2010 WORLD MISSIONS JUBILEE
Thursday, August 5
3:00 pm Registration at Hilton Hotel
7:30 pm Singing
8:00 pm Welcome and Prayer Bordieris / Untalans
8:15 pm LET MY PEOPLE GO DJ Comisford
9:30 pm DELIGHTED ABOUT ALL THE LORD HAS DONE Good News Sharing
10:30 pm Close
Friday, August 6
9:00 am Singing
9:15 am REPORT : Global Internet Ministry R. Harding / J. Ciaramella / R. Onekea
REPORT: Administration Of The Churches Michael Kirchner
10:00 am NEHUSHTAN Matt Sullivan
10:45 am Break
11:00 am Class Session I
Motherhood: Pharoah’s Daughter Changes History J. McGee / L. Mejia
Quiet Times: Manna In The Morning V. Gonzalez Jr. / O. Sirotkin
Full-Time Ministry: The Burning Bush DJ & K. Comisford
Deepening Your Bible Study: The Voice Of God K. Bartholomew / A. Smellie
Teaching Bible Talks: His Face Was Radiant C. Broom / J. Parlour

12 noon MERCYworldwide / Web Deacons / CR Meeting / Teen Luncheons

2:00 pm Class Session II
Women’s Leadership: Miriam The Prophetess E. McKean / P. Smellie
Finding God’s Will: Balaam’s Donkey T. Kernan / C. Mejia
Faithful 10+ Years: Exodus To Adventure A. Lips / J. Shelbrack
Fruits of Righteousness: Zeal For God’s Honor J. Clark / R. Moreno
Family Devos: Impress On Your Children Adams / Parlours

3:00 pm Break
5:30 pm Singles & Campus Social
7:30 pm Singing
8:00 pm THE GOLDEN CALF Andrew Smellie
9:00 pm Break
9:30 pm “The Kingdom’s Got Talent” Show Host: Jeremy Ciaramella

Viernes, Agosto 6
10:00 am MANA EN LA MANANA Raul Moreno
10:45 am Receso
11:00 am PROGRAMA PARA LAS MUJERES MC – Sonia Gonzalez
Maternidad: La Hija Del Faraón Cambia La Historia Helen Sullivan
Liderazgo: Miriam La Profetiza Theresa Broom
Servicio: Las Mujeres En El Tabernáculo Lynda Moreno
12 mediodía Almuerzo
2:00 pm Canciones
2:15 pm NEJUSTAN Victor Gonzalez Sr.
3:00 pm Receso
Saturday, August 7
3:00 pm 9:00 am Singing
9:15 am Report: MERCYworldwide Nick & Denise Bordieri
9:30 am THE JETHRO PRINCIPLE
Building Leaders And Multiplying Bible Talks, Churches And Nations Chloupeks / Williamsons
10:45 am Break
11:00 am THE CLOUD OVER THE TABERNACLE Chris Broom
12 noon Fellowship at Universal Studios or Six Flags Magic Mountain

Sunday, August 8
9:00 am Singing
9:30 am Communion/Contribution Oleg & Aliona Sirotkin
10:00 am Break
10:30 am THE PROMISED LAND – ON THE SECOND TRY Kip McKean
11:30 am Send-off Of The London Mission Team
12:00 noon Into All The World!
Domingo, Agosto 8
3:00 pm Canciones
9:30 am Comunión / Contribución Sal & Patricia Velasco
3:00 pm Receso
10:15 am LA TIERRA PROMETIDA – EN EL SEGUNDO INTENTO Matt Sullivan
11:00 am Reunirse Con El Servicio De Inglés

MIGHTY POWER AND AWESOME DEEDS
2010 Global Leadership Conference
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
7:30 am Breakfast and Fellowship
9:00 am Singing
9:15 am Good News Sharing
10:00 am THE TEN PLAGUES OF EGYPT Kip McKean
11:00 am Break
11:15 am MIGHTY POWER AND AWESOME DEEDS
Campus Focus Andrew Smellie
Interns DJ & Kacie Comisford
Reporting and Administration Michael Kirchner
Sharing Resources And Communication Between Ministries Chris Broom
12:00 pm Break
12:15 pm KORAH’S REBELLION AND AARON’S STAFF Ron Harding
1:00 pm Closing Prayer

