What we believe
August 2016 What is in this edition of our newsletter? - What we believe - Andrea’s perspective - Some highlights of what we have been up to since June - Our physical location (with photos) - Live 180 Mailing address - How to pray for us We Believe
God wants all of us to live 180 degrees, that is, turning our eyes off ourselves and fixing them on Jesus and others. There are a large number of people in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley who are uneasy about walking through the doors of a church. There are others who are looking for a place without labels and a lot of love to grow in their faith walk. That these people are longing for the following things: - a safe place to meet one-on-one and in groups to talk honestly about God. - a relationship with God. - a place to use their gifts to serve God and others. That Holy Spirit will lead each of us closer to Him and to His church.
Insights from Andrea The last six months have been an interesting study in what it feels like to be the new person in the room. It started with Toastmasters (a place to improve public speaking). They have a whole series of rites and rituals that are intimidating and confusing, until you catch on to the lingo and the flow of the meetings. But it didn’t stop there, I’ve been to Catholic Mass, a Charismatic Catholic Prayer meeting, a predominately Latino church and a predominately African-American church; been to Pentecostal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Evangelical Free church, and more. If I hadn’t grown up in a relatively healthy church with a family that lives their faith intentionally, I’m pretty sure, it would be difficult to get me through the doors of a church today. It doesn’t matter what kind of organized group you are walking into, getting through the doors is often awkward and intimidating. It is especially hard when you believe or can see that you don’t fit the
profile of the people in attendance, or when you feel like a pawn being manipulated to fill the seats so someone could fill a real or imagined numbers quota. Can there be an intermediary step? To finish my Doctoral Studies in Practical Ministry, I went to the classes, read the books and did the practicum from a Church insider perspective. Now, I want to answer the questions that have been burning in me: How do we provide a safe place for adults to ask those questions that the average church kid asks in Sunday School and Youth Group? How do we reach those who struggle with fitting into a traditional church setting while not detracting from already established Churches? How do you do this without a “come to my church” agenda? Instead, supporting individuals while they make their own choices about what church environment will best suit their long-term growth. We believe God wants to provide some of the answers to these questions through Live 180. Do we know exactly what this will look like? NO! However, what we do know, is that we have a burning passion to see people grasp the deep love of God, a lot of training/schooling, and years of experience answering questions about faith. Even though we can see how God has prepared us, this is still huge leap of faith. It requires new levels of intimacy and an exponentially increased faith in God’s leading every step of the way while trusting that He will provide for our basic needs as we take this journey with Him. It is scary, awesome and a totally cool answer to our youthful prayers that we would never become complacent older people. It is also an answer to our desperate pleas that all of our crazy life experiences would converge into something that could glorify God and bring more people into His Kingdom. We believe we are tipping over the precipice of these prayers. So how can you be involved? First and foremost, we need your prayers. Anybody who knows me, knows how much I believe that prayer changes things. Prayer gets us into alignment with what God is doing instead of trying to do it under our own thinking and power. Prayer puts the responsibility for outcomes squarely on God’s shoulders to accomplish and we just become His conduits. Second, as of July 22nd, Live 180 is now a licensed 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. After you have tithed to your home church we would love it if you prayed about giving to this ministry. Third, if God nudges you to get physically involved, we encourage you to get in touch with us. We need loving Christians from a variety of churches and walks of life to pour into the lives of the people we are engaging. We can’t do this alone - we need unity in the Body of Christ to make a real difference in this community. As one person so eloquently put it: “I have been praying for a place like this, where I can be authentically me, without the façade, to make other Christians feel better. I can heal here.” In other words, authenticity, a nonjudgmental atmosphere and the willingness to be real with our own issues is critical for the success of this ministry. God’s faithfulness overwhelms me. Things that have been spoken over our lives and the dreams that have been buried in our hearts are becoming reality. God is awesome!
Some highlights of what we have been up to since our June letter? June 15-30 vacation in Seattle with Andrea’s family July Week 1 – Returned from Seattle in a rental truck to clean, catalogue, pack and store a couple hundred items and retail shelving units from Andrea’s mothers closed business that we hope to use in the future when we open a kingdom minded outreach business in downtown Palm Springs. Week 2 – The remodel was completed at Live 180. The AC was installed and we began furnishing the center for my office and meetings. (see pictures below) Week 3 – We completed the office set-up and had 25 people inside for our first Bible Study on Weds the 20th since it was too hot to meet outside at the Farm. Week 4 – We got the official word that Live 180 is now incorporated as a non-profit corporation. Aug Week 1 – We set and advertised our first meeting for Saturday, August 13 th at 4pm. Since 7 of the 12 Steps in recovery include God, two of the people I have been discipling and I felt God leading us to have a meeting where people could have an honest and non-judgmental discussion about discovering God and how to have God in our daily lives. Along with the highlights listed above, we have also been praying with, discipling and encouraging a number of individuals. Next time, I will share a few of those amazing stories. Jesus is doing marvelous things!! Where are we located? 11 La Plaza by the “Farm” restaurant in the historic La Plaza in the heart of downtown Palm Springs
Live 180 Mailing address PO Box 5167 Palm Springs, CA 92263
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How to pray for us That we will be faithful during this time of transition That God would draw the people He is calling to this ministry That Palm Springs would experience a powerful outpouring of God’s transforming love That the new meetings starting in August would bear great fruit That we would be blessed to be a blessing
God wants all of us to live 180 degrees, that is, turning our eyes off ourselves and fixing them on Jesus and others. There are a large number of people in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley who are uneasy about walking through the doors of a church. There are others who are looking for a place without labels and a lot of love to grow in their faith walk. That these people are longing for the following things: - a safe place to meet one-on-one and in groups to talk honestly about God. - a relationship with God. - a place to use their gifts to serve God and others. That Holy Spirit will lead each of us closer to Him and to His church.
