LA Regional Food Bank

We had a great time pretending to work for Disney on Saturday -- those of us who don't work for Disney, that is. A big thanks to Ben and Melissa for making it possible for us to piggyback on the VoluntEARS day at the LA Regional Food Bank.

We got a lot of food sorted. Watching everyone work, I was proud to be a part of this group. I think Erin's ready to run her own food bank!

National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week...

...is this week. To learn more, visit the National Coalition for the Homeless. They've chosen the week before Thanksgiving for their annual observance. Puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

According to the January 2005 "count" conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, 88,345 people are estimated to be homeless at a given time in the Los Angeles area.

The LA Regional Food Bank estimates that 1 in 10 people in the LA area are at risk of hunger.

Join us in prayer this week, and in action throughout the year to make whatever dent we can in these numbers. You have an opportunity this Saturday, Nov. 18, at the LA Regional Food Bank from 9am-12pm. Let me know if you and your family would like to volunteer.

Open Door Policy

Last Sunday the front doors facing Glenoaks stood open before our worship assembly.

I didn't expect much to come of it. I thought it would probably mean more to our members who usually come in the back door than to our neighbors walking or driving by outside. But as I looked out the doors, an older gentleman walked past, and when he saw that they were open, he stopped and stared.

And stared. It was a little weird, actually. I kept thinking he would keep walking. But he didn't. I went down the steps to say hello. I said, "I bet you've been walking past this building for years and never seen these doors open."

He said, "Armen, no English." I said, "Parev," which, if you get past my butchering of the Armenian language, means "hello."

He laughed and returned the greeting with the correct pronunciation. He tried to teach me "Good morning." Then he pointed to himself and said, "Yess;" he pointed to me and said, "Toun." Then he pointed to the church and said, "Toun chin?" Are you?

He genuflected, and again said he was Armenian, indicating he is a member of the Armenian Church. He gestured for something to write on. When I returned with paper, he filled it with the numbers 1-9, the Armenian alphabet, and his name in Armenian characters. His name is Degron. I thanked him and we attempted to exchange names. I expect my conversation with Degron will continue. I'm sure I'll see him again, and I hope to have a few new words by then.

We each have something to offer others. But if our doors are closed, those chance encounters never get a shot at becoming conversations. And though they may start slowly with a language barrier, when we open the doors to the outside -- to the "other" -- we find that we each have an alphabet, each have a name, each have something to share. It may take a little extra work, but boy is it worth it.

Degron gave me a boost last Sunday. I went into church feeling alive, that I am -- we are -- part of not only our own church community, but of something larger. And it's all because we opened the doors.

2007 Plan

The below is the text that precedes the 2007 budget proposal for the Community Ministry. I welcome your comments.

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The Community Ministry Plan for 2007 is an investment plan. Last year, nearly a dozen various events and programs were planned for the 2006 calendar year. A quick glance reveals that most of these did not materialize.

Rather than a slew of programs, this year’s budget is built on two platforms: Education and Relationships.

The educational platform will present opportunities for exposure to and discussion of poverty, its causes and effects, both in this country and abroad. This may take the form of classes, small group discussions, presentations, volunteerism, tours of facilities, guest speakers, or other activities that present the opportunity to expose our hearts and minds to a topic close to the heart of God. The aim of this educational platform is to engage poverty with an eye to the response Christ would ask of us as his disciples.

The relationships platform will focus on building new relationships and strengthening existing ones between the church and nonprofit organizations, city departments, and other churches in the area. This is an element that doesn’t show up in the budget because there is little to no cost. This goal will be achieved primarily through volunteering with various groups such as Habitat, PATH, NAMI, local cities, and other groups.

These two elements together comprise a plan that will build over the coming years toward greater financial investment in our community, especially that which directly benefits the poor. What forms this investment will take are undetermined. They will undoubtedly flow out of the resources, passions and talent of our faith community seeking to meet the needs of our larger community.

It is worth noting that 1.6% of our 2006 plan was slated for programs that directly benefit the poor. Actual expenditures for 2006 will probably be lower than this. Additionally, over 90% of our 2006 budget was marked for programs, services, properties, materials, staff, and other items that benefit the membership. Who are the ones benefiting most from the budget, and is this the way we want it to be?

