Good Lord what happened? One second I was ready to take on the world (or at least Normal Heights) the next I was playing online poker 4 hours a day and not leaving the house. OK. Online poker is over. Just sapping up too much of my time and my creativity. I was really doing God a huge disservice. If you can do that to God.
I really do believe. I do. It’s so hard for me to keep myself away from all the other temptations in this world. Satan finds subtler and subtler ways to keep me from You. I mean doing drugs and drinking and being promiscuous are pretty obvious. Time sucking activities like online poker and Facebook and whatnot are so not as obvious. Sorry Jesus. I really do love You. I really want to live my life dedicated to You.
Quitting the online poker should help. It would be kind of funny if only it wasn’t. As absurd as this sounds, I’m kinda grieving it right now. I need to get back into reading, I don’t know, how about that Bible everyone’s always talking about. I need to get back into, hmmmm…. serving people. That’s a good one. I need to get back my children into my life. I think that they could use me when I’m living sanely.
Anything else? Hey, if you actually read this let me know by leaving a comment. I could use some encouragement. Thanks!
Cuz things are gonna start popping off. I’m probably a little manic right now (that’s not always a bad thing) but I got’s some ideas. Some big ideas. Big ideas in a humble kind of setting. See, the thing is, I gotta get rid of this ego that eats up all the goodness inside of me. The ego that stops me from laying my life down for the only One that really matters. Sometimes I think my prayer should just be Lord, take everything away from me. Strip me of all my vanity and pretension. My selfishness. My disease of me, me, me. I get close and then I fall back into it.
It? Lust, greed, sarcasm, introspection, gluttony, all the things that let me obsess on myself and my needs. Not the needs of those who I could help. Definitely not what Jesus has intended for me. It’s like reaching out for that brass ring on the merry go round. I can’t quite reach it. I get close. I can almost touch it. My fingers graze it’s cool metal as it’s pulled away. It reminds me of how far I still have to go.
Lent’s been a great reminder of how much a slave I am to the things of this world. I think that I’ve read my Bible like once in the last 12 days. This with me giving up poker, eating out, picking up running and the like. I’m praying a little more but I’ll be honest I’m not the best at prayer. It’s a struggle for me to stop, shut down my head for a minute and communicate with God. The good thing is that I do feel His hand on my life in so many ways now.
I can see Christ’s hand in real life personal relationships that I have with people. My wife, my friends, the people I work with. I really am a different person 90% of the time. Most of the time without having to think about it. Situations where I used to just blow up I’ve been able to listen and even be compassionate to someone else’s feelings that differ from mine.
Anyway, most of y’all know that I belong to Adams Avenue Crossing. We had a great table talk yesterday that really made me come away inspired. It started off kinda discouraging, feeling as if we haven’t made much progress. We’ve been waiting to hear from God what He would like for us to do. I don’t think many of us felt that we had heard that much. After listening to TC and Sam all of a sudden I realized that God has been screaming at us and that I (can’t speak for others) was too frightened to listen to what He wants me to do. Because if I listen I’m going to have to sacrifice my precious time. To listen I’m going to have to forge relationships with people I don’t even know yet. To listen means I’m going to have to pick up my cross and follow. To listen means I’m going to have to lay down my life to gain one.
My problem has been thinking that, well, honestly, there isn’t a lot of people looking for help in Normal Heights. Then TC I believe nailed it on the head for me. If I can’t help people in this area that I’ve decided I want to help what makes me think that I can do it anywhere else. This is EXACTLY where God wants me to be. I’ve got to overcome my own damn self and start reaching out to people. There are people that need help but they might not be able to TELL me that to my face. But what if I put a flyer up in Lestat’s or Cafe Cabaret offering to help people? Mow a lawn, tutor a kid, pick up a yard, give someone a ride, type a resume, there’s all sorts of things I can do to give someone a hand. To be more than just a ministry of presence but to become a ministry of helping and loving on the people of Normal Heights. What better way of being present that being present in people’s lives.
I know I’m probably the far flung dude in our group. The thing is, I see people that are peripheral to our group doing great things. I mean Aaron from Hope Unlimited is out feeding the homeless in downtown once a month. How incredible is that? All it takes is one guy with an idea. One person helping one other person. All it takes is just to go ahead and do it. If you are gonna pray for me then pray that I can put down my own crap long enough that I can try to get rolling. That’s what I want. Please pray.
I would never have thought that I could get convicted by a poem from Charles Bukowski, a guy who’s life and writings influenced a lot of my life, probably for the worse. Until now. I found the poem in a post by this guy, who has a pretty good blog. Check it out.
The Genius Of The Crowd
there is enough treachery, hatred violence absurdity in the average
human being to supply any given army on any given day
and the best at murder are those who preach against it
and the best at hate are those who preach love
and the best at war finally are those who preach peace
those who preach god, need god
those who preach peace do not have peace
those who preach peace do not have love
beware the preachers
beware the knowers
beware those who are always reading books
beware those who either detest poverty
or are proud of it
beware those quick to praise
for they need praise in return
beware those who are quick to censor
they are afraid of what they do not know
beware those who seek constant crowds for
they are nothing alone
beware the average man the average woman
beware their love, their love is average
average seeks average
but there is genius in their hatred
there is enough genius in their hatred to kill you
to kill anybody
not wanting solitude
not understanding solitude
they will attempt to destroy anything
that differs from their own
not being able to create art
they will not understand art
they will consider their failure as creators
only as a failure of the world
not being able to love fully
they will believe your love incomplete
and then they will hate you
and their hatred will be perfect
like a shining diamond
like a knife
like a mountain
like a tiger
their finest art
Henry Charles Bukowski
Thanks again Tim for turning me on to a fantastic poem.
Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead
14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.[f] Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”[g] He was even called the friend of God.[h] 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath,[i] so also faith is dead without good works. James 2:14-26
… I think this must be God’s Christmas present to me.
It’s a word that was thrown around a lot this weekend at our weekly bible study at Lestat’s and at table talk the very next day. We were studying Jesus’ prayer for Himself, His disciples, and the people that would come after. You can read it in John 17.
Jesus prayed to sanctify Himself so that his apostles would be sanctified. “For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” – John 17:19.
Sanctify: to make holy, consecrate.
I think it’s a prayer that I need to say. Really glad TC put up his version of the prayer over at the AAC blog. Another part of the definition was “set apart”. I don’t always feel holy. I struggle with how much a part of this world I allow myself to roll around in the muck with. I feel more like “struggling to free myself of my worldly desires and wants sometimes when it’s convenient for me” than set apart.
This particular blog is somewhat of a bitch also. It was a lot easier when I was reading Luke to get fired up about social justice and the poor than when I have to look inward and beyond when I’m studying John. Probably explains the lack of posts lately.
I’m trying to decide what I need to give up to feel sanctified. I know that I am. Jesus prayed it. That doesn’t mean that I always “feel” it. Unfortunately, thanks to some rather “poopy” life choices my thoughts are an amalgam of lust, Jesus, poker, compassion, vengeance, greed, faith, fear, hope, depravity and so on and so forth. I have to be very intentional about my walk or I fall off into the ditch fairly quickly. Things like Facebook and twitter really feed my already inflated ego and my selfishness. Don’t you want to know what I’m doing RIGHT NOW? Of course you do!
My decision was to cut off most of the electronic media so that maybe I could start having actual face to face human interaction again. First the cell phone. Then the internet at home. That lasted about a week and Letty turned the internet on at home again. And here I am again, pecking away at the keyboard.
I like blogging and reading blogs. That’s going to stay and if anything probably expand. It’s good for me to put what I’m thinking down on paper and I need a creative outlet.
Facebook and Twitter, drastically reduced. Except to keep up with my friends doings and whatnot. No more mafia wars or any of the rest of that crap. A week away from it and I hardly missed it. Maybe an occasional update just to let you know what I’m up to and to exult in another Chargers victory.
The bottom line is that I want to feel sanctified. Holy. Whatever that feels like. Here’s another great part of the prayer:
“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” John 17:15-18.
Lord, please sanctify me in the Truth. In You. That’s my prayer for today.


21% of Gen Z identifies as LGBT according to a 2022 Gallup Poll. Both parents and churches are failing to keep them safe.
Research tells us there are surprisingly large benefits to health and wellbeing associated with church attendance. Unfortunately, there is a dark side to religion, particularly for some young Christians and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
This episode is also available on YouTube:
References and URLs
21% of Gen Z identifies as LGBT according to a 2022 Gallup Poll:
“Homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered" Catechism of the Catholic Church:
Franklin Graham quote:
The benefits of church attendance for women (Harvard study):
Benefits of church attendance for young adults (2ndHarvard study):
The association of religiosity and suicide in queer youth:
Falling church attendance – Barna Group research:
Falling church attendance – Pew research:
Friendly and Welcoming Is Not Affirming:
Trans godparents forbidden in the Catholic Church:
#churchtoo #affirmingchurch #gaychristian #FaithfullyLGBT #gay #LGBT


If you’re a parent you may be experiencing grief because you envisioned your children would turn out differently and they didn’t.
If you grew up in a dysfunctional or abusive family, you may be angry because you expected your parents to love you, but they didn’t.
Maybe a relationship ended badly and you hoped it would turn out otherwise, but it didn’t.
My expectations of how things should have been triggered many of my troubles.
Today my motto is ‘accept not expect.’
When things don’t go as I’d planned I can pray for God to “grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Courage is having the confidence to ask for what I need. And acceptance is the serenity that comes from leaving the results up to God no matter how it works out.


