20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. - 1 John 4:20-21
We think we know how to love, then we read this. His model of love is our model of love, but gosh that can be so hard sometimes. As God has been growing me this past year, and bringing people to me who have loved me so well, I have been reflecting more and more on how well I love others. I want to love others the way Christ loved us, and He has revealed to me how far I fall short of that model on a daily basis.
My agenda gets in the way so often - in ways that I didn't even notice until He opened my eyes. He has shown me ways to love others in my life well by opening my eyes to their needs in ways that I haven’t seen before. He has significantly grown my ability to love my family well. As I submit my will to His will, He has shown me how to put their needs before my own and love them before me.
But when it comes to those challenging people in my life, it has been a greater struggle. He's grown my desire during my quiet moments with Him to love them more, and He's grown my understanding of how my words and actions affect those that I love in ways I never intended, now He's got some work to do in my actions and thoughts.
But I know He is faithful to fulfill His promises, and I know that when we seek Him, we will find Him. Praises for a God who gently reveals what we need to see when we ask Him for it.
Press on ~ you are loved 💗
Popular posts from this blog
I am a believer in Christ, and I have breast cancer. On August 17, 2017, I was diagnosed with an aggressive (HER2+), recurrent (hormone negative) type of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. At this point, they have not yet staged my cancer because they are waiting for the biopsy results from a suspicious spot in the second breast. The biopsy is scheduled for September 5th, with a lumpectomy to follow on September 7th. They will formally stage my cancer after they biopsy my lymph nodes, which will be taken during the surgery. It doesn't make any sense to me that I have a cancer diagnosis - I am a fairly healthy woman who runs 2 miles almost every day and eats a gluten-free, primarily paleo diet, with no family history at all. But it makes sense to God, and so here I am. Update ~ They found 4 isolated invasions during the lumpectomy. Due to the nature of my cancer (HER2+ and ER-), the recommended protocol is chemotherapy and radiation. Beginning in October, my chemotherapy regime
Hi friends - This is a bittersweet post. This journal entry will be my last post on this forum. God has been moving in my heart and the heart of my husband, and He has called us to join forces to write a blog together on marriage. I still plan to post daily devotions, but they will be focused on marriage and posted on our new platform. There will also be additional content - our testimonies and stories, as well as my husband’s thoughts on marriage. We don’t know where God plans you take us in this journey, but we are excited, humble servants and willing to go where He leads. I want to take a moment to thank all of you. I am deeply grateful for those of you who have taken this difficult journey with me. God has done some amazing things through this blog, and I will be forever grateful for the way He has used it to grow my heart closer to Him. I would love for each of you to continue to follow my husband and me at our new site: graceinmarriage.com Hope to se
When we launched our new blog we had no idea if anyone would see it or be helped by it, but we knew that the LORD was prompting us to step out in faith and just do it. The response has been amazing and we are looking forward to how God will use this space for His glory. We have learned over many years of service in a variety of ministries, that God does not require human assistance to realize His plans for individuals, churches, nations, or the human race. But the story of the bible is the story of God’s will playing out through the words and actions of the His children. So…we pray, meditate on his Word, and write from the heart about the truths that mold our faith, guide our actions, and inspire our hearts and minds. Please visit the site and subscribe to continue receiving posts. https://graceinmarriage.com/ It is our sincere hope that you are blessed by our work here and welcome your input on how we can make Grace in Marriage even better. Thank you for your support.


God’s thoughts on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender lifestyle from the long winded Amplified Version of the Bible:
Unbelief and Its Consequences
18 For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them.
21 For even though [a]they knew God [as the Creator], they did not[b]honor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their own…
View original post 1,447 more words


Unlocking potential for lifelong learning, grounded in Christian values
Our vision and values are at the core of everything we do. They underpin our teaching and learning, and provide an environment which prepares our pupils as confident, happy citizens.
At the heart of our school is the desire to create a harmonious environment that is optimistic, open-minded and based around the needs of the children. We look to provide a consistent and clear structure in which staff work together in a united way to challenge the individual and seek their best. We shall try to make a school in which every child, parent, governor and staff member can feel their contribution to the whole school is valuable and important.
Mrs C. Towler Head Teacher.
Our Stratton key values are: Friendship, Respect, Responsibility, Forgiveness and Truthfulness. Out of the many Christian values these were selected by the children, staff, parents and governors as our key values for school life.
Our home school value this term is HOPE.
All the children took part in our Prayer Day - a creative day of activities and reflection on our Christian values of forgiveness and friendship. Here are some of the things they got up to from 'Bubble Prayers' to 'Fizzy Forgiveness'.
Year 6 pupils spent time studying the Understanding Christianity "Big Frieze" which depicts the Bible in art from Genesis to Revelation. They were asked to review our current core values, to see if they felt they were still the best choices or whether it was time to reconsider? This is what they thought...
As a class, we concluded that ‘Forgiveness’ should be one of our core Christian values. Forgiveness should be practised throughout life because everyone deserves a second chance. If there were to be no forgiveness in the world, it would be a darker, more miserable place. Forgiveness is represented in the Bible many times and is seen daily throughout the world. People often use forgiveness as a matter of course e.g. if someone accidentally pushes you. It is important to forgive sincerely although we are aware that actions and behaviour could have consequences.
Without forgiveness, there would be less friendship and peace therefore people wouldn’t be able to move on from their mistakes. Forgiveness can make everyone better, more positive and happier people – a world God wanted.


The previous post gave a very brief history of the short-lived Australian Lithuanian journal Užuovėja, published monthly during 1949 and 1950. While the publication had several editors during that time - Julius Veteikis, Petras Pilka, Vincas Kazokas, Mikas Apinys, and Fr. Petras Butkus - it was underwritten, and probably the brainchild, of a remakable Lithuanian priest, Jonas Tamulis.
Accounts vary, but Tamulis appears to have been born in England around 1915. The family returned to Lithuania while he was quite young and settled in the village of Žindaičiai, near Jurbarkas. Ordained a priest in 1940, he was one of the group of British citizens permitted to leave Lithuania during the first soviet occupation (1940-41) who made their way to Vladivostok and then to Australia aboard the Hai Tan, arriving in December 1940.
Tamulis spent the remaining war years as an army chaplain in Brisbane but was able to reach the USA in early 1946. For a while he ministered to the St Casimir Lithuanian parish in Los Angeles before being posted to another parish. By the late 1940s Australia's Mass Migration Scheme was attracting large numbers of displaced Lithuanians from European refugee camps and Tamulis volunteered to return to Australia.
From December 1948 Tamulis worked as a chaplain at the Migrant Reception Centre in Bathurst. From there he was able to travel to Sydney and other regional centres to provide religious services to the newly forming Lithuanian communities, and it was very soon after his arrival that Užuovėja first appeared. Produced by the Society of St Casimir on a rotary hand press, each 30 page edition aspired to high journalistic standards with news, information, and articles on literature, science, and the arts. Initially published from the Bathurst camp, by November 1949 it had found a home in Sydney.
As well as providing regular church services in Sydney, Rev. Tamulis was also responsible for the establishment of the first Lithuanian Catholic Centre in Sydney (at 5 Young Street, Circular Quay) and a Lithuanian weekend school. However by 1950 he had fallen into disfavour with the Australian church hierarchy - apparently because of his attempts to promote the establishment of a Lithuanian parish in Australia - and returned to the USA where he followed his religious vocation in Michigan until retirement in 1991.
Sources (see Links on RHS):
Mūsų Pastogė (1949-50); and
Metraštis No.1 (p98).


Vacation Bible School or VBS is a classic church offering, and can be a great time to get kids involved in church activities. Make sure everyone in the church community (and others too!) know about your great vacation bible school by putting out this wholesome flyer, which has a fish and Bible on it.
This printable flyer template is free to download and print.
Download this Printable Flyer Template:
Preview of printable Vacation Bible School Flyer Template:
This Printable Flyer Template belongs to these categories: event


Carpe diem, “seize the day” is a good reminder to take the opportunities that God has given us every day and use them to the fullest. On New Year’s Eve, I encourage you to Seize the Year! Open your eyes to what God is doing in your life and you will be amazed at what he will do.
For this family, 2013 will be one that we will remember as a pinnacle year. In January the four of us participated in leading a group to Israel. Forty-five people from our hometown of Fairhope, Alabama joined hundreds of others in a group visiting sites in the Sea of Galilee area and in and around Jerusalem.
In April we clearly heard God’s call to go to a new place he has for us for a time. For a few years, I looked for the right opportunity for theological doctoral work. He was now opening those doors for us at Durham University in Durham, England. Though it would be hard to leave family and friends, we knew that it was time to go to England.
When we, at a new level, said, “Yes” to God’s call to go wherever, whenever, however, a deep sense of peace came over us. Though there were questions still to be answered, we were confident (and still are) that the answers would come, and it will be wonderful. For example, just a few days after we told our Bishop and Church that we would not be returning to the appointment, our daughter had a routine exam with the paediatrician. The doctor found something that didn’t seem quite right. Within a few weeks, we found ourselves taking our little girl to MRI’s and appointments with top-level paediatric neurosurgeons for consultations about spinal surgery. We were just a few months away from a gap in insurance and moving to Europe. We had plenty of reasons to be concerned. However, a peace prevailed through it all. The neurosurgeon found no areas for concern and sent us away with confidence that we had a perfectly healthy little girl. He praised the paediatrician for her great work, but when he looked he found no areas of concern. God had removed any obstacle.
We did a myriad of things throughout the summer: enrol in university, find a place to live, rent our house out, pack our household goods in suitcases, prepare to homeschool the kids, take care of the pets, etc., etc. Throughout it all, our family, friends, and supporters have been wonderful. The people of Fairhope United Methodist Church gave us a heartfelt farewell. We appreciate the way they have continued to encourage us since we have been here.
So the new year finds us a long way away from where we were this time last year–literally and figuratively. What will 2014 bring for us? I am on a three year PhD program, but year two will require me to do field work in America. So we are moving back to the USA. I will continue my PhD work in the States and in the Latin American partnerships I will be studying. The kids and Beth will return to their school. We will return to our home in Fairhope. Those are all exciting things. But they also require us to say goodbye to the places and people that we have quickly grown to love here in Northeast England. Two more years of PhD work will be hard sometimes. And yes, there are still questions that haven’t been answered about all those details.
But God is faithful. Rather than looking at all the problems that could come along the way, we have vowed to Carpe Annum–to seize the year God is giving us. We will accept that God is doing no things and to accept that we are constantly in a state of departing and arriving. Our prayer is that this year you, too, may know this peace anew. Thank you for participating in this journey with us. We look forward to continuing it with you for years to come.
Happy New Year from Durham, UK,


