May, 6 2008 by Mireya.

You are either very brave or just plain crazy. What possessed you to come to Hollywood anyway? What was your journey like that brought you here? And how did you distinguish God’s calling for you? So you are here and now what? How? Why? Why now? Why the people that you are now meeting? Is there something significant about all these questions?

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Posted in Discipleship, Urban Missionaries, Leadership, Community, Fellowship, Process, LA Voice, Peace & Justice Committee, Church | 2 Comments »

April, 18 2008 by Mireya.

What an exciting journey it has been. Some have heard me say it often… I’m SO EXCITED to experience how I feel God is leading and teaching me to engage in the ministry of love - the work of restoration He is already doing in the world. Several members from the Hollywood Seventh-day Adventist Church and I have been involved in learning to live like Jesus in a way that is very different than either of us has experienced before (I think I can say that). What does that look like in our city and in our time? I’m still trying to figure that out. In the mean time I continue to participate in my city and community and step out in faith! LA Voice afforded me the opportunity to participate in my city in a different way. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Discipleship, Urban Missionaries, Leadership, Community, Peace & Justice Committee, Process, LA Voice, Church | 1 Comment »

April, 13 2008 by Mireya.

Posted in Community, Leadership, LA Voice, Media Ministry, Video, Church | 1 Comment »

April, 8 2008 by Mireya.

Hope you are doing well! There is SO much going on in our church and in our community (esp. with our mural project taking off!) and the events coming up this weekend that we will POSTPONE our Peace & Justice/LA Voice committee meeting this Thursday, April 10th at 7 pm.

* * * Please continue reading for updates * * *

MURAL PROJECT:

Thank you to all who were able to attend this past Sunday’s mural concept presentation! I heard it was great.

A couple of us are taking a field trip if you’d like to join us. Part of our church’s community organizing will be around the future of murals in Los Angeles. So we want to make sure we are educated about the process and to ensure our voice is heard. Man One our muralist will be a presenter at the Getty Center:

The Arts in Los Angeles, 1997–2007 (panel discussion)
Date: Thursday, April 17, 2008
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Getty Center, Harold M. Williams Auditorium
Admission: Free; reservations required. Call (310) 440-7300 or go online

NEW TIMES FOR PEACE & JUSTICE/LA VOICE MEETINGS:

We would like to have our meetings on a day that you can actually attend! We appreciate your dedication and time so much and we don’t want to miss out on your talents for God’s service, so please bear with us as we figure this out. We really need your presence as we continue to work in the community, so… someone will be calling you or talking to you some more about this as will Joe Hari, our church’s organizer.

LA vs War

There is another cool exhibit - which you may want to invite others to attend. Man One is an a collaborative group exhibit starting Thursday thru Sunday this week.

Its LA vs War. Its a peace protest against the war in iraq.
LA vs. WAR
April 10-13 2008 - Downtown LA

LA vs WAR highlights the travesty of a senseless war now going into its 6th year, giving LA artists a platform to exercise their freedom of speech. Hundreds of artists representing our diverse communities unite in delivering a universal message of peace and understanding, and offering resistance and opposition to the US government’s war policies.

Posted in Upcoming Events, Peace & Justice Committee, LA Voice, Crossroads, Church | 2 Comments »

March, 26 2008 by Lennox.

Wednesday morning, March 4. We had to run to catch the train. Oddly exciting, running to catch a train. A quick walk from our downtown stop, we stood before the deserted 9am steps of Los Angeles City Hall.

Looking up at the impenetrable fortress from whence issue policies and city governance, my eyes lingered on the sign at the top of the stairs.

I was along for the ride, hanging out with my Pastor, to whom I sometimes refer as my friend Ryan. It’s good to be among friends. He said hello to Joe Hari, another friend, community organizer with LA Voice. We were here today to cooperate with Joe and his local division of PICO (People Improving Communities through Organizing)

I saw Ryan add his signature to a list of those who give voice to the request for immediate attention to the Los Angeles Housing Crisis. Nothing new there. He’s always signing off on important matters of Peace and Justice.

So far, I’d been on a train ride and exchanged greetings with friends. And, from the outside, from the bottom of a massive defensive line of concrete steps, I’d also seen the walls and doors of City Hall. I decided to take a look at the fountain. I’ve always liked water.

I also like fire. The next time I saw my friend Ryan, there was fire in his eyes and passion in his voice. There was conviction in the air. Over one hundred people had gathered on the steps. I had to look through the crowd to see him. The crowd cheered as Ryan urged the adoption of a Three-Point-Plan to address the crisis in which thousands of workers who support the economy of the city, are forced to live outside of it for lack of affordable housing within its boundaries.

As the moderator of the Housing LA Press Conference, Ryan introduced and shared the podium with many compelling speakers, several of whom followed his lead by acknowledging that the housing crisis is a moral issue, a call to action for people of faith.

We didn’t have to run to catch the train back. Nice and easy. Talking about music and family. About how great it is to live in Los Angeles. Talking about old neighborhoods and the last time either of us tried to solve a rubik’s cube. Me and my friend Ryan, taking the train home from City Hall.

Posted in Picture, Peace & Justice Committee, LA Voice, Church | 2 Comments »