2026 Congregational Meeting

SUNDAY, November 1, 2026

AGENDA

Opening Prayer

1. Year-In-Review

1. Attendance

2. Offering

2. Council Candidates

3. Pastoral Reports

4. Department Reports

5. Financial Summary

1. Statement of Activities

2. Balance Sheet

3. 2027 Budget

4. Yearly Budget Summary

6. Confirmation of Council Candidates and 2027 Budget

7. Election of Financial Auditor

8. Closing Prayer

Average Monthly Attendance (through Sept 27, 2026)

Live Streaming Views Average Per Week (Jan through Sept 2026): 4-9 per wk.

General offering (excludes building, missions, and love) Through September 2026:

• Average Weekly: $4,084.67

• Total General Offering (through Sept 26): $158,732.44

• Budget target (as of Sept 27, 2026): $195,525

• Cumulative Surplus/Deficit (as of Oct 26): -$36,992.56 (deficit)

• % of Budget (as of Oct 26): 81.1%

Council Candidate

Yun-Lan Wong

Yun-Lan came to Christ shortly after high school, and after leading her church’s youth group a few years, she answered a clear call to East Asia for the summer of 2000.  The Lord used this trip to start opening her eyes to a global perspective of the Church’s role in the world spreading the Gospel. She has served with a heart for discipleship in various ministries over the years, with the most years with youth/college students and worship. But what most inspires her is the vision in Rev. 7:9 “and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”  She is excited to see how each believer has a role in God’s global work of bringing people to know Him and make Him known. Yun-Lan is married to Daniel and they have two awesome kids!

Pastoral Report

LEAD PASTOR (Mike Kim)

Looking Back:

As 2026 concludes, I hope we can testify to having experienced bold faith throughout the year. Maybe we answered the call of serving the Lord in a way we never envisioned prior. Maybe we decided to engage with other people for the first time. Maybe we shared a part of our faith journey we were not comfortable with sharing before. The Lord strengthens our faith through big ways and very subtle ways. I pray that having bold faith was not just a passing theme but a constant reminder going forward for all of us.

10TH ANNIVERSARY

2026 was a milestone year for GCLA. February marked the 10-year anniversary of Generations Church Los Angeles. We were thankful to have familiar friends, past leaders, and representatives from EFC General Assembly and Logos Seminary join us in celebration. Many of our current congregation were part of the core team that launched from Harvest/EFC-LA. GCLA continues to benefit from the faithfulness of those core members that took bold steps of faith to start a new journey 10 years ago.  

FELLOWSHIP HOUR

The new year began with some big changes and transitions. We started our service an hour earlier from 11:15 to 10:15. While this may have been a challenging adjustment, the change did not come without purpose. The “Fellowship Hour” was implemented after service. For about 45-60 minutes, people would break out into groups after the service. Fellowship Hour is dedicated to deepening relationships, growing in faith together, and fostering spiritual community. Many testified that the fellowship hour has been a highlight each Sunday. 

Fellowship hour would not have been such a fruitful blessing without the leaders. These individuals displayed their “bold faith” by volunteering to lead a group each Sunday. The following individuals deserve our appreciation and gratitude: Amy Lee, Sue Cheng, Wendy Cheng, Ken Wong, and Tim Lau. Through their love for the Lord, care for others, and willing heart to answer the call, GCLA has been blessed and has grown through this time.

STAFF

We also welcomed new additions to the church staff, two new faces and two familiar ones. Chris and Rebecca Schulz joined the staff as ministry interns. They were exposed to different aspects of church ministry with the intention of gaining valuable experience. Some experiences were familiar while others were new experiences. Chris focused on helping the student ministries, both Anchor and the young adult ministry. He assisted in the student Friday Night Fellowships as well as led the young adult group during Fellowship Hour each Sunday. Rebecca led our children’s Sunday School. This presented numerous challenges including the task of teaching 3 children in 3 different stages of childhood. Still, Rebecca showed care and love for them each week. In addition, Rebecca provided valuable administrative support. Through it all, Chris and Rebecca displayed a heart to care for others and serve the Lord.

