Hot Shots

Transcript

HOT SHOTS Kingdom Pictures Presents “HOT SHOTS” AN L.A. CHURCH OF CHRIST PRODUCTION Featuring: BUD CHILES HOPE FOR KIDS CESAR LOPEZ JR. PRODUCED BY AL BAIRD DIRECTED BY ROGER LAMB SCREENPLAY BY MARYANN ROSE PRODUCTION DESIGNER Church of Christ ©1994 BY THE LOS ANGELES CHURCH OF CHRIST. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. A KINGDOM PICTURES RELEASE EMILY BRINGARDNER EDITORIAL BY AL BAIRD “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” Matthew 5:14-15 L . A . S U N D AY AT T E N D A N C E SEPTEMBER 25 OCTOBER 2 OCTOBER 9 6,975 6,889 7,472 SHINING LIKE STARS Twenty Thousand Disciples Create a Bright Light T HE GOOD DEEDS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN there, but they were far more visible across the U.S. on October 1 than on any other day so far in the short fifteen year history of God’s modern-day movement. Twenty thousand excited disciples working for HOPE for Kids, signing up over ten thousand “at risk” pre-school children in fourteen cities, is newsworthy. No wonder we have become “stars” in President Clinton’s Immunization Program. When I told the supervisors at Willowbrook Park in Los Angeles to plan for 5,000 people to attend our Immunization Day Rally, I could see the skepticism in their faces. They thought that perhaps 500 would be more realistic. Their skepticism turned to amazement as 5,000 turned out. The county health officials likewise expected us to sign up a few hundred children, rather than the actual 2,500 names we gathered. More positive TV footage was aired about HOPE For Kids and the church in just one day than in the previous fifteen years combined. Nearly all project cities were covered by at least one major station. The rally in San Diego was shown on four stations including ABC, NBC and CBS. The officials and dignitaries who came to speak were profuse in their praise. State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt of Buffalo, New York said, “This is the most exciting group of people I’ve met in a long time.” The representative of U.S. Senator Harris Wofford’s office in Philadelphia began by saying that he thought he was supposed to speak to the group to inspire them, but instead he was the one who was inspired. Carl McCall, the highest black elected official in New York City said, “In 25 years of participating in meetings and rallies in Harlem, I’ve never seen a group that brought all races and colors together the way that this group does.” Even though most of the East Coast cities held their rallies in heavy rains, neither their number nor their spirits were dampened. Upon hearing a comment that people in Harlem turn out for rallies – rain or shine, Ruth Messanger, Borough President of Manhattan, responded “No, no! Not in the rain. God and the church produced this!” To top it all off, one large local Baptist church was so impressed with the results and excitement of HOPE For Kids that they asked for someone from the New York City Church of Christ to preach for them the next Sunday and tell them what we are doing for people. We do not do what we do to be seen on TV, or so that influential people will say nice things about us. We do it to help those in need, and to please God. But Jesus says that a result of our effort will cause people to praise God when they see our good deeds. Our purpose is and always will be to seek and save the lost as Jesus did (Luke 19:10). However, our nature must also be the same as Jesus – to help those in need (Luke 4:18-19). Helping those who can give us nothing in return is Jesus’ expectation (Luke 2 14:12-14). We will not stray into the “social gospel” where people are helped, but no one is saved. Likewise we cannot be so “spiritual” that we become the priest or Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, who ignored the obvious pain of the man in his path. On October 1, the efforts of the US churches were an incredible beginning in meeting the needs of children at risk. ore positive TV footage was aired about HOPE For Kids and the church in just one day than in the previous fifteen years combined. M On another front, I cannot say enough good things about our new managing editor Roger Lamb, the former editor of the late, great Upside Down Magazine and my longtime friend. He also serves as the director of KNN. His creativity and hard work are already bearing fruit in our transforming the bulletin into a news magazine for the Kingdom. Our new design will be released soon. With this issue we start a new column entitled “Miracle Stories.” The world is full of broken relationships, yet multitudes have been healed in God’s kingdom. We believe that