No disrespect to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who wrote The Cost of Disicpleship, but Christians are called to more than mere discipleship. We are indeed called to embrace the cost of discipleship — make no mistake about that — to following Jesus, denying self, taking up our cross, and walking in the steps of our Lord, with all the believing, praying, giving, loving, and serving that involves. This is the first and most basic aspect of Christian discipleship: being a disciple of Jesus.
But Jesus himself calls us to more than just following him. Better put, his call to discipleship includes the call to disciple-making. Those who are disciples of Jesus seek to “observe all that [he] commanded” us (Matthew 28:20). And when Jesus said that in his Great Commission, what was the most recent thing he had commanded? “Make disciples.”
Being a disciple of Jesus involves following a person whose pattern of life was emphatically not monastic, nor was it, on the other hand, preoccupied with the masses. He got alone to pray (Mark 1:35), and he preached the crowds (Mark 2:13), but then we have the Gospels’ curious glimpses into how he invested the bulk of his ministry: with those few men to whom he had called, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). He told the world his enigmatic parables (Matthew 13:34), then drew his Twelve aside and explained riddles for them (Matthew 13:36). Even Jesus’s “alone time” was often with his men. “Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him” (Luke 9:18). After all, why had he called them? “He appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him . . .” (Mark 3:14).
Jesus was willing to bless the masses, but what drove his ministry was investing in the few who would lead the church after his inimitable redemptive work was accomplished and he returned to his Father.
Jesus’s own life was not one of mere personal holiness and uninterrupted focus on his Father. His time and attention moved beyond his own purity and vertical faithfulness. He not only counted the cost of discipleship, but he embraced the cost of disciple-making.
My hope for the session is that it might somehow serve as a catalyst for us to do what we already know we should do, and in some ways want to do, but simply haven’t or aren’t, because everything else in life seems to be going another direction than life-on-life disciplemaking.
We live in a day of ceaseless distraction. We think mass production as we look for the next life-hack. It may be obvious to us what we really should be doing in ministry, into what basket it is wisest to be putting our eggs, but we’re being carried in just about every other direction. There’s pressure to plan and execute endless events, and pressure to watch the number of people coming in and out of the doors. Perhaps your church expects you to do just about everything, except spend serious time discipling a few who will one day disciple others.
Maybe today is the first time you’re really hearing about life-on-life disciplemaking, but for most of us that’s not the case. We know all about it; we’re just not doing it. Because we haven’t yet been willing to embrace the costs. We intuit the costs, but we haven’t embraced them.
And my hope this afternoon is that God’s Spirit, through God’s word, would help us over our hurdles, not by hiding how costly disciplemaking is, but by being utterly honest and explicit about the costs, and holding them out in the light for us to see, and then finding whether something in us might just rise to the peculiar glory of it all. God makes foolish the wisdom of the world, with its short cuts and mass production, through the folly of disciplemaking. As he did when his Son took a rag-tag band of uneducated peasants, invested in them at depth, and launched them out to change the world.
1. What Is Disciple-Making?
In emphasizing the Christian call to disciple-making, not mere discipleship, I don’t want, in any way, to minimize the increasing cost of true Christian discipleship in our day. There is indeed a cost to following Jesus, as he says in Luke 14:25–33, especially verse 33: “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
Yes, there is a cost to discipleship. Let’s not neglect or minimize that. But we’re not here to talk simply about the cost of following Jesus, but the increased cost of one particular aspect of following him — which is being his instrument in making others into followers of him.
And by “making others into followers of Jesus,” I don’t simply mean evangelism and conversion. Disciplemaking begins there, but it does not end there. Not even close. When Jesus says, “Make disciples,” he doesn’t only flesh that out with “baptizing them,” but also with “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Baptism, like conversion, happens in a moment. It’s a glorious event. The angels rejoice, with all those who love Jesus. But “teaching them to observe all that [he] commanded” does not happen in a moment. Making disciples has a clear event at the beginning and then unfolds into an involved, extended, time-consuming process.
So before we explore what some of the costs of that involved, extended, time-consuming process are, let me give you one more anchor text on disciplemaking. We’ve already mentioned the Great Commission, which is our Lord’s charter to his church, and the first pillar of disciplemaking, but let me draw in a second that addresses you, in particular, as pastor-leaders in the church. I know you’ve heard it before, but I’m praying that God would renew this charge and its clarity in our souls this afternoon. Let’s put 2 Timothy 2:2 in context and read verses 1–7. So 2 Timothy 2:1–7:
You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
This is a charge that has ripple effects for the whole church, in how we think about ministry and how the kingdom moves forward, but the center of the bullseye is the pastor-elders, the formal leaders of the church. “Teach” is a loaded word throughout the Bible, and in the New Testament it has special ties to the teaching office of the church, called “pastor” or “elder” or “overseer.” And verse 2 mentions “teaching.”
Now, there is a sense in which all Christians should be “teachers” (Hebrews 5:12), but in particular, especially in the Pastoral Epistles, the “teachers” are the elders. An expressly stated qualification for the pastoral office in the local church is “able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2), perhaps even better, “skillful in teaching.” Titus 1:9: “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.”
So disciplemaking in the local church begins with the elders. And if the elders lead the congregation in this, then it soon will shape how the congregation thinks and goes about Christian ministry in the lives of others. And what is disciplemaking? It is personal attention and guidance from one spiritual generation to the next. It’s essentially spiritual parenting. “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” Four generations here: Paul to Timothy, Timothy to faithful men, faithful men to others also, and on and on.
So, I define disciplemaking as intentionally and relationally investing oneself in the spiritual growth and maturity of a few disciples — part of which is training those disciples to then disciple others who disciple others. I have a little triad, see if you find this helpful, for capturing what I think are the essential components of life-on-life disciplemaking: content, intent, and context.
The content is the gospel. This is what we center on and aim to pass to the next generation. Not our quirks and idiosyncrasies and hobbyhorses, but the main things. Not the backroom, one-off conversations, but “what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses” — our story and song, the heart of the faith.
The intent is multiplication. It’s not merely addition; just simply discipling. It’s making disciples who make disciples. Part of the disciplemaking process is training up disciples who will then turn and themselves make disciples.
The context is relationship. It is personal and time-consuming. Books and sermons and conferences and articles play a wonderful supplementary part in the discipleship process, but no distant writer, speaker, or preacher can sit across the table from you and apply Christian truth precisely to your specific life because he’s knows you in particular and has seen your sins and patterns. Real-live relationship is vital.
So we’re not just talking discipleship, but an important and especially costly aspect of discipleship called disciple-making. Not just being a disciple of Jesus, but “sharing one’s own self” as Paul talks about in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 so that others also might be mature in following Jesus.
2. What Makes Disciplemaking So Hard?
Now I want to try to capture some of the biggest of the many costs of investing in others’ lives like this. We could list dozens of costs, no doubt, and approach organizing them in many different ways, but here’s what I’d like to do: I’d like for us to keep reading beyond 2 Timothy 2:2 to verses 3 and 4 and 5 and 6, and let this passage shape our approach to the costs. Surely you, just like me, can think of costs that aren’t immediately in these four verses. That’s okay. We don’t need a comprehensive list of all of them; if we can get enough sense of the big ones, that will serve our purposes (and I do find that these verses mention or get close enough to the big ones to help us count the cost of disciplemaking).
Where we’re heading is I want to highlight six costs related to verses 4–6, but first let’s look at verse 3.
Share in Suffering (verse 3)
For those of us who have heard 2 Timothy 2:2 so often, and likely even can repeat it from memory, how often have we considered verse 3? Without looking it up, can you tell me how verse 3 starts? It says, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
Once Paul gives Timothy the charge to make disciples who make disciples, the very next thing he says is “Share in suffering.” And should we really be surprised? The Master disciple-maker was put to death on a cross. And Timothy’s own discipler is writing this letter to him from prison. Paul wasn’t in prison just for being a disciple of Jesus. If he would have just loved Jesus and kept it to himself, no one would have bothered to go to all the trouble to put Paul into prison. But what got him locked up was that he made disciples of Jesus. He was fruitful in multiplying his life.
So we can start with this cost in verse 3: One of the costs of disciplemaking can be opposition, even persecution. Enemies of Jesus don’t typically bother opposing Christians who keep to themselves. It’s not worth the hassle. But when followers of Jesus are fruitful in making disciples, they become strategic targets for resistance. Very few today oppose simply holding the Christian faith; it’s proselytizing — or disciple-making – that will get you in trouble.
Verses 4–6, then, give us three illustrations: the solider, the athlete, and the farmer, and in each of these we can identify various costs. I’ll identify two with each (for a total of six), but it would be very easy to point out more.
The Soldier (verse 4)
Verse 4: “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”
We live in the age of distraction. And not only will disciplemaking be sidelined if we smartphone and entertain ourselves to death, but Satan has a thousand readymade, event-oriented distractions to divert us from pleasing Jesus in the grunt work of advancing the gospel through the process of disciplemaking. We are bombarded not just by obvious time-wasters, but good initiatives that, if we’re not careful, will not just supplement disciplemaking, but supplant it. So the first cost is not getting “entangled in civilian pursuits,” but keeping our mission, the Great Commission in mind. And an aspect of this is not just attention in our schedule, but attention in the moment.
3. Pleasing others
This is very hard for some of us (others can find it way too easy!). Our aim is “to please the one who enlisted” us, not anyone who walks through the door or joins the church or anyone who considers themselves worthy of our investment. One of the hardest aspects of the disciplemaking process is “selection.” Jesus chose twelve, and in doing so left out hundreds, even thousands, who would have benefited from his time and energy. In disciplemaking, we must remember our aim is to please Jesus, and this will cost us favor with certain persons when we have to say no to our involvement in their program or event or even to discipling them in particular, because we’re sensing the call to invest in a few.
The Athlete (verse 5)
Verse 5: “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”
Disciplemaking often feels like a really long lap around the stadium. It would be so much easier to take a short cut across the field. There is great temptation to cut corners by constructing mechanism after mechanism, and program after program, for mass-producing disciples. But disciples who make disciples can’t be mass-produced. I’ve seen it again and again where Christians made by event after event, but not coupled with intentional, relational, gospel-centered disciplemaking, go haywire at the strangest times. Defaulting to the easier, often more single-event, hype-oriented methods doesn’t produce the same depth of gospel transformation, and then gospel transmission and multiplication, as life-on-life disciplemaking.
Another cost the athlete image calls to mind is the energy it involves to disciple. Early-morning and late-night intense conversations are demanding. It’s much easier to avoid them and just watch TV. Disciplemaking costs us energy. But when you have a one-on-one meeting scheduled after a long day, or you have an early morning appointment after a short night, the discipler says with Paul, “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls” (2 Corinthians 12:15). When we think we can’t do any more, we keep pushing to the finish line, like an athlete, as we learn the invaluable dynamic of serving in another’s strength.
Another way to say it is that it costs us comfort. It costs us comfort to say hard things to those we’re investing in. There is no real discipling of sinners without telling someone things about themselves that they don’t want to hear and you don’t want to say.
The Farmer (verse 6)
Verse 6: “It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.”
Perhaps one cost we might count here under “farmer” is recognition. We know loads of athletes, but know many famous farmers? If you want to be well known, disciplemaking is not the most effective path. Much better to write and speaker. Pour your energy into something more immediately scalable. To make disciples, at depth, means you pour the best of your thought and time and energy into private interactions that you can’t leverage to make you look good to thousands. To embrace disciple-making is to embrace obscurity in some real ways. But that’s not what I have in mind with the farmer.
6. Taking the Initiative
Perhaps initiative is where some in this room are hung up in making disciples. You have a vision. You see men who seem to be good fits for your investment for a season, but simply taking the initiative to have that potentially awkward conversation about getting together regularly to read the Bible and pray has you hung up. Initiative is so huge today. So much of leadership is simply initiative. You don’t have to have all the answers; you don’t need to have everything figured out. Others just need someone to risk the awkwardness and risk being misunderstood and take the initiative to get the process going. And with it, planning: taking the time to think through the plan: how often will we meet, where will we meet, what if anything will we study together, how long will the commitment be, in what areas does this person need to learn and grow?
Disicplemaking, like raising crops, is time-consuming. It take time to plow the field, time to plant, time to water, time to fertilize, then time to harvest. So with discplemaking. It’s not one meeting, but often a year’s worth of regular meetings. It’s not one conversation, but sometime difficult conversation after conversation. Which requires patience. Like with crops, we don’t typically see the progress all at once, but over the course of months, it’s amazing what kind of harvest can happen.
More Blessed to Give
In sum, disciplemaking is costly because it is giving, giving, giving. Giving time, giving energy, giving attention, taking initiative, making sacrifices, facing opposition, shedding tears. Disciplemaking means sharing your own self, spending and being spent. Giving, giving, giving. And we have a Savior who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). The heart of a disciple says, “It makes me happier for you to have my time, my energy, my attention, my initiative than for me to keep them to myself.
God does richly reward the costs in disciplemaking. We’ve already seen it in the soldier working to please the one who enlisted him, and the athlete receiving a crown, and the farmer sharing in the crops. So let’s close with the incentive, with the reward. Let me give me you three glimpses from the New Testament about the particular joys that are commensurate with emptying yourself to fill up what is lacking in others through disciplemaking.
3. What Makes It Worth the Cost?
Here are three tastes from the New Testament, among others:
First is 1 Thessalonians 2:19–20. Paul writes, “What is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.” I would not have expected him to say it like that — would you? What is our hope or joy or crown of boasting at Jesus coming? The Thessalonians are Paul’s glory and joy? What makes discipling worth the cost is that those in whom we invest become, in a real and sanctified sense, our glory and joy. Not in completion with our joy in Jesus, but as a completion of it. Those in whom we invest are not the enemies of our joy in Christ, but the expression of our joy in him.
The second is just a few verse later in 1 Thessalonians 3:6–10. Just in case you wondered if Paul got a little carried away in 2:19–20, here’s 3:6–10:
Now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
It is “good news” (that’s sacred language for Paul) that the Thessalonians are well. “Now we live,” he says, since the report came that they are well. His joy has been deeply tied to those in whom he has invested. To hear they are well in the faith gives him a joy that is hard to express. And again, this is a holy, not idolatrous, joy, in good conscience before God. His soul is tied to their souls in a way that too few of us have tasted. Verse 9: “all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God” — a joy in God he would not have apart from them.
Finally, maybe my favorite, 3 John 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” No greater joy. If I would have been standing there as the apostle John wrote that sentence, I might have finished it differently. What if he had written, “I have no greater joy than . . .” and then paused and said, “How would you finish the sentence?” I would have said, “Jesus.” But John says, “to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” How can he say that? Because this is just how Jesus would have it: that our joy in him wouldn’t be inward and sequestered from others, but that it would grow and expand and mature and draw others in — that our joy would become greater as we invest at depth in particular individuals for an extended period of time, and see God work to give the growth.
So, disciplemaking is costly — and designed by God, when healthy, to be a great joy-producing enterprise. Not easy. It’s hard work. But deeply rewarding, with joys you will not otherwise taste apart from God’s work in and through you in disciplemaking.


