Be a Strategic Neighbor on Eucalyptus

FOR RENT: 3 Bedroom/2 Bathroom Craftsman Home • $1800/month

Yes that's right.  For all of you that have been dying to be my neighbor on Eucalyptus, there's a home for rent right across the street.  You can be a strategic neighbor!

What is a strategic neighbor?... A person or family that moves into a neighborhood on purpose.  They make every effort to be a good neighbor by being present and knowing their neighbors names.  They see their neighborhood as a mission field.  They invite them over for

 meals.  They share life together.  They deeply invest into the lives surrounding them.  It doesn't require quitting your job, but being intentional with your lifestyle.

This is something that can be done right where you live.  It is taking the verse "Love your neighbor as yourself" literally.  So maybe you don't need to move to the Eucalyptus neighborhood.  But just in case... here's the number on the picture below :)

 

Sharing Meals in My Home

Check out that dinner! Yup. That's what we ate with the teens in our neighborhood last week. They helped cook this delicious meal for us to share. Before I moved into the neighborhood, I prayed for a place with a dining room where people could share meals together. Having my friends and the teens from the neighborhood over on Wednesday nights is an on-going answer to prayer.

Please keep this group of teens in your prayers. In the next few weeks we are going to be starting a Bible Study of sorts called Life Hurts | God Heals. The lessons go through 8 of the 12 steps taught in Celebrate Recovery (based on the Beatitudes) and deal with addiction, hurts, family issues, etc. Pray that God brings the right group of kids to this study and that the leaders are prepared for what issues could come up.

Háblame - Teach as you learn

We still need a few more people to be an English speaking partner in our class.  The way it works is you teach English and your partner teaches you Spanish.  What fun!  We meet on Wednesday mornings at 9am at Our Place Neighborhood Resource Center.  Call Chrissy at 562-804-2189 if you're interested.

Algebra

One sunny day back in September, Mark stopped by the community center to offer his help with tutoring. We asked him if he had any special focus. He said "Algebra." The next day we had a neighborhood meeting where we asked the neighbors to share their ideas and desires. The first idea they shared was a tutoring time for their kids. They went on to say how each of their junior high and high school students needed help in... you guessed it... ALGEBRA! God's timing is perfect!

Since the beginning of September Mark has been tutoring 4 students in algebra on Tuesday afternoons. We bless God for Mark and his ability to help.

Eucalyptus Teens Serve Breakfast

Last Saturday at Breakfast & Showers, a group of teens from the Eucalyptus neighborhood woke up early to make breakfast for our homeless neighbors.  Lately we've been running into kids in the neighborhood that need community service hours for school or court (usually for curfew or truancy).  We invited them to serve some of their hours on Saturday morning.  However, the group that showed up at 6:30 am to serve were kids that didn't even need hours, they just wanted to hang out & help.  Cool kids!  They enjoyed their time and asked if they could come back next week to help.  What teenagers actually enjoy waking up at 6 am on a weekend!?!  I'd like to send a big thank you out to Phill, Billy, Ronnie, Joe, Matt, Eric & Brent for helping out in the kitchen with the teens last week.  You made it fun for all of us!

Pouring juice in a nice pattern.

Thanks for showing us how to make fluffy scrambled eggs!

Ronnie... our own tortilla lady

Neighbors helping out with the dishes.

If you or your church group is interested in cooking breakfast for our homeless neighbors on a Saturday morning, we're always looking for new groups to cook on the first Saturday of each month.  The next available morning is December 6th.  Call us at 562-804-2189!

CRWRC's Justice Team visits Bellflower

On Tuesday we had the honor of hosting the CRWRC Justice Team for a meeting in Bellflower. There were justice seekers from 7 different countries represented at the table. What an amazing group of people! We discussed the church's role in justice issues around the world as well as the importance of being useful in our own communities.


Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.

Psalm 112:4-6

Good Soil Update

Ancient Hebrew wisdom describes four levels of charity. The highest level is to provide a job for one in need without his knowledge that you provided it. The next lower level is to provide work that the needy one knows you provided. The third level is to give an anonymous gift to meet an immediate need. The lowest level of charity, to be avoided if at all possible, is to give a poor person a gift with his full knowledge that you are the donor.
– Bob Lupton, Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life

By partnering with Kingdom Causes you are engaging in the “highest form of charity”. With your financial partnership, a team of local Christians started Good Soil Industries (GSI), an on the job training program that provides employment to our neighbors here in Bellflower who are in transition or are out of work. Joel Holwerda, GSI Program Director, has been working hard to build this program. Since June, GSI has employed a total of 8 different young men with part time work. These participants have worked with Joel to maintain a route of 18 lawns, including a number of commercial properties. They have also assisted in moving projects, yard clean-up, and laying sod.

