The Upper Room

Super exciting news!  After 3 years of praying we have finally been granted the ability to rent the upstairs of our church building (old home).  This gives us 5 new classrooms and a game area for children and youth programs.  This will also allow us to expand our meeting area for our Sunday services downstairs along with opening up some space for some other ministry plans we have down the road.  

We now have space to more than double our tutoring and English (ESL) ministries.  We also envision doing more with music and can even host larger groups that would like to come server alongside us for short-term mission trips. 

Remember the upper room in the book of Acts?  The disciples obediently spent many days up there praying and awaiting the gift Father God promised.  We have already been blessed with the Holy Spirit, but this new expansion is bringing us more and more to our knees in prayer on ways we can bring the presence of God to others.   Our focus is Jesus.  We so urgently want Him to be made known to the nations.  We want people all over the world to experience His goodness and mercy and welcome Him into their lives personally.  That is why we continue to invest in so many people here in Los Angeles.  So that He may be known and His Word shared far and wide. 

We want one of the rooms upstairs to be used as a prayer room – a place where people corporately or individually can come and meet with God. 

We have had some good maturing in our community group as we have been training them to lead the study and watching them grow in godly character.  This week we were encouraging some of the couples that soon they will be released to lead a group on their own.  We will be sending them out two by two to go teach what they have been learning in this study and in their relationship with God to their friends and neighbors.  There is a lot of excitement in what is to come early next year when this all happens.  

 

The front door opens to this small space.  We’re thinking it would make a nice place for parents to check-in their children before they go upstairs to the classrooms.

 There are five rooms and two bathrooms.  The middle picture shows the space in the middle that leads to all the rooms.  One of our youth that helps with our Fuente Kids ministry is getting excited saying that it would be a great space to have a Kid’s Church service like the adults have downstairs before having the age groups break up into their classes.  

 There is a kitchen space as well. 

Here (above and below) is a peak at 4 of the rooms and the views from upstairs.  The park and most of the neighborhood can be easily seen.  It just stirs up prayer and compassion being able to see out further into the neighborhood from upstairs.  From the other side is a great view of downtown Los Angeles. 

Here Are Some Ways You Can Help

Our church has been working hard to get ready to take on the increase in rent, but we sure could use some help with some of the start-up costs of getting these spaces ready for ministry.  Could you sponsor a room (or part of a room)?  You can either order the item and have them sent to us, or send the money to World Impact (2001 S. Vermont Ave. / Los Angeles, CA 9007) clearly marked for “FUENTE LA”.  We’ve created a wish list on Amazon.com with quantities and comments to help you shop for us.  Click here “Adopt a Room”:

SPONSOR A ROOM (or part of a room): 

Each room needs:

2-3 tables (6’ rectangular/folding)                 $ 76-115 per room                 

10-20 chairs (folding)                                   $ 90-180 per room

Dry erase whiteboard (4’ x 6’)                     $ 150 per room

Garbage can (white; 6 gallon size)                 $ 8 per room

2 plastic bins for storage (~66 Qt size)          $ 20 per room

Bookcase and/or storage closet                    $ 120 each

Blinds (10/18 are broken or damaged)         $ 25-35 each

TOY STORE:

Like last year, we will be putting on a Christmas outreach event that includes a Toy Store.  We deeply discount toys and give parents an opportunity to shop for their children (on average parents or grandparents pay only 20-25% of the original price making giving some gifts possible).  This gives parents the opportunity to choose and pay for the present they will give their child, which is more empowering than just handing them a toy for “boy, age 8”.  Our church organizes the event and puts on a banquet with other fun activities that bring Christ as the focus of Christmas.  With the toys being donated we are also able to raise a little money to help our church in future outreach events too. 

We need 200+ gifts to be able to include all the people we’ve been focused on reaching out to this year.  Would you consider donating toys to our special toy store this year? If it is easier than picking the item out yourself you may give a financial gift (designated “Fuente LA”) and we’ll do the shopping for you (or you may send gift cards – for example, $10 McDonald’s cards were popular for the youth last year). 

