Evergreen Life: Reflections and Connections is published by Evergreen Baptist Church of Los Angeles, 1255 San Gabriel Blvd. Rosemead, CA 91770 Phone: (626)280-0477 Fax: (626)280-3892 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ebcla.org

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It is published under the auspices of the Communications Committee. We welcome your submissions, ideas for articles or other input. If you would like to submit an article, or if you would like to join the newsletter ministry, please contact Beth Romero at [email protected] or through the church office. Entire contents are copyrighted 2015 by Evergreen Baptist Church of Los Angeles and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without expressed written consent of Evergreen-LA. All rights are reserved.

Faith Village Come To Life!

By Pastor Shirley Lew I was so excited when we moved into the Children’s Village in January of 2013. We were finally in the new classrooms and the children had a worship space to call their own. Miller Fong and I had dreamed about the Jan-Mar 2015 vol. 18 issue 1 Children’s Village since 2006. There were hours and hours of discussion and envisioning what the Children’s Contents Village would look like—visions of where children would Faith Village Come To Life!................... 1 play, where parents could gather to meet one another, Nagano Chapel Dedication .................2 where the youth could hang out, and how the space could Letter from Jack Nagano.....................3 be used when events like the Easter Celebration and Meet Your Deacons..............................4 Meet Your Deacons..............................5 October Fall Festival were planned. When the Children’s Village was completed, I Meet Your Deacons..............................6 saw the vision come to life! God Is Good..........................................7 In the Children’s Village, the classrooms have brightly colored cabinets and are equipped with the latest technology for learning about Jesus. There is a basketball court where the children and youth can hang out and play basketball as well as a Evergreen-LA Staff pavilion where parents can meet together and watch the kids play. The basketball Jason Ashimoto, Faith Development court is also used for the Easter egg hunt and for the game booths during the October & Arts Pastor Rev. Dr. Kenneth Fong, Senior Pastor Fall Festival. And then there is the Nagano Chapel, where the children have their Rev. Sharon Koh, Community Life own worship space for Sunday morning worship. & Missions Pastor Sara Lawson, Pastoral Intern Building the Children’s Village wasn’t just so the children had new classrooms. Shirley Lew, Family Life Pastor Moving the children from the Ministry Center building to the Children’s Village Rev. Julie Ono, Family Care Pastor Rev. Steve Rivera, Community Outreach made it possible to free up the rooms for other ministries to use the space. Youth Pastor Ministry is able to have a “home” to meet for Sunday school and have hang out Elza Suhendra, Children’s Ministry space. Other ministries such as the Adult CLASS Community, Sedaqah groups, The Associate Journey Special Needs Ministry, and The Open Door Ministry, have a place to gather Peter Sung, Pastoral Intern Nathan Watkins, Worship Pastor in the spaces on Sunday mornings as well. Rev. Dr. Jonathan Wu, Executive Pastor When I see how all of these spaces—the Children’s Village, the Nagano Chapel, and the Ministry Center building—are being used by so many different ministries within the campus, the phrase “Faith Village” is so much more meaningful. It’s not just the Evergreen Life Newsletter Staff ministries, but the children, families, young adults and Prime Timers that are the STAFF EDITOR: Darshana Chetti PHOTOS: Pete Sung, Kathy Hubbard, Faith Village. I am so grateful for how the congregation could also see the vision of Beth Romero children, families and young adults being together and had the faith that this vision SPECIAL THANKS: Ken Fong, would be brought about. One of the phrases Miller Fong kept repeating during the Jonathan Wu, Kalia Young, Marty design phase of the Children’s Village and re-design of the Plaza was, “This is the Romero, Kathy Hubbard, Sharon Koh COORDINATOR: Beth Romero Faith Village come to life!” And he was right!

Nagano Chapel Dedication

By Pastor Ken Fong Moses said, “This is GOD’s command: ‘Keep a two-quart jar of it, an omer, for future generations so they can see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness after I brought you out of Egypt’” (Exodus 16:32 MSG). I just finished a book entitled The Storytelling Animal by Jonathan Gottschall. One of the most noteworthy things I read was that all of us—without exception—are incapable of remembering exactly what happened, even if we were there. To paraphrase Gottschall, our brains have evolved over millions of years to spin the facts just enough so that later, when we tell those stories, we always end up sounding like the humble heroes, not minor characters on the fringes of the action. And definitely NOT the oppositional antagonists of what ultimately took place. I’ll save the author’s explanation as to why we all do this for my Palm Sunday sermon. However this points to the habit of each generation to take credit for much of what is good, rather than remember that each generation is standing on the broad shoulders of those who came before them. One of the reasons we chose to name the new chapel after Rev. Dr. Paul and Mrs. Florence Nagano is because we wanted to remind each succeeding EBCLA generation that the Naganos are representative of that entire generation of Nisei who sacrificed and served to rebuild this historic church, even while they were striving to rebuild lives and fortunes that had been unjustly taken from them during World War II. As you read the accompanying letter from Paul’s older brother Jack, I hope you’ll appreciate that as the Nisei generation is slowing fading away, we are wise to remember their priceless contributions to all we enjoy today. 2