Yesterday, while at a cemetary, I read the following words on a tombstone of a teen age boy, and immediately it broke me up.
“It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone, for part of us went with you, the day God called you home; Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same, but as God calls us one by one, the chain will link again.” Thinking back to when Marie went home with Jesus, those words could have expressed part of my feelings. Even though it has been more than a year since she passed into eternity, I miss her tremendously and think of her many times throughout the day. I am so glad to know where she is and some day I will be re-united with her. How about you? Love, Dad


Hear God’s Voice Everyday by Cindy Edgett
Cindy Edgett is a powerful woman of God. She has taught me a lot about the Lord and is someone I can always go to for a Godly perspective on life. If you have a desire to hear the Lord’s voice, her book “Hear God’s Voice Everyday” will help fill a hunger that you didn’t know was there. The book is filled with practical life applications and personal stories that are truly encouraging.
Keep Your Love On by Danny Silk
Danny Silk’s book “Keep Your Love On” really impacted the way I do relationships. This book is filled with so many great tools that I have implemented into my daily life. If you’re in a relationship that has more downs than ups, get a hold of this book. It gives great communication techniques that you can use to help understand your partner. It teaches on the five love languages, healthy boundaries and communication, all vital to a healthy relationship.


Thank you for taking the time to visit us here on the web. University Baptist Church is a multicultural church with members from many different nations. Our mission is to Engage our Community, Enroot the Believers, and Empower the Faithful.
Every person on earth has a deep longing to be known and loved. And at University Baptist Church, we are a community that does just that. We love people well, and we do everything we can to make sure that people just like you are known deeply.
We are situated within walking distance of the University of Alaska-Anchorage campus, as well as in close proximity to Alaska Pacific University, Providence Hospital, and the Native Hospital in what is known as the UMED district of Anchorage.
Please join us this coming Sunday to experience a loving-community!
William Tauanuu – Pastor
Plan A Visit
Our Sunday Services at 11:00 am are very casual and family oriented. We would love to have you worship with us no matter where you have come from or where you are on you spiritual journey. Our services have times of singing, teaching and praying with focus on the grace of God and the message of the Gospel. We also have many options to participate in one of our different small group Bible studies throughout the week.
Bible Study - 10:00 am
Morning Worship - 11:00 am


3 edition of Lectures on the history of Christianity. found in the catalog.
Lectures on the history of Christianity.
George Washington Burnap
|Statement||By George W. Burnap.|
|LC Classifications||BR145 .B85|
|The Physical Object|
|Pagination||xi, -370 p., 1 l.|
|Number of Pages||370|
|LC Control Number||27007870|
the history of christianity an introduction Download the history of christianity an introduction or read online books in PDF, EPUB, Tuebl, and Mobi Format. Click Download or Read Online button to get the history of christianity an introduction book now. This site is like a library, Use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. When you think about Christian history, you might think of the first thousand years - the events of Jesus' life, the acts of the apostles, the establishment of the church, and the various councils that established theological doctrine. But the history of Christianity from the Reformation to the present is equally dramatic and profoundly relevant.
Major developments in the political, social, and religious history of Western Europe from the accession of Diocletian to the feudal transformation. Topics include the conversion of Europe to Christianity, the fall of the Roman Empire, the rise of Islam and the Arabs, the “Dark Ages,” Charlemagne and the Carolingian renaissance, and the. Prophetic books of Old Testament: History of Christianity in Europe: New Testament: History of Christianity in Asia: Gospels & Acts: History of Christianity in Africa: Epistles: History of Christianity in North America: Revelation (Apocalypse) History of Christianity in South America: Apocrypha.
The history of Christianity concerns the Christian religion, Christian countries, and the Church with its various denominations, from the 1st century to the present.. Christianity originated with the ministry of Jesus in the 1st century Roman province of ing to the Gospels, Jesus was a Jewish teacher and healer who proclaimed the imminent kingdom of God and was . Church History, Volume Two Video Lectures features 22 lessons (on 3 DVDs) and offers a unique contextual view of how the Christian church spread and developed from Reformation times to the present. It did so not in a vacuum, but in a setting of times, cultures, and events that both influenced and were influenced by the church. These lectures help explore the integral link between the history Brand: Zondervan.
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Telecommunications: economics and regulation
new guide to Bristol and Clifton and the Bristol channel circuit.
Excerpt from Lectures on the History of Christianity I have only to request that those who read these lectures will do so with the Bible in their hands, and turn to the passages which are cited.
By connecting these quotations with the context, they will be ena bled to judge whether I have given them the true interpretation. About the PublisherAuthor: George Washington Burnap. William J. Neidinger has prepared a lecture adult education series on video, “The History of Christianity.” This series traces the history of Christianity from its rise amidst the Hellenistic culture of the Mediterranean, through its spread across 5/5(1).
In Search of Christian Origins: Lectures on the History of Early Christianity Cdr Edition by James H. Charlesworth (Author), James Charlesworth (Editor) ISBN. All in all, Nelson's lectures are a good place to start, for someone just getting Lectures on the history of Christianity. book church history.
For further, more academic treatments I highly recommend free church history lectures at and On these websites, you can listen to lectures from Beeson Divinity School and Gordon-Conwell (on biblical. First published inPaul Johnson’s exceptional study of Christianity has been loved and widely hailed for its intensive research, writing, and magnitude—“a tour de force, one of the most ambitious surveys of the history of Christianity ever attempted and perhaps the most radical” (New York Review of Books).In a highly readable companion to books on faith and history Cited by: I am involved in Christian and Catholic apologetics.
I write and read a lot. Matthew Kelly's The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity" was given out to parishioners at the two parishes our family attends. The book is lauded as a great tool of evangelism. I read it. But I found it very shallow and insipid in its s: to read + pages of christianity's history is to read + pages of world history since christianity has been a prime mover of human history.
every continent and every religion has found a place of clarity in this book. it does not disappoint. whereas it is true that to cover years of human and religious history, the writer must default to an inch and a half below.
"A History of Early Christianityis a masterful book, and a pleasure to read. Freeman narrates the development, diversity, and spread of Christianity with originality and verve. It is a story that brims over with fascinating accounts, intriguing quotations from figures in the ancient Mediterranean, and illuminating historical analysis.
He remains a figure of intense interest in the fields of History, Philosophy and Theology. He shaped Christian doctrine in every major category, but especially the doctrines of Revelation, God, Trinity, Sin, Soteriology, and Ecclesiology.
- Augustine was born in in Thagaste, North Africa and spent most of his life in North Africa. Additional Physical Format: Online version: Burnap, George Washington, Lectures on the history of Christianity. Baltimore, Cushing & brother [etc.] Christian history had been going for six centuries or so; there were little fragments of history in some big books.
But Bede is really readable. He has wonderful stories, human interest stories, and he talked to people – very old men who remembered things before his time. Jesus is the central figure of Christianity, the world’s largest religion. As a teacher in first-century Galilee, he influenced thousands.
Yet many questions today surround this enigmatic person. This eBook examines the history of Jesus’ life, from where he was born, where he grew up and whether there is extra-Biblical evidence for his existence.
unlock the understanding of all Church history over the past 1, years. You will be able to understand the teachings of true Christianity and the guidelines by which you can prove where God’s true Church has been throughout history and WHERE IT IS TODAY.
Here, NOW REVEALED, is THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Professor Nathan Busenitz teaches a course on Historical Theology I. "Why Study Church History?" The Master's Seminary - History of Christianity. The Faculty of Theology and Religion at Oxford has had a long engagement with the History of Christianity.
At present, the Faculty maintains strengths in Anglo-Saxon Church history, in Patristics, and in Reformation history. The Hensley Henson lectures are a series of lectures given annually by a visiting lecturer, who is required, by the terms of the bequest, to speak about, 'the appeal.
Lectures on the history of Christianity by Burnap, George Washington, at - the best online ebook storage. Download and read online for free Lectures on the history of Christianity by Burnap, George Washington, /5(3). Books online The Origins of Christianity by Chapter 1: RELIGION Religion, which we may define as a belief in the existence of praeter-human and supernatural beings, is a phenomenon limited to several human species, since it depends on rudimentary powers of.
These lectures help explore the integral link between the history of the world and that of the church. A companion to the widely used textbook Church History, Volume Two by John D. Woodbridge and Frank A.
James III, the lectures feature the authors teaching through each chapter in the book. Designed with the student in mind, each lecture is approximately 20. Christian Ecclesia: A Course of Lectures on the Early History and Early Conceptions of the Ecclesia and One Sermon (Fenton John Anthony Hort) History of the Origins of Christianity.
Book VI. The Reigns of Hadrian and Antoninus Pius. (A.D. ) (Ernest Renan). These lectures begin at the very dawn of Christianity, as you examine some of the earliest examples of scripture recorded by the first communities of the faithful. You'll see how, over the centuries, these teachings developed into the orthodox teachings of the mainstream church as well as the divergent doctrines taught by splinter groups.
The History Of Christianity: The Essential Resources. While The Bible contains the tenets of Christianity and all of the important teachings of the faith, it is impossible for a student of theology to truly understand Christianity without studying it in historical context.
There are many important events in the history of Christianity that are not reflected in The Bible, and .In Historical Theology Video Lectures and its accompanying textbook, Gregg Allison offers students the opportunity to study the historical development of theology by a topical-chronological arrangement, setting out the history one doctrine at a time.
This approach allows students to concentrate on one tenet of Christianity and its formulation in the early church, through the .History of the Christian Church, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) This material has been carefully compared, corrected¸ and emended (according to the edition of Charles Scribner's Sons) by The Electronic Bible Society, Dallas, TX, History of the Christian Church, Volume I: Apostolic Christianity.
Philip Schaff A.