Valentine’s Day is coming up, and of course, the internet is filled with quotes, pictures, and memes about love, romance, and relationships. Valentine’s Day is seen as a wonderful holiday…except for those who are single. How about all those poor single people who have to be alone on a day about love? So tragic…or is it?
It bugs me that people seem to treat singleness like a disease (and I’m not just saying that because I am single). Maybe some people find this hard to believe, but I’m single by choice. Our society seems to think that if you are single, you are somehow less of a person, not capable of being liked by the opposite gender, and therefore possessing no merit whatsoever. This is not so.
Then there are those singles who band together and form, “Singles Awareness Day”, on Valentines Day. Those who observe “S.A.D.” really just end up throwing little pity parties/hey I’m available hangouts.
Or, some take things in the other direction, and spitefully scorn the entire concept of love and romance. Their “S.A.D.” day becomes a celebration of the individual, and an abandonment of other people.
In both these cases, the focus is all wrong, and it’s not about love at all, but on the self. Valentine’s Day just seems to be about celebrating your relationship status, or bemoaning it.
Singles, seriously. Pull yourselves together. It’s not a tragedy if you’re single. And being single is far better than riding the dating roller-coaster that everyone else does in our culture—throwing themselves away to each new romantic interest. Singleness is a great and unique time of life where you can devote everything solely on God. Don’t be “S.A.D”.
So if singles can’t be S.A.D. on Valentine’s Day, then what should we be?
Well, if Valentines Day is really is about love, then it’s a holiday that is just as relevant to singles, as it is to married folk.
Love—as Jesus taught it—is willing the good of another person. It’s doing good for others even if you gain nothing. Doing good even if it hurts you. Love is sacrifice, and everyone needs to have love, and practice the love that Jesus practiced.
Valentine’s Day is for singles too.
So, this Valentines day, don’t focus on your relationship status, don’t be S.A.D. Instead, focus on Christ and His love. Be reminded of the incredible sacrifice He made for us, and be inspired to sacrifice for others!
Have a happy Valentines Day, and find someone to love!


We are an independant Baptist church striving to please our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This means we get all of our authority from the King James Bible.
At Life and Liberty Baptist we provide opportunities for everyone to serve the Lord. Everyone is important and will find a warm atmosphere at our church.
We do use traditional hymns and songs that are based on the Bible and are not contemporary in nature.
Pastor Hays, Debbie, Abigail, Micah, Caleb, and Luke
Pastor Hays grew up in a Christian home and accepted Christ as his personal Saviour at a young age. He attended Fairhaven Batist College in Chesterton, Indiana where he met his lovely wife. They were married in 2005. After college, he receive more practical training while working under Pastor David Smith of First Bible Baptist Church in Harmony, Pennsylvania.
Pastor Hays was then sent out of his local church to pastor Life and Liberty Baptist. He and his family are thrilled to be in the center of God's will here serving the people of Walkersville, Maryland.
Mrs. Debbie Hays also grew up in a Christian home in Auburn, New York. She was saved under the misistry of Pastor David Dunbar of Freedom Baptist Church there in Auburn. Debbie's family has been in the same Baptist church for over 30 years. They are the type of family every pastor desires. Her father has been a faithful help to his pastor for many years.


MacIntyre took over Mount Tabor House, Wingrave. It had been run by catholic nuns of the Order of St Mary of the Cross for young women with learning disabilities since the WWII, and was closing down as the Order had become depleted and the nuns could not carry on their work. MacIntyre was asked to take it over. MacIntyre raised funds to renovate the building, a nineteenth century manor house originally built by the Rothschild family. This was a significant turning point for MacIntyre, as the property was a gift, making the project financially viable. The school developed into the base where younger children were educated, until they reached about the age of sixteen and were transferred to Westoning for a more adult life.


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the foundation of college life is inspired by the sacred heart pillars of diligence, support, simplicity, family spirit, loyalty and pride, presence for others, and in the way of mary. these pillars have a strong presence in our boarding community, where boarders are encouraged to live true to their catholic values.
everyday boarding life is inspired by our marist champagnat values. the 2022世界杯美洲杯预选赛赛程 hostel routines and support systems teach our boarders how to put those values into practice. this leads to proud hostel traditions - empowering them and inspiring others to live their lives as proud marist men.


