LOCATED AT FRAZER CHURCH
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VBS JULY 9-13
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Volume 14, Issue 3
Feature Articles
AU G U ST 20 1 2 Columns page 2
page 18
Publisher’s Note
A Revival Culture:
Jason Watson
page 4
Normal and Needed
Pastor's Perspective
by Reed DePace and Al Baker Discover ten marks that are present, or needed, to signify revival in a church and community.
page 14
Dave $ays Dave Ramsey
page 16
page 20
Shine
Training Debt Free Children
Kim Hendrix
by Jennifer Slattery Find a biblical approach to finances that will give your children wisdom with money, now and in the future.
page 22
The Intersection Bob Crittenden
page 32
Grace to You John MacArthur
page 28
Ministry Spotlight: Mary
Kent Crockett, Journey Church
Ellen’s Hearth
by Rachel Fisher Learn all about this ministry which is giving a temporary home, along with help and hope, to homeless women and their children in the River Region.
page 34
Counselor’s Corner Lou Priolo
page 36
Family Teams for Christ Lisa and Mike Conn
page 42
Got Life? Elaine Britt
On Our Cover . . .
Pictured are several board members serving Mary Ellen’s Hearth, the new ministry to homeless women and their children in the River Region: Kim Bullard, Joetta Davis, Harriet Allison, Scott Key, and Executive Director Debbie Dobbins. Call 334.213.7940 today!
In Every Issue page 6
On the Bookshelf page 8
Around Our Community page 38
Event Calendar page 44
Movie Reviews 1
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
Publisher’s Note by Jason Watson
Our Mission River Region’s Journey is committed to connecting all those who profess Jesus Christ as their Savior, regardless of denomination. Our aim is to share information and resources that promote a fulfilled, Christ-centered life. Further, we seek to reach unbelievers with the life-changing truth of God’s Word.
Editor
DeAnne Watson deanne@readjourneymagazine.com
Publisher
Jason Watson jason@readjourneymagazine.com
Research Editor Wendy McCollum
Contributing Writers Elaine Britt Lisa and Mike Conn Bob Crittenden Kent Crockett Reed DePace Rachel Fisher Kim Hendrix John MacArthur Lou Priolo Dave Ramsey Jennifer Slattery Gail Welborn Karen Wingate
Advertising Opportunities ads@readjourneymagazine.com 334.213.7940
Cover Photography
Savannah Bowden Photography
Ad Design
Tim Welch, Welch Designs
Distribution Team Wendy McCollum Richard Ward Lesa Youngblood
So is this how Northerners feel about winter? It’s been a suffocating kind of hot around the River Region for the past few weeks and everyone I talk with is ready for a change. Here in Alabama, we know about heat and humidity and we have traditions and styles that go along with them, such as ice cold sweet tea, flip-flops, and bobbing in Lake Martin. In the same way, when we visited Moscow back in January, where the temperature was negative 10 during the day, we discovered that they also have their way of living in extreme weather. The fact of the matter is that we live a certain way based on where we’re from. That’s why putting this Alabama boy into a Moscow winter made for some challenging moments. Living life as God’s child in a sin-stained and corrupt world is incomparably more challenging than my time in wintery Moscow. By a long shot! From the beginning chapters of the Bible, after the fall in the garden, we can see God’s chosen people struggling to honor Him with their actions. Even though God reveals Himself to them over and over, His children turn to empty sources in search of what only God can provide. Yet, as Hebrews 11 reports, there are also many times God’s people placed their faith in Him more than the world. Then, thankfully, when the time was right, through the sacrificial work of Jesus, God enlivened our hearts with the gift of faith and implanted His Spirit in us that we might walk according to His ways. Though we were once slaves to sin, now by His Spirit, we are able to live like the King’s kids that we are - even in a world that is yet to be renewed. One question we should always be asking is how God’s gift of faith for us changes the way we live. Everyone lives by faith in “something” and whatever they place their faith in will dictate their choices. Because Christians place their faith in God’s biblical account of history and redemption, our lives are guided by a totally different set of parameters. God calls us to live holy lives…as He is holy. That’s where River Region’s Journey comes in. As we walk through this world we’re bombarded with its teachings. At times, we can feel like we’re drowning in the world’s ways. That’s why we try to meet you out where you work, live and play with our publication. We desire for the content in Journey Magazine to fill your mind and heart with the truth of God. Each month we want you to pick up a copy at one of our 450 distribution locations. Thank you for picking up this copy and please grab another to share with a neighbor or co-worker. We’re here to minister to you, so as you turn each page this month, we pray the articles and information shared will instruct and inspire you to walk by faith in every area of your life. May God bless you as you continue to put your trust in Him and live a life that honors His name.
River Region’s Journey is published monthly by Keep Sharing, P.O. Box 230367, Montgomery, AL 36123. For information, call 213-7940 or FAX to 213-7990. River Region’s Journey is copyrighted 2012 by KeepSharing. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in River Region’s Journey are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the owners, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. River Region’s Journey has the right to refuse any content that is not consistent with its statement of faith.
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
Pastor’s Perspective
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Kent Crockett, Discipleship Pastor, Journey Church (Prattville)
Check Your Baggage Suppose you’ve booked a flight to another city. Before you are permitted to board the plane, you must first have your baggage checked. Airport security is looking for a couple of things. First, they’ll put your bag on a scale to make sure it’s not overweight. Second, they’re looking to see if you’re carrying anything harmful or dangerous. It’s okay for you to carry clothes with you, but not bombs. On your journey through life, you also need to check your baggage—the baggage on your soul. A burden is an invisible weight that you carry on your soul. You wonder why you’re depressed or burning out. It’s because you’re lugging heavy burdens that are weighing you down. You might also be carrying explosive attitudes in your luggage, which are causing you to self-destruct. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30 NIV) If you go hiking with a pack on your back, you’ll get physically tired and weary after a while. After you’ve carried a heavy spiritual backpack for a while, your soul will also get weary and tired. How do you know if your soul is tired? You’ll say things like, “I’m depressed.” “I am stressed-out.” “I’m River Region’s Journey • August 2012
burned out.” “I’ve had it!” “I can’t take it anymore!” Sleeping will give you rest for your body, but only Jesus can give you rest for your soul. He promised that “My burden is light” and “you will find rest for your souls.” To check your baggage, you must open them up for inspection.
the fear of car wrecks, diseases, and misfortunes. If you are afraid whenever you think about the future, it’s probably because you’re not trusting God to be in control and take care of you. Present Baggage. Present baggage may involve marital difficulties, overdue bills, strained relationships, or problems at work. You’ll get overloaded with present burdens by taking on too many responsibilities. Did you realize that God did not call you to do everything? You only need to do those things that God has called you to do. Now imagine carrying the past, future, and present baggage on top of your soul. Can you feel the pressure? It’s time to let go of the suitcases on your soul.
We pack our excess baggage in three distinct suitcases—the past, the present, and the future. Past Baggage. The past doesn’t exist anymore except in your memory, and so the only way you can carry baggage from the past is in your mind. Your mind can drift to another “time zone” and a different place, and it’s easy to get stuck there. People carrying “past baggage” have their minds stuck somewhere back in time. As you travel down Bad Memory Lane, you drag all your regrets from the past as excess luggage. Future Baggage. Worry concerns itself with every bad possibility that might occur in the future. We envision all the disasters that could happen to us or those we love. Inside this suitcase, we pack 4
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Letting go of your excess baggage. Just like you can let go of your suitcase handle, you can also let go of the burdens you carry on your soul. By an act of your own will, you must cast your burdens to the Lord. “Casting all your care upon Him, because He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7 NKJV). When you cast your burdens to the Lord, you release them out of your hands with prayer and place them in His hands. Let them go! Now all your burdens are in God’s hands, not on your soul. Have you released your excess baggage? Do it today. Do it now.
Kent Crockett is Discipleship Pastor at Journey Church in Prattville and the author of several Christian books. www.myjourneychurch.com www.kentcrockett.com For Advertising Information:
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Our Statement of Faith In keeping with Protestant theology, we believe that the Bible, as contained in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is fully inspired by God and therefore inerrant in the original manuscripts. The Bible is the only essential and infallible record of God’s self-disclosure to mankind. The Scriptures are the authoritative and normative rule and guide of all Christian life, practice, and doctrine. They are totally sufficient and must not be added to, superseded, or changed by later tradition, extra-biblical revelation, or worldly wisdom. The Bible is perfect in every way and shows us how to become and live as Christians. The way of becoming a Christian is by faith alone in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who came to us, born of a virgin, in full human form while remaining fully God. Jesus was, and is, perfect, and was crucified so that others could live. Three days later He rose from the dead, never to die again. He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own. Those who have faith in Jesus as their Lord in this life, and Savior from damnation in the next life, now live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, becoming more like Jesus everyday. We believe that God is one God. The one God has three persons: the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Just as God is one, so also, all believers are to be one. We believe in the unity and fellowship of all those that have faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We are one in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, which is composed of all men, living and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith. *All editorial content published must be in agreement with our Statement of Faith
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
On The Bookshelf
by Gail Welborn
A Girl After God’s Own Heart: A Tween Adventure with Jesus by Elizabeth George, Harvest House Publishers, 2011, Ages 9 and Up, 112 Pages, ISBN-13: 978-0736917681, $9.99
The Urban Dictionary defines “tweens”, ages 9 and 14, as “…too old for toys, but too young for boys.” While this author recognizes young girls fascination with boys, teen idols and the anxiety of “finding themselves” she encourages the development of a relationship with Jesus in A Girl After God’s Own Heart. Something she likes to call an “adventure with Jesus.” Ten short chapters begin with a girl’s “heart” where young readers meet the author and a young girl named Emma who begins each chapter. Emma’s experiences and issues mirror the problems young girls’ face, such as wanting to be liked, making friends, doing chores like cleaning their rooms, coupled with school issues and examples of how to make good choices. This small book with a big message can be used as a Bible study or devotional and would make warm, unforgettable memories between moms and daughters or grandmothers and granddaughters. Although recommended for ages 9-14, I would lower the age to 8 to 11-year-olds with our nations increasing pre-teen maturity.
Every Which Way to Pray
by Joyce Meyer, Hardcover, Zonderkidz, 2012, 40 Pages, Ages 4 and Up, ISBN-13: 978-0310723172, $15.99
Children meet a wacky cast of whimsical characters who inhabit Everyday Zoo, in Joyce Meyer’s first children’s book on prayer, inspired by bestseller, Power of Simple Prayer. Meet Harley and Hayley Hippo, twin hippopotamuses who think they have to be up high to talk to God. Until they meet Pouch the pelican, who they think is an angel, from his perch high in the sky. Pouch explains, “You don’t have to be high in the sky to be close to God…that’s what prayer is for.” And the fun begins. Add sheepish librarian, Miss Bimble, twin ostriches, Midge and Pidge, Police Chief, Sarge, the bear and Hayley’s troublesome rule book of prayers, and this engaging tale will delight any child. Exceptionally entertaining, youngsters discover real prayer is as simple as talking to your best friend. Prayer can and does happen anywhere, anytime, alone or with others because God is always there ready to listen and he wants to hear from them. Sullivan’s colorful illustrations enhance and add to a narrative perfect for home, Sunday school or church.
The Scent of Cherry Blossoms
by Cindy Woodsmall, Waterbrook Press, 2012, Hardcover, 208 Pages, ISBN-13: 978-0307446558, $17.99
In this Romeo and Juliet style novella two religious communities clash when romance develops between Annie and Aden, two young people from opposing religious groups. Annie Martin, raised in the Old Order Mennonite religion knows relationships are forbidden with Old Order Amish. Aden Zook, raised in the Old Order Amish faith, burdened with a heart-breaking stutter, allows his stutter and religious teachings to keep him from romantic involvements. In addition, Aden’s family responsibilities include acting as his twin brother Roman’s legs since he’s wheelchair bound. In return Roman speaks for Aden who has trouble communicating with his stutter. Annie’s antagonistic relationship with her mother and an inability to hold her tongue had sent her to find work with Daadi Moses at Zook’s diner. Annie wonders “…how long it would be before Mamm let her come back home…” if she ever would. Cindy Woodsmall, in this “… romance from the heart of Amish country…,” proves her amazing wordsmith skills. Her story highlights religious ostracism, the challenging disabilities of stuttering, paraplegia and troubled families. Wonderful characterizations and an engaging contemporary plot combine to bring this redemptive Christian novella to life.
