Whether it’s simply a lack of Mass attendance or suffering from serious clergy abuse, there are many reasons we have left the Church. Here are some of the main reasons that Catholics have become Former Catholics:
1. You’ve left the Catholic faith without even realizing it—one day you just stop attending and never look back. You never felt connected to the Church or parish and no one has even noticed you are not there anymore.
2. You left because you’ve married a non-Catholic and decide to embrace that faith instead.
3. You discovered that Catholicism does not coincide with many of the bible’s teachings and that much of its doctrine is man-made. You either join another faith or do not join another denomination.
4. You’ve gone through many agonizing struggles with Catholic dogma, and ultimately realize that your life situation cannot be reconciled with Catholic doctrine.
5. Perhaps you are currently still a Catholic “in good standing” but are discerning whether Catholicism is the answer to salvation.
6. Hypocrisy. A traumatic life event involving a member of the church hierarchy has left you reeling and this religious abuse ends your tie with Catholicism in a split second.
7. A traumatic life event in general has questioned your belief in God or Christianity altogether.
Or maybe it’s a combination of several of these factors. For many cradle Catholics, Catholicism is not just a religion, it’s a culture and a way of life. Catholics who question an aspect of doctrine may find themselves at a crossroads of confusion and anxiety, especially those who feel an affinity and attachment to their parish.
Just as there are many reasons that Catholics leave the church, there are many demographics: young and old, with thorough knowledge of Catholic teaching or little knowledge at all, and some feel at total peace with their decision while others may find the break deeply painful.
So this is a group website, where guest posts and comments are welcome and encouraged, where resources are shared. We want to hear your story, to share the struggles and triumphs along your spiritual journey during and after Catholicism.
Welcome! This website is intended as a safe place for Catholics and Former Catholics who are struggling or have struggled with some aspect of the Catholic church. It is not an anti-Catholic website or a “war on Catholicism,” though perhaps some conservative Catholics may view it differently. It’s intended to be a place of compassion, hope, and respect for all points of view that are expressed with kindness.
Top Reasons Catholics are Leaving the Catholic Church
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I'm a survivor of abuse by a religious Catholic when I was 4 years old. I have found the Jesuits to be the only source of warmth in the Catholic church, but as a rule we are not welcomed. Some survivors said they just hope we will all "die off." When I try to ask questions, like I just did from an Archbishop, I get terse replies. I was told I must be "bitter," when I don't feel any bitterness at all, because he didn't know how to answer me. In fact, I'm the only survivor I know of who has been willing to go back to the Catholic church and very open, wanting to see clergy as good. The culture is one where questions are not allowed, and clergy don't see themselves as capable of making mistakes, let alone sins. I don't know if the clergy being above-sin is a teaching of the Catholic church, but it seems to be.
They say one thing and do the opposite, like the Holy Eucharist is the real Body and Blood of JESUS, but they don't use a patten when you receive communion in your mouth, and I had a priest drop the host. When training for Eucharistic Minister, they say don't worry if you drop it, just kick the host and straddle it with your feet, it's no big deal. The altar is supposedly "holy" where the Mass happens, but everybody can just go tromping across the altar.
I saw on this site where a priest said if we believe the Catholic church has the true Eucharist, why would we consider leaving? The typical arrogance you get in most clergy. I had a priest run me off the emergency phone line when I was bleeding heavily for 4 hours and easily could have died. The surgeon and doctors were very worried about me, sent me to the ER and pumped me full of fluids. We can't even call a priest when we're dying, then you just have to say there's a serious disconnection between church and our lives. When they start the Mass with let's confess our sins, if I wasn't such a shy person, I wish I could jump up and shout "Okay, father, you go first." Leading by example. Trust is not dictated or automatic, it is only earned. Seeing a black-and-white collar doesn't mean we should all worship them as "other christs" as they refer to themselves. I have seen Christ living very strongly through one of our priests, but he is the exception to the rule.
Or... you left because you did not take the time to understand the beauty of our faith. Instead, you chose to leave because you wanted to focus on you and lay to the wayside, the teachings which have prevailed for over 2000 years.
I just came into the Church. Bye bye!
Like the previous post, I also have a great deal of difficulty remaining Catholic. The last straw for me is when the Vatican criticized American nuns for allegedly being "radical feminists" and for spending too much time on social justice issues and not enough on anti-abortion activity.
This perspective demonstrates the extreme disconnect and arrogance of Church leaders, especially the bishops and Vatican-based "protectors of the faith." Many American nuns spend countless hours working with the poor in often harsh conditions, treating AIDS victims in hospices, etc, with below poverty line wages for all their work.
Another good reason to leave the Catholic Church is the lack of consistency in the pro-life position. Many American Catholics and bishops have no problem opposing abortion, yet they do not similarly condemn the death penalty, U.S. led wars of aggression that have killed hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, drone attacks that have killed hundreds of innocent civilians, etc. American bishops do not speak out against U.S. policies of torture and indefinite detention without trial. Jesus was known as the "Prince of Peace" and not the prince of war, but you wouldn't know this by the "support the troops" attitude embraced by many American priests and bishops.
The blatant hypocrisy and double standard of the Catholic church is one of the main reasons why many American Catholics are headed out the door.
I struggle with the Church for exactly the same reasons as Ray. The hypocrisy is too much and condemnation of nuns for helping the poor instead of being overtly anti-abortion is just too much for me to bear. I feel like every time I try to will myself to return to church, another story pops up in the news that makes me feel less inclined to return.
Looks like people are 'leaving' because the Church isn't leftwing enough for them. Why bother leaving if that's the case? Catholicism has become synomymous with communism anyway.
I was raised Catholic. I am at a complicated point. I no longer go to Mass but still believe in God and the roots of Catholicism. It's just that I am not active in the community of Catholics. The main reason for this social withdrawal has been dating rejection by Catholic women. Over a span of many years I literally have had many bad experiences with rejection by Catholic women. Meanwhile, I had numerous opportunities to date very beautiful Protestant women. So I eventually began a relationship with a Protestant female - a beautiful, blonde Southern Belle. Meanwhile, I don't go to Church anymore. I think the Church's stance on dating and marriage is unrealistic and causes many Catholics to drift away. I read that most Catholics date and marry Non-Catholics. Catholic marriages are relatively infrequent and becoming less so each year. I know I tried as hard as I could, but I could only take so much rejection. Now, I can't even conceptualize trying to date a Catholic woman anymore. My Catholic dating rejections remind me of that 80s song "Love stinks..." But I've been accepted by a Protestant woman, and that makes me happy. I am happy with a beautiful, blonde Protestant Southern Belle.
I am Catholic and have been my whole life and I am only Catholic because my whole family is Catholic. Does anyone read anymore? Does any Catholic know they really follow the Catechism of the Catholic Church and not the bible? Do you know in the CCC book they say the pope is infallible, meaning he can never make a mistake? Look all we need as a human race is the words of Jesus. That was the point, the rest is for show, money, and power. Let his light shine in you! Stop letting the ritual non-sense of the church starve you from truth. Be nice to people! http://www.thewords.com
The Crusades, Inquisition, burning heretics at the stake, priest sex abuse, and the Church's position on contraception and homosexuality are reasons enough to call into doubt that this is God's organization. But the Pope formally asks for forgiveness for the Crusades, Inquisition, and burning of heretics and condemns them as sins, but then every book on Catholic Apologetics and every devout Catholic makes excuses for these sins. They rewrite history as though these events were benign intentions gone awry and try to characterize them as actions by some individual bad apples instead of recognizing unconditionally denouncing them and condemning the efforts of Catholic Apologists to minimize or legitimate them. They whine about the martyrdom suffered by priests during the English Reformation, making some of them saints, even though those same priests and saints tortured and murdered Protestants. I guess its okay for St Thomas More to execute people for religious beliefs, but when he gets executed for the same reason, the Church screams persecution and martyrdom. The sex abuse scandal wasn't "handled badly" it was and still is implemented and institutionalized by the Church's policies that discourage cooperation with civil authorities. Priests and Bishops guilty of abuse and cover-ups are still being protected from facing justice. And again, rather than taking responsibility, they lay this problem at the feet of other people: Pornographers, homosexuals, and atheists. If you are against contraception as a matter of moral conscience, then that is your belief. But the Church maligns, distorts, and lies about contraception by saying condoms don't reduce the risk of contracting STDs. And if you're against gays, fine. But to confound homosexuality with pedophilia is outrageous. They compare the Church to the Boy Scouts, Penn State and other groups as though the child rape that was protected by the Church is just trivial. "Its just normal! Any organization that has been around for 2,000 years is going to have skeletons!" Well excuse the shit out of me, but if you're claiming to have the Vicar of Christ and "other Christs" as the Pope and priests are often described, and make claims of moral authority, I hold you to slightly higher standards than the Boy Scouts or Penn State. But iIf someone has legitimate grievances against the Church, they are mocked as though they really don't care about the spiritual truths the Church represents. "If you believe the Church has the Eucharist, why would you want to leave?" Basically what they're saying is that there are no conditions, no matter how corrupt, no matter how sinister that could call into doubt as to whether or not this Church is the true representation of God's Kingdom on earth. If there is a God and if that God cares about humans and wants us to follow his ways, I highly doubt that the Catholic Church is the organization that God is working through to do just that.
I am a struggling catholic. Last week's homily left me in tears and confusion. The priest talked about the government attacking the church and promoting Satan.
I grew up going to public school and am proud to be a part of a country that tries to promote religious freedom and tolerance. I don't feel that having more liberal laws prevent me from having a more conservative lifestyle.
Or, that I was ever taught about Satan or any other religion for that matter in school. Teachers in public schools simply don't have time to teach any kind of theology. I went to Catechism to learn about my religion.
I am a cradle catholic who stopped practicing in High School after my mom died of cancer. Church was a boring obligation that my mom made me go too. In college, I started going again to a more liberal Catholic Church. It was wonderful. I felt engaged. The priest would answer questions at the end of Mass. The focus was less on the dogma and more about living in a community of love and respect.
I thought I found the same thing after college, but after last week. I find myself questioning my ability to have open discussions about areas were I disagree with church doctrine. I am wrong not to follow my faith blinding? Can still attend church if I find myself disagreeing with some of the Homilies? I am not ready to give up a community that has supported me through my struggles.
I love all denominations and do not even believe we must attend church to be a believer. I am a very loyal Roman Catholic and attend church every Sunday possible. I have friends of all denominations and they all are equal to me. Judge not or we be judged stays in my mind. Sandy Boletchek of Manassas Va.
I am so thankful that I left the roman catholic church in 1996 and I have absolutely no guilt about it whatsoever.This church is not worthy of my thoughts or anybody elses.I am going to say that the human race should forget about this church completely and allow it to cease existing.We don't need this anymore and I certainly don't want to have to endure the absolute misery of this horrible religion.Thank god almighty that I am free and I am sane and I love being in the natural world more than I could ever love being a member of that bizarre and creepy church.It was really creepy!!!!!!
confused: I have been a catholic all my life, and loved teaching sacramental preparation clases, but due to the profound lies and power struggle and a priest who does not care. I am seriously questioning my faith. The people in the office have the doctrine all wrong, and are just wingging it. Its only a job to them and it saddens me that over 50 percent of the children do not know to pray the Our Father, and Hail Mary. They are just understanding why we bow our heads in prayers. It is a place full of Bad Evil People. How can i stay in that place. They have lost there ways!
I had a comforting faith instilled by my nanny until I became confirmed after death--- I could not blind myself to the real truth behind the Catholic Church it is a very radical, authoritarian, medieval hierarchy the sex abuse is systemic for a reason, it is obsessed with original sin that is, sex, from the Church Fathers who hated women and shamed the body, the sex scandals are systemic and the holocaust not an accident I am tired of priests telling me that the CC is the only way to God in fact I'm tired of any outward religion, I believe the Gnostic Christians Jesus tried to teach us something that was hijacked by a political institution. Every time I go to Mass to support my catholic friends or family I come away feeling sick--- there is no way that the Supreme Creator is present in their sick thought control. $43 million dollar bishop residence come on- I still believe in a Creator and a divine feminine presence please keep the priests away from me
I am in the process of leaving. I came back 3 yrs ago wanting support through my divorce (which was annulled). I have found nothing but petty bickering, and people in cliques who really want nothing to do with you. No one is friendly and most never even notice you.
I got to be friendly with a couple priests but my stances on women and marriage equality make it impossible for me to reconcile Catholic teaching with what my heart says.
I have also been horribly attacked on a few Catholic pages and left to bleed spiritually. They defend their nasty attacks on a comment that I'm Catholic and support gay marriage by saying "it's for my good" even going to far as to say that they would be happy if I left the faith. This has happened a couple times and it's left me massively depressed, in bed, unable to function, consumed by a deep self hatred that if I just was a "little bit better" this wouldn't happen. I have a mental illness, which makes it easy to blame me for everything. I've changed parishes and the parish I'm in doesn't rail on the "gay marriage" stuff but I still get hammered on at Catholic sites if I express my opinion.
Should I have to hide who I am instead of going somewhere I can be me? Because of this my relationship with Jesus has suffered. I can't go to church more than once a week, it's no longer meaningful, and I only go because I'm required. When I stay away from church I can draw closer to the Lord and know that He knows my heart and all that I've been through and why I have a horrible time trusting authority figures. I was abused as a kid by a male authority figure and my son died when he was 16. Frost that on my already fragile mental state and I've had about enough of the "all or nothing" attitudes of Catholics I speak to and ask for help.
I think, for the most part, those I've talked to about my considering leaving couldn't care less. That pretty much sums up most Catholics I've been around. So...I'm praying but I think the decision is already made. I'm tired of church, I am reading and seeking drawing nearer to Jesus without the "help" of the church. Who needs help that almost causes you to have a mental breakdown?
i am a catholic guy and am dating a pentecostal girl.she encouraged me to start reading my bible for myself and not wait for priests to do it for me.now i'm confused because iv found a lt of contradictions betweeb scripture and the church.i am thinking of leaving the catholic church,but i am afraid i will no fit in or feel comfortable anywhere else because i was born and raised catholic.id appreciate help from all those who have had to make the decision to leave.thank you in advance.God bless
I am having a hard time deciding whether or not if I leave. My
conscious is telling me after much research at a seminary that many of
our traditions and dates have pagan origins. One of which is Christmas
being that it is on the birthday of Nimrod from Mythology, Tammuz, and
a holiday of Saturnalia. It is also weird how we discontinued having
the beginning of the year start in Abib or the spring time. How can we
be Christians if we don't follow such practices including keeping holy
the SABBOTH day... or Saturday for that matter. Though it is arguable
that we have Sunday because of Christ's Resurrection... wouldn't we
still want to follow his teachings? I am also disappointed there is
not official church teaching that Yoga cannot be practiced because of
the pose forms originating from false Nephillic/demons/gods. I may
just look into other rites of the Catholic (Universal) Church to see
if I should switch rites. I love our Divine Liturgies... I just have a
hard time with many of our traditions that have iffy origins and the
fact that we don't honor the true Sabbath. I know this will kill my
social life as the majority of my life I grew up catholic and where
all my friends are from, though my conscious is telling me I cannot
because of knowledge participate in many of the traditions that don't
have a 'Christian Origin' (specifically Christmas and not Following
Abib and the Sabboth) If a reform did happen somewhere along these
lines however, I might stay...
After studying Theology I know that I should listen to my conscience.
God Bless all of you and if you have any advice with other rites/
groups... please let me know... I have heard of
Gathering of Christ Church
Please pray for me, I am starting to find out a lot and it is scary,
yet relieving that I have been able to pick up this information.
God Bless you and take care..
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John the Baptist (c. 1st century BC – c. AD 30) is said to have been an itinerant preacher active in the area of Jordan River in the early 1st century AD. He is also known as John the Forerunner in Christianity, John the Immerser in some Baptist Christian traditions, and Prophet Yahya in Islam. He is sometimes alternatively referred to as John the Baptizer. (From Wikipedia)
The Feast of Saint John closely coincides with the June solstice, also referred to as Midsummer in the Northern Hemisphere. The Christian holy day is fixed at 24 June; but in most countries festivities are mostly held the night before, on Saint John's Eve. "In England, 'Saint John's Tide' is combined with a midsummer celebration.
Instead of the date of the summer solstice, they chose June 24. This may be because of the Baptist's own words, 'He must increase, but I must decrease' (John 3:30). John was, of course, referring to Jesus. John's day comes at the time when the sun is beginning to decrease..." (From Wikipedia)