Christmas, which is observed on December 25, is a holy religious event as well as a global cultural and economic phenomenon. People have been celebrating it with customs and rituals that are both religious and secular in nature for two millennia now.
Christmas Day is marked by Christians as the anniversary of the birth of the spiritual figure whose teachings serve as the foundation of their faith, Jesus of Nazareth.
Popular traditions include giving gifts, putting up Christmas trees, going to church, gathering with loved ones for feasts, and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus. Since 1870, the United States has observed December 25 as a federal holiday known as Christmas Day.
Let’s get to know more about the modern history of Christmas!
Merry Christmas Tree Best Christmas Gifts For Pillow
If you are looking for a trending Christmas Pillow, no need to worry, we have covered you back with a Best Christmas Gifts 2022 Merry Christmas Tree Pillow. Browse through most of Pillow and choose one that appeals to you. From corporate to casual, from movies to music, from comics to love, and from cute to funny. There is something for everyone.
17th And 18th Centuries.
Following the Protestant Reformation, several new religious groupings, like the Lutheran Church and the Anglican Church, continued to observe Christmas. Since it was first published in 1629, John Milton, an Anglican poet, has penned the poem On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity, which is frequently repeated during the Christmas season.
Martin Luther “inaugurated a time in which Germany would establish a unique culture of Christmas, widely imitated in North America,” according to Donald Heinz, a professor at California State University. Christmas was observed as one of the main evangelical feasts among Dutch Reformed Church congregations.
However, in 17th-century England, several sects, including the Puritans, fiercely disapproved of Christmas celebrations, calling them “trappings of popery” or “rags of the Beast” and a Catholic creation. The established Anglican Church, on the other hand “pushed for a more thorough celebration of holidays, penitential times, and saints’ days. The Anglican party and the Puritan faction started to clash over the calendar revision.”
In response, the Catholic Church promoted the celebration in a manner that was more strongly focused on religion. In order to continue their traditional Christmas generosity, King Charles I of England ordered his noblemen and gentry to return to their landed estates in the middle of winter.
Christmas was outlawed in 1647 by the Puritan-ruled government of England after Charles I was defeated by the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War.
Pro-Christmas riots erupted in various places, and protests ensued. For weeks, Canterbury was under the authority of the rioters, who adorned doorways with holly and screamed royalist anthems.
The Vindication of Christmas (London, 1652) protested against the Puritans and mentions Old English Christmas customs including carol singing, old Father Christmas, dinner, roast apples over the fire, card playing, and dances with “plow-boys” and “maidservants.” People continued to hold semi-secret religious ceremonies commemorating the birth of Christ and sing carols while the prohibition was in effect.
Christmas was once again openly celebrated in England after King Charles II’s Restoration in 1660. The Christmas holiday was not often celebrated among Calvinist pastors. As a result, even though James VI decreed its commemoration in 1618, church attendance was low since the Presbyterian Church of Scotland discouraged the celebration of Christmas in Scotland.
In 1640, the Scottish Parliament formally banned the celebration of Christmas with the justification that the church had been “purified of all superstitious observation of days.” Christmas Day was not declared a bank holiday in Scotland until 1871, unlike England, Wales, and Ireland where it is a common law holiday and has been celebrated for centuries.
“Now thanks to God for Charles return, / Whose absence made old Christmas mourn. / For then we scarcely did it know, / Whether it Christmas were or no,” could be found in Poor Robin’s Almanack after Charles II’s restoration.
The celebrations surrounding Christmas are described in James Woodforde’s diary from the second half of the 18th century throughout a number of years.
Puritans in Colonial America vehemently resisted celebrating Christmas, just like they did in England. The Pilgrims of New England purposefully chose to work on their first December 25 in the New World. Christmas was decried by Puritans like Cotton Mather because the Bible did not mention it as a holiday and because the traditional celebrations of the day sometimes entailed raucous behavior.
The loss of the holidays celebrated by the working classes in England was lamented by many non-Puritans in New England. In Boston, Christmas celebrations were made illegal in 1659. The English ruler Edmund Andros lifted the prohibition on Christmas celebration in 1681, but it wasn’t until the middle of the 19th century that it gained popularity in the Boston area.
At the same time, Christians openly commemorated the feast in Virginia and New York. Christmas was enthusiastically celebrated by Pennsylvania Dutch settlers, the majority Moravian population of Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Lititz in Pennsylvania, as well as the Wachovia towns in North Carolina. The earliest Christmas trees and Nativity Scenes in America were created by the Moravians in Bethlehem.
After the American Revolution, when it was believed to be an English tradition, Christmas became less popular in the United States. Christmas was far more celebrated in Germany than in America at this time, and George Washington attacked Hessian (German) mercenaries on December 26, 1776, the day after Christmas, during the Battle of Trenton.
Christian Christmas church services were outlawed and the three kings cake was renamed the “equality cake” under anti-clerical government measures when the atheistic Cult of Reason was in charge in Revolutionary France.
Merry Christmas Tree Best Christmas Gift For Mug
If you are looking for a trending Christmas Mug, no need to worry, we have covered you back with a Best Christmas Gifts Tree Mug. Browse through most of the mugs and choose one that appeals to you. From corporate to casual, from movies to music, from comics to love, and from cute to funny. There is something for everyone.
Early in the 19th century, authors envisioned Tudor Christmas as a joyful occasion. Charles Dickens’ 1843 publication of the book A Christmas Carol served to rekindle the holiday spirit and general good cheer. Its immediate success greatly contributed to the idea that Christmas is a season focused on compassion, family, and kindness.
Dickens aimed to create Christmas as a season of giving that is family-focused and connects “worship and feasting, within a context of social reconciliation.”
In what has come to be known as the “Carol Philosophy,” Dickens imposed his humanitarian vision of the holiday and influenced many aspects of Christmas that are still observed in Western culture today, such as family get-togethers, the consumption of seasonal foods and beverages, dancing, games, and a festive spirit of generosity.
Merry Christmas, a key word from the narrative, became widely used after its publication. This occurred at the same time as the Oxford Movement’s emergence and the expansion of Anglo-Catholicism, which sparked a resurgence in ancient rituals and religious practices.
Scrooge became a byword for a miser, and the phrase “Bah! Humbug!” was used to mock the holiday cheer. Sir Henry Cole created the first mass-produced Christmas card in 1843.
The First Noel, “I Saw Three Ships,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” and “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” which were made famous by Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, made their first print appearances in William Sandys’ “Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern” (1833).
When it appeared in the Illustrated London News in 1848, a picture of the British royal family at Windsor Castle with their Christmas tree caused a stir. In 1850, Godey’s Lady’s Book in Philadelphia printed a modified version of this picture. America had adopted the practice of decorating a Christmas tree by the 1870s.
The 1820s saw a resurgence of interest in Christmas in America thanks to a number of short stories by Washington Irving that can be found in “Old Christmas” and The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.
Irving used the tract Vindication of Christmas (1652) of Old English Christmas traditions, which he had transcribed into his journal, as a format for his stories. Irving’s stories portrayed the peaceful, warm-hearted English Christmas festivities he experienced while staying in Aston Hall, Birmingham, England, which had largely been abandoned.
The poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore was written in 1822. (popularly known by its first line: Twas the Night Before Christmas). The poem contributed to the gift-exchanging custom’s rise in popularity, and seasonal Christmas shopping started to gain economic significance.
This also sparked a cultural debate between the holiday’s spiritual value vs the concomitant commercialism, which some believe has tainted the occasion. Harriet Beecher Stowe included a character who laments that the actual spirit of Christmas was obscured by a shopping binge in her 1850 book The First Christmas in New England.
While the Christmas holiday was not yet widely observed in all areas of the United States, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow noted in 1856 that there was “a transition stage concerning Christmas here in New England.” The old Puritan sentiment keeps it from being a happy, hearty celebration, despite the fact that every year it gets more so.
Even our Presbyterian friends—who had hitherto staunchly disregarded Christmas—threw up their church doors and gathered in force to celebrate the anniversary of the Savior’s birth, a newspaper reported in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1861.
Despite having “genuine Puritan stock,” the First Congregational Church in Rockford, Illinois, was “preparing for a grand Christmas jubilee,” a news writer wrote in 1864.
14 states, including a few from New England, had made Christmas a recognized holiday by 1860. Louis Prang popularized the Christmas card in America in 1875. The “father of the American Christmas card” is what he is referred to as.
Christmas was formally recognized as a federal holiday in the United States on June 28, 1870.
Merry Christmas Yall Skull Love Sweatshirt
If you are looking for a trending Christmas Sweatshirt, no need to worry, we have covered you back with a Best Christmas Gifts 2022 Yall Skull Love Sweatshirt. Browse through most of the Sweatshirts and choose one that appeals to you. From corporate to casual, from movies to music, from comics to love, and from cute to funny. There is something for everyone.
There were a number of unofficial truces between opposing forces for Christmas during the First World War, particularly (but not alone) in 1914. The fighting men spontaneously organized cease-fires, which included declarations of no-shooting orders yelled from a distance to reduce the stress of battle for the day as well as cordial interactions, gift-giving, and even competitive sports between foes.
These events became well-known and somewhat mythologized in people’s collective memories. They have been used to illustrate to children the principles of Christmas and have been described as a sign of everyday humanity even in the direst circumstances.
Many Christmas traditions in the UK were only practiced by the wealthy and upper classes up until the 1950s. Many of the Christmas customs that later spread to the broader populace were not yet widely practiced. The tree was a unique find. Christmas supper should not include turkey, but rather beef or geese. Children may receive an apple, an orange, and candy in Christmas stockings.
With greater income starting in the 1950s, the full celebration of a family Christmas with all the trimmings only became more common. Up until 1912, national newspapers were released on Christmas Day. Up until 1961, the post was still delivered on Christmas Day. While league football games ended in England at the end of the 1950s, they remained in Scotland into the 1970s.
After the Soviet Union’s founding in 1917, Christmas and other Christian holidays were outlawed under the country’s official atheism. The League of Militant Atheists launched a campaign against Easter, Christmas traditions including the Christmas tree, and other Christian holidays in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. In their place, the League created an antireligious festival to be celebrated on the last day of every month.
Children in Moscow were encouraged to spit on crucifixes on Christmas Day in 1929, at the height of this persecution, to protest the celebration. Instead, the New Year was given more significance than the holiday, along with all of its accoutrements like the Christmas tree and gift-giving.
Orthodox Christmas did not once more become a public holiday in Russia for the first time in seven decades after the Soviet Union’s disintegration in 1991. In the 20th century, when Christmas festivities spread beyond traditional Christian societies, certain nations with a majority of Muslims outlawed the ritual on the grounds that it was incompatible with Islam.


