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Chico, California

 

Welcome to the City Reaching Page for Chico California. This is a work in progress and we welcome input. If you are a part of the Body of Christ in Chico California and would like to collaborate on this project. Feel free to message me at derek.hastings@gmail.com . Currently we have this home page and 3 linked pages that we are developing for Chico. The links to the 3 other pages are below under "Other important Chico Links, articles, photos, videos."

 

Here on the home page we have embedded 3 articles that were published by the Sentinel Group about the process of transformation Chico has been going through over the last 10 years.

 

The "Historical Roots of Chico" page will be devoted to just that....the Historical Roots of Chico and the impact that our history has on the Spiritual Climate here. For those of you that love history, this is the page for you. Please contact me with insightful input.

 

The "Discipleship through Mentoring" page is devoted to the process of mentoring in the various arenas of our community. Business, arts, education, sports, basically any part of the community that Jesus has you planted in. You have an opportunity to come along side someone and lead them by example and a loving relationship to Christ. Again, if you have input in this area feel free to contact me. There are experienced Christians that currently are in Ministry that I have asked to edit these pages, so hopefully you won't have to rely on hearing me Rant all the time about stuff. ;oP

 

 

CaliforniaChristians.Network -- a connecting site

 

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Other Important Chico links, articles, photos, videos?

 

 


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Chico's Crime Situation

 

 
 
Attached you will find a report done by the City of Chico that describes the increasing violence occuring in Chico.
VIOLENT CRIME[1].pdf 
On the first few pages you will find a Chart that shows the Total Violent Crime from about 1999 to 2007. As you will see there was a period from 2001 to about 2005 where Crime had decreased overall by about 25%. This was a period where many of the intercessors in Chico from some of our Churches were prayer walking the streets. Mostly the prayer walking was brought about by the campaign to bring Halloween under control. But, there was consistent prayer on our streets in many avenues from a number of Churches. And, undoubtedly some of you have not stopped walking and praying.
 
This graph and the statistics about the growing and overwhelming position that our Police Department & Emergency Services are in, are compelling. But, the fact that our prayers have made a difference in the past, should compell us to seek His Face so that we can Amplify that Result 10 Fold.
 
Now we are seeing this increase. And, it is obvious from this that we as the Church of Chico need to be out on the Streets again.
 
It is hoped that eventually there will be birthed a culture of being on the streets (and out of the Box) in the community ministering in the Grace and Power of the Holy Spirit....so that Crime never Increases again. And, it is my prayer that Father God would show us the strategies and prayers to step into, so that we as the Salt & Light can bring crime to an all time low....forever.
 
Our Police Officers need our prayers. Our City needs our prayers. 
 
 

Articles on Chico's Past From Sentinel Group's Explorer Program

 

Dear Derek,

© 2007, The Sentinel Group Reproduction and/or distribution for non-commercial purposes is permissible providing that this document is left fully intact. Please do not modify this document in any way without prior written consent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pray for Your City/State/Province Jeremiah 29:1-13

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 ABOUT 7X7

 

Are you willing to commit to pray for our country seven days a week? Are you able to set aside time in your car, during your coffee break, or before bedtime? We want to challenge you make this prayer commitment.

 

7x7 involves praying for seven centers of power seven days a week: Government, Military, Media, Business, Education, Church and Family. By remembering these specific prayer points, we can cover all Americans with God's power.

 

Together, we will see positive change!

 

 

 

 

REMEMNBER Also the Global Day of Prayer - May 17 - 26

 

Global Day of Prayer 08

 

GDoP - PRAYER GUIDE

 

 

 7 x 7 -- is also posted at  City Reaching Churches for North America blog.

and

Global Day of Prayer USA

 

 

Does it matter if we pray? Do our prayers have a measurable effect? Intercessors in the city of Chico California, California say yes and have the statistics to prove it.

