Project Oak

Check out our affordable housing project: www.ourplacehousingsolutions.org

Mayor's Community Prayer Breakfast

The city of Bellflower has hosted the Mayor's Community Prayer breakfast for many years. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, they were unable to host it this year. So, Kingdom Causes and Bless Bellflower agreed to host a modified version of the breakfast as a way to encourage the city and keep the tradition going. And hopefully encourage prayer on behalf of our city!

The breakfast will take place on Tuesday, October 6th from 7-8:30 am at Simms Park. It's only $5 for a time of prayer and encouragement, plus a yummy continental breakfast!

If you're interested in helping with this event, or if you'd like to attend please, call Kingdom Causes at (562) 804-2189.

September Fridays = Streetfests

If you don't have any plans for your Friday evenings, head over to Laurel Street & Bellflower Blvd. for Streetfest. The Chamber of Commerce has decided to continue the event though the month of September.

Spread the word.

What do we do?

Today I spent a few hours with a homeless neighbor and her two young kids. We travelled down to Long Beach to see about getting them set up at a longer term shelter.

I wish I could say that throughout the whole process I remained utterly selfless, acting in the Jesus-like way that I'm supposed to. Sadly, I did not. After two hours of trying to entertain energetic preschool boys in a crowded government facility, I was less than chipper. I was concerned about when I was going to get lunch, somehow forgetting that this mom didn't even know if she was going to eat again in the near future.

Despite the imperfections in my attitude, I learned a lot about a piece of society that I don't often interact with. Long lines, endless referrals, dirty conditions, and judgmental attitudes are realities that this mom has to deal with every day. As I sat with her today, the questions kept rolling through my mind, "How can I best help her? What am I supposed to do? Is there any hope at all?".

I wanted to save the world in one afternoon. It's not going to happen. But I can start with being kind, with treating her as my friend and neighbor, rather than my client. I can choose allow my heart to be broken by the poverty of body and soul that I saw today. And I can pray.

What can you do?

Last Chance to Buy Pictures!

This is your last chance to order 8x10 pictures from the photo class. I've made a flickr album for you to view the available shots. Click here or on the picture to view.

$20 for 8x10 with a glass frame

Money goes to support events & programs in the Eucalyptus Neighborhood. Check out the cool art work. Email me at christinap@kingdomcauses with your orders!

Street Fests are Happening!

It's been a little discouraging to see so many of the community-building events in Bellflower get shut down because of the economy... but now we have some good news! The Bellflower Chamber of Commerce has brought back the Street Fests! These are fun evenings for the whole family with clowns, face painting, prizes, great food, and music! Come support local businesses and have a great time meeting neighbors!

Here are all the details:

What: Summer Street Fests 2009

When: Every Thursday in August from 6-9pm

Where: On Laurel Street off of Bellflower Blvd (by Johnny Rebs)

Who: YOU! (plus your friends and family)

Why: A fun way to meet neighbors and bless your city!

For more info, call (310) 722-4552

Check out Bless Bellflower!

If you haven't visited www.blessbellflower.org in the last month or so... please do us a favor and peruse around. We are working on some awesome community events including the Bella Art Fest.
Also, take some time to read the Bless Bellflower blog entries. We highlight different ways to be a better Bellflower citizen.

Feel free to share your ideas!

Photo Exhibit Recap!

This past Saturday we had a great time interacting with neighbors, artists, and supporters at the Eucalyptus Photo Class exhibit! Pictures from the past three years of photo classes were displayed, and we enjoyed live music and yummy snacks as well!

A highlight for me was watching the students' faces when they overheard positive comments about their pictures. Some of them were SO excited when they found out that people were actually buying their work!

And speaking of purchases, it's not too late to buy a picture for yourself! $20 gets you a framed 8x10 photo, and all of the proceeds go to Eucalyptus youth programs. To view all the photos, click here. I've included a few of my favorites above! If you want to buy one, email Chrissy at christinap@kingdomcauses.org. Just describe which picture you want and we'll take care of the rest!

First Week!

Hello!

My name is Abbey Nishimoto and I am so excited about joining the Kingdom Causes Bellflower team. I grew up in the Bellflower area and am passionate about seeing believers get involved in community development.

