WordJourney Magazine » Christian News

NYC Seeks to Toss Churches From Schools

Matthew C. Keegan — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:32:36 +0000

City seeks to separate churches from the state.

Religious liberty is under attack in New York City.

The city of New York is a melting pot, one of the most diverse places on earth. Scores of languages are spoken within its five boroughs and with every major religion well represented. Although the city has welcomed hundreds of millions of people with open arms down through the years, a recent city crackdown on Christian churches and orthodox Jewish congregations meeting in public schools has some people upset.

Pending Expulsion

Last December, city officials set a February 12 deadline for the approximately 60 religious organizations that have been holding services in city schools. As of that date the effected churches will be barred from holding worship services in public schools and will be forced to congregate elsewhere reports the New York Times.

Churches only began to meet in New York schools following a 2002 decision by a judge who allowed this practice. Since then, the city has issued more than 60 permits to congregations to meet for religious services. The New York City Department of Education, however, has been battling to overturn that judge’s earlier decision and in June 2011 a full panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit upheld a 3-judge panel’s decision to toss an injunction that allowed churches to meet in NYC public schools for the previous nine years.

ADF Defense

Fighting on behalf of The Bronx Household of Faith, which meets at Public School 15 in the Bronx, is the Alliance Defense Fund. In Bronx Household of Faith v. Board of Education of the City of New York , the ADF sought to have the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case, but in December the court declined. That set up the Feb. 12 deadline by the city.

As the deadline approaches, concerned citizens are contacting city hall and asking Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Board of Education to delay its eviction order. Pastors and other religious leaders have called for people to march with them across the Brooklyn Bridge at 3:30 p.m. this Sunday, Jan. 29, first meeting in Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn to rally and pray before marching. Marchers plan to cross the bridge and meet at City Hall.

Setting a Precedent

Churches and other religious groups that currently meet in public schools around the nation will need to follow what is unfolding in New York. With the U.S. Supreme Court refusing to hear the Bronx case and city officials bent on evicting the churches, this may set a precedent for any city across the United States of America to do likewise.

On Feb. 2, the New York City Council Education Committee will hold a hearing to urge the New York Legislature to require the Board of Education to change its policy. That bill has bipartisan support and is moving to the state Senate floor.

Photo: Wikipedia

FamilyLife Seeks to Aid Military Marriages

Matthew C. Keegan — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 11:38:04 +0000

Multiple deployments take its toll on military families.

Long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have meant that thousands of our military men and women complete multiple deployments before finally returning home for good. The extended time abroad leads to marital strain, making it difficult for couples to get back together again. Indeed, a FamilyLife initiative to help military couples save their marriages points to an Oklahoma State University study showing that “plans to pursue divorce or separation increase with each subsequent month.”

Coming Home

With the Iraq War over, thousands of men and women have returned home and have begun a critical 90-day post-deployment adjustment. It is during this make or break time that some marriages will unravel while others will begin a lengthy and critical healing process.

Said FamilyLife Founder and President Dennis Rainey, “That window is the proven time frame during which people develop habits and set the tone for the future of their marriage. It’s critical for military couples to establish healthy habits quickly as they struggle to reconnect and restructure their families.”

Frequent Deployments

There are a number of post-deployment stress points that must be factored in for military couples including: unrealistic expectations, rushing the transition, renegotiating roles, realizing that both spouses have changed during deployment and post-traumatic stress disorder. One couple, Air Force Master Sergeant Todd Gaff and his wife, Valerie, began the first of what turned out to be 13 tours of duty when Todd was intially sent to Afghanistan in 2001.

Said Valerie, “We had to renegotiate our roles, routines and relationship,” with each of Todd’s returns home. “While he was away, I was totally in charge and fully responsible for our children and household. When he returned, it was hard to let go of some of those roles. It was also scary getting reacquainted. By necessity, we both changed each time we were apart.”

Marriage Enrichment

FamilyLife has been rallying around military couples by providing much needed assistance to help save marriages. Practical advice, including free resources, is available to couples via a dedicated website. Moreover, FamilyLife is seeking to offer scholarships for military couples to attend a FamilyLife marriage enrichment event.

“We would like to help spark a nationwide movement to ‘give back’ to those who have given so much to our country,” Rainey said. Anyone can give $10 to this scholarship fund by texting the word HOME to 28950. Gifts can also be made at FinallyHomeToFamily.org or by calling 1-800-358-6329.