Speakers Dinner
The Speakers Dinner will be held Wednesday at 6:30PM. This is a separate event from the Global Leadership Conference and is by invitation only.
Administrators Breakfast Meeting
The Administrators Breakfast Meeting will be held Thursday from 9:00AM to Noon. Michael Kirchner, who is the Administrator for all the SoldOut Movement Churches, will oversee this event. Every lead evangelist and their administrator are invited to this meeting.
Shepherds Luncheon
Thursday at 12:30PM, Nick & Denise Bordieri and Tony & Therese Untalan will be hosting a luncheon meeting for all the Shepherding Couples in the SoldOut Movement Churches.
Specialized Ministry Luncheons
On Friday August 6th, there will be specialized ministry lunches. Nick & Denise Bordieri will be hosting a luncheon honoring the disciples who are in leadership with MERCYworldwide. Ron Harding, our Lead CyberEvangelist for the Movement, will direct the Web Deacons Lunch & Meeting. Mike Patterson and Shay Vloet will host a Teen Lunch & Fellowship. Also, there will be a Chemical Recovery (CR) Ministry Lunch & Meeting overseen by Russ Preston. On Friday evening at 6PM, Michael & Michele Williamson will be in charge of a Singles & Campus Social, where finger foods will be served.

Lynda’s appointment as Women’s Ministry Leader inspires her young disciple Shay to dream for the ministry!

What a huge victory for God and an incredible inspiration to God’s family (especially our sisters) to witness Lynda appointed a Women’s Ministry Leader at our Sunday Congregational Service on June 6, 2010. My heart is so stirred by how deeply Lynda loves God, His church and His mission. God has powerfully worked through Lynda’s gifts – in both the English and Spanish Ministries – as our Orange County women have been one of the most fruitful ministries in the entire City of Angels Church!

Lynda was born in Bogota, Colombia on March 14, 1972. When she was six months old, she moved with her parents to the United States. They eventually settled in Tampa, Florida and this is where Lynda spent the next 24 years of her life. Lynda grew up in a strict Latin home, where only Spanish was spoken. She learned English while attending public schools. In 1989, she participated in a pageant and won the title of Miss Colombia of Tampa. This led to opportunities to become a runway model, as well as to do “print work” to earn the finances needed to attend college. Lynda graduated from the International Academy of Merchandising and Design with a BA Degree in Interior Design in 1995.

Upon graduation, Lynda worked as a receptionist for an architectural firm and soon was promoted to assistant designer. While working at this job, Lynda shared, “I was going to clubs every weekend, sometimes traveling to parties as far away as New York City. I got involved in a serious, yet unhealthy relationship with a guy that I met at one of these clubs. I eventually became engaged to this man thinking that this would fulfill me. Yet sadly, I was so unsure of what I actually wanted that I began a relationship on the side with a man at work. Even as a non-Christian, I knew this was messed-up.”

It was at this point of desperation that Lynda’s cousin invited her to a Women’s Day in Miami, so aptly entitled for Lynda, Courage Under Fire! Lynda wanted to go and get away from the confusion and emptiness in her life. The Women’s Day was nothing like she ever experienced before. Lynda shared, “I saw God for the first time and had hope for my life.” Two months after the Women’s Day, Lynda was baptized into Christ on September 9, 1997 largely through the efforts of the Tampa International Church of Christ (ICOC).

Coltin and Lance poured themselves out to restore Carlos to the Lord!

Six months later, Kip (my amazing husband and the World Missions Evangelist for the ICOC) asked her to move to Sao Paulo, Brazil to serve as a missionary intern. Lynda’s zeal and intellect allowed her to learn Portuguese quite quickly. She was trained for the ministry by Barbara Porter, while serving in the AMS (Arts, Media, Sports) Sector of the Sao Paulo Church. Lynda recounts, “While I was in Brazil, we had a Women’s Day that I will never forget. We had so many visitors that we rented an indoor soccer stadium! Elena was our guest speaker! That day God blessed me with four visitors – one of which was my sister, who flew down all the way from New York City!”