Staff & Vestry
Rev. William Baker Rector
The Rev. William (Bill) M. Baker is the 16th rector of Christ Episcopal Church AKA Christ Church San Marcos. He began his ministry in Tarrytown on October 31, 2021.
Bill loves living in and serving with the people of Christ Church San Marcos in Tarrytown. Bill was born in Virginia and raised in Nebraska, near the Wyoming border and 2 hours from the Colorado Rockies. He moved to New York City shortly after he graduated from high school and has lived in New York since then, except for the three years of seminary, when he moved back to Virginia.
Bill has two grown children; Meagan, who is married to Nicole and Justin, who lives with him in the rectory. He loves being a priest, but has always said that being a father was his first vocation. Bill also lives with his two frisky dogs; Sky and Laddie.
Bill says he is a mix of every place he has lived, and all the people he has known and loved. He enjoys nature and hiking in the mountains and he started to learn Spanish because his first partner was born and raised in Mexico. He is huge sports fan and he cheers for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Denver Broncos, New York Knicks, and his beloved Yankees. He also enjoys good food and traveling.
Bill possess a heart for social justice and believes his primary ministry is one of love. He welcomes you to Christ Church San Marcos and wants you to know that you have a home here.
You can reach Bill at email@example.com
Dr. Jiyoung Jeoung Music Director
Dr. Jiyoung Jeoung has concertized throughout the US, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Korea.
A church musician, Dr. Jeoung has served as music director, organist, and pianist for more than 30 years. Also, she taught piano and organ for more than 20 years at various universities, including: Jilin University of Zhuhai (China), Huntington University (Indiana) Grace College (Indiana) and Ball State University (Indiana). Dr. Jeoung holds a doctorate degree in piano/organ performance from Ball State University and master’s degree from Ewha Woman’s university in Seoul, Korea. She enjoys having lots of tea.
You can reach Jiyoung at firstname.lastname@example.org
Mr. Mario Salinas Lay Missioner
You can reach Mario at email@example.com
The Rev. Mary Grambsch – Parish Administrator
You can reach Mary at firstname.lastname@example.org
Vestry of Christ Church San Marcos: with vestry liaison assignment
Anthony Wynne, Parish Life
David Eddy, Outreach
Janice Munson, Christian Formation and Warden
Jan Atkinson, Communications
Kathy Hamilton, Property
Lora Anderson, Worship
Lucy Beltran, San Marcos Liason
Pat Roth, Property
Yvonne Davies, Stewardship and Warden


(Wikipedia) - Christianity in Iran
| ||This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2007) |
|Gregory ||Mirian ||Bademus ||Asyncritus ||Maruthas ||James |
|Eustathius ||Josef ||Shams Pahlavi || || || |
Christianity in Iran has a long history, dating back to the early years of the faith. It is older than the State Religion, Islam itself. It has always been a minority religion, with the majority state religions — Zoroastrianism before the Islamic conquest, Sunni Islam in the Middle Ages and Shia Islam in modern times — though it had a much larger representation in the past than it does today. Christians of Iran have played a significant part in the history of Christian mission. Today, there are at least 600 churches for 250,000 Christians in Iran. Contents
Main denominationsThe Armenian orthodox Vank cathedral of Isfahan is a relic of the Safavid era.
- 1 Main denominations
- 2 History
- 3 Current situation
- 4 The Bible in languages of Iran
- 5 See also
- 6 Further Literature
- 7 External links
- 8 References
A number of Christian denominations are represented in Iran. Many members of the larger, older churches belong to minority ethnic groups – the Assyrians and Armenians – having their own distinctive culture and language. The members of the newer, smaller churches are drawn both from the traditionally Christian ethnic minorities and converts from non-Christian background.
The main Christian churches are:
- Armenian Apostolic Church of Iran (between 110,000 and 250,000 adherents)
- Assyrian Church of the East of Iran (about 11,000 adherents),
- Chaldean Catholic Church of Iran (about 7,000 Assyrian adherents),
- Persian Apostolic Church of the East
- various other denominations, some examples are:
- Presbyterian, including the Assyrian Evangelical Church
- Pentecostal, including the Assyrian Pentecostal Church
- Jama''at-e Rabbani (the Iranian Assemblies of God churches)
- and the Anglican Diocese of Iran.
According to Operation World, there are between 7,000 and 15,000 members and adherents of the various Protestant, Evangelical and other minority churches in Iran, though these numbers are particularly difficult to verify under the current political circumstances.
The International Religious Freedom Report 2004 by the U.S. State Department quotes a somewhat higher total number of 300,000 Christians in Iran, and states the majority of whom are ethnic Armenians followed by ethnic Assyrians. History
See also: Sassanid ChurchQara Kelissa, West Azarbaijan. Believed by some to have been first built in 66 AD by Saint Jude. Local Armenians believe that he and Simon were both buried here. In 1329, the church was reconstructed after an earthquake destroyed the structure in 1319.
| ||This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2010) |
According to Acts 2:9 in the Acts of the Apostles there were Persians, Parthians and Medes among the very first new Christian converts at Pentecost. Since then there has been a continuous presence of Christians in Iran.
During the apostolic age, Christianity began to establish itself throughout the Mediterranean. However, a quite different Semitic Christian culture developed on the eastern borders of the Roman Empire and in Persia. Syriac Christianity owed much to preexistent Jewish communities and the Aramaic language. This language was spoken by Jesus, and, in various modern Eastern Aramaic forms is still spoken by the ethnic Assyrian Christians in Iran, northeast Syria, southeast Turkey and Iraq today (see Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic and Senaya language).
From Persian ruled Assyria (Assuristan), missionary activity spread Eastern Rite Syriac Christianity throughout Assyria and Mesopotamia, and from there into Persia, Asia Minor, Syria, the Caucasus and Central Asia, establishing the Saint Thomas Christians of India and the Nestorian Stele and Daqin Pagoda in China.
Early Christian communities straddling the Roman-Persian border were in the midst of civil strife. In 313, when Constantine I proclaimed Christianity to be a tolerated religion in the Roman Empire, the Sassanid rulers of Persia adopted a policy of persecution against Christians, including the double-tax of Shapur II in the 340s. Christians were feared as a subversive and possibly disloyal minority. In the early 5th century official persecution increased once more. However, from the reign of Hormizd III (457–459) serious persecutions grew less frequent and the church began to achieve recognised status. Political pressure within Persia and cultural differences with western Christianity were mostly to blame for the Nestorian schism, in which the Church of the East was labelled heretical. The bishop of the capital of the Sassanid Empire, Ctesiphon, acquired the title first of catholicos, and then patriarch completely independent of any Roman/Byzantine hierarchy.
Persia is considered by some to have been briefly officially Christian. Khosrau I married a Christian wife, and his son Nushizad was also a Christian. When the king was taken ill at Edessa a report reached Persia that he was dead, and at once Nushizad seized the crown and made the kingdom Christian. Very soon the rumour was prove false, but Nushizad was persuaded by persons who appear to have been in the pay of Justinian to endeavour to maintain his position. The action of his son was deeply distressing to Khosrau; it was necessary to take prompt measures, and the commander, Ram Berzin, was sent against the rebels. In the battle which followed Nushizad was mortally wounded and carried off the field. In his tent he was attended by a Christian bishop, probably Mar Aba I, and to this bishop he confessed his sincere repentance for having taken up arms against his father, an act which, he was convinced, could never win the approval of Heaven. Having professed himself a Christian he died, and the rebellion was quickly put down.
Many old churches remain in Iran from the early days of Christianity. The Church of St. Mary in northwestern Iran for example, is considered by some historians to be the second oldest church in Christendom after the Church of Bethlehem in the West Bank. A Chinese princess, who contributed to its reconstruction in 642 AD, has her name engraved on a stone on the church wall. The famous Italian traveller Marco Polo also described the church in his visit.
The Arab Islamic conquest of Persia, in the 7th century, was originally beneficial to Christians as they were a protected minority under Islam. However, from about the 10th century religious tension led to persecution once more. The influence of European Christians placed Near Eastern Christians in peril during the Crusades. From the mid-13th century, Mongol rule was a relief to Persian Christians until the Mongols adopted Islam. The Christian population gradually declined to a small minority. Christians disengaged from mainstream society and withdrew into ethnic ghettos (mostly Assyrian Aramaic and Armenian speaking). Persecution against Christians arose again in the 14th century; when the Muslim warlord of Turco-Mongol descent Timur (Tamerlane) conquered Persia, Mesopotamia, Syria, and Asia Minor, he ordered large-scale massacres of Christians in Mesopotamia, Persia, Asia Minor and Syria. Most of the victims were indigenous Assyrians and Armenians, members of the Assyrian Church of the East and Orthodox Churches.
In 1445, a part of the Assyrian Aramaic-speaking Church of the East entered into communion with the Catholic Church (mostly in the Ottoman Empire, but also in Persia). This group had a faltering start but has existed as a separate church since the consecration of Yohannan Sulaqa as Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon in 1553 by the pope. Most Assyrian Catholics in Iran today are members of the Chaldean Catholic Church. The Aramaic-speaking community that remains independent is the Assyrian Church of the East. Both churches now have much smaller memberships in Iran than the Armenian Apostolic Church.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Protestant missionaries began to evangelize Persia. Work was directed towards supporting the extant churches of the country while improving education and health care. Unlike the older, ethnic churches, these evangelical Protestants began to engage with the ethnic Persian Muslim community. Their printing presses produced much religious material in various languages. Some Persians subsequently converted to Protestantism and their churches still exist within Iran (using the Persian language). Current situationSaint Mary Park in Tehran (2011)The Russian Church of Qazvin.
In 1976, the Christian population numbered 168,593 people, mostly Armenians. Due to the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, almost half of the Armenians migrated to the newly independent Republic of Armenia. However, the opposite trend has occurred since 2000, and the number of Christians with Iranian citizenship increased to 109,415 in 2006. At the same time, significant immigration of Assyrians from Iraq has been recorded due to massacres and harassment in post-Saddam Iraq. However, most of those Assyrians in Iran don''t have Iranian citizenship. In 2008, the central office of the International Union of Assyrians was officially transferred to Iran after being hosted in the United States for more than four decades.
|Census ||Christians ||Total ||Percentage ||+/- |
|1976 ||168,593 ||33,708,744 ||0.500% ||... |
|1986 ||97,557 ||49,445,010 ||0.197% ||-42% |
|1996 ||78,745 ||60,055,488 ||0.131% ||-19% |
|2006 ||109,415 ||70,495,782 ||0.155% ||+39% |
The government guarantees the recognized Christian minorities a number of rights (production and sale of non-halal foods), representation in parliament, special family law etc. According to US-based Barnabas Fund government intrusion, expropriation of property, forced closure and persecution, particularly in the initial years after the Iranian Revolution, have all been documented. Youcef Nadarkhani, an Jammiat-e Rabbani pastor allegedly "sentenced to death for refusing to recant his faith". And more recently the Iranian-American pastor and former Muslim Saeed Abedini, who in 2013 was sentenced to eight years prison, allegedly "Helped to build the country’s underground Christian church network". However, Iranian official sources has described such claims as "propaganda".
Iranian Christians tend to be urban, with 50% living in Tehran. There are Satellite networks like Mohabbat TV and Sat7Pars that distribute educational and encouraging programs for Christians, especially targeting Persian speakers. Some Christian ex-Muslims emigrate from Iran for educational, political, security or economic reasons. The Bible in languages of IranSt. Sarkis Church
Armenian and Assyrian Christians use Bibles in their own languages.
Multiple Persian translations and versions of the Bible have been translated in more recent times.
Portions of the Bible are translated into Azeri (New Testament, Jesus Film), Mazanderani (portions), Gilaki (Gospel of John, Story of Joseph, Jesus Film), Bakhtiari (portions, Jesus Film), Luri (portions, Jesus Film) and Kurdish (the Gospels).
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Ora “Rabbit” A. Morgan, 75, of Leland, N.C. was called home by the lord on April 18th, 2017.
Visitation will be held at Wilmington Funeral & Cremation 525 Village Rd. Leland on Friday April 21, 2017 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at The Bridge of Life Community Church 2220 Mercantile Dr NE, Leland on Saturday April 22, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. with Jerome Bullard and Tim Rausch officiating. Burial will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park.
Rabbit was born in Jacksonville N.C. to Paul Johnson and Minnie Johnson on June 16th, 1941. In October of 1956 she married her childhood sweetheart Thomas M. Morgan and through their union they were blessed with three beautiful children.
Rabbit, a woman of immense spirituality was well known and greatly respected for her deep and unwavering faith. There is no question to those who knew and loved her that she had a direct connection to God. She made it her mission in life to minister to all those she encountered which she did so with vigor. She showed great devotion to the lord, it radiated from her and through her efforts she helped guide many to him. Without effort she provided solace and bestowed spiritual wisdom to the ones in her life. She served her family and God to the best of her ability and asked little in return. She longed for little more than peace and happiness for those she loved. Always with a kind word and a heartfelt prayer she remained strong for those around her and true to her faith throughout her days.
Ora “Rabbit” A. Morgan is preceded in death by mother Minnie Johnson; father, Paul Johnson; sister, Linda Borger; brother, Walt Johnson; husband, Thomas M. Morgan and two sons, Danny Morgan and Tommy J. Morgan. She is survived by her sister, Pat Powell; brother, Paul Johnson; daughter, Patricia Asbell; along with multiple loving grand and great grandchildren.
In Lieu of Flowers the family humbly asks that memorial donations be made in memory of Ora A. Morgan to the Lower Cape Fear Hospice & LifeCare Center.
Please share memories and condolences with the family by clicking on the “Post A Condolence” tab below.
Wilmington Funeral & Cremation Village Road Chapel 525 Village Rd. Leland, NC 28451 910.383.3511


