St. Charles Prayer Garden
“As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” ~ 1 Peter 4:10
Only 2 short years ago, the 8th grade class at St. Charles School was deciding what to leave behind as a parting gift to the school upon graduation. They completed multiple fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for this and other class expenses. At the suggestion of one of the parents, the children decided on landscaping a long-forgotten area of the church & school grounds. This thoroughfare starts on the northeast end of the St. Charles parking lot and leads to a small courtyard tucked between the church office, rectory and gym.
And this was how the St. Charles Prayer Garden began, from a small seed of an idea by one parent, Jenny Nice. The idea to find a way to utilize this space in a more meaningful and purposeful way.
The class of 2011 didn’t have a lot of money, but they had a vision, free labor and worthy leadership. Under the guidance of Jenny & Mike Nice, the St. Charles Prayer Garden started with cleanup of the area. They removed some of the plants & bushes that long ago lost their zest for flourishing, and simply split and relocated several perennials already located elsewhere on the grounds. In Jenny’s words, “the garden started simple, but has the potential for so much more.” Upon completion of the initial phase of the Prayer Garden, Father Steve Amann blessed the garden among the presence of the children who worked so hard to make it a reality and St. Charles principal, Sister Margaret Pietsch.
Jenny’s goal was to create a place where people could slow down and be intentional. She wanted a space where you could unplug, center and breathe. It was important to her that the school children also have a safe place to practice stepping back and taking a breath as well. If you belong to St. Charles parish and don’t know Jenny Nice, that is only a testament to her humble hard work behind the scenes. Jenny has a legacy of using her gifts to serve others. She dedicated ten years to keeping the church interior beautifully decorated throughout the liturgical calendar, and, she is very involved in countless other ways both with St. Charles school and church.
The space is set under the canopy of a 60ft evergreen tree that provides shade, privacy and a lovely habitat for many different types of birds. I got lucky enough to catch a cardinal resting on one of the birdhouses the day I took these pictures. And this too is Jenny’s hope, to transfer this reawakening of space into a reawakening of faith. Jenny told me she felt a push/pull relationship with the space in terms of wanting it to be secluded and conducive to prayer for those that use it versus wanting to spread the good word about St. Charles’ very own secret garden. A garden you could very easily pass by if you didn’t look carefully.
What about future maintenance & funding? Jenny and her husband Mike do the lion’s share of upkeep and watering. The primary source of revenue for this space is the sale of cream-colored ceramic memorial stars, on which you can write the names of loved ones to honor their memories. The church has sold about 90 stars so far and they are displayed from May until September, or as long as the weather cooperates. This year Jenny also applied for and received a generous grant from the Burlington Area Garden Club. Collaborating with Terri Condroski and other volunteers, structure was then added to the garden. Jenny’s long-term goal is to have the garden be part of the biennial Garden Walk in 2015. To spread the word and pay it forward so that more people can enjoy the space. Her hard work and dedication to this space is inspiring. “As long as I’m breathing this garden will be here,” she added.
One of the things that most impressed me was the care and attention paid to the selection & quantity of each plant, stone and structure utilized in the space. Each element in the garden is a purposeful symbol of Christian faith and God’s unending love for us. So far, there are 12 Christian references Jenny has laid out in the garden.
Jenny is already dreaming about the addition of several more Christian referenced areas within the garden. Picture a Pentecostal Garden with the striking colors of fire, red, orange and yellow. She is also envisioning a holy family area where Mary, Joseph & Jesus are represented each by their traditional floral symbols, iris, daisies and nasturtium.
Jenny’s idea really began to take root when another member of St. Charles found out what Jenny and the 8th grade class had done in the Prayer Garden. He became inspired, too. Schawn Schoepke works for a concrete construction company called Coello & Associates as a Flatwork Supervisor. Because the area that became the Prayer Garden started as a thoroughfare, a large portion of the space in the Prayer Garden is sidewalk. Schawn commented that, “We have so much space filled in our world with natural gray concrete, sidewalks, roads, basements, garages, etc. Acid staining is a simple way to change something basic into something unique and colorful.” And you will see Schawn’s acid staining technique gracing much of the paths here. Schawn thoughtfully researches all the images he uses, draws out the image on the surface and then uses a diamond blade to cut in the designs. The colors are a combination of acid and concrete stains.
Schawn, as well as Jenny have a vision for the growth and continuation of this special place. I asked Schawn why he felt compelled to do this and I loved his answer. In his words, “It is something that takes time and thought and I enjoy doing it. I also realized the time I spent on it, even thinking about it, was like a type of prayer. I know I am not an artist, but sometimes as I worked on it, I felt good, it felt right. I felt like maybe God smiled just a little bit our way for trying to make something others might enjoy.”
Schawn also told me that as he worked on the sacraments and days of creation sections he had different kids who play on St. Charles parking lot and playground stop by. And as children often are, they were inquisitive and quick to share their own ideas. Schawn said it was a joy to answer their questions. One of the children told him that, “it was ok if some of the things were not perfect because only God gets things right.” Wow, a good reminder to us all. Schawn also mentioned a little girl that said she thought the people at her church would like this stuff, too and that even though Schawn was Catholic he should do the same thing on their walks.
One of the things about Christian Stewardship that most appeals to me is the matching of an individual’s God-given gifts to the needs of others. Multiplying the resources entrusted to us to serve more than just ourselves, but to serve those that could benefit from them as well. The idea that “As Christian stewards, we receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord” (US Conference of Catholic Bishops).
We all have gifts to share and seeking a match for those gifts is such a rewarding and meaningful journey. Jenny Nice & Schawn Schoepke are such wonderful examples of taking their God-given talents and sharing them with others. In talking with Jenny & Schawn, I was moved by their deep desire to pay it forward, spread God’s love and make a contribution for the sole purpose of fulfilling others. Thank you Jenny & Schawn for all that you do. Thank you for multiplying your gifts.
If you would like to learn more about the Prayer Garden or purchase a Memorial Star, you can contact Jenny Nice at (262) 767-0740. Memorial Stars are $10 each.
If you haven’t visited the Prayer Garden yet, I encourage you to do so. Take a moment to appreciate the space. All are welcome. If you have school aged kids, it would be a great activity to see if they can find all of Jenny & Schawn’s Christian symbols among the peace, and the quiet. Before you go, you can print off a complete list of the symbols here if you like.
“Make time for quiet moments, as God whispers, and the world is loud.” ~ Author Unknown


Loft Worship: September 4, 2011
Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. and Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m.
The Loft addresses real issues and provides a place to connect with others and with God through live music, moving dramas, and contemporary media. All people will feel comfortable in the Loft’s casual, come-as-you-are environment.
Sep 4 - Week Four - Andy Nixon
Within this series we want to push our understanding of worship. In the background of every worship time is the knowledge that we are praising God for what has been freely given to us. Worship is an expression of love to God, and also thanks to God—and encouraging each other to sing, raise their hands, and maybe even dance is an expression of praise for these gifts God has given to us freely, and in abundance.


When war was declared, there were in St. John’s and in a handful of other communities church youth groups whose members were amongst the earliest volunteers in answer to the Governor’s call. The Church Lads' Brigade (CLB) for those of the Anglican/Church of England faith was the first of the brigades to be established in the city in 1892. The Catholic Cadet Corps (CCC) followed in 1896, the [United] Methodist (originally named ‘Epworth’) Guards’ Brigade in 1900, and the Newfoundland Highlanders (Presbyterian) in 1907. These corps honed the mental and physical skills of boys in sports (where great rivalries grew between the groups), and provided military style training in signalling, stretcher bearing, first aid, drill and rifle shooting. Accompanied by their respective bands, the members of these brigades were somewhat familiar with military training and the discipline attached. It is not surprising then to learn that most of the initial volunteers that signed up for the Newfoundland Regiment were from St. John’s and nearby areas. All except the Highlanders had branches outside the city, and only the CLB remains in existence one hundred years later.
The Legion of Frontiersmen was established in Newfoundland in 1911, with most branches and members being in Labrador. A branch was formed in St. John’s in 1912 and many of its members were also in the four previously noted church affiliated groups. Drill sessions were held at the CLB Armoury and when war broke out, the head of the Frontiersmen, Dr. A.K. Wakefield, wrote Prime Minister Morris to offer the services of the men. While the offer was declined, about 150 Frontiersmen joined the Newfoundland Regiment and others guarded posts in Labrador and manned Fort Waldegrave Battery in St. John’s. Fort Waldegrave was once again given the role of protecting the entrance to St. John’s harbour, with its strategic position and bird’s eye view of the Narrows and Chain Rock, where a cable was closed each evening to stop vessels from entering.


