Gathering at Stellar Beans Tomorrow (been a cool 3 weeks!)

In the last 3 weeks we have been doing some interesting stuff:

• Supporting Kids in Schools
• We helped put on the Field Day at JFK Elementary by volunteering and bringing the prizes.  
• We also brought some new P.E. equipment and benches needed at the school.
• Participated in classroom mentoring at JFK during the year, and the American Press wrote a great article, which you can find here, 
• We participated in the Graduation of the 5th graders there.  25 5th graders at JFK and ALL of them passed the LEAP!  11 of the class scored as Advanced or Mastery - WOW!  We will be participating Shadowing a Professional with these kids and others this summer.  
• 2 weeks ago, we held our Worship Gathering at the Civic Center Seawall, at the Marina and had a great boat party afterward.  We were able to take kids in the boat and tubing who had never been in a boat before.  We got to meet and worship Jesus with people we met at the Civic Center.  We prayed over our city, while we were at one of the keystone places.  
• Last weekend we had:
• Mancamp at Toledo Bend - way cool!  We fished, swam, threw ax's, cooked meat over fire, went tubing behind the boat, watched Saving Private Ryan, and worshiped Jesus around a fire...what else can you say!
• Ladychurch at ShaSha's - Jesus' people can meet anywhere.  We think that theCityChurch should be different, too!  
• We moved our Freedom Display to the Water's Edge Gatering's Community Theater for the 5K Run for Freedom today to support International Justice Mission - very cool!  Ben Spenser was in charge of creating the interactive experience to tell the story about the enslaved, and we were so glad to support that effort!

Tomorrow we gather at Stellar Beans again, after a couple of weeks doing other things.  I can't wait to see you at 10:45 tomorrow.  We're starting a new series, and it will be very interesting!

We're planting a church because we want God's love to make our city different.

Paul

Mentor Paul Pettefer congratulates Ja’marlin LaFleur on winning a “PBIS award.” LaFleur was given the award when a teacher caught him doing something nice for someone else. (Michelle Higginbotham / Special the American Press)

Girl Church Is Gonna Be Fun!

Today's post is written by April.

I wanted all the City Church ladies to know about our "girl church" plans for tomorrow and also why we're doing something different this Sunday. Tomorrow we will meet at Sha-Sha's downtown at 11:30 to share a meal and some Jesus conversation. We won't be gathering like we usually do, but there is a reason for that.

I want us to be able to spend some time learning about how Jesus is working in each other's lives and encouraging one another.  I think it will be easier to do that over a shared meal - and it's Biblical. Jesus taught His disciples over meals several times. And I think we'll have a better conversation over lunch. (No one will feel like she's in the spotlight this way!)

Let's spend some time talking about things we are thankful for, things God is teaching us (even those things we feel we're taking a long time to learn!), and those places in our lives where we need some prayer and encouragement. 

I hope to see all our ladies there! And, if finances are an issue, let me know, and The City Church can pick up your tab.

theCityChurch@theSeawall - Lords Supper, Baptism, and to be a church For the City (followed by huge fun tubing!)

These two are raising hands of Freedom in Jesus.  You can see the tank we baptized them moments ago at the bottom of the picture.  #FreedomIsHere

theCityChurch met to worship Jesus at the Civic Center Seawall yesterday, at Bor du lac Marina.  It was warm (some said hot, lol), but so beautiful!  We had people stop in and join us who were walking at the seawall.  

In taking the Lord's Supper, we remembered Jesus, broken and slain for our freedom, and raised back to Life to demonstrate God's victory over our weakness! 

We celebrated people deciding to follow Jesus, marking their lives as connected to his by being baptized!  

And we challenged one another to be a church For The City - a church that partners with many others to be a movement of Jesus' church that brings God's Kingdom in a more real, more tangible way to our whole community.  

We want the city and community leaders in government, education and non-profits to say, "If the churches here stopped their work in raising up families, healing brokenness in people, families and in the community; if the churches here stopped caring for the poor, if the churches here stopped showing us what humility and reconciliation were like (in actions, not just words), our city would be in terrible shape, and we would beg them to come back and reengage!"  

We believe Jesus' prayer in John 17:20-23 can happen in our city in our day.  

We exist so see the city different.

The baptizers and baptizees

the way we know it's working is if we are making disciples who are making disciples who are making disciples.  Here is Pattie baptizing Sabrina.  That's awesome!

Buried like Christ...Raised to walk a new kind of life!

Then the party continued, as we ate jambalaya and spent the afternoon boat riding and tubing!

the
   city
      should
         be
            different

Worship Gathering & Baptism at Civic Center Today

 At theCityChurch, we like to shake things up sometimes.  It's in our very motto, theCityShouldBeDifferent.  

So, today our Worship Gathering will be at Bor du lac Marina on the seawall of the Lake Charles Civic Center.  The Marina is right across from the new Millennium Park.  There is a small shade-break there, and we'll bring a little more shade, the band, and a cool trough to baptize some new Jesus-followers on the dock.  

