America is coming to an end....or is it?
I have sat back and watched my Facebook feed fill with my Christians friends' rants about the upcoming election. Cruz is out, Kasich is out, and according to many of my friends, America is doomed. America, apparently, is being punished for her evil ways, by being given two candidates, (because we all know Bernie will not make it), who are allegedly evil and corrupt.
I am not here to debate which candidate is better or worse, or "which of the two evils we should choose" or if it is even biblical to "choose two evils." I am not here to tell you which candidate I am going to vote for or which you should vote for.
I'm here to challenge your view of America.
America is not an inherently Christian nation, as so many say it is. Some of our founding fathers were Christians and may have been moral people, but off the top of my head, I can tell you George Washington was a Mason, Benjamin Franklin was not a Christian, and Thomas Jefferson literally cut the parts out of the Bible he did not like and made his own.
If the American Revolution happened today, would you decry it as unbiblical and ungodly? If someone were to say, "I dislike like the way Washington DC is running things, it's not fair," and started a war over it, would you stand behind them?
Our founding fathers valued freedom. Yes, they valued religious freedom, of course, but they also valued economic freedom, freedom of speech, and a government that was in check. They did not create a Christian nation. They created a free nation, where Christianity has thrived. We have been blessed with revivals but our governmental infrastructure is not found in the Bible. Our founding fathers created an incredible model, sought after by many other nations, where people have the opportunity to pursue their dreams, an economy where capitalism is supposed to thrive, and where people should be able to worship the way they choose. They created a government where the general population can have some say in what happens...something entirely unheard of in biblical times. And the Lord has blessed that.
Are we being punished for our lack of morals?
Nations are used for the benefit and glory of the Lord. He blessed the United States of America for His own purposes. Nations rise and fall and no one nation, no matter how amazing, will stay at the top forever. If you take a quick look at Rome, a terribly perverse and morally corrupt nation, you will see that they were highly successful at dominating the known world. And they were not followers of God. Yet God used them and their world domination to spread the gospel. Even in New Testament times, Rome was incredibly debauched and horrible-they make America's general lack of morality look tame- yet they did not fall for another four hundred years. If you would like to call doomsday because things are not going as you would like them to, then go ahead. But remember, no one knows the future. And no one can know or understand the mind of God.
So what to do?
Like I said before, I am not here to tell you which candidate to vote for. And I am not going to tell you which candidate I am going to vote for. I am going to tell you that I am not voting for my pastor or spiritual leader. I am voting for my president. So I am going to vote for the person who upholds and respects my constitution the most.
I am going to vote for the candidate who best embodies the ideals of my founding fathers: economic freedom, religious freedom, freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and small government, to put it in a nutshell. I am going to vote for the candidate who will allow me to provide best for my family and raise my children best. Yes, I am a Christian and I would love to see abortion abolished and any small amounts of persecution squashed. But I am also an American and I value my freedoms very much. I strongly believe socialism must be stopped and capitalism must be encouraged for our country to thrive. Vote for whomever your conscience allows you to. But remember, America is not our savior. This world is not our true home. And word on the street says it is pretty easy to immigrate to New Zealand.


A Rose Blooms Among the Thorns is a powerful story. It brought me to tears several times. The main character, LaRae, escapes an abusive husband only to spend her life running for her life, escaping from him repeatedly. He is never far away, and his words ring in her ears; “You can run but you can’t hide. I will always find you, no matter where you go.”
A gut-wrenching story of abuse and redemption, hatred and love, A Rose will grip you in a way that few stories do. At various times I found myself hating her husband and wanting him dead, or terrified for her safety and screaming at her to get out now!
And that’s just the first half of the book. The rest will warm your heart, anger you to the core, and fill you with thankfulness for our loving God. Bet you can’t put this one down.


Ethics at the Edges of Law makes the case that religious moralists should treat the discipline of law as a valuable conversation partner, rather than reducing it to a vehicle for enforcing judgments about morality and public policy. Religious moralists should treat the secular law as a source of moral wisdom and conceptual insight, in the same way that they treat the discipline of philosophy. Cathleen Kaveny develops her argument by showing how the work of a range of important contemporary figures in Christian ethics, including John Noonan, Stanley Hauerwas, and Margaret Farley, can be enriched and illuminated by engagement with particular aspects of the American legal tradition. The book is divided into three parts: Part I, "Narratives and Norms," examines how the workings of the legal tradition can shed light on the development of religious and moral traditions. Part II, "Love, Justice, and Law," uses particular legal cases and controversies to advance questions about the relationship of love and justice in Christian ethics. Part III, "Legal Categories and Theological Problems," shows how legal categories and concepts can help reframe and even resolve particular moral controversies within religious communities. Ethics at the Edges of Law jumpstarts a fruitful, mutually engaged conversation between the American legal tradition and the tradition of Christian ethics.
Cathleen Kaveny is the Darald and Juliet Libby Professor of Law and Theology at Boston College. She came to Boston College in 2014 after teaching for many years at the University of Notre Dame. She is a past president of the Society of Christian Ethics and chair of the board of trustees of the Journal of Religious Ethics.
Table of Contents
Part I Narratives and Norms
Chapter 1 Tradition and Development
- Engaging John T. Noonan, Jr.
Chapter 2 Creation and Covenant
- Engaging Stanley Hauerwas
Chapter 3 Examples and Rules
-Engaging Jeffrey Stout
Part II Love, Justice, and Law
Chapter 4 Neighbor Love and Legal Precedent
- Engaging Gene Outka
Chapter 5 Compassionate Respect and Victims' Voices
- Engaging Margaret Farley
Chapter 6 Covenant Fidelity and Culture Wars
- Engaging Paul Ramsey
Part III Legal Categories and Theological Problems
Chapter 7 Juridical Insights and Theological Disputes
- Engaging Robert E. Rodes, Jr.
Chapter 8 Second Chances and Statutes of Limitations
- Engaging Walter Kasper
Chapter 9 Legalism and Christian Ethics
- Engaging Grisez and Engelhardt


“Once in a while, it really hits people that they don’t have to experience life in the way they’ve been told to.” -Alan Knightly
I admit, my life has been easy by some peoples standards. I have never been without food, water, shelter, or an abundance of people who love and care for me.
I say that as a preface because what I want this post to reflect may come off as ungrateful to the people of my past. Trust me, I am not ungrateful. I am thankful beyond words for my life, even the valleys in recent years. They have shown me a great deal and I’m fearful for where I’d be without them.
Looking back, my life before college was extremely black and white. “This is wrong, this is right, that is bad, that is good”, etc. Maybe everyone gets to college and realizes that there is way, WAY more to life than we’ve been told, but I was floored. I expected the party scene, the grabby frat guys, and some odd balls. What I didn’t see coming was my love for all of them.
I showed up, dove into the navigators program (basically a college youth group), and thought continuing who I had been would make me happy. It didn’t. Granted, I was going through a major personal struggle my freshman year, but that aside, I still wasn’t happy. Not even close.
So I quit. I quit navigators. I quit eating. I quit praying. I quit going to class. I quit reading my Bible. I quit trying to keep in touch with friends and family. I was done pretending.
Well you guessed it, none of that made me happy either. In fact, it led me to a very dark place. A place I am still haunted by and sometimes struggle to stay away from. I stopped for a month. An entire month of hardly being able to get out of bed, turning my phone off for days so no one would bother me, and just being silent.
To this day, it still blows my mind how much I grew in that time. I didn’t know it then, but I was changing rapidly. Realizing that maybe what I had been taught was wrong. And that hurt. That is what put me in bed for four long weeks.
Loving people is not about inviting them to church, or youth camp, or giving them a Bible, or sending them to a food pantry. Loving people is about treating them like they are no different than you. Coming to that realization changed me radically. It is what we are ‘taught’ growing up, but is it really? Because what I recall is being rewarded for bringing people into my lifestyle and praised when they converted to be just like ‘us’. Sounds an awful lot like a cult to me…okay that was a little dramatic. But you get my point?!
Why is it so hard to love people for who they are? I have gay and lesbian friends that I love so dearly I could call them family. I have friends who drink to excess four out of the seven days of the week and I love them! I love my friends that sometime sleep with three different guys in a weekend.
On a less extreme (and slightly laughable) note, I overheard a sermon on TV last weekend talking about girls with several earrings in one ear and how “they don’t realize they don’t have to live like that.” Oh my WORD. I could’ve just grabbed him by the shoulders and shaken him. Do you not realize the majority of people didn’t grow up in a family with two parents who loved each other and a white picket fence in the suburbs and went to church twice a week and took mission trips and shit?! People have struggles! Whew I am fired up.
I am still unsure where my faith fits into all of this, however I do know the Bible is very clear about loving people. It hurts me to think of all the people being taught the same things I was. We are no different. I could point out what some would call ‘serious’ struggles in dozens of church members I grew up with. How is struggling inside the church walls ignored but outside it will send you straight to hell unless you repent? Hypocrisy is the word you’re looking for there by the way, you’re welcome.
Well I think I have successfully ranted my way into losing followers, so with this I leave you: love because the world is not black and white, it is saturated with color. It is beautiful.
Peace and love, Leah


Christianity is divided into various denominations, which, over time, became divided into different branches. Each of these different branches interprets the New Testament in its own way and has developed its own practices. However, the great majority of them consider the trinity to be the essence of their belief.
A few of these groups rejected this belief and, as a result, were fought and persecuted as heretics by the proponents of the trinity, who were always in the majority and gradually converted the Christian world, forcibly or otherwise, to this belief. Apart from certain minority groups we shall be seeing in the sections that follow, the belief in the trinity was generally accepted in, or imposed on, the Christian world.
As has been made clear from the start of this book, belief in the trinity is in complete contradiction to the Qur'an. Statements in the New Testament clearly reveal that at no time did Prophet Jesus (pbuh) ever make such a claim, or even implied that he was part of a triune God. Personally, he always praised and glorified God. In any case, this is one area on which present-day opponents of belief in the trinity concentrate the most—on the fully human nature of Prophet Jesus (pbuh).
The life of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) refutes the Trinity
For centuries, the information in the New Testament about Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) life, message, and wise advice has been ignored, because belief in the trinity confuses people to such an extent that they accord him divine status and hope that he will help them.
According to the Qur'an, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is a messenger sent by God to warn people and to perform the miracles that He willed until his ascension to God's presence. Although born in a miraculous fashion, he lived like all other people. Like them, he came into existence by God saying Be! and, as a human being, realized his complete dependency upon God. His human characteristics are described, with various examples, in the Qur'an and the New Testament. For example, our Lord states in Surat al-Ma'ida:75 that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and Mary ate food, meaning that they were not angels, but human beings just like everyone else.
There are many examples of references to Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) human characteristics in the New Testament. Some of these are as follows:
The birth of Prophet Jesus, his lineage, and family
The New Testament contains several statements about Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) lineage and birth: He (pbuh) is descended from the line of Prophet David (pbuh), and was born and raised (in other words, known) among his people.


