For those of you who are supporting our church through being a member, praying, or financially giving to our mission budget, here's the latest on what's going on in and through CrossView Church LA. The bold sentences will be our prayer requests.
WITHIN THE CHURCH:
Goal 1: Stabilize the Church - We have been studying the book of Titus in our Sunday gatherings and have two more sermons on it before we begin our series on preparing for suffering. We are still financially unstable and need more financial supporters from outside the church to make ends meet. Our financial support from the North American Mission Board ends on 4/15/12. We have 28 members now with some (5) regular attenders who are considering membership. I don't foresee the church being financially stable without a membership of around 70-80 people. We've been averaging 40-50 in attendance the past month which is up from previous months. Please ask our Father to cause the regular attenders to commit to our church as members and for us to get enough financial support for PJ to not have to find a tent-making job.
Goal 2: Shape and recognize more pastor-elders - A group of men have been undergoing systematic theology training in biblical conviction for the past year and will be done in two lessons. They were not as faithful to the assignments as anticipated so there is question as to their readiness to serve as pastor-elders at this point, but the discussions have been good and led to growth in theological conviction and understanding. We started our biblical theology Sunday Seminar and some of the men who desire to serve as pastor-elders are in that seminar. Opportunities to preach have been given out as well as the opportunities to lead or co-lead a mission team. Pray for God to raise up men who are elder-qualified and shepherd the church already, even before recognized as pastor-elders.
Goal 3: Send teams to engage lost, spread gospel, and eventually plant churches - We identified two places we're trying to set up mission teams, one at USC and one in Diamond Bar (DB). The USC team will be led by Danny Hernandez and the DB team will be led by Art (Jun) Henares. Both teams have met for two weeks now but are still defining what the team will be. A team will not be identified (in terms of who is committed to the team and the team's gospel priority area [GPA]/mission) for another few weeks. Another one of our members desires to start a team in North Hollywood, but we're still praying in regard to that. Our Shatto mission team still exists and has lost Danny and Art to their new teams. We are continuing to learn how to be a team blessing our GPA (Shatto Recreation Center). Pray for 6 USC students to join our campus ministry as the USC mission team. Also pray for God to form and set an outward boldness with the gospel in our DB mission team. Pray for Art and Danny as they lead these teams.
Goal 4: Strengthen other churches in the LA area - We are part of TGC: LA and use that fellowship of pastors to strengthen other churches in the LA area. Owen Lee from New Life Burbank spoke in our August meeting on Gospel-centered ministry and Scott Mehl from Cornerstone West LA spoke about biblical counseling in our June meeting. Our next chapter meeting is in October. We are also (as a chapter) sponsoring the Trellis and the Vine Workshop on October 18-19 with author Colin Marshall for pastors, church leaders, and Christians who want to be equipped in people-and-Word-ministry. Pray for God to fill to capacity the Trellis and the Vine Workshop. Ask God to strengthen all the pastors and churches of TGC:LA. Please ask God for more pastors/churches who are like-minded to find us and participate in the chapter.
OUTSIDE THE CHURCH:
USC - We started a campus ministry called Disciple USC this semester. We've been able to share the gospel with 4 people who did not know it or understand it yet but have yet to see a conversion. One of those whom we had lunch with also visited CrossView Church last Sunday. Please pray that God would give us at least 6 USC students to form a mission team to engage this campus for the rest of this school year with the gospel.
Diamond Bar - One of the new converts from our Easter Sunday gathering is coming to our team orientation meetings and brought a non-Christian friend who just heard the gospel. Pray for his conversion and faith in Christ.
Shatto - Since we've not been coaching this past season things have been relatively quiet on this front. The new soccer season starts in two weeks and PJ will be coaching and Rock will be playing. There is one family that has befriended the Tibayans and want to come over for dinner. Please pray for the scheduling of the dinner, for Shatto teammates to join us, and for the family to hear and believe the gospel. Also pray for new friendships to form in the new soccer season and for old ones to be rekindled.
Podowon Baptist Church in Carson - I (PJ) spoke 5 times at their youth retreat in Catalina this past weekend. It was a great blessing and joy. Danny covered the pulpit for me at CrossView this past Sunday. God has blessed me with great friends at that church.
Life Baptist Church, Pasadena - PJ is scheduled to speak at their retreat on October 20-23. Please pray for unction in preaching and for the Spirit to shape their church according to the Scripture and the glory of Christ seen and savored afresh. PJ will speak to the church 4 times.
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