Amici Thomae Mori
The Friends of Thomas More, linked with the Center for Thomas More Studies at the University of Dallas (see below) which edits and issues its learned review, Moreana, but serving a more general audience with its events and newsletter, the Gazette Thomas More.
Catholic Encyclopedia of 1917
Useful introduction to the stories of the Catholic martyrs, but without critical treatment and with a non-ecumenical spirit from times prior to the Second Vatican Council
Catholic League (UK)
An ecumenical society promoting the Catholic ecumenical movement and the corporate reintegration and reunion of all Christians in communion with the apostolic see of Rome. For many years, the League has been promoting reparation for the sins of the disunity of the Church in England and the historical mutual martyrdoms, as well as reconciliation and healing of memories.
Center for Thomas More Studies
At the University of Dallas, Texas
Centre for Reformation & Early Modern Studies
Based at the University of Birmingham. There is a superb links and online resources page.
Congregation for the Causes of Saints
The Vatican department charged with the process and history of establishing the veneration of the Saints, the Blessed and the Servants of God.
The Hagiography Circle is a body of young scholars bound by a common interest in “re-telling” the lives of contemporary models of holiness who, within the past seven years, have dedicated some of their time to reading, translating, and reflecting on biographies sent in by promoters of beatification and canonization causes.
Hagiography Society of America
The Hagiography Society was founded in North America in 1990 to promote communication among scholars in various disciplines whose research involves the study of early Christian or medieval saints' legends.
John Foxe's Book of Martyrs
Online critical edition of all versions, from the Humanities Research Institute, University of Sheffield
Société des Bollandistes
A scholarly association of Jesuits and others, based in Belgium and continuing work begun in 1607, dedicated to the critical study of Christian hagiography.
Society for Ecumenical Studies
Promoting dialogue, mutual understanding and research, and receptive ecumenism.
Society for Reformation Studies
Based at King's College London
The shrine to all the Catholic martyrs of the Reformation period near Hyde Park in London. The Benedictine community has been concerned to ensure that the commemoration of these martyrs also takes into account the whole history of the Church in England and remembers with sorrow, yet with hope for unity, those Christians who were Anglicans and Protestants who also lost their lives in faithfulness to Christ.
Ample information on the life of many of the martyrs mentioned on this site


