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 4^th grade this year.  Justice is in 2^nd grade and will be turning 7 in a few weeks (October 4^th).  Chad is also turning older this month (Sept. 28^th)….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

Reaching Out to Future Spiritual Leaders

All the students are back in school this month (and many parents are relieved).  Summer has been great, yet we are excited about a new schedule and focus for fall.  In the summer there are lots of great relationship building times: home visits, BBQs, late-morning events with the youth, outreaches in the park and camps.  This fall we will have some more discipleship times with the adults and start-up our tutoring ministry again (after a short break for summer) and start the second year of our internship program.  Please be in prayer for these ministries – that they would be even more effective and fruitful in sharing the love and grace of Jesus and building up the Christians in our church and community.  This month we would like to share a little bit about summer camps:

Camp is always a huge part of summer.  It is where we get to know the children and youth better, where they grow closer to one another and where many of them meet Jesus or have a mountain top experience that they can then bring back with them to share with friends and family at home.  The energy and momentum gained in the weeks following camp is contagious to the whole church, even those that did not go to camp. 

It is powerful to watch the hardened facades melt away as the week progresses at camp.  Walls come tumbling down and relationships are forged.  This year several of our youth made a decision to make Jesus their Lord & Savior.  Our older students were able to minister to the younger ones.  (See the last and the next post for pictures from this year's summer camps.)

It is powerful seeing how unique outreaches brought different individuals into our lives. We met one family through our weekly park outreach.  Two other families we met through our tutoring ministry.  Another we met through a special event we held in the community.  One of the youth was invited first to youth group as somebody that didn’t even believe in God, but was willing to check Him out.  And then we get to take all these unique individuals to camp!

One young girl, Andy, and her family, were invited to church by a cousin whom we met at a park outreach and has been attending for a couple years.  On her first visit to our church Andy’s mother gave her life to Jesus.  A few months passed and it was time for camp…which ended up being the time and place for Andy to connect with her loving Father.  If you ask Andy what her highlight of the week was she will excitedly say, “When I dedicated my life to Jesus!”.  She had no idea what life could really feel like or be like…her eyes have been opened and she is not turning back. 

Our children and youth have such a powerful time at camp, which then gets parents asking more questions.  We had a family camp last month and for the first time many of the fathers came out to see what this camp experience was all about.  We had a powerful time as an entire church worshipping God, going deep in the Word, fellowshipping and just having a great, fun and relaxing time. 

We are praying that these men become spiritual leaders in their homes and commit to being a part of the church.  We are also praying (and please join us in this!) for these families to really press into their calling and purpose in Jesus.  While they lead outreaches and share with their family and friends that we would see more salvations.  And that next summer we would be able to bring even more children, youth and families to a life changing experience.  

You Are Not Alone

“You are not alone,” Fabiola said.  Pedro collapsed to the ground and began to weep right in the middle of the big field where he and all the other children were playing soccer.  Pedro, age 6, had already caught the eye of every one of our coaches during the first two days of sports camp - not because of his athletic ability (though he had that), but because of his extremely rebellious and rude behavior. 

Prior to Fabiola’s conversation with Pedro he had socked a teammate in the face and we were trying to find his parents, but learned from his neighbors that his mother and some other close family had been deported and that he and his siblings now lived with their grandparents who allow them to roam the park all day unsupervised.   More frequently these days it seems we just do not know what to do.  That is when we best see God intervene and show us His heart for this community.  Fabiola prayed to God asking for wisdom and she caught His heart for Pedro.  Once Pedro was on the ground weeping – she was able to pray and speak the important truths the Holy Spirit wanted Pedro to hear.  The truth that Pedro needed to know. 

It is for the children like Pedro, and so many other adults that also feel alone and abandoned, that we live and share God’s love and hope in the city.  All Pedro knows is a life of roaming the street without his parents and the abusive yelling of his family inundated by drugs and a survival mentality.  God really loves Pedro.  During sports camp Pedro was able to hear the gospel, but more than that he was able to see the gospel acted out in front of him.  He broke and was brought into God’s embrace by tenderness, love and the truth.  He does not want to be bad.  He wants to be loved.  He needs to be reminded that he is not alone. 

We too are comforted that we are not alone.  Ministry is hard.  Seeing, feeling and living amongst brokenness for a long time is difficult.  But we feel the strength in your prayers.  We feel lifted up by your encouragement.  Together we are investing in people like Pedro and together we celebrate as we reap spiritual and emotional transformation.  Through sports camp and other outreaches we held this summer we were able to share the gospel with thousands of people.  We prayed for hundreds of people and have shared the truth – something that will not return void. 

Thank you for bringing the hope, love and truth of Christ to the city to Pedro and many more to come through your prayers and financial gifts!

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Justice and Beniah