River Region’s Journey book reviewer Gail Welborn lives in Sedro-Woolley, Washington.
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
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First Congregational Christian Church Calls New Pastor
Historic First Congregational Christian Church made history again when it chose Rev. Dr. Wendy R. Coleman to serve as its Pastor on July 1st of this year. After over a year of prayer and seeking, the congregation elected its first female pastor in its 140-year history. Rev. Dr. Coleman was chosen after serving as a supply minister to the church since September 2011. The church is located at 638 High Street at Union in Montgomery and might be remembered for the catastrophic fire that gutted its original 123-year-old structure in 1995. Only the church bell and a cross survived the lighting strike induced flames. Over seven years later, the congregation dedicated the current sanctuary and continued to build a solid legacy that will continue to take shape under the leadership of the new pastor. Rev. Dr. Coleman, a native of Waynesboro, Mississippi, is also a graduate of Alabama State University and currently serves as Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts there. She has been in ministry for over 17 years having served as assistant pastor at a church in Albany, Georgia, before returning to Montgomery in 2010 to work at ASU. “I had a hint that God would allow me to pastor one day, but I had no idea He would bless me to serve at such a historic church with such a wonderful congregation,” the new pastor comments, “I am indeed grateful.” The church will hold official installation services for Rev. Dr. Coleman on Sunday, September 16, 2012, at 4:00 P.M. at the sanctuary. “We’re excited about what God is doing, and we invite all to come share our joy,” said church moderator Beatrice Forniss. For more information about First Congregational Christian Church or the installation services, call (334) 467-1678.
Marriage Conference
Please join us for our Annual Marriage Conference -Married Couples in the Word Couples will be renewed, romanced, & refocused on God’s vision for their marriage! August 18, 9am to 3pm Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church - West Campus, Montgomery Continental Breakfast & Lunch will be provided Please call 334-538-2310 to register. River Region’s Journey • August 2012
ALPHA Course Invitation Dinners
Do you know someone who is either sitting on the fence about Christianity or has not accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior? If so, the ALPHA Course may be just the place for them, and you can make a difference just by sharing this invitation! Montgomery’s First United Methodist Church and Frazer United Methodist Church are hosting separate, free dining events to introduce the fall 2012 ALPHA Course to be held at both campuses. After dinner, guests will receive specific information about the Course at the respective campus and guests will be treated to a short video titled “Is There More To Life Than This?” A nursery will be provided. Both dinner and nursery reservations are required. To reserve a seat for the Invitation Dinner, contact Frazer UMC at (334) 272-8622 or First UMC at (334) 834-8990 by August 19th. Frazer UMC Invitation Dinner Date: 27 Aug, 6:00 p.m. First UMC Invitation Dinner Date: 28 Aug, 6:00 p.m.
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Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) International: Genesis Study Day Women’s Class Preschool Program- Infant-Kindergarten Begins Wednesday, September 12 9:10-11:00am Ridgecrest Baptist 5260 Vaughn Rd Montgomery, AL 36116 For more information call Tricia Seay at 546-1386 or 263-7616 Women’s Evening Class School Program 1st-12th Begins Monday, September 10 6:45-8:35 pm Frazer Methodist 301 Building 6000 Atlanta Hwy Montgomery, AL 36117 8
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For More Information call Fara Zaleski at 277-9177 Men’s Evening Class School Program 1st-12th Begins Monday, September 10, 6:55-8:45 Aldersgate Methodist 6610 Vaughn Rd. Montgomery, AL 36116 For more information call Doug Weaver at 271-0224 No charge for class or materials. Over 1070 Interdenominational Classes in 38 Countries. BSF is a Training Center teaching participants how to study the Bible. www.bsfinternational.org. For Advertising Information:
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Clint Darby to Perform New Christian Album at AUM
Singer/songwriter Clint Darby said he was once losing a battle with addiction that left an emptiness only one true relationship could fill. Now, years later and newly restored through God’s power, grace and mercy, he finds new inspiration through sharing his story with others and using the gift of music to sing God’s praises. Darby started performing music more than 15 years ago, beginning in high school bands in the Montgomery area and eventually touring the Southeast for five years as a member of the popular party band The Second Coming. He then enjoyed a full-time solo career as a professional musician and now currently teaches music and art at a local elementary school while continually pursuing his passion for music. On Darby’s newly released Christian album, “God It’s You,” he performs a collection of original works that touch on personal powerlessness, faith, hope, love, and the certainty that God is still restoring lives through miracles. “For me now, it’s about a new life and a new direction with my music,” Darby said. “It’s about continually seeking God’s purpose for me and using His gift of music to do something positive. I know that as long as I continue to share my experience and make music to the best of my ability, no matter how big or small God plans for that to be, I will have been successful.” The community is invited to hear Darby perform his new album at his alma mater, Auburn University at Montgomery, on August 17, 6-8 p.m., on the university quad. The Booker T. Washington Magnet High School chorus will also perform, bringing the third annual AUM Summer Concert Series to a close with a night of spiritual inspiration. Admission is free, but guests are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item for the Montgomery Food Bank. Bring your own lawn chairs and picnic blankets. Outside food is welcome, but food vendors will be on site. The show must go on, rain or shine. In case of inclement weather, festivities will be moved to AUM’s Baptist Campus Ministry. Learn more at www.aum.edu/summerconcert.
Agape’s Golf for Kids Tournament
You are invited to Agape’s 7th Annual Golf for Kids Tournament on August 13, Wynlakes Golf and Country Club, Montgomery Register today at 334-272-9466 or info@agapeforchildren.org. Join us for a great day of golfing at Wynlakes, a 200 acre championship course. Register online today! Four person scramble. Prizes awarded by net and gross scoring. The Adams Drugs $10,000 Hole in One Challenge: The player receives $5,000 and Agape receives $5,000 for the first Hole in One on holes 4, 7, 11, and 17.
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
Thorington Road Baptist VBS
Hillsong Live Event
Hillsong Live is coming to the Birmingham Boutwell Auditorium Sept 18th, 2012 For ticket info: www.premierproductions.com
Teaching Event with His Vessel Ministries
His Vessel Ministries invites you to the teaching event “Speaking a Blessing” on Saturday, August 11th, from 9am – noon. Please join us as Jo Hancock reveals Biblical Truth on the power of speaking blessings to the heart of others based on the authority of God’s Word. For more information or to register call 334-356-4478 or info@hisvessel.org. His Vessel Ministries provides Christ-centered teachings that point people to the Truth that will stir and challenge individuals to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength. This is carried out through Bible teachings, yearly discipleship trainings, and special teaching events. The ministry also organizes prayer warriors that are called Watchmen to pray daily for the city and its leaders. His Vessel Ministries is located in the downtown Historic Union Station, 300 Water Street, Suite 100, Montgomery, AL, 36104.
River Region’s Journey • August 2012
The nights of June 10th-14th were filled with the sounds of children as Thorington Road Baptist church held it’s annual Vacation Bible School with the theme of Amazing Wonders Aviation. Children were shown amazing wonders from different parts of the world with an emphasis on God’s sovereignty in creation and in their lives. One aspect of VBS is for children to understand the importance of giving back to God for His ministry here. The children over 4 nights gave $678 to be split between Inner City Evangelism and Footprints ministries. Over 70 children attended each night with a 1 to 1 ratio of adults helping out. Thorington Road Baptist is located at 450 Ray Thorington Road. Worship times are 10.30 every Sunday.
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The Two Shall Become One
Two Local Churches Merge Into One Congregation
We’re always hearing about church fights and splits, but not so much about two churches uniting together. Recently the Church of Living Water in Prattville and Journey Church in Millbrook merged together as one congregation. The Church of Living Water was in a large 54,000 square foot facility that wasn’t being used to capacity, so Pastor Kent Crockett approached his elders with the idea of merging with another like-minded church. Three miles away, Journey Church in Millbrook was having three services in a much smaller building, but didn’t have the money to construct a new facility. Pastor Kent called Journey’s pastor Mike Mozingo and invited him to tour their building. “At first, I was against the idea of merging,” Mike explained. “We had bought land and were planning to build on it. But I wasn’t going to shut the door if God wanted to do something different. I needed to share this idea with my elders to see what they thought.” The Journey elders met with the Living Water elders for further discussions. “At our first meeting together, everyone felt a tremendous peace. Everyone knew the Lord was present,” Pastor Mike said. After several hours of discussion, it became clear that both churches had the same doctrine, vision, contemporary ministry philosophy, and church government. The elders of both churches continued meeting together for two months. In April, the information about merging was presented to the congregations for a vote. Both churches voted with a 98% approval to merge together under the name “Journey Church.” Pastor Mike would be the senior pastor and Pastor Kent Crockett would become associate pastor with the two staffs merging. For the next ten weeks, the Church of Living Water building was remodeled with a new welcome center, a large café, a youth game room, a new look, and a more contemporary feel. On June 24, the merged congregation met together at the renovated Living Water building in Prattville with over 800 in attendance. “We could not have done this without Journey, and Journey could not have done this without the Church of Living Water,” Kent explained. “But working together, God has blessed us tremendously. Psalm 133 says the Lord commands His blessing on unity and we are seeing it happen.” Journey Church meets at 435 Sheila Blvd. in Prattville. Worship services are 9:00 am and 10:30 am. Visit their website at www. myjourneychurch.com.
Gospel Sing Capital City
First Baptist Church Sunday, August 26 6:15 pm | Main Sanctuary
An evening of Southern Gospel music that you will not forget! Come hear soloists, trios, quartets and choirs share timeless gospel music and sing along with treasured favorites in old-fashioned homecoming style. 305 S Perry Street | 334.834.6310 | www.montgomeryfbc.org Call 334.213.7940 today!
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
Go Fish Coming to Frazer on August 11
Dove-award winning Christian Children’s music performers Go Fish will be in concert at Frazer’s Wesley Hall on Saturday, August 11 at 4:00 p.m. The group strives to create music with solid scriptural content to help kids learn the Bible and have fun doing it. Parents may find themselves tapping their feet and singing along too, though, since the Go Fish mission statement is “to make great music for kids that won’t drive parents bonkers”! Jamie Statema, Jason Folkmann and Andy Selness are the guys behind the music that now consistently sell out children’s concerts across the nation and have even appeared on the Today Show. With six album releases and three Vacation Bible School curriculums among numerous accolades under their belt, Go Fish promises to become a beloved musical treat to parents and kids. But the guys have only one aim in all of their music. “We’re just different. Our music is almost secondary,” says Jamie. “We take pride in our work and art, but our priority is sharing the Gospel and teaching the Bible to kids. Our success doesn’t depend on the next radio single. The only people that matter to us are parents, kids and children’s pastors. “ Go Fish created the Bible curriculum that will be used in this year’s Frazer Vacation Bible School, so many Frazer children will already be familiar with their music and videos. Their tagline, “Meaty Message, Upbeat Praise Party, that’s Go Fish” is exactly what you can expect on August 11th. For ticket information visit www.frazerumc.org/gofish or www.itickets.com.
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At Trinity, we believe every student should have access to quality Apple laptops. That’s why Trinity is the first school in the River Region to implement a grade-wide laptop initiative. Combined with SmartBoards in every classroom and wireless internet school wide, our students are taking a bite out of the future every day.
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TrinityWildcats.com | Contact Monica Lott 334.213.2137
Nondiscriminatory statement as to students: Trinity admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origins to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. Trinity does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origins in any of the educational policies, scholarship programs and athletics, and other school-administered programs.
