Do you know the story of the USS Indianapolis? A circle of men, floating in the open water in the vast, Pacific Ocean, and full of fear, of course one survivor tells how he prays the best known passage in all of Scripture. It’s a passage that brings comfort to any and every situation, whether pleasant or fearful. It’s pleasant: little children in their soft sleep as their mother tucks them in with prayer. It’s both pleasant and fearful: the elderly woman who lies dying on her bed, ready to depart this world and go to be with her Lord. It’s fearful: the prisoner, alone in his cell, arms on the back of his neck, curled up in a corner. To wit, this passage carries the unique ability to bring peace and hope to those who, for one reason or another, are afraid, doubtful, insecure, or just in need of some comfort.
It’s a Psalm of David, and we often picture lush, green valleys, cool streams, and clear skies with a gentle breeze on a fine, sunny day. It’s Psalm 23. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”
Back in the Pacific. Floating in the water in the suspense of horror, a sailor prays this prayer. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” The sailor is a survivor—so far—of the USS Indianapolis, the battleship sunk by a Japanese submarine on July 30 1945. You know what it delivered: the 1st atomic bomb which dropped over the city of Hiroshima, and the 1st weapon of mass destruction used in war. This action helped bring WWII to an end, but for the survivors of the USS Indianapolis, the horror had only begun. There were 1200 men on that ship. 900 of them fell into the water that day. 300 came out. The remaining 600 men died of shark attacks, dehydration, and poison from drinking sea water, both because of the water itself and the contaminants from the battleship’s fuel-oil.
There were sea water ulcers on their legs, on their backs, and in their throats. Their mouths were like cotton from lack of water. The sun burned them, the cold night chilled them. Many lost their minds in delirium from drinking the sea water, shouting, “The ship’s right over there! There’s cigarettes and candy! Let’s go!” Leaving the circle of men, they entered what is inconceivable: even more vulnerable, open waters, where the sharks had their savage way. This was the worst of the whole ordeal. Men screaming. Men helpless.…
This soldier tells the story of being in a circle with the other men. “Pray for us,” they say. Not all of them are believers, but they know he is. So he prays. He tells us that he prays the prayer, and each time, he emphasizes a different word.
- The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want
- The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want
- The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want
- The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want
And they all listen and pray….
David’s Psalm is a Pastoral one. That is, it evokes a sweet, sense of an idyllic, countryside, rolling with green, lush hills, and clear, refreshing streams. But the Psalm isn’t all fields of clover, with milk and honey. Oh no. David speaks of dark things as well: he travels through the valley of the shadow of death. And David couples the Psalm on either end of it to give us a clue to what it’s all about. And it’s all about contentment & hope.
Remember that David’s life was one racked with battle. As a shepherd, he battled against the bear and the lion to protect his sheep. Then he had to kill a giant. Shortly after, as the newly anointed king, he had to run from King Saul, who wanted to kill him. Then there was the ordeal with Bathsheba. Not long after that, his son Absalom tried to murder him. David seemed to be always on the run. He was on the run from the Philistines. He even joined them at one time. He pretended to be insane by letting spittle run down his beard so his enemies would let him go and not kill him. I wonder if he felt secure doing that? He made the mistake of taking a census, and the Lord destroyed many of David’s people as a result. David never seemed to quite have that security; never that total peace; never that “Ah, life’s good” moment; never a lack of trouble in his relationships: his wife Michal dismissed him as a fool for dancing in public when the ark of the covenant came back to town. Maybe he had his moments of peace, but his life seems racked with conflict. And yet, David prays this prayer,
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
My daughter asked me the other day—and I recall this was one of my first questions about the Bible as well: “What does “I shall not want” mean? Stump the Dad. "Ummm... I'm going to have to look that one up, honey."
The Hebrew of “I shall not want” is a verb that can be understood in the present tense or the future tense, and means, “I do not lack anything” or “I will not lack anything.” It means that in his present situation, David is OK. And as far as the future is concerned: he is going to be OK. Why? Because the Lord is his Shepherd. YHWH is his shepherd. YHWH, the Lord of heaven and earth, the creator of all things, the Almighty God—this God, has an intimate relationship with David, and David knows the Lord and loves the Lord, and David knows the Lord loves him on a deep, intimate, personal level.
David says, “I shall not want,” and he means he’s content. But how can he be content with all of the mess going on? What if he composed this Psalm in one of those caves he was hiding in when Saul was hunting him down? Maybe he wrote it in the later years of his life as they drew to an end. Perhaps he wrote it when Nabal wouldn’t help him, and David was on his way to make war against him. It seems to me that David wrote this Psalm in the midst of his life's span, because his life had troubles, and life is simply full of trouble. And David says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Why? “Because your rod and staff, they comfort me.”
When the Psalm says, “I shall not want,” we can understand this to mean that David will not lack anything. This is what it means in the ancient Hebrew. And in the ancient Ethiopic texts, it means, “I will not be diminished.” “I will not be made inferior.” “I will not be made worthless.”
David puts his worth, his dignity, his life—in the hands of the Shepherd.
We say, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” but--we want. We lack work that satisfies, and so we want. Our relationships are not what we want them to be, and so we want. Our lives may not have turned out they way we’d liked, and so we want. We’ve made mistakes; maybe we’ve sinned and we feel guilty or shameful about things, and so we feel diminished, worthless, and without dignity.
One pastor boils our sense of “lack” down to two things:
- Significance & Security (1)
In significance, we look to calling, reputation, and vocation. In security, we look to money, health and family. “If I just had perfect health.” “If I just could win the lottery.” How many times have we heard (or said!) that? And yet, we know that when people win the lottery, life usually gets worse.
What the opening line of this Psalm points out for us is our idols. An idol is anything where we get significance or security from that is not God himself—the Good Shepherd. People get significance and security from: work, play, money, relationships, hobbies like sports and games, even the SELF. That is to say, “I don’t need anyone or anything, I’m satisfied with my SELF. That’s idolatry too. In fact, it’s the worst kind, it's called pride.
If the Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing. Do you believe that? Do I?
Our culture says we don’t have value unless we’re 1) beautiful 2) smart 3) making a lot of money 4) athletic 5) talented 6) holding significant influence, power or control 7) making a difference. We often wonder, “Has my life made any real difference?” “Am I doing what I’m supposed to be doing?”
But David says, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack no good thing.” I spoke with a counselor once who asked me, “Chris, what do you need in life?” He was asking me what the essentials in life were. I said, “Well, the Apostle Paul talks about food, clothing, and shelter, and that if we have those things, we’re content with that.”
He said, “No. You only need Jesus Christ. If you are naked, hungry and homeless, you have everything, because you have Christ.” At first I thought, “That’s a bunch of pious-sounding nonsense.” But then I thought about it. Jesus Christ is the author of Life. He is the Lord of Life. If I have Jesus Christ, then I really do have all I need.”
But that doesn’t mean we don’t strive to have good things like jobs, homes, etc. I mean, I want to provide for my family. I want to invest and leave an inheritance for my grandchildren. I want to have good work, and do good in this world and make a difference. We all should. But the point of the Psalm here is focus. What is the focus of our lives? What is important is that Christ is the center of our lives. If we focus on Christ and his kingdom, then we've got things in order.
At the same time, that's good news, especially for a guy like me, who has struggled with insecurity in life. I often wonder: Am I good enough for God? Am I pleasing him by doing the right things in life? Am I making a real difference in the world, or doing anything significant? But the Scripture says, The Lord is my Shepherd, and I lack nothing. If I have Jesus Christ--I have all I need. I have him and he has me. He leads me, and he guides me.
The Lord leads David through paths of righteousness, just as a good shepherd led his sheep through the wilderness in Palestine. When we think of sheep in a field, we see lush, tall, green grasses dipping with dew, and sunlight basking through full, magnificent trees. But this is not the case in Palestine. The sheep were totally dependent upon the seasonal rains for the grass, and when summer and fall came around they had to eat the stubble and weeds left over until the rainy season. Then the shepherd would have to take the sheep to new pastures. The sheep were vulnerable to getting lost, getting impatient, getting bitten by flies on the head, getting eaten by wolves and other predators. Sheep would fight with each other, and bite one another. They would bicker and holler at one another. Sheep are stupid. They’re dumb animals and they need a shepherd. They’ll even follow one another over cliffs, plummeting to their deaths—just by following.
Sheep were totally dependent upon their shepherd. Sometimes, in order for the sheep to not get parasites from the grass, the shepherd would prepare a table for them to eat. “You prepare a table in the presence of my enemies.” He would rub oil on their heads to heal their skin from the insect bites. “You anoint my head with oil.” He would call them, and they knew his voice. If they got mixed up with another flock, the shepherd would call, and they would hear his voice. Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice,"(John 10:27). Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
The paths of righteousness go through the valley of the shadow of death. The paths of righteousness are literally, “just, normal and straight” paths. Some commentators say this has only to do with the nature of the path: that it is straight—it leads somewhere, and it is not harsh terrain. Others say that the “path of righteousness” has a moral component to it. That is, God is faithful to lead his faithful flock in a certain moral direction.
Calvin comments that the phrase, “the paths of righteousness” means that God leads us and sustains us for this present life. So we walk these paths—these good, plain paths that God leads us on, and lest we think we have earned it ourselves, David adds that God does so for the sake of his name.
And lest we should also think that the “plain and straight paths” mean an easy, carefree life, we need to look at verse 4: the plain and straight paths go through the valley of the shadow of death. But, “You are with me.” God’s presence is with us—even closer—when we are going through the valley of the shadow of death. In the wadis in the desert, the deep valleys cause long, tall shadows. Who knows what lurks there? Bandits? Ravenous animals, ready to attack? Sometimes life brings us suspense and danger, but the Lord’s presence is even greater with us.
"Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. "
This last part of the Psalm really struck me. The word “mercy” here is the word hesed. In some translations of the Bible its translated as “lovingkindness.” Hesed is God’s covenant love.
I want to challenge you with something. The other day, a friend of mine said, “I don’t respect a pastor who doesn’t fast.” He didn’t mean anything by it, but I thought I should take up that challenge. I hadn’t fasted in a while. So I did. (Actually, it just turned out that I woke up late for work, and didn’t feel like making any breakfast. Plus we didn’t have any food in the fridge: I guess that’s what happens when you have three jobs, and a wife who’s getting her doctorate. So, I didn’t pack a lunch either. A perfect day to fast!).
So, after the girls went to bed (making it through dinner while fasting was really hard) I went back to my study—which is just a corner room where the furnace and water heater are. But anyway, I was meditating on this Psalm, and I was struck by the word hesed. And as I closed my eyes and prayed, I saw myself in a green pasture, with a gentle stream, and clouds up above on a sunny day. And then I felt something incredible. I felt the presence of God. And you know what I felt? Love. I felt the love of God. It was like ecstasy. And it only lasted for a split second. As soon as you can snap your fingers, it was gone. But oh, it was good. Just experiencing the God’s love. It’s no wonder why John the Apostle wrote “God is Love.” He really is. He leads me, he guides me, he comforts me.
May I challenge you to do this? Take a day and fast, and meditate on this Psalm. Jesus promises us that if we go to our quiet place and pray to our Father who sees us in secret, that our heavenly Father will reward us (Matthew 6:6). That was my reward: experiencing that love, that presence!
1) Sean Michael Lucas. His excellent sermon can be heard here


