POWER 4 LIFE BROADCAST SCHEDULE WMAR TV 2
6:30am Sundays
state of maryland
THE WORD NETWORK
10:30pm Sundays
national
Streamingfaith.com
7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am Sundays & 7:30pm Tuesdays
international
Power Radio.com
12noon and 6pm Daily
international
SERVICE TIMES Worship Service
7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am Every Sunday
Teen Temple
11:15am Every 2nd & 4th Sunday
Sunday School
After 7:30am Service every Sunday at the Forum
Children’s Church
11:15am Every Sunday
Tuesday Bible Study
7:30pm
Men’s Bible Study
9am 1st Saturday
Women’s Bible Study
10:15am 1st Saturday
Marriage Bible Study
11:30am 1st Saturday
Discipleship Building Class
9am -10:15am 3rd Saturday
Leadership Development
10:15am -11:15am 3rd Saturday
Empowermenttemple.org
Every Service Live
ORDER OF WORSHIP Doxology Opening Hymn Litany Prayer Praise & Worship Pastoral Remarks & Visitor Recognition Offering Sermonic Selection Sermon Invitation Offering Announcements Benediction
litany
04
Leader
I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Ghost power. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ! I won’t look back…let up…slow down… back up…or be still!
people
My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living and dwarfed goals!
Leader
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity! I do not have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on the Lord, run with patience, lift by prayer and labor by Holy Ghost power.
people
My face is set. My goal is heaven. My road is narrow. My way is rough. My companions are few, my guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.
Leader
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
people
I WON’T GIVE UP…SHUT UP…LET UP…until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, worked up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go ‘til He comes, give ‘til I drop, teach ‘til all know and work ‘til he stops me. And when Jesus comes, He will have no problems recognizing me because He’ll remember, I was the one He gave POWER!
WINTER 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
FAITH FOCUS FINANCES
2O1O It not only marks the beginning of a new year, but also the beginning of a new decade… and a new YOU!
According to the Bible, the number 10 signifies divine perfection, which means this is YOUR year! This is the year you move past your fears and hand the reigns of your life to God. This is the year you get to the heart of your issues, the year you tackle your personal finances, grow your business, reconcile with estranged family, and walk in God’s purpose for your life. This is the year you do better, love better, live better, fight for what’s right, tithe your time and your talent, and do what God created you to do. In this special New Year’s edition of ECHOES of Empowerment Magazine, we wanted to help jumpstart 2010 by offering some insight into how you can create a life that’s 10x Better for you and your family. We’ve provided insight on building a deeper faith in God that will strengthen your relationship with him. Next, we’ve gathered fresh perspectives on ways to improve your focus that just may inspire you to make change. Finally, we’ve brought nationally-renown Wealth Coach, Author and Entrepreneur Deborah Owens to offer you insight on how to resuscitate your family finances.
Enjoy this first issue of 2010. Happy New Year! WINTER 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
05
1OxFaith Better
Creating a Faith-filled Relationship with God
U
ndoubtedly, 2009 may have tested your faith, and by extension, your relationship with God. Maybe you lost your job, or your house was foreclosed. Maybe a loved passed away, or the marriage you thought was God-sent fell apart. In all of these events, it seemed the presence of God disappeared from your life, and with it, so did your faith in the Father. But, according to Hebrews, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” and God is using this new slate called 2010 to rebuild that faith and your relationship with Him. There is something so reaffirming about having an “everlasting life” relationship with God. In its context, John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” No where else can you be loved unconditionally, faults and all, with a definite guarantee that the relationship is permanent. As humans, we tend to make and break commitments, but God is
Thank God. Start the New Year by thanking God for what He has already done in your life. That shows the Father your appreciation and gratitude for his goodness.
faithful in what he says he will do. That is not only reason to rejoice, but also reason to reaffirm your faith in Him. The things you lost in 2009 may or may not be recovered, but your faith can be restored 10-fold if you choose to take the necessary steps, and make the necessary sacrifices to deepen your relationship with God. This may mean believing you will purchase a new home even if you’ve been forced to move back into your parents’ house; having the faith that God will give you the career of your dreams even if your stuck working a job for which you are overqualified; or forgoing a relationship you know is not of God in order to wait for the one God has for you. We are in a covenant, faith-filled relationship with God from the moment we accept Christ as our personal Savior. Everlasting life means that relationship with him continues to live and thrive. God is with us, and there for us, no matter how things appear to be. [Yvette R. Blair]
Bless the Lord’s Name. Bless God’s name in your daily actions in ways that are pleasing to Him and watch as God will reaffirm your faith and joy in your relationship.
