Hi,
My name is Alan and I have been in ministry, for many years. I started out at Grace Community Church in their sports ministries, in Softball, Basketball and Semi Pro Baseball team, where I coached, led devotions, and shared my testimony on the baseball team with other teams we played. After leaving Grace, My wife Kathy and I were at Simi Valley Community Church, where we were lay pastors, and also got involved in Parenting classes called Growing Kids God's Way. The church ended up splitting and were part of the original people that helped start Cornerstone Community Church with Francis Chan and Ron Wilson. During that time, we continued in parenting classes, couples bible studies, and small groups. I became a non staff Pastor/Elder some years back and did it till I stepped down on December 31st, 2019. Nothing bad, just felt that the Lord was calling me to do something else, after 25 years at Cornerstone. Presently, I joined a band with our Homeless Ministry (PADS) and we just started a group on Friday nights, that ministers to professing believers who are going through some type of recovery. My desire, is that there will be some type of home/small church that I will lead, based on what the Lord seems to be calling me to. It is a really big step of faith, at 65 years old.
A couple other things to note. I was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa and left there when I was 20 years old. My passion was baseball, and my desire, was to play professionally. I gave my life to Jesus when I was a young teenager, but lack of a consistent fellowship and some family problems led me away. I also, started letting baseball be my God.
I moved to California when I was 20, and works for an offshore drilling company for about 2 and 1/2 years and then went back to school and Cal State University where I met my wonderful wife in Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU). We were married in 1980 and Lord willing, look forward to celebrating our 40th anniversary in August. We have 3 daughters that all live close by, until my middle daughter just moved to Tennessee.
My Career, had been since I got out of college, with a degree in finance, a combination of IT, consulting, Executive Vice President, RE Broker and Loan Broker, and a short time as a VP Senior Financial Analyst with Bank of America.
Well, I hope that gives you a little glimpse into my life, and where I think the Lord is leading. Please feel free to write.
God Bless
Alan
“The righteous cry, and the Lord hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken.”
The Prophet Jeremiah’s words from God, to the exiled Israelites, for their disobedience for following false prophets. Later, in God’s own timing, he would restore them.
Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;”
Ephesians 5:2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God 2as a fragrant aroma.
2 Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us. The Lord is the supreme example in His self-sacrificing love for lost sinners (4:32; ROM 5:8–10). He took human sin upon Himself and gave up His very life that men might be redeemed from their sin, receive a new and holy nature, and inherit eternal life (see note on 2Co 5:21). They are henceforth to be imitators of His great love in the newness and power of the Holy Spirit, who enables them to demonstrate divine love. a fragrant aroma. Christ’s offering of Himself for fallen man pleased and glorified His heavenly Father, because it demonstrated in the most complete and perfect way God’s sovereign, perfect, unconditional, and divine kind of love.
43 years today, I was blessed to marry my beautiful wife. Who would have thought, I would ever be so blessed, to be blessed with such a wife as her. It is an undeserved gift, that I am truly grateful for. Thank you Lord.
“An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain.” Proverbs 31:10-11 NASB1995 https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.31.10-11.NASB1995