Photos by Ralph Freso / Slideshow
Leaders from local churches, businesses, nonprofits, communities and schools shared a common theme at Grand Canyon University's the second annual 27th Avenue Prayer Breakfast.
Dependence in the Lord.
Each representative prayed for their respective groups while reinforcing the need to lean on God.
“We would be foolish to gather and pray without dependence,” said Christ Church Pastor K.J. Gould, who led the event at Love International Ministries.
This event was presented by 27Collab, a community organization comprised of about 80 groups, including the university, Phoenix Police Department, local businesses and more. The organization seeks to cultivate strategic alliances that will change the 27th Ave. corridor into a thriving neighborhood, education and business community.
The group collectively focuses on safety, restoration and redevelopment.
The prayer breakfast “is to remind us to root all of our efforts in prayer,” said Andrea Northup, GCU's assistant director of state and community relations and leader of the 27Collab steering committee. “We want to rebuild a community. But if the Lord is not with us, we rebuild in vain.”
Love International Ministries Pastor John Ramos surveyed the room before saying “this is an example of what church should be like. We have education here, law enforcement, business, non-profits organizations, everyone in the community together, in one room, in the church.
“Because that’s what church is called to be, to make a difference in our community, not just in our four walls in the church.”
In praying for churches, Ramos – whose father Juan founded the church in 1993 – did not realize there were 15 churches along the 27th Ave. corridor.
“We need to be united so the world can see the love from Jesus Christ,” Ramos said.
GCU police officer Francisco Lerma-Trillo disclosed “never in a million years I thought I’d be here. It’s an answered prayer.”
Lerma-Trillo said he “passed away” at 16 in a motorcycle accident. He recalled two things:
“A flash of my life as a baby with a woman carrying me and went to a place of darkness, not a place of life.”
“I was fully separated from God. That was the scariest place you will be.”
Lerma-Trillo credited GCU Director of Public Safety Rob Handy when he was Handy's student in a criminal justice class at Arizona State University in 2008. “God used him in mighty ways,” said Lerma-Trillo, who has served 10 years in law enforcement.
His duties include patrolling areas where women are dealing with human trafficking, prostitution and drug addiction.
“I love it that God put it in my heart to get out of my patrol vehicle and I get to talk to them,” Lerma-Trillo said. “For it is not against flesh and blood, but it is spiritual, just hoping and fighting that it is spiritual. It has nothing to do with the physical. We see a body, but God sees a heart.
“Ultimately, those people that we declare are too far gone, that was me. I know for a fact God saved me.”
Lerma-Trillo said he got saved on July 10, 2005 – 18 years after he last ran afoul of the law.
“The Holy Spirit destroys the old you. I praise God for that.”
Miguel and Gladys Perez met in a drug house 22 years ago. Now they are co-founders of Starts with the Heart, a nonprofit that assists homeless, addicted and underserved families.
They persisted even after their building burned down two years ago in a fire, thanks to encouragement from the homeless community that told them, “we’re used to losing everything all the time, but your presence is what matters.”
“And that encouraged us to continue to bring God’s presence in the community,” Gladys said.
Their impact has caused a transformation that has gone from 15 deaths in 2024 to “seeing a lot of our people in the community getting off the streets and volunteering with us and seeing the fruit of what God is doing in our community,” Gladys said. “It’s not us doing it. It’s God doing it through us. We are weak. God is our strength.”
Said Miguel, “God never shamed us, and God prayed for us often. And now we get to be leaders and pastors in this community.”
Eric and Eileen Bolze, co-owners of E2 Innovations metal fabrications business, drew comparisons between a friend who possessed a strong fragrance four hours after working in floral department on Mother’s Day and a devotion from former NFL safety/coach Tony Dungy. They focused on Ephesians 5:2, which implies that living a life full of love is a pleasing aroma to Christ, who gave Himself up as a fragrant offering and sacrifice for God.
“Flowers aren’t the only thing that have a penetrating fragrance. People do, too,” Eric said. “Those who have the aroma of Christ have a pleasing fragrance. But people who intentionally sin give off a sickening stench to God. We need to be so immersed in Christ and God’s Word that our pleasing aroma is stronger than what the world offers.
“... We want businesses within this corridor that have that great fragrance.”
Several community leaders took turns sharing final encouragement and prayers, but it was hearing a simple word from high school freshman Jaxson Slickman that resonated with the crowd. Slickman recalled a moment from sixth grade at Alhambra Traditional School when his teacher asked his class to write their goals for a time capsule.
“I had so many goals,” Slickman said. “I reached every one through hard work and trusting in the Lord. If you trust in God and put in hard work, you can do anything.”
The Prayer Breakfast moved the crowd to firmly believe and hope in the Lord for a bright future for their neighborhood and that the only way to make a difference on 27th Avenue is to trust God's purpose for their work.
GCU News senior writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]
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