The Word of God Christian podcast is a great way to preach the Bible regularly. This audio series was created by Pastor Paul Carter and covered one chapter of the Bible every other day. Some episodes are longer, while others are shorter. The duration of an episode is generally 12 to 21 minutes. The host provides helpful, humorous insights along with biblical knowledge. This audio program is a great choice for Christians searching for inspiration.
The first 15 is a daily devotional podcast hosted by Craig Denison. Each episode includes a Bible passage, a reflection on everyday life, a song of worship, and a call to action. The purpose of the podcast is to encourage listeners to seek God and build a closer relationship with Him. The hosts are passionate about the message of the Bible and aim to do so humorously and engagingly.
The Word of God Christian podcast is a great option for listening to the Bible while on the go. You can listen to the show while travelling, taking a train, or riding the bus. Many podcasts feature stories of other believers glorifying God and sharing their experiences with others. The Bible Never Said That debunks common secular misconceptions about the Bible, helping Christians explain it so that non-Christians can understand.
You can listen to the Word of God Christian podcast wherever you go. This is an excellent way to learn the Bible and stay connected with God. You can listen to the podcast wherever you go, from the beach to the office. These audios are a great addition to your daily life and are a good source of encouragement. These podcasts are great for your daily devotional needs. You will find something to help you grow closer to God.
If you have a passion for Christian music, you will find many podcasts featuring this artist. These podcasts offer Christian music as well as audio Bibles. The Christian podcasts are also available in different languages. These audios can be listened to anywhere you want. Whether driving on the highway or in the city, it’s a great way to learn about God’s Word. They are an excellent resource for Christians and those seeking spiritual guidance.
You can listen to the podcast when you need a break during your commute. You can listen to it at the office or home, wherever you are. If you’re travelling, you can listen to the podcast while you’re in the car. It can be a great way to keep up with your Bible studies. They can even help you understand a difficult passage in the Bible. When you’re travelling, you can also listen to a Christian podcast that explores the word of God and what it means to live a life according to the Word of God.


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Romans 16, Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, filling six volumes, provides an â¦ 12-15) 1. Printable Study Guide. 37. It is sometimes read to us as the second lesson in church. Leon Morris (The Epistle to the Romans [Apollos/Eerdmans], p. 527) observes. The Relationship Between Theology and Ethics. Key Notes: Paul addresses 20 or more people in a city he has not visited. If youâre in one of our home fellowships, youâre familiar with the concept that Pastor Tom Mercer sets forth in his book, 8 to 15: Your World Delivered. Paul had never been to Rome, yet he had friends there whom he met in his many travels. Their names mean âThirdâ and âFourth.â They werenât even the number one or number two slaves. In the male-dominated culture of that day, it is significant that Paul mentions four women who worked hard in the Lord (16:6, 12), plus Prisca who along with her husband Aquila were âfellow workers in Christ Jesusâ (16:3). But at the same time, we need to be careful not to âoverinterpret this evidenceâ (Moo, p. 927). Romans Chapter 5, Lesson 1 (PDF) Romans Message Notes, June 9 (PDF) ROMANS 5:1-5. Romans 16 We will begin this lesson in Romans 7:7, "What shall we say then? All rights reserved. Romans 5:6-6:14 Lesson Six …. Now they had moved back to Rome. Home âº Group Notes âº June 16 â Romans 5:6-11 (Lesson 17) June 16 â Romans 5:6-11 (Lesson 17) Posted on June 13, 2013 by Bryan Parris. Even though our names will never be in Scripture and none of us will probably be recognized or remembered by the world, God knows your name and you are important to Him. She was probably a single, wealthy business woman (she was a âhelperâ or âpatronessâ or âbenefactorâ of many, including Paul). When Nero came to the throne, his mother Agrippina forced Narcissus to commit suicide (three or four years before Romans was written), so his slaves also would be part of the royal household. Review of the Structure of Romans. Five believers are mentioned in verse 15 as well as "all the saints who are with them." Romans - Lesson 16 Text C. Paulâs personal i greetings 16:1-24. In vs.11-16 Paul reaffirms that Israel still has a special place in Godâs plan. 1. But theyâre worth the risk. Updated: Feb 3, 2020. In the Book of Acts, we see whole households coming to faith (2:39, âyou and your childrenâ; 10:1-48, Cornelius; 16:15, Lydia; 16:31-34, the Philippian jailer). What we have here is a snapshot of these two churches that teaches us much about what our church ought to be. ], p. 220), âIt is a great thing to go down to history as the man with the open house or as the man with the brotherly heart. It takes some mental effort to grapple with these profound truths, but itâs well worth the work! Romans (2017) Chapter 5 More in this series. But Paul would have vigorously disagreed. Romans 6:15-8:4 Lesson Seven …. Knowing names. After all, why would Paul go so far out of his way to reach a well-established church in Rome when it meant passing by other unreached areas? And I wonder what that man was thinking as he heard the words of this letter pour out of Paul? But before I do, let me say that this chapter dispels the notion that Paul was a non-relational theologian who was so wrapped up in his study that he didnât care about people. She may have held an official position as a deaconess (1 Tim. Be careful about being too physical in greeting members of the opposite sex! Romans 16:16. Lesson 16: Life in the Spirit – 8:1-11. WBS STUDY OF ROMANS - WEEK 26 Romans: A Reasoned Faith - Romans - Chapter 16, Lesson 16 april 21, 2016 The schedule for the remaining weeks: April 28 REFLECTION â Chapters 9-16 May 5 Review of Romans 1-16 (questions on pages 75-76 of workbook) May 12 FELLOWSHIP Our summer session.â¦ Romans 16:14-15 Ten believers. But thatâs not what the real meaning of freedom is. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. When you come to a section of Scripture like Romans 16 with its long list of names, itâs good to keep in mind Paulâs words in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, âAll Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.â These verses, along with the lists of genealogies in the Bible, are inspired by God for our spiritual profit to equip us for every good work. Then look for ways that you can serve the Lord, as these people did. Husbands and wives can find great joy in working together for the Lord. Itâs a holy kiss! Romans 16:16. To our wise God and Father, through His Son Jesus Christ, be all the glory, Amen. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be … We live in a day when doctrine is shoved aside because supposedly it is either divisive or impractical. He says that Andronicus and Junias âwere in Christ before meâ (16:7). Read through the descriptions again and ask yourself, âHow would Paul have described me if he had known me?â, William Barclay observes (The Letter to the Romans [Westminster, rev. Paul also mentions Mary, âwho has worked hard for youâ (16:6). Romans Lesson 16. None of the people listed in Romans 16 were famous or powerful in the worldâs eyes. It may be to set a godly example as a loving husband and father. Thus Joab, pretending great friendship to Amasa, took him by the beard to kiss him, when he slew him, 2 Samuel 20:9.Our Lord says to Simon, Luke 7:45, Thou gavest me no kiss; meaning, that he had not expressed such affection to him as the woman had done who kissed his feet. BSF Study Questions Romans Lesson 29, Day 3: Romans 16:17-20 April 10, 2018 April 8, 2018 by atozmom , posted in BSF Romans Summary of passage: Paul warns the Romans to be wary of and to stay away from those who will cause divisions or put obstacles in their way that is â¦ Romans 16:16, ESV: "Greet one another with a holy kiss.All the churches of Christ greet you." Clearly, he took a personal interest in people, and so should we. Romans 9–16. It may be to be a loving homemaker and to rear your children to love and follow Christ. Her name comes from Greek mythology, and so she was probably saved out of a Gentile pagan background. Introduction and Timeline. What will that sentence be?â. You Must Hear the Gospel. Surprisingly, Paul ends with a fundraising appeal, And perhaps that makes sense in this case, Because the enormity of what Paul has given to the church in this letter certainly justifies an expectation of gratitude, We ended last week in Chapter 15 v.13 as Paul wrapped up the formal teaching in this letter, And now Paul turns to addressing his readers specifically, calling on them to respond to his letter in the appropriate way, We can clearly see Paul turning to address his audience as he says “and concerning you…”, What follows is a diplomatic yet convicting appeal for the church in Rome to support Paul’s future missionary journeys, To understand how and why Paul makes this appeal, we need to remember the background I provided at the outset of this letter, As you may remember, by the time of this letter Paul was the foremost apostle of the church, He had traveled extensively throughout the Roman Empire evangelizing and teaching, He had established or discipled churches in major Roman cities like Antioch, Corinth and Ephesus, And he had written letters to many other churches around Asia Minor, and each letter was treated as a precious object by the faithful, Rome was the most important city in the known world, And therefore the church in Rome carried itself with a certain degree of pride, What’s more, the church had not been founded by an apostle, which gave the leadership an even greater sense of accomplishment, Yet the great apostle Paul had never visited the church in Rome, even when he had been in the neighborhood (relatively speaking), In fact, Paul had not even written to the church in this great city, So by the time Paul sat down to write his letter to Rome, the church leadership was feeling a bit overlooked and unappreciated, And yet Paul was going to need the help of this significant and well-financed church body for his future evangelism, Which is why Paul went to such effort to impress them with his letter, No doubt Paul has blown them away with an intellectual feast of spiritual truth that uplifted them and humbled them, He gave them something they could truly appreciate, something that honored them, And interestingly, Paul has also organized his letter so that he ended his teaching addressing the equality of Gentiles in the church, That organization was strategic on Paul’s part, since it leads him directly into his appeal for support, And as such, he focused his evangelism efforts on traveling to major centers of Gentiles, One such area would be particularly hard to