What a fantastic start to 2016! Jo and John got married earlier this month at St Mary the Virgin Church in Olveston near Bristol, before going on to their reception at a place I know very well, Old Down Manor, which is just up the road.
Jo and John are such warm, lovely people, the drizzly grey January day could not dampen their spirits which was infectious to all. Highlights for me were the the freedom to move around in the Church (a rare thing, I’m easily pleased :) ), Mabel the dog, the animal lego competition, dancing with hilarious props, evening couple shots away from the bustle of the party, but most of all the tractor ride between the Church and Old Down, even though it was windy and a bit wet the whole bridal party were pulled from one to the other by a vintage tractor driven by John himself, it was brilliant!
Here are a selection of some of my favourites from their day:


This is one of the best short descriptions of Wesleyan theology that I’ve seen. Dr. Witherington III makes the connections between love, grace, and changed lives. A connection that Calvinistic theologies fail to make. I’ve always viewed Wesleyan theology as optimistic and joyful, and Calvinistic theologies as pessimistic and dour. Watch and enjoy!
I ran across this blog post from last year while I was doing some research: Top 10 Reasons Why Men Shouldn’t Be Ordained.
Some of the commenters are funnier than the list, especially the “you should read your Bible and repent” types. But I’m just a woman, what do I know?
Once again I note Christian media outlets, rightest political outlets, and a few Christian friends lamenting that some stores, groups, companies, etc., say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. They think this profanes the Christian celebration and shows a decline in moral values in the United States. Personally, I don’t think it demonstrates anything other than a generally jolly secular approach to a season filled with a number of different cultural and religious celebrations. Some of the better known traditions, in addition to Christmas, include Hanukkah, al-Hiijah, and Kwanzaa. Some lesser known observances include the Zen Buddhist celebration of the Buddha’s enlightenment (Rohatsu) and several different Baha’i feasts and observances. I won’t even get into all the ancient pagan observances that occur at this time of year.
As an Anglican Christian, I follow the liturgical calendar of the Western Christian church. That means that today was the first Sunday of Advent. There are three more Sundays in Advent and then I will celebrate Christmas. There will be 12 days of Christmas and then I will observe Epiphany on January 6. And the church year will continue on to Lent and Easter and Pentecost and right back around to Advent and Christmas. (Read more about the church year at CRI/Voice)
Christmas is a distinctive Christian celebration. You would not know this in the U.S. in the year 2009–not because people greet each other with Happy Holidays while they’re out shopping, but because Christians themselves have replaced shopping for a time of reflection and penance in anticipation of celebrating their Savior’s birth.
I do not care if some retail store says Merry Christmas or Happy Kwanzaa or Happy Holidays or Happy Hanukkah. They are, by their very nature, institutions who serve all customers, regardless of religious affiliation. Why would I expect them to cater only to the Christian and ignore all the others? They are incorporated to do business by a government that guarantees the religious liberty of all who live here, not just Christians. So, it puzzles me that Christians care what a secular institution says or does not say in reference to a religious celebration.
Perhaps Christians would better represent their faith by distancing themselves from the commercialization of the season. Christians, en masse, living out the joy and the hope of the season would say more than a million Merry Christmases from some retailer.
but I can’t help but blog about it.
I encountered a woman recently whose (adult, unmarried) daughter is pregnant (by accident) with her third child. The daughter has a long history of poor life choices, including obviously her choice in men. The daughter also lives with the mother and the mother takes care of the other two kids while the daughter works and (apparently) makes more bad life choices. I feel for her. This is a difficult thing for a senior citizen who would probably like to be doing other things with her life than constantly mopping up the messes made by her daughter. I offered my sympathy and prayers and suggested perhaps her daughter would benefit from counseling. It’s obvious she has some deep seated issues that need to be dealt with before she can take responsibility for her life and her actions.
The response was all too typical of “Bible-believing” Christians. She is suspicious of counselors and their “psychological mumbo-jumbo.” She believes the pastors at her church who have known the daughter her whole life are best suited to the task. Of course, the question that lingers in my mind is if they’re best suited why didn’t they help after child #1 or child #2? What’s so different now? Pastors are excellent confidants and counselors for people going through trying times. They are not (unless they’ve had the training) excellent at helping people deal with emotional and psychological problems. Do a little Googling and you’ll find cases where pastors have been sued after giving inappropriate and uninformed advice to people who need more mental help than pastors are equipped to give. Pastors and churches who insist on handling all problems themselves (using “Bible-based” counseling) are doing their members a disservice and potentially endangering the life of the distressed person.
I’m not saying all counselors are equal. There are certainly a bunch of quacks out there. But pastors who insist on acting as psychological experts are engaging in the most damaging quackery of all.
I ran across a story this week that talked about the findings of a LifeWay Research study. It basically says that the “unchurched” (a particularly stupid word) see Christian churches as full of hypocrites and overly judgmental. One of the quotes is that 44% said that “Christians get on my nerves.”
This study simply confirms what the Barna Group has found in surveys over the last couple of years.Their studies show that non-Christians and Christians who don’t attend a church (the “unchurched”) think that Christian churches are hypocritical, judgmental, overly political, and old-fashioned stick in the muds.
Will Christian churches, their pastors and their members take heed of this type of research and figure out a way to live Christ-like lives and engage in Christ-like ministries that will show the world that love of God and love of neighbor are indeed the greatest commandments? I doubt it… too much money, power, property and influence is tied up in the running of even the smallest of churches.
Both LifeWay and Barna note that people are interested in spiritual matters and open to talking about spirituality. Unfortunately, the modern Christian church is not interested in either. They simply want people to take an oath to support the creed of their particular flavor of Christianity, donate their money, fill the pews and vote the way the leadership of the church deems appropriate.
Somehow I think if Jesus came to visit us in 2008 he would live and teach among the “unchurched.”


Anonymous • Posted on 4/30/2019 • General
my friend is having trouble with an eating disorder and today she came up to me and admitted she hadn't eaten in 3 days. the night before, i had a dream that she starved to death, i am very worried for her. i just want her to be safe.:)
Click to Pray - 9 People Prayed
Todd C. • Posted on 12/20/2018 • Parenthood
I would like to pray for God's guidance for all my kids. May they all seek and follow God's will.
Click to Pray - 4 People Prayed
Anonymous • Posted on 12/20/2018 • Money
Hello Pastor Mike. Please pray for God to deliver me from my debt so that I can serve him better with my income. Thank you.
Click to Pray - 2 People Prayed


And finally, Nightlight works to bring light to dark places. The sex industry is a dark world. It is a world filled with fear, sadness, shame and violence. It is an uncaring, unloving world, a place where many women feel alone. It is like a world without light. So, how does Nightlight bring light to this dark world? The group tells people about Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus is love and mercy. Jesus cares for all people.


America's #1 flute specialty house since 1983.
German pastor Philipp Nicolai wrote the words and tune of this classic Christmas hymn in 1599. His intent was to instill comfort and hope in his parishioners as they experienced the devastating plague that killed so many. J.S. Bach provided the harmonization in 1731.This arrangement works fine with seven C flutes. The optional addition of Eb flute, alto flute, and bass flute on parts 2, 5, and 6 provides not only a fuller sound, but also a much richer and varied tonal quality.


The most important thing the Hope Center can do is to…stay open. If the Hope Center closed, it would fill the orphans’ hearts with new levels of abandonment, loneliness and despair. Their hearts would be flooded with questions like, “Where do I go now after school?” “Will I ever see Pastor King, Miss Deb, Misty, Alyssa, Will…again?” “My daddy left me and now Hope has too.”
My Heavenly Dad makes my dreams come true. That’s who He is. So when Jesus told his disciples that He would never leave them as orphans, I believe He’s still saying it today. Every day when youth and children arrive at Hope, it’s a holy hint as to what God is like. The kids are not alone. We’re here! We’re still here!
13 years of Hope. The doors are still open. Lord-willing, by faith, they’ll open again tomorrow at 3 p.m. The doors open because He opens them through His people: Staff, the Board, Partners, Volunteers, and Intercessors…
Was Hope successful in 2011? Yes! How do I know? Because we stayed open. That’s the most important thing.