"Duh" Ideas

Ever get some distance from a problem, see exactly what you've been missing, and kick yourself for not recognizing the obvious sooner?

Or worse: if you're full of pride like me, someone from the outside comes in, sees the solution immediately and makes you feel like an incompetent moron.

Here are a few "duh" ideas that have hit me recently:

• More of us need to learn to speak conversational Armenian.
• We need to set more money aside in the budget for the poor.
• We need to learn and remember everyone's name who walks through our doors.
• We need to make sure our doors are open to the community, literally and figuratively.
• We need to look for answers to others' prayers among our own considerable resources.

Any more "duh" ideas that strike you? (I promise not to resent you.)

1.6%

Over the weekend, I looked at the church's 2006 budget plan that we formulated a year ago. Of the total dollars budgeted, 1.6% of that directly benefited the poor.

One-point-six. We can do better. We must.

Additionally, over 90% went to programs, services, staff, administration, etc. that benefits members alone. If 90% of our offering is coming back to benefit us, are we really giving something away? Is it really a sacrifice? Something to think about.

Many among us own homes, vehicles, fashionable clothes, have no trouble eating at restaurants, and enjoy many other luxuries that we tend to think we need. And it seems that even when we give at church, in many ways it comes right back to us.

The church in the first century couldn't have buildings. They rarely, it seems, had paid staff. Things are drastically different in our time. I'm not suggesting we throw out the baby with the bathwater, but I would advocate an incremental shift over time that shifts more of our resources out of our hands and into the hands of those with real need.

We can certainly do better than one-point-six.

Who Are We Giving To?

Larry James posted some excerpts and a link to an article by Ray Mayhew titled, "Embezzlement: The Corporate Sin of Contemporary Christianity?" on his blog this morning. Mayhew's article asks some fundamental questions about church giving and budget appropriations.

Who most often benefits from the spending of the monies we "give" to God?

I thought it was more than appropriate for budget time. I'm not sure that "enjoy" is the right word here, but do take a look.

We Are God's Answer

I'm in the midst of preparing a budget and ministry plan for 2007. During this process, coupled with some real life circumstances lately, I keep coming back to this idea: How much human responsibility has been shirked and thrown back on God when we pray for answers to difficult situations?

Someone is hungry. God, provide food for this person.

Someone is homeless. God, provide a home for this person.

Someone is hurting. God, comfort them.

Someone is lonely. God, let them feel your presence.

How many times have we prayed these prayers in earnest, not thinking that we are called -- commanded -- to be the source of compassion we are asking God to provide? We are the church. If not from us, then from where else will the answers come?

May we not look any further than ourselves when prayers for brothers, sisters, and neighbors may be answered through our own self-sacrifice.

Budget Time

If you've stopped by here in the past six weeks or so, I hope you'll forgive my extended absence. Community Day went well in a lot of ways. And like all things you do for the first time, it provided more lessons than I could possibly internalize.

We have continued our monthly Adopt-a-Block program, but after the summer, I needed a breather to recupe some passion and vision. I want to do more for our community than pick up trash. I want to move beyond charity. But I'm not exactly sure what that's going to look like, or even how it's going to happen.

And now, budget time is upon us. My intention is to blog through these questions as I wrestle my way through this annual exciting and equally frustrating time. It's a time for new ideas and approaches, for self-evaluation, and for new partnerships as we get a sense of the big picture.

May we be a church that understands and fosters God's plan for community.

Community Day Is Here

This Saturday is Community Day.

And it's still not too late to get involved.

Members of the community and the church are invited to help clean up two areas of Glendale.

1) Extended Adopt-a-Block area. Meet at the church building at 10:00 a.m. Supplies are provided. We'll clean up local streets and sidewalks and remove grafitti. Here's a map.

2) Verdugo Park (near GCC). Meet at the park at 10:00 a.m. The City of Glendale will supervise the park cleanup and provide necessary materials. Here's a map.

Following the cleanups, we'll meet in the church parking lot for lunch and games around 12:00 p.m. It should be a great day for the neighborhood. I hope you can join us.

Spitting in the Face of God

Here's an excerpt from John M. Perkins's Beyond Charity: The Call to Christian Community Development. While Perkins is talking specifically about race issues in these paragraphs, the principle can be applied to any sort of distinctions I make between myself and someone else.

