Facilitator: Jeff
Gillman
Welcome and Introduction to the evening presented by
Pastor Jeff Gillman. Host Church was the  Community
Baptist Church
Pastored by Dr. James E. Coffee - and
Associate Pastor - Lee Turner
Prayer for any issues faced here in Santa Rosa.
- Younger generation - purity, work side by side
with older and younger in ministry and for restoration
of relationships between generations.
- Work with the City of Santa Rosa and our Mayor’s
Gang Prevention Task Force.
We ask You Lord to supernaturally break
down the barriers of those youth in gangs to be able
to receive Your love by our prayers.
- Break apathy.
- God would inspire real programs for us to be involved
in to actually walk out our prayers, ways to tangibly
be Jesus' hands, feet and heart.
- For finance classes and seminars in churches to
guide people and meet their needs.
- Bring opportunities to bring light to those in darkness.
- That Christian families would see money in a Godly
pursuit. Money as a means to serve.
- The body of Christ would walk in unity regardless
of doctrinal differences. Serve together.
- To see a renewed spirit of discipleship. That we
will lead the way and be touchable, just as Jesus
was. We would be changed lives walking around.
- JESUS would be lifted up, not a church or a program.
- We need you Jesus, please move among us! This is
our cry!
- Master, heal us! Cleanse us that we could and would
carry the Word rightly.
- Bless us and clean us up that we may be trustworthy.
Jeff Gillman of Redwood Gospel Mission
- Santa Rosa
Announced Spring Cleaning
event. We're having a meeting to plan for it. It looks
like a dozen to perhaps 18 congregations are going to
be involved in partnering together to go out and clean
up our city, cleaning up graffiti and trash to really
make an impact in our city and to do it in the name
of "The Lord Jesus" and do it in unity, that
the world may know.
So, we invite you all to join those of us who are going
to be at Foothills Community church this Sunday April
3 2005 for a planning meeting for this event. I also
have the official City Reach Prayer sign up sheet here
and I will pass it down so that all of you can sign
in. So, do we have any more important announcements?
Rev. James Coffee of Community Baptist Church
Yeah, I would hope that many of you could come to the
seminar coming up called "Global Focus". It's
a worldwide seminar that is only happening in about
4 places in the Country, and it so happens that one
of the places that it will be hosted is right here in
Santa Rosa, at this church, so grab a flier and all
of the information could be found in one of those. It
will be the 13th and 14th of this month.
Jeff Gillman
That's a good segway then, if you could, pastor, I'd
love for you to share a little bit about the history
of Community Baptist Church. I know that you've probably
got a little bit that you could share, after all, you've
only been here for about 44 years, so he could probably
share it in about 30 seconds (ha, ha, ha).
Then we would like to pray for you and for the leadership
of your church, those who are here, we would like to
gather around and pray for all of you, so if you could
just share a little bit about the history and what is
happening now and where God is taking Community Baptist
Church.
Rev. James Coffee - Pastor
Ok, Thank you. Our church is a historical church. We
are the first predominant black church that was ever
accepted in Southern Baptist. This was back in 1951,
before the Civil Rights, school integration, or any
of that took place. It was agreed that the only way
that they would do it was that it would never hit the
film media back then, because it would have had just
as much of an impact as school integration.
Yes, it's too bad that Jimmy Carter didn't know that
when he was president and was getting all the flack
about Southern Baptist churches, he could have let people
know that Southern Baptist had integrated in Santa Rosa
in 1951. That was then, and there is a lot of history
behind that.
Then we built a church, the first black church in Southern
Baptist is over in South Park, it's still there and
we have a white baptist church in that, whoever that
be, and then next door there is a real thriving hispanic
church we have there, so we could be with everybody.
I thank God every Sunday that I get to preach to the
United Nations.
We started out as the first predominant black church
in Southern Baptist, now we are probably the most diversified
church in America in the Southern Baptist church, or
anywhere else, so that is a little history of that.
We have a lot of growth, teaching and training and I
appreciate the prayers for them, and I really wish you
would continue to pray, because we have classes in relationships.
We're concerned about our young people within our community
and all over. I saw on the T. V. this morning, young
girls, 12,13 and 14 years old defying their mothers
and everybody else right there on a live television
show saying, " We want to get pregnant. I'll sell
dope or drugs to take care of my kids. I won't have
to go to school", and all that kind of stuff.
We've got a lot of problems and we really need to reach
out and I'm praying for breakthrough with our young
folk. We've got three or four generations who have gone
through the loop without knowing who Jesus is and it's
hard to get them back. So we need to pray for our young
people. We do a lot of things for our children here
in our own church.
One of the things I need your prayer about, we have,
"The rights of passage". This is our
fifth year and we'll be graduation 25 students from
the community. They go through a six month course, doing
all kinds of things that they probably don't get at
school and some of them don't get at home. That will
be held at the end of this month at the Vineyard Creek
Inn Hotel.
