2010 Fall Back To School Backpack Drive - Get involved details!

Looking for a great way to connect with your local neighborhood middle school in support of both the students and the teaching staff!?

This year we will once again be partnering with a number of other community minded organizations in order to provide 1500 backpacks to students at some of the most under-performing middle schools in our district. Often times these great kids do not even have the supplies necessary to have a fighting chance at a good education. It might not solve many of the challenges these young students are facing but it sure can eliminate another hurdle that stands in their way of succeeding! This is why we come along side the schools by providing the teachers with backpacks full of school supplies so that they can provide them to the students of their selection. Over the past few years we have stood behind thousands of local middle school students and we need your help again this year!

Here is what I need to know from you:

Would this opportunity serve the desire of your congregation for tangible community impact? If so, simply contact Jeanette and let us know!

If so, here are the details that we need from you in order to get your congregation moving forward as the new school year rapidly approaches:

1. What neighborhood school would you like to be partnered up with? Or are you open to our selection based on balanced need?
2. How many backpacks would you like to sponsor for this effort? ($15 each)
3. Who will serve as the primary contact so that we can arrange for them to be contacted by the Long Beach Rescue Mission for assembly and delivery opportunities. Your congregation can participate in either if you would like to do so!

We do have postcards and a pdf file available for promotion for this drive at your local congregation if that is helpful over the next couple of weeks. Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any more questions!

The deadline for donations is August 20th. Volunteer dates for backpack assemble are also available. For more information please contact us or the Long Beach Rescue Mission at volunteer@lbrm.org

Pressing On~
Brad Fieldhouse

Gospel Fest: Shutting down Pine Street!

Thousands of people gathered on Pine and Broadway to celebrate the second annual GospelFest on Sunday, July 11th. This years event doubled in size. Several congregations shut their church building down and brought their worship service to GospelFest. As one body, the Church of the City joined in fellowship and worshiped together. Pastors (Sheridan McDaniel, Davie Copp, Paul Thiemens, and Wayne Chaney) spoke prophetic words of encouragement and unity. All day the streets of downtown Long Beach was filled with preaching and music praising God.

My favorite part of the day was to see all the pastors in partnership with Gospel Fest stand in unity on the stage. As I worshiped with the crowd, I saw a glimpse of how heaven would be like.

There before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

AMEN!

I am grateful for Gospel Fest and the light it brings to Downtown Long Beach. May we continue to be a beacon of hope in the city

Homeless Assistance Training - Sept. 19th!

Homelessness: How Can You Help?

Sunday, September 19, 2010 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Come learn from a panel of homelessness leaders in Long Beach!

Some of the topics covered are:

• What do I do when someone comes to me or my church asking for help?
• What resources can I refer people to?
• How can I tell if someone has a legitimate need?
• When is NOT providing the requested assistance the right thing to do?

Who should attend?

• Church staff (pastors, administrative assistants, etc.)
• Church leaders who deal with financial requests for assistance
• Anyone with a heart to help
  
  
  Where: Seacoast Grace Church
  5100 Cerritos Avenue, Cypress, CA 90630 (map)
  Lunch will be provided
  Please RSVP to Jeanette Cheng at jeanettec@kingdomcauses.org by Tuesday, September 14, 2010.

LB Connections Project Update!

After a year of ongoing partnership with the city and various homeless agencies, 64 people have been housed through the LB Connections project. That means over 20% of the homeless population in Long Beach are off the street and into a home! Kingdom Causes, in partnership with many local churches, was a part of furnishing 26 of those apartments and we are continuing to go strong! What I believe to be most important are the new friendships that have formed with the various agencies, churches and the city of Long Beach officials. Right now we are in the strategic stage of having our own warehouse space and plan to involve even more churches and groups to play a part in this significant project. Please keep in mind that this project never ends. There are always opportunities to serve and this is just one way to be involved. More will be housed so I encourage you to consider joining us in this cause. Great thanks for all those involved and all the glory to God!!

- Somatra Sean
Homeless Task Force Leader

the REAL Susana

"Susana in Wonderland" was my first blog I wrote as a member of Kingdom Causes Long Beach. Three years ago, I was an intern for Kingdom Causes. The first day I started, I attended the Long Beach Leadership Prayer Breakfast. I was thrown into the crazy wild adventure of Kingdom Causes Long Beach. I felt like Alice falling into the rabbit hole into a whole new world that looked familiar but with a twist. As I am transitioning into a new role as a full time graduate student. I still feel like Alice but the Alice in the 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland. I feel I am more of the "real" Susana than when I first started Kingdom Causes Long Beach. My experiences here have molded me into a closer version of me, the woman God created me to be.

At Kingdom Causes I was an intern to AmeriCorps Community Developer to Operations Manager. Now I will be Susana, USC Masters of Social Work Graduate Student and AmeriCorps Site Supervisor. I will still be at Kingdom Causes but at a minimal capacity so that I could balance school. But I am privileged to introduce Jeanette to the Kingdom Causes Long Beach Team. She will be the Operations Director. I am excited to be working with her and for the assets she will bring to the team.

Please continue to pray for me as I transition back into school. Thank you!

Summer Night Lights @ MLK Park is going strong

The collaborative effort of community stakeholders continues to be a success. In pursuit of holistic care of local neighbors, the faith community has been stepping up to the plate on Wednesday nights. In addition to creating lots of laughs, putting some amazing local talent on display (see event flyer in a post below), serving up some some great food and providing a safe and fun place for families to come out to the park there has been a message of hope and healing being shared each week to all attendees. It is great to see many aspects of a healthy lifestyle being addressed for community members through this 5 night a week summer effort. *(though if you had to pick one, Wed night is the one night during the week that you want to come out!)

Special thanks to LB police and fire for their support. They have both been contributing to this effort and some of them have even been seen working a spatula behind the grill!

The picture above is of Councilman Dee Andrews receiving a birthday cake on stage on a recent Wednesday night. Due to the fire codes and a potential wax shortage we were unable to put candles on the cake ;) Totally kidding. It has actually been great to see the councilman out supporting this community driven effort! And Happy Birthday young man! Your passion for the community is contagious.