Exposing People to Jesus & Mission

February-March 2016

UPDATES

WINTER YOUTH CAMP

Winter camp was a huge success. We had 13 youth go, along with 4 adults. Two of these adults went looking into what it might look to have them lead or help lead part of the youth group in the future. God is growing their heart for the youth and stretching their faith. We are integrating them more during the Friday night youth service and planning to launch a trial once-a-month Sunday youth service with them as the leaders. One of them has been working with us for the last month to prepare to preach this coming Sunday to the whole church.

Five youth gave their life to Jesus for the first time at camp. Several others reconnected with God. We would not have been able to take all of these students if it wasn’t for a few scholarships that some of you provided. Thank you for your prayers and financial support for this ministry!

 

Our youth leader put together a video (below) with some testimonies and a collage of pictures from the camp. It helped the parents of the youth see what took place and gave them a place to launch off into deeper discussion about spiritual things.

(Note: Some of the testimonies are in Spanish, but if you don’t understand Spanish just skip over those parts – there are several testimonies in English that will give you a feel for what God was doing.)  

MISSION EXPOSURE EXPERIENCE

We had a small group from Oregon come help out and have a mission experience over one of the last weekends. They helped with some projects: sanding and resealing our playground being a big one. We ministered to the homeless, addicts and others in the park and visited the Union Rescue Mission and Skid Row. We got the word out about our upcoming Vacation Bible School the week leading up to Easter and invited people to come out to church while sharing our testimony and the Gospel. 

The contrasts of Los Angeles: The beautiful skyline of billion dollar buildings and businesses with the largest homeless population in the USA wandering the streets not far below. 

WORSHIP WORKSHOP

Part of empowering and raising-up leaders is putting skills and opportunities in people’s hands. We have some aspiring worship leaders learning skills on how to play instruments and what leading worship means from a spiritual standpoint. We also get to give some of the children a chance to experience and fall in love with music in a healthy environment, something their schools do not provide for them. 

WORK TRAINING

One of our youth, Kevin, finished high school last year and is now spending two days a week helping maintain the property and helping out in the office…he is learning a lot of new skills. We believe this time to be an important development period for him before launching him into his career, further schooling and future ministry.

This is also the ‘training wheels’ for us as we continue to pray about opening a men’s home, where guys would be able to intern at our ministry and learn about life and ministry as they transition out of jail/prison. 

FRIENDSHIPS and GROWTH

In the new Bible study that we started in Lynnwood (a city just east of Los Angeles, between Watts and Compton) our son, Beniah has made a new friend (pictured). One of the women in this study also gave her life to Jesus this past month! There is a small community forming; please pray for this group to grow up and grow out. 

Coming up:
* Women’s Breakfast                                March 12
* Beniah’s (our youngest son) birthday. He turns 2!  March 2
* Vacation Bible School/Outreach         March 21-24
* Good Friday Service                               March 25
* Easter Service/Baptisms                       March 27

Please Pray with Us…

1.      Easter outreach will draw people to Christ and connect them to our spiritual family.

2.      Spiritual, emotional, relational covering for the youth as they maneuver through life as a teen in the city after such a wonderful experience at camp.

3.      Wisdom, timing and finances for men’s ministry home.

4.      Growth (maturity of new believers and new people arriving) of Lynnwood Bible study (as we pray wondering if God may be leading us to launch another church plant in that community).

Excited to be serving our Risen King alongside of you!

Thanks for reading, praying and supporting what God is doing here in the city.

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Justice and Beniah