Thursday, May 28, 2009

The numbers you've been waiting for...

We realize this prayer guide has left many of you in suspense. After all the requests we posted leading up to our dinner you probably expected to hear about the financial outcome of the evening. And now, at last, we're happy to give you that report.

At the end of the night, 115 individuals had made first-time financial gifts. These included college students, retirees, local families, members of our own church, friends from other churches, well-established professionals, recently unemployed professionals and just-getting-started young adults. Many of our longstanding supporters also made significant gifts or pledges.

Rejoice with us that God is raising up a team of neighborhood-builders! And pray that God will weave together each of our gifts, knowledge, resources, connections and creativity to make lasting changes in this place.


guests who attended our dinner: 282
donations made: $27,427
pledges for the coming year: $21,102
matching grant from Mission Increase Foundation: $15,000

the grand total: $63,529

Consolations and Desolations


This past Friday our family received the phone call we've waited for with heavy hearts. Richard's father, who was diagnosed three years ago with a terminal illness, was in respiratory distress. He died just minutes before Richard arrived at his house.

It was in November 2006 that we learned Richard's dad had a disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, usually referred to as ALS. He fought a courageous battle to preserve his strength and independence, gifting us with far more time than we expected to have with him. He cuddled Abigail during her first weeks of life, completed a detailed family history in time for Christmas, and celebrated this Mother's Day with Richard's sister and her children. If you have ever appreciated Richard Jr.'s love for travel, biking, hiking, Tuolomne Meadows, grilled salmon, or spagatinni primavera you've seen some of what Richard Sr. passed on to him. If you have ever seen Richard Jr. remodel a house, manage a project or do anything related to Excel then you've glimpsed a little part of Richard Sr.'s genius. And if you've seen Jordan or his cousins batting, catching or pitching then you've seen yet another part of their grandpa's legacy.

In the midst of being thankful for Richard Sr.'s life, we already miss the moments we won't get to share in the coming years. And this time of grief arrived just as we set our hands to the work of increasing our neighborhood impact. Please pray for Richard, and the whole Parks family. In the words of the prayer below, ask God to help us to be gentle, walk slowly, and pause often.

Celtic Night Prayer
Be gentle with the one
who walks with grief.
If it is you,
be gentle with yourself.
Swiftly forgive,
walk slowly, pausing often...

Take time, be gentle
as you walk with grief.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Hearts Overflowing

On Saturday night we saw God answer every prayer that we have asked you to offer over the last two weeks. Really, every single one. And a few that we didn't think to ask. Our musical trio played exquisitely. The floral centerpieces were beautiful, the food was delicious and the electronics all worked the way they were supposed to. Our emcee was winning and the Streetlamp Studio cast delivered a stirring performance. We could go on and on. Over the next few days we'll share more details for those of you who prayed but could not attend. But just one story for today, one that captures the extravagant gifts of time and talent that we experienced from our partners this weekend:

After any large event, there is always that picture you wish you had taken. Our friend Stephanie took pictures throughout the dinner and captured many great moments. But we doubt anyone thought to record one of our dearest memories of the evening. A few weeks ago we handed out cards at church listing volunteer roles that people could sign up for. Along with greeters, musicians, and AV technicians there was a checkbox for "flag wavers" to guide people into the off-site parking structure. It's one of those jobs that's a little delicate to recruit for. Asking a friend to play live classical music is one thing. Asking him or her to wave flags is something you want to consider more carefully. As it turned out, one member of our church family valiantly checked that box. Our dinner coordinator made two hand-sewn flags for him (after seeing that the store-bought version cost $30 each) and on Saturday evening our friend Andrew took up his post on Figueroa Blvd. As guests arrived, Andrew's red flags guided them to their complimentary parking spots. He played his role diligently, and it may well be a few days before he's able to lift his arms again.

From the moment we saw that checkmarked reply card we felt especially blessed by Andrew's servanthood. But that appreciation has continued to grow. As the dinner ended Richard was approached and thanked many times. And guess what specific part of the evening people went out of their way to mention? Over and over he kept hearing about how welcoming our greeters were and ESPECIALLY how helpful it was to have Andrew there at the parking entrance. We later found out that random motorists actually stopped to ask Andrew what the special event was. To appreciate this you have to realize that Figueroa is a major street running between the USC campus on one side and a huge basketball arena on the other. There are ALWAYS events happening here, generally much larger than ours. But apparently the sight of a friendly, young, white guy waving flags turned heads.

