Across The Nation
600 Children Attend Life Church Summerfest!
When we moved from Colorado to California, it did not take long for us to notice the difference in the two communities. We would soon discover that the ministries and programs that worked in Colorado would not necessarily be effective in our new city.
After launching our church plant, Life Church in Concord, we were ready to see how the Lord would lead us to reach out and serve the families in our new community.
We had many months of discussion on how we could offer a Vacation Bible School. Most models of VBS are structured for half days, usually from 9:00 a.m. to noon or for a few hours in the evening from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. We knew that neither of those models would meet the need in our community. Concord is a bedroom community in the Bay Area of Oakland and San Francisco. The most common scenario here is both parents working in order to afford the high cost of living, and for many their commute is at least two hours a day. We could not offer three hours of VBS in the morning because the parents could not pick up their children at noon. It would also be too frustrating to get children to the church by 6:00 p.m. after a long day; plus, that would take away from precious family time. Initially we found ourselves doing the only thing we could do . . . nothing.
This dilemma was always at the back of my mind as I contemplated a solution. One day as I was driving home from running countless errands, I approached another church on a corner. From a distance I could see a banner that read “Day Camp, Free for All.” At that moment I exclaimed to the Lord, “What a brilliant idea!” and was silently bummed that He had not revealed it to me first! But as I got closer to the banner, I found that my aging eyes had misread the sign. It actually read “Day Camp, Fun for All.” As I continued my way home the Lord opened my eyes and unfolded a plan for an outreach to bless the families in our area. We would host an all-day camp – for free!
In our area, full-time child care for a week during the summer can be quite expensive. If a family has more than one child, the costs really add up. So we knew the camp had to be all day and free to really make a difference for families. For this reason, we decided to run an all-day camp, which we would call Summerfest, for a full week from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Summerfest started out small but has expanded every year. Each day includes a chapel time with great speakers who weave in the gospel message in captivating and compelling ways. The kids also get to choose from a variety of fun and exciting electives in which to be involved. The electives give them the opportunity to customize their experience in a way they will love and won’t want to miss. We have 25 elective classes ranging from things such as cake boss (based on the television show), painting, sports, Hot Wheels, Boy Scouts, wacky science, and dance. The list goes on and on. Feature guests include community servants such as police officers and firemen, animal acts, jugglers, and local theater groups who perform for us. These make for a full, fun day! We call it VBS on steroids!
The passage the Lord challenged us with is John 21:5-6:
[Jesus] called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”
“No,” they replied.
Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.
We are so thankful we followed the Lord and threw our net on the “other side of the boat.” This past summer our net was full of children, and the Lord helped us haul them in. We had 600 first through sixth graders and more than 150 volunteers with well over 100 decisions for Christ. We follow up by inviting families to the following Sunday service, and see God do a work in parents’ lives as well. It is powerful.
People often ask how we do this. I would say, “Don’t be afraid to try something new, something that has never been done before. Cast your nets on the other side of the boat and see God bring the increase!”
By Julie Nortune
Julie Nortune serves alongside her husband, Michael, lead pastor of Life Church in Concord, California, a church the couple planted in 2007. Julie also oversees Open Bible’s Pacific Region Women’s Network. The Nortunes have six children (including a set of quadruplets) and two sons-in-law. The Nortune “party of ten” is scattered throughout the States in Alabama, Oklahoma, Arizona, and California. Julie’s biggest joy is to see others become who God has created them to be.
On September 19-21, pastors from around the country gathered for the 2024 Open Bible National Hispanic Conference, held in Antioch, California. Attendees of the conference numbered close to one hundred and represented nineteen different Open Bible churches. Templo Santo Community Church was the hosting church for the conference, and our theme was “CHANGED: Transformed to Transform.” We were blessed with the presence of powerful speakers: President Michael Nortune, Dr. Nicholas Venditti, and Pastors John Mendez, Michael Zakarian, and Caleb Plummer.
The Church as a whole, the Open Bible denomination, and Hispanic Ministries are needed for such a time as this.