Partway through the year last year, I was called to be one of the two Gospel Doctrine teachers in my ward. I was, unfortunately,
called just after the class finished studying the Gospels in the New Testament, so I ended up cutting my teeth as a teacher
the epistles, not always an easy task. I admit that I do not know the New Testament as well as I should, so I looked forward
to this year’s study of the Book of Mormon, which I am more familiar with.
Of course, that familiarity can also be a trouble spot.
We as humans tend to like the familiar and the comfortable, especially when it comes to matters of faith. We often want to
respond with, “I’ve never heard that before,” whenever someone teaches a new insight, as if the newness of it to us is the
biggest argument against such a thing being right or true.
With the Book of Mormon, I would expect that most of the members of the church are familiar with its contents at least as far
as our standard lesson manuals try to take us. I think it is easy to take the path of teaching only what is
already familiar to the class.
Since I have only been teaching a short time, I have not yet fully developed my methods and philosophies of teaching, but I do
have some approaches that I try to follow in preparing the lesson.
1. My primary lesson material is the section of Scripture we are studying.
Whatever I am teaching must square with what the scriptures actually say. So, the first order of business in preparing a lesson
is to become very familiar with the section we are scheduled to study. For me, this means both reading the section assigned, and then listening to it many times as I commute to work.
2. Ask the Lord.
It is impossible to teach properly without having the spirit of the Lord with you. Every ward and every class is different.
He knows what the members need much better than I do, so I pray and ask that he will lead me to teach those things that are most
beneficial for my class to know.
3. Use non-canonical resources to aid in understanding.
By non-canonical, I mean anything outside the scriptures. I have used alternate bible translations, bible commentaries,
conference talks, books, blogs, etc. in my search to understand what is involved in the section of study.
In my approach, the lesson manual falls into this category. I treat it as a help and an aid, not the final say on exactly how
and what must be taught. If the intent was to teach exactly the same material in exactly the same way each week, the church
could easily produce and distribute video lessons for us to use instead of a live teacher.
4. When teaching, use the scriptures as much as possible, and use any thing else rarely.
I believe that as a teacher, I have a very strict responsibility to teach the truth as purely as I am able to do. The scriptures
are the standard works, and using them as my sources almost exclusively gets me as close to the word of God as I can get.
Besides the standard works, I place the teachings of Joseph Smith next in priority. He is the head of our dispensation and the
things he taught carry the greatest amount of weight.
I am not necessarily advocating this method as the only correct way to teach, but it is what I have used so far in my preparation,
with varying degrees of success. In any approach to teaching the Book of Mormon, the key is to obtain the Holy Spirit and have
its influence felt during a class time.
I have found that as I prepare this way, I am more likely to be guided to teach what the Lord would have me teach, while at the same time guiding me to what is most important for me, personally, to learn. These two have not always been the same thing.


In today’s society, it is so easy for you to get caught up in the cares of this world, pushing everything else aside. I spent the summer working night and day, I left the blog high and dry. But let’s get in full gear to finish the book. If you haven’t already read the first 11 chapters, better catch up!!!
In today’s society there are various forms of baptism: sprinkling, immersion, etc but the only one that follows the template of Jesus is the one by immersion. Baptism should only take place when the mind has developed to understand the truths Jesus gave and has the cognizant ability to make decisions.
In the reading of the chapter, we start off with the note that people were spreading news, of John the Baptist who was telling others that Jesus was soon to come, like wildfire. When some heard the news they responded and the time had come when the news reached Jesus. He answered the call to ministry and left His earthly parents’ home to do the work of God. Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins but though this was the familial association, it bore no value in their growing up for they had no direct acquaintance. [Imagine having a cousin and never seeing or speaking to him or her for over 25 years!] Continue reading “The Baptism”
From among the faithful in Israel, those who were waiting for Jesus to come, the forerunner of Christ arose. Whenever I think about the voice in the wilderness, I immediately think of John the Baptist, born of Zacharias and Elisabeth, who was crying “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” Though many signs foretold of Jesus’ coming, the forerunner had to prepare the way for the person of who was to follow. Imagine a relay, you’re the starting man, and you have to pass the baton on to the person who will get to the finish line, so it was the same way between John and Jesus. It’s pretty cool though that His own cousin was given the blessed opportunity to be God’s only Son’s forerunner. Continue reading “The Voice in the Wilderness”
If you grew up with siblings, you know the struggles of inner family bullying. Jesus even understood what it meant to grow up in such an environment, I grew up with three sisters, two older and one younger. But anyway Jesus understands how I felt because He lived the experience. Jewish children were surrounded by requirements of the rabbis, you had to follow the rules they set, though rigid they were. Imagine growing up living a robotic life, robotic because everything you did or said was controlled by the rabbis, no wonder Jesus paid them no mind. They created traditions that you were to follow and Jesus, because He constantly studied the Scriptures, did not align Himself with such because it was not according to “Thus saith the Lord.” The condition of the people opened His mind to seeing the contrast between man’s societal requirements and God’s; the societal rules were supposed to be in line with God’s but because of the inventions of man, there was various collisions. Continue reading “Days of Conflict”
We’re going on a trip, by our own God-given feet, headed to the city called Jerusalem….(only if you know the Little Einsteins tune, you’d get it), but yes the family, Mary, Joseph and Jesus went on a trip to Jerusalem to take part in the feast of the Passover. Why did Jesus finally get to join His parents on this trip? According to the Jewish customs, when you passed or rather reached the age of 12, you were leaving childhood and entered the phase of becoming a youth. At this age you were now a son of the law and also of God, you had more responsibilities, one of which included participation in sacred feasts and observances. So Jesus gets to travel to Jerusalem for the Passover, yay for youth-hood, goodbye childhood! The feast of the Passover was widely attended, everyone came from their various and respective cities to celebrate the Passover. Women and old men rode on their donkeys or cows while the strong men traveled by foot. They sojourned in great companies for fellowship and protection. Heading back to the city, you could call it “Memory lane” for along the journey one could reminisce about the past history of Israel. In triumphant song they sang “Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem, peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces” [Psalm 122:2-7]. Continue reading “The Passover Visit”
Luke 2:39,40: “And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”
Growing up as a child, my parents instilled very important principles and morals in me to help guide my life in the way of the Lord. Continue reading “As A Child”
Since this chapter is based on Matthew 2, I thought it was beneficial to read it first. We’ve backtracked to the days when Jesus was a young infant child. We read about the story of the wise men appearing at the side of the young child Jesus bearing gifts. Bearing gifts to Jesus showed that offerings from the heart that loves, God delights to honor…If we have given our hearts to Jesus, we shall bring our gifts to Him too. There was also the part where Herod wanted to eradicate the “threat” Jesus “posed” to his throne, but the Spirit of God moved upon His earthly parents to help save His life by moving to Egypt. All things were taken care of by God.
God is in control.


Have you watched the “Da Vinci Code” movie? What does it got to do with cufflinks?
Well, nothing but as I was hunting online for interesting cufflinks, I saw this Pope John II Vatican City Cufflinks. This actually reminds me of the movie “Da Vinci Code”. Perhaps its a sign. Ha!
Just some short introduction to this pair of cufflinks.
Pope John Paul II Vatican City Coin Cufflinks
Beautiful and collectible Pope John II Vatican City 50 Lire Cufflinks! Wonderful and unique vatican souvenirs for yourself or a loved one!
Each one of these Vatican City coins is first layered in pure ”Bright Silver“. Then the figures of each are highlighted and brought to life with rich pure 24K Gold (this gold work is done by hand). This breathtaking and exclusive work turns these coin into stunning and true works of art. Each coin is hermetically sealed “against wear” in clear, hard acrylic coating. Each set of Vatican City coin cufflinks comes in a nice jewelry box.
(PLEASE NOTE THESE ARE NOT FROM THE VATICAN JEWELRY LINE)
184CF Vatican City 50 Lire “Bust of Pope John Paul II” (U.S. penny size).
“Cast a World of Cuffs”


We love Christmas around the Peek home. Everyday I before I come home from work, Kevin plugs in our Christmas tree lights and turn on Christmas music to welcome me home. I'm especially happy if my new favorite song of the season is playing. I've decided this year that I ove the Muppet version of "12 Days of Christmas" simply for the fact that Beeker sings the 9th or 10th day. Meee, meee, meee, meee, meee...or something. If that doesn't make sense, go listen to the song.
We're heading off with them other Peeks to venture the wide open plain between here and the west. Texas that is! We're pulling an all-nighter to head out on Thursday night. After depositing Chris & Sarah in Denton, Kevin & I will split our time between my family in Austin and his in Denton.
It snowed today! Not a lot of snow but enough for it to feel like Christmas. But then the weather warmed up and it turned into a nasty, slushy, rainy day. I was sad to give up my Saturday run (my only day where I don't have to fight the sunset!) so I dashed out for a bit when the rain let up. It was fun to zoom past all the residual snow patches...fun at least until I splashed in a huge puddle on the way home!
Besides the snow & Texas preparation, we've been hitting up the holiday parties. A late night of gaming at the Pennington Party Palace last night, a cookie exchange party this afternoon, Christmas caroling tomorrow night, and my office party on Wednesday...I'm thankful to have a 10 day vacation to recover from all the parties & traveling!
But in the midst of the bustle that can consume Christmas, let us not lose sight of the truth behind it all. Let us remember that Christmas is when God came in flesh to live a perfect life and die an undeserved death on our behalf. Yes, Jesus is the reason for the season but ultimately Easter is the culmination of Christmas. From the point of his birth, Jesus' life was leading him to the cross where he would bear the penalty for our sins and prepare a way for us to be in right relationship with God. So let us remember! Let us see Jesus this holiday season for who he truly is! Let us repent of loving & living for self and follow the one who is deserves our love & life! Let every heart prepare him room! Merry Christmas!