United Reformed Church
This was originally one of the tanning barns of the hide business (see record 0486 for more detail), being owned by William Waine who sold it in 1840 to the Congregationalists who founded the church here in 1843, although Wheatley people had joined this congregation in 1796, worshipping elsewhere. The schoolroom overlooking Crown Square was built in 1898.
The pre-1897 photo shows the chapel and the cottage(s) which Iliffe Pike gave for the site of the schoolroom. Mr East, known as Bumper East as he had a wooden leg, is standing in the foreground. Lamp on corner of the cottage was lit manually for a few hours every evening by a member of the Shepherd family.


Hello to all you bloggers out there. This is my first post on my first blog. Its a rather surreal moment for me because in a way, it is the fulfillment of one of my dreams. I always dreamed of being published, of writing a book. It occurs to me that this is probably as good as its gonna get for being published. Writing consumable words seems to be my thing right now. I hope that anyone who visits my blog will enjoy the stop here. There is alot to look at on the internet and it feels good to try to offset some of the yuck with some...well, not too bad stuff.
The title Answer to My Prayers is because all of my life, all of my work, all of my deeds and most of my thoughts seem to be conversations with God and responses to those conversations. Whatever I share is an answer to prayer, in some form or another. If this blog inspires some to pray and listen to the voice of God, then it is worth me getting here.
A.W. Tozer is one of my favorite authors and this is a thought from his book, The Pursuit of God. "God formed us for his pleasure, and so formed us that we, as well as he, can, in divine communion, enjoy the sweet and mysterious mingling of kindred personalities. He meant us to see Him and live with Him and draw our life from His smile."


If someone doesn’t notice you, it isn’t because you’re doing something wrong it means SOMEONE is out there praying for you. At the right time, the right person will notice you.
God has called you to be yourself. If you aren’t even sure who that is, then you DEFINITELY don’t need to be…
- John Green, Paper Towns1590 notes
- (via loviebeks)296 notes
- John Green & David Levithan, Will Grayson, Will Grayson1486 notes


Beth Emet Messianic Synagogue is an affiliate of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and a member congregation of the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship. Our statement of faith is the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 (see link below). We are comprised of Jewish and Gentile believers in Yeshua (Jesus), practicing our faith in traditional Jewish ways, similar to the original Messianic Jews and early Christians from the first century A.D. The early believers in the church were mostly Jews and at the time of its conception, the early Church was a sect of the Judaism of its day. Through centuries of persecution and purposeful removal of anything Jewish from our faith, the seedlings of anti-Semitism set in, creating a divide between Christianity and Judaism that has widened up til today. It is our purpose to worship in the traditions of the original early Church, building bridges between Christianity and Judaism in the hopes of repairing damaged relationships between the two groups, educating the Church in her Jewish roots of the faith, and sharing the truth of Messiah with non-believing Jews in a manner that demonstrates that one need not surrender his or her Jewish identity in order to believe in Yeshua (Jesus). Won't you help us to accomplish this task?


Wow, what a crazy summer it has been! There have been many new beginnings in my life over the past few months. A new baby, a new role (becoming a mom), and a new understanding of the amount of love that can be felt in a matter of seconds.
This has given me a new perspective of the parents I will have the pleasure of working with this year. I am only beginning to understand the pride you take in every accomplishment or the hurt you feel when something unpleasant happens to your child. Some days will be filled with accomplishments. Some days there will be unpleasant things. It is my prayer that I am able to share God’s love through every circumstance.
As we begin a new school year I want to say thank you for letting me love on and take care of your precious babies. I am looking forward to the many new things they will teach me this year.


Click here for a look at the churches features in this book
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Buy this book from Westminster John Knox
While many individuals might seek after an assortment of spiritual practices and approaches,
the local congregation still remains the place where most Christians turn for religious education,
nurture, ritual, and a sense of community. Yet many congregations struggle to respond to the spiritual
needs of new faces in their pews.
In Excellent Protestant Congregations, respected religious journalist Paul Wilkes profiles eight dynamic,
geographically and denominationally diverse congregations that have a distinct ability to create a vibrant
community of worship. Wilkes draws out the "points of excellence" that lie beneath each congregationís success
and vitality. From hosting luncheons after funerals to organizing powerful life-changing retreats, from developing
a capital campaign to getting volunteers to cheerfully do work for the church, Excellent Protestant Congregations
provides real-world insights that are both inspiring and applicable in a local congregation. The geographic
listing of over 300 excellent Protestant congregations and an index guiding readers to specific topics such as
stewardship, bereavement, and how to reach Gen Xers, make Excellent Protestant Congregations an invaluable resource
for church life.
About the Author
Paul Wilkes is author of over a dozen books, including Beyond the Walls: Monastic Wisdom for Everyday Life
(Doubleday, 1999); The Good Enough Catholic: A Guide for the Perplexed (Ballantine, 1996); And They Shall Be
My People: An American Rabbi and His Congregation (Ballantine, 1994). Producer of two series ("Merton" and
"Six American Families") for PBS. Articles in The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly,
The Nation, Commonweal.


