Join us at Frazer for a year of preaching through this life-changing book that will show you exactly who Jesus Christ is. “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” –John 20:30-31 THROUGHOUT THE YEAR 2014, Pastors Tim Thompson and Patrick Quinn will be preaching verse by verse through the gospel of John in all of Frazer’s Sunday morning worship services. Jesus made the remarkable claim that He came to give you life—real, abundant, overflowing life right now, and eternal life in the world to come. This teaching series will lead you to the heart of who this Jesus is and what it means to believe in Him.
Frazer Church: find hope, Follow Jesus • Sunday worship 8, 9:30 & 11AM 6000 atlanta Hwy. Montgomery • frazerumc.org • 334.2728622 •
Volume 15, Issue 9
Feature Articles
FEBRUARY 20 1 4 Columns page 2
page 14
Publisher’s Note
How to Address Your Stress
Jason Watson
by Rev. Victor M. Parachin Find ten simple lifestyle approaches to address the stress that is ever present in life.
page 4
Pastor's Perspective Pastor Shawn Merithew, Morningview Baptist Church
page 6
page 16
Books to Read Tim Challies
Faith @ Work:
page 12
Douglas Jones
With All Your Mind Matt Jordan, Ph.D.
River Region’s Journey sits down with Douglas Jones of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Resource Center to find out how he came to faith in Christ and how he displays his “faith @ work.” page 20
page 18
Shine
Kim Hendrix
page 24
The Intersection Bob Crittenden
Ministry Spotlight:
page 26
Young Life Montgomery
Lisa and Mike Conn
Family Teams for Christ
by Rachel Fisher Montgomery’s Young Life chapter has been loving teens and introducing them to Christ since 1970. Learn why the ministry works so well and how you can get involved making a difference in the lives of kids.
page 30
Counselor’s Corner Pamela Boswell
page 35
Dave $ays Dave Ramsey
On Our Cover . . .
In Every Issue
Area Young Life Director Chris Campos and part-time Urban Director Kenyatte Hassell are pictured with several students active in Montgomery’s Young Life Ministry.
page 8
Around Our Community page 28
Support Groups page 32
Event Calendar page 36
Movie Reviews 1
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Our Mission... We believe the Good News concerning the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is worth sharing with our friends and neighbors in the River Region. Each month we deliver this life-changing message to the centers of activity across our community in a user-friendly and relevant way to empower and equip all those seeking to grow closer to God. Join us in this mission by sharing a copy with your neighbor or by becoming an advertising partner starting next month.
Editor DeAnne Watson deanne@readjourneymagazine.com
Publisher
Jason Watson jason@readjourneymagazine.com
Research Editor Wendy McCollum
Contributing Writers Pamela Boswell Tim Challies Lisa and Mike Conn Bob Crittenden Rachel Fisher Kim Hendrix Douglas Jones Matt Jordan, Ph.D. Pastor Shawn Merithew Rev. Victor M. Parachin Dave Ramsey
Cover Photography Lori Mercer Photography
Advertising Opportunities Jason Watson ads@readjourneymagazine.com (334) 213-7940 ext 703
Ad Design
Tim Welch, Welch Designs
Distribution Team Kristy Brennan Wendy McCollum Chris Mitchell Manzie Moore Richard Ward Lesa Youngblood
From the Publisher When I was 17 I began to struggle in my relationship with God. The church where I was a member had done a wonderful job helping me grow in my faith, but certain circumstances and pressures in my own life made me want to push them away. I found myself alone and lacking the wisdom and support of my ministers and Sunday School teachers. I continued further down the path of rebellion, but God connected me with another group of men and women who loved me for Christ’s sake and wouldn’t let me stray too far. That group was Young Life Montgomery. I didn’t turn back to God as soon as I got involved with Young Life, but throughout my faith struggles over the next few years Young Life leaders kept me tethered to what I knew was the truth as I attended their morning Bible studies, camps and ultimate frisbee games at Vaughn Road Park. Young Life’s ministry in the community is still going strong and being used by God to tell other teens that God loves them and has a plan for their lives. You may have heard of Young Life, but we want you to know all about them in case you know of someone who could benefit from their ministry - both teens and even Christian adults looking to serve. “Young Life: Showing Up, Shining Jesus, Sharing Faith” can be found on page 20. Also in this month’s issue we’re introducing a new monthly column called “Faith @ Work.” Sometimes those of us who don’t work in the church or for a mission organization think what we do has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God. That couldn’t be further from the truth. God has placed you where you are and He wants you to live for Him where He has you. Our “Faith @ Work” column will introduce you to regular people, like you and me, who are putting Christ on display in their day-to-day lives. This month we interviewed Douglas Jones, Vice President of Business Services & Executive Director of the Montgomery Chamber’s Small Business Resource Center. Douglas is a wise man of God who I’ve personally been able to see live out his faith. I hope you’ll let our interview with him sharpen your faith the way he has sharpened mine. Finally, have you ever wondered how God can be so loving, yet evil things still happen? Maybe people who don’t share your belief in Christ have questioned you about that exact point. Last month, AUM Philosophy professor Matthew Jordan began his column, “With All Your Mind,” and his follow up column explains God is still God even though evil exists. Whether you share Professor Jordan’s column with someone or not, if you’re like me, in a world whose messages are more and more contrary to the teachings of Scripture, it’s encouraging to hear that my beliefs aren’t wrong after all. River Region’s Journey is about engaging people outside the walls of church and sharing the hope of Christ with them in a relevant and easy-to-digest manner. Thank you for picking up this issue. We’ve been praying for you and hope the good news you read in these pages will encourage you and all those you share your copy with. Have a God-filled February!
River Region’s Journey is published monthly by Keep Sharing, P.O. Box 230367, Montgomery, AL 36123. For information, call 334-213-7940. River Region’s Journey is copyrighted 2014 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.
River Region’s Journey
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Pastor’s Perspective
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Pastor Shawn Merithew, Morningview Baptist Church
The Sacred Origin of Love Love is certainly one of our favorite subjects, isn’t it? The ideal of love compels us toward others, and early in our adult lives, it sets us on a quest for our “soul mate.” It draws us to books and movies where we can experience both the beautiful depths and painful nuances that come with imperfect people striving to attain perfect love. Even among the heroes that inspire us, we find that their greatest displays of valor are most often spawned by their loving devotion to another. Where does such love come from? For the Christian, the answer is both simple and profound: “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Biblically speaking, this means that God is the origin and fountainhead of love. He defines what love is, He embodies all the perfections of love, He created us as His image-bearers with the capacity and desire to love, and He Himself has given us the most ultimate
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display of love in the person and saving work of Jesus Christ. As profound as that already is, let’s not stop there. It is worth our time to dig deeper into this truth. What does it mean to say that God intrinsically “is” love? To answer this question, we must delve into the subject of God’s triune nature. The Bible teaches the doctrine of the Trinity -- the theological fact that God is one eternal being consisting of three persons. Those persons are God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. From the very first chapter of the Bible, we see God referring to Himself in the plural: “Let us make man in our image. . .” (Gen 1:26). This is the beautiful truth taught by the first chapter of John’s gospel: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) Jesus revealed to his disciples that in seeing Him, they had seen the Father (John 10:30, 14:7-9), and numerous verses likewise refer to the Holy Spirit as God (Matt 28:19, Acts 5:3-4, 1 Cor 12:4-6). Thus, there is one God that exists eternally as three persons, and each person is fully God. So what does God’s triune nature have to do with the fact that He is love? To put it simply, if God were not triune, He would be neither personal nor loving in the eternal sense. You see, love by its very nature is relational. It requires both a subject and an object. Likewise, personhood is realized in relationship. So if God were merely a solitary being without a plurality of persons, He would be neither loving nor personal in and of Himself. He would have had to 4
create others in order to meet this need and completely define Himself. Such an idea is heretical because it means that God needed something beyond Himself to be fully God. Scripture makes it very clear that God has never needed anything -- He is the only being in existence dependent on nothing outside Himself. Acts 17:25 tells us “nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” Because God is a triune being, He has eternally been both personal and relational in Himself, in full independence from His creation. Between the members of the godhead, there exists perfect community, beautiful harmony, and the fullest, most infinite expression of love. So when we read “God is love,” it refers first and foremost to the inter-trinitarian relationships within the eternal godhead. God is love within Himself; the Father, Son, and Spirit love one another and rejoice in one another with righteous eternal fervency. Thus, God did not “need” to create us; He chose to create us. As an act of His divine love, God brought creation into being so that the eternal love of the godhead might abound through His image-bearers, all to the glory of His name. This truth has profound implications when we consider our own relationships. As special creations of a loving God, we were made to love. We are to love Him first with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and then we are to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:29-31). This means the way we love our spouse, our children, our family members, and our friends is to be a reflection of who He is and our identity as His children. Shawn S. Merithew, Ph.D., is senior pastor of Morningview Baptist Church in Montgomery. He may be reached at shawn.merithew@morningview.org.
