Updates from the Heart

Can you pass me that Bible?

February 4, 2004

Dear Heart of City friends!

The rain was falling and the wind blowing as churchgoers arrived for the service. The day was cold, but the building was warm and filled with energy. Children were playing and friends greeted one another. As the service started I realized one of the most beautiful aspects of a new church - the discovery of the Bible. As Nelson asked everyone to turn to John 15 in Spanish, and Edward translated into English, the crowd erupted into conversation and the turning of pages:

“Can you pass me that Bible?”
“Is John in the front or back of the book?”
“John is the book of the Bible after Luke.”
“It’s on page…”

As I looked over the audience, I was overwhelmed with joy to see 30 to 40 adults and children all discovering this book we call “The Bible.” During our time together, heads nodded, laughter erupted, and tears flowed. Our congregation was discovering the hope found in the pages of the Bible. They were discovering a God who cares enough to have made provision for them and acceptance into His Kingdom by way of His son Jesus.

Kellie, the kids and I are overwhelmed with joy to see the activity of God at work in the start of a new ministry called, “Proyecto Mi Familia,” and the restart of this historic church. In partnership with Edward Paulino, we continue to establish this work by the grace of God. In conjunction with the recently started radio ministry, five people made professions of faith over the course of a week! And there were several others the following week. It’s been fun to see the bilingual culture forming as people that speak Spanish or English learn to be the church together.

Recently, roof work has been started and the entire building re-carpeted. The restoration of this building has been a 3-year project of love, sweat and tears. God has provided, and thousands of volunteer hours have been given. As we look to the future, there are many challenges ahead, but we know that the fruit of the present is God’s way of preparing us for the future.

While April has been set as the official launch of the church, we have already seen tremendous growth from just a handful of people to over forty faithful who attend. Half of them live within walking distance of the church.

The McCord family is able to contribute through the generosity of folks like you and churches like yours. As we update you with this letter, our desire to establish the Heart of City Ministries as a ministry committed to the start and restart of urban ministries grows stronger. As we embark on our fourth year of ministry, we can see that much fruit has been produced, and now we see new fruit developing. However, we are still unclear as to the funding of the ministry. While we have scenarios and know that new strategies are needed, we are simply unsure.
We want to thank you for praying with us, and to thank those who have contributed financially beyond your initial commitment of three years. As God leads you to give, First Baptist of West Hollywood is still receiving contributions. We remain under the church’s supervision until the plan for our next phase is established. What we are clear about is this: God has given us the same house and the same neighborhood for a reason. We believe that only God could have arranged this and that He is at work in the heart of this neighborhood. While we desire to participate in church starts in other cities, we sense that our long-term place is here.

Just this past week we discovered that the median home price in San Francisco requires twice our income, and that the city continues to resist organized church. But we know that the power of God’s love is greater than these obstacles, so we remain in Him believing that He has something special for our lives and our neighbors’ lives. Would you pray that God would not only provide the resources, but also that others would join us? We need followers of Jesus who are mature in Him and would chose to travel the harder route for the sake of the Kingdom.

Thank you for believing in us and with us! Together we are experiencing the opportunities for mission work in our own cities!

Kel and the kids are doing well. Hannah is beginning to verbalize her perspective on life. Chase loves life and all the more when he can climb and throw a ball. Kayla is learning to read, write and bead. Kellie is running the house, the children’s ministry and shepherding the emerging group of women at the church. Our family is healthy and glad to serve together.

We always enjoy receiving updates from you. Our hope is that 2004 has begun as a year of great possibilities and opportunities in your life.

With love in Christ,



The McCords

posted by Ken McCord @ 6:14 PM