Our gathering will continue into the afternoon with a Jambalaya lunch and a water party: we're bringing our boats to go boat riding and tubing!

A church of Jesus followers:

• For God
• For You
• For the City

See you there,

paul

Faith...acts, even in small ways

I bought a boat today.  Then I went to Wal-Mart to get some life jackets and a paddle so we would be all legal on the inaugural boat ride with the girlies!  There I bumped into two of our awesome young Jesus following leaders at theCityChurch.  After a great convo (and prayer) in the marine section of Wal-Mart, I went to the check out.

The boat cushion I was buying didn't have a bar code on it.  So the cashier called for the manager to go check the price.  He took some time.  So I struck up a conversation with young woman helping me. She seems really cool.  She's been married a year - I congratulated her.  As our time wrapped up, I handed her one of these little tickets shown above and below, and told her she was invited...

When I got home, it was too late for a boat ride.  So, we watched an I Love Lucy episode, then during that

I got a phone call, from a number I didn't have in my phone.  These calls can sometimes be people with problems...so my voice wasn't so super happy.  I didn't recognize the voice, and there was a moment of tension...I thought it was a lady I turned down for a job, actually.

Then she told me she was the lady I just gave the card to.  And she was so happy I did.  She was inspired by the faith I displayed in handing her that card.

Wow.

I don't give these cards out to strangers very often.  But sometimes I follow the little prompting, and go, Yeah!

I pray she and her husband have a great night.  Congratulations on One Year Married!

What, maybe small, acts of walking out your faith is God prompting you to take today?

It's how the city gets different!

Love, paul

p.s. I'm so serious - i want to hear your story!

Jesus' Brand is Freedom

UPDATE: KPLCTV ran a story on us here.  
And the American Press ran it on Friday on the top of Page 1 - we are so Grateful To Both!  The new about Freedom is so compelling - we come with the longing for it hard-wired  from God!


We issued this Press Release Yesterday - Thank you to the media outlets that tell the story of those who have no voice!

The Freedom Film showing is Today at Sowela, 1:30.  I'm praying that people see Jesus for who he really is.

PRESS RELEASE from theCityChurch, Lake Charles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, April 24, 2012 

New Local Church Joins Mission to End Modern Slavery

After hearing that are 27 million people enslaved around the world, a shocking story, a new local church in Lake Charles, theCityChurch, decided to take action and constructed an 8 foot wide Freedom Display to tell the story of the enslaved.  theCityChurch’s leader, Paul Pettefer, says, “One of the things theCityChurch does is stand up for people who have no voice, the very least of these.  There are 27 Million people enslaved around the world today, more than at any time in human history.  From forced labor in an Indian rice mill to young women lured across national borders and forced into prostitution, modern slavery is an injustice that must end, now!  We are joining in the movement to abolishing slavery in our generation, because people should never be for sale!” 

Last week the display was set up at the New Ranch at McNeese and ended the week with a unifying multi-church gathering for students on Thursday night to champion the cause of Freedom.  For more information on the multi-church gathering visit www.theCityShouldBeDifferent.com, and look for the April 9^th post titled “Dreams Realized.” Video and pictures are also on their Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/theCityChurch.
Last week the display was set up at the New Ranch at McNeese and ended the week with a unifying multi-church gathering for students on Thursday night to champion the cause of Freedom.  For more information on the multi-church gathering visit www.theCityShouldBeDifferent.com, and look for the April 9^th post titled “Dreams Realized.” Video and pictures are also on their Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/theCityChurch.Paul continued, “We picked the motto, ‘The City Should Be Different’ because we want the measure of our success to be, ‘Is our city better off because we are here?’”    There are additional pictures and video on the church’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/theCityChurch.

Freedom is a compelling message that crosses many boundaries, and the Freedom Display carries this message with a “Freedom” graffiti image across its rusted tin back.  The front of the display shows a faux jail-cell.  Inside and around the display are signs telling of the reality of modern-day slavery, cutouts of people representing slaves, and small displays of products that have slave labor in the supply chain (beans, bricks, chocolate, coffee, electronics, etc.).  

This week the Freedom Display is up at Sowela, behind the Electro-Mechanical Building, with smaller displays around the campus.  There will be a screening of theFreedom Film Thursday at 1:30 in the campus library for students who are interested.  The Freedom Film is a 30 minute documentary of three individuals who were trafficked and held as human slaves, and how people who took the risk to care and get engaged brought Freedom to these three precious lives.

theCityChurch is encouraging people to start their exploration and response to this human disaster at www.72daysforfreedom.com.  This site contains TheFreedom Film, a response guide to the film, and a host of links and other resources.  People can get informed and then, most importantly, get engaged by learning, giving, hosting the Freedom Film, praying, and more.  The 72 Days website is hosted by a national group, Passion Conferences, www.268generation.com/passion2013/freedom/.)

theCityChurch also created a Freedom T-Shirt, and is giving them away to the first 100 people who donate $15 at www.72DaysForFreedom.com.  The donation does not pay for the shirt. The church is giving the shirt as a tangible expression of their gratitude for those who engage in this cause.  People can donate at the church’s weekly gathering at Stellar Beans Coffee, 319 Broad St, 10:45 on Sunday mornings or contact the church and bring a phone with the email receipt to receive a shirt. 

theCityChurch is willing to bring the display and Freedom Film to other sites to tell the story of the 27 million whose voices are kept in hopeless silence by their captors.  Paul Pettefer, Church Planter, says, “We would love to bring the Freedom Display and the message of freedom anywhere people want us.  Just let us know – we’ll be there!” 

