The Greatest Rebuild Is Still Ahead
The stories we tell carry weight. They can spotlight what we have done or celebrate the strength of others. They can make us the heroes of the story, or they can point to the people who have been faithfully writing it long before we arrived.
That distinction is at the heart of Bel Air Rebuilds. What began in response to the devastating Los Angeles fires of 2025 has become a long-term commitment to our city. The greatest disaster in Los Angeles history has given way to what may become its greatest rebuild, and we believe God has positioned us to take an active role in it. We are here for the long haul, walking alongside community partners as lives are restored, neighborhoods are renewed, and communities are strengthened.
Good partnership begins with knowing our place in the story. As Jack Sapp, Head of Bel Air Rebuilds, reminds us, our first partnership taught us a great deal about what it means to show up well. And we are only getting started.
The strongest partnerships are not built by arriving with all the answers, but by coming alongside community partners who know their neighborhoods, have earned trust, and are already doing the work. We bring volunteers. We bring resources. We bring consistency. Not to take the spotlight, but to strengthen those already shining a light in their communities.
The Apostle Paul captures this posture in 1 Corinthians 3:6: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”
That is the posture we want to carry into every partnership: faithful with our part, humble about our place, and trusting God with the growth.
Through Bel Air Rebuilds, we have an opportunity to live this out as we follow Jesus every day and everywhere with everyone. We listen first. We serve humbly. We partner well.
And as our community partnerships grow across Los Angeles, something else must grow with them: the number of people willing to step into the work. There is plenty ahead, and right now, one of our greatest opportunities is inviting more volunteers to take their place in the rebuild.
Hebrews 10:39 reminds us, “But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved.”
The fires may no longer dominate the headlines, but the work of rebuilding is far from over. This is not the time to shrink back. It is a time to keep showing up, keep walking alongside our city, and keep trusting God with what He will grow through our faithfulness.
Many of you already know Krystal Lopez from We Out Here in Altadena. In the video below, you will meet four new community partners, see where these relationships are taking us, and discover how you can be part of what comes next.
The work is growing. The partnerships are growing. And there is room for you in the story.