MINELRES: Church To Be Built For Orthodox Ukrainians In Romania
Mon Nov 18 17:07:34 2002
Church To Be Built For Orthodox Ukrainians In Romania
LVIV, UKRAINE, Nov 13, 02 (RISU.org.ua) - The Ukrainian Orthodox community
in Southern Bukovyna, Romania, is going to have its own church. This
announcement was made by Teofil Bauer, head of the regional administration
of Chernivtsi, the neighboring Ukrainian region. Bauer said that building a
church was a feasible and necessary task. This news was reported by the
information agency InfoNews on 11 November 2002.
In addition, Bauer said that the Romanian community in Ukraine has all the
conditions for a full cultural life, including Romanian schools and
Ukrainian Orthodox churches of the Moscow Patriarchate where services are
held in Romanian.
Bauer said that the Romanian side, however, is procrastinating on creating
the same conditions for Ukrainians in Romania, assuming that they can attend
Romanian Orthodox churches. He said that the Ukrainian community can hardly
be satisfied with such an approach, since services are held in the Romanian
language. He also said that do not Ukrainians feel comfortable attending
churches of the Russian Old Believers, who also live in the area, because of
differences in rite. Therefore, he said, the Ukrainian community in Romania
is in vital need of its own church.
The Ukrainian Greek Catholics who reside in this part of Romania have a
Greek Catholic vicariate in the region, which is subordinate to the Romanian
Greek Catholic Church.


Today I was truly blessed by a post on Facebook by Tyler Perry. It seems he has the most compelling things to say right at the moment that I need it most.
“So what am I saying? I’m saying that if you are a giver of whatever you have… time, money, love, help, whatever it is… if you plant it in pureness it has got to come back to you. It may take a while but you will reap a harvest from that seed. Don’t be weary in well-doing. It will come back to you. I know sometimes it may seem that all the good you do goes unnoticed by people, but if they don’t notice, it doesn’t matter. If they don’t acknowledge your kindness, it does not matter. You know why? Because I promise you God sees it all and He is the only one that matters. And He is bound by His word, and that word says you will reap what you sow. So sow on, sow good seeds. They will grow and come back to you when you least expect it.”
I do believe that my love for helping people is done in pureness. I believe that it was a calling for me to open Inspired Fitness and to help others in their walk to better health and fitness. I do this out of pure love of helping others and seeing the joy in the faces when they hit a goal is such a great blessing for me to see and take part in. This is my repayment and a blessed repayment that it is 🙂 I love all of my lovely people who walk through my doors. I know how hard that first step is to take and yet it is the most important step. So together we will take One Step At A Time and relish in the success that you all have in your journey!


Biblical CounselingMercy Ministries
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? What does that look like practically? How should one’s life reflect what they know about the Gospel? These are questions that new believers, and seasoned followers of Jesus alike, need help answering. God has given us everything we need for life and godliness, but when suffering and temptation arise, everyone needs help remembering the truths that God promises us.
Biblical counseling answers these questions in a tangible, practical and powerful way. Biblical counseling is focused discipleship that uses God’s Word and a growing relationship with Jesus as the means of healing and living.
Through our weekly food distribution, we saw a need that went beyond nourishment. Our community has benefited from discipleship and counseling – God has used biblical counseling as a means to evangelize to the Phoenix area. Mercy Ministries with Mercy Hill Church is seeking to provide affordable biblical counseling to a community that is hungry to understand what it means to be a Christian.
Please pray that God will continue to guide the leaders of Mercy Ministries and equip us in this new direction of ministry.
We are so thankful to have received a grant to match any new funds directed toward Mercy Ministries to support the community in this way. Is the Lord leading you to join us in providing affordable biblical counseling to those in need, and double your impact with this matching grant?


Easter reminds us of the power of renewal and caring for God’s creation
As Easter Sunday approaches, many observe it as the beginning of spring. People of faith reflect on its biblical meaning as they use this time to focus on renewal, just as Jesus Christ—and his follower’s faith— was renewed when he was resurrected from the dead.
The Cabela Family honors our faith in many different ways. One of the most important is by caring for God’s creation, one of the seven themes of Catholic social teaching. We feel called to be stewards of the earth and its creatures, which is a responsibility that every one of us holds.
We believe we should protect people and the planet by living our faith respecting God’s creation.
In a society with controversy over environmental issues, this fundamental moral and ethical challenge cannot be ignored. Of course, this was taught to us not only in the church but also in the way our late father Dick Cabela and our mother Mary Cabela raised us. Being in nature and taking care of the animals and their ecosystem was always emphasized as our duty as humans and as hunters.
The Cabela Family Foundation is putting its beliefs to work through the Twenty Four Lions project. Last fall, we released 24 wild lions into the Zambeze Delta of Mozambique, the largest conservation transport of wild lions across an international boundary in history.
The project reintroduced lions to the country, adding 2.5 million acres to lions’ habitat in Africa where the species has been absent. The aim of the project is to completely restore the natural ecosystem, not just to restore the lions. Some of the lionesses have given birth to cubs—starting a cycle of life in the Zambeze Delta. We now have more than 30 lions roaming a place where they were once almost depleted.
We can’t think of a better way to care for God’s creation than renewing an out-of-balance ecosystem by resurrecting a species poached and pushed out of existence in the area.
As we resurrect the lions in the Zambeze Delta, we also resurrect an ecosystem that benefits not just the animals, but also the people that live in the local communities. It’s because we believe we have a responsibility to the earth and its beings—animals and humans—alike.
As I write this, I’m traveling in Uganda, visiting the gorillas and reflecting on conservation and its ties to the holy meaning of Easter.
For me, these two scriptures come to mind. “Humans are commanded to care for God’s creation.” (Genesis 2:15) and “The land itself must be given a rest and not abused.” (Leviticus 25:1-7). These and many other passages remind us that none of us is free of responsibility to the environment or conservation. We cannot realize the spiritual renewal of Easter without participating in the protection and resurrection of God’s creation.
Humbly, the Cabela Family Foundation calls on you to join us in service. Can you volunteer or teach a young person about nature and conservation? Can you donate to a conservation cause? Please share the story of conservation, either our efforts or those of another.
You can. And we hope you will.
Happy Easter to all of you from the Cabela Family Foundation


Apostolic Shalom Ministry
We will focus on the restoration of foundational truths, preparing and equipping the saints for the end time harvest through teaching, impartation and demonstrations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
We believe that this end time move of God's Spirit accompanied by signs, wonders, miracles and manifestations of the glory of our God. Realizing that time is short we intend to use every means available to spread the saving and healing Name of Jesus Christ to the nations of the world, including of multimedia, evangelistic crusades, teaching and practical ministry seminars and meetings in small and large churches alikeRead More
India Mission Trip 2020August 2, 2023
be a partner in missions