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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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Rick Warren is one of the bestselling Christian authors of our time. While he has written too few books to compete with the likes of Max Lucado for the greatest number of books sold, the few books he has written have uniformly made their way to the bestseller lists. I have often wondered about why Warren’s books are so successful and here is what I understand as a key factor: He does not simply write books; he creates programs. His books reflect a mountain of ambition. Rick Warren’s latest book is titled The Daniel Plan and, like its predecessors (The Purpose Driven Life/The Purpose Driven Church), it is part of a much wider program—a program meant to revolutionize the lives of those who participate in it. (Do note that this is not The Daniel Diet. Warren does not take the description of Daniel’s diet and make it prescriptive as others have done.) The Daniel Plan had its genesis in a baptism service. In one afternoon, Warren baptized over 800 people, and as he did that, he came face-to-face with his own obesity and the obesity of the people who attend his church. He told his congregation he intended to lose weight and invited them to join him. Where he thought a couple hundred might sign up, he instead saw 15,000 people shed 260,000 pounds in the first year alone. With assistance from experts in medicine and fitness, he led these church members to a transformed life. He calls this program The Daniel Plan and now, through this book and its supporting resources, he is offering it to you and to your church as a forty-day journey to better health. The Plan depends upon five essentials: faith, food, fitness, focus, friends. Rick Warren looks at spiritual health; Dr. Mark Hyman writes about the power of food to affect your mind and body; Dr. Daniel Amen helps you “turn your brain into the powerful tool God made it to be by showing you how to boost its physical health, renew your mind, and fulfill River Region’s Journey
February 2014
your purpose;” and exercise physiologist Sean Foy “removes the roadblocks that keep you from exercising.” The well-known Dr. Mehmet Oz is involved as well, though I am not so clear on his contribution. Two of the essentials, faith and friends, are what Warren calls “the secret sauce” that make this program unique in the midst of a crowded field of books and programs that make roughly the same promises. Warren makes health—a holistic view of health—an important matter of service and sanctification and provides a strong and helpful call to understand physical health as a means to pursuing God’s purpose for us. Warren begins with a discussion of Faith. Knowing that many who read the book will not be Christians, he provides a sound description of the Christian faith and a call to turn to Jesus. While I would have appreciated a stronger explanation of sin and its eternal consequences, Warren does offer his reader a helpful explanation of why the Christian faith matters. Those who were disappointed at the weak gospel call and response in The Purpose Driven Life will be more satisfied with what Warren provides here. The second section is dedicated to Food. The eating portion of The Daniel Plan is rooted in a very simple principle: Take the junk out and let the abundance in. Said simply, when thinking about food, here’s what you need to do: if it was grown on a plant, eat it, but if it was made in a plant, leave it on the shelf. The authors distinguish between food that harms and food that heals, and they advocate all those healthy foods we all love to hate. An appendix contains all the recipes you will need for forty days of healthy eating. After Food comes Fitness and here the authors show how our sedentary lifestyles, our constant sitting, is having a detrimental impact on our health. They call on the reader to become “Daniel Strong” which they define as “a pursuit 6
of excellence in body, mind, and spirit for God’s glory.” Several chapters on Focus comprise what I believe is the weakest section in the book. Here brain renewal is conflated with Romans 12:2 mind renewal, weakening both emphases and doing little to convince. Two chapters focus on Friends and the importance of doing this program in community. The book concludes with plans for exercise and healthy eating. There is much to commend in The Daniel Plan. There are also a few points worthy of critique. My first critique of The Daniel Plan relates to the issue I have pointed out for as long as I have been reading Rick Warren’s books. He continues to use a long list of Bible translations, seemingly choosing translations not on the basis of which is most accurate, but on the basis of which best suits his purpose. Second, there are times where a thin and unconvincing Christian veneer is placed over parts of the Plan, and especially as it relates to fitness and focus. Doing small exercises throughout an otherwise sedentary day is sanctified by suggesting these be called “prayer movements” so that as you do your stretches you think about the Lord and as you touch your toes, you meditate. Of greatest concern is the wider teaching of the experts. I have not looked deeply into what Dr. Oz teaches, but his wider teaching can hardly accord with biblical truth if he is featured on Oprah Winfrey’s show and television network. I am quite sure Dr. Hyman has advocated an eastern-style meditation that is fundamentally opposed to biblical meditation. While The Daniel Plan does not advocate these things, neither does it refute them. In fact, it may open the door to them by elevating the expertise of such men. Those who read beyond The Daniel Plan may find themselves introduced to very dangerous teaching. Those critiques aside, The Daniel Plan has every appearance of a program that deliver what it promises, and especially so in the area of physical health. I agree completely when Warren expresses that too few people are faithfully guarding their health and shaping their bodies in order to live in a healthy way, and I appreciate that he makes this a matter of sanctification.
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Couch to the Best 5k of Your Life Class!
This 10-week class, designed by ACE Certified Personal Trainers, begins March 1st and concludes with Agape’s Run for a Mom 5k and Fun Run on Saturday, May 10th. The $99 Couch to 5k Program fee will INCLUDE the Agape 5k fee ($25 per person). The class will include a 5K training seminar, weekly group workouts including three cross-training workouts designed to increase your running strength, and timed trial runs. All Couch to 5k seminars and weekly group workouts will be held in Montgomery. Don’t just complete a 5k, conquer it! Contact Matt Abele, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, at matt.abele40@gmail.com for more details and to sign up for the program by March 1. Plan for your first 5k and get a discount by completing the couch to 5k class. For more information on the 5k, visit www.runforamom.org.
“Cleave” Marriage Conference and Valentine Banquet
February 14 & 15, 2014 Designed for all married and engaged couples and those anticipating marriage in the near future. Would you love to bring more romance to your relationship as you are empowered to build a happy and peaceful home that is beautiful in design, pleasant in atmosphere and solid in structure? You will be given Scriptural, practical information in a fun-filled setting that will inspire you to become the family that will shine from one generation to the next and leave a lasting legacy for your children. No subject is off limits. Come prepared to receive all you need to “Cleave.” Location: Fresh Anointing International Church, Woodley Road Campus Seminars: Friday 7pm-9pm and Saturday 9am-1pm Banquet: Saturday 6pm-9pm Cost: $40.00 per couple For more information call 334-613-3363.
Saint James UMC Holds Auction to Benefit Missions
“4th Saturday” Outreach Event in Downtown Montgomery River City Church, a United Methodist congregation, invites the entire community to a 4th Saturday Outreach event on February 22 from 9am11am at the church, located at 301 Dexter Avenue. Admission is free. The River Region will have access to medical screenings, dental screenings, career services, free haircuts, canned goods and hygiene kits (while they last). Participants can register for a drawing for a weekly bus pass. During the 2-hour period, attendees can speak with prayer partners, and purchase items in the River City Rummage Sale located on the lower level of the church. Nurses will screen for diabetes (glucose testing), assess body mass index, blood pressure, and other vital signs. A dentist from Health Services Inc. will perform dental screenings. Volunteers will also provide homework help and a craft for children. To volunteer for the event, or for more information, please call 2630549 or visit www.rivercityumc.com. River Region’s Journey
February 2014
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On Saturday, February 22, Saint James United Methodist Church will hold an auction to benefit youth and children missions. The auction will begin on Saturday, February 22, at 4:00 p.m. and last until 6:00 p.m. Visitors may preview items on Friday, February 21, from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. There is no cost for admission. Items featured include antique furniture and rugs from Pickwick Antiques, original artwork, jewelry, salon and boutique certificates, gift cards from local restaurants, and vacation home rentals. Visit www.sjlifeauction. com for a preview of items. This marks the 5th year that the church has held a spring auction benefiting missions. Last year, the auction helped send 75 youth on mission trips to Alabama Rural Ministries in Tuskegee and to The Widow’s Ministry in Chattanooga, TN. They were also able to work with half a dozen other churches and local ministries in the Montgomery area including: Brantwood Children’s Home, Wesley Gardens Retirement Community, and Common Ground. Proceeds from this year’s auction will benefit mission projects in Honduras, the Appalachian Mountains, and at Georgia Washington Middle School in Montgomery, AL.
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Newsboys, Lecrae, Tenth Avenue North, Thousand Foot Krutch, Plumb, NewSong, Colton Dixon, Love & The Outcome, Everfound, Derek Minor Formerly PRo and Nick Hall February 9, 6:00 pm BJCC Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, 2100 Richard Arrington Boulevard $10 at the door, no tickets required! Visit www.jamtour.com for more info.
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Upward Soccer in February
Time for another exciting season of soccer! Whether your child is new to the sport, or a returning player, there’s plenty of fun and
learning at upward sports. Registration is for K-5 thru 8th grade boys and girls. Teams play at Harvest Fields Community Church, 4280 Deatsville Hwy (5 miles north of Hwy14/Millbrook). Registration is $65. Soccer jersey and award ceremony gifts are included in cost. (Soccer shorts are optional at $15). League Schedule: First Practice is Monday, February 17, 2014 First Game is Saturday, March 1, 2014 Awards Celebration is Saturday, May 10, 2014 For more information, contact Pastor Bill Gallahair at 334-202-4985 or register online at www.harvestfieldschurch.com. 9
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River Region’s Journey
100 Years Young & Still Dancing
David Flett Gorrie is a Montgomery native, born in the family home located on what is now Madison Avenue in Montgomery, Alabama. He is one of seven children born to James Magnus Gorrie, Sr. and Catharine Adams Gorrie on December 3, 1913. David’s family owned D.F. Gorrie and Son Lumber Company. In fact, his father and grandfather built the first hanger in Montgomery for the Wright Brothers in 1910. When WWII started, David enlisted, serving in the Army Air Core as an aircraft mechanic crew chief. After returning from the war, he worked with his father for a while and then went on to work with the State of Alabama in a few different positions before retiring from the Finance Department. David married Gertrude Bethune on December 28, 1941. They were married 45 years before she passed away in 1987. They have one son, Robert David Gorrie, three grandchildren, six great grandchildren and one great, great grandchild. David also has a niece, Marion Gorrie, who takes him dancing. One of David’s favorite activities is ballroom dancing, which he has been doing for over 85 years. Every Friday night, you can find him dancing at the 301 Club at River City Church. He enjoys waltzing with the ladies, and in fact, they usually ask him to dance! David also keeps busy gardening and attending church activities. Brought up in a Christian home, church has always been an important part of David’s life. He has been a very active member and a deacon at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Montgomery. We wish David a Happy 100th Birthday and best wishes for many more dances in the years ahead!
