Gratitude Abounds at Church United

December 2016What a November! Fresh on the heels of one of the most divisive political seasons in modern history, Americans gathered in millions of homes to celebrate our gratitude for all the blessings God has bestowed on this birthplace of freedom.Our family was no exception.There is much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. It’s definitely a season of new beginnings – not just for the United States, but also for the Domen family as we embark on a new journey with Church United.As many of you have heard by now, the Lord has blessed us with an opportunity to work with California pastors (and beyond) through a rebranding of the former Family Impact Council. As its new Executive Director, I am overseeing the vision, strategy, and mission of our new Church United 501(c)3. Church United is distinct from any other faith-based policy organization in California in that it is dedicated to equipping Golden State pastors to shape and influence culture. Nowhere in the United States is such an effort so vital.Despite gallant efforts of numerous pro-family policy groups in California, the state’s liberal leadership has persistently – and consistently – stripped away those values we hold closely to our core: life, traditional marriage, and religious freedoms. Unfortunately, even the hard-fought successes we have earned at the ballot box have been undermined by judicial tyranny.For the past six years, I have been working to build pastoral networks and coalitions throughout the state to help recoup so many of our losses. Let’s face it: at the core of our struggle is a mighty spiritual battle between light and darkness. Who better to lead us in these battles than our spiritual shepherds? They are the core of Church United.In just a few short months, our Church United team has already impacted California culture in so many ways:

• Our work captured the attention of the Orange County Register, which was reporting on a battle to save meeting invocations and to keep the motto “In God We Trust” at the Orange County Board of Education. The article mentioned Church United in a story lead (Read the full story here).
• Pastor Netz Gomez hosted Church United during a Nov. 28 radio interview on Nueva Vida, the largest Spanish-language Christian radio station in the nation.
• Church United initiates meetings with the Catholic Bishop of the Orange County Diocese; representing 1.3 million people in Orange County (32% of Orange County’s population).
• Church United is hosting the first-ever pastors gathering in Sacramento, where we have arranged for 25 regional pastors of influence to attend. Our goal is to bring 100-200 pastors from across the state in the summer of 2017.
• Most of the budget will be used to scholarship as many as 350 pastors to attend the national and state conferences.

This is a movement – not a moment!While we are excited about this impressive start, we have established even bigger goals for 2017:Develop a new board of directors to guide Church United into the next decade.

• Build long-term coalitions through one-on-one relationships.
• Sponsor 150 California pastors to attend the four-day Watchman on the Wall event in Washington D.C. (up from 6 pastors in 2014, 27 in 2015, and 70 this year) and add an extra day to equip pastors!
• Expand pastor/clergy networks across California.
• Create new regional “briefings” to specifically equip California pastors on impacting culture.

Why is pastor involvement so critical?Such engagement dates to revolutionary times when America’s pastors used their pulpits to encourage the colonists in their efforts to secure freedom from Britain. The success of the effort prompted Britain to label the pastors the ‘Black Robe Regiment.’“Those pastors boldly proclaimed the Word of God in everything that applied to life, whether spiritual or temporal, whether related to eternal life with Christ or to topics such as taxation, education, government, military, or any other issue touched in the Bible,” said David Barton, President of WallBuilders, regarding the early brigades. “America is longing for a resurgence of the Black Robed Regiment – they want ministers who will provide much-needed community leadership and speak out fearlessly on issues related to today’s culture.”We are honored to carry that mantle for California and are eager to see how the Lord will work everything out for His glory. Are you able to partner with us in implementing this big vision? Your contributions will help us build on the momentum of our new movement as we head into 2017 and beyond. Our team is eager to build on the work of the past six years.Our sleeves are rolled up.Jim