PASADENA, CA (August 13, 2008) \u2013 More than 1,000 people attended a recent all-day event sponsored by a Hispanic Evangelical Covenant Church and 10 African-American congregations to promote peace.
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\n\u201cNeighborhoods Living in Peace\u201d was held at Jackie Robinson Park and began with basketball and soccer competitions. The afternoon featured games, crafts, and entertainment that included a variety of musical groups.<\/p>\n
Alvarado says 118 people filled out cards indicating they had made decisions to commit their lives to Christ. That group included people of all ages, he adds. Invitations to make decisions were extended several times following performances in the afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were all working together to show how much love God has for us,\u201d says Marcelo Alvarado, pastor of Iglesia Misionera Hispanoamericana (IMH).<\/p>\n
Children and other attendees benefited from the example set for them, says Alvarado.
\n\u201cThey see all the men and women working together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alvarado says such cooperation has not always been the case among Hispanic and African-American churches. \u201cThere has been a big problem of racial tensions among different churches,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
All of the pastors involved with the event say they want to do it again next year, Alvarado says.<\/p>\n