Welcome to The Impact Project! Since 2004, we have been dedicated to serving our community in the name of Christ. We are a non-profit organization that makes home repairs for elderly and low income families, providing improvement in their living conditions and outlook on the future. We also spread Jesus' Gospel through hosting christian artists in concert.
As we forge ahead, Jesus calls us to a continuous life of service, to help the marginalized, the oppressed, the lonely and the hurting. Join us!
Take a Look at What We are Doing to Make an Impact!


Christmas Wreath Festival - it ran through December 2017 and we invited individuals and groups to contribute a wreath! Our Christmas Fair in full swing! Di with her two helpful assistants on the bottle stall! Christmas Lunch for our congregation Alfie and Ruby with our vicar Nick Mags and Adrian enjoying Christmas lunch! Wednesday Lunch Club - Christmas Lunch Wednesday Lunch Club - Christmas Lunch Wednesday Lunch Club - Christmas Lunch The church ready for our Christingle service Building up the Crib at our Christingle service Christingles lit! The church ready for the Carols by Candlelight on Christmas Eve Merry Christmas from everyone at St Francis! Revd George Parrott TSSF, our guest preacher, speaking to a full church! Revd George with Barbara and Margaret, who renewed their Franciscan vows at this service. Our vicar Nick, with Mags B who painted our wonderful mural of St Francis in the entrance foyer. A closer look at our mural of St Francis Nick and Mags after the blessing and dedication of the new mural Maundy Thursday On Maundy Thursday we gather for a simple supper and liturgy, remembering the night before Jesus died Good Friday Our Good Friday devotions around the cross Good Friday Flowers laid around the cross as we remember the death and burial of Jesus Easter Vigil The blessing of the new fire and lighting of the Easter Candle - ancient traditions for Easter Eve! Easter Vigil Bringing the Easter Candle into church Easter Day The blessing of the Easter Garden Christmas Eve Our service of Carols by Candlelight on Christmas Eve 2016 Christmas Eve Our service of Carols by Candlelight on Christmas Eve 2016 Christingle The children gathering round the crib with their christingles Christingle Our Christingle service School Christmas service St Joseph's Primary Academy Christmas service Licensing The Revd Nick Nawrockyi with churchwardens Margaret Blades and Nigel Mumby at Nick's licensing service in Lincoln. Licensing The Revd Nick Nawrockyi, having been licensed to work at St Francis by the Bishop of Lincoln, Christopher Lowson Welcome cake! A wonderful cake designed for Nick's welcome service Cake cutting Our new parish priest cutting the cake Welcome to St Francis The church is ready for a big celebration! Bishop's blessing Nick receives a blessing from the Bishop of Grimsby Commitment to ministry Nick affirms his sense of calling and commitment to serving the community of St Francis, Cleethorpes Welcome! The congregation welcomes the new parish priest! Clergy friends Friends and colleagues joining the congregation to welcome Nick Clergy friends The clergy processes in at the beginning of the service The procession At the end of the service, the ministers processed out of the church The procession Clergy and others making their way to the back The processions Clergy and others making their way to the back A clergy gathering Nick and the Bishop of Grimsby surrounded by clergy friends who were there to support the church at this exciting time!


Calvary Presbyterian Church of Staten Island
Name: Calvary Presbyterian Church of Staten Island
Address: 909 Castleton Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10310
Architect or Builder: Unknown
Style: Tudor Revival
NYC Boroughs/Neighborhoods: West Brighton
Saturday, May 20th
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Calvary Presbyterian Church features a steeply pitched gable roof and tall bell tower. The church is eclectic in its style, with Romanesque and Tudor elements and magnificent side tower. The interior of the church is especially notable for its tall ceilings and exposed wooden trusses. Additional features include five beautifully executed art glass windows by Maitland Armstrong, moved here in 1951 from the 1892 Randall Memorial Church at Sailors Snug Harbor, which was razed. Maitland Armstrong’s “Emmaus” window was restored in 2002-2004.
A special, pre-booked guided tour highlighting Maitland Armstrong windows will be offered.
Space is limited and advance registration is suggested.
The church will be open for self-guided tours Saturday, May 20th, and Sunday, May 21st, from 10 to 2; with Sunday service, including choir and organ music, from 11 a.m. to 12 noon on Sunday.


We have decided to take an indefinite hiatus from our Sunday evening worship services. We've been meeting for 2 1/2 years without any interruption, but now seems to be a good time for a break. Thank you to all who have been supportive and have worshipped with us. We are going to take some time to go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate things. There may be something new in the future that takes a different shape, but for now we are going to bring our Sunday meeting to an end.
We will still have our 7:00pm Wednesday night Bible study and discussion group.


The State of the Church in America
The Christian churches in America reflect the culture, rather than exist as a counter culture. As a whole, the statistics are alarming. Maranatha Ministries report that on average 1500 pastors resign their church every month. Of those who stay on the job, 50% are very discouraged and would leave if they could afford to do so. Seventy percent of pastors fight depression and the divorce rate for pastors is now over 50%.
The Gallop Poll reported that 40% of Americans claim to attend church weekly, but the actual numbers have declined to less than 28%. Another irony is that 17% of Americans claim to give 10% or more, but only 3% actually do. Most churches in America have declined in both attendance and giving. Research from Empty Tomb, Inc. reports that benevolence to charities had its lowest percentage since 1968. Giving by parishioners was 2.38 percent of their income.
Ninety percent of pastors said the ministry was completely different than what they thought it would be before they entered the ministry. Eighty percent of pastor’s spouses wish their spouse would choose another profession. Almost forty percent of pastors polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry. Conflicts are at all-time highs, and the issues are too numerous to list.
Denominations and their judicatories have demonstrated their inability to solve problems in churches, and offer little to no re-training to adapt churches to modern cultures while maintaining the purity of the gospel message and its emphasis on multiplication. So what should a pastor or church do?
Consultants in Renewal
Churches in the past used various means to revitalize congregations. Growth or evangelism has evolved through many methodologies. Over time most of these methods have proven to be ineffective. Churches have long used persons outside the local congregation whether a supervisor of an association or denomination, an evangelist or revivalist, professional seminars, higher education, camp and conference speakers, and missionaries.
Consultants can fill all of those roles and more. Rather than be cast into a historical role, a consultant can assess and adapt methodologies to effectively address whatever issue is hindering the church. An experienced godly consultant can offer many advantages and will do so more cost effectively than most of the other professional listed.


He described as worrisome the spate of kidnappings and insecurity in the country, saying that insecurity has been there before now, but has now assumed a wider dimension.
Jonathan said this on Friday , in Abuja at the third session of the tenth Synod of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, held at St. Mathew’s Church, Gwarimpa Estate.
It has as its theme : “Servant Leadership.”
The former President used the occasion to deny allegations of the withdrawal of billion of naira from the nation’s treasury while in office, describing it as false and misleading.
He however acknowledged that the little achievements recorded during his five year tenure was through prayers and the support of God.
The Primate of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, The Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action on the release of Leah Sharibu, the remaining Chibok girls and others in Islamic sects enclave.
He said the injuries inflicted on the girls and their immediate families and the nation was unbearable.
“We appeal to the authorities to do more to rescue them unhurt and release them to their families.
According to him, the lingering state of insecurity in our country, unprovoked attacks, kidnappings by armed bandits has entered a frightful dimension.
He further noted that there has been an improved relations between herdsmen and neighbouring communities, praying that it will be a permanent and genuine end to such troubles.
The primate called on the present administration to rescue Nigerians from the hand of “generator economy” noting that people are now weary with the cost of diesel and maintenance cost of the said generators, adding that Nigeria has proven to be a steady market for generators.
The Cleric also advised the Federal Government to put machinery in place for immediate implementation of new Minimum Wage and not forgetting the plight of the retirees.
The Bishop, while x-raying the feature of Servant leaders, charged governments at all levels to work hard to revamp the economy in order to generate gainful employment for the teaming youths.
He, however revealed that there was an urgent need for government to maintain justice, fairness and ensure that evil was regularly exposed and punished.
Okoh said that politicians who act as God ‘s agents of transformation, would be commended for ensuring impartiality and the prudent management of the resources, for the good of all.
He said it was sad that the country was in dare need of service oriented politicians, statesmen and women.
According to him, Nigeria have excess supply of reward induced politicians, including Christians, adding that these attitude will not transform the nation.
He advised politicians to be a servant leader that will be a model of leadership, adding that politicians should identify and meet the needs of the electorate.
“Under the servant leadership model, power comes from gaining the trust and support of people, and is given freely as a gift. Power is a means for helping others, and not an end in itself.
“It’s to be exercised on behalf of others. It’s only a tool, and its true test is determined by the improved welfare of people,” he explained.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Synod’ comes from the Greek words ‘syn’ and ‘odos’, meaning ‘to walk together along a path’.
A Synod, then, is a partnership. It is democratic, as each component of the Church has a voice in determining the direction and legislative framework for the Anglican Church of Nigeria.