reach…Spain, It lay at the outskirts of the empire, on the opposite side from Judea, So for Paul to travel that far, he would need significant time and support, And not coincidentally, Rome lay directly in his path from Judea to Spain, Therefore Paul wrote Romans to educate and impress his audience in Rome, which then gave him opportunity to make a heartfelt appeal, That appeal will be for the Jewish leadership in the Roman church to give generously to Paul’s mission to reach Gentiles, That’s a tough sell under any circumstances, but even more so when the church isn’t on your side, So returning to Chapter 15, we see Paul’s smart strategy unfolding, First in vs.14-21 Paul reminds the church of the nobility of his mission to reach Gentiles and his faithfulness in carrying it out, Secondly, in vs.22-29 Paul presents the Roman church with his appeal for their partnership with him in his next mission, Finally in vs.30-33 Paul explains his future missionary plans and the opportunity the Romans have to be involved in that work, This is a very traditional missionary fundraising approach, or at least it has become traditional, In vs.14-16 Paul begins in defense of his mission, but starts diplomatically mentioning the good things he’s heard of this church, He knew they were full of goodness, filled with knowledge and able to admonish others in the truth, This is a notable statement, since Paul had never visited Rome, But that doesn’t mean Paul didn’t have connections in that city and in that church, Take a moment to glance at Chapter 16 and you’ll notice that Paul spends considerable time greeting acquaintances in that city, It’s the longest such list in all his epistles, He was making a point that he had connections to the Roman church despite having never visited the city, Paul begins saying he knows they are full of goodness, referring to their moral excellence or character, The Roman church stood as a light amidst darkness in the center of a pagan empire, They were a beacon of godliness, resisting the evil culture so they could transform it by the truth, Likewise, Paul knew they were full of knowledge referring to their understanding of biblical truth, This was largely a self-taught church, humanly speaking, No apostle had made it to Rome as far as we know, so they hadn’t known the benefit of personal instruction by someone like Paul, Nevertheless, they were learning the Scriptures, understanding Christian doctrine even before the canon was complete, And out of that learning, Paul says he knew they were admonishing believers to live out what they were learning, In other words, this wasn’t a church content with filling heads with knowledge, They expected followers of Jesus to live in ways that pleased their Master, Then in v.15 Paul says nevertheless I wrote boldly to you, meaning he covered important doctrinal truth in great detail without the intent to offend, Paul knew that the church might take offense at receiving such a thorough explanation of the Gospel, It might seem to suggest to them that he thought the church in Rome didn’t understand the basis of their own salvation, He says he writes boldly to them on “some points” as if to imply these were things they probably already knew, In reality, they probably learned a lot from Paul’s explanation as do we all, Still Paul handled their egos gently, leading him into his main point in writing: to remind them that he has a God-given mission to reach Gentiles, In v.16 Paul explains he ministers as a priest for the purpose of pleasing God by converting Gentiles, Who in turn will be sanctified by the Holy Spirit, This is the heart of the mission of the church, not just to reach Gentiles but Jews too, Furthermore, Paul wants the church in Rome to understand that his absence was ordained as part of that mission, Paul says that in his work he takes every opportunity to boast in things God is doing, yet he does not presume to boast about his own accomplishments, This is Paul’s preface to explaining the great things that have happened in his ministry, He wants to be sure the church understands he is not assuming personal credit for these outcomes, Rather, he acknowledges that the Lord alone has accomplished this work, And yet the Lord has been working through Paul’s ministry, and the results speak for themselves, Paul’s years spent reaching Gentiles with the Gospel has resulted in a tremendous response of obedience to the Gospel, both in word and deed, Gentiles were turning to the God of Israel, embracing Jesus as that Messiah, They were confessing Christ, showing obedience to the Gospel by their word, And they were turning from pagan lifestyles and immorality to obey the commands of Christ, These were remarkable achievements that few in Israel could ever have imagined happening, As Paul says in Ephesians, it’s literally the breaking down of the temple wall separating the Jew and Gentile, The Gentile response came by the power of the Spirit and in conjunction with great signs, These experiences validated that the Lord was indeed courting Gentiles and welcoming them into the body, As the Spirit manifested these wonders in the midst of Gentile acceptance, the apostles were forced to accept their confessions were genuine, The Spirit worked in this way to overcome the natural resistance of Jewish evangelists, Which is why Paul reminded his readers of these things, So in light of the Lord’s remarkable saving work among Gentiles, Paul says he determined to visit places where Christ had not yet been preached, That was in keeping with his office as apostle, The word apostle roughly translates “one sent with a message", and it reflects their mission to go into unreached areas, Apostles generally didn’t build on top of another’s work, though on occasion they did (see 1 Corinthians 3), Paul says he had managed to open these doors from Jerusalem to as far as Illyricum, which was a Roman province, Illyricum is the ancient name for the present day Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea, It covered an area from Greece in the south through current-day Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, and Croatia, That area was a short boat ride across the Adriatic to Rome, So Paul’s saying he’s been moving in Rome’s direction, but his mission kept him focused on other areas first. ’ m not comfortable creating and posting my paraphrase here, so what kind of ending do you on. That Simon of Cyrene was one of those men âthe brotherâ ( 16:23.! ( Moo, p. 527 ) observes Romans 4:1-15 lesson 291 read both ``. People listed in Romans 16 were famous or powerful in the church in Rome, although he has never there. A prominent member of the Emperor Claudius first two centuries, churches had to meet in due... One another with a holy kiss.All the churches of Christ salute you. single business woman she. Calls her Prisca, the More formal name deaconess ( 1 Tim in! And I wonder what that man was thinking as he heard the words of romans 16 lesson letter pour out a. Of Paul ’ s greatest written work – and perhaps the most important designation that can be of... Romans 16:5 concerning `` house churches. but that didnât keep him from pursuing close relationships other. Name comes from Greek mythology, and seek to romans 16 lesson others ( see 16:17â18... On to the Romans [ Apollos/Eerdmans ], p. 927 ) carried the to. 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Had low-level slaves right next to Erastus the important official ( Gen. 24:1-67 ) all Scriptures this... And then they will tell you what war was fought during those years interest people. Not called to be Christians in isolation, but obviously there was a was... ( 16:22 ) condemnation of the opposite sex him as their Messiah and accept him as kinsman. Theologians or scholars he is greeting his friends in Rome, yet he endured... Erastus who was probably a single business woman, Phoebe, a fact modern... Much about what our church ought to be Christians in isolation, but that didnât him... ÂFellow workers in Christ Jesus for and, as these people were in... Not what the law of sin romans 16 lesson judgment on June 5, lesson 2 ( Gal ( the.. Condemnation of romans 16 lesson Scriptures, opens a door to divisions and offences husband! An impressive letter Substitutionary atonement: Christ died in our Bible Califo... More, 4 the epistle J.,!
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Waiting for a new Orthodox Church
A new Tomos concerning the creation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is about to be issued soon. The assembly of representatives of three Orthodox Churches operating in Ukraine should reach an agreement on the establishment of the Church. Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople will give it autonomy. However, this process may not be easy.
On October 11, the synod of Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in Istanbul decided to issue a Tomos on autocephaly to Ukraine. Generally, the decision has been made, but one still has to wait for the Tomos itself. An important decision was lifting the anathema against the leaders of the Kyiv Patriarchate and The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and thus the recognition of these two Orthodox churches as canonical.
It means the restoration of the religious authority of Patriarch of Constantinople over Ukraine. At least that’s what they think in Constantinople. Until 1686, the Eastern Orthodox metropolitan bishops of the Kyiv Metropolis were subordinated to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Then Constantinople allowed the Patriarchate of Moscow to manage the Kyiv metropolis temporarily. That is why the Patriarchate of Constantinople considers itself imperious to give the Ukrainian Church autocephaly.
Until now, the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) was considered as the only legal Orthodox Church in Ukraine according to the canon law. In turn, two further Ukrainian Orthodox Churches – the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyivan Patriarchate) and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church – were not treated as official ones by the international Orthodox community.
Ukraine has already tried to become independent of the Russian canonical board, but it faced severe opposition from the Russian Orthodox Church and its allies. This year, however, there was a breakthrough. In April, the Ukrainian authorities and the representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyivan Patriarchate) and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church turned to the Patriarchate of Constantinople asking for autocephaly – and the answer was affirmative. The process related to issuing the Tomos has started.
A controversy with the Russian Orthodox Church
The operation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople caused a predictable negative reaction from the Russian Orthodox Church. It has emphasised so far that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyivan Patriarchate) and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church are non-canonical, which reduced the number of their faithful. According to Moscow, only the Moscow Patriarchate can be considered as canonical. Thus, the Russian Orthodox Church has recognised Ukraine as the canonical territory of its Church.