Home to California State University, the city was tainted by the school’s reputation. Playboy Magazine ranked Chico State as the "#1 party school in the nation" in 1987, dropping it to #2 in 2001. Out-of-control drunken revelries began with the city’s historic festival, Pioneer Days, and escalated in Halloween celebrations. Violence, rampaging crowds and escalating violence characterized these events.

"One of the main roadblocks was an attitude of apathy on the part of the population of Chico," said Larry Lane, pastor of the Neighborhood Church in Chico, in 2002. "The party thing had gone on for so long that people were taking this for granted. It really wasn’t until the Transformations I video that we asked ourselves, ‘Why not Chico?’"

The video was shown in 1999. Pastors recommitted to pray together. Regional prayer summits had been meeting since 1993. About nine months after George Otis, Jr. spoke in Chico at a 2000 CityReach conference, a prayer walking movement began. Pastors and business leaders prayed for and cultivated friendships with people of influence in the city.

As Halloween 2002 approached, the city council proclaimed a zero tolerance policy for violence and out-of-town partiers. Intercessors prayed for an end to the party spirit at seven sites. Ten intercessors prayed through the night at the police headquarters, and Pastor Lane prayed over the police at the staging area before they went out.

God answered prayer. Only 5,000 came out to party instead of the 20,000 the year before. Crime was remarkably down. A palpable peace had descended on Chico.

A unified, concerted prayer effort continued around events and holidays until 2005 when it tapered off. There were prayer walks, police scanner monitoring, and regular prayer times. But, eventually, with Halloween not such a problem, many felt the job was done and the prayer pressure lessened. While faithful individuals still prayed, the unified, organized effort had stopped.

Donna Shary is one of those faithful prayer warriors for the police and city. She attends most of the city council meetings, has a great relationship with the police, takes part in the Ride Along Program, praying on site, monitors the police scanner and prays for incidents as they come up. When she attended a Chico city council meeting in September 2007 she had a wake-up call when the city’s violent crime statistics were presented.

Statistics show that crime began to climb when the intercessors had assumed that everything was "under control" and prayer had slacked off.

Violent crimes in Chico in all categories have almost doubled since 1999. Projected violent crime numbers for 2007 are showing a 15 percent increase over 2006.

Since 2001 the population in the city has grown by 44 percent, while officer ratios have decreased.

The four years that united and organized prayer was made, crime rates stayed level,

 

Derek Hastings, a Chico prayer mobilizer, says, "The moment we got complacent … whack! The enemy steps back in and crime takes off."

He adds, "Since we found this out we are in the process of addressing this issue, to get prayer going again on an organized basis. In a way that is not cyclical. In other words, we don’t want this to happen again. We don’t want to be in a Pray & Repent cycle." Intercessors in Chico are now asking the Lord how they can bring crime statistics down far below that 25 percent level. Hastings says his prayer group from the Neighborhood Church "will begin the renewal of our prayer efforts with repentance for having dropped the ball." The vision is to bring together prayer teams from various "congregations, tribes and generations" to pray over the city.

Does prayer work? Yes. And the effect of the absence of prayer is also measurable.

By Inger J. Logelin

Transformation Thought

"We think of prayer as a preparation for work, or a calm after having done work, whereas prayer is the essential work" (Oswald Chambers).

Sources: Derek Hastings; Chico Police Department presentation "Violent Crime in Chico," September 2007.

 

 

 

 

If you have any questions, comments or testimonies, please contact April Otis McCallum, Explorer Program Manager at explorer@sentinelgroup.org for more information.

 
 
Derek
 
"When people in a city begin to pray, the very atmosphere changes. That's just what is happening in Chico, California. Long known as a party town with out-of-control drunken revelries on Halloween, downtown Chico has experienced escalating violence, vandalism and rampaging crowds. In 1987, Playboy magazine listed Chico State as the top "party school" in the nation, dropping it to #2 in 2001. The history of drunkenness started with the historic city festival, "Pioneer Days," and oozed into the current Halloween happenings.
 