We had another leader experience a new, yet familiar role to begin the year. Drawing on his previous experience as a youth pastor, Daniel Wong came on staff to help assist the youth and young adult ministries. While his time as staff was brief, Daniel’s genuine love and concern for the students was on display each week. Though no longer on paid staff, Daniel continues to voluntarily lead worship each Friday for FNF in addition to his regular role as worship leader.

Another familiar face provided valuable service. Jason Lauricella expanded his service by coming on as part-time staff as our audio engineer and tech support. Jason was usually the first to arrive each Friday evening and Sunday morning. Jason provided valuable technical support as well as set up and tear down assistance every week. Beyond Jason’s abilities and knowledge, Jason consistently displayed the ultimate servant’s heart.  

STUDENT MINISTRIES

The search for a new youth minister began immediately as the need became known. The search continues as we have advertised the open position as potential full-time or part-time. The search for a youth minister is a challenging task for any church. Please join us as we continue to pray the Lord will send the right leader to begin a new chapter in the Anchor Ministry.

This past year was a big adjustment for the students in Anchor. Eight members of Anchor graduated from high school and transitioned into the post-high school ministry. While Anchor students continue to engage and share time with the college and young adults, the year offered opportunities to make new connections and strengthen familiar relationships. We hope to provide a space where both demographics (MS/HS, College/Young Adults) can grow spiritually as well as numerically.

In the midst of changes and adjustments, we still enjoyed special outings and activities throughout the year including:

·       Sisters’ Appreciation Night (April)

·       Bowling Night (May)

·       Graduation Celebrations (June & July)

·       Six Flags Magic Mountain (July)

·       Beach Trip (July)

CELEBRATIONS

Perhaps there is no better way to celebrate our Lord’s faithfulness than celebrating declarations of faith and commitment to the Lord. During our summer church retreat, we celebrated the baptisms of four members of our church family. Songlin Xu, Siyuan Shi, Ryan Lee, and Annika Adidjaja declared their faith and devotion to Jesus by being baptized at Forest Home, Ojai. We celebrated two more baptisms two months later as Fenny Stiadarma and Austin Yang were baptized in September.

GCLA welcomed three new members to our church. The church council enthusiastically approved the additions to the church membership: Robert Wu, Kathy Li, and Jessica Yung. They are joined by Songlin Xu, Siyuan Shi, Fenny Stiadarma, and Austin Yang as our newest additions to our membership roll. Their continued presence and input are valued and appreciated.

LOOKING AHEAD

2026 focused on the theme of being willing to exercise “Bold Faith”. I pray the coming year will prove to be as equally challenging but even more rewarding. God intended us to live in community. We were born into a community we call family. Throughout our life, we find other communities at school, work, church, and other environments. These communities greatly influence our sense of identity and value.

Our identity in Christ Jesus is understood within the concept of community. As believers in Christ, we are children of God. We are individual parts of the body of Christ. We are members of the greater Church. GCLA is a part of this greater community of believers. God did not intend for us to live out our faith alone but be a part of community. However, we should not view our participation in this community as mere recipients of blessings. We are called to serve, edify, and be a blessing to others.

The theme for 2027 is “Embolden Faith”. In the coming year, I pray we find ourselves desiring to embolden the faith of others. Church is one of many places where we can influence others in the name of Jesus. Church is a place where we are as concerned about blessing others as we are about benefitting from blessings. In Romans 15:1-2, the apostle Paul exhorts believers to seek to edify others and not simply to please self. I pray the apostle’s charge will resonate in the community of GCLA.

Ministry Interns Report

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY (Rebecca Schulz)

For the first 6 months or so, it was just one toddler. Then, one Sunday, two new students—a brother and a sister who are English as a Second Language (ESL) learners—joined our Children’s Ministry, bringing our consistent weekly attendance to 3 students every Sunday. Throughout our lessons, we focused on intentional ESL integration to help them engage clearly with the stories, games, and biblical concepts.

2026 Ojai Church Retreat: "Bold Faith"

Over the course of 4 sessions, we broke up the story of David around this year’s theme of having “Bold Faith.” The core heart goal was helping them understand who God is and offering simple, clear opportunities to invite Him into their hearts as David did.