God’s perfect timing and peace is amazing! We have been applying for multiple grants through this entire process and each time been turned down. It is a hard pill to swallow each step you get closer and closer to going to get your child and you are staring down that huge Financial Mountain. But God always has it in His control, and has His Plan, not ours, on how this will work.
I woke up this morning to some news from Angels In Disguise that they have approved our grant request and have offered us a $5,000 matching Grant! All I can do and say is I am humbled and honored to receive such a grant, from this organization and I am beyond grateful! I wish I could hug all their necks who made this decision, of course I would be a blubbering mess crying all over them. God is just so good, and I prayed for an Army to step up and help us, because I knew that is what it was going to take! Now I need an army to help us meet this grant! Will you be part of something BIG, a miracle that only GOD can create and orchestrate? Please help us meet this grant, and please cover us in prayers. As you know Satan will try all he can to foil God’s Plans, and when you are close to a victory, that is when Satan does all he can to stop it. GOD IS GOOD!! Thank you Jesus, for being faithful, for loving Emma, for going before us and for this HELP! OUR family is thankful and praise YOUR NAME!
OUR FSP ON REECE”S RAINBOW HAS TO READ $12,779.73 before we can receive this grant!! Please make your donations to our Reece’s Rainbow account HEREhere


Epiphany ends with a communal pool party in the east African country.
One of the most important religious festivals of the year, Timket is a kind of mass baptism in which young and old gather by the pool of their local church to be splashed and sprayed with holy water – before jumping in.
Marking the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, Timket is celebrated all over Ethiopia, but the festivities in the remote northern city of Gondar, once the seat of Ethiopian emperors, are particularly impassioned.
The two-day affair begins on January 17 with a procession of “tabots”, models of the Ark of the Covenant – the sacred chests said to have carried the stone tablets on which the 10 Commandments were written.
Ethiopian Orthodox Christian priests carry the tabots to Unesco-listed Fasilides’ Bath to the tune of ceremonial drums and there hold an vigil until dawn.
Once the waters have been blessed in the morning, and pilgrims splashed with water, the mood turns jubilant as hundreds rush to jump into the 17th-century pool.
As the party winds downs, the tabots are paraded back to their respective churches to the accompaniment of singing and dancing by young monks and priests in colourful robes.


This Morning of Healing is being given to support families who have experienced the loss of a child due to miscarriage, stillbirth or other perinatal loss. Perinatal loss involves emotional, relational and spiritual suffering that requires assistance from family, friends and church leaders. It touches the lives of many people yet all too often this tragedy remains unspoken of. We hope this day will provide those who have been affected, a day to recognize their loss, to grieve with the support of others, gain knowledge about the process of grief and obtain related resources. Presentations will be given as well as, small group discussions. There will be time for prayer during a memorial service and parents will have an opportunity to name their child, if they desire so. This simple yet profound action is a concrete way of affirming that this life was and is a unique person. Most of all, we pray that those affected by this heartbreak will discover healing and hope.
Babysitting, lunch and refreshments will be provided.
Assoc. Dir. of Respect Life
973-497-4350 or Cheryl.Riley@rcan.org
Assoc. Dir. of Family Life
973-497-4327 or Lauren.Egan@rcan.org


Here are some guidelines to help you steer clear of trouble: Make It A Feature Length Movie, Not A Short Film.
That initial phase of a new relationship can be one of the most amazing rushes ever.
Although we managed to save sex until our wedding night, it was all the “not so bad” stuff that would lead us to tears and our knees before the Lord, asking for forgiveness and a fresh start.
Pursuing purity may be one of the hardest things you face in your dating relationship, but it is also one of the most rewarding.
The truth is that you really show your boyfriend/girlfriend more love and affection by not crossing physical boundaries.
This perspective shift was a game changer for my wife and me in our dating relationship.
Or maybe you’re single and want to know how do things right when you do start to date.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but whatever season you find yourself in, here are three ways to pursue purity in a dating relationship: 1.


Welcome to Wild & Awake
Our Featured Guest is Mark Anthony Lord
Mark Anthony Lord
Mark Anthony Lord is an ordained new thought minister, spiritual leader, and a spiritual relationship coach.
Mark’s passion for spiritual awakening led him to ordination as a Minister, and he has gone on to found two successful spiritual communities. The Bodhi Spiritual Center in Chicago, which grew from a handful of members to thousands under his leadership, and Living The Course, a virtual, global Course In Miracles community.
He is an author, having written “The Seven Living Words: A Metaphysical Interpretation of the Seven Last Words of Jesus”, “Thou Shall Not Suffer: 7 Steps to a Life of Joy”, and an upcoming release in 2023 called, “The Badass Prayer Book!”
Mark has touched the lives of countless individuals through his spiritual coaching, helping them heal broken relationships with God, themselves, and others, allowing them to live more fulfilling and impactful lives.


6 edition of Catholicism and Scotland. found in the catalog.
Catholicism and Scotland.
Sir Compton Mackenzie
|Series||The voice of Scotland|
The history of Christianity in Scotland includes all aspects of the Christianity in the region that is now Scotland from its introduction to the present day. Christianity was introduced to what is now southern Scotland during the Roman occupation of was mainly spread by missionaries from Ireland from the fifth century and is associated with St Ninian, St Kentigern and St Columba. In , Scotland’s leading academic, Professor Sir Tom Devine, in an interview, said: “Irish Catholics in Scotland for the first time feel very comfortable in their Scottish skin.”Author: Kevin Mckenna.
Anti-Catholicism in the United Kingdom has its origins in the English and Irish Reformations under King Henry VIII and the Scottish Reformation led by John England the Act of Supremacy declared the English crown to be "the only supreme head on earth of the Church in England" in place of the pope. Any act of allegiance to the latter was considered treasonous . Catholic Church -- Scotland. See also what's at Wikipedia, your library, or elsewhere. Broader terms: Catholic Church; Christian sects -- Scotland; Catholic Church -- Great Britai.
James I was king of Scotland (as James VI) before he became king of both England and Scotland. He acceded to the English throne upon the death of the heirless Queen Elizabeth I in James’s ensuing reign was a controversial one, in part because of many political decisions that Parliament and the public found vexing: he spent lavishly, summoned . Search over 7, Catholic saint bios. Including easy to search alphabetical (A-Z) list of saints, Female/Women saints, Patron saints, Popular saints, Feast Days by month, Saint of the Day, Angels and other heroes of the Catholic Church.
Third Aerospace Environmental Technology Conference
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Lord, heal my hurts
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The glory and heritage of Sri Sri Radhakund
Catholicism and Scotland Hardcover – June 1, by Compton MacKenzie (Author) See all 2 formats and editions Hide other formats and editionsAuthor: Compton MacKenzie.
Catholicism and Scotland. Port Washington, N.Y., Kennikat Press  (OCoLC) Document Type: Book: All Authors / Contributors: Compton Mackenzie. Find more information about: ISBN: OCLC Number: Catholicism Scotland 17th century (6 items). This book analyses the development of Catholic schooling in Scotland over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The editors and contributors examine the crucial figures and events that shaped Catholic education and schooling in Scotland. out of 5 stars Catechism of the Catholic Church: Second Edition. U.S. Catholic Church. out of 5 stars 1, Lenten Journey with Mother Mary.
Edward Looney. out of 5 stars 2. Pray the Rosary. out of 5 stars The Scottish Book of Common Prayer King Charles I, and his father King James before him, had throughout their reigns wished to prescribe fixed forms of liturgy and prayer (as had long been in place in England) to their native Scotland.
3 Sybil M. Jack, Keeping the Faith: the Catholic Mission in the Highlandsp. See M. Lynch, Scotland, A New History, ; he quoted the figure of 13, and said it was in In fact it was in – though the information appeared in Sybil Jack’s book at page A great book,tackling a subject that many in Scotland would have you believe doesn't exist,it does and many of us have experience of it first hand.
Even if you are not Catholic there is a lot to be gained by reading this book. Very funny,informative and well written,like all of Pat's books it is a delight to pick up every day/5(18).
Setting the Stage. Martin Luther had been dead for about a decade, but most German states were Catholic England and Scotland were reading the Scriptures at this time, and the effects of the Reformation were running wild over all of Europe except Spain, Portugal, and Italy, where Roman Catholicism has a death grip—sometimes literally—even to this day.
The strategy will see the removal of pews and hymn books while the Sign of Peace and Holy Water could be temporarily suspended to adhere to social distancing.
The Catholic Church in Scotland is to Author: Daniel Harkins. COVID Resources. Reliable information about the coronavirus (COVID) is available from the World Health Organization (current situation, international travel).Numerous and frequently-updated resource results are available from this ’s WebJunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle.
Buy CATHOLICISM AND SCOTLAND FIRST EDITION by COMPTON MACKENZIE (ISBN:) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible : COMPTON MACKENZIE.
The main differences between Catholics and Protestants They worship the same God, but the principles of their faith are different. Five hundred years after. The revelation last week that around half of the Catholic parishes in the west of Scotland may have to close in the next few years owing to Author: Kevin Mckenna.
They left Scotland forever inand thenceforward Catholicism, as a political force to be reckoned with, may be said to have been extinct in Scotland. A large proportion of the people, however, still clung tenaciously to their ancient beliefs, and strenuous efforts were made, in the closing years of the sixteenth century, to provide for the.
Audio Books & Poetry Community Audio Computers, Technology and Science Music, Arts & Culture News & Public Affairs Non-English Audio Spirituality & Religion. Librivox Free Audiobook. Full text of "The Catholic Highlands of Scotland" See other formats.
scots catholic This is an independent faith website based in Glasgow, Scotland bringing the Good News and Truth of Christ's Church to the world and providing details of.
The emergence of the influential John Knox and the circulation of Lutheran books expressing the Protestant ideas of Martin Luther gave those searching for more something to embrace.
When the Reformation initially split the Church into Catholic and Protestant factions, Scotland took its first step in the transition from a once Catholic country. In the early 16th century, Scotland was a piously Catholic nation.
Devotion flourished, and an increasingly educated populace sought more personal forms of spiritual experience. Rome and its. Question: "Catholic vs. Protestant – why is there so much animosity?" Answer: This is a simple question with a complicated answer, because there are varying degrees of, and reasons for, animosity between any two religious groups.
The battle between Catholics and Protestants is rooted in history. Degrees of reaction have ranged from friendly disagreement. A list of beautiful and transforming Catholic prayers for daily use. "My Catholic Life!" is a ministry of evangelization, catechesis and prayer. Daily Reflections, online books, devotions and more.
The Catholic Church is preparing plans for a phased reopening of parishes. A senior bishop has suggested social-distancing measures which could be implemented to allow church buildings to reopen.Catholicism (from Greek καθολικισμός, katholikismos, "universal doctrine") and its adjectival form Catholic are used as broad terms for describing specific traditions in the Christian churches in theology, doctrine, liturgy, ethics, and spirituality.Protestants Versus Catholics: Religion in Elizabethan England Shakespeare was well acquainted with the religious tensions of his age between the Catholics and the Protestants, and inevitably drew connections between the violent civil Wars of the Roses and the current threat of civil war over religion that many Elizabethans : Corinna Archer Kinsman.