My husband, Andrew, and I just moved back to Bellflower after spending the last few years in the snowy land of Warsaw, Indiana. We attended Grace College where we were both involved in various ministries and leadership opportunities. Now Andrew is the new youth pastor at Bethany CRC, and I'm working here at Kingdom Causes!

I've already had a great few days with the staff here. It was awesome to see 13 people come together last night to eat lunch with some of our neighbors at the century inn. We're looking forward to the barbeque there next week as well!

My main focus at KC will be on the Oak Street neighborhood, specially attempting to coordinate a teen center. We'd love to have a safe place for teens to learn, grow, and interact with with volunteers from the church of Bellflower! If you are interested in ministry with teens-please don't hesitate to contact me! We'll need people from all sorts of backgrounds with different talents in order to make this initiative a success!

I'm looking forward to interacting with lots of you over the next few months!

-Abbey

P.S. The pic is from me and Andrew's favorite SoCal spot-Disneyland!

Neighborhood Photo Class Starts Tomorrow!

Tomorrow we start our summer photography classes for the neighborhood. Each week we teach a basic digital photography skill and take the students out to a local spot to practice. This year the students work will be displayed in Casa de Luna throughout the month of July.

If you're interested in getting involved with future photography classes, please contact Chrissy at 562-804-2189.

Youth Group-Wed Nights!!

Eucalyptus Street is the place to be on Wednesday nights- (Specifically Chrissy’s house.) If you like good food, skateboarding, basketball, hanging out, or just having a conversation with a teen, then you must come to this event every Wednesday night from 6:30-8:30.
Youth Group on Wednesday nights is a place where kids from the community can come and enjoy a good dinner, hear the Word of God, and build relationships with other peers and leaders.

Many of these kids have never heard the story of Jesus or come from broken homes. Through this ministry we hope to build relationships with these kids and show them the love of Jesus. It’s amazing to see how this event has grown in the community. I have been told that the Youth Group started with about 5 kids, but now there are about 20 kids that show up on a consistant basis. It’s amazing to see how God has blessed this ministry.

One of my favorite things to do with the guys on Wednesday nights is to play basketball on the driveway. It can get pretty physical at times, but it usually stays calm and everyone has a good time. I could play basketball with these kids for hours, but I usually don’t because we have a Bible Study later on at night.

Last week we took the boys over to the resource center to have some small group time and play some games. Although it is hard to keep some of their attention, most of them were asking real deep questions that I did not have all the answers for. Some were asking such questions as “Why does God allow so much evil in this world?” or “Can we become unsaved once we have accepted God as our Savior?” These are challenging questions for even Christians in the Church, and trying to explain these answers to kids just learning about Jesus is even harder. However I was encouraged by the attendance and interest that these boys have to learn more. Nobody is forcing these kids to stay for the Bible Study part of the night, yet more than half do stay to listen. These boys are curious about God, and this is the time to tell them about Him before they get older. I ask for your prayers as we continue this ministry on Eucalyptus Street!!

Depth of Good Soil

Good Soil Industries has been busy, and that is a good thing! Cory (Good Soil employee) and I have spent many hours together, and seen each other at our best and worst moments. Yesterday was one of those days where nothing seemed to go right. At the end of the day Cory told me, “I’m always watching you. Watching how you respond.”
I thought, uh-oh.
Then Cory went on to bless me and share how he saw Christ in how I responded.
But, it isn’t a one-way blessing. I’ve learned so much from Cory. He’s taught me to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit in a new way. To pray with a child-like faith. We have seen each other’s strengths and weaknesses and encouraged one another.

Good Soil has mowed a lot of yards recently. But more than that, it has brought two guys together whose life stories are pretty different. And out of this relationship, we’re both more hopeful that transformation is possible.

First Week At Kingdom Causes!!!

Hello,

My name is Alex Melara and I am the intern for the summer of 2009. I am excited to get a feel for the community and to see what God has planned for the city of Bellflower. I attend Bellflower Brethren Church (Flower & Clark) and have a passion to reach out to the community. I especially enjoy working with at risk teens and building relationships with them.

My hometown is Pico Rivera, which is about 10 miles away from Bellflower. After High School I attended Cal State Long Beach for a year and then transferred to Grace College in Indiana where I am currently a senior. God has blessed me tremendously and I want to give back to those that are at a disadvantage in life.