The History Of The Feast Of Easter
In the Old and New Testaments, the word Easter is mentioned 80 times in 72 verses while in the translation BIS is mentioned 86 times in 77 verses.
Easter in the early church
A fresco (wall picture) that describes the story of resurrection; by Fra Angelico, in Florence, Italy.
The early church commemorated the event of Jesus’ resurrection with a simple supper and prayer.
Later on his missionary journey, Paul continued to remind the early church members of the importance of the events of Jesus ‘resurrection and Jesus’ words at the Last Supper.
Kostenlose Malvorlage Ostern Osterhase und Osterei ausmalen zum Ausmalen from malvorlage hase ostern, source: public source
The earliest source to write about Paskah was Melito of Sardis who wrote the homily entitled Peri Pascha (About Easter).
Christians at that time trampled the path of the cross (Via Dolorosa) which was passed by the Lord Jesus. His death was commemorated as a sacrifice of salvation in the Jewish tradition (Hebrew: Zerah Syelamin).
Jewish Christians continued to celebrate the Jewish Passover, but they no longer sacrificed the Passover lamb because Christ was considered the true Easter sacrifice. This celebration begins with fasting until Friday at 3 pm (some continue until Easter morning). Differences arise around the date of Easter.
Kostenlose Malvorlage Ostern Osterhase bemalt Osterei zum Ausmalen from malvorlage hase ostern, source: public source
Jewish Christians and provincial churches of Asia celebrate on the same day as the Jewish Passover, which is the day after Nisan 14 (first month) according to their calendar – Jesus ‘death on 15 Nisan and Jesus’ resurrection on 17 Nisan – regardless of the day but non-Christians Jews living in the Roman Empire and also the churches in Rome and Alexandria celebrated on the first day, namely the days of Jesus’ resurrection, regardless of the date.
The second method was finally used more in the church, and followers of the first method slowly began to be displaced. Bishop Viktor of Rome at the end of the second century declared that celebrations according to the 14th of Nisan were heretics and ostracized all of his followers.
Some other methods of accounting include some bishops in Gaul who counted Easter according to certain dates according to the Roman calendar, namely March 25 commemorating the death of Jesus and March 27 commemorating Jesus’ death because from the 3rd century March 25 it was considered the date of the crucifixion.
Osterhase Cliparts from malvorlage hase ostern, source: public source
Kostenlose Malvorlage Ostern Osterhase mit vielen Ostereiern zum Ausmalen from malvorlage hase ostern, source: public source
Malvorlage ostereier und Ostern from malvorlage hase ostern, source: public source


**Coming Soon**** Contact Us for more information.
The "Truth" is known and has gone out into the world! Now we have to stay focused on the "Purpose"...
With all of the different camps, groups, opinions and viewpoints (and some outright lies) that exist in this community, The MOST HIGH has placed it into my heart to teach on the basics of what we know as being an Israelite, here in Mystery Babylon at the end of times.
The goal of this teaching is “Truth”. We want those coming into the truth to have a firm foundation in order to know who they are and what the proper priorities are for the redeemed. We teach from a Southern Kingdom (Judah, Original KJV Bible) perspective free of the many dogmas that have infected so much of the teaching today.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto Father YHWH.. a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
We will make reference to the following books of scripture primarily:
- King James Bible (Old and New Testaments).
- The Apocrypha.
- The Book of Enoch.
- The First and Second Books of Adam and Eve.
- The Book of Jasher.
- The Book of Jubilees.
- The First and Second Books of Mormon.
- The Testaments of the 12 Patriarchs


A Brief Synopsis on the Historical Precursors to Civil & Common Law: ChristianityNov 01, 2022
There is no need to delve into a religious, philosophical, moral, or even a historical analysis or discussion on the origins of Christianity, except to say that it began with the death of Jesus of Nazareth in roughly 33 AD. I must also clarify that the summary below is an exceedingly brief synopsis of only certain relevant events related to Christianity and is by no means meant to be comprehensive.
The importance of Christianity for our purposes here is its conversion into the official religion of Rome (which was a pagan society up until that point), its subsequent spread throughout the entire empire, east and west, and its impact on every single aspect of human life for almost two millennia, especially during the Middle Ages. The Catholic Church was the most important and, at its height, arguably the most powerful institution the world has ever seen. However, there are only a few relevant aspects worth mentioning: 1) the intricate organization, infrastructure, and institutionalization of the Church which would spread throughout all of Europe and into all areas of daily life, 2) the constant power struggle between monarchs and popes, and 3) the Church’s influence on government and the law, which is referred to as “canon law.”
Once Constantine converted to Christianity in 312 CE, the infrastructure of the Catholic Church began to form, and when it was made the official religion of Rome in 380, the Church really began to flourish. Many pagan alters and other sites devoted to pagan gods would be converted into Christian churches or other Christian sites, and several pagan holidays, including Christmas and Easter, would be repurposed and adopted by Christianity. After the so-called fall of the western part of the Roman Empire, the once mighty Roman infrastructure was slowly replaced by an ecclesiastic one. Many of the different barbarian or Germanic tribes had already been introduced to Catholicism through missionaries, and subsequent generations of these barbaric pagan tribes, who had already established new kingdoms (Francs, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Britons, Angles, Saxons—to name a few), would also slowly convert to Christianity.
At the center of the Catholic Church was the Pope, or the Bishop of Rome (although for several centuries the Pope did not actually reside in Rome), who was considered the spiritual leader of the Church. As Europe continued to transition from the Roman Empire to regional kingdoms, an interesting dyadic relationship developed between a king and the Pope, namely concerning who was the more powerful. On the one hand was the king, who was the head of a kingdom and had military power; on the other was the Pope, who wielded spiritual power. Several conflicts would ensue between these two figureheads that would lead to bloody disputes. For example, in the sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries, Popes were theoretically elected by locals, but each elected Pope had to be confirmed by the Byzantium Emperor, i.e., the Eastern Roman Emperor. Without imperial approval, the Pope would most likely be deposed and killed. At the other end of the spectrum was Charlemagne, who would be given the title of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day, 800 CE. These events, and many other similar ones, would define and shape the power struggle between religious and secular rulers for centuries.
By the time of Charlamagne, Christianity had spread throughout most of the eastern and western half of Europe and was literally the center of all aspects of human life—art, architecture, education, government, and law. At its peak, the Catholic Church exerted unbelievable power over its followers and had developed a highly sophisticated legal process. Canon law refers to this legal system developed by the Catholic Church throughout the Middle Ages. There were laws, codes, courts, judges, and lawyers all specifically attributed to cannon law, which would have jurisdiction over all Church matters and also civil and family matters, such as marriage, divorce, adultery, succession, and probate law. Members of the clergy usually held government offices and had significant authority over religious and secular life. This would necessarily lead to substantial corruption and would blur the lines between secular and religious authority.
By the fifteenth century, the Church had enjoyed several centuries of power and control over European life, which is the world into which Martin Luther was born in 1483. Luther was an extremely devout Catholic who as a young man decided to leave his studies as a lawyer and devote himself to the Church. A fateful trip to Rome in 1510 would change Luther, and eventually the world, forever. Despite falling in love with the city’s beauty and splendor, Luthor immediately noticed the corruption and immorality of Church authorities. His dismay eventually led to his drafting of the 95 theses, or questions directed toward the Church and the Pope, challenging Church teachings. This, among several other events, would culminate in a religious chasm that triggered Protestantism. Luther’s ideas may not have ever spread as quickly as they did, or at all, had he lived even a century earlier. The invention of the printing press in the mid-fifteenth century increased the demand for literacy and the mass production of books throughout Europe. It also triggered the translation of the Bible and other theological texts (such as the City of God, written by San Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, in the fifth century CE) into several different languages, resulting in laypeople gaining personal access to the Bible. Previously, this privilege was reserved to only the learned clergy who spoke and read Latin, but with the Bible having been translated into more conversational languages, anyone who was literate was able to read and interpret the Bible.
All grievances expressed by Martin Luther in his 95 theses were either directly or indirectly related to the conduct of Church officials, including the Pope, mostly in reference to the Church’s abuse of indulgences—an offering made by the Church to absolve or remit a person from sin in exchange for a money payment. It was a common belief throughout the Middle Ages that a person’s sins could not be fully absolved through penance during that person’s lifetime, which gave rise to the belief of purgatory, i.e., a hell like place where people would go upon their death and remain until their sins were fully absolved. An indulgence was therefore a crafty tool used by the Church to gain even more power, money, and influence over believers. Although it was not his intention, as Martin Luther was and remained a devout Catholic his entire life (despite his excommunication in 1520), his 95 Theses would eventually ignite the Protestant Reformation movement, leading to the Church of England after an ongoing dispute between the Pope and Henry VIII led to the latter’s rejection of the Pope’s authority and eventual split with the Catholic Church. It also resulted in many different protestant sects defecting from their home countries in Europe, where the Catholic Church still reigned supreme and made drastic attempts to quell all forms of heresy, in search of religious freedom in the New World. This, in turn, would lead to, at least in part, to what we now refer to the “freedom of religion” provision found in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
 For our purposes here and given that Christianity was basically one religion at this time without any real divisions or sects, I will use Christianity, the Catholic Church, or the Church, Catholicism, and Christians and Catholics, interchangeably.
 Saint Paul is probably the most important and well-known Christian missionary.
 In its broadest meaning, a protestant is one who is not a Catholic (or Eastern Orthodox) practitioner
 Which Luther assisted with—he translated the bible into German
 This link is to the Wikipedia page, which includes links to English translations of Saint Augustine’s most influential work and resources for further reading, including this summary written in 1983 by James J. O’Donnell of Georgetown University.
 The remission of all sin through indulgences was also used by Popes as a recruiting tactic for the Crusades.
Get access to my FREE Workshop and E-Workbook!
Enter your email to receive your free gift and receive notifications on upcoming events, courses, and other learning material.
Don't worry--your information will not be shared.
We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.


