Making Disciples in L.A.

This is a mural found in Highland Park, a northeast neighborhood of Los Angeles. It has been called gangland. I find it fascinating that this picture shows Jesus in the hood. In reality Jesus’ disciples rarely do what is depicted in the painting…going out among the people. The church here in LA, like most everywhere else, prefers people to come to it.

Our calling is to go make disciples. 

Go…actually get in among the people. This is what we attempt to do every day. Luke 10 made it simple…go find the person of peace. They may be like the Buddhist in Chinatown we are getting to know. Or the Tattoo artist in Highland Park. People like these men would never go to church. 
Make disciples…not just share with them about what Jesus taught but teach them to actually do it. Today my son, a lady named Lori Smith and a young teen went around feeding and getting to know the homeless. The teen told me she and her family have not “found” a church. I explained we were the church out finding the lost today. 

On Thanksgiving day, Christmas day and New Years eve the church was out finding the lost. An evangelist in training named Paul, in a river wash, starting with a group of 35 people has grown to about 100 being discipled by a man who by his own words isn’t a very good Christian. He is a Vietnam vet who has recurring PTSD but when he honks his horn the people come from their hiding places to fellowship and eat. He has a friend named Richard who lives in the river wash has helped gather these people. Simply, organically the Gospel is being shared beside an underground river.

An underground church beside an underground river. Some of those gathering are struggling with addictions. Some are on parole. All need Jesus. Jesus is in the hood!

Now you too, go make disciples!

And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
(Luke 10:2-3 ESV)

-Kim Gasaway (Los Angeles)