Here it is:
Please pray that the Spirit of God will convict the recipients to come and take the first step towards reconcilation and wholeness.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The First Postcard Invitation to the Grand Opening of New City on 9/14
Last Monday, I dropped off at the post office the first of four postcard invitations for the September 14 Grand Opening of New City Church to go out to all of the residents of Downtown LA.
Here it is:
Here it is:
Monday, August 25, 2008
An interesting article on why the church in America is still segregated
The vision of New City Church is the break the mold of the segregated American church. We are a multi-ethnic, multi-socioeconomic Christian church. Our vision is not only to be an inclusive church of people from all racial backgrounds, but also people who live dramatically different economic lifestyles. Why? Because we believe becoming one because of our common brokenness and need for redemption is the greatest way to demonstrate God's love for us.
Here's an interesting article from CNN about why church in America is still segregated:
(CNN) -- The Rev. Paul Earl Sheppard had recently become the senior pastor of a suburban church in California when a group of parishioners came to him with a disturbing personal question.
They were worried because the racial makeup of their small church was changing. They warned Sheppard that the church's newest members would try to seize control because members of their race were inherently aggressive. What was he was going to do if more of "them" tried to join their church?
"One man asked me if I was prepared for a hostile takeover," says Sheppard, pastor of Abundant Life Christian Fellowship in Mountain View, California.
The nervous parishioners were African-American, and the church's newcomers were white. Sheppard says the experience demonstrated why racially integrated churches are difficult to create and even harder to sustain. Some blacks as well as whites prefer segregated Sundays, religious scholars and members of interracial churches say.
Americans may be poised to nominate a black man to run for president, but it's segregation as usual in U.S. churches, according to the scholars. Only about 5 percent of the nation's churches are racially integrated, and half of them are in the process of becoming all-black or all-white, says Curtiss Paul DeYoung, co-author of "United by Faith," a book that examines interracial churches in the United States.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Here's an interesting article from CNN about why church in America is still segregated:
(CNN) -- The Rev. Paul Earl Sheppard had recently become the senior pastor of a suburban church in California when a group of parishioners came to him with a disturbing personal question.
They were worried because the racial makeup of their small church was changing. They warned Sheppard that the church's newest members would try to seize control because members of their race were inherently aggressive. What was he was going to do if more of "them" tried to join their church?
"One man asked me if I was prepared for a hostile takeover," says Sheppard, pastor of Abundant Life Christian Fellowship in Mountain View, California.
The nervous parishioners were African-American, and the church's newcomers were white. Sheppard says the experience demonstrated why racially integrated churches are difficult to create and even harder to sustain. Some blacks as well as whites prefer segregated Sundays, religious scholars and members of interracial churches say.
Americans may be poised to nominate a black man to run for president, but it's segregation as usual in U.S. churches, according to the scholars. Only about 5 percent of the nation's churches are racially integrated, and half of them are in the process of becoming all-black or all-white, says Curtiss Paul DeYoung, co-author of "United by Faith," a book that examines interracial churches in the United States.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
A Great Story--The News Is Getting Around!
I was talking to this guy who started to come to our church recently and he told me this story.
He said that he went to an AA meeting in downtown LA recently and shared his struggle that he was much more transparent and real in the AA meeting than at his own church. He wanted to be more real at church but had a hard time doing so; but at AA meetings, he felt accepted and freed to open up and be real. Then, someone who heard him share in the group approached him after the meeting and said: "Hey, have you checked out New City Church of LA?"
Man, I love that story! Praise God!
He said that he went to an AA meeting in downtown LA recently and shared his struggle that he was much more transparent and real in the AA meeting than at his own church. He wanted to be more real at church but had a hard time doing so; but at AA meetings, he felt accepted and freed to open up and be real. Then, someone who heard him share in the group approached him after the meeting and said: "Hey, have you checked out New City Church of LA?"
Man, I love that story! Praise God!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
An Evangelical Manifesto
Here's an interesting story about An Evangelical Manifesto coming out of, among others, Fuller Seminary, my alma mater. I am looking forward to reading it. It seems to be saying some much needed stuff. Check it out:
'An Evangelical Manifesto' criticizes politics of faith
Conservative Christian leaders who believe the word "evangelical" has lost its religious meaning plan to release a starkly self-critical document saying the movement has become too political and has diminished the Gospel through its approach to the culture wars.