Also, we have nine of our ladies, including my wife,
that went to Nashville Tennessee yesterday for a women's
conference. They are going to be in Clarksville Tennessee,
and we want to pray that they will be getting fired
up and getting some real good spiritual food. And then,
I mentioned the "Global Focus", and also the
race equality week that will be going on. I have an
album of pictures and some of you all are in it. We
had a real blessed time here, about 250 people from
all over the city at our , "guess who's coming
to dinner"? So, keep praying for that, and we hope
to climax that in October with a big festival down at
the Finley Community Center, so I don't want to take
up any more time, because I think those are the main
things.
Of course, our church always needs prayer, but if you
really want to focus on us, pray for our young people.
There is a new group out there called the "Matrix",
kids 9-12 years old in gangs in San Francisco,
and they have guns! 9-12 years old! If you haven't heard
about it, keep pray in', because you will. You can read
about all of these gun stores being robbed, about 300
guns have been stolen within the last couple months,
and guess where they go? Into the hands of these children.
So, Satan is busy, he's doing his job and so, we're
in war and we need some foot soldiers. We need people
praying and waging war and putting on the whole armor
of God. I cherish all of the prayers that I get for
Community Baptist and for our community.
Jeff Gillman
Well, I'm not going to let you go. I'm going to prompt
you about a couple of other things.
Rev. Coffee
Oh, and excuse me, but I want to share that a couple
of my Deacons are here, our assistant pastor is here,
and some other members that we want to pray for.
Jeff Gillman
Absolutely! We definitely want to do that, but I want
to also ask about a couple of other things. You've got
some adjacent buildings that some other things are happening
at, not only on Sunday's, but throughout the week.
Rev. Coffee
Yeah, we have the Coffee learning center out by the
parking lot. We have a school that we provide for a
charter school. Since God blessed us to be here, we've
been able to purchase all the houses on that block that
open up to our parking lot and turn them into Sunday
school classes on Sunday and whatever through the week.
During the day we have a charter school. And, over
at the other church as I said before, we still have
a city block of land over there, another house, a mobile
and two churches. We intend to develop that into senior
living most of it, but my goal is to always keep that
church, because it's a historical church. It's made
out of cinder blocks, and will always be the historic
first Baptist church that was accepted into the southern
Baptist, so that is some of what we do around here and
what we're a part of.
Jeff Gillman
Uh, also, because of your position in our community,
you've been here a few years (ha,ha,ha), people tend
to look to you for leadership. You've held some recent
events here related to juvenal justice and restoring
communication there, can you tell us a little bit about
that?
Rev. Coffee
Yes, yes, well, we're at the head of probation, because
you know, we've got a lot of kids going to jail and
perhaps they are on drugs or whatever, and they really
need help, but they don't need to be in jail, and so
they want to know what kind of program our churches
have. So we have a meeting here with all of our ministers
to see what we could do as an alternative to just locking
kids up. I don't know what other churches have done,
but we have developed a "round table" where
we invite girls and boys and we have some professional
people who will share with them about anything , so
we have that to offer.
We like to have an alternative to sending our kids
to jail. Our community and city has a lot of needs and
our city government is not going to be able to do it
all. Law enforcement can't handle all of the crime,
there's no way, as a matter of fact if we don't do something,
I always say that if we don't go after them, their coming
after us. It's gotten worse than that. Whether we go
after them or not, they're already coming after us,
so we need to do a lot of work and be praying together
and find ways that we can work together.
The government, the city and the county, they really
don't know what to do and they want to look to us, and
sometimes we don't quite know what we want to do, and
so, I think we're at the best time in our life to be
a witness for God. Some things that are happening right
now, Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose Driven Life
" which the woman in Atlanta had when that man
who was shooting people up got a hold of her. I had
the privilege of teaching Rick Warren when he was about
9 years old up at camp Cazadero. His daddy Jimmy Warren
and I were great friends, he was director of missions
for Mendo lake and I had a whole bunch of guys in my
youth camp then, up at Cazadero, and most of them went
on to do great things. I don't know what I did, but
I have been pretty surprised myself (chuckle).
Anyway, Rick Warren's book is doing really good and
we're teaching it here and most of you are probably
doing the same thing, but with that and with our Pope
right now who's dying, you know, he's a great religious
man and I don't care whether he is Catholic or whatever,
he is a great religious man and that's getting a lot
of attention.
Also, what is going on right now with Terry and the
life support issue and other things, all that does is
open up doors and windows for us to be a witness. We
should take of advantage of all of these opportunities
you know, as people are interested. You know Larry King?
Well, he's been a blessing whether he knows it or not,
by having all these people on there talking about The
Purpose Driven Life, and I don't know if any of you
saw it last night, but they had a whole hour on CNN
about churches and the ministers like T.D. Jake's and
Joel Olstein, they're doing great work, national work
and Satan doesn't like that.
So, last night they had an hour on and they couldn't
find anything wrong, they even brought Jim Baker up
on the screen, trying to find something bad, but there
is so much good going on . I always say this in church,
"has Satan been bothering you? Then shout Hallelujah,
I must be doing something right, because satan is after
me, Amen!" If he's not bothering you, then your
not bothering him either, so I'm glad he's after me,
Amen!.