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey 7/8/11 11:41 AM
Dave Says...
by Dave Ramsey
Impulsiveness Is Not Faith Q. My husband and I would like for me to be able to quit my job and stay at home with our kids. We’ve got a little money saved up, but we’re not sure we could make it on just his salary. The money would be very tight. In your mind, how do we know the difference between being financially responsible and relying on God to provide? I admire the desire to be at home with your kids, and that you realize you can’t just act impulsively and call it faith. This is a concept that’s misused and misunderstood a lot. If you can’t make it on just your husband’s salary, then you’ve got to develop a game plan that involves a written monthly budget and some lifestyle changes. If you do this with diligence and sacrifice, chances are you’ll be able to make this happen and not bankrupt your family. This could also mean that you start a small business on the side— something you could do from home—to offset the difference. Having faith that God will provide requires study of the Scriptures. But God also tells us that you need the maturity and wisdom to plan your direction. The Bible says, “The diligent prosper. He who is impulsive exalts folly.” Folly is a fool in action. It’s kind of like the guy who closes his eyes, jumps in the pool, and hopes there’s water in there— and calls that faith. I love the idea of you coming home to be with your kids. Just make sure you develop an intelligent plan, and mix intellect with faith.
made to create
SEW BERNINA 51 N. Burbank Dr Montgomery, AL 36117 334-274-0887 www.berninausa.com
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Q. I’m trying to convince my husband to leave his debit card at home when he goes to work. He says he wants it for emergencies, but he’s always using it for other things. I’d rather him just carry a very small amount of cash so he’s not so tempted. I understand your concern, but I think you’re wrong on this one. I carry my debit card with me everywhere I go, and I want
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my wife to do the same. What your husband needs to stop doing is having “emergencies.” The translation? Stop the impulse spending! Now, this could be happening for several reasons. It could be that he’s a good guy, but he’s just not paying attention to how much he’s spending. On the other hand, you guys may not be budgeting for fairly reasonable things—like if he wants to eat out for lunch once in a while. But even if he’s not using it, he should still be carrying a debit card. I mean, what if he has a real, actual emergency? The idea that you shouldn’t carry a debit card just because of impulse spending isn’t a good plan. Things like that aren’t debit card problems. They’re either maturity problems or a lack of realistic budget planning.
Q. My fiancée and I are planning our wedding. Our parents don’t want to contribute financially, so we’ve budgeted $7,000 to cover everything. The problem is both sets of parents still want to make decisions regarding the ceremony and how many people attend. How should we handle this? In my mind, they don’t have a say in what happens or who attends if they don’t contribute. I understand how your parents feel though. How nice the ceremony is or who’s invited can be a painful discussion, but in this case their opinions should only count as long as they fall within the confines of your budget. Be courteous and gentle when you explain how much you’ve budgeted and what that means in terms of who can come, how many are there, and just how fancy this event will be. Make sure you involve them and their opinions, but it’s you and your bride-to-be who have the power. I know your parents love you, and they want it to be a wonderful day for everyone. But this is your wedding, not theirs.
A.
Dave is the author of The New York Times best-selling book Financial Peace. He is also the host of the nationally syndicated The Dave Ramsey Show, and is a regular guest on television. All of his financial counseling is based on biblical truths. You can hear Dave from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., weekdays, on WLWI 1440 AM or online at www.daveramsey.com. Send your questions to askdave@daveramsey.com. He resides with his wife Sharon and their three children, Denise, Rachel, and Daniel, in Nashville, Tennessee. For Advertising Information:
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
SHINE!
sh e wi yie in th yo
by Kim Hendrix
Is It Raining Where You Are? Hebrews 6:7: “Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.” Living in the South, you’ve no doubt been asked the question and have asked it yourself—“Is it raining where you are?” Our weather often produces rain that may fall in one neighborhood, but when you check in with friends across town you’re told, “It hasn’t rained a drop here!” I pray it’s raining where you are. One of my favorite scripture passages is found in Genesis after Adam and Eve eat from the one tree God told them to avoid. You know how the story
goes, after both Adam and Eve took a bite of fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked. As they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden, they hid in the trees. Then as we see in Genesis 3:9, “The Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” Those three simple words--“Where are you?”--are very convicting. It seems God was not only interested in seeing Adam, but also in hearing where Adam was spiritually, in terms of his obedience and trust. Put yourself on the other side of that question… “Where are you?” I pray it’s raining where you are, and that you’re drinking in His blessings.
Look closely at Hebrews 6, verse 7—“Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it…” I see my very life as the land and the rain as God’s blessings. Am I allowing his grace and love to saturate my very being and therefore produce a useful crop—one that results in a Godly home for my family, where peace and trust and joy prevail even when times are tough? Is it raining where you are?
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Ezekiel 34:26-27: “I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessings. The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.” The verse above comes as the prophet Ezekiel is claiming the faithfulness of God and sharing a message of hope with the people of Israel. This is in response to the devastation that hit Jerusalem for the people’s obsession with idolatry. Ezekiel challenged them to change their ways promising showers of blessings and freedom from a life of slavery—all gifts from God. The people at this time wouldn’t make the decision to obey God, to trust and live where it rains. Instead they endured years of hardship and pain. What would you rather have— rain or pain? I pray it’s raining where you are.
I had a mom moment this summer that vividly allowed me to see the rain, the crop and the blessing of Hebrews 6:7. My daughter, Annie, participated in vacation Bible school recently, helping to lead the younger children in song and worship. She knows I cry easily at stories involving God’s grace and love, so one day as we were leaving VBS she said, “This is probably going to make you cry, but I’m going to tell you anyway.” She said their praise team leader, another mom, told them to really get into a particular song and to feel free to raise their hands in worship even if it seemed the younger 4th graders were not going to participate. Annie said, “We started singing and before we even got to the part where some of us might raise our hands, all of the 4th graders reached up in worship!” With tears in her eyes, Annie said, “It was amazing.” Of course, I cried. Then I silently praised God for the moment…Annie’s time with the children and a shared moment of mom and daughter moved
to tears because some younger children love and know the Lord. I thanked Him for the rain, the crop and the blessing. I pray it’s raining where you are. Choose to live for Him, obey and trust when it’s easy and when it’s hard, and prepare to be blessed. Dear Lord, You are the great I AM and we are humbled and thankful to be your children. Give us patience as we wait for the showers in season. Give us the courage and determination to choose You everyday. Thank You for loving us enough to send the rain and then when we drink it up, to produce a crop that showers our lives and those we love. In the name of your precious and mighty son Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.
Kim Hendrix is the Director of Development at Saint James School in Montgomery. She leads the Shine Your Light ministry at Frazer Memorial U.M.C. and recently ended a 26 year career in television news. Kim and her husband Scott, have a 11 year old daughter, Annie, who brings them great joy.
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A Revival Culture – Normal and Needed! by Rev. Al Baker and Rev. Reed DePace Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? ~ Psalm 85:6 A revival culture is actually normal in the Church’s experience. In the Upper Room the gathered 120 believers prayed and fasted for ten days for the Holy Spirit to come and empower their proclamation of the gospel. And He did. On Pentecost three thousand were saved in Peter’s first sermon. Later another five thousand were saved through Peter and John’s witness. In fulfillment of God’s promises, a revival culture was established in the Apostolic Church. And this culture has been experienced in the Church ever since. In the last three hundred years alone revival cultures have flourished in: the Great Awakening (1730s to 50s, New England, Scotland, England and Wales), the Second Great Awakening (1820s, U.S. eastern seaboard), the 1858-59 Revivals (New York City, Boston, Philadelphia), and the Azusa Street Revival (1906, Los Angeles), among others. Revival cultures are currently thriving in China, India, Iran, Algeria and locations around the world too numerous to list. So what does a revival culture look like? The Book of Acts provides ten marks that are present when the Holy Spirit blesses a church with a revival culture. First, a revival culture includes mighty praying. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer… When the day of Pentecost arrived … they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. ~ Acts 1:14, 2:1,4
River Region’s Journey • August 2012
Second, a revival culture includes mighty preaching. Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ~ Acts 2:37 Third, a revival culture includes mighty conversions. So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. ~ Acts 2:41 Fourth, a revival culture includes mighty assemblies. And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. ~ Acts 4:31 Fifth, a revival culture includes mighty holiness. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. … So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. ~ Acts 19:18, 20 Sixth, a revival culture includes mighty generosity. Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. ~ Acts 4:32 Seventh, a revival culture includes mighty evangelistic work. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” ~ Acts 4:19-20 Eighth, a revival culture includes mighty societal impact. And when they
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could not find [Paul], they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.” ~ Acts 17:6 Ninth, a revival culture includes mighty leadership. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. ~ Acts 11:22-24 Tenth, a revival culture includes mighty opposition. But Elymas the magician … opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. ~ Acts 13:8 Each of these characteristics is normal in a church experiencing the Spirit’s work of revival. Revival culture is still available today. It begins with revival prayer. They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. ~ Isaiah 40:31 Rev. Al Baker is Director of the Alabama Church Planting Network and an evangelist with Presbyterian Evangelical Fellowship. He is the author of Seeking a Revival Culture: Essays on Fortifying An Anemic Church. An Alabama native, he resides with his wife in Birmingham. Rev. Reed DePace is pastor of First Presbyterian Church, at Vaughn and Chantilly in Pike Road. He, his wife and five children live in Montgomery.
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According to Anthony Brown, Certified Financial Planner and Advisor with Montgomery’s Ronald Blue and Co., many families have more debt than assets. “Most people today define financial success as being able to have whatever they want when they want it,” he said. “But is that the true measure of financial success? I believe the biblical view of financial success is that of a mature financial steward. Financial maturity comes about over time as we learn the basic principle of delayed gratification, primarily giving up today’s desires for future benefits.” For Mr. Brown, this training begins when the children are young and involves all areas of their children’s lives. “My wife and I homeschool our three youngest children. They each have certain school related assignments that must be completed prior to play outside. In addition, each [child] is responsible for household chores that are to be done before moving on to other activities.”
Training Debt Free Children
Approaching Finances with Biblical Wisdom by Jennifer Slattery
In Proverbs 22:7, God warns us of the dangers of debt: “Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender” (NLT). In 2008, many Christian families realized too late the truth in those words. With the recent economic crisis, our country saw the tragic effects of mounting debt as families lost homes and jobs. For many Americans, this was a call for drastic change, and families began to pare back spending and look for ways to reduce their debt. But are we teaching our youth to do the same? When we drop our teenagers off at college, are they prepared to handle the onslaught of credit card offers they’ll receive? By training delayed gratification, talking openly about the family budget and providing opportunities for children to practice money-management skills, we encourage them to understand the value of River Region’s Journey • August 2012
a dollar. Similarly, by allowing children to learn from their mistakes, parents can help youth stand strong against the rising surge of materialism and its often devastating consequences.
Train delayed gratification early and consistently “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5 NIV). In our instant-messaging, sensorysaturating culture where everything is but a click of the mouse away, teaching our children to wait can be difficult. But encouraging them to consider long-term consequences and goals helps prevent impulse shopping and costly decisions that could land them into debt. 20
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Training delayed gratification is a great start, but it is not enough. Children need to understand why patience and perseverance is important. They need to learn to view things from a long-term perspective. At age eighteen, a job paying $10 an hour may seem like a lot of money. Once our youth see the cost of maintaining a home and raising a family, however, this view is likely to change. Michael Harris, founder and President of Montgomery’s Harris Family Capital Management, believes family financial discussions are an important aspect of promoting value-based and purpose driven financial planning. “I encourage my clients For Advertising Information:
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to begin having values conversations with their children as soon as they show some understanding of the four basic components of financial management: earn, spend, save, give,” Mr. Harris said. More than that, involving your children in your budgeting discussions allows them to see financial principles lived out. “The goal should be to provide the example then create an environment where children can apply what they learn,” said Mr. Brown. “We provide a good opportunity for long-term success when we model financial stewardship. Communicate the basics. Children should have an age-appropriate understanding of cash flow coming in and out. Consider including your children in discussions about how much the family gives charitably, how much is paid in taxes, debt repayment, basic living expenses, and saving for the future.”
Provide money-handling opportunities
Parents’ verbal instructions will be enhanced when they provide their children with age-appropriate opportunities to handle finances while they are in the home. Allowances often enable children to practice the financial skills—like money management and investing—they’ll need to survive in our tough economic times. At twelve, a child may be able to handle all of their entertainment funds. By fourteen, their financial responsibilities might include managing clothing needs, haircuts, and school supplies. By eighteen, perhaps they can begin to handle some
aspect of the family budget like grocery needs or the family entertainment fund. When Prattville parent, Amy Alexander’s children were young, she encouraged them to save for large purchases. When they grew older and found employment, she and her husband allowed them to spend and save their earnings as they chose. “But we gave them less money, so they had to spend wisely or run out,” Amy said. “So far, they have each chosen wisely, and the boys’ high school earnings took them well into college.”