...
The statement, called "An Evangelical Manifesto," condemns Christians on the right and left for using faith to express political views without regard to the truth of the Bible, according to a draft of the document obtained Friday by The Associated Press.
"That way faith loses its independence, Christians become 'useful idiots' for one political party or another, and the Christian faith becomes an ideology," according to the draft.
The declaration, scheduled to be released Wednesday in Washington, encourages Christians to be politically engaged and uphold teachings such as traditional marriage. But the drafters say evangelicals have often expressed "truth without love," helping create a backlash against religion during a "generation of culture warring."
"All too often we have attacked the evils and injustices of others," the statement says, "while we have condoned our own sins." It argues, "we must reform our own behavior."
For the rest of the story, click here.
'An Evangelical Manifesto' criticizes politics of faith
Conservative Christian leaders who believe the word "evangelical" has lost its religious meaning plan to release a starkly self-critical document saying the movement has become too political and has diminished the Gospel through its approach to the culture wars.
...
The statement, called "An Evangelical Manifesto," condemns Christians on the right and left for using faith to express political views without regard to the truth of the Bible, according to a draft of the document obtained Friday by The Associated Press.
"That way faith loses its independence, Christians become 'useful idiots' for one political party or another, and the Christian faith becomes an ideology," according to the draft.
The declaration, scheduled to be released Wednesday in Washington, encourages Christians to be politically engaged and uphold teachings such as traditional marriage. But the drafters say evangelicals have often expressed "truth without love," helping create a backlash against religion during a "generation of culture warring."
"All too often we have attacked the evils and injustices of others," the statement says, "while we have condoned our own sins." It argues, "we must reform our own behavior."
For the rest of the story, click here.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Thinking about moving to downtown LA? Check this out!
Here are two articles (Her view and His view) from LA Times that list the benefits of living in downtown:
HER VIEW:
Lofty living for less: Downtown move pays dividends
By Julie Makinen, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 27, 2008
Something wonderful and completely unexpected has been happening since I moved from the hills of Sherman Oaks to a downtown loft this winter: My wallet has been getting fatter.Part of the windfall has come from trading my hourlong, 20-mile morning crawl down the 101 Freeway for a leisurely 1.4-mile stroll or bike ride to work. That means $160 less in gas expenditures each month. Cha-ching!
But keeping Big Oil's grubby paws off my hard-earned cash isn't the only benefit. There are so many other financial upsides to moving closer to the office and downsizing one's living quarters that it's a challenge to tote them all up.Downsizing may even be an overstatement. I've cut back from 1,800 square feet to about 1,400, which still seems bigger than Rhode Island.
Consider these savings:
For the rest of the story, click here.
HIS VIEW:
A walk to work on the wild side: Life in the city center exercises the body and the senses.
By Patrick McMahon, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 27, 2008
Since late May I've been living the loft fantastic above busy 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles. Exciting it is; peace and quiet it isn't. ....
From my fourth-floor window, I'm serenaded by the nighttime chatter of people lining up at the whiskey bar nearby and occasional shouts in the dark. And who knew there were so many different kinds of sirens? It is scandalous how rats are allowed to run free around the open trash bins in the alley across the street. Dozens of them can be seen at night. The city must know that people bed down in that alley. None of it really seems to stop a good night's sleep, and all in all, I'm settling into a comfy downtown life.
This is a name-happy city. On my new commute, I walk through the Civic Center, Gallery Row, the Historic Core, the Old Bank District, the Financial District, the Jewelry District.
More the rest of the story, click here.
HER VIEW:
Lofty living for less: Downtown move pays dividends
By Julie Makinen, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 27, 2008
Something wonderful and completely unexpected has been happening since I moved from the hills of Sherman Oaks to a downtown loft this winter: My wallet has been getting fatter.Part of the windfall has come from trading my hourlong, 20-mile morning crawl down the 101 Freeway for a leisurely 1.4-mile stroll or bike ride to work. That means $160 less in gas expenditures each month. Cha-ching!
But keeping Big Oil's grubby paws off my hard-earned cash isn't the only benefit. There are so many other financial upsides to moving closer to the office and downsizing one's living quarters that it's a challenge to tote them all up.Downsizing may even be an overstatement. I've cut back from 1,800 square feet to about 1,400, which still seems bigger than Rhode Island.
