December 2, 2025
FATHER FORGIVE THEM
Praise God for the assurance that because of the Lord’s sacrifice we are cleansed and forgiven of every trespass. Father, forgive us for we know not what we do.
Articles for tag: Los Angeles
February 1, 2021
Marching Forward
with a Dream of Destiny
How One Ministry Seeks to Lead the Way in Diversity and Racial Reconciliation in the Church When Dream of Destiny was founded in the summer of 2007, I never could have imagined where we’d be as a country some 13 years later. From the coronavirus pandemic and massive unemployment, to the political divide and racial tensions, 2020 was a year like no other. Without a doubt, these will continue to be critical factors that will significantly shape our nation’s future for many generations to come. The tragic death of George Floyd shocked the entire world and became a turning point
Pastoring a Church in a Diverse, Left-Leaning State: Three Principles That Guide Us
By Dudley Rutherford It’s no secret that California, where I live and pastor, is a blue state when it comes to the voting majority. However, not everyone leans to the left. Here you’ll find not only Democrats, but also Republicans, independents, and everything in between. Our church, Shepherd Church, is located in Southern California and is a reflection of our city’s great diversity. When I stand up to preach each weekend, we have people from every political persuasion, race, socioeconomic status, and background sitting in the audience of our worship center. Unlike many other churches across the country, every political
October 28, 2019
California Churches Cope with Surge of Wildfires
As wildfires rage across California, fueled by dry weather and strong winds, Christian churches are doing their best to operate in a difficult environment and step up to help those in need. Sebastopol (Calif.) Christian Church was unable to worship at its building on Sunday due to mandatory evacuations. That community was being threatened by the Kincade Fire near Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco. According to the Los Angeles Times, more than 2 million people had no power because of electrical company blackouts, and more than 180,000 people were evacuated. The fire has consumed more than 66,000 acres, The
October 16, 2019
Shepherd Church Helps Shelter Fire Evacuees (Plus News Briefs)
Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, Calif., provided shelter and food for some of the 100,000 people evacuated from the Saddleridge Fire in north Los Angeles late last week. “Shepherd Church is open for any residents who need a place to go,” the church announced on its Facebook page last week. “Join us in praying and lifting up our community and the valley in this dangerous time. Please help us lift up all first responders, firefighters and families directly affected by the fire.” The Saddleridge fire broke out in Sylmar on Thursday night and
July 22, 2019
Planting Roots in the City (Los Angeles)
By Andrew Alesso “Wait. So, you’re a minister, right?” she blurted out in the middle of our book club’s group discussion. “Ha ha. Yeah, something like that,” I responded nervously. “I’m surprised you’re being so nice to me,” she said. And then—with no hint of sarcasm—she asked, “And you really don’t hate me?” I’d recently started the book club as a way to meet people in my city. I moved to Los Angeles to facilitate conversations like this. She had just told the group she was an evolutionary biologist. I had just acknowledged she must have a fascinating job. “Wait.
January 31, 2019
The Origins of Hope International University
Announcement of John Derry’s retirement as president of Hope International University this coming August after 15 years in that office served to remind me it is the 90th anniversary of that institution, which originally was known as Pacific Bible Seminary. Christian Standard announced the launch of that school with a front-page story Dec. 1, 1928, and also with an editorial in that same issue. Following are excerpts from the article, but some of its details open up a bit of mystery. _ _ _ Pacific Bible Seminary New School for the Training of Loyal Christian Preachers Is Launched in Los
November 12, 2018
Seven Insider Facts About ICOM
By Emily Drayne The strategic focus of the International Conference On Missions is no secret—it’s apparent in the name—but there’s much more that goes on beneath the surface. Do you know these seven insider facts about ICOM? See if you’re an ICOM expert! 1. The idea for a missions conference came from an unexpected place. The idea for the missions conference was born in Los Angeles. J. Russell Morse and John T. Chase had the idea for a “missions emphasis day” before the North American Christian Convention, and the first such meeting occurred in 1948 in Springfield, Illinois. Attendance grew
November 2, 2018
Poverty Encounter
Immersive Environment Tells Poverty’s True Story By Mel McGowan This December, the world will have the opportunity to understand poverty in a whole new light. When Children’s Hunger Fund (CHF) first told me about their idea for a walk-through attraction about poverty, I knew it would be a project like no other. Born in the mind of CHF president and founder Dave Phillips years earlier, the project had already taken shape to some degree. He and his team had brought the idea to friends within Walt Disney Imagineering for help conceptualizing the project. Then, they brought those ideas to
December 1, 2017
Lighting Up the Valley
By Mel McGowan A campus redesign is helping Shepherd Church to be an influence in Hollywood, Los Angeles, and the world. Imagine if the world”s cultural capital and dream factory exported God”s truth instead of Hollywood”s “false north” of political correctness and moral relativism. Imagine if a church in Los Angeles expressed the diversity of the City of Angels and offered a taste of kingdom come, where “all the colors will bleed into one,” as Bono sang. Dudley Rutherford””an Ozark Christian College and Hope International University alumnus””leads the 12,000-member Shepherd Church, called “the most racially diverse church in Los Angeles”
January 14, 2017
Strategic Solutions for Significant Stages