1977 Horatio Alger Award Winner
"Real joy comes from doing things for others."
Ruth Stafford Peale was born in 1906 in Fonda, Iowa, where her father was a Methodist minister. Later they moved to Detroit, where Peale took her first job at the age of 14. She worked at the ribbon counter in a department store and earned $11 a week. She excelled in her job after listening to and following her father's advice. He told her, "It pays to be patient and kind, no matter how unfair life may seem to be at the time."
During her senior year in high school, Peale was the vice president of her class. She graduated in 1922, and then attended Detroit's City College for one year. Although she wanted to continue, she agreed to leave school and work full time so that she could help finance her older brother's education. She went to work for the Michigan Bell Telephone Company and then returned to school in 1926. At that time, her younger brother worked to help put her through school. She graduated from Syracuse University in 1928 with a degree in math. She taught school for a time, but ended that career when she married Norman Vincent Peale in 1930. They moved to New York City two years later, where Dr. Peale was the senior minister at the Marble Collegiate Church on Fifth Avenue.
In six decades of marriage and ministry, the Peale partnership communicated its message of the power of Christian faith and positive thinking to millions of people worldwide. The author of The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale became one of the foremost ministers and motivational speakers and writers of the 20th century. Ruth Peale worked closely with her husband in all aspects of his ministry, and also established a separate identity as a religious leader, public speaker, and author. She was the co-founder, publisher, and chairman emeritus of Guideposts, a spiritual magazine Mrs. Peale started so that her husband's sermons could be shared with those outside his congregation. Today, Guideposts publishes six magazines, including Angels on Earth and Miracles and Healing. In 1990, the Peale Center was established and later merged with Guideposts to form A Church Corporation, with the Peale Center serving as the outreach division.
Ruth Peale was the author of Secrets of Staying in Love (1984) and A Lifetime of Positive Thinking (2001), her memoirs. She said, "My entire life has been devoted to helping people find a richer, fuller life for themselves and their families. It has been a privilege to write and speak about discovering that God is ever-present in our lives. He brings spiritual strength to all of us. The motivation I have received from Horatio Alger participants has been a blessing to me."* Deceased


Our Projects in Holy Land
Polish Sister School(Bethlehem)
PNN exclusive – Victoria Delacroix- Sister Helena Wlodarczyk, also known as Sister Rafaela is said to be the lion of the Mount of Olives. At 79, this Polish nun has survived the Nazi occupation of Poland, the Soviet occupation of Poland, and since 1961 she has been in Israel and Palestine under yet another occupation. However, this time instead of trying to survive herself, she is helping others.
«I came here with one purpose only, to be a missionary,» she said.
Since arriving in 1961 with the Sisters of St. Elizabeth, Sister Rafaela says she has seen a steady decrease of not only Palestinian Christians as a demographic, but also in their standard of living as well as the opportunity to be able to make a livelihood both in Palestine and Israel. In the end it is the children who are the real victims of this hopelessness.
«People are running away. You can’t really be surprised that they’re running away and emigrating. There is no work,» Sister Rafaela said.
Sister Rafaela explained that because many families are large and there is also just as much unemployment, there are times when a mother cannot feed her children- simply because there is no way how.
In order to help the Christian families in the Holy Land, in 2008, the Sisters of St. Elizabeth decided to build another Home of Peace, similar to the one they had already built in 1970 on the Mount of Olives. Only this Home of Peace is in Bethlehem.
Sister Rafaela explained that with the building of the Separation Wall, children and families who live in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas, which may need help from the Home of Peace or the sisters cannot travel to Jerusalem.
The first Home of Peace which was built in Jerusalem served not just as an orphanage, but because it was built only three years after the first intifada-a time that would see many children orphaned by the conflict, it did indeed become a home for the children affected by the war. At one time the home had up 40 children living in it.
«There were children living in cemeteries and hiding there,» Sister Rafeala said.
However, the sisters decided that the best way to be able to heal the wounds left by the war, as well as give these children a better and brighter future, education would come at the forefront of their program.
Today that has not changed. While there is still on-going construction on the new Home of Peace in Bethlehem, the sisters are determined to keep supporting the Christian community in the West Bank every which way they can.
«We are determined to keep up with the education,» she said.
The Sisters through donations try as best they can to provide families with the resources needed to give their children the key to success, even under occupation- education.
«We want all Christian families to have money to send their children to private schools- to Christian schools so that they can continue their education and their religion,» she said.
Because the public schools do not cater to Christian families or the Christian faith, many times Christian children are not able to reach their full potential in these public schools, especially when it comes to their culture and religion.
«If a child is taught the Quran their life and not the bible- and then they come into a Church not knowing anything, what can we expect of them?» Sister Rafeala said.
Sister Rafeala believes the way to grow back the Christian community in the West Bank and throughout the Holy Land means giving children the chance to learn that very faith, grow in it, and learn in it and from it.
«We want to somehow get all the Christian children out of the public schools – depending on their skill level- be able to send them to private Christian schools,» she said.
At the moment, the sisters have three students who have be brought up through the Home of Peace and are now at university. Only one of three young women has her university studies paid off through the sisters.
«We keep telling the parents, under no circumstances, under absolutely no circumstances should they take their children out of the school,» Sister Rafeala said. «We will pay it. Whether it’s tomorrow, next week or in a year and half- we will pay it.»
Eleven more elementary students who either are still going to public schools or are in the process of being transferred to a private Christian school are also being funded by the sisters.
The new Home of Peace in Bethlehem, when finished and fully operable will be a place where children will be able to come after school, have a nourishing meal, do their school work and then go home. The unique strategy of the Home of Peace is that the sisters do not want it to become an institutionalized orphanage.
«We do not want to take away the beauty of the family. The child must be brought up in the family,» she said.
However, children who truly do not have a family that can support that or are orphans will find an open home with open hearts in the Home of Peace. The sisters also understand that the home cannot be overflowing with children, left and right. This would undermine the nurturing of the children. The children will also be expected to do chores- like in a real home, they need to be responsible.
A testament to the success of the Home of Peace is that the children who came up through the Home of Peace have a deep bond with the sisters and that they have truly found a place to call home.
«One of the sisters who built the Home of Peace in Jerusalem with me, had passed away in Poland,» Sister Rafeala said. «One of the girls we had helped, we sent to Germany for further studies. She had heard about the sister and she travelled to Poland to be at her funeral. She wrote a letter that the priest read. Everyone was crying when he read it.»
The Home of Peace in Bethlehem is scheduled to be finished in January 2012. It already has a fully operational kitchen and cafeteria, a school room for more than 20 children, bedrooms that are fully furnished, bathrooms and a computer room as well as a recreational room. A playground must still be finished as well as construction outside the home.
The funding for the Home of Peace was in part made possible by the Polish government. The Home of Peace received 35 000 euros in funding from Poland. Basia Nino- Urban who is a development aid expert and works in the Polish Representative Office said that,
«Our office (through the small grants) supports local NGOs or Polish NGOs working on the grassroots level in the West Bank. Our office collects project proposals and selects the best ones which comply with the areas of focus and which present the best operational plans,» she said.
Urban said that funds come from the MSZ- the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from the Development Cooperation Department. It is the Development Cooperation Department who picks the priority countries to receive Polish development assistance.
«For the past 2-3 years, there was 1.5 million PLN earmarked for Palestine, out of which one million is distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via an open call for proposals (to Polish NGOs such as the Polish Humanitarian Action or the Polish Center for International Aid,» Urban said.
For Sister Rafeala every penny has been a blessing, because every penny means she can help more Christian families that are suffering. It is also a testament of what it means being a real Christian.
«Yes I am a real Christian, but what does that mean? I think one has to think about what it real means,» she said.
Sister Rafeala says that having survived two occupations in Poland has prepared her for living in yet another occupation. Living and helping those who have not yet freed themselves from it.


