WA • Nov 11

pages 11-15

Northwest Edition Vol. 21, No. 11

November 2011

Christian Higher Education Guide www.christianexaminer.com

Chuck Colson

Book Review

Young adults struggle with what to believe in a post-modern world

Freedom, Schmeedom: Religious liberty on trial

Author wants to help readers gain a transformed prayer life

page 6

page 8

page 5

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Our Faith

Reconciling differences Shoeboxes change lives through Seattle Pacific University’s John Perkins Center offers support

Operation Christmas Child

By Jennifer Ferrero

By Elizabeth Griffin

SEATTLE — We have heard the call to love one another from the Bible and in our Sunday school classes. But in practice, through a division in politics and cultures in the U.S., we are a divided nation.

The John Perkins Center (Center) at Seattle Pacific University (SPU) aims to create reconciliation between people through partnerships, community engagement and communication.

Reconciliation can be tough to grasp, although throughout Christian universities in America, the concept is becoming mainstream, according to Center Director Tali Hairston. In the Bible, 2 Corinthians 5:18 says, “All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other.”

By definition, reconciliation means to settle differences and to become friendly with someone af-

TACOMA — Two little boys of the same age were lying side by side in hospital beds in the Philippines, recuperating from cancer treatment. One had lost his left leg and the other his right leg, and in the hospital they had become friends.

One day, two shoeboxes arrived from Operation Christmas Child (OCC), a division of Samaritan’s Purse that delivers shoeboxes filled with presents, along with the gospel message, to needy children in more than 120 countries around the world each Christmas. The person who gave the boxes to the boys explained that the boxes were gifts from people who loved them and wanted them to know that God cares.

As the boys opened their boxes, the first one cried out in delight as he saw a pair of shoes. He was so excited because he thought he would never have new shoes in his entire life. Then he realized that he couldn’t use both of them.

The second boy opened his box and pulled out a pair of socks. Looking at each other with big grins, they traded one sock for one shoe. Both boys were beside themselves with excitement because they now each had a sock and a shoe for the one foot they had.

“We rarely see shoes in the boxes, so the fact that this happened is really a big deal,” said

Dr. John Perkins, 80, visits Seattle Pacific University for a week each year for lectures, sermons and interaction with the Seattle community.

ter an estrangement or altercation.

At the Center, the idea of reconciliation is more a practice of “living in the Kingdom of God,” Hairston said. He noted they are very proud of their efforts to create a university See PERKINS, page 3

Nearly 500 pastors challenge IRS with Pulpit Freedom sermons

By Lori Arnold PHOENIX, Ariz. — Nine Washington state churches participated in the national Pulpit Freedom Sunday campaign challenging IRS restrictions on what pastors can say from the pulpit.

In all, more than 475 churches nationwide registered for the event, held Oct. 2. The showing was nearly a five-fold increase from the previous year. The pastors represented 46 states and Puerto Rico.

Jim Garlow, chairman of the national Renewing American Leadership and one of the supporters of the event, said pastors “were really pumped up” on a post-event conference call.

“The response of the congregations was really encouraging,” he said. “Pastors reported being interrupted with applause and in some cases they had standing ovations.

We just didn’t anticipate that.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

See SHOEBOXES, page 19

A little girl in the Solomon Islands receives a shoebox full of presents through Operation Christmas Child.

See IRS CHALLENGE, page 2

Missionary son recounts story of death—and new life

By Gail Wood ENUMCLAW — Matt McCully put his arm around the man who had killed his father and smiled for the picture.

It’s a photo of forgiveness and mercy.

Over 50 years ago, McCully’s father and four other missionaries were brutally killed by the Waodani Indians in a remote Ecuadorian jungle.

McCully has returned to the very beach where the massacre occurred and listened to Mincaye, the man who drove the fatal spear into Ed McCully’s body, tell what happened that tragic day.

“My whole life I felt this need to know exactly what happened that day,” said McCully, who now lives in

a small logging town in southwest Washington. “To hear him tell what happened was overwhelming.”

McCully’s mother was eight months pregnant with him in 1956 when five American missionaries made camp along the Curaray River, a few miles from the Waodanis, at the time a warring and primitive tribe.

“I call it a wonderful, terrible place,” McCully said about the site where his father was killed.

Terrible because of the tragic deaths. Wonderful because of the lives that were changed.

The death of the five missionaries—Ed McCully, Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Peter Fleming and Roger Youderian—drew national attenSee ECUADOR, page 9

Matt McCully, whose father was martyred in Ecuador more than 50 years ago, visits the Waodani village where his father and four other missionaries were killed by natives who have since become Christians.

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2 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • November 2011 NW

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New ‘180’ video documentary prompts turnabout on abortion Christian Examiner staff report DALLAS, Texas — The dramatic new documentary “180� is gaining national attention. The documentary uses the history of the Jewish holocaust as a backdrop to challenge pro-choice positions on abortion. “180,� produced by evangelist and Christian apologist Ray Comfort, features the filmmaker posing the question, “What would you do if...?� in a series of sidewalk interviews. Comfort begins by asking morally charged questions to a variety of people, most of them college age. He offered several different scenarios about when it was OK to kill. Eventually he leads to the topic to abortion. While several of those filmed got defensive, over the course of the 33-minute video, eight pro-choice advocates appeared to have changed their stand on abortion.

Comfort, who released the video online on Sept. 26, is hoping the documentary will go viral. The video received more than one million views online in the first thirty days while thousands of DVDs are making rounds on college campuses nationwide.

After viewing the DVD, Francis Chan, best-selling author and founding pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, Calif., said, “Extremely convicting. It made me question my courage. I pray it causes many to evaluate their silence.�

Ironically, the film itself completed its own 180 degree turnaround as the filmmaker was focused on Hitler and the holocaust to create a companion DVD to go along with Comfort’s new

A woman named Alysea was one of several young people interviewed in ‘180’ a new documentary from Christian apologist Ray Comfort.

book “Hitler, God, and the Bible.�

In the course of the interviews for that project, Comfort offered up a variety of questions about life as it pertained to the holocaust and ultimately linked the discussion to abortion. “It began with two male university students completely changing their minds about abortion when we asked them this one question,� Comfort said in a news release. “We realized it wouldn’t be convincing to have only males speaking on the subject, so we took to the streets, asking that one particular question, and found that six women changed their minds from pro-abortion to pro-life in a matter of seconds. It was amazing!�

Comfort said he quickly recognized the film’s potential to open the doors of discussion. “I have held up pro-life signs. I have printed pro-life literature and spoken against abortion in pulpits and in my books, but I have felt that all my efforts

Matthew House

were almost futile—that is, up until now,� Comfort said of the documentary. “In ‘180’ we have a nation changer.�

He said the short film could become a vital tool in altering America’s prevalent pro-choice view, particularly among young people. “Most of us know that we should be doing something to stop this horror, but the thought of protesting is a little unnerving, especially with the demonization of those who do so,� he said. “But here is something each of us can easily do—we can give this DVD out.

We can pass them out on the streets, leave copies on park benches or on seats in malls or give it to the checkout lady at the supermarket. This isn’t hard to do, and it will save lives—perhaps millions of lives.�

The documentary is available for online viewing at http:// christianexaminer.blogspot.com.

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IRS CHALLENGE‌ Continued from page 1 He said a poll of the pastors indicated that 98 percent of them said they would participate again. “In 57 years, no church has lost its tax exemption by what’s been in the pulpit,â€? Garlow, the pastor of Skyline Church in La Mesa, Calif., said. “The law creates fear in pastors and muzzles them.â€?

Pulpit Freedom Sunday, a project of the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), targets an IRS regulation known as the Johnson Amendment. The rule prohibits pastors from endorsing or opposing candidates from the pulpit, although they are free to discuss political issues. The law was created in 1954 by then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson, who was upset with two businessmen who used their nonprofit status to campaign against the representative. As is common practice today, the amendment was slipped into another bill and passed as part of that legislative package with no comment. “The 2,500 attorneys of the ADF believe that it is unconstitutional,�

Garlow said. “The IRS has been very skillful at keeping it out of the courts.�

In an effort to bring the law under court review, the ADF has been soliciting pastors willing to challenge the IRS by preaching sermons “that present biblical perspectives on the positions of electoral candidates.�

The pastors are also sending audio and hard copies of their sermons directly to the IRS. “We are not saying that every pastor needs to endorse from the pulpit, but they all have the right to do so if we are going to have an authentic separation of church and

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state,� Garlow said. “It’s for all pastors, not conservatives or evangelicals. I don’t agree with what Pastor Jeremiah Wright believes, but he has a right to say it.�

Garlow was referring to President Barack Obama’s former minister who espouses liberation theology.

His views garnered national attention during the 2008 presidential election, prompting Obama to distance himself by leaving the church after 20 years.

The increase in participation has garnered the attention of the mainstream media, with coverage by “The New York Times,� MSNBC, CNN and “Forbes.� “Now it’s become a national conversation,� Garlow said. “Most people don’t know there are 29 categories for nonprofits and the 501c3 is the only category with this restriction.�

Garlow said it has been widely reported that several former Johnson staffers said the senator never intended the law to impact churches but was designed instead for nonprofit lobby groups. “It’s been a 57-year-old cultural myth,� the pastor said. “When government taxes, the government controls and when the government controls, government has the power to destroy.�

ADF Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley said the annual Pulpit event is a necessary step in getting the government out of American pulpits. “Pastors and churches shouldn’t live in fear of being punished or penalized by the government,� Stanley said in a statement. “Churches should be allowed to decide for themselves what they want to talk about. The IRS should not be the one making the decision by threatening to revoke a church’s tax-exempt status. No government-recognized status can be conditioned upon the surrender of a constitutionally protected right.�

The churches in Washington state who participated in Pulpit Freedom Sunday included Calvary Community Church in Camas, Faith Family Christian Church in Longview, First Baptist Church in Deer Park, Flood the Sound Fellowship in Olympia, Grace Family Church/Landmark Church in Vancouver, Landmark Church in Battle Ground, New Beginnings Church in Chehalis, New Vine Fellowship in University Place and The Father’s House in Walla Walla.

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NW

November 2011 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • 3 worship groups—church groups that would not typically interact.

They also hold an Urban Youth Leadership Academy with students from south Seattle.

At 80, Dr. Perkins continues to be involved in their mission and visits for a week each year following Easter for lectures, sermons and interaction with the Seattle community.

Caenisha Warren, budget manager and coordinator for events and student clubs at the Center, added: “We are a part of what God is already doing in a community.

Viewing your purpose in the world and what people are doing in the name of God is what we do.”

Hairston said that people who come to the Center for training or in a working relationship shouldn’t be intimidated by the concept.

“They don’t have to understand everything about race in America to become a better disciple for Christ,” he said. “Start where you are today.”

PERKINS… Continued from page 1 that is “a place for all people.”

SPU and the John Perkins Center have become a model for reconciliation through their programs and direct work with Dr. Perkins.

By practice and through faith, Hairston defines the Center as a place that “helps, assists and trains individuals and organizations—our students and local churches—in reconciliation,” as related to our relationships with God and how that transforms our relationships with each other.

Dr. John Perkins, a leading evangelical African American from Jackson, Mississippi, was the inspiration and founding force behind the Center at SPU. Perkins grew up during the Civil Rights movement and experienced racial prejudice firsthand. It shaped his perspective, and after becoming a Christian he devoted his life to “develop the lives of youth, leaders and underprivileged in our community and around the world by setting an example of God’s love to further his Kingdom,” as states his website for the John M. Perkins Foundation for Reconciliation and Development.

According to Hairston, Perkins saw this as fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

“He is a strong visionary,” Hairston added.

The Center tends to come alongside groups, whether in a mission setting or in training leaders “to help each other,” said Owen Sallee, coordinator for global and urban involvement at SPU. Sallee works with students on what are traditionally considered service or outreach projects in communities and on a global scale.

