Evangelism Thrives in the Greater Los Angeles Region
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fter meeting with pastors to discuss church growth, Royal Harrison, Greater Los Angeles Region (GLAR) director, challenged the churches to prioritize evangelism last year—and moving forward. “We’re trying to get back to our first love: evangelism,” Harrison said. “We’ve kind of lost that
as years have gone by. We want our members excited about evangelism again and to see it not just as something we do, but as who we are.” Several churches answered this call last year through outreach programs, speaker series, Bible studies, and more.
the church connect with the community in a deeper way. This year of dedicated outreach led to a weeklong evangelistic crusade in November during which 12 people were baptized, 10 people scheduled baptism, and several others signed up for Bible studies.
PHOTO: DEON CHATMAN
Valley Crossroads holds Power Weekend speaker series
Chatman (left) presents to the congregation the revival series at Normandie Avenue church.
In a world of endless distractions where attention spans continue to get shorter, Valley Crossroads catered to this growing trend by hosting Power Weekends, themed “Falling in Love with Jesus,” in November and December. Guest speakers and musicians were invited from near and far for weekends of powerful preaching and dynamic praise beginning Friday night and concluding Sabbath afternoon. “One of our goals was to train the congregation PHOTO: VALLEY CROSSROADS FACEBOOK PAGE
Normandie Avenue church reaches community through impactful service Last year, Normandie church had I.M.P.A.C.T. Sabbaths once a quarter to reach the community in four areas: Love and Laundry, Parking Lot Prayer, Soap Socks, and Sandwiches, plus the food distribution the church hosts every second and fourth Sabbath. “I believe we have to teach our people how to do evangelism,” said Deon Chatman, senior pastor. “I.M.P.A.C.T. stands for investing in ministry through positive action—acts of kindness.” Chatman understands the importance of a holistic approach. “People are experiencing emotional trauma, are in physical crisis, have broken spirits,” Chatman added. “We’re counseling them through the Word.” Each of these initiatives were a stepping stone to help
48 Pacific Union Recorder
Southern California Conference
Marcus Harris, senior pastor at Dupont Park church in Washington D.C., shares a message at the first Power Weekend, November 4.