Attention: North Long Beach

Do you have any stories about North Long Beach?  Do you have any artwork you would like to contribute to the North Long Beach Anthology?  

Smolarcorp in conjunction with the Connected Corridor Project is now accepting written works and art works reflecting the experience in North Long Beach until March 15th.  Selected works will be published in a Book by Authors - North Long Beach Anthology.  It is an opportunity to contribute the real flavor of North Long Beach.  Be creative!

To learn more about the guidelines and submission of works please visit www.bookbyauthors.org

Seminar for widows

I received this request from a wonderful, caring pastor in the city.
Judy Wilson

I am sharing information with you regarding an upcoming 2009 Widows Retreat, specifically designed to minister to the special needs of widows. This is the fourth retreat organized and led by Donna Nunes and her ministry group called Widows Helping Widows, based out of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. This year's retreat is planned for Friday, January 23 - Sunday, January 25, 2009 at Murrieta Conference Center.

Originally, this was a small group that I started with nine years ago when I was widowed. This outreach has grown and sustains a continuing ministry to the special needs of widows & their children. I will be presenting, for the fourth year, a 2-hour grief support workshop during the weekend, as a grief support facilitator trained by Susan Beeney, Director of New Hope Grief Support Community. I consider it an honor and privilege to assist this ministry and come alongside other widows, as I have experienced and walked a similar journey to the one they are now traveling.

Attached are documents with the retreat flyer and registration form. This retreat is open to local churches, as this very unique ministry wishes to make the retreat available to the widows in our region.

In past years, I have invited local widows to attend the retreat with me and have provided some with transportation in my van. Let me know if there are widows who might be interested and would like to talk to me about attending.
There are a few scholarships available and sponsoring a widow to this retreat would truly be a blessing to her and your church.

Thank you for considering sharing this information with your women's ministry and the widows in your church & communities. We ask for your prayers for this retreat and ministry. For more information, please call me. God bless you.


In His service,

Genevieve Douglass-Beckham
562-421-4640 or 562-577-4561
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Agent Orange Widows Awareness Coalition
www.aowac.org

getting FED!

On September 3, 2008 I had a BBQ with Dan Pressberg, a local community activist and member of North Long Beach Community Action Group.  I nervously arrived at his beautiful historic home in North Long Beach.  I have met Dan before at large city meetings.  I have to admit, I was very intimidated by him.  I heard about his work in North Long Beach and knew that he was a mover and shaker in this city.  Here I was at his door step with an intern in tow.  He opened the door wearing a casual button down shirt and bright blue hawaiian shorts.  He was talking on the phone with several city leaders about politics in his boisterous voice.  His home was filled with beautiful antiques and photos of Long Beach way back in the day.  You can tell just by his home, his passion for history.  Right off the bat he said that you need to know your history before you start anything.  And let me tell you, he sure does know his history.  We met with Dan with the intention of learning about the history of North Long Beach, but we kept on going on tangents about all of Long Beach.

I could not imagine North Long Beach as a cattle farm, as it was in the 1900s.  Then it was made into sheep farms.  Eventually the land was split and sold.  During the 1930s there was a boom in housing development and North Long Beach was home for many workers.  In the 1940s the theaters were built.  In the 1960s and 80s the demographics greatly shifted due to immigration.

We continued to discuss the history of North Long Beach as we ate our yummy hamburgers.  He told us about the past, present, and near future of North Long Beach.  Dan shared his heart for Long Beach and that's when my nervousness melted away.  Dan was just another neighbor in North Long Beach that wants the best for it.  Rosie, the community development interns, asked how can churches change their involvement in North Long Beach.  Dan advised the church needs to feed the people, physically and spiritually.  He said whenever he meets with someone he always shares a meal with them, to create an equal level with each other.

So thank you Dan Pressberg for feeding me!

Art of Hearing God seminar

I have heard of a wonderful opportunity and want to pass it on to you. I have been aware of John Paul Jackson for a while now and have wanted to go to one of his seminars and they are seldom in this area. However, coming soon to a place near you!
The Light Christian Fellowship, one of our networked churches, is hosting an Art of Hearing God seminar at Light and LIfe Christian Fellowship at 5951 Downey Ave., Long Beach on September 18-20. If you want to register or check it out go to: Streams Ministries - www.streamsministries.com. I especially like his book titled Needless Casualties of War. I use it in all my prayer training classes as a foundational teaching. Let me know what you think....judy

Churches Connecting

How fun to be able to watch God at work!!! I don't generally attend night meetings as I live in Garden Grove and it's far to come back, but last Tuesday conspired to keep me at the office loooong and I wound up at our Emergency Preparedness Task Force Meeting. I haven't been in a while and was so blessed by what God is doing through the churches that have wanted to serve their neighbors by helping them prepare for the "big one". I have watched people go from using it to get to preach the gospel to wanting to BE the church and serve them, and I have watched as whole congregations have taken an active role in their neighborhoods to prepare and equip their surrounding "hoods". Last Tuesday several new congregations were present and learning how to be involved in this effort. As we were talking about HAM radios, CERT classes and Red Cross trainings there were so many connections between them to have shared classes and trainings and to share everything they've learned as they have gone down this road. We talked about KC being an information "clearing house" so that as classes and trainings are held, we can make them public information.
Good job all of you who have been involved for a long time - and welcome to the ones just now coming - there are rich resources to be mined here to take back to your congregations and neighborhoods.
Kingdom Causes exists to catalyze these kinds of happenings and connections.
I love it when a plan comes together!
.....and I love it when I get to watch!

Retreat in the vineyard

What a metaphor we were! We had opportunity to stay at a beautiful vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley for our KC retreat Aug 23-25. We were pruned, fed, fertilized, grafted and sunned! Actually we got off to a little rocky start...originally, we had the girls staying at a hotel in Solvang and the boys in the converted barn. However, when we got a look at the converted "barn" we (the girls) made an executive decision and relegated the boys to the hotel! They grumbled mightily but finally "graciously" gave us our way. http://www.saarloosgroup.com/thevineyard.html (if you are prone to jealousy, you might want to skip seeing where we were)
Go to their website if you would like to hear someones heart who loves his work.