Last week was my first week working for Kingdom Causes. I have met some great people that work and volunteer for Kingdom Causes. Ryan, Chrissy, Joel, Aura, Larry, and Irene are some of those people that work hard to show the love of Jesus in the city of Bellflower.

I had the chance to work with good soil industries this past week and deliver food to some families that lived in Motels on Alondra Blvd. After a long day of doing yard work with Joel, I had no motivation or energy to go out and deliver food. Since it was my first day, I didn’t want to tell Ryan that I did not feel like going. Now, that I look back I am glad that I went to deliver food. It was awesome to see the joy and expressions on people’s faces as we handed them the food. It might not seem like much, but for some people this is what they look forward to the whole week.

The best part of the day was hearing the stories and struggles that these people are going through. I met a girl who had been living in the motel with her family for 4 years. That was just shocking to hear. However, it was encouraging to see the joy she had even though she was going through these tough circumstances. She was very thankful for the food that we brought to her this evening. In the future, we hope to have a BBQ outside motel and meet more families.

So in conclusion my first day on the job was rewarding. I can’t wait to go back and connect with these people again. After just one week I have realized that there are many people in Bellflower that need physical and spiritual help.

The Church being church

I’ve seen followers of Jesus making conscious choices to impact the lives of their neighbors. I’m excited about what God is doing in and through them.

Jim Tanis has put a new front porch on his house so that he can hang out in the front and get to know his neighbors. What a great idea!
Jane Nishimoto helped orchestrate multiple churches to host an Easter Egg Hunt for 1500 people!
Leticia takes time from her busy schedule to find jobs for her neighbors.
Claudette uses her limited financial resources to cook a meal for the homeless each month.
Mark Garcia tutors Algebra 1 students who have fallen behind.
Betty, Leticia, Corrie Harb, John Davis, and Teri Larsen have faithfully met each week to help K-6th graders with reading and homework, and have used the time to strengthen relationships with families in the neighborhood.

These are just a few of the people who have inspired me lately. Thank you for all you do!

Of Homeless and Hummingbirds

Lately, several homeless neighbors who come to the weekly Homeless Outreach on Saturday mornings have been hanging out in the parking lot after they get their showers and before breakfast starts to enjoy some fresh air. In the interest of building relationships with these men I decided that I would get some fresh air too.

Last Saturday I noticed that Jerry*, one of our homeless neighbors who lives in his late 90’s model Lexus, was pacing methodically in the corner of the parking lot.

“Mind if I walk a few paces with you?” I asked.
“Sure.” Jerry shrugged.

As we walked our circuit we talked about his diabetes, about his interest in science fiction (he reads at least three books each week) and about how he walks these paces each morning “to get the blood flowing.”

After walking and talking for several minutes I noticed what looked like a small green walnut, and after looking closer I realized it was a baby hummingbird that had fallen from it’s nest and was sitting there in the parking lot scared and helpless.

“What should we do?” I asked Jerry.
“Not much we can do. My dad told me once, you can’t save everything.” Jerry responded, as he resumed his pacing.

As I stayed behind looking at this vulnerable bird, I wondered what to do. “He’s probably right.” I thought. Just then, Jaquie pulled into the parking lot. She works for the County as an animal control officer and she came over right away. She picked up the bird and in moments had whisked it away to her home where she would feed it and care for it until she could bring it to a hummingbird rescue the next day. She called me later that week to tell me that she had been successful in getting the little bird a place in the rescue where the staff would feed it every 20 minutes for several days until it was strong enough to survive on it’s own.

When I first started working with our homeless neighbors I was hopeful about our ability to help everyone we met. Then after a few disappointing experiences with neighbors who made “one step forward and three steps back” I noticed that I began to operate with a degree of cynicism. I would like to call this “informed discernment”, but I sometime use the “you can’t save every[one]” line as a rationale for my increasing emotional distance from my neighbors.

That cynicism is challenged each time a new volunteer joins our ranks. Just like Jaquie came and helped me see that we could indeed help the hummingbird, new volunteers come with a new skill sets and new hope that inspire me past my hopelessness.

I realize that while I cannot save everyone, God’s body, with its diverse gifts and ever growing faith can indeed help everyone, even if it is simply to minister hope through relationships.