Mother Theresa says, "We can do no great things. Only small things with great love." This weekend we were witnesses to God's people doing many, many small things with great love. Love for the kids in our community, love for God's kingdom, and love for our own family. Our hearts are full to overflowing.

Since we don't have a photo of Andrew waving flags,
here is one from the last time we asked him for a favor.

This is Andrew at Isaiah's third birthday party in March:


Friday, May 15, 2009

Dinner Prayers: Let the celebration begin!

Next Wednesday is the Parks 8th anniversary. Every Spring around this time we reminisce about the stressful and giddy days leading up to our wedding. This year those memories were especially vivid as we addressed invitations, tallied RSVP's, designed programs, made catering arrangements, and labored over all the other dinner details you have faithfully prayed for.

There comes a point in the wedding process when details cease to matter. The flowers, cake and seating chart fade into the background of family gathered and vows exchanged. This dinner is a lesser event, so we are in fact still thinking about many details. Richard is upstairs timing his remarks as this is posted. But a shift is still happening as we end the planning stage and anticipate the good friends and good stories we will enjoy tonight.

When I asked the Streetlamp Studio team for prayer requests they told me they wanted their performance to usher in a spirit of worship. This seems like a good prayer for today. We firmly believe that closing liquor stores, tutoring kids and raising money are all things we do in Jesus' name. But the act of remembering, giving thanks for and celebrating God's goodness is our highest calling. May we enter into that with joyful abandon tonight!

Dinner Prayers: Master of Ceremonies

Days to the Dinner: 1
Final RSVP count: 275
(The house is full! God answered your prayers!)

This morning Richard is meeting with our emcee for the evening, Bob Gay. We first connected with Bob when he shared his political connections with us during our bid to purchase Engine House #18 from the city. Since then, he has been a wonderful friend and mentor to Richard, and two weeks ago he accepted a position on RCP's board.

Bob has an extremely diverse background, which includes working as senior deputy to an LA city councilmember (serving our district), fundraising for Promise Keepers, and currently leading men's ministries for Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood. His wisdom and encouragement have been invaluable during our period of growth and transition. We are thrilled to have Bob joining the RCP team in a more formal way, and especially grateful for the role he will play at our dinner.

Please pray for Bob today.
For his preparation, for protection from sickness and harm, for God to guide him as he leads our guests through the program tomorrow, and for great joy as he serves.

Please also continue to pray for all those details we've shared in previous posts!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Dinner Prayers: What Money Can Buy Part III

Days to the Dinner: 2
Today's RSVP count:
274

Streetlamp Studio, our three-year-old community theater company, has no paid staff. So the monetary pricetag on their productions is fairly astounding.

When Justice and Peace Kiss: $300
REEL Joy film-making project: $600

Right now what that money buys is fliers, snacks and a space to hold the shows in. Everything else, the instruction, mentoring, rehearsing, editing, and directing has been a gift to our local youth, offered by talented artists with their own busy lives.

What money COULD buy is more focused time from some of these wonderful folk. Even one or two part-time positions would facilitate a much deeper investment in youth as well as more productions and stronger partnerships within the community. Paid staff would also bring much-needed stability to the team, and alleviate some of the strain for those who give up sleep and personal time to bring these productions to life.

Take this week for example: Jenny Hall, our Streetlamp Studio director, held a birthday party for her two-year-old twins, made all the final preparations for the performance on Saturday, and for a brief period (this is her own words), "completely lost my mind." As a full-time mother of two Jenny has much more talent and vision than she has time. Pray that our dinner guests will see the beauty and potential in our youth's artistic endeavors. And pray that God will raise up committed financial supporters to help this work grow.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Dinner Prayers: Every Detail Part III

Days to the Dinner: 3
Today's RSVP count: 266


Yesterday was a flurry of activity. Susan (our dinner coordinator) mapped out our thirty tables and where each guest will be seated. Jenny led the dress rehearsal for Streetlamp Studio's performance. Richard created detailed program notes for our emcee. Lauren followed up with Adventures Ahead parents who will be speaking and welcoming guests on Saturday. Anna found someone to watch the boys, and maybe even something to wear.