He says that while many groups will go into those situations thinking, “we are bringing the help to them,” they like to see what God is already doing in those situations. By being more of a participant in a homeless outreach or when working with residents in Guatemala, the students can “learn about value of education, leadership development and faith,” Sallee said.

“They come home to see their community with new eyes,” he continued. “To see communities look more like God’s kingdom and God’s community—it’s like envisioning Jesus living among us.”

SPU offers a Reconciliation Studies minor to undergraduates; but their work goes far beyond academia. Their programs include educational forums, consulting with churches on missions and their congregations, student community engagement and leadership training.

About 150-200 students from SPU annually participate in activities around local community engagement. About 70 students went to Uganda, Vietnam, Brazil, Haiti, Indonesia and India this past summer.

“We are learning from them and leaders from different backgrounds,” Sallee said. “There is diversity of thinking, perspectives, classes and ethnicity.”

During community engagement, students experience a dislocation— learning that occurs when people are no longer in a place of comfort and in control.

Hairston provided insight as to how the students are thinking in these situations.

“Where is God with a homeless man that has a Master’s degree?” he said. “Where do I see God in a gang member trying to foster a relationship with his children? Salva-

The John Perkins Center at Seattle Pacific University has become a model for reconciliation through its programs and direct work with Dr. Perkins.

tion is a community event through the whole gospel and city coming together.”

Educational forums in collaboration with churches and other ministries are another part of their work.

They study societal topics from a biblical perspective, combining urban and suburban churches into

John Perkins 1: The John Perkins Center at Seattle Pacific University has become a model for reconciliation through its programs and direct work with Dr. Perkins.

John Perkins 2:

For more information about the John Perkins Center at SPU, visit www.spu.edu/depts/perkins.

4 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • November 2011 NW

Judge rules R-71 petition names can be released Pro-family groups file appeal

By Scott Noble TACOMA — A federal court judge ruled in October that the more than 137,000 names on the Referendum (R-71) petition can be released to the public. The decision marked 26 months of legal efforts

by Protect Marriage Washington and others to block the release of those names.

An appeal to the decision was quickly filed, but Gary Randall reported in a Faith and Freedom Network statement that all but two individuals who requested the names of those who signed the petition have received them already.

Media reports differ as to the exact number of CDs, but more than 30 of them were distributed with the petition names before the appeal was accepted and once again sealed. Those who requested the names varied from activists to media representatives, according to reports.

Larry Stickney, campaign manager for Protect Marriage Washington said he was disappointed but not surprised by the ruling.

“After all, we live in the politically correct State of Washington,” Stick-

ney said in a Faith and Freedom Political Action Committee email.

“What did surprise me throughout the process, however, was the complete lack of empathy and seeming hostility we encountered from the Attorney General’s office.

Rob McKenna’s personal efforts to trivialize the confrontations, the threats, the obscenity-laced emails and phone calls that we endured may have won him the case, but it will not win him the hearts of 138,000 citizen defenders of marriage in Washington state.”

Individuals and groups who are opposed to releasing the petition names have cited threats, vandalism, intimidating conversations and loss of employment on behalf of those who signed the petition.

Protect Marriage Washington specifically cited “death threats, extensive vandalism, overt threats of destruction of property, arson and threats of arson, intimidating emails and phone calls, hate mail, mailed envelopes containing white suspicious powder, blacklists, loss of employment and job opportunities, and gross expressions of anti-religious bigotry, including vandalism and threats directed at religious institutions and religious adherents …”

Biomedical institute refuses to use objectionable research methods

By Scott Noble SEATTLE — As technology continues to advance and become more complicated to the average citizen, it’s not always easy to determine what technologies or research methods should be supported. The religious, moral and ethical concerns surrounding issues such as biomedical research are well documented.

One Seattle organization, however, hopes to help alleviate some of these concerns by refusing to use any morally objectionable research.

Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute (SCPI) is “dedicated to providing scientific research, education and resources to encourage safe, moral, pro-life medicines and therapeutics,” according to a media release.

The Institute was founded by adult stem cell scientist Dr. Theresa Deisher. In addition to working on pro-life medicines and therapeutics, SCPI is also researching “the health consequences of aborted human DNA and cellular contaminants in medicines.”

Judie Brown, president of American Life League, an organization that helps expose morally objec-

tionable research, said the group gets asked often about pro-life research methods.

“We frequently get inquiries from pro-life donors about this or that medical research organization, including some of the largest and most popular charities in the country,” Brown said. “Donors become disillusioned as they learn that aborted fetal or embryonic cell lines are used by their favorite charity for medical research.”

SCPI recently reported via its website that 90 percent of children vaccinated in the last decade were “most likely injected with aborted fetal DNA components.” These “components,” according to SCPI, could lead to serious health consequences.

“SCPI has done the research to show it,” said Deisher, via the release. “We measured the level of fetal DNA in vaccines and are now researching the consequences.

Even the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] has acknowledged the dangers of having fetal DNA contaminants present in our vaccines. Just how dangerous remains to be seen, but it’s unconscionable not to do the research and find out.”

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Church raises trademark issue then drops it Mars Hill Church Seattle backs down from its ‘cease and desist’ letter

By Scott Noble SEATTLE — In late September, Mars Hill Church Seattle officials sent a cease and desist letter to Mars Hill Community Church in Sacramento, Calif., urging the church to change its name and adopt a new logo—believing the name and logo bore too much resemblance to Mars Hill Seattle.

Church officials were alerted to the potential controversy by a member who came across the Sacramento church online and asked Mars Hill Seattle officials if the church had planted additional churches in the Sacramento area.

The Sacramento church, which is part of the Assemblies of God network of churches, has three connected churches, and Mars Hill Seattle officials visited the Sacramento churches’ websites, and “it was obvious to us how people could be confused,” according to statement from Mars Hill Seattle.

The cease and desist letter was sent in late September, asking the Sacramento-based churches to

change its logo and name.

After receiving much criticism for its cease and desist attempt, Mars Hill Seattle reversed its decision.

“In hindsight, we realize now that the way we went about raising our concerns, while acceptable in the business world, is not the way we should deal with fellow Christians. [Last month], we spoke with the pastor of Mars Hill in Sacramento to apologize for the way we went about this.

We had a very productive conversation and look forward to continuing that conversation in the days and weeks ahead,” the statement on the Mars Hills blog read.

Mars Hill Seattle church officials said it was a mistake in “not calling these churches prior to sending the letter,” and they should have called before resorting to any other type of communication.

The Rev. Scott Hagan, pastor of Mars Hill Community Church in Sacramento expressed thanks on his blog to “the several calls, voicemails and texts I received

… from the pastoral leadership team at Mars Hill Church in Seattle.”

Hagan’s post also noted that Mars Hill Community Church launched and designed its logo in 2005, nearly two years before Hagan became aware of Mars Hill Seattle. The logo designer also assured Hagan that he had not heard of Mars Hill Seattle while designing it.

“We accepted their apology and would like the Mars Hill Seattle congregation to know that your leaders took this step (we are assuming on behalf of Pastor Mark Driscoll),” Hagan continued. “They assured us they would not seek any type of legal action, even though they did apply for and were awarded a federal trademark in August of this year for both the name and the logo design.”

The issue appears resolved, and Mars Hill Seattle officials also reiterated that it has not sued anyone and has no plans to sue anyone regarding other “Mars Hill” churches, responding to reports to the contrary on the Internet.

Anglican Diocese of Cascadia installs first Bishop in Seattle hungering for a spirituality that works,” he said. “They SEATTLE — An overflow want to know the impact God crowd of 350 people celebrated can make upon their lives the consecration of the Rev. and what impact they, in turn, Kevin Bond Allen as the inaucan make upon their family, gural Bishop of the Diocese community and the world. of Cascadia in Seattle Sept.

The Anglican church offers 30—which was described as “the a very down-to-earth setting most significant official act” to that invites people to explore date for Anglican Christians in a relationship with a loving the Pacific Northwest.

God revealed in Jesus Christ.

The recently established We offer people the freedom Cascadia Diocese belongs to to examine God, to ‘try it on the 100,000-member Anglican and see if it fits.’”

Church in North America In keeping with his perspec(ACNA). The Most Rev. Robert tive, Allen personally looks “forWm. Duncan, Archbishop and ward to reaching out to the colPrimate of the ACNA, presided leges and universities, through over the consecration. planting house churches in “The consecration of their communities, supporting Bishop Kevin Allen marks a student and faculty ministries, significant milestone for the and providing forums where the Anglican Church in North credible voice of Christianity may America,” said Duncan. be raised in the academy. The “To have such a bishop and Church has periodically invited such a diocese, and an everits own dismissal from the arenas increasing number of vibrant of intellectual engagement by eicongregations, in one of the The Rev. Kevin Allen was recently consecrated as ther apologizing for its doctrine most under-evangelized re- the Bishop of the Diocese of Cascadia. and practices or presumptuously gions of the continent is early insisting that science either acevidence of the Anglican Church’s people for Christ.” cept biblical and spiritual truths or be Bishop Allen also plans “to provide treated as an adversary.” deep commitment to reach all of the guidance, training and resources North America with the transformSince its origination two years to equip all of our members to pro- ago, the ACNA has grown to 687 ing love of Jesus Christ.”

Bishop Allen underscored this claim the Good News of Jesus Christ, congregations and 293 Ministry focus on evangelism in the Pacific through both service that impacts our Partner congregations in 57 states communities and sharing the differ- and Canadian provinces.

Northwest in remarks made later.

“My ministry as bishop of the ence Christ makes in our lives, so that The Cascadia Diocese, which was Diocese of Cascadia is to provide others who don’t know the Lord will formed in 2009 with seven western spiritual nurture to our clergy, lay want to come and discover what God Washington Anglican congregaleaders and congregations so that can do for them.” tions, today encompasses 19 conAllen also believes that younger gregations in Washington and two they can carry out the local ministry; and to lead the Diocese in generations are looking for some- in Oregon and northern California. welcoming other existing Anglican thing spiritually significant.

Allen will also continue to serve “Many people, particularly those as rector of St. Brendan Anglican Churches into Cascadia and planting new churches to reach more in our younger generation, are Church in Bellingham, Wash.

By Ralph Nichols

www.christianexaminer.com

NW

November 2011 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • 5

59 percent of young adults disconnect from the church in their teen years. Researchers say that they stopped attending church because they wanted to find common ground with their peers, not build walls in areas where they disagreed.

Exclusive faith Young adults struggle with what to believe in a post-modern world

By Kate Beecken World News Service MINNEAPOLIS — Young Christians, who have grown up in a culture that denies absolute truth, struggle with the exclusive nature of their faith and the way they’ve seen their parents’ generation communicate with an unbelieving world.

According to a research study recently released by the Barna Group, 59 percent of young adults disconnect from the church in their teen years. Many study participants told researchers that they stopped attending church because they wanted to find common ground with their peers, not build walls in areas where they disagreed.

Twenty-nine percent of study participants, all between 18 and 29 years old, said the church was afraid of the beliefs of other faiths. The same number said they felt like the church forced them to choose between their faith and their friends.

Young adults who grow up in a pluralistic, post-modern society have a hard time claiming that Christ is the only way, said Mark Mellen, the assistant pastor at Substance Church in St. Paul, Minn. “This post-modern generation thinks that what’s true for you is not necessarily true for me,�

Mellen said.

Matt Runion, the associate campus pastor at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn., said that the prob-

lem of exclusivity is complicated by hypocrisy when the church does not live up to its claims. “As a general blanket statement, the exclusive claims of Christianity, while they are true, have not always been communicated, whether by words or lifestyle, in ways that are compelling for young people entering into this diverse world with lots of different perspectives,� he said.

The struggle of students to support Christianity’s claims is complicated by churches that say they are different than the rest of the world but lack any fruit to prove it, Runion said.

If churches emphasized action and living out Biblical mandates in practical ways, church would be more attractive to young people, he said.

Not only do students wrestle with Christianity’s claims compared to other religions but also with how narrowly some churches define their own theology.