When Lynda’s visa to Brazil had expired, the Spirit gave her the opportunity to be a full-time intern in the Miami Church. She began co-leading their Singles Ministry with a dynamic, godly man – Raul Moreno! Knowing that her choices in men had been a disaster in the world, for the entire time that Lynda was a Christian she prayed, “God, choose for me the man who will love me as ‘Christ loved the church’ and lead me to Heaven.” Lynda shares, “By the grace of God, the Miami Singles Ministry started growing rapidly. There was so much energy and such a profound sense of family. We would have ‘themed parties’ constantly, because the ministry loved to have fun together. During this time, I was able to watch God work through Raul and I fell in love with his purity of heart and his enthusiasm for God. Raul and I started dating in April 1999 and God made His choice for me very clear as Raul sited from Ephesians 5:25 on our first date as a dating couple saying, ‘I’m going to love you as Christ loved the church.’ With my prayer answered, I knew Raul was the man with whom I wanted to spend my life and I’m grateful that he felt the same about me.”

Two months later, the Spirit moved Raul and Lynda to Buenos Aires, Argentina to lead the Campus and Teen Ministry. After a year of witnessing incredible miracles, the Morenos were married in 2001. A week after their return from their honeymoon, they - “without grumbling or complaining” – moved to Santiago, Chile to fulfill the need for leadership in the Singles Ministry. (Philippians 2:14) After a very fruitful year for the Morenos, their church leaders had a baby with severe special needs, which were best cared for in the States. So in 2002 as newlyweds, Raul & Lynda were asked to “stand in the gap” and lead the 400 member Santiago Church. (Ezekiel 22:30) What was supposed to be a temporary appointment became the five most difficult years of Lynda’s life.

Valentine and “Big Mo” celebrate Valentine’s restoration!

In 2003, the “Kriete Letter” was publicized and all of our sister churches were able to read the letter online. Lynda recalls, “This letter was filled with lies and unanswered halftruths. The movement exploded and most of the churches went into an uproar. The movement was fractured as most churches embraced the false doctrine of autonomy. These now autonomous churches were filled with autonomous disciples. The majority of people on staff were fired and made a spectacle of, as the congregations they served tore them apart.”

At first in Santiago, the impact of the letter was muted. Raul & Lynda read the letter to the church, made copies, and discussed the unbiblical principles espoused by the letter openly. Lynda remembers, “However, Raul & I were not trained enough to guide our congregation through such a jungle of opinions and false doctrines. Though we in the Santiago Church did not give up discipling, our leaders in Miami did – both locally and as our overseeing mentors. We felt abandoned and sin insidiously crept into our church and the spirit of the church started to die. It was at this time that I found out that I was pregnant with Felipe. Though I was overjoyed at the prospect of being a mother, my pregnancy was extremely difficult. During my last three months, I had constant contractions that landed me in the hospital where Felipe was born prematurely in the eighth month of my pregnancy. I became embittered with the crashing of the movement and even began to feel abandoned by God.”

In 2004, our oldest son Sean spent an eight month study abroad program in Santiago. The Morenos deeply loved Sean and had him over constantly for dinner and to watch Laker games, as well as watching over him spiritually. Sean really wanted Kip and me to come and visit him in Santiago. Since our finances were sparse, I used our frequent flyer miles and had an incredible time with our son and his dear friends – Raul & Lynda! While in Santiago, I shared all about what the Lord was doing through the Portland Church. Raul began to follow Portland’s website and was so excited that he asked to visit. Upon seeing first-hand the Portland Church in early 2005, Raul & Lynda asked Kip & me if we would disciple them and their beloved Santiago Church.

Michaela and Courtney are both fired-up about God’s plan to prosper them as new members of the City of Angels Church!

