LOVE LA Cornerstone South LA

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1 LOVE LA 2013 Cornerstone South LA

2 Welcome to South Los Angeles! We are so thankful that God has led you to love LA with us for a week this summer. Thank you for taking time away from your responsibilities in your community to partner with us in ours. We have been here for only a few months beginning the preparations for the launch of the church plant later in Your involvement in the ministry this summer will significantly help us lay the groundwork for our church plant. The ministry training that your team will receive this week is based upon biblical principles from Cornerstone pastors. We trust that it will be useful for your ministry as well. Our mission here in South LA is simple. We are seeking to give our community an accurate picture of Jesus Christ. As we love God and people, we believe that God displays Himself through us (1 John 4:7-12). We want people to see something supernatural in our lives Jesus Christ. We hope that you will be able to take what you have learned here, to make an impact in your community as well. Your partners in ministry, Andraé Robinson Pastor/Elder Matt Moore Pastor/Elder 2

3 Cornerstone South LA Cornerstone Mission Statement To give every individual an accurate picture of Jesus Christ! Cornerstone Values Love God - We seek to love and enjoy being loved by God. We speak (pray) to our Father expressing our dependence upon Him - Luke 11:1-13 We meditate on His Word to know Him and to understand life - Psalm 1 We strive to abide moment by moment with God - John 15:1-8 We give our entire lives to God's purpose - Mark 8:34-38 Love People - We seek to demonstrate God's love to others. We strive to love beyond our capacity - John 13:34-35 We act with compassion toward those who are broken and hurting - Luke 10:25-37 We fight for justice for the powerless and defenseless - Micah 6:8; James 1:27 We live sacrificially, and yet generously, with our time and resources towards others - 1 John 3:16-18 We seek relational and racial reconciliation - Eph. 2:11-22 Your Mission in South Los Angeles Love Just as we are seeking to love, we want your team s main goal to be to love. Too often people go on short-term trips wanting to see radical change in just one week. We believe that this can happen but we also know forcing this to take place can be very damaging to relationships in the neighborhood. If your team s main objective is to love, you will surely not be disappointed and our community will be so richly blessed. Kid s Camp You will be helping us lead a Kid s Camp (VBS) for children (K-5 th ) in our community. This will include running games, organizing crafts, planning skits, and preparing story times. You will be receiving a packet of information outlining your responsibilities by April 1 st. 3

4 Our Story Eleven adults and nine kids - Here is the story of how God brought us together to plant a church in South L.A. Andraé and Luna Robinson moved to Jacksonville Florida four years ago where he served as the Executive Director for 2nd Mile Ministries (in no way related to the "Second Mile" of Penn State). A few years in, he was shot by a young man who he was attempting to help. After over a dozen surgeries, he is still left with severe nerve damage. As a result of the pain, he was needing to relocate to a more stable climate. Matt and Sarah Moore moved to Simi Valley nearly nine years ago for Matt to serve on staff at Cornerstone Community Church. They came to Cornerstone to be trained and then be sent out to plant a church. In the summer of 2011, they began praying about where God would have them plant. They had no idea that God had in mind a location in their own backyard. Upon returning from a church planting conference (CCDA) in Indianapolis last October, Matt was encouraged to contact Andraé to inquire about what ministry was like in the inner city. A random phone call turned into a divine appointment. They both learned that God was stirring their hearts towards South Los Angeles. As they talked, they realized that God was making it crystal clear that He intended for the two of them to partner together to plant a church in the heart of LA. Once the decision was made to plant in South LA, God began forming an incredible team. Susan Andersen, a long time friend of Sarah, decided to jump on board. God then stirred up Josh and Melody Grauman's hearts to participate with the team in the gospel work in South LA. During this same time, God moved Jeff and Shannon Henson to join the team. Both the Graumans and the Hensons have a huge heart for foster care. After a few months of gathering as a team, the Lord lead Kimberly Arnoff and Katee Clay to jump on board with the church planting team. Kimberly works at the Community Pregnancy Clinic and Katee is a professional photographer. 4

5 Our Community Like any community, there are many neighbors who are waiting to experience the love and hope found in Jesus Christ. Many incredible mothers are seeking to raise their children without a father figure. Innumerable teenage girls are looking for significance in men, resulting in pregnancies that lead to abortion. Other women find themselves trapped in prostitution in the sex trade industry. Many teenage boys are looking to gangs for a sense of belonging, rather than to the church. Many are shocked to discover that in South Central L.A.: Within a 20-mile radius, there are 35 Planned Parenthood facilities but only one Pregnancy Center. In the last six months, residents have seen 193 violent crimes and 483 property crimes. Gang violence, human trafficking, and issues of poverty and injustice are all too common. 38,850 people live in the 2.88 square miles of our targeted ministry area. The average household income is $38,460 and only 12% of those age 25 and older have a four-year degree. 5

6 Pre-Trip Details Dates The Kid s Camp will run for 4 consecutive weeks this summer. There will be one or two teams running each week of camp. We are currently accepting teams for one of the following weeks. June 9-15 June June June 30-July 6 Please contact Andraé Robinson (arobsinson@cornerstonesouthla.com or ) for current availability. Cost The cost is $350/person. This includes meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), lodging and ministry expenses for the week of Kid s Camp. Please keep in mind that this does not cover transportation during your stay in Los Angeles. Each person will also need extra spending money for snacks and souvenirs. The amount needed will depend upon the individual s spending habits. There will be no major expenditures during the week unless, your group makes plans outside of our normal activities. Registration Team Registration A $350 registration fee is required for each team to reserve your week for Kid s Camp. This fee is non-refundable but may be applied to the cost of an individual on your team. We cannot guarantee your reservation until the deposit is received. The balance due of $350/person is due 21 days before you arrive. or Individual Registration If you are not a part of a team but would like to serve one of the weeks, a $75/person registration fee is due as soon as possible. This fee is non-refundable. The balance due of $275 is due 21 days before you arrive. Payment Instructions Please send one payment for the entire group before each deadline. There are two payment options: Check Please mail a check payable to Cornerstone South LA to P.O. Box Los Angeles, CA Online You can also make a payment for your team on our donation website. Cancellation Policy Since Cornerstone Church of South LA is run entirely on donations, we cannot afford to absorb any additional costs that may result from this project. If individuals cancel after their registrations are made, those deposits will not be refunded but they are transferable to a new participant from your church who is not already registered. This insures that we will be able to plan and pay for activity costs. 6

