Secrets of the Heart - ICOCinvestigation.com
Transcription
Secrets of the Heart - ICOCinvestigation.com
LA STORY Secrets of the Heart A Kingdom Pictures Release “SECRETS OF THE HEART” A KINGDOM NEWS NETWORK PRODUCTION Featuring: ELENA GARCÍA-MCKEAN • JOYCE ARTHUR • GLORIA BAIRD • GAIL EWELL TAMMY FLEMING • CHRIS FUQUA • LAURA GARCÍA-BENGOCHEA • PAT GEMPEL LYNNE GREEN • ERICA KIM • LISA JOHNSON • KAY MCKEAN PRODUCED BY AL BAIRD DIRECTED BY ROGER LAMB SCREENPLAY BY MARCIA LAMB & ROBIN FAWCETT DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY MICHELLE TINTI Church of Christ A KINGDOM PICTURES RELEASE ©2000 BY KINGDOM NEWS NETWORK. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Editorial KINGDOM MILESTONES by Gloria Baird “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:41-42 T wenty years ago, seeing godly women powerfully influencing other women through biblical teaching and training drew me to the Kingdom of God. Those examples gave me a new vision not only for my life’s purpose but also for the lives of our three daughters and other women’s lives as well. In my background, the view of “women’s ministry” was limited to hospitality and teaching Sunday school. I am eternally grateful for women like Elena García-McKean, Pat Gempel, Lisa Johnson and many others who have set the pace in forcefully advancing the Kingdom in the hearts of women around the world. This issue of LA Story presents many examples of women in God’s Kingdom today who are committed, like Mary, to choosing what is better rather than being distracted like Martha (Luke 10:41-42). One of the highlights of our Women’s Ministry is the annual Women’s Day. The women in the LA Church have chosen to celebrate our Women’s Day during March, Women’s History Month. Women’s events were held at 42 separate venues throughout the LA Church during the first weekend of March, each focusing on the theme “Secrets of the Heart.” With God’s power and guidance we had a history-making attendance of 14,217. Speaking at two of these events and attending two others, I saw firsthand the amazing unity of a common theme, with a diversity of approaches working effectively to meet the needs of thousands of women. Since Al and I are responsible for KNN, I was especially thankful to see women’s hearts moved by KNN’s dramatic video Secrets of the Heart, especially prepared for Women’s Days around the world (see page 6). 2 LA STORY June 2000 It is encouraging to see the growth and evolution of our Women’s Days and I believe God is preparing us for even bigger things to come. Years ago in LA, we started with one large event for all the women in the church, then multiplied to having a Women’s Day in each of the 10 regions. This year nearly all of the 50 sectors had their own event. With these events more conveniently located in the various sectors throughout the metropolitan area, more and more of our friends and family attended and we were able to share the gospel and our lives with them more effectively. 4/9 4/16 4/23 163 9 383 192,207 TENDANCE L A S U N D AY AT 5/1 13,997 13,325 13,412 15,870 5/7 5/14 13,910 14,358 COURTESY OF GLORIA BAIRD Secrets of the Heart COUNTRIES PLANTED C O U N T R I E S WA I T I N G NUMBER OF CHURCHES S U N D AY AT T E N D A N C E ▲ The Baird women. Left to right: Staci Yates, Kristi Bodzioch, Gloria Baird and Keri Hiddleson. Powerful Women Leaders God powerfully used Elena to lead the women in the LA Church to victory. Each year she has helped the women leaders prepare by getting an early start, praying, planning and being spiritually focused. The discipling principle was very evident this year as the women Region Leaders helped the less experienced Sector Leaders plan their Women’s Days, multiplying their influence and talents for God. By having more events, special attention could be given to the needs of various groups. This year we had several teen and campus programs and five Women’s Days in Spanish. Elena has lovingly and firmly focused us on our purpose – to bring women into the Kingdom, not just bring them to Women’s Day. To God’s glory, 307 women were baptized or restored into Christ during Women’s Month. Twenty years ago I caught a vision of what my life, the lives of our daughters and many other women could become. Today, I continue to be inspired by that same vision. God loves us individually enough to teach us something personally, but he rarely lets the lesson stop there. He wants us to learn from him and then teach others. With