Origins Event Speaker Highlight: Willie Jordan

Posted on June 30, 2010

We are excited to announce that Willie Jordan will be part of the Origins Event!

For well over half a century Willie Jordan has been giving help and hope to lost, hurting, impoverished children, men, and women all over the world. She is internationally recognized for her experience and knowledge in the fields of poverty, hunger, homelessness, domestic violence and children’s issues. She has served the poor from the mean streets of Skid Row to war-torn Korea; from the jungles of Mexico to the congested cities of Asia, and from California’s migrant farm-laborers to Ghana and Liberia, Africa’s teeming millions.

Currently, Willie is the only female president of a Skid Row-based Mission that is one of the most dynamic inner city ministries in the nation – - the Fred Jordan Mission in downtown Los Angeles. Founded in 1944 by her late husband, Fred, the Mission provides the “daily bread” for nearly 1000 poor and hungry children, mothers and men, serving hot meals in the Mission’s dining room and in Emergency Family Food bags. The Mission also provides new Back-to-School Clothing and supplies for thousands of children; baby diapers, formula, clothing and daily necessities; Summer Camps for children; Inner city Park Camps for children and families; Men’s Rehab and Discipleship programs; Daily Emergency blankets and clothing and Daily Bible studies and Chapel services.

The Mission’s Holiday Celebrations in the Streets are legendary, serving up to 20,000 needy families in a single day, providing food, clothing, toys, hygiene products, blankets, and so much more. Some of the nation’s major corporations partner with the Mission to serve the poor – Foot Locker, Guess? Inc., In-N-Out Burger, Disney, Redken, the Federal Reserve Bank, Galpin Ford, MTA, Sears, Lucky Brand, Deloitte, Paul Mitchell, Disney, the Teamster’s Union, and dozens more. Schools, universities, and churches also join with the Mission in touching hurting souls, and each Celebration attracts well known politicians and renowned celebrities who want to be part of the good work the Mission is doing.

Check out this video highlighting the Mission’s annual Harley Toy Run and be sure to join us at the Origins Event July 23-24!

Origins Event 2010 Schedule

Posted on June 30, 2010

Marcus “Goodie” Goodloe, Campus Pastor at Mosaic in Los Angeles and host of the Origins Event, shares an update on the Origins Event Schedule:

Be sure to register today!

Origins 2010 Lunch Conversations and Mini-Breakouts

Posted on June 29, 2010

April Diaz, Next Gen Pastor from Newsong Church and host of the Origins Event, shares an update on the Lunch Conversations and Mini-Breakouts:

Be sure to register as soon as possible! There are a limited number of lunch conversations and mini-breakouts available for the Origins Event on July 24, 2010 in downtown Los Angeles!

Origins Event Speaker Highlight: Erwin Raphael McManus

Posted on June 26, 2010

We are thrilled to have Erwin Raphael McManus join us for the Origins Event!

Erwin  is an author, speaker, activist, filmmaker and innovator who specializes in the field of developing and unleashing personal and organizational creativity, uniqueness, innovation and diversity. In other words, he gets bored really easily.

He is committed to creating environments that expand imagination, unleash creativity, and maximize the creative potential in every individual and organization. Erwin is also the catalyst behind Awaken. Convinced that the world is changed by dreamers and visionaries, Awaken serves the purpose of history by maximizing the divine potential in every human being.

Engaging such issues as culture, creativity, change, and leadership, Erwin is widely known as a thought-provoking communicator. His travels have taken him to over 30 countries and he has spoken to over a million people from a wide variety of audiences, including the NFL, Lionsgate, New Line Cinema, and ILOG. His work is featured in numerous films, articles, and magazines across the US and internationally.

Erwin also serves as the primary communicator and cultural architect of Mosaic in Los Angeles. He is the author of An Unstoppable Force, a Gold Medallion Award finalist; Chasing Daylight; Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul; The Barbarian Way; Stand Against the Wind, Soul Cravings, and Wide Awake. He also serves as a Research Advisor with The Gallup Organization.

Erwin is a native of El Salvador, and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and Southwestern Theological Seminary. He and his wife Kim live in Los Angeles have two children, Aaron and Mariah, and a foster daughter Paty.

