Thanks to Paramount Ready Mix!

Special thanks to Paramount Ready Mix who donated the concrete for the new posts in the Community Center! Ron Talsma, from First Bellflower CRC helped to make this connection. Praise God for his people.

Letter from a thankful mom

I wanted to share a letter that we recently received from a local mom whose children have been a part of a couple of the efforts supported and sustained by the local church through Kingdom Causes. It was so encouraging to me and I wanted to pass it along to you, our partners in this work. Thanks for your continued partnership!

Dear Ryan,

Thank you so much for touching the life of my son. Our conversations about what he is getting out of being a [part of Good Soil Industries (www.goodsoilindustries.org)] God is so amazing. It is causing him to conversate with me more about God. He said he has been praying again lately. That just did a great thing to my heart.

Your team has been touching my family’s life in such a way that I could not. [One of your volunteers] will be my daughter's mentor for a season of her life in an academy for 5 ½ months. She chose her because she is a leader at the Wednesday night Teen Bible study group on Eucalyptus ave.

My kids have had a hard life... fitting into the church setting has always been difficult for them, but because your team loves them as they are and where they are at, it seems to be doing a God thing that I can see. It is so soothing to my soul.

Thank you so very much for what you guys are doing in the lives of those that may seem untouchable. I am ever so grateful.

Our Place Housing Solutions 2010

A Homeless Family Needs Your HELP

In early February, a woman reached out for our help. Her husband had just left her and their two daughters and she was forced to move out of their apartment because she could no longer afford the rent. She and her daughters slept in their car for a short time before contacting our Homeless Prevention program in February.

Although the woman works full time, her wages were being garnished because of her eviction so she needed assistance in order to move into a new place. We were able to get her into housing in early March and have been providing minimal rental assistance for the past few months. Our assistance will continue until the garnishments end in July and the family will become completely self-sustaining.

The family is thrilled to be in their own place and off the streets. However, they are still in need of some basic essentials. That's where YOU come in. They have a place, but they don't really have any furniture. Since they don't own a bed or a couch, all three of them sleep on the floor. If you would like to donate a bed, couch, or other household items to this family, please call Kingdom Causes and OPHS at 562.804.2189. It's a very tangible opportunity to love this neighbor who is getting back on her feet.

What do we do?

Guess who's moving?????

After much consideration and prayer, we have decided to move our office and community center downtown.  It's been a good 3 1/2 years on Alondra & Eucalyptus but we are outgrowing our space.  We were offered this new location (16429 Bellflower Blvd.), which is double the size, for the same amount of rent we currently pay.  We feel this move is strategic for connecting with both Oak and Eucalyptus neighbors, as well as providing more community center space for programs.

We're going to need a TON of help pulling this off.  May 1st is our first big move day.  If you're interested in helping, please contact Chrissy.

Celebration Dinner - RSVP by this weekend!

Meet Good Soil's New Employee

A job interview for Good Soil Industries is unique compared to most any other job. We cover the basics, but equally important is to hear their life story and the transformation that God has done in their lives. I repeatedly hear testimony of how a man experienced rock bottom and in their desperation called on God and He answered.

I asked a current employee to share his story of transformation with you. I hope his story inspires you to call on God to do something great in your life.

"My name is Jay Steele. I'm writing this to let you know the miraculous changes God has allowed me to make in my life!!
I once was a hardcore drug addict who went to prison because of my drug addiction. I cared about my drugs more than my life or anyone elses. I in a sense wasted the first 30 years of my life. My family wanted nothing to do with me, and society wanted to put me away.

I got blessed to meet Pastor Fred of I.C.M. He cared, never gave up on me and let me go to a summer camp for kids as a couselor. The experience changed my life for good. I knew of God and Jesus, but didn't KNOW them. To know that people and God care about a homeless, convict, drug addict. To allow ME to do this, to be trusted, to show faith in me.

Now I'm happily married, go to church regularly, teach the Bible to at-risk youth and even have keys to the church. I've been sober for 2 years, live in an apartment, have a job with Good Soil and have been off parole for almost a year. God is the only reason my life has changed so much. And now I am very blessed to have a phone book full of friends and now my family that I can call.
God turned Saul to Paul, so what can he do with a homeless, convict, drug addict like me? Only God knows & time will tell.