our daughters now in the ministry in Boston, Massachusetts; Davis, California; and Manhattan, Kansas; I can see God moving to shape their lifework through the dynamic growing women’s ministry. The future holds many challenges for us as women. We will meet these challenges victoriously as we continue to grow, entrusting the SECRETS OF THE HEART to God and to each other. ■ Steel Convictions “It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn’t just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions.” – 1 Thessalonians 1:4 (The Message translation) W omen’s harvest month clearly reminds us that God loves women very much and puts his hand on us for something very special! God blessed us with an historic 307 women baptisms and restorations. I am so very grateful for the fantastic Women’s Ministry leaders God has raised up in Los Angeles and our partnership in the gospel! Our women Regional Leaders work very hard because of their strong faith, constantly laboring in love for the souls of women. I wish each of you could walk with just one of these not perfect, but spiritual women and have the privilege of working with them as I do. These powerful disciples have allowed the Holy Spirit to put “steel” in their convictions from their study of God’s Word and their humility to live by God’s teachings in our fast-changing 21st century. Their genuine and refined faith is inspiring the nearly 5,000 LA sisters to be focused on saving many souls! Maximum Truth Having “steel” convictions as women is not the norm in society. How refreshing to see each sister in the LA Church develop her own passionate commitment to God’s truth. Having grasped God’s incredible grace for their lives, out of gratitude they shared God’s grace with their friends and neighbors. This grace was evidenced by our record attendance of 14,217 for our women’s seminars held the first weekend of March. Our sisters have deepened their conviction on Matthew 7:13-14, “. . . broad is the road that leads to destruction . . . and narrow the road that leads to life. . . .” This fundamental conviction also motivates us to reach out to as many women as possible. Many of us once lived controlled by our feelings before we became true Christians. Others of us based our lives on man-made traditions that by Elena García-McKean, World Missions Women’s Ministry Leader were not based on the Bible, but were handed down to us from our families. Our convictions vacillated depending on our moods or on whom we were with at the moment. This caused us to be weak, confused and fuzzy on moral issues such as sexual purity, honesty and chemical abuse. Maximum Effort Giving our maximum to God, not the minimum, is another renewed steel conviction, especially displayed in our Teen and Campus Ministries. What a tremendous joy it has been to see these ministries exploding numerically and spiritually. Karla Escobar, our Women’s Ministry Leader for all the LA teens, has been pouring her heart out to impact our teen women disciples to be their very best for God. In the first four months of 2000, our Teen Ministry baptized 145 souls into Christ. Chris Fuqua, a long-time friend and partner in the gospel, is giving her maximum overseeing and helping to train our Campus Women’s Ministry leaders. We are excited that several campus women disciples are presently wrestling with going into the full-time ministry. Pray for them as we desperately need to raise up more full-time leaders to serve God’s everincreasing Kingdom. Because our teen and college women are learning to deny self and give their maximum, they are bright beacons of hope. Recently, at our church prom, it was such a comfort to Kip and me that our sons, Sean (17) and Eric (15), had spiritual, dynamic and pure sisters as their dates for the evening. They had a “blast!” Maximum Openness A third “steel” conviction so vital to our spiritual well-being is having maximum openness, not minimum disclosure of what is going on in our hearts and lives. The theme for our women’s seminars in March, “Secrets of the Heart,” inspired many women who attended to release their haunting fears, lingering hurts, bitter attitudes, secret sins, as well as secret dreams. Our KNN dramatic comedy for our women’s seminars, also entitled Secrets of the Heart, was such a poignant real-to-life story on the power of maximum openness. This video had us all laughing and crying. Our daughter Olivia (a freshman at Harvard University) saw it at a women’s Sunday worship