Mellen said that Substance Church responds to these differences through a concentric circles approach. Absolute truths, like acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God, are in the center, with surrounding circles making room for interpretations, deductions and cultural questions about which the Bible is less clear and there is more debate. “We allow for the diversity of belief to exist inside our church,� Mellen said. Only people on the Substance leadership team must agree to the church’s statement of faith.

Some respondents to the Barna study also equated the church to a country club, open only to the “right� kind of people. Young adults may perceive that church is only for those who already believe and act a certain way. “What I hear students saying is ‘We don’t have space. In the churches we grew up in, there isn’t a lot of space for the people who believe other things or don’t believe what we believe,’�

Runion said Perhaps in response to those concerns, Runion sees a trend in churches nationwide that have begun marketing as ‘a place to belong’ and opening the door to people with various backgrounds.

Robert Shell, a Biblical and Theological Studies major at Bethel, said when he worked in a church youth program, he watched the country club mentality alienate students who felt they didn’t fit in. “They didn’t feel like they were welcome, that their opinion could be shared or that they could express their faith as they wanted to express their faith,� he said.

Shell suggested church leaders emphasize inter-generational dialogue to help make young believers feel like they are part of the community, rather than outsiders. “I think the pastor has to be the main person to do this, because if it’s not spoken from the pulpit, I don’t see how it’s ever going to get worked in,� he said.

Church uses reverse offering as ‘spiritual stimulus’ MORRISTOWN, N.J. — A New Jersey church offered a “spiritual stimulus� package to 2,100 people attending its Sept. 25 services.

Dubbed the “reverse offering,� the church passed around its offering baskets filled with envelopes boasting the words “God Trusts You� on them. Each envelope contained a $10, $20 or $50 bill, which the parishioners could spend however they saw fit.

One woman, a baker, told ABC

News she was going to use the money to purchase supplies for a cake, which she intended to sell for $500.

All proceeds would be returned to the church for its homeless ministry. Another woman told the network she needed the money for gas. “Washington is broke, people are broke, and folks have lost faith that government can provide a lasting solution to economic issues,� Tim Lucas, lead pastor of the 2,000-member church, said in

a statement. �Every dollar in our economy is printed with the words ‘In God We Trust’... but we want to challenge people with the idea that ‘God Trusts Them.’ We believe our current economic crisis is a spiritual issue, which is why we are moving forward with God’s recovery plan.�

In addition the church earmarked an additional $60,000 for three local recovery projects in Morristown, New Brunswick and Nutley.

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THE TOP TEN

1. I am the LORD thy GOD; thou shalt not have strange gods before me.

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy GOD in vain.

4. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.

5. Honor they father and thy mother.

6. Thou shalt not commit murder.

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8. Thou shalt not steal.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

10. Thou shalt not covet.

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Sonogram requirement is effective approach to curb abortion House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi sometimes sounds as if she has cast aside any attachment to reality. Responding to a bill co-authored by Rep. Joe Pitts, Pennsylvania Republican, that would prevent federal funds from going to pay for abortions under the slowly unraveling health care law critics call “Obamacare,� Pelosi said that if Republicans vote for the measure, “they will be voting to say that women can die on the floor and health care providers do not have to intervene.�

The Protect Life Act passed the House in mid-October, but will likely die in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

There are more stirrings on this fundamental social issue. The Nov. 8 ballot in Mississippi will include Initiative 26, known as the Personhood Amendment, that says: “The term ‘person’ or ‘persons’ shall include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof.�

According to Mississippi law, a minimum of 89,285 signatures were required to put the measure before

the voters. As of April 2010, Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said his office had certified 106,325 signatures. That number has since grown to 130,000, which strongly suggests the measure will pass.

Perhaps an even greater counterattack on what former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop’s seminal documentary on the issue “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?� referred to as “the slaughter of the innocents� is a series of initiatives organized by a coalition of pro-life groups to put legislation on ballots in every state requiring an abortion-minded pregnant woman to see a sonogram image of her fetus prior to termination.

I have long favored this approach as a means to substantially reduce the million-plus abortions performed every year in the United States. It imposes no restrictions on abortion, but gives women information. The Chicago Tribune, reporting on the “Ultrasound Opportunity Act,� lobbied for in Springfield and the recent Catholic Conference in Illinois, quoted Con-

ference spokesman Zach Wichmann as saying during a news conference at the Capitol: “We have studies and statistics that show something north of 80 percent of women (seeking abortions) who view ultrasounds of their babies decide against abortion.�

Moral and intellectual dilemma Mandating sonograms creates for “pro-choicers� an impossible intellectual, not to mention moral dilemma.

If they oppose women receiving information, they are censors. Pro-lifers are aligning themselves with truth in labeling and truth in lending laws requiring that information be provided to women (and men) in order to help make decisions presumed to be in their best interests.

When pro-choicers stand in the way of women receiving information about such a critical decision, they place themselves where they say conservatives reside, in the land of intolerance and ignorance.

The response to this proposed legislation goes something like this:

“You are insulting the ity that the child will be intelligence of women given the opportunity who are smart enough to live. to figure out these things Legislators who vote on their own.� for these pro-life mea“Fine,� I say, “then sures will put themselves let’s remove labels from on the side of freedom cans, bottles and packof information and ages and do away with force the pro-choicers paperwork at the bank to admit they favor a when a woman applies single choice: abortion.

Cal Thomas for a loan. Let’s also rip Over many years of Monroney stickers off vehicles at car speaking to women who regret their dealerships because women should abortions, the most common response be smart enough to figure out the has been, “If I had seen a picture of price, options and miles per gallon my baby, I would have made a differon their own.� ent choice.�

This legislation empowers womOne-way choice en. It is the best way to reduce the The reason pro-choicers don’t want number of abortions while waiting women to see what their babies look for the courts to catch up and relike in the womb is because, for too store the “endowed right to life� many of them, abortion has become a that stood for centuries until the sacrament. They embrace a right to kill Supreme Court ruled in favor of while simultaneously denying the right Roe in 1973. to life. Showing a pregnant woman a Š 2011 Tribune Media Services picture of her baby in the womb, heart beating, can only enhance the possibil- Inc.

Freedom, Schmeedom: Religious liberty increasingly on trial Can the government really tell a church whom to hire as a minister?

That frightening question is very relevant today. “That is extraordinary,� proclaimed Justice Scalia. “I, too, find that amazing,� Justice Kagan chimed in.

Chuck As reported by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, The conservative Scalia and the liberal Kagan seemed bewildered by the Obama Administration’s unbelievable assertion that there should be no “ministerial exemption� for churches when it comes to hiring.

That’s the issue at stake in the case Hosanna-Tabor Church v. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. Who, in the end, decides who is a minister and who is not? A church, or the government?

In his excellent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, Stanford’s Michael McConnell, a former federal judge, notes that for “40 years lower

courts have applied a ‘ministerial exception,’ which bars the government from any role in deciding who should be a minister. “But,� McConnell continues, “the Obama Justice Department has now asked the court to disavow the ministerial exception altogether.

Colson This would mean that, in every future case, a court—and not the church—would decide whether the church’s reasons for firing or not hiring a minister were good enough.�

Folks this is frightening. And I can’t but help wonder if there’s not a deliberate pattern here by the Obama Administration to restrict religious freedom.

Now, I’m not given to conspiracy theories, but how else do we interpret the Administration’s actions over the past couple of years?

Remember last year, I warned something was up when Hillary Clinton proclaimed that “freedom of worship� was a top U. S. priority. As I explained then,

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Who, in the end, decides who is a minister and who is not?

A church or the government? “freedom of worship� and “freedom of religion� are not interchangeable. One allows you to worship any way you want in private — even Chinese citizens enjoy such so-called “freedom of worship.� Freedom of religion, however, means the right to live out your faith in private and in public.

Well, not long after Clinton’s speech at Georgetown, the Administration said it would no longer defend or enforce the Defense of Marriage Act—that’s a federal statute!

Earlier this month, the administration announced it would not renew a $19 million contract with Conference of Catholic Bishops to help sex traf-

ficking victims. Why not? Well, we do know the ACLU sued the government to terminate the contract because the Bishops Conference wouldn’t help sextrade victims obtain abortions!

And recently, the Department of Health and Human Services issued regulations that would force all employers—religious or otherwise—to purchase insurance that covered contraception and other “preventative care.� Could that be true? True enough that the President chirped “Darn Tootin’� at a political rally.

What is the Administration up to?

The Catholic Bishops are alarmed enough that they are forming a com-

mittee to press the Administration on its overtly hostile approach to religious freedom.

This is why everybody reading this today has got to read and sign and get friends to sign the Manhattan Declaration. If you have read it already, go and read it again.

I think there’s good reason to fear that if we fail to raise our voices now, we will be forced into civil disobedience. It’s time to rally our forces. Christians should not have to compromise their faith to remain free and equal citizens.

Again and again, we must make clear, as the Manhattan Declaration states, we will under no circumstances ever render to Caesar what belongs to God. Š 2011 Prison Fellowship.

Reprinted with permission.

BreakPoint with Chuck Colson is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship.

Visit www.manhattandeclaration. org for information about the Manhattan Declaration.

What Christ can provide that Wall Street—or its protesters—can’t As the nation remains immersed in one of the worst economic downturns in the country’s history, some have taken out their frustrations by protesting Wall Street. Not with hopes for what the nation’s topnotch corporations, banks or financial representatives can do to turn things around, but as a target for the current economic malaise.

The Occupy Wall Street protests began in September at Liberty Square in Manhattan and have since spread to more than 100 cities in the United States and many more around the world. According to the group’s website: “[Occupy Wall Street] is fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process and the role of Wall Street in creating an economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in generations.�

While many are sympathetic to the group’s frustrations, some

affects international question if their efbusiness. forts and their targets are misguided. Most In some way, whetheveryone agrees, hower we like it or not, ever, that the nation’s Wall Street—the allcurrent economic encompassing term conditions are diffifor the nation’s financult and leaders must cial leadership—plays do more to help right a substantial role in the ship of the Ameriour lives. And in many can economy. ways, the confidence One of the most we have about our Editor’s Note: revealing things to personal lives and Scott Noble come out of this most future. It can be difrecent crisis is how ficult to feel confident dependent most of us have become about the future when you have on Wall Street and the nation’s little money left in your retirement banking system. Nearly everyone account or when you were just laid has a 401(k), an IRA or some other off because your small business retirement account—not to men- couldn’t secure the loans it needed tion checking and savings accounts. to continue operating.

The nation’s interest rates deOur lives to a large degree are termine how much some individ- affected by Wall Street and other uals and companies can borrow— leading financial entities. oftentimes affecting job growth Nevertheless, I think one of the and sustainability. The strength of our dollar impacts prices and See NOBLE, next page

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November 2011 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • 7

New Baptist Covenant II finalizes speaker lineup for Nov. gathering

By Greg Warner RENTON (ABP) — Social activists Marian Wright Edelman and Tony Campolo will join former President Jimmy Carter and seven other speakers on the program of the New Baptist Covenant II, a Nov. 17-19 gathering of diverse Baptists in Atlanta that will be linked by satellite and Internet to dozens of viewing locations around the country, including at New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Renton, Wash.

The multiracial lineup of speakers includes Carter’s wife, Rosalynn, a longtime champion for mental health research, along with two justice system advocates and four pastors—three African American and one Asian.

The New Baptist Covenant, started by Carter in 2008, is a loose-knit, grassroots effort to unite disparate Baptists groups in North America around a platform of progressive social and justice ministries.

Edelman is founder and president of the Washington-based Chil-

dren’s Defense Fund, the nation’s preeminent advocacy group for disadvantaged children and families.

A lawyer and civil rights pioneer, Edelman received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in 2002.

Campolo, who lives in suburban Philadelphia, is a sociologist, popular speaker, prolific author and former university professor. An outspoken advocate for social justice, Campolo is also founder and president of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education.

