True Love Experience Grace. Discover Life.
Easter Sunday Worship at Frazer TRADITIONAL & CONTEMPORARY SERVICES • 8, 9:30 & 11AM Children’s programs available during all worship hours
Holy Week Events
STATIONS OF THE CROSS WED.-FRI. APRIL 1-3
GOOD FRIDAY WORSHIP FRI. APRIL 3
EASTER SUNRISE WORSHIP SUN. APRIL 5
An interactive prayer journey through the last steps of Jesus to the cross. Open in Frazer’s Wesley Hall 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Wed. & Thu., and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Fri. of Holy Week.
A solemn but beautiful service of darkness, reenacting the day Jesus died through song, scripture, and the gradual extinguishing of candles. 7 p.m. in the Frazer Sanctuary.
A victorious celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ outdoors by the lake at Blount Cultural Park. Starts at 6 a.m. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Rain cancels.
Frazer Church: find hope, Follow Jesus • Sunday worship 8, 9:30 & 11AM 6000 atlanta Hwy. Montgomery • frazerumc.org • 334.2728622 •
Volume 16, Issue 11
Feature Articles
MARCH 2 0 1 5 Columns page 2
Publisher’s Note Jason Watson
page 14
Faith @ Work
page 4
Pastor's Perspective Rev. Roger Olsen, Cedarwood Community Church
Meet Jim Smith, retired Air Force Officer and Associate Dean of Students at Troy University Montgomery, and find out how he lives out his faith in the workplace.
page 13
Pondering the Journey Sam Whatley
page 16
Shine
page 18
Kim Hendrix
Habitat for Humanity
page 21
Gifting Hope One Home at a Time
With All Your Mind Matt Jordan, Ph.D.
page 22
Counselor’s Corner
by Mandy Pascal
The local chapter of this ministry makes a dynamic impact on our city, providing 5-8 homes per year for needy families. Find out how families qualify and how you can become involved.
Nancy Thomas, LPC
page 27
The Intersection Bob Crittenden
page 30
Family Teams for Life: Military Edition Lisa and Mike Conn
page 24
page 35
Embracing the Cross
Dave $ays Dave Ramsey
In Every Issue
by Pastor Alan Cross
As we approach Easter, discover how exchanging a theology of glory for a theology of the Cross will draw you closer to Christ.
page 6
Books to Read page 8
page 28
Around Our Community
Easter Events Guide
page 32
Our listing shares River Region Easter services, dramas, egg hunts and much more for your family to attend.
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Event Calendar page 36
Movie Reviews March 2015
River Region’s Journey
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
Associate Publisher Savannah Bowden
Research Editor Wendy McCollum
Contributing Writers Tim Challies Lisa and Mike Conn Pastor Alan Cross Bob Crittenden Kim Hendrix Matt Jordan, Ph.D. Rev. Roger Olsen Mandy Pascal Dave Ramsey Nancy Thomas, LPC Sam Whatley
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 Growing up, my mother made sure we attended church. And, of course, there were rules (based on “her Christian convictions”) that my brother and I had to follow. If any of our old neighbors are reading this, okay, I admit we weren’t always successful at following those rules, but, deep down we believed they were right and good for us. My Christianity was her Christianity and my “faith” was based on how well I followed those rules. Somewhere along the way, probably due to my mom’s faith and the biblical teaching I received each week at church, Christianity changed from being a set of rules to a power unto salvation. Instead of focusing on rules I had to follow, I came into a relationship with God where obedience to Him was something I desired. It wasn’t my mom or the church that made the difference per se. It was what I had been learning through them. It was the message of Easter! The Apostle Paul explained it this way in his second letter to the church in Corinth: “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation... in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him (Christ) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” By God’s mercy, He sent me His Spirit to bring forth the fruit of faith from the seeds my mother and the church had been sowing in my heart since I was a child. Jesus was no longer the nice guy with a beard surrounded by kids in my picture Bible. Jesus was my redeemer. He lived the life of perfect obedience required by our God and Creator, then offered Himself as a sacrifice on my behalf for the penalty my sins deserved, by being put to death on the cross. Yet, when He was buried, the grave couldn’t hold Him. In righteousness, Jesus conquered the death resulting from sin. Now, by faith, I live “in Christ” - clothed in His righteousness. Galatians 2:20 says it this way, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Journey magazine is published each month because we are “not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” Across these pages there are seeds of God’s truth that we want to plant in your heart. Where are you and God? Is Christianity just a set of rules you’ve been following all your life? If it is, then let me tell you that that is no Christianity at all. That’s a yoke of slavery. Jesus wants to take that yoke and replace it with His grace and power. This Easter season, I pray that God will send you His Spirit to produce the fruit of faith from the seeds of good news we’re sharing in this issue... so you’ll trust in Christ and let a relationship with Him transform you, both now and for eternity.
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 2015 by KeepSharing. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in River Region’s Journey are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the owners, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. River Region’s Journey has the right to refuse any content that is not consistent with its statement of faith.
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ONCE there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids. They were sent to the house of an old Professor who lived in the heart of the country, ten miles from the nearest railway station and two miles from the nearest post office. He had no wife and he lived in a very large house with a housekeeper called Mrs Macready and three servants. (Their names were Ivy, Margaret and Betty, but they do not come into the story much.) He himself was a very old man with shaggy white hair which grew over most of his face as well as on his head, and they liked him almost at once; but on the first evening when he came out to meet them at the front door he was so odd-looking that Lucy (who was the youngest) was a little afraid of him, and Edmund (who was the next youngest) wanted to laugh and had to keep on pretending he was blowing his nose to hide it.
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Pastor’s Perspective
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Rev. Roger Olsen, Cedarwood Community Church
Testimony of a Recovered Gambling Addict Rev. Roger Olsen is the pastor of Cedarwood Community Church in Wetumpka, Alabama. Rev. Olsen is also the Resource Development Coordinator for the Alabama Council on Compulsive Gambling. March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month and we took the opportunity to sit down with the Pastor for a conversation. Q: You were born in Southern California? A: I like the fact you emphasized “Southern” California. Yes, I was born in Long Beach and then I spent the bulk of my time growing up in a town outside of Los Angeles called San Gabriel. When I was seven years old I dedicated my life to the Lord at the First Baptist Church in Rosemead. Later, I attended Mayflower Congregational Church in San Gabriel and I
was president of the High School Youth Group for my junior and senior years of high school. Q: Tell us about your call to ministry. A: I had what I would call a supernatural experience that was so profound I went to my youth pastor and told him, “I think God is calling me into the ministry!” My youth pastor was 50 years old and from that moment on he personally mentored me for ministry. His name was Dr. John Eichorn, and his nickname was “Doc”. I became a licensed lay preacher in 1983 and I was ordained in 1986. God called me to pastor a small church in Monrovia, California where I served for 10 years. Q: You once allowed gambling to take hold of your life. Would you share that with us? A: In 1990 I took my wife and three children to the town of Laughlin, Nevada where I understood the rooms and meals were very inexpensive. I had never been in a casino before, and my wife and I spent about an hour playing slot machines. We won more money in that hour than what we had started out with on our vacation. I immediately got hooked on gambling. I started making regular trips to Las Vegas and State Line and I began losing more money that I could not afford to lose. One day, in 1993 I woke up bankrupt in every single area of my life. I had become a gambling addict. I thought I could control the activity, but the devil comes with one purpose...to kill steal and destroy. The goal of any addiction is to kill the host. The devil came close. Other people can gamble responsibly. I’m
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not one of those people. I was like David when he wrote Psalm 51. I was told, “You will never preach the gospel again!” Then one day, out of nowhere, I got a call from my mentor, Doc. He reminded me that God was not finished with me yet, and that no one in the Bible was ever used by God until that person was broken.
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Q: Was he right? A: Absolutely! The Blood of Jesus is all about redemption. Jesus restored my family, my faith and healed me from my addiction. In 2010 Cedarwood called me to be their pastor, and in 2012 I was asked to be the Resource Development Coordinator for the Alabama Council on Compulsive Gambling. Now, in addition to preaching, I train others to help gambling addicts here in Alabama. On March 4th, I celebrate 20 years of freedom from my addiction, and on March 13th my wife Kim and I celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary. My life is so much better now that I serve the Lord. I find myself saying, “Devil, you should have killed me when you had the chance!” Q: This is Problem Gambling Awareness Month in Alabama. Do you have a comment on that? A: If a person needs help because their gambling has become a problem, then help is available for them. Just dial the United Way’s 2-1-1 phone number and tell the operator you need help for possible gambling addiction. We have already trained more than 30 counselors in Alabama and we also have Gamblers Anonymous meetings in Montgomery and Wetumpka. Q: Do you have anything new on the horizon? A: Beginning in late April, I’ll be training pastors on how to help others in the area of problem gambling. Call 334-277-5100 if you are interested. Thank you again for letting me share. If you would like to contact Rev. Roger Olsen you can do so by calling Cedarwood Community Church at 334-567-0476 or the Alabama Council on Compulsive Gambling at 334277-5100. See our support groups page in this month’s issue for local gambling addiction meetings.
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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.
HE ONCE BEAT HIS DAD FOUR STRAIGHT GAMES IN CHESS. AFTERWARD, HE CELEBRATED WITH SOME ORANGE SLICES AND A BOOK ABOUT WIZARDS. and at Children’s of Alabama we want to see every child grow up and live to their fullest potential. That’s why we recruit, train and retain the most inquiring minds, the most skilled hands and the most compassionate hearts in pediatric medicine.