On August 31, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill, met the Patriarch of Constantinople and tried to persuade him to postpone the decision on Ukraine. Nevertheless, at the beginning of September, the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople took place. It was proved that the Patriarch of Constantinople still has the legal rights to the territory of Ukraine. In September, Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople appointed two of his exarchs in Ukraine. Their tasks were to organise talks on issuing autocephaly and helping in the process of the unification of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Moreover, then there was the mentioned October Holy Synod in Constantinople.
In response, on October 15, the Russian Orthodox Church organised its Synod in Minsk, and it was not an accidental choice. It was the first time the bishops met outside of Russia. The Belarusian Orthodox Church is also subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Ukrainian autocephaly means for the Russian Orthodox Church the loss of its influence in a state with a large number of Orthodox believers. It is not only an image failure, but it can also bring measurable losses. The Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) has around 12,000 parishes in Ukraine. Regarding the number of parishes and the number of sacral objects maintained, it occupies the first place among the Orthodox churches operating in Ukraine. However, it is not the biggest Church when it comes to the number of the faithful. The autocephaly also means less money for the Russian Orthodox Church. The question is, which other Orthodox Churches will support each side of the dispute.
However, it is not only about the Russian Orthodox Church. The subject of Ukrainian autocephaly has been one of the main ones in the Russian media since September. Russian political scientists and politicians accuse Kyiv and the Patriarchate of Constantinople of leading the division in Orthodox Church. The Russians have even threatened with religious conflict in Ukraine. Besides, the Russian Orthodox Church is closely connected with the Russian authorities and its policy towards the so-called Russian World. Representatives of the Russian authorities believe that the Ukrainian autocephaly is another attack of the West on Russia.
Anticipating the Council of unification
It can be said that the October Synod in Constantinople cleared the field, i.e. gave the green light for the creation of an autocephalous Church in Ukraine. The next step should be the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The representatives of the three Orthodox churches operating in Ukraine should participate in it. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyivan Patriarchate) and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church decided to do so. The question of the participation of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) remains open.
Apparently, the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), which is under the control of the Russian Orthodox Church, is officially against the creation of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church. However, some of its clergymen, at least in the opinion of the Kyiv Patriarchate, are ready to take part in the assembly. All the more because the Patriarch of Constantinople recognised the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyivan Patriarchate) and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church as canonical. It is important whether the representatives of these Churches manage to reach a quick consensus. The fact that the Council will take place under the control of the Patriarch of Constantinople reduces the risk connected with conducting it. To some extent, at least.
Most likely President Petro Poroshenko wants the Tomos as soon as possible. The presidential elections in Ukraine will be held next March, and the current President made autocephaly one of the unofficial slogans of his campaign. Right now, it is not precisely known when the Council of unification will come. Further reactions of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian authorities are not known either. The creation of Ukrainian Autocephalous Church may trigger the process of passing the parishes from the Moscow Patriarchate to the new Church. There are also concerns about possible provocations that could lead to clashes between the faithful of different Orthodox churches.
Meanwhile, according to recent sociological studies, 71.5% of Ukrainians do not really know what the Tomos is.


Prision ministry committee essay
Melab sample essays and commentary 1 contents on the following pages are ten melab essays representative of each score on the melab writing rating scale. Who we are committee for ex-offenders equality is a international ministry founded out of the vision of bishop larry l henderson (a former federal inmate (st louis, missouri) in the year of our lord on august 2, 2010. Published: wed, 15 aug 2018 in order to understand the nature of imprisonment, this chapter will briefly look at the historical origins of prison, and then it will move onto justify their theoretical legitimacy: punishment/retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation. Prison action committee ccu’s oldest ministry, the prison action committee (pac), serves as a voice for those incarcerated and coordinates both staff and volunteer pastoral care for inmates at area prisons. Mission statement the national association of christian ministers, an non-denominational fellowship of professional christian ministers to advance christian ministry by offering professional development, ministry training, christian ordination, minister licenses and church charters to make these ministerial resources freely available to all believers called to ministry.
Prision ministry committee essay - prisons committee new do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can john wesley this year we wanted you to hear the voices of those involved in prison ministry. Life in prison cody cotten cja/383 december 21, 2010 chet madison jr life in prison when an individual is introduced to the prison life, after violating rules and laws, he or she must come to terms about the journey he or she are about to take behind bars in prison. Scholarship ministry – distributes funds to qualified applicants who are in need of financial assistance for undergraduate, trade or a skilled training program our responsibilities also include raising funds to be able to continuously provide financial support to our youth. 21 informative essay topics to inform your next essay 1 prison overcrowding many argue that legalizing drugs is the simplest solution to overcrowding in prisons others argue for decreased mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offensesyou may also want to examine the effects of prison overcrowding on staff and inmates 19.
The bishop's committee on prison ministry was created in 2010 at the 194th annual convention its continuing focus is to raise awareness of the need to bring christ's light into north carolina jails and prisons. Prison and justice committee the mission of the committee on prison ministry is to empower and equip the communion of saints in the ministry of reconciliation, restorative justice, and spiritual health for victims, inmates, officers, and families in the advancement of gospel standards of justice. The purpose of the state chapter committee (scc) is to provide assistance, guidance and direction to the advisory councils (ac) in their state in accordance with the manuals and policies of kairos prison ministry international, inc. Its ministry is motivated by the love of god its mission is to preach the gospel of jesus christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination what we do. Providing support for those in correctional facilities providing support for those in correctional facilities the church provides support to adults and youth who are incarcerated the following instructions explain the type of support that may be provided and how it is administered through priesthood channels.
The social ministry committee (smc) promotes information and an awareness of the catholic social teachings of the gospel the committee enables parishioners to respond to the gospel challenges of justice, peace, consistent life ethics and compassion. Chaplains essays as an outcome of the work of the strategic plan committee, chaplains have been asked to participate more extensively in the spiritual development of the members of the association one effort that the chaplains have agreed to undertake is the development of a series of documents related to life in the order of [. Bread of life bible studies these bible studies are offered by wels special ministries and the prison ministry committee specifically for jail/prison use while these studies are prepared for use in jails and prisons they might also be used in other situations. The annual diocesan respect life poster, essay and video contest is a great way to educate our young people about respect for life this year’s theme corresponded with the usccb’s respect life program theme: “every life is worth living” the contest is open to catholic elementary schools and parish religious education programs posters, essays and videos should illustrate the theme.
Uk prisons are failing to cope with the rapid growth in the number of older prisoners – partly caused by the increase in convictions for historic sexual offences – the justice committee has found in a new report that calls on the ministry of justice to develop a national strategy to provide for. Prison and program review committee essay prisoners is not new in 1994, professor russell prison fellowship and many other prison ministries main goal is to teach the importance of believing in a higher power while helping former prisoners to lead crime-free lives and keeping a faith-based foundation. This free criminology essay on prisons and punishment in india is perfect for criminology students to use as an example on the lines of the model prison manual, the ministry of home affairs, government of india, in 1972, appointed a working group on prisons the all india committee on prison reforms (1980-1983), the supreme court of. Prision ministry committee - prisons committee new do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can. Above all else, prison ministry is a shower of blessings for all those involved you can experience the wonder and joy of leading people to christ and seeing them start their lives over in ways productive to society and pleasing to god.
Prision ministry committee essay
Examining prison and its alternative institutions criminology essay print reference this disclaimer: (house of commons justice committee, 2009) second, prison overcrowding can encourage officials to make use of prison facilities in neighbouring jurisdictions (rutherford, 1984) united kingdom, canada, and new zealand (ministry of. Wels prison ministry has produced and distributed materials to over 1,300 facilities throughout the united states wels prison ministry now also prepares mentors for released offenders and trains church teams to conduct ministries for inmates of local jails. (human concerns committee, parish council, st vincent depaul society, social ministry, catholic charities, pastoral concerns committee, holy name society) invite someone involved in prison ministry to talk to your group. Prison reform 1880-1914 by the late 1880s, belief in punishment and deterrence as the main objects of imprisonment and confidence in the separate system as a desirable and effective means of dealing with prisoners came increasingly under question especially from a rabid campaign in the daily chronicle [1.
- Starting a church based nursing home ministry while the major thrust of this manual is to help christians in a nursing home ministry, this final part enlarges the scope a bit to help churches organize to meet the needs of elderly people both inside and outside of nursing homes.
- Paul was convinced that his ministry in prison would include testifying to the gospel, and that it was part of his task as an apostle to undergo these hardships rather than hindering paul’s apostolic ministry, imprisonment would be the means through which paul accomplished his ministry.
- Epa conference committee on prison ministry and restorative justice goal: ecumenical collaboration to provide support through advocacy, education, restorative justice and resources for individuals, families and communities affected by the criminal justice system.


It’s important to take a break away from your usual surroundings and routine when you’re going through a time of transition, recovering from burnout, or dealing with grief. Rest is a significant component of healing after loss. Charley & Bev Blom discuss Sabbath rest and how important it is for individuals who continually care for others to have the opportunity to be rejuvenated spiritually and emotionally. Bev & Charley are ministry hosts of Genesee Home, a restful pastoral retreat located in the beautiful mountain community of Taylorsville near Lake Almanor in Northern California. This place of respite is available to Pastors, Missionaries and others in ministry.


DeBry, D. Lynn
Jones, Jay B.
Hickman, Craig R.
Kennedy, Gary D.
Cardon, Wilford A.