God has blessed me in this later stage of my life to be in association with an amazing group of people. Everyone on staff in any position was at the retreat and I didn't know some of them at all and a few not very well. To be in a place where each person is excited about the Lord and His Church is an answer to my prayer and the fulfillment of a dream. These are quality people, doing a quality job, for a quality organization. We have very different backgrounds, theologies, calls, passions and lifestyles - and there is honor and respect and room given for differences as we gather around the "One Thing" which is Jesus.
We laughed!!!! we fellowshipped, ate together, prayed together, learned together, dreamed together and had lots of wonderful connection and conversation. My admiration grows for these people every time we're together. I get to work for Kingdom Causes!!! what a wonderful thing is that!
xoxoxox....judy

Meeting New Pastors

We were at Pastors Garon and Betty Harden's church last Wednesday for the Kingdom Causes Leadership prayer meeting. What shepherd's hearts they have for their community! One of pastor's passions is education for young people and he has started a Bible College just down the street in order to provide opportunity for young people in the area. He also has a pre-school thru 8th grade on his premises for the same reason. Pastor Harding was telling about his building project and he has completed the permit process with the City - and he still has a smile on his face!! They are such an engaging couple and you feel welcome in that place. Prayer seems to be high on their agenda as they have a prayer meeting every day except Sunday and sometimes two. They had just finished one when we got there for our pastors meeting and as we were finishing people were coming in and going into the prayer room and getting on their knees. No wonder he's gone from 30 people to 3 services on Sunday and needs a bigger facility! They are strategically placed in the northwestern-most corner of Long Beach and I'm thinking the Lord has some amazing things in store for this congregation.

Connected Corridor - North Atlantic Corridor

Kingdom Causes was one of eight organizations that were given a grant by Long Beach Leadership and The Knight Foundation to transform North Long Beach area around Atlantic Avenue.  There are and will be great opportunities in North Long Beach to take advantage of.  It was great to meet people with a heart for North Long Beach and a vision of creating community.  I cannot wait for the stories of transformation from these different organization.  One story of hope and transformation I heard from this first meeting was from Margaret, who is a member of Long Beach Leadership Steering Committee.  The nursing home in front of Carmelitos Apartments saw Carmelitos as the worse thing to happen to Long Beach.  A young woman who grew up in Carmelitos wanted to change their perspective and started to volunteer at the nursing home.  She broke down the barriers between the nursing home and Carmelitos and how they see each other.  Currently she still volunteers there along with other residents from Carmelitos.  I am very excited to hear more stories of neighbors connecting and building relationships with each other.

AIDS Walk Long Beach

Lord have mercy...it was SO hot today!! I think that I overheard on the tv as I was passing by that we broke a record today. My goodness!

My family and I (all 6 of us!) walked the 5k this morning in order to raise money for the ongoing local fight against the HIV virus. Kingdom Causes has been a part of a collaborative effort here locally (plans are going public next month so stay tuned about how you can get involved - or better yet, email one of us and let us know you are interested now!) and we walked with one of the other collaborating organizations called Global Lifeworks.

Our team of about 45 folks was the #1 fundraising team with cash money of about 10k. They are still tallying up the results. Way to go team! You can check it out for yourself HERE.

It was actually a great event today. It was good to see so many of the folks that we have been dreaming and strategizing with in our monthly HIV/AIDS collaborative meetings. This is truly a collaborative effort and we are excited about how plans are coming together. We are hoping to have a launch meeting on the evening of Tuesday July 29th. If you are interested in learning about what Dr Becky Kuhn (A local HIV/AIDS physician and the leader of Global Lifeworks) calls "the most exciting collaborative project engaging this cause that she is aware of anywhere in the USA" consider joining us!

I also saw and said hi to a few other folks that I recognized - Lance Lefler and his family (including dog), a whole gang of folks from Project Long Beach (aka Rock Harbor Folks).

I did find myself wondering why the only people there at the end of the 5k to congratulate me were two flamboyant drag queens and not representatives of the Church of the City. What a great idea for next year! There I go thinking out loud again...

WOW Jam 2008

Wow Jam was on June 6 at Houghton Park (in North Long Beach) and on June 7 at Poly High School (Downtown Long Beach).  This is the second year WOW Jam has taken place in Long Beach.  The first year there was such a great turn out they decided to have two WOW Jams in Long Beach.  It was my first time being at and participating in a WOW Jam.  I was not sure of what to expect or how I felt about the WOW Jam.  There were 60 churches that participated in WOW Jam.  Many provided volunteers and donated to WOW Jam.  There were many people at the first WOW Jam, but even more people showed up to the WOW Jam at Poly.  I was very impressed by the free gifts they had at the booths like the educational toys and shoes.  I was very tempted to go to the Samaritans Feet booth where they washed people's feet and gave them a pair of shoes.  They had really nice shoes like Jack Parcels and Converses.  But I am glad the neighborhood was blessed by them.  KC also had a booth.  We asked people to draw or write what they would want to make better in their community.  Many kids came to our table and colored.  Then we posted them on a board to show the hopes and dreams of the community.  My favorite was drawn by Josue.  He loves to skate board and has awesome scar stories.  His said "less gang violence" and he drew a drive-by shooting.  He told me these happen a lot in his neighborhood.  It is amazing what kids today are exposed to.  

Second Saturday Prayer

I haven't posted anything for a while, so.....I'm back!!
This Saturday was the second Saturday and thus - our SS Prayer at 6am!!!! People come sleepy, with wet hair, with big cups of coffee, not quite sure what they're doing there and wishing for the sheets and more sleep. And then we pray and I personally haven't heard anyone complain about the time spent in the throne room of the Most High God. We're building a core of faithful people and learning to pray together in spite of different styles and backgrounds and many times differing beliefs about various theological matters. All of that falls to the background as we come together on behalf of our City. This week there were 6 or 7 different churches represented. One guy was on vacation and his day began really early! Some people pray a lot, some a little, some not at all. Some people pray eloquently, some simply, some not at all (except in their hearts). Sometimes we pray according to the web-page prayer guide I put together monthly, sometimes we don't. Sometimes we pray over the local news and sometimes we pray over the churches represented. This week we were praying over the younger generation and their vision for the City. So to continue in that vein, we gathered around the young ones in the room and prayed for them and what it is that Abba has in store for them as they work to make the Kingdom come in Long Beach.
Each month I'm a little more excited about what God is doing. It's been a prayer of mine for many years to see the Church come together to seek God's heart for the city and here it's happening!!!!
Thank you to those who make that special sacrifice!