Friday, December 21, 2012
The only way through is THROUGH
"Lord i have seen your goodness and i know the way you are Give me eyes to seek you in the dark And your face shines a glory that i only know in part and there is still a longing, a longing in my heart You revive me, You revive me Lord And all my deserts are rivers of joy You are the treasure I could not afford So I'll spend myself till i'm empty and poor All for you, you revive me Lord" -Christy Nockels, "You revive me" Is it easy to celebrate the goodness of God during difficult times? So many times we feel this is the furthest we are from Jesus, the furthest from His heart. How can this be as Jesus MOURNS? He feels our suffering and felt His own in our place in a human way. He knows what we will go through ahead of time and He feels our pain. Our little family has been hit HARD by the enemy lately, we lost our beloved friend and pet Flex, within days our house flooded and we uncovered mold under our carpet; ruining the carpet and forcing out our process of repair longer. It has been an exhausting month of December for us needless to say! We are thankful we found the mold, we are thankful that we had our puppy for three years, we are all healthy and happy. Sometimes it just seems the enemy just pushes and pushes and pushes until you think you cannot stand another minute in the furnace. The other day we had a sort of "family meeting" and as we sat down talking about dreams and goals and how we are pushing past barriers and dream stealers and my father in law said something that hit me to the heart from Jesus himself. He said, "I'm just really sad about what you guys are about to go through" this being said after all of the flooding and such... This is so like Jesus, He KNOWS what it's going to be like pushing on to our goals and living a life worthy of the calling that we have received. He FEELS our pain before we even know what's coming! "All my deserts are rivers of joy" This is my lesson right now, because I often lack joy when I get hit hard. I so badly want to be a Proverbs 31 woman in every way for my family, I want them to always see me laughing at the days to come! Because NO MATTER WHAT WE FACE WE NEED TO FACE IT WITH JOY! Joy of the Lord because each struggle, each pain, each difficult time will bring us closer to Jesus if we walk through it with JOY! This life is a vapor, it is so short- we need to choose joy because the Lord CAN DO SOMETHING WITH JOY! He wants to use us, He wants us to choose the supernatural joy that does not even fit the situation. Why am I happy about where we are in life? Because Jesus is leading my path and I am confident that it is moving forward and it makes me SO joyful beyond words that He sees me worthy of going through these trials! BRING IT ON! I'm going to be effective with my life, I'm going to be joyful when life chucks full on Bull crap at my face and I am going to show my children that no matter what JESUS IS RISEN and He is WORTH it! He went through much worse and He is worth much worse. Christians often say "don't ask for patience or God will strike you with lightening" I think that is total bull, He just allows you to go through things that will develop your patience! I WANT to develop my patience, I NEED to! I'm being real with you guys. So you have an illness, so you have a disability, so you are a single parent, so you live in a tiny home, so you have barely enough to scrape by, so you are spending Christmas without your family.... SO WHAT. That does not allow you an excuse to whine, it certainly doesn't allow me that either! I have spent way too much time whining instead of PRAISING! Thank you Jesus that you saw my circumstance, you KNEW we could make it together you and I and you allowed me to walk through this difficult time and LEARN. Lord please let me learn through these trials and learn to walk through them better next time. I've really been thinking about this lately. We often say things like "it's so hard right now, I've just got to get through this then..." Then WHAT? Does it get easier? No, it just gets DIFFERENT. People often wait to have kids until the "timing is right" I'm totally all for a few years with your spouse, but waiting until you have the right income, the right saved, the right house, the right car, all the gadgets, that day DOES NOT COME! Just the same with everything else, stop thinking about how much better it will be later and see how GOOD IT IS NOW! Even when it's hard, there is GOOD! God is GOOD! Remember HOW He is good this season, what HAS He given you? What incredible lessons have these difficult trials taught you? If it's nothing I can guarantee you a repeat, because you have GOT to learn! Look around, you're not alone even when your head tells you that you are. It may be hard to see right now, but you are surrounded by love and beauty. Jesus made you! He made you with a purpose! You're still on this earth so there MUST be something for you to do and you MUST be important and loved! Trust me, this is not the pot calling the kettle black, I certainly know this is MY lesson to learn eternally as well. Lord allow me this season to see YOU, to teach YOU to my children, to thank YOU for the gift of your beautiful Son that saved a wretch like me. Thank you Jesus that I am fearfully an wonderfully made with an incredible purpose and Lord do not allow me to rest until I have pushed through trial after trial and reached the gold. Let my children see that I am NOT a quitter, I am gentle, kind, loving, selfless, that I love you above all and that I love and submit to their daddy second above all. Let them see that he is the rock of this family and Lord strengthen him when the world would try to make him weak. Allow our family to flourish financially so that we may bless those walking through money trials. Lord to you be the glory forever and ever and I pray Jesus that our lives would be a testament to thousands and that someday your voice would ring true to thousands through our mouths from the stage you have called us to speak from. Lord you reign forever and today you are Jesus THE SON OF GOD an we praise you, teach us to lay at your feet and be thankful for the trials we walk through each day because we know that the testing of our faith develops perseverance and perseverance must finish it's work so that we may be whole and complete NOT LACKING ANYTHING! (emphasis mine, James 1:2) Merry Christmas to you and yours, know that your trials are blessings, walk through them knowing that God thought of you highly enough to keep you on this earth to walk THROUGH. The only way THROUGH IS THROUGH!


St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish
Our Dearly Departed
The Liturgy of the Word consists of readings from the Old and New Testament as well as a responsorial psalm. Lectors are called upon to act as Godís messenger as they proclaim the word of God at each Mass. They are also responsible for offering the Prayers of the Faithful. The readings can be found in your home Missal and must be practiced and contemplated before Mass. At Mass, the first reader is responsible for processing with the lectionary. The second reader is responsible for offering the Prayers of the Faithful.
A schedule is posted each month to facilitate planning. A reminder of who serves the following week appears in the weekly bulletin. Preference is given as to whether you like to perform this ministry on Saturday or Sunday Mass. Workshops are held periodically for new Mass preparation ministers and those considering these ministries.
Anyone interested in volunteering for any of these ministries, please contact the office.


Sunday, October 31, 2010
Out today and into Columbus for the ordination of a guy who was the visiting pastor at my wife's church. Very nasty fights at that church over the direction this specific church is going. The congregation, on the whole, loved the guy, but the elders hated him and wanted their own. So this guy was out and they gave the "call" to the one the elders wanted and he turned them down.
We drove up, but there was also a bus from the church taking about 50 people. Very interesting, most of the big money people were there and the elders can't figure out what is happening and why they are unable to make their budget currently. Still it is just so much like what is going on at a national level that I am kind of amazed at the similarities.
In the last several years my wife's church has had several pastors (they call them in the Missouri Synod as opposed to ministers in the Presbyterian, where I grew up). One whose wife was into heavy metal and goth and writing about the congregation by name on the Internet. Then one who wouldn't baptise a kid because he was a bastard (the kid, not technically the pastor), one who didn't want to move out to our town and who didn't like visiting sick people and wanted not to do the Christmas service because it was a time for him to be with his family. They have really been without a pastor for several years. One also announced from the pulpit that if people didn't vote for George Bush they were violating God's laws. Him they didn't fire, but he left to go full time as a military pastor.
I hear this stuff from my wife and I find it very interesting. Particularly since it doesn't affect me at all as this is the first time I have been in a church (unless attending a wedding or funeral) in probably ten years. Don't figure that there is much there that is worth much so why go. Never was much interested not from since I was a kid. Don't care.
I was brought up in the Presbyterian church, as I said and just last week at a funeral, I found out why Presbyterians say "forgive our debt as we forgive our debtors" instead of trespass in the Lords Prayer. According to the minister it is because the Scots are more interested in money than land.
Oh yeah, in addition to it being Halloween it is also Reformation Day the day that Luther nailed his thesis to the church door. A big deal for Lutherans I guess.