service in Boston and said it was the best KNN video she has seen, and she has seen them all! One of my most memorable nights was our “Sister’s Prayer Night” at the Long Beach Convention Center. Each baptism was awesome! Seeing and hearing almost 5,000 women praying together in small groups was extremely powerful! First, we prayed for an hour on our knees with praise and thanksgiving. Second, we stood holding up holy hands crying out to be great workers for God. Third, we prayed for the souls of our families, friends, co-workers, neighbors and communities by name while sitting down in circles holding hands. In closing, we stood arm-in-arm praying for our unity. Because of our collective steel convictions that we totally need God, our prayers are unleashing his power through us as women, making a difference in this world for Christ! ■ A AR RB BA T AF KR ▲ The Women’s Ministry leadership group of the Los Angeles Church. June 2000 LA STORY 3 Forceful Women Adv TO M IK UK TA by Robin Fawcett What do you get when you unify a teen ministry, a campus disciple, an adult ministry and two World Sector Leader women? Answer: A baptized family therapist and her 14-year-old daughter. It all began when UCLA disciple Carol Mendoza shared her faith with Tina Phillips, a single mom and UCLA Alumni. After attending a service with the UCLA Sector of the LA Church, Tina kept coming back ▲ Through the teamwork and love of three ministries, Tina and Brooke Phillips became disciples. Left to right: Tammy Fleming, Robin Fawcett, Carol Mendoza, for more. Tina’s enthusiasm and Elena García-McKean, Holly Mannel Anderson, Karla Escobar, Tina Phillips and excitement prompted her teen Brooke Phillips. All are in the UCLA Sector of the LA Church. daughter Brooke, a Junior Olympic Volleyball player, student governTammy Fleming and disciples from the UCLA ment representative and a 9th grade honor Adult Ministry. After eight months of searching for student at a girl’s school, to come a few months the truth, Tina was baptized on March 4th, followlater. After studying the Bible for four months ing Women’s Day. “I am so grateful to God,” says with Karla Escobar, Holly Mannel Anderson Tina, “for the structure of the different ministries and Gina Blanchard from the UCLA Sector Teen woven together to teach us true salvation.” At her Ministry, Brooke was baptized at the Teen Super baptism, Brooke quoted her favorite scripture, Bowl Devotional on January 10, 2000. Matthew 6:25, saying, “Now I no longer have to Tina continued to study the Bible with Women worry about my life or my future.” World Sector Leaders Elena García-McKean, The Gift of Life – Los Angeles “Your gift was accepted.” These were the most precious words that Janet Dixon, a single teen leader in LA’s AMS ministry, heard after spending five hours in surgery donating her kidney to close disciple friend, Dennis Gates. A husband and father of four young boys, Dennis had to undergo two to three dialysis treatments a week for two and a half years. His life expectancy was bleak. Discovering she was a perfect donor, Janet sacrificed and even compromised her own health for the sake of the greater need. Her exceptional heart to love another more than herself has resulted in God being glorified in many lives. “Life is so different now,” says Jana, Dennis’ wife. “It’s almost like having a second honeymoon.” Janet also serves as the Distribution Manager for KNN and LA Story. salvation heart The Fruit of Excellence by Dora Giraldo – Bogota, Colombia Patching up a bitter heart with unrestrained shopping left me ruled by materialism, superficiality and pride. However, God’s incredible plans changed my life. While on a business trip from Bogota, Colombia to Miami, Florida, I stayed with the company owner and his wife who were disciples in the South Florida Church of Christ. I went with them to church and met many unified, happily married couples. At the time, my husband and I were planning to separate. God made it painfully clear I did not know how to build a strong family. God’s timing is perfect. While I was in Miami, several Latin American church leaders were visiting the church. Among them were Flavio and Renee Marie Uribe who lead the Bogota, Colombia Church. After having lunch with them, I left Miami determined to study the Bible when I 4 LA STORY June 2000 returned home. On January 12, 1994, I was baptized into Christ! God immediately began molding my heart. I went from an executive position to being