This weekend we begin a four-week “Breathing Out” series focused on “Here AND There.” From the beginning of God’s story as recorded in scripture, as voiced through the prophets, as affirmed by Christ’s ministry and as pursued by the disciples and the early Church, we observe a relentless pushing out of the gospel. From the covenant with Abram to “bless all the families of the earth” (Gen, 12. 1- 3) to God’s declaration through Isaiah that, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob…I will also make you a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” and to Jesus’ promise that the gospel would be preached to all peoples before the end comes (Matt 24.14); God has been on mission small and large, personal and societal, here and there throughout all of time.
Our journey begins by reminding us that we do not just have Turning Points away from something, but by definition, we are also turning toward something else. We will re-examine what the turning to be a follower of Jesus meant for four fisherman in Galilee, for a young girl growing up in Pasadena in the ‘50s and to an underground church in Tunis today.
Week Two will have Pastor Greg looking at how the context of the early Church has some similarities within our own in the Los Angeles area, revisiting the dynamic circumstances surrounding Pentecost in Jerusalem and seeing how their “Here” also connected to “There” as well.
Week Three we will focus us “Here.” In “Stopping to Exhale,” Pastor Eric Johnson, a part of the Lake Avenue Foundation team, will help us see “breathing out” into our neighborhood means crossing boundaries of every type, as we follow Jesus into our own nearby communities. We will have chances to connect and get involved with our local outreach ministries that weekend.
Week Four, Pastor Greg welcomes a very special guest to share the message with him. Lisa (Repko) Borden is an LAC missionary, who along with husband Bryon founded Wild Hope International. Lisa will tell stories from over ‘There” of God on the move among the Maasai of N Tanzania, where she makes her home.
“Here AND There” will culminate the following Friday, May 11, with the Concert for Wild Hope – an LAC partnership with Christian Assembly Church of Eagle Rock (CA) – where together Lake and CA’s choirs, bands and orchestra will do a benefit concert on behave of the ministry of Wild Hope, as our two churches join together to fill the Worship Center with praise and worship for the God that is on mission, from the City Center Here to the Ends of the Earth There!
To His Glory,
Scott White
Pastor of Global Outreach