In the United States and around the world, the Covid-19 Pandemic has devastated lives and economies in a way that has not been seen in our lifetimes. Many people and countries were hurting prior to the pandemic and with it spreading like wildfire, it only exasperated the suffering. Share Box along with many other charities, non-profits, governments, businesses, and genuinely good people have made valiant efforts to stem the tide of hardships and heartache by doing all they can. We were fortunate to have some food inventory that was initially slated for overseas distribution, to be donated to a local food bank right here in Lancaster, PA. The Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church led by a wonderful man of God named Pastor Bailey is doing great works and looking after their flock in the community. Share Box was delighted to meet him and eager to help them on their continuous mission of good. If you are in the area, feel free to stop by their sanctuary and if able, donate food and supplies.
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
450 E. Strawberry St. Lancaster, PA 17602


Holy Water Closets
Like 10% of the US population, I am what is commonly known as a “lapsed” Catholic, making me part of what would be the third largest denomination in America. Although I’m probably not all that representative of my brethren, given that from about age 8 on I didn’t believe a word of what I heard in church (with the possible exception of the gossip, that is), I can certainly sympathize with them. It must be hard when the religion of one’s baptism, family, and cultural milieu turns into (even more of) a corrupt, authoritarian, crime-tainted, unaccountable political actor as bereft of any moral authority as it is actively hostile to one’s most deeply held convictions.
There were few hints that the Roman Catholic Church would turn into a tawdry, costumed version of the Family Research Council back in the late 1960′s and early 1970′s; we had a kindly old Monsignor who visited my mother in the hospital when she had cancer even though she had long since stopped going to Mass after her divorce and remarriage rendered her a slut in the eyes of the church. We also had younger priests who were outspokenly opposed to the war in Vietnam and South African Apartheid. I served as an altar boy three days a week at 6:25 am Mass, went to Catholic summer camp, and attended CCD religiously (pun intended) until well into high school. The church was opposed to abortion and birth control, of course, but due to the fact that nobody listened or cared, chose to be more outspoken about the death penalty and such.
When I became an adult, I basically adopted Alexander Cockburn’s attitude about religion: he supported compulsory prayer of the sort to which my atheist self had been subjected, because it provided ammunition to debate the faithful and was “an inoculation against future religious infection.” My Catholic upbringing meant I could visit the great cathedrals of Europe and tutor my Jewish traveling companions about making the sign of the cross with holy water and genuflecting, so as not to appear boorish when we were really only there to look at the architecture. When they asked me about the wisdom of spending so much money and centuries of work on buildings that served no purpose compared to something really useful like a library or museum, I had no good answer for them, but I wasn’t, well, embarrassed.
But then things changed. Just as the child abuse scandal began sweeping the globe, the Church decided to become part of the Religious Right, and worse, just another offensive mouthpiece of the Republican Party. Not that I blame them; had they been a business, such a move would have been eminently reasonable. They could clearly see that while freer, more secular countries were abandoning the Church in droves, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia were far more patriarchal and socially backward, and when you’re faced with hundreds of millions of dollars in payouts for despicable crimes, something called “tort reform” has undeniable appeal. But to claim that God would approve of such mercenary cravenness is a stretch at best.
By the time the church hierarchy had joined the worst cracker bible-bangers in their opposition to equal rights for gays, and began meddling in US elections by threatening to deny Communion to pro-choice Democrats, my amiable indifference turned to something closer to loathing, where it remains today. The sheer chutzpah, if you’ll pardon the expression, of an outfit up to its cassock collars in an ongoing sexual abuse scandal running around denouncing the supposed immorality of others about whom it has no knowledge was bad enough; the audacity of being so brazen about it was, to me, nothing short of evil, at least in the way I was taught to understand it.
Last week it was revealed the the Los Angeles Archdiocese emptied $115 million from a fund dedicated to “perpetual” care for the buried remains of its duped flock’s loved ones to pay out abuse judgements at the same time it was spending God knows what to push antigay Prop 8 (in league with the Mormons, no less!), which ought to have been the final straw, but I know I need only wait another week or so for the next, equally horrifying, shoe to drop.
Sadly, the overdue retirement of the Church’s SECOND Nazi-loving Pope is unlikely to change this dreary and repellent dynamic, given that the entire hierarchy, including the recently installed Archbishops in both San Francisco and even here in Portland ought to be wearing black armbands as well. The ship is still sinking, and there are plenty more rats where he came from.


Free printable baptismal certificates for use by Churches to certify that someone has been validly baptised. All of the baptism certificate templates below can be edited online and all the text can be changed according to your needs. You can also add your church logo if you have one (see instructions below). There is space to add the name of the person who was baptized, the date of the baptism and the name of the pastor. You can change all of the text and add additional text as well. You can also add the name of the godfather or godmother on your baptism certificate. Click on “add text” to add the name of the witness or additional text such as “baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”.
How to add your church logo?
Select the Baptism Certificate that you are going to customize.
Click on “customize”.
Type in the text that you would like to appear.
Click on add image. See icon marked in green below.
Find the image on your PC and click on enter.
Move the image around so that it appears wherever you would like it to.
Use the arrows to make the logo smaller or bigger if you need to resize it.
Once you are happy with the final product download it as an image or a PDF file.


Click on the pictures below to see what's going on for your child's age group!
Our PALS group is our K-6th grade. In this age group, our primary focus is on equipping and encouraging spiritual growth within the home. We offer great opportunities - both spiritual and fun in nature - for the entire family!
Our CHYGers group is our 7th-12th grades. Our primary goal is that spiritual growth still be most significant in the home. But, we also strive to supplement and encourage that growth through our teen Bible studies, youth rallies, and events.


Rev. Jerome L. Warfield, Sr.
is a family man who is devoted to his wife Jacqueline, daughter, Jessica and sons Jerome and Justin. They are deemed the essence of his life. Highly respected, spiritually led, and actively involved throughout the entire Metro Detroit community, Rev. Warfield is no stranger to hard work and community service.
He pastors the Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church. Under his leadership, he has grown in more than just numbers. With more than 20 thriving and active ministries, he utilizes every spiritual gift given to him to spread the gospel. He preaches, teaches, leads and motivates. He also consults to the University of Michigan, Skillman Foundation, LISC, and other community organizations concerning neighborhood collaborative partnerships.
Additionally, Pastor Warfield is Chairman of the Trinity Community Development Corproation a 501-c(3) component of Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church. Through this ministry, Pastor Warfield founded Trinity’s Youth Tech Leadership Training Academy, an organization dedicated to training young people in basic leadership principles and computer skills. The Youth Tech Leadership Training Academy has already received national recognition from the United States Department of Justice and the National Urban Technology Center of Manhattan, New York.
A native Detroiter, Rev. Warfield accepted Christ at the early age of eight at the Calvary Baptist Church under the leadership of the late Rev. Dr. L. Juan Burt. During this time, Rev. Warfield served as an Associate Minister of the Unity Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Valmon D. Stotts where he has been an active member for more than 26 years.
Rev. Warfield is also a product of the Detroit Public School system and graduated with honors from Chadsey High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University (MSU) in Political Science and Criminal Justice. He went on to earn his Masters of Arts in Pastoral Counseling from the Ashland Theological Seminary in June of 2002. In honor of Rev. Warfield’s commitment to academics and his outstanding leadership ability, he was voted by his graduating class to deliver the Commencement address for the 1989 winter term Commencement ceremonies at MSU.
Rev. Warfield is the Chairperson of Brightmoor Alliance, a coalition of organizations dedicated to serving northwest Detroit’s Brightmoor community. Under his leadership, Brightmoor Alliance has increased its membership from 33 to more than 50 organizations. The members of the Alliance share a vision for the community that is built on faith, and provides opportunities for all residents of the community to pray, grow, learn, thrive and play.
Rev. Warfield has recently been appointed by Mayor Dave Bing to serve as a Police Commissioner of the Detroit Police Department. Rev. Warfield has also been chosen to participate in the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Detroit program, a initiative that helps senior level executives in southeast Michigan to develop leadership skills and in-depth knowledge of regional issues.
He was endowed with the 2007 Outstanding Ecumenical Leader Award from the N.E.X.T Detroit Neighborhood Initiative, and was designated by former Mayor Kilpatrick’s office as the “Community Champion” in Brightmoor for helping spearhead the revitalization and redevelopment efforts on behalf of the Mayor’s Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative. He equally helped to pioneer the State of Michigan’s Safe Routes to School program. Pastor Warfield willingly and actively sits on the board of Avisors for the Skillman Foundation in their efforts to improve the quality of life of the residents of Brightmoor.
Always given to community and work ethics, Rev. Warfield has worked in corporate America’s health care industry for more than 17 years. He successfully served as a sales consultant for the following Fortune 500 companies: The Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation, Bausch & Lomb, 3M Corporation, 3M Media, and MERCK & Co. Recognized by his peers as the most productive contributor of new and innovative selling techniques, Rev. Warfield has received numerous accolades and awards for his dedicated service to the church, as well as the community at large including countless civic accomplishments.
MINISTERIAL AND COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS
Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church – Senior Pastor
Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity
Brightmoor Alliance - Chairperson
Brightmoor Pastor's Alliance
Unity Baptist Church - Associate Minister
Michigan Progressive Baptist Convention – V. P. Christian Social Concerns
American Baptist Convention
Great Start Collaborative – Wayne County
Right to Life of Michigan
American Association of Christian Counselors
Family Life Ministries
The Healthy Marriage Initiative of Wayne County
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity


We praise God for his work in us since 1843.
The Church of the Ascension began its journey on November 28, 1843, when a small group of concerned local Episcopalians met for the purpose of organizing a congregation in Westminster, which at the time was a small village with a population of approximately 500. In May 1844, the Diocesan Convention, held in Baltimore, voted to grant the formal organization of the “Parish of Ascension.” Fundraising began and in August 1844 ground was broken on our Stone Church. In May 1846, on Ascension Day, Church of the Ascension was consecrated.
Stone Church "Then"
This original building, now affectionately referred to as the Stone Church, exemplifies the Neo-Gothic architectural style advocated by the Ecclesiological Society in the 19th century. The Stone Church has been modified only slightly in the past 170-plus years, and is recognized as an historic property by the Maryland Historical Trust.
Children's Chapel Services
Children in grades K - 5 may join us every Sunday in the Children's Chapel for a special service! Lasting from the Gospel Sequence Hymn to the Peace during the 10:15 a.m. worship service, children will have the opportunity to participate in a special service that illustrates the faith of The Episcopal Church and relays the Gospel message in a clear and relatable way.
Our Children's Chapel services run for approximately 20 minutes. Children are escorted by Ascension Youth Ministries staff during the transitions.