Asking for help takes courage!
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Praise God! Thank you so very much for your financial support of Christ’s Abundant Life Ministries. Every seed that you sow into this Ministry is used to fulfill the mission that God has given us for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus promised us in St. Luke 6:38, “Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”


On Feb. 27, a mild, dewy morning, Alitalia Flight 681 landed at Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome after 13 hours in the air. A balding man with gray-white wisps of thin hair stepped out of coach class. He wore thick-rimmed brown glasses, black orthopedic shoes and a dark overcoat. He had a slight limp, and his back was stiff from the long flight. His belly was a bit swollen, due to many decades of cortisone treatments to help him breathe after he had lost part of a lung as a young man. No one could see the silver pectoral cross he wore under his coat, though it was the symbol of his authority.
The Wall Street Journal’s new e-book, “Pope Francis: From the End of the Earth to Rome,” chronicles the unlikely ascension of Jorge Mario Bergoglio to the papacy. With original reporting by a team of journalists around the world, the Journal takes an in-depth look at the man charged with leading the Catholic Church in a time of challenges. Pre-order the book now atpopefrancisthebook.com
Back home in Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was a prominent figure, the highest-ranking Catholic prelate in his country and to many a beloved figure known especially for his work in the city’s teeming slums. Here he was one of 115 cardinals converging on Vatican City for important business: the election of a new leader for the Catholic Church.
Two weeks earlier, Pope Benedict XVI had suddenly announced his resignation from office, becoming the first pontiff in 600 years to renounce a job traditionally held until death. In church teaching, the position had been handed down for two millennia, starting when Jesus said to St. Peter, “On this rock I will build my church.”
Cardinal Bergoglio expected his trip to be brief. He was already carrying in his black leather briefcase the airplane ticket that would return him home in time for Holy Week, the most important week of the year for a Catholic prelate. His Easter Sunday homily was already written too, and in the hands of parishioners back home.
The Argentine prelate checked into the Domus Internationalis Paulus VI hotel for priests. Named after Catholicism’s 1960s “pilgrim pope” and housed in a 17th- and 18th-century stone palazzo that once served as a Jesuit college, the Domus is a modest affair. The floors are made of marble, but the rooms are sparsely furnished. Meals are served in a cafeteria-style hall decorated with large paintings of Biblical scenes.
What drew Cardinal Bergoglio to the Domus was its location. Positioned right in the heart of Rome, near its busiest byways and cafes, the hotel is across the Tiber River and quite a distance from Vatican City. That allowed for long walks over cobblestone piazzas and bridges, past peddlers, street performers and throngs of tourists, as he commuted to the General Congregation, the secret deliberations being held inside Vatican City in the days before the conclave began on March 12. In his dark overcoat covering his pectoral cross, he blended in with the crowd. He didn’t wear his red cardinal’s hat, instead letting his wispy white hair flutter in the wind and rain.
Though the public paid little notice to Cardinal Bergoglio, his name had made the rounds among a small group of cardinals who had descended upon Rome from different parts of the globe to choose a new pope. Though he had drawn support in 2005, in 2013 he was definitely a dark-horse candidate. There were a dozen or so more high-profile cardinals regarded as papabili, or “popeables,” being touted in headlines world-wide as possible successors to Pope Benedict. These men, who included Cardinals Timothy Dolan of New York and Angelo Scola of Milan, were accompanied by assistants and journalists. They quickly became the toast of the town, attending sumptuous private dinners with fellow cardinals and kissing babies at Mass before batteries of TV cameras. Their crimson vestments, golden pectoral crosses and sizable entourages stood out.
The Italian cardinals were chauffeured to and from the walled confines of Vatican City in jet black Mercedes marked with Holy See license plates. They were greeted as “Your Eminence” whenever they set foot inside the city’s best trattorias. The Americans tooled around Rome in white minivans and lodged at the sprawling Pontifical North American College, a seminary nestled on a hill just above the Vatican.
Inside the Synod Hall of the General Congregation, however, the cardinals blended into one red-hued assembly. Erected in the postwar era, the space is distinguished among Vatican architecture for its lack of majesty. Its uniformly beige interior is as sterile as a community college lecture hall. Eight years earlier, when they gathered in the same room after the death of John Paul II, the princes of the church had mainly looked for a candidate who could guarantee doctrinal continuity with the late Polish pope. But Pope Benedict’s resignation had opened the door to a flurry of unusually frank discussions. This time, cardinals had no pope to mourn, and they spent little time worrying about how to preserve his legacy.
Instead the deliberations swiftly turned to the biggest challenges facing the church—the rise of secular trends in Europe and the U.S., the need to address a shift in Catholicism’s demographics toward the Southern Hemisphere and the dysfunction of a Vatican bureaucracy that had become too mired in scandal to do anything about these problems.
Bergoglio: A Man for the Church
Review key events in his life and career.
Veteran cardinals who had cast ballots for Cardinal Bergoglio in 2005 saw a chance to float his candidacy again. His earliest supporters—a coalition of cardinals from Latin America, as well as Africa and Europe—viewed him as a consummate outsider. He had never worked in the Roman Curia, the Vatican’s governing body, and he was critical of Rome’s apparent disconnect with far-flung dioceses. The challenge was getting Cardinal Bergoglio the 77 votes he needed, representing two-thirds of the conclave, to become pope. He would need support from many different circles, including the so-called Ratzingerian bloc—men who were already lining up behind two candidates closely associated with the German pope emeritus.
In the years leading up to Pope Benedict’s resignation, the pontiff had positioned two princes of the church as possible successors. In June 2010, he transferred Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet from the Archdiocese of Quebec to the Vatican in order to run the Congregation for Bishops, the Curia office that vets and advises the pope on bishop appointments world-wide. The naming of bishops is among a pope’s most important administrative powers. Bishops are his bridge to the rest of the world, tending to local flocks and implementing directives from Rome. Cardinal Ouellet’s move, therefore, ensured that cardinals from every corner of the planet would be vying for his attention.
A year later, Pope Benedict appointed Cardinal Angelo Scola as archbishop of Milan. Not only was Milan among the biggest archdioceses in Catholicism, it had a centuries-old reputation as a way station to the papacy. Cardinal Scola’s predecessors in Milan ranged from Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini, who became Paul VI in 1963, to Cardinal Giuliano Angelo Medici, who was elected as Pope Pius IV in 1559.
Both men were adherents of Pope Benedict’s school of thought. As young priests, each had worked on “Communio,” the theological journal co-founded by Rev. Joseph Ratzinger, as Benedict XVI was then known, as a reaction to the liberalizing forces unleashed by the Second Vatican Council. As alumni of “Communio,” they were seen as standing firmly in opposition to secular trends rather than trying to adapt church teaching to modern life.
Cardinals Scola and Ouellet were among the names frequently discussed over private dinners among cardinals. Such meals had become a staple for cardinals seeking an intimate setting to sound out their colleagues ahead of the conclave. All cardinals entering the General Congregation are required to swear an oath never to reveal its proceedings. Even then, cardinals did not consider the Congregation a place to let their guard down. The atmosphere inside the Synod assembly hall was fine for broad debate over the future of the church. But the forum was too formal—and porous—for the delicate matter of discussing actual candidates. When cardinals vote on a potential pope, they are backing a man they think is best-suited to serve as a spiritual pastor to 1.2 billion Catholics. But they are also picking their next boss. That is partly why cardinals vote anonymously in the Sistine Chapel, masking their handwriting and burning the ballots. Cardinals do not want to be on record voting against a future pope.
The private dinners, therefore, are regarded as the conclave within the conclave, an ostensibly casual setting that serves in fact as a high-stakes testing ground for candidacies. “Every night it’s something different,” said Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George. “So there are different conversations going on.”
At age 76, Cardinal George walks with a pronounced limp and has shed most of his hair. Yet the Chicagoan has a keen eye for the art of politics. His knowledge of Italy’s intrigue-laden political system, from the machinations of the postwar Christian Democrats to the more recent antics of Silvio Berlusconi, runs deep. Going into the 2013 conclave, Cardinal George’s second, he was widely regarded by his colleagues as one of a handful of cardinals who would play the role of kingmaker. As such, he remained tight-lipped about his dinnertime whereabouts. In the case of one meal in particular, he claimed to have no memory of the evening at all.
On March 5, after a long day of speeches at the Congregation, a group of cardinals arrived at the Pontifical North American College under the cover of night and were directed through long quiet corridors to a pair of double doors, upholstered in crimson leather. On the other side was the Red Room.
Named after a Vatican drawing room where prelates of past centuries once waited for news of whether they had been named a cardinal, the Red Room of the college offered a splendorous showcase of American Catholicism to the dinner guests. A shimmering chandelier lighted a salon trimmed with red marble pilasters and oil paintings depicting late eminences such as Richard J. Cushing of Boston and John F. O’Hara of Philadelphia—cardinals who dominated the church in post-World War II America.
Before those portraits, some of the most powerful churchmen in the English-speaking world lounged on velvet settees. They ranged from Cardinals George Pell of Sydney and Thomas Collins of Toronto to Americans such as cardinals Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and Cardinal Dolan of New York, once the North American College’s rector.
American cardinals are an important group in papal elections. They run archdioceses that are among the biggest donors to the Catholic Church and to the papacy. And as a potential bloc of votes inside the conclave, the Americans are very powerful because they’re outnumbered only by cardinals from Italy, said British Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, who attended the dinner. Often they’re even more influential because the Italians are characteristically divided over whom to support.
Sitting down at a long banquet table, the cardinals began to discuss a half-dozen papal candidates. Saucers of soup were served. The candidacies of Cardinals Ouellet and Scola were weighed. Then someone dropped Cardinal Bergoglio’s name into the conversation. “His name began to be thrown into the ring: Maybe this is the man?” recalls Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor.
The name didn’t generate much buzz among the Americans and their guests. As the evening wore on, and glasses of red and white wine began to flow, it became clear that, this time around, the Americans were not united in their thinking about papal contenders. “I thought the American cardinals were quite divided about where to go,” said Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor, who didn’t enter the conclave because he is above the voting-age limit of 80 years.
Some princes of the church believed Cardinal Bergoglio, at 76, was probably too old to become pope, especially after Benedict XVI had specifically cited his age and frailty as reasons for his resignation. “We came into this whole process thinking: The next pope has to be vigorous and therefore probably younger,” said Cardinal George. “So there you have a man who isn’t young. He’s 76 years old. The question is: Does he still have vigor?”
Two days after the dinner, however, something clicked. And it happened in the span of four minutes—the length of Cardinal Bergoglio’s speech when it was his turn to address the General Congregation. On March 7, the Argentine took out a sheet of white paper bearing notes written in tiny tight script. They were bullet-pointed.
Many cardinals had focused their speeches on specific issues, whether it was strategies for evangelization or progress reports on Vatican finances. Cardinal Bergoglio, however, wanted to talk about the elephant in the room: the long-term future of the church and its recent history of failure. From its start, Pope Benedict’s papacy had been focused on reinforcing Catholicism’s identity, particularly in Europe, its historic home. Amid a collapse of the church’s influence and following in Europe, the German pontiff had called on Catholics to hunker down and cultivate a “creative minority” whose embrace of doctrine was sound enough to resist the pull of secular trends across the continent. That message, however, had been overshadowed by the explosion of sexual-abuse allegations across Europe and rampant infighting in the Vatican ranks.
The notes on Cardinal Bergoglio’s sheet were written in his native Spanish. And he could easily have delivered the remarks in Spanish—19 of the cardinals voting in the conclave came from Spanish-speaking countries and a team of Vatican translators was on hand to provide simultaneous translations in at least four other languages.
But he spoke in Italian, the language cardinals most commonly use inside Vatican City and the native tongue of Italy’s 28 voting-age cardinals, the most of any single nation. He wanted to be understood, loud and clear. The leaders of the Catholic Church, our very selves, Cardinal Bergoglio warned, had become too focused on its inner life. The church was navel-gazing. The church was too self-referential.
“When the church is self-referential,” he said, “inadvertently, she believes she has her own light; she ceases to be the mysterium lunae and gives way to that very serious evil, spiritual worldliness.”
Roman Catholicism, he said, needed to shift its focus outward, to the world beyond Vatican City walls, to the outside. The new pope “must be a man who, from the contemplation and adoration of Jesus Christ, helps the church to go out to the existential peripheries, that helps her to be the fruitful mother, who gains life from the sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing.”
The word he used, periferia in Italian, literally translates into “the periphery” or “the edge.” But to Italian ears, periferia is also a term loaded with heavy socioeconomic connotations. It is on the periphery of Italian cities, and most European ones, that the working-class poor live, many of them immigrants. The core mission of the church wasn’t self-examination, the cardinal said. It was getting in touch with the everyday problems of a global flock, most of whom were battling poverty and the indignities of socioeconomic injustice.
ReutersCardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne
German Cardinals Reinhard Marx of Munich and Walter Kasper, an old Vatican hand, perked up. So did Cardinals Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne of Lima and Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino of Havana, who promptly asked the pope for the notes of his address. For days they had heard speeches about “new evangelization,” a term from past popes that many cardinals used to honor their memory while disagreeing over what it meant. Suddenly, they were hearing someone speak about justice, human dignity. And it was simple, clear, refreshing.
“He speaks in a very straightforward way,” said Cardinal George. “And so perhaps—more than the content—it was simply a reminder that here is someone who has authenticity in such a way that he’s a wonderful witness to the discipleship.”
To Cardinal Cipriani Thorne of Lima, Peru, the address was vintage Bergoglio. For years, the Peruvian had heard his fellow Latin American cardinal deliver similar remarks. And like those earlier speeches, his message to the General Congregation walked a very fine line. Many cardinals, including Cipriani Thorne, were stern opponents of any rhetoric that appeared to invite class warfare. Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI had reined in liberation theology, the teachings of Latin American priests who embraced Marxism, and churchmen like Cipriani Thorne had supported the crackdown. But Cardinal Bergoglio’s message to cardinals deftly sidestepped those ideological pitfalls by grounding his message in a call to model the modern church on the humility of its origins.
“He’s not relating this to ideology, to let’s say, rich against poor,” Cardinal Cipriani Thorne said. “No, no, nothing like that. He’s saying that Jesus himself brought us to this world to be poor—to not have this excessive consumerism, this great difference between rich and poor.”
What many thought Cardinal Bergoglio was offering the church—after a decade of struggling to overcome the sexual-abuse crisis and years of internal bickering over issues like the liturgy—was a new narrative. He was telling a story of modern Catholicism that focused less on its complex inner workings and more on its outreach to those most in need.
“We’ve been arguing intra-ecclesia,” Cardinal Cipriani Thorne said. Cardinal Bergoglio’s speech was a call to stop “messing around” and “get to the point: It’s Jesus.”
By Sunday, March 10, two days before the start of the conclave, a new narrative was taking hold among the cardinals. Cardinal Bergoglio was now a contender, and even the Argentine was starting to feel the pressure of being papabile.
Late that night, the Rev. Thomas Rosica, a Canadian priest, was walking along the edge of Rome’s Piazza Navona when he ran into Cardinal Bergoglio making his way back to the Domus hotel. Streetlamps illuminated the contorted stone figures of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s 17th-century Fountain of Four Rivers. The sound of trickling water accompanied the clerics.
“Pray for me,” Cardinal Bergoglio said, grasping the priest’s hands.
“Are you nervous?” Father Rosica asked.
“A little bit,” the cardinal said.