Incarnation Catholic School is proud of our 55+ year history and our students, current and former, are family. We take great pride in staying in our students’ lives throughout high school, college and beyond. Our recently formed Alumni Association was established to reconnect and welcome back home our past students, teachers and parents who have walked through these halls at ICS.
If you are an ICS alumni, or parent of an alumni, we invite you come back home to ICS! You are always welcome to visit your school and we hope to see you at our many events. Many things have changed over the years, but our deep Catholic faith and the core values and principles we stand for will never change.
Mrs. Casanas, who has taught so many of our past students over her 40 years on campus, is our Second Grade Teacher.
To become a part of our Alumni Association, please send her an email:
Be sure to like our Alumni Facebook page!


Five Romanesque capitals were found in Nazareth in 1908. They were never used but had been buried, probably to preserve them from Saladin, in 1187. They depict scenes from the lives of Jesus and the Apostles: SS Peter, Thomas, James and Matthew. There are also representations of the Church as Ecclesia, and of devils of different kinds. It is thought by many that the capitals were made by a French sculptor who also worked at Plaimpied-Givaudins, near Bourges, while others believe the Nazareth Master was born in the Latin Kingdom.


Alison Xamon Joins Uniting WA Board
Uniting WA is delighted to announce the appointment of Ms Alison Xamon to its Board.
Ms Xamon is a lifelong member of the Uniting Church and is Chair of the Presbytery of the Uniting Church in WA and Secretary of the Church Council of Uniting Church in the City. She also founded and runs the church’s monthly evening service, Social.Justice.Church, and is a member of the Synod Standing Committee and it’s legal subcommittee.
A lawyer with a background in industrial, equal opportunity, mental health and human rights law, Ms Xamon is also a former State member of Parliament and Parliamentary Leader of the Greens.
Ms Xamon’s comprehensive background includes working in mental health and suicide prevention, the union movement, community development, and with children at risk as a qualified playleader.
Uniting WA Chair Erica Haddon welcomed the appointment, saying, “Alison’s deep understanding of the Uniting Church’s commitment to social justice and experience of advocating for positive social change will be of great benefit to Uniting WA.”


The AFCU Board held its semi-annual 2017 meeting in Denver, Colorado on Friday, October 20th through Saturday, October 21st. Highlights from this meeting included Pastor Scott Herr presented ACP’s decision to focus on “What is God’s Vision for 2020 and Beyond?”, Masa Matsushita reported on the VCC Capital Funding 20015 – 2017 and Ken Rislov updated the board on the resignation of ACB Pastor Kienberger. Now ACB needs to hire a permanent pastor or a more permanent interim, however the church has financial concerns about their ability to pay. Ted Ziemann announced the formation of an AFCU committee to work on the specifics of the financial future of the ACB. The following is a picture of the attendees which included board members,spouse and friends:
David Moore presented the nominations of Betty Ziemann and Jon Voskuil to be members of the board of the AFCU.
Bob De Luryea was appointed to the position of Archivist. New York University has AFCU records from 1850-1875. There are some early files in Princeton. Also, the Presbyterian Historical Society has some other files.
The 2018 AFCU Annual meeting will be held in Tucson, Arizona. The board will convene starting Friday, April 13th through Sunday, April 15th.
The Development Committee meeting was held on Saturday. The major focus was on the financial needs of each church as well as maintaining contact with people returning home from the churches. Don Krump presented the strategy and plans for the annual Thank-A-Thon calls.


Ecce Agnus Dei....
Agnus Dei generally refers to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamb_of_God a term in Christian theology,
""Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." (Jn. 1:29). ""
Easter means Eternal Life ...
When looking at the conventional pictures allegorical of Christianity,I ask myself if some societies are able to envolve...!
Pictures representing the gentle Saviour carrying a lamb tenderly in His arms, one is struck with the contrast the orthodox Christian exhibits in his treatment of the lamb.
He, forsooth, hands it over to the butcher to cut its throat and hang it up, half-skinned, head downwards, with its vitals fully exposed in our streets,
its blood dripping on the pavement; and one is tempted to exclaim,
"Look at this picture and :
I contend, that lamb slaying, especially as a semi-religious function or "fetish," as at this season, is a gross piece of barbarism.
This view is not the mere fad of a fanatical Vegan or vegetarian.
How many people, I wonder, who eat lambs' flesh on the festival of Easter, would do so
*** had they to kill the animals themselves? Very few, indeed.
Then they have no moral right to depute others to do it.
The whole fabric of the atrocious custom of slaughter rests on one point, namely, it is only justifiable (* for some humans ) if it can be proved to be a necessity, and that proof is wanting.....
There is NO JUSTIFICATION TO KILL ANIMALS in the name of TRADITIONS !
No compassion, no love indeed for Easter in that way!
GO VEGAN for a compassionate EASTER :)
EASTER : PLS be kind to chicks and calves
*Articles /News and Recipes :
If I read this Christian Easter poem .....:
Easter Means Eternal Life
A perfect God demands a perfect justice;
He cannot let us get away with sin.
We used God’s gift of our free will to trespass,
So heaven’s gates were closed; we couldn’t get in.
Our sin required our blood, a sacrifice,
To atone for all the wrongs that we had done.
"But I love them!" cried our Father, filled with sorrow;
"I’ll send my only Son to be the one."
Good Friday marks the slaying of our Jesus,
The unblemished lamb, the perfect sacrifice.
He took our guilt and blame upon Himself,
So we could be with Him in paradise.
On Easter morning, he came back from death;
He vanished from the tomb, the empty grave.
His resurrection means eternal life
For us, the ones he came to earth to save.
This summarizes all the Easter story
And because of it, we’ll be with Him in glory.
I just read :
justice, blood, sacrifice,tomb, death, grave...
than love, compassion, even resurrection...
From The Vegetarian dated May 5, 1900.
Reproduced with Thanks to the Vegetarian Society.
About the lamb sacrifices


Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day
Origin of Mother's Day goes back to the era of ancient Greek and Romans. But the roots of Mother's Day history can also be traced in UK where a Mothering Sunday was celebrated much before the festival saw the light of the day in US. However, the celebration of the festival as it is seen today is a recent phenomenon and not even a hundred years old. Thanks to the hard work of the pioneering women of their times, Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis that the day came into existence. Today the festival of Mothers day is celebrated across 46 countries (though on different dates) and is a hugely popular affair. Millions of people across the globe take the day as an opportunity to honor their mothers, thank them for their efforts in giving them life, raising them and being their constant support and well wisher.
Early Christians celebrated a Mother's Day of sorts during the festival on the fourth Sunday of Lent in honor of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ. In England the holiday was expanded to include all mothers. It was then called Mothering Sunday.
What not a better month of May then to have Mother's Day in. For you see, May is also dedicated to Mary, our spiritual mother.
It is May, the month the Catholic Church honors the Virgin Mary in a particularly intentional way. Mary is the mother par excellence; Mary is the mother of our Lord and Savior. This is from the Catholic Church point of view.


How To Know A Bad Pastor. Our church has a deacon, a deaconess, and an elder, so it would be a shame to not utilize these men and women’s gifts and ministry to the church. How to tell if you have a bad pastor.
Whenever a pastor begins to “do it all,” and refuses to delegate anything, then that pastor is far too controlling. Especially when there is so much money to be made at other services….your pastor is. Sometimes that makes me a bad pastor, not, bad, bad, more like naughty.
Our Church Has A Deacon, A Deaconess, And An Elder, So It Would Be A Shame To Not Utilize These Men And Women’s Gifts And Ministry To The Church.
If the pastor doesn’t bend to their will they label him a “bad pastor” under these categories. They always want their best friends relatives or. Godly spiritual leadership is about helping people move from where they are to where god wants them to be.
Calvinists, Especially If They Think You Disagree With Calvinism, Will Tend To Be Evasive About Their True Beliefs.
The church or organizational culture does not value those serving, just those leading and the function of the organization. Most bad pastors don’t seem like bad pastors. Here are 3 signs that your pastor really doesn’t care about you or your future as a minstrel.
I Am An Episcopal Parishioner In Texas.
How to spot a bad pastor. How to tell if you have a bad pastor. There are few things more dangerous to a church than a pastor who manipulates his congregation.
A Bad Pastor Or Spiritual Leader Doesn’t Like To Be Held Accountable For His Decisions.
Far more common are the few bad members who abuse the pastor. When a pastor comes to an existing church, it can take a several years to become a true part of the family dynamic of the congregation. The pastor may not tell you if he's a calvinist, but you might be able to find out if the elders are.
How To Know A Bad Pastor.
It’s wrong to judge people’s motives because we usually assume they are evil. I'm a pastor, but because of all of the above you'll understand i'm not your average pastor. When anybody wants to label someone a “bad pastor”, they should first look into their own hearts.