The Church in Long Beach - WOW!!!!

What a testimony to God at work in the City of Long Beach. Sixty churches worked together to support the WOW jam held at Houghton Park and Poly High on June 6 and 7. Pastors Bonnie and Paul Theimens headed the effort and did so much work to connect with and enroll all the churches and organizations that participated by giving of their time, talents and resources to this Kingdom effort. I let my hurting body talk me out of staying for the best part Friday evening and went home. Here is the story one of my friends told me. She was part of the altar call prayer people and one of the families she prayed with - parents and kids - had all raised their hands to accept Jesus. As she prayed over them she began praying for healing, restoration and protection and the woman was visibly impacted. The husband's response to his wife was to hold her in his arms and let her cry. The next person was a Hispanic woman who didn't speak English except to say, as she held her hands up, "It's a miracle!" over and over. A Spanish speaking worker then came and ministered to her. My friend says, "I don't know what will happen to these people now, but the Holy Spirit has touched them and it's His job now! I know God has impacted the lives of these people for eternity."
I have heard comments about the give-aways, about this not having lasting impact, and many others. Several of my friends were there and all of them report being so aware of the presence of God. I say, if nothing else, for 60 churches to come together in one accord to further the Kingdom, it's a win for God's side!!! My participation for this one was to pray with Pastor Paul over the sites and hearing God's heart for those people in that place was what I wanted. At our Second Saturday prayer meeting last Saturday we bathed everything again in prayer. We asked God to "complete the good work He began until the day of salvation" for each person who was impacted by this year's WOW jam. He's got a lot of work to do because at Poly alone there were 5000 people in attendance.
Kudos to each and every person who gave anything and Pastors Paul and Bonnie worked tirelessly to bring about an eternal impact in the City of Long Beach. Blessings to you!!!
As one of my main functions at Kingdom Causes is prayer, my encouragement to anyone who reads this blog is to continue to pray for this years' jam to begin now to intercede for next years'. Let's also pray for encouragement, support and refreshment for the Theimens.
Love to you all - Judy

Special Olympics in Long Beach

For many of you that know me, you know that I have a daughter 24 who has Cerebral palsy. Danielle has been swimming in Special Olympics for the past 10 years, and just because of who she is, she has gotten more press than all my family combined. Today Friday June 13th in the Press Telegram on page C4 she again was interviewed, quoted and photographed. Special Olympics is this weekend at Long Beach State College with opening ceremonies Friday June 13th at 6:30 at the Pyramid. They are always looking for volunteers to help with all the logistics of hundreds of athletes from around Southern Cal. that come and participate in these events. Come check it out June 13-15th on the CSULB campus. Check out the swimming, track, basketball and other events. Witness these often forgotten individuals as they attempt bravely and give it their all to win the prize.
Jim Schorr

Exciting Workshop for the Abused and the Abuser

I have a good friend who used to be a wife abuser. The Lord got hold of him and delivered him out of that. His ex-wife (the abused) started a ministry to abused women and children called Love Does No Harm and my friend is part of the workshop. Together they present a powerful, impacting day full of healing. Topics covered are: safety in relationships, communication, boundaries and forgiveness/reconciliation among others. If you have been impacted by this devastation or know someone who has, I highly recommend this seminar. It will be presented at Long Beach Christian Fellowship on May 31, 2008. It will begin at 8:30 and end at 5:00. I hope to see you there!!! Judi Noble is the presenter and you will hear from her (the abused) Jim (the abuser) and their son. She has done her homework well and presents from a sound Biblical as well as psychological basis. You will be blessed as well as informed and equipped to deal with this destructive family issue. Blessings on you....

Lighthouse Church of Long Beach

God has so many expressions of mercy and grace. His tenderness expressed through His Body touches my soul in special places. Last Sunday, May 4, I visited the Lighthouse Church on Studebaker in Long Beach. My friend Jim Schorr leads worship there and it was so good to see him doing what he takes such delight in doing - his love for Jesus and his desire to worship Him is infectious...and I caught it. I have experienced Pastors Paul and Bonnie's gentle ways in other contexts but never during their Sunday Service - and their whole congregation has them. From the time I walked in the door until the time I left, the presence and sweetness of the Lord was a felt thing. I loved the way they ministered to each other in prayer without any show and there were no superstars of prayer ministry, just people loving on each other and praying over each other. Pastor Paul made his message about Elijah and the prophets of Baal come alive with his description of Mount Carmel (I've been there too) and he made it easily applicable to our daily lives.
This is the church that's heading up the WOW jam initiative again in our City. Last year over 1000 people gave their lives to Jesus. This year he's got already 44 churches and other organizations enrolled so it should be even more wonderful. There are two locations, Houghton Park on June 6 and at Poly High on June 7. There are so many ways to serve and get involved and the rewards will be FOREVER. There will be flyer handouts into the neighborhoods, prayer walking the sites, ways to give service, money, time, face painting and so many other exciting things. The time, energy, resource and prayer this couple has sown into this event both this year and last, the warfare they've encountered and the way they're walking through it is an illustration to all of us of what Jesus talked about when He asked us to serve and love one another by laying down our lives.
So I guess I'm inviting you to check out both the church and the event...Our Father has something to say to us through the Theimens.
A side note: my daughter Melody, is now 28 and Pastor Paul's father Bernie was my pastor at the time and dedicated her to the Lord. What a small world it is!

CARE Clinic HIV/AIDS picnic August 16th

Seeking to support community support endeavors is a priority at Kingdom Causes. This is a communication I received from the facilitator of the picnic. If you have any interest in assisting this very worthwhile cause here is some advance information.