God’s miracle stories will be an encouragement to all our readers. We have no way of hearing about all the great stories in your church. If you know a particularly good one, please send it to us in care of the news magazine. Who knows, it just might be used to inspire thousands of disciples around the world. Hope for HOT SHOTS INKids ACTION Cory Blackwell served as coordinator of HOPE for Kids in South Central L.A. “I was so proud to be part of the International Churches of Christ that Saturday when I saw 3400 Christian volunteers gathered in Harlem in the driving rain to reach out to the community.” – Bud Chiles Pictured at left are Brenda and Mike Leatherwood, Project Directors, and Kitty and Lawton (Bud) Chiles II, Executive Directors. S ATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1994 WAS NATIONAL Immunization Day in the United States. In fourteen cities all over the country, 20,000 disciples knocked on the doors of 100,000 homes to inform parents about the importance of vaccinating their children against serious infectious diseases. It is estimated that in the inner cities of the United States, only one in five children receives a complete set of vaccinations, and are therefore unprotected from disease until the age of six when they are required to be immunized before they enter kindergarten. These unprotected children are at real risk for contracting diseases such as measles, polio, and spinal meningitis which can cause serious lifelong injury and in some cases, even death. Currently, free immunization clinics exist in every major U.S. city, yet children still are not adequately immunized. Clinics may be far from their homes and hard to reach; the long lines and red tape make it difficult for a parent to work and take care of this need as well, and a full series of vaccinations takes a total of fifteen months to complete. Because of this, epidemics of preventable diseases are breaking out in large cities, crippling and even killing young children. HOPE for Kids, a part of the benevolent BY BUD CHILES arm of the International Churches of Christ, is radically changing this situation. On National Immunization Day, 20,000 disciples canvassed neighborhoods, knocked doors and spoke with parents about childhood immunization. The 14 cities include New York and Buffalo, NY; Newark, NJ; Chicago, IL; Miami, Orlando and Tallahassee, FL; Boston, MA; Philadelphia, PA; Dallas and Houston, TX; Los Angeles and San Diego, CA; and Washington DC. Nearly 5,000 disciples of Jesus Christ descended on South Central Los Angeles to reverse the sad trend – with tremendous success! Speakers at the Saturday morning rally included Dr. Betty Jo Warren, Chief of Pediatrics at Martin Luther King/Drew Medical Center, who expressed her gratitude to the cheering crowd. Then the task began. Talking individually with parents, Christians walked through surrounding neighborhoods and identified children in need of immunization, explaining the services now available to them. The success of this effort is based upon biblical principles. Rather than seeing the needs and suffering of others without doing anything about it, HOPE for Kids is building relationships 3 between the local clinics and the community by serving as mediators who put needy people in touch with available services. Contrary to past low turnout for community volunteer programs, the International Churches of Christ provided an unprecedented number of people willing to lend a hand. ur goal is to connect inner-city infants with medical care. We want to achieve a 90% or better rate of protection from childhood diseases, and we are doing it through an entirely volunteer-driven tracking system. O Just as Jesus was unafraid to reach out to the sick to demonstrate God’s love, his modernday disciples are committed to helping the needy in a “hands-on” way. Our Christians have also been strengthened by putting their faith into action – and the smiles of healthy children made their efforts worth it. I MMUNIZATION “LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.” – Matthew 5:16 On October 1 the Light of HOPE did shine – even in the rain – all across the nation. Pictured from top to bottom: 5000 L.A. disciples at Willowbrook Park. “Not the Pops but the Shots” – Boston rally at the Hatch Shell early Saturday morning. “A Family Affair” – The campus students were involved as well as the children. Pictured – Amy Jones, a senior at Northeastern in Boston with eager helpers. All across the nation – Clockwise from above left: Connie Mancini, Women’s Ministry Leader for the L.A. North Region, knocks on another door to inform a family about immunization