I am currently in Cincinnati, Ohio for a conference along with Opeyemi and Joe and one of my professors from school who is speaking there.

We arrived yesterday after a drive of about 5 hours. It was a very enjoyable journey. We had a rare privilege of interracting deeply with Dr John Fuder, my professor of Urban Ministry at Moody on various subjects.

The conference we are at is called The Christian Community Development Association Conference. This is a conference of practitioners in wholistic city ministries ministering to needy communities all around the world. There are thousands of attendees of every race and color and we  had a muticultural worship session at the beginning of the conference yesterday led by a multicultural worship team. That was the first time I would see Joe dance and sing in praise and worship! I had always suspected he had the potential!!

We are learning about how to change communities. The founder of the movement Dr. John Perkins whose books I have been reading is a 76 year old black man. He began the movement 20 years ago and now it is sweeping the nation. You can learn more about it here www.ccda.org. You can follow my updates on the trip here on twitterhttp://twitter.com/pastorlan

I will be helping Dr Fuder and another friend Andy Marin with their new book launch and signings at CCDA. The books are below. Please get a copy of each if you can. We continue the sessions today and will be back in Chicago by Friday morning.

I just wanted to give a little update on some happenings since last week when I last communicated . God has been working greatly in so many ways. His name be praised.

1. After CCDA

Through CCDA the conference we attended in Ohio last week, God has birthed divine ideas, relationships and budding partnerships that will be very instrumental in fulfilling our mission of spreading lights into the dark places of our city. In the following weeks, I will be meeting with several leaders of some ministries in Chicago that we met at the conference to strategize on strategic partnership to reach the city. I am looking forward to that.

2. Mayor Daley’s Faith Based-Initiative Office Tour

This Friday,, November 6,  I will enjoy the privilege of being included in a tour being conducted by the Chicago Mayor’s office of several sites in the city where Christian community development and renewal activities are taking place. We will be in Englewood, Roseland, and Altgeld Gardens in Riverdale. We will be at the Agape center were the boy was shot recently. The tour will be with officials from the mayor’s office, Moody Radio, and Moody Bible Institute Staff and Students. I plan to go with a few from CityLight. The tour will start at 9am and end at 3pm. The goal is for the city to establish long term partnerships with these ministries and recruit students from colleges to serve in these sites in order to address societal decay problems.

3. Joint GQs

We had our first-of-its-kind joint Club GQ (God Quest) on Friday October 30th. It was a wonderful time of sharing, praying and fellowship. It carried a unique anointing. From now we will have on the last Friday of every month.

4. MMoG

Thanks to Tim Olusanya, MMoG, our men’s group at CityLight had and outing at UIC this weekend and it was a wonderful time of fellowship. We were spreading the light through pool. Some pictures are below. My family also had a great time as we were hosted at Tim and Deola’s house with a branching at Cletus and Ivy’s place for a heavy dose of pounded yam on Saturday evening that totally knocked me out after the meal! It was fun!!

5. KidzCity

Thanks to Mark Ihimoyan and his team, I had my first bus ride with KidzCity, our outreach to kids,  in a familiarization outing  we had with some of the kids in their ministry  on Sunday afternoon. It was a pleasure and a wonderful privilege to be with these wonderful kids, leaders of tommorow and God’s kingdom manifestations in little bodies. We had fun eating ourselves full at OCB, while chatting on various themes. Some pictures are bel

More Pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/theCityLight/KidzCityOuting?feat=directlink

6. CitiReach

I barged into a CitiReach meeting after our internal board meeting on Saturday and it was great to hear of their plans for outreach and skill development for the people we are minstering to at the Door of Hope. I was also hinted about a new initiative by Mark Jackson’s to Launch an entertainment outreach to residents of Matthews House called, “Idle Time Entertainment.”  They haven’t  permitted me to get the full details but I’m waiting expectantly and prayerfully to see that blossom. May be I can resume my rapping career that I’ve neglected for 15 years or so, if I’m permitted!!

7.CitiPraise

Well, we had another eating out two weekends ago with CitiPraise,  (I’m sure by now you know that I’m enjoying this pastor thing. It’s the most exciting job on earth- especially with all the eating that comes with it. It is a sign of Christlikeness!!!Jesus was always eating everywhere with people everywhere that they said..”the son of man came eating and drinking…). It was a fun outing with some of the members of CitiPraise that were able to make it.

8. Thanksgiving Miracle Service

On Thanksgiving Sunday, we will be having a miracle service in church, tagged, “Possibilities.” This service will be an opportunity to witness the miracle- working power of God change situations in our lives. Our guest minister will be Major Moyo Akin-Ojo, a man of God anointed with unusual demostrations of the miraculous for the lifting of God’s people.

9. GQ

We will begin our studies of our rights, privileges, possessions and position in Christ this week at bthe GQ’s. Get ready for an explosion of revelation. Invite friends

10. Partnership With Kennicott Park

God granted CityLight the privilege of partnering with Chicago Park District, Kennicott Park and other community organizatios for a dinner for the homeless this thanksgiving at the park. CityLight will be playing a major part in this as our bus, volunteers and other resources will be utilized in facilitating it. Opeyemi has a planning meeting today with the planning group. We are looking forward to this expectantly. We had been praying for such open doors of partnership with the park. God led Opeyemi to take a bold step and discuss with the head of the Park District and she was enthused. We are looking to get involved in their other programs for the community.

11. Roseland Women’s Shelter’s Outreach

We will be out again to the Roseland Shelter to minister to the women and children there on Saturday, November 14th, using a new  God-inspired format suggested by Sister Joyce McGhee. All onboard!

12. Personal

As most of you know, Debo and I do have a ministry stewardship committed to us for the Body of Christ apart from CityLight to help believers, churches and organizations maximize their potentials in Christ. This is through books, media, personal appearance, consultancy, networking, leadership training etc. I had this aspect of the call in suspension through the initial stages of CityLight but in recent times, I have been hearing the Spirit nudging me that we will be getting more involved in this aspect of the call. In recent days, I have received invitations to Canada, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria. We need wisdom on how to handle this aspect of the ministry.  Please pray for us.

Also we will be half-relocating to live in the city of Chicago within a month. Please pray for us that the whole process goes smoothly by His hand.

Also Please Pray,

a. For the continued orchestrations of divine partnerships for CityLight in the city and for  them to come to pass

b. For the tour with the Mayor’s office to go smoothly and that God’s end for it to come to pass

c. For the GQ’s in various places this week. Pray for a move of the Spirit, authentic fellowship, developing leadership, effecting witness to the community they are located in and for growth of the members. Pray for wisdom and grace for the leaders.

d. Pray for KidzCity for more resources, help and wisdom as they reach out to kids in the neighborhood.

e. Pray for the upcoming outreach to Roseland Shelter

f. Pray for the upcoming Miracle Service, “Possibilities”.

I love you all and I thank you for your partnership in the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Follow my updates on twitter http://twitter.com/pastorlan

]]> http://thecitylight.org/live/november-2009/feed/ 0 http://thecitylight.org/live/welcome/ http://thecitylight.org/live/welcome/#comments Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:00:43 +0000 admin http://thecitylight.org/live/?p=1 Welcome.