Edelman and Campolo will speak about issues confronting American children and youth.

A former judge and an advocate for ex-offenders will address issues in the judicial and prison systems.

Wendell Griffen was the first African American partner in a major Arkansas law firm before becoming a state appeals court judge, a post he held until 2008. DeeDee Coleman, pastor of Russell Street Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, operates a resource center for exoffenders and focuses her efforts

on job skills training, job placement, economic development and youthful offenders.

The presidents of two prominent African American denominations also will speak. Stephen Thurston is president of the National Baptist Convention of America, which is based in Dallas and has three million members. Carroll Baltimore, president of the 2.5 million-member Progressive National Baptist Convention, is an evangelist and church planter based in Gainesville, Va. Ken Fong is senior pastor of Evergreen Baptist Church, a multiethnic American Baptist church in Los Angeles. He also is a church consultant, an author and a trustee of a drug abuse program for Asian Americans.

As previously announced, President Carter will be interviewed about current religious and social issues by veteran PBS newscaster Bob Abernethy, creator and host of “Religion and Ethics Newsweekly.”

Since leaving office in 1981, Carter has led the Atlanta-based Carter

Father launches website to warn others of the dangers associated with ‘abortion pill’

By Tiffany Owens World News Service LIVERMORE, Calif. — Eight years ago, mifepristone, “the abortion pill,” claimed the life of Holly Patterson, an 18-year-old who received the drug from Planned Parenthood and used it to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

She died seven days after taking the drug that is also known as RU-486 and 15 minutes before a scheduled follow-up appointment.

Holly’s father, Monty Patterson, did not learn of her pregnancy until a doctor at the hospital told him just moments before her death.

“I felt like I had been left in the dark,” he said. “I didn’t even know what the abortion pill was. I couldn’t believe Holly had gotten pregnant and had gone to get an abortion with her boyfriend. ... I was mainly shocked.”

Patterson later discovered that Holly’s death was the first reported case in the United States of a Clostridium sordellii toxic shock infection after medical abortion.

Medical abortion is a non-surgical approach to abortion, and Clostridium sordellii toxic shock infection is one of the health risks to the procedure, the one that Holly likely did not know about.

“There were no warnings on the label,” Patterson said. “No one knew

NOBLE… Continued from last page important lessons to emerge from this crisis is where we, as Christians, place our confidence.

Our bank accounts and investment portfolios can easily supply us with a measure of economic security. If we have $100,000 in the bank, it’s much easier to look to the future with a measure of confidence than if we have $1,000 in the bank.

However, that results in misplaced confidence.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus talked about treasures on earth. He said:

about Clostridium sordellii as a fatal bacterial toxic shock infection.”

He later discovered that some people knew but weren’t telling: In 2001, a woman died during test trials for the drug but the risk never translated into an official box-label warning in the United States until after Holly’s death and the death of two other

women.

That’s because Patterson insisted on having Holly’s tissue samples tested for Clostridium sordellii. He also pushed for the families of other victims to do the same. Finally, one year after Holly’s death, and after hours of pressuring the Food and Drug Administration, Patterson finally saw a black box warning on the drug’s label for the infection.

Eight years later, Patterson hasn’t stopped. He’s spent countless hours researching the health risks of mifepristone, and this fall, on the 11th anniversary of the drug’s approval, he launched a website de-

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

I think that implies where we place our confidence. Do we place our confidence in today, tomorrow or 20 years from now, on our bank account or in the One who uniquely created us and promises always to take care of us?

That’s certainly much easier said than done. Who doesn’t feel better when their bank account registers

signed to provide more holistic information and awareness about the health risks associated with the pill.

“The website isn’t about the abortion debate,” Patterson cautioned, stressing that he believes that women should have a “choice for what they believe is in their best interest.”

But he added, “No woman should have to risk her life or her health because she lacks factual and accurate medical abortion information to make a well-informed decision when terminating an early pregnancy with mifepristone and misoprostol.”

Mifepristone is designed to terminate pregnancy by catalyzing detachment of the embryo from the lining of the uterus. Patients use the drug in conjunction with misoprostol, another drug that catalyzes dilation of the cervix and contractions in order to expel the fetus.

According to Patterson’s website, mifepristone accounted for 17 percent of all non-hospital abortions in 2008.

Although experts laud the drug as a “safe and effective” alternative to surgical abortion, Patterson knows otherwise. He’s hoping his research and website will help women avoid what could possibly be a fatal decision.

For more information, visit www. abortionpillrisks.org.

four or five digits as opposed to two or three digits?

As we continue to move through this economic downturn—with its protests, foreclosures, unemployment and dwindling bank accounts—it’s easy for us to focus exclusively on the financial side of things. However, Christ taught a radically different message. Trust in Him—alone—for our todays, our tomorrows and our forever.

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Center, a nonprofit organization that promotes human rights and health care internationally. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

New Baptist Covenant II will originate from Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta, but most participants will gather at one of seven satellite-viewing locations in Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Seattle, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. Many more people will watch in smaller church-based gatherings nationwide via Internet video streaming.

In addition, participants in all the locations will spread out after the concluding session Saturday, Nov. 19, to work for social causes in their local communities. In addition to worship services and handson ministries, NBC II will include breakout sessions to teach strategies to work for justice, fight poverty and address other human needs.

The seven churches that will host the satellite-fed gatherings are St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Oklahoma City; Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio; Israel Bap-

tist Church in Washington, D.C.; St. Luke Memorial Baptist Church in St. Louis; New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Renton, Wash.; Sharon Baptist Church, Philadelphia; and Citizens of Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Compton, Calif.

The first session begins Thursday, Nov. 15, at 7:00 p.m. ET. In order to compensate for viewing sites in three different time zones, some sessions will be recorded and shown at more appropriate times. However, the Friday session in which Abernathy will interview President Carter will be viewed live in all time zones.

Organizers are still enlisting viewing sites for the web streaming video. Local organizers must involve at least two churches of different denominational and ethnic makeup and conduct a service project on the third day, Nov. 19.

Other details about NBC II are being published at www.newbaptistcovenant.org and in an email newsletter available through the website.

World Vision leader sends letter to Congress FEDERAL WAY — Last month, Richard Stearns, president of the Christian humanitarian organization World Vision, sent a letter to Congress urging members to “oppose disproportionate cuts to global poverty-related programs …”

Stearns believes that reducing the deficit and living within the country’s means are “moral issues,” but he also believes it is a “moral imperative” to help children suffering food shortages and the effects of a disaster.

Stearns cited the current crisis in the Horn of Africa, where millions

of people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

“The United States’ global humanitarian programs are some of the most cost-effective programs within the federal budget,” he wrote. “Together, they amount to $50 per American per year, just 14 cents per American per day. There are very few places within the federal budget where such a small amount of money can directly save so many lives.”

To read Stearns’ letter, visit www. worldvision.org.

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Christian college counselors stress faith, perseverance in stingy job market Author wants to help readers

By Leigh Jones World News Service CHICAGO, Ill. — Students graduating from college in the next few years face the worst job market since World War II, according to census data released in September.

Just slightly more than half of young adults under 30—55.3 percent—have jobs, a drop of 12 percent during the last decade. And economists don’t expect the job market to improve dramatically for several years.

Despite the dismal outlook, career counselors at Christian colleges insist their students have no reason to despair.

Ita Fischer, director of career services at Wheaton College, tells her students that persistence and faith are key to finding a job.

“It’s not going to be instantaneous, which is really a head twister for this generation,” she said. “But we tell them, you’re in this for a long marathon. This is not a sprint.”

Fischer also reminds her students

to consider the promise in Jeremiah 29:11, that God has plans to give you hope and a future.

Although graduates might suffer as they wait longer than they would like to find a job, the struggle is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as it teaches them to rely on God, Fischer said.

Students at Baylor University know they’ll face a tough time when they graduate, but they don’t seem too worried about it, said Kevin Nall, the school’s associate director for career services.

“I just don’t see the doom and gloom with these guys,” Nall said.

When Nall asks students what they know about the job market, they tell him they’ve heard it’s terrible. Some even say they plan to go to graduate school because they don’t think they’ll be able to get a job. But few seem to be really alarmed, he said.

The challenge for career counselors is to convince the students they do have some control over what happens to them after graduation. Nall tells students they have to

be more assertive and competitive as they prepare to meet with prospective employers.

“You can no longer just show up and expect to get a job just because you can fog a mirror,” he said.

In the past, students would wait until their last semester to start looking for a job. That process now needs to start at the beginning of their junior year, Nall said.

Students need to start thinking about what they want to do and then start preparing to answer the question every employer is going to ask: What benefit are you going to bring to my company?

Both Fischer and Nall said coming of age in a tough economy had the advantage of teaching today’s students what their immediate predecessors forgot: they’re not entitled to anything.

The lesson is paying off, Fischer said.

“Students are hungrier and willing to work faster and harder than in previous years,” she said.

gain a transformed prayer life Review by Scott Noble “Transforming Prayer: How Everything Changes When You Seek God’s Face”

By Daniel Henderson Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis, Minnesota, © 2011, 236 pages, $13.99 Most Christians would eagerly embrace the idea of deepening their prayer life in order to experience more of who God is and what He has planned for our lives. The problem, however, is exactly how to accomplish that. Do we spend more time in prayer, pray in a new or different manner or speak less and thus open up spaces for God to communicate with us?

The answer to all of those questions—to some degree—is yes.

Daniel Henderson, however, who has spent many years in ministry, including prayer-focused efforts, believes that our prayer lives can be transformed by approaching God in a more worship-minded manner. He lays out this approach in “Transforming Prayer: How Everything Changes When You Seek God’s Face.”

Henderson is president of Strategic Renewal, an organization that helps churches and individuals renew their passion for Jesus Christ. In addition, Henderson teaches part-time at Liberty University and is pastor of prayer and renewal at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Virginia.

He also served for more than three years as senior pastor of Grace Church in Eden Prairie, Minn.

Henderson now describes his passion as a “spiritual pyromaniac, traveling to churches and conferences, demonstrating the power of seeking God’s face and leading prayer experiences that establish a fresh, life-transforming approach to prayer.”

In our fast-paced society, many Christians cite lack of time for prayer or an unprepared heart, as our minds race to the next thing we have to accomplish on our to-do list. Many times prayer becomes an afterthought, something uttered as we walk out the door or

spoken during times of crises.

Henderson writes: “Sadly, too many times we engage in prayer with little thought for the reality that we are in the presence of the Almighty and that we are invited, even commanded, to seek His face.”

Yet instead of seeking His face, Henderson wonders if we concentrate too much on composing and uttering our prayer lists. He sees “little evidence” in Scripture for prayer lists that focus nearly exclusively on temporal concerns.

He writes: “I am not suggesting that everyone stop using prayer lists. But we must recognize the possibility that our prayer lists are replacing the Scriptures and the Spirit as the primary content providers for our prayer times.”

With that in mind, Henderson gets to the heart of “Transforming Prayer”: encouraging believers to respond to the invitation to spend devoted time with the Creator of the universe in a worship-minded manner—and then see our lives transformed.

Henderson encourages believers to adopt worship-based prayer by being committed to starting our prayers from the Bible, praying with the Scriptures open and keeping our focus on (abiding in) Christ.

The last half of the book forms the foundation for what Henderson believes is worship-based prayer, including tips and ideas for adopting this approach—both for individuals and for groups. It’s a very thorough effort at laying out his vision for worship-based prayer, and every reader will find something challenging and helpful in these chapters.

“Transforming Prayer” also includes five appendixes, which offer additional help and information on the idea of transforming your prayer life. The appendixes are filled with examples from the Old and New Testament and attempt to buttress Henderson’s points.

“Transforming Prayer” can be purchased at LifeWay Christian Stores in the Twin Cities or online.

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Matt McCully, left, has his arm around Mincaye, the man who killed his father with a spear.