Natural Wooden Box's Christmas Advent Calendar
Natural Wooden Box's Christmas Advent Calendar.
Fabulous Natural Wooden Boxes, on a red wooden base.
Forming a pyramid of wooden advent boxes with little doors.
Numbered for the festive countdown.
Fill the little boxes with treats and surprises to be found behind the door each morning in the run up to the big day!
Lovely natural wood with colours of Red, Grey & White, decorated with little baubles, mini trees and figures.
Topped with gold star!
SIZE:28.5cm High x 18cm Wide
See Our Other Advent Calendars.


Yesterday, in our church, I spoke from Luke chapters 19 and 20. Rather than an in-depth multi-pointed sermon - which I compared to three or five course "dinner" - we took a walk with Jesus through this scripture passage, as He journeys with a gathering entourage from Jericho to Jerusalem. And as we went we pulled out the 'nuggets' that Holy Spirit was emphasising - rather like a buffet, or as I described it, a "smorgasbord".
Luke 19 commences with Jesus arriving in Jericho. He is not intending to stay there, such is His focus on getting to Jerusalem, where the cross awaits Him. Jericho to Jerusalem is a fifteen mile journey, as the crow flies, though in reality the wining uphill pathway is much longer. It is a climb from 800 feet below sea level to a destination of 2,500 feet above sea level. The journey was treacherous: a common haunt of bandits and thieves lying in wait to pounce on the vulnerable traveller. Jesus has his mind on getting through this trek, but He does, however, have time for a pit stop in Jericho.
We should note that everything Jesus does and everything He says during these final few days prior to His death are highly significant and of great importance as a legacy for His disciples. These are His parting emphases, His reminders of what He considers important. It is therefore vital to our understanding of the Father - Whom Jesus is reflecting at all times - that we grasp what is happening here in Jericho. We can imagine the crowds congregating on the streets as news of the Rabbi's impending arrival reaches them. All are looking to get a glimpse of the celebrity. Probably many are also hoping Jesus will glimpse them.
Zacchaeus is a small, yet powerful man. He is powerful because he is a go-between collecting taxes for the brutal occupying Roman regime from his own Israeli people. It was tax-collectors' practice and privilege to take large sums of money for themselves by drastically overcharging their clients. As a result they could be financially ok but socially despised. Their only friends were other tax collectors and the 'dregs' of society. Consequently Zacchaeus was a hated man. He was isolated and ostracised. He lived on the margins. Yet the amazing thing is that Jesus interrupted His priority journey to stop and talk with him. Jesus, Who only ever demonstrated the character of God the Father, chose to visit his home, to eat a meal with him, to lovingly give him time and attention. Jesus didn't pick the house of one of the local Elders. He didn't pick the religiously-all-together. He picked the one who was hated and despised; the one who wouldn't have been welcome at 'church'.
Here is the heart of the Father. Here is the object lesson that Jesus felt necessary to highlight before He died. God loves to sit down and eat with 'sinners'. He isn't afraid of being with those whom others, especially the religious, despise. His desire to heap love on them trumps everything else. In this story, the crowds moaned and grumbled over His decision. The word used in the original text implies that moaning gossip spread throughout the whole crowd that had gathered! In their opinion Jesus shouldn't be associating with these kind of people. But He was more concerned with loving the outcast than He was with public opinion of Himself. It was worth being misunderstood by others if He could pour out His Father's love on this one individual. There was no guarantee that Zacchaues would change his lifestyle. But Jesus was prepared to love him anyway, without making demands on him. As a result Zacchaues did turn his life around - good news for the whole community.
I believe that this kind of demonstration of the Father's love is vital for our generation. Nothing else will redeem and change broken lives. Religion has so often made love conditional on certain rules and behaviour changes. Jesus loves unconditionally. He makes no demands for change as conditions for receiving His love. He risks everything and loves us regardless. But that kind of love has the habit of reaching lonely and hardened hearts, like spring sunshine on a flower. There is a response that often follows, which is genuine and far-reaching. And if it doesn't, well, Love has simply been itself, and left a mark for season to come.


Join Voltage and Immamuel Community Church on April 13, for a Spring Family Celebration and Easter Egg Hunt at the Sojourner Neighborhood Center in New Orleans! Activities will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Children 4-10 are invited to join in the fun and should bring their Easter Basket to the egg hunt (wheel chair accessible). All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to attend. Free snowballs, popcorn, face painting, giveaways, plenty of delicious food, and so much more!
Free Tickets at: EventBrite.com


Connect in LifeGroups!
If you’re looking for a way to connect at Living Hope, this is it! LifeGroups are small groups of people who devote to meeting together for Bible study, discipleship, and fellowship. Simply put, a LifeGroup is a place where people make new friends, receive encouragement, and experience the tangible and life-changing presence of God in everyday life. Everyone moves at their own pace with leaders who love and commit to pray for your journey with God and others. This is where Faith becomes a Family.
Each group is unique. There are groups for college students, ladies, men, co-ed, seniors, young adults, and many more. In addition to these we offer Next Steps groups to help you grow in your faith. Whether you’re a new believer or mature in your faith, these groups offer something for everyone.
Once you’ve found a group from the list below, click this button to signup!


Church Bennachie Parish Church
On 1st September 2023, Monymusk Parish joined with 5 other parishes to form the larger parish of Bennachie Parish Church. The former congregations making up the new parish are Blairdaff & Chapel of Garioch, Cluny, Echt & Midmar, Kemnay, Kintore and Monymusk.
Our ministry team for the new parish comprises
Rev Neil Meyer ( Moderator of the Kirk Session)
Rev Sheila Mitchell
Rev Euan Glen
All assisted by Rev Tose Shayamunda.
To find out more about the new parish please go to the new parish website
Our new parish has its own office and administrator who can contacted for further information
email [email protected]
Tel 01467 643883
You can find more local information about Bennachie Parish Church at Monymusk ( the new name for the church) on our Facebook Page search by searching for this name.
Our mission is to share the love of Jesus Christ in word and in action throughout the parish of Monymusk.
Bennachie Parish Church at Monymusk,
Rooms for hire:
The church vestry and Guild room may be hired for small group meetings or classes.
Contact the minister for details.
Bennachie Parish Church Scottish Charity No. SC014790


I was wondering how in the world one ever makes a huge, enormous decision that affects the innocent lives of others. I still don't have the best answer in the world, but it comes with lots of prayer and feeling in your gut what the right move is...then...and this is the hard part. Remembering that even if you make the wrong decision, God is not going to put you on his "strike with lightening" list. But actually still considers you His favorite. Imagine that??
Anyhow, I have struggled with this last part for quite sometime...i mean, why wouldn't God want me to adopt these babies?? My only answer is that He is bigger than i can see and cares more about them than we do. He has given us peace about the decision and dreams that are yet unfulfilled in our hearts. We can feel that adoption, at this time, is not right for us. Key word: Us. Mike and I have had lotos of conversations about us, our kids, our family, and our dreams. We have cried many tears over these babies, cherished them, and are so sad to have to say goodbye. I have felt grief over the decision, but through it, peace. I was reminded of the story in the Bible of when King David was grieving over the illness of he and Bathsheba's son. How he mourned! And when the child died, he picked himself up, cleaned himself off, and moved on. I am trying to cry most of my tears now and kiss them goodbye, but when they are finally gone, I am going to move on. I am not going to spend anymore time focusing on the past, but i am sooo looking forward to the future. I am proud of the work we have done in the lives of these babies, through prayer, through trust building, and giving them a solid foundation. I pray that as they move on, they carry those lessons with them, and always have an awareness of the Father who was theirs from day one and will "never leave them, nor forsake them."
Now, as for me....I am starting my life again.