Return to the previous page.
The word 'Recognizing' occurs 1 times less often in the NIV2011 (1 times) than it does in the NIV1984 (2 times). The word 'Recognizing' was removed in 1 verses, and added in 0 verses.
Below you will find all the verses where 'Recognizing' was added or removed from a verse in the NIV1984 to make the NIV2011. If the word was moved around (for example if the grammar was changed) in the verse it will not be listed below, this page only lists where words have been added or removed.
|Uses TNIV text||1||100.0%|
Please note: The above statistics are compiled at the level of the entire verse text, not the word level.
|Outcome||Uses TNIV text|
|SBLGNT||ὁ γὰρ ἐσθίων καὶ ⸀πίνων κρίμα ἑαυτῷ ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει μὴ διακρίνων τὸ ⸀σῶμα.|
|SBLGNT apparatus||πίνων WH Treg NIV ] + ἀναξίως RP • σῶμα WH Treg NA ] + τοῦ κυρίου NIV RP|
|NIV1984||For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.|
|TNIV||For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.|
|NIV2011||For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.|
|Compared to NIV1984||For |
|Compared to TNIV||For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.|


JOSEPH GINYARD, one of the founders and pastor of Calvary Gospel Chapel, took his ministry far beyond the chapel doors.
He made four trips to Kenya, taking Bibles, medicine and other supplies, as well as the word of God, to remote villages.
toured Eastern Europe with a Word of Life Fellowship group, preaching
and taking religious programs to countries that were formerly under the
yoke of communism.
most of his work was in Philadelphia, where he founded Wise Choice
Ministries, providing transitional residences for needy families, and
found ways to serve his congregation, especially the young members, whom
he enjoyed mentoring and showing how to live the good life.
Joe, as he was known, a 40-year veteran of the Postal Service and a
Marine in World War II and Korea, died Monday of heart failure. He was
89 and living in Mullica Hill, N.J., but had lived most of his life in
"He was humble in spirit, but was grace in action," his family said.
Joseph was a proud Marine and trained at the segregated Montford Point base in Jacksonville, N.C.
Marines were reluctant to welcome African-Americans into their ranks,
but were forced to after President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an
executive order banning segregation in defense industries and the
The Marines set up a training camp with less-than-ideal
conditions. The barracks were rundown and infested with bugs and snakes,
but eager young men like Joseph Ginyard went there to learn to be good
Joe remembered one tough drill sergeant named Cecil B.
Moore, who became a lawyer, civil-rights firebrand and city councilman
After training, Joe was shipped to the South
Pacific, where he was part of the invasions of islands like Guadalcanal
and Guam. Black troops weren't allowed to fight, but he served in
various support activities.
The surviving Montford Point Marines
were belatedly honored in a ceremony in 2012 in Washington and given the
Congressional Gold Medal.
"Their legacy of courage and
perseverance is an inspiration to all Marines," said Gen. James F. Amos,
Marine commandant, in presenting the medals to some 400 survivors.
Joe was still in the Marine Corps when the Korean War began in 1950, but did not go overseas.
was born in Philadelphia, the third of the six children of Mortie
Ginyard and Bessie McMichael Ginyard. He graduated from Northeast High
School and entered the Marines.
He later studied at the
Philadelphia Naval Electronics School, Manna Bible Institute and the
Philadelphia College of the Bible and Pastoral Counseling. He received
an honorary doctorate in theology from Manna Bible College in North
He married Cecilia M. Jackson in 1948.
greatest achievement, he would say, was in guiding and instructing young
people to be godly, responsible and productive human beings," his
"Not only did he use his gifts and talents as a
pastor to minister to his congregation, but to the world at large, seven
days a week, and beyond the church doors."
His wife died in 2004.
He is survived by two daughters, Jo-Ann Hayward and Elaine Barley; a
son, the Rev. Philip Ginyard; seven grandchildren and 11
great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by another son, Martin Ginyard.


BETHANY SUNDAY SERVICES
Sunday services at Bethany – Every Sunday 10:30 am. We come together to praise God, to learn from His Word, to encourage each other and to make Jesus known.
BETHANY PRAYER GROUP
At Bethany, we love to pray. We believe it’s what keeps us connected to God. Jesus taught his disciples to pray in
Luke 11 after they said to Him “Lord teach us to pray.”
We regularly meet to pray during the month (see calendar for dates), we focus on praying together as a church. Groups of people come together with one common purpose, which is to communicate with God and to allow Him to communicate with us.
We have various prayer requests that come to us, some are from the Sunday meeting and some are through the prayer chain.
The prayer meeting is a place to be open, honest and to be real before God as He is with us, Just as He has promised in the Bible in Matthew 18:20“Where 2 or 3 are gathered, there I am with them.”
LADIES BIBLE STUDY
Studying scripture together, we are a group of ladies who meet at the Church every Tuesday morning during school term time between 10.00-12.00 to study the Bible and pray! Our aim is to pray, study the Bible and encourage each other to grow in our Christian faith.
The Group consists of ladies of all age groups and we are always pleased to welcome anyone who would like to come! If you need more information please contact the Church office on 01291 425224 or through our the website or facebook.
BETHANY LIFE GROUPS
“Doing Life Together!”
Life groups have been running at Bethany since 2013, we have 6 of them and the aims of the groups are for people to connect with others, grow in their faith and enjoy God.
Life groups are for anyone who considers Bethany to be their home Church and is open to people from ages of 16 upwards and into the 90s.
The format of each group is that they are normally run by 2 people, they hold a meeting at their home or the church, and during the group, there will be a social element, some chats, and refreshments, some Bible teaching and prayer.
Your life group leader will be in contact during the month to just make sure your okay and support you if you have any pastoral needs.
It’s a fantastic way to connect with others from Church and to build fruitful and lasting friendships, but above all to grow in God.


Our Chapter Representatives
Bruce Parham, Chapter Representative
Bishop Bruce V. Parham Sr., Ph.D. was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the youngest of three sons given to Pastor Arthur and Almeda Parham. Being raised as a son in ministry, both physically and spiritually, instilled his burden for ministry. It was obvious by the age of two that Bishop Parham had a rich anointing to sing. As an adolescent he was engaged as a regular soloist at various church services, and annual conventions and convocations of Mt. Sinai Holy Churches of America, Inc. During this time, Bishop Parham’s gift of singing was encouraged by his grandmother who told him to “Open up your mouth and sing!”
This advice proved beneficial. At the age of twenty, Bishop Parham won numerous state and national gospel music competitions. Concurrently, Bishop Parham answered the Lord’s call to preach the Word. Together his anointing to sing intertwined with his anointing to expound the Word made him unique. This fusion opened the door for Bishop Parham to minister in song at the Gospel Music Workshop of America and receive his first of many recording contracts. For the next decade, known as “Philadelphia’s son of Promise”, Bishop Parham recorded three solo albums and worked with copious leaders in the gospel music industry.
Tomar Jackson, Assistant Chapter Representative
"Anointed" - one word that embodies the life and ministry of Tomar Jackson. Raised as a "church baby" in the Pentecostal church, developed in the Word church and matured in the Word of Faith movement this Philadelphia born vessel of God was set apart for ministry. Tomar accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior at the tender age of five at his family’s local assembly, Holy Temple Church of God In Christ, where his pastor was the late Bishop Ozro Thurston Jones, Jr. It was there Tomar learned of his gift of music, leadership, and providing the word of God. He was not just a talented singer, but he was an anointed psalmist that was blessed with the gift to instruct worship teams and choirs with clarity, revelation and the anointing.
Willie Phillips, Assistant Chapter Represenative
Elder Willie Phillips...
is a dynamic, explosive, exciting and inspiring Minister of Music. Elder Phillips has traveled the world spreading his unusual and extraordinary Ministry of Music. As a result of his work, he has been the recipient of various awards from numerous universities; among them, Villanova University, Delaware State University, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore and Salisbury State University. For his commitment to community service he has received a number of commendations from the City of Philadelphia and various other civic organizations.


Camp of Champions (COC) was birthed with the vision to develop pastors and leaders. COC seeks to encourage, educate and empower a generation of leaders that are called by God to dream the impossible and do the unthinkable.
Hand-picked leaders and pastors from different parts of the country gather to seek the heart of the Father to receive direction and impartation from His presence over a period of 3 days away from the distraction of ministry commitments and the busyness of the city.
We have equipped over 60 Pastors and Leaders in the last 2 years through the ministry of camp of champions.
Camp of Champions is designed for pastors and leaders.
If you are a pastor or a leader in ministry or an active vessel in ministerial work and you seek to be at the cutting edge of what God is doing in this country.
If you seek to develop healthy systems and strategies for the vision God has entrusted you with and If you need a time of impartation and direction from the presence of God, this camp is designed to lead you to there.
This is NOT a youth or a family camp. We will be focused on dealing with issues pertaining to ministry, leadership and church work.
- An atmosphere conducive for prayer and God’s presence to move.
- Knowledge that will help you go to the next level in your ministry and walk with God.
- We will help you develop systems and strategies to enable growth in your church and ministry.
- A time of impartation in the presence of God.
- An opportunity to connect and learn from some of the top pastors and leaders in this country.
Please fill in the registration form below, we will prayerfully consider your application and respond to it on or before the 10th of December.
There is no registration fee, you only have to manage your travel to and from the venue. Get Ready Ministry will host (Stay and food) you for the entirety of the camp.
If your application is confirmed, we will communicate the venue details to you over an email.
Founder, Get Ready Ministry
Hari Rao, is an anointed prophetic voice in this generation. An evangelist, charismatic speaker and the founder of the multifaceted organization called Get Ready Ministry.
He is a sought after speaker at evangelistic crusades, churches, and conferences.
Senior Pastor, Tabernacle of Prayer
Pastor Subi is the founder of Tabernacle of Prayer in Mumbai, India. He is one of India’s leading voices of hope and encouragement.
His gift of leadership is a blessing to leaders and churches across this nation.
He is also the lead visionary of Open Heavens, Saturate and Overflow ministries in Mumbai
We are excited!
I’m believing God for a fresh manifestation of God’s presence at the camp, to know Him in a new dimension as a friend, as a father and most importantly as a teacher.Pastor Subi Samuel
Come prepared to be challenged, equipped and empowered by God’s spirit. You will go deeper and wider in ministry.Hari Rao