The picnic date for children and adults with HIV/AIDS and their families, is
Saturday August 16th.
Our needs are:
Decorations for a Round up theme. Red, yellow and brown balloons.
We also need some Mylar balloons in the same theme.
Deserts, side dishes are always needed.
We also need gift certificates $10.00-$20.00 to Albertson's and Big Lots.
Walmart and Target-can also be used for vitamins and prescriptions.
Also fast food or Local Restaurants (downtown LB), movie tickets.
The closer we get to the event I'll know how many volunteers we need to help the day of.
Thank you for your support.

If you have interest in this, email me at longbeach@kingdomcauses.org
and I'll pass along your information to the awesome lady who works so hard to serve this community.

Cover the Uninsured Week Breakfast

Just got this invitation and am choosing this blog spot to let you know about it too.

St. Mary Medical Center & Long Beach Health and Human Services
Invite you to a
Faith Leaders Breakfast & Discussion
Featuring Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal (Confirmed)
Dr. Helene Calvet, Long Beach Health Officer, (Confirmed)
Other Elected Officials invited in Honor of Cover the Uninsured Week
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Begins promptly at 8:30 AM
Registration and light breakfast available at 8 am
St. Mary Medical Center
Health Enhancement Center
1050 Linden Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90813
For reservations, please call Rachel Plotkin at 562-491-9066 or
email rplotkin@chw.edu
Co-sponsored by: St. Mary Medical Center, Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, Office of State Senator Alan Lowenthal, Office of Assemblymember Betty Karnette, Beacon House, Behavioral Health Services, The Children’s Clinic, Westside Neighborhood Clinic, Long Beach Ministerial Alliance, NAACP-Long Beach Branch, Long Beach Medi-Cal/Healthy Families Outreach Collaborative, Khmer Parents Association, City of Long Beach, American Cancer Society, Interfaith Community Organization (ICO)

April 17, 2008
Dear Faith Leader,
Today, 47 million Americans have no health insurance, including more than 9 million children. Eight out of 10 uninsured Americans either work or are in working families. Being uninsured means going without needed care. It means minor illnesses become major ones because care is delayed.
Tragically, it also means that one significant medical expense can wipe out a family's life savings.
The problem is getting worse. As the price of health care continues to rise, fewer individuals and families can afford to pay for coverage. Fewer small businesses are able to provide coverage for their employees, and those that do are struggling to hold on to the coverage they offer. It is a problem that affects all of us.
I would like to invite you to a breakfast and discussion of the issue on Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 8:30 AM. This event is co-sponsored by St. Mary Medical Center and Long Beach Health and Human Services. Please RSVP to Rachel Plotkin at 562-491-9066 or rplotkin@chw.edu.
Sincerely,

Sister Gerard Earls, CCVI
Vice President, Mission Integration

13th Annual LBUSD Science Fair

Saturday, April 26, 2008 at Cabrillo High School at 2001 Santa Fe Ave.

"We would like to invite you to be a part of this year's LBUSD annual district-wide Science Fair! This is one of the many ways the LBUSD is committed to involving the community in our students' education. The fair is entirely community-based, and uses no public tax funds. We rely on the participation of more than 470 volunteers on fair day. We hope you will join us at the THIRD LARGEST Science Fair among public school districts in the USA!"

The above is the opening paragraph from a letter from Eric D. Brundin, Science Curriculum Leader.

Some of the particulars are..this is an invitation for volunteers to participate as a Science Fair Reviewer. They will meet the morning of the fair for an orientation meeting and continental breakfast at 8:45 am. The review of student projects will take place from 9:45 am to noon.

If this is something that interests you, contact Leticia Espinoza-Vopyan at
lespinozavopyan@lbusd.k12.ca.us and she will give you more information as well as a form to fill out.

Serving our children with you.....

Victory Outreach Church of North Long Beach

OK - so each place I visit is wonderful and alive and full of God's Spirit. My newest discovery is Victory Outreach of North Long Beach pastored by Brian Apodaca and his wife Tillie. We (my daughter-in-law and I) were greeted by smiling friendly people who were evidently very glad to be where they were and - so were we. You could feel the delight of the people and the delight of the Father in His people. This is a group of people who God has truly rescued from a life of addictions and failures and has set their feet upon The Rock. I don't know if this is true of each member of the congregation, but that's the way Victory Outreach was founded by Sonny Argonzoni who was an ex-drug addict and gang member. His story was put down in the famous book, The Cross and the Switchblade, and Victory Outreach grew from his efforts with other people like him.
Pastor Brian Apodaca is one of those people. His spiritual parents were visiting and gave testimony to how many times they answered his (Brian's) calls from jail, streetcorners and other places he found himself in the midst of his addiction. They knew he had a call on his life and stayed with him until the Lord really had hold on him and set his feet on his ordained path. He said when he introduced them, "You all know me like this (in a suit and all cleaned up), but they knew me when I wasn't like this, and I want you to hear from them."
Pastor Brian then went on to preach a solid, foundational message on prayer and spending time with God in relationship. He cares for his congregation and the church has so much going on that wherever one is in life and however busy, there's something at this church to plug into and receive good fellowship, prayer and teaching as well as ways to serve.
And did I mention the worship!? Their joy and exuberance as well as their wonderful talents were alive and anyone with breathe in their body had to begin to move and join in worship to our King.
I highly recommend a visit. One thing we didn't know that would have been good....they have valet parking, so you can drive to the front and someone will park your car (which is such a good thing as there is no place to park!) and bring you your keys - with a huge smile!
Let me know what you think.....

Dr. Mathews Appreciation for Math Madness Support

Here is a letter of appreciation from Gwen Mathews, Ph.D:

Dear Kingdom Causes,

I wanted to take a moment to express my deep gratitude to you for helping to make our First Annual District-wide Middle School Mathematics Competition a tremendous success.  Thanks in large part to your efforts, our students were treated to a first-class event to recognized their hard work in the classroom.  By providing valuable volunteer services, as well as nutritious snacks for this memorable day, your time, talents and treasures provided the foundation for an unforgettable academic competition for over 400 students and their families.