Greetings to all our brothers and sisters in Christ,
We pray this letter comes at a time of blessing amidst all that is taking place around us. We know we serve a LIVING GOD!
In Jeremiah 1, when the Lord spoke of the calling for Jeremiah, this was his reply verse 6. Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.. But the Lord said unto me, Say NOT, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shalt send thee,
and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I AM with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord! This is such a time for the children of God. We are all part of the mission for Jesus Christ; please join with us in spreading the “Good News”, Our God is ALIVE. Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
May we close with 3rd John 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
God Bless You Richly,
Bishop Jerry Davis


Saint Matthew Catholic School is a faith based Christian school that serves its students and their families by providing a safe and positive learning environment while remaining faithful to its long tradition of excellence in academic as well as spiritual formation based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. We are a family that works together to accomplish more for the glory of God by recognizing that each child is unique and strive to empower them to develop their God-given talents and abilities. We are dedicated to forming loving, respectful and responsible citizens preparing them to lead future generations
We believe that:
- All children have access to love, learning, and safety
- Individual attention is an essential component to a student’s academic and spiritual success
- Academic excellence is achieved through creative lessons and current technology
- Religion and Faith are something to be lived every day, not just on Sunday
- Prayer and Liturgical Celebration are the cornerstones of our students’ faith-journey
- Communication and cooperation between home and school are the hallmarks of our small school community
- Understanding and appreciation of diversity are central to peace and harmony
- Guiding our students to become active and productive members of our parish and society is essential
Profile of A Graduate
Upon graduation from Saint Matthew School, students will demonstrate the following characteristics.
- Express Christian beliefs, values, and convictions clearly.
- Live by the teaching of Jesus Christ and beliefs of the Catholic Church.
- Consider Christian virtues during the decision-making process.
- Mastery of basic skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
- Exhibit competency with mathematical computations and problem-solving applications.
- Understand and apply the principles of scientific inquiry and exploration.
- Becoming lifelong learners through critical thinking, creativity, and effective communication.
- Successfully and ethically utilize technology as a means for locating, analyzing, and presenting information.
- Servants and leaders in their parish, community, and world.
- Exemplify a positive sense of self and choose healthy lifestyles.
- Demonstrate integrity, responsibility, and courtesy for themselves and others in our multicultural world.
- Lifelong learners who seek to better themselves and remain knowledgeable about current events and new information.


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Welcome to The Eritrean Evangelical Church and Fellowship website. We are so thankful that God has led you to this site. We are a growing community of Christians who came from different background but united in the name of Jesus Christ. Please visit us on our Sunday worship program at 2PM in Amsterdam. See contact information on the top of the page.
On the programs link above, you can see how you can join our prayer and other programs. On this website you will also find various teaching materials as an extension to the sermons from our church. Fill free to browse through them and let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.God bless you, Philadelphia Evangelical church, Amsterdam.


- September 6, 2012
“Back to Church Sunday”, part of a national movement of churches across America, will be held at Cool Springs Baptist Church in Tate, near Jasper, Georgia at 11 A.M. September 16, 2012. Everyone is welcome to attend. National “Back to Church Sunday” is an initiative that is “Inviting America Back to Church.” It seeks to reach the “un-churched” and “de-churched” – people who once attended church, but don’t any more – and invite them to return for a special Sunday. Back to Church Sunday was launched four years ago in response to a survey of 15,000 adults in the United States. Results showed a personal invitation from a family member would prompt 67 percent of Americans to visit a church, and 63 percent said an invitation from a friend or neighbor would cause them to attend a service. “In north Georgia, people know about church. What makes a difference is a personal invitation from a friend and a welcoming service when they arrive,” said Justin Grice, Sunday School Director at Cool Springs Baptist Church. Since its inception, National Back to Church Sunday participants have invited more than five million family members, friends, and neighbors to their churches.
“Back to Church Sunday” has an interactive Facebook page and a roster of participating churches on the Back to Church website. You can also contact Cool Springs Baptist Church at 770-735-2799 for more information.Cool Springs Baptist Church
4671 Highway 53 East
- April 11, 2012
Cool Springs Baptist Church in Tate, Georgia is offering every resident in Pickens County a free download of the e-book “Find it Here”.
Here’s what’s in the book:
A greater understanding of God’s purpose for you. A confidential resource that will help you grow in the Christian faith. An explanation of God’s greatest gift made available to you. Four life-changing spiritual habits that will help you become more mature in your faith.
To get your copy, visit Cool Springs Baptist Church’s Free Gift.


