Studios)Despicable Me 3 (Illumination/Universal Studios)The Case for Christ (PureFlix Films)The Man Who Invented Christmas (Bleecker Street Media)The LEGO Batman Movie (Warner Bros. Pictures)Smurfs: The Lost Village (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Ent.)The Emoji Movie (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Ent.)Ferdinand (Blue Sky/20th Century Fox)Ten Best Movies for Mature AudiencesWinner for Best Movie for Mature Audiences: Darkest HourDarkest Hour (Focus Features/Comcast)All Saints (Sony Affirm/Sony Pictures Ent.)Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (Walt Disney Studios)Thor: Ragnarok (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios)The Promise (2017) (Open Road Films)Bitter Harvest (Roadhouse Attractions)Wonder (Lionsgate Films)Dunkirk (2017) (Warner Bros. Pictures/Time Warner)Wonder Woman (Warner Bros. Pictures/Time Warner)Justice League (Warner Bros. Pictures/Time Warner)Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring MovieWinner: The StarNominees:All SaintsBitter HarvestThe Boss BabyThe Case for ChristLet There Be LightThe Promise (2017)The StarEpiphany Prize for Most Inspiring TV ProgramWinner: The Long Road Home: Black Sunday, Part 2Nominees:Blue Bloods: Cutting LossesThe Crown: VergangenheitLast Man Standing: Take Me to ChurchLittle Big Shots: Tiny DancerThe Long Road Home: Black Sunday, Part 2Victoria: An Ordinary Woman and The Queen’s HusbandFaith & Freedom Award for MoviesWinner: The PromiseNominees:Bitter HarvestThe Boss BabyDarkest HourDunkirk (2017)The LEGO Batman MovieThe PromiseWonderFaith & Freedom Award for TVWinner: The Long Road Home: Black Sunday, Part 2Nominees:Blue Bloods: Cutting LossesThe Crown: VergangenheitFive Came BackThe Long Road Home: Black Sunday, Part 2The Middle: The 200thVictoria: An Ordinary Woman and The Queen’s HusbandThe Faith and Freedom Awards are supported by a grant from The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.Grace Award for Most Inspiring Performance in MoviesWinner: John Corbett for All SaintsNominees:Erika Christensen for The Case for ChristJohn Corbett for All SaintsOscar Isaac for The Promise (2017)Kevin Sorbo for Let There Be LightSam Sorbo for Let There Be LightTerrence Stamp for Bitter HarvestDan Stevens for The Man Who Invented ChristmasMike Vogel for The Case for ChristChristie Peters Grace Award for Most Inspiring Performance in TVWinner: Paul Sparks for The Crown: VergangenheitNominees:Tim Allen for Last Man Standing: Take Me to ChurchLen Cariou for Blue Bloods: Cutting LossesJenna Coleman for Victoria: An Ordinary Woman and The Queen’s HusbandBill Engvall for Last Man Standing: Take Me to ChurchClaire Foy for The Crown: VergangenheitSteve Harvey for Little Big Shots: Tiny DancerTom Hughes for Victoria: An Ordinary Woman and The Queen’s HusbandMichael Kelly for The Long Road Home: Black Sunday, Part 2Tom Selleck for Blue Bloods: Cutting LossesPaul Sparks for The Crown: Vergangenheit$15,000 Kairos Prize for Most Spiritually Uplifting Screenplay by a First-Time or Beginning ScreenwritersWilliam Gebby for North Star$15,000 Kairos Pro Prize for Most Inspiring Screenplay by an Experienced FilmmakerAlexandra Boylan for SwitchedThe Kairos Prizes are supported by a grant from The Timothy Plan.Now in their 33rd year, CFTVC and Movieguide® are the largest, longest-running international, non-profit ministry dedicated to “redeeming the values of the entertainment industry by influencing industry executives and by informing and equipping the public about the influence of the entertainment media.”At the Gala, Dr. Baehr presented highlights from Movieguide®’s Annual Report to the Entertainment Industry, a comprehensive financial analysis of the entertainment business showing that audiences generally prefer movies and television programs with positive, biblical faith and values.For more information about Movieguide® or CFTVC, visit 
Cha told the chef, Chiva Neo, from Ramen Senya in Sherman Oaks, that he’d never heard of anything so “fancy” done for a whole neighborhood before.“We are always looking for ways that we can use events like this for evangelism and outreach because last year, when we were planning for our 2018 goals, one of the things we were thinking about was possibly doing barbecues or some sort of dinners,” Cha said. When this opportunity came up the pastor and its leaders asked themselves, “Who don’t we do this as an outreach?”“We looked at it as a way to get Grace City known as well as use it as an opportunity to proclaim the gospel as well, and possibly get them plugged into a church or a home church,” he said. “It was one of those unexpected things for us, but we said this was one of those once-in-a-blue-moon opportunities so that’s why we decided to take him up on it and just roll with it and see how everything was going to go. It turned out pretty well actually.”Cha said that before guests filled their plates from the sushi buffet-style table, he gave a brief introduction to what his church was about and prayed a blessing.
Guests for the dinner appeared to be of various socioeconomic backgrounds and not necessarily poor, according to Cha. It was an evening enjoyed by everyone, amazed that the free dinner was not standard fare.To end the evening Cha said he spent a short time giving his testimony about how he “came to a saving faith in Christ” and hoped people would reflect upon it and “challenge them in a small way to think about the message of everlasting life.”“We were able to use the food event as a way to point to the food as physical sustenance but use that as a way to point to the spiritual food that is in Christ,” he said. “Like the verse, ‘I am the bread of life that he who believes in me shall never hunger,’ (John 6:35) that Jesus used to show that we care about them physically — to feed them physically but most importantly we want to feed them spiritually.”Plans for another food outreach night hosted by 
“From the very beginning, we just realized that it’s poor stewardship that ‘the church’ is empty so much of the week,” said 
His vision of the coffee houses in the Los Angeles area came in a series of dreams over seven to ten days in 1987, he said.
So there we were at this … cave. There was only one thing left to do. Unload the kids and take a photo on Instagram. As we entered, a tourist was there with a walking stick and backpack. “I guess we won’t die today,” I said. He gave me a look of fear and confusion. He hadn’t gotten the alert. And he saw a 9 mm gun stuck in my waist. So I told him what had just happened to the whole state of Hawaii. He looked … relieved.
Last summer, Nelms was one of four pastors participating in a