Pray. A strong connection with God happens through prayer. With it you cannot help but to build your faith and deepen your relationship with God.
Yvette R. Blair is the Regional Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the American Heart Association, and is the founder of Damselfly Faith Ministries, on online ministry that encourages and equips women to handle their struggles with faith. Visit her website at www.damselflyfaithministry.com.
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WINTER 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
1OxFocus Better
Regaining Focus in 2O1O
D
ifficult times make you focus. Whether it’s on health after a medical crisis, a depleted bank account, or on relationships when a loved one is stripped from you, you are forced to focus. In this New Year, we have no other choice but to focus in order to realign, reestablish and re-invent ourselves.
Realign
Re-establish
Re-invent
There comes a time when you must face yourself and get to work. No, you can no longer eat the way you used to.Yes, you must exercise. No, God won’t miraculously take the weight from you.You must work to get it off. Research to find ways to prepare healthier meals. Slip on those old sneakers and start walking. Understand the difference between physical hunger and emotional emptiness. Focus and get this new you going. For more help, look for the launch of the *Cookie Congregation at Empowerment Temple Church on Sunday, January 10th.
The Census Bureau will spend the bulk of 2010 estimating the population of the United States. As they are assessing this essential count, maybe you ought to focus on taking a census of your own relationship with God. In the past 10 years, how often did you take Him for granted? When did you rely on others instead of Him? Do you remember how many times you ignored God’s call, or refused to be obedient to His direction? Spend this year getting back on track with God. Stop allowing your situations and circumstances to sour your relationship with Him. Chase after God this year, rather than your fears, and watch how He will not only free you, but also give you a new life.
Being stripped bare is not necessarily a bad thing. Have you considered that God removed everything from you just to help you see the jewels He buried within your bosom? During this time of economic upheaval, God is exposing gifts you didn’t even know you possessed, but he needed to remove the things that distracted you in order for you to discover those gems. Did you realize you could start that daycare center when you were working that corporate job? Was your love for writing unearthed when you were laid off? Did you discover you liked wedding planning when planned your cousin’s wedding last summer? Now is the time to stop burying those gifts God has given you and do something with them. Say yes to starting that business, becoming a consultant, researching what freelancing is all about.You are already at rock bottom.You have nowhere else to go but up!
It is only through self-assessment that you will be able to make improvements, and this the year to do it. Let’s forget about making New Year’s Resolutions. Let’s make New Life Plans instead! [Candance L. Greene]
*For more information about the Cookie Congregation, contact Nicole Kirby at nkirby@empowermenttemple.org.
WINTER 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
07
1OxFinances Better
Building a Wealthy Mindset for 2010
A
s we look back at 2009 and the financial uncertainty that it brought to our households, making plans for the future can seem like an impossible dream. It’s time to flip the script and look at these difficult times as an opportunity to put your financial houses in order. In this tight economy, you can get your money straight by using old school money principles that don’t require you to have a degree in finance.
Sweat the Small Stuff
Keep Your Own Change
First things first, track every dime you spend for a week. Doing this can help you identify mindless spending that can be redirected toward paying off debt or creating an emergency fund.
At the end of each day, dump the change in your pockets and purses in your personal piggy banks. You will be surprised how much money you will have accumulated by year’s end.
Credit? Forget it!
Green is King
The credit crisis has taken a very personal turn. If the lenders are calling, it’s time to open the mail, answer the phones and negotiate. Though difficult, it will be beneficial to face those financial demons now, rather than digging deeper into your financial hole.Visit www.consumercredit.org or www.careone.com for more assistance.