availability. “Love them. Immunize them,” says Barbara Porter, Women’s Ministry Leader for the Orlando Church – pictured with son Joseph. Ron Brumley, elder in the Chicago Church, equips the disciples to go out and help others. A shot in Orlando. Steve Johnson, lead evangelist for the N.Y. City Church addresses the crowd amid a sea of umbrellas. “We love the babies in Harlem,” says Cynthia Powell, Women’s Ministry Leader in the NYC Church along with the daughter of a friend. M I R AC L E STORY A FAMILY COMES TOGETHER “All the riches in the world cannot come close to what Jesus has done in our family.” – Cesar Lopez Jr. A ROUND THE WORLD, EVERY TWENTYfive minutes, someone is baptized into Christ. Each baptism is a miracle, and often God compounds miracles by baptizing an entire family. Such is the case with the family of Cesar Lopez Jr., co-lead evangelist for the Metro Manila Christian Church. The Lopez family was wealthy and powerful, both in the Philippines and in Filipino communities in California. For a short time, Cesar’s dad served as mayor of the city of Wilmington, California. Cesar’s parents had a successful business, and their constant involvement in local charities won them the respect of many. However, their marriage had deteriorated over time. Cesar’s mother, Esmeralda, spent most of her time in the United States while Cesar Sr. traveled the world extensively. This amounted to long-term animosity and a separation that was extremely difficult for their children, Cesar, Gina and Angie. Cesar attended college at San Francisco State University, and at that time began dating a Filipina beauty queen named Jennifer dePerio. They were the ideal Asian couple with many lofty plans for their future. God’s plan for them was far different from their own. Jennifer began studying the Bible with two sisters from the San Francisco Church of Christ and was baptized on BY MARYANN ROSE October 18, 1990. Cesar immediately flew to San Francisco to see what changes had taken place in her life. She stunned him by refusing to let him stay at her apartment that night, referring him to the Bible passage against “even a hint of sexual immorality” (Ephesians 5:3). He stayed with brothers from the church, hoping to get into a fight with them out of his anger. Instead, he was humbled by their humility, hospitality, and willingness to understand his confusion. Returning to Los Angeles, Cesar wanted to study the Bible and see the church there. Cesar was introduced to Willie Flores and immediately began to study the Bible with him. When he first got to know the Flores family, he was certain that their closeness was “just a show.” Soon, however, he saw that Christians had found what he had longed for his whole life – real family. Cesar was baptized in the ocean at Manhattan Beach just a few weeks later. Cesar’s and Jennifer’s families rapidly became unified in Jesus Christ. Cesar’s sister Gina was baptized three months later. She is now a part of the AMS region of the L.A. Church and was recently engaged to be married. Their youngest sister, Angie, was in the Philippines at that “All smiles” at a recent wedding in Manila are (from left to right) Cesar Jr. and Jennifer Lopez, Cesar Sr. and Melda Lopez, and Gina Lopez. 6 time, studied the Bible there, and was baptized. She is now a strong disciple in L.A.’s West Region. Cesar and Jennifer were married on October 19, 1991. They entered the full-time ministry together, and Cesar had the great joy of baptizing his mother five months later. However, Cesar’s father was disappointed in him for leaving the family business to go into the ministry. The business itself began to decline. He refused his wife’s efforts at reconciliation. Cesar and Jennifer prayed for Cesar’s father every day for an entire year. Cesar spoke to his father by phone, urging him to study the Bible in the Manila Church; he agreed to visit the church, but refused to study with anyone except Cesar – who was miles away. e saw that Christians had found what he had longed for his whole life — real family. H Cesar wondered when his next trip to the Philippines might be so he could study with his dad. Two short weeks later, he and Jennifer were asked to move to Manila to assist in leading the church there with Preston and Sandie Shepherd. His prayers had been answered! They arrived in Manila on June 4, 1993, and Cesar held his dad to the promise of studying the Bible with him. Cesar then watched his father’s amazing transformation as the Word of God penetrated his heart. He repented of his sin, reconciled with his wife, and was baptized into Christ on July 23, 1993. Since that time, they have both been a very