I think these attitudes have crippled our ability to be effective lovers of people. When I say "we," I'm referring to church universal. We believe the lie that we can't relate to people who are different from us and vice versa. What do you think?

Today Christians study the science of withdrawing from others and then use it to attract converts. This so-called church growth or homogenous principle should make us question the church the same way we should question dehumanizing ghettos. It sugarcoats racial separation with a veneer of spirituality and in practice continues the legacy of segregation that divided whites and blacks into separate churches, relationships, and agendas.

Homogeneity does not mirror the image of God. It cheapens the people who proclaim it and mocks God’s call for us to be agents of reconciliation. What makes it even more harmful is how it is justified: “If we are segregated, more people will come and hear the gospel, which in turn, advances the kingdom of God.” This logic spits in the face of a holy God by playing to our human weaknesses and sin nature. At the same time that it increases the size of our churches’ membership, it retards their spiritual growth.

...what evil lurks in the hearts of men?

When I was a student in college, I used to park my car in a garage off-campus and walk back to my dorm. Usually late at night. I might have been naive, but I enjoyed those walks most nights. The neighborhood was quiet except for the freeway noise, but even that had slowed by one or two in the morning.

It was calming to be away from the freshmen in the dorm. When I moved out to LA, I was assaulted by the way the city is so packed, so busy, so transient. I didn't think it would ever feel like home. I didn't think I'd ever be able to relax. But I had dozens of good, relaxing walks in the wee morning hours between the garage and campus. It was probably only a four-block stroll, but it was a good buffer between the car and college. Occasionally I'd walk back with other students, but most of the time I was alone.

It was one of these nights as I walked beneath the freeway that he came bicycling toward me, singing. I don't remember what the tune was, but he had a smile on his face and a plastic garbage bag full of bottles and aluminum cans bouncing from his handlebars as he weaved across the empty lanes of Jefferson.

I hoped he would ride past, not out of fear but just wanting to be left alone. I didn't want him to ask me for money, and definitely didn't want to have to answer. No such luck. He was friendly and said he needed money for groceries for his family. I gave him some cash, but started to feel bold. I asked him his name, about his family, and if we could pray briefly. We did. He introduced himself as Lamont Cranston.

We both went our separate ways, but as I walked back to the dorm, I told myself I wouldn't forget that name, and that I would keep praying for Lamont. A couple years later, I was an upperclassman researching radio serials for a film project when I discovered the classic radio show, The Shadow. I loved it and listened to every recording I could find online. But I hadn't made it through one episode when it hit me. The Shadow's alter ego, his "Clark Kent" identity, is Lamont Cranston. I went back to my journal where I'd written down the name a couple years earlier. No mistake.

Did "Lamont" give me an alias? Had I somehow gotten it wrong? Or was it his real name after all? I'll probably never know, but I do know that it got me thinking. The Shadow's special power is invisibility. He hides in the shadows of the noir world in which he lives. He sees everything the crooked politicians, the thugs, the police, what everyone is doing, then gets the jump on them when they least expect it.

Are there people that we can't see, people invisible to us? Or that we on some level choose not to see? People who are different from us? Who don't share enough in common with us to spark the "care engine" in our hearts? I know it's easier for me to care about someone I feel close to, someone with whom I share common bonds. A blogger friend of mine has a recent post about this idea that how we define ourselves shapes how we react to others, and ultimately, to whom we choose to show kindness.

As he approached me on his bicycle at 1:00 AM in South LA, I didn't think "Lamont" was a guy I had a lot in common with. I don't know how honest our interaction was that night -- on either side -- but he's got me thinking almost seven years later. One thing I learned that night, and was reminded of listening to those old radio shows, once you find out you've been in the presence of The Shadow, you never forget it.

Community Day Website

Check out www.glendalechurchofchrist.org/community to see info on our upcoming day of service, Community Day. If you have any projects in the Glendale-Burbank-Pasadena-Los Feliz areas that we can tackle in a few hours on August 19 and/or if you'd like to be a volunteer, send me an email.

The current design of the site is temporary. We will be updating it as new information becomes available.

Upcoming Events for July

A quick update on what we've got cooking for July and August...