When I say green, I’m talking about cash, not the environment. A study on spending behavior found that people who use credit cards for everyday purchases spend 15% more than others who use cash to purchase similar items. Take those credit cards out of your wallets and put them in a safe, out-of-reach place. Give yourselves a cash only allowance. Your empty wallet means you’ve reached the end of your limit.
Purge
Start looking in your closet to find items you haven’t worn or used in the past year. Find a consignment shop or host a neighborhood garage sale to recoup a percentage of the value of those items.
You can find more ideas on how to acquire a wealthy mindset in my new book, A Purse of Your Own, published by Simon & Schuster. Also, sign up for a free financial newsletter on my website www.deborahowens.com. [Deborah Owens]
Have a Prosperous New Year!
Deborah Owens is a Wealth Coach on My Generation TV which airs nationally on PBS. She is also the host and executive producer of Wealthy Lifestyle Radio, a personal finance talk show that airs on NPR affiliate WEAA 88.9FM in Baltimore, MD. She has toured nationally with Bishop T.D. Jakes’ God’s Leading Ladies, and the Department of Defense and Working Women’s The Financial Fitness Challenge, which creates financial empowerment programs for companies and organizations.
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WINTER 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
1O Days of Prayer and Fasting
It is always important to begin a new year consecrated and ready to delve into the vision God has for us with clarity and purpose. In order to be aligned with God’s will in 2010, Empowerment Temple, as a church body, will embark on a 10-day Daniel Fast. The Daniel Fast, which was introduced first in Daniel 1:8-17, and again in Daniel 10:2-3, will begin on Monday, January 4th and end on Wednesday, January 13th. This fast calls for us to sacrifice eating sugar and sugary products (including desserts, chocolate and candy); caffeinated teas, soft drinks and coffee; bread, grains, rice; meats, fish, poultry; dairy and eggs; and fried foods. In their place, we will eat life-sustaining foods such as vegetables (fresh or frozen), beans (not
prepared with meat), and pure non-sweetened fruit juices. While on the Daniel Fast, it is vital to include 8 glasses or more of water, as well as a multi-vitamin, to your daily regimen. In addition to fasting, we will focus on strengthening our communication with God through prayer. Prayers will be lifted for emotional/spiritual healing, evangelism, deliverance, families, finance, government, health, purpose and spiritual growth. Please join us for this life-altering spiritual journey. Log on to www.empowermenttemple.org for more details
A YEAR IN REVIEW
10 9 8 7 6 10
et remix
2OO9
Ledgendary King of Go-Go Chuck Brown on Men’s Day
R&B Singer Kelly Price on Women’s Day
2nd Annual Friends and Family Day
Men’s, Women’s & Youth Day Choirs
Back to School Store
WINTER 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
2009 was a monumental year for Empowerment Temple Church. We began the year braving frigid temperatures to witness the Inauguration of the country’s first African American President. Over the summer, we hosted The Power Summit, a revolutionary three-day conference that transformed Baltimore and the world through the Internet. We ended the year by feeding over 1000 families in need during our 3rd Give Love Give Food Campaign, and building an army of entrepreneurs through the Solomon School of Success. For this special edition of the ET Remix, the staff at ECHOES wanted to share their picks of Empowerment Temple best events of 2009. We hope you agree with our selections!
Day of Atonement
Farewell to Minister Jonathan Nelson
3rd Annual Give Love Give Food Thanksgiving Campaign
ET Inaugural Celebration
Power Summit
5 4 3 2 1
WINTER 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
11
2 O 1 O
the buzz
Make our 10th Year 10x better by pressing your way to these upcoming events!
January
March
10x Better Health
10x Better Worship
4TH - 13TH
March 30TH - April 2nd
10 Days of Prayer and Fasting
10TH Cookie Congregation Launch
17TH Bone Marrow Awareness
24
TH
American Cancer Society
31TH HIV/AIDS Awareness
Holy Week
april 10x Better Praise 2nd Seven Last Words
4TH Resurrection Sunday
6TH - 10TH 194th Session of the Baltimore Annual Conference
February
23rd
10x Better Relationships
Steve Harvey and Byron Cage Concert
13TH & 14TH
25TH
When Love Knocks You Down Conference
Church Anniversary