Home > OUR HIHS > Our History
|1892||Our school was one of the first Chinese Mission Schools to be founded and was named Tao Nan School. Bible studies and classical Chinese were taught.|
|1920||Rev Fr Becheras was the Supervisor of our school. The name of our school was changed from Tao Nao to Holy Innocents’ Chinese Boys School. It means pure, wholesome and innocent.|
|1942||During the Japanese Occupation, our school was called Syonan School.|
|1957||A two-storey building consisting of 12 classrooms was built as 7.25 miles, Upper Serangoon Road (the site of our present school). Rev Fr Berthold, then Supervisor, appointed Rev Fr Shih as Principal.|
|1958||Secondary classes were started and the name of our school was modified to Holy Innocents’ High School. His Grace, Archbishop, Rt Rev M Olcomendy, blessed the school and declared it open on 5th January|
|1960 to 1964||An additional 8 classrooms and 2 laboratories were built to cater for the increase in the school enrolment|
|1965||We started our first Pre-University classes (Science stream).|
|1968||A new three-storey building was added.|
|1969||Fr Shih was transferred to Taiwan. He left an indelible mark on our school. Rev Fr Lu assumed office as Principal and was instrumental in forging our school ahead to keep abreast with educational developments of the times.|
|1983||On 9th September, Mr Ho Kah Leong, the Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education, officiated the opening of the School Hall and 4 special classrooms.
Rev Fr Lu retired at the end of the year.
|1984||The Vice-Principal, Mr Lee Tho Nee, was appointed Principal.|
|1985||On 25th March, our primary school section moved to her new premises at Lorong Low Koon and was named Holy Innocents’ Primary School.
Our secondary section functioned as a single-session school.
|1987||A School Building Committee was formed headed by our Chairman of the School Management Board, Rev Fr Mathias Tung, to expand the school to a standard-sized secondary school. Approval was given with an 80% capital grant.|
|1992||Our lower secondary classes occupied the ex-Hai Sing High School premises while the upper secondary classes remained at the present site. Construction and refurbishment work started in May.|
|1994||The official commissioning of the upgraded facilities by Rt Rev Gregory Yong, Archbishop of Singapore, took place on 30th July. The completed project added 3 new teaching blocks and an administrative block to the original building. The total built-in area was 9000 sq m.|
|1996||Mrs Mary Bay, the Vice-Principal, was appointed Principal in July.|
|2001||Mrs Pauline Wong was appointed Principal in December.|
|2004||Moved to holding school at 51 Edgedale Plains in June, while upgrading of the original site was completed.|
|2005||Moved back to our original site in December|
|2006||The new school building was officially opened and blessed by His Grace, Archbishop Nicholas Chia on 2 June 2006.|
|2007||Ms Soh Lai Leng was appointed Principal in December.|
|2008||Celebrated the 50th Anniversary of HIHS with a musical titled “I want to Be A Star!’ in June and a Mass and Dinner in November with His Grace, Archbishop Nicholas Chia as celebrant and Guest-of-Honour.
Added the Performing Arts Studio.
|2009||Added the Design Cove, a creative learning studio for the teaching of Design and Technology|
|2011||Named all buildings in the school after patron saints and named the ‘Chapel of the Holy Innocents’ and ‘Blessing Alley’.
Launched the inaugural Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration
|2012||Celebrated our 120th Anniversary with a musical title ‘I am special – the HI-story Musical in April and a Mass and Dinner in November with Rev. Fr Frederick Quek as celebrant and Guest-of-Honour.
Set up the HIHS On Air (broadcast station) and launched the Journalism and Broadcasting Programme.
|2013||Attained Niche Status for our Journalism and Broadcasting Programme and offered Direct School Admission. Celebrated with HIOSA on the establishment of Ren De Foundation in support of the Holy Innocents’ students.
Mr Yap Wai Meng was appointed Principal in December.
|2014||Established our Learning for Life Programme (LLP) and Applied Learning Programme (ALP)|
|2017||125th Anniversary: Celebrating 125 years of serving God and society|
Completion of Indoor Sports Hall
|2018||Mrs Rebecca Chew was appointed Principal in December.|


At FAITH we strive to provide an excellent Christ-centered, fine arts exposure program. Here history is taught both as an individual subject, as well as being integrated into music, art, and drama by paid instructors. Students are fully immersed in the time period as they do art projects, stage plays, and study music of the age.
We meet on Tuesdays, September through April
(see our calendar for specific dates),
at Southside Bible Fellowship 200 South Jewett Street, Manchester, NH
FAITH classes begin promptly at 1:00pm and end at 4:10pm.
In order to equip. parents, who are ultimately accountable for the instruction and training of their children, the mission of the FAITH Fine Arts Program is to establish a home-school cooperative that would:
- Be a tool for parents in the discipleship and education of their children
- Provide an atmosphere of love, support and encouragement on the parenting journey
- Provide arts and academic instruction which would enhance their effort as they fully accept the biblical responsibility to “train up a child in the way he should go.” (Proverbs 22:6)
- Provide excellent academic instruction from a Biblical Christian worldview
- Inspire a love for learning
- Equip them to think clearly, concisely, and critically with character reflecting that of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 8:1b)
- Prepare them to be light in the world for God’s glory
We cover history in 4 time periods:
Ancient Period (Creation to Fall of Rome)
Medieval/Renaissance Period (Fall of Rome to Explorers)
Early Modern Period (Explorers to Missouri Compromise)
Modern Period (Missouri Compromise to Present)
Each year a different period is taught. While a student does not need to begin at any particular point in the cycle, the lessons are designed to build upon one another, creating a mental timeline and base of knowledge. The FAITH Leadership team works with Instructors to determine the course content, materials, and cost of each class. All instructors are required to sign and be in agreement with our Statement of Faith and Mission Statement (available upon request). Parents are welcome and highly encouraged to attend classes with their children.
During the first 15 weeks of the program, students participate in all classes, however for the last semester a variety of period appropriate courses are offered. Students are allowed to tailor their course of study to their interests.
All students annually participate in two performances to showcase their growth and celebrate their achievements.
Check our our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.


Did you miss a Sunday service, but still want to hear that Sunday's message? Or perhaps want to listen again? Or you may want to share a message with a friend who might find it especially useful? Check out the "Sermons, Etc." section on the right sidebar. Just click the link for the sermon theme, and it will take you to a page to hear (snd sometimes view) that sermon.
Those of you with smartphones...go to www.christthevine.com/blog and you should be able to listen from your phone as well.
We hope you find this beneficial! Please share!
Welcome in the name of Jesus Christ! We are glad that you've chosen to view our website. We invite you to join us for Sunday family worship at 10 a.m. and Bible study, for all ages, at 9:00 a.m. The heart of our church is Christ who first loved us and gave himself for us as our Savior and Redeemer.


Sunday, 25 February 2007
St Peter's Church, Stapenhill
Below is a photo of St Peters Church, Stapenhill, Nr Burton-on-Trent
It didn't look like this when my 4x great grandfather Thomas Gough married Sarah Boddis here on 5th November 1789 or when Sarah was buried here on 3rd March 1802 or when he was married again to Margaret Brierley on 3rd October 1803 or even when he was buried here on 28th April 1812. It looked more like this:
The mediaeval church was demolished c.1780 and replaced by a new nave and a bell turret the chancel was left as it was. You can see this from the early 19th century drawing above. The whole church was rebuilt in 188l.
I don't think the approach to the church would have looked like this either.


Q: What do you mean by “inclusive”?
A: We mean that all are welcome to participate in our life together as a community. We do not believe race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or religious background are an obstacle to following Jesus in our time and place, nor are they an obstacle to participation in our activities.
Q: What if I have beliefs that differ from yours or others in the community?
A: You are welcome at any point on your spiritual journey. While we believe that our tradition is life-giving and transformative, we expect that for most people belonging comes before believing. A central teaching of the branch of the Christian tradition that our club belongs to holds that before we could ever know or believe in God, God knows us and loves us no matter who we are or where we are at.
Not only that, but we value diversity in conversation and believe that all perspectives have something to contribute. They may even be the most important to listen to. We hope you find a sense of belonging with us, no matter where you might be at in your faith (or lack thereof).
Q: Do I have to be a Christian to be a member of the club or attend any of the events or meals?
A: No. Food & Faith is Christian in orientation and our conversations are guided and enriched by our tradition. One such element of that tradition is informed by Jesus words to “love your neighbor as yourself.” As such, we seek to be good neighbors by valuing the practice of hospitality and welcoming. While we are committed to the Christian story, we welcome people of all religious traditions (or no religious tradition) to participate in mutually respectful conversation as a community.
Q: What is your perspective on the Bible?
It is foundational as the central guiding story of our faith and life together as a community. Though foundational, it is interpreted alongside reason, tradition and experience. The Bible is a living word, not a fixed one, and must always be read with fresh eyes and a new perspective guided by the Spirit in the present day. We take the Bible seriously, not literally.
Q: Are you associated with a church or denomination?
A: Yes. We are associated with the United Church of Canada. The United Church is Canada’s largest Protestant Christian denomination and a union of the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregationalist churches in 1925.Though we are rooted in that tradition, the perspective of the club is more broadly Christian. Members of our club have varied in their background, Anglican, Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, Alliance Church, Presbyterian, and Non-Denominational. Often our club members have non-Christian religious backgrounds or no background at all.


For this weeks Fun Friday I decided that this would be the perfect post! This book was fun to read as a family especially with Easter coming up!
What a beautifully illustrated and touching story for children. Katie is a young girl with a kind heart. Katie and her family show kindness and love to their “grouchy” neighbor, Mean Old Jack. Through these acts of kindness Mean Old Jack becomes Papa Jack to Katie and her brother. Although he begins to warm up to the family and lets them pick flowers in his beautiful garden, it takes time before he decided to take up an invitation and goes to church with them on Easter. Not only does he go to church with them, but he accepts a bible from Katie and accepts the Saviors love for him.
Papa Jack even starts a tradition in the neigborhood. All the children pick flowers in his beautiful garden every Easter. The cross sits on the family table for the Easter meal and reminds Papa Jack how one special little girl led him to the cross and Jesus’ love for him!
I LOVED this book and would recommend it to others! Even though it is a childrens book I can see it being a book we read together every Easter. It’s a book the whole family can enjoy!
Want to see another Easter activity we are doing? Check it out HERE
Hopefully this becomes a tradition too!
Do you have a Easter book you love to read with your children? Please leave a comment!
This is my own review written by me. I was given a free copy of this book from Book Sneeze so that I could review it but no other compensation was given. The fact that it was free did not influence my post in any way.
Want to show us some love? Click HERE to Vote for Mommy Moment on Top Mommy Blogs!