Allow children to make financial mistakes
As our children age, the stakes rise. It’s much easier for a 14-year-old who’s blown their allowance to go without new clothes than it is for a 47-year-old who’s buried himself in debt to deal with foreclosure. “The key to providing teenagers with an accurate view of money is to give them the actual experience over time of living on a limited amount,” said Mr. Brown. “When an eight-year-old blows his allowance on something frivolous, he should then be allowed to experience the consequence. Each dollar can only be spent once, and any money consumed today is gone forever.” Loaning money to our children without consequences can be detrimental, training instant gratification, impulse shopping, and poor money handling. However, if handled correctly, Mr. Brown believes parental loans can provide an invaluable lesson on debt. “As the child experiences the impact of interest, the challenge of having to
make payments, and possibly even having a favorite item “repossessed,” valuable life-long lessons are learned,” Brown said. “Many of us would agree that the greatest lessons learned in life are sometimes learned during periods of struggle. Look for opportunities for your children to learn things the hard way while still under your guidance and protection. There is always a danger in completely insulating a child from the consequences of their bad decisions.” “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences” (Proverbs 27:12 NLT). Throughout its pages, the Bible reminds us of the value of wisdom followed by careful planning. God further instructs us to train our children with patience, forethought, and diligence. Financial difficulties, economic downturns, and unexpected expenses are bound to come. Children who have practiced delayed gratification, have learned the cost of maintaining a household, who have been given the opportunity to practice money-management skills, and who have been allowed to learn from their mistakes will be less likely to fall into debt.
Jennifer Slattery lives in the midwest with her husband and their teenage daughter. She writes for Christ to the World Ministries , the ACFW Journal, the Christian Pulse, and Internet Cafe Devotions. Visit her online at Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud (http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com).
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The Intersection:
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Christian Cultural Commentary by Bob Crittenden
God is Speaking...Are You Listening? It is truly amazing – there is a cacophony of communication in the culture around us. Various types of media compete for our attention, and voices from an assortment of worldviews present inferior alternatives to God’s truth. The multiplicity can be distracting and overwhelming, but I am confident that our Lord has numerous ways to communicate His truth to us personally and to the people with whom we come in contact. I want to run through some of the tools that God uses to speak to us, to instruct us in His ways, and to promote spiritual understanding and growth. I believe that the foundational tool He uses is His Word. The Bible is the most popular book of all time, a book that is highly relevant to us even today. God used a variety of authors to tell a consistent story of His
love and redemption for humanity, and in His Word, He provides time-tested, reliable principles that we can readily apply to our lives. The Word is brought to life in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We are not alone to fend for ourselves in this world – Jesus promised to send His Spirit as a Helper, who would assist in teaching God’s truth. He speaks to us as we read and study His Word, and as we pray and rely on the Spirit to give us wisdom and understanding. The Lord has promised in His Word to show us which way we should go, and the Spirit plays a vital role in directing us. As we pray and become more sensitive to the leadership and presence of the Spirit of God, we can know the prompting of the Spirit, quickening our spirits, giving us peace when God desires
for us to move in a certain direction and providing a sense of caution when we are not to proceed in a particular manner. Prayer is the best way to recognize the direction of the Holy Spirit. It has been said that the Spirit speaks in a still, small voice, and we have to quiet our hearts before the Lord and learn to listen. We typically think of prayer as one-way communication, as we present our requests to God. I believe that prayer is two-way, and we can learn that the Spirit is placing thoughts and even words in our minds, and
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He will reveal to us more about the heart and nature of God the Father, and His Son, Jesus. I believe that experience can be a powerful teacher for us, another tool that God uses to demonstrate His will. In life, we will encounter various situations, and we can learn from our responses. When we make mistakes, we can make the necessary corrections, so that when we are in a similar situation again, we can take a different course of action, empowered and directed by the Spirit. We don’t have to wallow in our errors and shortcomings, but we can allow the Lord to renew us and point us in the right direction. When we commit sins, we can act on the conviction that the Lord will bring, confess our sins, and walk in a greater measure of God’s victory and forgiveness. The voice of God to us can be spoken through people around us. The Lord may choose to bring people into our lives that will speak truth directly to us. There may be what we regard as a chance encounter that results in something helpful being spoken to us. As we observe people who are walking in truth, they become great examples for us; conversely, people who are missing the mark can demonstrate what not to do. God will manifest Himself and get His messages to you through the people that surround you. We can learn not only from the personal encounters, but I believe that cultural influences can be used to teach us and to help us reflect on the truth of God. Certainly, material and concepts that are found in books, movies, and other forms of entertainment can contribute to a departure from Biblical truth, but there are elements of spiritual truth consistent with a Christian worldview that can be found in various forms of media. If we are sensitive, we can learn to recognize instances that God will use to teach us and reinforce various ideas. We can also engage in discussion with others, based on ideas found in popular culture, in order to help point people to the source of absolute truth. I believe that God is communicating His messages to each of us personally, and perhaps He wants to use us to deliver His message to someone else. We have to evaluate whether or not we are listening, and how prepared we are to hear and heed what He is saying.
Bob Crittenden is host of “The Meeting House”, heard weekday afternoons from 4-6pm on Faith Radio, 89.1FM in Montgomery. Described as “the intersection of faith and culture”, the program features Christian music and conversation about a variety of topics. Learn more by visiting www. meetinghouseonline.info. Call 334.213.7940 today!
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River Region Support Groups
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Adoption
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Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy APAC- Alabama Pre/Post Adoption Connection Support Group meets the 3rd Thursday from 6:007:30pm in room 8253 at Frazer Memorial UMC. Provides education and social interaction for adoptive families. For more info, call 409-9477 or email apac2@childrensaid.org. Location: Landmark Church, 1800 Halcyon Blvd. Leaders: Chad & Betsy Emerson (334) 201-5241 Wednesday, 6:30pm in Rm. 116. The Orphan Care Group will focus on God’s call to help orphans through adoption, foster care, and missions work. The group will share experiences, study and Biblical themes regarding orphan care, and provide a support and interest network for individuals who want to support orphans.
Alcoholic / Addict
Location: Caring Center of FBC, 52 Adams Avenue CrossRoads Support Group is for addicts/alcoholics and family members. Meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and follows a Christ-centered 12-step program. Call 264-4949. Location: Centerpoint Fellowship, 2050 Commerce St., Millbrook. We are located one block east of I-65 just off Cobbs Ford Road. Celebrate Recovery meeting every Tuesday night at 6 pm. Call (334) 356-3076. Location: Cloverdale Baptist Church, 608 E. Fairview Celebrate Recovery, a Bible-based Christ centered approach to recovery from hurts, habits and hangups, meets Friday nights, beginning with dinner at 5:30 p.m., Praise and worship, 6:30, Open Share Small Groups, 7:30, and Solid Rock Cafe, at 8:30. Call 265-9223.
8pm (small group). Childcare available. Call Chuck at 850-723-9705. Location: Santuck Baptist Church, 7250 Central Plank Rd. (Hwy 9), Wetumpka. Celebrate Recovery meets each Thursday evening at 6:15 in the Fellowship Hall. This is a Chrsit centered 12 step-program for anyone struggling with hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Call 567-2364. Location: Landmark Church, 1800 Halcyon Blvd. RSVP- This is a 12 step spiritual recovery program for overcoming addictions. Using the steps and Bible we help build self-esteem, responsible behavior, the making of amends for our destructive actions, and to fill the void in our hearts in a loving relationship with God. Wednesday nights @ 6:30pm in Rm. 121 of the Life Center. Location: St. James UMC, 9045 Vaughn Road Celebrate Recovery meets every Thursday night from 6-8 pm in the Youth Room. This is a Christ-centered 12-step group for anyone struggling with an “addiction or life-challenging issues.” For information, call Chris Henderson at 334-215-0427. Location: Trinity Episcopal, Wetumpka (Across from Winn Dixie on HWY 231) Gamblers Anonymous-Saturdays at 7 p.m.
Alzheimer’s / Dementia
Location: Dalraida UMC, 3817 Atlanta Highway Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays. 272.2190. Alanon meets at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy An Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers’ Support Group meets on the first Thursday of each month at 11 a.m. in Room 3103. Call 272.8622.
Location: Grace @ Bell Road, Corner of Bell Road and Atlanta Hwy. Alcoholics Anonymous and Alanon meetings are held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, at 6 p.m. An Open AA Speaker meeting is held on Saturday at 6 p.m. An Alanon & AA held on Sundays at 2 p.m.
Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy A Dementia Daycare is held each Thursday in Rm. 3101 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Each participant may bring a sack lunch. There is no charge. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. For info, call the LifeCare office at 272-8622.
Location: Grace Point Community Church, 78223 Tallassee Hwy (Hwy 14), Wetumpka Celebrate Recovery- every Tuesday night- 6:15pm. All are welcome! These meetings are a safe and loving environment for individuals seeking to conquer their hurts, habits and hang-ups! E-mail www. gracepoint.info.
Location: Aldersgate UMC, 6610 Vaughn Alzheimer’s Support Group – Meets monthly on second Tuesday 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. This support group is for those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer or other forms of dementia. Each session provides information about the disease and community services available to help you. The group is open to the community. Call 272-6152.
Location: Journey Church, group meets in Fellowship Hall at Coosada Baptist Church, Millbrook Celebrate Recovery - Christ-centered 12-step for anyone struggling with addiction or life-challenging issues. Mondays at 6pm (meal), 7pm (large group),
River Region’s Journey • August 2012
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Cancer
Location: Dalraida Baptist, 3838 Wares Ferry Road. Just for Men -- Montgomery’s first and only faith based cancer support group for men is intent on pro24
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viding information, Christian fellowship, and helping turn adversity into prosperity. Meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Please call 272-2412 email cancerpatient@ bellsouth.net.
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Location: ChristChurch, 8800 Vaughn Road Cancer Support Group for general cancer. Tuesday afternoons at 1 pm. For more info, please call Christy Holding at 531-1390 or Debbie Diemayer at 467-4578. Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Women of Hope Breast Cancer Support Group, providing education, awareness, and mentoring for breast cancer patients/survivors, family, friends or anyone interested in becoming a part of this compassionate journey, meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in Rm 8253. Call 272-8622 or womenofhope@charter.net.
Caregiver
Location: Aldersgate UMC, 6610 Vaughn Road Caregiver’s Support Group – Meets monthly on third Wednesday 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Caring for an elderly or terminally ill patient can be challenging and, at times, overwhelming. A support group provides a safe place to express your concerns and fears and find help and strength to care for your loved one. The group is open to the community. Call Aldersgate UMC 272-6152.
Depression
Location: Landmark Church, 1800 Halcyon Blvd. Leaders: Mike & Suzanne Greene (334-271-3331) Every other Tuesday, 6:30pm in Rm. 117. Goal is to create an atmosphere of acceptance and trust, where people can feel free and safe to discuss their feelings and thoughts without shame or embarrassment. Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy A Depression/Bipolar Support Group meets on For Advertising Information:
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the 1st Thursday of each month from 7:00-8:30pm in Room 3101. This group also meets on the 3rd Saturday afternoon, 12-2 pm, Dalraida UMC, 3817 Atlanta Highway in Church Annex. For more info, call 334.652.1431 or email dbsamontgomery@ yahoo.com.
Divorce
Location: First Baptist Church, 305 S. Perry Street Divorce Care and Divorce Care 4 Kids, Wednesdays starting August 22, 6:30 pm. Cost $15.00 (scholarships available) Contact Kathy Cooper at kcooper@ montgomeryfbc.org or 334-241-5125. Location: First UMC, 100 E. Fourth Street, Prattville Divorce Recovery meets Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m., Bldg. 101. Call 365.5977. Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy A Divorce Recovery Support Group meets each Tuesday, at 5:30 p.m., in Fellowship Hall Lobby. 272-8622. Location: Heritage Baptist Church, 1849 Perry Hill Divorce Care Support Group meetings are held Sundays at 6:15 p.m. Divorce Care for Children also at this time. Call 279.9976. Grief Share groups are held each Sunday at 5 p.m. Call 279.9976. Location: Vaughn Park Church, 3800 Vaughn Road A Divorce Recovery group meets on Wednesday nights, from 7 to 8 p.m. Children’s classes available. Call 386-7295.