Our Math Madness competition was like no other in recent history.  Countless family members joined students, staff and community members to cheer-on our students.  While we have been fortunate to enjoy this high level of enthusiasm and participation for athletic events, I know you will agree that it is inspiring to see this type of support and encouragement for students who are determined to be champions in the classroom as well.

Thank you again for being an integral part of our district-wide middle school math competition.  This wonderful event simply could not have come together without the determination of dedicated people, such as you.  I am quite confident that the smiles on students' and families' faces, and the sense of pride that comes from participating in such a unique event, will remain with us all for a very long time to come.  We look forward to working with you again, as we continue to provide a world-class education for every student, every day.

Sincerely,

Gwendolyn H. Mathews, Ph.D

Assistant Superintendent

We, at Kingdom Causes, would like to reiterate Dr. Mathews' appreciation.  Thank you for coming along side us in supporting the school district.  Thank you for volunteering your time and loving on these students and their families!

..Grace does much more abound

At Kingdom Causes,one of our priorities is the Church of the City of Long Beach. To that end we host a prayer meeting for the pastors of the City on the first Wednesday of each month. We move from place to place in order to highlight local congregations and to hear the pastor's heart and pray for him and his congregation. This month we met at the Salvation Army on Spring Street.
Our first order of "business" was to address an issue of infidelity by a high-profile local leader and give the younger pastors opportunity to ask questions and the older pastors opportunity to speak into the situation. There were around 30-40 leaders in the room and I saw them rally around the church and family of the fallen leader to support them and make themselves available to them. A clear line was drawn that the Church in Long Beach will not tolerate the sin, and will not bless this brother in what he's trying to now establish in Long Beach. There was also an invitation from the older pastors to anyone who might be struggling with any of these issues to come and seek private counsel. We held hands and prayed for the church that has been left and betrayed, the family and the City. There were tears and pleas before the throne of grace for the restoration of the brother and a uniting in one accord around this issue. I (Judy) felt the tearing that happened when the wife and congregation found out they had been betrayed and abandoned and watched as others around the room sent their heartfelt requests to the Lord on their behalf.
As we moved into the second half of the morning we heard from Commander Glen Madsen of the Salvation Army. He shared about who the SA is and how they were started, and dispelled many misconceptions surrounding the Army. We really got his heart for the message of Jesus Christ for the lost and dying and his call to his mission. We also heard about the new Kroc center that is being built along PCH to serve the down and out population of Long Beach. What a blessing to our City this will be! And as I listened, I heard the scripture - "where sin abounds, grace does much more abound." Where one pastor has sown sin, betrayal and abandonment, the Lord's mercy for Long Beach has given beyond measure in this Center that will serve our City through the generosity of the McDonald's family and the dedication to excellence exhibited by Commander Glen Madsen of the Salvation Army. You will be hearing more about the Kroc center in months to come - look for it, you will be excited.
Yeah God!!!

Season of Repentance

A local pastor who’s been pastoring the same church for 25 years, Doug Richardson of Long Beach Christian Fellowship, has called his congregation into a season of repentance. It began March 24 and will go until Pentecost. You can go to www.lbcf.org to read his invitation. The church will have its doors open for a service each evening for the entire time. I went to one of these services and was thoroughly blessed. The presence of the Lord was there to gently remind me of the ways I was out of His will. It was a small intimate gathering where worship and prayer were the order of the evening. The atmosphere was inviting and there was no pressure to “do” anything except be there and pray, or not as you felt comfortable. The sincerity and humility of the people in the room was so refreshing that I came away knowing that I had been truly in the Presence of the Creator of the whole earth.

Personal note from Judy: I believe Doug has a voice for the City of Long Beach and I would ask you to consider joining him and his church in this season and see what our Father has for you...

Crazy for Math Madness

Math in general is difficult to do, but math in the morning is insane.  On March 1, 2008, middle school students from all 26 LBUSD middle and K-8 schools were challenged to Math Madness.  It is the first annual, all district math competition in Long Beach.  Gwen Mathews, Assistant Superintendent, asked KCLB to provide snacks for the students and volunteers for the event.  KCLB was able to make 450 snack packs filled with a water bottle, granola bar, and fruit snacks.  We also had many volunteers come to Math Madness to help with the breakfast for the parents and other tasks for the competition.  Thank you to all the volunteers who help welcome the parents and students and to make the event go smoothly.  I was impressed by the excitement of the students and the support of the parents and LBUSD staff (teachers, principals, and counselors).  All the students had a T-shirt representing their school at Math Madness.  It was great to see kids excited for math and were encouraged to study and to achieve in their math skills.  It was pretty intense.  The first round they narrowed down the group to three students representing their math level and grade level.  Proctors told me students wanted to continue to complete the math problems and practice their skills even after they were eliminated in the first round.  The Jeopardy round was also very impressive.  It was like real Jeopardy.  They even had real buzzards.  The students who place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd each received a reward.  Many of the students who participated in Math Madness found it to be a great experience and were looking forward to the next year's competition.  I am also excited for the next Math Madness.  I was a little envious of the students because I wished when I was attending Mary Butler K-8 school that I had Math Madness to look forward to.