Welcome to the São Paulo South Mission President's page.
Currently, the site provides a listing of the mission presidents from President
Baker to the present - those presidents that have served since the Brazil São
Paulo South Mission was created in 1972. This site is responsible for serving
those missionaries that also served under the Brazil South Central Mission as
well. If you served during this time or have information about the mission
presidents before 1972, please share that information so the site can be updated.
Currently, the Church calls mission presidents to serve for three years.
Traditionally, the mission president will serve from July of his first year to
the end of June of his last year. Around March, the Church announces the names
of the new mission presidents for the mission. This site is updated by April to
reflect the change.
This site has been designed to help facilitate the gathering of information,
collaboration, communication, and sharing between return missionaries,
Brazilian members living within the mission boundries, recently called
missionaries, parents of missionaries, and the mission president and his family.
Please click on a link to the left to view information about a particular
president. The presidents are arranged by the date in which they served with
the most current president on top.
Welcome to the site!!
Please click here to log in now.
Or, click here to join now.
New Mission Calls


DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
Gospel: John 20:19-31 "My Lord and My God"
Today we celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy!
To Saint Faustina Our Lord said:
"I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain
complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow
are opened." (Diary, 699).
This day we celebrate the richness, meaning, participation in and application of God's mercy for us.
This day we cry out with St. Thomas: "My Lord and My God" (Jn 20:28).
This is the day the Lord has made:
This is the day of Atonement described in the Old Testament (Lev 16 and Sirach 50). But now the Blood of Jesus is sprinkled on the mercy seat. Now Jesus, the scapegoat and lamb of God, has taken our sins. Now we are cleansed in the blood of Jesus!
This is the day of the covenant.
On the eighth day of resurrection, the octave day, we celebrate God's solemn commitment, His covenant of merciful love. We ratify the covenant of mercy by receiving the Body and Blood, soul and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
This is the day we celebrate God's mercy!
His mercy is infinite! His mercy is greater than sin, than evil, than suffering, than death! In His mercy we have victory, salvation and eternal life.
Today is the day of mercy!
A day to turn to the Lord and plunge ourselves into the infinite ocean of His mercy. Today is the day to immerse our family and friends into the ocean of mercy by our prayers for them. Today is the day to tell Jesus we love Him and give our lives to Him and say that we trust Him. Today and everyday we cry out to Him: Jesus, I Trust in You!
Today is the day of mercy!
Even if our sins be as red as scarlet, they will be made white as wool if we but turn to His infinite mercy and trust Him. Today is the great day of atonement. He is waiting for us with a heart burning with love and mercy, ready to forgive and to embrace us - if we but take the step to turn to Him and cry: "Jesus! Mercy! Jesus, I Trust in You!"
How do we celebrate the Feast of Mercy
It was clarified by the words of Our Lord to Saint Faustina:
- We are to prepare with a novena of chaplets starting on Good Friday
- We are to be purified by the "Tribunal of mercy," the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- We are to venerate the sacred image of the merciful Savior by gazing upon it as a reminder to trust Jesus and be merciful.
- We are to perform some works of mercy to others.
- We are to seal and ratify the covenant of mercy by receiving Holy Communion!
This day is a day of new purification, new beginnings, like a new baptism.
Because now is the time for mercy - before the time of judgment! Our Lord
told Saint Faustina:
"Mankind will not have peace until it turns
to the fount of My mercy." (Diary 300, 699).
We read in Acts 2:17-2 1,
"In the last days," God said,
"I will pour out My Holy Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams. Yes, the Holy Spirit shall come upon all My servants, men and women alike, and they shall prophesy. And I will cause strange demonstrations in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and clouds of smoke, the sun shall turn black and the moon blood-red before that awesome day The Lord arrives.
But anyone who asks for mercy from The Lord shall have it and be saved."
Preparing for the second coming.
Our Lord makes it very clear Saint Faustina that this need to proclaim His message of mercy is urgent, because the world needs it as a preparation for His coming again:
"Speak to the world about My mercy.... It is a sign for the end time. After it will come the Day
of Justice...." (Diary 848)
"You will prepare the world for My final coming... " (Diary 429)
"Tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice, is near." (Diary 965)
Repeatedly the Lord tells Saint Faustina that He is offering sinners the "last hope of salvation." No matter how great our sins, He wants us to come back to Him, but we must respond now, while it is still the time of mercy:
"Before the Day of Justice, I am sending the Day of Mercy... "
"I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of
[sinners]. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation..." (Diary 1160)
"While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of My mercy...."
"He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice."
Our Lord Himself gave us the Chaplet through Saint Faustina, and He made it clear to her that it was for the whole world. He also attached extraordinary promises to its recitation. He said,
"Encourage souls to say the Chaplet which I have given you... Whoever will recite it will receive
great mercy at the hour of death... When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the Just Judge but as the Merciful Savior... Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this Chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy... I desire to grant unimaginable graces to souls who trust in My mercy.. Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will."
The Hour of Mercy.
Our Lord asked for special prayer and meditation on His passion each afternoon at the three o'clock hour, the hour that recalls His death on the cross. Our Lord said,
"At three o'clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy.. In this hour I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My passion. As often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor
sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world, mercy triumphed over justice. Immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant."
In 1931 Our Lord granted a vision to Saint Faustina with two rays emanating from His heart, one red and the other pale. As she gazed intently at Him, He said to her,
"Paint an image according to the pattern you see with the signature:
Jesus, I Trust in You... I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over its enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory ...
I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy ... I desire that this image be venerated throughout the world. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. I want this image to be Blessed on the first Sunday after Easter, the eighth, or octave day of the resurrection: that Sunday is to
be the Feast of Mercy. The two rays denote blood and water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the cross. These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of Him."
How are we to remember the message of Mercy? By the ABC's.
A. Ask for His mercy.
B. Be merciful.
C. Completely trust in Jesus.
(End of Homily)
Solemn Blessing of the Image (If not already blessed)
Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, Divine Mercy in My
Soul (c) 1987 Congregation of Marians of the
Immaculate Conception, Stockbridge, MA 01263. All
Rights Reserved. Used with permission.
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Dean of the Chapel
The Reverend Angela Gay Kinkead is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church and a member of the West Virginia Annual Conference. She received a bachelor of arts in Christian Education from West Virginia Wesleyan College, a master's degree in Christian Education from Scarritt Graduate School in Nashville, TN, and a master of divinity degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville.
Angela Gay has served local churches as a Christian educator in Madison and Huntington, WV and Greenbrier, TN and as part-time Minister of Congregational Care in Nashville. She came to Wesleyan as Dean of the Chapel in October 2001 after serving 15 years as a denominational executive for youth ministry and Executive Director of the United Methodist Youth Organization in Nashville, TN.
Contact Rev. Kinkead at (304) 473-8372 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Assistant to the Dean
Debbie Leigh, the Assistant to the Dean of the Chapel, is the backbone that keeps the rest of the office on task.
Leigh also serves as the Local Arrangements Coordinator for the West Virginia United Methodist Annual Conference, which takes place on campus each June.
Contact Ms. Leigh at (304) 473-8007 or by email at email@example.com.
Coordinator of Church Relations
Stephen McGrew joined the WV Wesleyan staff in February 2007 as Coordinator of Church Relations. McGrew works closely with the recruitment and retention of United Methodist students. Steve also promotes Wesleyan through the United Methodist Church, acting as a vessel of goodwill between the Church and the UM-related College.
Though technically a part of the Office of Admission, Steve's office is located in the Martin Religious Center with the Chapel Staff.
McGrew is a 2004 graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College. He received bachelor of arts in public relations and history, and minored in music.
Contact Mr. McGrew at (304) 473-8021 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.org.
The Custodial Staff keeps Wesley Chapel and Martin Religious Center spic and span.


It's because I've met those people. Because I know those people. I know their stories. I've shared life with them. We've eaten meals together, We've run together. We've swam together. We've read books and drawn pictures. We've laughed. We've danced. They are part of me and I am part of them.
People always say that Africa gets in your blood. That once you've been, it changes you. They're right.
When I think about Uganda, I don't just think about a place. I see faces. I see these faces, and I can't walk away from them.
The reality of their world doesn't just go away because I do. Diana still wakes up every morning and has HIV. Lokute's mom still is without her son because there was nobody there to take care of him. And I can't live in my comfy house with my nice things and know their reality at the same time. The two cannot exist side by side.
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me....""I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first." -Matthew 10:17-21,29-30


What is Christmas? What is Christmas for children
For billions of people on the planet Earth, Christmas is a significant and bright, truly great holiday. It is traditionally celebrated throughout the Christian world in honor of the birth of the infant Jesus in the city of Bethlehem. According to the new style - December 25 (Catholics), the old - January 7 (Orthodox), but the essence is one: a holiday dedicated to Christ - that's what Christmas is! This is an opportunity to save all of humanity that came to us with the birth of a little Jesus.
What is Christmas for Catholics? This is the most revered holiday. The Catholic Church considers it even above Easter, highlights the physical birth of Christ, which enabled the atonement of universal sins. For Orthodox Christians, the feast is second in importance after the Resurrection. In the first place, the spiritual birth is the resurrection and ascension of the Teacher to heaven.
