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The purpose of LCPC Outreach Ministries is to glorify God by encouraging and equipping people, as led by the Spirit, to partner with others in sharing Jesus Christ with all peoples.

Ask Pastor Jim a question by emailing him at jmilley@lacanadapc.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions about our LCPC Faith Mission Stewardship Drive that occurs each year in May.

Q. Where does the money for Faith Missions go?
Our church has developed a special focus on peoples in Ethiopia, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Burma, and on children in our local communities. See the church’s annual report, the complete list of ministry partners in our Faith Missions Brochure available at the Welcome Center, or visit our outreach pages on-line. Call Jim Milley at 818-790-6758 ext 217 for more information.

Q. How does our church choose ministry partners from the thousands of possibilities?
We have four priorities from our church’s strategic plan:
• Form new church communities among peoples with the most need and the least opportunity
• Train emerging leaders where Christianity is growing fastest
• Minister compassion and empower the poor of key world cities
• Recruit and network more people and churches to do more of the above
In addition, we look for ministries that have natural bridges to our congregation. We ask, “Does this ministry share the same deep values that we as a congregation do?” “Are there people in our congregation who want to give their time and talent to serve with this ministry partner?” and “How does this ministry fit with what we are already doing?”

Q. Who decides which ministries our church will support?
Global Ministry Partners and Projects are first approved by the LCPC Global Outreach Team, then approved by the Outreach Ministry Support Team, and finally, submitted to Session for approval. Local Ministry Partners and Projects go through a similar process.

Q. How are our ministry partners evaluated?
A variety of means are used. Ministry partners send annual written evaluations and are evaluated according to standard criteria. The Associate Pastor for Outreach and numerous LCPC members make personal visits to gather firsthand information. Since LCPC usually works in partnerships with other churches and organizations, informal and formal reports are collected from those leaders, churches and agencies working with the same ministry partners.

Q. How can I get personally involved in the Outreach Ministries of our church?
Please call Rev. Jim Milley at 818-790-6758 ext 217. He will be glad to speak with you.

Q. How do I give regularly to Faith Missions?
You can:

1. Set up automatic giving with a credit card by calling our LCPC Financial Manager at 818-790-6758 ext 210
2. Use the Faith Missions envelopes mailed to your home; or
3. Write your check to LCPC Faith Missions and place it in the offering plate or mail it to Michael Bonner, Financial Manager, LCPC, 626 Foothill Blvd, La Canada, CA 91011.

Q. How do I make a special gift or a planned gift?
Special gifts of stock or other negotiable securities can be made by calling Dave Mason, the LCPC Business Administrator, at 818-790-6758 ext 232 or dave@lacanadapc.org. Planned giving can be arranged by calling Pete Palermo at 818-790-4260.

Q. Why pledge when I can simply give from time to time during the year?
Pledging enables our ministry partners to determine how much funds to expect, and thus, allows them to make plans for the year. Your pledge enables leaders of ministries in Afghanistan, Iraq, Burma, Ethiopia, and India as well as in Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles to answer crucial questions such as: How many new ministers can we hire? Can we build the new church we need? Can we fund necessary travel to spread the word? Can we invite local leaders now for training in the fall? How many children can we let into our school?

Q. Why should our church have two pledges, one for the operating budget and one for Faith Missions?
Having two pledges helps our church to stay healthy so that we are not too outwardly focused nor too inwardly focused. Balance is the key. From our regular operating revenue, 10 % goes to Local & Global Outreach. The other 90% tends to focus on our own spiritual needs and growing our congregation. A second pledge in the Spring helps us to look outward to those in need, keep the balance, and stay healthy as a church.

Q. "I read "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver for book club, and am
disturbed by the way missionaries are portrayed in the book. How do our ministry
partners compare to the missionaries in the book?"

A. We at LCPC make a special effort to make sure all the missionaries that we support have appropriate training, cultural respect, and submit to the local leaders of the local church where they serve. In a big change from the past, more and more of the people we support are not technically "missionaries" because they actually come from the culture in which they serve. For example, Lok Bhandari is from Nepal, serving in Nepal. Belay Guta Olam is from Ethiopia and serves in Ethiopia. This is why we often use the term "Ministry Partners" rather than "Missionaries."

Missionaries from America have learned a lot from past mistakes, and now we are trying to help new missionaries from Brazil, South Korea, and other countries to learn from our mistakes rather than make the same ones we made.