unemployed. God used this personal economic crisis to deepen my love and trust in him, and not in my worldly possessions. My marriage also faced difficulty, but again I decided to trust in God’s promises by waiting, being respectful, submissive and loving unconditionally. It was during this time that three of my friends became disciples. In spite of my tears over personal trials, I let others know about the eternal treasure I had found. After a year of unemployment, I landed a job with the National Defense Ministry as an International Commerce Advisor to the Cabinet. Although my salary was barely enough to make mortgage payments, I was grateful for the opportunity God had given me. Twice I received the “Brilliant Performance” award given by the Secretary General of the Defense Ministry. In 1997, I was hired at a major multinational telecommunications company with a great salary and work conditions. In September 1998, I received the “Award For Excellence.” It has not been easy managing my life as a disciple and working for a company that demands dedication. However, because of my daily times with God, a lot of advice and personal discipline, God has helped me be more committed to my family and to sharing my faith. Three of my new co-workers have become disciples along with two of their husbands. All of them are now Bible Talk Leaders. Excellence should not be a struggle but a daily decision because everything we do in our life is for God. God turned me into a woman secure enough to live excellently in spite of my circumstances. www.icc-csa.org BRUCE WILLIAMS The Body Works – Los Angeles Miss Teen USA by Kristi Addis Hickman – Los Angeles In the small town of Holcomb, Mississippi, my parents divorced when I was three. Determined not to let a broken home affect me negatively, my mom enrolled me in dance, singing, art and baton twirling classes. By the age of seven, I became the national champion in baton twirling, winning the title four times over seven years. Dreaming of becoming a performer, I entered and won the 1987 Miss Mississippi Teen USA pageant and went on to win Miss Teen USA. I was on the CBS Morning Show, signed a contract with Paramount Pictures and moved to LA to model and act. After the thrill passed, I longed for something real. Entering Ole Miss University, I tried desperately to shake off my unhappiness through partying. I started smoking pot and dating an abusive guy. I was living a lifestyle of cocaine addiction, physical abuse, extreme depression and isolation. Secretly, I had three abortions and for two years covered up my black eyes and bruises. Ironically, I was voted Homecoming Maid, Most Beautiful, and Who’s Who Among College Students. Even though I graduated on the Dean’s Honor Roll with a double major in broadcast journalism and communication, my life was miserable and hopeless. After college, I moved back to LA and started filming national TV commercials. Again, my life looked great on the outside but inside I often wished I would never wake up. It was then that I started praying to God who sent Diane Lynch into my life. After four months, I finally made it to a church service. I immediately began to study the Bible. I found what I had been searching for my whole life love One Hundred Years in the Making – Birmingham, Alabama Imagine witnessing the turn of two centuries, being alive through the Great Depression, two World Wars, the invention of cars, airplanes and television, mankind’s first walk on the moon, the onset of modern technology and communication through the worldwide web. Gladyce Devers does not need to imagine – she remembers! But, even more amazing is that after 100 years of life on earth Gladyce was baptized as a disciple of Christ on April 6th in the Birmingham, Alabama Church. Gladyce is the grandmother to disciples Marvin Clement in the Houston Church and Ann James in the LA Church. After living as an agnostic for all these years, she says, “Before I was a disciple, I felt hopeless when I was afraid. But now I rely on the power of prayer.” COURTESY OF KRISTI ADDIS HICKMAN vancing T he Kingdom and was baptized a few weeks later on March 2, 1996 – Women’s Day. Over the past four years, God changed many things deep inside my heart. Dave and Coleen Graham took me into their home and helped a messed-up, selfish, weakwilled woman learn to love God and his Kingdom. God has blessed me beyond my wildest imagination. I am now married to the man of my dreams, Jeff Hickman, and together we