This Christmas Eve I went to church with my older girls, and something interesting happened.
The pastor was a woman who shared a story about her 6 year old son.
She talked about how he didn’t want to be in the play the church was doing. It was kind of funny because he was the pastor’s son, so she had to explain why he should do it without really pushing him to do it.
Then, in the end he was really excited about it because he got a different part that he really wanted to play.
The best part of the story wasn’t the story itself, it was how the pastor delivered it.
I could relate to her as a person and a mother. She was funny when she talked about her son, and when she was speaking, everyone was quiet and listening attentively.
Except for the kids that were laying on my lap and climbing on me of course.
The rest of the sermon was delivered in much the same way. As she spoke, she was talking about concepts from the bible but relating them to life as we know it. She was funny and engaging, and everyone was riveted to her as she talked about how we should be humble and accepting.
At the end of her sermon she told us there were packages by the doors and we should each take one on our way out. The packages were for people in need, and we were supposed to keep them in our car until we saw someone who could use it.
As I listened to her speak that day, I noticed something interesting.
Before I always thought that being a pastor was about faith.
Now I realized that sometimes the message isn’t as important as the way you deliver it.
After all, I’ve heard the same messages in church over and over again for years, and it never impacted me the way this sermon did. But because this pastor delivered it with a lot more meaning, I kept listening, and even took something away from it. Not just the lesson about being humble and accepting, but also about delivering a message in the right way so that the people who need it can take action on it.
What I thought was the most amazing thing about it was that she had come up with such a great way for everyone to implement what she was teaching. She told me what her message was, showed me what it meant to my life, and then gave me a way to practice it right away.
This is what I want to do for you. I want to deliver my message in such a way that you can actually take action on it.
To do that I want to know,
What are you struggling with right now as a working mom?
I want to hear about it, so email me or leave a comment and let me know.


My question from last week was “What is next?” Well, I am slowly receiving a message about a God-sized dream. Actually I am sure it is a big message, but I am only starting to open my eyes and see glimpses. Sometimes first glimpses are very blurry and foggy. “Am I really seeing that or is it a dream?” I am hoping that it is God’s dream for my life and just not my imagination. I guess the reason I am questioning it is because I cannot imagine whatever God has up His sleeve for me. I am starting to have ideas but maybe I am crazy! But I do trust God and I know His plans are much bigger than I can ever imagine. So….dream on!
What is next? Life is so unpredictable, but God is the constant! I thank God that He is in control and NOT me! I have learned the hard way, but the keyword is “learned”. I have learned to “let go and let God.” Of course, it is a learning and growing process every day!
Because I have more “free time” on my hands now, I have chosen to focus on God and work on my relationship with Him. Even though I worked at a church, I now realize that I was “working” for the church and NOT working on my relationship with the owner of that church..God! I was too busy doing….but not growing! Like I said, I have learned the hard way.
But I am ready to move on, to whatever God has planned for me. I am listening and waiting, but I am not good at either one! They are both new concepts and experiences for me. I am the “go and do” kinda gal. But at this point in my life, I am not sure what direction to go or what I “should” do.
So back to the first sentence….what is next?


