Thursday, May 22, 2008

LA Dream Center 3-2008








Summary:
The trip was great, urban outreach ministry like I have never seen it. Very powerful: in LA's darkest neighborhoods, mobile kids programs, intern programs, food programs, clothing, groceries by the truckloads. 10 month programs for HS & college age kids, 12 month program for gangbangers, homeless & young men & women who just want out of the old and into something new. The DC Disciple program, yea. Plus a few hundred short term mission group members from... England, Canada, Florida, Georgia, Ok, NC, AZ, Brazil, Texas, all over the place. Texas had three teams while we were there including another from Glad Tidings in Austin. Serving together and getting all trained up. God allowed us to literally take someone off the streets and put them into a shelter and help offer them a bed, food, and some new choices. We saw him in church the next evening. God used John to bend a Muslims heart to Christ. God used me to give testimony and preach at Santa Monica Pier and young Ben Haney gave a few scriptures.



We served & worshiped with the most diverse yet like minded group of people; and the young people are so passionate about the Lord. The mission was clear to all, serve with love, have fun, and invite them to church, worship & pray. They plugged us into every kind of ministry you can think of in 7 days. We TOOK OVER McArthur Park on Friday with every ministry and soul working together to have an enormous block party. thousands came. Food, clothes, bags of groceries, games, prizes, mobile medical clinic, music, kids programs, soccer games, not one interruption or incident, perfectly orchestrated. it was the best organized, reaching the most needy, conglomeration of various different ministries coming together to make a difference in the world TODAY that I've ever seen. The Body in action. A mostly tweenies, congregation who can't wait to worship, arrive hours early, stay late, rush the stage, fall to their knees, rockin out for god, holy spirit worship. The next generation is coming up strong. Revival is not coming, it is here.

Notes:

DC Disciple program: 12 mo, 15% make it through, some stay for second year or more.
Teen Disciple program: a way out for youth heading down the wrong road
Masters Commission program: 10 mo, college credit courses
Help for the Homeless Youth: a hand out, a hand up, some new choices
Homeless: 80,000 homeless in LA
Skidrow ministry: "to the least of these"
Intern program:
Short Term Mission: hundreds, from everywhere
MetroKids: 'blocked off alleyway to put on kids show' in South Central LA
Bus Ministry: bus em in from target neighborhoodsMedia: cool, youthful, fun, energetic
Adopt a Block Program: Shelly cried for the young man shot in his adopted neighborhood. door knocking. "we're here to serve you""go after those no one else wants"Target specific neighborhoodsSingle focus events, RAK, (random acts of kindness) roll out in forcedaily & weekly, same place same time, they were waiting for usalways relational, always loving, always pointing to HIM


where dreams are made


Off to LA, to that Dream Center Place.
To learn and to serve and to seek His face.
Some of us flew, Some of us drove,
all of us went to share our King’s love.

That Dream Center looked like a broken down hospital
But the light from within of things much greater possible.

Black Tee shirts hiding scars of addiction,
abuse, neglect, despair and affliction.
But the eyes shining bright and the smiles ear to ear.
Our Christ fills the hearts as they serve a week or a year.
Side by side, hand in hand,
these children together with God boldly stand.

Many come to serve there from all over the place
To love on the broken to show Christ in their face.

Homeless addicts asleep in the sand,
dreaming to be reached by God’s healing hand.
Ignorant in the ways of the king,
too angry to praise, too lost to sing.

But God’s Spirit is moving in the hearts of His sheep.
We hurt for those lost - so hard we weep.

Should we wake them or shake them and show them the cross
Or silently pray to our God for those lost.

The light in his children who throw out His love
Christ reining down complete from above.

Bringing hope to the lost, healing & salvation
To the broken and hurting in each and every nation

Father I love you, you’re king of all men,
let me serve you with Joy from now till the end.
I love being your son and calling you friend
serving beside you again and again

Father you are worthy of so much more than I have to give.
So I give you my life that my Savior might live.

That the Spirit may come and pierce every heart.
Not waiting for someday, but NOW let it start.

2 comments:

To him said...

I love it, I love it!

Tammy said...

Very cool! I popped over here to see what you have going on and look, there's a pic of Ben! :D
I have one of you up too: http://tammyslifeunplugged.blogspot.com/2008/03/unseen-doorways.html

Glenn, God has let you work in some pretty cool stuff! I loved this post. It was an awesome look at all the cool stuff going on out in LA.
How exciting!