Grief
Location: Aldersgate UMC, 6610 Vaughn Road Bereavement Support Group – Meets quarterly – six week classes that meet on Thursdays 11:30 – 1:00 p.m. Free meal is provided by our church women. Group is led by a professional grief counselor and is open to the community. For dates, call Aldersgate UMC 272-6152. Location: First UMC, 100 E. Fourth Street, Prattville Grief Recovery, Thursday nights at 7 p.m., in Wesley Hall Room 104. Call 365.5977. Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Grief Recovery Support Group meets Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m., Rm 3105, in Fellowship Hall Lobby. 272.8622. Location: Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church 1550 E. Washington Street Grief Ministry is a grief recovery support group that meets every Monday at 6:00 P.M. The ministry is designed to help anyone through the hurt of losing a loved one by successfully traveling the journey from mourning to joy. Alicia Glover is the coordinator. For more information contact Glover at 334-2812754. Location: St. Mark UMC, 1785 Taylor Road Grieving With Hope is a grief support group meeting Tuesdays weekly at from 1:00 - 2:00 pm. The group will offer a place to share, care and heal from the losses of life. The group is facilitated by Dr. Lennie Howard and Marie Parma. Contact the church at 272-0009.
Homosexuality
Location: Landmark Church, 1800 Halcyon Blvd. The Barnabas Group, created to address the needs of those in conflict with homosexual thoughts and feelings meets first, third and fifth Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m., in the library at the Life Center. 277.5800.
Mental Illness
Location: Dalraida UMC, 3817 Atlanta Highway AMI (Alliance for the Mentally Ill Support Group) meets on first and third Mondays at 6:30 p.m. Montgomery Share Group for the recovering mentally ill meets at the Dalraida UMC annex (3775 Atlanta Highway), 1st and 3rd Mondays, at 6:30 p.m. Call 265.2804.
Parenting
Location: First Baptist Prattville, 138 S. Washington Moms LIFE (living in faith everyday) Meets twice monthly from 8:30 - 11:45 am in the chapel at the Church from Aug - May. We offer a time of fellowship, Bible study, musical guest, special guest speakers and a lot of fun!! Cost is $5 per meeting. For moms of all stages and ages of life. Childcare provided by reservation. For more info and to reserve your spot, call Kelley Manning at 361-7919. Location: Vaughn Forest Church, 8660 Vaughn Road Are you in need of a time-out? MOPS joins mothers together by a common bond, to be better wives, moms, and friends along this journey in the trenches of motherhood. We meet the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month from 9:30—11:30 a.m. Childcare is provided. For more information please e-mail VFCMOPS@gmail.com.
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Centerpoint Fellowship Church at Pike Road Join us for a celebration of God’s goodness through praise and worship, followed by a
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senior pastor John Schmidt via video. Come casual and enjoy our service that Jim Wilson YMCA at New Park. Nursery and children’s program provided.
For more information contact our office at (334) 356-3076 or visit our website at centeringlives.com
Call 334.213.7940 today!
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
Physical Challenges
Location: Aldersgate UMC, 6610 Vaughn Road Visually Impaired Support Group – Meets monthly on second Thursday 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. The group is called Outward Sight - Inward Vision and is for those with vision loss and their caregivers. Our mission is to assist those experiencing vision loss to maintain their independence by providing access to valuable information and spiritual support. Call Aldersgate UMC 272-6152. Location: Cloverdale School Bldg. (First UMC) Parkinson’s Support Group of Montgomery meets the fourth Sunday of the month in Room 103 at 2:00pm. More information, contact Nathan Attwood at First United Methodist Church (334-834-8990). Location: First UMC Montgomery, 2416 W. Cloverdale Montgomery Hearing Loss Support Group meets every second Thursday in Wesley Hall at 4 pm. The entrance is on Park Avenue. Informative speakers are present, refreshments are served and no reservations are required. The public is welcome. Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy A Fibromyaligia Support Group meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 6-8pm in room 8114. Call 272-8622. Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy An MDA/ALS Support Group will meet Tuesday August 10 6:00p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in room 3101. Anyone who is affected by a neuromuscular disease
or family members of those affected are encouraged to attend. To receive further information, please call 396-4534. Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy A Parkinson’s Support Group will meet the 3rd Thursday at 6:30 p.m., in room 8114 at Frazer UMC. This group is for those who have Parkinson’s disease and the family members. 272-8622. Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsey) meets 2nd Tuesday of each month from 6:30-8:30pm. For more information, please call the church office at 272-8622. Location: Landmark Church, 1800 Halcyon Blvd. Leaders: Junior Bagwell (334)669-9334, John Stewart Meets every 2nd Tuesday of each month at 345 Melanie Drive, in Carol Villa. Our goal is to share and use the struggles that we as a group are facing, biblical principals, prayer, medical experts or any other resources available to help us deal with the life-long challenges that are caused by the various diseases that we have encountered. Location: Taylor Road Baptist Church, 1785 Taylor Rd. Gluten Intolerance Group of Montgomery meets most months on the 4th Thursday from 6-7 p.m. at Taylor Road Baptist Church. Visit http://gfmontgomery.blogspot.com or you can request information by sending an email to dr.hetrick@charter.net.
Pregnancy Loss / Infertility
Location: First UMC, 100 E. Fourth Street, Prattville Hannah’s Prayer--for women dealing with pregnancy loss/infertility issues. Meeting 2nd Thursday and 3rd Sunday of each month. Call 365.5977
Singlehood
Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Singles’ Small Groups meet each Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall Lobby. For info, call 272-8622. Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy T.N.T. (Tuesday Night Together) for Singles meets Tuesdays from 7-8 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall, bldg. 7000. A meal ($5.00) and program are provided. For reservations, call the Singles office at 272-8622. Location: Cornerstone Christian, 301 Dalraida Rd. Unavoidably Single Again (USA) Fellowship, a support group for widows and widowers. Informal meetings for fellowship and fun are held on the third Saturday of each month starting at 10 AM. Contact Lynda at farauthor@aol.com or 354-8869.
Veterans
Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Veterans OEF/OIF Caregivers Support Group meets on the 3rd Wednesday from 11am-1pm in Room 3108. This group provides support and understanding to those caring for OEF/OIF Veterans. Cntact Joy at (334) 725-2542.
The
Barnabas
Group
A Christ centered peer based support group for those struggling with unwanted same sex attractions and family members or loved support and encouragement are available. Meets 1st, 3rd, & 5th Tuesdays @ 6:30 PM - Landmark Church More information: call (334) 277.5800 OR email barnabas@landmarkchurch.net Landmark Church is a member of the Exodus International network of churches that welcomes those who struggle with unwanted same sex attractions. a ministry of Church
River Region’s Journey • August 2012
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For Advertising Information:
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Call 334.213.7940 today!
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
Mary Ellen’s Hearth
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Providing HOPE and HELP to Homeless Mothers and Their Children by Rachel Fisher
For more than 100 years, Nellie Burge Community Center has committed to meeting the needs of under served women and children in the River Region. Originally established by a group of women at Court Street UMC in 1904 as the North Montgomery Settlement House, it began as a day nursery to assist working mothers. Ten years later, they expanded their services to needy women, children and families. At the turn of the millennia, a state-of-the-art day care facility opened and began a new chapter for the center. Nearly a decade later, the Nellie Burge Community Center was on the brink of closing. Longtime board members like Harriet Owen were committed to continuing the legacy of the center. “We needed a new vision,” said Owen. “And Mary Ellen’s Hearth is the vision God gave us.” River Region’s Journey • August 2012
Named after Mary Ellen Bullard, a well-loved woman among the United Methodist Church whose greatest passion was the Nellie Burge Community Center, Mary Ellen’s Hearth will fill a tremendous void in the River Region among homeless women and their children. Their mission, in short, is to provide hope, help and healing to homeless women and children through Christian love and values. And it’s not what you might expect. “Mary Ellen’s Hearth is not a quick fix. It is a transitional home,” explains board member Kim Bullard, daughterin-law to the home’s namesake. “This is a place where the women and children can stay up to two years. During that time they will receive life skills training, counseling and many other things to help them get on their feet for a new future and a new life.” 28
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tur Da wi ex af an
No Place Like Home
Perhaps Dorothy said it best when she clicked her red sparking shoes together, closed her eyes and said with all the hope and determination she could muster, “There’s no place like home.” And it’s true. There is no place like the places we call home. But what about the hundreds of women in our city who have no place to call home besides the streets and abandoned houses scattered throughout West Montgomery? This is a reality for more than 300 women in Montgomery alone. Ten percent of the 600 total homeless in Montgomery are children. Until now, there has been no facility of any kind to serve the needs of this demographic. Opening on August 1st, Mary Ellen’s Hearth will be the only place in the River Region providing a true home to homeless women and their children together. For Advertising Information:
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They will initially host 10 families of three to five and have a plan to expand in coming years as the funds become available. These women can live at Mary Ellen’s Hearth from six months to two years. “Most of the women who will come here have only had bad options,” says Scott Key, President of the Board. “There is nothing fiercer than a woman set on caring for her children because she will do anything to make sure they are cared for.” Mary Ellen’s Hearth hopes to be the good option these women have been looking for. In a word, the facilities at Mary Ellen’s Hearth are beautiful. With the help of generous donors and local business owners, each room is completely furnished with brand new furniture and lovely décor. “What we want to provide is a nurturing home environment,” says Joetta Davis, a board member who has worked with the homeless for many years. Davis explains the state-of-the-art facilities, like a fully equipped kitchen, laundry rooms and showers will help the women focus
on gaining independence in a place where they feel safe. “We have provided them with the same things we would want in our own home” says Davis. The look on their faces when they walk in their rooms is one of the things she is anticipating the most. But a finely furnished living space is not the only thing Mary Ellen’s Hearth hopes to give the women.
“At risk families need structure,” explains Executive Director, Debbie Dobbins. “We want to give them hope coupled with goals to help them endure the process and stay the course to independence.”
Committed to the Process
Dobbins, whose 30 years of social
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Call 334.213.7940 today!
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
an bin loc lea ch
2416 W. Cloverdale Park Montgomery, AL 36106 334.834.8990 www.fumcmontgomery.org
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work in non profit arenas for at risk children and their families has taught her the process of transformation is most important. “I really believe in the process of what we do with people,” says Dobbins, “The way we nurture them and show them a way out is the one thing we have to keep ourselves and them focused on.” Dobbins and her small staff, as well as the board, are committed to this process by providing different areas of hope, help and healing. For the first week the women are at Mary Ellen’s Hearth, Dobbins says they will simply allow them to rest. After the first week, Dobbins and her staff will meet with the women to set goals with them. “These will be their goals for themselves,” says Davis. “Not our goals for them. We are just the cheerleaders.” Along with setting goals, Dobbins says they will work with the women and connect them to different programs where they can find job skills training and education. Davis explains that she hopes to see the women begin to revive the dreams they once had for their life. “We will do whatever we have to do to get them where they want to go,” says Dobbins. There will be classes on how to be a nurturing parent as well as a class for the children to teach them about how to help and respect their mother. They will also provide classes on budgeting, safety, boundaries in relationships, how to feed their children nutritional food, plus help for writing resumes and interviews. Each woman will have chores and be a part of the family atmosphere. Ultimately, all of these things are a part of building a support system that Dobbins says is vital for their success. “If we were to become homeless, our family would take us in,” says Dobbins. “But these women don’t have that and we hope to help build that support system with them.” Dobbins and Davis both agree that one of the most important aspects of the process of hope, help and healing for these women will be the Mentor Program. Under the leadership of Davis, they will help connect the women to other women in the community who want to mentor and disciple them as they work through the challenges and experience the joy of life transformation. “It’s important for all women to have someone to talk to and confide in, and we want the same thing for the women at Mary Ellen’s Hearth,” says Davis.
word of our God
will stand forever. Isaiah 40:8
Join us for worship, fellowship, and service. Sunday Morning Worship 8:45 & 11 a.m. Worship Service at Cloverdale School Sunday at 6 p.m.
Dr. R. Lawson Bryan Senior Minister
River Region’s Journey • August 2012
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The children will attend public schools and be tutored every day after school. Dobbins hopes to have different students from local high schools and colleges commit to at least one day a week to meet with individual children to help them in their studies. The staff will be small, Dobbins says, in order to keep the vision central. They recently hired a Program Manager and plan to hire an Outreach Coordinator to walk alongside the women as they transition out of Mary Ellen’s Hearth. The Board of Directors is also heavily involved and is what Dobbins calls, “a working board.” “Most boards aren’t as involved as ours is,” says Dobbins. “Each member of the board has something to contribute whether it is finance expertise, interior design, construction or any number of things.”