We've listed some new details for you to pray through today. We would especially appreciate prayers of protection over all the people with responsibilities for the night. The Parks family spent Sunday night at the urgent care getting Jordan's arm x-rayed. It was a good reminder of the kind of misshap we hope God will protect us from this week, and in this instance he did. We gave glory to God on two counts yesterday: 1) No call from the radiologist (= no fracture) and 2) Our boy played four innings of t-ball! His only concession to the injury was skipping the high fives at the end of the game. So keep praying for us, and here's that list of details...

Audiovisual team:

sound, slides and film, setup, transportation
Ihi, Richard and USC technicians
Today Richard will try to arrange a time for Ihi to familiarize herself with the room and equipment we'll be using.


Table decorations:
Mo Beith

Food Service
Aramark Catering will be serving lemon rosemary chicken and peppercorn crusted ribeye along with equally mouthwatering salads and desserts. One of the challenges of such a large group is serving the main course efficiently so people don't have to wait for their meal. The caterer has estimated 35-40 minutes. You can pray for this to go even more quickly!

Hosting a sleepover for Jordan and Isaiah:
Tim and Caroline Sato

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Dinner Prayers: Every Detail Part II

Days to the Dinner: 4
Today's RSVP Count: 252


Thank you everyone who is praying over our details! Yesterday we found the final greeters that we needed and got some helpful input on our program from Mission Increase. One of our Adventures Ahead parents has already prepared her testimony and Lauren will meet with the second one today.

Below is a second list of people/tasks/materials you can pray over. Since there are so many, we'll give you even more tomorrow!


Musicians:

Jim Cornell (guitar), Jen Lo (flute), Christy Louie (piano)

Program Speakers and Performers:
Bob Gay (emcee), Kevin Blue (invocation and welcome), Jean Welcome and Trancito Arriaza (offering testimonies about Adventures Ahead), Lauren Tigrett (introducing Adventures Ahead), Jenny Hall and Streetlamp Studio cast (performing pieces from past When Justice and Piece Kiss shows), Maria Esther Hernandez (offering her testimony about community-building), Susie Gonzalez (translator), Jamal Hopes and Dami'on Horsley (performing original poetry), Richard Parks (presenting RCP's vision), Matt Bates (presenting Mission Increase matching grant)

Printed Materials:
Programs, nametags, response cards, placecards, table cards
Theresa Crooks, our designer, is finishing up the program as you read this.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Dinner Prayers: Every Detail

Days to the dinner: 5
Today's RSVP count:
245

When Isaiah first learned to pray before meals he made it his practice to bless each food item individually. "Thank you Jesus for the carrots and the pizza and the milk and the chips"...etc. His grammy interrupted once to remind him about the salad and he informed her he was NOT thankful for that particular item.

Unlike Isaiah, we are thankful for EVERY person, EVERY electronic device, EVERY piece of printed material and EVERY plate of food that will be part of our evening. Will you take the next two days to pray like a three-year-old? Thank God specifically and ask his blessing over each physical detail of our event. So many small things must come together for us to tell our story well. Think about the impact that just one defective cable or printing error or speaker illness could have...then ask for God's protection over all of it! Here is a list you can start with:

Table Hosts:
Greg and Kathy Strand, Rob and Jamie Knauss, Susan and Wayne Aoki, Shola Giwa, Sarah Lee, Sharonne Hapuarachy, Joan and Andrew Kong, Jim and Carol Tyberg, Justin and Ali Lowe, Heather Fong and Jessica Low, Rich and Ellen Hume, Dr. Nancy Briggs, Viann and Courtney Duncan, Arthur Goh and Eddie Ko, Jenny Hall, Darrin and Renae Kishimoto, Mike and Becky Still, Anne and Gary Wu, Rob and Suzanne Filback
Pray for their final follow-up efforts and confirmations from each of their guests!

Hospitality Volunteers:
15-20 people who will wave flags in front our parking lot, guide people to the Galen Center, greet people as they enter and staff the registration table. We're still recruiting the last of these!