We believe that if Good Soil Industries provides discipleship and life skills training paired with a transitional job opportunity where that training can be tried and proven, then people who are underemployed and/or in rehabilitation will be empowered to obtain sustainable full time employment and move closer to God.

Thank you for the role you have played in this dignifying approach to caring for our neighbors!

CAN WE MOW YOUR LAWN?
If you live in the Bellflower or Lakewood area and don’t have a personal relationship with your current gardener, GSI would like the chance to bid on your property. Also, if you have any additional work, we would love to offer our services, which include: local moves, yard cleanups, special events set-up and tear-down, marketing and flyer distribution. We carry workers compensation and insurance. Your lawn can help change lives!

Thank you Chrissy!

It was about three years ago that I met Chrissy Padilla at the Sheriff Station here in town at a meeting I was having with a deputy in charge of homeless issues. She was there to find others in Bellflower who had a heart for the community.  It wasn’t long before she was serving as a volunteer and eventually became a board member for Kingdom Causes Bellflower. In 2006, Chrissy left her well-paying job in Orange County to move into the Eucalyptus Ave. neighborhood (a place notorious for drug dealing and violence) to become an Americorps member. Volunteering full-time for two years now, Chrissy has been a catalytic influence in this neighborhood. She has worked hard to organize neighbors and other community members; identifying THEIR dreams and THEIR plans for the neighborhood.  After listening, she then went to work helping to make them a reality.

Here are just a few changes we’ve witnessed in the neighborhood as a result of Chrissy’s faithful service:
• Two photography classes provided creative outlet for neighborhood kids
• A team of neighbor women meet weekly to pray for the neighborhood
• A weekly time after school for algebra tutoring started this fall
• Two Summer Soccer programs provided over 40 kids with a place to play
• Teens from the neighborhood were identified and invested in as leaders

While her time with Americorps comes to an end, she remains committed to her neighborhood and will continue to live there as her role with Kingdom Causes changes.  This fall she will become our Operations Director helping with a variety of tasks including directing a Reciprocal Language Class that will teach English and Spanish to community members who want to expand their language competency.  I bless God for bringing Chrissy to Bellflower and for her partnership in seeking first the Kingdom here. Special thanks to Chrissy for her servant’s heart, may God move many more in his church to serve as she does.  

Bellflower Christmas Store: Dignifying Generosity

Through this unique initiative, Kingdom Causes Bellflower gives families a chance to have Christmas with dignity. You can help people have the dignity they deserve by providing donations for this innovative program. Instead of giving handouts to families in need at Christmas time, Kingdom Causes gives local moms, dads, grandparents and children the opportunity to purchase gifts for their family through the Community Christmas Store.
New toys significantly marked down 70% off the retail price and sold to those in the community who cannot afford to buy presents at full price. Families with children in Kingdom Causes’ programs are offered the opportunity to earn vouchers toward purchases made at the Community Christmas Store by completing community service work, such as helping in the Kingdom Causes office with newsletters and other mailings. Bring your unwrapped gifts to Kingdom Causes at 9881 Alondra Blvd. Call us @ 562-804-2189 for more information on how to get involved

Reciprocal Language Program: Hablame

We are EXCITED to announce the beginning of Hàblame, a new program that pairs native Spanish speakers seeking to learn English, one-on-one with native English speakers seeking to learn Spanish. Have you ever wanted to learn Spanish, or to help someone learn English? Then this program is for you! Hablame provides the opportunity for people from different cultures in Bellflower to build bridges. Each participant offers the gift of teaching their native language and sharing their culture, while learning a second language and culture. The one-on- one pairing throughout the class sessions, will give you an opportunity to practice your language skills and make some new friends!

City-wide Christmas Concert: Worshipping Jesus Together

We are so excited to be able to invite you to be part of a Bellflower Community Christmas Choir event.  The purpose of this event is to provide an opportunity for Christians to worship God together in unity.  This event will take place on Sunday, December 14, at 7:00 PM. (Location to be announced.) It will be a concert including a choir cantata called “There Is Peace in the World Tonight” as well as some carol singing and orchestra Christmas music. The cost to choir members is $10.00 for a book and an optional $6.00 for a CD. Contact Teri Larsen at tlarsen@property-taxes.com for more information.