C H I L D R E N A M A Z E U S E V E R Y D AY
1600 7TH AVENUE SOUTH BIRMINGHAM, AL 35233 (205) 638-9100 ChildrensAL.org
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Becoming Worldly Saints by Michael E. Wittmer
The pushback against the radical Christian life is in full swing. It was inevitable, I think, and healthy. Books like Radical and Don’t Waste Your Life were meant to battle Christian complacency, but in some ways they over-corrected, giving less than a holistic and realistic view of the Christian life. And now authors like Michael Wittmer are attempting to recover some balance. In his new book Becoming Worldly Saints, Wittmer means to answer this question: Can you serve Jesus and still enjoy your life? Is it possible for you to be fully committed to the Lord and still find time to enjoy life’s pleasures? Or, as some seem to feel, do we need to live lives of utter frugality, sending all our money to the mission field? Are we responsible to share the gospel with absolutely every person we encounter? Should we really feel that constant low-grade guilt that accuses us that we are not doing enough for the Lord? In short, how do we resolve the tension between the River Region’s Journey
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pleasures of earth and the purpose of heaven? Wittmer’s answers are as compelling as any I’ve read. His concern is that in all the good things we do for the Lord, we forget the importance of being human and enjoying God’s good creation. “Our lives will shrivel if we allow our passion for redemption to smother the pleasures of creation. Being a Christian must not become an obstacle to being human. But the problem is even worse in reverse: When we eliminate our earthly pleasures, we inevitably limit the reach of our heavenly purpose. If we want to attract people to Jesus, our lives must be attractive.” We, of all people, ought to enjoy this world and display our love of life. Our temptation is to make a harsh distinction between loving the Lord and loving the world he has made. However, “Our love for Jesus and his world is not a zero sum game. Attention given to creation is not stolen from its Creator. The more we enjoy God’s gifts for their own sake, the more we can appreciate him. And thank him for, and love with him. … Thank God for the privilege of being human and of being here. Then 6
go have some fun.” Go and have some fun and trust that God enjoys your fun as much as you do. Wittmer structures the book around the story of Scripture—the great work God is doing in this world, which proceeds under the familiar headings of Creation, Fall, and Redemption. He shows that God created this world so we could enjoy it and that he still expects that we will find enjoyment in it. He corrects those people who live only for tomorrow, as if the pleasures of this world are meaningless. He shows that our responsibility in this world is to love God, serve our neighbor, cultivate the earth, and rest, and that we need to maintain a balance between these. He shows that the tension we feel is an inevitable result of man’s fall into sin, and he attempts to bring peace between the urgency of the gospel and the demands of being human. In every case he succeeds well. Can you serve Jesus and still enjoy life? “It starts with your call and ends with it too. Do whatever God is calling you to do, no more and no less. Do it with all your might; then go to bed. Your life will count for eternity, and you’ll probably even like it.” Becoming Worldly Saints was a joy and a relief to read. Grounded firmly in Scripture and in the best of Christian tradition, it offers a powerful and compelling vision of the Christian life that is equally exciting and attainable. This isn’t settling for a lesser vision of the Christian life—this is living out what the Bible says. Becoming Worldly Saints is availabl on Amazon.com.
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It’s Funny Living on Faith
AUM Alum Comedienne JOY the Queen thought her broadcasting degree would get her on television, but God had another purpose for her infectious smile. The last 11 years she used her side hustle of Christian Comedy to bring JOY to others while she raised her daughter, but vowed she would take a leap of faith to walk out God’s calling after her daughter enrolled in college. Two months after dropping her daughter off at Troy University and being frustrated with her 9 to 5, she quit and said, “God it’s me, you and these jokes.” She also realized after losing her mom that she must live each day each on purpose. Since living her dream, Joy has been happier and blessed to have performed in Japan for the troops and for churches who need a speaker in the middle of the week. Even when she is between gigs, Joy is in awe at how God turns unlikely events into paid performances. Joy is spreading laughter across the country and has recently recorded a new DVD. You can book her for your women’s event if you need a speaker or some hilarious holy humor for your church, corporate or social event. To learn more about Comedienne JOY, visit www.joythequeenofclean.com.
Register for Bible Study Fellowship’s New Study of Revelation
Study begins the week after Labor Day, but due to the high demand for this study, pre-registration is advised. All classes and materials are free of charge. Montgomery Women’s Day Class and Pre-school Program Ridgecrest Baptist, Wednesdays @ 9:10 5260 Vaughn Road; Register any Wednesday in March or April except March 25. Montgomery Evening Women’s Class and School Program grades 1-12 Frazer UMC 401 Bldg, Mondays @ 6:45 6000 Atlanta Hwy. Register any Monday in March or April except March 23. Montgomery Evening Men’s Class and School Program grades 1-12 Aldersgate Methodist, Mondays @ 6:50 6610 Vaughn Rd. Register any Monday in March or April except March 23. For information, call Tricia Seay @ 334-546-1386.
Carson-Newman University A Cappella Choir In Concert at Ridgecrest Baptist Church
5260 Vaughn Road Thursday, March 12, 6:30 pm The A Cappella Choir is a select group of 47 singers. The choir is in constant demand for appearances at conventions, civic clubs, schools, and churches. Members are chosen by competitive auditions from the entire student body and represent various academic disciplines. For the past seven decades, the choir has served Baptists through Sunday trips to area churches. Recent concerts include; 2010 The Music of Gershwin, 2009 The Music of Richard Rogers, 2007 Daphnis and Chloe by Ravel, 2005 Solemn Vespers by Mozart, and 2004 Belshazzar’s Feast by Walton. Additional major choral works performed by A Cappella during the last ten seasons include; Bach’s Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Verdi’s Requiem.
An Evening with Casting Crowns
April 16, 7pm; doors open 6pm Wesley Hall, Frazer Memorial UMC Casting Crowns are Dove and Grammy Award winners. Tickets available online through Premier Productions or in the Frazer Bookstore. Contact Information: 334.272.8622 or email butch@frazerumc.org River Region’s Journey
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Millbrook Junior Named Miss Alabama National Teenager
Kaitlyn Taylor has been named the 2015 Miss Alabama National Teenager. She is the daughter of Shaun and Kristi Taylor from Millbrook. Taylor has been chosen to attend America’s National Teenager Scholarship Organization (ANTSO) National Pageant in Nashville during the week of July 29-August 3. She is a homeschooled junior and a member of Evangel Family Christian Academy, where she plays basketball and volleyball. She excels academically while taking dual-enrollment college courses. Taylor also has a passion for community service, logging almost 1,400 hours in the past year with many different organizations. She has been recognized by Governor Bentley for her outstanding achievements, and has won many awards for character and excellence in service. Her favorite place to volunteer is Bridges of Faith, an organization that brings orphans from the Ukraine three or four times a year to Bridgestone Camp in Clanton. The orphans are taught about God’s love, American culture, and many of them end up finding their forever homes. Founded in 1970, America’s National Teenager Scholarship Organization is celebrating its 45th year and continues to change the stereotype of pageantry. Contestants who attend America’s National Teenager Pageant are among the brightest in the country, having won their state representation through academic, community service, interview, and onstage competitions. Winners of the national competition will walk away with more than $40,000 in scholarships for college among various other prizes. If you would like to attend your state pageant, visit www.nationalteenager.com or contact Jenny Telwar at (615) 405-5107. 9
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WFRZ-TV Launches One Hope
Christian Comedian Tim Hawkins Live
Frazer member Alex Henig Jones shares her inspiring testimony of feeling called ONCE there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. to be a surrogate mom on WFRZ’s newest This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from March 12 @ 7 p.m. Vaughn London during the war because of the air-raids. They were sent to the house of an old program called One Hope. Director of Media Professor who lived in the heart of the country, ten miles from the nearest railway station Forest Church and twoHendrix miles from the nearest postthe office. program He had no wife and he lived in a very large Ministries Kim hosts Ticket prices begin at $20. house with a housekeeper called Mrs Macready and three servants. (Their names were that featuresIvy,hope-filled testimony, Margaret and Betty,personal but they do not come into the story much.) He himself was a Visit https://timhawkins. old man with shaggy white hair which grew over most of his face as well as on his a children’s ministry update and a Biblicalvery view oflikedthe head, and they him world’s almost at once;headlines. but on the first evening when hebrushfireapp.com/events/427433 came out to or call (888) 780-1116. meet them at the front door he was so odd-looking that Lucy (who was the youngest) One Hope debuted Sunday, February 15th at 7pm on channel 13 or 34 was a little afraid of him, and Edmund (who was the next youngest) wanted to laugh and to keep catch on pretending blowing his nose to hide it. depending on your cable provider. You canhadalso thehe was program online at frazerumc.org. Watch for One Hope, Saturdays and Sundays at 7pm; Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30pm and 9:30pm. P R E S E N T E D B Y Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, Montgomery March 11-13, 7:00 p.m. nightly Theme: “Lord, Send Us A Revival” (Psalms 85:6-7) Nightly Themes: Wednesday, March 11 – Community and Fellowship Night; Thursday, March 12 – Family and Friends Night; Friday, March 13 – Hallelujah Praise Night Sponsored by the AUM Lectures Program and the Featuring Rev. Sedric D. Veal, Sr., Pastor of Temple Baptist Department of English and Philosophy. Will be held Church, East Cleveland, Ohio. Thursday, March 12, at 7 pm., Auburn University Rev. Walter E. Ellis is the Pastor of Pilgrim Rest. Montgomery, in Goodwyn Hall, Room 109.
Spring Revival 20 Year Celebration
C.S. Lewis Presented by Dr. Michael Ward
Dr. Michael Ward
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Research Fellow, Blackfriars Hall, Oxford University will present "The Heavens are Telling the Glory of God: C. S. Lewis, Narnia, and the Planets" Sponsored by the AUM Lectures Program and the Department of English & Philosophy
For EvEry G E n E r at i o n . Prattville First United Methodist Church 100 E. 4th Street, Prattville, AL 36067 TRADI TIO NAL W O RSH I P 8 : 3 0 AM & 11 : 0 0 A M SUNDAY SCH O O L 9 : 4 5 AM TH E W ELL 11 : 0 0 AM
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Better Together Marriage Conference
Approximately 500 adults attended the sold out “Better Together” Marriage Conference hosted by Christ Community Church, Evangel Church, and Landmark Church. Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley, who both work for Focus on the Family, have led conferences around the world helping couples overcome typical marital struggles. The focus of this weekend was on resolving conflict within marriage. Sharing how they have overcome marital struggles in their 21 years of experience, the Smalleys spoke on having an “open heart,” which explored what it takes to create emotional security as well as how to make spouses feel safe with each other, and how to avoid the “reactive cycle” in conflict that can destroy marriages. They stressed the importance of listening, understanding, validating, and empathizing with your spouse, and most of all, keeping God in the center of your marriage.
Eastwood Christian School Performs Annie the Musical
Eastwood Christian School invites you to attend its spring musical, Annie, on Thursday, March 12, and Friday, March 13. It will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Taylor Road Baptist Church located at 1685 Taylor Road.