fruitful couple in the Manila church and have an average of five visitors with them every Sunday. Reflecting on his life as a disciple, Cesar Jr. is overwhelmed with gratitude to God and to the Church for all the miracles in bringing his family together in Christ. He explains, “It is so amazing to me – my father and I have Quiet Times together, my mother shares with me what she is learning about God, I hear their prayers, or see them singing with the biggest smiles on their faces. All the riches in the world cannot come close to what Jesus has done in our family.” T HE MISSION FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA By the fall of 1995 the International Churches of Christ will have at least one church in each of the fifty states. O NLY FIFTEEN YEARS AGO A LITTLE church of 30 people had a dream to grow a powerful church in one of the most difficult mission fields of the United States of America—Boston, Massachusetts, home of the Puritans, the witch burners, the revolutionaries and now the academic and humanistic elite of the most powerful nation on earth. Three years later that little group had become a multiplying church with a Sunday attendance of nearly 600. The inspired young evangelist, Kip McKean, stretched the dream. He called the church to plant similar churches in all the major cities of the world that would, in turn, plant churches in their areas of the world. Many scoffed, more doubted, some believed. Some feared, “But would our own cities and hometowns be reached?” Today, fifteen years later in that difficult BY ROGER LAMB mission field, the Boston Church of Christ is the largest single congregation in the history of New England with an attendance of 5,500 on Sundays. Also, the International Churches of Christ are made up of 173 churches in 65 nations of the world. The largest of those churches is the Los Angeles Church which averages over 7,100 on Sundays with a weekly contribution of nearly $140,000. I ncredibly, the Denver church has sent out five mission teams this year. These international churches are averaging one new church planting every two weeks. The US churches are also growing and building new ones to reach their own states, cities and towns. From July through September, 1994, churches have been planted in the cities indicated below. Of these churches, seven were the first church plantings in their states. Incredibly, the Denver church has sent out five mission teams this year. When the Little Rock planting goes out in December, 1994, the Dallas church will have planted churches in all of the states under her charge in only four years. With the church plantings scheduled for next year, Lord willing, by the fall of 1995 the International Churches of Christ will have at least one church in each of the fifty states. In Pittsburgh last month, 16 disciples working for three weeks saw 330 come to the first church service. Our growth shows that when disciples take the gospel to the whole world, we also take it next door. ★Missoula ★Portland ★Boise ★Cheyenne ★Omaha ★Bloomington ★Salt Lake City ★Fresno ★Hartford ★Pittsburgh ★Colorado Springs ★Flagstaff ★Little Rock CITY SENDING CHURCH Bloomington, Illinois.......................Champaign, Illinois Boise, Idaho .................................Denver, Colorado Cheyenne, Wyoming ..................Denver, Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado........Denver, Colorado Flagstaff, Arizona...........................Phoenix, Arizona Fresno, California ..........................San Francisco, California Hartford, Connecticut ................Boston, Massachusetts Little Rock, Arkansas ..................Dallas, Texas Missoula, Montana .....................Denver, Colorado Omaha, Nebraska ........................Lincoln, Nebraska Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ..............Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Portland, Maine ...........................Boston, Massachusetts Salt Lake City, Utah.....................Denver, Colorado (Bold type indicates the first planting in the state.) 7 L.A. Church of Christ Directory A F F I L I A T E D W I T H Elders & Teachers Dr. Albert W. Baird David Graham Isaiah Pickett Joe Rodriguez Bruce Williams Dr. Martin Wooten Lead Evangelist Kip McKean Super Region Leaders Cory Blackwell Marty Fuqua Bruce Williams Leader of Women’s Ministry Elena Garcia McKean Women’s Ministry Leaders Gloria Baird Megan Blackwell Chris Fuqua Coleen Graham Gloria Rodriguez Robyn Williams Congregational Deacons & Deaconesses John & Emily Bringardner Marvin & Lillian Jones Tom & Etta McCurry Greg & Shelley Metten Dr. Jerry & Erlyn Sugarman Keith & Maryann Rose John & Frances Thorne Cecil & Helen Wooten Missions Copenhagen, Denmark Moscow, Russia Odessa, Ukraine Helsinki, Finland Tblisi, Georgia Novosibirsk, Russia Vladivostok, Russia Stockholm, Sweden St. Petersburg, Russia Kiev, Ukraine Oslo, Norway Minsk, Belarus Tallinn, Estonia Kharkov, Ukraine Yekaterinburg, Russia Editor Dr. Albert W. Baird Managing Editor Roger Lamb Associate Editor Maryann D. Rose Art Director Emily Bringardner Volume1,Issue 15, October 23, 1994 T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L Metro Super Region Marty & Chris Fuqua...............