From contributing financially to being a mentor, tutor, or being a part of the prayer team, Dobbins and the board want to invite anyone to be a part of the ministry at Mary Ellen’s Hearth. NEW
But despite having an outstanding Board of Directors and an experienced staff, there is still something missing. Dobbins and Davis say that something is volunteers. “Anyone can be involved,” says Dobbins. From contributing financially to being a mentor, tutor, or being a part of the prayer team, Dobbins and the board want to invite anyone to be a part of the ministry at Mary Ellen’s Hearth. “The love, the grace and the mercy of Christ is poured out freely here,” says Davis. “And we are committed to pouring that same love that has been poured out on us into the lives of all who call this place Home.” If you want to be involved contact Debbie Dobbins at Debbie@nellieburge.org or (334) 264-4108. Or you may visit their website at www.nellieburge.org.
Inflatables
Rachel Fisher loves learning what God is doing in the world and writing about it. Rachel and her husband, Chase, are members of Strong Tower at Washington Park, a church plant of Common Ground Ministries. Call 334.213.7940 today!
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
Grace to You
pe Mo see fee sir me co ve
by John MacArthur
Love: A Feeling, or Action? If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. ( 1 Corinthians 13:1–3) The thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians may be, from a literary viewpoint, the greatest passage Paul ever penned. Among many other things, it has been called the hymn of love, a lyrical interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount and the Beati-
tudes set to music. Studying it is somewhat like taking apart a flower; part of the beauty is lost when the components are separated. But the Spirit’s primary purpose in this passage, as in all Scripture, is to edify. When each part is understood more clearly, the whole can become even more beautiful. Agape (love) is one of the rarest words in ancient Greek literature, but one of the most common in the New Testament. Unlike our English love, it never refers to romantic or sexual love, for which eros was used, and which does not appear in the New Testament. Nor does it refer to mere sentiment, a pleasant feeling about something or someone. It does not mean close friendship or brotherly love,
for which philia is used. Nor does agape mean charity, a term the King James translators carried over from the Latin and which in English has long been associated only with giving to the needy. This chapter is itself the best definition of agape. Dr. Karl Menninger, the famous psychiatrist and founder of the Menninger Clinic, has written that, “Love is the medicine for our sick old world. If people can learn to give and receive love, they will usually recover from their physical or mental illness.”
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River Region’s Journey • August 2012
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The problem, however, is that few people have any idea of what true love is. Most people, including many Christians, seem to think of it only in terms of nice feelings, warm affection, romance, and desire. When we say, “I love you,” we often mean, “I love me and I want you.” That, of course, is the worst sort of selfishness, the very opposite of agape love. Alan Redpath tells the story of a young woman who came to her pastor desperate and despondent. She said, “There is a man who says he loves me so much he will kill himself if I don’t marry him. What should I do?” “Do nothing,” he replied. “That man doesn’t love you; he loves himself. Such a threat isn’t love; it is pure selfishness.” Self–giving love, love that demands something of us, love that is more concerned with giving than receiving, is as rare in much of the church today as it was in Corinth. The reason, of course, is that agape love is so unnatural to human nature. Our world has defined love as “romantic feeling” or “attraction,” which has nothing to do with true love in God’s terms. The supreme measure and example of agape love is God’s love. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Love is above all sacrificial. It is sacrifice of self for the sake of others, even for others who may care nothing at all for us and who may even hate us. It is not a feeling but a determined act of will, which always results in determined acts of self–giving. Love is the willing, joyful desire to put the welfare of others above our own. It leaves no place for pride, vanity, arrogance, self–seeking, or self–glory. It is an act of choice we are commanded to exercise even on behalf of our enemies: “I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:44–45). If God so loved us that, even “while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” (Rom. 5:10; Eph. 2:4–7), how much more should we love those who are our enemies. Widely known for his thorough, candid approach to teaching God’s Word, John MacArthur is a fifthgeneration pastor, a popular author and conference speaker, and has served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California since 1969. John and his wife, Patricia, have four grown children and fifteen grandchildren. John’s pulpit ministry has been extended around the globe through his media ministry, Grace to You. Call 334.213.7940 today!
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
Counselor’s Corner by Lou Priolo
Connecting the Dots Between Sin and Misery People do not always appreciate the fact that the pain they experience is often due to acting or thinking in ways that are out of harmony with Scripture. As a Christian, therefore, you must understand the relationship between sin and misery. Many of the over 250 secular counseling models would agree with the Humanist Manifesto which denies the existence of consequences for sin. But the Bible says, “God is not mocked” and “whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7; cf. Ephesians 4:18; Romans 8:20; Lamentations 3:39; Matthew 25:41; 2 Thessalonians 1:9). The Westminster Confession of Faith puts it well. “Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, doth, in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God, and curse of the law, and so made subject to death, with all miseries spiritual, temporal, and eternal.”
Many of the people I counsel fail to connect sin with the misery that impelled them into my office. It’s my job to connect the dots for them. But have you ever tried to connect the dots for yourself? Have you ever considered the extent to which your misery is the result of specific areas of your life that are out of sync with Scripture? God’s laws are non-optional. No one, regardless of his religious disposition, can violate them without suffering the consequences. If I, as a born again Christian, were to hurl myself off of the RSA Tower in beautiful downtown Montgomery, God’s universal, non-optional law of gravity would impel me towards Monroe Street and I would suffer the earth-splattering consequences of violating this precept. And, if my Jewish or Buddhist or Hindu or atheistic friends followed suit, they too would suffer the same tragic consequence. No matter who you are, you can’t violate God’s laws and expect to avoid some degree of misery. Sin is acting or thinking independently from God. In the Garden of Eden, before being tempted to believe that it would be better to think or act autonomously, man was totally River Region’s Journey • August 2012
dependant upon God’s Word for direction. But, he chose not to follow the divine directions he was given. Consequently, sin entered the human race. Now this desire to think and act independently from God (with all of its intrinsic misery) is locked into man’s heart at birth. Only Christ can free him from it. And then, freedom will not be completely experienced in this life. We often think of our thoughts as being very distinct from our behaviors. But from God’s point of view, thinking is a form of behavior—it’s an action of our minds. And, as such, it has the capability of being sinful. Sinful thinking carries consequences: “The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways” (Proverbs 14:14). I have often counseled a spouse who said in one way or another, “If I don’t get out of this marriage I’m going to go crazy.” But that counselee never considered that the likelihood of his going crazy is much greater by stepping out of God’s revealed will than by suffering in it. That’s where I had to open my Bible and connect the dots for him (or as is more apt to be the case, for her). I have lost count of the many depressed people I have seen whose depression was the result of bitter, angry or anxious thoughts. Many are depressed because of wrong values—they love things God says they shouldn’t love, they don’t love what He says they should. They want things God doesn’t want them to have, they value those things He doesn’t (and undervalue the things He does). They seek their rewards in this life rather than in the next. Why are they so miserable? It’s because the thoughts and intents of their hearts are sinful. Most Christians can see clearly the connection between sinful actions and distressing emotions (i.e. the adulterer who now faces intense grief and loneliness that resulted from his wife leaving him, the angry parent who has to deal with the guilt, sorrow and embarrassment that accompanies having to parent a child who has been provoked to characterological anger, or the Xanex-addicted wife whose illegal “doctor shopping” has landed her in jail—totally isolated from her loved ones). But many fail to consider the relationship between their sinful thoughts and the 34
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emotional misery such malefic mental activity often brings. Sometimes the relationship between one’s misery and the unbiblical thoughts and actions that cause it is apparent. Sometimes it is not. That is why you must prayerfully depend upon the Word and the Spirit to help you connect the dots. You must, however, be sure that you do not connect dots that shouldn’t be connected. To be sure, all misery is the result of sin. But all the misery that you experience is not necessarily the result of your own sin. Christ was without sin, yet He was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3; cf. Matt. 26:38). He said, “Blessed are those who mourn” (Matthew. 5:4). He could “sympathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews. 4:15). He became angry (Mark 3:5) and indignant (Mark 10:14). He wept over the death of His friend (John 11:34-35) and the city of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). Since Jesus Christ was perfect and could not sin, He never experienced any emotion that was the result of His own sin. You and I, however, often experience feelings that warn us about sin in our lives. So, be careful. Do not make the correlation definitively unless you are certain one exists and can explain it clearly. Remember Job’s three friends, the grief they caused him, and the wrath to which their unbiblical counsel provoked God (Job 42:7-9). I’m fairly confident that the old adage “misery loves company” is not theologically accurate. But, in one sense, we can say with biblical certainty that “misery has company”— the sinful thoughts, desires, words, actions and attitudes that often accompany it. The next time you are hurting don’t assume you are the victim of someone else’s sin before you consider your own possible culpability. Lou Priolo is the director of the Center for Biblical Counseling at Eastwood Presbyterian Church in Montgomery, Alabama. A graduate of Calvary Bible College and Liberty University, he is the author of several books, including The Heart of Anger, The Complete Husband, Teach Them Diligently, Pleasing People, and Picking up the Pieces. Lou is a Fellow in the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors and instructor at the Birmingham Theological Seminary. He travels frequently throughout the United States and abroad teaching at Christian marriage, family and counseling conferences.
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Come Worship With Us!
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Programs offered for all ages and stages of life. Sunday 8:30 am 9:45 am 11:00 am 5:00 pm 6:15 pm
Worship Services Bible Fellowship Classes Worship Services Discipleship Classes Worship Service
Wednesday 4:45 5:30 6:00 6:30 6:35
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First Family Dinner Sanctuary Orchestra Rehearsal First Family Prayer Time Powerhouse (Student Ministry) Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal
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Bring them in... Build them up... Send them out...
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
Family Teams for Christ
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by Lisa and Mike Conn
The Seasons of Life “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die . . .” Ecclesiastes 3:1 God has the master plan for our lives. He provides seasons of life, each with its own work to do, each with its opportunities to serve God and bring honor to Him. I think of life’s seasons in these terms: spring (childhood, adolescence), summer (young adulthood, child rearing), autumn (middle age, grandparenting) and winter (old age). My father’s family is known for its longevity. Daddy’s mother, Mamma, lived to be 94. Her three children are all still living—Louise is about to celebrate her 93rd birthday, Cathryn is next at 91, and my dad, Jim, is the baby at 83. This longevity has brought my dad to the winter of his life,
quite literally since he is cold most of the time despite our 100 degree summer. He’s lost much of his body fat, weighing in at a whopping 137 lbs. Despite losing the use of his right arm at age 11 to polio, in his prime Dad could lift, transport, and build practically anything. He hunted, fished, built furniture, and ran a hospital—single-handedly—with his right arm paralyzed. When Dad was 20, his father was found dead at home of carbon monoxide poisoning; Mamma remained in a coma for weeks, thankfully recovering. A month later, he came close to death himself after surgery for kidney stones which had developed during his year-long recuperation from polio. His life was spared, but he lost the kidney. In his later years, he developed Parkinson’s dis-
ease, which has progressively robbed him of muscular strength and coordination. Last week, I travelled to my home state of Georgia to stay with Daddy while his caregivers, my saintly brother and his wife, took their seven children to the beach. I had been there for less than two hours when I heard a big thud in the bathroom and rushing in, discovered that Daddy had fallen. After an ambulance ride and four hours in the ER, we returned home with a torn rotator cuff in the shoulder of his “good arm”. For the next week, Dad was unable to lift his left arm and had little energy to walk, make it to the bathroom, or even eat the fresh
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vegetables and fruit I had brought him from Alabama. I learned how one fall can instantly rob an elderly person of their independence and dignity. In the midst of this calamity, however, I had a deep sense of rightness. I thanked God for the opportunity to have nine days with my dad. We talked a lot, shared small meals of his favorite dishes, looked through the old picture albums and took naps. He gave me a large, heavy Bible that we had given him years ago—it was too big for him to handle now, and he wanted us to have it. He asked Mike to take whatever tools he wanted from his workshop—he couldn’t use them anymore, he said. I got him ready for bed every night, tucking his blankets in tightly, and kissing him good night. He always said, “Thank you, honey. I appreciate all you are doing for me.” There were moments when I felt weary and lonesome for my family back home. I was sad to see how helpless my big, strong daddy had become, and felt very alone in a suburb of Atlanta where I knew no one. Waiting at the doctor’s office one day while Daddy’s injured shoulder was X-rayed, I spotted a Bible on the table next to me. Opening it at random, I found the familiar passage that describes what Christian love looks like. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) I felt like God was giving me a gift—the gift of encouragement and the strength to persevere. And the reassurance that he was there with us in our time of need. What stage of life are you in right now? We’re juggling three stages at once: childrearing, grandparenting, and caring for aging parents. We pray for God’s wisdom each day. If you find yourself with parents who need you to care for their most basic of needs and love them tenderly through their suffering, remember to do it with loving patience and in a way that honors God. With His help, we can assist our parents to face the days and nights of winter with grace and dignity. Lt. Col Mike Conn and wife, Lisa, founded Covenant Family Ministries when Mike retired from the Air Force in 1997. CFM is an independent marriage and family education ministry committed to partnering with churches, organizations, and individuals in Montgomery and across Alabama to build Family Teams for Christ. Married for over 30 years, Mike and Lisa have three wonderful daughters, two great sons-in-law, and two precious grandchildren. Call 334.213.7940 today!