Benefit Auction at Saint James UMC
Saint James United Methodist Church will hold an auction to benefit youth and children’s missions on Saturday, April 18 from 4-6 p.m. Visitors may preview items on Friday, April 17, from 5–7 p.m. There is no cost for either event. Items featured include antique furniture and rugs from Pickwick Antiques, original artwork, jewelry, salon and boutique certificates, gift cards from local businesses, and vacation home rentals. Visit www.sjlifeauction.com for a preview of items. This marks the 6th year that the church has held a spring auction benefiting missions. Last year, the auction helped send youth on mission trips to Green Lake, Wisconsin and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. They were also able to work with other churches and ministries in the Montgomery area including Georgia Washington School, Montgomery Inner City Evangelism, Brantwood Children’s Home and many more.
Striving for excellence. Here’s what you can expect.
• You will be greeted from the parking lot to your seat by some of the best greeters in the business as we roll out the red carpet for you and your family. • Your kids (birth-5th grade) will have a blast learning about Jesus in a safe, clean, fun environment. • You can enjoy a free cup of hot coffee that you can even take to your seat. • We will not embarrass you or make you feel uncomfortable by asking you to raise your hand, stand up, or give money. • You will find people dressed casually and comfortably, so dress however you like. • You will experience engaging, powerful worship and practical, Bible-based teaching. • Basically...you will love going to church!
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Precept Bible Study for Women
His Vessel Ministries is hosting a Precept Bible Study, taught by a trained Precept Leader. About the Bible study, Covenant: See this incredible thread running from Genesis through Revelation. God enters into a binding agreement with His people and always keeps His promises. Trusting Him as a covenant partner frees us from the bondage of worry and anxiety. This study will transform the way you read the Scriptures! Call 334.356.4478 or email info@hisvessel.org.
Considering Home Schooling?
Mom2Mom Ministry
Come to a free, informative meeting April 16 from 6-8pm at Lakeview Baptist Church, 9225 Atlanta Highway. *Hear from Experienced Home Schooling Families *Learn About Local Home School Coverings *Gather Resources *Network With Other Home Schooling Families *Find Answers To Your Questions. You can successfully home school your students! We want to help! RSVP to homeshoolrules2015@yahoo. com. Childcare will not be provided
Frazer UMC has a growing Mom2Mom ministry. Moms of preschool age and younger children meet regularly to have fun with their children and encourage and support one other. The group also meets on Wednesday mornings for Bible study and fun outings with mentors, Lyn Autry and Patti Joyner. Mom2Mom is the perfect place to connect with other moms and be mentored by godly women. To learn more go to frazerumc.org, click on ministries and women’s ministry.
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Dropping Batons I know very little about Track and Field events, but occasionally a story from the Olympics catches my attention. When I heard about the American baton drops in the 4x100 meter relay races in 2008 in Beijing, I was intrigued, but not by the mishap itself. In the men’s semi-final relay the Americans seemed certain to go on to the finals, if they went around the track at their usual pace, stayed in their lane and passed off the baton correctly. On the third and final handoff of the baton, one of the Americans dropped it. The receiver was quoted in a sports broadcast saying, “It was probably my fault. Some people say that when it hits the hand, you should have it. I’m a veteran. I’ve run all kinds of relays. I’ve never dropped a baton in my life. … I can’t believe it.” But then his teammate said, “I take the blame for this.” And his coach added, “You can put it right on my shoulders.” All three were willing to accept responsibility for the blunder. Their honest humility was striking in the face of worldwide public humiliation. About 30 minutes later the women’s 4x100 relay started. Again the American team seemed certain to advance to the finals. Once more in Lane 2, on the third and final handoff, the unbelievable happened. In the middle of the handoff the baton bounced to the ground. However, the attitude of this team was different. The receiver said, “My hand was there. The stick was there. What I’m telling people is that the stick had a mind of its own. It’s not my fault; it’s not her fault; it’s not either of our faults.” Pardon the leap, but this reminds me of a story Jesus told about two men in a temple in Luke 18:9-14. In that parable the Pharisee entered the temple with no sense of his own guilt, but the tax collector prayed, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Jesus said, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before
God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Christ reminds us that the tax collector “…went home justified.” Not because he became perfect, but because he asked for forgiveness and received it. But before he could receive anything, he had to accept responsibility for his choices in life. As long as we think the baton is at fault, there is nothing we can change. That was the problem with the Pharisee who stood in the temple and boasted, “I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” He was thankful that he was not like other men. His pride blinded him to his sin. When things go wrong, are we not tempted to overlook our part in the train wreck? It’s far easier to blame others or to declare that no one is at fault. Some years ago our society invented something called “ no fault divorce.” Rather than have folks admit their mistakes, we chose to sweep chunks of dirt under the rug and pretend it was all unavoidable. The baton had a mind of it’s own. Our schools have “socially promoted” children from one grade to another, whether Johnny could read or not. We didn’t want teachers or students to feel that they had failed. But the truth is we do fail. We all drop the baton. We make mistakes that distort our lives and 13
the lives of those we love. Many of us fail in teaching our children to love and serve the Lord with their time, talents, and resources. Rearing children looks so easy. All we have to do is get them grown. But without Christ in their lives, they are running toward the finish line with no baton. The men in the relay race were quick to accept the blame and learn the lessons needed to avoid this tragedy in the future. Both American relay teams did an outstanding job in London in 2012. But when they won, they did not give credit to the baton. After all, it’s just a stick.
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my sins. But God in His abundant mercy and grace began to draw me to Himself a couple of years into my Air Force career while I was going through navigator training. First, by humbling me and showing me my pride, that I was not “good,” and that I was not in complete control. My roommate, who was not a believer, was involved with The Navigators ministry and asked me if I would be interested in attending a Bible study. At that point, I felt I had nothing to lose and I even began to realize that I was not seeking God. So I began meeting with a handful of young, but faithful and sincere believers who encouraged me to read God’s Word, to memorize His Word, to meditate on His Word, to seek God’s face in prayer, and attend a local church. Over the next several months, I heard the gospel clearly proclaimed and eventually came to see that I was a lost sinner and that my only hope was to trust in Christ as Lord and Savior. RRJ: You said The Navigators ministry encouraged you to get involved in a local church. What role has the local church continued to play in your life with Christ?
RRJ: Many people become followers of Christ when they’re young. That wasn’t the case with you. How did God call you to Himself? It’s true. God saved me when I was in my mid-20s. I will try to give the somewhat shorter version. I grew up in a religious home, but my family were not true believers at the time. I went to church with my grandmother and with our next door neighbors as a child, but unfortunately, I don’t recall ever hearing the gospel clearly articulated at church. It very well may have been that I didn’t hear the gospel due to the fact that I was a lost and foolish child, but sadly after having visited those same churches as a believer, I still have not heard the pure gospel proclaimed there. So as a teenager, I decided I would rather sleep in on Sundays and watch TV, and since I had a reputation of being such a “good” kid at home and in the community, my family was okay with that. Amazingly, despite the fact that I had no heart for God or the things of God, I can clearly see His hand protecting me from many of the sins that high school and college-aged students fall into, but I was still utterly lost and drinking deeply in River Region’s Journey
March 2015
First in my salvation by faithfully proclaiming the gospel, and since then in my growth in the grace and the knowledge of Christ. After leaving training, my first duty station was Barksdale AFB, LA and God led me to a faithful church where His Word was central, there was a real reverence in the worship of God (publicly and privately), and where the people sought to live out His truth. This was an incredible encouragement and example for me, which my family sought to find as we moved from one location to another and as we’ve tried to help encourage and develop in the churches we have been part of. I can’t say that every church experience was the best, but even in the ones that were more challenging, there is no doubt that God taught us in and through those situations. My family being part of a local church where we are both ministered to and have been able, by God’s grace, to minister to others has enhanced both our home-life and worklife, and I trust gloried Him. RRJ: Through your 28 years in the Air Force, and now at Troy University, you have been around many diverse people and situations. Has it been difficult to be obedient to God in your workplace? You know, it hasn’t really. I’ve been blessed to have been in situations where I could be open about my faith. Now that doesn’t mean 14
that I’ve taken advantage of every opportunity or that everyone was open and accepting, as well as there have been numerous times where my fear of man was greater than my love for God and the love for souls. But thankfully, during my time in the AF and at Troy I have been able to live out my faith. I will say that things were beginning to change the last several years of my time in the AF and new policies, and even laws, were making it more difficult in some areas such as public prayer and public positions against homosexuality. RRJ: Specifically, now in your role as the Associate Dean of Students here at Troy’s Montgomery campus, what is one of the biggest challenges you face that your faith helps you to meet and overcome? That’s interesting...I guess I would say that there are some difficult decisions that I have to make that will usually result in a very significant impact on the lives of individual students, specifically their ability to be able to continue their education. These are really hard situations to deal with and I don’t take them lightly. These are situations that I enter into prayerfully and, once I make a decision, trust God for the outcome. RRJ: You’re a very mature believer that has worked out your faith through God’s Spirit and by His Truth. That’s a journey that takes time and God’s grace. Along the way what practical advice have you learned that you can pass on to our readers? I wish I had a “silver bullet” to answer that question. I have just sought to live out my faith at work, just as I do at church and at home. I don’t and can’t compartmentalize to live differently, but by God’s grace try to walk in a manner worthy of His calling in every aspect of my life. I think one area that has been most helpful to me is being in discipling relationships with other men from church who help hold me accountable not only in my individual walk with God, but in my actions and relationships at home, church and work. I’ve had the added benefit of discipling relationships in the workplace, as well. Of course, there has to be some care exercised when those relationships are with subordinates to avoid actual or perceived favoritism. Jim Smith is a retired Air Force Officer and is currently Associate Dean of Student Services at Troy University Montgomery. He serves as a lay pastor at Morningview Baptist Church. Jim is married to Lynette and they have eight children.