Media:
Adventures Ahead slideshow, "Making of REEL Joy" video

Electronics:
Laptop, LCD projector, keyboard, speaker system, microphones, screens

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Dinner Prayers: What Money Can Buy Part II

Days to the Dinner: 6
Today's RSVP count: 239

When the Parks family moved onto Brighton Avenue, one of the first people we met was our neighbor Cliff. Cliff had a vision for gating off the alley that ran behind our homes, which had long served as an entry point for drug-dealing, prostitution, burglaries and drive-by shootings. It didn't take him long to win us over to the idea. So in 2004, Richard and Cliff joined forces in what would be a 4-year endeavor to get this alley closed. They recruited our neighbor Manuel to go door-to-door with them, interviewing residents and collecting signatures. They obtained a letter of support from the LAPD based on crime reports in and around the alley. They requested and received financial support from our Neighborhood Council. And they testified before the LA city council. Then two years later they went through the entire process again due to frustrating bureaucratic delays. While waiting for this second round of approvals our neighbor Cliff moved away. But Richard and Manuel continued the work. On April 17th the gates were finally installed, and the next day we hosted a BBQ to celebrate. Our neighbors were effusive in their thanks to Richard and Manuel, and eagerly made plans for a block club that would continue to work on public safety issues. They want to see speed bumps, better lighting, landscape improvements and community volunteer days to paint homes for people in need. Money CANNOT buy the kind of teamwork, persistence and creativity that's happening on our block. But money DID buy the many hours of guidance and strategizing that Richard was able to provide. By reducing his "day job" down to halftime, he's been able to put in the time it takes to keep a process like this moving. He's also helping our neighbors learn to navigate the city's complex bureaucracy. The result in this case is a gated alley and a diverse group of residents fired up to build a better neighborhood!

As you pray for our dinner today, pray specifically that God would provide for our community-building initiatives. This part of our work is absolutely essential if we are to create a safe, healthy, opportunity-rich environment. But it is also the most difficult part of our ministry to fund. Pray that those who attend our dinner will be moved both to give and to pray toward long-term, community-wide change.

Pictures from the first gathering of our new block club!


Saturday, May 9, 2009

Dinner Prayers: What Money Can't Buy

Day to the Dinner: 7
Today's RSVP count: 226


So money is critical to RCP's work in the neighborhood. It pays for staff salaries, computer upgrades, curriculum materials, air conditioning, field trips, snacks, prizes, toner cartridges, insurance policies and art supplies. But the Kingdom Magic that we yearn for, lives transformed by God, cannot be purchased. It comes only through the love, sacrifice and prayers of God's people. One of the greatest conduits of grace that God has given our neighborhood is Lauren Tigrett, our Adventures Ahead program director for the last four years. Lauren's love for the kids in our program is resolute and unfailing. No amount of money could purchase her ability to see each child's potential, her constant availability, her patient listening, and her creative approaches to keeping each child motivated. And even if money could buy these things, it would certainly be much much more than she sees in her monthly check! A wonderful gift Lauren has brought to our program recently is a new focus on science and math. In Lauren's "former life" at the University of Texas she trained as a mechanical engineer. She has a personal love for math, computers, technology and the scientific method that she is passing on to our kids! This summer, thirty grade-schoolers will attend "Sky's the Limit", a full-day science camp where kids will learn all about flight technology. Lauren is already hard at work to prepare lessons, experiments and field trips.

As you pray for our dinner today, please pray specifically for Lauren's role. This January we increased her position from halftime to three-quarters time. We would love to have her working full-time with our kids, and eventually training others to open new program sites in our neighborhood. Pray that the photos and testimonies we share will help our dinner guests see how deeply blessed the Adventures Ahead families are by Lauren's work. And pray that new donors, volunteers, and intercessors will emerge from the evening to help us expand Lauren's impact.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Dinner Prayers: What Money Can Buy

Days to the Dinner: 8
Today's RSVP count:
221

When we pray for God to bless this dinner we're really praying for the partnerships we hope to see grow. And while we hope these partnerships will include financial support, this too is only a means to an end. So as you pray for our dinner today, ask God to bring about the actual end we are trying to accomplish: A safe, healthy, opportunity-rich environment where children and youth can thrive.