Our most read resource, Top 40 Messianic Prophecies, is now available as a four-week email experience! Take a closer look at these powerful prophecies and gain deeper understanding of God's redemptive plan for His people through the promised Messiah!
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These top 40 messianic prophecies in the Jewish Scriptures clearly foreshadow the life of Yeshua.
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“Then John’s disciples came and asked him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?’
Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
‘No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Firstly, the analogy that grabs my attention is this one:
“Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17
It just makes sense. Logical, practical sense. Obviously, the objective of handling wine is to preserve all that you can. And if one pours new wine into old wineskins, the wineskins made of animal skin will burst at the seam. Consequently, the wine will be lost and the precious wineskin ruined. It’s a lose-lose situation.
This wine system reminds me of a similar system we use at New Moon Café, my new place work. Now, try to follow me by visualizing this chain of events in a concrete manner (seems tricky, but it reaps a great model for us employees to follow);
Mid-day, the closing shift employee re-fills the line of vegetables, dressings, spreads, and lots of other food we serve from the salad/sandwich bar with freshly prepared food from the kitchen. With 20 new pans of fresh food that needs to be topped with the old food from the current line, your guessing game needs to be on point so that you’re not too short or not too over the fill line marking on the pans.
In short, it makes sense for the old food to be the first to be served to customers, while the new food sits at the bottom of the pan. If it were the other way around, the old food may be sitting in the pan for days before being served! Yuck! Nobody wants 5 day old chicken salad. The system simply does not make sense if it were reversed. New food is poured into new pans. Just like “they pour new wine into new wineskins” (Matthew 9:17). In this way, “both are preserved” (Matthew 9:17).
It amazes me that Jesus, whose mission is to save the world, responds to a potentially perilous question with such poise. Essentially, John’s disciples are wondering why they have to endure the agony of fasting while Jesus’ disciples are safe from it. It’s a confusing thing! Is Jesus choosing favorites? I’d imagine they are not only curious, but peeved as they ask Jesus this question. Jesus straight up tells John’s disciples who question him about fasting that the reason is logical and practical as to why Jesus’ disciples don’t fast yet– They don’t need to! His twelve disciples are constantly filled with Jesus’ presence and teachings. They are sustained by Jesus by physically interacting with him daily. Why would they see reason to mourn with such fulfilling conditions?
What’s comforting to know is that God knows what it looks like. He knows every implication about the commission of fasting and the wavering confusion that comes with it. And still, He carries out His plan through His Son. His perfect plan that will not fail. Because this mission is greater than confusion and strikes far deeper than jealousy. Jesus’ practicality in his response to the question about fasting surely doesn’t scream, “MY LOVE FOR YOU IS WIDE, LONG, HIGH, AND DEEP” (though it is; Ephesians 3:18). God is patient with responding while grace is woven in His words to us. So, too, is Jesus in responding to John’s disciples. If it were not this way, how could we make any sense of who Jesus is?! It is out of gracious, patient, and enduring love that Jesus responds to this question, “How is it that we [John’s disciples] and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” Matthew 9:14.
What I’d like to end this entry with is this: One does not simply pour new wine into old wineskins. And Jesus’ love for us is real. Duh.


Alongsiders Europe mobilizes and inspires every Christian. We awaken people to the great mission of the Lord Jesus for every believer to be His disciple and to make disciples (Matthew 28). We do this through training, speaking in churches and workshops.
Alongsiders Europe equips Christian youth for discipleship. We believe that we must follow both the teachings of the Lord Jesus and His method. That means discipleship must be relational. We equip the Alongsiders by means of training and challenges, so they can walk next to one vulnerable child in their own environment. We choose this 1-to-1 approach because every young person can participate in this way.
Every person has the need to belong to someone / something. Just as a family comes together to celebrate, share, eat and hang out, the Alongsiders family also meets regularly. We do this during events where we receive, give training, and go through challenges together that help us grow and get to know each other better.
BECOME AN ALONGSIDER
An Alongsider is someone who walks alongside his or her younger 'brother' or 'sister' as their buddy. We are not looking for 'super-Christians'! They do not exist. Do you long to follow Jesus every day and reach out to someone else, just in your everyday life? Then join us now.
DOWNLOAD THE ALONGSIDERS APP
The Alongsiders app means Alongsiders in your pocket. The app is for you: monthly trainings, the challenges, your group of 5. You'll find it all there. Nice and interactive. If you have any questions or comments, just ask them in the app. A cool selfie of you and your younger brother or sister? Also fun to post! The app is there for every Alongsider!
START A CHALLENGE TODAY
At Alongsiders we work with challenges. These challenges are based on the assignments that Jesus gave His disciples (directly or through His apostles). And together you and your younger brother or sister will work on these challenges. You can find them in the Alongsiders app.
Are you curious what such a challenge looks like but you are not yet an Alongsider? Then check out the microCHALLENGES.
Who do you challenge?
(author, lecturer, speaker) I have been aware of Alongsiders for many years, having first encountered their work in Phnom Penh. It’s an amazing movement that calls on us to become big sisters and brothers to vulnerable children who would otherwise walk alone through very challenging circumstances. I’m delighted to hear that Alongsiders has now launched in Europe, where it’s desperately needed.


January 25, 2017 by J.A. Hardgrave
Santa Claus & The Law Of Moses
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Written By J.A. Hardgrave
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The more I study the Law of Moses, the more I see how eerily similar this system is to jolly old Saint Nick with his bag full of toys and coal.
Both systems have one striking similarity.
In order to qualify for the goodies, you have to be obedient to a moral standard.
I grew up with a very dark and twisted view of God. I knew Jesus died for my sins and loved me, but I felt like God was constantly disappointed with me since I never seemed to avoid sin for more than a week. To me, God was like Santa Claus. If I prayed enough, fasted enough, and lived holy enough, I could expect God to be jolly and give me goodies in my spiritual stocking. If I was bad, and neglected those things, I expected God to give me spiritual coal.
Eventually, I grew quite disgusted with my perception of God who appeared to be a moral monster that was only satisfied with me when I was operating in perfect behavior and absolute obedience.
Is this really who God is?
I found out later that our view of God will be greatly or even completely determined by which covenant we choose to identify with most. Either the New Covenant, or the Old Covenant.
The Old Covenant, or “The Law Of Moses” was known as a “Kinship Covenant.”
Kinship Covenant -A covenant when two equal parties came together, as in a marriage. Each party took on a small list of obligations in the covenant. This type of covenant had a small set of obligations and was very evenly divided between the two parties. A kinship covenant was also referred to as a parity covenant. 1
In the Law Of Moses, the terms where the 10 commandments.
If the Israelites perfectly obeyed the 10 commandments, they would receive blessings such as blessed produce, storehouses, livestock, land, offspring of their flocks, defeated enemies etc. (See Deuteronomy 28:1-14)
If they disobeyed the 10 commandments, look out! Their produce, storehouses, livestock, land, offspring, and flocks would be cursed, and their enemies would defeat them.
In addition, God would send confusion and rebuke until they were destroyed. God would make a plague cling to them and until they were consumed. God would strike them with fever, inflammation, sever burning fever, and with sword and scorching.
It sounds like those horrible side effects we hear on prescription drug commercials.
Wait, it gets worse.
God would change the rain of their land to powder and dust until they were destroyed. Their carcasses would be food for the birds of the air that nobody could frighten away. God would strike them with boils of Egypt, tumors, scabs, itchiness which cannot be healed, and with blindness and confusion of heart.
The list of curses is much larger than the blessings, and I only quoted a small portion of them. See Deuteronomy 28:15-68.
I would take a whole bag, no, 100 bags full of coal from Kris Kringle any day of the week over those awful curses!
But what about the New Covenant?
Has anything changed? Is God still blessing us for obedience and cursing us for disobedience?
The short answer is, no.
The New Covenant is known as a “Grant Covenant.”
Grant Covenant – A covenant when a greater and lesser person came into covenant, and the greater one took on all of the obligations. The lesser one only needed to receive the covenant. 1
The Old Covenant was all about what we did for God, the New Covenant is all about what God did for us.
The Old Covenant did not reflect God’s heart. God did not want to bless man based upon his good or bad works, which is why He called for a new and better covenant where the blessing is not based upon our obedience, so we can’t mess it up, and God can continually bless us through simply believing in His Son Jesus Christ.
When Jesus announced the New Covenant at the last supper, He did not include an “unless you mess up” clause.
“In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Luke 22:20
Hebrews 8:6 describes the New Covenant as a “Better” covenant established on “Better promises.”
Here are a few of those better promises of the New Covenant, and the way the Scriptures say we receive them. If you get time, go read the scriptures I quote, and you tell me if the emphasis is on faith, or works, to obtain these promises.
Promise: The Holy Spirit
Receive by: Faith
Received by: Faith
Promise: Eternal Life
Received by: Faith
Promise: Forgiveness of Sins
Received by: Faith
Received by: Faith
Received by: Faith
I can already hear those who object to the New Covenant saying “But what about good works, holiness, and obedience? Are you saying it’s ok to sin all you want, not do good works, and be disobedient to God because we are under a New Covenant?”
The good news is I don’t have to answer that question, because the Apostle Paul and James already settled this common misconception.
“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer in it?” Romans 6:1-2
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:17
The New Covenant reality is that we deserved coal in our stockings, but Jesus chose to fill them with incredible gifts and New Covenant blessings instead, despite our bad behavior, just because He loves us.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Now we should simply say thank you, receive the New Covenant promises by faith, and enjoy them!
Remember, in a Grant Covenant, which is what the New Covenant is, we are to simply receive the covenant blessings with no obligation to keep the blessings through obeying a set of terms, that’s Old Covenant thinking.
Of course we avoid sin, we do good works, we love people, but those things don’t qualify us for righteousness, sonship, forgiveness of sin, eternal life, and the Holy Spirit, believing in Jesus Christ does. They are gifts to be received by childlike faith, not toys to be earned through being a good little boy or girl all year.
I spent many years filtering God through the lens of the Old Covenant, and it greatly distorted my view of God and hindered my relationship with Him. Once I understood that God relates to man by covenant, and God now relates to man through the New and Better Covenant, my relationship with God was restored.
What would our lives, our families, and the church as a whole look like, if we could all relate to God through the lens of the New and Better Covenant, and abandon our Old Covenant filter that misrepresents the true character of God that was finally expressed through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the New Covenant based on simple faith?
1 “Understanding The Whole Bible”. Page 164;165. -Jonathan Welton
For more information on Kinship Covenants please read “Kinship By Covenant” by Scott W. Hahn (Link Below)
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Notre-Dame de Paris
Chapter News, Community News | April 16, 2019
"I say to you very solemnly this evening: this cathedral will be rebuilt by us all together. ... We will rebuild Notre Dame because that is what the French expect, because that is what our history deserves, because it is our destiny" - President Macron
April 15th 2019, the world watched in disbelief as the historic Notre Dame Cathedral burned and the roof fell in flames. Thanks to the relentless and courageous efforts of the Pompiers de Paris, the integrity of the structure was saved.
As President Macron stated, the time for reconstruction and restoration has come and will require the efforts of the entire world to come together to fund this daunting project. Major French businesses have pledged millions of euros but more will be needed.
If you would like to help rebuild and restore this masterpiece of Gothic art, consider donating HERE. All gifts are tax deductible in the United States.
Vive la France.
For More Information on the fire and the history of this monument:


Visitation: Viewing will take place at the funeral home on Monday, Dec. 30, 2013 from 4:00 to 8:00 Pm.
Funeral Service: A Funeral Mass will be held at Mother of God Church, 25585 Berg Rd. Southfield, MI 48033 on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013 at 9:00 Am.
Interment: will follow church services at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery,10 Mile & Beech Rd. in Southfield, Michigan.


Popular culture tells us: find the right person and fall in love. GOD tells us: become the right person and walk in love.
Talking to my best friend about our wedding is just the bee’s knees :)
glucosespheres said: Happy birthagainday! =D
Thank you Rebecca! :) Hope you’re doing well.
Today is my spiritual birthday! That glorious day when I was reconciled to God, became a new creation and was given the right to be called a daughter of the most High King.
I am fallen, flawed, and imperfect. Yet drenched in the grace and mercy that is found in Jesus Christ, there is strength.
I just want to be given an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
Anonymous asked: Can I ask what state you reside in? Maybe I know a church close
My fiancé and I have been trying out a bunch of churches and praying to see where God leads. We’d really like to find somewhere we can both plug in. I’m from California.
I’m dying to plug in with a good church and a good group of friends.
11 Words of Wisdom for Women of God
By Joyce Meyer
1. Always keep God first, and seek Him for who He is, not what He can do for you.
2. Take time regularly to examine your own heart and ensure that your motives are pure. Everything is determined by your motives.
3. Show respect for all people and make everyone feel valuable. Every human being is created in the image of God.
4. Be a very generous giver. Giving is the key to living.
5. Enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going. Be goal oriented, but do not miss the moment you are in.
6. Always remember where you came from. This will help you to stay humble.
7. Be Thankful in all things, even if not for all things.
8. The things you say are important. Do not underestimate the power of little throw away comments that can crush and hurt people.
9. Seek peace. You must pursue having peace on purpose. It is one of the most necessary things for enduring ministry .
10. Love God. When you truly love God, you will have a good relationship with yourself and then you will treat other people right.
11. What God says is important, not what man says. Do not be a people pleaser, but be a God pleaser.


“…for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
— Jeremiah 31:34
It’s a New Year — 2010. Maybe you make New Year’s resolutions, maybe you don’t. But for most people, the New Year signals a time for change, an opportunity to re-create our lives and our circumstances.
The Christian radio station I listen to (KMTC) told the top 10 New Year’s resolutions; nothing too surprising. It included things like lose weight, get fit, get out of debt — the usual stuff.
The thing is, with God, every moment can be a new beginning. We serve a God of new beginnings. In fact, he is so good to us, that I think we often just kind of gloss over it, because we truly don’t get it.
You know the old saying: “forgive and forget”. Well, for us, that’s easier said than done. In fact, I’d say it’s pretty impossible. We may forgive, but as much as we might try to forget, the memory of that person’s wrong is still there in our mind. We may not think about it much, and we may not ever talk about it, but it’s there. We don’t have God’s ability to “remember their sin no more”.
That’s why it’s so hard for us to believe that God loves us as much as he does. We look at all of the times we’ve failed. We look at our long laundry list and wonder how he could possibly forgive us. We compare our faults to those who are better than we are, and even though we know it isn’t true, we still feel that God must love them more than us because they are so much better.
We get caught up in the “works vs. faith” routine, and that’s a position we really don’t want to get ourselves into.
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Merry christmas quotes 2021
— Matthew 5:17
You see, Jesus fulfilled the law because he knew we couldn’t. He didn’t fulfill the law so that we wouldn’t have to follow it anymore, but so that we would be judged under a different set of circumstances. We aren’t judged by the letter of the law anymore, but we are covered by grace.
When God the Father looks at us, he doesn’t see us, he sees his son: faultless, sinless, perfect…
Do we really get that? Really?
Take a look at the Faith Hall of Fame (Hebrews 11). Look at the people listed there.
First we have Moses. He was a real hothead. In fact, he let his emotions take over and killed an Egyptian.
Or take Jacob. Jacob was a liar and a thief. He cheated his brother, Esau, out of his rightful inheritance.
Rahab of Jericho was a prostitute. Yet, she is in the lineage of Jesus.
What about king David? He had a man killed so that he have his wife.


We have a genuine burden for ministers, priest, Chaplains, and church workers as well as everyday Christians who desire a higher education.
Because of time constraints, inconvenience, or financial difficulties, many cannot attend a typical resident Bible College or Seminary. Recognizing these constraints, we realized the need for affordable, resident and non-resident interdenominational, Bible Colleges and Seminaries. We partitioned God for guidance and embarked on a journey to bring a relevant, affordable, and reputable Bible College to this area. Christian Heart Bible College and Seminary is here to Educate, Equip and Encourage men and women who have been called of God to teach and preach the Gospel message. This is our mandate and purpose.
From these humble beginnings we will grow until we have students across the United States and in several foreign countries.
Masters: Ministry, Divinity
More about CHBCS
CHBCS is a conservative, evangelical inter-denominational Christian college holding the truth that the whole Bible is the divinely inspired word of God. His word will be found at the center of each of our courses.
CHBCS was founded to make affordable degrees available to Christians from all walks of life and at all levels of ministry involvement. From Christian worker certificates to Master Degrees, CHBCS stands ready to help you reach your educational goals.
We are excited to be able to offer pre-approved, interest free payment plans, which can be customized to fit your budget.
To be admitted, all candidates are required to submit an application package. This package should contain:
- The completed application for enrolment
- A recent photo of yourself (family photos are acceptable)
- A resume of life work and ministry experience
- A statement of your salvation experience
- Application fee of $60 (check, money order or credit card)
- Transcripts from other colleges attended
- Copies of course completion certificates
- Other documentation of higher education
Applicants for admission are considered without regard to sex, age, color, national or ethnic origin, meeting the guidelines of the Civil Rights Act, Section 1984 and all other local and federal programs. Each prospective student is assessed according to academic background and experience
CHBCS accepts all individuals who seriously desire to increase their knowledge of the Word of God. The CHBCS application for enrollment must be sent to the admissions office. Upon receipt of complete application packet and application fee the admissions office will process the application. The student will be notified regarding acceptance and will be provided with a customized degree plan. Customized degree plans may be modified and are subject to student satisfaction. The application fee will be applied toward tuition or will be refunded if the applicant is not accepted for any reason.
RECEIVING TRANSFER CREDITS
CHBCS will accept in transfer all course credits from any reputable Christian institution. When possible, they will be applied to the student’s specific degree track. All credits from CHBCS branches training centers and affiliates will be accepted.
|CHFM MIT Course||$75|
|CHFM Lay Counselor||$75|
|CHFM Counseling Certificate (graduate)||$538|
*10% discount for full payment upon enrollment
CHBCS is a member of the National Accrediting Agency of Private Theological Institutions. Neither is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
CHBCS has chosen not to be affiliated with any state or federal governmental agency.


Creating a Liturgy Program at Notre Dame
Mathis put this insight into practice in 1942 with his Vigil service, an adaptation of the Office of Matins celebrated in English in preparation for the Sunday Eucharist. He held the vigil with small groups wherever he could: in the hospital chapel, over the Aquinas bookstore, in the tiny firehouse chapel on the campus, until it gained respectability through the Notre Dame Summer School of Liturgy.
That, too, was Mathis' brainchild, and one of his most enduring contributions. In 1947, he badgered university authorities into allowing him to hold a summer session in liturgy. It was for undergraduates only, and consisted of three courses: History of the Sacred Liturgy in the Latin Rite, Theory and Practice of Gregorian Chant, and a miscellany entitled Important Features of the Liturgy. By 1948, after working all one night to devise a curriculum to replace one rejected as "not academic enough," Mathis was given permission to launch a graduate school of liturgy, with these instructions from Notre Dame president, Fr. John Cavanaugh, C.S.C.: "Now, Mike, this must not be a one-horse affair. Go out and get the best professors and then get the money to pay for them."
Mathis obeyed Cavanaugh's instructions to the letter. Armed with funds provided by a former student of his, Michael P. Grace, he scoured Europe and the United States for the very best of the liturgical scholars. The summer faculty rosters he assembled read like a "Who's Who" of the liturgical movement. Pictured here are the 1955 faculty members: (l. to r.) Cornelius Bouman of Nijmegen, Holland; Fr. Mathis; Msgr. Martin Hellriegel; Gerald Ellard, sj (teacher and author); Ermin Vitry; and Johannes Hofinger, professor of liturgy, evangelization and the missions. Boniface Luykx, the Belgian Norbertine priest, with his controversial views on confirmation, was a frequent visitor.
It is unfortunate that, in the 1940's and 50's, no one thought liturgists or the liturgy program important enough to merit a file of photos in the University archives, though the list is long and impressive: Joseph Jungmann, Louis Bouyer, Jean Danielou, Balthasar Fischer, and Godfrey Diekmann are only a few of the scholars who taught here.