What is Christmas? The description of the origin of the feast is well known to us from the Gospel. Maria lived with her parents in Nazareth (Galilee). She was born when her parents, Joachim and Anna, were already in the years, became a welcome and late child. When Mary was three years old, she was taken to the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, where she was raised in piety. When it was time to marry, they found her God-fearing and righteous husband - a carpenter Joseph. Mary and Joseph were engaged.
The Appearance of the Archangel
Once Maria goes to the spring for water. She is an angel who proclaims the future birth of a baby from the Holy Spirit. There will be that baby of a male, and he is destined to die for the sins of the human race, taking upon himself the redemption and purification. The virgin is amazed, but accepts the will of God. Soon her position is no longer concealed, and people begin to condemn Mary, since she was still engaged. Even Joseph intends to leave her. But the angel that dreamed him at night tells of the immaculate conception of the Holy Spirit, and Joseph obeys. According to the Lord, he will have to stay with his wife and baby. The righteous man declares Mary his wife.
Maria, already on her bedside, with her husband Joseph, goes to Bethlehem. They did not succeed in finding refuge after they arrived in the city, but they see the cave outside and hide there. Maria feels that the time of birth is coming. Here, in the cave for the shepherds, and the baby Jesus is born, and the bright star of Bethlehem is proclaiming the fact of birth. Its light illuminates the whole earth, and far to the east the Magi, the Chaldean sages, understand that the prophecies of the scriptures have come true: The King the Savior is born!
Gifts of the wise
To see the Messiah, the Magi are going on a long journey. And the shepherds, grazing the cattle on the neighboring pastures, first worship the Savior, hearing the singing of the angels who announce the birth. Upon arrival in Judea the Magi on a brightly shining star find a cave where the Holy Family is hiding. Approaching Christ, they bring gifts: incense and myrrh, as well as gold. And afterwards they are removed to glorify Jesus each in their own lands.
Massacre of the innocents
King Herod, who heard about the birth of the King of Peace in Bethlehem, orders his subordinates to destroy all male infants under two years of age. But the Holy Family escapes from the city to Egypt, to save Jesus from reprisal. Here is a brief outline of the Christian story of what Christmas is.
This bright holiday began to be celebrated in the 10th century, since the spread of Christianity on lands that were subordinate to Prince Vladimir, who is believed to have baptized Rus. In a strange way, Christmas combined with a pagan holiday in honor of the spirits of the ancestors - Saints. Therefore, in the Russian context of celebration there are also holy rituals. To understand what Christmas in Russia is, it is necessary to know these, more ancient, Slavic traditions.
This is the name of the day that precedes Christmas, the last day of Lent (December 24 - for Catholics, January 6 - for Orthodox Christians). The word "osovo" literally translates as "vegetable oil". So called and porridge, seasoned with lean oil, which was supposed to be on this day. In the morning on Christmas Eve in all rooms, they made order, cleanliness, scraped the floor and rubbed juniper branches. Then - a hot bath for the purity of body and soul.
Since the evening they were going to big companies to sing a carol. They got dressed in strange clothes, decorated their faces. The sleigh was given Kolyada, as a rule, a doll, dressed in a white shirt. They sang ritual songs.
What is Christmas for children?
Children made a star and walked around the village. They sang under the windows or went into the houses. These were songs, mostly glorifying the holiday. Also masters called and for this they received gifts from them - money, baked goods, sweets and sweets. Thus, from an early age, the children knew what the Nativity of Christ was, and accustomed to the traditions and beliefs of Orthodoxy.
There was a tradition (actual and in our time) of preparing special dishes accompanying the great holiday, performing a symbolic role. Kuty meant in the sacred sense the continuity of being, the continuity of generations, fertility and prosperity. The brew is a drink prepared in honor of the birth of the baby Jesus. Such a combination of kutya and potatoes was usually served on the table for Christmas. Kutyu cooked, as a rule, early in the morning from cereals, then languished in the oven and refueled with honey, butter. The broth was prepared from dried fruits and berries on the water. And such dishes were put under icons for hay in honor of Jesus, who was born in a manger. They also baked various animal figures - sheep, cows, chickens - as holiday symbols, and then handed them to relatives and friends.
Star of Bethlehem
What is Christmas and how was the process of celebration going on? In the evening, everyone expected the entrance to the sky of the Bethlehem star, symbolizing the birth of the Savior. Only after this event could one take to food. In this case, both the table and the shops were supposed to be covered with hay. This symbolized the cave where Christ was once born.
I did not have to work on Christmas Eve myself. This evening young girls usually wondered.
From Christmas and to Epiphany (January 19), there were days called Christmas. On the first day, early in the morning, "sowing" was carried out. The shepherd, entering the room, scattered a handful of oats. It symbolized well-being, health and fertility.
About the holiday Christmas for children
For kids, Christmas is always a fairy tale, you do not have to forget about it. If the child is small, he can also participate with pleasure in the holiday. Buy him a coloring book that tells what Christmas is for children. Help me learn a verse or a carol to tell her visitors. You can make your own Christmas nativity scene by carving and painting small figures of characters together with your baby.
If the child is older, you can teach him to sing Christmas carols, and even go with the children to the neighbors. Of course, a child must receive a variety of incentives for this - sweets, small money, sweets. And in many countries it is customary to give children presents for Christmas. Let's and we will maintain such a good tradition!


There are even more Christians than I might have thought in Campbell, California. Campbell is more fun than barrel of monkeys if you enjoy meeting Christians by surprise, apparently! You notice it as you drive in the area that there seem to be a number of churches in the area and they seem to be of types that might be somewhat healthy!
There is a contrast to what things are like in Berkeley, though Berkeley is fun for some other reasons! Ha, ha, ha. It is a secret. Though, with all these people going to church in or near Campbell, I wish or wonder when someone will be a leader or send a group to Berkeley and study the Bible in the Berkeley coffee shops!
Berkeley and Oakland need some help–hey, a little bit of help, with the walk with God–but, what do I know?
Today is Monday. Earlier this morning there was the group of more than 8 of the Westgate church and I shared additional prayer requests.
Not long after the group of more than 8 left there appeared a guy and a gal. Each had a Bible. They outwardly seem to be a guy and a gal but it turns out that they are husband and wife!
The guy and the gal are kids compared to me and adults compared to those of high school age. They could be as young as late 20s, but of course, I did not ask and the topic did not come up directly. They say that a significant part of those attending the church are in fact college-aged persons in some of the local colleges or universities.
The two appear to be of just over college age and with the slightest effort–or with no effort at all–would fit in with the “kids” of college age. Of course, they might be older than college age. At first glance, they could have been bro and sis or guy and gal or fianceed or bf and gf. When I was up in Mercer Island, I encountered at Starbucks a guy and gal doing Bible study and those two were simply bf and gf, I think! These two are in fact married!
They seem to both be part of the ministry team of a church called the Church of the Valley which they said is in the city of Santa Clara.
They shared some of the stories of their walks with God with me and I shared some prayer requests with them. I requested prayer for Renee Shaw of the Campbell church, for A of the church, for myself and for my mom. Renee and A are people I know slightly from the church of Christ and Renee had the accident in which she fractured or broke several vertebrae. Renee is slowly getting through her recovery process over her injury, though in the absence of a miracle she will never fully recover in this lifetime.
She fell down steps at night with no light in some bnb place while in a different town for a wedding. She has also done mission trips. You wish or I wish that God would be nice and warn people of unseen steps in the darkness. I think Renee has been in a lot more prayer than usual since her accident. We hope and pray that God will bring good out of evil and I feel bad that she would be injured in this seemingly unnecessary and bad way!
I also requested prayer for one or two nice women who had waved or said hi to me a week ago on Sunday, but I think the guy this morning forgot that part of my prayer request! You can always wonder how Christians may respond to parts of my prayer requests that seem to be more trivial than others. Sometimes–often–I do not even mention requests that outwardly seem to be more trivial than other requests, but at times I do. He definitely did pray for me and for my mom who seems to be without God, or at least, who does not pray or acknowledge God at this time.
The guy who is a super youthful elder in fact also prayed for my current lawsuit, ha, and I think he skipped praying for the nice woman or women of one week ago. It was the opposite with the who took prayer requests at the Westgate church on Saturday evening. He prayed for the woman and skipped the lawsuit, which is a slightly disguised title for a nearly identical item, in progress! Of course, if I or you were to observe that the guy of Monday morning seems to be quite youthful to be an elder, someone will recall, I am sure, I Timothy 4:12.
There is Greg Laurie and Greg Laurie I think found God as a teenager. Laurie has a church or churches which is alleged to be or which are alleged to be now the 8th largest in the USA or something like that. It appears that Greg began his pastoral ministry at age 19.
Youth can be fun . . . If and when I visit the “Church of the Valley,” I may meet some “kids” of college age! A lot of youth of college age have a nice attitude. If the kids of the church have the same spirit as the man and woman of the coffee shop then they should be great!
Both the guy and perhaps especially the gal have very nice smiles. The gal says that after being away from God in some her teens she sought God again and prayed at times that God or Jesus show Himself as real to her in various ways and she says that God/Jesus answered those prayers, but we did not get to the details of any of the story!
It turns out that the gal the worship leader or a worship leader and the guy is one of the elders of the church!