• Sat. July 8 (10:00-11:30 AM) Monthly Adopt-a-Block Clean-Up
• Sat. July 15 (8:00 AM-3:00 PM) Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Day
• Sun. July 30 (9:30-11:00 AM) Community-Themed Worship Service
• Sat. August 19 (9:00 AM-???) COMMUNITY DAY 2006

I hope you will be a part of those events, especially Community Day. I'm going to post more info very soon on this exciting opportunity to meet neighbors and come together in service to our communities.

Sorry the posts have been sparse thus far. Keep checking back for more updates on upcoming events and other community-related material.

Why Community?

If you're a church "insider," the words Community Ministry may sound unfamiliar. They were to me, but that's part of the reason I chose them.

I've heard of Outreach, Benevolence, Caring, and Charity Ministries. Until late 2005, we had a Benevolence Ministry, in fact. But all those names seemed to leave something out at best, or at worst, imply the wrong thing.

I didn't want this ministry to be about handouts or charity. Charity is easy. It most often involves writing a check or volunteering a couple hours, then our commitment is fulfilled.

We shouldn't get off the hook so easily. It's a temporary relief for those on the receiving end that demands little of either side in the process. You can and often do walk away after you've given someone a handout. There's nothing wrong with it, but I think Jesus's command to love our neighbors asks for a committment of a different level. Building community is much more difficult, but the dividends are far greater.

Larry James of Central Dallas Ministries likes to use the term "hand up" as opposed to "hand out." CDM has a network of programs and partners designed to move people forward, to give them a hand up through the system, whether it be food, housing, health care, legal aid, job skills, employment, or something else. While we don't have the infrastructure of CDM, the philosophy is important.

You give a hand up to a friend. It takes more of a commitment, because you're invested in someone's well-being. A relationship has formed, and there is now a life and a distinct set of circumstances behind that face. It is much more difficult to walk away from a relationship, but funny enough, when you have a relationship with someone, it's easier to go the extra mile.

This ministry will seek to build friendships between church members and our neighbors. When we are friends, our interests become mutual. In a community, all sides contribute to the health of each other. As we get to know each other, I suspect we will find much to gain on all sides. I think that's God's plan for Christian community.

A church that insulates itself from its community or flees from it is no church at all. That's not the Body Jesus died to save. Neither should a building be the only recognizable presence of the church within its community.

Dream Team

We had a productive meeting Sunday. Last time we met, we generated a host of ideas. This time, we honed our agenda for the rest of the year and began the process of tackling the nuts and bolts required to pull off some ambitious programs.

If you couldn't be there Sunday, I hope you'll join us next time. These meetings have been both inspiring times to dream as well as exciting times as we see plans take shape and start down the road to reality.

And if you are interested in joining the Community Day planning team, let me know. We will be meeting soon to nail down plans for this August event that will serve as a launchpad for other programs. We will work side by side with our neighbors to serve residents of our cities in the morning at several project sites, and then party together in the afternoon back at the church parking lot.

Some areas of Community Day where you can help:

• Service Project Planning
• Advertising/Community Involvement
• Sponsorships
• Food
• Games
• Basketball Tournament

In addition to Community Day, we have a busy summer ahead of us. We'll be cleaning our Adopt-a-Block area monthly, working at the Habitat site on July 15, hosting a community game night in late July, and planning a community-themed worship service for Sunday, July 30.

Things are happening, and we need the whole body to make them work! Please pray now for the hearts of those we will meet through these activities. And pray for our own hearts as we are challenged and called into service and commitment to one another and our neighbors.

Adopt-a-Block

Saturday, June 10 will be our first Adopt-a-Block clean-up day. We'll meet in the Spazier lot at 10:00 a.m.

We'll pick up trash, remove graffiti, and generally clean up Spazier Avenue between Glenwood and Glenoaks Boulevard, as well as Glenoaks between Spazier and Elm. The City of Glendale will provide the necessary supplies. Just show up!

Habitat Work Day Rescheduled

Good news! The church's volunteer day with Habitat for Humanity's Palmer project in Glendale has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 15. We will start work around 8 a.m. and wrap around 3 p.m. We'll post a new sign up sheet shortly.

