Church of Hollywood Launch
With our transition back to South Florida we have had many questions. In our heart of hearts we knew that God was moving us for a new season of ministry and learning.
This Sunday, we received a glimpse of why we came back. Around 8AM we arrived with a team of people to begin setting up the performing arts center for our 10AM service. The day beautiful, our start team excited and all of the set up was complete without a hitch.
As we prayed for God’s blessing on the morning, we were prepared for whatever the “nets” of prayer and planning brought that morning. As we began to welcome people we realized that a sea of unknown faces began to pour into the building. A family with children, young people, old people, and most beautiful of all was the diversity of people social economically and culturally. They kept coming in! A good friend of mine told me “Ken you should have seen the picture outside, people were walking towards the performing arts center from every direction. Just as you dreamed.” You see the most beautiful piece to the puzzle for me was that the response was local.
My redeemer lives was our first song. As it ended, I was up to welcome the crowd. I jumped on stage and looked out at an auditorium full of people that I did not know. Filled with emotion I welcomed them. After a few words I went on to explain who we were and why we were here. I explained that amongst a group of some 25 start members that a bunch of us were “Hollywood Kids” who have felt a burden to return home and start a church. The crowd roared! We realized at that moment that God was giving us a glimpse of His moving and power. That day we worshiped, got to know each other and heard a message about the resurrection from Guy Melton. At the end of the day we gave thanks to God as over 350 people came and some 20 people filled out cards stating that they were ready to place their faith in Jesus.
Thank you for having a part in this! You as a friend, a prayer partner and a supporter have believed in the vision to return to cities. Our first stop in San Francisco confirmed our call and future, as we were able to learn about cities, while sowing seeds amongst our neighbors and friends in San Francisco. Returning to South Florida has proven to be a once in a life time event, as it is the ONLY place in America that Kellie and I together with a band of other Hollywood kids could return to a place called home.
Amazingly enough over the course of the past two months we discovered that being from the soil of Hollywood, natives, has played a vital part in our preparations, communication and the response to the start. The political and economic figures have all welcomed us with open arms as returning “Hollywood Kids”. This area has gone for decades without a glimpse of a new start.
Kel and my role with the church start is catalytic and strategic. The next year will be an exciting adventure as we watch God grow His church on the streets of Hollywood. The team truly desires that the Church of Hollywood would be local to Hollywood while releasing others to live, love and be the church amongst pockets of people all around South Florida.
For Kel and I our dream is two fold, to help others start churches up and down the coast from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami while also living in an urban neighborhood on mission with God as we have done in San Francisco. While living in Downtown Hollywood is essential to this season, we are praying for a pocket of people and a housing opportunity that would enable us to be a part of community development closer to Downtown Miami.
Thank you for praying! While we know that next week, God will begin to raise out of the crowd a nucleus that will emerge as the Church of Hollywood, we are so excited to have seen the favor towards God here. As we take the next steps we are praying that Faith Communities would emerge from the crowds, locally in homes and in the neighborhoods of Hollywood. For now we celebrate a journey begun!
Many blessings! More to come. Kenny
posted by Ken McCord @ 6:01 PM
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