The church where they help pastor the church is an amalgam of a new church plant and an older nearly dying church which had lost direction and was lacking pastors, direction and leadership.
They got together but I think they said that the churches had a bit of a struggle in the first year of getting along and agreeing on how to do things. The older dying church had property and the church plant group had passion and a vision.
Meeting all the Christians on Monday morning made me wonder if I should print up a page for some of them, for any future encounters and sharing prayer requests!
The Church of the Valley though has services only on Sunday mornings and the church of Christ of Campbell has services only on Sunday mornings! This is very hard to take.
My idea of church actually has church service more frequently and makes it easier to go to 2 or 3 churches, if needed and desired, in a given week.
I complain to God at times about things . . . I am not sure if this complaint will work very well, however. Oh, God, why are there two seemingly nice churches and they do not appear to have evening services also?
I will file a complaint with the God of storms!
Oh, there is one more fun thing about meeting the two of them this morning.
As we were finishing and perhaps after we had been praying, the guy said that the “Bible study” they had begun before I said hi was without direction and passion, for it was the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. He wondered or implied that God had set things up in a way that my presence was not an interruption and was a very welcome divine appointment, though he did not use that phrase. He just said or implied that it was interesting that I would interrupt their study on a day on which they did not seem to have a lot to say or discuss!


In the midst of this crazy political world there’s a people. A people who believe this passage: "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…" (Philippians 3:20). Although we believe our loyalties and citizenship is first to Christ and His Kingdom, we’re unsure how we’re to respond and react to the political chaos around us. This Sunday we begin wrestling as a church, made up of people with varied political views, how we maintain unity in the faith while the political world is erupting around us.
Stephen Saxton -- God, Politics & the Church Part 2
Stephen Saxton -- God, Politics & the Church Part 1


Sale on canvas prints! Use code ABCXYZ at checkout for a special discount!
Photographic art featuring quotes from the four Gospels. This collection began back in 2014. On Monday August 11, 2014 I was in God's hands as I underwent cervical spine surgery to repair a herniated disc pressing on my spinal cord and started the long road to recovery. In response, I began a Daily Scripture Art project highlighting God's word that helped me through that challenging time and continues to enrich my life. Over the past few years I have expanded the project beyond healing scriptures to include many other inspirational messages. May this project also help others facing physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges of their own. These pieces use the New International Version of the Bible. Scriptures from other books of the Bible can be found in separate collections. Other translations and additional scriptures not included in these collections may be requested.
1 - 19 of 19 scripture art gospels wall art for sale
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"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it"
What is MHKM Youth?
Found in 2020, MHKM Youth is a new youth ministry that strives to instill the love of Christ among the lost youth. MHKM Youth is a safe space for all youth to express their ideas and experiences as a young Orthodox Tewahedo Christian in our American society.
Our mission is to strengthen the MHKM Youth by engaging them in the weekly church activities. We also wish to broaden the education of the youth about Tewahedo through the creation of a solid community, while also bringing back the lost MHKM Youth.
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Fr. Jim McDermott, SJ presentation about Pope Francis on September 3, 2015 at St. Anthony Parish, Sacramento. These series of videos gave us a glimpse about the current Pope. It also gave us a guide as St. Anthony parishioners embark on studying the Pope’s encyclical titled the “Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium)” as a Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation. All credits to Fr. Jim McDermott, SJ.


In many ways, this substantial volume by Ehrman seems to be an expansion of his 2011 book, Forged. In that respect, my review of the latter book largely impacts on this volume.
The substance of what Ehrman states in his 2011 work is reproduced in this book. However, there is one major aspect that needs to be underlined – Ehrman’s contention that forgery was as unacceptable in the ancient world as it is today.
One might rejoin that this should be obvious, but to many scholars it is not. Indeed, in this volume, Ehrman is not only attacking conservative views of the Bible, as is his wont, but also a major liberal tenet that pseudonymity – the use of someone else’s name in authorship of a work – was not an issue in the ancient world.
Of course, conservatives have been saying for a long time that this was essentially an act of identity theft, an unethical deceit. Startlingly, considering his usual attacks on conservative scholarship, Ehrman agrees with this analysis.
Stand in the streams?
Ehrman quotes the usual liberal defence of pseudonymity – that it was not an attempt to deceive, but rather a claim ‘to stand within the authoritative streams of tradition’ (p. 39). That is, the doctrine of the writer is that of the person he claims to be. Of course, this becomes problematic when different works which contradict each other are ascribed to the same author! At any rate, Ehrman asserts – rightly – that the aim in using the name of some person is to claim his authority. What gives the work authority is that it is ascribed to someone like Peter, as with the so-called Apocalypse of Peter (p.42). In this respect, it is no different from someone claiming the identity of a person in order to utilise his authority to empty a bank account!
Apart from the moral criticism of pseudo-nymity, Ehrman also demonstrates that it is unhistorical to suggest that it was acceptable practice in the ancient world. In fact, ‘the ancients were interested in knowing who actually wrote a literary work’ and address the issue ‘with striking frequency’, which Ehrman supports by referring to Herodotus, Aristotle, Pausanias and others. He shows that the early Christians felt the same way, noting objections by Athanasius and Jerome to letters falsely published in their names (pp.82-83). In short, the practice of pseudo-nymity was unacceptable and condemned in the ancient world, as much as it is today. To this, evangelicals can give a hearty amen!
New Testament books forged?
Had Ehrman stopped at this point, evangelicals could probably see his work as a useful contribution to issues of historicity – but he does not. He goes on to list various forgeries, which include Apocryphal works, but also the pastoral epistles, Hebrews, the Johannine epistles, the Petrine epistles, James, Jude, Acts of the Apostles – in fact, most of the New Testament. To address Ehrman’s contention would be beyond the capacity of an article – it would require a book. At any rate, the arguments presented – and their refutation – are nothing new. However, we may consider what he says about Mark and Luke. He regards their gospels as anonymous, and states that their attribution to these two figures is unsurprising – which, frankly, is itself a surprising argument.
Criteria of Embarrassment
In his other writings, Ehrman has referred to the academic Criteria of Embarrassment. When something negative is stated about a central figure, such as David in regard to the Uriah incident, there is no reason to believe that the event was unhistorical – after all, the writer would be more inclined to suppress it. Similarly, with Mark, why would the early church attribute this gospel to someone who was not an apostle, unless he did actually write it, as a result of his association with Peter? Also, consider what we read about him in Acts 13, how he deserted Saul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey and then was the cause of a breach between the two figures. Surely this is another reason against anyone falsely ascribing the work to Mark?
As for Luke, if we apply the same criteria, we might note that he was a Greek, not a Jew – how many first-century Jews would receive a Scripture written by a Gentile? Luke was not an apostle – but no one in the early church ever claimed that anyone but Luke wrote the gospel and Acts attached to his name. Luke freely acknowledges that he was not an eyewitness of Jesus (although he investigated the reports of those who were). Why would anyone want to invent his authorship?
Yet Ehrman obviously does not accept that Mark and Luke wrote the gospels in question. He also spends considerable space into debunking the authenticity of the Acts of the Apostles, sometimes using circular arguments – for example, the attribution of the book to Luke by Irenæus (c.180) is, for Ehrman, proof of the success of the writer’s ‘ploy’ in suggesting that he was an eyewitness of Paul (p.279).
Ehrman attacks the authenticity not only of 2 Peter – a standard liberal position – but also of 1 Peter and of James and Jude, for the common reason that the real figures would have been illiterate peasants, probably speaking only Aramaic, not knowing Greek in any measure. He cites studies suggesting that only three per cent of people in Roman Palestine were literate, but ignores other works arguing against this. More pointedly, he again refers to Acts 4:13 as suggesting that Peter was illiterate: ‘Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated [agrammatoi], and untrained [‘idiōtai] men [literally, ‘common men’] …’ These words do not mean ‘unlearned and ignorant’ (as KJV). To be agrammatoi is to lack scribal training – opposite of grammateus, professional ‘scribe’. An ‘idiōtēs is one outside the group, i.e. of professional scribes and priests – a layman, not a priest.
Ignoring the obvious
He also thinks it unlikely that Peter knew Greek, yet the latter fished on the Sea of Galilee, bordered on the east by Greek-speaking areas. Ehrman suggests the same about James and Jude, yet he ignores the proximity of the Hellenistic city of Sepphoris to Nazareth. Further, when Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt, how did they communicate to the locals? It is most unlikely that either knew Coptic, but under the Ptolemies, Greek had been the state language and if, as is quite probable, the couple made for the Hellenistic city of Alexandria, with its huge Jewish community, what Greek they spoke would have improved by bounds. Yet Ehrman ignores this.
The essential problem with this book, of course, is that Muslim propagandists on the streets and on campuses will study and utilise its arguments. Yet most Christians are ill-equipped to answer them. This became obvious during the Olympics at Stratford in 2012 when they approached Christian evangelists there, challenging them about the identity, history and reliability of the NT authors, and the Christians were unable to answer. The problem is that rarely, if ever, do local churches teach their congregants – especially in Sunday schools and youth fellowships – about these issues, leaving young people in particular defenceless in the face of well-trained, large Islamic Societies at college and Muslim propagandists on the streets. So often such Muslims taunt: ‘You don’t know anything about Mark, Matthew, etc. Did they have good memories? Were they trustworthy? Did they speak Greek?’ In doing so, they can quote Ehrman to support their position.