Have a home improvement project coming up? Are you a contractor looking for a place to donate materials left over from previous jobs? Check out the Builders Surplus Store in Pasadena. We went on Saturday and found it's a great resource for just about any project. And all proceeds benefit the San Gabriel Valley Habitat.

Additionally, Habitat is looking for volunteers to provide lunches on volunteer work days. And they can always use volunteers during the week in their office. If you're interested in helping with either of these, let me know by leaving a post here (or contact Habitat directly) so we can set this up. It's important that as people of faith we support and advocate for those who are tackling poverty in our community.

Habitat Work Day Postponed

We will not be volunteering at the Habitat site on Saturday. Due to problems on the site, the structural engineer has had to revise the drawings. They now plan to start work in June. I will keep you updated and will let you know as soon as we set a new date.

"Let Us Be You"

I heard this song for the first time last night at the Pepperdine Lectures. I thought it was worth posting the lyrics as they relate a theme not often enough expressed in our church music.

"Let Us Be You"
Words and Music by
Clarissa Cox and Michael Lusk

Live in our hearts, fill this body.
Stir our spirits, help us serve!
Walk with our feet to the hurting.
Let us be You, revive Your church!
Let us be You on this earth.

Let us be You when a wounded soul cries out for hope,
Let us be You when the lonely need to know they're not alone
Just as Your stars pierce through the night
Let us forever shine Your light!
Let us be You, let us be You on this earth.

Reach with our hands, touch this city.
Lord, let our mouths speak Your truth!
Use our blessings to bring justice.
Let us be You, revive Your church!
Let us be You, on this earth.

Dream Team Meeting

Please note that the Dream Team meeting will now take place on Sunday, May 21 at 12:30 p.m. Come prepared to plan logistics for the summer and spend time in prayer.

Beginnings

Beginnings are always exciting. When I'm writing, the beginning is always my favorite part, because the possibilities are endless.

But beginnings are tricky. Beginnings sometimes make a lot of promises that never deliver. There's nothing more disappointing than a calendar full of good intentions and grand ideas that don't materialize.

I'm determined that we won't see that happen with the Community Ministry. So far, so good. We've almost filled our roster for Habitat for Humanity and Big Sunday. And the support for more outreach into the community is great. But it's about more than numbers and programs.

I have a lot of anticipation regarding the future. As with the beginning of any story, the possibilities really are endless. I hope that we won't allow our plans and expectations to get in the way of God's design. He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. And so, more important than all of the upcoming events is prayer.

Please be in prayer over our hearts -- that they would be open to our neighbors. For our neighbors' hearts -- that they would be open to the love of the Lord and forgiving of our shortcomings. Pray that God will send us workers to fill needs, and leaders to direct and shepherd our church. Pray for mighty acts of God in this neighborhood, that he will make his presence known and surpass our human limitations. Pray that we will be prompted to pray even more. Finally, pray for the events ahead, and for those to come that we don't yet even know about.

As we get to know our neighbors, things will change. Because we want to be sensitive to the needs of our community, and not simply adhere to a preordained agenda, things will change. It's a relationship, not a program.

Upcoming Events
May 7 - Big Sunday
May 13 - Habitat for Humanity Work Day
May 14 - Dream Team Meeting
May 20 - Glendale Graffiti Paint Out
Summer:
Adopt a Block
Community Day (service day)
Community Block Party/BBQ
Basketball Tournament

Big Sunday, May 7

May 7 is Big Sunday, the LA area-wide day of service. They're expecting 25,000 volunteers, and we'll have fifteen from the church volunteering at a family field day for PATH Achieve Glendale from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Check out the Big Sunday web site here. We still have some spots open. I hope you'll join us if you can.

Welcome to Glenoaks and Spazier!

This is going to be the official blog for the Community Ministry at the Glendale Church of Christ in Glendale, CA. You can visit the church's official website here.

If you live in Glendale, Burbank, or any of the surrounding areas, I hope this blog will be of some service to you. I'm going to chronicle events as they happen as well as address concerns and issues that affect our cities and neighborhoods.

If you're somewhere else and just visiting electronically, it's great to have you around! Please browse and comment where you wish. I hope this blog can become a virtual community that transcends our geographically-focused ministry.

I encourage everyone to take part in discussion and suggestions for how this space can better serve you. This ain't my space...it's Glenoaks and Spazier, and a lot of people call it home.