San Diego County Edition Vol. 30, No. 3 March 2012 www.christianexaminer.com Cal Thomas Ministry Christian School Guide Losing liberty: A Abused children fi nd 13 San Diego County FREE slippery slope that refuge at residential Christian Schools is an avalanche ministry showcased page 7 page 10 pages 14-17 Human Traffi cking What is the church’s role in curbing this seedy side of American culture? By Lori Arnold EL CAJON — Ginger Shaw has spent the better part of two decades enmeshed in church life by leading Bible studies and training sessions, San Diego residents Burton and Kat Sue have left San Diego for a yearlong coordinating Vacation Bible School creative arts outreach for victims of last year’s earthquake and tsunami. He will and Angel Tree projects. These teach drawing classes, and she will offer gospel hula lessons. days she prefers the craggy asphalt of truck stops. “I was so inundated with what was Local couple to use going on in the church,” she said, adding that the Lord had some- thing else in mind for her. “He re- art and hula to bring vealed to me that I needed to get out there, and not just out of my comfort zone. He said I needed to spiritual hope to Japan get out there ‘doing the call I have By Lori Arnold you have to put your trust in some- for you.’” thing else because nothing material It was that command that led her SAN DIEGO — Ten months after is left.” to this place, where she straddles a monster 9.0-earthquake and sub- The San Diego couple, mem- her life between the comfort and sequent tsunami plundered Japan, bers of San Diego Japanese Chris- safety of her church and the seedy annihilating the landscape and life- tian Church, said they hope to use side of American culture—human styles of many of its residents, Bur- creative arts to fi ll the physical and traffi cking. Shaw, a member of Shadow ton and Kat Sue were drawn to the spiritual vacuum lingering after the Many girls are lured into human region more than ever. mammoth March 11, 2011 disaster. Mountain Community Church, is traffi cking because they were “The door is open right now “Christians have been coming the East County coordinator for showered with love, shelter and because the tsunami wiped away to provide relief and support, and California Against Slavery, a non- gifts. A new California law trying everything they worked for, every- that is softening hearts,” Kat Sue profi t human rights group that is to qualify for the November thing was gone,” said Kat Sue, who, said. “He called us to be servants pushing for a statewide ballot mea- ballot would eliminate current with her husband, Burton, left for fi rst. He called us to help. We don’t sure to make it easier to prosecute statute requiring “force” for Japan in mid-January for a yearlong expect anything in return.” prosecution. ministry outreach called The But- See TRAFFICKING, page 2 terfl y Project. “When that happens See JAPAN MINISTRY, page 4 Sky High at Skyline East County church to celebrate grand opening of new worship center By Lori Arnold to march forth, gratefully unen- center. Church has had quite a journey. a quarter of a century trying to get cumbered by the heartaches of a From Skyline Drive in Lemon “This has been such a 25-year this building through with all the La Mesa — Pastor Jim Garlow protracted and costly building ef- Grove to a skyline perch on a hill- wait,” said Garlow, who has served complications.” and his congregation are raring fort for its new 2,000-seat worship side in Rancho San Diego, Skyline as lead pastor since 1995. “It’s been The list has been long: a bad economy; concerns from neigh- bors; delays from archeological excavations tied to potential In- dian artifacts; endangered birds; a protected bush; changing zoning laws; lighting restrictions; vigor- ous earthquake codes; and a major freeway expansion, which prompt- ed six years of litigation. Although the church, a member of the Wesleyan denomination, owns 138 acres along Campo Road, it is only permitted to develop 25 acres because the parcel is home to sensitive wildlife and brush, in- cluding the California Black Tailed Gnatcatcher and the Least Bell’s Vireo. “Two birds, not species, two birds get the rest of it,” Garlow said. “This Finishing touches are made in the weeks before the new worship center at Skyline Church opens in March. A major focal point of the building is its large Jesus cornerstone (center). To the right, the Revelation Fountain, which will also serve as a baptismal, is being constructed. See SKYLINE, page 8 For information about advertising, subscriptions, or bulk delivery, please