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Growth Trends Colossians 2:6-7: “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Which way are you growing? You may have heard people joke about themselves physically saying, “I’m not growing any taller, just wider!” As children we are often measured to track our growth, in fact, as soon as a baby is born, the doctor tells the parents what percentile their baby is in for both weight and height. With people, the economy, churches, education and the list goes on, there seems to be a strong focus on growth, particularly of the trend, meaning the general course or prevailing tendency. So which way do you tend to grow; where are you putting your roots? It’s easy in this world to allow your roots to wrap strongly around all that’s surrounding you. Your family, home, job, car, church, ministry work, you fill in the blank. Everything we do, have and love in this life can become what we build our very life upon...where we attempt to find growth. We reach out and wrap our arms or roots around things and people, holding on tight out of love and control, sometimes out of greed and pride. Before you know it, our growth trend is very horizontal or worldly and the Word “growth” no longer represents spiritual or emotional growth, but only an increase in size. 1 John 2:15-17: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves River Region’s Journey
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the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” Colossians 3:2: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” I was blessed recently by a chance conversation with a man named Jose. He is from the Dominican Republican, but now works in the restaurant business in Montgomery. When the devastating earthquake hit Haiti five years ago, Jose launched a campaign to gather bottled water and canned goods for the people of Haiti. That campaign quickly exploded resulting in donated supplies filling 12 tractor trailers. A local company volunteered the trucks and the transportation of these life-saving supplies to a devastated nation. When I commended him on his efforts, he quickly said, “It wasn’t me, it was all of the people who joined in and made it happen.” Then he said, “You know I personally believe many of the things happening in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and other places is because the people there have practiced voodoo worship for years. This is just my opinion, but I believe bad things come out of that for entire nations and that’s why America is a blessed nation, because people here have worshiped our Lord and Savior.” As he said these words about America, I thought for how much longer? Our growth trend in America isn’t tracking 16
toward our Lord and Savior as it once did. Thankfully, 83% of Americans identify themselves as Christians, but the younger generation is still seeking. Millennials, those born after 1980, are less likely to consider the Bible sacred literature or to believe that it contains everything a person needs to know to lead a meaningful life. I pray we all continue to teach and live out the truth, so this younger, up and coming generation will see their faith grow, as we see in Colossians 2:6-7, and “will overflow with thankfulness.” We can each make the choice of where to let our roots grow—in Him or in the world? If you feel weak in this area, you’re not alone. Ask Him to track your growth trend, to search your heart for any areas pointing in the wrong direction and to help you keep your eyes focused on the One who desires to flood you with blessings to the point of overflowing. Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Almighty God, You are the great I AM, the One who knows all, sees all and provides all. Please keep our eyes on you, and our roots wrapped firmly around your Word and eternal promises. May you bless our families and our nation as we seek to follow you. We pray our growth trend forever tracks toward a stronger trust and faith in you. In the name of your son Jesus Christ we pray, Amen. *trend rate of growth - the trend in which the economy grows or faces a recession.
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Helping you stay focused on the empty cross. The music on Faith Radio can be uplifting and point you to Jesus Christ and His saving power.
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Here are some examples: HALLELUJAH FOR THE CROSS Newsboys
Listen for music on Faith Radio at these times:
Hallelujah for the Cross
12am - 6am PRAISE THRU THE NIGHT with Ken Senes
EASTER SONG Keith Green
For Him Who Has Ears to Hear
6:30am - 8am MORNING PRAISE with Jeremy Smith
MERCY TREE Charles Billingsley
10am - 12pm FAITHSONGS with Mary Kirkland
Only Jesus
Once again Faith Radio will soon distribute Christmas crosses to our listeners! Thanks to a very generous and 4pm - 6pm donor, we will have hundreds of these 7-foot crosses which THE faithful MEETING HOUSE can cover with lights and display as a bright of listener supported with listeners Bob Crittenden Faithsymbol Radio is Christ and this your support matters! 8pmseason. - 12am 800.239.8900 Like last year, we will have the crosses available| mail@faithradio.org in EVENING PRAISE www.faithradio.org Montgomery, Dothan and Andalusia around Thanksgiving. Our with Russell Dean cross bedonation made to: donor requests that a donation of at least $35 perMail your WLBF Faith Radio. Radio continue to spread theRadio 2pmto - 6pm (Sat. & Sun.)This gift helps FaithFM Faith Montgomery Good News of Jesus Christ. There is a limited supply and year SHINE P.O.last Box 210789 March 2015 River Region’s Journey 17 with the Kim Hendrix AL 36121 Christmas Crosses were gone within a fewMontgomery, days. Stay tuned
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Everyone--all of us, every last person on God’s earth--deserves decent shelter. It speaks to the most basic of human needs --our home--the soil from which all of us, every last person, either blossom or wither. We each have need of food, clothing, education, medical care and companionship; but first, we must have a place to live and grow. (Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity)
Montgomery’s Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1987 and has experienced tremendous success. The organization has been able to help more than 80 families since it was founded. On average, Montgomery’s Habitat for Humanity is able to help 5-8 families per year, a number they hope to see increase to double digits in the near future.
Misconceptions Explained
There are two very common misconceptions about Habitat for Humanity. The first of which is, President Jimmy Carter is the person who started Habitat for Humanity. Although he is the most famous public face for the organization, he is not the person who founded it. Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit housing organization that was founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller. Since its founding date, Habitat for Humanity has been able to build more than 800,000 houses and reach out and help more than 4 million people worldwide. The second misconception about Habitat for Humanity is homes are just given away. This could not be farther from the River Region’s Journey
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par the Th go do cro ow Se am bu bas com De wa no
truth. Habitat for Humanity is a home purchasing program that works with lower income families to prequalify them to purchase their own home at a zero percent interest mortgage rate. “Habitat is a hand up, not a handout,” said Nick Mielke, Executive Director of Montgomery’s Habitat for Humanity. “It is not something that is just being given away. The families are working for it and earning it along the way.”
How Families Qualify
In order for a family to qualify for participation in Habitat for Humanity, there are several factors they must meet. They must have been a resident of Montgomery for the past 12 months. This cuts down on people from other areas encroaching on the families right here in our own town who need the help just as bad. Secondly, they must meet the minimum amount of people living in the household, but not exceed the maximum amount based on an income guideline chart that comes from the Housing and Urban Development Division. Finally, anyone wanting to participate in the program cannot currently own their own home.
Quarterly orientation sessions are held where Nick Mielke gives an hour long presentation explaining everything anyone could want to know about the program. At the end of the presentation, everyone who is interested is given an application for participation. The families have one month to complete the application before they turn it back in for review. The majority of the Habitat for Humanity homeowners do not qualify for participation the first time they apply. Fortunately, they are able to reapply after a year. This gives them time to sort out all of the things they need to in order to be eligible the next time they wish to apply. The applicants who make it through the first round of review then receive a
letter requesting a credit and criminal background check. Once the background checks are complete, a family selection committee member then goes to meet with the families in their own house in order to get a more realistic feel for what type of situation the families are in. The final step of the process is to be approved by the board of directors. Habitat for Humanity is an equal housing opportunity organiza-
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River Region’s Journey
tion, so it is important that any discrimination remains left out of the selection process. In order to do this, an anonymous list is presented to the board of directors explaining the situations the families are in without revealing their identities. The board of directors then selects who they feel could benefit most from the program at that time. Now, once families qualify for the program, they are not just given a home right away. They have to pay $100 per month for the first 12 months they are in the program. This money will all be set aside and saved for their closing costs. The families must put in 400 “sweat equity hours,” which are essentially volunteer hours. They will be required to work not only on their own homes, but also on other ongoing projects in the area. Participating families are also required to participate in an educational program. In this program, they will spend time in financial literacy classes, which are designed to help them improve their budgeting skills and manage their own personal funds. Most people who are in the program have never owned their own
home before. Because of this, most families do not know the basic maintenance skills required to own a home, so the program provides home ownership classes for the families. If families have safe and secure housing, statistics show that kids do better in school and have better health. The children are not the only ones who benefit from safe housing, parents do as well. If they do not have to worry about having a safe and secure place to stay, parents are able to focus their efforts more on improving the situation they find themselves in. “We want this to be one less thing they have to worry about,” said Mielke. “We want them to be able to focus on the dreams that they have for their family and the opportunities that they have for their children and for themselves.” There are two types of houses that are built for the families participating in the Habitat for Humanity program. New home construction and house rehab projects. New home construction is exactly what it sounds like, a brand new house built from the ground up. Although it is very nice, it is also
very time consuming and tends to cost a lot more. House rehab projects have become a very valuable asset, because it usually costs much less than building a new home and the turn around time is much faster. House rehab projects are when homes that are not currently occupied are donated and then made like new.
Getting Involved
Habitat for Humanity is run solely on fundraisers and sponsorships. If it weren’t for the willing participation of the community, the organization would not be where it is today. Becoming involved is very simple. You can either get a group together to volunteer, or simply donate a little of your own time. If construction is not really your thing, Habitat for Humanity also has a discount home goods and supply store located at 2216 East South Boulevard, which is always looking for volunteers. Habitat for Humanity is open Monday-Friday from 8 am to 5 pm, and can be reached at 334-832-9313. Mandy Pascal is a graduate of Troy University with a degree in Print Journalism.