Vince Gill and Amy Grant February 14 @ 7:30 p.m. TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Montgomery Performing Arts Centre Box Office: 334-481-5100 Or visit www.mpaconline.org
Email ministry or church news to deanne@readjourneymagazine.com.
For EvEry G E n E r at i o n . Prattville First United Methodist Church 100 E. 4th Street, Prattville, AL 36067 T R A D IT IO N A L W O R S H IP 8 : 3 0 A M & 11: 00 A M S U N D AY S C H O O L 9 : 4 5 A M T H E W E L L 11 : 0 0 AM
www.prattvillemethodist.org River Region’s Journey
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Married Couples Conference & Retreat
What Did You Expect? with Paul David Tripp
Please join us February 12-14, 2014, for the 9th Annual Married Couples Conference & Retreat, to be held in Montgomery, Alabama, at the Embassy Suites Hotel. The conference will be hosted by Rev. and Mrs. Walter Ellis of Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church. Come and enrich your marriage! The registration deadline is January 31, 2014. For more information and to register, visit the Married Couples Conference page on the website, www.nationalbaptist.com.
Eastmont Baptist Church, 4505 Atlanta Highway Join Paul David Tripp as he redeems the realities of marriage in this weekend conference. Learn how a marriage of unity, understanding, and love is rooted in worship. This conference is hosted by Eastmont Baptist Church, Morningview Baptist Church, and First Presbyterian Church of Montgomery. Friday, 7 February 7:00 pm – 9:15 pm Saturday, 8 February 9:00 am – 12:15 pm For more information, please email Logan Blackmon at leblackmon@gmail.com.
Agape’s Crisis Pregnancy Service Strengthened with New Team Member
Agape of Central Alabama is proud to announce their newest member on staff, Amber Duke. Amber began working with Agape in January as the Maternity Services Coordinator and is currently expanding Agape’s services in the Montgomery area. Amber will help educate and support women who find themselves in a crisis pregnancy, as well as educate teens on pregnancy prevention and their options if they become pregnant. Her role will also be to help provide one-on-one counseling to mothers and offer them options so that each woman can make an informed decision for herself and her child’s future, whether it is parenting the baby or making an adoption plan. Women who find themselves in a crisis or unplanned pregnancy can call or text Amber at any time (day or not) at 334-322-5409. Contact for Amber can also be made through email at aduke@agapeforchildren.org. For more information on Agape’s crisis pregnancy services, visit www.agapeforchildren.org.
One of the many reasons to smile...
“ ” Prattville Location 460 McQueen Smith Road Prattville, AL 36066 (334) 358-6411
www.SmilesFromUs.com 11
February 2014
River Region’s Journey
GOD and the Problem of Evil One of the most difficult questions facing any Christian—indeed, any believer in God—is this: how can a loving God allow the amount of suffering we see in the world? If God is good, then He must desire that people not suffer. If God is all-knowing, then He is aware of all the suffering that occurs. And if God is all-powerful, then He is strong enough to prevent all the suffering that occurs. So what gives? Why doesn’t God prevent it? Shouldn’t there be, at a minimum, much less pain and evil in the world? Questions like these are sometimes raised in highly personal, emotionally charged contexts, such as when a person has unexpectedly lost a loved one. To those questions, I am afraid, a philosophy professor whose life has been rather easy has almost nothing to say—and even less in the pages of a magazine. But questions about God and evil are also, quite frequently, raised in intellectual contexts. Many people wonder whether the amount of suffering in the world makes it unreasonable to believe in a loving God. And that is a subject on which a philosopher might actually have something useful to offer. Many millions of words have been written on this topic, but here are two especially important things to consider. First: God’s wisdom exceeds ours by an unfathomable degree. If theism is true, we should expect that the reasons for God’s choices—though always perfectly good— will often be beyond our ability to comprehend. Consider what it might be like to be a baby whose mother takes him to the doctor, or a child whose beloved older brother neglects him in favor of a new girlfriend. From the perspective of an adult, the importance of medical care and the appeal of romance are clear and understandable. River Region’s Journey
February 2014
The mother and older brother act in ways that we find totally comprehensible. But from other points of view—the baby’s, the younger brother’s—their actions may seem inexplicable. All the baby knows is that he’s being hurt. All the child knows is that Candyland seems a lot more interesting than sitting and talking with a girl. Now think again of the difference between us and God. If teenagers can appreciate values to which children are blind, how much more so might God himself appreciate values to which we are blind? The skeptic who asserts that the existence of suffering makes belief in God unreasonable needs to think more cautiously about the limitations of our minds. Second: our awareness of evil is evidence for God’s existence. Here’s how. Our reaction, when faced with genuine evil, is not merely to say, “Oh, how unpleasant! I dislike that [murder/rape/genocide/ etc.] very much.” We say something much stronger. We say, “That is wrong! Things shouldn’t be like that.” And there’s a world of difference between merely disliking something and believing that the world “shouldn’t be like that.” In my view, that difference constitutes a compelling reason to believe in God. For even as we shudder at reports of injustice and wonder, with the psalmist, “How long, Lord?”, our very response to 12
evil contains a recognition that the way the world should be is different from the way the world is. In an atheistic universe, however, such a response is silly. There is no plan for the universe, no “right” way to live, no cosmic justice. Stuff happens, and that’s it. Some of what happens is pleasant, and some is unpleasant. But, if atheism is true, the idea that the universe “shouldn’t be like that” becomes a laughable one. The only kind of universe that can go wrong is a universe that can also go right. And the only kind of universe that can go right is a universe designed by a good and wise creator. Thus, if real evil exists…then God does, too.
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I suffer from the syndrome “Too much to do; too little time”. I’m a professional woman with a heavy travel schedule, married, two children. Over the last several years I’ve become an expert at multitasking. Outwardly, things appear to be running smoothly in my life, but inwardly I feel overwhelmed, tense and stressed. What’s happened to me? Unfortunately, that woman’s experience is not unusual. According to a study by the American Psychological Association, one-third of Americans feel they are living with extreme stress with nearly half of Americans (48 %) saying their stress has increased over the past five years. Furthermore, stress is not a new condition. Moses, while leading the people of Israel out of slavery from Egypt, exhibited great stress over his role. Speaking to the Diving, he lamented: “I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now.” (Numbers 11:14-15, NIV) The reality is that stress is ever present. However, the other reality is that stress can be managed. Here are ten simple lifestyle approaches to address your stress. River Region’s Journey
February 2014
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1) Relax, relax, relax.
Probably the last thing you may want to try when stressed is simply relaxing, yet it may be the best thing you could do to relieve stress. So important is relaxation, that stress management expert Dr. Frank Lawlis offers this advice in his book The Stress Answer: “Give yourself at least thirty minutes every day to relax. You deserve it, and it will make you healthier. Listen to a relaxation CD, play a relaxing game or sing a song.” Dr. Lawlis says relaxation allows the brain to restore patterns which have been disrupted by stress. “The value of relaxing is not just a once-in-awhile thing, and is definitely not something you do only when you can scrounge up the time. Relaxation is essential to your emotional and physical health. It needs to become a process as basic as brushing your teeth,” he adds.
2) Reclaim the Sabbath.
Much of life’s stresses could be reduced if more people observed the commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh Day is a Sabbath.” (Exodus 20:8) Carving out one day a week devoted to worship and leisure can offset the stressors which emerge during the other six days. Some suggestions for doing this include: • Preparing the main Sunday meal on Saturday night. Then it only needs to be warmed up on Sunday. • Attending worship and later reflecting on insights gleaned. • Postponing all but the most basic of tasks. • Avoiding reading and responding to email, voice and text messages. • Taking a leisurely stroll through a park or forest.
3) Loosen your grip.
We all tend to operate with the feeling that life should run smoothly, predictably and in ways that are supportive and comfortable. When that doesn’t happen, stress results. Try to loosen your grip on the way life ought to be and flow with the way it is. Consider Beth’s experience. “Following my second child’s birth, nothing seemed to be going right. My baby shrieked for hours every night and
shunned sleep (unlike her placid brother), and my ‘sure thing’ job prospect dissolved, despite a year of diligent networking and financial necessity.” Her stress levels were very high. As she drove home one day, she passed graffiti on a fence which read: Let go. Upon seeing it, Beth began to laugh. She adopted “let go” as her mantra. “I let go of how my daughter ‘should’ be and stopped making her into her brother. I let go of my job search and decided to bloom where I’m planted. Now, when I feel myself pushing up against a brick wall, I stop, breathe, and relinquish control.”
4) Use music.
Music is therapeutic and healing. When you’re feeling stressed and depressed, tap into music’s healing power. Play music which lifts and shifts your spirit. The power of music to do this was known and used in Bible times. In 1 Samuel 16:11-18 when Saul, the Israelite King, suffered from depression and stress, his servants began to search for a skilled harpist to play so that Saul’s health could be restored. They brought David who “would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better…” (1 Samuel 16:22 NIV)
5) Get physical.
Exercise delivers two powerful benefits: it reduces stress and improves overall physical, mental and emotional health. James Manktelow, author of Manage Stress: Take Back Control in Your Life, cites the following benefits from physical activity: • Exercise improves blood flow to the brain, bringing additional sugars and oxygen that may be needed when you are actively engaged in thinking intensively. • It speeds the flow of blood through your brain, removing waste products faster and improving brain function. • It can cause the release of chemicals called endorphins into your blood stream. These give you a feeling of happiness, and positively affect your overall wellbeing. • Physically fit people have less extreme physiological responses when under pressure than those who are unfit, making them better able to handle the long-term effects of stress. 15
6) Have a happy meal.