2 Timothy 3:12-4:8 - Be Prepared
Difficult Times Will Come
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.For among them are those who slip into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, worthless in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress; for their foolishness will be obvious to all, just as was that also of Jannes and Jambres.
Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil people and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.


“Thanks so much Gerry for the wonderful singing at Dad’s funeral mass yesterday. I felt he was up there singing with you for the Danny Boy!!!!! He would love that. Sorry I didn’t get to meet you this time but I’m sure our paths will cross again. Elizabeth…”
“Other soloists included … Gerry Noonan (baritone) whose rich tones were flattered by the sacred setting.” Independent.ie (Review of West Wicklow Choral Society’s Carol Service, 12th December, 2014).
“Gerry I would like to thank you for helping all my family yesterday to celebrate my Dad’s life with your beautiful voice. Without any doubt my Dad would have really enjoyed listening to you sing and especially for singing one of his favorite songs … You helped us all through what has been an extremely sad time for all the family. God Bless, Patricia…”
“…Achior (Gerry Noonan, whose clarity of diction and commanding presence was most impressive) is the Canaanite leader who warns the Jews of Holofernes’ plans…” From a review of John Gibson’s Judith and Holofernes, St Finn Barre’s Cathedral, April 2005. Declan Townsend, The Irish Examiner.


VERA BELLA has taken a break for the 2016-17 year.
Vera is Latin for True and Bella is Spanish for Beautiful. At Vera Bella we want girls to learn about the true nature of who they are created to be as beautiful daughters of God.
Vera Bella Catholic formation and fellowship program for girls who are both in the 8th through 12th grades and between the ages of 13-18. The program is designed to help young ladies discover the meaning of what makes them truly beautiful. True beauty is not just the face we see in a mirror, the weight we read on a scale, or the image we see in a popular magazine. True beauty comes from the inside out and seeks to be a light in the darkness. Authentic femininity is built on truth, beauty, goodness, and holiness and is accomplished through making a life-long habit of virtue.
Topics included in the Vera Bella Program are Theology of the Body, Femininity, Fashion, Chastity, Modesty, Charity, Love, Relationships, Truth, Physical Safety, Confidence, Speaking Skills, Beauty, Art, Life Issues, Forgiveness, Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance, Holiness, Humility and more!
To see what inspired Melanie Pritchard to start Vera Bella, read her blog here!
To read a letter of support from the Diocese of Phoenix, click here!
“She is far more precious than jewels…Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue…Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” (Scripture taken from Proverbs 31)
.© 2013 VERA BELLA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


The Duomo of Genoa, with its black and white facade, has stood out among the stores of the historic center for more than 1000 years. It is not only an example of Gothic architecture but a real treasure chest of mysteries and legends lost among the centuries...
The "Emerald" Sacred Basin
In the basement of the Duomo is kept the Sacred Basin, a bright green dish which is said to have been present during Jesus “Last Supper” with his apostles. The legend wanted it to be made of emerald and this only increased the eagerness around this relic, which was recovered and brought to the city by Genoese soldiers during the ancient Crusades.
San Giovanni “Tray”
Another artifact kept in the Cathedral is the "Tray of San Giovanni", a tray that legend places at the famous banquet of Herod around 50 AD. It is said, in fact, that it was used to lay the head of St. John the Baptist after his decapitation by Herod himself, at the whim of Princess Salome.
The mysterious bas-relief of the dog
On the front facade of the cathedral it is possible to observe a small bas-relief depicting a resting dog. It would be a dedication of a craftsman engaged in the construction of the cathedral who wanted to dedicate a tribute for the recent loss of his four-legged friend
Legends never end...
These are just some of the myths and legends that enrich the charm of Genoa and unfortunately words are not enough to narrow everything. The best thing is to come and visit us, book one of our rooms a few steps from the center and discover that Genoa has everything you've always wanted