MercyMe Tour

FamilyLife is working with the contemporary Christian band MercyMe to reach out to military families. The band’s 2012 concert tour has been dedicated to helping FamilyLife reach these couples. Said lead singer Bart Millard, “FamilyLife has stepped up and said this needs to happen for our troops. Trying to keep military families together is something I take very seriously. [This] gives us all an opportunity to offer these couples a fighting chance.”

The Gaffs 18-year military marriage has survived much hardship. Today, Valerie works with FamilyLife to help other military couples overcome the challenges she and Todd have faced noting, “Civilians often don’t understand that, though the battle overseas may be over, our troops must now come home and fight for their marriage.”

Photo via BigStock: Miroslav Ferkuniak

Operation Christmas Child 2011 Campaign is in Full Swing

Matthew C. Keegan — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:05:36 +0000

Reaching children in the name of Jesus Christ.

Joyful children receive gifts from people just like you.

The 2011 campaign for Operation Christmas Child, the shoe box ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, has started. Individuals, churches, civic groups and other like-minded people are now assembling boxes in advance of this year’s collection week which runs from November 14-21, 2011, in the United States.

Global Effort

Last year, more than 8.5 million shoe boxes were collected in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and elsewhere, and shipped to needy children in more than 100 countries scattered around the world. Each box is individually packed by donors and a gospel tract is included by Samaritan’s Purse where appropriate. Samaritan’s Purse works with local churches and organizations to distribute these boxes, which often represent the only gift that these children receive. Not all boxes arrive in time for Christmas, with some gifts distributed at other times of the year.

Many churches make the annual drive an important outreach event, encouraging congregants to fill shoe boxes with school supplies, personal items such as toothpaste or a comb, toys, hard candies and other child-friendly items, and bringing these gifts to their church. From there, volunteers gather the boxes and take them to local drop off points where Samaritan’s Purse retrieves them. When possible, donors are asked to contribute $7 for each box packed to help defray the cost of shipment.

Collection Centers

In some areas of the country drop-off locations have been few and far between. However, Samaritan’s Purse has been working to open up new, local collection centers especially in thinly-populated areas. West Texas is one area that is benefiting from a new drop off location as Midland Bible Church has been tabbed as a relay station this year reports Audrie Palmer for the Midland Reporter-Telegram. Sherwood Baptist Church in Odessa is another drop off point for that region.

Some volunteers work well outside the normal Christmas preparation season, beginning their work during the long, hot days of summer and continuing on through their national collection week.

In Canada, Gail Maughan has been working for many weeks in preparation for her country’s collection drive which is November 21-27, 2011. Her campaign began at the Wetaskiwin Mall, located 75 minutes south of Edmonton, Alberta. For the past 13 years Maughan has been spearheading the location collection drive and has seen donations increase by more than four-fold from about 700 boxes, to more than 3,000 shoe boxes. Maughan has solicited the assistance of 19 area businesses to participate in the annual collection drive, an effort that has helped yield outsized results.

Age Groups

Samaritan’s Purse asks donors to pack shoe boxes for a boy or girl in one of two age categories: 5- to 9-years-old and 10- to 14-years-old. Please note that there is a pressing need to reach older children as most people pack items for younger kids, finding it easier to locate and buy age appropriate items.

Print out labels are available online or through your collection center. If you make a donation online, you can print out a label with a bar code embedded, and track the shipment of your gift. You probably won’t know who received your gift, but you’ll find out when it was delivered as well as the country where delivered.

If there isn’t a local collection center in your area, you can ship your gift to Samaritan’s Purse. Those details are available on the Operation Christmas Child splash page listed below.

References and Resources

MyWestTexas.com: Operation Christmas Child Kicks Off Shoe Box Drive; Audrie Palmer; October 15, 2011

The Wetaskiwin Times: Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Program Starts Today; Nicole Goetz; October 13, 2011

The Article Writer: A Shoebox Full of Love: Operation Christmas Child

WordJourney Magazine: 49 Christmas Shoe Box Stuffing Ideas

Samaritan’s Purse: Operation Christmas Child

Photos: Samaritan’s Purse

How Christians Can Help Orphans

Matthew C. Keegan — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:40:14 +0000

Cry of the Orphan campaign continues.