By Jennifer Johnson Writers of short-think pieces like this one love to quote statistics about the hundreds or even thousands of pastors who are leaving the ministry each month. However, as Ed Stetzer pointed out on his blog last October, those provocative numbers have yet to be backed up with any solid data or reliable sources. In fact, actual recent surveys, like the September 2015 study conducted by LifeWay Research, show that while the demands of pastoring a church can frequently feel “overwhelming” to more than 50 percent of senior pastors, the vast majority (92 percent!) also feel regularly encouraged
November 20, 2016
Studying the City: Ozark Christian College
By Jennifer Johnson Several of the colleges and universities affiliated with our movement understand the need to reach their own cities while preparing students for an urban future. Here”s what one of them is doing. ________ OZARK CHRISTIAN COLLEGE Joplin, Missouri At first glance, Ozark seems an unlikely place to study urban ministry. “Most of our students come from small-to-medium-size towns,” says Mike Ackerman, professor of church planting and New Testament. “Some of them have never even been to a large city. But we need to care about cities because the world is moving to cities.” Previous study opportunities included
June 27, 2016
Trust Talks
By Delonte Gholston On a Saturday last April, a group of pastors and other faith leaders brought together a broad cross-section of the downtown community to talk about a rash of officer-involved shootings in Los Angeles and the rest of the country. Under the banner of the Downtown Los Angeles Clergy Council, they called this gathering the inaugural meeting of the Trust Talks. These first talks, hosted at the Last Bookstore in downtown, gathered more than 100 business owners, loft dwellers, residents in single resident occupancy hotels (called SROs), homeless people, community activists, service providers, faith leaders, and Los Angeles
August 2, 2014
Planting Where Sin Abounds
By Jennifer Johnson When Vince Antonucci prepared to plant a church called Verve in Las Vegas, he thought, Of course we”ll be on the Strip. But when he began researching that area, he discovered there were no other churches there. “I wondered if that was unique to Las Vegas,” he says. “I began looking at the most “˜sinful” neighborhoods and streets in the world””places like the Red Light District in Amsterdam, Bourbon Street in New Orleans, The Sunset Strip in L.A. There are no churches there. But Jesus went to the most sinful places and the most sinful people. He
July 10, 2014
Experiences, Relationships
By Greg Nettle (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) Best advice: Wess Stafford, then president of Compassion International, was mentoring me on how to disciple my own children. He advised, “Give your children experiences, not things.” Worst advice: One of my Bible college professors advised, “Never be close friends with people in the church you lead.” Greg Nettle serves as president with Stadia, Irvine, California.
July 13, 2013
40 Under 40: Nick Parsons
NICK PARSONS Recruitment, Orchard Group, New York I have been fortunate to watch Nick”s leadership grow since his days in college. Nick has shown himself to be very courageous while pursuing wisdom as a foundation for his work. He has lived in Los Angeles, Thailand, and Japan and has displayed his wise and strong leadership in each of those contexts. He cofounded Mustard Seed Global Fellowship and has seen it become a healthy church planting group in Japan. He is now working with Orchard Group on both recruitment and deployment of new church planters. I expect a new momentum for
Grassroots Group Works to “˜Feed the Street”
By Jennifer Johnson It started slowly. Seven years ago, Jeff Wedge, a member at Churchill Meadows Christian Church in Ontario, Canada, wanted to recruit a team to deliver food and other necessities to the homeless. He approached CMCC senior minister Jim Tune about developing the outreach as a ministry of the church. Tune said no. “Hey, we”re totally supportive of feeding hungry people,” Tune says with a smile. “We encouraged Jeff to start his ministry, but as a church we focus on a few major community projects around the holidays.” Today “Feed the Street” reaches hundreds of homeless people throughout
September 1, 2012
Both Approaches Can Be Successful
By Jennifer Johnson I like Matthew Barnett“s philosophy of serving: “Find a need and fill it.” For Barnett, founder of The Dream Center in Los Angeles, the motto has worked well. Since its launch in 1994, the center has served millions of poor, addicted, homeless, and broken people. Thousands of volunteers lead ministries ranging from residential rehab to “Adopt-A-Block” teams in 35 locations across the city. I also like their story: Pastor Matthew”s outreach to the gangs surrounding the church”s iconic building, the organic growth of ministries developed by members, and its identity as “the church that never sleeps.” But
Partnership Hoping to Start 200 Churches in LA
By Jennifer Taylor Three years ago, Stadia partnered with Kevin Haah to plant New City Church of Los Angeles. Last month, Haah announced a partnership with Stadia that will result in 200 more churches across Los Angeles. “New City has grown to about 400 people,” he says. “We reflect the ethnic and economic diversity of downtown and have built an amazing community of believers here. We want this same experience in every neighborhood in the city.” Haah says Los Angelenos identify with specific neighborhoods, mentioning one of 119 areas when asked where they”re from. The neighborhoods range from small, 10,000-person
April 21, 2012
The Place of Victory
By Bryce Jessup John Wooden, who died June 4, 2010, attended Shepherd of the Hills Church in the Los Angeles area. He is the only person to make it into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. He won 10 NCAA Championships. He was named “Coach of the Century.” Few are aware he carried a wooden cross in his pocket. He would hold it in his fingers when things didn”t go well during a game. A reporter asked him if it was a religious ritual for him, and his answer was “no.” He said that