2 edition of Lent and Me found in the catalog.
Lent and Me
January 2004 by Liguori Publications .
Written in English
|The Physical Object|
|Number of Pages||24|
Mdrs School Directory New York 2001-2002 (Mdrs School Directory New York)
Environmental cooperation, GLOBE program
Issues in Contemporary Legal Philosophy
Visit to New Zealand in 1898
Agreement with Yuma Indians in California.
First clinical ecology cookbook
role of E.G.R.U. in mineral exploration in South Africa
chronicles of George Boustronios
rising of the moon.
What Every Teacher Should Know About Student Assessment (Tileston, Donna Walker. What Every Teacher Should Know About--, 7.)
When in doubt, I would use ‘lent’ instead of ‘loaned’ (which to me sounds uneducated and ‘slangy’). ‘I lent him my book’. ‘May you lend me some money?’ ‘She lent me her book.’ ‘She lent me some money.’ Eleanor on pm. Great clarification. Thanks.
Renee Marino on. Loan and lend also have identical meanings when they’re used in the past tense. For instance, you could say, “The bank loaned me money at six percent interest,” or “The bank lent me the money at 6 percent interest.” Either one is correct.
Loan is both a noun and a verb. The Great Lent and Me, by Fr Bishoy Kamel, takes you on a week-by-week journey of each Sunday Gospel read during the Great Lent. Each chapter of this book Fr Bishoy contemplates on a different theme of the Gospel readings that will guide you in your own spiritual journey and explains how it can transform your : Fr Bishoy Kamel.
I love a book that helps me learn something, anything, and this one took me through Renaissance history, art, theology, Milton, Dante, and, um, ok, yeah, Groundhog Day. The first pages is quite close to the historical record of Savonarola and Florence ("give or take a few demons and the holy grail," as Walton puts it) but then Lent and Me book goes into 4/5.
Bent and lent rhyme, so as long as you can remember the rhyme, you shouldn’t have trouble remembering to use lent as the past tense of the verb lend. Summary Is it lended or lent.
Lend is an English verb that gets conjugated in an irregular was. Lent is the correct conjugation of lend. Lended is an incorrect conjugation of lend. During the loan period, you're not able to read the loaned book. Go to the Manage Your Content and Devices and locate the title you'd like to loan.; Select the Actions button then select Loan this title on your eligible title.; Enter the recipient's personal email address and optional message then select Send.; Select Send now and a book loan notification is sent to the recipient.
NOOK Books that can be lent have a LendMe icon on the cover image in your account's Library. Please note: NOOK Magazines and NOOK Newspapers cannot be lent or borrowed. Click here for more information about lending, borrowing, and the LendMe feature.
To Lend a NOOK Book from Your Account: 1. A lent book is automatically returned at the beginning of the 15th calendar day (if the borrower has not already returned it prior to that date). • When you lend a book, you temporarily lend the digital rights to the book.
This means that during the period when the lending offer is pending and while the book is lent, you cannot Lent and Me book it.
Make sure you want to lend the book. Lendable NOOK books can only be lent once. You can also only lend one book at a time. In addition, you cannot read the book while it is being lent—you must wait until it is returned or until the 14 day lending period has ended (whichever comes first).
For these reasons, be cautious about lending books. Make sure that your NOOK friend will be Views: 32K. Jesus replies, with a twinkle in his eye, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree.” Lent is a time to slow down and journey with Jesus through his life, death, and resurrection.
Under the Fig Tree is a book of 46 drawings, photographs, and paintings inspired by Lenten themes, readings, and stories for each day of Lent and Holy.
Lent books bring into focus exactly what Lent is all about for Catholics. Catholic books for lent provide Catholics with resources to personalize and deepen their Lenten experience. Reading these books aids Catholics in fully grasping the meaning of Lent and the Easter Season. Topics include explanations for the reason for Lent and the many traditions that surround it.
‘One of my managers at work has lent me his camera to play with.’ ‘Luckily I was still pretty smart and someone lent me a tie.’ ‘Bill lent me a copy of his latest book and I have to tell you I laughed until I cried reading this book.’ ‘When I arrived, I was lent a small cap; my.
Lend or borrow. - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary. They are two different verbs: "to lend" is conjugated "lend, lent, have lent", and "to loan" is conjugated "loan, loaned, have loaned".
According to Merriam-Webster, the verb to loan has died out in the U.K. This is corroborated by Google Ngrams, although it now appears to have been reintroduced from AmE.
Thus, for BrE, your wife is correct. Lent, in Christianity, a period of penitential preparation for Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday in Western churches. Lent is observed for 40 days, in imitation of Jesus Christ’s fast in the wilderness, and focuses on fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.
Learn more about the history and traditions of Lent. (shelved 2 times as nook-lend-me-books) avg rating — 6, ratings — published You lend something to somebody.
In other words, you give something to someone for a limited time. Lend is often followed by a personal pronoun e.g. me/her/us. Read these sentences and decide whether they need lend or borrow.
Some of them may require the verb to be in the past tense so make sure you pay attention. Lesson by Caroline Devane. From fantastical adventures and the collected works of saints to exhortations on rap music and even marketing books, here are some titles that carried us.
Lent for Everyone, Matthew Year A, N.T. Wright: N.T. Wright is a popular biblical scholar whose work has helped me in my own faith reimagining. In this book he “provides his own Scripture translation, brief reflection, and a prayer for each day of the season, helping readers ponder how the text is relevant to their own lives.”.
The book is being lent, so the book is the direct object. Me is who the book is lent to, so me is the indirect object. Lent is the verb, and he is the subject, but I guess you had figured that out yourself.
Lend or borrow. - gramática inglés y uso de palabras en "English Grammar Today" - Cambridge University Press. Each book can be lent once for a loan period of days and the lender cannot read the book during the loan period.
Additionally, not all e-books will be lendable – this is solely up to the. - Explore Deb Living Montessori Now's board "Lent", followed by people on Pinterest. See more ideas about Lent, Easter activities, Lenten activities pins. The Lenten Calendar.
Because Lent begins in the West 46 days before Easter (and, in the East, two days earlier), and Easter is a moveable feast (see How Is the Date of Easter Calculated. for more details), the period covered by Lent changes every year. Roughly speaking, Lent begins sometime in February or March, and ends sometime in March or it encompasses two important feasts.
InLent recounted for Bates Magazine how Barrows, perhaps recalling his WPA experience, suggested that a mural would do just fine on the wall above a walkway leading into Memorial Commons. Lent was the artist he had in mind for the job. But for Lent, the space, which both sloped and curved, presented a challenge.
“As I was the book, I felt like it really lent itself to discussion and dialogue,” Cowley said. “Even as someone who studies race and racism, there are ideas in the book that push me to.
Here is a list of my belongings currently out on loan: one pair of denim shorts, an embroidered picnic blanket, a bicycle helmet, a corkscrew, an Ikea drill and its corresponding case of accoutrements, several hundred ballpoint pens, an A.P.C.
sundress, and one copy of Toni Morisson’s Sula, lent, impulsively, to a pseudo-boyfriend nearly a decade ago. Come; Follow Me Coloring Book for Lent and Easter Jesus called his first disciples with a very simple invitation. “Come, Follow Me,” Jesus said, and those faithful fishermen dropped their nets to go where Jesus led.
We receive the same invitation each. Title: Author: Unknown Created Date: Wednesday, Ma PM. Help your students to have an organized, focused, and intentional Lent by creating your own Catholic Lent Lapbook. Using the Bible, students will learn about the events of Holy Week. They will also focus on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving for kids.
Stations of the Cross mini cards will be helpful as they pray this devotion. Read more and see this beautiful resource up close. The Lenten season starts on February 26th and ends on April 9th. Take time to prepare your heart and mind for Easter during the 40 days of Lent.
These books, DVDs, and music can enhance your time of spiritual reflection. Examples for using the past conjugations of lend would be: John lent me his bicycle.
The bank lent me the money needed to purchase the car. He lent out his computer so he doesn’t have one right now. The present participle for both words follow a similar structure.
For borrow, this would be borrowing and for lend, it would be lending. Great Lent is the spiritual springtime of the year. Through fasting and prayer we get back to the basics of our spiritual life. Every week of lent the church teaches us a lesson about a certain aspect of our spiritual life.
Great Lent and me will help the reader go through this journey week by week. Yes, in one sense, Lent can be a blessing, since it is when Christ and the whole church suddenly join me amidst the darkness in solidarity. But in other ways, I can become a little annoyed and.
This resource communicates the message of Lent and Easter through the lifecycle of a butterfly. Luckily, someone taught me how to lend a Kindle book and share the reading love.
It’s true: Amazon allows you to share certain Kindle books with anyone you want, as long as you have the email address associated with their Amazon account. There are some pros and cons to lending Kindle books, which I’ll describe below before going into the.
For another Lent, we focused on Passion Week from the book of John. We got permission from Faith Alive Christian Resources to create a prayer book based on Seeking God’s Face. We used construction paper to make simple symbols from John’s gospel—like.
disciples of Christ. That question became the basis for “Come, Follow Me,” a sermon and study series published by the South Carolina Conference in That study followed discipleship growth in the apostle Peter.
Now comes another series for use during the season of Lent. Choir sheet music & musicals for Lent & Easter. Simple series selections and top rated arrangements for all sizes of congregations and events.
A 4-Song Musical Presentation for Resurrection Sunday Choral Book. Marty Parks. Marty Parks. Word Music / / Trade Paperback. $ Retail: $ Save 8% ($) Availability: Expected to ship on.
Lent Flip BookThe Lent Flip Book includes a cover and six tabs about Lent. It includes information about the the events of ts will activate both hemispheres of the brain at the same time with this visual activity. This stimulates new learning, visual connections, and better retention of t.
Synonym for borrow I borrowed money from my friend. He lent her a book. I rent my house from my landlord Mrs Harrison.
I got a loan from the bank to cover the cost of my car. I signed the lease my landlord gave me so I could rent the house.
I hope these help!:)|borrow When you borrow something you will give it back afterwards. You can borrow books from a library.


We sat on Lyndsi Shae’s bed and while she organized her closet, she told me about him. About their history, the letters she was writing him, the things she loved about him, but also the specks of confusion that made her wonder how things would turn out. We’d have conversations like this a lot, because our lives were big and up in the air and lots of times we just wondered how things would end up. We wondered over greasy grilled cheese when I had broken up with Jared. We wondered while we looked for apartments and couldn’t feel right about any of them, singing along to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, free and trying to love our lives in the middle of all the unknowns.
I love this woman, in so many more words than I can say here. I’ve felt so much with her. She has a quiet way of letting you be safe, to open up and think and feel, to stand up and acknowledge how hugenormous your revelations and talents and life mission are. Our hearts are wild and our souls are nourished by writing and singing gospel music at the top of our lungs.
So I knew that whatever man ended up lucky enough to live out life and eternity with this amazing woman would not be there by luck at all, but because he fit her perfectly. And Ken just does. Six years brimming with letters, a couple missions, walking barefoot together, a few other relationships, and their deep friendship led them to the point of knowing how wonderful they were and would be together. And the biggest together starts on June 16th.
Meet Lyndsi Shae and Ken, two of the most soulful, loving, open-hearted people to grace the world with their love.
Lyndsi Shae, have I ever told you properly how incredibly beautiful you are?
Lyndsi Shae and Ken, it was so magical to spend the afternoon with the two of you. I am so thrilled for your wedding! So much love.


On February 27, Bishop Michael Côté blessed the new administrative center of Saint-Sacrement parish and the renovated Saint-Bernard parish center.
Father Rick, Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish addressed the parish on this great occasion. From his homily to the Mass of Benediction, Father Rick shared these words.
Jesus speaks of our need to bear good fruit. We are called to use our time, talents and resources in ways that make a positive difference in the lives of others. We pray that our words and especially our actions will have a positive impact on our world, our homes, our Church and our community.
The call to make a positive difference goes beyond our individual need to grow and bear fruit – Christ also asks us to make His Church strong, vibrant, growing and welcoming.
Strong parishes, however, do not happen by accident. This requires a concentrated effort from our whole religious family. Certainly, the grace of God is always available, but we must cooperate with it. We must offer our time, our God-given talent, and our resources to build up His Church. And that’s the key phrase – His Church.
I believe we are truly blessed as a parish. We have two vibrant campuses and great people who willingly step forward and sacrifice themselves for the greater good of our community of devotees. One of our strengths is that we realize we are a work in progress. We accept the fact that we have to grow – that we don’t have all the answers, but we know who has them and that’s why we always look to Him first. When we cooperate with His Grace, we will bear good fruit.
Certainly, through the new Blessed Sacrament administrative offices and the new St. Bernard Parish Center, we recognize that an example of good fruit is found in the work we do for our parish. The need for this two-year project became more evident when we reflected on our parish mission: as a Catholic family, we are called by Christ to create and nurture in prayer a vibrant community centered on the Eucharist and dedicated to service, spirituality and evangelization. .
Simple and clear, we have outgrown our aging buildings. Many of our people were unable to participate in our programs because we had aging buildings that were not handicap accessible. It was also very difficult trying to administer our parish with its two campuses from a building that found staff crammed into a rectory that – no matter how hard we tried – could never be an effective central office for our large parish. We had buildings that were held together with duct tape and a prayer – not to mention the constant cost of repair work. Ultimately, it was becoming more and more difficult to create a vibrant growing community with our facilities. And so, we prayed and planned, and worked very hard and planned even more – until we ended up where we are today.
Our dream of having what we have now was only made possible by the generosity of a few kind benefactors who loved their God and His Church, the diligent work of our Endowment and Finance Committee, and the generous sharing of your time. , your talent and your treasure. As the Gospel shares, “A good person from the store of goodness in his heart produces good, for out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”
I like this!
Our churches are more than Sunday morning meeting places – they are a beautiful oasis of God’s grace filling our hearts, strengthening our resolve and inspiring our dreams and hope for a better future. Today more than ever, we must bear good fruit for a starving world.
Thank you all for your prayers, support and encouragement during this exciting expansion of our parish. The interesting thing about bearing fruit, however, is that it is not a one-time event – it is, in the eyes of Christ, a lifelong commitment. So stay strong as faithful individuals and have the courage to be a witness to that faith in your community and in your Church. Let’s fill this new parish center with life, creativity, good works, education, laughter, faith, vision and compassion.
The addition of an administrative center provides office space for parish staff and moves parish offices out of the presbytery which is now the priests’ residence. The renovation of the parish center reused many elements of the school and incorporated the stained glass windows of the former convent.
by Deacon Michael Berstene