ECUADOR‌ Continued from page 1 tion. It was a cover story of “Lifeâ€? magazine. “I think it’s an extraordinary example of God’s power to transform lives,â€? McCully said.

It’s also a story of the great faith of the missionary families who never became bitter and never questioned God’s providence. After the massacre, the wives of the murdered missionaries returned to evangelize and reached out to the Waodani Indians, leading many of them to salvation through their faith in Jesus. “My mom’s favorite song was ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness,’� McCully said.

After Marilou McCully’s death from cancer in April 2003, her ashes were scattered at the riverbank where her husband was killed, completing a most unlikely journey.

A documentary—“Beyond the Gates of Splendor�—and a movie—“The End of the Spear�—have been made about the lives of the missionaries and the Waodanis.

When McCully got out of the canoe after paddling three hours up river to the Waodani’s village, Mincaye was there at the muddy beach to greet him. Also there was Kimo, who had also taken part in the massacre. It was a joyous gathering, but Mincaye never put his arm around McCully and said, “I’m so sorry.� “I think that’s because they don’t think of themselves as being the same person,� McCully said. “They definitely realize what they did was wrong. But now they talk about it like it was another life.�

McCully never met his father, who had been a football and track star at Wheaton College and had become a missionary after a year of law school. But McCully said he’s not angry at God or at Mincaye. “It has to do with how I was raised,� McCully said. “No one ever made me feel I had something stolen or taken from me. I grew up with a love for these people. My dad’s folks had that. I saw the love they had for them.�

For two hours, McCully and

22 of his relatives who made the trip with him stood on the beach where the massacre occurred and listened to the story of what happened that day. Steve Saint, son of Nate Saint, interpreted the accounts of Mincaye and Kimo.

Although McCully had heard his mother tell of how the Indian warriors came out of the jungle and fought, hearing the story firsthand was mesmerizing.

Hanging on McCully’s living room wall is a spear used to kill his father. It was given to his mother from the Waodani tribe. Rather than destroy the spear, McCully uses it as a reminder of God’s grace. “It represents such an important part of my life,� McCully said. “It doesn’t represent something I wish never would have happened.

I’m sure there was a big part in my mom that wished her husband hadn’t been killed. But there was also a bigger part she recognized that this was something God wanted to do.�

Remarkably, during the trip to the Waodani village, Mincaye, who still lives in that same village that has no electricity and has traveled across the United States to share his story, baptized one of McCully’s daughters. It seemed an extraordinary role for a man who had killed her grandfather.

What distinguishes this story from other martyr accounts is what happened after the killings.

Two years after the massacre, the wives of the missionaries returned to Ecuador to witness to the Waodani. Rachael Saint, Nate Saint’s sister, lived with the tribe until her death in 1994. “My mom said it was unbelievable how much peace she felt,�

McCully said. “There was only one explanation for that. It was the Spirit of God comforting her.�

McCully never knew his father.

But Mincaye came to know his heavenly Father because of the forgiveness and commitment of the wives of the men they had killed. “It’s easy for us to say, ‘Well, those people really needed God,’� McCully said. “But they don’t need Him anymore than we do. I never killed anyone, but my need for salvation and transformation of heart is just as great.�

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‘Courageous’ box office maintains top 10 status for three weeks

By Michael Foust BP News Service ALBANY, Ga. — The church-made film “Courageous,” which stayed in the Top 10 in total gross during its first three weekends, dropped to No. 11 Oct. 21 to 23.

Made by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, it’s per-theater average also remained strong, outpacing four of the to 10, including Moneyball and Dolphin Tale.

It has grossed nearly $25 million since its opening.

The movie follows the story of five men—four of them police officers—as they seek to become better fathers.

In one closely watched stat, Courageous lost 24.4 percent in total gross from its third weekend—a solid performance. Movies often lose 40 percent to 50 percent in gross from one weekend to the next. It’s weekly drop was fewer than any of the seven returning films in the top 10, including “Reel Steel,” “Footloose,” “The Ides of March,” “Dolphin Tale” and Moneyball.”

More than 1 million people saw Courageous on its opening weekend, securing No. 4 in total gross, shocking

Hollywood with another solid showing

by Sherwood Baptist film. In addition to its overall performance, Courageous opened No. 1 among new movies and No. 1 in per-theater average, nearly doubling most of the competition in that category.

Its $9,063,147 opening ended up fourth behind “Dolphin Tale,” Moneyball” and “The Lion King 3D.” But all three of those other films—and every other film in the Top 10—played in at least 2,300 theaters, twice as many as Courageous. The family friendly film also beat three new films with much bigger budgets and far more screens—“50/50,” “Dream House” and “What’s Your Number?” While Courageous’ production budget was $1 million, the average budget of the other films in the Top 10 was $41 million.

Courageous’ per-theater average of $7,806 blew out the competition, with The Lion King 3D’s $4,537 coming in second.

“I woke up this morning just praising the Lord,” Stephen Kendrick, Courageous’ producer, told Baptist Press the first Monday after its debut.

Perhaps most impressive, Courageous received an A-plus CinemaScore,

PHOTO BY TODD STONE

“Courageous,” which follows the story of four men as they seek to become better fathers, is making impressive strides at the box office. Its opening week per-theater average of $7,806 blew out the competition, with The Lion King 3D’s $4,537 coming in second.

an exit poll of moviegoers used by studios. Only three other films this year have received an A-plus, said Kris Fuhr, vice president of theatrical marketing for Provident Films, which helped market the movie to the Christian audience.

Sherwood’s most recent film, “Fireproof,” opened in 2008 in 839 theaters

and grossed $6.8 million on opening weekend for a No. 4 finish. Fireproof’s per-theater average was slightly better than Courageous at $8,148. That higher per-theater figure could be attributed to the fact Courageous opened in more markets and stretched itself slightly out of its strongest base.

“We were in a lot of places that we’ve never been before, because churches and people stepped up and showed us there was a strong demand,” Fuhr said.

Still, there were reports of soldout theaters in places far outside the Bible Belt. Fresno, Calif., Concord, N.H., and Winnipeg, Manitoba all had sellouts. There were even sold-out shows in Essex Junction, Vt., where the theater owner said it was the “biggest opening they’ve ever had,” Fuhr said.

“The theater owner said if it had been any bigger he couldn’t have managed it,” Fuhr said.

The film’s box office success caught the attention of mainstream publications. USA Today called it “the surprise success” of the weekend’s new films.

Entertainment Weekly said it was the “real success story of the weekend.”

“We were asking the Lord to do something that would surprise everyone and create buzz,” Kendrick said. “With every movie, He’s done more than we could ask or imagine.”

After the first four weekends, “Courageous” remained the No. 1 fan-rated movie at Fandango.com, a leading movie ticketing website.

NAE delegation meets with President to discuss issues important to evangelicals

By Scott Noble WASHINGTON, D.C. — A 20-person delegation of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) met with President Barack Obama in mid October to express to the president issues of concern to evangelicals.

According to a report of the meeting from Carl Nelson, president of Transform Minnesota who was part of the group, Leith Anderson, president of the NAE and pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minn., led the group and thanked the president and the State Department for their efforts in the case of Iranian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, who has been sentenced to death because of his conversion to Christianity.

George Wood, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God spoke about religious minorities in countries like Iran and Egypt. Wood told the president that three of the four most recent Christian martyrs in Iran were pastors of Assemblies of God congregations. The president told the group, according to Nelson, that he “frequently applies pressure” on the issue of religious persecution when meeting with foreign leaders.

In addition, the discussion focused on religious freedom, protection of religious hiring rights, immigration reform, traditional marriage definitions and how to care for the poor.

John Jenkins, pastor of First Baptist Church in Glennarden, Maryland, expressed concern on the part of the NAE that the Justice Department has not sought to uphold the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

The NAE supports marriage as between one man and one woman and believes it provides the “fundamental guarantee of societal survival and thriving” and also for the successful procreation of the next generation.

“We expressed concern about [Obama’s] evolving views on marriage and that we believe changing the definition has serious conse-

quences for our society,” Nelson said. “It was pointed out that many chaplains in the military are concerned that changes to DADT [“Don’t ask, don’t tell”] and DOMA may require them to violate their faith.”

Immigration reform was also an important issue discussed by the religious delegation and the president. According to Nelson, the president thanked the NAE for its support for comprehensive immigration reform and for its biblical and moral approach to the issue. The president also acknowledged that a majority of Americans want to enact immigration reform.

Jo Ann Lyon, general superintendent for the Wesleyan Church encouraged the president to continue to make immigration reform a top priority.

Anderson concluded the meeting by praying for the president.

Nelson said the president concluded the meeting by thanking the group for being gracious on issues of disagreement.

“It’s important that we dialogue with public leaders in a civil manner,” Nelson said. “There are issues that evangelicals and the president don’t agree upon (i.e. marriage), but he thanked us for being gracious in our discussion of those things we don’t agree upon, and I think that it is important for us as leaders to help reclaim a tone of civility in our nation.”

Meeting with the president was a bit of a surreal experience for Nelson.

“It felt a bit anti-climatic,” he said.

“That’s not to say it wasn’t significant or impressive; it was, but the staff who welcomed us were personable and friendly like anyone else. Shaking the president’s hand and looking at him across the table was a bit surreal.

The president seems familiar to all of us because we see him on TV and in photos constantly, but looking him in the eyes and listening to him talk from across the table is a much different experience.”

For more information about the NAE, visit www.nae.net.

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November 2011 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • 11

Transform by discipleship Transformation comes through the experience of personal growth, discipleship and education intended to equip students for a lifetime of career and ministry leadership. Our distinction is characterized by mentoring relationships—faculty to student and student to student. Corban’s focus is on discipling—educating Christian students who will make a difference in the world for Jesus Christ.

The members of the Corban community are passionate about integrating career learning with a biblical worldview. Our motto, Dedicating Heart and Mind to God, is a very real part of our process.

We’re an independent Christian university in Salem, Ore., and Tacoma, with more than 50 majors and programs of study.

Along with traditional and adult degree undergraduate programs, we offer graduate degrees in education, business, ministry and counseling. Our MBA is entirely online, and adult degree programs offer online and oncampus formats.

The School of Ministry, with a satellite location in Tacoma, is designed to provide workable

formats and program offerings that simplify post-graduate work for busy ministry leaders.

Corban is also partnering in an exciting international program at Indonesia’s Universitas Pelita Harapan which prepares the next generation of Christian teachers to impact that country.

Corban’s programs are accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. It is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as fifth in the West’s Best Regional Colleges for 2011. Corban has been ranked in the Top Ten in the West for Regional Colleges the last ten years in that category, and is the only Christian university in the Northwest to be ranked in the West’s Top 10.

Corban is a member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference and is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA).

Corban offers 13 intercollegiate sports where athletes have captured 12 conference and six National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) national championships over the past ten years.

…[we] are passionate about integrating career learning with a biblical worldview.

God’s new Harvard Patrick Henry College’s goal is launching leaders for Christ Founded in 2000, Patrick Henry College has, in its eventful first decade, grown into an influential evangelical college attracting highcaliber Christian students from all backgrounds. Its rigorous academic programs, exclusive apprenticeships in Washington, D.C. and beyond and championship debate culture prepare leaders for high level service in the public square, and led to its being dubbed “God’s Harvard” in a recently published book.

Located in Purcellville, Va., less than an hour from Washington, D.C., Patrick Henry College is a classical Christian liberal arts college created for students seeking an academically demanding education at a school forged from America’s founding principles and powered by passionate Christian discipleship.

Its unique profile, combining Ivy League-caliber scholastics with a distinctly Christian worldview, has produced graduates who today serve at the highest levels of government, business, the legal profession, media and academia.

The New Yorker reported in 2005 that Patrick Henry College students held roughly the same number of White House internships as Georgetown, which, for a College of roughly 300 students at that time, reflected the College’s unusually high standing on Capitol Hill. Employers for whom they serve agree that PHC students excel because of their disciplined

work ethic, critical thinking skills and plainspoken humility.