When stressed, many head into the kitchen and eat “comfort” food. This choice is usually unhealthy made up of sugary, fatty, salty foods and caffeinated drinks. These do nothing to help the body offset stress. Treating stressful times with food is not a bad idea. However, wise nutritional choices need to be made. Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician told students and patients: “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” Best foods for stress relief include: fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and legumes.
7) Allow nature to nurture.
“Anyone can benefit from spending more time with nature,” says John Davis, PhD., Naropa University professor of psychology. He explains that our ancestors were more closely connected to nature and that today’s lack of contact with nature contributes to the higher stress levels humans currently experience. Some ways to re-connect with nature are taking lunch breaks in parks and exercising outdoors. Even being in the presence of potted plants reduces stress levels. In a recent study of 90 patients recovery from surgery, Kansas State University researchers discovered those with plants in their rooms had less anxiety and fatigue, lower blood pressure, and fewer intakes of pain meditation than patients without plants. “Regardless of how much contact with nature you have, more will generally be better,” Dr. David adds.
8) Compile a joy list.
That’s the advice of spiritual writer Thich Nhat Hanh who says: Please take a pen and sheet of paper. Go to the foot of a tree or to your writing desk and make a list of all the things that can make you happy right now: the clouds in the sky, the flowers in the garden, the children playing … your beloved ones sitting the next room, your two eyes in good condition. The list is endless. You have enough already to be happy now. You have enough to no longer be agitated by fear or anger.” Rev. Victor M. Parachin is a minister, journalist and author of a dozen books. February 2014
River Region’s Journey
My role is to manage the operation of the facility itself, the incubation and coworking program while interfacing with value added Chamber initiatives that can positively affect River Region business growth and development. The most rewarding part of my job is helping would be entrepreneurs realize their dreams of owning their own business, while doing something they enjoy and are passionate about. Tell us how you came to believe in Christ? This is by far the most difficult question to answer with brevity. I was raised in a Christian home where I learned about Jesus, Bible stories, and was forced to attend church regularly. When I graduated college and left home at the age of 22, God orchestrated my life in such a way that ultimately brought me to a fuller awareness of my condition and need for a Savior. It was in sincere desperation to save my marriage that I confessed my sins and asked Jesus into my life. Again, in the interest of brevity, I’ve omitted many things that occurred that truly reveal how God guided me to that place of decision. He has been my guiding light ever since. I sincerely believe that my life script written on God’s grace was stirred by the prayers of my mother and grandmother. You work at the Small Business Resource Center (SBRC). For our readers who aren’t familiar with the SBRC, can you tell them what goes on there? The SBRC’s mission is to facilitate the growth and development of small business in the River Region through the delivery of mentoring, training, business incubation and coworking. The Incubation Program is a formal program that significantly impacts a participant’s likelihood of being successful. Coworking is a less formal program designed to provide an entrepreneurial environment for those who would otherwise work from home or a public space such as a coffee shop. The SBRC is a non-profit organization operated by the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. Specifically, what is your role there and what would you say is the most rewarding part of your job? River Region’s Journey
February 2014
How does your faith in Christ affect your role at the Small Business Resource Center? Allowing Christ to live through me is a daily challenge that I have grown in. It’s not as difficult today as it first was, but it is nonetheless a daily walk. With the leading of the Holy Spirit, I endeavor to live by Proverbs 3:6 (In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths). I’ve come to know that God cares about everything in my life and wants to be included in all my decisions. I try to include him in those decisions no matter how big or small. When I was a child older blacks encouraged young blacks to be a credit to their race. In the same vain, I want to always be a credit to my God. Spending 20 years in the Air Force all over the world, 10 years in several roles with the old Blount Strange Automotive Group, and now in your current role with 16
the Chamber, what have been the hardest obstacles for living out your faith? Overcoming self has been and will always be my greatest obstacle. As Paul talks about in his first letter to the Corinthians, bringing my body into subjection is my number one struggle. From studying God’s word, to prayer, to being a faithful husband, the flesh always presents challenges that require faith and discipline to overcome. Satan is constantly present, trying to derail my faith and it takes an uncompromising belief that God will never leave me or forsake me to keep me on track. Are their certain spiritual habits you would say have helped you meet these challenges? The number one is prayer. When I’m communicating with God on a daily basis that’s when I am my strongest. Also, make up your mind how you will respond to situations before they arise. If you face difficult situations with unresolved commitment you are likely to make the wrong decisions. Prayerfully join a body of believers and attend regularly, especially when you don’t feel like it. I’m stronger when I’m connected to Christ’s flock.
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How would you encourage other Christians living out their “Faith @ Work”? I don’t see living out my faith at work any differently than living out my faith at home or anywhere else. It requires constant upline communications with God. I constantly remind myself that I’m not responsible for the outcomes, God is. I’m responsible for being obedient to his Word and seeking the leadership of his Spirit. Understanding that principle helps me keep things in perspective. Douglas Jones was born and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama. He earned a B.S. degree Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University, and a graduate degree from Troy University at Montgomery. He also did other graduate work at Auburn University at Montgomery. Douglas is married to Antoinette and they have two sons: Torrando Station of Tracie, California, and Douglas, III of Montgomery. Douglas enjoys golf and spending time with his wife and grandsons and says, “Life is good when I can do all three at the same time.” Douglas and Antoinette attend Freewill Missionary Baptist Church in Montgomery.
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February 2014
River Region’s Journey
A Beautiful Blur Ecclesiastes 3:1: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Do you ever feel like your life is a blur? Your days are filled with trying to get children to and fro, work, supporting your spouse, cleaning the house, making dinner, watching school sports or activities, attending church programs, remembering to pick your children up again, trying to get in a workout and then hoping to hit your pillow at a decent hour so you can get a little rest before starting all over again! Sound familiar? A co-worker and I who both have teenaged children were explaining our busy days to one another at work recently when another co-worker whose children are grown stepped out of her office to say, “Enjoy this time, you won’t ever have anything like it again.” She went on to say, “You’re at a time in your life where everyone in your family has the same focus--it’s all centered around the family doing things together. Once your children start driving and especially when they go off to college, you won’t have that anymore.” So true. It was during that conversation when we named this season of life, when it seems we are truly taking in “every activity under the heavens” at once, a beautiful blur. Yes it’s busy, at times hectic, but don’t miss that it’s a beautiful time of togetherness and focus. River Region’s Journey
February 2014
I just recently went through jury selection and when the judge asked us to stand and briefly say what we do in our spare time, there were many answers from parents who feel they have no spare time. “My wife and I have a two year old, that’s my spare time,” said the first potential juror. Another young father said, “My wife and I have a three year old, he’s our life.” I thought to myself, “Welcome to the blur,” and I had to smile. They’ve only scratched the surface of how great the coming years will be. Even when some of those blurry years are tough, and they will be, when you’re focused and centered, it’s still beautiful. Hebrews 12:1-2: “And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” While your actions and energy are focused on making things work for your family, don’t miss that the true beauty comes when the larger focus is all about Jesus. While school activities, sporting events, church camps and ministries can throw us into a blur, our true focus, where we start and finish each day, must remain on living for Jesus. I love the lyrics of the song “Jesus at the Center”: Jesus at the center of it all Jesus at the center of it all From beginning to the end It will always be, it’s always been You Jesus, Jesus. 18
Nothing else matters, nothing in this world will do Jesus You’re the center, everything revolves around You Jesus You, at the center of it all, The center of it all. It’s all about You Jesus. I have to think that’s how we keep the beauty of the beautiful blur, even when the blur ends. When children go another direction and we’re no longer working to get to the same activity, we can still have a common focus. One larger than a football or basketball game, bigger than a band concert or even a wonderful night of worship at church. One that forever bonds our spirits and fills us with peace, joy and a certainty that we’re together even when we’re apart. And for now, in the heart of the blur, as we help our children discover and develop their gifts, let’s keep Jesus at the center of it all. Let’s smile when we’re pushed to the limit, when it seems there aren’t enough hours in the day, and celebrate this season God is allowing us to live. Dear Heavenly Father, Please help us to see you clearly in the beautiful blur. May you always be at the center of our lives and thank you for allowing us to share the love and laughter of family. Give us the strength and humility to keep our eyes forever focused on you. In the name of your loving Son who died so that we could live great big lives, knowing you, we pray, Amen.
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River Region’s Journey
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And it doesn’t stop there. Technology has added a whole new arena to the world of being a teen. Social media allows teenagers to live in a world they can carefully craft. They can project an image to those around them without having to be vulnerable or share their pain or insecurities.
Know what to do in case of suspected concussion.
Area Director Chris Campos (right) & Urban Director Kenyatte Hassell (left). Photo by Lori Mercer.
But what if there were adults who could look past all of that and share a different way to live? Enter Young Life, a ministry whose beginnings reach all the way back to the early 1940s. Young Life formed in response to an emerging adolescent subculture, the center of which was the world of the high school. Kids’ lives revolved around their school and the first Young Life leaders realized that to reach kids who had no interest in organized religion, they would have to understand and be present in that world. Young Life has helped introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and to help them grow in their faith through recruiting caring adults, known as Young Life Leaders, with a passion to build genuine friendships with the teenagers in their city. It’s through the consistency of these relationships where they earn the right to be heard by their young friends. For more than seven decades, God has blessed the Young Life staff, increasing its numbers from five to more than 3,500 — from one club in Texas to clubs in nearly every corner of the world.