·       Key Verse: "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." — Psalm 56:3

Session Breakdown

1. Session 1: David the Shepherd (God Sees Your Heart)

   a. Story: People look at the outside, but God looks at the heart! God chose David because of his faithful heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

   b. Craft: "God Sees My Heart" Viewer / Heart Glasses

   c. Game: The "Heart Search" Relay to find the special heart that says "A Heart for God."

2. Session 2: David & The Lion/Bear (God Makes Us Bold)

   a. Story: Before fighting a giant, David fought a lion and a bear to protect his sheep because God was with him.

   b. Craft: "Bold Heart" Lion Mask with yarn and the message, "God makes me brave!"

   c. Game: Slingshot Target Practice to knock down lion and bear cups while counting in English.

3. Session 3: David & Goliath (Bold Faith Against Giants)

   a. Story: No giant or problem is bigger than God. David defeated Goliath with one small stone because he trusted God.

   b. Craft: Smooth Stones & Memory Bag painted with words like FAITH, BRAVE, GOD, LOVE, and TRUST.

   c. Game: Goliath Water Balloon Blast to wash away a chalk-drawn giant.

4. Session 4: King David & A Heart for God (Inviting God In)

   a. Story: David became king and talked to God all the time. We can have God in our hearts too!

   b. Craft: King’s Crown & "God in My Heart" gift: Bible and journal.

   c. Interactive Activity: The Heart Door Gospel Connection, inviting students to open the door of their hearts to God and pray together.

Overall, I am so thankful for the blessing it has been to serve the children of Generations Church. God has placed a call on my life to serve children, so it is truly my blessing to continue to see the Gospel unfold for these children.

STUDENT MINISTRIES (Christopher Schulz)

As we approach the one-year mark of my leadership with the young adults this coming January, a sense of community is forming in the young adults ministry. We spent dedicated time reading through a book focused on Christ's humanity. This study was helpful in helping the group understand the deeper integration of God's nature, specifically how Christ's humanity and divinity are tied together. Beyond theological study, we have prioritized personal integration in their relationship with God through practices like prayer and journaling. I purchased journals for the group to help give a practical outlet for connection with God. Each meeting I have specifically focused on engaging and connecting with God and learning to abide in his love. We also successfully collaborated on the beginning process of designing a new logo and name for the group.

On a relational level, I feel much more deeply connected to this community. I have really enjoyed my time getting to know them as well as helping them connect and understand God’s love for them. Looking forward, I would like to explore organizing outside meetings beyond our standard Sunday fellowship to further strengthen these bonds and growth.

Regarding the youth ministry, it has been wonderful to serve the youth and get to know them over this past year. Overall, I am encouraged by the people who show up to anchor Friday nights and I am hopeful for what God can do within this group. I wish to continue to strengthen my relationships with Anchor and the people who attend.

Department Reports

FELLOWSHIP (Sue Cheng)

LIFT – Ladies in Faith Together

Sometimes referred to as Ladies in Fellowship Together. Both are fine.

LIFT meets on the 4th Saturday of the month, from 10 am to 12 pm.

We try to have an all women fellowship every 3rd Sunday of the month for Fellowship Hour.

Last year, we did a book study, Aging With Grace by Sharon Betters and Susan Hunt. This year we are reading Women of the Word by Jen Wilkens. These studies are not meant to replace the Bible but to help us in our pursuit of becoming more Christ like and to foster conversations.

Special thanks to Jennifer whose home is always open to us, Michelle who also hosted, and all the ladies who came bearing food.

Fellowship Highlights.

·       November 2025 – Tea party at Alice Tings. Will have something similar in the beginning of 2027.

·       April 2026 – Easter celebration

·       May 2026 – Mother’s Day celebration

·       June 2026 – Father’s Day celebration

·       July 2026 – Retreat

·       August 2026? – Art Nite

·       October 2026 – Pumpkin Carving

·       November 2026 – Thanksgiving Potluck

·       December 2026 – Planning on combined LIFT and Locker Room get together. 