The conference started with a welcome dinner where pastors and leaders were able to reconnect with old friends and connect with new friends who were first-time attenders. We had a powerful night of worship during which President Nortune spoke a prophetic word about entering a new season. God has opened a wide door for Open Bible, and new opportunities are on the horizon for our ministries.
Throughout the following days, we heard challenging messages on embracing our vision (Dr. Venditti), navigating culturing changes (Pastor Mendez), loving and embracing the next generation (Pastors Zakarian and Plummer), and depending on the presence of God (President Nortune). In addition to these incredible sessions, we had the opportunity to explore the beautiful city of San Francisco and the surrounding areas.
In our closing session, Pastor Mendez encouraged us that we were chosen for this time in history. The Church as a whole, the Open Bible denomination, and Hispanic Ministries are needed for such a time as this.
As we concluded with a time for more fellowship, here are a few of the things we heard people saying:
“This conference exceeded my expectations.”
“I felt the love and unity within the Hispanic Ministries.”
“The messages were relevant for our time.”
“Best conference ever!”
We look forward to what God has in store for Open Bible’s Hispanic Ministries. We believe that a door has been opened for our dream to come to life – having a Hispanic ministry in every state in this nation.
About the Author
Jorge Navarrete
Jorge Navarrete was appointed as the senior pastor of Templo Santo Community Church in May 2002. Prior to that, he served as youth pastor, Sunday school teacher, member of the Board of Elders, and as church administrator for Templo Santo. In May 2017, Jorge was appointed to serve in his current role as Director of the Hispanic Ministries for the West Sector. Pastor Navarrete also works for the Supreme Court of California as the Clerk/Executive Officer. He has served in this role since 2016.
There are over 10,000 homeless citizens in Lee County, Florida, but thanks to a creative nonprofit idea and a fully sponsored shower trailer, Open Bible Community Church (OBCC) has found a unique way to serve them.
Located in North Fort Myers, OBCC is pastored by Joe and Pat VanEst. When Hurricane Ian hit their county in 2022 and homelessness exploded, pastors Joe and Pat responded by founding “Hope Ambassadors,” a nonprofit designed to empower individuals through disaster relief and ongoing rehabilitative efforts.
Beginning by providing food and hygiene kits to homeless communities, the team soon realized there was a need for showering facilities. Through a string of miracles and one philanthropic donor, a shower trailer was purchased, and Hope Ambassadors now owns the only shower trailer in Southwest Florida. Housing two rooms and ten total shower units, the trailer visits two homeless communities twice a week and has already provided nearly 500 showers to families in need.
“This has totally changed the thinking of our church,” says Pastor Joe VanEst. “We are building relationships with these folks, and it’s only a matter of time until we can share Jesus with them.” Already, the church has seen growth from visitors who have come to church after using the shower trailer.
Hope Ambassadors is quickly building relationships with other local nonprofits that provide services like haircuts, food, and clothing. Future dreams include creating a commercial kitchen that would create nutritious, freeze-dried meals for hungry families. Hope Ambassadors’ mission statement is “To heal communities in the spirit of unity,” and thanks to God’s grace and provision, they are well on their way.
“This has totally changed the thinking of our church”
Rehoboth Open Bible Church has stood strong for forty-five years. Our journey began in the cozy apartment living room of Revs. Easton and Joy Grant in Brooklyn, New York, with seven adults and seven children. As the years passed and our congregation flourished, outgrowing the capacity of two hundred set by the NYC Department of Buildings, the church initiated a second service in 1998 and began an arduous search for a new, larger home, a journey that has tested our determination and resilience.
Finding a suitable space to meet [in Brooklyn] is daunting, with people seeming to occupy every square inch
Brooklyn, one of the most densely populated counties in the United States, presents a unique set of challenges for churches. Finding a suitable space to meet is daunting, with people seeming to occupy every square inch. There are no new spaces for churches in New York. Currently existing churches were originally built in the 1800s, often by Catholics and Presbyterians; modern churches must convert commercial spaces or purchase existing spaces occupied by older churches or temples. Even when property can be found, political and business environs do not want such valuable real estate removed from the tax roll and often restrict access by religious non-profit organizations. Thus, most churches in Brooklyn are classified as storefronts, utilizing small commercial retail spaces or the front rooms of homes.
