Nursing home music ministry
On the 2nd and 4th Thursday morning of each month a few of Nova's musicians go to a nursing home right next to Nova's campus and play worship music for its residents!
If you are a musician or a singer and would like more information about this ministry or if you would like to volunteer you can contact Garrett Koch at garrettkoch@novachurch.org or 310-371-1274.
Farmer's Market Outreach
Once a month we have reserved a booth at the Torrance Farmer's Market on Saturday to pass out free water bottles with Nova's information to all who are shopping there. This will give us the opportunity to share about Nova and invite people to come worship with us on a Sunday!
Update (July 23, 2019)
The Nova Farmers Market Ministry is a simple outreach ministry seeking to connect people at the Market with Christ. One Saturday morning a month, members from Nova set up a tent, table and banner at the Torrance Farmers Market and seek to initiate conversations with anyone and everyone who walks by; recently we have been offering people some small gift to open conversation with them, either a bottle of water or a reusable sports bottle.
We have seen God work in many ways as He has opened hundreds of opportunities to speak to people through this venue. Principally, we have seen God work in all of our members as we overcome our fear to speak to and reach out to people with love. Since most of us do not approach people we don't know and attempt to speak with them, this high contact ministry stretches our faith and our comfort level.
But we have also seen God working through our encounters with people at the market, as well. We have been able to pray for people who are sick or going through transitions in their lives. We have had people pray for us and our work! Also, we are able to tell people about our church and been able to guide them to our community on Sunday to learn more about Christ.
Please keep the Farmers Market Ministry in your prayers, for great opportunities to share Jesus through our words and actions. Pray for boldness and confidence in God's guidance and equipping through His Spirit. If you would like to participate some Saturday, please contact either Garrett Koch at garrettkoch@novachurch.org or Byron Jung at goodby1@juno.com.
If you are interested in participating in this ministry, please email Byron Jung at goodby1@juno.com.
Laundry Love
Every 4th Saturday of the month from 2:45 - 5:00 p.m., Nova's Laundry Love Ministry provides laundry assistance for members of the community who are in financial need at the Fluff and Fold Laundromat near Rascals (5123 Torrance Blvd).
This assistance includes laundry money, soap, and fabric softener to complete two loads of laundry per family.
Update (June 23, 2019)
For over seven years NOVA has served the homeless and needy through Laundry Love. Through donations and volunteers from NOVA, we have been able to provide laundry service to guests at a local laundromat. This ministry has been a blessing for an average of 18 guests a month that we serve, some of whom have been coming every month since the beginning. Laundry Love has been a blessing to us as well. We have gotten to know our guests very well and we have grown closer to some Nova members as well. We couldn’t do this without everyone who volunteers every month with us, Thanks to Celia Kida, Phyllis & Herb Jew, Scott Edwards, Peggy Denhart and Rick D’Amico. Also, thanks to those of you who leave detergent and color catchers in the resource room and drop your extra change and bills into our bucket on our table each week!
Every month we witness God's presence through NOVA's support of our ministry. We also feel it through the gratitude of our guests. Most guests always make sure they say goodbye before they leave and thank us for helping them. It is nice for them to have somewhere to come once a month to get their clothes/blankets washed while chatting with us. They leave the laundromat with dignity and one less thing to worry about knowing that they have clean clothes to wear.
As Laundry Love continues, we have three specific needs that we would like to share with the Nova family. The first would be for more volunteers. We would love to have others join us in this ministry as there are times when we are short-handed and an extra helper would be great. Second would be for any extra quarters anyone may have! We can also always use quarters. Third is for laundry detergent, and pods would be preferred over regular detergent. We used to use powder or liquid detergent but we found we were going through liquid detergent very quickly. About a year ago we had an “I Love Lucy” or “Bobby Brady” laundry incident where 12-15 washing machines were filled with way too much detergent and were all started at the same time. When it came time for the drain cycle, all at the same time, bubbles were coming out of everywhere….even washers we hadn’t used! There were too many machines and too much detergent at once. We then realized our guests were using way too much detergent for each wash, so single pods are so much easier for us to use and distribute. One per load!
Please keep Laundry Love in your prayers. Specifically for sufficient resources and guidance in working with this group. Keep our guests in your prayers so they may find peace, shelter, and answers to their needs. If you would like more information, would like to donate, or would like to volunteer with Laundry Love, please visit Jaime and Christie Mancilla on the plaza after Sunday morning worship, or you can email Jaime (jaimemancilla@ymail.com).
- Jaime and Christie Mancilla
For further information, please contact Nova Community Church at mail@novachurch.org or call 310-371-1274.
