Sharing at a Deeper Level
Moises Valentin and Sheldon Hess
On the surface the facility sharing agreement between St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and Ministerio Nueva Amanecer may appear fairly typical. But after a little over two years together, their association has gradually taken on the features of a real partnership. In this podcast Pastor Sheldon Hess and Pastor Moises Valentin recount how that happened, what they’ve learned from the experience, and whether that learning might apply in other settings too.
Interview with Pastor Moises Valentin and Pastor Sheldon Hess
Interview with One Measure Band
One Measure band members Greg Estel,Linda Johnson, Bob Frolli, Jim Johnson, Ron Barnett, and Sam Johnson
After their outdoor concert at McDonald’s, I was able to gather the band members for a photo and interview. Click on the link below to access the audio podcast.
In its own way One Measure has managed to create a sense of community that includes not only the band members’ friends and families but also a wider circle of ROTF church members passers by who enjoy listening to them perform. As I looked around this evening I couldn’t help but notice people in vehicles waiting in the drive-through line at the restaurant and the large group of supporters that had come out to listen to their friends perform in this unusual venue. I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like it before. Who could have imagined a jazzed-up version of “Jesus loves me, this I know” coming from a live band in the parking lot of a McDonald’s on a warm early summer evening?
Back Again with One Measure
This evening I caught up again with the band from Rock of the Foothills Lutheran Church in La Verne, called “One Measure.” This time I’m at a McDonald’s restaurant in Glendora that is reopening after a complete renovation. The band is performing out in the parking lot. The story here is that at its performance at the Coffee Klatch a few months ago, One Measure caught the attention of a McDonald’s executive. That’s what brought them here tonight. With its mix of popular tunes and compositions with a more decidedly Christian spiritual cast, “One Measure” always manages to draw on a group of dedicated supporters and friends. With a little luck I hope to interview the band when they finish performing a little less than an hour from now.
Preschool Alpha Program – Mt. Calvary-Faith, West Covina
Jon Tallman, his daughter Rachel, and Pat Martinez
Lots of us are familiar with Alpha, the practical introduction to Christian Faith that was first popularized in the U.K. and has since been utilized here in the U.S. and elsewhere.
What’s a bit unusual about the Alpha program at Mt. Calvary-Faith in West Covina is its connection to the congregation’s preschool and to a local Assemblies of God congregation. In this case the pastor of Mt. Calvary-Faith, Jon Tallman, and the director of the congregation’s preschool, Pat Martinez, worked together to launch a new Alpha program aimed primarily at the families of children enrolled in the preschool. For additional support Jon and Pat enlisted the assistance of an experienced team of Alpha program facilitators from a local Assemblies of God congregation. To learn more I asked them to let me interview them for the San Gabriel Valley Mission Interpreter blog and podcast series. I was especially interested in how their working relationship contributed to helping this new Alpha program get off the ground.
Thomas Chen, Carrie Zhou, Luke Zhou, Bishop Dean Nelson
I caught up with Luke Zhou and his wife, Carrie, after Luke was ordained and then installed this afternoon as pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Monterey Park by Bishop Dean Nelson of the Southwest California Synod. Earlier today, Carrie graduated from Logos Evangelical Seminary in El Monte with a degree in Christian Counseling. Despite a very long day, they agreed to sit down with me for a few minutes and reflect on what this day has meant for them and to share a bit of what they’ve learned about themselves and ministry over the past several years.
Lutheran Center at Claremont School of Theology
Dr. Thomas Johnson and Wesley Menke
I took my friend, Thomas Johnson, up on his invitation today to drop by the Lutheran Center at the Claremont School of Theology for an alumni day event. I know Tom best in his role as pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Covina. But since he obtained his doctorate a while back, he’s been teaching at Claremont and now directs the brand new Lutheran Center that occupies a pleasant second story office directly across from the campus chapel. While waiting in the Center for Tom to arrive, I got to meet a Lutheran M.Div. student, Wesley Menke, who agreed to participate in the podcast interview I had planned. I was delighted to speak with both of them. BTW, before I left I checked the refrigerator. The imported German beer inside is, I guess, for table talks.
A Church Men’s Group in a Public Setting
Just got back from the first meeting of new Lutheran Church of the Cross men’s group begun by Pastor Charlie Wang. The dozen plus present this morning displayed this congregation’s distinctive and evolving community that includes various ages, ethnicities, and life experiences. The group adopted a prayer and Bible study breakfast model and meets in a popular Arcadia restaurant on a Saturday morning where many local residents gather to begin the weekend. I had a chance to interview group members, Wei Xiong and Chris Gonzalez, to get their initial impressions. Pastor Wang also shares his reasons for launching this type of group.
Interviews with Wei Xiong, Chris Gonzalez, and Pastor Charlie Wang