Paul Pettefer, Church Planter at theCityChurch, said, “We believe that people should never be for sale!  Jesus said that those who follow Him should love each other and should love the very least of these just like we love Jesus.”

Paul also notes, “We want to model a lifestyle of personal involvement that spans from global to local - with worldwide issues such as 72DaysforFreedom.com or child sponsorship through Compassion International (www.Compassion.com) as well as engagement right here in our city, where we participate in activities such as supporting children at local schools, tutoring kids at www.HomeworkNight.com, connecting people and churches in our city, and other feet-on-the-ground actions.”

The website for theCityChurch is www.theCityShouldBeDifferent.com. 

theCityChurch would love for you to have news coverage of the Freedom Display and tell the story of 72DaysForFreedom.  Please call/text Paul Pettefer anytime I can be of service, 794-9891, or paul@thecitychurch.us.  We are more than happy to be interviewed or provide additional pictures or video

.

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.

Good Friday...1st Anniversary of Paul's Dad's Body Death

My daddy, Clay Pettefer died last year on Good Friday. Earlier that day, I recorded this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD8LuCHVYc8, about how sometimes the worst day of your life turns out to be the best day. That night, my awesome dad died (His life in pictures, with narration, the testimony of his faith by Miles Mitchem, and my short talk about my Dad are on www.ClayPettefer.com).

When it's Friday (the day Jesus was executed for everyone else's crimes), we can't quit...you have to look for the Resurrection that's coming! I'm serious, DON'T QUIT! Look to Jesus, even when the bodies are dead and in the ground!

This is why the Non-Religious Easter matters...Jesus is no longer dead, he rose from the dead - Easter!

Hang out with theCityChurch Easter Morning at Stellar Beans Coffee, Downtown, 319 Broad St., 10:45 am.

#NonReligiousEaster

P.S. The Non-religious Easter was great!  We'll post our video of the talk soon.  The entire gathering is recorded on http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/21690061 (the first song is very quiet - we turned the mic up after that!)

Easter is not religious

 Easter is still here because...

Well, let's say it like this: It's not religious.  Easter is not about ceremony, and a series of activities that people normally associate with religion, such as worship services, and the big supper with the family.

Easter is because Jesus' followers said they saw Him, alive...AFTER He was crucified.  And they saw the crucification.

Jesus' movement didn't have any power on the earth.  His followers were few, poor and not in any position of power, not religious, political, military, or cultural power.

Yet the movement Jesus started took off and in 300 years, essentially conquered the Roman Empire without firing a shot or swinging a sword.

Why?

Because on Easter, Jesus' followers claimed to have seen something unbelievable...

If you don't have a church you are regularly involved with, please come and check out the Non-Religious Easter with theCityChurch, Easter Sunday, 10:45 am, Stellar Beans Coffee, 319 Broad St.

Love,

Paul Pettefer

Church Planter

call/text 794-9891

YOU are the Movement...Jesus started, then gave to us

We really believe that if the church is going to fulfill the mission God gave us, that the church, the whole church, has to engage and realize that YOU are the Movement!

It's not the person on the stage, leading the church gatherings that does the ministry of the church.  

You read that right.  

Don't believe me?  Let's see what the Apostle Paul said, 

¹¹ Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. ¹² Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-12, New Living Translation 

There are leaders that God gives to the church, a gift Paul calls it, and their jobs are to equip the people of God to do His work, or the ministry!  

To be sure, the leaders God gave to the church, Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers - they are legit and needed and do ministry!  Many people who are frustrated at church and are bitter (or on the road to bitter) are in that condition because they didn't want to follow these leaders God gave to the church.  Or when there was a difference of opinion, something other than love and unity came from their heart toward the leaders.  So, I'm totally affirming the roles of leadership in the Church!

Here's the deal: if you follow Jesus, then the movement Jesus left in our hands belongs to YOU!  It's not just "up there at the church."  It's not just "pastor will take care of that."  It's You, and Me, and the Pastor. We all have a part.  We all have times we are leading, and time we are willing followers! 

You, Jesus-follower...You are the Movement!

At our church, we are having all the people who have been following Jesus for a little while and who are willing stand in front and share their story and teach from the Bible to our church.  We can do this more easily than some churches because we don't have a huge group.  But the point is the same either way.  

Today, Diana Castelberry is leading us through James 4 - and I'm so pumped.  

And Tara Coleman will share on what it means to be a willing follower of Jesus!  And how much more energizing it is to lead when you have a willing follower.  

If you have transferred your trust to Jesus, then you are a part of His Church...You are the Movement!  

paul