DOOR Hollywood is looking for young adults to participate in service, community, hospitality, holistic relationships and living together in intentional community while serving the city through local agencies and neighborhood ministries. Through experiences with a diverse representation of people in and around the city, Dwellers in Hollywood learn how to do compassionate, incarnational ministry through being present with these communities in their struggles, joys, and unique experiences. The end result is one of a new, more Christ-like perspective of the different people he has created and loves.
About Dwell Hollywood- Lives intentionally in an urban community
- Builds each other up as Disciples of Jesus Christ through doing ministry as a team in the neighborhood, learning to accept different urban communities through understanding and relating to them as children of God, and being a voice that advocates for social justice for those in the city with no voice.
- Is 18-29 years of age
- Read books as a community assigned by the City Director that address what you will come across in the city of Hollywood, how to live out our faith in a way that is most glorifying to God, and how service and justice is directly linked with scripture
- Spend one day per week with the other Dwellers in informal yet directed reflection on themes of ministry in the city or exploring and discovering what makes a city like Hollywood so unique
- Receive modest stipend to support living expenses
- Engage in a local Church
- Serve in a social service agency 4 days a week
- Get involved in the local neighborhood and offer approximately 5 hours of programs of your choosing such as tutoring, ESL classes, Bible Studies, etc. in the local Community House where you live
- Set aside a weekly time to spend with the other Dwellers to enjoy, encourage, pray, and check in with each other
- Is supported in their faith journey through a beginning of the year orientation, retreats during the year, and an end-of-term debriefing retreat
To apply, complete this application and return by mail or email.
Description
DWELL will connect candidates to Hollywood to serve and learn from the community, learn from others already serving in ministry, assist in the ministries of the local churches and social service networks, and in the process form communities of young adults across the city who are dedicated to growing as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Candidates will be interviewed and placed with Hollywood agencies and ministries based on the need of the local ministry and the gifts and talents of the candidate. After arriving in early September, the first days are set aside for orientation, exploring the city, reflecting on the upcoming year, reading, and settling in. Dwellers will serve in their ministry placement an average of 32 hours a week, and will also spend approximately 5 hours performing neighborhood ministry and outreach through the local Community House. DOOR Hollywood resides at a site with a rich history of neighborhood ministry, both for the neighbors and for the volunteers each year. Formally known as the Hollywood Urban Project, this building has served as a place for service projects including after-school tutoring and bible studies, as well as a site of neighborhood events including Posadas, Cinco de Mayo celebrations, and language learning collaboration meetings.
Living in a predominantly Latino immigrant neighborhood, the opportunity to be enriched by the lives of families and youth who, despite facing serious obstacles such as illiteracy, gang violence, family separation, and poverty, are incredibly joyful, generous, and eager to welcome the new candidates each year. This is a community that, if asked to, can teach Dwellers a great deal about cross-cultural friendships, about the Latino-American experience, and the joy of living generously amidst a sea of poverty. Dwellers will meet together as a team one day a week for directed Bible and/or book studies, prayer, experiential learning through city outings, or to discuss ministry and living issues. Several retreats are taken throughout the year - to offer ample time for relaxation and reflection.
Goals
To raise up Christian urban ministers to find Christ-led solutions to problems plaguing our country and our churches. To dwell amongst the people of Hollywood as Christ's example of living among us. To make known and to know God's presence in the city of Hollywood by connecting to the surrounding community and being a part of a larger urban renewal movement. To meet a critical need of the local churches and the local community.
- COMMUNITY - Volunteers will live in community with a diverse group of 4-6 Christian young adults, learn the everyday meaning of Christian love and perseverance, and work through differences. Time is set aside in the schedule each week to allow volunteers to develop relationships with people from the community in which they live and experience the joys and challenges of cross-cultural friendships.
- SPIRITUALITY - Volunteers will engage in prayer, worship, and reflection as an individual, team and community of teams. Each volunteer will receive support from the City Directors and be matched to a personal prayer partner from the city of Hollywood. They will participate regularly in a local church and learn to apply their Christian beliefs in an urban setting. Volunteers will explore the Christian discipline of simplicity to better relate to their low-income neighbors while also experiencing the great dichotomy of wealth and poverty that is so visible in Hollywood.
- SERVICE - Volunteers will be matched with a service site during the course of the year. That service site will be determined by the volunteer's interest in urban issues. Opportunities include working with Hollywood’ vast and diverse homeless community, growing Hispanic population, serving in advocacy roles for justice issues, and other opportunities.
BENEFITS - DWELL will provide housing, utilities, a community grocery budget, public transportation pass (or the monetary equivalent for those who wish to bring a car), retreats throughout the year, a modest monthly stipend, and health insurance. Volunteers will be expected to raise support of about $6500; however, upon completion of service volunteers are eligible for grants for partial payments of student loans and moving expenses. Volunteers are also expected to regularly report their experiences to their home church, financial supporters, and the National DOOR community.
PERIOD OF SERVICE -One year (beginning of September through beginning of August)
If interested, you may contact Matthew Schmitt at 323-872-3174 or Matthew@doornetwork.org.
To apply, complete this application and return by mail or email.
Curriculum
DWELL provides a curriculum that brings together a diverse collection of books, articles, and experiences that our Dwellers read and discuss on a monthly basis throughout the year. The goal of our curriculum is to expose our participants to a variety of perspectives on a variety of subjects, ranging from interpersonal relationships to social justice to spiritual growth.
Trainings focus on various issues related to the various community service sites, churches, or neighborhood experiences. Topics include: immigration, literacy, racism and prejudice, affordable housing and the causes of homelessness, human trafficking, health care, and various other topics. Community Day is also a time that all Dwellers come together to eat, reflect on their weeks, and have fun in the city. Time is set aside for each person to share with a mentor-like prayer partner.
Site Information 
Hollywood is known for its entertainment industry and sunny weather; however, after one day here, it is clear that its poverty and social issues equal its celebrities and Hollywood starlets. Among the 11 million people living in LA County, 78,000 are homeless and hundreds of thousands a paycheck away from living on the streets. While this exists on every street corner, there are over 250,000 millionaires in this city alone.
Hollywood has much to offer, and Dwellers will find that living amongst so many different cultures and ethnicities is exciting. There is always something new to see and learn in LA! Since its establishment, numerous immigrant populations, primarily its Hispanic population, have shaped Hollywood. These aspects of Hollywood plus so many more culminate in a city that has great need but also great ministries and services that wish to transform LA for the better.
DOOR allows young adults to come along side what God is already doing in Hollywood to serve others and discover more closely the majestic and humble character of our Lord and Savior as well as Christ’s deep love for people of all kinds. DOOR is a program designed to help inform, educate, challenge, and motivate individuals to respond to the issues and concerns facing urban America. DOOR exists to encourage and challenge individuals to consider ministry and service as a daily part of their lives – both inside and outside the church walls.
To apply, complete this application and return by mail or email.