Feeding the Hungry
On the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month from 5:00-6:45, Nova people prepare a meal and serve it to those in need at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church (14517 Crenshaw Blvd, Gardena, CA 90249).
To volunteer, donate, or find out more information, visit the Feeding the Hungry table on the plaza or email mail@novachurch.org.
Lydia House of refuge
Every month a group of women from Nova lead a Bible study at Lydia House (a transitional house for abused women and their children run by Long Beach Rescue Mission).
Update (August 1, 2019)
We began ministering to Lydia House in April 2009. Lydia House is the women’s shelter of Long Beach Rescue Mission and it is located across Pacific Avenue from LBRM yet is very different from the men’s shelter. Women and children live there up to 3 months for those needing a place to live and ideally get back in a place of their own. They are expected to live by the house rules, seek employment or schooling to enable them to be employed.
There is also a New Life Program for those seeking help with their addictions (alcohol, drug, gambling etc.). New Life Program women do not have children living with them and graduate from the program after one continuous calendar year. They do not all make it and might or might not return after a fall out. Sometimes their children are allowed to visit for the weekend.
We visit every month and lead the women and older children (teens and preteens) in a bible study while the young children are taught bible stories and complete simple crafts in another room. We have had lessons that are very introspective with much silence and simple instructions guiding thoughts and prayers. We leave the lesson up to each teacher and how the Lord is leading them that month.
Men are not encouraged to participate in the bible study with the women but may observe and work with the children if desired.
We go there on the 2nd Saturday of every month that we have teachers and a person to assist in each area, a minimum of 4 people. Bible study is 5-5:45 pm. We carpool there together from north Torrance taking the 405 to the 710 freeways.
Many of the women are strong Christians. Some do not know the Lord; but all are required to attend the lessons if they are not out on weekend passes. Typically, there are about 20 women but there can be anywhere from 15-28 women attending the bible studies. We have had anywhere from no children to 15. We never know ahead of time how many will be there. We are often warmly greeted with hugs. Sometimes one or two will want to talk to us after we finish the bible study and they may ask for specific prayers.
Donna D’Amico shares:
One of the boys, just turned 11 years old, was talking about his current situation, and said he "wished he could live at Lydia House forever". This meant a lot to me---here was a child, benefiting from hot meals and a place to stay. This is the type of family that is served. Lydia House was able to bless this child with peace and security in his daily life, and, they even helped celebrate his birthday!
JoEllen Eisenhour shares:
Serving there has put faces to Lydia House for me. It is not just a place. It is women and children who God loves and they need know that He died for them, too.
Susan Whiteside shares:
Some of the children are well versed in the Bible. In July one of the girls seemed to know almost all the answers and was very familiar with many bible stories while a boy had quite a few inaccuracies in his understanding. Barba and I were able to tell him the truth about the scriptures and plant seeds for his future faith.
Carla Schetter shares:
We go to Lydia House once a month to conduct a Bible study for the ladies there. Sometimes we include a small activity or craft, and maybe play or sing some music, but we always read from God’s Word. Some of the ladies are well-versed in the Bible, and a few are eager to read and/or share their insights. Others are reserved and may be struggling with their situation or their faith, or both. We pray and sometimes ask if anyone has a particular need. I’m always struck by how most of their prayer requests are for others, for their children or other family members. Every time we go to Lydia House, I am humbled by these women who have most likely gone through difficulties and pain I can never imagine, yet they are thankful for this place of refuge. And in the end, they end up ministering to me.
Christina:
In our last two visits to Lydia house, a young woman I will call Christina spoke up towards the end of each session. The first occasion was at prayer time when we asked for special requests – she simply asked, “Pray for me, I’m struggling”. We asked her name and prayed for her specifically, that the Lord knew her needs and what was on her heart. The next month, Christina spoke up during the Bible study and shared that she was struggling with her faith, and then she shared some details. The study that time was “After the Resurrection” when in John 21, the disciples had gathered and were basically “hanging out” together. We discussed why they were together in the first place, and how important it was for them to gather for fellowship and moral support, and possibly safety. We encouraged Christina to seek clarity from God’s Word and through prayer, but that she didn’t have to do this on her own, that the support of other Christians is vital to our faith. A few of the other ladies joined in to provide her with suggestions and words of comfort. This was the first time while I was there that one of the ladies had opened up and made herself so vulnerable in the group. I felt it was a real breakthrough for her. Please lift Christina up in your prayers that she may find the clarity she is looking for and grow in her Christian walk.
Needs of the Lydia House ministry:
We need more teachers for the 45 minute Bible Study. We could also add others who are interested in cooking and serving a meal for the whole house.
Please pray that the Lord will lead us to be effective in meeting the spiritual needs of the women and children
To volunteer, contact the church office at 310-371-1274.