lead the great Coastal AMS ministry, by the grace of God. Maria Atiamuga – London, England This forceful teen brought 35 women friends to the Women’s Day in March. One of her teen friends, Shelley, studied the Bible and was baptized within two weeks. The director of her high school was so impressed with Maria’s positive influence that she asked Maria to set up a Bible discussion in the school. Set Free in Christ – India by Marcia Lamb Women’s Day in India represents a day of spiritual freedom for 16-year-old Padma (name changed to protect her identity). Life in poor Hindu families is especially difficult for young women. Padma lives with her mother, step-father and three brothers. To earn money for the family, Padma’s mother tried to force her into prostitution. Her abusive step-father constantly makes sexual advances towards her. In the middle of such a dark life, Padma was eager to have a new life in Christ. She studied the Bible and was baptized on Women’s Day 1999. Her family beats her on many occasions when she returns from attending meetings with the church. In turn, her neighbors abuse her for not obeying her mother. Recently, Padma’s family decided to take control by arranging a marriage between her and her 40-year-old uncle. Padma refused, stating that she would only marry a true disciple. The rejected uncle continuely threatens her. Her mother, who had previously tried to protect Padma from her step-father’s sexual advances, now leaves Padma to fight the battle alone. She and the disciples in her ministry are constantly in danger of being beaten during their three kilometer walk to and from church meetings by ruthless thugs hired by her step-father. Many times when she returns home, she goes to bed hungry because no food was left for her. Yet, in the midst of persecution, Padma is still a faithful disciple. Nothing can take away her love for God or his love for her (Romans 8:35-39). free June 2000 LA STORY 5 Secrets of the Heart With Power, the Holy Spirit and Deep Conviction (1 Thessalonians 1:5) Church Los Angeles India & South Asia Mexico City United Kingdom Atlanta San Francisco Moscow, Russia Bogota, Colombia Philadelphia Denver Kansas City Disciples 4,602 2,364 2,400 1,500 1,890 1,424 1,700 708 497 477 252 Attendance 14,217 10,011 7,800 7,000 4,874 4,426 4,332 2,240 2,149 1,200 522 HIGHLIGHTS AROUND THE WORLD • Ruth Thomas, of LA’s Rim Cities Sector, who is 82-years-old, had 20 friends attend. • The United Kingdom Churches held their Women’s Day in the famous Wembley Stadium in London. • The Lucknow Church in India averaged 17 visitors per member. ▲ From left to right: Lisa Menendez, Marcela Nava, Sofia Moguel and Laura García-Bengochea. 6 LA STORY June 2000 COURTESY OF MELISSA CASTILLO ▲ Three Generations: After one year of faithfulness to God, Melissa Castillo (left), a disciple in the marrieds ministry of LA’s Desert Cities Sector, baptized her teen daughter Brittney Poist (center) in 1999. Then on February 26, 2000, at the LA’s Sister’s Prayer Night, Melissa and Brittney baptized mom and grandmother, Peggy Leibman (right). A UR A LA HE F O OC G SY TE BEN UR ÍACO ARC G TARA ROCHELLE OLSEN MILLENNIUM WOMEN’S DAYS ROGER LAMB In the realm of eternal impact, this is the most significant women’s movement in our day Barbara Wagner (played by San Francisco disciple/actress Gina Gauny) has a serious problem. She’s been dating for over 15 years. She’s been a bridesmaid in a dozen weddings. And she’s not married. Expecting long time boyfriend, Chase (played by Los Angeles actor John Romualdi), to propose, he asks her to move in with him. Then her younger sister Ann (played by New York disciple/actress Kristy Graves) calls with news of her own engagement! Ann’s dream wedding weekend turns into a nightmare when her estranged father shows up. Now as a disciple, Ann finds more fears and secrets in her own heart. The story’s theme scripture, 1 John 4:18, explains that, “perfect love drives out fear.” In March, the 2,400 women of the Mexico City Church had 7,800 women in attendance for their millennium Women’s Day, “Mujeres que Dejan Huella.” Laura García-Bengochea, Women’s Ministry Leader for the Central & South America World Sector, personally brought 18 women that day. One month following the event, 175 women were baptized or restored to God’s modern-day Kingdom. Left to right: Brenda Eterbeek, Cecilia Moreno, Tara Rochelle Olsen and Chinue Wells. Producer Roger Lamb, Director Lance Tracy and Writers Marcia Lamb