Father Owen Moran of St. Rose of Lima Church in East Hanover called on Catholics to pray for Pope Benedict XVI as he announced his decision to resign for health reasons effective Feb. 28.
"We have great affection for our Holy Father Pope Benedict. He’s been a tremendous pope for almost eight years, and we want to support him with our prayers and our love as he makes the difficult decision to retire," Moran said Monday.
Pope Benedict is the first pontiff in nearly 600 years to resign. When the College of Cardinals elects a new pope in conclave, the election is usually for life.
Born Joseph Ratzinger on April 16, 1927, in Bavaria, Germany, he was a cardinal under Pope John Paul II. "As Cardinal Ratzinger, he was very close to Pope John Paul and he worked with the pope when he was aging and quite ill. He was able to assist the Holy Father a lot," Moran said.
"I would suggest that maybe Pope Benedict doesn’t want to rely on someone. I think he would rather rely on the Holy Spirit and the cardinals to find a younger man and lead us in the future," Moran said.
Priests usually retire at age 70, Moran said, and Ratzinger became pope at age 78. "An 85-year-old man realizes his body isn’t as strong as it was when he [was] in his late 70s," Moran said. "I think we grow older sometimes without noticing it. If you look at a picture of yourself eight years ago, we've all aged. And when somebody is consumed by what they do, we can't not give 100 percent of who we are."
When asked if this kind of resignation may become more common as life expectancy increases and modern medicine improves, Moran said he believes it is possible.
As Pope he held up bans against divorce, birth control, stem cell research, gay marriage, married priests, female priests and homosexuality.
He also expressed shame at clerical sex abuse, including once on a trip to the U.S., and made overtures to the Jewish community in the U.S. and in Germany. His first foreign trip from the Vatican was to Germany, where he visited a synagogue. When he visited the Blue Mosque in Istanbul he prayed next to a Muslim cleric.
Pope Benedict was elected on April 19, 2005. He was the first German pope to lead the Roman Catholic Church since the 11th century.
The last pope to resign was Gregory XII in 1415.


Baby’s First Read and Learn Bible features eight timeless stories from the Old and New Testament including: the Creation, The Story of Noah, The Nativity, and Jesus and the Children. Purchase today at Walmart.com, only $5.00, regularly priced $5.99 + Free Store Pickup!
Illustrated in full color, this is a perfect introduction to the Bible for the youngest of children.
My First Read and Learn Bible features eight timeless stories from the Old and New Testaments, including Genesis, the story of Noah, the Nativity, and Jesus and the Children.
With tender full-color illustrations, a padded cover, and sturdy cardstock pages, this Bible will delight your child for years to come.Page TurnersThoughtful illustrations and simple language make this a perfect introduction to the Bible.
Timeless stories for children and parents to share
- ISBN13: 9780439651288
- Publisher: Scholastic
- Publication Year: 2006
- Format: Board Book
- Pages: 37


Many people believe that the Parable of the Talents given by Jesus to His disciples is referring to the consequences of what happens to Christians when they don’t use the spiritual gifts that they have been given. But in this insightful message, Pastor Shaun Walker unlocks this passage in Luke 25 and brings out the truth of what Jesus was really saying when he spoke this Parable.
In this message you will discover what you have already been given through your relationship with Jesus. I pray that this simple message will bring fresh revelation and will help you to understand what is already in your hands through Jesus finished work!
Click Here to download the Audio MP3!
Typhoons, earthquakes, Tsunami’s, fires, floods or terrorist attacks are NOT the works of God!
The recent disasters that have been occurring around the world have led to much talk, and many blog posts and Facebook status’ attributing these disasters to having been God’s handiwork. It always saddens me when disaster strikes that people start declaring God’s judgment upon that country or situation because of what happened. All too often many innocent lives are lost and property is destroyed, even amongst believers (blood, bought New Covenant children of God). I know that God doesn’t need anyone to defend Him so I am not posting on this from that viewpoint but instead from a passion to teach on the Goodness of God and on the amazing New Covenant we have through the finished work of Jesus!
P.S. If you are not convinced that God is Good then watch my YouTube video: Jesus: The Answer for suffering.


Freedom Is Calling – Let Us Go Out To Greet It
God brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, an outstretched arm, with great awe, signs and wonders. (Deuteronomy XXVI: 8)
For many of us the re-telling of the liberation of the Children of Israel from bondage echoes the stories of our struggle for liberation from persecution and hiding due to our sexual orientation. As with the telling of the Passover story, it is incumbent on each of us to consider ourselves as if each one of us personally was part of all of the struggles for liberation. To remember and honor those who gave their lives so that we might face a brighter future.
Like the Children of Israel before us we come out to freedom from bondage through a mighty hand, an outstretched arm, with great awe, signs and wonders.
With a mighty hand… We are discovering our voices and our political strength
With an outstretched arm… We are reaching out to embrace our families of origin and our families of choice
With great awe… We are reclaiming our religion and finding our spiritual home
With signs and wonders … God set a rainbow in the sky as a sign of an eternal covenant that the waters would no more become a flood to destroy life. We have adopted the rainbow as a symbol of our covenant to one another that hatred and bigotry will no longer be allowed to flood our world and destroy the lives of our people.
This year weak and vulnerable
Next year courageous and united in strength
This year afraid and alone
Next year comforted by the warmth of community
This year in darkness and hiding
Next year in freedom and light
This year in searching for meaning and direction
Next year leading our way toward a dream of acceptance, peace, hope and healing


Faith in Florida (FIF) is about people, power, and change. Through a network of congregations in South, Central and North Florida, FIF brings people of faith together, across lines of race and faith, to act in a unified moral voice for racial, economic, and environmental justice. Sign up to get updates on all of the work we are doing!
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A Call to Repentance in the Midst of a Racial Justice Uprising
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John R. Allison, 88, of Pontiac, IL passed away at 8:30 am on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at his home in rural Pontiac, IL.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, March 11, 2017 at First United Methodist Church in Pontiac with Pastor Tom Goodell officiating. Visitation will be held from 3:00 to 7:00 pm on Friday, March 10, 2017 at First United Methodist Church in Pontiac. Burial will follow services at South Side Cemetery in Pontiac, IL. Memorial contributions may be made to Livingston County Relay for Life or First United Methodist Church in Pontiac. Calvert & Martin Funeral Home in Pontiac, is handling arrangements for the family.
John was born May 17, 1928 in Pontiac, Illinois the son of John H. and Louise E. (Scott) Allison. He attended Taylor School in rural Pontiac and graduated from Pontiac Township High School.
He married his high school sweetheart, Joy K. Asper on September 11, 1946. They spent many wonderful years together until cancer took her away. He later married Anna Leona Allen on December 8, 2001 in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
John was a lifetime farmer. He also worked part-time at Wright’s Furniture for many years.
He was one of the founders of the Thresherman’s Blue Grass Festival. John was a lifetime member of the First United Methodist Church in Pontiac, serving on a multitude of committees. John and Joy ran the Saturday Night Roller Skate at the Methodist Church for many years. Playing the harmonica brought him great joy, as he played on stage at various venues and nursing homes. Most of all, he enjoyed playing his harmonica for his grandchildren and great grandchildren and they loved to hear and watch him play.
John is survived by his wife: Leona Allison of Pontiac, IL; his daughters: Margaret (Bob) Janssen of Pontiac, IL, Barbara (Thomas) Dixon of Barnett, MO, and Janet (Steve) Tronc of Berea, KY; one son: James (Julie) Allison of Cerro Gordo, IL; his stepsons: Eddie (Mitzi) Allen of Hodgenville, KY and Randy Allen of East View, KY; one granddaughter: Theresa Lopeman (Louis) Cortese of Las Vegas, NV; his grandsons: Robert (Jenn) Dixon of Decatur, IL, Richard Todd (Amanda Sabin) Lopeman of Berkeley, CA, Jonathan (Kristi) Tronc of Plainfield, IN, and Joshua (Lillie) Tronc of Richmond, KY; his step granddaughters: Jennifer (Jason) Waldschmidt, and Melissa (Joe) Pina both of Pontiac, IL, Jodi (Eric) Gardner of Midland, MI, Jacki (Travis) Brangers and Tiffany (Patrick) Arnold of Rineville, KY; his step-grandsons: John (Christine) Betts of Milan, OH, Eric (Jenny) Allen of Hodgenville, KY, and Bryan (Emilie Bell) Allen of Buffalo, KY; his great grandkids: Jakob, Justin, Sam, and Emma Grieff, Megan (JJ) Kessberger, Elena, Carmen, Nora, Santi Pina, Ryder and Fiona Lopeman, Chelsea (Shaun) Holt, Carson Cortese, Delaney and Dresden Dixon, Allison and Madeline Tronc, Wesley Wattenberger, Libby and Abby Gardner, Clayton and Connor Betts, Henry and Annie Allen, Cash and Paxton Brangers; one great grandson: Hendrix Holt. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife: Joy; and one step daughter-in-law: Teresa “Charlie” Allen.