In 2006, after another challenging pregnancy where Lynda was bed-ridden, Bella was born. In October of that year, God started His new movement through His Spirit’s work in Portland and the events that unfolded in Hilo, Hawaii. In late 2006, Raul decided not to be a part of the new movement hoping he could help reform the ICOC from the inside. By the summer of 2007, his church poisoned by ungodly outside influences and slanderous letters against Kip, and with Lynda on the verge of what all would agree was a nervous breakdown, Raul phoned Kip and said that he wanted to join the new movement because he now believed that this would be the only hope for the salvation of the world. In August 2007, when Raul gave the call as the lead evangelist of the Santiago Church to be a part of a movement whose vision was the evangelization of the nations in this generation through discipling, sadly only 27 joined him and Lynda. This only furthered Lynda’s disillusionment and depression. Concerned, we asked Lynda to visit LA for a month, as her faith was extremely frail. Strengthening her walk with God during that time were Nick & Denise Bordieri, Ken & Liliana Zindler, and Michael & Sharon Kirchner. When she returned to Santiago, Lynda shares that during those dark days, “Raul carried me and the church.”

“Old guys rule” – Perry and Bob relax after Bob’s victorious baptism!

In the summer of 2008, funds were raised for Matt & Helen Sullivan to go to Santiago and lead our sister church, and for Raul & Lynda to come to the City of Angels Church and lead the Orange County Region. In humility, Lynda expresses, “I was in need of spiritual ICU.” (Intensive Care Unit) The first year in LA was a time of healing through Bible study and prayer with Raul, d-times with Kip and me, and once more going out and sharing her faith. The second year, the Spirit lifted-up Lynda and through her deep love for God and the sisters around her, scores of women have been baptized and restored, inspired by how God mended her broken-heart.

I count Lynda as one of my dearest sisters. Her focus on pleasing God rather than men, her uncanny intuitive wisdom to meet the needs of those around her, and her ability to “laugh at the days to come” indeed, “clothe [her] with strength and dignity.” (Proverbs 31:25) Lynda, through your pain – through which the Spirit brought humility, conviction and a deep love for the sisters – God has made you into one of the most effective of our movement’s Women’s Ministry Leaders! Te amo muchísimo!

Elena Garcia McKean

The Chloupek family – Sonja, Chris, Chase and Cassidi!

Today we welcome into our fellowship, the Chloupek family – Chris, Sonja, Chase and Cassidi! The Lord has used them in an incredible way in planting and building the Phoenix International Christian Church! A little less than five years ago, they began a house church with just four disciples. Today, the Phoenix Church has 113 disciples and 200 on Sunday mornings! Chris & Sonja will serve as our new North Region Leaders, as Michael & Michele Williamson are being sent-out by the Spirit leading the London Mission Team! Prayerfully, over the next year, the North Region will multiply through discipleship into three regions. The first is the AMS (Arts-Media-Sports) Region. This region will be focused on reaching-out to actors, musicians and anyone connected to the “Hollywood scene,” as well as to LA’s many professional athletes. The second is the Ventura Region, which will cover all of Ventura County including such cities as Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Oxnard, Ojai, Simi Valley and of course the city of Ventura. (Ryan & Iyonna Keenan of Eugene will be the leaders of the new Ventura House Church in August, which in time will become the Ventura Region.) The third region is the new North Region, whose charge is to evangelize northern LA County – all the way from Calabasas to downtown LA to the Antelope Valley. We believe that, through the Lord, Chris & Sonja are up to this momentous challenge!

Chris was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on January 8, 1962 to Neal & Judy Chloupek – who both became baptized disciples through the love of the Phoenix International Christian Church. After high school, Chris served in the U.S. Army during the early 80’s spending much of that time in Italy. He later returned to the States and attended Northern Arizona University graduating in 1989 with a B.S. in Criminology. In order to pursue a career in acting, Chris moved to Hollywood, and to make ends meet, even worked as a bodyguard for Guns N’ Roses! This godless existence led to tremendous sin and furthered his fall into drugs and alcohol abuse. In time, one of Chris’ friends became a disciple and shared with Chris. Chris was baptized in a pool in Burbank on November 3, 1993 through the efforts of the AMS Ministry of the Los Angeles International Church of Christ (ICOC). The Lord used him and within one year Chris was invited to serve full-time in the ministry. It was about this time that a former model, Sonja Pedersen, became a disciple! She and Chris became friends and started dating!

