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Thursday, September 11, 2014

Transforming Lives - Transforming Communities

Over the last two months we have continued to call out to Jesus for the harvest – more life transformation, more lasting change, more neighborhoods released from the claws of darkness and set free to experience true, life-giving community.  We are continually in awe of what God is doing.  He loves to answer these prayers.  Thank you for praying with us.  Faith can move the mountains!

Updates…

Youth Summer Camp
The third of our summer camps was focused on the youth of our church.  We have been putting the middle and high school students together and it is fun to see how they interact and help one another.


We had great Bible teaching and devotional times.  Five of the youth gave their lives to Jesus.  One of the girls kept sharing how clean and light she felt afterward.  Once we returned home her mom could hardly stop from sharing how changed her daughter was as well.  A couple other youth rededicated their life to Jesus.  Everyone had a powerful encounter with God.


There was plenty of fun.  Specialty classes every day (arts & crafts, dance, drama, swimming, graffiti, sports, coffee making and much more). Adventure sports were every afternoon (paintball, going to the lake to go tubing).  They had field games every evening.  And even camped out in tents one night.

Cabin time was rich with fun, fellowship and some really deep times with God that we will not quickly forget.  There is nothing quite like spending a week with a group of teens – you really get to know and hear them at a whole new level.  Thank you to those that helped sponsor our teens – we could not have done it without you.




Family Camp
We took 17 families – 64 people – up to family camp this year.  The majority of us made it up to the camp on a school bus we were able to rent due to a generous financial gift.  

·      We had powerful worship times, great teaching times (9 sessions in that weekend), life-changing ministry times, early morning devotionals that were both instructional and relational.  

·      There was a funny and powerful drama that Fabiola organized with two other ladies hitting home some powerful points during out teaching time. 
·      We played some games together as a church on the field that helped us get to know one another better.  Everyone also enjoyed cooling off with some good family time at the pool.

·      We did night hiking, stargazing, watched a movie together and had great fellowship times. 
·      People were ministering to one another and encouraging one another. 
·      Our theme was: Transformed in Christ (focusing on Romans 12:2 and talking about taking off the old and putting on the new). 
·      Some families brought their unsaved spouses or children.  The positive and friendly faith-filled environment really helped people grow closer to a place where they can make a decision to follow Jesus for themselves….and see that the church is not such a scary place after all.  J   

·      We ended the weekend with four baptisms and then a powerful testimony time (filled with tears of joy and shouts of praise. Powerful prayers and words were spoken):
o   One family had their first family Bible study and devotion time together – something they want to continue into the future.
o   One lady shared: “I came with my cup empty, but now it has been filled.”
o   One man shared: “I hardly spend time with my family and this was a good time and place to spend time with them.”
o   One man shared that his knee was healed during the weekend.
o   There were a number of testimonies of how God provided financially and gave favor in getting time off of work to be able to come to the event.

·      Steve and Jenny, a great couple that came and volunteered for the weekend, did so many fun activities with our children and taught them some Bible lessons allowing the adults to focus on what God was saying to them.  And the kids had a blast!
·      God was and is definitely calling people to Himself!  There were a lot of cleansing tears shed and great joy and thankfulness at the end. 



New Ministries & New Starts
School is in session and while it doesn’t feel like fall here in Los Angeles (record heat) we have launched off into some new ministries and re-started some others. 
Please be in prayer with us for each of these ministries:

·       Usher Ministry: We have launched a new usher ministry which helps get more people in our weekly services involved and will help us do a better having eyes and hands ready to welcome and serve the people that we are inviting to come worship with us.  There are over 12 people involved in this and we will be training people up as we go. 

·       Training Home Group Leaders, Facilitators and Hosts: We have begun the process of intentionally training 8 people for leading or helping in our home group ministry.  We hope to start several new groups in the new year.

·       Prayer Group: We have started a community prayer group that will be hosted at a different house every week.  We will intercede for the needs of the church, the family whom we are visiting and the community.  As we continue to strive to empower and train-up others in ministry we are so encouraged that this is a member-led ministry. 

·      English Classes:  We piloted an English (ESL) class last spring and are now ready to launch this needed class for the adults in our community come the first week of October.

·      Tutoring: We are starting the third year of our tutoring program.  We hope to increase the number of students we serve once again this year and continue to take them to the next level academically and spiritually.

·       Worship Team:  We have a small group of worshippers that are meeting weekly to rehearse and will be leading worship for the first time this month.  We are excited as we see their growth in understanding the power and intimacy of worship.  They have been developing musically and in their ability to lead others into God’s presence. 

·         Internship/Leadership Program: We will start our second year of the Fuente Internship this month. 
  

Youth Beach Trip
Enjoying the last days of summer before school starts Joshua and Rocio, our youth leaders, took a group of the youth and some of their parents to the beach for some fun in the surf, time on the sand and a stop at the local arcade. 

Work being done around church

Over the last months we have been plugging away at some projects at the church. 

It is always great to get outside help for some of the things we can’t do on our own – whether because of our lack of the proper finances or skills. 
Pictured above – getting help to put a safer/cleaner ground cover under our play structure.

It is even greater when we see our own people take ownership and work with their hands and minds and buy the needed things to make improvements in our facility. 
Pictured above and below: Our church taking the initiative to install new blinds and do a deep clean throughout the church.

We see that God is moving through the outside help and the inside growth.  The Church family throughout the world is an amazing thing!


Family News
Beniah is 5 ½ months old.  
Chad & Fabiola just celebrated 10 years of marriage (August 15).

We were able to go to Mexico and visit Fabiola’s family a couple weeks ago.  They all love Beniah!  Our church did awesome without us!  While in Mexico we were able to teach an internship class and impart some vision to a new group of leader’s at Fabiola’s home church in Puebla, Mexico. 
Rebecca started 4th grade this year.  Justice is in 2nd grade and will be turning 7 in a few weeks (October 4th).  Chad is also turning older this month (Sept. 28th)….yikes!


Please Pray with Us…
Our purpose for being here in the city is to evangelize the lost, empower and equip those that have come to know Jesus and plant churches. 

We cannot do this alone.  Without prayers we grow weak and doors in our community do not open.
Really we cannot do this alone! Without your financial support we could not focus all our time and energy on these precious people – imparting vision, teaching the Word of God and modeling a godly life.  Thank you for all that you do!

Please keep each of the “new ministries & new starts” listed above in your prayers this month.  Keep our family in your prayers as well. 



May each life that is transformed by Jesus be a seed that transforms many more families and communities here in Los Angeles and throughout the world.  Thank you for being a part of this vision!

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Justice and Beniah