(310) 470-4843 —Anthony & Saun Galang Asian Sector Anthony & Saun Galang......(818) 545-9100 Collin & Sunny Lee...............(213) 388-4559 Downtown Sector Steve & Kelli Saindon...........(818) 240-5292 Foothill Sector Dr. Henry & Lanna Cramer....(818) 248-9706 Deacon/Deaconess Bill & Arie Lea Throne Harvey & Kellie Woodford (FN) Central Region North Region— Mark & Connie Mancini........(818) Antelope Valley Sector Bob & Barb Harpole.............(805) San Fernando Valley North Sector Dave & Kathy Eastman.........(818) San Fernando Valley South Sector Ron & Cheryl Hammer..........(818) Deacon/Deaconess Lathan & Erin Collins Doug & Nancy Domel Eric & Susan Hauck (FN) 363-7464 723-7533 341-1233 347-6763 West Region— Reese & Mary Kay Neyland Marina Sector James & Wende Hamann......(310) 397-8053 Santa Monica Sector Tim & Julie Huffman..............(310) 277-5750 Westwood Sector Reese & Mary Kay Neyland....(310) 446-1415 Greg & Shelley Metten...........(310) 474-7929 Mike & Shauna Ostrom..........(310) 207-3309 Westside Sector Marty & Cathy Wooten..........(310) 475-5341 Deacon & Deaconess Greg & Shelley Metten (FN) John & Frances Thorne Southland Super Region Bruce & Robyn Williams...........(714) 551-8400 AMS Region— David & Coleen Graham.......(818) 558-7070 Media District Jeff & Lane Morrell.................(213) 782-3901 Sports/Entertainment District Jess & Cindy Asper................(310) 376-2285 Studio District Kevin & Tracena Holland.........(818) 559-8702 B.J. Jefferson.........................(818) 843-8466 Deacon/Deaconess Roy & Gwen Smith Mike & Kim Upton (FN) L.A. Office 3530 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1750 Los Angeles, CA 90010 Phone (213) 385-5434 Fax (213) 385-5854 Church of Christ Copyright ©1994 by the Los Angeles Church of Christ. All rights are reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the permission of the editor and publisher. Published by the Los Angeles Church of Christ. C H U R C H E S O F C H R I S T East Region —Willie & Tonya Flores Latin Sector Joe & Gloria Rodriguez.........(818) 369-1690 San Gabriel Sector Willie & Tonya Flores.............(909) 869-0914 South Hills Sector Steve & Jacqueline Gansert....(818) 810-4997 Deacon/Deaconess Robin Heskett (FN); Humberto & Sylvia Castillero Orange County Region — Mike & Libby Rock................(714) 559-8800 Anaheim Sector Rodney & Denise Mosely........(714) 283-3112 Cal State Fullerton Sector Delano Stewart.....................(714) 524-1927 Nadine Robins......................(714) 447-4592 Huntington Beach Sector Scott & Coleen Miller.............(714) 962-8334 Irvine Sector Mike & Libby Rock................(714) 559-8800 Deacon/Deaconess Lee & Jackie Spath Administrator Jake Jensen (FN) Ventura Region —Ed & Karen Townsend Santa Barbara Sector Kip & Bethany Harms.............(805) 682-9978 Tri-Valley Sector Ed & Karen Townsend............(805) 532-9200 Ventura Sector Larry & Laurie Head..............(805) 641-3201 Deacon & Deaconess Jeff & Debi Sabotin (FN) John & Andra Walsh Tri-County Super Region Cory & Megan Blackwell..........(310) 672-7300 Inland Empire —Jeff & Mary Wadstrom Palm Springs Sector Luis & Cathi Martinez............(619) 773-9433 Riverside Sector Jeff & Mary Wadstrom...........(909) 247-8959 Don & Jennifer Splitt..............(909) 276-3984 San Bernardino Sector Dan & Heidi Rice..................(909) 948-3719 Administrator Pat Toomey (FN) South Central Region — Cory & Megan Blackwell Inglewood Sector Cory & Megan Blackwell.......(310) Al & Gloria Baird..................(310) Mid-Cities Sector Anton & Sharon Ivy...............(310) Dominguez Hills Sector Doug & Angella Wens...........(310) Administrator Michelle Brown (FN) South Region 672-7300 973-1222 803-3629 515-4882 —Chuck & Carol Bray Lakewood Sector Dennis & Lorna Heide............(310) 988-0245 Long Beach Sector Chuck & Carol Bray...............(310) 675-2040 Peninsula Sector Jay & Carol Kelly...................(310) 373-4739 Deacon & Deaconess/Administrator Eddie & Janelle Ledger Brian & Karen Plymell Yuriko Stallworth (FN)