The Poisonwood Bible is a great book and a good read. It takes the worst mistakes of the past and gathers them into one missionary family. To get a picture of some of the best practices from the past, one can read books about missionary Hudson Taylor or William Carey. Click here to buy a book about them from Amazon.com.

Q. I'm an avid reader, and would love to read some good books about Outreach. What would you recommend?

A. I'm so glad you asked! Here are some of my favorites:

For everyone:

• Who is This Jesus? by Michael Green (Paperback - Feb 9, 1994)
• Permission Evangelism: When to Talk, When to Walk by Michael L. Simpson (Paperback - Jul 2003)
  

A story book for children:

• The Quiltmaker's Journey by Jeff Brumbeau and Gail de Marcken (Hardcover - April 1, 2005)

For leading a group into an experience in another culture, whether near by or far away:

• Successful Mission Teams: A Guide for Volunteers by Martha Van Cise (Paperback - April 2004)

For preparing to lead in LCPC Outreach Ministries:

• Transform Your Church With Ministry Teams by E. Stanley Ott (Paperback - Jan 2005)

For the person who wants a big picture of God's Purposes and wants to think more in depth about it:

• The Missionary Movement in Christian History: Studies in Transmission of Faith by Andrew F. Walls (Paperback - Sep 1996)
• The Continuing Conversion of the Church (The Gospel & Our Culture Series) by Darrell L. Guder (Paperback - Mar 1, 2000)
• Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America (The Gospel and Our Culture Series) by Darrell L. Guder and Lois Barrett (Paperback - Feb 1998)
• Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission (American Society of Missiology Series, No. 16) by David Jacobus Bosch (Paperback - April 1991)
• Perspectives on the World Christian Movement : A Reader by Ralph D. Winter, Steven C. Hawthorne, Darrell R. Dorr, and D. Bruce Graham (Paperback - Jan 1, 1999)
• Perspectives on the World Christian Movement : Study Guide 99 by Ralph D. Winter and Steven C. Hawthorne (Paperback - Feb 1999)

For every Christian to understand God's heart for the poor:

• Companion to the Poor: Christ in the Urban Slums by Viv Grigg (Paperback - Sep 1, 2004)
• Walking With the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development by Bryant L. Myers (Paperback - Jul 1999)

Q. " What's the best way for me to support our overseas missionaries?"

A. The best way to support overseas missionaries is to give to Faith Missions and establish a personal relationship with both a local and an international missionary. By exploring this web site, you can select a few missionaries supported through Faith Missions and begin the process of praying, corresponding, caring, and serving in tangible ways. It takes an average of 70 supporters, giving both financially and with thier skills, to keep one missionary serving the poor either in LA or a foreign country.

Q. "Are our overseas missionaries supported by churches in addition to ours?"

A. Yes, our missionaries and mission partners are supported by many individuals, congregations, and agencies. We believe in working with networks of supporters to bring together all the skills needed for a particular task or vision. To ensure this network of support and strategy, we seek to provide no more than 10% of any missionary's financial support.

Q. "What percentage of our church's budget goes to outreach?"

A. 10% of our regulary operating budget goes to outreach. Year after year, our congregation has wanted to give much more. This is why 100% of the Faith Missions giving goes for outreach. The total percentage varies each year and usually totals an amount comparible to about 20% of our operating budget.

Q. "My child wants to be a missionary some day. What should she do to prepare?"

A. Your child can take the first step by calling Pastor Jim at 818-790-6758 ext 217. The preparation process varies greatly depending on the type of service and region of the world. Pastor Jim can help your child begin preparing today.

Q. "Why did you choose to concentrate on Outreach in your career?"

A. I was called by God into ministry when I was a Junior in High School. My sense is that God picked me more than I picked this career. In fact, I resisted God's call for quite some time. I was more intent on making money and had saved a lot by the time I was 16 years old. I was on my bed reading the Bible and came to Matthew 6:33: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you as well." I still struggle to trust God to take care of me, but I'm really glad that I was able to choose to serve God full time as a minister from an early age.

Today, I can't find anything more meaningful than being a part of God's global rescue plan first announced to Abraham, proclaimed through the prophets, lived out by Jesus, and given to the church by Jesus. Nothing is more fun, dangerous, hard, exciting, painful, adventurous, and thrilling.