Evergreen Life

March 2015

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Property Committee Deacon

Family Life Deacon

By Stuart Kobata

Hello Evergreen... My name is Stuart Kobata and I’ve been attending EBCLA for over 15 years. I currently reside in the city of Cypress and I’m employed as an engineer for a major aerospace company. I’m involved with several ministries here at Evergreen including Family Ministries, Property Committee, Cafe Evergreen, The Vine, Family Promise, A/V Tech team, and the “South of the 60 (freeway)” sedaqah group. In addition to being part of the Property Committee, I’m also serving as the Property Committee Deacon. The Property Committee is a standing administrative committee of the Diaconate Board of EBCLA. Its primary function is to work closely with the Board to maintain the overall development, usage, and safety of the facilities of the Church and to oversee the maintenance of all Church buildings, grounds, and equipment. My role as Property Deacon is to represent the Property Committee as part of the Diaconate Board. One of the more recent additions to the EBCLA campus in the past few years has been the Children’s Village, which has been and will continue to be a huge blessing for the entire church, especially for the children and families. The design, configuration, and even the location on campus of the Children’s Village, truly represents an important and integral part of the Faith Village that Evergreen is striving for. The new facilities, which include the Children’s Chapel, ITM room and classrooms, feature some of the latest in audio and video equipment. The classrooms are outfitted with smart TVs which can be readily configured for laptops, DVD, internet, or video feed from the sanctuary. This multi-media technology lends itself to helping the teachers create a more inviting and motivating Sunday school experience for the children. 4

By Marc Walton Hello, I am Marc Walton, your Deacon of Family Ministries. My wife Mika and I have been attending Evergreen for over 12 years. We have 2 sons, Kiyoshi who is 7, and Kazuya who is almost 4. Mika and I have had the opportunity to volunteer in the Infant and Toddler Ministry (ITM), as well as in King’s Kids with the preschool-aged children. We have watched our sons grow and learn as they have benefitted from these ministries, children’s church, and Sunday school. I have been on the board since October 2012. My time in this role has been exciting as it has seen the completion of the Children’s Village, the conclusion of one capital campaign to build the Children’s Village, and now the start of a (God willing) final capital campaign to completely pay for it. Each Sunday I enjoy running into other parents and kids as I am picking up or dropping off my boys at their classrooms. The open courtyard in the middle of the children’s village is one of my favorite places to watch community and relationships develop. In addition to the Children’s Village, I was a deacon throughout the Congregational Discernment Process as we discussed how to better love our LGBTQ brothers and sisters, which is something that could greatly affect Family Ministries. I have enjoyed working with our Family Ministries Pastor, Shirley Lew, as we have had conversations regarding this, and many other issues affecting the families in our church. In my time outside of my role, I am equally passionate about children and families. As a marriage and family therapist, I work to pursue healthier families on a daily basis. Building and maintaining healthy families is something that I am very passionate about. I would love to have more conversations with folks in our church who are also passionate about families and Family Ministries. If that describes you, please stop me on Sunday, and introduce yourself. Evergreen Life

Community Life Deacon

By Marvin Chow In July of 2014, I was elected as Deacon of Community Life, having served (and serving currently) in the Sedaqah Core Leaders Group. I assist Pastor Sharon, our Community Life and Missions Pastor, in the “community life” aspects of our church. I thank the Faith Village for giving me the opportunity to serve you all.

What does community life encompass? It not only includes the neighborhood Sedaqah groups/small groups, but also the gathering of believers/seekers in other social occasions. While we hope as many people calling EBCLA their home church join a Sedaqah Group, we know that not all can. Therefore, people may find community/ connectedness in other areas of church gatherings and activities. We are grateful to God and to our Faith Village for the completion of the Children’s Village, the Nagano Chapel, the Sanctuary and other campus improvements. They provide public space for our Faith Village to gather. This is where we as a church are in the midst of a capital campaign to pay off remaining debt owed for it. With the additional room, the Worship Center upstairs provides office and Resource Center space for Family Promise of San Gabriel Valley. The new classrooms in the Children’s Village and the chapel allows the Ministry Center to easily transform its classrooms to hosting homeless families quarterly. Here many of our Sedaqah groups, EBCLA families, and individuals work together in hosting families and showing hospitality and community. The chapel provides a formal-like meeting place for medium size services and meetings. With the additional classrooms in the Children’s Village, we no longer have cramped CLASS Community like the old days in the Worship Center. The basketball courtyard additionally serves us well during our Harvest Festival for the many game booths and for the annual children’s Easter Egg Hunt. We have much to be in gratitude for. March 2015

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Young Adult Deacon

Biblical Reconciliation Deacon

By Kelsie McPherson

Hi! My name is Alyssa Muramatsu and I am your Young Adult Deacon! I am currently working as a high school college and career advisor and going to school for my master’s in counseling (I will be done in June and cannot wait!). In my free time, I enjoy reading, crafting, napping, watching Survivor, and hanging out with friends.