and Walter Doty III, have given us a powerful, relatable dramatic comedy. But the production highlight came when Tara Rochelle Olsen, the Set Photographer, was baptized on May 4th. The film was a big hit at LA’s Women’s Days. One visitor was so inspired by the changed heart of the character Barbara in the film that she moved out of her long-time boyfriend’s house. She is now considering God’s vision for relationships. Elena García-McKean says the film is “a great tool for relating God’s love one-onone, in small home gatherings, Bible Talks, services, or special events.” Secrets of the Heart is the first KNN film available for sale through DPI book tables. See the movie preview at www.kingdomnewsnet.org. CURRENT RELEASES nationals Josue & Veronica Ortega will lead the great Mexico City Church, which now averages a Sunday attendance of 5,712. www.icc-csa.org KIEV, UKRAINE – After a three-month campaign to bring the gospel to as many people as possible, the Kiev Church had 207 people baptized on one day. The church, led by Oleg & Alona Siroktin now averages 3,218 in Sunday attendance. H PE worldwide www.hopeww.org On April 15, Global Outreach Day 2000 kicked off the three-year Global Outreach program aimed at serving the needy while spurring on every disciple to hold to Jesus’ teaching: GO and love your neighbor on a daily basis. From Albuquerque, New Mexico to Zagreb, Croatia, abandoned elderly, homeless children, terminal patients and disadvantaged youth were shown love and hope through the efforts of over 60,000 volunteers serving in 155 cities worldwide. A director for the Red Cross in Arizona said, “It’s incredible how willing your volunteers are to donate blood . . . we have never had a turnout like this before.” In Vancouver, a Senior Center Director said, “Your people are incredible. They know how to relate to seniors like family, and they take direction so well. I’ve never seen a group like this.” www.dpibooks.org 9 to 5 and Spiritually Alive by Sheila Jones You can work at your job and be spiritually alert and alive. Sheila deals with such topics as daily walk with God, relationships, integrity, sharing your faith, being a team player, having an encouraging commute, and when to change jobs. Drawing on the insight of many working women, this book offers encouragement and camaraderie for those in the work force. www.kingdomnewsnet.org Maryann Rose and Emily Bringardner will be missed by the LA Story staff and its readers. The first LA Story was produced and delivered on January 2, 1994, through the efforts of Al Baird, Kip McKean and Maryann Rose. Its purpose is to inform, inspire and provide a printed record of the history of the modern-day movement of God. For the last six years, Maryann, a mother of two children, served as a writer and Associate Editor for LA Story. Now, she is moving on to oversee the Los Angeles International Church of Christ website and to co-lead the Adult Ministry in the great UCLA Sector with her husband Keith, the Missions Finance World Sector Administrator. Our Beginning by Kay McKean – Learn more about how to be God’s modern woman by joining Kay in her insightful study of characters from the pages of Genesis. The book covers such topics as being creative, ordered, content, truthful, faithful, prayerful, sexually pure and many more. Pat Gempel, HOPE worldwide World Sector Leader, says, “To everyone I recommend Our Beginning.” ▲ Maryann Rose and Emily Bringardner DALLAS, TEXAS – A celebration of some 80 baptisms occurred on the 50-yard-line of Texas Stadium Sunday, May 7th, as 10,000 onlookers celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Dallas-Fort Worth Church. Nick and Debbie Young led a group of 16 disciples to Dallas to start the Great South family of churches in 1990. God has grown that seed of faith to 20 different churches in six different states. Nick commented, "the most exciting thing about the day is seeing the dream of evangelizing Dallas-Fort Worth spreading to every member.” (see Dallas Morning News article at – www.dallasnews.com/metro/75942_ CHURCHCHRIST.html) BART MOYER ▲ Josue & Veronica Ortega TIRANE, ALBANIA – Geographic Sector Leader Bob Tranchell reports that after only four and a half days of evangelism, the 10-person mission team and 12 church leaders from the Balkans had 430 people at the first service in Albania. (This represents 1 out of 750 average for the city’s population.) The next night they held a group Bible study with 85 people in