Sonja was born July 2, 1970 in the small town of Vryheid (Freedom), South Africa. Her parents Norman & Marlene recently celebrated their 48th Wedding Anniversary! Sonja shares, “At 18, rather than enroll in university, I took off to London for what I thought would be one year abroad. God transformed that into 22 years of granting me more than I could ever have dreamed or imagined! I was blessed to experience almost 20 different countries where I worked as a waitress, picking strawberries (you do what you have to do!) driving a fork-lift in a factory, milking cows (see what I mean!) serving as a nanny, sales and then finally, I entered a modeling career.”

All looked perfect on the outside, but Sonja knew that she was dying on the inside and began crying out for help. In 1994, a huge earthquake hit Los Angeles, literally shaking Sonja’s confidence in the world and all that she had trusted in. In desperation, she began to pursue God and soon was invited to the Los Angeles ICOC. Sonja says that after she studied the Bible, “By God’s incredible grace and mercy, I was baptized into the dynamic AMS Ministry on Women’s Day – March 5, 1994!” Sonja is so thankful to Coleen Graham, Lane Morrell, Lisa Selusky, Mikkel Jackson and so many others that taught her how to love God for the first time. Sonja adds, “God lavished his love on me a year later to be united in holy matrimony with my knight, Chris Chloupek!”

Paula and Burgandie celebrate Rhea’s baptism!

During the next seven years, both Chris & Sonja served in the full-time ministry in the AMS and Orange County Regions. In December of 1996, Chris was appointed evangelist and Sonja a Women’s Ministry Leader. Making these years even more exciting, the Chloupeks were blessed with two amazing children – Chase (12) and Cassidi (10)! Of special note, Sonja was the co-anchor for KNN and Chris fulfilled his acting dream in several of the KNN short productions. Then in 2002, Chris began seeing major changes in the Los Angeles ICOC leadership. The spirit and heart of the people changed as did the direction of the church, when the leadership went back to a Mainline Church of Christ theology. With the loss of a vision for the entire world, Chris felt the church was unraveling and so decided to step out of the ministry in 2002.

Jason, his daughters – Lian and Kali, and Lance are all fired-up about Jason’s restoration!

Matt Sullivan, who in July 2006 led a mission team of 14 from Portland to Phoenix, writes about Chris & Sonja’s darkest days:

“As with many who ‘look back’ after following Jesus, the Chloupeks headed for Chris’ boyhood home of Phoenix. (Luke 9:62) They lived with Chris’ father for awhile to gain financial stability. They were blessed financially in the next few years as the housing market boomed in Arizona. Chris became a business manager for a large housing development company. His salary was such that the Chloupeks purchased houses as investment properties as well as buying their own home in Scottsdale, a wealthy suburb of Phoenix.”

“Sadly, Chris lost heart and conviction as he was lulled into lukewarmness in the local ICOC church. Even so, he was shocked by the hundreds falling away and walking away from this congregation. Feeling unused and losing most of his Kingdom dreams, Chris turned to some of his old sins… Truly, ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish.’ (Proverbs 29:18 KJV) At that same time, Sonja was discouraged in their marriage and struggled with bitterness towards Chris’ sins and lack of spiritual leadership.”

“In time, Chris was moved by God to repent of his lukewarmness. He began calling people around him back to the core convictions of discipleship. Yet, after not finding any ‘likeminded’ spirits in Phoenix, Chris & Sonja – desperate for some ray of hope – traveled to see first-hand the controversial Portland Church. After the Sunday Worship Service, Chris exclaimed, ‘Now this is the church I was baptized into!’ The Chloupeks – realized that their former church could not be reformed from the inside – decided to start a new congregation of only sold-out disciples in Phoenix. So on September 25, 2005, Chris & Sonja and two others courageously decided to start a house church in their living room.”