Sunday School-149 Worship-212 Wednesday Night-47 Wednesday NIght Children/Preschool- 21 Wednesday Night Youth-6...
Sunday School-180 Worship-240 Wednesday Night- not available Budget Offering-$7,325.00
Sunday School-143 Sunday Worship-213 Wednesday Night Worship-76 Wednesday Youth Worship-14 Meridian Kids/Preschool...
Attendance week 06/25/23 Sunday School-135 Sunday School-191 Wednesday Worship-not available Offering- $7,831.00...
Church Office Closed
The Church Office will be closed Monday July 3rd & 4th In Observance of the July 4th holiday Have a safe &...
Attendance week of 18th Sunday School-139 Sunday Worship-229 Wednesday Worship-73 Wednesday Youth Worship- 14...
Children's Swimming Party
Swimming party for the children and preschoolers has been canceled due to weather we will reschedule at a later date
Church Canceled Tonight- Wednesday, April 5th
Due to the bad weather, we will be cancelling our prayer walk tonight. Please stay safe
Church Closed for Christmas Holiday
The Church office will be closed THursday, December 22 @ 12:00 until Tuesday January 3rd. The office will be open...
The Youth Love & Dating Seminar has been cancelled
The Youth Love & Dating Seminar scheduled for this weekend (May 20-21, 2022) has been canceled.
161 Harts Bridge Road
Mon to Thurs 8AM - 5PM
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I do not have a favorite Bible story. For every one that creates warm, comforting feelings in me, there is another that irritates or terrifies me. I just finished reading one of the latter -- Judges 19. If you don’t know the tale I’m referring to, go and read it -- if you dare.
Phyllis Trible calls these stories “texts of terror” and dissects a few of them in her book by the same name. When I hear people talking about these awful stories -- which never is in the context of a church service where they have been read aloud and/or studied -- there is at least one person who shudders at the story and wonders why it is included in the Bible. I guess that’s a fair question. But the answer probably depends on how one sees the Bible. If it is a collection of edifying, comforting and affirming stories of God, then what the hell is Judges 19 doing in there? But if the Bible is a collection of painfully human attempts to understand God and the divine expectations on all of us, then, of course, Judges 19 belongs between its covers. In class once, Trible said the Bible was descriptive, not prescriptive.
I guess what bothers me more are the people who skip over these terrible stories because they make no immediate sense. Or they raise such difficult questions. Or they inspire such painful introspection. I wonder if they worry that exposure to terrifying texts will somehow compromise their faith. But if we value the Bible and our relationship to God, we can’t avoid these stories. We have to wrestle with them, even if they leave us limping. Remember that in Genesis 32 Jacob wrestled with a stranger through a dark and lonely night, refusing to let him go without a blessing. The stranger renamed Jacob Israel “for you have striven with God and with humans.” And Israel walked away from the fight limping.
All this is on my mind this morning. I awoke to a news story that reads like a terrible text from the Bible: "Worst Chemical Attack in Years in Syria." Read it if you dare. It may leave you limping.


Psychopaths are not mentally ill. According to Dr. Hare, psychopaths are “rational” and “aware” of what they do. Hare further states: “Their behavior is the result of choice freely exercised.”
But how does one explain that the psychopath has no capacity to love and lacks remorse? As a person who studies Christian religious doctrine, the two requirements for salvation (to get to heaven) are to love God and to love your neighbor. Another fundamental tenet is to be contrite of heart.
According to psychopathy experts, the psychopath is capable of neither. So, what does that mean with regard to the psychopath who walks among us? I will leave that up to you.


“THE LORD’S TABLE”
March 16th, 2022
“For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.”
poor, afflicted, humble, wretched – ani in Hebrew for “poor”
Maimed, dejected, smitten, stricken – nake in Hebrew for “contrite”
Fearful; afraid, reverential – hared in Hebrew for “trembles”
Words, sayings – dabar in Hebrew for “Word”
Today, as we observe Purim, Ruach in His loving wisdom, immediately led me to this verse. Not a coincidence given that we are fasting with a heart of repentance and deliverance from the spirit of pride. The teachings that we have heard these past 3 nights have spoken to each of us in very poignant ways revealing our sinful hearts, our current level of faith with GOD, spiritual truths and so much more. How about the allegorical interpretation? You should be able to identify these stories in the Bible without error!
Purim this year of 2022 for this ministry is a time to reflect, repent and re-establish our spiritual man with GOD through the piercing of HIS TRUTHFUL WORD.
The nature of Vashti must die, John 12:24 “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” within each one of us in order for ABBA to nurture us through HIS PREPARATION PROCESS for His return. Our hearts must be struck with HIS WORD in order for our beautification process to be effective, our soul must be afflicted as many times as possible in fasting and prayer for our preparation to be meaninful and life changing, our spirit must REVERENTIALLY SUBMIT in absolute obeisance to HIS WORD!
We tend to hear HIS WORD but, do we adhere to all of it’s dictates? Be honest with yourself and with ABBA! We desire HIS ATTENTION and the above verse is a clear indicaton of capturing His Sovereign eye upon you – HAPPY PURIM to you and may the unmerited favor of YESHUA be counted worthy unto you this day and night as it did for Esther several thousands years ago!
Chag Purim Sameach, ABBA!
In His Name,
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


Messages of Hope from the Scriptures
Bible Verses On Blessings
Bible Verses to Calm Stress *God's Love Letter*
Bible Verses About Courage
Healing Bible Verses: Bible Verses In times of Sickness *Healing Bible Verses*
Bible Verses In HARD TIMES
Trusting in you changes everything, Lord. I Will not dwell on past failings, and I won't wanger on things to come. Because right now is my most important time frame, Allow me to see your ways better. Let my thoughts and actions be wise. Help me to see the lessons that you trying to teach. I will do my best to look for people who need encouragement, including myself, and speak words of faith to them. Thank you for the assurance of knowing that I can trust You, Lord.
Lord Empty Me Of Me So I Can Be Filled With You.
God is up to something or the devil wouldn't be fighting you this hard.


Quaker Meeting House, Edinburgh.
Quakerism came to Scotland with the Cromwellian occupation of the 1650s and meeting houses were established in Aberdeen,Edinburgh,Kelso and Hamilton. It never grew to large numbers in Scotland due to persecution by Episcopalian and Presbyterian churches. Many therefore emigrated to North America from 1664.
Scottish Quakers and Early America 1650-1700 by David Dobson,Baltimore,MD,USA Genealogical Publications.1998 lists 500 Society of Friends members in Scotland and traces their movement to East Jersey in the 1680s.
Paul Burton who wrote a PhD "An Active and United Body;Change in the Society of Friends in Scotland 1800-2000 " has an extensive bibliography at http://personal.cis.strath.ac.uk/~paulfb/ScotBibl.htm
The National Archives of Scotland also has Society of Friends records under catalogue number CH10.


Strong followers are not simply believers in Jesus. They are committed to him on an everyday, 24/7 basis. Strong followers are also not isolated individuals. Instead they are in vital and loving relationships with other followers where they can encourage, teach, help, and pray for one another. Finally, strong followers of Jesus have a bigger vision than themselves. They really see the people around them; they see their hurts and their needs. And like Jesus and his first century followers, today's followers of Jesus are equipped and empowered to "Do What Jesus Did", which is to proclaim good news and minister healing and freedom. This was Jesus' mission. This is our mission.


Called to inspire humanity, Fr. John Schlegel exemplifies his Jesuit “magis” — all for the greater glory of God — living freely, fearlessly.
But Magis means more. Choosing the harder option. Choosing that which no one else will do. Meet Fr. Schlegel. And you’ll live every day of your life.
The life and times of Fr Schlegel
Highly-regarded and revered President of Creighton University in Omaha (2000-11) who increased enrollment and raised millions for the advancement of academics and facilities
President, University of San Francisco (1991-2000)
Vice-President, John Carroll University in Cleveland (1988-91)
Educated at St. Louis University, the University of London, and Oxford University.
Joined the Society of Jesus (Jesuit order) in 1963
Ordained a Jesuit priest in 1973
For his promotion of understanding and respect among all races, religions, and cultures, Fr. Schlegel received the Otto Swanson Spirit of Service Award by the National Conference for Community and Justice in May 2003.
President & Publisher of America Magazine (2011)