Worship & Music Training

We have had another wave of interest in learning instruments and desire to participate in worship.  We had a Saturday workshop this month to help some of the new students get oriented to the basics and give some of our more experienced musicians an experience to grow even more.  Continue to pray that we could foster hearts that worship Jesus in spirit and truth and a musical gifting that would bless all who hear us.  

Youth Group Our youth group had a guest speaker come share her testimony with them this month.  One key point they took away from this time was being bold in sharing their faith with others.  We have since seen an increase in invites and visitors to the group.  Also, it has been a lot of fun watching the youth worship team develop and mature.  They sing many of the same songs the whole church sings on Sunday, but they sing them in English on Fridays.

Our Church Anniversary - Celebrating 4 Years

This month we celebrated the transformation that God has done in individuals and families through the church we are planting, Fuente para las Naciones.  It was great to take time out to look back and see what God has taken us through for His glory.  We also looked ahead at some of the great things God has in store for us.  We had first time guests as well as old friends join us.  There was special music, a time of testimonies and the children shared Bible verses that they had memorized.  At the end of service we all went upstairs to pray and dedicate the new space to the Lord.  

Family News

Here are a few fun fall pictures from this month.

Please Pray with Us…

Pray for our upcoming events that will strengthen our church family as well as give us opportunity to reach more people for Jesus Christ:

o   Thanksgiving Outreach (A special service with drama and full meal) – November 23

o   Christmas Banquet & Toy Store Outreach – December 14

o   New Years Outreach (park outreach) – January 3

We are praying that you may continue to have those upper room experiences – the emotion of waiting on the great surprises and blessings the Lord has for you as well as the realization of these hopes and desires. 

We are thankful for you.  We hope you have a great Thanksgiving celebration. 

God’s rich blessing on you,

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Justice and Beniah

FL!P & House of Prayer

One night at Bible study as we sat in a circle sharing stories of how God answers prayers a new prayer ministry was born.  We saw and heard how God moves….and wanted more! Instead of taking the reins and starting something ourselves we made way for a couple from our church to follow the burning in their hearts. They now fill houses throughout our neighborhood every week with people hungry to be with God. And God keeps answering their prayers.

Just last week I (Chad) was moved to tears seeing people standing with arms lifted high, kneeling, sitting, crying, laughing and really experiencing the goodness and faithfulness of God. Many homes do not have very large family rooms (if any), but somehow we have been able to fit 20-30 people in most of the homes. More first time visitors have been coming because they want to lift their needs before the Lord as well. The fellowship afterward is richer than we have experienced in any other setting. 

Francisco, the gentleman leading these times of prayer, is also in our one-year leadership intern program. He is being challenged to follow God wherever He calls. In this program (called FL!P: Fuente Leadership Intern Program) we work on forming godly character as well as training up the intern in competence for ministry. Francisco is working on the focus area of preaching and teaching the Word of God. This year we ask that you would please pray with us for Francisco.  That he would grow in intimacy with Jesus as well as his capacity to humbly serve others.   

Having our church visit one another’s homes during the week for prayer has also stirred up a group of women to open their homes for a time of sweet fellowship and study. While their children are away at school they can learn from the Word of God and from one another. We are seeing the ladies take more ownership of these groups – leading discussion and prayer times, being very hospitable and inviting their friends and neighbors to participate as well. 

There are so many other wonderful ways we are seeing our investment into people and into this neighborhood produce fruit. Many times we have seen practical needs met without us having to get involved – the church is aware and caring and engaged.  Worship has become a language of the heart. When we began, worship was such a foreign language, something people did because we told them it was important. Now worship is personal. Worship is something that is stirring in hearts and carried with them throughout their days. 

We are thankful for your prayers and financial support. Without that foundation we would not be able to build up these beautiful families and consequently they would not know Jesus and the power of gathering together in prayer, fellowship, study and worship. We pray that this month as we celebrate Thanksgiving you would know how grateful we are for you.  We also pray that you would be able to gather with others and share the love of Jesus and see His hand move in answering your prayers.