Men's MinistryWednesday Night Bible Study:
March 20 Easter Realities Part 2: Scripture: Matthew 27:27-31; Isaiah 53 "Crown of Thorns for the King of Kings"
March 27 Easter Realities Part 3: Scripture: Matthew 27: 32-61 "On the Cross"
April 3 Easter Realities Part 4: Scripture: Luke 24:1-35 "What If It's True"
Men are encouraged to watch the History Channel series "The Bible" The series begins March 3rd Sunday nights for 5 weeks. It is also repeated on Wednesday nights. Check your local listings.
We meet on Wednesday nights from 6:45 to 8:00 pm in the Library.
Promise Keepers Conference coming up this summer. Mark your calendars! Aug 23-24, 2013 Battle Creek Michigan
The men have several sports activities, including basketball, golf and softball. There are teams for different skill levels.
It's a great time for fellowship and fun. For details contact Pastor Dan email@example.com.
Basketball: Sunday Evenings at 7:30 PM. For details contact Pastor Greg at firstname.lastname@example.org. .
Call the church office for details. 248-625-1323
Softball: Tuesday Night #1 (Mike Spires, email@example.com) and Tuesday Night #2(Corey Lawson firstname.lastname@example.org) teams. Sign ups coming soon for 2013 season!
Golf: Wednesday night 6pm league at the Fountains May- August. Slots available Contact Rick Hoeksema email@example.com.
Service: Check out the Men's Ministry area in the Connection Center for our ACTS (Actively Compassionate Through Service) Project .


DANIEL – The SON of MAN, ISRAEL and END TIMES
The MESSIAH will have a THRONE that is EVERLASTING
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a SON of MAN, coming with the clouds of heaven.
He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and HIS KINGDOM is one that will NEVER be DESTROYED” (Daniel 7:13–14).
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end”(Luke 1:31–33).
The MESSIAH will bring an END to SIN
“Seventy ‘sevens’are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put anend to sin, to atonefor wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place” (Daniel 9:24).
“Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler,comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’
It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed” (Daniel 9:25–26).
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Galatians 1:3–5).
Israel: End Times – DANIEL’s 70 WEEKS
The Book of Daniel serves as the only apocalyptic book of the Old Testament, as chapters 7-12 foretell the END TIMES.
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim (606 b.c.), Daniel and his friends were among the young Jewish nobility carried off to Babylon. The four were chosen for their intellect and beauty to be trained as advisers to the Babylonian court. Daniel’s ministry as a prophet began late in life. “The great nations of the world have risen against Yahweh; but God’s kingdom shall overthrow existing powers and last forever’
Daniel’s vision of the “SEVENTY WEEKS” is the most important revelation in many respects made in the scriptures – it set the date of the first coming of Christ, and gives the length of the reign of antichrist.
The date of the “vision” is important.
The first verse of the chapter locates it in the “first year” of Darius the Median, or the same year as the “fall of Babylon, ” 538 BC
Daniel had been studying the prophecy of Jeremiah
and learned from it that the 70 years of “captivity” of his people were drawing to a close, for the “captivity” began in 606 BC, and 68 years had elapsed since then. (Jeremiah 25:11)
The purpose of theangel Gabriel’s visit was to show Danielthat while his people would be restored to their own land at the end of the “SEVENTY YEARS”.
That did not mean the restoration of their national life, but was only the commencement of a LONGER PERIOD, which the angel called the “seventy weeks” that must elapse before they should again be IN CONTROL OF THEIR OWN LAND.
The angel gabriel tells him that he has a special message for him, one that will show him the immediate future of Israel, as well as the FUTURE of ISRAEL IN in the END TIMES
We must clarify the meaning of the term ’70 weeks’. it was NOT 70 calendar weeks, BUT rather it was 70 ‘WEEKS of YEARS’,figuring each day of the 70 weeks as one year
The expression “seventy weeks” should read “SEVENTY SEVENS”
The “seventy weeks” is divided into three periods of “seven weeks, ” “threescore and two weeks” from the going forth of the “commandment” to restore and build Jerusalem unto “Messiah the Prince.”
7 WEEKS – this 49 year period is the time where the ‘commandment to RESTORE and to BUILD Jerusalem‘ was given. it would take 49 years to accomplish this, it began in 444 BC
62 WEEKS– from the end point on the rebuilding of the walls, until MESSIAH was to be REVEALED, it would be 62 weeks, or 434 years
70th WEEK– this 7 year period is yet FUTURE because God stopped the time clock when Israel rejected the Messiah and he went to the cross
“The street shall be built, and the wall, even in troublous times,” refers to the “FIRST PERIOD” or 49 YEARS, occupied by EZRA and NEHEMIAH in the work of RESTORING and REBUILDING the city of JERUSALEM
“Messiah was to be CUT OFF, but not for himself” refers to Christ’s rejection and CRUCIFIXION:
“He is DESPISED and REJECTED of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [our] faces from him; he was despised,and we esteemed him NOT. surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” – Isaiah 53: 3,4
“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the WORLD KNEW HIM NOT”
HE came unto his own, and HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT” – John 1: 10.11
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles”. Acts 13: 46
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this MYSTERY, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that BLINDNESS in part is happened to ISRAEL, UNTIL the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” Romans 11: 25
Daniel 9 states that MESSIAH will appear 69 periods of 7 years of 360 days (or a total of 173,880 days) after the command to BUILD the WALL of Jerusalem.
For MESSIAH’s FIRST COMING, that command was given in Nehemiah 2:1-8 and dated as the 1st nisan 444 B.C. which was the 20th year of Artaxerxes. In our current calendar that date was March 12 that year, 444 B.C.
When 173,880 days are added to March 4, 444 BC., …
you arrive at Sunday, March 29, 33 AD
with Passover and full moon (plus eclipse) on Friday, April 3rd
Those dates correspond to PALM SUNDAY when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey as Messiah in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9
with the CRUCIFIXION later that week as foretold in Psalm 22:1, 16-18, Isaiah 53 and Daniel 9:26
In Daniel 9, the full period of 173,880 days is split into TWO SEGMENTS, namely 156,240 days (62 periods of 7 years) and 17,640 days (7 periods of 7 years of 360 days)
The Lion’s Gate was being built during 1539. If 156,240 days are added, we end up in 1967.
Specifically, if the Lion’s Gate started construction on August 20, 1539, we end up with June 7, 1967
If we then add the remaining 17,640 days (or 7 periods of 7 years of 360 days) to June 7, 1967, we end up on September 23, 2015 – the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, when the High Priest would come out of the Holy of Holies and bless the congregation.
Sultan suleiman the magnificent of the ottoman empire, who commanded that the work take place, did so as a result of a recurring dream featuring lions.
The Lions Gate in the north-eastern wall commemorates that event. it was through this gate that the Israelis gained access to the old city to liberate it on June 7, 1967.


The Spirit Riders next run will be to Kennedy Meadows on Saturday, June 6th. We will meet at the church's circle drive on Myrtle Ave. Kick stands up at 9:00 am. This run will take us up scenic... read more
You are invited to ride with the Spirit Riders no matter the make or model of your bike. We request your motorcycle be 350cc or larger, that you are licensed and insured. Check the news page for the dates, times, and destinations of our runs.
Support WFBC's Youth Department with your participation in this year's "Youth 100" fundraiser. Envelopes will be made available to you in the foyer.
Our Mission is to exalt Jesus Christ, evangelize the lost, encourage the saved, edify the church, and equip Christians for ministry at home and around the world.


During certain phases in a woman’s life, her family may be her only ministry.November, especially the second half, was a good month. A major reason for this was that I was freed from the burden of my participation in the blogosphere. I have prayed and I have enlisted friends to pray for me as I sought God’s direction for Logoscentric, and He has made it clear to me that my contributions to the blogosphere have come to an end for now.
—Carolyn Custis James, When Life and Beliefs Collide
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
—2 Corinthians 11:3
My natural inclination is towards information rather relationship, and God has made it clear to me that I have enough information. My primary focus must now be on relationships, both with Him and with others, especially my husband and children. Too often, my blogging and reading blogs took my attention away from them. (I am so thankful for the cross!)
Therefore, this will be my last post. Thank you to Lisa N., Michelle, and Kim for your support and encouragement. And to Lisa S.: I am so sorry that I didn’t get to know you sooner! I pray God’s blessings upon all of you as you continue seeking to glorify God in the blogosphere.
To my friends and family members who have read my blog and have prayed for me and encouraged me, I thank you as well. You are quite a longsuffering lot of folks, and I appreciate your putting up with me. I love you.


