Dear Friends,
The Dream Center is a church that serves as a beacon of hope
to underserved communities throughout the city of Los Angeles.
The church started with a chair and a table that was placed
on a busy street corner, where Matthew Barnett established his office. He
had no church, but he had a desire to serve and minister to people.
People would come by and asked him, "What are you
doing?" and he would say. "I am here to help you. Is there
something that I can do for you?"
The church with its humble beginnings has become one of the
largest churches in all of Los Angeles.
With its Christ-centered approach to reaching out and
opening doors to those in need, The Dream Center is helping people restore
and rebuild their lives. Now in our 28th year, it is fulfilling an even greater
mission than the one originally envisioned by co-founder Pastor Matthew
Barnett.
Pastor Barnett’s dream began in 1994 when at age 20 he
joined his father, Pastor Tommy Barnett to build a church.. The two led a small
church in an inner-city Los Angeles community plagued by crime and gang
activity. During the first few months serving the church, Matthew's faith was
relentlessly challenged. The pews remained practically empty on Sundays. With
virtually no staff to help operate the church, he became increasingly
discouraged.
Matthew said, “One day God spoke to me and said, ‘Forget
about where you want to be, and just start serving with whatever I put in your
hand,’” He says, “That's when I moved my desk onto the street corner. I had
three bags of food and a little old soccer ball to play kick with the kids in
the neighborhood. And that’s where the Dream Center began."
Since then, thousands of lives have been touched
through their many transformational outreach programs. They reach over 20
neighborhoods across L.A. County every week by providing free food, clothing,
furniture, children’s programs and other basic needs for individuals and
families. Their residential program provides free personalized care,
guidance and mentorship to community residents. The are committed to
equipping people to thrive in their community. The church provides
many opportunities for people to rebuild their lives in a safe and structured
environment. (Information taken from the church website).
As I learned more about the church, I was intrigued by
their mission and their heart for serving others. The ministry has captured the
essence of Jesus's teaching and personal example of selfless service.
The church understands that, like its Master, it has been
called to serve and not be served. It lives out the principles of the
upside-down kingdom where the way up is down, the way to be first is to be
last, and the way to find oneself is to lose oneself in the service
of others.
Albert Schweitzer has written "I don't know what your
destiny is, but one thing I do know, is that only the ones who serve will
really be happy." He's right. The happiest people are not always the
most successful people, but they're the ones who serve the best. "
I've met a lot of unhappy, but successful people, but I've
never met any unhappy successful persons who have given their lives to
Jesus. His life changes our lives from selfishness to service. and it is in
serving others that our joy is found.
Oswald Chambers, author of the classic devotional, His
Utmost for His Highest asks, "Are you willing to sacrifice yourself
for the work of another, to pour out your life sacrificially for the ministry
and faith of others? Or do you say, 'I'm not willing to be poured out right
now, and I don't want God to tell me how to serve him. I want to choose the
place of my own sacrifice. And I want to have certain people watching me
saying, well done.'"
Jesus says, "I have given you and example, that you
should do as I have done to you, and he grabbed a towel and a basin and
began to wash feet. Can we and our church do anything less?
Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom
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