Churches band together to reach out

OCEANSIDE — The third annual Christian outreach at the Pier Amphitheater brought together more than 40 churches and ministries on Aug. 7. Booths for healing, Bible reading, ministry and baptism made it a “one stop shop” of sorts for Christ.
“There are resources for homelessness, ministries to set people free of drugs and afflictions,” Kris Deangelis, an agent with Firm Believers in Christ, said. “We all play a different role in the Body of Christ.”
Attendance at the daylong event was estimated to be more than 1,000. “It’s been packed with crowds of new people all day long,” Deangelis said.
The day was filled with nonstop entertainment, ministry and raffle giveaways. Bikes, bodyboards and cash were some of the raffle prizes. There were also games and ministry sessions geared for kids.
Christian rock groups and rappers performed on two stages in the amphitheater center and adjacent parking lot.
Many of the day’s performers are also ministers of their faith.
“We are the Spanish worship team,” Serina Cherniak, singer of the band Eternal, of the Vista Assembly of God, said. “We perform at the church and go down to Mexico a lot to perform.”
Blandon Harris, who performs Christian rap under
the name Blan, established Searching for Hope Community Services with
his wife Zacana Harris
and co-founder Roxanne Reynolds, in Houston, Texas.
The Christian-based outreach initially focused on raising awareness about ovarian cancer and helping the homeless. Now outreach services in Texas and California have expanded to serving youth and those struggling to find a job.
“Music is the media to get the message out to the community,” Harris said.
Harris occasionally uses words like crack and prostitution in his rap songs, but his message is that those practices are wrong. Holding on to hope and faith is the bottom line in all his songs.
Harris’ wife died of ovarian cancer in 2007. He continues to rap and minister in her memory. “Christ got me through it, not over it,” Harris said.
Organizers considered the day of Christian outreach a success. Ministries coming together created an exponential effect, Deangelis said.
“The unity demonstrated here has really been incredible,” Deangelis said. “We’re all on board. Just bringing people to Christ, that’s the goal.”