Nyheitsbrev frå Joshiah venture Opprettet av frode.skarland 12.10.2020 12:48:29
Siste nyheitsbrev frå Terry English og Josiah Venture.
While we enjoyed a summer of relaxed lockdown laws, across Europe the COVID numbers are rising and countries are once again being forced to enact stricter measures. It could be easy to look at this situation and feel like giving up – how can we equip churches to reach young people when they cannot, actually, meet young people? How can the church we lead continue to disciple our members, many of whom are new believers?
Last week Josiah Venture ran an online training event which addressed some of these questions. During the event we looked at the life of Paul. He had a very vibrant ministry, traveling throughout Asia Minor planting churches, but what happened when he was locked up in jail in Rome, when he could no longer be close to his mission field…. did his ministry end? Not at all! Even from prison, he continued to equip and inspire churches he helped launch, (Ephesians, Philippians, Galatians etc.), mentor young leaders (Timothy) and share the gospel with the people he COULD reach – prison guards and members of Caesar’s household.
As we face more and more restrictions, I’m praying God will open our eyes to the new works He has already prepared us in advance to do, and see the mission field in front of us we may otherwise be missing.
ReCharge your faith and ministry
In March one of my teams was brainstorming ways we can better help our staff equip local churches to fulfill the Great Commission. One of our team members, Rob (who in September took over one of my roles, Director of Training for JV) wrote on the board “In order to enact change you have to create a crisis”.
One week later our country went into COVID lockdown and we all started working from home. Several months later when we retuned to the office, the quote was still written on the board – and it remains there till this day, with the addition “nailed it!”.
COVID has created many problems and struggles, but amongst those struggles there have also been opportunities to try something new. Being forced to close down programs and conferences has given us the opportunity to dream, be creative and serve in ways we otherwise would not have thought possible – from creating new ways of equipping churches for summer ministry (most of our residential camps were closed down this summer, so we created numerous in-city day initiatives which enabled churches to reach hundreds of teens during the summer), to coming alongside youth leaders and helping them create a tailor made approach for how they will lead and disciple the young people in their ministries during these challenging times.
One new “pivot” we recently made was to replace our flagship “Fall Conference” usually attended by 500 youth leaders from all over Europe with a one day online ministry-team training event held in 60 locations across the region called “ReCharge”. So far over 800 ministry leaders have attended the 6 hour event, which leads the teams through a series of short teaching segments with testimonies from young leaders from across our region, and the opportunity to share their reflections on the teaching and move forward in faith in making their plans for how recharge their ministries this fall. The four segments were:
Live by Faith
Navigate the Obstacles
Maximize the Opportunities
Show the Way
Although we created this event in a very short timeframe (6 weeks from conception to completion), it has been extremely well received by participants and our staff. I am especially excited that the event was attended by people who would not usually be able to attend our fall conference, and it also gave us the opportunity to enable 60 of our staff members to shepherd the teams through the day, enabling them to build stronger relationships with local churches, and helping local churches build stronger relationships with each other. Some of the feedback we have received include:
“ReCharge was increadible! It was definitely my favorite JV event thus far! It gave leaders a small taste of what it could look like to be in relationship with other youth leaders, pastors and churches in this region.” – a JV staff member
I would like to share with you how much I feel loved by you and overwhelmed by God's mercy. Today I really recharged. I needed that encouragement. I got it. I got bigger faith” A local youth workers message to one of our JV staff hosts.
“In order to enact change, you have to create a crisis”. When the situation permits we will continue to hold large in-person events, but in the meantime we have stumbled upon a whole new way of equipping hundreds of leaders we have not reached before, and our 6 week experiment has now lead to a new tool which though which we can better equip our staff to help local churches to fulfill the Great Commission.
(we are currently reformatting the video content for US/UK churches – if your local church youth ministry is feeling a little lost right now and needs a “ReCharge”, this may be one tool to help them – I’d be happy to give you more information if you are interested!)
The Czech Republic relaxed their lockdown laws this summer which enabled us to move forward with our ministry plans. As we shared in July, we were able to hold a Fusion outreach camp at which several teens made professions of faith, and Hanka also helped lead our churches camp for 7-13yr olds.
One of the best practices we encourage churches to adopt is initiating a bible study for all young people who make a profession of faith (or who want to know more) within 3 days of making that profession. This summer we have really seen the fruit of that best practice. Hanka lead a weekly “GRO” bible study (using JV materials we spent the last 2 years helping to develop) attended by 5 teens, one of whom then invited another classmate to join. Two months later, all 6 teens are growing strongly in their faith, becoming integtrated into our wider church community (including attending a church retreat weekend!) , and we had the pleasure of baptizing 2 of them (Wojta and Adelka) last week.
One special moment from our church retreat was watching Wojta leading Terka through one of the bible studies she had missed. A new believer, 8 weeks into his faith, leading a friend in a bible study. What a blessing to watch, and a testimony to the impact the Holy Spirit is having on their lives through Hanka (they are also students at Hanka’s school. In the past year 4 students and 1 teacher have put their faith in Christ – we wonder what else God has in store for that school!)
Last week I walked past a restaurant garden and saw another group of young people from our Fusion who were in a “SEEK” study, aimed at young people who are exploring our faith but not yet ready to make a profession (also using materials – this time an APP - developed by my team). This study was being lead by Sylva, who came to Christ through our Gospel choir 3 years ago. Despite the challenges we are facing, God is at work in the lives of the people around us!
This year Míša started to attend a new grammar school – the kids are growing up fast! She likes her class (it helps that her best friend from primary school is with her!) and thankfully so far the students have not been too impacted by COVID (although several teachers and classes from her school have been quarantined). Sammy is also enjoying being back in school and this week created his first powerpoint presentation.
Last week the Government announced a new set of measures to combat the rising COVID outbreak in the Czech Republic, which means Hanka is now split between teaching her younger students in person, and her older students online. Although the government announced this is a short term measure, most people expect schools to switch to fully online classes soon, especially given how fast COVID is spreading through schools (several classes in Hanka’s school have also been quarantined, and children in our church have caught COVID through the classroom – thankfully they are not seriously sick).
While we have enjoyed a summer of fewer restrictions, the country is once again beginning to slowly shut down as the COVID outbreak increases. As a church we have really enjoyed meeting together for a brief time, (and it has been amazing to see how we have grown in number and depth this year!) but have once again drawn up plans to move everything online. The hardest decision for me personally has been connected to the Ostrava Sings (the) Gospel choir – all activities involving singing have been shut down for the coming future, so once again, we are exploring how to “pivot” to keep reaching the hundreds of people we impact each Christmas. Prayers and inspiration are very much welcome!!!
In the meantime, please be praying that we approach this new time with hope and our eyes fixed on Jesus, making sensible decisions about how to best move our ministries forward.
Dad in Hospital
Last month my dad, who lives here in the Czech Republic, had a stroke, and has been in hospital since. While his brain is working well (his sense of humour and sarcasm were not at all affected!), the stroke has impacted his ability to move, which means he is confined to a wheelchair and slowly learning to walk again. Unfortunately, because of COVID we are not able to visit him, so it is hard to understand how much he is improving, and if he is getting the care he needs.
Could you please pray for his recovery, and also for his wife, Joyce, who has now gone over a month without seeing her husband? Could you also pray for wisdom for what would be the best “next steps”. Ironically, dad and Joyce had planned to move back to UK this year precisely so that this kind of situation would not occur. Now we are unsure of what their future holds, and the impact it will also have on our family.
Kommentar funksjonen er lukket av administrator.


The First United Methodist Church of Orange started recycling today This is the picture of their first recycles to be picked up today The church is paying $15 a month for the service using the money from recycling aluminum cans the congregation brings the second Sunday of the month.
The First United Methodist Church is the only church in Orange that is recycling with Recyclops.
KOCB is so proud of them!!
There are a lot of churches in Orange County that can do the same. How about it other churches?
We would love to have you join us. We are the Stewarts of the earth and this is a great way to help take care of the earth.
Find out how by clicking the link below!


How can I visit Goa and not fall in love with the magnificent churches there? We could not make it to all the must-see churches there, but I am glad about the ones we visited. The churches in Goa have an old-world charm of their own, and took us to some bygone era. 🙂
This picture is of the Basilica of Bom Jesus – an absolutely stunning church. The mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier are preserved to this day in this church.
This is a picture of the Se Cathedral, right opposite the Basilica.
The Basilica has a beautiful yard, made all the more prettier by the number of trees that grow here. Needless to say, I was charmed by it.
These two pictures were taken inside the Basilica. The first one might be an imperfect shot, but I loved the feeling the sepia tone gives to the picture.
This one is, again, a picture of the Basilica – from another angle.
This picture is of The Church of Mae de Deus, another lovely structure. Sadly, we couldn’t go inside this church as it is open only on Sundays.
Gosh! Such pretty churches! I could make a trip to Goa any time just for the beaches and the churches! 🙂