Before the baptism of Jesus, very few people in Israel knew him. Even the devil was very little bothered because Jesus kept a low profile in the home of his parents. But the moment Jesus Christ was anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit, everything changed. All the darkness and evil began to tremble. Satan and all the demons started to shake. The devil was so afraid of the mighty power that Jesus had just acquired. It is the same anointing of the Holy Spirit operating in the lives of many Christians that Satan seeks to extinguish today. Satan never slept as he launched a campaign of false accusations against Jesus Christ before God in Heaven. Some of these charges were:
“That so-called son of your will misuse your name and the authority you gave him”
“He will be taken up by pleasures, treasures and the kingdom of the world”
“He will put you to test
As in the case of Job, God patiently listened to these accusations against Christ. He was convinced that his son would not disappoint him. Our Father in Heaven did not waste time defending Jesus Christ. This is the same trust that God has in all faithful Christians today. Finally, God granted the devil permission to find the faithfulness of Jesus for himself. God gave Satan permission to tempt Christ!
If God did not spare his best friend Job, and if he did not spare his precious and beloved only son Jesus Christ, what about us? God can allow the devil to tempt faithful Christians today.
After God allowed Satan to tempt Jesus, we come to the most important part of this message. What happens next is very puzzling, but it is important for the life of every Christian. Now observe this: as he prepared to tempt the Son of God, it was not the devil who went to Jesus. Rather it was God the Father who took Jesus Christ to the devil to be tempted!
Hear what the written Word of God says:
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil.“[This was the sixth, out of the seven Scriptures that the Lord presented in this vision].
The amplified Bible puts this Scripture in a very clear form:
Then Jesus was led by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Matthew 4: 1 TAB
The original Greek translation of this Scripture shows that it was the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, who led Jesus to the devil to be tempted (Luke 4: 1 confirms this).
The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity. Often when Christians feel the Holy Spirit, they say they feel the presence of God. They are right. The Holy Spirit is God himself. It was God who led Jesus to the devil to be tempted. Our Father does not tempt anyone [James 1:13] but rather it is the devil who tempts or seduces believers. However, just as God led Jesus to the devil, our Father can lead Christians to Satan to be tempted. Let all Christians always reflect on Matthew 4:1. They will realize thatit was not Jesus’s wish to go to the place of temptations in the wilderness. Rather, it was our loving Father who led Jesus into the desert where the devil was already waiting for him with many temptations. Our Father had reasons to lead Jesus to the devil to be tempted. For the same reasons, he still leads many faithful believers, without their knowledge, in situations of temptations and trials.
Here are some of the reasons why God can lead believers to the devil to be tempted:
When Satan appears in heaven with accusations against a believer, God has no way of proving to the devil that his children are blameless. If you read the book of Job chapters 1 and 2, you will realize that when Satan appeared in heaven with accusations against Job, God wasted no time trying to defend his faithful servant. He simply allowed Satan to go and prove himself that Job was. The same thing happened in the life of Jesus. God wasted no time trying to defend Christ because he had complete confidence in his Son. Today God has the same confidence in all Christians. He knows we can prove to the devil that we love our Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit from the bottom of our hearts.
Sometimes when God leads Christians to the devil to be tempted, He wants to test their obedience to him. This is exactly what he did with the first man on earth. Do you realize that God had all the capacity to plant the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil elsewhere – far from Adam? Do you realize that in the Garden of Eden, God had the ability to prevent Satan from tempting Adam? God could have said a word and the serpent would have disappeared or even perished. God allowed Satan to fulfill this temptation to see if Adam would still obey his instructions and remain faithful. God can allow tempting or trying situations to happen to you to see if you will always remain faithful to him.’
Before God judges, he wants to know for himself whether the accusations he has heard about us are true or not, some of these accusations may come from the devil or from our fellow men. This is exactly what happened in the case of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Many charges were laid against these two cities until God said:
“I must go down to find out whether or not the accusations which I have heard are true.” . Genesis 18: 20-21 GNB
God led these two cities to temptation by directing two angels to pose as male visitors to these cities. What happened to these two angels at night proved to God that the accusations he had heard about these two cities were actually true. Christians, especially those in the ministry, should not ignore all the accusations made by their enemies. As in the case of Job, God can allow Satan to tempt you in some of the areas with which you are accused. Likewise, just as our Father used Job and Jesus to shame the devil, God can allow temptations and trials to happen to you in your life in order to prove to the world that you are innocent.
Your anointing does not matter.
An important lesson we learn from the temptation of Jesus is that no matter what anointing you have on your life, no matter how close you are to God, when the Father allows Satan to tempt you, the devil can put you in very difficult tempting situations.
When God allows Satan to tempt you, He does not seek your defeat or failure. God is looking to see if you would glorify his name. It all depends on you because God has given you the power to decide whether the glory goes to your Heavenly Father or to the devil. When Satan succeeds in tempting you, he rejoices over God. He tells God how right he was with his accusations against you. But when you manage to overcome the temptations, the glory returns to God. Satan’s accusations are proven false.
When you overcome temptations, something will happen in the supernatural:
– The name of God will be glorified [Daniel 3: 28-29]
– God will be pleased with you [Daniel 1: 8-9]
– Jesus will be filled with joy by interceding for you [Hebrews 7:25]
– God’s blessings will come to you [Prov. 3:33]
– God will send his angels to protect you [Ps. 91:11]
– The last part of your life will be more blessed [Job 42:12]
Let all Christians know that when temptations come to them, it is our loving Father who has permitted Satan to bring them. Satan cannot tempt a child of God without God’s permission. Know that when you accepted Christ, Satan began to accuse you before God. Even now, he may be trying to ask God for permission to come and tempt you. There is no limit to what God does. When God allows Satan to tempt believers, He wants us to count on him for power, for wisdom, and for advice, rather than trusting our human capabilities.
A sister falls
Recently, I was told about this sister in Christ who had grown so much in business. She started from a humble beginning and the Lord prospered abundantly. This gave her more love and confidence in God. She always moved with her Bible and went to church regularly. One evening, after an unusually busy day, she collected all the money from the day’s sales and got into a car to go home. It was a lot of money because she had sold almost everything in stock. On her way, thieves hit and grabbed her bag of money. They threw the Bible at her and disappeared. This sister was so shocked that she burst into tears. She looked at the Bible and saw that it was useless in her life. I was told that she grabbed the Bible and left it at her church. She abandoned Christ that day.
We must have a fixed faith in God. A faith that will not be shaken by negative circumstances. A faith that will withstand trials and temptations. Now, I want you to see what happened to the spiritual realm when this sister fell. She fell because she was tempted by the devil. This temptation was allowed by God. Satan went before God and he accused this sister.
“Are you saying that she loves you and that you are proud of her?” Is it not because of this money that you gave her. Take the money away and you will see if she still loves you. ”
God allowed Satan to realize this temptation and the devil passed the test. Our Father in Heaven has no way of proving to Satan that we love him from the bottom of our hearts. God trusts us so he tells the devil to come on Earth and prove for himself that we are true friends of God.
Another sister falls
This is another true story. There is this couple who loved God so much. From time to time, the man asked his wife to pray and repent for fear of having sinned against God. They always repented on behalf of their sons and daughters. The man would never allow evil to come to them. This couple’s fear of God was known to great distances. This was Job and his wife, as recorded in the Bible. Without their knowledge, Satan accused Job before God in heaven and the Devil was allowed to tempt this innocent man. God said to Satan:
“Very well, then, everything he has is in your power ” Job 1:12
What followed was as follows:
All of Job’s 1,000 oxen and 500 donkeys were stolen.
The fire of God burned all 7,000 of Job’s sheep.
Job’s 3000 camels were stolen
Job’s seven sons and three daughters were killed.
It was too much for Mrs. Job. She lost all of her faith and trust in God. If only Job’s wife had the revelation of the charges Satan had brought against her husband before God, and if she knew that Satan was the real enemy behind their trials. If only she knew the double blessing that God had prepared if Job succeeded in remaining faithful, she could probably have been patient and a source of encouragement for her dear husband. Meanwhile, Job’s wife became more restless and impatient. She denied the name of God and wanted Job to do the same. She says to her husband,
““Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” ” Job 2: 9
If Ms. Job had known that God was watching carefully to see what she was doing, and if she had a revelation of the reward that God was preparing for Job, she would probably have resisted the devil. Glory would be given to God.
The battle is for the faithful believers.
Let all Christians always read the book of Job to see that the person God mentioned to Satan was blameless and always, faithful to God. This still continues today. Whenever Satan appears in heaven, God tells him the names of his faithful children on earth.


Like many religions that were developed throughout Mesopotamia, Judeo-Christianity and Judaism embrace the concept of human and animal sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. One would think that there is a better way for God to forgive sin than to spill innocent blood since he's omniscient. In reality, early Christians likely lifted the concept of blood sacrifice from Mithraism, which is said to have been born from Zoroastrianism. As astronomer E.C. Krupp states in his book, Beyond the Blue Horizon: Myths and Legends of the Sun, Moon, Stars and Planets:
"We don't know at what point in the year Mithras slaughtered the bull, and we don't know when this mythical act was reenacted in the Mithraic grottoes to baptize initiates in the blood of the bull. But the depictions of sacrifice displayed in the chapels are entirely consistent with the astronomical circumstances of a specific night, just after sunset, in spring."
Krupp confirms that Mithraic rituals of blood sacrifice and baptism were alive and well before the advent of Christianity. He also confirms another very subtle but strong relation between Christianity and worship of celestial bodies. It is interesting to note that Mithras' birthday was celebrated on December 25th as, by default, he was one of the embodiments of Sol Invictus, the Unconquered Sun. It is also interesting to note that a key tenet of Mithraic tradition was ritual meals, not unlike that of Christian communion.
While human/animal sacrifice is nothing new, there are two prime examples that can be found in the Old Testament -- the stories of Abraham and Jephthah. Of these two, the story of Abraham's desire to slay his own son as an act of obedience to Jehovah, is the most prominent. But the story of Jephthah is not so well-known. Not surprisingly, many Christians have never heard of Jephthah.
Jephthah, as the Book of Judges illustrates, was a warrior that served as a judge in Israel for six years. Jephthah led the Israelites in a battle against the Ammonites. But before the battle began, Jephthah prayed to Jehovah, asking for an assured victory in exchange for the first thing that walked out of his house to greet him after the battle. Jephthah's only daughter was the first to exit his house upon his return, exuberant and dancing with tambourines. Horrified, Jephthah told her that he had made an oath to God that couldn't be broken, and that she needed to be sacrificed.
She asked for two months of isolation with her friends because had never known marriage. At the end of those two months, Jephthah slew his only daughter, a virgin, of course.
At the opposite end of the sacrificial spectrum stands Abraham and his then only son, Isaac. The story takes places in Genesis 22:1-19 when Jehovah calls out to Abraham and instructs him to take Isaac to a mountain where he will be sacrificed. Abraham immediately obeys and sets out for the wilderness along with his son. At no point does the text say anything about Abraham questioning Jehovah's request, which I find rather interesting. Even the New Testament tells us that Jesus begged God to reconsider letting his blood spill. But no request can be found from Abraham.
After walking through the wilderness for three days, they finally arrive at the place where Isaac is to be slain. Isaac begins inquiring where the sacrificial lamb is, but Abraham insists that God will provide a lamb very soon. Finally, Abraham binds Isaac and lays him onto a makeshift alter.
Try to imagine binding your only son as he struggles, clawing, fighting and screaming, wondering why you're trying to plunge a knife into his neck. I can't help but wonder at what point a man would tell Jehovah that he's not worthy of worship, that he is an utterly horrible deity, and that the only way he could have his son is by going through himself first.
Just as Abraham raises his knife above Isaac's body, the angel the lord suddenly prevents Abraham from following through. Genesis 22:12 states "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
Many, if not most, evangelicals believe that this particular angel is Jesus himself. The inevitable question then should leap out to the astute reader, isn't God omniscient? If so, then he should know that Abraham truly fears him. As a matter of fact, he should have known that Abraham feared him millions of years before he was born. Why then does this particular angel say, "Now I know that you fear God"?
Many Christians will say that their god would never accept any human sacrifice, particularly virgin sacrifice, other than that of Jesus, which when you think about it, really wasn't a sacrifice at all. As Matt Dillahunty once said, "At least when Elvis died for my sins he stayed dead." But as we read the text in Judges, we do know that Yahweh is willing to accept human sacrifice.
So there are two great contradictions here that few Christians will ever accept. The first of these is that they will say their god is omniscient, but the text in Genesis 22 proves otherwise. The second contradiction is that, assuming Yahweh really is omniscient, he could see millions of years in advance before Abraham ever raised a knife above his son's body, he would send his angel to stop it. If this is true, then he certainly had the ability to stop Jephthah from slaying his only daughter. He had three days to stop Abraham and prevented him from going through with Isaac's sacrifice, but had two months to stop Jephthah from sacrificing his daughter, yet chose not to.
Most Christians, no doubt, will either ignore this or rationalize in some way that Jephthah's daughter really wasn't sacrificed at all. Or, if they do accept the evidence at face value, will claim that there is a greater plan in God's vision than we can see. Yet, for all the biblical doctrine they know (which is actually very little), they will never state what that reason is. They would rather proclaim that it's a mystery to us and only God knows why, adding yet one more piece of evidence why their god is immoral.
One further addition to this problem for Yahweh is that not only does he condone lying, he actually rewards it. Starting in Genesis 22:7-8 we read:
Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied."The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together."
The only reason these two journeyed into the mountains is so that Abraham could sacrifice Isaac. At no point did he expect God to intervene, nor did he expect a lamb as a substitute for Isaac. The reward for Abraham, as Genesis states, was that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, which we know is false.