Tomorrow my blog will be last year’s news.
I always dreamed of having a blog and this time last year it became my New Year’s Resolution to make myself one. And I did. It’s been fun. It really has. It’s provided me with a creative outlet and I am truly thankful for it. I never thought my blog would really get off the ground but one year later, here I am writing in it ever so regularly. It’s become a normal activity in my everyday life and I really enjoy writing.
Unfortunately, this year, it is my New Year’s Resolution to end my blog.
As good as it has been to take the opportunity to develop my writing skills as a means of expressing myself, it has been soul-wrenching to find my prayer life neglected and enter into a depressing drought.
As much satisfaction as I have in receiving comments and hits on my blog I know it will never compare to the surpassing greatness of knowing my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Nothing can give me the joy and peace that I find in Him.
I hoped that in starting a blog, the inner me would come out. That by writing about my life and myself, God would naturally flow through as God has always been the centre of my life. I hoped that by that, my readers would be encouraged in their own walk with God.
I was right… the true me did show and that is the sinful, selfish me that I am without God in complete control of my life. In depriving myself of those important moments with God, my Christian strength had dwindled out and how could I ever expect to lead as a Christian when I myself was suffering?
I am not joking when I say that this been the hardest and most unrewarding year of my life. It’s funny, it has been the best year of high school for me and good in many other ways but overall it has been a drag with underlying depressive streaks. All year I have cried and made numerous failed attempts to really feel connected with God like I had been for so long.
It hurts because I know what it is like to be completely in sync with Jesus and I know what I am missing. So this year I want to find that again. I will be even more busy with school and loaded with stress, which is why I cannot afford to miss out on my time alone with God. I need to read my Bible, I need to write in my prayer journal and rather than writing in my blog, I need to go back to that therapeutic method called writing in a diary.
I absolutely adore having a blog and I would love to come back to it. It is just a sacrifice I know I must make right now to get myself and my life back on the track God has destined for me. I am at total peace about this and I know it is the right thing to do.
So may God bless you all this New Year and I pray that each one of you will come closer and closer to Him, who loves you so much.
In Christ’s Love, Nicola.
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
–2 Peter 3:18


St Giles relies on the generosity of the congregation and local community to support our mission, ministry and the support given to the wider community. The church hall is used for a wide range of community gatherings, groups and events and is at the heart of Bramhope life.
We would be delighted if you can support our church and there are a number of ways you can safely give.
1) Donate Regularly Via The Parish Giving Scheme
Rather than giving in the collection plate, many of our congregation give regularly via direct debit. This is hugely helpful for us in terms of visibility of regular income and the ability to claim back gift aid.
The Parish Giving Scheme is an established planned giving scheme for churches that works by direct debit, forwards 100% of donations to St Giles and automatically calculates gift aid (previously a very labour time-consuming process).
Ring 0333 002 1271 Monday to Friday, between 9 – 5pm to get set up onto the system. St Giles Parish code is 460646102. They are experiencing high call volumes so if you can’t get through do leave a message and they will call you back.
We would be grateful if our congregation who currently use standing orders could switch over to this scheme to help us going forward.
Click here to go to the Parish Giving Site
2) Donate Now – For One-Off Donations
Please use our give.net account to make a donation, just click on the logo below.
3) Donate in Services
During our Services, a collection is made. Envelopes are provided if you would like your donation to benefit from gift aid. Just fill out the envelope and enclose cash. No cash? Our card reader takes contactless card donations in one tap.
4) Donate 50:50
Our 50 50 club is £5.00 per month via standing order for a ball. 50% goes to the church and 50% into the monthly prize draw fund. Speak to Sarah Shay, pick up a leaflet from the lobby or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org to register your interest.
5) Donate in Remembrance
Remembering the Church in your Will is a wonderful way to give thanks for your faith and support the future work of the Church. Simply name St Giles Church, Bramhope, Parochial Church Council, Charity Number 1129657 with your bequest.


Dear Friends and Family!
We had another wonderful day in the Lord, Sunday! In addition to a wonderful time of prayer and discipleship under the teaching of Gerry D. in Sunday school, and Spirit led worship by Steve H. and Sherry J., we were blessed with a visit from Rev. Kevin Hardy, our District Superintendent!
Remember, unlike other denominations, the Church of the Nazarene polity empowers the local church! Unlike bishops who direct their churches from the top down, an elected Superintendent works with the local Spirit led elected pastor and church board to further the gospel. While much of Rev. Hardy’s work is administrative, he remains a pastor at his core and it was evident Sunday.
The message from God Rev. Hardy brought this week was from Psalm 145. He began by sharing the following statistic: there are 5467 promises in the Bible! Not only are their 5467 promises, but we can trust God to keep ALL of them! The psalmist wrote, “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations” (Psalm 145:13). God is faithful to all his promises and to everyone! Our work is to believe ALL means ALL!
So do you? Too often we might be tempted to see ourselves or others as somehow ineligible for God’s promises. But the psalmist declares God will keep His promises are too
But, Rev. Hardy points out, it is important to remember God also knows when the time is perfect to fulfill his promises. The psalmist wrote, “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time” (Psalm 145:15). It’s important to differentiate between our preferred time (like right now) and God’s proper time! Only God knows the proper time to keep His promise. True faith flows between seasons of anticipation and realization.
Finally, Rev. Hardy points out that we’re to make praise an everyday encounter. The psalmist writes, “Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever” (Psalm 145:2). Do you limit your praise to a once a week celebration or do you find reason to praise every day?
Rev. Hardy left us with these three thoughts: 1) Make praising God a topic of conversation, 2) Make praising God a focus of meditation, and 3) Make praising God a cause for celebration! I pray each of us embrace and praise God for kept promises! Amen? Amen! Blessings, Pastor Dan
NEWS AND EVENTS
BREAKING NEWS!! NEW HANDICAMP RAMP PURCHASE HAS BEEN APPROVED!!
Because of your continued generous giving, combined with over $4,000 in memorial gifts we’ve received over the last two years, the church board last Sat. approved the replacement of our old handicap wooden handicap ramp with a new professionally installed steel ramp!
We don’t have a scheduled install date yet, but hopefully we will see the old one removed and new one installed soon! Thank you for making our church even more beautiful, and better maintained! We praise God for your faithful giving, patience, and trust! Amen!
10th ANNUAL COAT & BLANKET DRIVE IS THROUGH NOVEMBER!
Help restock Mel Trotter’s supply of winter items by looking in your closets or checking for store sales or going to garage sales to purchase/donate gently used coats, hats, mittens and scarves. We delivered all of the coats and blankets we collected so far to Mel Trotter this week!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Sherry J @ 616-214-5750.
NEXT THIRD THURSDAY CHINESE LUNCH IS NOVEMBER 21
Anyone who wants to have a delicious lunch with a lot of food to choose from, join us at Hibachi Grill off Alpine at 11:30 AM. There is always good conversation as well!
EAT PIZZA AND DECORATE THE CHURCH WED. NOV. 26 AT 6:00-7:30PM
Advent starts Dec. 01 so it’s time to make plans to decorate the church for Christmas! Instead of our regular Bible study and children’s program, we’re going to eat pizza and then decorate the church while we listen to Christmas Carols! Pizza will be provided, but feel free to bring a pop, salad, or a desert and join us! Come eat, laugh, and join the chaos as all ages do their best to decorate the church as we prepare for Christ’s birth. Questions? See Pastor Dan or Mary W.
ADVENT DEVOTIONAL BOOKS AND SMALL GROUP STUDY COMING!
Advent begins Dec. 01. From the book, “More than just a cozy affair, the season of Advent should disrupt our lives as we pause to reframe the story of Christ’s birth in a way that compels us to bend a knee to His lordship in every part of our lives. Born the King is a 4-week devotional journey that weaves together Scripture, stories, prayer, and interactive moments that draw us to engage with a Savior whose majesty proclaims the coming of the kingdom.”
Additionally, Janie will be hosting discussion group lunches on Sun., Dec. 8th, Sat Dec. 14, and Sat. Dec. 21. The devotional book is $6, but the lunches are free! RSVP Janie if you would like a book or are interested in attending one or more of the discussion group lunches!
REV CHRISTIAN (CHRIS) CHRISTOPHER HAS MOVED
Rev Chris has made a transition into assisted living. Please show this man of God your love and care by sending him lots of cards and letters @ Rev. Christian Christopher, Platinum Living, 1870 72nd Street SW, Byron Center, MI 49315. If you want to visit him, please call first @ 616-805-5181.
BETTY HAS MOVED TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
10 Missouri Street
Ashmore, IL 61912
WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNERS
Dinner is served from 5:30 to 6:15 pm (before Bible study). Volunteers are needed to make
main dishes, side dishes, or desserts. Please contact Cherry with any questions. At 6:30 PM, Bible study for adults and kids begins.
DAILY DEVOTIONS – “REFLECTING GOD” IS AVAILABLE! FREE!!
“Reflecting God” is a daily devotional guide our church makes available free to anyone interested. The devotions provide a brief truth from the Bible every day. Reflecting God also has a section for reading the Bible in a year and praying for our missionaries! Feel free to take one! You’ll find them located on the table outside the sanctuary!
Oct.-Nov. 10th Annual Blanket Drive
Nov. 20 Mission Night
Nov. 21 3rd Thursday Chinese Lunch at Hibachi Grill @ 11:30 AM
Dec. 7 Board Appreciation Brunch @ 10:30 am
Dec. 8 Church Potluck
Dec. 18 Mission Night


be made to Angels for Animals 4750 West South Range Road, Canfield,
A private graveside service conducted
by Rabbi Joseph Schonberger at El Emeth Cemetery was held on
September 6, 2018.
A memorial mass will be celebrated at
the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon, 2759 N.
Lipkey Road, North Jackson, Ohio at 11:00 am on September 14, 2018.
Chorbishop Anthony Spinosa will officiate the service. Friends and
family are invited to honor Olga’s life. In lieu of flowers, the
family requests that donations in honor of Olga be made to the
Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon.
Gertrude Gunn Nelson (Trudy), 86
Donations in her memory may be sent to
the Ohio State University Foundation, Friends of the Libraries Fund,
Fund # 30119, The Ohio State University Gift Processing, 1480 West
Lane Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43221.