According to a report published in 2012 by the political think tank Demos religious people are more likely to volunteer, donate more to charity and be politically active. Although this has been observed in the USA before, this is the first study of its kind in the UK. The report states:
Faith communities build among their members, key values – responsibility, patience, compassion, solidarity and honesty. They help build character traits in young people that enable them to succeed in education and in the world of work. Faith groups and faith-based organisations are providing activities for young people, tackling unemployment, counselling on indebtedness, and supporting the homeless and those seeking asylum.
A recent example of this has been the rapid deployment across the UK of Street Pastors. Christian volunteers are out on the streets over the weekend until 3 o’clock in the morning offering a helping hand and mediating conflict – often intervening in situations before they get out of hand, reducing the burden on the police.
What is particularly surprising about the report is that the majority of active religious people in the UK are on the left of the political spectrum – quite different from the USA where the politically active (or at least most noisy) are on the right. It is not my intention to draw conclusions from this distinction, but to add the observation that, despite attempts to limit religion to the private sphere, faith continues to inspire public action. The findings of the Demos report in this country run counter to the prevailing wisdom that the more heavenly minded are the less earthly use.
While the report highlights the good work done by religious folk as volunteers it is silent on whether faith makes any difference to their daily work as teachers, nurses or corporate executives. If religious faith makes a difference to people’s voluntary activity, perhaps it also influences their daily work. This is not discussed in the Demos report and I cannot bring forth evidence to prove it. But it seems unlikely that faith only works “out of hours”. The values of equality, justice and compassion that inspire religious people to walk the streets of our cities late into the night must also make a difference on the day job.
My final thought is to respond to the question the Demos Report asks on its front cover and then ignores in the report. “Why do those who do God, do good …?”. While noting that religious belief and affiliation is declining in the UK the Report says nothing about how it might be encouraged and supported. If there is a correlation between faith and good work, this cannot be taken for granted. But how does God make a difference to the good we may do in the community, or in our professional life?
The report does recognise the role of communities of faith, but there is, it seems to me, something more that can be said. Religious faith, and by this I mean something more than spirituality, provides a space in which habits of mind and behaviour can flourish. It provides both container and content. The content, of whatever religious tradition, consists of a narrative that provides a unified cosmology, a comprehensive worldview, or a vision of human purpose and destiny. The container provides a set of rituals and practices that nurture and develop that purpose.
To the extent that a religious community provides this space, to that extent its members can tap into its ancient wisdom, developing the personal habits of mind and behaviour that lead to compassionate action. Whether at work or on the streets, in the family or in political life, religious faith can make a difference.
Those who do God, do good.
So some questions:
– in your experience of faith what is the source of inspiration for good work?
– what disciplines in your faith tradition help you nurture the habits of mind and behaviour that result in good work?
– if you are associated with a religious organisation (church, mosque, synagogue, etc), how does your participation help you do good work?


You should never have to settle when it comes to your child’s education.
At Sangaree Christian School we use the Christian-based Abeka Curriculum. You should not have to sacrifice biblical worldview for high academics. With Abeka, you get both. Every subject is viewed from a Christian perspective, so your child isn’t left half prepared to make a difference in their world.
Abeka unfortunately does not offer a curriculum for infants. However, they are not overlooked.. At Sangaree Christian School we still provide simple crafts for your child to begin to create and discover senses using their gross and fine motor skills.
In K2, our mission is to help establish social and communication skills for your child, while also nurturing biblically based emotional skills. Your child will discover colors, shapes, animals, numbers, and biblically based songs.
For K3, our program is designed to help further develop your child’s social and emotional skills. We place a focus on letters, phonics, penmanship, and bible stories. We also begin to introduce memory verses!
All children are required to attend chapel each Wednesday morning. It is a time to introduce children to fun bible stories and songs!


