theCityShouldBeDifferent: Dreams Realized (Lake Area Collegiate Alliance)

Monday, April 9, 2012

Dreams Realized (Lake Area Collegiate Alliance)

It's one thing to want the church to be united, and have cooperation between churches.

It's another thing to see it happen.

This past January, six churches traveled together to Atlanta for Passion 2012. We stopped in Mobile and had a night to worship and hang. 130 students. What a great night! At the end of the Passion event, we all wanted to have more of this - so we committed to having a regular public worship gathering on campus, and now that time has come!

Thursday, April 19, 7 pm, ~~New Ranch~~* BAKER AUDITORIUM (in Farrar) at McNeese.

* PLEASE NOTE: McNeese asked us to move from New Ranch to Baker after we printed the cards, etc. We're young people, right, we can handle change!!!

Welcome to the Lake Area Collegiate Alliance! We're now 7 churches, and we going to Passion 2013, with at least 220 going this trip. At Passion, we rallied around the cause of the 27 million people currently enslaved around the world. We will bring that theme to our first MSU combined gathering.

We are setting up a display to bring awareness and action for the cause of the enslaved around the world. The display will be in the New Ranch, so we decided to hold the worship gathering there as well. theCityChurch is leading the creation of the display, but all the churches can use it to generate conversations with students, encouraging them to stand up for the plight of the enslaved!

Here is the push card for the week:

One of the 7 churches, theCityChurch (who hosts theCityShouldBeDifferent) is printing a t-shirt and will give them away to students who donate at least $15 directly to www.72daysforfreedom.com.

The 7 churches who are currently part of this coalition

www.SaleStreet.org

www.firstbaptistwestlake.org

www.FirstBaptistWestlake.org

www.HoustonRiverBC.org

www.WatersEdgeGathering.com

www.tbclc.org

www.MaplewoodFBC.com

www.theCityChurch.us

Jesus is the radical who stands up for the cause of the poor and the oppressed.

We follow Jesus, so we will do the same!

Rock On!

paul

If you have questions or want info about this, you can contact paul pettefer, call/text 794-9891, paul@theCityChurch.us, or Tim Robles, tim@salestreet.org, or any of the college ministers at these churches.

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theCityShouldBeDifferent

Since #JesusIsAlive, then from #Goosport2Graywood #theCityShouldBeDifferent

theCityShouldBeDifferent.com

a move to Unite theChurchatLakeCharles.us

and Transform the city

through Building Capacity for Engagement

So That John 17:20-23 can happen here, now.

OK, that sounds good, but what does that mean? So here is an Example: We have this enormous industrial expansion headed to SWLA, bringing 25,000+ new construction jobs. There are lots of, say, young men in our area who are not meaningfully participating in the workforce, but who could certainly fulfill the unskilled helper jobs that will be a small portion of this large construction workforce needed. What they need to be ready for these jobs is some hope. We, church, are charter members in the hope trade. So, via relational engagement, we let the young men borrow some hope from us, inspiring some to begin working on improving their character and soft skills, getting ready for this meaningful work opportunity.

There are a bunch of kickers in this real-life scenario.

1.) The industrial construction helpers can make $15 an hour, and typically have lots of overtime. This scenario really stomps on the gas pedal in this way: a new entrant into the workforce in this situation can save enough to buy a reliable car in 1-2 months! That is hope building; dignity establishing!

2.) If we are going to see a thousand young men (that's my vision) pass through this opportunity, we will need a whole-bunch of support systems, meaning mentors, encouragers, soft-skills instructors, rides to work and more.

3.) When we engage with our real-life neighbors, in real-life serving, everyone's character, everyone's faith in Jesus gets a real shot at growing! It's what you call, Discipleship.

4.) When a young man gets a job that can pay $40k a year, they have real options! They can get more education and training. They can inspire those around them to follow them. They can be inspired by those who invested in their life for free and set them up for this situation, and they can help the next group of young men who aren't working get on board.

5.) When people from all corners of the city who are a part of the Jesus story get engaged together on a real-life mission worth doing, one that doesn't benefit any of the men or their churches directly, but the benefits are so powerful and real, then we get to build trust, relationships and capacity and see that Jesus unites and trumps race or class. We get new respect for each other and our capacity to do go and be real brothers is greater than we could have foreseen

...

Are you getting a little glimpse at the picture?

The people who follow Jesus are carrier's of the Hope of the World. We, in the Lake Charles area, have a beautiful opportunity to engage with our community, building relationships and helping lots of people see who Jesus is more clearly.

There is lots more to say, so stay tuned and, if you are intrigued, lean your voice into the mix. Contact Paul Pettefer at 337-794-9891, paul@employmentisbetter.com, @paulpettefer, or stop by the InterGalactic Offices of theCityShouldBeDifferent.com located inside Laundry World, 2712 Lake St, Lake Charles.