Jeff Gillman
Ok, so I'll let you sit down, but you've served here
for 44 years now, so what now, are you thinking another
44 years or?
Rev. Coffee
Wow, well, I don't know. My back has been bothering
me a lot, but other than that I feel pretty good ya
know. I have a spring operated valve in my heart that's
about 9 years old. I have a battery operated defibrillator,
a little computer up in here. If they come up with a
bionic heart and I get one of those, I ought to be able
to last a lot longer, but pray for me, I need your prayers.
Jeff Gillman
Ok, we're going to break this next hour up into two
segments. We want to pray for some of the needs that
were mentioned. I don't know if any of you were writing
those down, but maybe what we can do is kind of break
up and we'll get into 4 different sections, 4 teams
around the room and we'll pray for some of those needs
that were mentioned by Pastor Coffee about what is happening
in the ministry here and some of the opportunities that
they have and some of the challenges and certainly for
pastor's health as well. Then for the second part, we're
going to have the leadership that is here come together
and we will gather around you and pray for you, so let's
break up into sections.
Prayer prayed for Rev. Coffee
Lord, we pray that you would bring at least 12 laborers
to take his steps and let the burden of his vision to
be spread among his church and the community, so that
when he is ready to be present with the Lord, that there
is nothing that is going to die here, but it's going
to live, and with Jesus living in and among us, that
he will continue the fight and that we will all be having
Satan bother us, so that we don't get lazy or complacent,
and that we do what you want us to do and tell us what
you want us to do and complete the tasks that you want
us to complete and make us go out there into the community
and be your representative!
We know God that the one that gets the most of our
attention, is the wounds that we have, the open wounds,
the fresh wounds in our body that we have, we put the
band-aid on that God, and our society is full of open
wounds Lord, and you are the band-aid. Help us to be
able to apply your word, apply your light, apply your
principles, apply your love, apply all of the things
that you have given us and taught us to do, help us
to be that to people who don't know you, to sinners
that are lost, to those who don't even believe that
Jesus is the Christ, help us to be able to show them
with our life.
God how good you are, that they may be drawn to you,
that more might come and want to know you, want to live
the life that you want us to live. We thank you so much
heavenly Father that you didn't stop knocking on the
door of our heart, but you knocked until we opened Lord.
You came in and we know that what you've done for us
you can do for others. You didn't just give us a hope
in today, but you gave us a hope for eternity!
Thank you for that eternal hope that only you can give,
for the divine presence that is in our lives, we thank
you for being King of our life, the King of all eternity.
We draw from a source that this world has nothing to
do with, but that you did oh God. You opened the door
through Jesus Christ and His death on Calvary, you opened
the door Heavenly Father, we just praise you for that!
The same death that you died for us, you died for all.
Help us to be able to relate that to other people, whether
it be in word or deed or just to be your pre sense,
help us to be able to correctly communicate your blessings.
Your Gospel to a world that doesn't seem to believe,
but God, thank you for the opportunity, for we know
Lord that it is the squeaky wheel that needs the oil.
God help us to hear the squeaking and be able to apply
the anointing of the Holy Spirit to people who are out
there squeaking right now.
Prayer to grow the church up to maturity, that God
would pour out His blessings on all of those Sunday
school teachers and discipleship groups.
God would bring people to be passionate about tithing
and extravagant in their giving, even the young children.
That there would be a desire to be able to work, so
that they would be able to give more. May we just look
for opportunities to build up and support the work of
you Lord here in Sonoma County.
Prayer that the Lord would strengthen all of the ministries
in our city, those who run them and need extra anointing
to lead and continue to press on. Lord, please bring
in the funds that they will need to do all that is in
their heart to do.
Jeff Gillman
We would like to pray for the leadership of Community
Baptist that is here, and also for those who are in
Israel right now. Sam, Harry and Carol, Mark Stone,
Jim Kennedy, and others who are there and are getting
to be involved in ministry and opening doors for new
opportunities in ministry there with the Jews. I am
excited to see what God is going to do and to hear the
reports as they come back. Essentially, the Israeli
government is looking at evangelical Christians as,
with a different eye these days and recognizing that
they are our friends that want to be there to support
them, minister to them and encourage them.
Doors have been opened to meet with leaders, doors
have been opened to see Christians involved and ministering
in new ways, so they are going to be there meeting with
Christians in the North at Mount Carmel and with different
congregations and being able to have some dialogue with
both business and political leadership within the country,
so that is really significant.
It's a great opportunity and the fact that our little
community is on the cutting edge of that, isn't a mistake,
it's God's hand. Harry will tell you all about the ends
of the earth coming back to Israel, because of our equal
distance location and all of that kind of unique stuff
and who we are and where we are in proximity to Jerusalem,
but we so want to lift them up at this time.
Special Thanks to Christelle Eddy
who transcribed this document.
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