“Consequently, a letter from the leadership of their former fellowship was sent out to mark and disfellowship the Chloupeks; also wrongly marked were Kip & Elena and the entire Portland Church, which had become the fastest growing ICOC congregation in the world. God blessed the Chloupeks tremendously as several were baptized very soon afterwards.”

I still remember Chris & Sonja leaving Portland to confront the leaders in their former fellowship with the sin of lukewarmness and I simply gave them the charge, “Go in the strength you have… [for God is] sending you!” (Judges 6:14) This Gideon-like faith has allowed Chris and Sonja to become one of the most powerful and dynamic ministry couples that we have in the entire movement. After nine months of leading the house church, Chris called me in Portland to ask for a trained full-time person to come down and take over the leadership of the Phoenix Church. The Spirit sent Matt & Helen Sullivan, who not only multiplied the disciples in Phoenix, but rebuilt the Chloupeks’ faith through patient and loving discipling. During these days, the current recession was hitting Phoenix especially hard. Chris & Sonja saw the hand of God that had blessed them with many houses now taking them back! (Job 1:21) The Lord stripped away from the Chloupeks’ lives the thistles and thorns – “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth – that make [one] unfruitful.” Being freed from worldly concerns, God then gave them the opportunity to relive their Kingdom dream of the full-time ministry! Therefore, they were reinstated as Evangelist and Women’s Ministry Leader by Matt & Helen, as well as going back into the full-time ministry in June 2008.

The OC sisters gather around Karla after her baptism!

After the Spirit sent the Sullivans to Santiago, the Chloupeks were appointed to lead the Phoenix Church. Through their humble guidance, not only has God doubled the congregation in two years time, but the Lord has sent out 17 disciples to build up our sister churches in Santiago, Portland, San Diego and of course Los Angeles! As of last Sunday, the Chloupeks passed the mantle of leadership to Luke & Brandyn Speckman, who they have trained for the ministry. Naturally, Chris & Sonja will continue to oversee the Phoenix Church. Truly, the Chloupeks’ story has given courage and hope to several other couples – such as the Willises in Australia – to start new churches of sold-out disciples!

Martin baptizes his wife Leny into Christ!

Elena & I love the Chloupek family “so much that we [are] delighted to share with [them] not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well, because [they have] become so dear to us.” Elena recently shared about Sonja, “Sonja’s charismatic speaking ability as well as her loving heart have influenced all ages of women around the world! So amazing – through the Phoenix Women’s Ministry – is the conversion of Brittany Bell, the current Miss Arizona!” Chris has become a gifted orator, an excellent church builder, and a very, very “dear” friend to me. His passionate concern for each individual’s needs to be met in his congregation is an upward call to all evangelists. I pray that all of us in Los Angeles will “open wide our hearts” to this gallant family! (2 Corinthians 6:11) Let us pray for the Chloupeks’ ministry here in LA, in Phoenix and in every place that the Spirit leads them. And to God be the glory!

Kip McKean

We [love] you so much that we [are] delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well, because you [have] become so dear to us.” 1 Thessalonians 2:8

The Chloupek family – Sonja, Chris, Chase and Cassidi!

Today we welcome into our fellowship, the Chloupek family – Chris, Sonja, Chase and Cassidi! The Lord has used them in an incredible way in planting and building the Phoenix International Christian Church! A little less than five years ago, they began a house church with just four disciples. Today, the Phoenix Church has 113 disciples and 200 on Sunday mornings! Chris & Sonja will serve as our new North Region Leaders, as Michael & Michele Williamson are being sent-out by the Spirit leading the London Mission Team! Prayerfully, over the next year, the North Region will multiply through discipleship into three regions. The first is the AMS (Arts-Media-Sports) Region. This region will be focused on reaching-out to actors, musicians and anyone connected to the “Hollywood scene,” as well as to LA’s many professional athletes. The second is the Ventura Region, which will cover all of Ventura County including such cities as Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Oxnard, Ojai, Simi Valley and of course the city of Ventura. (Ryan & Iyonna Keenan of Eugene will be the leaders of the new Ventura House Church in August, which in time will become the Ventura Region.) The third region is the new North Region, whose charge is to evangelize northern LA County – all the way from Calabasas to downtown LA to the Antelope Valley. We believe that, through the Lord, Chris & Sonja are up to this momentous challenge!