On Halloween, 2001, police got 900 calls asking for help. Drunken crowds had rampaged. There were five stabbings, two sexual assaults, 34 fights, 23 acts of vandalism, 70 arrests for drunkenness, drug sales and assault with a deadly weapon. Two cars were destroyed. The emergency room at Enloe Medical Center was overwhelmed with alcohol-related casualties.
 
But, people continued to pray together for the city. Larry Lane, pastor of the Neighborhood Church in Chico said, "One of the main roadblocks was an attitude of apathy on the part of the population of Chico. The party thing had gone on for so long that people were taking this for granted. It really wasn't until the Transformations 1 video that we asked ourselves, 'Why not Chico?'"
 
Regional prayer summits have been taking place in Chico since 1993. When the Neighborhood Church sponsored a showing of Transformations in 1999, many pastors committed to pray together. The 2000 CityReach conference, at which George Otis, Jr. was one of the speakers, was a further catalyst for a united prayer effort. Pastors and business leaders began to pray for and cultivate friendships with political leaders and civic servants. As intercession was made for the city, "God changed the heart of our community," Larry Lane said.
 
A strategy for Halloween 2002 began to form. The city council's strategy was to attempt to shut down the unsponsored event. They brought in 450 police officers, from all over California, who were to strictly enforce all laws. The city council closed streets, shut down public parking lots, banned glass and did not provide additional lighting or portable toilets. Heavy print and broadcast ads got the message out, "There is no Halloween in Chico."
 
The intercessors continued to pray for an end to the party spirit. 
 
On Halloween night, the Neighborhood Church was the staging area for all the police officers working the city. Before the police hit the streets, Larry Lane prayed over them saying they would experience a covering of prayer that night. Other churches around the city fed the police. Ten intercessors were invited to pray through the night at the police headquarters. Derek Hastings, from the Neighborhood Church said, "To actually have intercessors in police headquarters praying for the peace of our city is nothing less than a miracle." That night intercessors gathered at seven additional sites around the city for prayer.
 
With the massive police build-up, many expected the worst. Roger Aylworth, staff writer with the Chico Enterprise-Record, wrote of his fears that Halloween 2002 "was doomed to be the worst kind of confrontation." What did happen? Not much. Only 5,000 people showed up, compared to 20,000 the year before. People in costumes wandered around looking for a party saying, "Where are all the people?" It was a cold night, and the bars closed early. Oh, there was some trouble. With more police presence, there were more arrests this year, but only one stabbing instead of 11, no sexual assaults, and the emergency room wasn't busier than a typical Thursday. A bomb with a lit fuse, placed in a crowded downtown, failed to detonate. Roger Aylworth wrote in the Enterprise-Record, "There are times when I am truly grateful to be wrong, and this past Thursday night was a case in point." He added, "Thank heaven, I was utterly wrong."
 
Thanking heaven, too, were three young men who had come downtown that night.  Eleanor Cameron, staff writer for the Chico Enterprise-Record wrote, "Yet another group of individuals were out Halloween night for reasons other than partying. Trevor DeHart, Jose Mata and Karl Travis stationed themselves on the corner of Fifth and Ivy to pray for the city. 'We're tired of the party image,' said DeHart. 'We're hungry for God move in our city. We want the town to know God and his love.' The three began their prayer vigil at 8 p.m. and were going to stay 'as long as we feel led.'"
 

Many in Chico are thanking God for the palpable peace of that night. Larry Lane reminded his church that when they began to pray, God began to move. Encouraged by what God is doing in their city, and hungry for God to move, many are praying for a complete transformation in Chico. The question is worth repeating, "Why not Chico?"

 

By Inger J. Logelin"

 
 
 
 
when they would normally have grown with the population. In effect, there was an approximately 25 percent drop in crimes those four years when you take into consideration the population growth and police staffing ratios.


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