The following comprise our Scriptural beliefs:
(A) Bibliology – The Doctrine of Scripture
1. The Doctrine of Inspiration – We believe the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments (OT & NT), as originally given in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages, is the verbal, plenary, inspired revelation of God, inerrant, infallible, and eternal (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:20-21; I Cor. 2:13; Jn. 17:17; Ps. 119:89).
2. The Doctrine of Preservation – We believe the Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT) of the OT, including the consonants, vowels, and accent pointings, and the Greek Textus Receptus (TR) of the NT, embody the verbal plenary, preserved Scriptures in the original languages equally inerrant and infallible, and therefore should be used as the authority for all translations (Ps. 12:6-7; Pro. 30:5; Isa. 59:21; Mt. 4:4; 5:18).
3. English Translations – We believe that the King James Version (KJV), also known as the Authorized Version (AV), is an accurate and reliable translation of God’s preserved words (as found in the Hebrew MT and the Greek TR) into the English language; and as such, shall be the official and only translation of the Holy Scriptures used by Bible Baptist Church and all of its ministries (Mt. 5:18; 24:35; Jn. 12:48; Rev. 22:18-19).
(B) Theology Proper – The Doctrine of the True Triune God
1. The Trinity – We believe in the Triune God-Head, the one and only one living and true God, whose name is Jehovah, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; revealed under the personal and relative distinctions of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption (I Jn. 5:7, 20; Isa. 48:16-17; Mt. 28:19).
2. The Person and Work of Jesus Christ.
a. His Person – We believe the Lord Jesus Christ, eternally existing as God the Son, is the Second Person of the Triune God, co-equal with the Father. Fulfilling prophecy, He was born of the virgin Mary, having been conceived by the Holy Ghost in order to manifest the Godhead in human flesh and become mankind’s redeemer (Heb. 1:1-5; Phil. 2:5-8; Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Lk. 1:35; Jn. 1:1-4; I Tim. 3:16; I Jn. 5:20; Gal. 4:4-5).
b. His Work – We believe that in His first coming, Christ accomplished the redemption of mankind by His vicarious death, burial, and bodily resurrection from death, His shed blood being the price of man’s redemption. Afterwards, He ascended to His throne in Heaven to intercede for man as his great High Priest, edifying His churches until He returns (Mt. 16:18; 27:1-28:15; Acts 1:6-11; 20:28; I Pet. 2:24; Heb. 9:11-28).
3. The Death, Burial, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ.
a. Substitutionary Sacrifice. We believe that Christ died for the sins of all mankind according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood (Isa. 53:6; Mk. 10:45; I Cor. 15:1-4; Rom. 5:9; I Jn. 2:2).
b. Death, Burial, and Bodily Resurrection. We believe that after three days burial He arose bodily from the dead in the same body in which He suffered and died, and thereby constituting the Gospel message (Mt. 12:40; Acts 3:15-16; I Cor. 15:1-4).
c. Ascension and High Priestly Ministry. We also believe that our Lord ascended into Heaven; that He is now seated at the right hand of the Father and is our High Priest and Divine Advocate with the Father (Mk. 16:19; Acts 1:9-11; I Tim. 2:5; Heb. 2:17; 5:9-10; 8:1, 6; 12:2; I Jn. 2:1).
d. Finished Work of Redemption. We believe that by His finished work on the cross and His unceasing ministry of intercession in glory, that Jesus Christ has procured for every believer eternal redemption, eternal salvation, and everlasting life (Mk. 16:19; Jn. 3:16; 19:30; 20:27; Rom. 5:9; I Cor. 15:3,4; Heb. 5:9; 7:25; 8:1; 9:12; I Jn. 2:2).
4. The Personality and Ministry of the Holy Spirit.
a. His Personality – We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Triune God is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son, possessing all the same attributes and perfections (Acts 5:3-4; Gen. 1:1-2; Mt. 3:16-17; 28:19-20).
b. His Ministry –
(1) Convicts. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person, that He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and judgment, and that He regenerates the sinner by the Word of God (Jn. 16:7-15).
(2) Indwells. We believe that He permanently indwells the body of each believer, that he seals, enlightens, instructs, and guides every born again person, and that He is the efficient Powerful Person of godly living, Christian service, and spiritual worship (Jn. 14:6, 17, 26; 16:7-15; I Pet. 1:23; Eph. 4:30).
(3) Gives New Birth. We believe that all who by faith, receive the Lord Jesus Christ, are born again by the Holy Spirit, and thereby become the children of God in the Kingdom of God (Jn. 1:12-13; 3:5-17; I Pet. 1:18-19).
(4) Authenticator. We believe that the Christ baptized certain first centuries believers in the Holy Spirit to authenticate His Jerusalem assembly (Mt. 3:11; Mk. 1:8; Lk. 3:16; Jn. 1:33; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4; 8:15-17; 10:44-45; 11:15-17; 19:6).
5. The Creative Work of God
a. The Creation of Heaven and Earth – We believe that the Lord God created the Heavens and Earth in six literal days. We oppose all forms of evolution including theistic evolution, the day-age theory, and the Gap theory (Gen. 1:1-19; Ps. 104:1 ff.; Jn. 1:1 ff.; Col. 1:16).
b. The Creation of Angels – We believe that the Triune God created the angelic realm during the creation week, including Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer. We believe that Lucifer fell sometime after Day Six and took a third of the angels [demons] with him (Isa 14:12-14; Ezk. 28:12-17; Col. 1:16; I Tim. 3:6; Rev. 4:11; 12:4).
c. The Creation of Man – We believe that God created man [Adam] on the Six Day in His image, as an untested but holy creature. We believe He created Eve from Adam on Day Six (Gen. 1:26-31; 2:7-25; 5:1-2; Eph. 4:23-24; I Tim. 2:14-16).
(C) Soteriology – The Doctrine of Salvation
a. The Fall of Man – We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, are totally depraved, and for those who reach moral responsibility become sinners in thought, word, and deed, and that they must be born again to be accepted of God (Jn. 3:1-5; Rom. 5:12; 3:10; 7:9;).
b. The Salvation of Man – We believe that God holds all men without excuse, and that man has the full responsibility and ability to repent of sins and believe the Gospel (i.e., the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ) to be saved. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for all mankind and made full atonement for all men’s sins. We believe those who have been born again have everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but have passed from death unto life. We reject both Calvinism and works-salvation. (Jon. 2:9; Lk. 18:13; 16:31; Jn. 1:12-13; 3:18; 5:24; Acts 2:38; Rom. 1:20; I Jn. 5:1).
c. The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers – We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (Jn. 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1; 38-39; I Cor. 1:4-8; I Pet. 1:4-5).
d. The Sanctification of the Believer. We believe that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of His holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the continual use of the appointed means—especially the word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness and prayer, in the context of the Lord’s assembly (Jn. 14: 16-17; 17:17; Rom. 8:9-14; I Cor. 1:2; I Thes. 4:3; I Pet. 1:2; II Pet. 1:5-7).
(1) We believe the Bible forbids divorce (and divorce and remarriage), and that marriage is for the lifetime of the spouses. Any effort to divorce, or divorce and remarry, will constitute grounds for church discipline. Any church member with divorce, or remarriage after divorce, in his/her background, will need to repent publicly of the sin, but will remain in their current marriage. No man with divorce in his marital life may be qualified for the offices of bishop or deacon (Gen. 2:24; Mal. 2:16; Mt. 1:18-25; 5:32; 19:8-9; Mk. 10:5-12; Rom. 7:2-3; I Cor. 7:10-11; I Tim. 3:2, 12).
(2) We believe that God gave human sexuality for the genders of male and female to enjoy exclusively within biblical marriage. We believe the Bible condemns sodomy, bestiality, fornication, pornography, and all aberrant sexual practices such as rape, child molestation, “living together,” etc. (Gen. 2:24; 18:20; 19:4-7; Mt. 5:27-28; I Thes. 4:3).
(3) We believe the Bible condemns abortion and cremation (Ex. 20:13; Ps. 139:13-16; I Sam. 31:12; I Cor. 15:1-58).
(D) Ecclesiology – The Doctrine of the Church
1. The Origin of the Church
a. Beginning. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ began His church during His lifetime, using the baptized converts of John the Baptist, and commissioning twelve as Apostles, to carry out His work (Mt. 3:2-6; Jn. 1:35-42; Mt. 10:2-4).
b. Edification. We believe He edified His assembly with the teaching about church discipline, the Lord’s Supper and the Great Commission (Mt. 16:18; 18:16-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20).
c. Inauguration. We believe that His assembly of baptized believers was publicly inaugurated on the Day of Pentecost (Ex. 40:34; I Ki. 8:11; Ezk. 43:2-3; Acts 1:5, 14-15; 2:1-4).
2. The Meaning of the Church
a. Ekklesia. We believe that the word church (ekklesia) means a visible assembly in every NT occasion (115x), referring to either the assembly of Israel, the civil assembly, or the Christian assembly. We believe that the visible, local church is the body of Christ (Act 2:41-47; 7:38; 19:32, 39, 41; 20:28; I Cor. 12:27; Heb. 12:23).
b. Congregation Covenanted Together. We believe that when ekklesia refers to the Christian assembly, it refers to an organized congregation of baptized believers; associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel; meeting on the first day of the week as the Lord’s day; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by his laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His word; and its only proper officers are bishops and deacons (Mt. 18:20; I Cor. 11:17-18; 16:1-2; Rev. 1:13).
c. Distinctions. We believe that the ekklesia is distinct from the “the kingdom of God” (the realm of regeneration that is universal and invisible), and “the family of God” (all saints including OT, Tribulation, and Millennial saints) (Jn. 3:3-5; Eph. 3:15).
d. No Universal Church. We believe that the NT Scriptures repudiate the notions of a “universal, visible church,” a “universal, invisible, church,” a “ghost church,” “the mystical church,” or “the mystical body of Christ.” We reject the notion that the Holy Spirit baptizes all believers into some mystical body (Gal. 1:2; Rev. 2-3).
e. No Para-Church. We reject therefore the implementation of such unbiblical notions of para-church ministries or mission agencies functioning outside the authority of the local church, or such man-centered movements of “fundamentalism” that insists on organizing around a larger “cause of Christ” movement than the local church (Mt. 28:19-20).
3. The Purpose of the Church
a. Great Commission. We believe that the purpose of the church is to carry out the Lord’s Great Commission by going to the nations and discipling them, baptizing them, and instructing them in the words of Christ (Mt. 28:19-20).
b. Ordinances. We believe that the biblical church must practice the biblical ordinances of Christ in unity (I Cor. 12:13).
(1) Baptism. We believe that biblical Baptism is the public immersion of a believer in water, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and our new life in Him; and that it is the means by which God puts the believer into the assembly, and that it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership (Mt. 3:5-6, 13-17; Acts 2:38-41; 8:37; Rom. 6:3-5; I Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27; Col. 2:12; I Pet. 3:21).
(2) Lord’s Supper. We believe that the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper has been given to the assembly as members receive the bread and juice of the fruit of the vine as emblems of the broken body of Christ and His shed blood, respectively, and by which His death is commemorated, and because of which we must solemnly examine ourselves. Although we believe there is a biblical allowance for “close” communion (e.g., Acts 20:7), our position is that it is “closed” to all but the particular church members (Mt. 26:26-30; Acts 2:42; 20:7; I Cor. 11:18-34).
c. Church Discipline. We believe that the assembly has the authority to exercise church discipline upon itself following the Lord’s instruction of initially going to the offending party privately, then with two or three other witnesses, and if no resolve, then bringing the offending party before the assembly for reconciliation or disposition (Mt. 18:16-18; I Cor. 5:1-13).
d. We believe that the assembly members have the responsibility to exercise their individual spiritual gift for the edifying of the body of Christ (Rom. 12:6-8; I Cor. 12:1-31; I Pet. 4:10-11).
d. Separation. We believe that the church must separate itself, both individually and corporately from all forms of worldliness and religious compromise, including liberalism, ecumenism, new evangelicalism, the new age movement, the charismatic movement, and man-centered fundamentalism (Rom. 16:17-19; II Cor. 6:14-18; II Thes. 3:6, 10-15).
e. Training Men. We believe the assembly has the responsibility to train primarily the men of the church in the Scriptures as the leaders of their respective homes and for service in the church. This will be accomplished through Sunday School, preaching services, men’s meetings (Acts 18:24-28; Eph. 5:25-30; II Tim. 2:2; Tit. 2:1-2; I Jn. 2:14).
f. Exercise of Spiritual Gifts. We believe that the Scripture teaches that each believer has one of the seven spiritual gifts enumerated in Rom. 12:6-7 (e.g., the gift of prophecy, the gift of ministry, the gift of teaching, the gift of exhortation, the gift of giving, the gift of ruling, and the shewing mercy), which gift must be exercised in the local church for mutual edification and for ultimate reward or loss of reward of the Bema of Christ (Rom. 12:6-8; I Cor. 12:4-6; I Pet. 4:10-11; I Cor. 3:9-15).
4. Biblical Officers of the Church.
a. Pastor/Bishop/Elder. We believe that the NT assembly of Christ has as the leader of the church the office of Pastor, known also as Bishop or Elder. His responsibility includes prayer, Bible study, and giving oversight to the assembly as a caring leader. He must fulfill the qualifications of Scripture (Jn. 10:11, 14; Acts 6:4; 20:28; Phil. 1:1; I Tim. 3:1-7, 5:17; Tit. 1:5-9; I Pet. 5:1-4).
b. Deacon. We believe that the NT assembly of Christ has as servants the office of Deacon. His necessity and duties are connected to the care of widows. He must fulfill the qualifications of Scripture (Acts 6:1-6; Phil. 1:1; I Tim. 3:8-13; 5:3-16).
E) Eschatology – The Doctrine of Future Events
1. The Second Coming.
a. Daniel’s Heptads. We believe that Daniel’s Seventy Weeks refers to God’s judgment on Israel, with the first sixty-nine heptads covering the period from the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the Cross, and the last heptad of one week or seven years, referring to the Tribulation. The interval between the first sixty-nine and the last seven includes the crucifixion of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem, and allows for what turns out to be the period of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven (Dan. 9:24-27; Rev. 6-19).
b. The Rapture. We believe the catching away of believers, commonly known as the Rapture, will occur before the seven year Tribulation. The saints who will be raptured will be NT saints or Christians, and not “the universal church,” nor inclusive of the OT saints. Therefore, we believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of NT saints (I Thes. 4:13-5:11).
c. The Tribulation. We believe that the Tribulation will be the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy of divine judgment on Israel and the world with the purpose of calling multitudes to salvation from the Antichrist and his program. The church-age saints will not enter into nor go through the Tribulation (Isa. 24-26; Zech. 14:1-21; Rev. 6-19).
d. The Revelation of Christ. We believe that Second Coming of Christ has two aspects, one to the NT saints (the Rapture), and one to the OT and Tribulation saints (the Revelation). At the Revelation of Christ, that will conclude the Tribulation, He will destroy the unsaved armies surrounding Jerusalem, cast the Antichrist and the False Prophet into the Lake of Fire, and resurrect the OT saints and deceased Tribulation saints (Isa. 26:19; Dan. 12:1-2; I Thes. 4:13 ff.; Rev. 19:7-21).
2. The Resurrection Program. We believe that all of Adam’s seed, saved or unsaved, will be resurrected to life or damnation (Jn. 5:28-29).
a. The Resurrection of Life. We believe that all of the righteous, saved saints from Adam to the last Millennial saint, according to his own order, will receive bodily resurrection for eternal life (Acts 1:11; I Cor. 15:5-28; II Cor. 5:1-11; Phil. 3:20-21; I Jn. 3:1-3).
b. The Resurrection of Damnation. We believe that all of the unrighteous, unsaved sinners from Adam’s seed will receive bodily resurrection for eternal death (Rev. 20:10-15).
3. The Millennial Reign of Christ.
a. His Kingship. We believe that the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ will sit on the throne of David as King of kings and Lord of lords (Isa. 9:6-7; Lk. 1:32; Acts 2:29-30; Rev. 19:16).
b. His Reign. We believe that Christ will rule the earth with a rod of iron for one thousand years (Ps. 72:8; Isa. 11:4-5; 32:1; I Cor. 15:25; Rev. 20:1-4, 6).
Authority of Statement of Faith
The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, and therefore, is binding upon us. All literature used by us shall be in complete agreement with the Statement of Faith.