God bless,
Jay Steele"

Cool Article - Mixing art and Christianity | Religion | projo.com

Mixing art and Christianity | Religion | projo.com | The Providence Journal

If you're an artist in Bellflower, please visit www.bellaartfest.org to learn about opportunities to use your gifts to bless our community.

Save the date: KC Celebration Dinner on April 29th

It's about that time!  Please mark your calendars for this year's Kingdom Causes Celebration Dinner.  We're super excited to celebrate this year with all of you.

A prayer for Bellflower -- By Pastor Tom Hocking

Today the city of Bellflower hosted it's annual State of the City Address. As with many cities, Bellflower is facing some challenging days ahead as budgets tighten and the economy continues to struggle. The city manager entitled the talk, "The Rocky Road Ahead". I was particularly blessed by the prayer that my good friend Pastor Tom Hocking prayed as the invocation for the event. What he prayed was a powerful blessing for our city and I've included it below. Please pray it as you read:


Heavenly Father,
Thank you for this day,
Thanks for our city and the men and women who serve it and protect it.
Thanks for the opportunity to soberly consider where we stand as a community.
These are obviously difficult and uncertain times and I confess that I have struggled with feelings of anxiety—perhaps many of us have.
But God, when I think about it, the times when I have grown the most as a person have been times of great trouble, not times of ease.
So Lord Jesus, while we pray passionately for the peace and prosperity of Bellflower, I want to pray even more passionately that on the way toward peace (whether that peace is personal peace or social peace or financial peace or relational peace). . .I pray that on the way toward that peace, we would not forget that you and you alone are the giver of real peace—ultimate and eternal peace.
God, the road in front of us may indeed be a bit rocky. . .but considering that you once said that the wide and easy road leads to destruction. . .maybe a few potholes aren’t that bad.
But please help us to negotiate those potholes with grace and wisdom—and above all to make this journey together—loving each other more than ourselves and loving you most of all. I pray for Mayor smith and our Concilmembers: Bomgaars, Dunton, Koops, and Larsen; for Mike and his staff—that you would crown their efforts with abundant success. In Christ’s name, I pray Amen.

Seniors give back!

During the first few months working on Oak street, I gravitated toward the young and idealistic. I wanted the teenagers in this community to reach their potential, and the young families to work together to make their community a better place.

Unfortunately, in the midst of this work, I was missing a key part of the Oak Street demographic. I was overlooking the senior citizens and the rich array of skills and passions that they bring to the neighborhood. Here at kingdom causes, we use the Asset Based Community Development model (ABCD). In a nutshell, this means we look for what is best about a community, and then build on the skills and abilities of the community residents.

As I got to know some of the senior citizens through a senior's luncheon at a local church, I began to recognize how much these people had to offer the community. Over time, though, they have begun to believe that they don't have too much to offer. This mindset is reinforced by those of us who do not ask them to enrich our lives with the wisdom and skills they have accumulated over their lifetime.

In an effort to help these seniors have an outlet for giving back to their community, we've started a "seniors volunteer group" at the Bellflower Manor. There are around 15 individuals who have agreed to give some of their time and talent to various causes in our community. I am excited to learn from them as we serve Bellflower together.

If you know a senior who would like to be involved--let me know! Call our office or shoot me an email at abbeyn@kingdomcauses.org

Money

Better a little with righteousness
 than much gain with injustice. 

  Proverbs 16:8

This verse stirred up a lively discussion with the teens at our house last night.  When you get bombarded with messages that tell you the opposite... to get as much as you can no matter the cost... a verse like this might be hard to swallow.

Please continue to pray for our neighbors... and for the leaders... as we explore scripture and learn more about who Jesus is. 

What is KCB-101?

Here at Kingdom Causes, we're excited to introduce a new tool for volunteer training in 2010. We're calling the training "KCB 101".  We hope to better equip and empower our volunteers so that together we can be most effective at reaching our community. 

We're currently running our first training with a group of volunteers that are already deeply invested, but don't worry if you missed this first round.  This 5-week training will be offered again in April.  Spots are limited, so keep an eye out for the next chance to register. 