Check out the following video of Erwin talking about Soul Cravings and be sure to join us at the Origins Event July 23-24!

Origins Event Speaker Highlight: Scott Harrison

Posted on June 25, 2010

We are very excited to announce that Scott Harrison will be joining us at the Origins Event!

Scott spent 10 years as a New York City party promoter, throwing fashion and music events at top nightclubs for the likes of MTV, VH1, ABC TV, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Universal Records, Island Records, Bacardi and Anheuser-Busch. In the fall of 2004, disgusted with the selfish and indulgent life he led, he returned to his childhood faith and left nightlife to volunteer with a team of humanitarian doctors and surgeons onboard a hospital ship in Liberia, Africa. Armed with a pair of Nikons, Harrison spent 8 months as the ship’s volunteer photojournalist, documenting the incredible need he saw there.

Returning home to New York City two years later, he founded the global non-profit organization charity: water. Turning his full attention to the global water crisis and the 1 billion people without clean water to drink, he and a small team created exhibitions in galleries and outdoor parks, online campaigns and nationally-aired public service announcements.

In 3.5 years, with the help of more than 90,000 donors worldwide, charity: water has raised massive awareness and over $19 million, funding more than 2,500 water projects in 16 developing nations. Those projects will provide over 1,100,000 people with clean, safe drinking water.

Scott’s work has been featured over 300 times in the media including The New York Times, USA Today, NY Daily News, CNN, ABC, CBS News, NBC News, FOX News, Elle Magazine, People Magazine and more. He has given lectures and presentations at Google, Youtube, Twitter, SalesForce, Saks Fifth Avenue and Creative Artists Agency, and has spoken at many leading universities around the country.

Check out these videos featuring Scott’s story and the work of charity: water, and don’t forget to register for the Origins Event!

Video Intro / charity: water founder Scott Harrison from charity: water on Vimeo.

mycharity: water reaches $2 million mark. from charity: water on Vimeo.

7 Reasons to Join Us at #Origins10

Posted on June 23, 2010

by Eric Bryant, originally posted on ericbryant.org

The Origins Event is shaping up to be a really powerful weekend!  Here are just seven of the reasons to join us on July 23 & 24, 2010 in downtown Los Angeles!

7. Origins is about diversity! We are an inclusive network which includes men and women from different ethnic backgrounds who are leaders from business, ministry, the non-profit sector, academia, the arts, and other walks of life who are passionate about Jesus, humanity, and innovation.

6.  Origins is about activism! We are serving the city on Friday, July 23rd!  Check out the options here! I love that our inaugural event puts into action what we value. 

5.  Origins is about innovation! We are meeting at one of the newest and premier sites in downtown Los Angeles!  Across the street from the Staples Center and part of  L.A. Live, Club Nokia will be a great place to interact and create a better future.

4. Origins is about equipping others! We have a remarkable group of speakers and panelists who will be sharing some of their latest ideas, successes, and failures. These are men and women who are on mission sharing about their efforts to bring hope to humanity in their mission field (the arts, business, overseas, locally, etc.). Speakers include Erwin McManus, Margaret Feinberg, Dave Gibbons, Dan Kimball, Rick McKinley, Alan & Debra Hirsch, Amena Brown, and many others! Incredibly helpful resources will be available all day Saturday with several giveaways going on as well!

3. Origins is about unleashing creativity! There will be great opportunities all weekend to stretch your imagination – from the service projects on Friday; the DJs, musicians, SlumPeasants, spoken word, and speakers on Saturday; to church gatherings across Southern California on Sunday!

2. Origins is about connecting with others on mission! In groups of 4-5 people,the lunch conversations and mini-breakouts create an intimate environment to learn from other practitioners.  Some of those coming are traveling from Hong Kong, Sydney, Chicago, Charlotte, SoCal, and many other places.  Some of the most significant moments will be the people you meet!

1. Origins is about relationships! Origins started with a group of friends who are on mission who wanted an opportunity to serve together, and we would love for you to join with us.  You are welcome here!

For more information or to register, go here.  Hope to see you there!

Origins Event Speaker Highlight: Mark L. Russell

Posted on June 22, 2010

We are thrilled to have Mark L. Russell join us for the Origins Event!

