Jimmy Rivera

A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to listen to three different speakers. The one I am focusing on for this blog is Pastor Jimmy Rivera. My first experience with Pastor Jim Rivera was in December, at the Christmas Tree Giveaway. At this outreach, the men from their church (City Limits) went up to New York to chop down trees and brought them back to their inner-city neighborhood. VFCC teamed up with their church and brought our black truck and provided some food as well. When we got there, there was so many people milling around - kids, adults, young people. Upon watching this, one of my first thoughts (that I remember very clearly now, four months later) was "This is such a missions field."

That night, there was music, dancing, rapping, puppet shows, etc. The kids really enjoyed being silly and dancing around to the music and so did I! That night was the first time I met Pr. Jim. He immediately struck me as a man on a mission! He was very focused on completing the task at hand, etc. When he came to speak to the class, I got the same feeling. He was very passionate in describing the church, his mission, and his neighborhood. Their church is very active in the community - they do outreaches, provide food, after school programs, community service, etc. Though they are located in a more dangerous area, they continue to be a strong presence in the Allentown area. 

From attending an outreach at his church and listening to him speak in class, he has a passion to reach people that seem so far away from God. It is awesome to see someone who does not pay attention to all the things that are going against him or the ministry, but press on to make a difference and accomplish all that God has called him to do. 

Unchurched friend #1

- Are you actively attending any church?

No

- What are a few issues or topics that impact/interest you?

The environment and human trafficking interest me. Seeing unfortunate people impacts me because it makes me grateful for what I have, and ignorant people impact me because they make me want to learn more. 

- Why do you think most people don't attend church?

I think people don't go because they were not exposed to it when they were younger. Now that they are older, they are afraid of what they will find. Mainly I think it is the fear of the unknown. 

- If you were looking for a church to attend, what kinds of things would you look for?

If I were looking for a church, I'd look for one that looks welcoming and makes me feel at ease. 

- What advice can you give to pastors who really want to be helpful to people?

They should not pressure people to believe what they believe in. Instead, they can suggest things that should allow the person to decide what to believe. Basically don't put pressure on people or be aggressive because that can scare a person off. Also being trustworthy and acting like a friend helps make a person feel comfortable to share personal tidbits so that the pastor can help. 

I am surprised by what my friend told me. It seems like what she is looking for in a church is exactly what our churches are trying to achieve. Most churches are trying to be user-friendly and welcoming to all people. Some succeed and others do not in being user-friendly. What my friend is looking for in a church is very reasonable I think. For someone who does not have experience in a church, it makes sense to want a church that will welcome them and help them to grow. 

Pastor Jason Lamer

"It wasn't enough for me to say 'come and see,' I had to 'go and tell'" 

Pastor Jason Lamer, director of Youth Alive, was our class speaker on February 10. He was brought up in the church and from a young age, he knew he was called to ministry. After Bible college, he became a youth pastor at Faith Assembly of God in Uniontown. He and his wife Jodi were there for seven years. During this time, he led the youth of this church, got into the high schools in the area, and worked to build a relationship between the church and the community. At the end of seven years, a door opened for Pastor Jason & Jodi to become the Youth Alive missionaries. 

As a Youth Alive missionary, Pastor Jason travels to different churches and schools, speaking to youth about the Lord. The Seven Project goes into schools and does assemblies. During the day time, the Seven Project comes in and talks about hope and purpose, without directly mentioning the name of Jesus. They also have videos, show skateboarders, etc. The morning assembly is very interactive and active. The topics discussed during the assembly deal with issues that most high school students can relate to. The same day at night, there is a Gospel presentation. Students are given the option to respond to the call of salvation, as well as meet with other pastors and youth leaders in the area. 

Some things I really enjoyed hearing about was that there were different denominations involved, not just AG. At times, the team that puts together the Seven Project is comprised of all different denominations and the pastors and churches work together to watch God work. Pastor Jason described it like this: "Churches come together in unity, anointed by God."

Hearing about ministry in America is really cool for me. At a Christian school or even at church, we always hear so much about overseas missions. I am realizing more and more that there is such a need for evangelism and reaching out IN AMERICA. It was great to hear about such a great ministry happening right here in America. Youth Alive sounds like an awesome ministry I would love to be involved in. 

Plus, Pastor Jason & Jodi are really cool people=)

David Kennard

David Kennard is a pastor from Riverside Community Church. One of the main ways he serves in the church is running the small groups. Since it is a fairly large church, small groups are important because it keeps people accountable, and also creates fellowship among believers. I did not realize the different kinds of small groups there are and the importance of each kind. 

The traditional small groups meet and have a discussion about what the pastor preached upon. The free market small groups gather and allow people from the community and congregation to choose the group that best describes their interests. 

In this particular church, there are 20 adult groups, 3 ministry groups, a students group, and four children's groups. There are a total of 545 people involved in these groups, and out of the entire congregation, 80% are involved in small groups. 

One of the things he said that caught my attention was that they "do life together." This is a cool concept because it captures the idea of not simply going to church together, but really living together - dealing with all of life's ups and downs with people who really care about you. In a large church, it is easy to feel that you are just one in a crowd, but small groups really help to foster the environment that people truly care about you.