We have four goals for this training:

1. To get to know each other’s stories
2. To familiarize volunteers with the values and programming at the heart of our work in Bellflower
3. To help volunteers discover the best way to be involved (connecting your passions with the mission)
4. To help learn how to incorporate KC values into personal lives and spheres of influence.

In short, this training will help you be better equipped to serve with Kingdom Causes, but also to be an intentional "kingdom-maker" in the other areas of your life.

Photo: Teri, Jeudy, Betty, Abbey, Taylor & Alex... participants in the training

Relationships over programs

It's been a year and a half since we started having the neighborhood kids over on Wednesday nights for dinner and Bible study.  When we started we were expecting an entirely different (and smaller) crowd.  I'm happy my expectations aren't always met.  This ragamuffin group of leaders, friends & neighbors has turned into a family of sorts.  Relationships exist outside of 7-9pm on Wednesday evenings.  Neighbors are mentoring these youth and investing in their lives.  That's the real success.  Living an open life that leaves time for taking a neighbor kid out for a taco or a impromptu hangout at the nearby park.  I'm so grateful for the leaders... friends... that show up on Wednesdays and keep in touch with the kids throughout their busy week.  The kids are experiencing neighborly love the way Jesus wants us all to.

6,000 Easter Eggs

Looks like we're going to need your help.

Contact Abbey to find out how you, your family, church, etc., can get involved with this year's community easter egg hunt.

Cold Eggs and Reconciliation

"About a year ago, I beat somebody up really bad. Like really bad."

Kenny, the big, tattooed guy wearing a bandana and leather sitting next to me was reporting on "signs of transformation" he had seen since the last meeting of the Homeless Task Force, a group of Christians from several different congregations in Bellflower, who work together to love our homeless neighbors. Kenny, who had been homeless himself for many years before coming to know Christ, now serves weekly, building relationships with our homeless neighbors.

The transformation happened after the previous week's breakfast. At the end of the weekly meal where we serve 40-50 neighbors we had left over eggs and beans. We were about to throw away the excess when Kenny offered to load up his Harley and bring them down to the riverbed. As he walked down the embankment near the intersection of the 605 and the 105, the first person he encountered was this man with whom he had brawled a year back. Tensions were high as you might imagine, but as Kenny reached out and handed him the cold left over eggs reconciliation happened. This simple act of love and concern melted what ever conflict had remained between these two former enemies.

I am constantly humbled to be involved in the story of God's Kingdom work in Bellflower. I get to see God use people who most would consider too far gone, or damaged to minister his love and peace. I am blessed to see the Body at work, with our many gifts and backgrounds, all working in symphony as God uses us in His ministry of reconciliation.

what makes the difference?

The name of our program, Good Soil, comes from Jesus parable of the seed that is scattered (Mark 4). Some seed falls on thorns, some falls on rocky soil, and still other seed falls on good soil.

During 2009 I have worked with men who were part of this good soil, and they experienced radical transformation in their life because of Christ. Men have become members of local churches, become married, found full-time jobs, moved into homes, and worship Jesus with great passion. Their testimony has given me fresh hope in the limitless power of Jesus.
I have also worked with men who currently seem stuck in thorny or rocky soil. Life is filled with thorns that keep them from reaching their potential.
The strength that I’ve found in the parable is that God has called me to be a sower, but the power is in the Word. When I am obedient and share Scripture, I can trust God to do the rest. Scripture is active and when we share how it is impacting our lives, we plant the seed and let God work. So as I look to 2010 I am renewed in my excitement to share God’s word with the men of Good Soil and to watch how it transforms both our lives.

A local business that's giving back...

Kingdom Causes has a shout out in this video:



Did you know that locally owned businesses invest MORE into the community than chains? That's exactly what Casa de Luna is doing in our city. Interested in learning more about why it's important for a community to have strong local businesses? Check out the 3/50 Project.

Still looking for new toy donations...

We're still short toys for our Christmas Store. Will you help our community out by donating a new, unwrapped gift for a kid (ages 0-17). Click here to read more about how the store works... where the money goes... why we sell the gifts... etc.