Young Life Montgomery
One of those corners started here in Montgomery in 1970. Led by Area Director Chris Campos, Young Life Montgomery believes all kids need someone to stand
A concussion
is an injury caused by a blow to the head in which the brain moves rapidly and may collide with the inside of the skull. Even a minor fall or collision may be of concern, so be alert to symptoms such as headaches, unsteadiness, confusion or other types of abnormal behavior.
Any athlete with a suspected concussion: l Should be IMMEDIATELY REMOVED FROM PLAY/ACTIVITY l Should be urgently assessed medically l Should not be left alone l Should not drive a motor vehicle
CONCUSSION CLINIC 205.934.1041 www.Childrens AL.org/concussion IN CASE OF MEDICAL EMERGENCY, CALL 911 OR GO DIRECTLY TO YOUR LOCAL ER
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River Region’s Journey
beside them, be with them in the trenches of adolescence and hang out with them with no agenda other than to love them. “One of the really special things about Young Life is the importance of relationships,” says Chris. “It’s really all we are about.” Chris hopes he and the other people who make Young Life happen in Montgomery can show kids that they don’t have to perform for them or be smart enough or athletic enough or talented enough to be loved by adults who have been there and want to be there for them, too. “It’s a beautiful fit,” says Chris. “And our staff and committee long for the day where every teenager will walk a little taller because they have a relationship with someone who points them to truth and helps them filter out the lies they are told every day.” Currently, Young Life Montgomery has two staff; one full-time area director, Chris, and one part-time urban director, Kenyatte Hassell. Both of these young men were greatly affected by Young Life when they were growing up and are working to multiply what they received with others. The organization depends heavily on the time given by volunteers who are trained to go out and be the hands and feet of the ministry. Young Life volunteers give up hours a week to step out of what is comfortable for them to be where teenagers are. Wherever you find teenagers, you’ll likely find a Young Life leader who just wants to show them that they matter. “One of the things that we are particularly proud of in Montgomery is how closely our staff works to build a ministry that is united by our mission and the work we do to carry that out in all parts of the community,” says Chris. And how do kids respond to this? To these adults – whether college students, recent grads, young adults or even businessmen and women - with a passion for young people to look past the “typical” teenager stigma and into their lives? “The kids respond in positive ways because they see there are no false motives or hidden objectives,” explains Chris. “We simply want them to know they are important River Region’s Journey
February 2014
exactly how they are. And if they decide the message we bring them [the Gospel] is not for them, it doesn’t change our approach. It would be a shame if we sought them out only because we expected something from them.” Young Life has a unique position that allows them to reach kids who often get overlooked or who are falling through the cracks. Young Life is a non-denominational ministry and not affiliated with one particular church, but is supported by many local churches who see the value in the work Young Life is able to do outside church walls. “Sometimes, there are things about faith that are threatening to kids,” says Chris. “Young Life is able to navigate that from a different position. Our leaders come from all walks of life, are members of churches all over, but at their core they believe that life is found in Jesus.” It’s from this place of openness and relationship-driven ministry that allows Young Life to point kids back into a church –whether that be where their family is, there friends are, or where their Young Life leader goes. “Our goal as leaders is to ultimately connect kids to a body and community that will help them grow for the long haul,” says Chris. “We like to see ourselves as a connecting point – one where we connect with them where they are.” Whether that is playing basketball at a community center, at Starbucks studying for a test, at the Y working out, or at school activities, Young Life’s commitment to let what they do happen on the turf of the kids they serve allows them to gain their trust, their ear, and most importantly, their friendship. “It becomes about helping these friends realize their need for Jesus and also develop skills, assets and attitudes to reach their God-given potential.”
A Time-Tested Approach to Ministering to Kids
So, how has Young Life been successful and endured through changing times? Young Life began with a few simple ideas about sharing the truth of God’s love with adolescents. Those same ideas have become timetested methods for reaching out to students. For the last seven decades these five ideas have proven to be the foundation Young Life continues to build upon:
1) Caring for Kids — Contact Work
Young Life believes it’s true that, “kids don’t care how much you know until they know 22
how much you care.” Young Life leaders show they care by going where kids are and believing the best about them. Chris says they call the persistent going out into the world of kids “contact work.” But it’s really just about being friends.
2) A Party with a Purpose — Club
And no, they don’t mean strobe lights or loud music – or maybe they do!? Each week, Young Life staff and leaders meet with their students at a determined location to play crazy games, sing songs and hear a message about God’s love for them. It’s this environment where they can bring friends, be with people who care about them and grow together. And when it’s not a “Club” night, you can find most Young Life leaders and staff at sporting events, performances or just hanging out with the kids. The “power of presence”, as they call it, goes farther than just a night a week.
3) The Best Week of Their Life — Camp
Young Life Camp, also called “the best week of their life” by students themselves, is something students and staff alike look forward to each year. It’s a week where deep relationships are forged and memories are made. To top it off, they can experience and listen to the best thing of all: the good news of Jesus.
4) A Time to Question, Learn and Grow — Campaigners
Campaigners is a weekly gathering for kids who wish to learn more or grow in their faith through study, service and leadership. Young Life leaders invite kids to actively follow Jesus Christ and encourage kids to grow in their faith and celebrate their commitment through participation in a local congregation where they can be surrounded and supported by people who can help them in the long haul.
5) Adults Who Care — Committee
Young Life is making a difference in the lives of kids around the world because they are supported by adults who care about kids in their community. For every talented Young Life staff person there is a team of dedicated leaders who works directly with kids. In each community, the local “committee,” comprised of parents, Young Life alumni and civic leaders, provides a foundation of financial, administrative and moral support for the local Young Life team. At the end of the day, Chris and Kenyatte believe they have one of the most rewarding jobs as they watch middle school and high school kids slowly realize there is more to life than what their friends and those around them are settling for. “We go through
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life paralyzed and tied to our mats (like the guy in Mark 2), but thankfully we have parents, adults, and leaders to carry that mat and lay it before Jesus,” says Chris. “And then He tells us to get up and live life the way he designed. It’s a joy to see that change occur, even if it takes years.” It seems Young Life Montgomery is doing just that: carrying mats of the kids in Montgomery and bringing them to Jesus.
Where is Young Life Montgomery? Trinity St. James Montgomery Academy LAMP Lee High School Jefferson Davis High School Carver High School
GOD HAS A PLAN AND A PURPOSE FOR ME
How to Get Involved
Volunteer- Chris and Kenyatte hope to have a deeper presence in the schools they are already in, but are limited only by the number of volunteers. “The more adults we are able to train and send out, the more kids we are able to reach,” says Chris. “The more relationships and connections we are able to make in the community, the more doors that will be opened, the more funding that will come in to sustain the ministry that is happening.” The bottom line is this: if Young Life is to reach teens throughout the city of Montgomery they have to have community representation and involvement and ownership. “As long as kids are walking the halls of high schools in Montgomery, there will always be an opportunity for Young Life leaders to show up and shine truth,” says Chris. No matter where you are in life, anyone can have the opportunity to build friendships and invest in the future generation. Give- Donors are vital to Young Life Montgomery. Financial support helps areas hire and train staff and provide essential administrative support to the area. Your contributions also support operating expenses such as salaries and other ministry costs and can help send kids to Young Life camp. Support- The next fundraiser for Young Life Montgomery is on April 12th. Their 5th Annual Young Life Run for the Kids 5K will run through Cloverdale. They need volunteers, runners, sponsors and everything in between. Find more information at 5k.ylmontgomery.com.
EVANGEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Evangel Christian Academy exists to partner with Christian parents to provide their child with a Christ-centered education. Our desire is to help each child achieve their God-given potential through providing activities designed to foster spiritual, academic and social growth. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord... Jeremiah 29:11
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Rachel Fisher lives in Montgomery with her husband, Chase. She writes just about anything, but particularly loves uncovering the ways God is at work in the world around her and sharing those stories.
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Top 10 Topics of 2013 It’s time once again to present my leading topics from the previous year, highlighted on The Meeting House on Faith Radio. Here are my “Top 10 Topics of 2013” impacting the Christian community. 10 – Transitions in leadership regarding international religious freedom
There is concern about the freedom of people worldwide to practice their faith. On the international front, changes in leadership in positions of influence took place: Suzan Johnson Cook resigned as the State Department’s ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom and Dr. Robert George, co-author of the Manhattan Declaration, was elected chairman of the U.S. Council on International Religious Freedom.
9 – Middle East unrest: Transition in Egypt, civil war in Syria
Two key nations in the Middle East experienced significant unrest during 2013. In Egypt, Coptic Christians were part of a coalition forcing President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood out of power. Meanwhile, in Syria, the civil war raged on. Christians in both nations faced uncertainty and fear.
8 – IRS places conservative and religious organizations under increased scrutiny
Reports surfaced about the Internal Revenue Service placing certain groups, especially those with a conservative point of view, under increased scrutiny when they applied for non-profit status. A number of Christian organizations were subjected to delays and extensive questioning.
7 – Gosnell trial raises awareness about brutality of abortion
The murder trial of abortionist Kermit Gosnell raised awareness of the brutality of abortion. Information revealed at the trial can serve to remind us this activity is part of an entire abortion industry that is devoted to taking the lives of preborn children. Gosnell was sentenced to life in prison in the murder of three babies. River Region’s Journey
February 2014
6 – Concerns over religious freedom in the military There has been significant attention regarding religious rights for those serving in the U.S. military. There were reports of service men and women being reprimanded for expressing their religious views, the removal of religious images from military bases, training materials reflecting a bias toward Christians, and other troubling signs. The Defense Department attempted to define appropriate ways for men and women in uniform to express their faith.