Below is the email she sent:
I have a grandson who at Christmas time was 3 ¾ old. Brandon (my grandson) had lived with me since he was 11 months old until his mommy and daddy remarried when he was 3. When asked what he wanted for Christmas the only thing he wanted was “Boundless Love”. No matter how many times I asked him what he wanted Santa to bring him the same answer came, “Boundless Love”. So I (Santa) ordered the DVD and CD and thankfully it arrived just in time for Christmas. He was so excited when he opened the DVD. He LOVES EH&SS. He has listened to your group for years (thanks to grandma).
I was going to bring him with me to the concert in Stockton in September but they just moved to Utah. You don’t go to Utah so he probably won’t ever see you in person but he loves your group. I just wanted to share this with you. It made me smile. There is a picture attached.
God Bless all of you for the wonderful messages you share with us. In 2005 you came into my life at one of the lowest points of my life. I was going through a very difficult and stressful health issue that year but all is well now. I accidently turned the TV to a channel that I didn’t want to see and there you were. The caption said it was a basketball game, cute. But it was the last 10 minutes of one of your concerts. I have been in love ever since and your words and music have brought so much comfort into my life and obviously the life of my sweet grandson who I miss so much. Thanks to all of you. See you in Stockton in September.
One of your biggest fans!!
Within hours, mom received a response from Ernie's assistant:
Awe Joyce this is so sweet. What 3 year old would request this dvd? We would love to send him an autograph picture if you could please send us his address.
How great God works in our lives. When you thought you were turning to a basketball game, you got EHSS instead during this difficult time in your life. All in God's own time. Praise The Lord.
I will print this email off and put on Ernie's desk to read next time he is in the office.
Anne / SSQoffice
Assistant To EHSS
Is this not the sweetest thing?!? Most of their fans are much older people, so having a 3 year old who loves them is something special. I can't wait for the group to see that email, and for Brandon to get his autographed picture! Too cool.
To further mom's point about Brandon's love for EH&SS, here's a video I made yesterday of him singing....simply hilarious! Two minutes into it he really gets going! This is the song Step Into The Water, from the DVD he got from Santa.
And for Grandma, and anyone else who cares, here are two more performances, Boundless Love and Swinging On The Golden Gate. Brandon was in a performing mood yesterday! Unfortunately they aren't long performances because my camera sucks the juice out of my batteries so quickly it's ridiculous!


Updated: Feb 16, 2020
We have had a wonderful week with the children celebrating everything Christmassy. As you can see from the photographs we have had a fantastic time decorating our tree, performing in the Nativity, enjoying delicious food and party games at the Christmas party and not forgetting a visit from Father Christmas.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support in making all of these wonderful things happen for the children and also thank you for all of the kind and generous gifts we have received.
Stepping Stones would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and we look forward to seeing you all back in the New Year!


The icon of the Eastern church is a different sort of image. Unlike many other visual images, icons are meant to be read in a way closer to the way a text or graph is read. Many purists today insist that icons are not "painted," but that they are "written." Although this insistence derives from some faulty etymology, it is nonetheless correct to point out that there is something very text-like in the composition of an icon, and not simply because all images can be considered texts.
The most complex and narrative icon of all is the icon of the Last Judgment. It is composed of numerous discrete elements such as angels rolling up the scroll of the heavens, the Heavenly Jerusalem, the throne of judgment, the Pantocrator, the emblems of the four evil kingdoms, Satan, the jaws of hell, the torments of sinners, St. Peter leading the saints to the gates of paradise, the Mother of God with two angels and the good thief in paradise and many more. Every element depicted has one or more textual sources that validate its presence in the icon and determine its presentation. The most important texts in the background include the visions of Daniel, the gospel of St. Matthew, the writings of Ephraim the Syrian (Graecus) and the apocryphal account of the Mother of God's wandering in hell. Icons of the Last Judgment composed in Ukraine have some peculiar elements not found in the Greek or South Slavic equivalents, such as the parade of peoples (Jews, Tatars, Moors, etc.), the aerial tollbooths where accounts of sins are drawn up and the alms-giving fornicator. These new elements were drawn from different texts, particularly from miscellanies such as the Izmaragd or Studyt.
It is the purpose of this paper to examine the new elements in the Ukrainian icons in light of the texts that seem to have generated them. What exactly were the texts? Why those texts? How did the texts translate into images? What happened if the generating text fell into disuse, but the element remained in the icon? Did elements evolve the same in texts and in icons? How did the audiences of the texts and icons differ?


Book Review: Father Mercer: The Story of a Baptist Statesman
Father Mercer: The Story of a Baptist Statesman. By Anthony L. Chute. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2012. 146 pp. $20.00
Reviewed by Ryan West
Over the past decade, Anthony Chute has emerged as a respected church historian, particularly in the area of Baptist Studies. Presently, he serves as the associate dean of the School of Christian Ministries and associate professor of Church History at California Baptist University. Having examined Jesse Mercer for his dissertation, Chute brings a depth of knowledge to this work that supersedes many biographers.
The purpose of the James N. Griffith Series in Baptist Studies is to advance Baptist studies on various levels to various audiences by promoting “the exploration and investigation of Baptist history; publish classics of Baptist literature including letters, diaries, and other writings; offer analyses of Baptist theologies; and examine the role of Baptists in societies and cultures both in the US and abroad.” As part of the Griffith Series, Chute’s biography seeks to tell the story of Jesse Mercer who was a key figure in establishing Baptist thought and culture which may be considered ‘givens’ today. In his official acknowledgments, Chute indicates his interest in Mercer “not as a topic of research but as a fellow pilgrim whose company I think I would have enjoyed had I lived in his day.” Mercer thus serves as an opportunity for personal encouragement for Chute and his readers while also fulfilling the purposes of the Griffith Series.
Father Mercer is divided into two sections. In the first section, Chute provides a relatively short biography of Mercer through a nice division of his early life and ministerial beginnings (“Son of Silas”), his rising role as a leader of southern Baptists (“Father Mercer”), and the fruit of his leadership (“The Old Man”). The second portion is a lengthy one that includes Mercer’s own writings such as sermons, letters to church members, and position articles. In this section, Chute provides a short introduction to each text in which he shows the significance of the material at hand. The end of the book includes a detailed timeline of Mercer’s life as well as a two-page summary of existing literature on Mercer for anyone interested in examining Mercer on a deeper level.
There is much in this work that readers will find helpful. Overall, readers will find Chute’s style of writing to be a pleasant encounter and even masterful at times. His work goes beyond merely reporting historical facts to recreate the felt experience of Mercer and his contemporaries. For example, the audience will feel the anguish of Jesse and Sabrina Mercer after the loss of their two daughters to an early death (17). Consequently, Chute accomplishes one of his objectives of representing Mercer as an ‘ordinary’ pastor by illustrating the struggles of this Baptist forefather. Elsewhere, his evaluation of Mercer’s views on church membership brings to light the weightiness of church covenants, membership, and church discipline (31-34). Contemporary Baptists may find such commitments a bit strange and Chute does an excellent job of helping readers understand the Baptist mentality of Mercer’s day. A few other examples of his quality of writing are his treatments of Baptists on local church autonomy and voluntary association (12-14), religious liberty (15), and denominational exclusivity (27-31).
A second commendable aspect of this work is Chute’s inclusion of primary source writings from Mercer. A potential problem with biographical works is that audiences are left to wonder if the person discussed was truly represented. Chute’s work, however, leaves little room for such doubt. Readers will find the primary sources to be rich in theology and practical exhortations from a man who loved Christ and his purposes. Rather than including a smattering of quotes here and there, including such a large section of material allows one to experience the subject firsthand. One minor question, however, worth noting involves the reasoning behind Chute’s selection of texts in light of the large corpus of Mercer’s writings.
Finally, persons acquainted with Mercer will note Chute’s faithful representation of Mercer’s own convictions. For example, Mercer’s denominational commitments flowed from his fidelity to Scripture as his beginning point (27-31). Elsewhere, this commitment is evident as Chute summarizes Mercer’s motivation for missions (65-68). The use of reason and historical justification were not dismissed, but they always remained subservient to the Bible. This aspect of Mercer’s life became vitally important when defending a position of evangelistic Calvinism against Cyrus White’s Arminianism and the Primitive Baptists’ anti-missionary position (68-82).
Chute’s work does leave room for minor criticisms, the most glaring of which is the lack of citations for his quotes, references, and evaluations. At no point does he provide a reference to the location of the primary source material that he uses. Therefore, readers wanting to explore the subjects addressed are left to the task of finding the primary source on their own. This issue creates several other problems within his work such as his truncated discussion of early Baptist views of soteriology (69-70).
Additionally, the reading audience may get the sense that Chute’s evaluations are overly general at times. Although Chute’s intention is to provide a brief introduction to Mercer, he relies on a good deal of assumed knowledge at times. This issue is concerning in light of his target audience being novice readers who need an introduction to figures such as Mercer and concerns associated with his life. For example, his discussion of Mercer’s denominational distinctions is a quick handling of differences between Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodist, and Baptists on complex issues surrounding the Lord’s Supper, baptism, religious authority, and polity (27-31).
Ultimately, Chute accomplishes his purpose of providing an introduction to both Mercer and Baptist battles of his day. Father Mercer is too simplistic to serve as a classroom text in light of the above criticisms, but it should prove to be a helpful resource nonetheless. Readers at all levels who are unacquainted with Mercer will benefit from meeting this figure who established many current Baptist commitments.
J. Ryan West serves as the Assistant to the Executive Director at the Evangelical Theological Society and as a Junior Fellow at the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies in Louisville, KY. He received a Th.M. in Historical Theology from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is a Ph.D. Candidate (2012) in Theology and Tradition at the same institution. Before moving to Louisville, he and his wife served as missionaries in India and an inner-city context in the States. He serves as a ministry leader at Sojourn Community Church, where he teaches family ministry courses and leads a weekly small group. His professional memberships include the Evangelical Theological Society, the Baptist History & Heritage Society, and the Fellowship of Baptist Historians. He has a wonderful wife of eleven years and has been blessed with three young children, ages nine and under.


