Our mission at Bel Air Presbyterian Church is “Making LA the Greatest City for Christ”.  Part of the reason we took the Embrace LA trip was to start to figure out how we can accomplish this mission.  Here are thoughts from the students on how we can accomplish our mission:

  • Everyone at our church should go on this trip to see LA, to see what you need to do for yourself to come to certain understandings.  Maybe we can make a weekend Embrace LA trip part of the requirements for membership.  Then in 20 years, most of our members would have an idea of what LA is really like.
  • LA needs better public transportation.  Our city is so spread out that people don’t leave their bubbles.  Better public transportation would enable better community throughout the city.
  • Investing in one another and investing in other churches and organizations.
  • Our church members need tangible ways to make LA the greatest city for Christ – maybe at the end of every sermon Pastor Mark could give a different task each week to encourage the congregation with something specific.
  • Make LA affordable so that people can live and have a decent income.  Make the economy more viable so that people do not have to live with the stress.
  • We need to look at micro-economics.  If the rich and the powerful in our city spent as much on the city as they do on themselves, I’m pretty sure we’d see a major change relatively quickly.
  • God is rising up people to serve – it has been put on their hearts to serve.  We need to listen and see and find out where our talents and what we have can make a difference.
  • If people spent more time loving each other and building relationships it would be so much better.  We need to talk to one another and open ourselves up.  We need to be able to walk in different neighborhoods and relate to people, instead of feeling anxious or uncomfortable.
  • We need to get out of Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, etc.  We need to get into these other communities and spend time with others.  Everyday is a mission – get out of your neighborhood.
  • Make a bigger effort to reach out to the people who are homeless.  Break away from the Pleastanville-ness of our lives.  Openness, happiness and respectfulness.
  • Loving people and feel like you can go into a neighborhood and not be scared.
  • When we raise millions for a new building project, how about we build it downtown or somewhere else?  Or have a one-for-one model where we raise enough to build something here and in another part of the city.
  • We think of church as one place, but its not.  Church is a community.  We don’t need all these things – we need community.

The Embrace LA team will revisit these ideas in our final team meeting at the end of August.  Look for an update on our Pay it Forward project then.