In the middle of celebrating my birthday with friends and partners of Vision Los Angeles, a good friend asked, “Do you remember that you started in Los Angeles with one suitcase and a bookbag?” The question instantly caused an emotional outburst of “My God” because I certainly remember coming to Los Angeles, one of the most expensive places to live in the U.S. with a dream and what I believed God called me to do.
What I knew for sure? I was called to plant a ministry in Los Angeles, the place known as the City of Angels, a long ways from everything familiar as a southern born gentleman. However, I knew in 2019 it was time to step into the what I believe I was born to do. From the tender age of 12, I felt the call to ministry and that one day I would Pastor and plant faith spaces designed to be safe, bold and filled with a loving atmosphere for all people to encounter God. For me, that was the ultimate dream.
During my transition into Los Angeles, I kept one mantra on repeat internally as my driving force, God will always give you more on your way than when you start. This one phrase or mantra got me through the roughest times because I was convinced this faith move was going to work.
The date of January 5, 2020 was the inaugural commencement worship experience of Vision Los Angeles on N. LaBrea in Inglewood. We did not start with a packed room, but we did start in a posture of prayer and faith to believe there was more on the way.
And here we are now, three years later through the pandemic, monkey pox and more STILL STANDING on the promising of God. Whew! Excuse me, I had a moment. Vision Los Angeles started with a dream and now each week we witness new people walking through the door extending our hands of love and freedom to say, Welcome Home.
We are incredibly excited about this new chapter presently being written in the life of our ministry. This is our year of expansion in the city of Los Angeles and beyond. It is our intention to run to the margins to become a movement without walls committed to the transformation of people lives. Vision Los Angeles is in the business of No One Doing Life Alone. This is a God movement.
Dear God, Year 4 We are Here!
Below is a snapshot of Vision Los Angeles in action celebrating 3 years of existence and Pastoral Anniversary Celebration.
Photographs by Chris Webb