As God’s chosen people we all have a special assignment, a mission to accomplish, and a call to a divine purpose which is to bring honor and glory to His name. God designed us for a specific calling, however, due to a lack of belief in ourselves or our current circumstances we place more trust in the “world” than in God’s word. The heavy burdens of our mistakes, the label of statistics and stereotypes, and worse the powerful detrimental words spoken over our lives from other people carries more weight and authority over who we were originally created to be.
Throughout my life I have fallen short so many times and completely missed the mark. I allowed my fear and insecurity to hinder me from becoming the woman God originally created me to be, I also allowed the words of others to hold me back as well. Instead of trusting in the vision that was placed in my heart, I bowed down to other people’s thoughts for my life. However, what I have begun to realize is that usually ideas, visions and missions from God don’t make sense, and in order to make sure that His mission is accomplished we have to have “crazy faith” to walk through the doors that He opens.
God picked a woman who had a baby at fourteen for a divine purpose. It is not my place to ask why or to say, God I think you chose the wrong person, pick someone else? He wanted me and because we serve a God who does not favor person, He chose you too. What is it that He is asking you to do? Or what is He asking you to become?
The people who saw me at fourteen and pregnant could only see a statistic, they placed me in a box and labeled me everything but who God said that I was, all they saw was my circumstances but God saw beyond that, because He is the author and the finisher. Being fourteen and pregnant was not easy on myself or my family however, I believed I was called to more than my current circumstances and the labels which were placed upon me. I desired more for my daughter and myself and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that higher was calling. When no one else saw my worth and my gifts God did. The desires He placed in my heart to show and prove that no matter the circumstances and obstacles I faced I could overcome anything.
No matter what you have faced in your life you are an overcomer, but it takes faith and perseverance to fulfill the purpose God has for your life. We are meant to be vessels for the Kingdom of God and to demonstrate to others that no matter what the current circumstances higher is calling, even when we make poor decisions God can turn the decision around to work it out for our good. Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose, KJV.
If God has placed a desire in your heart and He is calling you to come to a higher place; take the call. The road is long and hard at times, but the results are always worth it. People may not be able to see your purpose but if you have a desire, if you can see yourself executing those goals and dreams then it doesn’t matter what other people may think. Your steps are ordered by His grace not anyone’s opinion. He has the highest authority; He can influence anyone to see your divine light, and He can send anyone to help you as well as open the doors to your destiny. Despite who your parents are, the lack of love you had, your zip code, the trials you have faced or the suffering you have endured, the simple words are: “But God”. There is nothing in this world stronger than the power of God, and there is no one in this world who has higher authority than Him. He loves you, despite what you may think or feel, and the plans that He has for your life is greater than you can imagine or dream of. Therefore, take the steps of faith and move toward the purpose He placed within you. decide today, to no longer stay stuck in the cycle of fear, disappointment or worry. Allow me to end with this question, is there anything too hard for God?


From a local newspaper, a personal blog site or a local radio station to Fleet Street, the BBC, Facebook and Instagram, our lives are impacted for good or for worse by media.
How can we see lasting transformation in the media? How can we better support key Christians working in the media? What can churches do to engage with local media?
GATHERMEDIA is a conversation with key people serving in the media to better understand the opportunities, the pitfalls and the dangers.
If you are interested in working with us on the development of this particular sphere, then please get in touch with Dave King email@example.com


One of the things we work hard at in our Total Life Impact Ministry events is not just the actual event, but serving those whom we serve to the best of our ability and doing whatever it takes to give them the best service possible. It was a great joy in the last few weeks to do two Wild Game events in Montana and Michigan and see God move powerfully in both, and have the joy of working with two great churches and leadership teams to make it happen. Here is what the leaders at the respective events had to say…
Bob did an excellent job of communicating the gospel in a compelling way, using his outdoor hunting experiences to drive home spiritual truths. He was a joy to work with, and I think in the 14 years I have run a sportsman’s banquet had more personal interest in us and what we were doing than any other speaker we have had come and share. He not only cared, he inquired about our responses, followed up with an after the banquet assessment, and really communicated his desire that our event would be successful in it’s ultimate goal of reaching the lost. I felt like Bob was a true partner in our event, and wasn’t just there to give his talk and then leave. I would highly recommend Bob as a speaker for your next event. You won’t regret it! (We saw 27 first time commitments to Christ and 65 decisions of significant renewal of their surrender to Jesus Christ with about 365 in attendance.)
New Hope Community Church Sportsman Banquet Servant
Traverse City, MI
No matter where you are on the Journey of Life, It’s not too late to live a life that matters. We want to help you get there.Our goal is intentional transformation for kingdom impact!
Total Life Impact Ministries, founded by Bob and Cheryl Reccord, helps people and organizations make a lasting impact on their world. Bob and Cheryl Reccord’s passion is to see men, women and organizations experience their full potential in life and relationship with God.
Through their years of service in both the public, private and faith-based sectors, the Reccords have seen individuals and organizations experience life’s pinnacle while also seeing others give in to moral failure or decline. Whether speaking, coaching or consulting as individuals…or as a couple…Bob and Cheryl Reccord help people and organizations refocus their direction for a life of greater significance and impact.


“I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you.”
The above words are the greeting Paul wrote to the Christ-followers in Philippi! They are full of heart and gratitude. They express deep appreciation and longing that those Christians keep following Jesus and keep pursuing God’s love and justice!
These words are expressive, also, of a transformational leader- of a grounded spiritual movement facilitator! They reflect emotionally intelligent leader! Effective leaders are empathetic team coaches and are engaged with people moving the team towards its goals!
Let’s unpack that! Leaders are first concerned about the people on the team- on the Session, on the Deacons and in the church! Throughout the New Testament the image of the church that is lifted up is that of “the body.” The church is a team! Good transformational leaders are concerned for the members of the body. They are empathetic-thoughtful of the feelings and thoughts of people on the team. It doesn’t mean that she/he agrees with everyone or is in alignment with them. It does mean that he/she understands the unique perspective of everyone around the table!
What does this look like in everyday leadership? It plays itself out in the following scenario:
A Session is seeking to discern new ways to connect with millennials. A variety of opinions are expressed. The moderator or a designated leader could be wanting an expedient decision or disagrees with several voices around the table. He/she could move the decision forward without understanding the unique perspective of everyone. They could miss some important ideas. They will probably discount the people who were not heard. Or she/he could even delay the decision seeking for all the voices to be heard. Transformational leadership is first empathetic!
Second, transformational leaders are engaged with people as they move towards a desired goal. They are friendly, moving people toward a goal and purpose! Daniel Goleman says, “they have a knack for finding the common ground with people of all kinds-a knack for building rapport.” In order to lead a Session to new way of being the church for the 21st century will involve building rapport, schmoozing, chatting, and sometimes even joking around. Engaged leadership moves a team towards a goal with social skill.
How is our empathetic understanding of people?
How are we engaged in relationships with those with whom we are working?
We are all leaders! How are we moving our teams, our Session, etc. toward God’s desired future for us?
Cultivating Transformational Leaders,


The community of Umuatakawom in Obingwa, as well as the church members at Agape Evangelical Ministries, were left in a state of shock and mourning upon learning about the tragic passing of evangelist Happiness Echieze. Her role as an evangelist and her active involvement in the church had made her a familiar and respected figure among the congregation.
As news of the incident spread, questions began to arise about the nature of the relationship between Mrs. Echieze and Bishop Timothy Otu. Their alleged romantic involvement, as indicated by text messages on her phone, added a layer of complexity to the situation and left many wondering what might have transpired in the hotel room that fateful night.
The arrest of Bishop Otu, who had been a prominent figure within the church, sent shockwaves through the religious community. The fact that he was apprehended after delivering a sermon about repentance showcased the sudden turn of events and the stark contrast between his public persona and the allegations surrounding the incident.
With the investigation transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, many are hopeful that the truth surrounding Mrs. Echieze’s passing will eventually come to light. Autopsy results are eagerly anticipated, as they are expected to shed light on the cause of her death and provide valuable insights into the circumstances that led to her tragic end.
In the midst of this unfortunate event, the community and the church are left grappling with the loss of a devoted evangelist and the uncertainty surrounding the case. As investigators work diligently to uncover the truth, those who knew Mrs. Echieze continue to remember her for her dedication to her faith and her role within the community


Dear Readers and Students,
What comes to my mind, while trying to choose an appropriate message for you, is the advice given by Jesus Christ to his disciples.
Jesus Christ, as you already know, was a popular teacher. His teachings have spread worldwide and influenced people of all walks of life. Many different religions consider him a great prophet and an extraordinary person, a model of goodness, one of the greatest men the world has ever seen. One of his popular teachings is "And so I tell you, keep on asking you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."(Luke 11 :9-10) Knowledge is an on-going process.
St. Jude's School has now completed fifty years of existence. It gives me enormous pleasure to see the progress of the school over the years, which could not have happened without the efforts, devotion and commitment of a dedicated staff. Today, we are a recognized institution providing education up to class 12. The school is a recognized leader in preparing students for the rigors of academic and professional success in India and maybe, abroad, providing a creative, instructional atmosphere with a personal touch. The school has for long served as a proven pathway to learning the English language for non-English speaking students and provides a fair platform for students to perfect their English language skills for professional or personal purposes.
The patron saint of the school in St. Jude, a cousin of Jesus Christ, whose feast is celebrated on 28th October. He is the patron of things that we think are unreachable. Hence, our motto "Nihil Desperandum" meaning 'never despair' is a lesson in courage. Don't give up and I am sure you will achieve your goal. It is my firm advice to all my students to have the courage to reach where you wish to go. Follow the right path and work hard and nothing is impossible. God bless each one of you.
Late Mr. lan A.Cyrill