Mark is founder and CEO of Russell Media. He has a PhD in Intercultural Studies from Asbury Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a Bachelor of Science in International Business from Auburn University. His PhD thesis was on the topic of Business as Mission (BAM).

Mark is a frequent public speaker and has worked as a consultant for a diverse set of organizations. He has done extensive work in areas of poverty, empowering microentrepreneurs through microfinance and other economic development initiatives. Mark has lived and worked in Russia, Chile and Germany and in traveled to over 70 countries to carry out a variety of business, educational, humanitarian and religious projects. He has been published in over 60 academic and popular level publications and is the author of The Missional Entrepreneur (New Hope Publishers), the coauthor of Routes and Radishes and Other Things to Talk About at the Evangelical Crossroads (Zondervan) and editor and publisher of Our Souls at Work: How Great Leaders Live Their Faith in the Global Marketplace. Mark lives in Boise, Idaho with his wife Laurie, and their children, Noah and Anastasia.

Check out Mark’s recent blog post on “Entrepreneurialism and God’s Mission” and be sure to join us at the Origins Event July 23-24!

Origins Event Speaker Highlight: JR Kerr

Posted on June 17, 2010

We are excited to announce JR Kerr will be joining us for the Origins Event!

JR Kerr is a teaching pastor & campus developer at Park Community Church in Chicago, IL where he lives with his wife, Rachel, their daughters Madeline and Claire, and their dog Fernie. JR is the co-founder of the Center for Missional Entrepreneurship & the Aitreni Group for social change. He is a weekly commentator for Moody Radio, a regular guest on Primetime America, a contributor to the Leadership Journal, a speaker on influence calling and worldview, and a hopeless Cubs fan.

Take a moment to read his post on the Q Ideas blog, Concerning the Church: Church Branding Overwhelms the Cross, and be sure to join us at the Origins Event July 23-24!

Origins Event Speaker Highlight: Alan Hirsch

Posted on June 14, 2010

We are excited to have Alan Hirsch join us for the Origins Event this summer!

Alan is the founding Director of Forge Mission Training Network. He is the co-founder of shapevine.com an international forum for engaging with world transforming ideas. He leads Future Travelers, a learning journey applying missional-incarnational approaches to established churches and is an active participant in The Tribe of LA, a Jesus community among artists and creatives in Los Angeles.

Known for his innovative approach to mission, Alan is a teacher and key mission strategist for churches across the western world. His popular book The Shaping of Things to Come (with Michael Frost) is widely considered to be a seminal text on mission. Alan’s recent book The Forgotten Ways, has quickly become a key reference for missional thinking, particularly as it relates to movements. His book ReJesus is a radical restatement about the role that Jesus plays in defining missional movements.  Untamed, his latest book (with his wife Debra) is about missional discipleship for a missional church.

His experience in leadership includes leading a local church movement among the marginalized as well as heading up the Mission and Revitalization work of his denomination. Alan is and adjunct professor at Fuller Seminary and lectures frequently throughout Australia, Europe, and the U.S.

Check out these videos featuring Alan Hirsch and don’t forget to join us for the Origins Event July 23-24!

Q IDEAS | Alan Hirsch from Q Ideas on Vimeo.

Origins Event Speaker Highlight: Henry Kaestner

Posted on June 11, 2010

We are thrilled to announce that Henry Kaestner will be joining us for the Origins Event!

Henry is the co-founder of DurhamCares and the Executive Chairman of Bandwidth.com, a local telecommunications company listed by INC Magazine as the 4th fastest growing privately held company in the country over the past 5 years. Prior to co-founding Bandwidth.com with his partner, David Morken, Henry was a principal in Chapel Hill Brokers, Chapel Hill Broadband and Bandwidth International. In addition to his work on DurhamCares, Henry is a member of the Local Outreach Committee at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Durham, is on boards and involved in several Durham based charities and is a co-founder (along with David) of MinistrySpotlight.org, a new organization to be launched in January 2010 highlighting Christian word and deed ministries worldwide. Henry lives in Durham with his wife Kimberley and their 3 sons.

Check out the following videos to learn more about why Henry and seven other Durham leaders are racing their bicycles 24 hours a day for eight days across America (starting tomorrow!) and remember to join us for the Origins Event July 23-24!

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