Greetings Oregon and SW Washington Pastoral Musicians, Blessings to each of you as we begin together the Season of Lent and the month of March.
Our next meeting will be Saturday, March 14 at St. Edward Catholic Church in Keizer, Oregon. See more information about the meeting later in this e-mail.
In the March 2020 newsletter, please read more about
- Upcoming Chapter Presentations and Workshops
- Career/Job Opportunities
NPM Portland (Oregon) Membership dues: Several pastoral musicians have asked about the membership fees. An individual membership is $35.00. A parish membership is $100.00. Please consider one of the membership levels that will support the work of the local chapter in Oregon. For more information, please see the reminder of this e-mail.
Blessings to you and your parish ministry.
Peace and Blessings,Agnes ZuegerNPM Portland Oregon Chapter Director503-639-4773 email@example.com
NPM PORTLAND OREGON EVENTS 2020 Meeting and Events SCHEDULE
Tentative month, date and time (watch for future e-newsletters):
Saturday, March 14, 2020 from 9:30 to 11:00 AM: Oregon Chapter meeting and Presentation Presentation entitled “Pastoral Ministry: how to respond or handle difficult situations,; and, how to keep open lines of communication especially with your Pastor, the parish music ministry pastoral staff”, also known as Interpersonal Communications and Conflict Management tools in ministry.
Presenter: Deacon Brian Diehm, Director of the Office of the Diaconate for the Archdiocese of Portland https://deacons.archdpdx.org/staff-contacts
Host Parish and address: St. Edward Catholic Church located at 5303 River Road N., Keizer, Oregon 97303 (not in North Plains, Oregon)
Parish website | Map with Directions https://www.sainteds.com/Map-with-Directions-to-St–Edward
– 9:00 AM – fellowship and refreshments
– 9:30 to 11:00 AM – presentation and meeting
– 11:15 to 12:00 PM – NPM Oregon Core Team meeting
All Pastoral Musicians are welcome to attend!
March 21, 2020 at 7:00 PM: In Concert – Bernadette Farrell at the University of Portland. For more information, click on the following website link
Saturday, May 9, 2020
Host: St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Portland, Oregon in the Bradley Room
Morning meeting and Presentation entitled “Celebrating Feasts and Seasons: How we gather as one parish, one community”
May 2020: Workshop and Concert with Janet Sullivan Whitaker. More information including dates and time will be available in future e-newsletters.
June 22, 2020 at 6:00 PM:
Social gathering of local pastoral musicians; host: Michael Prendergast
Summer 2020: Cantor Workshop (planning under discussion; tentative dates August 7, 8 & 9)
July 7-10, 2020: NPM National Convention in Louisville, KentuckyRegistration is now open on the national website at www.npm.org
St Francis Catholic Church, Sherwood, Oregon: Piano Accompanist (07/12/2019)
The parish is seeking a part-time piano accompanist to accompany up to two of our weekend masses. We are looking for an experienced pianist, who ideally has prior experience playing for a Catholic mass, a strong passion for music, and a desire to be an active participant in the music program. The ideal candidate would be available for one or two masses on Sunday (7:30am-9:30 am and/or 4:30pm-6:30pm). Compensation is negotiable per skill level and experience. If interested, please submit a resume to Christa Weeks at firstname.lastname@example.org
St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Milwaukie, Oregon: Piano Accompanist (10/01/2019)
This person will cover one or both of the following services: Saturday Vigil Mass – 5:30PM (cantor and accompanist/no choir/no weekday rehearsal) and/or Sunday Mass – 7:30AM (cantor and accompanist/no choir/no weekday rehearsal). In addition, I am also in need of an accompanist to cover/sub mid–November through Mid–December for Sunday 10:00 AM Mass (9:00 AM Call time). I would like to place this person as an additional accompanist into our pool of support musicians. Contact Rudy Lopez, Music Director and member of OCP staff, at 503.460.5437 direct line; or e-mail: email@example.com
St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Milwaukie, Oregon: Director of Liturgy and Music (10/18/2019)
The parish is seeking a full-time director of Liturgy and Music who has a thorough understanding of Roman Catholic Liturgy. The ideal candidate is responsible for the effective planning, coordination, and execution of music in the parish. Complete job description and application information on the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon website https://archdpdx.org/careers-1
St Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Scappoose, Oregon: Cantor and/or Piano Accompanist substitutes (10/31/2019)
The parish is seeking a cantor and/or piano accompanist to substitute for parish Masses, as needed. Please contact Fr. Chuck Wood, Pastor, if your are available to be added to a roster of support musicians and your stipend requirement. Call St. Wenceslaus parish office at (503) 543-2110, ext. 202
St. Anne Catholic Church, Gresham, Oregon: Cantor (02/24/2020)
The parish is seeking a cantor for the weekly Saturday 5pm English mass. The Cantor attends rehearsal before mass and has traditionally partnered with a pianist to lead the congregation in prayerful song, but guitar and other instruments are possible. Compensation for this position is determined on a scale of Cantor experience and level of expertise. Knowledge and appreciation for the Catholic Faith is preferred. Interested candidates are asked to please send an email to: firstname.lastname@example.org
See the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon website for career/job opportunities: https://archdpdx.org/jobs
Concerts (advertise your concert here)
Portland Symphonic Choir https://www.pschoir.org
Sunday, March 22, 2020 at 4:00 PM
Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis
First United Methodist Church, 1838 Southwest Jefferson Street, Portland, OR, 97201
Bach Cantata Choir http://www.bachcantatachoir.org
Sunday, April 5, 2020 at 2:00 p.m.
Palm/Passion Sunday Concert: J.S. Bach (1685-1750): St. John Passion, Part 2
Rose City Park Presbyterian Church, 1907 NE 45th Ave, Portland, OR 97213
The Grotto is preparing for its 3rd Annual Spring Alleluia Concert Series.
We seek Catholic choirs to come share the joy of our – Holy Week/Triduum/Easter music selections as well as other favorite Hymns are welcome. Here is the link to sign up https://www.signupgenius.com/go/alleluia20
This event is informal. There are no risers, and minimal set up. Choirs can warm up in the auditorium below the Chapel one hour prior to their performance. The Concerts are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons in The Chapel of Mary. These concerts are free for the whole community. If you have any additional questions please email or call. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Ms. Vinci Paterson, Director of Community Engagement, 503-261-2433, email@example.com
NPM Portland Oregon Membership Dues from September 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020 are being collected. There are two levels: An individual membership/per calendar year of $35.00 (recommended for a Pastor, Director of Music Ministries, assistant directors, accompanists, or any other member of a parish music ministry); or, A parish music ministry membership/per calendar year of $100.00 (recommended for every member of the parish music ministry as well as choir members, cantors, instrumentalists). What do you receive with your local membership? The monthly digital newsletter, announcement of local events and member discounts at Chapter events. The NPM Portland Oregon Membership Dues form is available on NPM (Portland) Oregon website at the following link http://npmportland.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/NPM-Portland-Oregon-WOMM-Membership-Form.pdf
Mail your membership form with payment (address on the form).
Please note: This is for local NPM (Portland) Oregon Chapter dues which is separate from a national membership for the National Association of Pastoral Musicians / website link https://npm.org.
NPM (Portland) Oregon Website: http://npmportland.org/ (under construction)WOMM: Western Oregon Music Ministers – NPM (Portland) Oregon Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/WOMMNPMportland/


|TIME||CLASS TITLE||TEACHER||CREDIT HRS|
|11:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M. CST||General Biblical Introduction||K.A. Mosher, Sr.||4 hrs.|
|2:00 P.M.-5:00 P.M. CST||Genesis||D. Cates||4 hrs.|
|6:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M. CST||Matthew||T. Wacaster||4 hrs.|
Fall, 2017, Course Descriptions
General Biblical Introduction, taught by Keith A. Mosher, Sr. [B.A., M.A., M.Th., D.Min.], is an in depth study of the critical issues surrounding the Scriptures. Special attention will be given to the inspiration and transmission of the Bible and to overviews of various translations of the Bible, both ancient and modern.
Genesis, taught by Daniel F. Cates [B.A., M.A.], is an introduction and textual study of the book of Genesis. Special attention will be given to fundamentals such as the existence of God and the veracity of the Biblical account of the flood.
Matthew, taught by Tom Wacaster [B.A.], is an introduction and textual study of the Gospel account of Matthew. Special attention will be given to the “Synoptic Problem.”


Click on any of the following links to go to the appropriate section on this page.
Sex out of marriage is commonplace. Even among Christian Singles, it is not strange to find intending couples who have already known each other the sexual way.
There's debate whether it is sin. And sometimes, there may be questions on "who determines that a couple is married or not? Isn't their mutual love important? isn't that what truly matters?
Cultures differ. For Africans, the bride price contracts the marriage, even though most couples wait until after the white and civil wedding to consider themselves husband and wife.
Whatever the circumstances, I believe that a couple that is married knows they are married. They know they aren't just shacking up.
Christians should learn to abide by cultures which do not contradict the Word of God. If you culture needs a piece of paper to testify that you are married, go by that process.
Get the piece of paper. Become husband and wife before engaging in sexual intercourse.
That is living a life of integrity among unbelievers.
Sex before marriage is a sin. It is called fornication.
1 Corinthian 7:1-3 NKJV
...It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
1 Corinthians 7:8-9 NKJV
But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; 9 but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
These scriptural passages, along with others clearly spell out the sinful nature of sex out of marriage. God made sex to be indulged only in a heterosexual marriage union. Anything out of this is sin.
For more biblical proof of the sinfulness of sexual immorality, check the following references:
I Corinthians 5:9-11 13, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Ephesians 5:5-7, Hebrews 12:16, Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, 1 Corinthians 6:13, Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, 1 Corinthians 10:8
It is sin because God says so.
Contrary to what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:13- 20 that our bodies belong the Lord, society is basically saying our bodies are ours to do as we like, including having illicit sex.
As such there's no moral standard. Feelings determine truth.
But that is not true. Having sex with someone who is not your spouse is a sin, and God says that the sexually immoral shall not inherit his kingdom.
Yes. Love should lead you to do the right thing. Get married, and then sex can come after.
I actually read someone teaching that it is not sin for virgins who are not married to have sex. They made references to the Old Testament laws where a man who slept with a virgin was obliged to marry her.
God did not condone the sin. The emphasis about the law was the compulsory marriage. Whether the man liked the woman or not, he was obliged to marry her.
I can't find where the Bible says sex before marriage is not sin if the partners are both virgins.
I think it is more beautiful and a wonderful testimony to marry as a virgin, instead of using your virginity as an reasonable excuse for premarital sex.
If you've reached adulthood without having had sex, why not cross the finish line as a virgin and use your testimony to encourage others that it is still possible to live a life of sexual purity?
Our world desperately need such testimonies!
I'm trying hard to think of any. I might update this page if I find one disadvantage.
On the contrary, there are several disadvantages to sex before marriage.
A youth counselor said, "it doesn't take pregnancy or disease to make you feel awful about sex before marriage".
Personally, I know that to be true. Sexual sin is ugly.
It degrades you to an object for self-gratification. Even if the other person loves you and you love them, sex out of marriage is sin and selfish.
When you love someone, you treat them with respect. That means seeing them as a person beyond their bodies. That means getting married and connecting beyond the sensual level.
That is only possible when you accept the standard set by God in His Word and make the decision to live for Him, daily looking up to Him for strength to overcome sexual temptation and to abstain until marriage.
God bless. I will love to read your thoughts in the comments section below!