call 1-800-326-0795 2 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • March 2012 SD www.christianexaminer.com who is the San Diego coordinator even wider avenues of threat. TRAFFICKING… for the Californians Against Sexual “It’s beyond comprehension,” Continued from page 1 Exploitation Act. Shaw said. cases involving human traffi cking. Seeing tighter sanctions Easing legal parameters “I think we kind of abdicated the The group is hoping to secure at The new law, Shaw said, will role of the church in taking care of least 30,000 petition signatures in make it much easier to prosecute orphans, widows and the needy,” San Diego County as part of a state- those who are enslaving women she said. “Our role is not only to wide effort seeking support of more and children by easing some of the serve as a witness to Him, but to than 800,000 registered voters. The legal obstacles. also do good in His name. deadline to get the signatures is “It is diffi cult to process in many cases “Someone who is on the street April 13. because they don’t use force,” Shaw doesn’t have anyone to look after Rogers said that with limited said. “Most young women in particular them, and, in my mind, that is an funding to secure signatures, Chris- don’t go down this road because they orphan. They are abused. They are tian volunteers will be the key to want to, they go down this road because enslaved. Jesus Christ himself was the initiative’s success. they have been abused.” the most holy person in the world, “I’m hoping that the Christian It’s that vulnerability that Shaw and he mingled with these people. church is going to be a huge player hopes will draw the church into be- Why wouldn’t I?” in the signature-gathering phase,” coming part of the solution. Shaw’s heart for anti-traffi cking Rogers said. “The faith-based as- “We need to call members of the ministry evolved out of her volun- pects of the campaign are going to church not to tiptoe around the teer work with World Concern, a be important.” issue and shake their heads with Seattle-based ministry that special- Rogers said the initiative drive compassion, but to stand up and be izes in disaster response and de- is the second grassroots effort in courageous enough to step into the velopment programs to help the California and, if approved, would fray here and rescue our women global poor pull themselves out create the toughest anti-traffi cking Ginger Shaw, second from left, and Scharme Hettinga, a friend from Seattle, and children,” she said. of poverty. Shaw became involved laws in the nation. In the two years right, visit a couple of young women during a World Concern trip to Thailand. It was the notion of moving from with the ministry’s Women of Pur- since the last statewide attempt, Shaw has become involved with anti-traffi cking issues and is a local coordinator compassion to action that prompt- pose outreach while living in Se- Rogers said the proposed law has of a signature drive to get the Californians Against Sexual Exploitation Act on the ed Shaw and several other women November ballot. attle a decade ago. Women of Pur- more organizational support and from Shadow Mountain to start pose linked American women with funding. FreeThem Road, a ministry that their poor counterparts, prompt- “We have a lot of volunteers.” She fort, Shaw said, was the increased money maker,” Shaw said. “Drugs seeks to raise awareness of human ing several trips to Thailand, an said. “It’s really just a matter of get- costs of enforcement and limited you sell one time, but people you traffi cking at truck stops, fast food international hotbed for human ting it on the ballot. We really don’t prison space. can sell over and over and over.” restaurants, hotels, community cen- ters and libraries. Volunteers with traffi cking. have any opposition to this. People In the meantime, the sex slave Also fueling the industry is the the ministry distribute literature While still working with World really do care. They are eager to trade has mushroomed, particular- Internet, which has widened access and fl iers from the National Hu- Concern, Shaw began to investi- sign, they are eager to help.” ly in Southern California. beyond the traditional port and man Traffi cking Resource Center, gate America’s own big, dark se- Despite little opposition, both “California truly is an area where border regions. which lists the 24-hour hotline. cret: human traffi cking is a vibrant, Rogers and Shaw said the ballot human traffi cking is high density,” “That’s been a huge cause of the On a recent road trip to Las Ve- underworld business.