Chris was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on January 8, 1962 to Neal & Judy Chloupek – who both became baptized disciples through the love of the Phoenix International Christian Church. After high school, Chris served in the U.S. Army during the early 80’s spending much of that time in Italy. He later returned to the States and attended Northern Arizona University graduating in 1989 with a B.S. in Criminology. In order to pursue a career in acting, Chris moved to Hollywood, and to make ends meet, even worked as a bodyguard for Guns N’ Roses! This godless existence led to tremendous sin and furthered his fall into drugs and alcohol abuse. In time, one of Chris’ friends became a disciple and shared with Chris. Chris was baptized in a pool in Burbank on November 3, 1993 through the efforts of the AMS Ministry of the Los Angeles International Church of Christ (ICOC). The Lord used him and within one year Chris was invited to serve full-time in the ministry. It was about this time that a former model, Sonja Pedersen, became a disciple! She and Chris became friends and started dating!

Sonja was born July 2, 1970 in the small town of Vryheid (Freedom), South Africa. Her parents Norman & Marlene recently celebrated their 48th Wedding Anniversary! Sonja shares, “At 18, rather than enroll in university, I took off to London for what I thought would be one year abroad. God transformed that into 22 years of granting me more than I could ever have dreamed or imagined! I was blessed to experience almost 20 different countries where I worked as a waitress, picking strawberries (you do what you have to do!) driving a fork-lift in a factory, milking cows (see what I mean!) serving as a nanny, sales and then finally, I entered a modeling career.”

All looked perfect on the outside, but Sonja knew that she was dying on the inside and began crying out for help. In 1994, a huge earthquake hit Los Angeles, literally shaking Sonja’s confidence in the world and all that she had trusted in. In desperation, she began to pursue God and soon was invited to the Los Angeles ICOC. Sonja says that after she studied the Bible, “By God’s incredible grace and mercy, I was baptized into the dynamic AMS Ministry on Women’s Day – March 5, 1994!” Sonja is so thankful to Coleen Graham, Lane Morrell, Lisa Selusky, Mikkel Jackson and so many others that taught her how to love God for the first time. Sonja adds, “God lavished his love on me a year later to be united in holy matrimony with my knight, Chris Chloupek!”

Paula and Burgandie celebrate Rhea’s baptism!

During the next seven years, both Chris & Sonja served in the full-time ministry in the AMS and Orange County Regions. In December of 1996, Chris was appointed evangelist and Sonja a Women’s Ministry Leader. Making these years even more exciting, the Chloupeks were blessed with two amazing children – Chase (12) and Cassidi (10)! Of special note, Sonja was the co-anchor for KNN and Chris fulfilled his acting dream in several of the KNN short productions. Then in 2002, Chris began seeing major changes in the Los Angeles ICOC leadership. The spirit and heart of the people changed as did the direction of the church, when the leadership went back to a Mainline Church of Christ theology. With the loss of a vision for the entire world, Chris felt the church was unraveling and so decided to step out of the ministry in 2002.

Jason, his daughters – Lian and Kali, and Lance are all fired-up about Jason’s restoration!

Matt Sullivan, who in July 2006 led a mission team of 14 from Portland to Phoenix, writes about Chris & Sonja’s darkest days:

“As with many who ‘look back’ after following Jesus, the Chloupeks headed for Chris’ boyhood home of Phoenix. (Luke 9:62) They lived with Chris’ father for awhile to gain financial stability. They were blessed financially in the next few years as the housing market boomed in Arizona. Chris became a business manager for a large housing development company. His salary was such that the Chloupeks purchased houses as investment properties as well as buying their own home in Scottsdale, a wealthy suburb of Phoenix.”