Last sermon from Romans 7 dealt with our conflict with ourselves, that as Christians we will always be at war with sin in our lives. Here in the beginning of chapter 8, we will see a provision has been made in the promise of salvation for the believer. It is summed up in Rom. 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus”, there is no judgment for those in Christ. We are going to look at the reality of that promise, the way it has been provided, and the result of walking in the path of salvation. Today's sermon is “No Condemnation”.
I. The Reality of Salvation's Promise (v. 8:1a - “There is therefore now no condemnation...”).
The word “therefore” is there to show us a some sort of result or it sums up to a conclusion. The conclusion here is a single, simple statement of the result of one being saved from their sins by their faith in Christ. The concluding statement is that for a Christian there is no condemnation (or judgment). The entire previous seven chapters dealing with our sin, our sin nature, our judgment, our savior, and our salvation received through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. All that said and taught by the Apostle Paul and he sums it all up with this statement “there is no condemnation”. We know and understand from the previous study of the earlier chapters of Romans, that our condition before we knew Christ Jesus as Lord was that we were under the judgment of God. All of mankind was born sinful and separated from God by our sinful nature (Romans 3:23 -“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”), and it describes us in our sins in Eph. 2:3 as being “by nature children of wrath”. In our study of Romans in chapter 1 that we talked about the wrath of God. The wrath of of our holy God is His righteous anger and hatred of sin and evil and it is the basis of His condemnation of sin. In our sinfulness, without Christ, we were under the condemnation for our sins and for breaking God's holy Law which is death (Rom. 6:23 - “the wages of sin is death” and Ezek. 18:4 - “the soul that sins shall die”), that is our verdict. Just like the man on death row, judged and sentenced to death, the day of judgment set and justice not satisfied until the penalty for guilt is met. That is all of us without Christ. But here in Rom. 8:1, Paul declares that there is “no condemnation”, what wondrous and amazing good news for the Christian, “no condemnation”. Jesus has completely and permanently paid the debt of sin and the penalty for breaking God's Law. Our sins and our penalty for trespassing God's Law was not overlooked by God. It was not passed over or forgotten, it was paid, once for all, by the perfect, sinless sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Death was the price and only Jesus' death could set us free from the death sentence that was pronounced on us. Jesus Christ died for us, in our place, and it was the only sacrifice accepted by the Father in our behalf. For those who have or will place their faith and trust in Christ and what He did on our behalf “there is therefore now no condemnation”. The freedom from condemnation and judgment is realized only in Christ and we must recognize that we will never face condemnation for our sins be they past, present, or future. Jesus' death on the cross dealt with our sins once and for all, that is the glorious power of salvation in Christ. In Heb 10:14, it says, “For by one offering [Christ's death on the cross] He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified”, those being sanctified are all who have separated unto God by salvation in Christ, their sins are forgiven and their condemnation, their judgment removed because of Jesus Christ taking their judgment on Himself. The penalties for our failures in this life was paid for by Christ.
We are not perfect, we are not sinless and we understand from last week's sermon that we will always have to deal with sin as long as we are on this earth and in this body. But just because we are free from divine judgment (condemnation), it does not mean our heavenly Father will not give us divine discipline for our moral failures as Christians (Heb. 12:6 - “For whom the LORD loves He disciplines, And scourges every son whom He receives”). We are still accountable for our actions to our Father even though we will not be condemned for our sins that Christ has forgiven and cleansed us from.
II. The Reason for Salvation's Reality (v. 1b-3 - “for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.”)
As we have already discussed, the no condemnation is the direct result of “those who are in Christ Jesus”. In chapter 7, all Christians, even the Apostle Paul, are not exempt from conflicts and struggles with sin. But we have read right here in this chapter (chap. 8) that all Christians are eternally free of the condemnation of sin. Even if we stumble and fall, all Christians from the strongest to the weakest will not experience condemnation for there sins but will experience ultimate victory over sin in the life to come. We are not merely identified outwardly with Christ, but also we are identified as being part of Christ. It says right here we are in Christ and being in Christ is what makes us acceptable to our Father God; 1 Cor. 12:13 declares that we “by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body; whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit”. The Spirit of God places us into Christ, we become part of the body of Christ. Christ's life now flows into our lives and we must began to understand is that we live because He lives in us (Gal. 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”). The freedom in Christ gives us total and permanent deliverance from sin's power and penalty and when we are glorified one day, then will freed from it's presence. Let's look further in v. 2, it says that, “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death”. In Titus 3:4-6, it says, “when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior”, the Holy Spirit of God is the one who gives spiritual life to the one who places His trust in Jesus Christ. Only the Spirit of God can give spiritual life to a spiritually dead heart. He is the One that frees us from sin and death, gives spiritual life for our sinful, spiritually dead spirit, we are free from the power of sin and it's dominion because of the powerful work of salvation made possible through Christ. In verse 3, it says that “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh”, it is reason why the eternal Son of God came and added humanity to His Deity and was born of a virgin. Flesh could not fulfill the righteous demands of God's Law, flesh was inferior and weak and sinful, it was incapable of not sinning and relished in breaking all of the holy commands of God's Law. Because God was holy and just, He can never pass over sin but must punish it. But because was loving, merciful, and full of grace, He extended His hand of forgiveness and grace through the incarnated Son of God, through His perfect sacrifice on the cross. It was through this holy and righteous Son of God, Jesus Christ, that His death condemned sin in the flesh of those who were condemned by sin. Those who by faith place their trust in the work that Christ has done on the cross have been justified and forgiven, their condemnation removed. Christ was sinless even though he lived in a body like ours, Jesus never sinned. The Law only exposed man's unrighteousness and no man or woman ever lived up to it's righteous requirement but Christ alone. In His sinlessness, He died as the perfect sacrifice to perfectly save us all. Is. 53:4-5 - “Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed”. Because of Christ we are free from sin and condemnation of sin.
III. The Result of Walking in Salvation (v. 4 - “that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”)
Because of Christ's death and resurrection, it has not only freed us from the power and penalty of sin, it has also freed Christians to live righteously. Christ set us free from sin and filled us with His Spirit not to live as we please but as our Lord pleases. The Spirit produces in us a desire to live for our Lord, to grow and mature as believers in Christ because our new spiritual nature is alive to Christ and we walk not according to the flesh(spiritually dead sinners do that) but according to the Spirit. When we become “sons (and daughters) of God”, it is then our lives will change for God's glory. We become enabled by the power of God to began living out righteously in our daily lives. This is the direct result of coming to faith in Christ. Christ's salvation will bring about an eternal change in each of our lives.
The glorious results of the amazing power of the Father's salvation through Christ of no condemnation of every believer's life and the powerful change and desire to know God and desire His will. Nothing in our flesh or by our power can affect this change; it is only the power of God through Christ.


The Hermitage of St Helier is on Elizabeth Castle and can easily be accessed at low tide by walking or at high tide by using the amphibious ferries that go between Elizabeth castle and the town of St Helier
St Helier was the son of Sigobard and his wife Lutsgard who were pagans. Sigobard and Lutsgard lived in Belgium and were so desperate for children they asked Cunebert the Christian hermit to pray for them. Cunebert agreed to do this if when the child was born its life would be given over to God.
When the child was born Sigobard and Lutsgard decided not to give the child”s life over to God as promised and the child became ill. The distraught parents were forced to take their child the Cunebert who cured the child named him Helierus and brought him up as his own son.
As he grew up Helierus became famous for his miracles, this so angered his father Sigobard that two men were sent to kill Cunebert.
When Helierus discovered Cuneberts body he fled to Therouanne in northern France where he spent his time praying in the most uncomfortable circumstances he could create. It was at this time Helierus raised a child form the dead and was declared a saint by the locals.
Stone carving of the face of St Helier
To escape the admiration Helierus fled again this time to Nanteuil where he met St Marculf, St Marculf baptised him, trained him and sent Helierus to Jersey.
One of the first things St Helier did upon arriving to jersey was cure a cripple called Anquetil. Three years later during a visit by St Marculf and St Romard thirty pirate ships from the Orkneys arrived in Jersey. The three Saints prayed and the pirates fought amongst themselves and were all killed.
Years later more pirates arrived in Jersey and St Helier preached to them in an effort to turn them into Christians. The pirate cheif fearing that he might succeed cut off his head with an axe.
In the legend his body was put into a boat and the rising tide carried his body out to sea and all the way to Breville in Normandy, there is a church in breville Normandy which is to this day dedicated to St Helier and has a stone statue of him.
St Helier was a eremetic monk who felt the more uncomfortable his life became the closer he would get to god. This explains why he found a shallow cave cut off from the land such a good place to live.
There are other circles who think St Helier was actually a ship wrecker and put out false lights to confuse ships and lure them onto rocks. In the days of raiders from the sea St Helier could have been killed for any reason.
St Marculf the man who sent St Helier to Jersey erected a monastery in his memory near his cave in St Aubins bay. The monastery did good work for several hundred years and had distinguished guests including Pretextatus the archbishop of Rouen who was exiled there for seven years.
Today the main commercial centre of Jersey is named after St Helier and with the many HELIER HOTELS and Restaurants catering to every taste and whim of their select clients you gave to ask yourself what a hermetic monk would have thought of that.


