Melody Rossi
Speaker - Author - Singer
Urban Missionary
"Sow fields and plant vineyards,
and gather a fruitful harvest." Psalm 107:37
Melody Rossi is a missionary for a new era. Although she once sang on some of the world's most prestigious stages, she now works in the heart of the inner city with Cloud and Fire Ministries, teaching gang members and at-risk youth a new way to live. She also has a heart for those who are terminally ill, and her book, May I Walk You Home? Sharing Christ's Love With the Dying, expresses her thoughts about what she calls “the most fertile of all mission fields.”
Melody's public career was launched in 1984 when she became a regular soloist at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California and her voice can still be heard there as the Angel in The Glory of Christmas. For the next 10 years, Melody sang with opera companies and symphonies across the United States and received numerous accolades for her rich, warm voice. She has performed with numerous opera companies in venues from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. to the Vatican in Rome. Her singing career was reaching its pinnacle, and then tragedy struck.
A surgical error in 1994 nearly took Melody's life, and left her bedridden for almost a year. This incident not only robbed her of her health and halted her career, but left her unable to fulfill her dream of having children. As Melody and her husband grappled with the pain of infertility, God was working behind the scenes preparing them to become parents to hundreds of inner city children. During her illness, He became more real than ever before—but that was just the beginning!
In Van Nuys, special education teacher Melody Rossi’s Cloud and Fire Ministries does after-school tutoring for at-risk kids, manages a “one-stop connection” job referral and placement center, and works with the county probation and education departments to bring anger management classes into youth detention camps. |
In an attempt to reinvent her life, Melody became a substitute teacher in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. She was repeatedly sent to the high crime neighborhoods where she discovered the harsh realities of inner city life. Initially horrified, Melody soon developed a love for her students and a desire to make a difference. She took a permanent teaching contract, and began a new career. After several years of teaching, Melody began an after school program to give extra help to her students. This eventually became Cloud and Fire Ministries, a Christian nonprofit that provides holistic transformational ministry to low-income urban youth. Today she is the Executive Director of this ministry through which she and her husband have nurtured countless young people.
Melody is a popular speaker for church services, Christian conferences, and special events. Her message is uplifting and victorious, and when she weaves singing into the presentation, the result is unforgettable.
Melody and her husband, Pride, reside in Granada Hills, California. Their painful struggle with infertility prompted them to become missionaries to the inner city. Though they have no children of their own, they are parents to almost 100 young people. Vanessa, a teen from their ministry, was abandoned by her parents, and now lives with Pride and Melody as part of their family.
Speaking Topics
|
Do you know an unbeliever who is terminally ill? Is anyone else you know facing the death of an unsaved loved one? Christians often feel hopeless when an unbeliever approaches death, and feel great sorrow and hopelessness over a soul that will be lost.In her book, May I Walk You Home? Sharing Christ's Love with the Dying, Melody Rossi reveals how the end of life is the most fertile of all mission fields, and leads the reader through the essential steps for successfully ministering to dying unbelievers. Filled with hope, joy, and practical wisdom, May I Walk You Home? is an essential for pastors, health care providers, and any Christian with unsaved friends or loved ones.
|
|
If you are looking for a high energy speaker whose message is uplifting, entertaining, and life changing, then Melody Rossi is the perfect choice. Her unique style of incorporating life lessons, storytelling, and music into her presentations makes her a favorite with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. She is a master communicator with a missionary heart, and her enthusiasm for faith on the front-lines is contagious. Due to her work with those who are unloved, forgotten, or who feel disqualified, many describe Melody as an "ambassador for Christ." Her voice has been heard from the Vatican, the Crystal Cathedral, and the Kennedy Center all the way to inner city barrios, youth prisons, and hospitals of Los Angeles. No matter what the venue, those who hear her are inspired by her story, delighted by her singing, and moved to action through her message.
May I Walk You Home? Sharing Christ's Love with the Dying
Can God really reach our loved ones, even if they have rejected Him all their lives? How can you be part of the process? As she shares her poignant journey with three dying family members who came to Christ, Melody teaches five features for sharing your faith with those closest to you. Based on her book by the same title (Bethany House), this message will bring hope to anyone with unbelieving loved ones and will bless all those who rejoice when a lost soul comes to faith.
Front Line Faith in a Back Seat World
Do you long for your faith to touch others, but don't know how? Melody's exciting adventures ministering to inner city youth and gang members will reveal exactly what you need to know to take your faith from the back seat to the font lines! (Suitable for any special event or Sunday morning service)
The Journey North
Are you lost in the wilderness without a map? Stop wandering around the same old landscape over and over, and get ready to head north to the Promised Land! Melody's trek from the opera stage, through physical illness, and into an unexpected inner city ministry will help you find your bearings and inspire you to forge ahead! (The powerful musical ending makes this presentation perfect for almost any setting. Can be combined with other messages to be the central theme of a weekend retreat)
A Place of Beginning Again
Have the disappointments and demands of life left you feeling bruised, battered, and bewildered? Or, have your own choices led you to a dead-end? Based on the story of the woman caught in adultery, this message is a powerful reminder that no matter what has happened, there is always a chance to start over. Melody combines the principles of beginning again with a dramatic musical presentation that will leave you refreshed and ready to step into your brand new life. (This presentation can be expanded to become the theme of a weekend retreat.)
Do We Understand Each Other?
Have you ever felt like you simply cannot communicate with the person you love? Drawing from her experience as a Certified Personality Trainer and a decade of cross-cultural ministry, Melody shares five principles that will change how you interact with the people who mean the most to you. (One message or a three-part weekend retreat)
The Princess Factor
(For adolescent, teen, or college age girls)
In relationships, do you see yourself as common and worthless, or as a princess deserving only the very best? How do others see you? If you want to have relationships befitting royalty, you need the Princess Factor! This message is interactive and fun, but deals with serious issues like dating, waiting, and mating. You will never feel like a commoner again! (This is one of Melody's most requested topics. Suitable for a single presentation, an overnight slumber party, or a three day retreat)
How to Breathe When You're Underwater
When the storms come, do you thrash, sink, or sail? Melody shares four life-preserving principles that will keep you from drowning, and help you ride the waves of life in style. You will leave with spiritual scuba gear that will help you conquer the current. (A wonderful topic for MOPS or other special interest groups)
The Secret of a Stress-Free Christmas
Has Christmas become hectic, hurried, and hollow? While sharing her gripping story of the Christmas she spent in the hospital clinging to life, Melody teaches the four steps to taking out the stress and regaining the true meaning of the Holiday. This presentation is filled with festive Christmas music, and will help you slow down, simplify, and find the significance of Christmas again! (This message is perfect for your special Holiday event) Click here to listen to an excerpt
Music Performance Seminars
Melody is also available to teach music performance seminars for adults or teens. Through these, your group can learn to more effectively communicate the gospel through music.