OUTREACH AND CARE DEPARTMENT (Gloria Hsiao)

The outreach and care department strives to reach out to newcomers, existing members, and the surrounding community to support and encourage each other in Christ.  Our hope is that everyone who walks through the doors of Generations feels welcomed, valued, and at home within the body.  Some of the highlights of this year were:

-        Celebrating our church’s 10th anniversary

-        Launching catered Sunday lunches

-        Sending out fruit baskets/flowers to members in need of encouragement

-        Art Nite Event

-        Pumpkin Carving Event

-        Soon to come: Thanksgiving potluck, Christmas potluck, Operations Christmas Child

EQUIP, OPERATIONS (Tim Lau)

This year we added Fellowship Hour after service.  Due to change in starting time for Worship and Service we temporarily put a pause on CE and added this new fellowship sharing time.  This is a great time to get to know fellow brothers and sisters in a small group setting. During this group time we encourage and support one another and grow closer to the Lord together. 

We know the importance of fellowship and studying the Scriptures outside of church.  We hope next year we can start small groups discipleship. We should all strive for spiritual transformation and be like Christ.

In Operation we always want to help and support wherever and whenever there is a need in Generations Church.  Let us not ask what God can do for us but rather how we can serve the Lord.  Remember that everyone has a part, no one hand is too small.  “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” 1 Corinthians 12:12

Special thank you to all the brothers for helping set up and clean up.

MISSIONS (Morris Tien)

Our goal is to encourage and train members of Generations Church LA to become missionaries in other nations to spread the love and gospel of Jesus Christ.

Members of the Mission’s Department: Morris Tien, Ted Chang, Pastor Mike Kim, Kåre Thoresen and Yun-Lan Wong

2026 Highlights:

Missionaries and Organizations we support:

1. Global Recording Network – Mike & Cora

2. Northwest Ascending Campaign – Daniel

3. International Action Ministries – Rick & Eunice

4. Rafiki Foundation – David & Julie

5. Live Global – John & Bev

6. Indo Partners – Jeff & Kurt

7. Mission International – Frank 

Mission Activities:

1. Each mission’s team member is assigned a missionary that they are responsible for updating the council and the congregation on their ministry.

2. Yun-Lan Wong connected with Lulu and one of her contacts in Taiwan (from EFC Irvine) to see about potential Taiwan Mission Trip next summer. The vision is for young adults and families to have conversational English with topics that can lead into sharing the gospel.

3. The mission’s department supported Eugene Wong on a VBS Taiwan Missions trip with Bible Times Adventures during the summer break.

4. We now have a mission’s bulletin board at the entrance to the church where we post updates on the missionaries we support

5. Frank Lin came and spoke to us during mission’s week in February. He shared his experience as a missionary.

Mission Week:

We designate one week in each calendar quarter as Mission’s Week.  When one of the missionaries we support come to Los Angeles, we invite them to come share their experience with us.  Missionary guest speakers do not have to be the missionaries that we support.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY/FELLOWSHIP LEADER (Wendy Cheng)

This year, we welcomed Kate and Ella into our fellowship.  We share our lives, joys, and struggles with one another.  We pray for and encourage each other, and we often experience “aha moments” as we share our reflections on Pastor Kim’s sermons. Our fellowship not only draws us closer to God but also unites us as brothers and sisters in Christ. As iron sharpens iron, we build one another up and grow together as a community rooted in the love of God. 

Beyond our Sunday fellowship gatherings, we recognized the need for discipleship. I first met with Kate, Andrew, and Ariel, and later with Eason and Ella. During these meetings, I shared the Gospel with them: God created heaven and earth, and we are made in His image. Sin separates us from God, but God sent His Son, Jesus, to Earth to die on the cross to pay the penalty for human sin. Jesus rose from the dead, overcoming sin and death, and reconciled us to God and restored our relationship with Him. Throughout these discipleship meetings, I witnessed the presence and work of the Holy Spirit among us. 

After learning of the Gospel, they confessed their sins and received Jesus Christ as their Savior. Eason and Ella were later baptized during our retreat, where they shared heartfelt testimonies of their faith. Although I initially approached discipleship with the intention of walking alongside them in their faith journeys, I came to realize how much I was growing through the process as well. 

I was reminded of when I first became a follower of Jesus Christ. I remembered the brothers and sisters who prayed for me, cared for me, and walked alongside me, and I am deeply grateful for each of them. I vividly recalled how Jesus carried me through every obstacle. Most importantly, I was reminded of the suffering Jesus endured all for me. For me! I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the Gospel and the depth of God’s love, a love so profound that it is beyond my full comprehension. 