Upcoming events and dates for the diary
It is the Friends’ Harvest Service on Tuesday 4 October at 7pm in the School Chapel.
We are inviting donations for our local foodbank, The Olive Branch, if you are able and would like to contribute. Please can items be sent into school with your son/daughter to their form rooms (by Monday 3 October), then all the items will be gathered ahead of the Harvest Service, be displayed in the Chapel and passed on to the Olive Branch.
You are warmly invited to this service and refreshments (soup and bread) afterwards.
Chairman of Friends
7.00pm Harvest Festival Eucharist †
Celebrant: The Revd Craig Abbott
Organist: Mr Andy Plowman
Setting: Mass of St Thomas (Thorne)
Readings: Deuteronomy 26.1-11, John 6.25-35
Anthem: Look at the world (Rutter)
Hymns: NEH263, CP262, NEH239, School hymn
Voluntary: Intro and Toccata on Lasst uns Erfreuen (Choveaux)
Thursday 6th October
4.15pm Choral Evensong †
Officiant: The Venerable David Picken
Organist: Mr Ian Pattinson FRCO
Responses: Gillthorpe Psalm: 62
Readings: Ecclesiasticus 3.17-24, Mark 9:33-37
Canticles: Stanford in B flat Anthem: Lead me, Lord (Wesley)
Hymn: I heard the voice of Jesus say (NEH376)
Voluntary: Choral Song (Wesley)


Interaction with anyone of the opposite sex can spark fun and intrigue, but delve deeper into conversation before racing ahead with relationship status. Many singles will eschew their beliefs in desperation to escape loneliness or the perceived and flawed assumption that dating mostly results in nothing. His main goal is to lead you away from God. Be exclusive Despite the plethora of choice in cyberspace, use your relationship with God to confer and think carefully as to whom you want to place time and conversation, one person at a time. Let's be email friends! Dear Christian Single, I get it. The truth is that we all come with some sort of a price tag.
It can be easy to like, comment and tweet at a whole range of singles at once and so it exacerbates a less pure form of how singles are approaching each other today.
5 modern tips for Christian dating in the 21st century
In some ways, as the above Bible verses explain, the Christian way is often more challenging. Let's be email friends! Waiting on the Lord is biblical. Instead of fixating on relationships- I wish I would have invested more time in developing interests, working through my past, and wrapping my brain around my identity in Christ. Being a Christian in the 21 st century is no mean feat. Christian Dating Rule 5: Be exclusive Despite the plethora of choice in cyberspace, use your relationship with God to confer and think carefully as to whom you want to place time and conversation, one person at a time.


The International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action - 4 April - this year fell on Easter Sunday, the most important of Christian festivals and celebrated by more than 1 billion people across the globe.
In his “Urbi et Orbi” Easter Message broadcast worldwide from Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope Francis described anti-personnel landmines as “insidious and horrible devices that kill or maim many innocent people each year” further exclaiming “how much better our world would be without these instruments of death.”
‘A world free of these destructive devices’
In a message to the Secretary-General shared in advance of Easter Sunday, the Pope urged all “leaders of nations and other international organizations to cooperate in taking the necessary decisions that will lead to a world free of these destructive devices”.
Pope Francis thanks UN personnel
He expressed his gratitude “to the United Nations personnel and to all engaged in the dangerous work of mine clearing and in assisting those who have experienced injury and death of loved ones from landmines”.
Still to come is the Open Debate at the Security Council on Thursday this week, and an event at the United States Congress on the 16 April.
Learn more about mine action


NEW ITEM - Bible Memory System
This Bible Memory System was created by a local (Nova Scotia) homeschooling mother of many with the Charlotte Mason method in mind. As you see your children hide each verse in their hearts, you can move it into the corresponding tab to review it less and less frequently, all the while beginning and reviewing new verses each day. This method has seen great results in long-term retention. Great regular reminders of God's promises and guidance in our daily lives!
*Beautiful, hand-crafted wooden box with laminated Bible verse memory cards, labelled index dividers needed for daily, every-other day, weekly and monthly verse review, and instruction cards.
*Memory Card Sets included:
Red Pack - 40 Cards - 95 Old and New Testament Verses
Green Pack - 33 Cards - 118 Old and New Testament Verses
James Pack - 30 Cards - The Whole Book of James
Titus Pack - 18 Cards - The Whole Book of Titus
Colossians Pack - 30 Cards - The Whole Book of Colossians
**Available in KJV, NKJV or NIV


Our dear Logan went into the arms of Jesus on June 24, 2020. He had a kind and compassionate heart, particularly toward children and dogs. As a young child and onward, he would point them out and wanted to visit with them.
He was an accomplished fifer in the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums Corps with his brother Mark for eight years, and enjoyed bringing music to others. He was nurtured in his faith at Williamsburg Christian Academy and at Providence Classical School and loved by those communities. He was baptized with his sister Lindsey when he was 14.
Logan excelled in his studies, attending the University of Virginia. He was studying Business in the Commerce School. He had a special set of cousins with whom he had many great adventures. Logan was born and raised in Williamsburg. He is the third of three beloved children to Larry and Jill Leemis.
Besides his parents, Logan leaves behind his sister Lindsey, his brother Mark, and many other loving family members and friends.
There will be celebration of his life at the Williamsburg Community Chapel (3899 John Tyler Highway, Williamsburg, Virginia) on Tuesday, June 30th at 1 PM.


JESUS IS ENOUGH storehouse
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."
In 2017, a handful of Christians came together with one purpose: helping children in need. Combining our love for Jesus and our heart for children, we created this store as a way to support children in impoverished nations. 100% of the profits raised through our store go to sponsor children around the globe through organizations which provide them with food, housing, education, healthcare, disaster relief, and spiritual development. For every 5 shirts that we sell, a child is sponsored for a month.
Every purchase you make impacts a child in need.


ISN'T CHRISTIANITY JUST A CRUTCH THAT MEETS A PERSON'S PSYCHOLOGIAL NEED?
Individuals that ask this question are trying to convince you that you are a weak person psychologically and somehow you are making yourself believe that there is a God when in reality there is not. It is important to remember that the psychologist Sigmund Freud taught that anyone who believed in God was neurotic and needed psychological help. His teaching is the source of this question. How should you respond?
First, explain that man is made up of body, soul, and spirit (1 Thess. 5:23). The real you is a spirit (2 Tim. 4:22) (1 Cor. 6:20). Your soul is reflected in your personality, your emotions, and your will (Heb. 4:12) (Mark 14:34). The Bible declares that before you came to Christ your spirit was dead because of your sins (Eph. 2:1). Paul also declared that those who live in the pleasures of immorality were spiritually dead while they physically lived (1 Tim. 5:6). Therefore, people are alive in body and soul before coming to Christ, but they are spiritually dead being alienated from the life of God (Eph. 4:18).
After explaining these truths then share your personal testimony of how you were dead and searching for real life. Declare how you realized that you were incomplete without your spirit alive. You were two-thirds of a person until you received Christ. I wouldn't call Jesus a crutch to help you walk and live. I’d describe Him a whole new life given to complete you as a person. Those who use crutches are still wounded and broken.
Then turn the concept of a crutch around and address their possible crutches. Explain that those who use alcohol or drugs, those who use people sexually, those who live to obtain material things are all seeking to use a crutch to fill the emptiness within their lives. Jesus isn't a temporary crutch; He is the answer that all mankind is seeking.


Pekin IN, Darlean A. Craven, age 77, passed away at her home on December 07, 2020. She was born August 09,1943 to Leonard and Loraine (Dierken) Provost. Darlean married Emanuel “Rudy” Craven. She was a graduate of Fern Creek High School in Louisville, KY. Darlean was a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Bradford, IN. She worked for and retired from the Chase Bank Company, and later worked at the Corydon Walmart. Darlean enjoyed meeting new people, spending time with friends and family, and was a huge fan of Elvis.
Darlean is preceded in death by her parents, husband; Brother, Leonard Provost Jr.; and sister, Jeanette Provost Cornelison.
She is survived by her son, Christopher (Penny) Hansford; daughter Karen (Steve) Kaps; seven grandchildren, Ashley (Aaron) Frakes, Hayden Hansford, Kyley Hansford, Kooper Hansford, Lacey Alexander, Lindsey (Josh) Gates, John Alexander; five great-grandchildren, Reese Gates, Jackson Gates, Raegen Gates, Wyatt Frakes, and Ryder Frakes, Adam (Kayla) Kaps, Kristen Kaps; two brothers, Donald (Lynda) Provost, Raymond Provost; one sister, Teresa (David Graham; as well as her first husband William C. Hansford.
Visitation will be held at Love Funeral Home in Palmyra, IN on Friday December 11, 2020 From 4 p.m.to 8 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Bradford, IN on Saturday December 12, 2020 at 10a.m. Interment will be at Louisville Memorial Gardens at 4400 Dixie Hwy, in Louisville, KY.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Darlean Annette (Provost) Craven, please visit our floral store.