As every translator knows, Saint Jerome, the patron saint of translators, is best known for his translation of the Bible, the Vulgata. His friend Saint Augustine took exception to certain aspects of Jerome’s Bible translation, Jerome was not a happy camper and heated exchanges ensued.
The correspondence between the two shows that saints are seldom saintly, but more importantly, how much translation is the translator’s creative work, to be hotly defended.
We are still fighting for the recognition of audiovisual translators as authors in many countries. It is vital because this recognition helps support quality translations and standing up for good quality translation is more important than ever. Media has such an influence on our daily, spoken language that good translations assist national languages in remaining viable even with the wave of English pouring into every corner of Europe.
If we are serious about encouraging European cultural diversity, quality audiovisual translations for media content must be available in every European language.


Daystar is seeking participants that desire to use their time and talents for the Lord in being part of the process of restoring lives through partnerships.
Sign up for the Next Mission
We are looking for volunteers for our mission trips especially those with the following skills:
- Dentists & Dental Hygienists
- Lay persons
Make a Donation
Alternatively Daystar would be honored if you could make a donation to our cause as it allows us to continue our mission trips as well as fund much of our activities. We accept monetary donations and other potential tools such as gently used clothing, bibles, farming equipment, etc.
Contact us for a Sponsorship project
Finally you could serve as a sponsor on any one of these levels:
- Sponsor a Child
- Sponsor a Student
- Sponsor a Church
- Sponsor a School
- Sponsor a College
- Sponsor the Orphan Village Building Project


This blog hosts a collection of stories by American horror writer, H.P. Lovecraft (1890-1937). A lot of horror is not really worth reading. However, I think Lovecraft is worth a look. His stories present a worldview and a cosmology in which humanity is hopelessly at the mercy of uncaring deities from distant places in space or another dimension.
I would argue that there is a degree of common ground between the worldview of Lovecraft's fiction and the biblical cosmology. I believe the Bible presents a view of the world under the dominion of evil celestial beings- principlalities and powers, most notably Lucifer or Satan. The big difference is that the Chistian believes that this kingdom of darkness will be overthrown by the coming Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ and that the cosmos will be restored and renewed by the glory of God.
I am an orthodox Roman Catholic Christian and Conservative Party member.
I look to the renewal of the cosmos through the reconciling work of Christ.
I believe the best way to keep homes clean is to remove shoes at the door. I expect visitors to my home to remove their shoes.
I am one of the 48% who voted Remain in the EU referendum.


Yesterday was an interesting day. I've heard that God only gives you what you can handle. Sometimes I think God trusts me too much. Yesterday I experienced the entire gamut of human emotion: Intense joy and love that stuck in my throat, gratitude for my wonderful family, knuckle breaking fear and anxiety, physical pain in every part of my body, sadness. It was a miraculous day with so many lessons - I will be processing the lessons for a long time to come. Through it all I had my family. Without them I could not have made it. I thank God for the love and unwavering support they give me.
Upon arriving home, my body was racked with pain from head to toe. Yet....I was so comforted when I walked into my humble little apartment. I felt cradled, hugged and protected. I lay on the sofa and could not move, pain pulsating through me...but...I felt comforted and so grateful. The addition of small pops of yellow is helping me emotionally.
I lay on the sofa and looked around at all the beauty. My place is an experiment in color, texture and shapes. The process of decorating is a largely intuitive one. The apartment tells me what it wants, and in turn it gives me intense joy. As I looked around I was struck by my love of geometry. I adore shapes. Mostly circles. And I love them in repetition. What is new for me is my love of squares.
Square teapot TJ Maxx; vintage coasters Flower Child; Dee Adams painting; ottoman from Burlington Coat Factory; perfect yellow box from TJ Maxx.
Okay, I realize that was too many words. Suffice it to say that a comfortable, uncluttered and stylish home is important to both your physical and mental health. Home is where you rejuvenate. And it doesn't matter where you live. It can be small and humble and done with very little money. As long as it's yours.


Rest in Peace
Robert G Bamann
5/11/31 - 11/28/21
Our friend Robert George Bamann has gone home to the Lord.
It is never easy to lose a friend and family member but the Good Lord was watching over Bob and called him home to heaven rather than let him continue on his journey of pain and confusion.
Bob was a past Fire Chief, past Fire Commissioner and Past Fire District Treasurer. All of us in the Fire District, especially the members of Company Two, have lost a very dedicated individual.
1) Our friend Bob Bamann died during the night on Sunday, November 28th. Bob had been a resident at the Saint John's Home since September.
2) At the family's request, there will be no Calling Hours.
3) Bob's Funeral Mass will be at the Saint Margaret Mary's Church on Rogers Parkway this Saturday, December 4th at 9:30. As Bob was a member, firefighters are encouraged to wear their Class A uniform (or business casual) to church.
4) The family has extended an invitation to all at the Exempts Club after the internment at Irondequoit Cemetery.
5) May Bob rest in peace and may the Good Lord look after Elaine and her family.
ST. PAUL BOULEVARD FIRE DISTRICT
TOWN OF IRONDEQUOIT
433 COOPER ROAD
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK 14617
ANNUAL ELECTION OF THE ST. PAUL BOULEVARD FIRE DISTRICT
On December 14, 2021
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Election of the St. Paul Boulevard Fire District will take place on December 14, 2021, between the hours of 6PM and 9PM at the firehouse, located at 433 Cooper Road in the Town of Irondequoit, for electing one Fire Commissioner for a five-year term commencing January 1, 2022, and ending December 31, 2026. All residents of the St. Paul Boulevard Fire District, who are duly registered with the Monroe County Board of Elections on or before November 17, 2021, shall be eligible to vote. Candidates who wish to have their names included on the ballot shall file a petition with the Secretary of the Fire District at 433 Cooper Road, Rochester, NY 14617, no later than twenty days before the election.
Edward J. Riley, Secretary
St. Paul Boulevard Fire District
The men and women of the St Paul Boulevard Fire Department
Past and Present Chiefs
Past and Present Presidents
Past and Present Commissioners
<CLICK ON LOGO
HITS COUNTER (Since 1-1-15)


Sugar eggs are a fun, traditional Easter craft that is often saved for years, sometimes generations. The egg white and sugar mixture create a hard egg-shaped shell that is hollowed out after it dries. Traditionally, the inside is decorate with Royal Icing, toys, or keepsakes. Read more
Easter bunny headband is a hoppin’ good time for you and your kids. Read more
Save all the plastic Easter Eggs! And create these adorable tea cups. Read more
How to make a simple handmade card for Easter.
What is Easter? Easter is the most important time in the Christian calendar. Easter forms part of Holy week; Holy week consists of Palm Sunday – the week before Easter Sunday, Good Thursday – the day of Jesus’ Last Supper, Good Friday – the day that Jesus was crucified and Easter Sunday the day Jesus rose from the dead. Read more
I absolutely love the tulips around town, but this year, the daffodils have really caught my eye. There seem to be big patches of them everywhere I turn and I can’t complain. They are vibrant yellow and have such an interesting shape. Read more
Do you have Spring fever yet? You just might after checking out this super easy, and super fun craft idea for Easter. Read more
Buttons + Styrofoam egg + Headpins + Ribbon = Beautiful Easter Egg Ornament. Happy crafting!
When YouTube sensation My Cupcake Addiction‘s Elise Strachan comes into our kitchen, we know something magical is about to happen! Combining the very best of our favorite funfetti addiction with soft, marshmallow-y Peeps is perhaps the tastiest way to celebrate Easter yet. So stay tuned to learn how to make the ultimate Easter candy cookie bar. Read more
What do you get when you combine salty pretzels with the sweet taste of caramel and milk chocolate then top it off with a crunchy almond? Cute and tasty Easter butterfly treats!