My wife and I have a passion for orphans, and have been able to demonstrate our concern for these children by adopting two boys from Guatemala while they were still very young. Our oldest came to us when he was 3-months-old. His younger brother when he was 15-months-old. These boys are our only children, begotten in our hearts and representing our posterity.

To this day, the need for orphan care remains critical, but my wife and I are heartened that so many Christians are responding. Children who were once orphans fully understand the need to belong and families are demonstrating their willingness to help distressed children by providing them with a loving, permanent home.

Video Program

A new video program features the impact that some people are having on the lives of orphans and gives Christians genuine examples of people who are making a difference. Importantly, Answer the Cry: Faces of Hope, explains how you can help too.

Answer the Cry: Faces of Hope is being made available as part of the annual Cry of the Orphan campaign, led by Hope for Orphans (a ministry of FamilyLife), Focus on the Family, the James Fund (Family Christian Stores Foundation) and Show Hope. The project’s goal is to raise awareness and prompt action to help the more than 140 million orphans worldwide.

Making a Difference

Answer the Cry: Faces of Hope is hosted by best-selling author Eric Metaxas. The program will be available for free through CryoftheOrphan.org or by visiting any of the Family Christian Stores nationwide beginning Oct. 14. Answer the Cry: Faces of Hope is an impactful program that people can use during an Orphan Sunday event, at church, in small groups and Bibles studies or to share with their families. It addresses how every Christian can have an impact on the life of an orphan and touching examples of how some people are already helping to change the lives of orphans, including:

Two 15-year-olds experienced radical inspiration after working with orphans during separate mission trips overseas. Caroline and Sarah decided to start a club to get fellow students involved in helping orphans. The club has now expanded to nine chapters.

A 9-year old girl was placed into foster care, separated from her younger siblings, after the tragic death of her baby sister. Thirteen years later, Tiffany speaks to thousands of Christians every year, encouraging them to adopt children in need of loving families.

A three-week-old baby girl with a cleft palate was left at the gates of an orphanage in China with a short note and a small financial donation. Twenty years later, Lydia has been adopted, graduated from college, and is now serving in that very same orphanage.

When Matt and Elizabeth heard about an orphan in South Korea, it wasn’t the kind of adoption most families would pursue. Little Ben had a terminal heart condition. The couple knew this would be a challenging situation, but fell in love with Ben and brought him home so that he would not have to face his frightening illness alone.

Raising Awareness

Along with Answer the Cry: Faces of Hope, the Cry of the Orphan campaign is working with FamilyLife and Focus on the Family during October and November. Both ministries have national radio program that will devote some of their daily broadcasts to raise awareness of orphan, foster care and adoption issues.

Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Faces Execution

Matthew C. Keegan — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:32:35 +0000

Christian pastor may face death this weekend.

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been convicted by an Iranian court for committing apostasy, a crime that is punishable by death. The 32-year-old church leader, husband and father of two small children, was told to renounce his faith by an Iranian court. When he refused to do so, the court imposed its death penalty in keeping with Islamic Sharia law.

White House Response

The Christian Broadcasting Network learned about Nadarkhani’s plight from the American Center for Law and Justice, becoming the first major news outlet to share this news with the world. Word of Nadarkhani’s pending execution has reached the White House where Press Secretary Jay Carney issued a statement in his September 29, 2011, briefing which said:

“…regarding Mike’s question about Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, the United States condemns the conviction of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani. Pasto Nadarkhani has done nothing more than maintain his devout faith, which is a universal right for all people. That the Iranian authorities would try to force him to renounce that faith violates the religious values they claim to defend, and crosses all bounds of decency and Iran’s own international obligations.

“A decision to impose the death penalty would further demonstrate the Iranian authorities’ utter disregard for religious freedom and highlight Iran’s continuing violation of the universal rights of its citizens.

“We call upon the Iranian authorities to release Pastor Nadarkhani and demonstrate a commitment to basic, universal human rights, including freedom of religion.”

Prayer & Petition

Christians are being asked to pray that Nadarkhani’s life be spared and his sentence commuted. In an interview with CBN, the ACLJ’s Jay Sekulow noted that three of the five judges are considering annulling the sentence. However, Nadarkhani could face life in prison under very harsh conditions. If freed, he could also be killed a few days after his release, as sometimes happens to those who profess faith in Jesus Christ.