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Secularism, Faith, and Politics One problem with contemporary American secularism--by which I mean the “freedom from religion” folks, who object to any reference to God in the public square--is that it tends to be pretty selective in its focus. When conservative Christians seek to restrict legal access to abortion, or support laws that would define marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution, some of their critics reflexively cry, “Separation of church and state!” The idea seems to be that there is something inherently unAmerican about applying theological convictions to public policy. But these same critics tend to be considerably less vocal when religious faith leads people to support environmental regulations, or amnesty for undocumented immigrants, or, for that matter, abortion rights and same-sex marriage--as some Christians do, in fact, do. Such distinctively left-of-center secularism seems particularly odd when one asks the question, “Why?” That is: why, exactly, is it inappropriate for an American to support legislation on the basis of his faith? Or to ask the same question another way: what counts as a legitimate basis for supporting public policy, and why doesn’t faith pass the test? It’s not easy to see a compelling, principled answer that supports this kind of secularism. For the sake of illustration, imagine three people, all of whom oppose the death penalty, and all of whom are actively engaged in trying to make it illegal. The first, Anthony, holds this view because he believes that only God has the right to take human life. The second, Betty, was raised by parents who passionately opposed the death penalty and taught her to do the same. Whenever she asked them about it, they replied, “It’s just wrong to kill. That’s the end of it.” The third, Charlie, opposes the death penalty because he had a vivid dream in which he was about to be put to death, and the dream was so terrifying that he woke up and immediately abandoned his prior support for capital punishment. According
to the kind of secularism at issue here, Betty and Charlie are doing nothing inappropriate, but Anthony is doing something wrong, because only Anthony is bringing his religious beliefs to bear on public policy. That seems bizarre. Surely, if it’s acceptable to support or oppose legislation on the basis of arbitrary preference, then doing the same on the basis of religious conviction must be acceptable too. With all of this said, however, I think that we Christians need to be extremely careful about the manner in which we bring our faith into the public square. We may, as Americans, push for legislation that has overtly theological roots. (If you still need to be persuaded, read some of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s writings, and consider whether his view of civil rights was independent of his Christian beliefs.) But this does not always mean that we *should*. Let me suggest three guidelines for living as followers of Jesus in a pluralistic democracy like ours. First: We must honestly assess our own motives. Are we pursuing the common good? Are we more concerned with justice, or with holding on to various kinds of cultural and political power? Second: We must carefully consider our methods. If we speak up as Christians, are we doing so in a way that reflects the character of Jesus? Third: We must remember the Golden Rule. In the first part of this column, I argued that it wouldn’t be unAmerican to push for legisla21
tion grounded exclusively in our theological convictions. But when we do so, are we doing unto others as we would have them do unto us? Suppose that an American city or state--or even the whole country--was largely populated by Hindus. Would we be comfortable with our Hindu neighbors trying to turn the Bhagavad Gita into American law? If not, then perhaps we need to reconsider attempts to do the same with the Bible. Loving and respecting our fellow citizens means, among other things, seeking justifications for public policy proposals that they too can accept. If we are unwilling to seek such justifications, or unable to find them, then we need to ask whether our approach to American law is one that Jesus himself would endorse.
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Responding to Suicidal Thoughts in a Christian Recently, it seems that we are touched by suicide more. We would like to think that Christians never think about suicide, but unfortunately they do. Faith is a deterrent to suicide for many Christians, but faith does not guarantee immunity from suicide in moments of despair. How well equipped are you to help someone who is considering suicide? What does Scripture say about suicide? Scripture doesn’t say anything specific about suicide. However, Paul emphatically states that we can never be separated from God. Knowing we are covered by God’s grace can be a great comfort to those who feel they cannot be forgiven for a transgression and are hopeless, and for those who have survived the suicide of a loved one. Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)
Christians may consider suicide during periods of intense emotional or physical pain, major or multiple losses, terminal illness, chronic mental or physical illness, loneliness, extreme stress, moral injury from wartime experience, financial setbacks or other problems common to human existence. As Christians, we are not immune from these feelings. Sometimes, especially in hindsight, we can recognize that a loved one was contemRiver Region’s Journey
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plating suicide. Our goal is to recognize the difficulty of loved ones before they act. When you know someone is struggling, pay attention to statements, writings, or art that indicate hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness and despair. “I am tired of living like this.” “What is the point of living?” “My family will be better off without me.” “I don’t think I can go on like this.” “It feels like God has abandoned me.” “I don’t feel worthy of God’s love.” “I don’t think I can be forgiven.” You may have heard many others. Dismissing these statements as exaggerations, manipulation attempts, or assuming that the person did not mean their statements is tempting, but deadly. Our own anxiety about getting involved in such deeply personal issues can cause us to withdraw from the situation. However, it is a matter of life and death for Christians to respond to the despair of others with the mercy, compassion, support and the empathy Christ showed toward us. Compassionate but bold questions are most helpful in these situations. “Are you thinking about hurting yourself?” “You seem hopeless and I’m concerned that you may be suicidal.” “Tell me more about what you are thinking and feeling.” If they indicate thought of self-harm or suicide, go further and ask about their plan. “When you think of harming yourself, how would you do it?” “Do you have a plan?” Then ask whether they have the means to harm themselves. For instance, “Do you have access to gun (or any other lethal means)?” If they have access to the means, identify how serious their intent is. Remember, over the counter medication, ropes, automobiles, knives and other commonly avail22
able household items can be deadly. Kindly, but firmly, remove the means to self-harm. Offer encouragement and hope. Let them know you will not abandon them and that there is hope for improvement. You might say, “Let’s get you help first.” Follow up with contacting their primary care physician or their psychiatrist if they have one, a close family member, pastor, friend, or counselor. If no one is immediately available, or their support system is not healthy, don’t leave them alone. Sometimes a hospital is required to keep someone safe and it can be a relief for them to know they will get help. Offer practical assistance by making an appointment, driving them to the hospital, physician or therapist, providing food and a safe place to rest. Pray with them or read Scripture if desired. Offer to take care of their children or animals. Assist in removing the barriers to getting help. Be sure to let them know that God’s love, comfort and compassion exist even if they can’t feel it. Feelings of detachment are symptoms of depression, not fact. The risk of suicide falls drastically after being involved in therapy and receiving loving support from others. Being currently suicidal is not an indicator of feeling suicidal forever. God’s love is always available to us. John 13:34-35 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (NIV) Nancy W. Thomas, M.A., N.C.C., C.C.M.H.C., L.P.C.
Nancy Thomas is the Executive Director of Clinical Services at The Samaritan Counseling Center, Inc. in Montgomery. She is a National Certified Counselor, Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor. She graduated from the University of Alabama with an M.A. in Counselor Education in 1994. She has extensive training and experience in mental health and marriage and family therapy. Her professional interests are in mental health recovery, adolescent and college issues, life transitions, healthy relationships, marital counseling, parenting, spirituality and identity development, and preserving marriages and families. Nancy works primarily with adolescents and adults.
Eggcitement 2015 Saturday, April 4
10:00-12:00 p.m.
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an thr ca him him co glo the ga es a“ to us the thi sa Go
ing on Lu ex hu sin an va on pa “Th
hand for the entire event of the death, burial, and res-
Easter is the most celebrated day on the Christian calendar. Church attendance is high, shouts and greet-
urrection of Christ, upon which our salvation stands.
ings of “He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!” are heard
While we glory in the Resurrection and rejoice over
in churches across the land, there is a lot of joy - in
the victory of it, I do think that we can only understand
addition to really nice clothes! I have heard people say
what really happened if we go to the Cross and share
how they love Easter because of the Resurrection, but
in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings (Phil. 3:10-11). It
how some do not like to focus on the Cross as much
is the Cross that demonstrates who God is and what
because it is more depressing. This is an unhelpful
He is doing in the world.
perspective, of course, and most mature Christians
Renounce “Glory” Theologies
would see it as being poor theology. For many Chris-
Martin Luther warned us against our ever pres-
tians, though, Easter gets the focus and Good Friday is
ent tendency to create a “theology of glory” and he
often overlooked. But, without the Cross, there is no Resurrection
encouraged us to instead, embrace a “theology of the
Day. And, without the Resurrection, the Cross loses its
cross.” What he meant was that the natural tendency
meaning. I think that Paul used “the Cross” as short-
of man is to seek his own gain, benefit, and victory
River Region’s Journey
March 2015
24
and try to commend himself to God through His good works so that suffering can be escaped. In trying to commend himself to God and make a name for himself and ultimately trust in himself, man constructs multiple kinds of “theologies of glory.” We think that if we live the right way, then God will surely bless us and we will gain some kind of meaning/purpose and escape suffering. At the end of the day, it is a “theology of glory” - a way that we seek to control God through our behavior and use Him as the means to secure the end of the blessing that we really desire. In taking this approach, we miss what God is really saying to us at the Cross. And, we miss the Good News that Jesus is our only savior. In his excellent little book, On Becoming a Theologian of the Cross: Reflections on Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation, 1518, Lutheran theologian Gerhard O. Forde explains that the Cross is the end of all human striving and it is God’s attack on the sinner and the sinner’s theology which is an attempt at self-justification and advancement. He says that the “Cross insists on being its own story,” and it calls us to participate in that story. As Luther said, “The Cross alone is our theology,” echoing
the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:2 when he said, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” This does not mean that Paul did not talk about other things. But, it does mean that every aspect of Christian life and theology goes through and flows from the Cross of Christ where it is submitted to Christ alone. It is by the Cross that we die to the world and its aspirations and we put away the desires of the flesh. It is at the Cross that we meet Christ suffering sacrificially on our behalf. Our best efforts die at the Cross. We die to the world and the world dies to us.
Find God in the Suffering. He is There. As Tullian Tchividjian said in his book, Glorious Ruin, “’Theologies of glory are approaches to Christianity (and to life) that try in various ways to minimize difficult and painful things, or to move past them rather than looking them square in the face and accepting them. Theologies of glory acknowledge the cross, but view it primarily as a means to an end—an unpleasant but necessary step on the way to personal
improvement, the transformation of human potential.” A theology of glory always puts the focus on what the person has done and surrendered and put away, and the resulting benefits of those works in securing a good life and blessing, instead of on what God has done for us. The Cross becomes a way for them to get where they want to go as they pray, “God, thank you that I am not like those sinners over there.” The Cross of Christ ceases to be the story and instead becomes the means to some other end - the glory story of the person’s return to a state of blessing. Tchividjian goes on to say, “A theology of the cross, in contrast, understands the cross to be the ultimate statement of God’s involvement in the world on this side of heaven. A theology of the cross accepts the difficult thing rather than immediately trying to change it or use it. It looks directly into pain, and ‘calls a thing what it is’ instead of calling evil good and good evil. It identifies God as ‘hidden in [the] suffering.’ Luther actually took things one key step further. He said that God was not only hidden in suffering, but He was at work in our anxiety and doubt. “When you are at
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March 2015
River Region’s Journey
the end of your rope—when you no longer have hope within yourself—that is when you run to God for mercy.” So, instead of seeing the Resurrection as the end of all suffering for us and the way to prosperity now if we just apply it right, we see God at work in the suffering of the Cross and recognize that He will work in our suffering and failure too - because that is where we meet Him. Christ is our blessing, not the absence of suffering, pain, or frustration. Those blessings will come one day when Jesus wipes every tear from our eye, but for now, we boast in the Cross of Christ. The Theology of the Cross makes it clear that God is most clearly displayed in the suffering of Christ and that this is the story of God. It is in weakness and the “foolishness of the Cross” that God is revealed. As Forde says, “A theology of glory always leaves the will in control. It must therefore seek to make its theology attractive to the supposed ‘free will.’ A theology of the cross assumes that the will is bound and must be set free. The cross story does that. Either it claims us or it doesn’t. If it does, it is the end of the glory story. We see in the death of Jesus our death, and we remember that we are dust. We can begin to take the truth. We learn dying...