Many graduates have gone on to prestigious graduate schools, including Harvard,Yale and Columbia law schools, and presently work for the 10th U.S. Circuit Court, the Arizona Supreme Court, the FBI, National Geographic, Fox News, and throughout the intelligence community, to name a few. Anchoring its mission to infuse the public square with world-class Christian speakers, jurists, and apologists, PHC’s vaunted legal debate team not only defeated Oxford twice, it has won five of the past seven ACMA national moot court championships.

Michael P. Farris, the founder and chancellor of the College, says, “When we started Patrick Henry College, our goal was not merely to build an educational institution, we wanted to change America.

Most students who come to PHC have a vision and intend to make an impact.”

Reinforcing its mission to impact the culture for Christ, Patrick Henry College has designed one of the most comprehensive core curriculums in the country and an academic foundation built upon the truth found only in Scripture.

To protect itself from government regulations and thereby safeguard its liberty to teach from a Christian worldview, the College accepts no government funding. Its operations and facilities are funded entirely through donations.

12 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • November 2011 NW

Christian Higher Education Advertising Supplement

Carry the call Academics At Northwest University, you will be challenged and encouraged to grow intellectually – in wisdom – as you encounter the breadth and depth of our rigorous academic programs.You have been given unique gifts and interests. We offer programs that will help you develop your aptitudes and talents in a way that will equip you to make a different in the future.

Since 1934, Northwest University has successfully prepared students for service and leadership. Approximately 1,400 students study in more than 60 academic programs, including biblical literature, biology (pre-med), business, church ministries, nursing, psychology, and teacher education.

Northwest University offers master’s degrees in Counseling Psychology, International Care and Community Development, Business Administration, Social Entrepreneurship, Education, Teaching, Ministry, Missional Leadership, and Theology and Culture. In addition, Northwest offers a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology.

Vision: Carry The Call Students at Northwest University are challenged, and then equipped to “Carry the Call.” With their hearts, to develop compassion and character. With their heads, to discover the joy of rigorous study and mental discipline. And with their hands, to actively engage the world around them.

Spiritual growth Northwest University is committed to the spiritual development of each student. The university community gathers three times a week for worship and preaching by a variety of significant speakers. Students can participate in a variety of ministries that reach out to the community through service, evangelism, and prayer.

Community Northwest University is located on a 56-acre campus on the east side of Seattle in Kirkland, near Lake Washington, placing students within minutes of leading corporate headquarters such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon, and Nordstrom. Greater Seattle has it all, including festivals, museums, parks, lakes, shopping, and major league sports. The Pacific Northwest offers some of the best venues for activities such as skiing, hiking, climbing, windsurfing, biking, and canoeing.

Visit Northwest University Northwest University offers visit events throughout the year.Visiting NU is your chance to experience university life up close and personal in a Christian environment.You will be able to visit actual classes, tour our campus, worship in chapel, dine in the cafeteria, meet current students, and chat with professors.

To find out more, please visit us online at www.northwestu.edu.

A new opportunity changes everything Located in the heart of Portland, Oregon, Warner Pacific’s urban campus is a springboard into real world experiences that employers and graduate schools covet. A close-knit, Christ-centered campus, affordable tuition around $18,000, and a culture of authentic Christian service, make Warner Pacific College one of the best values around.

Thriving professionally not only means amassing job skills and networking, but developing as a person of character as well.

Students can choose from among 27 different majors—including a unique Urban Studies major— with an approach to education that is holistic and personal. An innovative Humanities core curriculum allows students to wrestle with tough ethical questions that don’t have easy answers. They are challenged to grapple with and articulate what it means to be a person of integrity and faith in an increasingly urbanized world.

In addition to establishing high academic benchmarks, Warner Pacific embraces its role as a light for Christ in the city. Community service is central to the Warner Pacific experience. Through an extensive network of outreach programs, a student might find themselves reading to schoolchildren one week and landscaping at a shelter for women and children the next. Our urban identity is the organizing principle behind our work—along with our Christ-centered ethos and lib-

eral arts curriculum—it is the lens through which we view our calling.

Warner Pacific’s Missions program creates opportunities to serve beyond the borders of Portland. Students are afforded two major missions trips a year to countries along the Pacific Rim, as well as domestic U.S. cities like San Francisco and Denver.

Through each of these experiences, students thrive in a community with the freedom to imagine, think creatively, and to explore ideas more deeply.

The Warner Pacific campus radiates year-round with activity, including intramurals, banquets, drama performances, concerts, and multicultural events.

Student-athletes compete in the NAIA Division II in basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, track and field, and volleyball.

Portland frequently ranks as one of the best places to live in the United States. With a state-of-the art bus and light-rail system, you can take advantage of diverse cultural and recreational activities throughout the city. In addition, the Pacific Northwest is a magnate for outdoor enthusiasts interested in biking, hiking, rock climbing, skiing, and windsurfing.

The vibrant community, urban advantage, commitment to Christian service, and willingness to face life-changing questions head on make Warner Pacific College the value leader.

Christian Higher Education Advertising Supplement

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November 2011 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • 13

14 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • November 2011 NW

Christian Higher Education Advertising Supplement

Training a new generation of students The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology is a learning community dedicated to transformation through the study of text, soul, and culture. We are training a new generation of students to be therapists, pastors, writers, artists, bloggers, theologians, and leaders who are devoted to serving God and neighbor through relationships. They are passionate and purposeful; committed to both academic excellence and relational maturity; curious about the biblical text, the human soul, and the culture at large.

The Seattle School offers three transformative degrees. The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program is offered for students seeking graduate-level training in the area of counseling. Believing that education is a formative process, we are committed to teaching in intentionally integrative, praxisoriented, and transformational ways. We teach and practice the art of psychotherapy as a discipline insistent upon finding meaning and healing in the nature and purpose of the human encounter.

The Master of Divinity program emerges from the belief that theology is alive only as it is lived in community. Our students seek to be a healing presence within the global community, developing innovative leaders in the service of the body of Christ.

The Master of Arts in Christian Studies program is designed as an

introduction to understanding the biblical text, the human soul, and the complexity of culture. There are three tracks available in our Master of Arts in Christian Studies program: The Creative Art and Theology Track prepares students for the prophetic role of the artist within the church. Students explore the intersection of theology and art in order to live into their artistic calling – the transformation of people and culture through the production of artwork and creative experiences.

The Global and Social Partnership Track trains students in developing a mutual relationship with the world based on humility, curiosity, and context while advocating on behalf of God, humanity, and creation. Students learn to engage their local community with a global perspective, marked by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, while mindful of the shift toward a postcolonial context.

The Interdisciplinary Studies Track offers students improved skills in interpersonal relationships and an enhancement of the biblical and theological categories that undergird the framework of relationships. This degree offers holistic training for ministry in the church while allowing a student to fully customize their program by having the most open electives of any degree program offered.

To learn more about joining us for a transformational education, visit theseattleschool.edu.

Fuller Seminary Northwest: Strong local connections In the early 1970s, a number of pastors in Seattle were tired of seeing parishioners with a call to ministry having to move away to attend seminary. The group, led by noted pastors Robert Boyd Munger and Homer L. Goddard, approached Fuller Seminary with a plea: “We need you here!”Thus was born Fuller Northwest in 1973, the first of Fuller’s regional campuses.

From its beginnings, the campus has provided just what those in the Seattle-Tacoma area are looking for: solid courses offered at flexible times so that students can continue to work while getting a seminary degree. Then as now, “many of our students have been in the workforce for a while,” says Fuller Northwest Director Kim Anderson.“They come from a range of professions, denominations, and ethnicities—which makes for an eye-opening diversity of perspectives in the classroom.” Anderson himself was one of those students, coming in 1991 from a career in real estate—then joining the campus’s staff in 1997, and becoming director in 2005.

A landmark development for Fuller Northwest came in 1992, when it was the first of Fuller’s regional campuses to offer the full MDiv program, enabling students to completely earn the degree in

Seattle. Today the campus offers four degrees: the MDiv (Master of Divinity), MA in Theology, MA in Christian Leadership, and MA in Theology and Ministry—all of which can be earned completely on-site.

With an enrollment that ranges from about 150 to 200, Fuller Northwest offers students significant one-on-one time with professors: “We spend a lot of time with students helping them discern their call,” Anderson says. Mentoring opportunities in the local community abound as well. Over its 36 years, in fact, the campus has maintained the strong connection with local churches that birthed it—and today, many Seattle pulpits are occupied by Fuller graduates.

Reggie Witherspoon (MA ’04), founding pastor of Mount Calvary Christian Center in Seattle, says his experience at Fuller Northwest “sharpened me up and prepared me to take my ministry to a whole new level.” Says Karl Neils (MDiv ’00), senior pastor of the Seattle Vineyard: “The faculty at Fuller Northwest did not simply instruct me—they pastored me in ways that shaped my understanding and expression of my gifts as a pastor and teacher.”

To learn more, visit fuller.edu/ northwest.

Christian Higher Education Advertising Supplement

Corban University 5000 Deer Park Drive SE Salem, OR 97317 (503) 581-8600 • (253) 759-6104 kpease@corban.edu corban.edu

NW

November 2011 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • 15

Northwest University 5520 108th Ave. NE Kirkland, WA 98033 1-800-669-3781 www.northwestu.edu

Corban University is an independent Christian university in Salem, Oregon, with more than 50 majors and programs of study including professional, liberal arts, and ministries. Along with traditional and adult degree completion programs at the undergraduate level, Corban offers graduate teacher licensure programs and graduate degrees in education, business, ministry and counseling.

Since 1934, Northwest University has successfully prepared students for service and leadership. Northwest offers students a challenging balance of spiritual enrichment, academic excellence, and practical experience. We offer programs that will help you develop your aptitudes and talents in a way that will equip you to make a difference in the future. This is how we can help prepare you to Carry the Call, with heart, head, and hand.

Ecola Bible School

Patrick Henry College

P.O. Box 190 Cannon Beach, OR 97110 1-888-436-2552 www.ecola.org The dynamic difference at Ecola is our focus, which is to help students build a strong foundation for life (Luke 6:46-49). Ecola offers students an exciting way to study and apply the Bible. Each week brings two new instructors and two new subjects. Each instructor is encouraged to make their lessons very practical and to show how the teaching applies to today’s living. Call Ecola today and Get a Foundation!

Faith Evangelical College & Seminary 3504 N. Pearl Street Tacoma, WA 98407 1-888-777-7675 • (253) 752-2020 www.faithseminary.edu Earn your Bachelor of Arts (Religion, Leadership) online; or Masters degree with a concentration in Apologetics, New Testament, Leadership Coaching, Christian Counseling, or Global Leadership. Also the Master of Divinity and the Doctor of Ministry in Strategic Leadership or Christian Apologetics. Evening classes, modular training, and distance education. Interdenominational, accredited, affordable, Biblebased. Federal Financial Aid available, also TA/VA for military/veterans.

Fuller Theological Seminary 101 Nickerson St., Suite 330 Seattle, WA 98109 1-800-447-2999 • (206) 284-9000 fts.nw@fuller.edu www.fuller.edu Fuller Seminary Northwest, ATS-accredited, is one of the regional campuses of Fuller Theological Seminary. Serving the Seattle area since 1973, students have several degree/certificate options: Master of Divinity (MDiv); MA in Theology; MA in Theology and Ministry; MA in Christian Leadership, and a certificate in Christian Studies. Learn more about Fuller’s evangelical, multi-denominational, and multi-ethnic community on Facebook and Twitter.

Multnomah University 8435 NE Glisan Street Portland, OR 97220 1-800-275-4672 admiss@multnomah.edu www.multnomah.edu Get Your Bible. Every college student earns a bachelor’s in Bible and Theology with a second major in 14 additional programs. The Adult Degree Completion program offers 2 additional degrees. The Graduate Division offers Master of Arts degrees in Counseling, Teaching and TESOL. The Seminary offers Master of Arts degrees in Pastoral Studies and Biblical Studies, M.Div. degrees, and a Th.M degree.