- ABOUT US
If you are passionate about youth and love pouring into middle school and high school students, this may be the place for you! Freedom Fellowship of Roanoke is looking for a part-time youth pastor. Freedom Fellowship is a small church that is very supportive of a thriving, active youth ministry. Responsibilities include relationship building, leadership and vision casting, Sunday morning Bible study, Wednesday night gatherings, fundraising, event planning, and managing an annual youth budget. If you are interested, please email your resume to firstname.lastname@example.org
Orchard Road Baptist Church (ORBC) is looking for a Senior Pastor. ORBC is a small, established church in Lewisville, Texas that currently has approximately 50 regular parishioners and the room, drive, and desire to grow and spread the word of God. This is a bi-vocational staff position that holds the “typical” responsibilities one would expect from a Senior Pastor. Our church is growing and changing, and we’re looking for a positive, active leader who displays godly rational creativity. If you’re interested in applying, please forward your resume to email@example.com. We will respond to acknowledge receipt of your resume and provide a full job description.
PT - 20 hrs. a month, with additional hours as needed. Sundays, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. Highland Baptist Church is a loving, Christ-Centered church. Our Nursery and Preschool areas are growing and we are looking for someone who is nurturing, loving, and patient for our babies. For more information about our church, visit our website at http://www.highlanddenton.org. Requirements: Provide a safe, secure, nurturing, clean and efficient care to our babies ; Responsible for age-appropriate care which includes: bottle feeding, changing diapers, maintaining a safe environment, holding, sitting with, and cheerfully interacting with babies; Polite, friendly and courteous to all parents and volunteers; Be willing to submit to a background check and drug screen. If interested please send your resume to firstname.lastname@example.org
Do you love children? Are you passionate about teaching them about Jesus? CrossRidge Preschool Academy in Little Elm is looking for part-time preschool teachers who are actively involved in a like-minded church for the 2019-2020 school year. Monday through Thursday 8:25am – 2:25pm or Tuesday through Thursday 8:25am – 2:25pm Job Description - Minister to children and their families by developing the socialization and early learning skills of infants thru Pre-K., teaching a biblically based curriculum while providing high quality child care in a nurturing environment. Must be passionate about sharing God’s love with the families. Plans and implements the daily curriculum for children in the classroom. Oversees and coordinates the children’s personal care, hygiene, learning activities and positive guidance. Ensures that classroom and other play areas are consistently clean and safe. Training provided. If interested call (972)292-1953 Ext. 401 or email at email@example.com.


5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
5"Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' "


Hermann Schroeder’s abundant oeuvre in the field of chorale-bound organ music is much less known among organists than his free – especially the concertante – organ works, although Hermann Schroeder as an organist felt particularly bound to liturgy and liturgical singing. And according to him, any liturgical organ music should always bear a direct relation to singing. The purpose of the present anthology is to provide the player a representative selection of Schroeder’s chorale arrangements. Most of these chorales are relatively short and of medium difficulty at most. The chorale melody can be heard well most of the time so that the pieces are ideal for being used in church services. In the alphabetical index, the beginnings of song titles are accompanied by the corresponding number from Gotteslob (GL) or the Protestant Hymnal for better orientation.


St Paul’s Church, Tiverton
St Paul’s Church in Tiverton is a Grade II listed parish church built by George Phillips Manners and John Elkington Gill between 1854 and 1856. Manners & Gill practiced in Bath from 1845 to 1866. Construction costs were met by Ambrose Brewin and Mary Beard's charity on site donated by local textile manufacturer John Heathcoat.
The chancel of this Church of England church was raised and refurbished by Nevinson and Newton in 1910 and 1911 and the organ—originally located at the west end—was paid for by John Heathcoat. The organ case dates to 1857 and is by H P Dicker.
There is a memorial on the wall of the north aisle of the church on which the names of 58 parishioners who lost their lives in the First World War are recorded. An inset brass plate also lists the names of 24 parishioners who lost their lives in World War II.
The church is used for regular services and events. There are Sunday morning services at 9.00am and 10.45am, as well as a Midweek Communion on Thursday mornings at 10.00am—a traditional style spoken service, based on the Book of Common Prayer and Common Worship.
St Paul's Church is a beautiful and historic building that is an important part of the Tiverton community. It is a place where people can come together to worship, learn, and grow. If you are in Tiverton, be sure to visit St Paul's Church. It is a beautiful and inspiring building that is sure to leave a lasting impression.
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6:00pm – Salvation Army Church Building Vernon Avenue, Fergus Falls, MN
Sunday Radio Program
7:30am KBRF 12.50 AM
Fergus Falls P.E.G. ACCESS TV
Sundays at 4:00pm Mondays at 7:00pm Fridays at 7:00am
First Sunday of Each Month
Treats, fellowship, and games in the gym following the service.
1. “BLAST” (Bible Learning And Seeking Truth) Kids Night YMCA in Fergus Falls, MN 5:00-6:00pm for ages 4 and up
2. Bible Study Course YMCA in Fergus Falls, MN 6:30-7:30pm
Second Saturday of Each Month:
1. "Guys" Breakfast/Bible Study Simple Faith Church, Fergus Falls, MN 9:00-11:00am
2. Ladies Bible Study Cafe 116, Fergus Falls, MN 9:00-11:00am
Third Saturday of Each Month:
TAYA (Teens And Young Adults) Games Night YMCA in Fergus Falls, MN
6:30-10:30pm For ages 10-25
TAYA was started in 2007 as a fun night to reach out to teens and young adults ages 11 - 25.
We bring Laser Tag, TV’s, Wii’s, Karaoke, 360 Xbox’s, Retro Gaming, Guitar Hero World Tour, Rock Band, MW3, Just Dance, have tournaments with prizes, the “Real deal with God,” and lots of food to the Fergus Falls YMCA the 3rd Saturday of each month.


Most clear-thinking people if queried about the most dangerous threat to America would respond “Muslims!” Or “liberals.”
No, it’s the Church!
Way back when Jorge Boosh began importing Mexicans to the U.S. and pushed his illegal alien amnesty, the Church was the real culprit.
And lest you think not, pay attention to the nonsense the Pope is spewing these days regarding all kinds of things that should not be any of the Church’s business (global warming, amnesty, etc.).
If the Pope loves illegals so much, why doesn’t the Church open the Vatican to the hordes of invaders and house and support them there?
In the 1980s and 1990s, churches on Long Island New York were instrumental in illegally importing and sheltering tens of thousands of illiterate unemployed illegals who became permanent freeloading leeches and brought crime and blight to New York. But the Church didn’t pay for it; WE DID!
A local church and its bleeding heart members in the small town of Cave Creek, Arizona did the same in the 1990s — until the townspeople and “Sheriff Joe” put a stop to it.
The Church has for decades been behind the importation of illegals and offered them illegal “sanctuary” a concept that today does not actually exist. But when it comes to paying for it, the Church passes the plate, stores its jewels and valuables in the Vatican, and tells YOU to pay for it all.
The Church barks out orders to others regarding its impunity while breaking the law, telling you and me to ignore the carnage and destruction of our country — and as do the hypocritical fools in Hollywood, fostering the cost onto someone else. You don’t see the leftists in Hollywood or the Pope or the Church offering to support a single one of ’em, do you?
How many illegal alien cockroaches live in Beverley Hills? Or Malibu. Or Aspen…
How many Mexicanos live in Barbra Streisand’s Malibu Beach?
In Washington, D.C. near Obama’s house with tall walls?
They ship ’em off to someone else, somewhere else, but not in their backyards!
And as bad as it has been, it just gets worse.
A lawbreaking church in Mexifornia (where else?) handed out CASH to illegal aliens and then sent them packing, telling them to go east!
So the hypocritical scum in that church don’t really want them there. They want someone else to pay for ‘em. Somewhere else.
No one has a clue where these human leeches are going once they’re literally dumped into someone’s community to wreak havoc and no one cares. As long as they get out of the CHURCH’S and the LIBERALS’ backyards!
Again, you don’t see the politicians importing them into Washington, D.C., do you?
The hypocritical members of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church illegally sheltered 46 illegals who were then driven to bus stations to become someone else’s problem: YOURS!
San Bernardino Diocese spokesman John Andrews said the church provided “travel cash” to the cockroaches and sent them packing on a journey east, toward New York or New Jersey.
He also admitted that the complicit church helped the illegals (32 children and 14 women) buy bus tickets and navigate the bus transportation system.
In a sane world, the cockroaches would have been rounded up and the members of the church jailed for crimes they most certainly are committing.
But this is a lunatic world now, with a compliant RINO Congress ignoring it all — and the Church is thus far continuing the screwing it gave America under the tutelage of Jorge Dubbya Bush and Barack Barry Soetoro Hussein Obama.
Nothing has changed.


The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island ....
Being a man of God, he prayed feverishly for God to rescue him,and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.
Exhausted, and losing all hope of being found, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions. He thought even God has forgotten him.
But then one day, after scavenging for food,he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened;everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger.
"My Lord (God), how could you do this to me!" he cried.
(Ed: Many people use such statements, think again you should never question God or object to his willing)
Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.
"How did you know I was here?" Asked the weary man of his rescuers.
"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS:
It is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly.
But we shouldn't lose heart, because
The Creator is at work in our lives,
even in the midst of pain and suffering.
Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground,
it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.


The Book of GalatiansThe Holy Bible, World English Bible
Galatians Top 10 Popular Verses
2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,
5:8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you.
5:23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
2:14 But when I saw that they didn’t walk uprightly according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live as the Gentiles do, and not as the Jews do, why do you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do?
3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh?
2:9 and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision.
2:13 And the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy; so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
2:5 to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.


The desire of Amplify Fest is to glorify God, by removing barriers between the Church and the world, exposing people to the life changing message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In order to spread the message of Christ to as many people as possible, Amplify Fest is a completely free event to the public.
We excited to have another great line-up this year!
Amplify Christian Music Festival is a FREE event but registration is required. Follow the link below to register for the event.
Amplify Christian Music Festival is held on the property of Holland Chapel Baptist Church in Benton, AR. The festival venue is easily accessible from Interstate 30, located on the south service road, next to the Saline County Fairgrounds and the Bernard Holland Baseball Park.
If coming from Little Rock, take Exit 116 off of I-30, cross over the bridge, keep right to access the south service road, then turn left onto the service road. The venue will be on your left.
If coming from Hot Springs/Arkadelphia, take Exit 116 off of I-30 and stay on the service road. The venue will be on your right.
15523 Interstate 30 South | Benton, AR 72015


Learning from those who have gone before us
We have a great resource to learn from when we look at the people of the Bible. What were they like? What were their good and bad character traits? We will each look at the mothers in the Bible to see what God has to say to us about how we should conduct our lives, what the benefits can be or living a Godly life, and those things we need to be wary of.
Who are the mothers in your life? How are this like those mothers in the Bible? What benefits have you seen in your life because of the mothers in your life?