7 Trip Details What to Pack Bring comfortable work and/or play clothes for six days. The average daytime temperature is degrees; the average nighttime temperature is degrees. Bring two pairs of shoes and plenty of socks, in addition to flip-flops. Short shorts, revealing tops and inappropriate t-shirt messages are not allowed. You need to pack your own towels, sleeping bag, pillow, etc. In addition, you will need your own toiletries, battery chargers, medications etc. We do have washers and dryers to wash t-shirts for the teams at night. Bring your Bible and a journal! Arrival time Please arrive at the Ministry House ( th Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90043) by 1:30 pm on Sunday. Orientation begins promptly at 2 pm. Tentative Schedule Here is the tentative schedule for the week. Please keep in mind that ministry in the inner city is very flexible. Please prepare your team to be ready to adapt and bend. Sunday Arrival and Preparation Day 2pm Orientation 3pm Team Preparations for Kid s Camp 6pm Dinner 7pm Prayer for Kid s Camp Monday - Friday Kid s Camp 7:00am Breakfast 8am Devotions 9am Chapel 10am Free Time 11am Kid s Camp Set Up 12pm Sack Lunch 1-6pm Kid s Camp 6:30pm Dinner and Free Time Saturday Departure or Play Day in LA 7

8 Pre-Trip Preparation Spiritual Preparation Here are some things we highly encourage your team to do before arriving here in South Los Angeles. Please take these recommendations seriously in order to be spiritually prepared for the week of ministry. Pray It is not just a good idea to pray, but absolutely necessary! Over the last several months, we have watched God open up doors that we never imagined possible (Eph. 3:20-21). Please spend time asking God, in faith, to prepare your team to love beyond their capacity like Jesus Christ. Ask God to reveal areas of your life that need to be refined. Ask God to open your eyes and heart to His heart for inner city ministry. We would also encourage each of your team members to recruit one person who will partner with them in prayer for this trip. Read During your time here in South Los Angeles, we look forward to sharing our experience with you. However, we would like you to read some material from some people who have helped us understand ministry in this context. o Book When Helping Hurts by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett o Article The Gospel and the Poor by Tim Keller Team Building Spend time together with your team building relationships and unity. Consider praying for one another often and taking the Lord s Supper together. Watch Anytime you seek to do kingdom work, the enemy will seek to discourage you. Prepare your team with a watchful attitude against the enemies attacks (Eph. 6:10-18). Kid s Camp Preparation We will be sending you a packet of information by April 1 st so that your team can begin to prepare for the week of Kid s Camp. The packet will include a tentative schedule for each day of camp and suggested activities. We expect your team to come prepared to lead the week of Kid s Camp, but also to be flexible to potential changes. 8

9 Training in South Los Angeles Cultural Orientation (Sunday) Once you arrive on Sunday, your team will have a cultural orientation. This will also be a time for your team to ask questions about our specific context. Cultural Competency (Sunday) As you embark on this incredible journey, we want to help you have an understanding of the country you are entering Los Angeles. Although LA is still in the United States, it is like its own country. There are numerous cultures represented here in LA. While you are here, you will experience culture and values that are probably very different from your own. We will spend time together talking through cultural awareness that will help us understand God s values in living kingdom culture in a different culture. Pastor/Elder Andraé Robinson Chapel (Monday Friday) During your week with us, we hope to spur you on, through the Word, to love like Jesus Christ. Each day you will be participating in a chapel service where you will hear from a Cornerstone pastor/elder. Here are some of the topics that will be covered. Love It s that Simple (Matt. 22:37-39) Love! Jesus entered into a religious system that had lost sight of the simplicity of love. The pace of life can distract us from what is most important loving God and people. With these two simple commands, Jesus redefined the religious culture of His day and made spirituality enjoyable and manageable for all people. Pastor/Elder Matt Moore The Power of the Gospel (2 Cor. 12:9-10; Titus 2:11-14) Every Christian has experienced the power of the gospel in salvation. However, many believers do not live moment by moment in the power God provides. The gospel of Jesus Christ trains us to live in His power so that we can say No to our worldly desires and say Yes to His kingdom desires. Our own weaknesses to live for God is the platform for God to perfect His power in us. Pastor/Elder Matt Moore How the Gospel Give us Compassion - Part 1 (Luke 6) In Luke, when Jesus sat His disciples down to teach them what it meant to follow Him, He began by turning their values upside-down and showing them that His kingdom was worth giving up everything for. But Jesus doesn't leave these values as theory. He quickly moves to show how valuing His kingdom will lead us to loving our enemies, even at great cost to ourselves. Pastor/Elder Josh Grauman How the Gospel Gives us Compassion - Part II (Luke 10, 18) As Jesus continued teaching His disciples, He was constantly battling the selfrighteousness of the Pharisees. Jesus taught that a true love for others must start with a humble view of ourselves. In this lesson, we will look at two of Jesus' parables directed towards the Pharisees (the Good Samaritan and the repentant prayer) to see how a true understanding of the gospel will lead us toward compassionate action towards others. Pastor/Elder Josh Grauman 9