Insights from Andrea The last six months have been an interesting study in what it feels like to be the new person in the room. It started with Toastmasters (a place to improve public speaking). They have a whole series of rites and rituals that are intimidating and confusing, until you catch on to the lingo and the flow of the meetings. But it didn’t stop there, I’ve been to Catholic Mass, a Charismatic Catholic Prayer meeting, a predominately Latino church and a predominately African-American church; been to Pentecostal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Evangelical Free church, and more. If I hadn’t grown up in a relatively healthy church with a family that lives their faith intentionally, I’m pretty sure, it would be difficult to get me through the doors of a church today. It doesn’t matter what kind of organized group you are walking into, getting through the doors is often awkward and intimidating. It is especially hard when you believe or can see that you don’t fit the
profile of the people in attendance, or when you feel like a pawn being manipulated to fill the seats so someone could fill a real or imagined numbers quota. Can there be an intermediary step? To finish my Doctoral Studies in Practical Ministry, I went to the classes, read the books and did the practicum from a Church insider perspective. Now, I want to answer the questions that have been burning in me: How do we provide a safe place for adults to ask those questions that the average church kid asks in Sunday School and Youth Group? How do we reach those who struggle with fitting into a traditional church setting while not detracting from already established Churches? How do you do this without a “come to my church” agenda? Instead, supporting individuals while they make their own choices about what church environment will best suit their long-term growth. We believe God wants to provide some of the answers to these questions through Live 180. Do we know exactly what this will look like? NO! However, what we do know, is that we have a burning passion to see people grasp the deep love of God, a lot of training/schooling, and years of experience answering questions about faith. Even though we can see how God has prepared us, this is still huge leap of faith. It requires new levels of intimacy and an exponentially increased faith in God’s leading every step of the way while trusting that He will provide for our basic needs as we take this journey with Him. It is scary, awesome and a totally cool answer to our youthful prayers that we would never become complacent older people. It is also an answer to our desperate pleas that all of our crazy life experiences would converge into something that could glorify God and bring more people into His Kingdom. We believe we are tipping over the precipice of these prayers. So how can you be involved? First and foremost, we need your prayers. Anybody who knows me, knows how much I believe that prayer changes things. Prayer gets us into alignment with what God is doing instead of trying to do it under our own thinking and power. Prayer puts the responsibility for outcomes squarely on God’s shoulders to accomplish and we just become His conduits. Second, as of July 22nd, Live 180 is now a licensed 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. After you have tithed to your home church we would love it if you prayed about giving to this ministry. Third, if God nudges you to get physically involved, we encourage you to get in touch with us. We need loving Christians from a variety of churches and walks of life to pour into the lives of the people we are engaging. We can’t do this alone - we need unity in the Body of Christ to make a real difference in this community. As one person so eloquently put it: “I have been praying for a place like this, where I can be authentically me, without the façade, to make other Christians feel better. I can heal here.” In other words, authenticity, a nonjudgmental atmosphere and the willingness to be real with our own issues is critical for the success of this ministry. God’s faithfulness overwhelms me. Things that have been spoken over our lives and the dreams that have been buried in our hearts are becoming reality. God is awesome!
Some highlights of what we have been up to since our June letter? June 15-30 vacation in Seattle with Andrea’s family July Week 1 – Returned from Seattle in a rental truck to clean, catalogue, pack and store a couple hundred items and retail shelving units from Andrea’s mothers closed business that we hope to use in the future when we open a kingdom minded outreach business in downtown Palm Springs. Week 2 – The remodel was completed at Live 180. The AC was installed and we began furnishing the center for my office and meetings. (see pictures below) Week 3 – We completed the office set-up and had 25 people inside for our first Bible Study on Weds the 20th since it was too hot to meet outside at the Farm. Week 4 – We got the official word that Live 180 is now incorporated as a non-profit corporation. Aug Week 1 – We set and advertised our first meeting for Saturday, August 13 th at 4pm. Since 7 of the 12 Steps in recovery include God, two of the people I have been discipling and I felt God leading us to have a meeting where people could have an honest and non-judgmental discussion about discovering God and how to have God in our daily lives. Along with the highlights listed above, we have also been praying with, discipling and encouraging a number of individuals. Next time, I will share a few of those amazing stories. Jesus is doing marvelous things!! Where are we located? 11 La Plaza by the “Farm” restaurant in the historic La Plaza in the heart of downtown Palm Springs
Live 180 Mailing address PO Box 5167 Palm Springs, CA 92263
-
How to pray for us That we will be faithful during this time of transition That God would draw the people He is calling to this ministry That Palm Springs would experience a powerful outpouring of God’s transforming love That the new meetings starting in August would bear great fruit That we would be blessed to be a blessing