The Theology of the Cross makes it clear that God is most clearly displayed in the suffering of Christ and that this is the story of God. It is in weakness and the “foolishness of the Cross” that God is revealed.
The cross ... ‘destroys the wisdom of the wise.’ ‘Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.’ That marks the parameters of our story as far as human possibility is concerned. We see, as Luther puts it, the way things really are. We look at all things through ‘suffering and the cross.’ We live only on the strength of the fact that the Creator breathed his Spirit into the dust and gave us life. We live on ‘borrowed time’ - time lent us by the Creator. Yet we also see in the death of Jesus on the cross our rebellion against that life, and we note that there is absolutely no way out now except one. God vindicated the crucified Jesus by raising him from the dead. So the question and the hope comes to us. ‘If we die with him shall we not also live with him?’ That is the end of the story - for the time being. But it is the beginning of faith.”
Celebrating the Resurrection of Christ is a wonderful act of worship. But, as we do so, let’s worship in weakness as we are humbled by the suffering of Christ. Let’s see the Cross as the Story of God - how God reveals Himself to us. “But God demonstrates
His love for us in this, while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). The Cross happens to us when we have nothing but sin and weakness to offer God. Let’s see the Cross for what it is and embrace it, dying to every aspiration that we can reform ourselves or that, if we just had a little grace and help, we could make a go of things here in this life. The Cross is about Jesus and His work on our behalf. He is better than any other blessing we could grasp in both the power of His resurrection and sharing in the fellowship of His sufferings. We are weak and God is strong. Jesus’ Resurrection destroys death, sin, and Hell. That is the true nature of things. The Cross tells us so. Let’s meet Jesus there. Alan Cross is senior pastor of Gateway Baptist Church in Montgomery, and author of When Heaven and Earth Collide: Racism, Southern Evangelicals and the Better Way of Jesus. Check out his blog at www.downshoredrift.com.
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“The Road to Selma” In John 15, Jesus talked about the power of sacrificial love, and one of the actors in the movie, Selma, used one of these verses as he discussed the love in action displayed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We read in verse 13: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (NKJV) David Oyelowo, a professing Christian who played Dr. King in the film, said: “That is not only what Dr. King did ultimately (in being assassinated); it’s what he did for those 13 years that he led the civil rights movement. Every day he sacrificed seeing his kids. He had to endure death threats. He had to endure ill health. He often went into the hospital for exhaustion, because he was constantly putting himself on the line for others. That’s what the Bible tells us to do.” This month, the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery, supporting passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, is being commemorated. The importance of the series of events leading to the rights of all people to enjoy the same freedoms regarding their participation in the political process is played up in the movie, Selma, a poignant retelling of key events surrounding the famous march. There has been plenty of discussion of the film and its content, and it is drawing attention not only to this area, but, in a greater sense, to the history of the civil rights movement, and that’s a good thing. The spiritual element of the activity of the movement is incorporated into the film. I
contend you cannot separate the spiritual from the events of that time. Dr. John Piper, in an insightful commentary on the film at his DesiringGod. org website, contends that the movie lets the religious roots shine through. He states that, “The story stirs up dreams of a life that counts.” He writes: “This was the main impact on me. When I think about the needs and sorrows and injustices of the world (thousands of peoples perishing unreached by the gospel, millions of babies killed in their mothers’ wombs, global slavery and human trafficking, ethnic and racial hatreds around the world), the thought of an easy, comfortable, secure life of coasting to the end, feels overwhelmingly unattractive to me. So I pray that this story of courage and sacrifice and conflicted righteousness will stir you and me to an unwavering commitment not to waste our lives.” Lead actor David Oyelowo believes that God called him to play the role of Dr. King. He told writer Jeffrey Huston for a Crosswalk.com piece that he has seen God’s hand at work since he first read the script in July of 2007. He told Huston, “I felt God tell me that I was going to play Dr. King – and in Selma. Unfortunately,” he added, chuckling, “the director at the time didn’t agree with me.” Oyelowo was raised a Baptist and became a born-again Christian when he was sixteen. Huston writes that David is no stranger to listening for God’s voice. He is quoted as saying: 27
“There was something that I just couldn’t shake once I had read that script…and then I just had that knowing. I know that Voice. I know God’s voice in my life, and I just couldn’t shake it from that point on.” When we reflect on the impact of the civil rights movement, we can see that so many people were driven by a cause. We can each examine our own source of inspiration, making sure that we are in alignment with God’s plan for us. David Oyelowo believes that he was being led by the Lord to pursue a cause, a calling, to play Dr. King on film. Dr. Piper encourages us to not waste our lives. There are causes greater than ourselves, and perhaps the Lord is calling you to be involved in a special, intentional way. There may be a call for perseverance in the pursuit of a call, but we can be diligent and assured that God will give us strength. I also think we can be challenged to think more spiritually, or biblically, concerning the events of our lives. Prayer is a chief component, and I believe that we can gain a greater measure of God’s power as we take a moment, or more, to surrender our pursuits to the Lord. We may be following God’s call for us, but if we’re not coating our activity with prayer, then we may be missing out on the maximum effectiveness that God would intend. As you observe and perhaps participate in the Selma-to-Montgomery activities, think about the value of each life, and specifically, the value of your own life, recognizing God has created you with a unique purpose. 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. March 2015
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Children’s Easter Musical & Morning Easter Worship Celebration April 5 at 9 a.m.; 11 a.m. with music and Easter message
Games, Rides and Prizes! Free admission, popcorn and cotton candy! For more information, visit fbcprattville.org.
Capitol Heights Baptist Church
9299 Vaughn Rd. Easter Sunday Son Rise Prayer Service – 7:30 Fellowship Breakfast – 8:45 Morning Worship – 9:25 For information call the church at 279.1372. Visit www.firstchurchmontgomery.com.
2514 Madison Avenue, 264.6461 Palm Sunday Morning Worship March 29 at 10:30 a.m. Easter Worship Service Sunday, April 5, 10:30 a.m.
Christchurch 8800 Vaughn Road, 387.0566 Maundy Thursday, Seder Supper April 2, 6 p.m. Stations of the Cross Friday, April 3 at 5:30 p.m. East Egg Hunt Saturday, April 4, Times to be announced Son Rise Service Sunday, April 5, at 6 a.m. Easter Sunday Services April 5, 9:30 a.m.
Christ Community Church 8285 Ryan Road, 273.8110 Easter Sunday Services April 5, 10 a.m.
Church of the Brook
2890 Highway 14, Millbrook, 285.5783 Easter Services Sunday, April 5, at 10:30 a.m.
Aldersgate UMC 6610 Vaughn Road, 272.6152 Easter Egg Extravaganza March 29 following our 11:00 service 3 years old through 5th grade The Easter Story Musical Palm Sunday, March 29 at the 11:00 service. Maundy Thursday Drama & Communion 7:00 P.M. Thursday, April 2 Good Friday Tenebrae Worship Service 7:00 P.M. Friday, April 3 Easter Son Rise Service 7:15 A.M. Sunday, April 5 led by the Aldersgate Youth Easter Celebration Worship Services Sunday, April 5 8:45 A.M. Contemporary; 11 A.M. Traditional
Beacon of Hope Church of God 1045 Coliseum Boulevard, 274.0932 Easter Celebration Musical Sunday, April 5 at 11:00 a.m. Nursery Available
Blue Ridge Baptist Church
4471 Jasmine Hill Rd, off Hwy. 231, 567.4325 Easter Egg Hunt Sunday, March 29 after morning worship Courtyard Service, breakfast following River Region’s Journey
March 2015
Eastmont Baptist Church 4505 Atlanta Highway, 277.6300 Easter Morning Worship April 5, 8:10 and 10:30 a.m.
Evangel Church 3975 Vaughn Road, 272.4882 Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 4 Easter Sunday April 5, Worship Service 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
First Baptist Church, Montgomery 305 S. Perry Street, 834.6310 Palm Sunday Service March 29 at 8:30 and 11 a.m. Lord’s Supper Service April 1, 6:15 p.m. Good Friday Service Friday, April 3, 12 p.m. Easter Sunday Worship Services Sunday, April 5, 8:30 & and 11 a.m.
First Baptist Church, Prattville 138 South Washington Street, 365.0606 Eggcitement Saturday, April 4, 10:00-12 noon Preschool-Second Grade 28
First Presbyterian Church
Su
First UMC, Montgomery
2416 West Cloverdale Park, 834.8990 Palm Sunday Festivities March 29, 9:45 a.m. The Last Supper, Maundy Thursday April 2, 5:30 and 7:45 p.m. Good Friday Tenebrae Service April 3, 7:00 p.m. Children’s Easter Celebration April 4 from 11 a.m. Flowers of the Cross April 5, 9:45 a.m. Easter Sunday April 5, 7:00 a.m. Sunrise Service 8:30, 9:45 and 11:00 a.m. Worship Services
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Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church
6000 Atlanta Highway, 272.8622 Easter Spring Fling Saturday, March 28, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Family fun, puppets and games “Good Friday Service of Darkness” Good Friday, April 3 Evening worship at 6 p.m. in Wesley Hall Stations of the Cross in Wesley Hall April 1-3; Weds. 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Thurs. 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri. 9a.m.-7 p.m. An interactive prayer journey through the last steps of Christ to the Cross. Open three days to allow you to come and go at your own pace. Easter Services Sunday, April 5, Sunrise Service at 6 a.m. at Winton Blount Cultural Park Amphitheatre. Rain will cancel. Traditional and Contemporary at 8:00, 9:30, and 11 a.m., Main Sanctuary and Wesley Hall. Hispanic Worship at 11 a.m. at 3711 Eastern Blvd.
Gateway Baptist Church
3300 Bell Road, 272.9494 Good Friday, April 3 Prayer at 6 p.m.; Service at 7 p.m. Easter Services April 5, Easter Sunrise Service, 6:30 a.m. In conjunction with Grace @ Bell Road. Regular service, 10:30 a.m back at Gateway.