Mounting Pressure

Despite the country’s relative political isolation, world opinion does affect Iran. Nadarkhani’s execution could have been carried out sooner, but as international pressure has increased, authorities have delayed the pastor’s execution.

You can sign a petition on the ACLJ website asking U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton to get involved, specifically with her calling upon Iran to overturn the pastor’s death sentence.

In Iran, any person who leaves Islam can face the death penalty. Nadarkhani was not a practicing Muslim, but the court convicted him nonetheless because his family heritage is Muslim.

Sept. 11th Film to be Shown in NYC Parks

Matthew C. Keegan — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 10:33:01 +0000

Christian group overcomes resistance to win the right to publicly show its film.

NEW YORK – A nonprofit Christian group has won its battle against the city of New York to show its film, “Sacrificed Survivors: The Untold Story of the Ground Zero Mega-Mosque,” at parks across the city. The film, which is about survivors of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, also addresses the controversy of a proposed Islamic building just blocks from Ground Zero. As of publication, we have not seen this film.

The Christian Action Network, a Forest, Va., organization founded in 1990 that “is based on Biblical principles, values and traditions,” has produced the film. Martin J. Mawyer, former editor of Jerry Falwell’s “Moral Majority” report, is the group’s president, claiming more than 250,000 CAN members. Mawyer has written three books about radical Islam; the “Ground Zero” movie is his latest endeavor.

NYC Parks

City parks in New York are routinely used to show films by private groups in accordance with the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. However, CAN asserts that the city resisted its request to air the film at its parks, an effort CAN wanted to undertake leading up to the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

The American Center for Law and Justice sent a demand letter to New York City on July 28, to urge the city to show the film or be subject to a possible lawsuit. The city granted the group’s request, noting that it was concerned about the documentary’s content and viewpoint.

First Amendment

“The law is clear: the City has violated the Christian Action Network’s rights under the First Amendment,” the demand letter stated. “The City’s refusal to approve CAN’s applications due to disagreement with the content and viewpoint of the documentary violates CAN’s First Amendment rights. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the government from ‘abridging the freedom of speech.’ ”

The ACLJ is headed up by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, a law firm that focuses on constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C. CAN has not announced dates, times and places for the film to be shown in New York yet. Local media, including the city’s leading newspapers and television stations, have been silent about the Christian Action Network’s battle with the city. The so-called “Ground Zero” mosque – Park51 – is the project of the American Society of Muslim Advancement. This group is led by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf who, with his wife, Daisy Khan, have sought to build what they call a Muslim Community Center in lower Manhattan.

Resources

Christian Action Network

American Center for Law and Justice

American Society of Muslim Advancement

Fill a Need and They Will Come

Matthew C. Keegan — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 09:46:10 +0000

The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14:21)

We know that Jesus performed many miracles as noted in the Bible, but as often as we read about these events, John suggested that many more were never recorded. Indeed, in John 21:25 we read this statement, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”

Jesus Is God

What was recorded demonstrated several important things about Jesus: that He was God, that He had compassion on mankind corporately and individually, and that He often reached people by satisfying a pressing physical need first before delivering a spiritual lesson.

In Matthew 14 we have an account of Jesus feeding 5,000 men plus women and children. In Mark 8, we read of another account where Jesus fed 4,000. In both instances the people were hungry; in the account in Mark we learned that the multitude had not eaten in three days!

We know Jesus performed miracles to demonstrate God’s love to mankind. But, He also established a pattern for the church to follow, one that believers have practiced with varying degrees of success or have ignored completely, expecting the “state” to handle such matters instead.

Well, it isn’t the state’s responsibility to help people, although in this day of cradle to grave care, most people expect that, particularly in Europe and also in Canada and now the United States. Please don’t take this statement as an indictment against contemporary Western political thought. Rather, what the church of Jesus Christ should consider is whether she is caring for Jesus’s flock as outlined in John 21 or deferring her responsibilities to another entity, namely the state.

Reaching Out

Today, the needs of the populace isn’t much different than in Jesus’ time. Some people still go hungry, others have pressing medical needs and aren’t finding relief from Medicaid, while still others simply need to know that someone cares about them.

