Saturday, March 23, 2013

Love Is Alive in Lake Charles: Good Friday at Sunlight Manor - When the Good News of Jesus intersects the bad news of culture failure

GOOD FRIDAY UPDATE:  Today was GREAT!  We are so proud of theChurchAtLakeCharles, with over 20 churches and business collaborating to host a day of joy for children, remembrance and compassion for the families who lost 3 sons last week, and a day of life-on engagement where caring adults spent time with young people.  THANK YOU to those who contributed to the effort with your time and resources.

If you are interested in being a Mentor, or are looking for a Mentor, we will be posting some specific phone numbers of the 1st New Life Baptist Church's mentoring group shortly.  Until then, you can call/text/email Paul Pettefer, 337-794-9891, paul@theCityChurch.us and we will get you connected to them.

Because #JesusIsAlive, then from #Goosport2Graywood #theCityShouldBeDifferent




Where tragedy and destruction had their moment, the people who follow Jesus want to have something beautiful rise up out of the ashes, like young men and boys developing mentoring relationships. So on Good Friday, March 29, 2013, at the site of the 3 murders just two days ago, a group of ministers and friends will be hosting #GoodFridayntheLC. Be there and begin your lifestyle of engagement.

The primary actionable goal at the end of this day is to connect boys and young men who come with Jesus-following mentors.

From Goosport to Graywood, theCityShouldBeDifferent

If you want in, just contact us, paul @ 794-9891, paul@thecitychurch.us

Why we should be doing this (recorded 2 days before the Sunlight Manor killings):



Flyer for Good Friday at Sunlight Manor (feel free to share!):



News and Images on the 3 killings:
The night of the 3 killings, March 20, 2013, Sunlight Manor

Suspect is arrested.  How tragic for the victims, and for him.

The families all grieve. Such horrible loss. We pray for them.
And we take steps to bring God's love to the city.
The 3 photo's above are from KPLCTV.com

Stories from AmericanPress.com
http://www.americanpress.com/Three-dead-in-shooting-at-McMillian-Park
http://www.americanpress.com/Car-linked-to-fatal-shootings-found


Here are the stories from KPLCTV.com:
http://www.kplctv.com/story/21752781/shooting-investigation-possible-homicide
http://www.kplctv.com/story/21762266/residents-gather-at-mcmillan-park-to-grieve-encourage
http://www.kplctv.com/category/240197/new-video-landing-page?clipId=8680608&autostart=true
http://www.kplctv.com/story/21769483/authorities-release-details-in-arrest-of-triple-homicide-suspect
http://www.kplctv.com/story/21773194/lcp
http://www.kplctv.com/story/21760106/triple-homicide

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Engagement lifestyle: the city needs us

The more I live in Lake Charles, the more I open myself up to new opportunities, being around people who are like me and people who are not like me, the bigger God swells my heart.  And the more excitement and burden I feel about connecting the people in our city, starting with the church. The kind of connecting I'm talking about can start in all kinds of ways, but funnels into this truth: If you and I live in the same city/parish, then we are neighbors, and we belong to each other.

The family is getting weaker and weaker, and that is leading our culture into a terrible spiral of self-destruction. Government can't fix it. There isn't enough money in Ft. Knox to pay for what the lack of a healthy family costs. 

But God...

But God can and will use the people who follow Jesus to bring the values of His Kingdom to bear here. 

The city need us, theChurchAtLakeCharles.us is what I'm talking about here, to engage and transform the culture. One child, one loving act, one sacrifice, one new friendship where suspicion used to reign at a time.

Because God's love is alive...theCityShouldBeDifferent