WHO WE ARE?
The Bible Society of India, Karnataka Auxiliary we are constantly searching for new ways to share Bible message in the Kannada language. In order to cater to the needs of the large number of illiterates, non-readers and neo-literates we provide the Word of God in audio and video forms. We have also pioneered the development of a wide range of new Scriptures for different audiences like the visually challenged, terminally ill, victims of HIV, semi-literate and rural audience, hearing impaired etc.
Would you like to know more about our work?
The Bible Society of India, we are constantly searching for new ways to share Bible message in Indian languages. In order to cater to the needs of the large number of illiterates, non-readers and neo literates we provide the Word of God in audio and video forms. We have also pioneered the development of a wide range of new Scriptures for different audiences like the visually challenged, terminally ill, victims of HIV, semi-literate and rural audience, hearing impaired etc.
Would you like to know more about our work?
The Christian believers have always come forward in generosity in supporting the Bible cause. This is demonstrated in the fact that as long ago as 1919, the Mizo Synod (Assembly in those days) appointed two of its pastors to be involved in fundraising drive during their annual Assembly meetings. The local churches too were giving generously for the Bible cause right from early times. Presently as many as 31 Church denominations work together closely. From among the 16 Auxiliaries of the BSI, the Aizawl Auxiliary has been consistently at the forefront in mobilization of monetary resources to support the Bible Work. Bibles and New Testaments have been produced in several languages covered by the Auxiliary operations. It is involved in marking several occasions along with the Christian public of Mizoram to celebrate God’s Word as living Hope for the World. Mr. Khiangthanga, as one single individual who campaigned and raised funds for the Bible cause consistently through several years, was honoured with William Carey Award posthumously at the Millennium celebrations of BSI in Delhi during 17-19 November 2000. The Auxiliary has an acclaimed choir consisting of volunteer singers known as BESY Choir named after the Bible Society; they tour different parts of the Country and abroad on special occasions giving witness to the power of God’s Word through music.
Aizawl Auxiliary of the Bible Society of India attains its 40th Anniversary on June 01,
2018. Way back in 1957, two Branches, namely, Lungleh (Lunglei) and Aijal (Aizawl)
Branches were established under the then Assam Auxiliary (now Shillong Auxiliary). As
a ministry of the Bible Society was expanding in North East India, Aizawl Bible Society
Office was also opened on June 01, 1978 as Associate Auxiliary with Rev. C. Ronghinga
as its Auxiliary Secretary and then up-grated to full-fledged Auxiliary on February 26,
1983. Auxiliary Committee considered June 01, 2018 as the beginning of BSI ministry in
the present Auxiliary Area.
It has been a great blessing for the BSI, Aizawl Auxiliary to open a new Branch, The Thenzawl Branch. The opening ceremony was held on 20th January 2018 at The PCI, Feildveng, Thenzawl and the Branch was inaugurated by the Aizawl Auxiliary President, Rev. Dr. H.Vanlalauva
The Branch includes members from different churches viz. Presbyterian Church Of India, Baptist Of Mizoram, Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventist and NEC (Thenzawl).
To look after the Branch, Five Office Bearers are appointed with 6 Committee members.
The Office Bearers are President: Rev. R. Lalremruata, PCI, Thenzawl Feild Veng, Vice President: Upa Lalrinliana Sailo, BCM, Bethlehem Kohhran, Secretary: Pu C.Lalhminghlua, PCI, Thenzawl Field Veng.
Treasurer : Rbt. V.Vanlalzara, BCM, Thenzawl Kohhran
We make available the necessary scripture materials for its worship, nurture, fellowship and outreach.
Your active participation makes it possible to provide God’s Word to those who do not yet have it. You can:
1. Pray regularly for the work of the BSI
2. Distribute Bibles to others
3. Support this mission through your prayer, involvement and financial contributions
4. Observe the Bible Sunday in your Church’s worship service reminding your congregation the role of God’s word in their lives and the work of the Bible Society of India.
How does BSI Mizo audio Bible sound?
Listen to the Word


WelcomeWe are here to equip pastors so that the church can fulfill the Great Commission. It is our hope to provide the coaching , structure and opportunities necessary for pastors to lead churches that are healthy, culturally relevant and always loving people. We make it fun to lead a church.
The Mountain Plains District of the Wesleyan Church represents over 30 churches in Colorado & Nebraska. Everyday we are helping people find Christ. We invite you to browse our site and be in touch. We are made up of all kinds of different churches - so if you're searching for a church - welcome!


“Re-entry is my passion and this is my calling,” John says of the 24/7 nature of mentoring. “I’m learning to be like the good father that I, and most of my team, never had.”
HOPE AFTER PRISON
“Prison is the best thing that could have happened to me,” says John Gammon, Renewing Management’s Asset Team Director. “It took me out of the world so I could see my life for what it really was.”
When John was released from prison in 2015 after serving 18 years for dealing drugs, he had no desire to return to addiction’s strangling hopelessness. “I formed a personal relationship with God in prison,” John says. “Prison completely revolutionized my life, and I was determined to be a different man.”
John began to mentor other young men, who, like himself, came from fatherless homes, and help them reacclimate into society after incarceration. In 2016 John met Renewing Management President, Ethan Fernhaber.
“He didn’t view me as a criminal,” says John. In fact, Ethan quickly saw in John the passion, humility and drive to help ignite a new company initiative aimed at helping former inmates. John’s quick smile and generous laugh lights up a room and his deep commitment to giving people a second chance was the right combination for the Asset Team program to get off the ground in 2017.
Called the “Asset Team,” this group of formerly incarcerated workers joins the program after being released from prison and work to gain the skills they need, both personally and professionally, to be an asset to the company.
“We teach job skills – plumbing, drywall, framing – but they also receive help with housing and personal mentoring. We teach how to be productive citizens at weekly meetings and discuss topics like personal finance, conflict resolution and integrity. Our team is accountable to each other,” says John.
Directing the Asset Team isn’t an 8 – 5 job, however. Asset team members can contact John any time they need help. John is strongly aware that the pressures of the outside world can quickly cause people to begin to turn back to old patterns and detrimental relationships. He is unashamed of his deep faith, and helps everyone he meets to understand a relationship with Jesus and how this leads to real life transformation.
“The Asset Team is my passion, this is my calling,” John says of the 24/7 nature of mentoring. “I’m learning to be like the good father that I, and most of my team, never had.”
After the one-year program, Asset Team graduates can take their skills to other employers or apply for a position on the Renewing Management team. In the past three years, 35 people have gone through the Asset Team program. Many of them still work for Renewing Management.
“I work for the greatest company on the face of the earth,” John proclaims. “I love coming to work; I love what I do. At Renewing Management, we have a passion for people, and we don’t discriminate. We are a family.”


“It is impossible for us to break the law. we can only break ourselves against the law.”
Somehow, everyone hates rules. But yet, everyone thrives when there is order. How ironic. In times of chaos and depression, we seek a routine, a method of doing things that will lead to success. In times of disaster and panic, we seek a fixed path out into the light. But yet we laugh at the law and try to destroy it.
When turmoil is all that I see, order is what helps me to fly above the storm. Waking up at a fixed time. Looking at the same thing when I first open my eyes. Knowing that everything is the same, knowing that I can find something in a familiar hiding place, that is how I know that I am safe.
When everything is lost and I am alone in the world, I know when I look up, God is there. What God is doing while I’m suffering doesn’t matter to me, neither does it matter that everyone laughs at my belief in God or treats Him as a curse word, unwittingly, they remind me of that one order in my life that I can count on seeing when I open my eyes from the nightmare.
In the days of calamity, when I open my eyes, He whispers:
“I am here.”
So that is why I treasure order and law. And that is why I will keep trying to stick to my timetable despite my feelings. Because my feelings will desert me but He won’t.