Glynwood Baptist Church
376 N. McQueen Smith Rd, Prattville, 361.9180 Children’s Easter Activities Dates to be announced Easter Sunday April 5, Sunday School 9 a.m., Regular Morning Worship Service 10:00 a.m.
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Grace @ Bell Road
5 Bell Road at Atlanta Hwy., 272.4930 Easter Sunrise Service Sunday, April 5, 6:30 with breakfast following Worship Service, 10:30 a.m.
GracePointe
1565 Ray Thorington Road, 271.2525 Palm Sunday March 29, 10:15 a.m. Easter Worship Services Sunday, April 5, 10:15 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt following service.
Heritage Baptist Church
1849 Perry Hill Rd, Montgomery, 279.9976 Easter Worship Service April 5, 10:15 a.m. Please visit hbcm.net for more information.
Holy Comforter Episcopal Church 2911 Woodley Road, 281.1337 Palm Sunday March 29 at 10:00 am Holy Eucharist Monday, March 30 - 6:00 pm; Tuesday, March 31 - 10:00 a.m. Stations of the Cross Wednesday, April 1 at 6:00 p.m. Maundy Thursday, Holy Eucharist April 2 at 6 p.m. Good Friday April 3 at 12 noon Evensong service – 6 p.m. Easter Vigil, Holy Eucharist April 4 – 8 p.m. EASTER SUNDAY April 5, 10 a.m. Family Service w/Holy Eucharist & Flowering of the Cross
Lakeview Baptist Church
9225 Atlanta Highway, 213.3080 Sunrise Service Sunday, April 5, 7 a.m. (on the corner of Atlanta Hwy. and Tech. Center Dr.) Easter Worship Service Sunday, April 5, 10:45 a.m. Choir will be performing a musical.
Memorial Presbyterian Church 2130 Bell Road, 274.1018 Maundy Thursday April 2, dinner at 5:15 p.m., Service at 6 p.m. Easter Sunrise Service Sunday, April 5, 6:30 a.m. Free childcare available through age 5. Easter Celebration Sunday, April 5, 11 a.m.
Morningview Baptist Church 125 Calhoun Road, 272.2304 Maundy Thursday Service Thursday, April 2, 6:30 p.m. Easter Services Sunday, April 5, 10:30 a.m.
Perry Hill United Methodist Church
910 Perry Hill Road, 272.3174 Maundy Thursday Communion Service April 2, TBA Sunrise Service Sunday, April 5, 6:30 a.m., breakfast follows Easter Worship Service Sunday, April 5, 10:30 a.m
The Ridge Church
Meets at Wetumpka YMCA, 200 Red Eagle Drive Easter Sunday Services 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
Ridgecrest Baptist Church
5260 Vaughn Road, 277.0011 Easter Festival April 4, 10:30 until noon Games, Crafts and Easter Egg Hunt for babies to 4th grade. Easter Cantata “Good News from Jerusalem” Easter Sunday, April 5 10:45 a.m.
Saint James UMC
9045 Vaughn Road, 277-3037 Traditional Cantata, “The Easter Story” Palm Sunday, March 29 11 a.m., Traditional worship Maundy Thursday Communion Service April 2, 6 p.m. “Walk with Christ to the Cross” Maundy Thursday, April 2, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Good Friday, April 3 from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Visit over 30 stations to experience the agony and depth of love that Christ went through on our behalf that day. The aspects of his betrayal, his punishment, and his crucifixion will be brought to life in a new way. Self-paced journey inside the Life Center. Eggstreme Egg Hunt April 4, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m Easter Sunday April 5, Contemporary: 9:30 and 11 a.m. Traditional Services: 9:30 and 11 a.m. in the Worship Center and Sanctuary.
Saint John’s AME Church
807 Madison Avenue, 265.4136 Holy Week Explosion March 30th-April 3rd, 7 pm nightly Visit www.stjohnsame.com.
Taylor Road Baptist Church 1685 Taylor Rd., 271.3363 Easter Service April 5, 10:30 a.m.
Thorington Road Baptist Church 450 Ray Thorington Road, 396.9376 Good Friday April 3 at 6:30 pm Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 4 from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m. Easter Service Sunday, April 5 at 10:30 a.m. 29
Vaughn Forest Church 8660 Vaughn Rd., 279.5433 Good Friday Service April 3 at 6 p.m. Resurrection Run April 4, visit VaughnForest.com for details. Resurrection Sunday Service April 5, 7 a.m. SonRise gathering, 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Woodland United Methodist Church 4428 Wallahatchie Rd, Pike Road, 272.7230 Choir and Orchestral performance of “It is Finished” March 19 at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Christian Band: Surviving the Fall Will be playing in our 9:15 service on March 29 in the Family Life Center. Maundy Thursday Service April 2 at 6:30 Easter Egg Hunt April 4 at 10:00 a.m. Children are asked to bring one dozen eggs filled with candy, as well as a basket to collect eggs. Morning will include inflatables, face painting, games and refreshments. Easter Services April 5, Sunrise at 6:30 a.m. Traditional 8 a.m., 9:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. March 2015
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“Just Walk West” It was a cold, rainy day in West Germany in 1984 when I attended the mandatory NEO (noncombatant evacuation operation) briefing at Rhein-Main Air Base. A non-combatant is a spouse or family member who may be in danger in the event of a natural disaster or military emergency. East and West Germany were divided; and living in Frankfurt placed us near the Fulda Gap, an important strategic location during the Cold War. Strategists on both sides of the Iron Curtain understood the Fulda Gap’s importance, and assigned forces to defend and attack it. The NEO briefing gave noncombatants an evacuation plan to get us out of the area should we be attacked by the Russians. This meant I kept a backpack ready with passports for our two young children and me. In addition, I stocked the backpack with food and water, clothes, blankets, and diapers. My plan in case of evacuation was to place our two year old in the stroller while carrying our infant in my front pack and supplies in my back pack. The trainers explained that they would do everything possible to help us evacuate, but if they were unable to assist, we were given a chilling instruction: just walk west. Reminiscing about those years in Germany brings to mind one of my “life verses”. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) The threat hanging over us in Germany was a challenge to face. God used it to remind me that in all things, especially in challenging times, God works River Region’s Journey
March 2015
for the good. The “good,” to name a few, was that I became prepared to do my best to protect our family should we be threatened. I bonded in friendship with other wives who were facing the same challenges and now, 31 years later, we are still good friends. I learned what it meant for my husband to be serving our country overseas in a dangerous capacity. Those challenges helped us learn how to keep our priorities in line--God, family, and the mission. All military members swear an oath of office upon joining the service. Below is the oath for officers. “I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.” (Wikipedia) This oath is taken very seriously by our armed forces. It differentiates us from most civilians. All military families live under the threat of losing life or limb for their country. For example, when I was six months pregnant with our first child I had to face the possibility of losing my husband and my child’s father, as Mike 30
and his unit were suddenly deployed for the Invasion of Grenada. During our time in Germany he flew several days a week on missions with the “Berlin for Lunch Bunch,” flying via the Berlin Air Corridors and Control Zone over communist East Germany and thousands of Russian missiles and tanks. But our sacrifices pale in comparison to what today’s military families are going through. They face multiple deployments and assignments to hot spots around the world like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Korea. During the Cold War, we knew who the enemy was, where they were, and what uniforms they wore. Now, in the war on terrorism, we don’t always know who the enemy is, where they are, or what they look like, until it’s too late. Because of our love, respect, and concern for military families and because we have the unique privilege of having Maxwell Air Force Base and Air University in our area, during the months ahead, our articles will feature stories about the unique challenges that military marriages and families face and overcome in order to keep us free. We hope you will be blessed by them! Lt. Col Mike Conn and wife, Lisa, founded Covenant Family Ministries when Mike retired from the Air Force in 1997. CFM is an independent marriage and family education ministry committed to partnering with churches, organizations, and individuals in Montgomery and across Alabama to build Family Teams for Christ. Married for over 33 years, Mike and Lisa have three daughters, two sons-in-law, and three grandchildren.
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River Region’s Journey
March 2015 Community Calendar Monthly events can also be found in the Around Our Community Section starting on page 8. Wednesday, March 11 thru Friday, March 13 A Spring Revival Celebration will be held at Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, at 7 p.m. nightly, featuring Rev. Sedric D. Veal, Sr., Pastor of Temple Baptist Church, East Cleveland, Ohio. Rev. Walter E. Ellis is the Pastor of Pilgrim Rest. Thursday, March 12 C.S. Lewis presented by Dr. Michael Ward and sponsored by the AUM Lectures Program and the Department of English and Philosophy. 7 pm, Auburn University Montgomery, in Goodwyn Hall, Room 109. Christian Comedian Tim Hawkins will be live at 7 p.m. at Vaughn Forest Church in Montgomery. Ticket prices begin at $20. Visit https://timhawkins.brushfireapp.com/ events/427433 or call (888) 780-1116. Eastwood Christian School invites you to attend its spring musical, Annie, at 6:30 p.m. (Also Friday, March 13) at Taylor Road Baptist Church, 1685 Taylor Road. Carson-Newman University A Cappella Choir in Concert at Ridgecrest Baptist Church, 5260 Vaughn Road, at 6:30 pm. The A Cappella Choir is a select group of 47 singers. The choir is in constant demand for appearances at conventions, civic clubs, schools, and churches. For the past seven decades, the choir has served Baptists through Sunday trips to area churches. Friday, March 20 Gold City will be in concert at Beacon of Hope Church, 1045 Coliseum Blvd. at 7 pm. Call 274-0932 for more info. River Region’s Journey
March 2015
March 20 & 21 State Church Library Workshop at Shocco Springs Conference Center. To register, call Shocco Springs at 1-800-280-1105. For more information call: State Board of Missions, 1-800-264-1225 ext 218 or go to: www.alsbom.org/churchlibrary. Thursday, April 16 An Evening with Casting Crowns, 7 pm, in Wesley Hall, Frazer Memorial UMC. Casting Crowns are Dove and Grammy Award winners. Tickets available online through Premier Productions or in the Frazer Bookstore. Call 334.272.8622 or email butch@frazerumc.org. Considering Home Schooling? Come to a free, informative meeting from 6-8pm at Lakeview Baptist Church, 9225 Atlanta Highway. RSVP to homeshoolrules2015@ yahoo.com. Childcare will not be provided. Saturday, April 18 Benefit Auction at Saint James UMC to benefit youth and children’s missions on Saturday, from 4-6 p.m. Visitors may preview items on Friday, April 17, from 5–7 p.m. There is no cost for either event. Items featured include antique furniture and rugs from Pickwick Antiques, original artwork, jewelry, salon and boutique certificates, gift cards from local businesses, and vacation home rentals. Visit www.sjlifeauction.com for a preview of items.