Desirable Beauty in Clear Lake, WI
Some sweet-sweet girls!! Ashley, Nicole and Katie
This was the first time we had a mix of women and teens. The ages ranged from 9 to 78...I only know those ages because someone had told me. How cool is that, the Holy Spirit does not discriminate...His word can speak to all ages. AMAZING! This also was a first, in that my daughter, Tirzah, came with me. This marked a special memory for the both of us. She was able to finally sit in on what she had been hearing about. When the day was done, I asked what her thoughts were, she replied, 'Well, I didn't learn anything new, you've told us all that stuff already.' :) I believe her favorite part was being able to help her Aunt Heather sell the 'Beauty Is Fleeting' t-shirts.
Desirable Beauty in Neilsville, WI
Left: Alyssa Right: Jeni
A special day for sure! Not only did I have the chance to share the Desirable Beauty message with our home church... but for the first time ever, we had special music by Jennifer Glaze and Alyssa Anding. Hopefully not the last. :)
Desirable Beauty in Rochester, MN
Look at them! Like Bereans with their Bibles!
The weekend with these girls was an amazing blessing. I had the sweet opportunity to hang out with my sister Tami's youth group and even room with them...total blast...lots of laughs...and good Twizzlers. On a serious note, the Lord reminded me, once again, of His great love and faithfulness. The message of 'Desirable Beauty' was presented twice, and both sessions were full of beautiful girls ready with Bible and pen in hand. :)
Desirable Beauty at EFCA Challenge Conference Columbus OH
Lovely participants for the lipstick illustration--super troopers!
This youth conference was packed full of amazing rally time. The rallies consisted of worship music, and powerful study of God's word in Matthew 5, the beatitudes. It was a privilege to share the message of Desirable Beauty with so many girls. Once again, I was amazed at the power of God's Word and how that alone penetrates hearts. He is Mighty and Awesome indeed!


THE POWER OF THE PRAYER OF THE HEART
It has been proven since time immemorial that sincere prayers have protected people from diseases, disasters and unnecessary death. This is common in all spiritual and religious traditions. So if you pray, utter your prayers either verbally or mentally, with sincerity, humility and complete faith and surrender to God. These you must feel with honesty in your heart and your prayers are sure to be answered and manifested in your life.
Here are some samples of Prayers:
For Forgiveness and Healing – Psalm 32.
For Peace and Prosperity – Psalm 23.
For Protection from all plagues, pestilences, disasters and wars, and for protection from unnecessary injuries and death – Psalm 91.
For Attunement and Communion with God and the Glory of His Creation – Psalm 104.
You can even pray with your own words and thoughts as long as you feel the aforementioned virtues. It is best to pray in secret without anybody seeing you- you and God alone.


With the spectacular growth Christianity in China, some see Confucianism's resurgence as a challenge to the continued advance of the Gospel. However, as Huo Shui, a Beijing-based scholar on religion and society, has pointed out, Confucianism and Christianity are not on equal footing. According to Huo:
In the eyes of the average Chinese, Christianity is still regarded as a religion of the West and an "imported product" of Western culture. . . . As a system of faith, ethics and morals, the contextualization of Christianity has not been completed. . . . The prejudice, doubt and worry most people have against Christianity are mainly cultural. In China's mainstream media and publications, Christianity has only changed from having a negative role to a "neutral" one; its presence is tolerated without the need for public criticism. The government has never given any public recognition or affirmation to the culture, values, ethics and morals of Christianity. From a cultural perspective, the position of Christianity cannot be compared with official, orthodox Marxism, traditional Chinese culture or Confucianism....Overall, Christianity is still in a position of being culturally discriminated against and has not become an indispensable part of mainstream Chinese culture.1
Purdue professor Dr. Yang Fenggang sees the church in China today not as confronting Confucianism head-on, but rather as helping to inculcate the next generation of believers with Confucian values, many of which seem to be consistent with the Bible. In this sense, the church is not seeking to replace Confucianism but to "revitalize Confucianism with Christianity."
Other scholars, both in the Christian and in the Confucian camps, are not so sanguine. They instead emphasize the fundamental differences between the two. Fundamentalist Confucians also contrast Confucianism's longstanding place in China's history with Christianity's relatively short presence and its perceived Western roots. Their dismissal of the gospel as having no significant role in Chinese culture is an example of the "cultural boycotting" of Christianity which Huo Shui refers to above.
The roots of Confucianism go deep and its influence in the Chinese culture is pervasive. The Christian faith has also become deeply rooted in China, and it is up to this generation of believers to decide how they will navigate the ongoing relationship with China's Confucian heritage and its modern day resurgence.
For more on Christianity and Confucianism, please see the current issue of ChinaSource Quarterly.
1 Huo Shui, "Two Transformations: The Future of Christianity in China," ChinaSource (Fall 2011), http://www.chsource.org/en/articles/christianity-and-other-religions/item/35.


Christian Service Brigade Battalion is a ministry to middle and high school age boys. The goal – to mentor young men in what it means to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ – to rightly divide God’s Word and effectively lead others to follow His example. This is fleshed out as older teens are trained to lead younger boys – through Bible study, games, camping trips, skill development, and service projects. Men and boys spend time together playing, working, praying, and serving through activities that resonate in the heart of all men – living as God designed them to be.
We meet at Hope Fellowship Church on Wednesdays from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Map of Campus
95 Bird St
Rock Hill, SC


A church that welcomes people regardless of race, culture, or socioeconomic level.
A church that is determined to "go into the entire world and make disciples."
A church that is focused on strengthening and uniting families with the love of God.
A church that gives sound biblical instruction and guidance on unlocking one's God-ordained destiny.
A church where the necessity of prayer is taught and demonstrated.
A church that reaches beyond the four walls and into the world.
A church that is dedicated to training tomorrow's leaders today.


Join Karen Wilson and Heather Elizabeth
for a very special ACTivation in HONOR of
The Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
When the Virgen de Guadalupe, recognized as 'The Dark Aztec Mother', appeared to Juan Diego in the sixteenth century, SHE sparked a rememberement of the LOVE of the Divine Mother for ALL of her children. At this 'time' of the 21st century, we are experiencing the flowering of the seeds that were planted for the reCLAIMing of the DIVINE Feminine to be made MANIFEST.
December 12th is heralded as the Virgen de Guadalupe's Feast Day. It is considered to BE a HOLY Day infused with ASCENSION energies. WE are overJOYed to EMBRACE this SACRED moment with INTENTION! Our time together will include story-telling, meditation, drum journey, song, interSPIRITual ceremony, and ritual. WE will BE ACTivated into the BEAUTY and POWER of TRUSTing the urgings of the HEART to FULFILL our individual DIVINE MISSIONs in SERVICE to the upliftment of humanity and Mother Earth.
WE are GRATEFUL to share this INCREDIBLE CELEBRATION with you in HONOR of the BLESSED MOTHER!
We ask participants to bring a dish to share in the Feast following the ACTivation!
INFINITE LOVE and PEACE,
Karen and Heather Elizabeth
14934 Dasmarinas Drive
Corpus Christi, TX 78418
TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED IN ADVANCE
SPACE IS LIMITED TO 12 PARTICIPANTS
Please purchase your ticket very soon to secure your spot!


My sweet Sketcher is 10 years old today! He's a constant source of joy in our home and in our hearts. He loves fiercely. He embraces all of life. He sees the good in everyone and is so tenderhearted. His myriad questions make me think -- and simple answers will never do. He's funny, smart, and full of compassion.
On this day, too, I think of the woman who gave him life in Kathmandu, Nepal. I am so very grateful to her. I pray that she will know the peace, joy and love of the Father. And when she grieves the loss of this precious one, I pray that the Holy Spirit will comfort her and heal her heart.
We're off to celebrate!


Christmas celebrated under the banner of MQI Interfaith Relations
Minhaj-ul-Quran Interfaith Relations arranged a ceremony to celebrate Christmas. The event was attended by a large number of men, women and children belonging to the Christian community. The Christian faith leaders including Pastor Anwar, Pastor Yaqoob, Pastor Liaqat, and Pastor Emmanuel were also in attendance. The ceremony was held in Saint Paul Church in which the participants prayed for peace, progress and prosperity of the country and cut the cake to mark the happy festival of Christmas.
Speaking on the occasion, Sohail Ahmad Raza, Director Interfaith Relations Department, said that the struggle of MQI is for upholding the respect of humanity. He said that Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri has led from the front in promoting an environment of love, interfaith dialogue, tolerance and harmony in the world. He congratulated the Christian community on Christmas and said that Jesus Christ spread the message of love, peace and respect for humanity.
Sohail Raza said that Pakistan belongs to all of the citizens who live in it, no matter who they are. He lauded the role of Christian community in the socio-economic development of Pakistan. He said that empathy, love and brotherhood need to be promoted to revive the moral system. He said that Jesus Christ’s message of tolerance, interfaith harmony and interaction between different cultures needs to be followed in order to defeat the forces of extremism and intolerance.
The MQI Lahore leaders including Ilyas Dogar, Ramzan Ayubi and Shahzad Khan attended the ceremony.