5 – Boy Scouts vote to accept openly gay members, Trail Life USA is formed
A leadership group of the Boy Scouts of America voted to change the organization’s long-standing policy and admit openly gay boys as members. As an alternative, Trail Life USA, a character-based organization for boys based on Christian values, was formed.
4 – My Hope America with Billy Graham spreads gospel
An evangelistic outreach that had been implemented in some 57 countries by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association was brought to America with My Hope America With Billy Graham, which involved Christians inviting people into their homes to watch a video message and hear a personal testimony. Reportedly, around 25,000 churches were represented in the effort.
3 – Pope Benedict resigns, Pope Francis chosen as successor
Pope Benedict announced his resignation, and in a swift vote, an Argentinian priest was selected as the successor and chose the name Pope Francis I. His overall tone and approach could be described as compassionate, with a strong commitment to traditional Catholic doctrine, even though some of his comments may have been misrepresented by the media.
2 – Affordable Care Act launches with problematic implementation, funding of 24
abortion, and more lawsuits relative to contraception mandate
The Affordable Care Act launched, and in addition to website issues and policy cancellations, pro-life organizations noted that the funding of abortion was still present in the Act. The mandate for employers to provide free contraception and abortion-inducing drugs in their health care plans continued to face court challenges. The Alliance Defending Freedom reported a year-end scorecard: non-profit religious entities received temporary relief by an 18-1 margin; the score in favor of for-profit companies was 35-6. The U.S. Supreme Court indicated it would hear two cases involving companies filing suit against the mandate.
1 – Supreme Court strikes down part of DOMA, lets district court ruling against Prop. 8 stand, without ruling on constitutionality
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a portion of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, allowing Federal benefits for same-sex couples who were “married” in states where such unions were legal. In the case of California’s marriage amendment, Proposition 8, the high court stated that those attempting to defend the law were ineligible to do so. A lower Federal court ruling against Prop. 8, in a suit brought by two gay couples in California, was upheld. The Supreme Court did not use the case to declare that there was a constitutional right to gay marriage. This is a purely personal ranking of important stories and represents some relevant content on The Meeting House during the previous year. It is important to be aware of these topics and trends, so that we can craft a credible and Biblical response. 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.
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Love Finds a Safe Place You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord. Jeremiah 29:13, 14 I was raised in a house divided when it came to going to church. Dad wanted to go, but mom didn’t and would try to sabotage his efforts. She thought church was full of hypocrites, so why waste your time? There were many fights on Sunday mornings with no winners. Years later, my parents divorced, and I stopped going to church. Somewhere in that scenario, I got lost as a teenager. I had no direction for my life, no safe place to be. My parents were trying to piece their own lives back together after the divorce, and they couldn’t give me what they didn’t have themselves. I started using drugs as an escape, and it worked for me for many years. Finally, I reached a low point where I wanted more. At 22 years of age, I remember praying, “God please help me. I am so tired of this lifestyle, but don’t know how to change”. I didn’t know how to pray a long, detailed prayer, but that was enough. Just days later, I met Mike, my husband, who had grown up with a different attitude about God than I did. He started taking me to church and as the years went by, we began teaching the little children about Jesus. I had to open my Bible and study because I was the teacher. I learned all the stories I River Region’s Journey
February 2014
should have learned in my childhood. and direction to pass on to our descenWe taught the children for many years dents. and eventually joined an adult Sunday It is our conviction that your marschool class which taught us how to riage can’t be all that God intends it to apply passages in the Bible to our marbe unless God is at the center of your riage and family. I was truly amazed marriage, and God can’t be at the center to discover how much the Bible had to unless you have a personal relationoffer! I couldn’t Wherever you are, I invite you to pray along with get enough me to trust Christ for the forgiveness of your and sins and make him Lord of your life, saying, made “I am a sinner and need you to be my Savior. lots of notes Thank you for dying on the cross for me.” during The gift of salvation and a changed life in Christ class which I is yours for the asking. If you prayed that prayer, would you are now declared a child of God! read over and over in the weeks to come. I came to a point when ship with Him. If someone like me I was ready to give my life to Christ. I could make a 180 degree turn and find prayed the sinner’s prayer quietly dureverlasting life by trusting a Savior ing an invitation in church one Sunday. who was there for me when I reached I was 30 years old. the end of myself, then I know that the Looking back on all of that, I know same Savior is there for you, too. Jesus if God had not answered my prayer is the love of my life and provides a for help that day, I would not be where safe place for all who ask Him. I am today--a mother of three lovely young women, a grandmother of three Lt. Col Mike Conn and wife, Lisa, founded Covenant precious and promising little ones, and Family Ministries when Mike retired from the Air a wife who has loved her husband for Force in 1997. CFM is an independent marriage and more than 32 years. Mike and I would family education ministry committed to partnering with churches, organizations, and individuals in not have a God-driven marriage and Montgomery and across Alabama to build Family family ministry to couples, nor would Teams for Christ. Married for over 30 years, Mike and Lisa have three daughters, two sons-in-law, and we have a strong legacy of God’s love two grandchildren.
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2416 W. Cloverdale Park Montgomery, AL 36106 334.834.8990 www.fumcmontgomery.org
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Adoption
Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy and Glynwood Baptist Church, Prattville APAC- Alabama Pre/Post Adoption Connection Support Group provides education and social interaction for adoptive families. Montgomery Group meets 3rd Thursdays, 6-7:30 p.m., Room 8114 at Frazer UMC. For information, call Hannah Taylor at 409-9477 or the church office at 272-8622. Autauga/Elmore Group meets 4th Tuesdays, 6-7:30 p.m., Glynwood Baptist Church, Prattville. Childcare, children’s group and dinner provided. For more info, call 409-9477 or e-mail htaylor@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 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: Cloverdale Baptist, 608 E. Fairview Celebrate Recovery, a Bible-based Christ centered approach to recovery from hurts, habits and hang-ups, meets Friday nights, beginning with dinner at 5:30 p.m., Praise and worship, 6:30, Open Share Small Groups, 7:30, and Cafe, at 8:30. Call 265-9223. 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: 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 5:30pm (meal), 6pm (large group), 7pm (small group). Childcare available. Call Larry at 334-832-5714 or visit myjourneychurch.com. 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 @ 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 AnonymousSaturdays at 7 p.m.
Alzheimer’s / Dementia
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: 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 @ 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: Memorial Presbyterian, 2130 Bell Road A Dementia Morning Out for caregivers is offered each Tuesday from 8:45-noon. There is no charge. Each participant may bring a sack lunch (juice provided). Registration is required by calling 274-1018.
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! gracepoint.info.
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 providing information,
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February 2014
Cancer
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Christian fellowship, and helping turn adversity into prosperity. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the conference center. Please call 272-2412 email stan.hurst@knology.net. 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 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.
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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 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.
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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.
Gambling
Location: Trinity Episcopal Church, 5375 US HWY 231 (Across from the Winn-Dixie shopping center) Wetumpka. Saturdays @ 7pm. 334-567-7534 Location: Mental Health Association, 1116 South Hull Street, Montgomery. Sundays @ 5 pm. Location: St Paul’s Lutheran Church, 4475 Atlanta Hwy, Mondays @ 6pm. Gamblers Anonymous Hotline number: 334-541-5420
Grief
Location: Eastmont Baptist, 4505 Atlanta Hwy. Compassionate Friends is a national self-help support organization for families grieving the death of a child meeting first Tuesdays at 7 pm. We have an annual special event on Tuesday, Dec. 4. We will hold a Candlelight Ceremony in memory of our children at 7 p.m. at Eastmont Baptist Church. Registration is encouraged and may be made by calling (334) 284-2721. We will also collect Toys for Tots. Location: First UMC, 100 E. Fourth St, Prattville Grief Recovery, Thursday nights at 7 p.m., in Wesley Hall Room 104. Call 365.5977. Location: Frazer 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.
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 1. NAMI Montgomery will host General Membership meetings on the 4th Monday of the month at the Dalraida UMC annex building. Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. This meeting is open to anyone who is interested in issues concerning mental health. 2. The NAMI Montgomery Family Member Support Group continues to meet on the 2nd Monday of the month, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Dalraida UMC annex building. Call Mary Jo Logan (271-2280) for directions/details. 3. NAMI Montgomery will offer the 12 week NAMI FAMILY TO FAMILY education program (free) on Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. at the Bell Road Lowder Regional Library. Call Mary Jo Logan (271-2280) to register for the course.
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 information e-mail VFCMOPS@ gmail.com. Location: First Baptist Church, Montgomery 305 S. Perry Street MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) If you are a woman who is pregnant or has a child birth through kindergarten, desires to make new friends, wants to share the challenges and joys of motherhood, is looking for opportunities for personal growth through trusted resources,then MOPS is for you. Call Kristi Gay at (334) 233-8989 for more information.
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. 29
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 information, please call 396-4534. Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy A Parkinson’s Support Group will meet the 4th Thursday at 6 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: Taylor Road Baptist Church, 1785 Taylor Rd., Montgomery Gluten Intolerance Group of Montgomery meets on 2nd Thursdays from 6-7 p.m. Check the blog for special “alternate site” meetings and other info at www.glutenfreemontgomery.blogspot.com.
