History of Christian Community Concerns
 
Christian Community Concerns was formed in the summer of 1985 when Ken Owen invited close friends to his home to discuss a vision of reaching out to the Lodi Community by taking a stand on issues that were having a great effect on demoralizing our communities such as; drugs, pornography, homosexuality, gambling, promiscuity, teen pregnancy, etc.

The first project the CCC got involved in was distributing over 7,000 red ribbons throughout downtown Lodi in conjunction with "Red Ribbon Week."

Since that time the organization has been involved with numerous activities including luncheons, dinner meetings, Celebration Day, Rebuilding America Week, and Life Chain.

In 1990, CCC launched a new program called the R.E.V. Program.  This involved registering people to vote, then educating the voters on the candidates through candidate forums, and distributing voter guides throughout the community and finally encouraging people to get out and vote.  In 1996 CCC distributed over 15,000 voter guides throughout Lodi and Stockton. In 1998, voter guides will be distributed throughout the San Joaquin County for the general election. 

In 1994 a Stockton Chapter was formed and immediately made a profound difference by being at the forefront of defeating a 157,000 square. ft. gambling casino.

CCC has targeted three areas to focus on in order to exert a Christian influence in the community: the church, public education, and city government.  We feel that these three areas will determine the quality of life for a city. In the future we are believing God to send forth laborers in order for us to expand the ministry to encompass all of San Joaquin County. We will need city directors, board members, target area coordinators church representatives, issue and event coordinators, and many workers that are willing to stand up for the Lord Jesus Christ.  Will you be one of them?

Biographical Sketch of Ken Owen, Founder/Director of CCC

PERSONAL HISTORY

Ken was born into a family of nine children (three boys and six girls) on January 5, 1937, in Berryville, Arkansas. During the Second World War in 1941, the family moved to Portland, Oregon, where his father helped build ships. In 1948, the family moved to Lodi, California when he was ten years old.

Ken graduated from Lodi High School in 1955, and joined the U.S. Navy in the same year. After serving a four year term he returned to Lodi, and married his wife, Janet in 1959. They have three children: Todd, Joseph, and Christine, and three grandchildren.

In 1965 Ken began his own business as a landscape contractor. Neither Ken or Janet were raised in Christian homes, but accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior in 1971. In 1985 Ken founded Christian Community Concerns out of a desire to see Christian values exerted in the Lodi Community. In 1994 the Stockton chapter of CCC was formed. Just recently the vision for CCC has been expanded to reach out to the entire county of San Joaquin. It is our prayer that God would send forth laborers into the harvest field, and let the Glory of God fill the land.