As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
We believe that circles are better than rows which makes small groups a key aspect to LifeBridge Church. Most meet weekly in the home of a group member (usually the leader's home). We try to keep them limited to about 12 people. Click the link below to find a group.
Small Group Leadership
Small groups are a key aspect to creating community at LifeBridge. It's in community that we learn what it means to follow Jesus and begin putting our faith into action. Because of this, we are always excited to start new small groups in our community. If you would like to partner with LifeBridge in leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus through groups, please click on the link below to apply.


In an interview with To the Best of Our Knowledge’s Steve Paulson, Margaret Atwood says that debt is not strictly matter of owing someone money, but something much more profound:
“You open the door for somebody, they go through it. They don’t say thank you. How do you feel? …You’ve paid them a door opening, and they have not repaid you with a thank you, which is what they owe you.”
Debt is rooted deeply in culture and religion. Atwood goes on to explain that a “redeemer” is one who pays your debt for you. She ties this idea to Christianity, in which it is believed that our sins are so great that we could never pay them for ourselves, so Christ was sent to pay our debt on our behalf.
In Islam, we are each responsible for our own actions. Our sins may be great, but our Creator is ever-forgiving and always forbearing. But this Being of limitless mercy has opened a door for me, and I owe Him a “thank you.” He gave me life, and I am in His debt.
It’s a big debt. To hope to repay it, I need to be a better person. I need to treat others with respect and dignity, to praise my Lord and Creator, to appreciate hardships as opportunity, to be considerate and generous, to be always grateful. Fulfilling this debt can be challenging, especially when wearing a head scarf. I notice people watching me, and I find myself walking through life with the constant reminder of what I need to be. I try to be someone who is open and accepting, but firm in her beliefs. I try to be respectful and a good listener, but wise and fair in my advice. I try to be forgiving and forbearing, but hold humankind to a higher standard. I try to be modern and idealistic, without forsaking my commitments or values. I try to walk confidently with my head held high, hoping that my actions speak louder than my words and my faith speaks louder than my head scarf.
But most of the time I fail at being what I should be. When I fail, I don’t just fall short on my debt to God, I fail myself and others. I fail an opportunity to be touched by someone who may change me, who may tenderly shape my weaknesses into strengths, who may help me learn something about myself or what it means to be human. And I fail an opportunity to chip away at some of the misconceptions about Islam. I fail the chance to foster understanding and find common ground despite differences. I fail to show people the reality of what Islam is to me: a faith that is meaningful and fulfilling, and full of peace.
The debt I owe my Creator cannot be escaped. But I accept the burden with gratitude. Inherent within this burden of being, there are deeply satisfying rewards. In the rare moments of success, there is loving support from unexpected friendships, there is a respectful exchange of ideas that broaden my perception of the world, and there is a conversation that touches the core of my humanity.


A Brief History
Miss Sharon's Daycare opened its doors in November of 1989. Many of our children have arrived as infants and remained with us throughout elementary school (before and after school). Ours has always been a small, intimate group where our children and families blend in such a way as to become extended family. The children grow up knowing each other, their care providers, and the other families as our children, care providers, and families tend to remain the
same for most of the child's years spent in daily care. Many of the children we have kept through the years have remained friends with the children they grew up with and with us as well. We feel truly blessed to have been a part of their lives and doubly blessed to remain there. Our experience has shown us that children truly flourish in this type of setting and continue to excel in all areas as they move forward in growth. (Pictured above, Miss Sharon with some of her earliest customers, ca. 1992.)
Some things never change at the Daycare-- like the
popularity of Power Rangers!
The Daycare Today - Purpose and Goals
We provide a safe, clean, nurturing environment for our children. The purpose of a family day home is to provide children with a home setting where they grow in a family type environment as opposed to a daycare center. Our goal with all our children is to help them feel safe, loved, and nurtured, while teaching them the importance of sharing, caring, and listening, as well as the rewards of good behavior.
We offer a preschool curriculum called Early Start for our children aged 2 1/2 and up. The program promotes learning colors, numbers 1-20, the alphabet, and beginning formation in writing. It also teaches simple relational concepts (up-down, small-large, etc.) and beginning letter sounds.
Miss Sharon's in the Community
We also feel it is important to teach our children to be good citizens and neighbors by participating in community and church-related projects. Many of our children and their families attend Riverview United Methodist Church or other area churches; each summer, many of the children attend Riverview UMC's Vacation Bible School. We recently completed boxes for the Gift-a-Child program, which provides Christmas gifts for children in areas of the world where political or economic unrest prevents them from receiving gifts at Christmas time. The project is headed by one of our alumni, Zachary Burke, 15, who has a heart to help others. Last Christmas, we helped to provide presents and food for needy families in Isle of Wight County along with several of our former families helping to provide and deliver.
- Meredith King (attended 1991-1999)


Skip to content
What To Pray For Your Husband…Here is “Prayers for My Husband / future Husband” A Guide To help you with being intentional while praying for your husband!
1. Pray that God gives him a desire for the spirit of wisdom and revelation…that he would stay close to God’s own heart.
2. Pray that God is drawing Him into a closer relationship with Himself daily and that he has a hunger for God
3. Pray that He is a man of the Word that he desires to read and know God’s word and who God is calling him to be
4. Declare that he is a man of his word and that all who know him can trust him and depend on him
5. Declare that he is a leader and not a follower but always keeping his lead after that of God’s leadership
6. Pray that he will be a great father (if children are something you long for) who will teach your children to love and honor God
7. Pray for his peace of mind fervently
8. Pray for purity in his mind and that he would be able to flee from temptations
9. Declare everything he touches prospers and through the will of God, he would be prosperous. In this way, you can help others in need.
9. Pray that he has Godly friends and accountability in his life.
10. Pray for his purpose and calling. Pray that God would direct his every step
11. Pray for his heart to be sensitive to the Lord and that he would hear from God


|Happy Holidays - SentimentalMore|
|Bright Holiday Greetings||Christmas Down Under (Australia)||Snowflakes||Friends, Family and Fun!|
|Happy Holidays - Business/CorporateMore|
|Have a Warm Holiday Season||Russian Doll Christmas||Holiday Hospitality||Season's Greeting|
|From Our Company to Yours|
|Christmas - ElegantMore|
|Christmas Bells||Merry Christmas||Christmas Carol||Wish you a Merry Christmas|
|Christmas - FunnyMore|
|Oh Come On You're Joking||Drive-Thru Christmas||True Tales: The Story of Santa||Out of the Closet|
|Christmas - Something DifferentMore|
|Moment of Zen||Ho-Ho-Ho...||Tree Talk||Kaleidoscope|
|Jingling John Johansen|
|Christmas - Interactive Games|
|Decorate a Tree||Catch the Gift||Fruit Cake Toss||Fill the bag!|
|Christmas - Far AwayMore|
|Magical Holiday||The Glorious Gift||Merry Christmas!||Santa's Big Delivery|
|Christmas - CuteMore|
|Christmas Dreams||Burst Some Holiday Bubbles||Bunny and Snowman Christmas||Magic of Christmas|
|Christmas - ReligiousMore|
|Peace on Earth||Nativity||True Spirit||Silent Night|
|Love & Harmony|
|Christmas - For KidsMore|
|Christmas Choir||Nutty Christmas||Christmas Mouse||Happy Santa|
|Naughty or Nice?|
|Christmas - FriendshipMore|
|Warm and Happy Holidays||Merry Christmas/Happy New Year||Always There||Christmas Friend|
|Spirit Of Christmas|
|Christmas - LoveMore|
|Missing You||You Are Here||Snow Love||My Special Snowflake|
|Christmas in Love|
|Christmas - Late Gift|
|Online Belated Present|
|Belated Christmas Gift|
|Christmas Party InvitesMore|
|Xmas with Friends|
|Front Door Please|
|Xmas Office Party|
Christmas is celebrated on December 25 every year honoring the birth of Jesus Christ. Some churches celebrate it on January 7 due to following different calendars.
Jesus is Christianity's central figure. Although the date of his birth has not been pinpointed most agree that he was born around 6 4 B.C. in Bethlehem. At the time his parents Mary and Joseph were on their way to register in the Roman census. Mary was told by an angel that she was with child as a result of Immaculate Conception. She gave birth to Jesus while they stopped for rest.
Jesus spent his life working as a preacher and healer in Galilee and Judea. He was believed to be a messiah who would redeem world of sin. Roman prefect Pilate sentenced him to death by crucifixion. It is believed that he came back to life three days after his execution confirming the fact that he was the son of God.
Two centuries after his death first efforts were made in order to establish the exact date of his birth and December 25 was chosen, possibly out of convenience.
Today, religious and commercial festivities vary from region to region. In The United States and England Christmas has become the biggest economical holiday of the year with people spending weeks before December 25 shopping for presents.
Exchange of presents, decorating homes with lights, holly and mistletoe, decorating a Christmas tree and Santa Claus are some of the traditions that apply worldwide.
Santa Claus, or Father Christmas as he is known in England, is based on a real person, St. Nicholas, a bishop who lived in 4th century. He was generous and kind and eager to help the poor and underprivileged.
The tradition of decorating a Christmas tree originates from Germany but is nowadays common in most countries. Religious celebrations begin with Advent and include Midnight mass on Christmas Eve and carol singing.


Patience? What is that? Who has time for that? Patience is PIE—patience in everything, one of the simplest yet strongest blessings that God bestows on us. Oh how patient he is with me. How patient am I with others? How patient am I with myself? How patient and kind am I with the turns in life? Am I patient and fully aware to see the blessings of the day? I have been given the fruit of the spirit. Do I choose to use them? This is a book of short essays of how God can use us for his purpose through something as simple as PIE.