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. 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 Highway Veterans OEF/OIF Caregivers Support Group meets on the 3rd Wednesday from 11am-1pm in Room 3108. Contact LaQuana Edwards, Caregiver Support Coordinator at CAVHCS (334) 727-0550 ext. 5350. February 2014
River Region’s Journey
Loving Others Jesus broke all the law down to-love God and love others. On our own, we could not--so He did it for us. We love Him because He loved us. We can love others because of His love for us. “We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 As a response to and from the overflow of God’s love for us, we are able to love others. Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love” (John 15:9). Again He said, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11). And using more emphatic language, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34). As clearly as this is stated in the Bible, we know it is the goal. Many times, however, we may desire to love others, but find it difficult. What can we do? It can be as simple as reminding ourselves that God loves us, searching our lives for what we may be loving more than Him, and then we are able to love others by loving Him better. Do you know that God loves you? Can you say, “God loves _________ (insert your name)?” If you find this hard to do, go to the Word and see what it has to say about God’s love. “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should River Region’s Journey
February 2014
not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace comfort your hearts...” (2 Thessalonians 2:16). “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Do you find it hard to believe that God can love a sinner like you? Read Luke 7:36-50. Jesus tells a story of debt being forgiven and explains that those forgiven much, love much. “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” In the last recorded prayer Jesus made the night He was betrayed, Jesus prayed that you would know that the Father loves you (John 17:23). And nothing you do or anyone else does can separate you from that love. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:35-37). So, the issue here is not whether or not God loves you. We have seen in Scripture there is no doubt of that. The question is, do you love Him as you ought to? Do you love Him with all your heart? What competes with your love for Him? Is there something that is so important to you that you are willing to sin 30
to get it or sin to keep it? Is there something that you depend on for comfort and security more so than God? Is the praise of man more important to you than the praise of God? The Bible addresses these heart issues. To the rich young man, ”Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ (Mark 10:21). It was said of the religious leaders during the ministry of Jesus, “For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” (John 12:43). Use Scripture to discern your thoughts, ask God to reveal your desires, and notice what things seem to upset you the most. This will give you an indication of what is competing with God’s rightful place in your life. By loving God better, you will be able to love others more. Realizing His great love for us and the daily forgiveness and mercy that is ours because of a loving sacrifice, how can we not forgive and love others better? This month there is a lot of talk about love. You can see pink and red in all the stores. The hearts, balloons, cards, candy and flowers will all be cleared from store shelves by mid-day on the 14th, but without the love of God, through the Holy Spirit, the ability to love others is a mere shadow of what it can be. **If you would like to get in touch with this or any counselor at Eastwood Counseling Center, please call 334-386-2384.
Pamela Boswell is a native of Montgomery. She pursued a Master’s degree in Counseling from Auburn University Montgomery, which she received in 2001. She has 8 years experience in a nonprofit organization obtaining extensive experience with troubled children and their families. She has recently received certification from the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors having been supervised by Lou Priolo.
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February 2014 Community Calendar Monthly events can also be found in the Around Our Community Section starting on page 8. February through May Agape’s “Coins For Kids” Campaign kicks off in February and runs through May. The goal for the campaign is to collect change (or cash) in an Agape coin can over a three-month period and help support kids in need of loving families. Whether coins or cash, every little bit counts! So get a can, throw in your change (or cash) and know you’re impacting the life of a child forever. If your church, group or organization would like to participate, please contact us at info@ agapeforchildren.org or (334) 272-9466. Throughout February and March Hospice of Montgomery (HOM) is proud to announce that they will be starting a grief support group for individuals, families and caregivers in the River Region. The Grief Share group will meet for 8 weeks from 12-1 p.m., free of charge, at Hospice of Montgomery’s office located at 1111 Holloway Park, Montgomery 36117. Hospice of Montgomery is Alabama’s oldest hospice and provides services for patients and their families in and around the River Region. Registration required to attend. For more information or to register please contact Candace Fales at 334-279-6677 or cfales@ hospiceofmontgomery.org. February 7-8 Eastmont Baptist Church, 4505 Atlanta Highway, is hosting Paul David Tripp as he redeems the realities of marriage in this weekend What Did You Expect Conference. Learn how a marriage of unity, understanding, and love is rooted in worship. For information, please email Logan Blackmon at leblackmon@gmail.com. River Region’s Journey
February 2014
February 9 Winter Jam 2014 presents Newsboys, Lecrae, Tenth Avenue North, Thousand Foot Krutch, Plumb, NewSong, Colton Dixon, and more at 6 pm, BJCC Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, 2100 Richard Arrington Boulevard. $10 at the door, no tickets required! Visit www.jamtour.com for more info. February 9-11, 2014 Church at the Brook, 2890 Alabama 14, in Millbrook presents Heavens Gates and Hell’s Flames, February 9, at 6 p.m. and February 10 & 11, at 7 p.m. Call (334) 285-5783. Valentine’s Day, February 14 Vince Gill and Amy Grant at 7:30 p.m. TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Montgomery Performing Arts Centre, Box Office: 334481-5100 or visit www.mpaconline.org. February 14-15 “Cleave” Marriage Conference\Seminar and Valentine Banquet is designed for all married and engaged couples and those anticipating marriage in the near future. You will be given Scriptural, practical information in a fun-filled setting that will inspire you to become the family that will shine from one generation to the next and leave a lasting legacy for your children. No subject is off limits. Location: Fresh Anointing International Church, Woodley Road Campus; Seminars: Friday 7pm-9pm and Saturday 9am-1pm; Banquet: Saturday 6pm-9pm. Cost: $40.00 per couple. For more information call 334-613-3363. February 20 Wild Game Dinner at Frazer UMC 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Bring your own wild game dish and sample the dishes of others at this annual event to enjoy fellowship with other hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, and stay to enjoy an inspiring message from Tony Bolton, a nationally known speaker, worship leader, and founder of the Pray for Prey hunting ministry. Cost is just $5 with tickets available in the Frazer atrium Feb. 9 and 16, or at the door. If you don’t wish to bring a wild game dish, bring a dessert or other side item. Door prizes will be given. Funds raised go to sportsmen’s ministry mission projects that help connect underprivileged children with the outdoors and with the message of Christ. Call 495-6391 or e-mail Chris Bell at cbell@jttconnect.com. 32
February 22 Saint James UMC will hold an auction to benefit youth and children missions. The auction will begin at 4:00 p.m. and last until 6:00 p.m. Visitors may preview items on Friday, February 21, from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. There is no cost for admission. Items featured include antique furniture and rugs from Pickwick Antiques, original artwork, jewelry, salon and boutique certificates, gift cards from local restaurants, and vacation home rentals. Visit www.sjlifeauction.com for a preview of items. River City Church, a United Methodist congregation, invites the entire community to a 4th Saturday Outreach event from 9am-11am at the church, located at 301 Dexter Avenue. Admission is free. The River Region will have access to medical screenings, dental screenings, career services, free haircuts, canned goods and hygiene kits (while they last). During the 2-hour period, attendees can speak with prayer partners, and purchase items in the River City Rummage Sale located on the lower level of the church. Volunteers will also provide homework help and a craft for children. To volunteer for the event, or for more information, please call 263-0549 or visit www.rivercityumc.com. March 2 Montgomery Area Council On Aging, MACOA, will host the 20th Annual Culinary Caper at the Alabama Activity Center on from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Local chefs from the area’s finest restaurants will donate their delicious fare to the fortunate guests at the reservations-only event. A dedicated a team of community volunteers will serve each course to the hundreds of patrons at the seated luncheon. Individuals can purchase a reservation for $75 per seat and space is limited. For reservations and more information, please call (334) 263-0532 or contact Director of Development Karen Allen Green at kallengreen@macoa.org. All proceeds from the Culinary Caper will directly benefit MACOA’s Meals On Wheels program
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. Bridge of Life Assembly of God, 9000 Vaughn Road, Montgomery, holds Sunday morning worship at 10:30 a.m. each week. Sunday school classes meet at 9:30 a.m. We offer classes for all age groups and childcare is provided. Our goal is to build bridges... not walls. We invite you to come join us if you need to learn how to build those bridges. For directions
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in Wesley Hall. For additional information please contact NeeNee Webb at 834-8990.
Capital City Church of the Nazarene, 4450 Vaughn Road, Montgomery. Free Tutoring throughout the school year. All subjects. Grades K-12. Every Wednesday night from 5:00 to 6:00. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information: 272-8176.
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.
