Nomad - Now's Our Chance!

Well, I just had a great conversation with Deena, one of our ladies at Nomad in the park. She has been following Jesus this summer, and has been very intentional about reaching out to others. Deena has a sensitive heart full of compassion, and she wants more and more people to know about Jesus and to grow as she has grown.

But Deena may not be able to go to Nomad if we continue to meet at night in the Park. It's simply getting too cold for her. She has some physical challenges and she's not the only one facing such challenges.

It was really cool speaking with her because she seemed very aware that her so-called 'weakness' might be a huge opportunity for us and for the Kingdom of God. So here is Deena's heart: we need Nomad to meet someplace where we can stay together and perhaps become a part of a new community. She is hoping we stay near the park because that's where she is and that's where her circle of influence is. Perhaps we can do both: stay in the park and move to a new location, essentially starting to go with two groups. ???

You guys know my heart: Nomad is being prodded by God right now...to go. I don't know what it is going to look like, but I have a sense God is directing us to a new group of people.

So what do you think? Please post your comments. This mission is important, guys. People need to know God loves them, and Jesus offers forgiveness and freedom! Jesus offers friendship and hope and true, pure, eternal life!

Where is God leading us?

Nomad is ON tonight at Westchester Park: start around 6pm, get in the word arond 7pm. Can't wait to see you there! Please bring something to share together for our meal!

Peace,

John

Answered Prayers

Hey, I hope you all have had a week full of the presence of God. Right now as I type this I am simply exhausted, but it is a great feeling. God has done some incredible things this week - transforming lives, drawing two churches together, a spiritual break through in the life of my LTG partner, and some big things at home, too. Sydney can now moo like a cow, play the chase game - Spooky dad says, "I'm going to get you..." and laughy daughter says, "Yahhhh!" as she runs to her lady bug tent.

Tomorrow is the big Organic Church Seminar in downtown Los Angeles. Tonight, I've got a lot to share with my church. I cannot wait for Nomad, and honestly I don't see how I'll get done all that I need to get done between this moment and tonight. But, yo, I got this email out, and I hope to see ALL of you there Friday night (tonight) at 6 pm.

Westchester Park, on the corner of Lincoln and Manchester, north of where the Farmer's Market operates, south of the pool. We'll meet at 6 pm, share the word at 7 pm, and - exhale - I cannot wait.

Peace to you all! Big Mark update tonight!!!

Detox

Church family, one of our brother's took a major step today and checked himself into detox. I just got back from dropping him off, and he called me twenty minutes ago to tell me "I'm in." I asked if I could tell ya'll, and he said, "Of course." So I told him we'd be praying.

So tonight at Nomad let's pray. Okay?

6 pm at Westchester Park. 7ish we'll pray. Remember, I asked three questions last week:

1) Why are you with Nomad?
2) What do you want Nomad to do for Jesus?
3) What is an area in your life you need help with spiritually?

One reason our brother checked himself in was, he said, walking with Jesus has taught him that staying in the same place is unacceptable. God has saved our lives, given us life, and he doesn't want to take what God has given him just to throw it away.

We all need to detox at times when our willingness to ignore God's voice overwhelms our lives to the point when the only voice we really heed is our own. Let's get together tonight and encourage one another, and we will pray for detox!

Love you guys. John

First Poll Question Ever - Show Me Love!

Nomad is at Westchester Park this week, and we are eating from around 6-7, and God will take care of everything after. If you want to bring an instrument to play, bring one! Please bring some food to share. Please come! Can't wait!

Westchester Park is on the corner of Lincoln and Manchester in Los Angeles. We are on the west side (the Lincoln side) near the picnic tables. I'll have the grill there, so bring something you want to grill.

Okay, now, I really need you to do me a favor.... Below are some questions. Please answer one!

August is gone, and September is here, and I cannot believe the summer is basically over. As we prepare to re-engage, what are some good things we can do to help with the heat?

School is back for me (John): I'm teaching at Loyola and West LA and the energy is back up (as I am...in the morning...cause of the 5:30 alarm....yeah.).

Speaking of teaching, last week Nomad helped an educational program for community kids as well as children living in a local shelter. I've been doing educational programs for children for ten years, and that includes serving underpriveledged children, too. This week was an awesome week: the leaders were amazing, the crafts were just incredible - they created a galaxy in a room at the church building - and the children were super responsive, not just to the crafts and games and songs but also to the message. The message is this: that God created the universe, the universe is beautiful, God created these children, they are beautiful...and they can be in a relationship with God.

One night I was sharing about how God loves them like a dad, and he sent his only son to earth to live among us so we could all be his kids, too. There were tears in the eyes of the homeless children, the ones in difficult living situations, and the ones in safe living situations, too. There were some leaders responding, in fact!

So here's my question: so when you have kids with different needs, should you keep them together? Or do you think kids should be grouped and taught according to their needs - effectively separating them? I mean we do it with age groups?

Some of you know there is a reason I'm asking this. I want to get your feedback for a variety of reasons....partly to see just what people think about this issue.

I see parallel questions in the church. Many conventional churches separate families in order to minister to them. The kids go here, the married parents go there, and the single mom's go over there; and the older parents go to the boomer class. Is this an effective structure to minister to people? Are there advantages to keeping people together?

Comments are welcome and wanted! Post, post, post...even if it's just about the heat!