Religious Book Center, Inc.
For 60 years, Religious Book Center, Inc. has been the Danville area’s leading resource for Christian religious items. With a wide selection of bibles, religious literature, church supplies, music and more Religious Book Center, Inc. provides worshipers with a trusted place to secure devotional materials.
Church Supplies and Christian Books in Danville, VA
At Religious Book Center, Inc., we have a passion for providing customers with useful and unique materials to support their Christian practice. For 60 years, our locally owned and operated business has been a trusted source for church supplies and Christian books in Danville, VA. We are committed to offering our customers a well-rounded selection of Christian materials that can enhance your church services and your personal worship experience. Whether you are looking for a way to introduce your children to Christian teachings, strengthen your understanding of the bible or provide service attendees with beautiful music, we are happy to provide quality religious texts and supplies.
Our diverse selection of Christian materials and church supplies includes items for every aspect of worship. We carry bibles, children’s books and religious literature, church supplies, apparel, greeting cards and beautiful gospel music in Danville, VA. Each member of our caring staff is dedicated to finding you the right items for your specific needs. Our expansive collection of Christian texts and materials at Religious Book Center, Inc. aims to inspire our customers to find a deeper connection with their faith. We are committed to providing you with friendly and knowledgeable customer service, and access to items that help you along your religious path.
Customers come to Religious Book Center, Inc. for their Christian books and supplies because:
- We have 60 years of experience as a locally owned and operated Christian business.
- Our store carries a diverse selection of Christian supplies for both church and personal use.
- Our extensive range of Christian materials includes books for children and adults, music, apparel, greeting cards, church supplies and more.
- We are committed to providing exceptional customer service and high-quality materials.
- Our staff is knowledgeable about each of our unique client offerings and is dedicated to finding you the right supplies for your needs.
Proudly offering Church supplies and religious books to the following areas:
- Danville, VA
- Pittsylvania County, VA
- Dry Fork, VA
- Cascade, VA
- Providence, NC
- Caswell County, NC
- Pelham, NC
- Blairs, VA
- Ringgold, VA
- Ruffin, NC
- Rockingham, NC


Anyone attend St. Michael's School or Parish at any time, you may be interested in the parish/school reunion to take place September 26-27, 2004. St. Michaels Church was located at 32 Broad Street and the St. Michael's School on Farrallones. Please contact me at the above email for more information. St. Michaels is now a Korean Catholic Church, but the late 1950's to 1970's hailed the influx of African Americans and other minorities into the Ocean View neighborhoods. Most of our memories of the Ocean View experience during that time period, were pleasant and safe ones. I reflect on those years growing up as a child of the sixties and seventies in the Ocean View/Ingleside district as a wonderful experience, amidst turbulent historical times.


JESUS CHRIST, YESHUA HAMASHIACH
THE ALPHA AND OMEGA / PRINCE OF PEACE
KING OF KINGS / LORD OF LORDS / MESSIAH
COUNSELOR / REDEEMER / DELIVERER
SON OF GOD / EMMANUEL / GOOD SHEPHERD
The Deity of Jesus Christ
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
~ The Gospel of John.1:1-5
ASSOCIATE PASTOR / CHIEF SHEEPDOG
Rescued from the other side in 1973, Mr. Porras has taken on Christian Worship, Children's Ministry, Associate Pastor at several churches, finally called to and answering to be a Chief Sheepdog of New Life Community Church, also at being a Man, Husband, Father, Friend, Servant, Rabbi and Teacher, Security Guard, Mover, Stage Crew, Surrogate, Chief, Cook and Bottle Washer, Hospital Minister, Weddings, Funerals and Memorials, and just "Being There"...
ASSOCIATE PASTOR / PRISON CHAPLAIN
Brad Smith (yes, this IS his real name!) also fills many rolls here at New Life Community Church. Besides being our alternate Sheep Dog, he's our Spiritual Common Sense Director, plus Time Keeper (to assure our Sunday Service begins on time), Video and Sound Setup, Assistant Chef, Cook and Bottle Washer, Husband, Father, Theological Comment Meter, Ceremonial Mohel, and general establisher of Order. Brad is also our Prison Chaplain, so if you cannot find him, he's probably in prison somewhere.


Saving Lives. Changing Futures.
The Strong Futures Program connects justice-involved, disconnected youth and young adults to full-time employment.
The Strong Futures program began on August 1, 2016. St. Sabina Church engaged fifty at-risk youth between the ages of seventeen and twenty eight (a population identified as most likely to end up shot or in jail because of past records, to be neither in school nor working, and to be disconnected from resources) and provided them with support, life skills, training, mentoring, and job preparation while helping to sustain a stable living situation.
As of today, the program has placed 29 of these young people in full-time jobs, and 21 in permanent part-time (twenty six hours per week) jobs. The goal moving forward is to expand the program by adding another mentoring and fifty new young people; stabilize their present living and life conditions; and work with various companies-those already in partnership with the church as well as new ones-to give work opportunities to these young men, enabling them to become self-sufficient while continuing to support the present members to reach their goals.


We're certainly not perfect in our church, but we've discovered something worth sharing with you.
Like you, we daily need wisdom and love beyond our capabilities. Because of this we've found it important to set aside a few … [Read More...]
Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.


After breakfast – panoramic tour around the Bulgarian capital (a 8500 years old city!) called “My Rome” by the Emperor Constantine the Great and visit to the most interesting historical sights: the Rotunda church of St. George (dated IV century AC), the mineral springs, the St. Nedelya square, where 4 temples from different religions are located next to each other: The Catholic church, The Orthodox church, The Synagogue and The Mosque are forming quadrangle, symbolizing religion tolerance in Bulgaria. Next is the Alexander I square where the Royal Palace and The National Theatre are located, the Parliament, the Church of ”St. Sofia” (the name means wisdom), which had given the name of the city, and the “Alexander Nevski” cathedral (the biggest Orthodox temple on the Balkan. In the afternoon, free time for leisure or shopping. Overnight in the hotel.


The General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr Daniel Olukoya, may have sparked controversy after declaring that there is no word like Christmas in the bible.
Pastor Olukoya who spoke on Wednesday at the Manner Water Service which coincided with the 2019 at the Church’s Headquarters in Lagos, said that his church does not celebrate Christmas because it is unbiblical.
According to Pastor Olukoya, no book in the bible recorded the word ‘Christmas’ or that Jesus was born on December 25, while suggesting further that Jesus could have been born in April’.
He said; “If you really study the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, there is no word like Christmas.
The bible only recorded that the Shepherds were taking care of their flocks during a very cold season when they sighted the star that announced the birth of Jesus Christ. This cold period could be around April or May.”
Pastor Olukoya further stated that December 25 is a date originally set aside by the ancient Romans for Mars festival by the worshippers of the sun.
He said that the birth of Christ was subsequently co-opted into the same date to give the Mars festival more popularity and then renamed ‘Christmas’.
He warned the modern Christians to stop promoting such unbiblical celebration.


Welcome & Inspiration
Thank you for your interest in my work.
Nature is a constant source of wonder and inspiration to me and when I am in it, I feel at peace…and this is what I hope to bring others in my work. I hope you enjoy viewing my paintings as much as I did in creating them.
My God and My Art
I am often asked why there are Bible references on my paintings. It is simply this: my life and my work are first about Christ Jesus and it is He who gave the skill and ability to paint. It is my way of thanking Him and giving Him the credit for my art. I feel it is not me…but God thru me.


WELCOME MESSAGE from Senior Pastor Troy Peeples
“Glorifying God – Reaching People – Changing Lives”
OUR MISSION: We exist to glorify God by making fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ.
OUR VISION: Our passion and desire is to see God the Father glorified as we lift up His Son Jesus Christ, to reach the lost with His gospel, and to serve Him with compassion and excellence. We acknowledge Jesus as the Cornerstone of our church, the Bible as our blueprint for Christian living, and our eight core values as the framework for accomplishing our mission to present Jesus as Savior and pursue Christ as Lord.
Our passion and desire is to see God the Father glorified as we lift up His Son Jesus Christ, to reach the lost with His gospel, and to serve Him with compassion and excellence.
THESE ARE THE FOUNDATIONS FOR OUR LIVING A LIFE FOR JESUS CHRIST…
Our passion and desire is to see God the Father glorified, as we lift up His Son Jesus Christ. This is exemplified largely in our passionate worship experiences. We seek to create an environment in worship that provides for an encounter with the living God.
Our passion for reaching people is played out through involvement in a Sunday School Class or Bible Study. These groups lead people to Christ and guide them to be more like Him. This is a great way to grow deeper in the Word, build close friendships, and move toward spiritual maturity. These groups are where we get connected to and take care of one another. Our passion for reaching people is exemplified through our desire for everyone to feel welcome and loved.
Our passion for changing lives means that we are here to serve one another, both in the church, in our community, and in the world. We seek to provide specific opportunities for eveyone to have a place of service.
Check out the additional links provided to learn more about our Vision, Mission and Core Values. These are our framework for accomplishing our mission to present Jesus as Savior and pursue Christ as Lord.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU!
Church Services: Sunday 11 am, Sunday 5:30 pm, and Wednesday 6:30 pm.
Address: 1919 Delaney Ave, Orlando FL 32806 – Click here to open in Google Maps
Phone: 407.422.0758, Fax: 407.422.6581
Church Office hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 am to 5 pm