How does money relate to this?
Our Adventures Ahead program provides year-round tutoring and enrichment activities for 30 grade-school children. Children who are behind in reading by multiple grade levels are catching up. Children who think they hate math are discovering they are good at it. Children who face tremendous obstacles to college readiness are spending regular time with university students. Parents are getting help to find charter and magnet schools for their kids. Our annual cost per child is $3563. Here is where those resources come from...

registration fees paid by families: $80
grant money: $495

donated rent for our facility: $800

gifts from individuals and churches: $2188


Pray that every one of our Adventures Ahead kids will thrive this year. Not just academically, but physically, socially and spiritually. And where $2188 can make a difference pray that God will raise up donors to supply it!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Dinner Prayers: Match Match!

Days to the Dinner: 9
Current RSVP Count: 216

When our boys Jordan (5) and Isaiah (3) observe two things that are alike they like to shout out "match match!" The "match match-es" in our lives include people wearing the same color shirt, dogs of the same breed, and Bob the Builder memory game cards.

We just received an exciting piece of news from the Mission Increase Foundation. Their board believes in RCP's mission and has agreed to "match match" all new gifts that are made at our dinner, up to $15,000. Over the past year we have been attending training seminars with this organization and implementing many of their principles and strategies. We are grateful for all the ways they've invested in RCP, and honored to receive this grant. Please pray that we will receive the full amount and more!

Dinner Prayers: Translating the Heart

Days until the dinner: 10
Today's RSVP count: 203

When our friend Maria Esther agreed to share her testimony we immediately started to think and pray about the right translator. We wanted someone who could translate not just her words, but her heart. We decided we wanted a woman to translate, and someone who shares Maria Esther's faith in God as Redeemer and Deliverer. We first asked a friend from church and she could not because of a scheduling conflict. We continued our search. It would be great, we thought, to find someone who is also a mother, who lives in our community and understands what it is like to feel the threat of violence close to home.

Yesterday we believe God provided exactly the right person! Our dear friend Susie Gonzalez has lived in our neighborhood since she was a young girl, has three kids of her own, speaks English and Spanish fluently and has a wonderfully warm presence. Please pray specifically for Susie and Maria Esther today. They will be meeting with Richard on Friday night to prepare. Pray for God's blessing and protection over each them during the coming week.

Dinner Prayers: Our Storytellers

Current RSVP Count: 196
Thank you to everyone who is praying for a full house!


One of the big things God has provided is many talented and dedicated volunteers who will be part of our program. Our desire is to passionately proclaim the story of God's redeeming love, as it plays out right here in our own streets, schools and doughnut shops. Please pray specifically today for our story-tellers:

1) For God to lead them in their preparation
2) For God to protect them from sickness, distraction and harm and
3) For God to bless them with the joy of his presence.

Jenny Hall
Jenny is directing a cast of readers, musicians and dancers to recreate some greatest hits from Streetlamp Studio's When Justice and Peace Kiss productions. She will be using two pieces written by our own youth, Jamal and Dami'on. She is also weaving in themes from a storytelling session she led for a small group of youth and adults from Church of the Redeemer.

Maria Esther Hernandez
Maria lives near the corner of Kenwood and 30th and has been leading her neighbors in community-building for over 10 years. She has agreed to share a moving testimony of how Christian neighbors banded together to advocate for justice on behalf of her family. She told Richard last night, "I have SO MUCH to share." We are so grateful for the ways God has worked through Maria's courage and determination, and so grateful for her willingness to tell the story publicly.

Richard Parks
Richard will be telling the story of our 17-year partnership with Tom and Rose Roark as he presents them with our "Friend on the Journey" award. Our tutoring program could not exist in it's present form without their overwhelmingly generous support. He will also be telling the story of how God is leading us forward, and how each person's partnership can make a difference in this community.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Dinner Prayers: A Full House

"A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests." Luke 14:15

Our benefit and awards dinner is just 12 days away. God has provided abundantly in arenas both great and small.

Our fervent prayer today is that God will fill the house on May 16th. Our RSVP deadline was Friday (5/1) , and so far we have 155 confirmed guests. We have received funding to serve up to 300 guests and we still hope to fill every one of these seats with current and potential partners. Please pray for our table hosts to have good conversations with those they have invited. And pray that God will draw in many of those who are still considering.