An alive, vibrant church in our inner city

Oh my goodness! What have I been missing?! Sunday morning a friend and I visited Antioch Missionary Baptist Church on Gundry and 15th. We were a little late arriving and couldn't find a parking place and as we were driving and looking, this smiling man in a van pulled alongside us and told us if we would park in the parking lot his van would take us to the church. The first thing I noticed about him was his genuine, from the heart smile. He and his little boy perform this service each Sunday morning for their church. I found out there are a lot of people like him at that place.... When we arrived the place was packed out and they were praying and worshiping and such music!!! They were having such a wonderful time praising their Lord and there was no way anyone could stay sitting down for it! (there will be a lot of exclamation points in this piece!) As the service progressed you could tell there was a real investment on the part of the congregation and they loved each other, their church and their pastor. His message on sin was one of the best I've ever heard, delivered from such a heart of love and care for his people and connection with God's heart for His people. He made his points with passion, conviction, clarity, humor and sound Biblical theology. The presence of God's spirit was evident and was experienced by both me and my friend! Pastor Wayne Chaney, Jr. has an annointing and a heritage in and to the City of Long Beach that's evident. He spoke about the job fair they were having after the service where business owners who are part of his congregation are in booths to advertise their services. Pastor Chaney said he was doing this because of the coming recession and he wants to care for his people by letting others know of their services. He asked us to go to them first and give them a try and if they don't deliver, go somewhere else, but give the "family" the first shot. This young man truly has a shepherd's heart!
The final thing he did that so impressed me was to interrupt his closing prayer by saying that God frequently tells him something about the congregation but this time showed him something about himself. He said he wants to continue to preach with integrity and honor and can't do it in himself and asked each member of the congregation to pray for him at least once during the day. He had spoken on the sin of David with Bathsheeba and was well aware of the pitfalls pastors are prey to and asked his people to stand with him in prayer to keep him in purity for at least the next 45 to 50 years.
My invitation to you is to keep this man of God in prayer as he asked and to visit his church and experience for yourself the love of God. Then either stay and participate or carry it back to your own neighborhood. You will be encouraged and refreshed.....

Prayer meeting at Covenant Presbyterian Church

One of the things I believe the Lord has put on my heart is to visit churches in the City during their prayer meetings and/or worship services. I’m not sure what He will do with that, but as I have prayed for many years for the Church in the city (whatever city I’ve been in) for pastors to come together I’ve also begun praying for intercessors to unite. Our web-page for prayer is one effort along those lines and blogging my visiting experiences is another. For me to effectively pray for unity, I probably need to come out of my comfortable “prayer box” and pray with others who converse with their Father differently than I. This blog is about the prayer meeting at 5:00 on Saturday for Covenant Presbyterian Church on 3rd Street in downtown Long Beach.
I first met Pastor Rob Langworthy at our morning City Pulse 2008 meeting. I fell in love with him first because at our 8:00 am meeting he was asking where the chocolate was since it’s one of the major food groups. I quickly brought it out and the chocoholics gathered…
As we spoke further I discovered him to be “the real deal” – sold out for oue Lord. He stood and “watched” as City Pulse went on and his presence was an open invitation to experience the love of Jesus. His church is a giving, vital presence in that corner of God’s world. Once instance of that is their tutoring program every afternoon M-Th for the neighborhood kids and the figure I heard was 250 kids in the program. About half of them attend Sunday School and most of them come without their parents (a point for prayer). On the other end of the age scale, they have a senior apartment complex next door where the residents are not only ministered to by Pastors Rob and Adele, but encouraged to minister outward themselves. I met one of the residents, who is a substitute tutor, at the prayer meeting I attended Saturday. That prayer meeting has been going for many years and the testimonies of ministry, healing and provision were inspiring. Praying with people of all different streams is a wonderful experience. It shatters my “right” way to pray and let’s me discover God’s magnificent creativity and diversity. We sat around a table with a wide mix of cultures, ages and walks of life, with a prayer list (I don’t do lists) and began to beseech the Father of Light in His heavenly courtrooms for “our daily bread.” I heard petitions for sons and daughters, for kids in their middle school program, for people they’re ministering to in their neighborhood, for missionaries in Africa as well as petitions for their local body among many other things. Pastor Rob led the meeting, but I heard that if he isn’t there, it continues under the capable direction of one of the women in the congregation. She is a seasoned intercessor and has been praying for unity among pastors of her denomination for many years. I came away blessed and encouraged at this living testimony to God presencing Himself in a life-giving way in the heart of our City. Personal note: I am so grateful for the prayer list because I can bring it with me to remember some of what we prayed for……
Their website is www.covenantlb.org. I encourage you to visit.

Kingdom Causes Emergency Prep Task Force at City Council

On March 11, we on the Kingdom Causes Emergency Preparedness Task Force presented our efforts to coordinate emergency preparedness among neighbors by mobilizing worship centers to be equipped and trained in the event of a large-scale emergency. This was one day after the 75th anniversary of the March 10, 1933 earthquake of 6.4 magnitude which caused millions of dollars in damage and tragically took the lives of 120 people. We have two local congregations fully invested in this effort which is our pilot project. They are The River and Glad Tidings. Representatives from both congregations spoke before City Council and gave their reasons for doing this and the effect it's having on their neighborhoods as well as their congregations. Councilmember Rae Gabelich from the Eighth District presented the item to go before City Council where it was received unanimously. We are preparing to go public with this effort and enroll other houses of worship that want to be trained, equipped and resourced with other City emergency services and the Red Cross to be a resource to their neighbors in a time of city-wide emergency.
Our Glad Tidings team showed out en-masse in full EP gear (they've all been CERT certified) and looked quite official and were an inviting presence to enroll others to be involved in this effort. The representative from The River spoke about their passion for Jesus as their reason for wanting to impact their neighborhood and was very effective in presenting the Christian posture of being salt and light for the city. Brad, as always, set up the room in an engaging manner and was enrolling in his invitation to the council to receive our report and to further coordinate efforts between houses of worship and the city.

I could lift a car!

During CERT we learned light search and rescue and cribbing.  They trained us how to properly search a building in the dark and with no flashlights.  We place our right hand on the wall to guide us around each wall of the building.  During our training,  we had to partner up and search a dark tower that they use in the fire academy to find "Jose".  Jose is a dummy made of rolled up hoses, hence the name "Jose".  It was really dark and scary because some of the assistant firefighters were hiding in the dark to see if we would find them.  We also learned how to safely lift up a car if a victim was trapped underneath.  The fastest way is to use your own strength and lift the car by pressing your back against the side of the car.  But we also learned cribbing as a technique to slowly but safely lift a car or any heavy object off a victim.  We use a bar and anchor to lift the car.  When the car is lifted, we place blocks of wood like a Jenga tower underneath the space one layer at a time.  We continue the same process until we have enough space to drag the victim out of the area.