Waltham Forest Youth for Christ is a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee and is part of British Youth for Christ, dedicated to taking the Good News relevantly to young people for over 35 years
Our objectives are to equip and resource local churches so that together we can take the good news relevantly to young people. Helping young people to CHOOSE and make positive life and faith choices. To encourage young people to imitate Jesus through the way they LIVE and SHARE the hope and love of JESUS with others.
Aundrea Smith - Center Leader
We are pleased to announce that Aundrea joined Waltham Forest Youth For Christ last November as the new Center leader. She loves engaging with young people and is excited to start this role as it will give her the opportunity to develop her passion for young people.
Aundrea is a vibrant Singer/Songwriter and believes music helps to lift spirits and touch lives. For the last 15 years she has been using her gift of music to share her heart, soul and the truth of the gospel. Her post at Waltham Forest is part-time, so she is able to continue to run ‘The Voice of Excellence’ her motivational arts academy. Tune in to her talk Show #SassySunday on Facebook & Instagram.
Revd. Canon Ade Ademola
(Emmanuel Parish Church, Leyton)
Pastor Marlon Faminu
(Risen Christ Church, Chingford)
Pastor Anthony Hodgkinson
(Emmanuel Christian Centre, Walthamstow)
Rev. Elson Parris
(Wesleyan Holiness Church, Leytonstone)
Pastor William Randall
(Hainault Road Baptist Church, Leytonstone)
Revd. Dave Simms
(South Chingford Congregational Church)
OUR COUNCIL OF REFERENCE
Wendy McSweeney (Acting Chair)
Andrea Dans (Treasurer)
Rod McSweeney (Deputy Safeguarding Officer)
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Click here to download our latest Annual Report. If you would like to know more about how to become a member of Waltham Forest YFC and receive the Annual Report please click here and fill in your details.
Ann Dunn - Office Manager
Ann has worked with Waltham Forest Youth for Christ for over 15 years and has a passion to see young people come to know the truth and see the truth set them free. Ann likes to dabble in a bit of sewing and loves to dance, attending her local Zumba classes whenever she can.


God’s Appointed Times
Right from the very beginning of the Scripture God identifies time as something special. Within the book of Genesis we find the word ‘holy’ used only one time (the root word for ‘kadosh’).
“And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”
Interestingly, this one mention of the word holy is used in connection with time. Upon completion of the creation, God blesses the seventh day and declares it holy and thereby sanctifying time forever.
We see this pattern continued in God giving the nation of Israel its first commandment.
"You are to begin your calendar with this month; it will be the first month of the year for you.”
Rabbi Ovadiah Seforno says in reference to sanctification of time in Exodus 12:2:
“This month shall be for you the beginning of months: Henceforth, the months of the year shall be yours, to do with them as you will. During the bondage, however, your days did not belong to you, but were used to serve others and fulfill their wills. Therefore, this month shall be the first month of the year for you. For in this month your existence as a people of free choice began.”
Ecclesiastes tells us that there are certain times which are appointed by God which no human law or technology can alter.
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—
(Ecclesiastes 3:1 NASB)
And so it is with God’s Feast which are recorded in Leviticus chapter twenty three.
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.”
The prophecies are frequently linked to specific times of the year. In order to truly understand we need to be on the same page with God in time. The Biblical calendar brings understanding and recognition of the fulfillment of prophecies.
From the very beginning, God sets up both the sun and the moon to mark His appointed times.
“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:”
(Genesis 1:14 KJV)
The Hebrew word for ‘seasons’ is the same Hebrew word found in Leviticus 23:2 used for ‘feasts’. That Hebrew word is mo’ed meaning a fixed or set time, an appointed time.
One of Satan’s methods used in leading God’s people astray is to destroy the beginning. Isaiah tells us that God declares the end from the beginning. Satan knows that if he can get you off the foundation of the beginning you will never arrive at God’s expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).
We see this very thing being prophesied of the antichrist by Daniel.
“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”
(Daniel 7:25 KJV)
Ironically we as redeemed people, though through no effort of our own, are called to redeem something and that is time.
(14) Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. (15) See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, (16) Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
(Ephesians 5:14-15 KJV)
Why study the Feasts of the Lord?
There are many reasons why a Christian should study the Feast of the Lord. For time and space sake I will list just a few of the very basic reasons here for you:
1. The Feast should be studied because they are a part of the Scriptures given by inspiration of the Holy Ghost. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” – II Timothy 3:16 KJV
2. The Feasts should be studied because they are “a shadow of things to come”. They point to Christ. “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” – Colossians 2:16-17
3. The Feasts should be studied because these things were written for our learning. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
– Romans 15:4
4. The Feasts should be studied because they set forth “patterns” of heavenly things on earth. “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.” – Hebrews 8:5 KJV
5. The Feasts should be studied because Jesus came to fulfill all that was written of Him. “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” – Luke 24:44 KJV


Essay on pope john xxiii
Extracts from this document introduction pope john xxiii was an outstanding revolutionist who made a significant contribution to the lives of adherents of christianity, in particular. Hailey o’connor, an eighth grade student at pope john xxiii regional high school, placed first in the state of new jersey for the veterans of foreign wars (vfw) patriot’s pen essay contest. Pope john xxiii was born angelo giuseppe roncalli in sotto il monte, on november 25, 1881 he was educated in bergamo and rome and ordained a priest in 1904. Free essays on pope john paul ii get help with your writing 1 through 30. Pope john xxiii-sample essay - free download as pdf file (pdf), text file (txt) or read online for free.
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Genesis 3. One would hope that Adam and Eve spent many years in the Garden of Eden before Eve fell for the temptation to eat the fruit which was on the tree in the middle of the Garden. Like a good wife she shared the fruit with Adam, damning mankind to the life we have today on Earth. Whatever this fruit was (maybe some is still on Earth) it appears to have taken away immediately the innocence that Adam and Eve had. God quickly moved Adam and Eve out of the rent free caretaker role to the role of workers who had to work the land outside the Garden of Eden to sustain them. The fun times of life were gone. Banished from the Garden, Adam and Eve also became the first de facto Immigrants. Genesis 3 references the Garden being guarded by cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth that guards the way to the tree of life. Are the cherubim and flaming sword still there today awaiting some curious explorer?
It is clear that God did not want His creation to live forever which the tree of life apparently would do for Adam. It seems that one bite of the fruit wasn’t enough to place man in the “living forever” category.
Genesis 4. The first parents! Another role for Adam and Eve. Again, it is not clear if the fall from Grace gave Adam the desire to procreate with Eve. If they were not sexually active before the Fall Genesis 4 shows they were now and the result was Eve becoming pregnant. Adam and Eve as the first parents must have been trial by error. They were not prepared to become parents. Outside of God, who was there to instruct them on how to be good parents? If God left them on their own to figure it out that established the cycle of parents being unprepared for fatherhood and mother hood.
How did Adam and Eve teach Abel and Cain to be good children and brothers? What was the relationship between Abel and Cain as they grew up? How did Adam and Eve create good family dynamics? The results tend to speak for themselves. Adam winds up being killed by his brother Cain. Did God expect people to behave based on the fact that He created them and thus they would be perfect? The first parents, the first children, and then the first murder. The creation of human beings was not going well.
Adam and Eve are said to have had other children. The sequence of all those births is not covered in Genesis. Those children apparently married one another to help populate the Earth. Genesis infers that Cain married one of those descendants of Adam and Eve’s other children. From there other generations of people developed. Genesis 4 does not address how Adam and Eve’s descendants were taught about God. After making the biggest mistake in Earthly history one would think that Adam and Eve would have made sure to pass on the tale of how they ruined their lives via one act of disobedience. If not, why didn’t they share the story with their children?
Genesis 4 closes with the statement that Adam made love to Eve again and she gave birth to a son they named Seth. It is stated that Seth was granted to Adam in place of the murdered/deceased Abel. The close of Genesis 4 recounts that Seth had a son named Enosh. Then all of a sudden people began to call on the name of the Lord? Why not before then? What role did the punished Adam and Eve have in people not calling on the Lord before then? What were Adam and Eve’s descendants taught about God and the creation of mankind?