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
Community Calendar Christian Community Calendar Christian Ongoing Happenings
AGLOW International meets every third Thursday, 9:30 at the Montgomery House of Prayer. All women welcome to join together for praise, prayer and an anointed message. Contact mboudousquie@yahoo.com. Beacon Light Ministries, Food Ministry is open on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday, 5:30-6:45 p.m. Please bring I. D. and Proof of Government Assistance. Capitol Heights UMC, 2000 Winona Ave., Montgomery offers Parenting Classes beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Thursdays. 264-2464. Christchurch, 8800 Vaughn Road, Montgomery, offers a Women’s Enrichment Bible Study led by Jeanne Dean on Thursdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m., in Canterbury Hall. All women are welcome. Childcare for ages birth-4 years is provided. Call 387-0566 x 201 for more info. Christchurch offers a men’s Bible study led by Fr. John-Michael van Dyke, on Thursday mornings on the 11th floor of Goode Medical Bldg, Jackson Hospital. Breakfast is served beginning at 6:45 a.m. and teaching begins at 7:15 a.m. Call 387-0566 x 201. Church of the Highlands meets each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. downtown Montgomery in the MPAC theater located in the Renaissance Hotel, 201 Tallapoosa Street. Visit churchofthehighlands.com or call 1-205-980-5577. Chisholm Baptist Church, 2938 Lower Wetumpka Road, Montgomery, holds Sunday morning Bible study (9:30), Morning worship (10:45), Tuesday prayer breakfast (8:30) Wednesday evening prayer service (6 pm) and Senior Body and Soul Group (every 1st Tuesday at 1 pm). Email jbass9784@charter.net or call 262-6437. Dexter Avenue UMC, 301 Dexter Avenue, offers a Friday Christian Night Club with Ballroom Dancing every Friday at 6:30 P.M. Cost is $5 for a one hour lesson, devotional, and 3 hours of DJ music. People of all denominations are welcome. First Presbyterian Church, 9299 Vaughn Road, hosts Family Night every Wednesday beginning at 5:20 p.m. with supper, followed by a study on prayer. Everyone is welcome. For more information call (279-1372). First Presbyterian Church, 9299 Vaughn Road, hosts a Men’s Prayer Breakfast every Friday morning, 6 a.m. The Youth of First United Methodist Church, Montgomery every Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. for Wednesday Night Live, a time of praise and worship in “the attic”. Also, every Sunday night at 6:00 p.m. is MYF which includes a snack supper $3.00 followed by activities, small groups and lots of fun! Visit www. fumcmontgomery.org or call 334-834-8990. First United Methodist Church will host River Region’s Journey • August 2012
Terrific Tuesdays. Please come and join us for fellowship, a program and lunch. Terrific Tuesdays will meet each Tuesday in room 204 of Wesley Hall. Fellowship time will begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by a program at 10:30 a.m. and lunch at 11:30 a.m. The cost of lunch is $2.00. Every fourth Tuesday the time will extend until 3:00 p.m. for bridge, games, and other activities in room 203 in Wesley Hall. For additional information please contact NeeNee Webb at 834-8990. Good News @ Noon is an interdenominational Bible study, held at the First Baptist Community Ministries Building on Adams Street, Thursdays, at noon. Small cost for hot lunch. Call 272.1133. Hall Memorial CME Church, 541 Seibles Road, Montgomery, offers Bible Study Tuesdays at 5:30 P.M. and Wednesdays at 6: 30 P.M. For directions or information call 334-288-0577. Email HallMemorialCME1@aol.com or visit www.HallMemorialCME.blogspot.com. iConnect.coffeehouse provides a place for women to experience meaningful fellowship with women seeking genuine connection. Meetings will be held in the Atrium at Frazer UMC 3rd Tuesdays from 9-11 a.m. For more info, call Frazer’s Women’s Ministry at 495-6391. Messiah Lutheran Church, 6670 Vaughn Road, invites all to Wonderful Wednesdays starting with a $3.00 meal at 5:30 pm (RSVP 277-4213 by Monday noon), worship with eucharist 6:15-7:00 pm, and adult choir rehearsal and Catechism class for 7th-9th graders at 7:00 pm. Please call for Wednesday schedule due to seasonal breaks. For information, call 277-4213. Mt. Gillard Missionary Baptist Church, 3323 Day Street, holds Wednesday Bible Study in the church Fellowship Hall and lasts for one hour. Please come and participate in roaming the Bible learning God’s word through teaching. The Rev. Henry M. Carnegie, Jr. is the teacher and pastor. Mid-day Bible Study begins each Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. Evening Bible Study begins each Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Call 233-8750. New Freedom Worship Center, 6004 –A East Shirley Lane, Apostle T. Briggs~ Pastor; Sunday Worship Service 10:30 a.m. and Wednesday Night Bible Study 7:30 p.m. Open Door Christian Faith Church, 1601 Dewey St. Montgomery, offers Women’s Prayer Mondays at 5:00, Men’s prayer Wednesday at 5:00, followed by bible study at 6:00. Couples ministry held every 1st Wednesday of the month at 7:00. Pastor William Cromblin, and the Open Door Church family invites you to “come experience the move of God. For more info, call the church at 334-269-6498. Perry Hill UMC, 910 Perry Hill Rd, sponsors a Bluegrass Jam in the Church Fellowship Hall on the third Saturday of each month from 9AM 12AM. All Bluegrass Artist plus Fans are invited 38
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to attend. Attendance is FREE. For information call Kathy@ 272-3174. Perry Hill UMC, 910 Perry Hill Rd, hosts a Wednesday Night Supper and Revive! program each week from 5:30pm til 7:00pm. Reservations are required by noon on the Monday prior to the supper. Cost is $4 per person or $12 per family. Call 334-272-3174 for more information or to make reservations. The River of Life Church, 116 County Road 40 East (Pine Level Community Center) Prattville. You are invited to “A Place of New Beginnings. Services are held each Sunday: Early Worship 9:15 a.m.; Sunday School 10:30 a.m.; Worship Service 11:00 a.m.; Evening Worship 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday: Adult Bible Study 6:00 p.m.; Teens, “The Genesis Project” 6:00 p.m.: Royal Rangers, Stars & Prims 6:00 p.m. Nursery provided. Pastor Nick Edwards invites you to “come experience God in a personal way, feel loved by all and know that you belong”. Call 334657-0392 or visit www.theriveroflifechurch.net. Saint James UMC, 9045 Vaughn Road, offers S.N.A.G. (Sunday Nights About God!) This program starts at 5:00p.m. and ends at 6:30p.m. Childcare is provided for small groups until 7:00p.m. Don’t forget this program is available for all children! Saint James UMC, 9045 Vaughn Road, offers Wild & Wacky Wednesdays! Wednesday night supper starts at 5:15p.m. We will start checking children in at 6:00p.m. This program ends at 7:30p.m. and childcare is provided until 8:00p.m. for small group participants. Call 277.3037 for more info. St. Mark UMC, holds a Men’s Bible Study every Friday morning at 6:30 a.m., at the Arby’s at EastChase. Call 272.0009. Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, 706 E. Patton Avenue, “Clothes Closet” is open to the public each Thursday morning from 10 a.m. – Noon. The Men of Saint Paul host a free Men’s Prayer Breakfast the Third Saturday of each month at 8 a.m. in the Church Fellowship Hall. The Men’s Prayer Breakfast is open to all men of all ages. Come and share your concerns and needs of our Men of today. For more information, please contact (334) 354-1897. Bible Study is held each Wednesday, 6-7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Pastor Farrell J. Duncombe is the teacher and Senior Pastor of the church. Come and join us for Sunday School each Sunday at 9 a.m. and Morning Worship at 10 a.m. Need transportation, call (334) 264-7618. For info call 286.8577 or www.saintpaulamemontgomery.com. S-STOP, a commUNITY Bible study for Singles. Souls Strengthened Together for One Purpose. Psalm 46:10 “BE STILL and know that I am God.” Meets at Prattville Christian Academy on Sunday nights at 6 p.m. For info email sstop04@gmail.com. For Advertising Information:
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Women at The Well Ministry meet at Remnant Worship Center on Endover Street off of Court Street behind the Feed and Seed Store at 1:00pm every 1st and 3rd Saturday. We are women who desire and have a heart to see broken, crushed, hurting women be transformed through the one man who can fulfill their every need...JESUS... THE POTTER. All women of all denominations are welcome to come and share the Word of God together....to encourage, and build one another up through the words of our testimonies. Evangelist Linda McCall, 334-220-1924.
This Month August 3-5
The King’s Theatre presents “Captive Faith” - an exciting, original musical based on the Biblical story of Naaman. Written and directed by Anna Lofgren & Rob Pace, with music composed by Rachael Morton & John Rajan, this production involves around 25 families from the tri-county region. Be inspired as an Israelite slave girl chooses to have faith - even in captivity - and watch God use a bad situation for good! “Captive Faith” will be presented at Fountain of Grace Church (881 McQueen Smith Rd in Prattville) and admission is free! Presentations are August 3rd & 4th at 7 p.m. and August 5th at 6 p.m. The whole family will enjoy this fun and inspiring story! For more info, go to www.KingsCourts.com or call (334) 285-7357.
August 5 through 10
Harvest Family Church would like to invite you to join us for our 20th Anniversary Celebration Campmeeting on Sunday, August 5th - Friday, August 10th. We are celebrating a new season of Faith, Fire and the Favor of God. Sunday services will be at 8:45 and 10:30 AM and 7 PM. Monday through Friday services will be at 7 PM. Our special guest speakers will be Kevin and Anne Durant, Phillip Slaughter, Joe Morris and Shekinah Glory. Childcare will be provided. Nightly at 7 PM there will be SKY VBS for the Kinderchurch and Elementary aged children. We are located at 7245 Copperfield Drive in Montgomery, AL. For more information about the meetings visit our website at www.harvestfamilychurch.com or call (334) 277-1156.
August 8, 15, 22, 29
Live Love Revival Series at Heritage Baptist Church, 1849 Perry Hill Road, Montgomery. A month long revival featuring: Junior Hill : August 8 at 6:30pm Mark Cahill : August 15 at 6:30pm Siran Stacy : August 22 at 6:30pm Marty Raybon : August 29 at 6:30pm Call 334.279.9976 for more info.
August 11
Dove-award winning Christian Children’s music performers Go Fish will be in concert at
Frazer’s Wesley Hall on Saturday, August 11 at 4:00 p.m. The group strives to create music with solid scriptural content to help kids learn the Bible and have fun doing it. Parents may find themselves tapping their feet and singing along too, though, since the Go Fish mission statement is “to make great music for kids that won’t drive parents bonkers”! For ticket information visit www.frazerumc.org/gofish or www.itickets.com. CHURCH-WIDE GARAGE SALE: Sports memorabilia, crafts & art supplies, home decorating items, kids toys, lawn & garden tools, auto parts, vintage jewelry, dishes, tools, collectibles, phones, and 100s of items priced under $5! 7a.m.-noon. New Home Baptist Church, Family Life Center, 1605 New Home Road, Titus. Hunter Station Baptist Church, 4700 Birmingham Highway, Montgomery, will feature a great Gospel Concert at 6:00 PM. Featuring Marvin Morrow from Cypress Inn, Tn. and Morris Family from Eufaula, Al. Also appearing is Babara Turner. Food and fellowship to follow. No admission! - Love offering will be received. For info: Billy Evans, 334-398-3650. His Vessel Ministries invites you to the teaching event “Speaking a Blessing” from 9am – noon. Please join us as Jo Hancock reveals Biblical Truth on the power of speaking blessings to the heart of others based on the authority of God’s Word. For more information or to register call 334-356-4478 or info@ hisvessel.org.