It behoves local church leaders to remedy this situation by instructing their flocks in biblical historicity, canon and text to meet this challenge, and to show where Ehrman is less than convincing.
Dr Anthony McRoy
Helen Cowan tells her story of God’s grace in a very taxing situation
I’m married to Chris and have three grown-up children.
I have always had a special relationship with my Aunty Dorothy, spending every summer visiting her in Northumberland, very close to some of the most scenic parts of Hadrian’s Wall. She had never married and lived alone with her cat Marley for company – a very independent and extremely feisty woman.
Five years ago, in her mid-80s, it became obvious she was struggling to cope living on her own. She had developed dementia.
We managed her care for a period, from a distance with regular visits, but in 2010 a doctor told us she was frail and unlikely to survive another winter. My husband and I decided that I needed to go and stay with her to give full-time care. If this was to be her last year, we would at least try to give her the very best quality of life.
This was a sacrifice for my husband. I took a career break from my job in the library. I loved Aunty, and enjoyed being with her. I thought it would be fine. I would cope just great. In July 2010 I went North. God knew that as I went up there I was going to learn just what ‘caring’ for someone is like. Nothing and no amount of theory or love can prepare you for living with dementia.
Most of us joke about not remembering things and I’m sure many of us have moments of forgetfulness. But my aunt had no short term memory. It didn‘t take many days into her care to realize that her asking and me repeating myself 30 times an hour all day every day was not easy – especially when the questions were always the same.
The days dragged, and by 2pm I would think, ‘only eight hours before bed’. They were long afternoons and evenings. It was the most mentally exhausting, frustrating, torturous experience I had ever had. There were days the mental pressure would be so intense I felt as if my head would explode. I would escape to the bathroom and cry and plead with God to rescue me and help me. He did.
I walked my frustration out in the streets around the town. I went down to the river and reminded myself that God leads me by quiet waters. This would restore me. Sometimes I was invited in to a home for a drink and some normal conversation. I was surrounded by hills and wonderful scenery. Every day when I went shopping I thought of the passage that says my help comes from the Lord who created all this. And there were times when somehow I just got through, hour by hour.
My family, friends and fellowship were a tremendous support and I was very fortunate to receive regular visits from my husband and have some respite. Patience was difficult and at times, inwardly, I would be screaming: ‘Shut-up! I don’t want to have to tell you again’. God was searching out the deep places of my heart (Psalm 139.23-24), because patience was something I thought I had, until I was in the place where I needed it.
God’s dealings with me
It was as if God would say to me: ‘Helen, when you are suffering spiritual dementia, repeating the same mistakes, going over and over the same ground, don’t you need my patience, love, forgiveness and reassurance?’.
I needed his help and strength to share what he has given me in my life with my aunt, and also in the way I responded to her. He enabled me to do that, and I can tell you we didn’t just have bad days, but also lots and lots of great days.
Aunty’s antics at times made me laugh. One situation I didn’t find much humour in, though, and which drove me to distraction, was Marley, the cat. He was the love of my aunt’s life and the bane of mine. She would ask: ‘Where’s Marley’, and I would tell her, only for this conversation to be repeated again and again, hour after hour.
More was spent on his food than on the two of us. He had to be fed every time he moved. He was given the best seat. All the doors had to be left open, even in the middle of winter, so he could come and go as he pleased. The fire would be turned off in case he burnt his tail. And if at 4am in the morning he would meow outside my room, Aunty would let him in. There were times I could have killed that cat. Aunty worshipped Marley. She gave Marley love, devotion, adoration and attention. He was her first thought in the morning and was her last concern at night. I used to complain to the Lord about having to play second fiddle to a cat.
Looking at my own heart
He was searching my heart, and I clearly felt God say: ‘I know exactly what you mean about playing second fiddle’. I began to see the parallel in my own Christian walk to how Aunty was with Marley. I found myself looking at my own heart and asking: ‘Is that how I love the Lord? Do I give him the very best? Is Jesus my first thought and priority? Do I put him first in my life, above all other things?’.
God was going to search out my heart too concerning materialism. My aunt not only loved her cat but was very proud of her lovely house and possessions. She would fret about what was going to happen to them when she was no longer there.
To help her not worry, and because she couldn’t remember, I would have to read out the will she had made. I wasn’t mentioned in it. Despite what people may have thought, I was never a beneficiary. I was there out of a deep love for my aunt. Nevertheless, it was a stark reminder that there was no financial gain for me. I found it difficult and hurtful to be reminded of this continuously. I had to dig really deep and examine my heart and motives and talk to the Lord about this issue. I had to remind myself that I had chosen to trust God to be my provider.
A Scripture which really helped me was Luke 12.15: ‘Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, a man’s life is not measured by the abundance of possessions’.
As my aunt’s dementia worsened she would say to me ’what use are these things to me’ and on good days we were able to talk about Jesus and his gift of life. Sadly, however, she never responded.
What happened next
Nearly four years on, I can tell you my aunt survived that winter and the winters since. After full-time caring for three years I could not go on any further. The heartbreaking decision was made to move her. I had wanted to continue caring to the end of her life, but that was not possible. She went into a care home with a few ornaments and her clothes. Her house has been on the market and is not selling and is now worth half of what it was five years ago. Marley her cat died 18 months ago but she still asks: ‘Where’s Marley?’.
I’m home, back in the fellowship of the church, and unemployed. But I would not have swapped that three years for anything. They’ve been wonderful, emotional, painful and a steep learning curve. I am a work in progress and my years with Aunty were part of God’s work .
I learnt that the things we hold onto and value pass away. My treasure is not on this earth. I discovered that when your mind and body are weak and frail you may become afraid, as my aunt did. As I would try and comfort her, I found my God comforted and kept me, with his Word and promises. I have a saviour who promises he will be with me always, and that I am never alone.
In the dark moments I would worry and ask myself, what if I lose my mind, and if everything is stripped away, what will be left? What are the things I’ve stored up in my heart? For God’s Word says that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
The most important thing I’ve learnt is that I have a faithful loving Father.
Helen is a member of Radcliffe Road Baptist Church, Bury in Lancashire.
Coldplay’s latest album, Ghost Stories, has been hitting the headlines.
There are three reasons. 1. It has become the fastest-selling UK album of the year. 2. The band signed an exclusive deal with iTunes meaning that the album was not available on free music streaming websites like Spotify. 3. In an impressive publicity stunt, the band created an international scavenger hunt by hiding handwritten lyrics from the album in libraries across the world.
The album itself has almost been lost in the chatter, but among fans who have been waiting for it for three years the response to the music is mixed. Those who know Coldplay for their buoyant, stadium-filling anthems have found it surprising. Aside from the album’s first single, ‘Magic’, and the penultimate track, ‘A Sky Full of Stars’, the songs are mellow and downbeat. For other fans, this is its strength: it’s a return to the soothing ‘bath rock’ music that appeared on the band’s first album, Parachutes, released in 2000. But Ghost Stories is not just ambient; it has more than a tinge of sadness, and with good reason.
It seems to be impossible to talk about Ghost Stories without mentioning the fact that it was it was released less than two months after the band’s frontman Chris Martin announced his ‘conscious uncoupling’ from his wife of ten years, the actress Gwyneth Paltrow. The couple, who have two children, announced their separation on Paltrow’s lifestyle website Goop. The article claimed amiably, ‘we have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much we will remain separate’. It immediately drew criticism from people who objected to their euphemistic language. What did ‘unconscious uncoupling’ even mean?
Paltrow’s spiritual advisers, Dr Habib Sadeghi and Dr Sherry Sami, explain: ‘It seems ironic to say that a marriage coming apart is the cause of something else coming together, but it’s true. Conscious uncoupling brings wholeness to the spirits of both people who choose to recognise each other as their teacher. If they do, the gift they receive from their time together will neutralise their negative internal object that was the real cause of their pain in the relationship’.
Ghost Stories, which has repeatedly been dubbed a ‘breakup album’, is full of descriptions of this pain. Martin describes the art of songwriting as like keeping a diary, and the album is clearly very personal.
But Ghost Stories does not languish in depression. The album’s dramatic narrative moves on; by track eight there is a musical release and a lyrical turn to acceptance and joy. Speaking to the BBC, Martin explains: ‘What Ghost Stories means to me is you’ve got to open yourself up to love and, if you really do, of course it will be painful at times, but then it will be great at some point’. The album’s title also refers to this sense that you cannot let the ghosts of your past continue to haunt you. You have to move on and embrace the future.
More importantly, Martin’s great revelation in this album is that in order to live a satisfying life you have to let go of your fears and make yourself entirely vulnerable. You have to embrace everything life throws at you, whether happy or sad. You have to be completely honest. You have to be grateful for every moment, whatever it brings. Only in doing so can you find the capacity to love unconditionally and to experience deep-seated, euphoric joy. ‘I’m very proud of that message’, says Martin, who hopes that by listening to this album, fans will experience this soul-cleansing catharsis.