The Inaugural Celebration Gala Committee
Greetings brothers & sisters,
It is with great joy that we approach the celebration of the Episcopal Elevation of Bishop James H. Bowman Sr. We are prepared to give glory and honor to God for all that he is doing in the life of his servant. However, we want to be sure we do so as safely as possible.
We will be following CDC Guidelines and Protocol. Masks must be worn accept when eating. Temperature checks will be taken upon entry. Please note we have provided free valet parking for all of our guest.
If you are not feeling well please be so kind to refrain from attending. We wish to provide a safe environment for everyone.
We are in great expectation of the Lord. Looking forward to sharing this historical moment with you.
New York Central Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction
Lady Cynthia Benning
District Missionary Cynthia A. Benning
Missionary Cynthia Benning has served as an active member on the New York Central Jurisdiction Women's Department Executive Board since its inception. She was selected for the seat of District Missionary to the Levitical District by Bishop James H. Bowman; a position previously held by her mother, the late District Missionary Sylvia Edwards. She was appointed by Jurisdictional Prelate, Bishop Ronald J. Hoston and duly sanctioned by Jurisdictional Supervisor, Mother Saundra L. Reed.
A believer in the foundational training of the young people of God, Missionary Benning served as the first female Jurisdictional AIM chairperson in the western and central New York areas under the appointment and leadership of Bishop Ronald J. Hoston. Known for her musical ability, Missionary Benning serves as president of the New York Central music department. Her energy and passion encourages others to become witnesses of Christ through music.
Missionary Benning happily supports her husband in ministry as first lady of Upper Room C.O.G.I.C. with her husband, Rev. Dr. Daniel L. Benning. In addition to service and leadership within her jurisdiction and district, Missionary Benning is vice president of the International Music Department for the Churches of God in Christ, under the leadership of International Music Department President/Minister of Music, Dr. Judith McAllister.
Bishop James H. Bowman Sr.
Dr. James H. Bowman Sr.
Auxiliary Bishop, New York Central Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction
Bishop Designate Dr. James H. Bowman Sr. is a visionary and contemporary manservant of God who has a heart of compassion for all people. Under Dr. Bowman's leadership, the Antioch Church in Buffalo, New York which he has pastored since 1983 joined the New York Central Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ at its inception in 2008.
Dr. Bowman holds an Honorary Doctorate from the National School of Theology and has extensive theological education through the C.H. Mason Bible College at Buffalo, Houghton Bible College and Moody Bible Institute. He obtained his postsecondary education at the State University of New York College at Buffalo and went on to work for 20 years with the Buffalo Public School Board Quality Integration Education Program.
Bishop Designate Bowman has proven administrative and organization building skills which he has demonstrated in his work with New York Central Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. He serves as Administrative Assistant, Chairman of the Ordination Board and Chairman of the Executive Board under Jurisdictional Prelate Bishop Ronald J. Hoston. He has also served as the Western New York Leader of The Great Commission of Churches. Dr. Bowman is equally talented as an accomplished musician and recording artist.
Dr. Bowman is the son of the late Presiding Elder Reverend Morris L. Bowman and Mother Ruby M. (McAdams) Bowman. He has shared 47 years of marriage with First Lady Kathryn F. Bowman who is the daughter of the late Bishop Carl Roberson who served as Prelate of the South Dakota Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Church Of God In Christ. He is patriarch to three generations of family whose accomplishments reflect their godly upbringing. He is the father of four— Missionary Karla (Charkunda) Taylor, Elder James H. Bowman Jr., Kristina (Brandon) Smith and Jason (Leilani) Bowman and grandfather of Eleven. Dr. Bowman is committed to the advancement of the Kingdom through relevant scriptural exegesis accompanied by a life of demonstrative works that fulfill the greatest commandment as prescribed in Matthew 22:37-40.
Purchase your registration for the Inaugural Gala on September 24, 2021.
Join The Levitical District as we honor Bishop James H. Bowman Sr., Superintendent on the Episcopal elevation to Bishop in the Church of God In Christ Inc. The Levitical District is hosting an inaugural celebration gala on September 24, 2021. This commemorative black-tie affair will be held at the beautiful Statler City in Downtown Buffalo, NY.
Embassy Suites in Buffalo, NY
200 Delaware Ave, Buffalo NY 14202
Use the group code: BBC
For more information about the gala, please call Pastor Daniel Benning at 716-380-7505 or Sis. Beverly Wells at 716-308-8190.


Mary and Joseph make the hard journey to Bethlehem for a blessed event in this retelling of the Nativity story. This meticulously researched and visually lush adaptation of the biblical tale follows the pair on their arduous path to their arrival in a small village, where they find shelter in a quiet manger and Jesus is born.
The Nativity Story - Where to watch?
Unfortunately, the movie The Nativity Story is not available to watch/stream on any of the streaming platforms in India. It is not available to buy/ rent online on any platforms right now.
Disclaimer: All content and media belong to original content streaming platforms/owners like Netflix, Disney Hotstar, Amazon Prime, SonyLIV etc. Metareel does not claim any rights to the content and only aggregate the content along with the service providers links.
Videos: Trailers, Teasers, Featurettes
The Nativity Story (2006) Teaser
The Nativity Story • O Holy Night • Josh Groban
Nativity Story: The Birth of Christ - The Visit of the Shepherds and the Magi
The Nativity Story (2006) Official Trailer - Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac Christmas Movie HD


|Lecrae's new album - Gravity - Albumart|
There's no doubt that Lecrae's new album Gravity is very very important to Christian Hip-hop. Many say it's Christian hip-hop's most important album; I'll leave that up to you to decide.
Gravity is a great album. I have listened to it and I'm very pleased with it to say the least. Expect a review in a few days.
If you need some convincing on why you should get Gravity, here's 3:
1. It excels musically all-round. Nothing on Gravity seems out of place. It was put together well. The production (beats or instrumentals), features, mixing and mastering, and Lecrae himself did awesome.
Not to give Lecrae more credit than he'll want, this is God's doing. God is using Lecrae to reach the culture.
2. Lecrae doesn't hold back the gospel. Some might have gotten worried about what the album may sound like content-wise because of the collaborations with Big KRIT and others, but I can assure you, Lecrae did not hold back from sharing the gospel. Lecrae does not just say he is unashamed of being a Christian and a follower of Christ, he really means it. I see God using this album to change lives.
3. It's a win for the body (Church). Gravity is making a statement in the culture. As of now, #Gravity is number 1 and number 2 on the iTunes charts. #Gravity was trending on twitter a few hours ago also. This makes a statement that God is second to none, God's message is second to none, that the body of believers is indeed a body that supports one another.
It is a bold statement saying that we believers are here and not going anywhere. The gospel is here to stay. We're taking it to the nations.
Finally, let's not forget Gravity's purpose. It is not to sell a million copies and just stop there with a ton of cash made; Gravity is meant to point to God, the creator of gravity. God saves is the theme.
Get 'Gravity' by Lecrae on iTunes now
Feel free to buy a copy for family and friends who love hip-hop and the like.


To Instill in your hearts, minds and souls passionate discipleship
Our Youth Room is located in the lower level of St. Mary Church.
Religious Education and Youth News March 25, 2018
Religious Education and Youth News Mach 25, 2018
March 28 – Class – Living Stations 7:00pm
April 4 – Class
Living Stations March 28 at 7pm at the church.
All are invited and encouraged to attend.
Totus Tuus- Registrations are now being taken for this
summer’s Totus Tuus. June 3 – 7.
THIS WEEK FOR YOUTH
3/28 – 7pm - Living Stations
UPCOMING FOR YOUTH
4/4 – Group – All
4/11 – Group – All
4/18 – Group – All
4/25 – 6:30pm – Closing Liturgy
Holy Spirit Church & St. Thomas Moore parishes are going on a mission trip to Belize June 8-16.
Two spots are available. If interested contact Amy @ Holy Spirit Church.


SHILOH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
1004 CHURCH STREET
P.O. BOX 388
MORRISVILLE, NC 27560
Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church
We continue to embrace Baptist tenets and the teaching of Jesus Christ. Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church hold steadfast with a '' mission of caring, a mission of sharing, and a mission of love.''
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account now Thanks and God
The Power of Prayer
Unlike the false gods of other religions, our God
hears, and our God responds. How incredible to realize that no word we speak, no thought we think
ever escapes the notice of our heavenly Father, He is always listening for us.
So make it a habit to be in constant communication
anywhere you are. Any place can be a place of prayer. The conversation never has to stop.
And those times when you do not know what
to pray or how, ask the Holy Spirit to help
you and show you what you should pray about.
He knows us better than we know ourselves.