The congregation of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Ga., does their part to minister to people in Jesus’ name by assisting church members and people in Cherokee County. The church has a food pantry, a thrift store, and ministers to widows, single moms and the elderly by providing minor home repairs or handling yardwork.

The church also sponsored a dental clinic in cooperation with the Georgia Dental Association. Called the “Georgia Mission of Mercy,” this cooperative approach tapped 1,500 volunteers, including 300 dentists, to help 2,179 people needing oral care. Approximately $1.5 million of dental care was provided, a cost that no one would have been able to handle individually nor could the church without volunteers. Notably, 25 of the dentists were First Baptist attendees.

The Salvation Message

The question that begs to be asked is this one: was the gospel shared with the community? I can’t say for sure, but I know that the church fulfilled an admonition attributed to one of the early church fathers, Augustine, who reportedly said, “preach the gospel always, and if necessary, use words.” Of course, people still need to hear the salvation message, but demonstrating God’s love first to them is an excellent way to prepare the heart for a follow up message.

What is your church doing to make a difference in people’s lives? Hitting straight home, what are you doing to show someone that God cares for them? As Jesus showed to His disciples, tending to the needs of people first can put them in a position to help them listen second. This also demonstrates to people that God wants to reach them where they’re at whether that means watching their kids, removing leaves from a gutter, or performing a root canal.

Photo: Benjamin Flux

Operation Christmas Child Processing Registration Commences

Matthew C. Keegan — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:54:44 +0000

Processing ministry opportunities for the fall are available.

Samaritan's Purse Processing Center in Denver.

BOONE, N.C. – Operation Christmas Child, an outreach of Samaritan’s Purse, has opened up registration for volunteers at its seven U.S. processing centers. Volunteers, who are expected to top 65,000 people this year, will be able to help this ministry review, sort and prepare donated shoebox gifts destined for overseas delivery. Volunteers come from churches, groups and families, people who must be at least 13 years old to help out.

Millions Reached

Operation Christmas Child has reached more than 86 million children in over 130 countries since this ministry was launched in 1993. Shoe box sized containers are filled by millions of donors across the United States and in more than 10 other nations worldwide. In 2011, some 8.5 million boxes filled with toys, books, personal affects and, in many cases, a gospel pack, are expected to be delivered. This outreach brings gifts to children throughout the year, not just at Christmas.

The national collection week this year runs from November 14-21, 2011. Drop-off locations include churches, civic organizations, book stores and other retailers. Boxes eventually get to processing centers located in Atlanta, Georgia; Boone, North Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Denver, Colorado; Honolulu, Hawaii; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Orange County, California. Once at these centers, each box is inspected and prepared to meet the receiving country’s customs requirements.

Global Outreach

From the processing center, boxes are placed on trucks and sea containers and shipped around the world. Once these items clear customs in the receiving country, local churches and ministry partners receive the gifts for delivery to children. Boxes are delivered to children without strings attached. If appropriate, a gospel track is included in the language of the child. A follow-up discipleship program is usually offered to help children who have made decisions for Jesus Christ.

Volunteer spots typically fill up fast. Samaritan’s Purse reports that for some volunteers, helping out at processing centers is annual event. If your family, church, or group is considering this mission opportunity, you call the ministry at 1-800-442-9120 to request a reservation. The ministry asks for volunteers to be flexible, offering several date options, if possible.

More Opportunities

Additional volunteer opportunities are available throughout the year including as part of a church relations team, media relations team, community relations team, collection/relay teams; prayer mobilization and as project leader or regional office volunteer. Stop by at www.samaritanspurse.org/occ to complete a Volunteer Interest Form or call the toll-free number listed in the previous paragraph for more information.

10 Rocking Christian Summer Fests

Matthew C. Keegan — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 05:26:28 +0000

Summer Christian music festivals heat up.

As temperatures heat up, there is one certainty: the number of Christian music and event festivals being held across the United States will be on the rise. Running from late May until the weather turns cool, these events are the most popular during summer, particularly in July and August.

Summer Music Festivals

Several festivals have already been held this year and June is a busy month too. Ichthus, held in Wilmore, Ky., begins on Wednesday and lasts through Saturday, with other events small and large to follow.