Central Community Christian Church, 981 South Perry Street, Montgomery, holds new members training classes on Sundays at 9 a.m. Sunday School (9:30), morning worship (11:00), Tuesday night Bible study (6:30). Every fourth Sunday of the month is our youth Sunday. For more information please call (334) 269-0457 or by email at centralccchurch1@gmail. com. We are a church where you can be you, you can be loved and where you can grow! 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. 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. 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 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
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. Hall Memorial CME Church says: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Tutors, prayer-warriors, and office/clerical volunteers needed for the Montgomery City Jail Ministry & G.E.D program. Opportunities are ongoing. No experience or certification necessary. Contact Pastor Anderson T. Graves II, at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com. Call 334-288-0577. The City Jail ministry is an in-reach ministry of Hall Memorial CME Church, 541 Seibles Road, Montgomery. 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. Macedonia Miracle Kingdom & Worship Center (MMKWC), 3070 Selma Highway, Montgomery, services are Sunday School and New Members Class, 9:00 a.m., Morning Worship, 10:45 a.m.; Tuesday Night Bible Class, 7:00 p.m. and Friday Night Prayer, 6:00 p.m. (BOTH at The Pattern-Mt Meigs Road) Messiah Lutheran Church, 6670 Vaughn Road, invites all to Wonderful Wednesdays starting with a $3-5 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 7th9th 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 33
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 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. River City Church, 301 Dexter Avenue, offers a Friday Christian Night Club (free of alcohol and smoking) with Ballroom Dancing every Friday at 6:30 P.M. Cost is $10 for a one hour lesson, devotional, and 3 hours of DJ music. People of all denominations are welcome. 7:30-10:30 open dance floor.The River of Life Church, located at 116 County Road 40 E (in the Pine Level Community Center) Prattville. Pastor Nick Edwards invites you to a “Place of New Beginnings”, where families come and grow together. Church Service Schedule: Sunday 10:30 a.m. Sunday School; 11:00 a.m. Morning Worship; 5:00 p.m. Evening Worship. Wednesday 6:00 p.m. Adult Bible Study, Teens (Genesis Project), Jr. High (Limitless), Royal Rangers, MPact Girls, Rainbow’s/Noah’s Zoo Club. Thursday 9:00 a.m.Women of Grace Bible Study. Nursery provided. We invite you to”come experience God in a personal way, feel loved by all and know that you belong”. Office 334-657-0392 or visit www. theriveroflifechurch.net. River Region Contra Dancing-Everyone schoolage through adult is invited for a little exercise and a lot of fun. Singles, couples, and families are welcome. All levels of experience – including no experience. Dancing is on the 1st & 3rd Friday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at Ridgecrest Baptist Church, 5260 Vaughn Road. For more information check out the website: www.riverregioncontradance.com or call Katherine Thomas at 334-361-6572. 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. February 2014
River Region’s Journey
Calendar 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. Vision Full Gospel Ministries, 163 Rifle Range Road, Montgomery, holds Bible Study Tues. Night 7:00 p.m., Pray & Praise 2nd & 4th Thurs. Night 7:00 p.m., Sunday School 9:30 am, Sunday Worship Service 10:45 a.m., Internet radio-homecominggospel.com Sunday 3:00p.m. Central & 4:00 p.m. Eastern. and Satellite Radio -wlsg 1340am Sunday 3:00p.m. Women at The Well Ministry invites you to attend its women’s fellowship at 1 pm 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 or race are welcome. This ministry is available to teenagers as well. Come join us as we lift, encourage and build each other up through the Word of God and the words of our testimonies. For more information contact Evangelist Dr. Linda McCall, 334-220-1924. Young Meadows Presbyterian Church, 5780 Vaughn Road, invites you to attend its Sunday Respite Care Program on 1st Sundays from 4-6 pm. Children with physical and cognitive disabilities (and their siblings) ages 6-18 are invited for a time of activities and a light dinner so parents can have a night out. Call Susan Clements at 301-0355 for information and to make a reservation, or email rooftopfriends@ gmail.com.
Send your events to deanne@readjourneymagazine.com. River Region’s Journey
February 2014
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Q. Do you have any advice for teaching responsibility and generosity to adult children and grandkids when it comes to money? A. I think there are three key factors when it comes to teaching children of any age about these concepts—humility, gratitude and contentment. In my mind, humility is where gratitude comes from, and gratitude leads to contentment. I’m generous to my adult children, but they have no sense of entitlement. That’s due to their personal humility. They don’t feel that I owe them anything, and they already know that anyone who cops an entitlement attitude gets cut off. You’re no longer qualified for my generosity when you lose your gratitude. You’ve got to spend time talking to kids about these things. Otherwise, you run the risk of them counting on the income. Here’s an example. We coach some family businesses at my company, and the best family businesses are the ones that teach non-employee family members who receive money from the business—dividends from the profits—never to live on those dividends. I’ve seen lots of cases where someone will start living on the business they don’t work in,
and they immediately start feeling entitled to the money. The same principle applies in your situation. If someone starts saying, “Well, since mom and dad are paying for our daycare, we can use that money we would have spent to buy a car.” That means they’ve started counting on mom and dad’s generosity to live, and that’s a form of entitlement mentality. None of our kids receive any kind of financial help from us at all, unless they’re already carrying their weight in their own lives. That’s not being cold. It’s teaching responsibility and self-reliance. Now it would be different if one of them developed a serious medical issue or something like that. But the whole idea that mommy and daddy have lots of money, and I can just get some from them? That doesn’t fly in our family. You have to teach them character and giving in order for them to be valid recipients. Plus, it’s all about the kids’ attitude. But you’ve got to talk about it often and communicate the value system out loud. The gifting and generosity are contingent upon the humility that leads to gratitude that leads to contentment.
Q. My wife and I are working the Baby Steps, and we have our budget in place. Sometimes the budget gets busted because of home improvements and various other things. I think we should take money from our emergency fund when this happens, but she says it should come out of our restaurant and fun money. What do you think? A. I hate to break this to you, but overspending is not an emergency. If you budget a set amount in one category and you go over that amount, you’ve got to have something you reduce or cut out completely to stay within your budget for the month. You’d be surprised at what some people call an “emergency.” But here’s the deal: If something happens on a pretty regular basis, it’s a predictable event. That means you need to budget a larger amount for home improvements or whatever the problem area may be. Overall, on a month-to-month basis, if you find you have $200 budgeted for car repairs and the repair turns out to be $250, I’d rather you cut back on eating out to make up the difference. That’s the way my wife and I did it back in the day. We never touched the emergency fund for anything except big, unexpected, scary stuff.
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February 2014
River Region’s Journey
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.
Shadow Recruit
The Legend of Hercules
Production Quality: **** Moral Acceptability: -2 (Extreme Caution) Starring: Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner Genre: Spy Movie Intended Audience: Teenagers and adults Rating: PG-13 Content: About 27 or so obscenities and profanities; strong intense action violence includes expertly staged car chases involving mass destruction of other vehicles and property without conveying damage done to human beings, two intense hand-to-hand combat scenes, a couple shootouts between the good guys and bad guys, villain tries to kill the hero’s fiancé by making her bite into a dangerous lightbulb that can instantly poison her, a massive explosion, a point-blank assassination; implied fornication between hero and fiancée as they are shown sitting in bed afterwards before they get married and cohabitation between unmarried couple; no nudity; alcohol use; smoking; and, deception, financial manipulation, and attempted terrorism but by the villains. JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT kicks off around 9/11. Ryan is a Marine shot down on a mission in Afghanistan shortly after the World Trade Center attack. Jack’s in the midst of intense physical therapy when a Naval officer who secretly works for the CIA secretly recruits him to investigate the financial dealings of terrorist groups. Ten years later, Ryan is secretly ensconced as a seemingly normal financial analyst on Wall Street while living with his former physical therapist. Ryan uncovers a terrorist plot by the Russians to collapse the U.S. dollar. He’s forced to become a real superspy, but his adventures endanger his future wife, as well as his own life. JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT is a total thrill ride. The story takes off breathlessly like a rocket, creating a spy movie that rivals recent masterpieces like SKYFALL and the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movies. The story has unexpected depth, with a strong moral, patriotic worldview. However, the action is sometimes intense. There’s also plenty of foul language and some innuendo. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises strong caution for JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT.
Production Quality: *** Moral Acceptability: -2 Starring: Kellan Lutz, Scott Adkins, Gaia Weiss, Liam McIntyre, Liam Garrigan, Roxanne McKee, Rade Sebedzija, Johnathon Schaech Genre: Action Adventure Intended Audience: Teenagers Content: Two “d” obscenities; strong sword and sandal action violence but little or no blood or gore includes fighting to the death, battles, people stabbed by swords and knives, Hercules has to strangle a large angry lion, and large chunks of concrete whipped around to wipe out soldiers during battle; light sexual content includes implied fornication when fully clothed couple are shown lying down and talking and kissing afterwards, implied adultery, Zeus impregnates a woman to engender Hercules; upper male nudity; and, hero has a very dysfunctional family, war-mongering, betrayal, jealousy, cruelty, oppression, and slavery, but often rebuked. THE LEGEND OF HERCULES is a modern day revision of the famous Greek myth about a Samson-like hero. In this version, the Greek god Zeus impregnates an evil king’s wife with Hercules. As a young man, Hercules has to play second fiddle to his evil half-brother, Iphicles. The problem is, Hercules has fallen in love with a princess intended to be the bride of Iphicles, and she with him. Eventually, Hercules is betrayed and sold into slavery. He must use his formidable powers to fight his way back to his country and overthrow the evil King and the evil half-brother. THE LEGEND OF HERCULES has some spectacular moments, including the climactic ending, but it also has some clunky, corny moments. Also, the love story between Hercules and the princess could be better written and better acted. Surprisingly, THE LEGEND OF HERCULES has some positive Christian, biblical allusions. Hercules becomes a savior to the people oppressed by his stepfather. There are also some moral elements. However, HERCULES has some pagan, polytheistic references. That, and the movie’s death and murder scenes, warrant strong caution.
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
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Third time’s the charm!
It
. take d e t c s t hr e t o r p e e do s y l l u f es of the H P V vacc ine to be HPV causes cervical cancer and many other cancers in men and women. The HPV vaccine is recommended for boys and girls at age 11-12 to prevent cancers and diseases later in life. For those not yet vaccinated, the vaccine is recommended through age 21 for boys and age 26 for girls. The ADPH encourages you to pair the first dose of the HPV vaccine with the required 6th grade vaccinations (TDAP/Meningococcal) The vaccine is available at ALL County Health Departments at little or no cost to children ages 9 to 18. Dependents up to age 26 may be covered by their parents’ insurance.
Get in the loop and learn about the HP V vaccine! /CANCERCONTROL
facebook.com/ALCompCancerCoalition
Join us as we host missionaries and church planters from around the world at the 2014 Global Impact Celebration, Great Commission Prayer Conference, and the Pursue: God’s Heart for the Nations Collegiate Conference. Guest speakers include Dr. Gordon Fort, Dr. Chuck Lawless and Dr. Danny Wood.
February 5 – 9 :: www.gic2014.com Join us for these events plus many more! First Baptist Church Montgomery
305 South Perry Street | Montgomery, AL 36104 334.834.6310 | www.montgomeryfbc.org