Marginalized and oppressed people possess a very special place in my heart. Just before landing on Evergreen’s doorstep, I had graduated from Biola University with a degree in Intercultural Studies. Through a season of deep interior struggle, God stripped away my previous life plans (missions in East Asia) and embedded in me the desire to befriend and serve the overlooked on this side of the Pacific.

I have been attending Evergreen for 27 years (well… technically 22 since I was away for college for four years and then spent a year working overseas), and having grown up at the church, have had the privilege of seeing the Faith Village evolve and change. It has honestly been pretty amazing. I still remember when the Children’s Village used to be trailers, and when my Sunday School class consisted of just me and one other boy! Thus, while it’s awesome having the Children’s Village facilities, it is an even greater blessing to have so many kids to use it.

I began mentoring a teenager from the foster system who was living at Maryvale. I also was confronted with the horrors of human trafficking here in Los Angeles and took on a leadership role of the Traffick Free Community of San Gabriel. CAST (Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking) trained me to answer emergency hotline calls. During that season, my own journey of wrestling with LGBTQ issues began, and God instilled in me a desire to seek reconciliation between the LGBTQ community and the Church.

Although no longer children, members of our young adult group, Quarterlife, also use the Children’s Village, as we meet each week in the Nagano Chapel. (In fact, our weekly Tuesday night gathering is called “Chapel”!) Our meetings are a much needed relief and break from the busy-ness of the week—a time to relax, recharge, and spend some quality time with other 20-somethings. I have been encouraged by others’ openness and honesty in sharing with each other as we struggle through the daily grind of school and work, strive to better incorporate our faith into our lives, and journey together in figuring out our place in the world. It has been both challenging and rewarding collectively learning what it means to be God’s hands and feet to the world. As the young adult deacon, I am proud to be, represent, and serve this demographic of our church body.

When the request came for me to consider the role of Evergreen’s Biblical Reconciliation Deacon, there was no doubt in my mind that God was calling me into this. The purpose of the BRC (Biblical Reconciliation Committee) is to keep current with the needs of The Journey and The Open Door, and to continue to identify and give voice to the marginalized within our church. I adore our Faith Village and am naturally drawn to overlooked people. Leading the BRC feels like something for which I was designed.

By Alyssa Muramatsu (2nd from right)

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Gratitude overflows as I lie on the grass of our new Children’s Village—one of my new favorite places to meet with God. How blessed are we all to have the opportunity to see and love the overlooked among us, and to use our hands and voices to fight for the marginalized and oppressed. May we not squander today’s chance to love with Jesus’ love. Evergreen Life

God is good. He is more than enough.

By Pastor Sharon Koh Evergreen church family, you have been God’s gift to me on the road to the capital campaign. And, I am so, so grateful. About a year ago, in an Executive Staff meeting, Pastor Ken pointed at me and said matter-of-factly, “You are in charge of the next capital campaign.” Pastor Jonathan nodded his agreement and Pastor Jason gave me a sympathetic look. I hesitated—mostly because I could feel the blood slowly draining from my face. So Pastor Ken continued cheerfully, “You could help your friend, Cynthia, our new Communications Deacon. She already knows this is part of her responsibility.” Good move, pKen: Sell me on the point that I will get to work with friends. That always makes the impossible seem more possible… or, at least more fun. My mind flashed back to my sophomore year of college when Cynthia and I were Physiology lab partners. We had great fun with the final project that year. Our article was actually published in an academic journal! (Here’s a little known fun fact: Cynthia and I both graduated as Biology majors from the same college. Cynthia’s minor? You guessed it: Communications.) What I did not expect is that I would be among so many friends on this journey. YOU, Evergreen, have joined us in so many ways. First, Jack Sunabe from the Finance Committee agreed to join the capital campaign committee. The truth is, Jack did all the calculations we planned for this campaign. The kindest thing he said to me over the course of this whole project was, “It’s people like you who teach people like me to have faith.” Then, the video directors each put their creative heart and soul into their piece. Pete Sung, Jon Moy, Jon Wu and David Chan, thank you for going above and beyond all that was asked of you. Each of the campaign videos approaches what we are doing from a different angle, but they are each excellent. Finally, I enjoyed every SDQ meeting in the precampaign phase, and I have been so blessed by the way our community has rallied. Thank you to the SDQ groups that donated food at the MTE cart after each service. You made our campaign experience delicious! The numbers of this campaign speak for themselves. By faith, we have raised plenty. But, I wasn’t expecting the kind and encouraging notes that you all have sent in to cheer us on. That was “more than enough.” And, I didn’t expect people who were not part of the “scheduled” SDQ groups to just volunteer to bake and cook just because they wanted to contribute in any way they could. How will I ever thank you Evergreen? God has shown me so many great things through you, my church family. Thank you for rising to the invitation and offering all that you can, Evergreen. You have been such an encouragement. Through you, God has been more than enough.

March 2015

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