ChurchApplied

It Is No Secret

I spent some time walking around Pasadena, CA today taking photos. While doing so I came across street performer, Leo de Vlugt, getting ready to play his saxophone. He's been playing on Colorado Blvd. and in the Old Town area for 19 years.

Leo de Vlugt, street performer, Pasadena, CA. Photo by Rich DuBose

While talking with him I felt impressed to give him a donation and do a little video of him playing. The end gets really good. I was blessed. Watch and hear Leo play.

By Rich DuBose, Director, Pacific Union Conference Church Support Services

Time to Think

This past week brought a big change in weather up and down the west coast. Southern California got dumped on with rain and snow (closing the Grape Vine and Highway 14). This last Wednesday Linda and I drove from Sacramento, CA to Bend, OR and hit snow packed roads near Klamath Falls. If you've ever traveled Highway 97 ( a two-lane highway), you know how desolate and boring it can be. But when trucks are doing 60 mph even on on snow packed roads, believe me, there is no time to be bored!

Oregon Highway 97 - By Linda DuBose

Extended trips are great because it gives us time to think! So much of what we do keeps us distracted and engaged, we hardly have time to listen to our own thoughts. As we celebrate this Christmas season I am thankful for time to reflect on God's guidance and mercy. Lately I have come to understand that were it not for God's mercy and grace I wouldn't have a chance. So, "thank you Lord for those long drives and extended Sabbath hours that give me time to reflect and be renewed in mind and spirit."

Google Mapping Car

This morning I took this photo of a Google Mapping car in Thousand Oaks, CA. The car is used by Google to take photos of every house (e.g. for Google Maps Street View). The car has a circular ring of cameras that takes photos as it drives down the street. If Google can map every house in America, certainly we can bring the good news of salvation to every home that wants to hear it.

Here's a Google car with its cameras staged for operation.

Using the Web for Evangelism

Today I'm at the Compton Adventist Church in Los Angeles helping with a seminar, then I am doing the same in Temple City tomorrow. My emphasis in each location is on how to use the web as an evangelism tool. Several other presenters shared some great material and those who attended had the opportunity to network and share ideas.

 

  Attendees at the Temple City Church near Los Angeles

The Sunday seminar in Temple City was sponsored by the Southeastern and Southern California Conference Communication Departments.

RE:FRAME

This past weekend I attended a seminar in the Altadena Church (near L.A.) on evangelism that was outstanding. It was sponsored by the Southern California Conference and was focused on reaching  metropolitan/contemporary populations who are generally not receptive to traditional evangelism methods. Of course this includes many of our own young adults and teens who have either left, or are in the process of leaving our churches.

Proclamation evangelism has its place, but something more must be done to reach the masses of people in our large cities who are suspicious of organized religion and who shy away from religious gatherings.

 

RE:FRAME provides an opportunity for attendees to re-frame or re-evaluate their views on ministry and evangelism. The Altadena sessions were conducted by Dr. Miroslav Pujic from the Centre for Secular & Postmodern Studies of the General Conference. He lives in Great Britain which has had little success with evangelism, until recently when they started using the concepts and methods he shared.

There were between 160-170 church leaders, members and pastors present from all over. Most were from southern California, but some came from places like Marietta, Georgia, Tennessee, and Seattle. One guy came all the way from Egypt.

The ideas that Pujic shared have been put together very nicely into a series of booklets, magazines and DVD clips that seek to address the basics of what it means to love people, form meaningful relationships and be able to respond to Postmodern thinking and behaviors. It is called LIFEdevelopment. Because Postmodern thinking is so pervasive, many of our own members are affected by it and need to be ministered to as well.

LIFEdevelopment is not a program, but rather a collection of tested concepts that I believe can be used to help reach our families, friends and communities for Christ. It is perfectly suited for the fast-paced, cosmopolitan environments within North America and other western countries.

The approach is based on Christ's method of evangelism:

"Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, 'Follow me.'" (Ministry of Healing p. 143)

NOTE: RE:FRAME is returning to L.A. on March 20-22, 2009. Watch this blog for more details.

Click here to learn more about  RE:FRAME  |  LIFEdevelopment

Arizona Stories

For the last few days I've been in Phoenix, Arizona video recording stories of faith. One of the most fascinating parts of my job is to be able to visit one-on-one with people throughout the Pacific Union Conference to learn how God is at work in their lives and ministries.

While here, I've spent time with Tony Anobile (Arizona Conference President), Phil Draper (Arizona Conference Communication Secretary), Gary Venden (pastor of the Glendale, Arizona Church), also his wife Marilyn Venden (Hospice Chaplain and lead singer in their musical group, Mosaic), Kathy Lewis ( a Hospice Chaplain in the Phoenix area), Karl Wagner (Small Group leader in the Glendale, Arizona Church), Daryl and Mary Jo Oft (entrepreneurs and ministry leaders in Payson, Arizona), Cindi Palmer (Contemporary Christian artist), Jorge Soria (Hispanic Ministry Director for the Pacific Union Conference), as well as a number of Spanish pastors. It has been a real blessing to visit with each one to hear how God is working in their lives. In the coming weeks I will be posting a number of video clips taken from these visits on SpiritFlash.org

Photo by Rich DuBose (Taken along Arizona Highway 87)