Consider these savings:
For the rest of the story, click here.
HIS VIEW:
A walk to work on the wild side: Life in the city center exercises the body and the senses.
By Patrick McMahon, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 27, 2008
Since late May I've been living the loft fantastic above busy 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles. Exciting it is; peace and quiet it isn't. ....
From my fourth-floor window, I'm serenaded by the nighttime chatter of people lining up at the whiskey bar nearby and occasional shouts in the dark. And who knew there were so many different kinds of sirens? It is scandalous how rats are allowed to run free around the open trash bins in the alley across the street. Dozens of them can be seen at night. The city must know that people bed down in that alley. None of it really seems to stop a good night's sleep, and all in all, I'm settling into a comfy downtown life.
This is a name-happy city. On my new commute, I walk through the Civic Center, Gallery Row, the Historic Core, the Old Bank District, the Financial District, the Jewelry District.
More the rest of the story, click here.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
An Email to New City Team: We're Moving Into Club 740 on August 17
Dear New City Church Team,
I want to thank you for all of your prayers, feedbacks, and comments about the possibility of moving to Club 740 for our Sunday gatherings. Having carefully considered all of our comments and the options available to us (which is none after an exhaustive search of downtown), having talked to many people, mentors, and Christian leaders for advice, and having prayerfully sought out directions from God, I am convinced that God is leading us to Club 740. So, we have entered into a written use agreement with Club 740 today. They have agreed to rent us the space for $___ per Sunday (which is less than e3rd), which pretty much covers his added costs. This is an extremely generous deal. Ralph Verdugo, the owner, actually gave me the key today. He also agreed to allow us to use their lighting system, sound system, and video projection system. They will also clean up the space before we come in. They will give us storage space downtown stairs. He also said that they will replace the carpet within a week or two (which is a big relief). They are getting biddings on the carpet replacement right now.
I’ve also worked out a parking arrangement with the parking lot right in front which is operated by Joe’s Parking. They agreed to give us a 20% discount on parking.
My biggest concern (and several of you as well) has been about our children’s ministry (and the perception that our church is not for families with kids). Christine and I are committed to making the space inviting and fun for kids. But, this is going to take a lot of work. Right now, the kids’ space pretty much feels like a basement. We have to make it feel like a special place. One idea is to make the room like underwater world by putting up underwater décor and curtains all around the space as well as color foam tiles on the floor. If you have any ideas or if you are good at making a space inviting for kids, please let Christine know. We need your help. We believe it is possible to make the space inviting and fun for kids!
We are also going to need more people for our set-up and break-down team. We have to set up the children’s ministry space. In addition, we want to make sure we comb though the entire space to make sure that the space is safe for kids. And most importantly, we want to make sure we pray over the space every Sunday morning.
As you know, our Grand Opening/Hard Launch is 9/14. We are planning a four-part direct mail campaign to 20,000 homes in downtown LA. This means each home will receive four postcard invitations one week apart. So, they will get the first one on 8/20, and three more postcards, one week apart. The campaign will be called “WHAT IF the church was like Jesus.” A concept of the campaign is attached to this email. A graphics designer is already working on this. If you have any comments, let me know ASAP. The exact wording will be changed as per some comments I received already—I have not yet incorporated them yet; so it’s not final. I anticipate that some people who receive the postcards will want to come out to our church before the Grand Opening Sunday. So, we need to relocate before the first direct mail postcard goes out. So, that means we should move on August 17. So, that’s our plan right now.
I want to ask you to continue to pray for our Grand Opening and Launch. Please pray, pray and pray that God will use us to extend the Kingdom of God in downtown LA!
For the Kingdom of God,
Kevin
I want to thank you for all of your prayers, feedbacks, and comments about the possibility of moving to Club 740 for our Sunday gatherings. Having carefully considered all of our comments and the options available to us (which is none after an exhaustive search of downtown), having talked to many people, mentors, and Christian leaders for advice, and having prayerfully sought out directions from God, I am convinced that God is leading us to Club 740. So, we have entered into a written use agreement with Club 740 today. They have agreed to rent us the space for $___ per Sunday (which is less than e3rd), which pretty much covers his added costs. This is an extremely generous deal. Ralph Verdugo, the owner, actually gave me the key today. He also agreed to allow us to use their lighting system, sound system, and video projection system. They will also clean up the space before we come in. They will give us storage space downtown stairs. He also said that they will replace the carpet within a week or two (which is a big relief). They are getting biddings on the carpet replacement right now.