New Hope Christian College 2155 Bailey Hill Road Eugene, OR 97405 (541) 485-1780 • 1-800-322-2638 www.newhope.edu New Hope ignites your God-given potential to live exceptionally. Creative Arts, theology, ministry and marketplace leadership, counseling and social services and much more makes this college a place where you get more than a degree.

You get the DNA of a world changer.

10 Patrick Henry Circle Purcellville, VA 20132 1-888-338-1776 admissions@phc.edu www.phc.edu Patrick Henry College seeks to recreate the American collegiate ideal: education for truth, truth for leadership, all for Christ. We equip young leaders in a Christian classical tradition with our comprehensive core curriculum, centering all truth on the person and work of Jesus Christ. Hands-on apprenticeships cement classroom instruction in the areas of Government, Journalism, Literature, History, or Classical Liberal Arts.

The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology 2501 Elliott Avenue Seattle, WA 98121 1-888-977-2002 • (206) 876-6100 theseattleschool.edu admissions@theseattleschool.edu The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology is training students in the study of text, soul, and culture in order to serve God and neighbor through transforming relationship. We offer three highly academic and deeply rigorous master-level degrees: M.A. in Counseling Psychology, Master of Divinity, and M.A. in Christian Studies. Learn more about joining us for a transformational education at theseattleschool.edu/admissions.

Trinity Western University 7600 Glover Road Langley, British Columbia V2Y 1Y1 1-888-GO-TO-TWU www.twu.ca With 45 undergraduate and 16 graduate programs to choose from,Trinity Western University is Canada’s most comprehensive Christian university. TWU’s main campus is located in Langley BC and an extension campus in Bellingham, WA. Trinity Western is known for its academic quality and authentic Christian community and has received the highest ranking in Canada - an A+ for“Quality of Teaching and Learning”in the The Globe and Mail’s Canadian University Report.

Warner Pacific College 2219 SE 68th Avenue Portland, OR 97215 1-800-804-1510 admissions@warnerpacific.edu warnerpacific.edu Warner Pacific is an urban Christ-centered liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon offering a tight-knit community with a culture of authentic Christian service.

Our expanding academic offerings—with multiple internship, practicum, and community service opportunities to compliment your education—coupled with our reduced tuition make Warner Pacific one of the Northwest’s best values.

Warner Pacific College – In the city… for the city.

16 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • November 2011 NW

Put it on the calendar.

List your Christian events for free.

If it is happening in the Puget Sound region, we want to know about it, and so do our readers. Send your information no later than the 25th of the month prior to publication. Sorry, Sunday morning services cannot be included. Fax to 1-888-305-4947, e-mail to calendar@christianexaminer. com, or mail to P.O. Box 2720, Woodinville, WA 98072.

www.christianexaminer.com

DEC 2 • FRIDAY (cont.)

DEC 16-18 • FRI-SUN

FEB 6 • MONDAY (cont.)

presented by The Senior Adult Ministries.

1pm, First Baptist Church, 1616 Pacific Ave., Everett, free • (425) 337-0780

Handel’s Messiah. Fri 8pm; Sat 1pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm, Seattle Symphony, 200 University St., Seattle • seattlesymphony.org

7pm, Northshore Baptist Church, 10301 NE 145th St., Bothell • 1-800-731-NCWA

DEC 17-18 • SAT-SUN

Sandi Patty & Friends Cruise, with Natalie Grant, Mark Shultz, Wayne Watson & more. Eastern Caribbean • 1-800-2884778, cruisewithsandipatty.com

Bud Tutmarc’s Hymnbook Sing. 7-9pm, Berean Church, 1st NE & N 185th, Seattle • (425) 205-9427 The Firs Noel, with Janet Drew. 6pm, The Firs, Bellingham, $25-99 • thefirs.org, (360) 733-6840

‘We Danced Our Best for Him,’ presented

by Dancing for Joy. 6:30pm, Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N Commercial St., Bellingham, $15-24 • mountbakertheatre.com, (360) 734-6080

DEC 2-3 • FRI-SAT

NOV 11 • FRIDAY

NOV 18 • FRIDAY

DEC 3 • SATURDAY

DEC 23 • FRIDAY

11:11:11 – A Line in the Sand global gathering. 11am-9pm, Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA • rosebowlgathering.info

Ave., Seattle, $20-35 • (206) 323-4212

NOV 11-13 • FRI-SUN

Marriage Encounter. Warm Beach Christian Camp, 20800 Marine Dr., Stanwood • warmbeach.com, 1-800-228-6724

A Victorian Country Christmas, Choir Festival. 10:30am-1pm, Victorian Christmas Opry Theatre, at the Puyallup Fair & Event Center, Puyallup • avictoriancountrychristmas.com, worthymusicministries.org

Debby Boone: Christmas Memories.

8pm, Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N Commercial St., Bellingham, $20-49 • (360) 734-6080, mountbakertheatre.com

Sr. High Retreat. Warm Beach Christian Camp, 20800 Marine Dr., Stanwood • warmbeach.com, 1-800-228-6724

NOV 12 • SATURDAY Shift into Missional, a day with Reggie McNeal. 8:30am-4pm, Westminster Chapel, 13646 NE 24th St., Bellevue, $49 • (425) 747-1461 Crown Financial MoneyMap Seminar.

8:30am-4:30pm, Tacoma Christian Reformed Community Church, 2419 E 72nd St., Tacoma • (253) 475-6564 WinterJam 2011 Tour Spectacular, with Newsboys, Kutless, Matthew West, and more. 6pm, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, $10 at door • jamtour.com

NOV 13 • SUNDAY Missions Craft Fair. 4:30pm, Kent First Baptist Church, 11420 SE 248th St., Kent • (253) 852-5970

NOV 18-20 • FRI-SUN

NOV 19 • SATURDAY Grace Children’s Center Holiday Bazaar.

9am-4pm, 22975 24th Ave. S, Des Moines • (206) 870-6091

NOV 20 • SUNDAY Sunday Evening Celebration. 4pm, St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Bellevue.

Held by Bridge Disability Ministries • bridgemn.org

NOV 25-DEC 30 ‘Beasley’s Christmas Party.’ Taproot Theatre Company, 204 N 85th St., Seattle • taproottheatre.org, (206) 781-9707

NOV 28-29 • MON-TUE 12th Annual The Sacred Sounds of Christmas featuring SPU’s Concert Choir, Wind Symphony & Orchestra. 7:30pm, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle • spu.edu

NOV 16 • WEDNESDAY

DEC 1-4, 8-11, 15-23, 26-28

Christian Women’s Connection.

11:30am-1pm, Golden Steer Restaurant, 23826-104th Pl. SE, Kent, $14.75 • (425) 227-8312, (425) 432-1144

The Lights of Christmas. 5-10pm, Warm Beach Christian Camp, 20800 Marine Dr., Stanwood • warmbeach.com, 1-800228-6724

NOV 18 • FRIDAY

DEC 2 • FRIDAY

Dorinda Clark Cole, in concert. 7pm, New Hope Baptist Church, 124 21st

“Making Christmas Memories,� a musical celebration for Everett Area Seniors,

Messiah Concert. 7pm, Tacoma First Baptist Church, 1328 S 84th St., Tacoma • tfbc.org, (253) 535-5803

DEC 4 • SUNDAY The Pilgrims Men’s Chorus Sings Christmas. 6pm, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2531 Hoyt Ave., Everett, free will offering • (425) 252-3757 Brandon Heath, The Leaving Eden Tour with Britt Nicole. 7pm, Christ the King Church, Bellingham • lmgconcerts.com, 1-855-LMG-TIXX

DEC 5 • MONDAY Northwest Christian Writers’ Association monthly meeting, with Gloria Kempton.

7pm, Northshore Baptist Church, 10301 NE 145th St., Bothell • 1-800-731-NCWA

DEC 8-24 Langston Hughes’ ‘Black Nativity.’ The Moore Theatre, 1932 2nd Ave., Seattle.

Presented by the Seattle Theatre Group • stgpresents.org, 1-877-784-4849

DEC 15 • THURSDAY Imagine Christmas. 7pm, Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N Commercial St., Bellingham, $15-24 • mountbakertheatre.com, (360) 734-6080

JAN 6 • FRIDAY Bud Tutmarc’s Hymnbook Sing. 7-9pm, Berean Church, 1st NE & N 185th, Seattle • (425) 205-9427

JAN 9 • MONDAY Northwest Christian Writers’ Association monthly meeting, with Michael Kostov.

7pm, Northshore Baptist Church, 10301 NE 145th St., Bothell • 1-800-731-NCWA

FEB 18-25

MAR 5 • MONDAY Northwest Christian Writers’ Association monthly meeting. 7pm, Northshore Baptist Church, 10301 NE 145th St., Bothell • 1-800-731-NCWA

MAR 22-24 •THU-SAT Northwest Ministry Conference, with Mike Howerton, Rick Bundschuh, Dr. Michele Anthony, Michael Chanley & many more. Seattle, $29-99 • ministryconference.org, (206) 949-9945

MAR 23 • FRIDAY Tim Hawkins and Friends Comedy Night, with Bob Smiley & John Branyan at the NW Ministry Conference. 7:30pm, Overlake Christian Church, Seattle, $19-25 • timhawkins.net

FEB 6 • MONDAY Northwest Christian Writers’ Association monthly meeting, with Gabe & Gigi Murfit.

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Workers begin preparing Lights of Christmas event at Warm Beach STANWOOD — The annual Lights of Christmas event attracts thousands of visitors each year. More than one million lights will be displayed throughout the 15 acres of Warm Beach Camp this December.

More than 800 volunteers work more than 15,000 hours to prepare the free event, which is the largest holiday light display in the Northwest.

The event will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Dec. 1-4; 8-11; 15-23 and 26-28.

In addition, the dinner presentation “Winds in the Morning” is available on select nights.

For more information about The Lights of Christmas, visit www. warmbeachlights.com or call (800) 228-6724.

Choir festival to celebrate Christmas PUYALLUP — A Choir Festival, sponsored by Worthy Music Ministries, at the 24th annual A Victorian Country Christmas Festival will take place on Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Puyallup Fair and Events Center.

The Choir Festival will begin at 10:30 a.m. and run until 1:00 p.m.

Choirs scheduled to perform include the Jet Cities Chorus, Cantate Home School Choir, Swing Low, Champagne Quartet, Talitha Voices and others.

The Choir Festival is open to all choirs and ensembles, including community, school, college and church—and also all ages.

For more information on the event, visit www.avictoriancountrychristmas.com or www.worthymusicministries.org.

Mars Hill to plant four churches SEATTLE — The Rev. Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle recently announced at church and on his blog that the church will be planting four new churches in three states. Currently, Mar Hills sees weekly attendance of more than 11,000 people at 10 churches in two states, including Washington state and New Mexico.

Driscoll said the church will be planting Mars Hill Church Sammamish, Rainier Valley, Portland, Oreg., and Orange County, Calif.—all in one day.

The Jan. 15 launch date will also include a financial commitment of more than $6 million.

Mars Hill Sammamish is a merger of Evergreen Christian Fellowship with Mars Hill.

“In addition to opening Mars Hill Church Sammamish on January 15, we’ll also launch a Mars Hill church in Seattle’s Rainier Valley, in Portland (Oreg.) and in Orange County (Calif.,),” Driscoll wrote on his blog. “That will make for a total of 14 churches across four states, all led by qualified local elders and

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November 2011 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • 17

committed core groups who love Jesus and their cities.”

For more information on Mars Hill, visit www.marshill.com.

Taproot Theatre to produce ‘Beasley’s Christmas Party’ SEATTLE — Taproot Theatre will run “Beasley’s Christmas Party” from Nov. 25 to Dec. 30, with low price previews on Nov. 18 and 19. The theatre will also offer a “pay-what-you-can” performance on Nov. 23.