“Sadly, Chris lost heart and conviction as he was lulled into lukewarmness in the local ICOC church. Even so, he was shocked by the hundreds falling away and walking away from this congregation. Feeling unused and losing most of his Kingdom dreams, Chris turned to some of his old sins… Truly, ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish.’ (Proverbs 29:18 KJV) At that same time, Sonja was discouraged in their marriage and struggled with bitterness towards Chris’ sins and lack of spiritual leadership.”

“In time, Chris was moved by God to repent of his lukewarmness. He began calling people around him back to the core convictions of discipleship. Yet, after not finding any ‘likeminded’ spirits in Phoenix, Chris & Sonja – desperate for some ray of hope – traveled to see first-hand the controversial Portland Church. After the Sunday Worship Service, Chris exclaimed, ‘Now this is the church I was baptized into!’ The Chloupeks – realized that their former church could not be reformed from the inside – decided to start a new congregation of only sold-out disciples in Phoenix. So on September 25, 2005, Chris & Sonja and two others courageously decided to start a house church in their living room.”

“Consequently, a letter from the leadership of their former fellowship was sent out to mark and disfellowship the Chloupeks; also wrongly marked were Kip & Elena and the entire Portland Church, which had become the fastest growing ICOC congregation in the world. God blessed the Chloupeks tremendously as several were baptized very soon afterwards.”

I still remember Chris & Sonja leaving Portland to confront the leaders in their former fellowship with the sin of lukewarmness and I simply gave them the charge, “Go in the strength you have… [for God is] sending you!” (Judges 6:14) This Gideon-like faith has allowed Chris and Sonja to become one of the most powerful and dynamic ministry couples that we have in the entire movement. After nine months of leading the house church, Chris called me in Portland to ask for a trained full-time person to come down and take over the leadership of the Phoenix Church. The Spirit sent Matt & Helen Sullivan, who not only multiplied the disciples in Phoenix, but rebuilt the Chloupeks’ faith through patient and loving discipling. During these days, the current recession was hitting Phoenix especially hard. Chris & Sonja saw the hand of God that had blessed them with many houses now taking them back! (Job 1:21) The Lord stripped away from the Chloupeks’ lives the thistles and thorns – “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth – that make [one] unfruitful.” Being freed from worldly concerns, God then gave them the opportunity to relive their Kingdom dream of the full-time ministry! Therefore, they were reinstated as Evangelist and Women’s Ministry Leader by Matt & Helen, as well as going back into the full-time ministry in June 2008.

The OC sisters gather around Karla after her baptism!

After the Spirit sent the Sullivans to Santiago, the Chloupeks were appointed to lead the Phoenix Church. Through their humble guidance, not only has God doubled the congregation in two years time, but the Lord has sent out 17 disciples to build up our sister churches in Santiago, Portland, San Diego and of course Los Angeles! As of last Sunday, the Chloupeks passed the mantle of leadership to Luke & Brandyn Speckman, who they have trained for the ministry. Naturally, Chris & Sonja will continue to oversee the Phoenix Church. Truly, the Chloupeks’ story has given courage and hope to several other couples – such as the Willises in Australia – to start new churches of sold-out disciples!

Martin baptizes his wife Leny into Christ!

Elena & I love the Chloupek family “so much that we [are] delighted to share with [them] not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well, because [they have] become so dear to us.” Elena recently shared about Sonja, “Sonja’s charismatic speaking ability as well as her loving heart have influenced all ages of women around the world! So amazing – through the Phoenix Women’s Ministry – is the conversion of Brittany Bell, the current Miss Arizona!” Chris has become a gifted orator, an excellent church builder, and a very, very “dear” friend to me. His passionate concern for each individual’s needs to be met in his congregation is an upward call to all evangelists. I pray that all of us in Los Angeles will “open wide our hearts” to this gallant family! (2 Corinthians 6:11) Let us pray for the Chloupeks’ ministry here in LA, in Phoenix and in every place that the Spirit leads them. And to God be the glory!

Kip McKean