Attendees knelt in prayer at the luncheon to ask for guidance in making a difference for children in Los Angeles County.

At the end of January, 330 pastors and church leaders gathered at the Dream Center in Los Angeles to discuss the county’s out-of-control foster care crisis. The largest child welfare population in the country, more than 34,000 children are currently in the Los Angeles County system. The theme of this 2nd Annual Greater Los Angeles Pastor’s Luncheon was mobilizing church congregations to be a significant part of the solution. Anne Moore , Ministry Lead and Foster Parent, Parkcrest Church; Barbara Sunofsky, Families Pastor, Long Beach Christian Fellowship; Dr. Matt Jones, Pastor, Del Rey Church; Jen Toledo, Pastor, Expression 58; and Geremy Dixon, Pastor, Center of Hope shared what’s possible, based on how their churches are engaging in this effort. Nick Vujicic, guest speaker from Life without Limbs, called church leaders to take action, and Bobby Cagle, Director of Children and Family Services in Los Angeles County, affirmed the urgency for the community to get involved.
Thank you to the Dream Center, Stonefire Catering, Pacific Crossroads Church, Hope for LA, America’s Christian Credit Union, and Storyville Coffee for the support and contributions toward this event. To find out more about how your church can get involved, contact Rebekah Weigel at rebekah-weigel@olivecrest.org.