Articles for tag: Anaheim

Ministries & Nonprofits Organizations & Events

To Women, By Women: MY SAFE HARBOR

By Jennifer Johnson Families gather in kitchens: for cereal and coffee and a last check of homework before school, for dinner together in the evening, for a snack and a conversation before bed. The kitchen is the center of every home, so when Becky Ahlberg created My Safe Harbor, she knew its building had to include one. My Safe Harbor, a nonprofit organization originally launched by Anaheim (California) First Christian Church, offers a variety of programs to support, educate, and empower the women of Anaheim. Although the church is only miles from the tourism and wealth of Disneyland, its neighborhood

August 25, 2016

Stories to Savor, Stories to Share

By Mark A. Taylor Convention President Dave Stone rallied California Christian churches and churches of Christ to join brothers and sisters from around the world at the Anaheim Convention Center in an exuberant gathering July 12-15. Here, close to the center of storytelling for much of our culture, Christians gathered to tell “A Better Story.” The spirit in each session was upbeat, energized by a crowd of Californians for whom this was their first NACC. Main session preaching centered on encounters with Jesus recorded in the Gospel of John, and each sermon offered hope and help for Christians and church

August 19, 2016

Ministries & Nonprofits Organizations & Events

Church Development Fund Announces Name Change to CDF Capital

IRVINE, CA””Church Development Fund, a ministry ofÂ Provision Ministry Group, announced this July a new name and logo. Debuting at the North American Christian Convention, in Anaheim, the new name,Â CDF Capital,Â was met with great enthusiasm. This change was made to better reflect the ministry and its long time mission: “Helping Churches Grow.” CDF Capital, originally established in 1953 as the Churches of Christ Building and Loan Fund, was founded with the express purpose of removing obstacles that hindered church growth. In 1953, the most significant obstacle was access to financial capital to purchase land and build new churches. In 1972, the

August 10, 2016

Conferences & Gatherings Organizations & Events

‘Tomorrow’ Workshop

CHRISTIAN STANDARD hosted a workshop about the future of the movement it has served for 150 years. Hear the discussion, conducted during the North American Christian Convention in Anaheim in 2016, with Matt Proctor, Jennifer Johnson, and Ben Cachiaras, hosted by editor Mark A. Taylor. Complete workshop here.

July 26, 2016

An Interview with Brian Mavis

Are there orphans in America? Yes, indeed, according to Brian Mavis, president of America”s Kids Belong. Mavis discussed the foster care crisis in the U.S. with Editor Mark A. Taylor at the 2016 NACC in Anaheim. See this exclusive interview here.

July 25, 2016

An Interview with Joe Grana

Joe Grana talks about spiritual disciplines and how it is possible for a Christian of any age to continue to grow spiritually. See this interview from the 2016 NACC in Anaheim here.

July 24, 2016

An Interview with Jeff Vines

Jeff Vines explains to Kelly Carr, editor of The Lookout, why church leaders must focus more on apologetics and why he believes all evangelism must be one-on-one. See this interview, from the 2016 NACC in Anaheim, here.

July 23, 2016

An Interview with Rick Rusaw

“What if we put as much emphasis on scattering as we do on gathering?” Rick Rusaw talks about “neighboring” and the hard work of being an “organic” church in this interview with contributing editor Jennifer Johnson at the 2016 NACC in Anaheim.

July 18, 2016

Church & Ministry Leadership Development

I Knew I Was Called

By Bart Rendel In the summer of 1985 my life changed forever during the North American Christian Convention in Anaheim, California! For years, my family had attended the convention for inspiration and connection. That summer we made the trek out west to visit family and friends. The convention was the centerpiece of our trip. I was between my 10th and 11th grade in high school. With college in the offing, I was seriously contemplating my life”s direction. How did he want to use me? Where should I focus my education? It was at the convention that I felt the Lord

June 22, 2016

A Better Story

By Jim Tune In just a few weeks Claudia and I will be on our way to Anaheim, California, for the 2016 North American Christian Convention. President Dave Stone has put together a great program, and the theme, “A Better Story,” is especially appropriate considering the convention is happening in Walt Disney”s backyard. Walt Disney loved a good story and devoted his life to helping people imagine a better world and a magical future. He was tireless in his optimistic vision of a better tomorrow. The creation of Tomorrowland at Disneyland (and later at Walt Disney World) was the realized

June 19, 2016

Culture & Public Square Reconciliation

Love Is the Universal Language

By Becky Ahlberg The problem with discussions about race relations is that we too often start with the differences and not the things we have in common. It”s easy to make hasty generalizations and base our thinking on stereotypes or other people”s experiences. Depending on where you live, you may not encounter many people who are different from you, and it can be difficult to make a fair and objective assessment of them. Let me give you an example. In Anaheim, California, where I live, we have one of the most diverse populations in the country. More than 50 different

February 19, 2016

NACC 2016: California, Here We Come!

By Dave Stone It”s the right place and the right time for all of usÂ to discover “A Better Story.” Several years ago the North American Christian Convention called to ask me a two-part question: “Would you be willing to serve as the president in 2016 AND would you be willing to have the conference in California (where it hasn”t been in 24 years)?” Before I answered, I asked for some time to pray about it and talk with various pastors in the Southern California area. The next couple of months became a time of incredible discovery. I heard story after

January 14, 2016

Church & Ministry Church Growth

An Unlikely First Step at Expansion

By Jennifer Johnson Although Eastside Christian Church“s building in Anaheim, CA, is large””it”s a former Boeing Aerospace facility””the church knows that one location isn”t big enough to accomplish its vision of reaching tens of thousands of people. So when Eastside purchased and renovated the building a few years ago, it designed the site as a “hub” that could support additional campuses. “Four thousand churches close each year,” says Jill Gille, executive project director at Eastside. “I grew up in a small church, and I know the challenge to get past that critical mass to keep growing. There is quite a

December 20, 2015

Devotionals

Meditating on Joy: December 20

By Becky Ahlberg For many, especially church leaders, Christmas is more chaos than celebration. Besides the extra programs and parties, family responsibilities and expectations also expand. These short meditations (which started December 6 and will continue with a new, early morning post each day through January 1) are designed with leaders in mind. Take a few minutes each day to ponder these thoughts designed to help you find the wonder of the incarnation in the midst of your responsibilities. Advent is simply a time to prepare for the celebration of Christ”s birth. In liturgical settings, Advent begins four Sundays before

March 9, 2014

Mission & Evangelism

Aid to Stick

By Jennifer Johnson Why do we always want to Band-Aid the solution? Never mind. I know why. Whether it”s homelessness or abortion or violence in schools, it”s easier to organize a sock giveaway, stand on a picket line, or bicker about gun control than to address the systemic social issues that first led to the problem. I relearned this a few months ago when interviewing my friend Becky Ahlberg about My Safe Harbor, a nonprofit she (and Anaheim First Christian Church) launched in 2008 to serve a city ravaged by gang violence, crime, and poverty. It might have been easier

August 4, 2013

Mission & Evangelism

Church Goes “˜All-in” to Reach Latinos

By Jennifer Johnson Many congregations start Spanish-language services, but few go “all-in” like Eastside Christian Church in Anaheim, CA. “Our mission is to reach 1 percent of the 5.8 million people within a 20-mile radius of our building,” says communications director Jan Lynn. “A third or more of these people are Latino, so we needed to be intentional about creating new ways to serve them and share Jesus.” For Eastside, that”s “Semilla@Eastside,” a new service held each Sunday at 2 p.m. Hector Hermosillo serves as the new pastor for the initiative, and works closely with the rest of the staff

July 6, 2005