I am immensely grateful for the privilege of walking alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ and doing life together. God designed us to walk together, bear one another’s burdens, and grow in His Word. I believe that as we continue to pursue discipleship and build one another up in love, we will experience renewed faith, rekindled passion, and deeper spiritual growth within Generations.

The story of King Jehoshaphat inspires me.  2 Chronicles 20 records the faith of King Jehoshaphat, who sent singers and worshippers to the front of his army to praise God before a battle. By placing worshippers first, he demonstrated his complete reliance on God.  God then caused the enemy armies to turn on each other, thus resulting in an easy victory for Jehoshaphat's people.  The battle belongs to the Lord.

“Praise and worship can be a spiritual weapon that disarms the enemy and secures victory through God's intervention.” Praise and worship also increases one's faith.  Praise and worship also breaks hardened soil and prepares the way for the Word of God via sermon messages.

• Scheduling: Assign worship leaders for Sunday service and special events (Good Friday, etc.)

• Coordinate:  Worship leaders regularly coordinate with the preacher & the sermon topic to pick passage/message-related songs

• Recruit and train new worship leaders

• Audio team: To ensure proper set up & quality sound

• Visual team: Lyrics operator

• Video team: YouTube Live online weekly streaming

One of the goals for 2025 was to purchase new stage lighting equipment, especially better lighting for video & live streaming. However with the uncertainty of the ACS lease, it wasn’t prudent to spend money on mounting stage lights to the ceiling if GCLA were to move elsewhere.  However, with the strong likelihood that GCLA will remain at ACS for 2027 and possibly into June 2029, GCLA will now request approval to mount a truss light bar into the auditorium ceiling. We are hoping to also improve the video streaming with better internet solutions. GCLA hired Jason Lauricella as our part-time AV/Tech/Admin staff.

The goal for 2027 is to continue to recruit and train new worship leaders and recruit 2 others to rotate the A/V tech team.  I hope to integrate the youth and young adults more into the existing worship teams. Another goal is to create special music for special occasions like Easter, Mother’s Day, Christmas, and more. Daniel Wong helped develop Anchor worship leaders.

Special thanks to Jason Lauricella, Elsa Tien, James Cheng, Kevin Lee, Daniel & Yun-lan Wong, Joe and Gloria Hsiao, Joyce Huang, Wade & Eunice Wang, Karenna Yang; and newcomers Andly Kwan, Josiah Wong, and Sophie Wu.

FINANCE, OPERATIONS (Aileen Lam)

The Finance Department is responsible for accurate bookkeeping, ensuring our church’s “Standard Operating Procedures” be followed strictly, which include proper protocols, checks & balances applying the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Our current Treasurer, Cindy Wong keeps track of all incoming tithes and offerings, and Elsa Tien, our long time Controller and Bookkeeper, cuts checks, makes sure reimbursements are compliant to protocols, and prepares financial reports. Each check must be signed by 2 authorized signers. We require 3 office holders, who are chosen by the church council (currently are the Chairperson, Finance Deacon and Controller) to be present to either open or close a bank account. In recent years, we have been able to put our reserves in CDs to earn interests. Each month, the Finance Dept sends out checks to the missionaries our church supports, works with EFCGA to make payrolls for pastoral staff, pays bills, and remit GA 10% of our tithes quarterly.

The Finance Department provides the council with up-to-date income and expense reports, balance sheets and work together to finalize our annual budget. Attached we are submitting to you the financial reports from January 1, 2026 through Sept 30, 2026, as well as the 12 - months cycle reports from Oct 1, 2025 through Sept 30, 2026. Our tithes tend to fluctuate so we include the latter to show you a full picture of our financial conditions.

Following is our proposed budget for 2027 for your review and approval. Our auditor Robert Wu has examined our records, which are also open to members. If you like to examine them personally, please let me know.

Thank you very much for your faithful tithes and offerings. Thank you Elsa, Cindy, and other ladies who regularly assist in accounting the weekly offerings and tithes. Respectfully yours, Aileen Lam