They also taught us how to properly lift a victim out of a building.  They suggest having two people carry one body by using chairs, doors, or blankets.  There is a single lift.  I wanted to see if I would be able to carry a person just on my own, so I practiced on a dummy (see picture).  Just kidding Brad, I love you!  But, Brad if you need a hand just know that I am willing to carry you through.

Susana to the rescue!

One of the local causes KCLB is involved with is Emergency Preparedness.  There are four different levels of involvement.  Well one of the levels is to be CERT certified.  What is CERT you may ask?  It is Community Emergency Response Team.  The Long Beach Fire Department trains regular citizens how to react in the case of an emergency.  We are trained to help and not become part of the problem during a disaster.  So some of the KCLB staff decided to take the class together. We are learning how to organize ourselves into different roles, disaster psychology, fire suppression, search and rescue, triage, and more.  But the greatest thing about CERT is the fashionable gear you receive when you graduate the program.  Wouldn't you feel safe when you see a whole crowd of people wearing these?

Visiting local congregations

It's been a goal of mine to visit local congregations in the city and also prayer meetings. This week I was able to do one of each. The Lighthouse church on Studebaker has a prayer meeting on Thursday eve at 7:00 pm. I was welcomed into their circle. Pastor Theimens is heading up the WOW jam endeavor again this year and while we did pray over that, their heart was very much for other congregations and City concerns. He reports that more and more pastors are rallying around this very worthwile effort. Last year over 1014 filled out cards for being brand new believers. They couldn't count the rest because they ran out of cards!! The spirit in that prayer meeting was one of worship, humiity and faith to believe our Good God. They prayed for personal needs as well and want to be part of our 1000 intercessors praying in unity over our City.

This morning I had heard stories of healing coming out of The Light that meets at Alvarado School just across the street from our offices. David Hino is the pastor and the Lord is leading him to explore and minister in the area of healing prayer both for physical healing, but also emotional and generational healing. I had heard a report of two people being set free from their addictions after receiving prayer and I have a friend that is in a lot of pain so I took her. As they prayed they felt like they would like to pray again, so they're making an appointment to pray sometime this week for her - a congregation that cares and is willing to extend themselves to a stranger. After the service they were going to go into the park and minister to the people there. The Lord has been impressing me with the scripture about "open wide your mouth and I will fill it" and it seems this congregation of wonderful people is doing just that. I believe God will increase them and fill their mouths with faith.
It's exciting to visit new places in the City and see the different expressions of His love.

Second Saturday Prayer

Five of us gathered in the dark to pray - one a local pastor and one a local intercessor and we prayed. The intercessor wept, the worshipper led us in sweet, sweet worship and we prayed. We prayed over the pastor and his local congregation and his heart for the gang members in his area, and we prayed over him as stand-in for all the pastors in Long Beach. We declared Shalom over the City, and a spirit of reconciliation and unity....we prayed over two local congregations who have had sudden deaths recently and the grief and confusion that comes with that. We thanked our Lord for inviting us into His throne-room and the wonder of that. Praying from our vantage point overlooking the City really gives us a unique view of the city we're praying over. Kingdom Causes is having a "City Pulse 2008" meeting Tuesday to tell people what the possibilities are for local service, to connect with other Kingdom minded believers and to hear what we believe is God's heart for our City. We prayed over that.
These times of prayer are refreshing, faith-building and filling.
Try it - you'll come away refreshed!

Unite to Ignite

I want to make you aware of an event happening this Saturday, February 9th at 1pm. It's a gathering of different denominations, cultures and ages to seek God through united and passionate prayer, worship and fasting. It's being held at the church of one of our local pastors who is quite active in her community through Emergency Preparedness and other community services. She is Barbara Gilliam of the Glad Tidings Tabernacle, at 1900 E. South St., 90805. You can email her at BGilliam at GladTT.org for more information. The website for this event is jesusrevusa.com and a voicemail number is 800-850-8534

Local prayer gathering this evening

Here is the latest from Pastor Joe:

"I have a bit more news.

First, a correction. I am told that Isaac passed before any decision about his life support was necessary.

Scott knows about Isaac, and is understandably quite devastated. Andrea and Scott are in the same room, or "pod". Andrea was asked to move her toes and fingers, and moved them a little. I do not believe she is aware of the loss of Isaac at this time, but I do not know for sure.

I'd like to set up a time to gather for prayer this evening at the church. If you can't come, that's OK - you can pray with us wherever you are. If you can come, there is often comfort in being with God's people in difficult times. I'm thinking that we should make it about 6 PM. Assume that's the case unless you hear differently. There will be people in the office at church starting at 3; anyone who wants to come earlier than 6 is (of course) welcome. Please help spread the word."

"Rollover Crash Kills 3"

Here is the latest news release from this morning:

Rollover Crash Kills 3

LITTLETON, Colo. - Three people were killed when a van carrying six people to a church collided with another vehicle and rolled over several times.The crash happened on C-470 near Santa Fe Sunday. Two adults and a child died in the crash.Littleton police said the accident occurred when a man driving a Jeep had a medical condition that caused him to lose control. Investigators said the Jeep hit the Chevrolet van, which then rolled several times.Two passengers in the van remained in critical condition Monday. The van driver was hospitalized in stable condition. The driver of the Jeep and his passenger had minor injuries.

Good and Sad news...

"This morning Andrea wiggled her fingers and toes a little. She's stable and doing well. That's the good news, and it is very good.

The bad news is that they've made a decision to remove dear little Isaac from life support. I can hardly imagine how difficult this must be for everyone.

Please continue to pray."
--Pastor Joe

I talked with pastor Joe this morning and he said that it turned out that baby Issac actually passed away before they removed him from life support as he had mentioned in that email.

What a sad day. Let's all continue to be praying for this family and all those loved ones affected so deeply. I can't even imagine.......................

Come Lord Jesus, Come

Pray, pray, pray for the Swards!

I just recieved a horrible email from Pastor Joe Ginder! We need to pray! Lord have mercy!