When we were appointed as pastors of Rehoboth in 2011, the search for a larger facility was already ongoing. Four months into our role, we drove by a former Jewish temple on 888 East 56th Street which had a sign saying, “For Sale or Triple Net Lease.” Despite our uncertainty, we called the listed number and met with the owner.
Most of the property was in a deplorable condition, requiring eyes of faith to visualize its value. Based on the redlining lending practices of the neighborhood and commercial banks’ refusal to lend to churches, the likelihood of acquisition was slim to none. Negotiations were painful, but after numerous meetings and much prayer, two years later we achieved an owner-seller financing purchase. That was the first miracle in the journey to 888, since we would not have been able to qualify for financing on the open market.
The purchase consumed all the church’s savings and more. Despite this, God provided monthly mortgage payments of $16.1k while funding the church’s day-to-day operations, our second miracle.
888 East 56th Street is more than a building. It continues the legacy of bringing Rehoboth’s soul to life.
We launched a three-year capital campaign in 2015 that proved God’s power in Rehoboth’s life at a new level. Like Gideon, God used a small group to catch the vision, amassing funds exceeding the pledged amount by nearly forty percent! God’s faithfulness gave birth to the third miracle – providing the equity needed to match our upcoming construction loan.
In 2019, six years after purchasing the property, we obtained a construction loan and refinanced the seller’s note at a lower interest rate, providing more funds for renovation – miracle number four.
With much excitement after the groundbreaking in December 2019, construction began in March 2020. Three weeks in, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, sending NYC spiraling. The city that never sleeps shut down tight for three months. While COVID-19 kept us all enclosed, our property renovations were in limbo. Unattended projects suffered, material prices quadrupled, and labor costs followed suit.
The challenge of dealing with unscrupulous consultants, renegotiating contracts, finding new subcontractors, confronting disfavored lending practices, and seeking to manage construction timelines was an enormous feat. But God provided miracle after miracle by granting favor, stretching finances, creating new alliances, empowering us with new boldness to advocate, and providing the changes we needed while keeping our integrity intact. As one major devious player on the project stated, “With all that I have done, you should not be here. I know God is with you.” To which we say, “Yes, Amen!” God is with us.
On Palm Sunday, March 24, 2024, we held our final service at our previous address. Afterward, we marched to 888 East 56th Street with a police escort and a drumline, waving palm branches and flags in joyous jubilation. Our seniors who were unable to walk traveled via cars behind the marchers. All reveled in the moment, singing and giving God thanks as we beheld the miracle on East 56th Street and rejoiced in what God had done!
Upon arrival, we introduced ourselves to the community, recited Psalm 24, opened the doors, and let the King of Glory in! We then held our first service at 888, celebrating jubilantly the fulfillment of the biblical promise our church name represents. The founders of our church chose the name “Rehoboth,” taken from Genesis 26:22:
And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So, he called its name Rehoboth because he said, ‘For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land’ (NKJV).
888 East 56th Street is more than a building. It continues the legacy of bringing Rehoboth’s soul to life, providing room to become, belong, and believe for those who are here and those who are yet to come. What God said with His mouth, He has fulfilled with His hands this day for His glory. He has made room for us!
About the Author
Leroy and Dalton Spencer
Leroy and Dalton Spencer are the lead pastors at Rehoboth Open Bible Church, in Brooklyn, New York. They have been members of Rehoboth for over 25 years, serving in various capacities before assuming the helm in 2011. They are passionate about advancing the kingdom of God, prayer, and caring for the sheep with a good shepherd’s heart. Leroy and Dalton believe people are our greatest asset and fully embrace the mandate to bring them to maturity by equipping them with the Word and life skills.