*name changed

Good Soil Video

Thoughts on Bellflower

Bellflower is a special city. We're smack-dab of middle of LA sprawl, yet we still have a small-town charm. I love that I can go to the grocery store or to a local restaurant and be greeted by my first name. "Hi Chrissy... how are things in the neighborhood. How's the coffee shop?"

Yesterday I attended a special city council budget meeting. Times are tough. Our city leaders are doing their best with the limited funds they have, but money is running out. A majority of city-sponsored community events have already been cut this year... and I'm afraid more cuts are coming.

Bellflower isn't charming because of it's location or landmarks. It's charming because of the people that make up the community. It's charming because of the community-friendly events like Streetfest and Movies Under the Stars. Sadly, these events are too expensive for our city to host this year. But I don't think we can afford not to have summer events. It's the downtown events that keep local businesses running during slow times. It's the downtown events that get people out of their house and talking to their neighbors. It's the downtown events that bring charm to our city.

Times are tough, but this is a chance for us... the community... to step up. Now is the time for churches, businesses, organizations and individuals to work together to pick up some of the events. We saw the success of the Easter Egg Hunt hosted by local churches. Bellflower Noon Lions Club is picking up the Bellflower Blvd. Car Show. What else can we work together on to save?

Now is the time for the church to be active in this city.

Press Telegram Article on Bellflower Easter Egg Hunt

CHURCHES KEEP BELLFLOWER EASTER ALIVE
By: Pamela Hale-Burns Staff Writer
Posted: 04/10/2009
Link: http://www.presstelegram.com/search/ci_12121087

BELLFLOWER - The economic crisis continues to affect lives, but there are people determined not to let it stop a beloved event like Bellflower's Easter Egg hunt.

Jane Nishimoto, learning that limited funds had led the city of Bellflower to cancel several community events, including the annual egg hunt, decided to find a way to rescue the Easter weekend tradition.

"We've been trying to build a better relationship with the community as a church and this was a good opportunity to show them that we care about the kids in our community," the Bellflower Brethren Church parishioner said. "So we wanted to provide them with a fun day and also provide them with the Easter message."

Nishimoto went online and made phone calls, trying to find others to donate time and money for the egg hunt.

Her hard work has paid off, and the hunt starts at 10 a.m. today at Caruthers Park, 10500 Flora Vista St.

"I Googled churches in Bellflower and started calling, and most of the churches already work with Kingdom Causes," she said.

Kingdom Causes is a nonprofit community mobilizing organization with a mission to be a catalyst that inspires, connects and mobilizes people for personal and community transformation.

"We worked through Kingdom Causes' director and then we used those people to contact other people and to see if others would be willing to volunteer," she said.

Ten churches and more than 150 volunteers agreed to donate and fill plastic Easter Eggs for the hunt.
After 29 years in the city of Bellflower, Pastor Tom Hocking of Bellflower Brethren says he has seen a major change in the past four or five years.

"I feel like the city has made some significant attempts to build a stronger sense of community, he said. "The city has sponsored these annual egg hunts as well as (other events throughout the year)."

"Because of the state of the economy," he continued, "the city is no longer able to fund many of these events. Therefore, what will happen is a powerful statement to other civic groups and clubs about how nongovernmental organizations can `step into the breach."'

Although Nishimoto lives in Lakewood, as a member of Bellflower Brethren Church and a Bellflower schoolteacher her ties to the city are strong.

"Jane is both an inspiration and an encouragement to me because of her constant and consistent passion to be both a redemptive influence in our city and to encourage and motivate others to bless the city as well," Hocking said.

Great opportunity for us to Bless Bellflower... please check out

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_11955612?source=rss

The city's funding has been cut for most of our community events this year (including Streetfest, Movie Nights & Easter Egg Hunt). A group of churches have decided to work together to host the Easter Egg Hunt for the city on April 11th. If you're interested in helping (WE NEED HELP!) please email us at easterbellflower@kingdomcauses.org

More about this later.

Community Health & Resource Fair THIS SUNDAY!

Bethel Reformed Church is hosting a Community Health Fair this Sunday (March 22) from 11am-3pm. The people at Bethel care about the well-being of our community. The following services and/or screenings will be available:

vision
dental
blood pressure
cholesterol
glucose
body fat
bone density
immunizations for children K-18

Click here to get more information from their website.