Our God is a God of New Beginnings!

By Sheila Schuller Coleman
Crystal Cathedral/Hour of Power Senior Pastor

February 3, 2012

Ownership of the building that houses the Crystal Cathedral formally changed hands on Friday, February 3, 2012. This campus has been the beautiful home for the ministry since 1961 (purchased in 1958), and we have been blessed beyond measure by the opportunity to do ministry from this glorious location. What moments we have experienced... What memories we will forever cherish...

Now, join me in embracing the vision God has given us for the future! Be assured that this ministry is not about a church building... It is about building a church!

CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL CHURCH: We have begun the search for our new ministry home within a 10-mile radius of our current location. We believe the new location will be the place where our congregation can grow closer to God and each other, and where God knows we are needed most.

HOUR OF POWER: We will continue to tape and produce the Hour of Power on our current campus while searching for a new home. I want to assure you, the Hour of Power will remain on television as an avenue for bringing hope to the world. We have plans to widen our audience by reaching out to a younger demographic so Jesus Christ's positive message will pass down from one generation to another. The current format will evolve to become more visible and accessible on the Internet and through new, cutting-edge technologies. For example, the Hour of Power released its own app in December, and already a member of our staff saw someone watching the show on his smart phone while waiting in line at an airport. This bears testimony to the amazing possibilities for spreading our message of hope in this Digital Age. Expect to hear about more exciting changes in the coming weeks and months.

CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS: Wherever we end up, our schools will remain open. Every church has space for Sunday School classrooms, and our schools will use that space. The schools will continue as institutions of high academic and moral standards, where positive faith is practiced, creativity is valued, positive attitudes are developed, and Christian values are nurtured. Our students will continue to excel in the arts, both visual and performing. We can take comfort that, as God unfolds His plan for us, we will continue to be positively blessed through His knowledge, wisdom, and values.

OUR CONTINUED MISSION: With the new location will come a new name - something including the word "hope." We haven't decided exactly what the new name will be, but we believe hope has been and will continue to be central to our mission as a church.

OUR EXCITING NEW VISION:

- Locally and regionally, we will continue our commitment to serving people in need in Central Orange County through a variety of programs, such as Monday Meals for the hungry, Houses of Hope home construction for homeless families (currently in Mexico), "Blocks of Hope" for local neighborhoods in need, and SOS (Send Our Samaritans) Service Days to help our local senior citizens.

- Nationally and internationally, the Hour of Power will continue on television with a new emphasis on enlarging its audience to reach more young people through new media platforms (iPhone, iPad, Android, etc.) and social media. Our vision also includes plans to start Children of Hope Christian schools around the world modeled after the Crystal Cathedral Schools, and to step up our cyberbullying initiative through our New Hope Online.

As you can see, our ministry is still going about God's business, with all of these wonderful changes designed to bring hope into the lives of people by helping them physically, materially, and spiritually. My father has often said, "Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost."

Please join me in my excitement as we discover the hope-filled future God has in store for us as we practice through words and works, "God loves you, and so do I!"

NOTE: More details about the exciting, hope-filled future of this ministry coming soon.

Crystal Cathedral Ministries
Contact: John Charles
Phone: 714-971-4015
Johnc@crystalcathedral.org