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Community Calendar Christian Community Calendar Christian August 13
You are invited to Agape’s 7th Annual Golf for Kids Tournament, Wynlakes Golf and Country Club, Montgomery. Register today at 334-272-9466 or info@agapeforchildren.org. Register online today! Four person scramble. Prizes awarded by net and gross scoring. The Adams Drugs $10,000 Hole in One Challenge: The player receives $5,000 and Agape receives $5,000 for the first Hole in One on holes 4, 7, 11, and 17.
August 17
The community is invited to hear Clint Darby perform his new Christian album at his alma mater, Auburn University at Montgomery, from 6-8 p.m., on the university quad. Admission is free, but guests are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item for the Montgomery Food Bank. Bring your own lawn chairs and picnic blankets. Outside food is welcome, but food vendors will be on site. The show must go on, rain or shine. In case of inclement weather, festivities will be moved to AUM’s Baptist Campus Ministry. Learn more at www.aum.edu/ summerconcert.
August 18 Annual Marriage Conference -Married Couples in the Word. Couples will be renewed,
romanced, & refocused on God’s vision for their marriage! 9am to 3pm; Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church - West Campus, Montgomery. Continental Breakfast & Lunch will be provided. Please call 334-538-2310 to register.
August 26
Aldersgate Summer Music Fest, at 6:00 p.m. Aldersgate’s Got Talent is expanding this year to become the Aldersgate Summer Music Fest and will include talent from our local community. The Montgomery Dulcimer Players, His Song Men’s Quartet, Walden and Westley Schlundt and many others will be joining the talent at Aldersgate for the evening’s entertainment. A Hamburger and Hot Dog Cookout Supper will begin at 6:00 p.m. $3.00 per person. $2.00 for a child’s plate. Call the the church office (272-6152) or visit the church website www.aldersgateumc.org to make reservations! Grow Kids/Grow Teens Parenting Seminars Time: 1:30-3:30pm for parents of teens; 4-6pm for parents of kids. Location: Wesley Hall, Frazer Memorial UMC. In this seminar, you’ll learn what’s normal (and what’s not) for boys and girls at each stage of development, with practical insights on how to understand who they are and provide what they need to grow into all that God wants them to become. Tick-
ets are $10 per family and may be purchased in the Children’s Ministry or Student Ministry offices or ordered online at www.frazerumc.org. Or you may call 495-6335. Childcare (Infant through 5th grade) is free but you must register in advance. Parents, grandparents, and anyone who cares about raising godly young people is welcome to attend!
September 16 Historic First Congregational Christian Church made history again when it chose Rev. Dr. Wendy R. Coleman to serve as its Pastor on July 1st of this year. The church will hold official installation services for Rev. Dr. Coleman at 4:00 P.M. at the sanctuary. For more information about First Congregational Christian Church or the installation services, call (334) 467-1678. Steve Green will appear in Birmingham. For more info call: 205-871-7324.
September 18
Hillsong Live is coming to Birmingham for a live event at the Boutwell Auditorium. For ticket info: www.premierproductions.com. Please send your calendar events to deanne@ readjourneymagazine.com by the 12th of the month for FREE print.
BUildinG CHaraCTer MaKinG a diFFerenCe CHanGinG liVes
Friendly Fridays Just starting or starting over Join us for Friendly Fridays beginning October 21 and we’ll help you start an exercise program just for you! Our trained staff will work with you and guide you through a workout. Y’s Up at Hampstead 239.8096 Y’s Up at Somerset 356.1351 Y’s Up at Westminster 832.1013
For more information ymcamontgomery.org
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August 2012 • River Region’s Journey
Got Life?
An bru sai eac of bu Jes
by Elaine Britt
Got Answers? Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have… 1 Peter 3:15 Have you ever had THE nightmare? Its mutations are many and may include a sudden inability to locate a classroom before the bell rings, drawing a blank on the combination when attempting to open your locker, total mental block when facing an exam… Or perhaps real-life experience allowed you to manufacture a new nightmare, like the time I studied all night in college and overslept for my Residential Interior Design final… We study, strive and work to acquire information and knowledge in order to possess answers to the many questions asked of us on a daily basis. Life’s continual demands require incessant answers and most of us seek - as well as provide -
River Region’s Journey • August 2012
these answers. Jesus, an obvious source of answers, was bombarded with inquiries. Surrounded by humanity 24/7, the only time he had to himself was when he deliberately withdrew to pray. One glimpse into “a few days in the life of Jesus” occurs in Mark 4-5. Having taught large crowds, he and the disciples boarded a boat to cross the water. A threatening storm arose, Jesus was awakened, and he calmed the storm – so much for a quick nap! Arriving at the other side, he was confronted by a man possessed by many demons. Having miraculously cast out the demons, he and his disciples were asked to leave. Crossing back over the water, they were greeted by large crowds – again. An important man – a synagogue ruler – approached Jesus concerning his dying daughter. As he continued to walk with this man and
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the crowd, a woman touched his cloak and was healed immediately of an extended infirmity. These demands were, I fear, not unusual for Jesus. A recent sermon that I heard detailed several difficult demands that the speaker had faced in his years of ministry. A couple came in for counseling, professing a desire to remain married but displaying a complete lack of love for one another. The clear message? ‘Fix us!’ A mother at her wit’s end brought in an out-of-control child, sat him down and said, ‘fix him.’
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And tragically, a father carried in the bruised and broken body of his child and said, “You are a man of God – fix this!” To each of these requests, his reply was one of universal consequence, “I can’t fix it, but I know the ONE who can - our Lord Jesus.” During his time on earth, Jesus made a difference with every breath, ever ready to answer needs or questions. Being fully Divine as well as fully human gave Jesus a distinct advantage in that he was wisdom itself. We, however, have an incredible instruction manual in the Bible, and to a different degree we carry the same mantle of being available to answer questions when we claim Christ as Lord. As Scripture affords us continual access to the very words of God, our responsibility as believers is to avail ourselves of this wisdom. Only when we have the words of Scripture ‘hidden in our hearts’ can the Lord recall them to our memory when needed. Oswald Chambers adds insight as he explains, “Readiness for God means that we are prepared to do the smallest thing or the largest thing – it makes no difference. It means…that whatever God’s plans may be, we are there and ready…Jesus Christ expects to do with us just as His Father
did with Him. He can put us wherever He wants, in pleasant duties or in menial ones, because our union with Him is the same as His union with the Father. “…that they may be one just as We are one…” (John 17:22). Our readiness is manifested when we recognize the prompting of the Spirit. The next time you do something, however small, that benefits another person, make a mental note of how you came to perform that action. Could it have been a prompting - a nudge - by the Holy Spirit? We are called to answer these ‘nudges’ in our own corner of the world, making a difference each day in a way that no one else can. Navigating through Sam’s parking lot, full basket in tow, afforded such an opportunity recently. Ahead of me, an older woman had unknowingly deposited a twelve-pack of paper towels into the lane of traffic. Avoiding being witness to a traffic jam or worse, I picked them up. Approaching her car with the package, she had just dropped another parcel which I naturally retrieved. Handing them to her, she was puzzled, asking of the paper towels, “Are those mine?” Her next comment astonished me as she said
quietly, “Are you an angel?” My actions were, to me, strictly logical. If any need was filled for her, being the vessel was all about God’s Holy Spirit and not about me. Choose a period of time – an hour, a day – and be aware of actions and interactions. Perhaps keep a journal during this time, noting what prompts words and actions as well as what part faith plays. How would the interchanges be different if you did NOT have faith? Fortunately my college professor, aware that I would not willingly miss the exam, called and woke me up thereby providing my fellow students with a moment of comic relief. May each of us absorb the words of Scripture, be ready for the Holy Spirit’s prompting, and confer the answers that others need to hear.
Elaine Britt, husband Tim, and teenage son Kevin reside in Montgomery, with son Bryan at UAH in Huntsville. She counts her family as a great blessing. By profession, Elaine is a 30-year-veteran Interior Decorator and owner of Carriage House Interiors. By God’s calling and to her great joy, she is a writer, whose published works include stories in A Cup of Comfort Devotionals; Lord, I Was Happy Shallow; and Heavenly Patchwork; one book, Messages, as well as various articles in several magazines and e-zines.
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Movie Reviews Reviews provided by MovieGuide: A Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment Ratings are based on production quality and moral acceptability. See details below. ***Reviews do not necessarily reflect views of the publishers of River Region’s Journey.
Loving the Bad Man
The Well Digger’s Daughter
Quality: *** Moral Acceptability: +1 (Wholesome) Starring: Christine Kelley, Arturo Fernandez, Antoni Carone, David Hemphill, Steven Baldwin, George Smith, Pedro Moreno Genre: Drama Audience: Older Teens and Adults Rating: PG-13 Contents: A profoundly Christian worldview with a very strong message of forgiveness and redemption, with moral behavior affirmed, immoral behavior rebuked, and Non-Christian worldviews rebuked; five light obscenities; violence includes violent rape in the dark (nothing shown), beatings in a car shop, beatings in prison sometimes with a little blood, stabbings, strangling; an discussion of rape, childbirth scene; upper male nudity; strong alcohol use and drunkenness; discussion of drug shipments; and, gang warfare in prison, immoral women at bar, and everal instances of dishonesty. LOVING THE BAD MAN opens with two parallel stories. Julie is a devout Christian whose beliefs are evident at work and home. Mike is an angry young auto mechanic with a chip on his shoulder. Their paths converge when Julie has a flat tire and a bartender convinces Mike to help. When Julie tries to give him money, he feels insulted. In a drunken rage, Mike rapes Julie. Julie’s family is understandably furious. Mike is caught, convicted, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Julie discovers she’s pregnant. After a son is born, Julie feels led by God to take the baby and visit Mike in prison. LOVING THE BAD MAN squarely faces the issue of a rape. But, it powerfully shows how God can heal lives and bring peace. The movie is not for young children. Its subject matter is more fitting for teenagers and adults. The movie’s greatest strength is that it will bring viewers to tears. It dramatically shows how God can use people doing the right thing to touch the hearts of deeply hurting people. LOVING THE BAD MAN is a very inspiring movie, with superb dialogue and well-developed characters.
Quality: *** Moral Acceptability: +1 (Wholesome) Starring: Daniel Auteuil, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Kad Merad Genre: Drama Audience: Older children and adults Rating: Not Rated Content: Strong Romantic worldview with some light moral elements; one obscenity; no depicted violence but two very brief threats of slapping and one threat of belting a woman; no graphic sexual content, but implied fornication outside of marriage, which results in a pregnancy; no nudity; one instance of drinking wine for lunch, but no drunkenness; no smoking or use of drugs; and, father disowns daughter for becoming pregnant outside of marriage but later brings her back home, several lies to “be polite” (white lies). THE WELL DIGGER’S DAUGHTER is a French drama about a manual laborer’s daughter, who gets involved with a young man from a wealthy family. A well digger has five daughters, but his wife is dead. He’s unhappy he has no son, but loves his daughter, Patricia, just like a son. The father’s friend, Felipe, secretly loves Patricia. He seeks her father’s approval. However, Patricia becomes smitten by a wealthy shop owner’s son, Jacques. She becomes pregnant by Jacques as the chaos of World War II nears. Jacques is believed to have died in a plane crash after being shot down. Felipe comes home. He learns Jacques hasn’t died after all. What will he do if Jacques returns and learns about Patricia’s baby? The production quality in THE WELL DIGGER’S DAUGHTER is good. With great photography and a wellwritten script, the story flows naturally. There are some moral elements, including brief references to God. However, the worldview in THE WELL DIGGER’S DAUGHTER is Romantic, with implied acts of immorality. MOVIEGUIDE® advises media wise caution for audiences.
The previous reviews are a selected sample of informative reviews from MOVIEGUIDE: A FAMILY GUIDE TO MOVIES AND ENTERTAINMENT, a syndicated feature of Good News Communications, Inc. To subscribe to MOVIEGUIDE which includes a complete set of at least 10 reviews of the latest movies as well as many informative articles, please visit our web site at www.movieguide.org or write or call:”MOVIEGUIDE,” P.O. Box 190010, Atlanta, GA 31119 (800) 899-6684. What the ratings mean: Production Quality: (1 to 4 stars) Moral Acceptability: -4 (Abhorrent), -3 (Excessive), -2 (Extreme Caution), -1 (Caution), +1 (Wholesome), +2 (Good), +3 (Moral), +4 (Exemplary)
River Region’s Journey • August 2012
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www.ReadJourneyMagazine.com
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