Theatre officials said in a release: “When a curious journalist moves to a small Midwestern town in 1909, he’s captivated by his unusual next door neighbor, gubernatorial candidate David Beasley. Is Beasley crazy, or does he just have more imaginary friends than we can count? Brimming with hope and heart, this holiday tale will charm your whole family with its surprising twists.”

The play was adapted from the 1909 novel written by Booth Tarkington.

For more information about Taproot Theatre and “Beasley’s Christmas Party,” including tickets, visit www.taproottheatre.org or call the box office at (206) 781-9707.

In addition, Taproot Theatre will begin its annual Christmas touring season on Nov. 19. Each year, the theatre visits different locations and performs several plays.

This year, Taproot will perform “Twelve Days of Christmas,” “The Birth,” “The White Elephant: IMPROV-ing Your Christmas Spirit” and “Christmas in Flight.”

Booking dates are still available, and performances will run through Dec. 23.

For more information or to schedule a performance, call (206) 529-3669 or email touring@taproottheatre.org.

Church to host Christmas gathering for area seniors EVERETT — First Baptist Church in Everett will host A Christmas Gift on Friday, Dec. 2 at 1:00 p.m. The event will include a 70-voice chorale led by John Sinkevitch, a 19th century drama by Gene Dobson, carol singing, the First Presbyterian Bell Choir and a solo by Steve Torrence.

The event is free and open to all area seniors and is hosted by the Senior Adult Ministries of First Baptist Church in Everett.

For more information, visit www. fbc-everett.org.

Seattle churches given permission to build homeless tent camps SEATTLE — According to a report from CBN News, the Seattle City Council recently voted unanimously to allow religious organizations to build tents without a city permit. The tents are needed because the city’s shelters are

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Taproot Theatre will present ‘Beasley’s Christmas Party’ during the upcoming holiday season.

already filled.

According to a news release from the City Council: “The Bill establishes health and safety standards where none previously existed. Those standards include a 100-person limit, compliance with fire safety and health standards, provision of toilets, running water and garbage collection and allowing officials of the Public Health Department, the Fire Department and the Department of Planning and Development to inspect encampments, without prior notice, to determine compliance with these standards.”

The Council said the action was a clarification of a current resolution.

Camp to offer Marriage Encounter weekend STANWOOD — Warm Beach Camp will host a Marriage Encounter the weekend of Nov. 18-20. The event is designed for all marriages—from newlyweds to those who have been married for decades.

At the retreat, organizers say couples will “discover God’s unique plan for marriage wherein one man and one woman become a whole

new entity and gain insight from the marriage Encounter Team Couples’ own personal marriage experiences,” among other things.

The cost for the Marriage Encounter is $373 per couple.

For more information, visit www. warmbeach.com.

Christmas music program now in its 12th year SEATTLE — Seattle Pacific University (SPU) will host its 12th annual The Sacred Sounds of Christmas event on Nov. 28 and 29. The event will feature SPU’s Concert Choir, Wind Symphony and Orchestra, as well as other musicians.

For more information about The Sacred Sounds of Christmas, which will begin at 7:30 p.m., visit www. spu.edu.

‘Black Nativity’ to be performed at The Moore SEATTLE — Langston Hughes’ “Black Nativity” will be performed at The Moore Dec. 8-24. Hughes was a poet, novelist, journalist and writer, and the play first appeared on Broadway in Dec. 1961, this year

marking its 50th anniversary.

“Black Nativity” retells the Nativity through gospel music, dance, poetry and narrative.

The show will be directed by Jacqueline Moscou, choreographed by Donald Byrd and directed musically by the Rev. Patrinell Wright.

Tickets are available through the Seattle Theatre Group by visiting www.stgpresents.org or by phone at (877) 784-4849.

Disability ministry to hold Sunday evening celebration BELLEVUE — Bridge Disability Ministries will hold its Sunday Evening Celebration on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 4:00 p.m. at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Bellevue. The event will include food, fun and fellowship and is open to the public.

Bridge Disability Ministries is a nonprofit Christian organization that serves people in the Puget Sound region by building relationships to “alleviate isolation and enrich our church communities.”

For more information about Bridge Disability Ministries and its Sunday Evening Celebration, visit www.bridgemin.org.

18 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • November 2011 NW

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Living legend Andraé Crouch continues journey with 18th album

By Lori Arnold After 17 albums, Gospel legend and Grammy-Award winner Andraé Crouch is still going strong with the release of yet another project, aptly named “The Journey.” The album is produced by Luther “Mano” Hanes, president and CEO of Riverphlo Entertainment.

“I am playing music today because of him,” Hanes said. “I learned how to play piano by imitating him when I was six years old. I studied all of his records, all day long.”

The 15-song disc includes “The Promise,” written by Crouch and Hanes, an award-winning producer.

Although impressed with Crouch’s progressive approach to music, Hanes said the musician’s success runs much deeper than solid air time or strong record sales.

“What made him great was how his songs exploded and took deep root inside the church—no matter what color or denomination,” the producer said. “His songs were made great by the churches all over the world.”

Hanes, who signed Crouch to his new label last year, said he believes the timing of the project, especially the lead song, “Somebody Told Me About Jesus,” will minister to society at a time of immense need.

“When I thought of this project, it was very important that we start off with a song that spoke to the state of the world today, the times we are living in and how we really need to hear from God,” Hanes said. “The body of Christ needs to be reassured of God’s promise to His people. I felt this song was the perfect song for the body of Christ in this hour.”

Prolific singer and songwriter Andre Crouch has released his 18th album, “The Journey.” Crouch also pastors a Southern California church.

When Crouch is not in the studio, he spends most of his time in Southern California, where he serves as senior pastor at the New Christ Memorial Church of God in Christ in San Fernando, the church founded by his parents. A prolific songwriter, Crouch said he pens 20 to 30 songs each week.

‘The Story’ Bible releases musical narrative “The Story,” the best-selling Bible from Max Lucado and Randy Frazee, is taking on another dimension with a two-album companion work featuring 18 new songs from some of America’s most popular Christian artists.

Like its namesake, “The Story” is a retelling of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in a musical narrative.

Dove Award winners Nichole Nordeman and Bernie Herms penned the musical version.

The line-up includes Matthew West, Leigh Nash, Mark Hall and Megan Garrett, Brandon Heath, Bart Millard, Michael Tait, Blanca Callahan, Lecrae, Nordeman, Amy Grant, Chris

Tomlin, Peter Furler, Mandisa, Todd Smith, Francesca Battistelli, Mac Powell, Steven Curtis Chapman, Natalie Grant, Dan Haseltine, Matt Hammitt, Jeremy Camp, Michael W. Smith and Darlene Zschech.

Kevin Davis, of New Release Tuesday, said the 18 featured songs were “soulpiercing.”

“This is a five-star compilation that needs to be heard and experienced until He comes back,” Davis said.

To promote the project, The Story Tour, featuring Chapman, the Newsboys, Battistelli, Natalie Grant, Selah, Anthem Lights, with special guests Lucado and Frazee, begins in December.

Hillsong USA tour to feature Christmas tunes Fresh on the heels of its European tour, Hillsong is kicking off its United States tour with a Nov. 18 show in Minneapolis.

In addition to numbers from its “God Is Able” album, the band is expected to showcase some of the songs from its Christmas EP “Born Is the King,” which was set for release Nov. 8.

This studio recording includes two new songs, “Born Is the King (It’s Christmas),” written by Matt Crocker and Scott Ligertwood and “Emmanuel,” written by Reuben Morgan. The album also includes “The Westward Procession,” “Joy to The World,” “We Three Kings,” “Come Let Us Adore Him,” “Holy Night” and “Silent Night.”

Breaking up sin in song Benjamin “Benjah” Thom, who was nominated for a Grammy Award for his co-producing skills on Lecrae’s newest

Reuben Morgan and the Hillsong band are heading to the U.S. after touring Europe.

album “Rehab,” continues to make a name for himself with the release of his second album, “The Break Up.” The newest album boasts Benjah’s signature pop and reggae sound, complimented by his Scripture-infused lyrics.

According to his record label, the album, released in September, uses a relationship metaphor to paint a picture of the Christian’s fight against the flesh, adding that it feels like love at first sight but when the deception of sin is revealed, a “Break-up” is essential.

The album’s song list includes “Sinking Ship,” “Jezebel,” “On Grace,” “Read Me” and “Orphan.”

One track, “Not Alone,” features Rachel Lampa.

Benjah is also part of this fall’s inaugural Music with a Mission tour, a new annual concert series that will promote various Christian organizations in an effort to expand giving opportunities for those missions groups.

In addition to his production work and solo career, Benjah was one of the original members of Group 1 Crew, where he had the opportunity to produce and write for five songs on their self-titled freshman project with Word/Warner Records, which won a Dove Award.

NW

November 2011 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • 19

Operation Christmas Child’s shoe box gifts bring joy and hope into the lives of children around the world.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

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SHOEBOXES… Continued from page 1 Cheryl Peirson, regional manager of the Northwest region of Samaritan’s Purse. “Over and over again we hear these stories about how God gives just what the child needed. The little boy who is afraid of the dark is the one who gets a flashlight. The little girl who loves pink gets a box filled with pink things. God loves these kids, and He knows what to give them. We get to be a part of that.”

OCC began in 1993 with the vision of one man to give gifts to a children’s orphanage in Romania. He filled shoeboxes with presents, and they were well received. When he realized his idea would go further if administrated by a well-connected organization, he contacted Franklin Graham, founder of Samaritan’s Purse.

Graham adopted the project, and it has exploded in the United States.

“We can all relate to the joy of receiving a gift, and it’s relatively easy to do,” said Peirson. “It’s not too expensive to fill a shoebox, so the idea captures people’s hearts.

They feel for children who are often victims of war or poverty.”

OCC began in North Carolina but now has field offices around the nation. The Northwest region consists of five states: Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho and Montana. In 2010, individuals, families, churches and groups in the region packed 199,859 shoeboxes that were sent to needy children worldwide. Overall, nearly 8.2 million shoebox gifts were collected from the U.S. and 12 other countries.

“Last year, we were able to send 5.2 million shoeboxes just from the U.S.,” said Peirson. “For the most part, we are in third world countries where there are no programs set up for children to receive school supplies, hygiene or other things that they need.”

With 6,000 volunteers nationwide, the regional office for the Northwest, located in Tacoma, Wash., works with 300 to 600 volunteers annually.

“Our goal is to really organize volunteers throughout the Northwest states,” Peirson said.

“While we have a lot to do with generating boxes, we work with area teams, led by official volun-

teers who have interviewed with us, been placed in a role they are good at and have gone through training.”

There is a series of locations throughout the states for people to drop off the shoeboxes.

Peirson said the basic items in a well-filled shoebox are toys that are fun for a child, hard candy or gum (not chocolate), hygiene items such as toothbrushes (many families share one between all of them), a washcloth and soap, school supplies like pencils and paper (many children cannot go to school without supplies) and a stuffed animal.

“People who fill the boxes choose the gender and age of the child receiving it,” Peirson said. “These are not commonplace items for the children, so it’s a huge deal for them to get these things. Including a picture of yourself or your family so the child knows who sent the gift, along with your address or email, is also nice.”

The biggest goal of the pro-

gram is to tell children that Jesus loves them. Samaritan’s Purse staff trains local volunteers to follow up with children who are given shoeboxes. The organization puts the booklet “The Greatest Gift of All” in each shoebox to give children the basic gospel presentation.

“It is very colorful and fun and is illustrated either with cartoons or real drawings, depending on the culture it is going to,” said Peirson.

In locations where there is a Samaritan’s Purse trainer, a series of 12 lessons called “The Greatest Journey” are presented in follow up. At the end of the series of lessons, the child goes through a graduation ceremony and receives his or her own Bible.

To find out more about OCC and information about drop-offs, which need to be completed by mid-November, visit www.samaritanspurse.org or call (800) 353-5949.

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