Private Vatican tours
Once in Rome, you must visit the most loved and most beautiful museums in the world, The Vatican Museums.
Together with your own personal guide you’ll walk through, a unique Papal collection of art that reaches back over the centuries to the early renaissance. It is here that you’ll have the opportunity to admire Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, which in recent restoration have been restored to their previous antique glory.
Touring around the Vatican Museums your private guide will help to focus your attentions on the most important Masterpieces, explaning everything you wish to know .
Among the many treasures you will find within are the Gallery of tapetries, the Gallery of Maps, adorned with detailed Italian maps.
Walk through the Raphael's Rooms, the four Papal rooms famous for their frescoes painted by Raphael, one of the most important evidence of the Hight Renaissance in Rome.
Discover the Borgia Appartaments, a suite of rooms in the Apostolic Palace adapted for personal use by Pope Alexander VI, adorned withwonderful paintings and frescoes.
End this Incredible Tour inside the Sistine Chapel, where you will see Michelagelo' Famous Frescoes The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgment, before heading to the Vatican Library.
Partial Access for the wheelchair
- Vatican Museums
- The Pinecone Courtyard
- The Pinacoteca
- The Tapestry gallery
- The Map gallery
- Raphael Rooms
- The Sistine Chapel
- The Basilica of St.Peter's
- From 1 up to 4 People 195 euros - One way By cab included
- From 5 up to 7 People 220 euros - One way By cab Included
- The hotel must be locaded in central area of Rome an extra charge of 50,00 Euros will be applied for all the hotels locaded outside the Central Area of Rome
- The Vatican Museums Tour are not Available on Wednesday Morning & Every Sunday.
- The Basilica of St Peter’s might close for last minute ceremonies or mass. We will try to inform you on time but it is not always possible. In this case we will decrease the price
- We recommend our clients wear suitable clothing. Out of respect for the sanctity of the church, we ask that arms and legs be covered appropriately within the walls of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Cathedral.
OUR COMPANY HAS NOT CHARGED ANYTHING ON YOUR CREDIT CARD, but has used it exclusively to book the services you have requested.
Remember that services with the Driver Guide Service need to be payed in CASH at the end of each service.
If you do want to pay with your credit card (VISA or MASTERCARD) you will be charged an extra 20% on the cost of the tour. (Please note that we do not accept AMERICAN EXPRESS cards).
- Guided visit through The Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum & the Basilica of St. Peter’s.
- One way transfer by cab from the hotel to the Vaticam museum included
NOT INCLUDED -
- Tickets into the Vatican Museum 26.00 Euros Per Persorn " Instant Access “
- Transfer back to the hotel
- Lunch & any eventual extras
- Dome of St. Peter's Basilica


Vondel Smith Mortuary at South Lakes
Lewis G Hale was born April 16th, 1926 to George and Bessie (Matlock) Hale. He passed from this life May 20th, 2018. Lewis’ passion to preach the gospel began when he was a child and continued throughout his life; he preached his first sermon at the age of 16, and the day before his death he said that he was hoping to teach bible class the next weekend. Lewis was a lifelong student, and he was always thorough and careful in his studies. He was the Valedictorian of his class when he graduated from Keota High School. Lewis was a veteran of WW II proudly serving in the Navy.
Following his Navy service, Lewis went to Freed Hardeman College to prepare for a life of ministry, where he met Ruth Mallett; they would marry and enjoy a 69-year marriage, working for the Lord together in the service of His Church. He transferred to Abilene Christian College, where the school newspaper described him as a “debating dynamo” in a feature article. Following graduation with a BA in History, he began his career as a Minister to the Lord’s Church. During his early ministry work, he continued his study of History at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, doing graduate work there.
Following his ministerial work in Stigler OK, and Lorenzo TX, he moved with his wife and two young sons to Oklahoma City to begin his full-time ministry with the Southwest Church of Christ. Lewis loved this congregation and served for 57 years until his retirement, before preaching by appointment at various locations in Oklahoma. Lewis was proud to be able to serve as a minister and preacher of the gospel of Christ. He not only proclaimed the word, but he ministered to the needs of the Church and all with whom he had contact. Lewis could often be found visiting the ill in the hospital, night or day, comforting grieving families, or counseling people dealing with life’s burdens.
Lewis was very active outside of the church as well. He was a part-time instructor at Oklahoma Christian University for 13 years, President of the Board of Directors for Rock Creek youth camp and served as an Oklahoma City Traffic and Transportation Commissioner for 17 years. Lewis loved working with children, and he directed camping sessions at Rock Creek youth camp for many years, helped by his family and many friends. He helped found the Christian Men’s Retreat. He worked to further Christian education, writing articles, books, and bible school material and publishing them as well; this included several years of weekly articles that Lewis wrote for publication in the Daily Oklahoman. He started Hale Publications along with his wife Ruth, to make educational material available for churches across the country, including workbooks which he wrote for all of the books of the New Testament and some of the Old Testament books, as well. Lewis was well-regarded for his insights and careful reasoning, and his ability to make complex topics accessible.
Lewis is preceded in death by his parents, siblings Orlen Hale, Wanda Lively, Helen Guthrie, and Doris Lusk. He is survived by Ruth, his wife of 69 years; children Mike and Vernona Hale, Barry Hale, Melinda and Bryan Sims; brother Jim Hale, in-laws Faye and Walter Billingsley, 8 grandchildren, and fifteen great grandchildren. Also, a host of nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his family of brothers and sisters of the Southwest Church of Christ.
Memorials may be made to Camp Rock Creek or Zambia Missions both c/o Southwest Church of Christ, 3031 SW 104th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73159, or The World Bible School, PO Box 2169, Cedar Park, Texas 78630-9964.
He has the ability to say with the Apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith”. It was fitting that his passing occurred on the Lord’s day.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Lewis G. Hale, please visit our
Heartfelt Sympathies Store.


First Baptist Church New Haven Pastoral Staff
First Baptist Church New Haven is blessed to have an amazing group of Men called by God to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in different areas of Ministry @ 1st Baptist! The following faithfully serve on our FBC Pastoral Staff. This Pastoral Team meets regularly to pray, plan, lead and coordinate the multiple ministries @ 1st Baptist.
Following are brief bio's of our Pastor Team...
Hi, I’m Dave Trimble along with my wife of 46 years, Barb. I have the privilege to serve as Pastor here at First Baptist Church New Haven.
The Lord led us here to New Haven in April of 2008 to First Baptist Church, a special body of 30 believers, who desired to “Attempt Great Things For God so that New Haven may Know Christ”! Our prayer has been, “Lord, please don’t pass us by” let us reach people with the Good News of Jesus Christ! God has blessed and allowed us the privilege over the past 15 years to reach & disciple a good number of folks, and FBC New Haven has grown to average over 145 in worship. Our main goal is to Love the Word & Love People!
We invite you to Come Grow with US!
Christian Ed, Prayer, Pastoral Care
Hello! My name is Dick Baker along with my wife of 56 years, Bea. and I am presently blessed to serve as Associate Pastor for First Baptist Church, New Haven, IN.
It is a privilege serving together with the entire Leadership team and hope to do so until the Lord comes or calls me home.
In Him, Dick Baker
Men's Ministry/ Food & Bread Ministry/ Pastoral Care
Music & Worship/ Young Marrieds Ministry/ Trail Life USA
Hello, I'm Jonathan and I'm a follower of Jesus, a husband, a father, a pastor, and a worship leader. Our family has been blessed to be a part of FBC New Haven since 2021, leading our Sunday music to glorify God in our hearts, as well as leading our Young Marrieds and Trail Life boys.
Emily & I have been happily married for 16 years and we have 3 amazing children. We are so excited to see the ways God is moving and working at our church, and we are longing to be a part of His kingdom expansion in New Haven and broader Fort Wayne.
I hope you'll come and experience what it's like to be a part of our church family on Sunday mornings or for one of the many Bible studies and events we have going on through the week.
FBC New Haven
First Baptist Church New Haven is blessed to have an amazing group of volunteer leaders called by God to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in different areas of Ministry @ 1st Baptist!
The following faithfully serve on our FBC Leadership Team. This team meets regularly to pray, plan, lead and coordinate the multiple ministries @ 1st Baptist.
Following are brief bio's of our LeadershipTeam...


YOU CAN HELP YOUTH FIND HOPE FOR THEIR FUTURE TODAY.
“It takes a village to raise a child” … but what happens when he is not a child anymore? We reach out to at risk youth who have lost all hope. Encouraging young men and women to enable themselves to reach their full potential socially and spiritually. Our aim is to show them their value and teach them that they can excel in life through the strength Christ gives them. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11


Please use scroll bar(s) to access bottom portion of this document..... >>>>
BASIC INFORMATION (click here for detailed Mission and Core Values document. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
►We are an independent, non-denominational, Bible Believing church.
►Our current attendance is under 100.
►Worshippers are encouraged to dress as they feel comfortable as long as their attire is not immodest. We have people who come in everything from jeans to suits & dresses.
►There is a Sunday School & Nursery for all children during the Worship Service.
Our Sunday Worship service is essentially non-liturgical, but orderly.
We incorporate :
►Both traditional hymns and contemporary music.
►Prayer, usually led by the Pastor or Deacons.
►The reading, teaching and preaching of the Bible as the Word of God
►Sharing testimonies and response to the Word.
Our Wednesday evening Bible Studies & Prayer are more informal and interactive.
BASIC DOCTRINAL DESCRIPTION: (click here for Statement of Faith)
►We are Conservative & Bible-believing, holding to the Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian faith.
►We are Reformed, as regards the Doctrines of Sovereign Grace, and the Five Solas of the Reformation.
►We are a New Covenant People, emphasizing the new reality and dynamics of being “in Christ.”
►We are Evangelistic, extending the free offer of the Gospel to all, as we have or make opportunity..
►While we believe absolutely in the literal, personal, and glorious return of Jesus Christ, we allow great latitude of differing perspectives as to the details of end-time prophecy (eschatology).
►Our view of holiness and sanctification does not focus on external legalistic standards, but on the inner working of grace in the believer’s heart through consistent intimacy with Christ.
►The pastor teaches & preaches mostly from the New King James version, and the underlying Greek Textus Receptus or the Majority Greek Text.
►While occasionally stating the reasons for these preferences, we do not make or allow translations to be a divisive issue in the church.
►We are very missions focused, currently deeply involved in South Africa, Pakistan, and Mexico.
►We believe in partnering closely with missionaries, not just sending money to a missions board.
►We believe in earnestly seeking the guidance and wisdom of Christ through the Holy Spirit and Providence in selecting missionaries and mission projects.
►While we believe that all Christians, as salt & light to the world, should prayerfully involve themselves in all aspects of our society and nation, as a Church we are not politically focused.
►This does not preclude the teaching of a biblical perspective on any or all socio/political issues.