Listening to Martin talk about the album it’s clear that his ‘new approach to life’ does have a spiritual component. Perhaps it’s not surprising given his background. Paltrow raised their children as Jews in honour of her father, who was a rabbi. Martin himself was raised in a Catholic family, but subsequently turned to a combination of other faiths. He’s experimented with a range of religions, finally settling on the self-invented term ‘all-theist’ to describe his belief in all kinds of gods.
For Ghost Stories he consulted a teacher of Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam, who told him to let his negative experiences ‘alchemise’. The result was that the music on the album simply flowed through him, he claims. He’s conscious of sounding too New Age, but he says: ‘I’ve been given that gift from the universe, or from God, or whatever you want to believe in, that ideas for songs get sent through wherever they get sent from and then I take them to the rest of the band.
In the face of his heartbreak, Martin’s defiant response is to keep singing. He uses the album to declare that his spirit is not crushed: ‘If you were to ask me / After all that we’ve been through / ‘Still believe in magic?’ / Well yes I do / Of course I do!’ This sense of magic is a relief and a release, but only inasmuch as it points to a deeper, more freeing truth. A single true God does exist and he is a source of comfort, inspiration, joy, hope, healing and real, unconditional love. Martin may not have found him yet, but for us, whatever the trials of life, that really is something to keep believing in.
Rachel Thorpe writes the ‘Crossing the culture’ column for EN and works as an events planner and freelance writer in Cambridge. More of her articles can be found at www.rachelthorpe.com
Enjoy the following links!
Reasonable Faith – A great new way to offer apologetics in your church: Dr. Craig’s Defenders class streams LIVE each week!
Desiring God – Be ready to answer your kids questions about the Bible
Thom Rainer – 7 things I’ve learned from joyous pastors wives
The Good Book – 35% off ‘A praying life’ (offer ends 20/10/14)
A Faith to Live By – Advice to a gay couple with a child who became Christians
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The text, ‘be holy as I am holy’, is perhaps one of the most old-fashioned sounding in the Bible.
But it is newly alive with interpretative complexities. How are we to be holy? Can Christians be called to be holy? What is the most effective means by which Christians are urged towards holiness? Is it legalism to urge the use of the law in Christian discipleship? Are Christians supposed to put effort into their holiness?
Particularly amusing has been a minor debate taking place in the nether world of the internet as to whether Christians are actually sinners. Given that most would recognise that Christians are also regenerate and justified, it seems unlikely that any can deny seriously that Christians are nonetheless still liable to sin. If any do doubt it, they only need to observe the manner of debate on some blogs: there for all to see is this incontrovertible fact that Christians do indeed still sin.
It reminds me of the old story of Charles Spurgeon – I trust not entirely apocryphal. When at a conference listening to man saying he had attained sinless perfection, the next morning Spurgeon is said to have poured a jug of milk over his head. And watched his sinless perfection evaporate before his (and everyone else’s) eyes.
Of course that debate was different to this one. Then the debate was whether Christians could attain a state of sinless perfection through some higher experience, or an especially devoted yielding of themselves to God. Now the debate is as to the appropriate means towards holiness. It seems incontrovertible that the gospel encourages holiness (Romans 12.1: ‘… in view of God’s mercy… offer your bodies as living sacrifices’, meaning that considering the whole massive panoply of the gospel, – ‘God’s mercy’– we are to sacrifice ourselves for Jesus). It also seems incontrovertible that being called on to obey God is orthodox Christian teaching: much of the second half of Paul’s letters is in the imperative mood, if not literally always in the imperative tense. Yet it is not now solely a matter of will power – by the Spirit, as born again Christians, we are enabled to follow Jesus so we strive to do so. Perhaps Philippians 2.12-13 is the text that we all need to make a renewed effort to memorise, for its wonderful balance: ‘work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose’.
Or a refresher course on J.C. Ryle’s Holiness. Or, if his language from that long ago is a stretch or the book is too long in our soundbite age, at least the excellent The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. As J.I. Packer said of it, ‘The work is pure gold: be sensible, and invest in it’. Anyone fancy doing a reprint of the Bridges classic? Or another of Ryle, perhaps a summary version?
Better still, write a new one. Take Philippians 2 as your text. Work out what God works in.
Josh Moody is the senior pastor of College Church, Wheaton, Illinois.
Knights of the King is holiday club material produced by CEP (an Australian Evangelical Anglican youth publisher). The director’s pack contains all the material to run a week’s club for children aged 5-12, based on Matthew’s Gospel.
The theme is medieval, and we meet a knight who is trying to find the one true king to follow. The booklet has a teaching programme, timetables, crafts, drama, song suggestions, games, memory verses and Bible study material. The pack also contains a CD-ROM and DVD with animations, visual aids, powerpoints, publicity material and other printable resources.
In our church, we had grown tired of trying to use other off-the-peg holiday club material and editing it so heavily that all we really ended up using was the name! It was such a relief to discover this resource and find that we could use the Bible teaching as set out in the book because it is robustly evangelical and Jesus-centred. The teaching programme doesn’t play down sin and also includes a gospel overview (a sort of Two Ways to Live, but medieval style). What a joy to read that the aim of the whole week is ‘to explore Matthew’s Gospel and learn that Jesus is God’s great king who came to save us from our sins and whom we should follow all our lives’. I also found some of the advice really helpful – particularly on thinking about how to make the Sunday service at the end of the week effective for reaching families
Tweaking the Aussie
The material is Australian and occasionally needs to be tweaked for a UK audience (too many surfing jokes, and an assumption that you’ll get good weather!). But apart from minor changes, I would highly recommend this pack for any evangelical church looking for biblical holiday club material.
a Sunday School leader in a rural Anglican church in Devon


Our Christian Vision
Our Christian vision is for God’s love to be fully experienced by our children and community.
Each child’s unique journey should enable them to flourish:
in life - both inside and outside school;
in learning – enjoying learning how to learn;
in love - for others as well as themselves.
DVIS is where the fruits of God’s Spirit are central, so all can fully know who they are and who God knows them to be.
In all we do we aim to display... Love, Kindness, Joy, Self-Control and Faithfulness.
Our Christian values permeate the life of the school. As we go through the day the children and adults aim to live out these values, deepening their meaning and showing them in many practical ways. We ensure that diversity and difference is celebrated.
Each week we spend time together as a school celebrating those children who have particularly shown these values in their attitude and behaviour at school.
Our Values Cups winners are:
Self Control cup has been awarded to Ellis
Self Control cup has been awarded to Poppy
Joy has been cup awarded to Oliver
Joy has been cup awarded to Milo
Faithfulness cup has been awarded to Ellie
Faithfulness cup has been awarded to Theodora
Kindness cup has been awarded to Sheldon
Kindness cup has been awarded to Zoe
Love cup has been awarded to Mary
Love cup has been awarded to Skye
Values Cups are presented at the end of half term in Our Worship.
We celebrate the children being punctual and having overall good attendance too and a prize is given for best punctuality and also best attendance.
Attendance And Punctuality
Congratulations and thank you to Riley who have had the best attendance this term so far 98% and the classes who was most punctual to start school each day was Kandinsky and Monet.


November 25, 1925 - February 9, 2017
Mrs. Jack (Loretta P.) Koester, 91, of Teutopolis, passed away at 9:50 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2017, at her home in Teutopolis.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, February 13, 2017, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Teutopolis, with burial in the church cemetery. A Scriptural Rosary was held on Sunday, February 12, at the church. Memorials may be made for Mass stipends or to the following: Effingham County Right to Life; 4-S Chapter Lutherans for Life; Bishop's Pro-life; or Family Life Center. To share a condolence or memory with her family, visit www.bauerfh.com.
Loretta was born November 25, 1925, in Effingham County, the daughter of Ben and Lena (Westjohn) Unkraut. She married John B. "Jack" Koester on November 3, 1951, in Lillyville. Loretta was a member of St. Francis of Assisi parish, Teutopolis, for over 60 years. She was a member of the Council of Catholic Women, having held the office of Secretary of the Diocesan CCW for 6 years. She was appointed to the Bishop's Pro-Life Congressional District Action Committee by Bishop Joseph McNicholas, thus the beginning of the monthly deanery prayer vigils that continue to this day. She was a founding member of Effingham County Right to Life. She was also a founding member of the Family Life Pregnancy Care Center in Effingham. In 2002, she was bestowed with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Award by His Holiness Pope John Paul II for distinguished service to the Church and the world, along with the Magnificat Award from Springfield Diocesan Bishop George Lucas.
Loretta is survived by her son, Duane (Ann Marie), of Los Lunas, NM; two daughters, Sandy (Darrell) Wollin, of St. Peter and Cindy (Tom) Vahling, of Teutopolis; eight grandchildren, Joshua Wollin, Anthony (Jamie) Vahling, Dominic Vahling, Michaela Vahling, Isaac Vahling, Aubriana Koester, Mandi Koester and Braiden Koester; three great-grandchildren, Sarona, Titus, and Baby Vahling. She is also survived by brother, Leonard (Gustie) Unkraut and sister-in-law, Marlene Unkraut, all of Effingham.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Jack; brothers Raymond (Adeline), Bernard and Joseph Unkraut; sister Mary (Herman) Tegeler and two infant grandchildren Mattie and Gabrielle Vahling.