attendance. Within three weeks, 13 people were baptized in Christ. The church in Albania marks the last church planting for the New England/Europe World Sector in the Six-Year Plan. RANDY GALLIGAN LISA HOLMAN MEXICO CITY – Recently, Kip McKean and the Elders of the LA Church invited Peter & Laura García-Bengochea, World Sector Leaders for Central and South America, to move from Mexico City to Los Angeles to lead the Orange County Region and the Southland Super Region, numbering close to 3,000 disciples. Mexican Emily, wife of John Bringardner, General Counsel for the ICOC, and mother to three children, joined the LA Story staff in April 1994 as Art Director. She is leaving the staff to serve with her husband as Spiritual Recovery Leaders for the Arts Media Sports Region. Maryann and Emily have brought LA Story to the high quality it is now. We will miss them but are grateful God is calling them even higher. June 2000 LA STORY 7 I NTERNATIONAL C HURCHES O F C HRIST World Missions Evangelist & WML Central & South America New England/Europe World Sector Office Phone #: 781-937-3883 Kip & Elena McKean World Sector (CSA) Websites: www.bostoncoc.org www.ecparis.org Office Phone #: 561-738-1525 ACES World Sector (Africa, Randy & Kay McKean......World Sector Leaders Websites: www.icc-csa.org www.icc-csa.org/southflorida Caribbean, Empire States Dan Bathon.............World Sector Administrator Pedro & Laura Gordon & Theresa & Southeast) García-Bengochea ...........World Sector Leaders Office Phone #: 914-358-5416 Websites: www.acesonline.org www.trianglechurch.org Steve & Lisa Johnson ........World Sector Leaders John & Vivian Hanes ...........General Counsel & World Sector Administrator Bud & Kitty Chiles ....Geographic HOPE Leaders Samuel & Cynthia Powell .............Elder & WML Sheridan & Debbie Wright...........Elder & WML Steve & Leigh Kinnard..............Teacher & WML Sam & Geri Laing ...................Teacher & WML GEOGRAPHIC SECTOR LEADERS Herve & Janet Fleurant .................French Africa Damian & Karlene Jean-Baptiste .......Caribbean Samuel & Cynthia Powell ..............Empire State Steve & Kim Sapp .......................Southeast US Mike & Anne-Brigitte Taliaferro................Africa Randall & Rhonda Tinnin...................New York Dan & Cinnamon Conner ....................Campus Matthew & Stacy Fridley .........................Teens Administration & Teaching World Sector Office Phone #: 213-385-5434 Andy & Tammy Fleming....World Sector Leaders China World Sector Office Phone #: 425-867-1986 Websites: www.seattle.icoc.org www.hongkongcoc.org Scott & Lynne Green ........World Sector Leaders Don Lee..................World Sector Administrator GEOGRAPHIC SECTOR LEADERS KC & Margaret Chan ...........................Macau Philip & Pandora Lam......................Hong Kong Steve & Jane Chin................................Taiwan Tom & Denise Snyder...................Northwest US Commonwealth World Sector Office Phone #: 703-760-9222 Websites: www.dc.icoc.org www.icoc.org.uk/london Doug & Joyce Arthur........World Sector Leaders Jim & Donna Blough..................World Sector Administrator/ Elder & WML Mike & Terrie Fontenot.................Elder & WML Douglas & Vicki Jacoby ...........Teacher & WML GEOGRAPHIC SECTOR LEADERS Geordie & Paula Barham ...................Australia Dinesh & Caroline George.......................India John & Karen Louis ....................Southeast Asia Christopher & Jackie McGrath...................American Commonwealth Larry & Kim Reed.......American Commonwealth Harliem & Vania Salim...............Southeast Asia Fred & Emma Scott ..................United Kingdom Mark & Nadine Templer...........United Kingdom • www.icoc.org • www.kingdomnewsnet.org COVER.....................................Steven Kamifugi ART DESIGN ..................Creative Vision Graphics Kingdom News Network Jaime & Mimi De Anda ..................World Sector Administrator/ Elder & WML GEOGRAPHIC SECTOR LEADERS Andrew & Marianna Giambarba....Southern US Othon & Gabriela Neves........................Brazil Josue & Veronica Ortega .........Central America John & Barbara Porter..........................Southern South America Flavio & Renee Uribe..........................Northern South America Los Angeles Office Phone #: 213-385-5434 Website: www.losangeles.icoc.org Kip & Elena McKean ....Lead Evangelist & WML Keith Rose...............World Sector Administrator Al & Gloria Baird .......................Elder & WML Doug & Joanne Webber ..............Elder & WML Bruce & Robyn Williams ..............Elder & WML GEOGRAPHIC SECTOR LEADERS Steve & Jackie Gansert .........................Singles Rob & Connie Kosberg.........................East LA Jonathan Perkins & Karla Escobar ............Teens Ed & Karen Townsend .............Sierra Madre LA Media/Law World Sector Office Phone #: 213-385-5434 Websites: www.icoc.org www.kingdomnewsnet.org Ferguson .......................Teacher/Elder & WML Wyndham & Jeannie Shaw ..........Elder & WML GEOGRAPHIC SECTOR LEADERS Franck & Fabienne Descotes .....Western Europe Dean & Kim Farmer ..................Central Europe Chip & Ruby Mitchell ..........................Campus Jimmy & Maria Rogers ................New England Bob & Laurie Tranchell ..............European Edge Northern Federation World Sector Office Phone #: 213-385-5434 Websites: www.chicago.icoc.org www.online.ee/krist Marty & Chris Fuqua ........World Sector Leaders Tom McCurry ............World Sector Administrator Marty & Cathy Wooten ............Teacher & WML GEOGRAPHIC SECTOR LEADERS Sasha & Louisa Kostenko ......................Eurasia Mark & Connie Mancini......................Canada Gregg & Cathy Marutzky..............Heartland US Reese & Mary Kay Neyland....Nordic Countries Byron & Lauri Parson......................Midwest US Misha & Sasha Rakovshik......................Eurasia Nick & Debbie Young................Great South US Pacific Rim World Sector Office Phone #: 813-3460-4414 (from the U.S. dial 011) Websites: www.intlcc.com/tokyo www.intlcc.com/manila Frank & Erica Kim ............World Sector Leaders Chris Jacobs ............World Sector Administrator Greg & Shelley Metten ................Elder & WML Al & Gloria Baird ............World Sector Leaders John Bringardner ......World Sector Administrator, General Counsel ICOC Roger Lamb............World Sector Administrator, Director of Media David & Coleen Graham .........................AMS GEOGRAPHIC SECTOR LEADERS Middle East World Sector HOPE worldwide Office Phone #: 213-385-5434 Website: www.sandiego.icoc.org Kip & Elena McKean........World Sector Leaders Mike Mines.............World Sector Administrator GEOGRAPHIC SECTOR LEADERS Guillermo & Terry Adame.................San Diego Anthony & Saun Galang .........Inland Empire LA Mike & Dena Sanicola .......................South LA The NET World Sector Office Phone #: 650-259-0550 Website: www.upcyberdown.org Russ & Gail Ewell ............World Sector Leaders Vol. 7 Issue 4, June 2000 Copyright ©2000 by the Kingdom News Network. All rights are reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the permission of the editor and publisher. Published by the International Churches of Christ. LA Story and Kingdom News Network are registered trademarks of Kingdom News Network. International Churches of Christ is a service mark of the International Churches of Christ. HOPE worldwide, ltd. is a registered trademark of HOPE worldwide, ltd. Jim & Karen Baisch ..................Korea/SE Asia Russ & Gail Ewell ........US Pacific NW/Oceania Cesar & Jennifer Lopez ....................Philippines John & Barri Lusk................Rocky Mountain US Michitaka & Hiromi Sawamura ................Japan Office Phone #: 610-254-8800 Website: www.hopeww.org Bob & Pat Gempel..........World Sector Leaders Randy Jordan ........World Sector Administrator/ General Counsel Gerry Fredrick........................................CFO Michael Voligny....Vice-President of Development GEOGRAPHIC HOPE LEADERS Bud & Kitty Chiles ................................ACES Javier & Kelly Amaya ..Central & South America Dan & Elexa Liu......................................Asia Mohan & Helen Nanjundan ....Commonwealth Doug & Joanne Webber................Los Angeles Henry & Lanna Cramer ................Middle East Wyndham & Jeannie Shaw............NE/Europe Shawn & Lena Wooten......Northern Federation Mark & Patsy Remijan....................Pacific Rim Discipleship Publications International Office Phone #: 888-374-2665 Email: dpibooks@icoc.org Website: www.dpibooks.org Thomas Jones..............................Editor in Chief Sheila Jones..........Women’s & Children’s Editor Kelly Petre ..............................Associate Editor Dede Petre ..............Associate Children’s Editor Larry Wood ............................Manging Editor • 3530 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1750 • Los Angeles, CA 90010 • Phone (213) 385-5434 • Fax (213) 251- 4123