With our vision to “change the heart and soul of Northwest Arkansas and the world,” we want to make sure you have the resources needed to connect to Mosaic and get equipped to influence the world.
Weekly Mosaic Newsletter
Each week, Mosaic sends a short digital newsletter with important things to know for that week. You can subscribe to this newsletter through your myFellowship account under “My Stuff”.
Weekly Sermon Podcasts (including teaching, worship and slides)
Listen Online | may also be downloaded through podcasting apps by searching “MosaicNWA” or download the Fellowship app by searching “Fellowship Northwest Arkansas” in your app store


Welcome to Glenview.
If you are looking for a church, or exploring Christianity, we would love to talk to you! Our mission is to help people follow Jesus. We are absolutely certain that following Jesus is the right life for you.
We would love to have you come by and visit us at Glenview Christian Church. Because visiting a church for the first time can be a frightening experience, we would like to let you know what you can expect when coming to our church. Guests are always welcome and we hope this helps!


Not too late to get your Christmas tree!
Shop our Christmas Bazaar on
Sunday, December 11
11:00 am-2:00 pm
Saturday, December 17
10:00 am-2:00 pm
Mattias Edstrom Scholarship Fund
for Play Care Early Learning Center
Apply here for the Mattias Edstrom Scholarship
or for more information
Donations in Mattias Edstrom's honor, where both
Mattias and Alexandra attended school, may be
made to the fund. Checks should be made payable
to First Congregational Church, with Mattias Edstrom
on the memo line and mail to: 210 Orchard Ridge Road,
Chappaqua, NY 10514 Thank you!
Following the Youth Message, children go to Sunday School
We have Sunday School for children and youth from
September until mid-June. All children are welcome to attend
if their parents so choose.
Yes, we have children in worship with us!
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me."
Reflecting that spirit, children are always welcome in worship.
We strongly believe their participation in all aspects of worship
helps them to develop their faith.
Children are invited to participate in communion
or to receive a blessing during communion, as their parent desires.
No matter who you are or where you are on your journey, you are welcome here.
Every church has its own special personality. Here at FCC, God’s Spirit has been moving for over 100 years in no small part because the congregation is so involved in serving those who are in need. Perhaps the most compelling part of our ministry is that it is nothing unless the members and the friends of the church create it. We are a community led by lay leadership. We depend on each person to get involved because each person adds to the whole in their own unique way. At FCC, all are called to serve.
The mission of the First Congregational Church is to be a caring community, seeking to know and celebrate the love of God joyfully by following Jesus Christ, in our worship, fellowship, service, and outreach to God's world.
We welcome all people to our church. The rainbow flag by our entrance is there so that anyone who is looking for a church where they are welcome as they are and for all that they are, knows that they are welcome at FCC.
Click here to read about us in Inside Chappaqua
All Are Welcome
“With open hands and open hearts, we care for each other and the wider world
through prayer, connections and compassion. We are compelled by
our faith to follow in the path of Jesus Christ, by both listening to and
spreading God’s love to all people.”


🕖 This event has passed!
This event ended on October 22, 2023
Mark your calendars as St. Luke Catholic Church in Middleburg will hold their 2023 parish festival from Friday, October 20th, through Sunday, October 22nd!
Come out for a weekend of family fun featuring awesome carnival rides for all ages by Deggeller Attractions, plenty of mouth watering food and tasty treats, massive prize raffle, live music, carnival games & prizes, silent auction, and so much more!
Advanced sale ride wristbands are on sale now, see the festival’s website for details.


Pope Francis talked to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the phone and expressed his grief and deep sorrow.
He expressed his deepest sadness on the current situation of Ukraine. The Pope Francis is really sad after seeing the sufferings of Ukrainian people and Russian invasion to Ukraine.
He prayed for the departed souls and for the rest of the people for peace and safety, Ukraine’s embassy to the Holy see (Vatican) Tweeted.
“Today Pope Francis had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Holy Father expressed his deepest sorrow for the tragic events that are taking place in our country,” as per the embassy Tweet.
In another Tweet, the Ukraine President Zelensky thanked Pope for his sincere prayers. He also said that Ukrainians can feel the spiritual support from his holiness.
Zelensky Tweeted and said “Thanked Pope Francis for praying for peace in Ukraine and a ceasefire. The Ukrainian people feel the spiritual support of His Holiness”.


7350 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, Ohio 45014
Christ-Centered Education Cincinnati Christian Schools is living out its purpose everyday by providing an extraordinary learning environment in partnership with our Christian families; teaching and encouraging our students to serve Christ in all they do in order to impact their culture in which they live.
Preparing students for future success Our balanced and thorough academic program lays the groundwork for outstanding achievement in college, career, and beyond. More than that, our students discover their purpose as creative thinkers and servant-leaders within the world. CSS students become informed and transformed.
The Right Choice We believe your child is the most important gift you’ll ever receive, and their education, the most important gift you’ll ever give. We invite you to consider CCS as your partner in that endeavor.
Developing well-rounded student-athletes The mission of Cincinnati Christian Schools' Athletic program is to enrinch the spiritual lives, develop the social and moral character, and enhance the physical skills of our students by means of a competitive athletic program, administered in a loving and caring Christian environment.
Fine Arts Our Fine Arts program is designed to provide students with a broad exposure to the visual and performing arts and develop skills necessary to not only pursue further training in the Arts but to use them to minister to others.
Helping you in your journey CCS is dedicated to growing our students’ love for Christ by teaching and reinforcing Christ’s example to “live out” our faith.


We desire to be a church that’s conservative in doctrine and liberal in methodology. This will be accomplished in these areas:
1. Security: Create safe environments where anyone can experience Christ, enjoy belonging, and make a difference.
2. Cultural Relevance: We believe that Word of God is divinely inspired in its entirety, and is as relevant to people today as it was 2,000 years ago.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
3. Authentic Relationships: People matter to God, and therefore they matter to us. We will seek to be a church were members experience Christian love.
1 Peter 1: 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.
4. Meaningful Worship: Personally or corporate, God’s people were made to worship. Worship is for God’s benefit not ours; it’s an expression of a growing relationship with Christ.
Revelation 4:11a You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things.
5. Lifestyle Evangelism: Love won another. We will place an emphasis on being a people that live their faith in order to have the right to share their faith.
1 Thessalonians 1:8 The Lord's message rang out from you not only in
6. Excellence: Do all you do to the glory of God, and seek to do it with excellence. Excellence honors God.
Colossians 3:17a And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
7. Prayer is Priority: Apart from God we can do nothing of eternal significance; therefore prayer is at the foundation of all we do.
Ephesians 6:12a-13. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.


Pope Condemns "corrupting influence" of Harry PotterTimes Online UK
July 12, 2005
A letter written by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, before he was elected Pope in April, condemns the boy wizard as a potentially corrupting influence on children.
The Cardinal, then the late Pope John Paul II's "enforcer" as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, revealed his views in a letter to the author of Harry Potter - Good or Evil?, a book published in Germany. The Cardinal appeared to sympathise with Gabriele Kuby's thesis that Harry Potter corrupts the young, distorting their understanding of the battle between good and evil. "It is good that you enlighten people about Harry Potter because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul before it can grow properly," he wrote.
The Cardinal, who had been sent the book by Kuby, encouraged the writer to send her work to another member of the Church who had made an announcement on behalf of the Vatican praising J. K. Rowling's books. Mgr Peter Fleetwood, a British priest who helped to draft an official document on New Age phenomena in 2003, said that the Harry Potter books were moral stories that taught children about the importance of making sacrifices to overcome evil.
"I don't think that any of us grew up without the imaginary world of fairies, magicians, angels and witches," he told a conference at the Vatican. "They are not bad or a banner for anti-Christian ideology." Rowling, he said, was Christian by conviction and in the way she wrote.
Austen Ivereigh, a spokesman for Cardinal Cormac Murphy O' Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster, said that the Pope's comments were strongly worded but that Catholics were not bound by them.
"This was evidently Cardinal Ratzinger's view when he wrote that letter," he said. "As Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith he never issued an authoritative document on the subject so there is no question of Catholics . . . needing to take a single view. Personally I think they are a great read." Harry Potter has a history of upsetting Christians. A pastor in New Mexico included the stories in a book-burning ceremony. Jack Brock, a priest from the Christ Community Church, said: "God says in Deuteronomy that witchcraft is an abomination. Whatever God hates, I hate."


I hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving! This week has been a very successful, and exciting week!
We visited a less active member who hadn't been to church for sense high school, and she's around her mid 50's now. But she let us in and we were able to find her needs and teach her to what she needed in her life at this moment. She could only remember very little about the church and so we started from the beginning. We really focused on the book of Mormon, praying to know if it's true, and then coming to church. After our 2nd visit toward the end of our lesson she asked us when church started. It was a very exciting moment as we were able to see her desire grow and feel the spirit. By the third visit she shared her experience of how she came to know the Book of Mormon is true, by sincere prayer. She tried her hardest to express her feeling of joy and comfort when she prayed as her eyes filled with tears. It was definitely a tender moment as we felt the love from our Heavenly Father.
What's even more exciting about this news and her desire to come to church is that she became the transportation for our investigator who couldn't get a ride. It's was amazing to see how the Lord provides a way.
For Church this last Sunday our bishop had us give 15 min talks to get the member motivated and excited about member. It was fantastic because we had the most people come to church then I've seen the whole time I've been in this area. The whole chapel was filled as 4 of our investigators came to church and 2 less active members whom we have been teaching. It couldn't of been a more full filling day!
Some thing I learn that is interesting is the Hawaii imports 85%-90% of there food for the people to eat!
Thanks for all your prayers and support. I love the letters.


Today is one of my favorite Holidays. I love gathering with family and eating until and we can’t breathe. I hope you are all enjoying your families today!
I am reminded today of how thankful I am for my amazing Husband Trevor and my awesome family. I love them all so dearly and I am so excited to spend the day with both families. I am also so thankful for this business the Lord has blessed me with. Thanks to all of YOU and your constant encouragement and following along with me! I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday weekend!!!
We will be shooting a wedding tomorrow! So excited to be apart of one of my best friends weddings! Be on the look out for pictures!
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18