Christian music and event festivals have been held for decades now, outlasting Woodstock and carrying a common theme — glorifying God and advancing the fellowship of followers of Jesus Christ. To that end we’ve identified 10 rocking Christian summer fests, from sea to shining sea:

1. Ichthus 2011 — Ichthus opens its doors today for a music festival that is held from June 16-18. Based in Wilmore, Ky., which is about 30 minutes southwest of Lexington, Ichthus features more than 100 bands playing on 4 stages. Hillsong United is one of the most well known of the bands that will be on hand. Speakers include Efrem Smith, Tom Davis and Matt Pitt.

2. Bridgefest 2011 — If you like sand and surf, then the 6th annual Bridgefest event in Ocean Grove, N.J., is for you. Held on June 24 & 25, this event features noted speakers including Brian Brodersen and Lloyd Pulley as well as key musicians including Downhere and Brandon Heath.

3. Creation Festival 2011 Northeast — From June 29 to July 3 is the eastern iteration of the acclaimed Creation Festival held in Mt. Union, Penn. This community is located between Altoona and Harrisburg. Key musicians on hand include Toby Mac, Chris Tomlin, the Newsboys, Third Day and Tenth Avenue North. Speakers include Buster Soaries, Lecrae, Harry Thomas and Lakita Garth-Wright. A talent night and kids stage are other features of this year’s event.

4. Cornerstone Festival 2011 – Starting June 30 and running through July 3, the four-day Cornerstone Festival is held in Bushnell, Ill., 75 minutes west of Peoria. This event includes music and speakers with special areas for children where they can paint, take in a biblical drama performance and play. Key musicians on hand include Classic Petra, Randy Stonehill and Servant.

5. Sonshine Family & Friends Festival — Held from July 13-16 in Willmar, Minn., this event is celebrating its 30th year. The festival is about 100 miles west of Minneapolis and St. Paul near state highway 71. Camping opens on a Wednesday and ends the following Sunday. Key musicians on hand include Skillet, the Newsboys, Toby Mac, Francesca Battistelli and Switchfoot. Speakers and seminars will be offered too.

6. Creation Festival 2011 Northwest — The western iteration of Creation Festival is scheduled for July 20-23 in Enumclaw, Wash., which is 40 minutes southeast of Seattle and 40 minutes due east of Tacoma. This event parallels the Pennsylvania show, featuring such musicians as Toby Mac, Chris Tomlin, the David Crowder Band, Red and Switchfoot. Speakers scheduled include Susie Shellenberger, Bob Lenz, Brad Stine and Buster Soaries.

7. Ignite Fest 2011 — One hour north of Chicago in Zion, Ill., is the three-day Ignite Fest. Held from July 29-31, this music event features many of the better known artists in contemporary Christian music. Scheduled to appear are Kutless, Tenth Avenue North, the Newsboys, Sidewalk Prophets, Superchick, Matthew West, Rebecca St. James, Skillet, Stryper, Jars of Clay, Building 429, Sanctus Real and many others.

8. Kingdom Bound 2011 — Held at the Darien Lake Theme Park Resort in western New York, the four-day Kingdom Bound event runs from July 31 to August 3. Kingdom Bound is approximately half-way between Buffalo and Rochester, 15 miles from Batavia. Now in its 25th year, Kingdom Bound works with local churches and offers biblical instruction as well as solid musical acts at its events including this annual summer get together. Artists scheduled to appear include Paul Baloche, Casting Crowns, Marcus Hall, Reilly, Sidewalk Prophets, Chris Tomlin, Red, Jeremy Camp and Brit Nicole. Speakers include Bob Lenz, Wes Aarum and Steve Berger.

9. Spirit West Coast — Monterey, Calif., is the location of the three-day “Spirit West Coast” event, being held from Aug. 4-6 at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area near Salinas, 50 miles south of San Jose. Speakers scheduled to appear at this event include Bob Lenz, Adam McCain, Austin Powell and Lecrae. Musicians slated for this year’s show, now in its fifteenth year include Skillet, Newboys, Toby Mac, Children 18:3, Kutless, Iamwe, Sidewalk Prophets, Wavorly, Todd Brown Band and many others.

10. Unity 2011 Christian Music Festival – Muskegon, Mich. is the location of this three-day festival scheduled for Aug. 11-13. A special kick-off event will take place on Aug. 10 as guests set up camp. In addition to music, this event features a 5K run, Camp Unity for the kids and other special events for toddlers, tweens and teens. Musicians scheduled to perform include Barlow Girl, Kutless, Reilly, Switchfoot, Chris Sligh, Josh Wilson, Chris August, Michael W. Smith, Francesca Battistelli, Sidewalk Prophets and others. A national talent search competition will also take place, allowing up and coming musicians to showcase their stuff.