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 or information call 334-396-0208. Email jon@bridgeoflife.tv or visit www. bridgeoflife.tv. 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 32
Bible study (6:30). Every fourth Sunday of the month is our youth Sunday. For more information please call (334) 2690457 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. 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 $2.50. For additional information please contact NeeNee Webb at 834-8990.
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Frazer mom2mom is a playgroup to connect mothers of preschoolers at Frazer United Methodist Church to share fun and inspiration in our journey together, with our children, and with Christ. Email Mom2mom@frazerumc.org. Good News @ Noon is an interdenominational Bible study, held at the First Baptist Community Ministries Building on Adams Street, Thursdays, at noon. Small cost for hot lunch. Call 272.1133. Hall Memorial CME Church, 541 Seibles Road, Montgomery, offers Bible Study Tuesdays at 5:30 P.M. and Wednesdays at 6: 30 P.M. For directions or information call 334-288-0577. Email HallMemorialCME1@aol.com or visit www.HallMemorialCME.blogspot.com. 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. 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 6:157:00 pm, and adult choir rehearsal and Catechism class for 7th-9th graders at 7:00 pm. Please call for Wednesday schedule due to seasonal breaks. For information, call 277-4213. Mt. Gillard Missionary Baptist Church, 3323 Day Street, holds Wednesday Bible Study in the church Fellowship Hall and lasts for one hour. Please come and participate in roaming the Bible learning God’s word through teaching. The Rev. Henry M. Carnegie, Jr. is the teacher and pastor. Mid-day Bible Study begins each
Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. Evening Bible Study begins each Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Call 233-8750. New Freedom Worship Center, 6004 –A East Shirley Lane, Apostle T. Briggs~ Pastor; Sunday Worship Service 10:30 a.m. and Wednesday Night Bible Study 7:30 p.m. Open Door Christian Faith Church, 1601 Dewey St. Montgomery, offers Women’s Prayer Mondays at 5:00, Men’s prayer Wednesday at 5:00, followed by bible study at 6:00. Couples ministry held every 1st Wednesday of the month at 7:00. Pastor William Cromblin, and the Open Door Church family invites you to “come experience the move of God. Call 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
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River Region’s Journey
Join us for... March 30th - April 3rd 2015 - 7:00 Nightly Service
Holy Week
Explosion
(334) 265-4136 | www.stjohnsame.com | 807 Madison Ave. Montgomery, AL
March 2015 Community Calendar
Q 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.
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 $10 for a one hour lesson, devotional, and 3 hours of DJ music. All denominations 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”. Call the church office 334-657-0392 or visit www.theriveroflifechurch.net. River Region’s Journey
March 2015
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. 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. 34
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 radiohomecominggospel.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.
Send your events to deanne@ readjourneymagazine.com.
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Q. I’m 30 and debt-free. Do you think I
hit with a penalty plus your tax rate. That’s not a good plan! That’s just one of the reasons I tell people to have an emergency fund in place before they start investing!
A. Yes, I do. But it shouldn’t take you a year to set aside an emergency fund if you’re debt-free and making decent money at your job. Just make it part of your monthly budget plan, grit your teeth and do it! I recommend that people put off or stop investing until they are debt-free, except for their home, and have an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses in place. In some cases, depending on how much debt they have, it could take three or four years to do all this. I know it seems like a long time, but it’s really not in the grand scheme of things. Here’s the way I look at it. If you have no emergency fund, but you’re contributing to your 401(k), there’s a good chance you’ll end up cashing out your 401(k) if a large, unexpected expense comes along. When you cash out a 401(k) early, you get
Q. I have a question about home warranties.
now being handled by a collections agency. They want me to pay the entire $20,000 now, or consolidate it with $16,000 in collection fees added. Are these my only options?
A. In my opinion, they’re a waste of money even if you don’t have that much set aside for emergencies. I recommend an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses to cover the unexpected things that life will throw at you. This amount of cash, sitting in a good money market account with check writing privileges, will give you easy access in the event of a financial emergency. I don’t do extended warranties of any kind. They’re not a good deal. You’re better off to self-insure against things breaking down, and put what would have been profit and marketing dollars for the extended warranty company in your own pocket!
A. There’s no way I’d consolidate and pay $16,000 in collection fees. Right now, they’re trying to bully you. They may eventually garnish your paychecks, but I think you can still work out something with these guys. You’ll have to repay the loan, and probably the interest and some of the late charges, but $16,000 is a bunch of crap. Don’t run out and get another loan to pay it, but don’t let yourself be blackmailed, either. You’ve made a mess by ignoring this for so long, so now you’ll have to save every penny you can and start sending them substantial amounts of money each month. Trust me, they’ll take your payments and cash the checks. Hopefully, you can settle on a reasonable repayment structure and have this thing killed off in a couple of years.
should stop making contributions to my 401(k) account for a year in order to save up an emergency fund?
Are they a waste of money if you already have a fully-funded emergency fund, with six months of expenses or more set aside?
Q. I have a student loan in default that is
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Movie Reviews Reviews provided by MovieGuide: A Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment Ratings are based on production quality and moral acceptability. See details below. ***Reviews do not necessarily reflect views of the publishers of River Region’s Journey.
Old Fashioned
McFarland, USA
Production Quality: *** Moral Acceptability: -1 (Caution) Starring: Rik Swartzwelder, Elizabeth Roberts, LeJon Woods, Tyler Hollinger, Nini Hadjis, Maryanne Nagel, Lindsay Heath, Joseph Bonamico Genre: Romance Audience: Teenagers and adults Rating: PG-13 Content: Strong Christian worldview about protecting ones heart, staying pure, valuing marriage with several Scripture quotes and a scene in a church; no foul language; no violence; some sexual references includes a stripper shows up at a bachelor party and starts to tease the groom, but Christian character tries to stop it and convinces the groom not to go along with it, it seems like two characters cheat on each other, but it turns out that neither went through with it, brief videos of a frat boy asking college girls to pose for the camera but nothing graphic, and a joke about a character maybe being homosexual (he’s not); no nudity, but some implied nudity in the frat videos; alcohol use, including references to bar and party drinking; no smoking; and, nothing else objectionable. OLD FASHIONED is a romantic-drama about Clay Walsh, a single man who owns an antique shop in a small town in Ohio. When Amber, a free spirited young woman, drives into town, she finds Clay’s place and rents the apartment above his antique shop. Immediately, Amber is fascinated by the quiet and awkward Clay, who upon their first meeting states that he refuses to be alone in a room with a woman who’s not his wife. Clay, a former frat boy turned Christian, is trying to avoid the hurt and pain that he caused in his last relationship. So, he’s set up rules to protect himself. Eventually, a budding romance begins between Clay and Amber. OLD FASHIONED is a very different type of romance movie as it explores relationships with the set purpose of marriage in mind. Though much of the movie is awkward, the worldview in OLD FASHIONED is definitely Christian: Clay was radically changed by Jesus. Though he’s not a fan of church, he quotes Scripture many times. OLD FASHIONED requires caution for some references to drinking and partying.
Production Quality: **** Moral Acceptability: -1 (Caution) Starring: Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Morgan Saylor, Elsie Fisher, Vincent Martella, Martha Higareda, Daniel Moncada, Mariann Gavelo, Carlos Pratts, Hector Duran Genre: Sports Drama Audience: Older children to adults Rating: PG Content: Very strong moral worldview with biblical messages of perseverance, hard work and sacrificing and fighting for family and friends, with strong Christian elements as young teenagers kneel in giving thanks to God in prayer after winning a race, woman says “God bless you” and Hispanics have many Christian crucifixes, plus some strong Pro-American, plus light pagan reference to “the gods” in one student’s poem; three light obscenities, three light profanities, a boy vomits from nervousness; there’s an implied fight scene, the aftermath is shown, and it’s revealed that a young girl was pushed to the ground, and a man was stabbed, a boy’s face gets a cut after a football cleat is thrown at him, a teenage boy contemplates jumping off a bridge; no sexual content, though there’s a reference to teenage pregnancy and light kissing; upper male nudity; light drinking; and, no other objectionable content. MCFARLAND, USA is an inspiring sports story taking place in 1987. It stars Kevin Costner as Jim White, a coach with a history of getting fired who’s forced to take a teaching position in the tiny town of McFarland, California. The predominately Hispanic town is pretty much a town with no aspirations and no bright future. Jim notices that many students, who also work in the fields as pickers, are unusually fast. So, Jim starts a cross-country running team to compete against teams from other schools that are much bigger than McFarland’s. The team not only inspires each other and Jim’s family; their speed also inspires the whole town. MCFARLAND, USA is one of the best sports dramas in recent years. The real standouts are the young actors who show the struggle many communities face giving their young people good opportunities to succeed. It’s not just a feel-good story, it’s a good story period! MCFARLAND, USA has strong biblical messages as well as overt elements of Christian faith. A light caution is advised due to brief foul language and some implied violence.
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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wic offers growing families: Healthy food nutrition education
Breastfeeding g support Healthcare referrals
Alabama’s WIC Program helps pregnant women, new mothers, infants and young children stay healthy and eat right during times of important growth.
Nutrition Program
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Find More This Easter
it’s not just about eggs
Come
Celebrate the True Meaning of
Easter!
“I am the resurrection and the life.” — John 11:25 (NIV)
Wednesday, April 1 6:15 pm
Easter Communion Worship
Friday, April 3
12:00 pm Good Friday Worship
Sunday, April 5 8:30 am 9:45 am 11:00 am 6:15 pm
Easter Celebration Bible Fellowship Classes Easter Celebration Evening Worship
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH montgomery
Jay Wolf, Pastor 305 South Perry Street :: Montgomery, AL 36104 334.834.6310 :: www.montgomeryfbc.org