One Year Later in Venice Beach

Venice Beach Center near the Boardwalk

Proverbs 16:9:  "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."  A verse in the Bible that means more to me than ever before.  I came to West Los Angeles over a year ago, with many plans in my heart.  Some of those plans came to pass, some didn't.  In other ways, those plans worked out...but not as I thought they would.  October 1st, marked exactly one year ago I moved to this city.  In this post, I wanted to summarize my 1st year here, and share what was on the horizon....

I hit the 6 month mark, of being a Personal Trainer at Gold's Gym on November 28th.  I have been privileged to work with a diversity of clients, even on an international level.  They have hailed everywhere from Poland, Mexico, England, Italy, Lebanon, and even Barcelona, Spain!  I have even been able to practice my Spanish again!  One of the clients from Mexico speaks no English at all, as a result we do every session in Spanish.

Over the past few months, I have completed the course and practice test for the NCCPT (National Council for Certified Personal Trainers).  Soon, I will be taking the exam for this certification.  My boss has encouraged us, to all endeavor to distinguish ourselves from one another.  To be able to provide a rotation of boot camps.  Every trainer, has their area of specialization.  Some have different certifications, for different areas of health and fitness.  I will be pursuing a third certification, to become a MMA Conditioning Specialist, through NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine).

Logo of the Institute

In February 2013, I will finally be ministering at Men's Central Jail in Downtown LA!  A few posts back, I mentioned TUMI (The Urban Ministry Institute).  They provide a seminary education free of charge, to those who sense a call to be pastors.  Please pray for this endeavor!

On Tuesday October 2nd, I returned to the Boys and Girls Club in Venice.  I would now be volunteering on a weekly basis, assisting the Athletic Director with the "Commit to be Fit" program.  The past couple months have been a blast!

Now, on to the status of the church plant!  In previous updates, I have shared about the team and our work together.  Our 3 month commitment in the park, ended on Sunday September 23rd.  It was then, I had to make some major decisions about changing up the leadership team, and taking a step back from the church plant.  Meanwhile, Jeff Shelp and I realized through this process, how like-minded in regards to ministry we were.  Jeff was raised in Venice Beach, and is as local as they come.  He has an incredible testimony.  His sphere of influence is on the beach, as he and his sons are avid surfers and skaters.  We are currently praying and planning together, the next steps of faith to take.  On Wednesday January 16, 2013, we are going to do a Bible study in Jeff's apartment...which is right on the boardwalk!  Jeff will be inviting local friends, as I will be inviting co-workers and members of the gym.  We are going back to the drawing board, and starting with a clean slate.  As the year goes on, we will see what the Lord does.  Lord willing, a church will emerge from this venture of faith.  Both Jeff and I, have a renewed sense of excitement and optimism! 

Apostle Paul Tent making

Truly, the Lord directs our steps in the midst of our plans.  Hindsight is 20/20.  This past year, I didn't always understand "why" the launch date of the church was green light, yellow light, red light.  The same can be said of the ministry in the jail, boys and girls club, "tent making" job, and leadership changes.  Planning is great and Biblical, but we need to be willing to altar those plans.  I can look back on this 1st year, with a smile on my face and sense of peace in my heart.  In the wisdom of God, this year hasn't been in vain, or a waste of time.  No, quite the opposite.  Through all the delays and postponing of dates, God was beautifully orchestrating things behind the scenes.  Los Angeles feels like home now, I have become established in the community.  I have formed relationships and friendships with co-workers and gym members, become more familiar with the culture, linked up with organizations like World Impact and TUMI.  On top of all this, I have met with, and formed relationships with other Lead/Senior Pastors in Venice and the surrounding areas.

"A MISSIONARY HEART CARES MORE THAN SOME THINK IS WISE; RISKS MORE THAN SOME THINK IS SAFE; DREAMS MORE THAN SOME THINK IS PRACTICAL; EXPECTS MORE THAN SOME THINK IS POSSIBLE."  So, here we go...Round 2!

By His Grace,

Eric