Deals & More

Most of the larger festivals span several days with some allowing you to set up a tent or bring in an RV on site. Ticket prices vary, with package deals usually available. Familiarize yourself with each festival’s money policies to ensure that you are getting what you expect and know its refund policy, if any. Most of all, be prepared to bless and be blessed as you gather with the saints to honor our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Hope for Orphans Institute Seeks to Equip Churches

Matthew C. Keegan — Wed, 18 May 2011 05:05:44 +0000

Help for families with at-risk, special needs and older children.

Millions Orphaned Worldwide

Globally, tens of millions of children are orphans, a number compounded by war, the spread of AIDs and other diseases. Some Christians are doing their part to make a difference, by adopting orphaned children from third-world nations as well as from across the United States.

One organization that is making a difference is Hope for Orphans, a ministry of FamilyLife, founded in 2003 to equip churches and provide them with the resources needed to help families that choose to adopt. Hundreds of churches across the United States are being assisted by Hope for Orphans, enabling this organization to fulfill its desire to “…to help every church to reach every orphan.”

Christian Alliance for Orphans

From May 12-13, 2011, Summit VII of the “Christian Alliance for Orphans” was held in Louisville, Ky., providing a venue for a variety of groups interested in helping orphans everywhere. Participants representing adoption agencies, advocacy groups, churches, foster care and global orphan care were present, working under the joint initiatives to inspire, equip and connect Christians to “defend the cause of the fatherless.”

During last week’s summit, Hope for Orphans unveiled plans for an institute to assist churches with orphan care. The new “Hope for Orphans Institute” is designed to educate ministry leaders about the critical issues facing many local church orphan ministries, and prepare leaders to effectively address those challenges.

First Workshop Scheduled

This September, the Hope for Orphans Institute will host its first workshop, focusing on how local churches can best serve families adopting at-risk, special-needs and older children.

“The international adoption landscape is volatile, and we’re witnessing a dramatic shift toward ‘at-risk,’ special-needs and older child adoptions,” said Paul Pennington, co-founder and executive director of Hope for Orphans. “This trend is leading to more Christian families in crisis after adoption, and local churches and adoption agencies that are not prepared for the implications.”

Orphan Sunday Event

Orphan Sunday is an event held on the first Sunday in November, whereby churches are encouraged to promote adoption, foster care and global orphan initiatives with its members. FamilyLife spearheads the event, working with more than 90 organizations led by the Christian Alliance for Orphans. As of this publication, there are more than 500,000 children in the foster care system in the United States, with more than 120,000 of them ready for adoption. Worldwide, there are an estimated 18 million children who have lost both parents. The alliance seeks to raise awareness for helping orphans at home and abroad.

Resources

Capital Commentary; What It Takes to Love Orphans; Jedd Medefind; March 25, 2011

Christian Alliance for Orphans: October 2010 Newsletter

WordJourney Magazine » Christian News

NYC Seeks to Toss Churches From Schools

Pending Expulsion

ADF Defense

Setting a Precedent

FamilyLife Seeks to Aid Military Marriages

Coming Home

Frequent Deployments

Marriage Enrichment

MercyMe Tour

Operation Christmas Child 2011 Campaign is in Full Swing

Global Effort

Collection Centers

Age Groups

References and Resources

How Christians Can Help Orphans

Video Program

Making a Difference

Raising Awareness

Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Faces Execution

White House Response

Prayer & Petition

Mounting Pressure

Sept. 11th Film to be Shown in NYC Parks

NYC Parks

First Amendment

Resources

Fill a Need and They Will Come

Jesus Is God

Reaching Out

The Salvation Message

Operation Christmas Child Processing Registration Commences

Millions Reached

Global Outreach

More Opportunities

Further Reading

10 Rocking Christian Summer Fests

Summer Music Festivals

Deals & More

Hope for Orphans Institute Seeks to Equip Churches

Millions Orphaned Worldwide

Christian Alliance for Orphans

First Workshop Scheduled

Orphan Sunday Event

Resources