I’ve also worked out a parking arrangement with the parking lot right in front which is operated by Joe’s Parking. They agreed to give us a 20% discount on parking.
My biggest concern (and several of you as well) has been about our children’s ministry (and the perception that our church is not for families with kids). Christine and I are committed to making the space inviting and fun for kids. But, this is going to take a lot of work. Right now, the kids’ space pretty much feels like a basement. We have to make it feel like a special place. One idea is to make the room like underwater world by putting up underwater décor and curtains all around the space as well as color foam tiles on the floor. If you have any ideas or if you are good at making a space inviting for kids, please let Christine know. We need your help. We believe it is possible to make the space inviting and fun for kids!
We are also going to need more people for our set-up and break-down team. We have to set up the children’s ministry space. In addition, we want to make sure we comb though the entire space to make sure that the space is safe for kids. And most importantly, we want to make sure we pray over the space every Sunday morning.
As you know, our Grand Opening/Hard Launch is 9/14. We are planning a four-part direct mail campaign to 20,000 homes in downtown LA. This means each home will receive four postcard invitations one week apart. So, they will get the first one on 8/20, and three more postcards, one week apart. The campaign will be called “WHAT IF the church was like Jesus.” A concept of the campaign is attached to this email. A graphics designer is already working on this. If you have any comments, let me know ASAP. The exact wording will be changed as per some comments I received already—I have not yet incorporated them yet; so it’s not final. I anticipate that some people who receive the postcards will want to come out to our church before the Grand Opening Sunday. So, we need to relocate before the first direct mail postcard goes out. So, that means we should move on August 17. So, that’s our plan right now.
I want to ask you to continue to pray for our Grand Opening and Launch. Please pray, pray and pray that God will use us to extend the Kingdom of God in downtown LA!
For the Kingdom of God,
Kevin
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Jefferson Bible: A Perfect Bible for Moralistic Religion
Here's an interesting article in LA Times about Thomas Jefferson's Bible:
Nation's third president compiled the four Gospels into a single text without miracles that ends with Jesus' burial rather than the resurrection.
By Louis Sahagun, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer July 5, 2008
Making good on a promise to a friend to summarize his views on Christianity, Thomas Jefferson set to work with scissors, snipping out every miracle and inconsistency he could find in the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.Then, relying on a cut-and-paste technique, he reassembled the excerpts into what he believed was a more coherent narrative and pasted them onto blank paper -- alongside translations in French, Greek and Latin.
In a letter sent from Monticello to John Adams in 1813, Jefferson said his "wee little book" of 46 pages was based on a lifetime of inquiry and reflection and contained "the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man."
He called the book "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth." Friends dubbed it the Jefferson Bible. It remains perhaps the most comprehensive expression of what the nation's third president and principal author of the Declaration of Independence found ethically interesting about the Gospels and their depiction of Jesus.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Nation's third president compiled the four Gospels into a single text without miracles that ends with Jesus' burial rather than the resurrection.
By Louis Sahagun, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer July 5, 2008
Making good on a promise to a friend to summarize his views on Christianity, Thomas Jefferson set to work with scissors, snipping out every miracle and inconsistency he could find in the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.Then, relying on a cut-and-paste technique, he reassembled the excerpts into what he believed was a more coherent narrative and pasted them onto blank paper -- alongside translations in French, Greek and Latin.
In a letter sent from Monticello to John Adams in 1813, Jefferson said his "wee little book" of 46 pages was based on a lifetime of inquiry and reflection and contained "the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man."
He called the book "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth." Friends dubbed it the Jefferson Bible. It remains perhaps the most comprehensive expression of what the nation's third president and principal author of the Declaration of Independence found ethically interesting about the Gospels and their depiction of Jesus.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Here are some of my thoughts:
- This is a perfect example of one's existing paradigm trumping God's revelation.
- If you have a Bible like Jefferson's, the Word of God will never change you.
- It's a perfect example of the view of Christianity as nothing more than moralitic teachings of Jesus.
- Take the Gospel out and you have "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth" by Thomas Jefferson.
- People do it now all the time mentally.
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