One of the young leadership couples from Long Beach, Scott and Andrea Sward (Andrea was involved in 30 under 40), were involved in a horrible traffic accident while in Colorado for missionary training. Here is part of the email I just read:

"I'd like to ask for prayer for Scott and Andrea Sward and their 18-month old son Isaac. Next Sunday we were to commission them to go to Cambodia; they were to leave a few days after that. This week they were completing their final pre-field training at MTI in Colorado Springs.

This afternoon after our service we got news that they were in a terrible accident near Denver. They were were driving with 3 other missionaries to a church near Denver this morning. We don't know who the others were, but believe there were in training at MTI also. Two of the other missionaries were killed. Scott and Andrea are in critical condition, Andrea with really serious injuries including many broken bones , a punctured lung, and a spinal injury. She's out of surgery and stable. Scott is also out of surgery for internal bleeding and stable. Isaac is in extremely critical condition and was air-lifted to Denver Children's Hospital. You can read more about the accident and watch videos at Denver-area news outlets, like 9news.com, cbs4denver.com, myfoxcolorado.com, or denverpost.com. The accident was on C-470 and two were killed - that's enough to recognize the headlines and get to videos of news coverage. We're kind if in a state of shock; next Sunday was shaping up to be a really big deal in the life of our church. We trust God no matter what, and pray for their recovery - we're really concerned about Isaac, and it sounds like Andrea's in for a long rehabilitation to an unknown state of health. It's been a tough day.

Both Scott and Andrea's parents are already in Denver (they were on an airplane within 6-7 hours of the accident), and we have support from some sister churches in Denver helping them out. We also have someone from our church living in the Denver area who is able to be with them. Right now we're waiting for news and praying."

Kingdom Causes EARLY morning prayer

Prayer is a mystery to me. Why does God need me to ask Him to do something He already wants to do and scripture tells me that if He can't find someone who will stand in the gap, He will do it Himself? When I prayed for years for a living marriage and worked it every way I knew - and it still failed, why pray? I'm supposed to listen to what His heart is in any given situation, then pray and ask Him to do what He already wants to do???? Boy, I ask you, does that make any sense at all to my human mind? No! So why do I pray? Why do I love to pray? Why do I resist Him so when He's GOD? I don't know...I am learning - again - that prayer, being with My Father in conversation is what gives me life.

For a very long time my prayer life went "underground", about 10 years in fact. It wasn't that God was gone, in fact in many ways He was very present, but - I didn't pray like I used to - at all. He wasn't angry, He didn't throw me away, He just was there and available any time I wanted to come. I realize when I won't talk to or look at someone that I'm angry and mostly don't want to confront that anger in myself. His grace is amazing! He knew my anger even if I wasn't willing and helped me with it when I became willing.

Since working at Kingdom Causes and being more and more captured by the need and opportunity for prayer, things have shifted in me. Thank You Father...
I'm talking to Him now out loud in private again, I'm praying corporately again, (I love praying with the student leaders at CSULB) and am consistently bringing Brad and Kingdom Causes before Him. As I travel with KC through the City and encounter so many pastors, City leaders, church planters, and school leaders not only in Long Beach, but in the other KC cities as well, something happens in my heart to know I want to lift them into the courts of heaven to make sure my Father sees what I see and works in it as He sees fit. Jack Hayford calls it "partnering" with God in establishing the Kingdom. Me! a partner with God Almighty, the Creator of the whole universe! Amazing....

Which brings me to our KC Second Saturday early morning prayer meeting. Thank you to all who come regularly and thank you to those who have come some. There's something that happens; 1)early with God and 2)corporately with others who love Him enough to lose sleep to be with Him. There is a sweetness in the room that can only be Him and there is always an impartation from Him both corporately and personally. The common comment is, "I wanted to stay in bed, and I'm so glad I didn't."

I think prayer would be easier for people if they could see the results like you can when you hand someone some food or money or service. With prayer it's a totally hidden, faith exercise. I don't know where my prayer goes or what it accomplishes, especially when so many specific prayers haven't been answered according to what I had in mind. I just know that answering His invitation to "come" is the best and that I am always changed afterwards.

I'm extending an invitation to you to join us and be "changed into His likeness" "from glory to glory" whatever that means according to God's heavenly dictionary.
Love to you from Judy

My Weakness in Strengths Finder

The Kingdom Causes Long Beach Team doubled when I joined.  In October both Polin and I signed onto Kingdom Causes.  So we wanted to focus our roles within the team by finding out each person's strength.  It was my first time taking the test.  I was intrigued by how the process worked and whether it was reliable.  In less than thirty minutes I found out my top five strengths.  They are: Restorative, Learner, Relator, Responsibility, and Individualization.  When I read the list I thought they were interesting until I read the specific description of each.  Then I thought they were scarily true.  Restorative describes my desire to grow and challenge myself.  I easily notice my flaws so that I can improve upon them.  Learner illustrates how I love to gain a lot of knowledge and information especially when I make a decision.  I want to gain experience so I could learn from them.  As a Relator, I don't rush into relationships and have a few friends.  I value honest because I am honest with others.  People can confide in me and they know I care for them.  Responsibility really surprised me as a strength.  But after reading about it, I realized how much it is a big part of my life.  When I read the description I didn't really see it as a strength but more of a weakness or burden.  I am very reliable.  I do everything to fulfill my commitments, but because of that I volunteer to have lots of responsibilities.  I also look though every angle before taking action.  Individualization I really enjoy having this.  It describes how I see the unique qualities of a person.  I love to observe people.  It also shows how I love to work in details and can do tedious work.

It was fun finding out about my strengths.  But now I know them, I don't know what to do with them.  It just goes back to my restorative trait of focusing on my weakness. It just goes to show that even through the strength finder test I can still find my weaknesses.

Thanks from Lindbergh Middle School

We want to thank you for your generosity in providing the backpacks to Lindbergh. The backpacks are given to students with financial hardships and as incentives to motivate students. The school supplies inside the backpacks were an added bonus. Lindbergh serves a disadvantage neighborhood and we are grateful for the assistance you have so generously given to our students. Sorry for the delay in this letter. Lindbergh wishes you a happy and safe holiday season.

Sincerely,
Michael Conlon
Program Facilitator for Lindbergh Middle School