As we move ahead into 2006, we are excited and anticipate great things to come. Some of the events that are currently scheduled include:
Urban Consultation – Signs of Hope LA (January 27-29, 2006)
Working in conjunction with students and other leaders from across the country and outside the United States and using the city of Los Angeles as a lab, our department sponsored this very unique learning experience. This was an interactive and ongoing process of discovering what God is doing on a broad scale in a city, region or country, connecting with each other in unity, and discerning our missional response. Students from Bakke Graduate University, Azusa Pacific University, Fuller, Biola and Claremont received class credit for participating as well.
Urban Impact – Touching Heaven, Changing the Earth (June 2, 2006)
A one-day conference to bring together leaders serving the city and to focus on building relationships, hearing what God is doing in our cities and identifying ways to serve our urban leaders more efficiently. In addition, we will be specifically focusing on raising support, church planting in the urban context, urban children and youth issues, AIDS/HIV, building a recovery center and how to live in the city, yet think outside the box.
National Hispanic Leaders Conference – Hispanic Force, “From Field to Force” (September 14-16, 2006)
This conference will allow our Spanish speaking leaders to come together to bridge the gap of where we are and where we want to be, and doing so not out of the pain of the past but stepping out in the faith of our future.
Christmas Toy Drive (Date to be announced)
This will be done as part of the recognition of our responsibility as a member of this community and our ongoing commitment to the various organizations that serve it including, but not limited to the churches here.
Grant Writing Workshops
Sponsoring additional Grant Writing Workshops in conjunction with the Mustard Seed Foundation and other such organizations.
NCO Partnerships
We have already begun to partner even more closely with various departments of the National Church Office to provide additional service to our urban and multicultural and diverse language group churches in particular areas. At this point our primary focus will be church planting, church health, women’s ministry, children and youth.
Translations Council
Develop our Translations Council to ensure we are providing ongoing service to people and ministries of diverse language groups.
In addition, we are continuing to develop certain strategies as a means of supporting urban churches. These strategies include:
- 501(c)3–A model that will enable churches to pursue non-traditional funding for breakthrough ministry opportunities. Urban Missions:
- Urban Missionary, Adopt-a-Church and Adopt-a-Project
In this situation we would focus on ministries whose primary goal is to reach, impact and serve the urban community, by enabling a means to give to a person, a particular outreach and/or a church in an urban area.
