River Region Christians December 2022

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Christmas:

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Faith @ Work: Jan Woods

We sat down with Jan Woods, Meals on Wheels Co ordinator for MACOA, to find out why she returned to Millbrook after being gone 60 years, why she is pas sionate about helping the elderly, and how she relies on God to get her through tough times.

The Fairytale

That Must Be True

by Scott Sauls

Have you ever stopped, just for a second, and consid ered the far-fetched claims of Christianity at Christmas time? The hope of the universe rests on the belief that this seemingly far-fetched fairy tale... is actually true.

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Christmas in the River Region

Start planning to celebrate Christ in a variety of ways with local churches. You’ll find musicals, Christmas candlelight services and so much more in December.

Arising

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Canaan Land Ministries

The Road to Healing Broken Hearts

by Kym Klass

Just off County Road 165, a place was created to move men from the “milk to the meat” of God’s Word... to make them committed disciples of Jesus Christ. Canaan Land Ministries works to produce a strong follower of Jesus Christ – one who can stand on their own.

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 advertis ing partner starting next month.

Editor

DeAnne Watson deanne@readjourneymagazine.com

Publisher

Jason Watson jason@readjourneymagazine.com

Research Editor

Wendy McCollum

Contributing Writers

From the Publisher

Don’t Forget the True Beauty of Christmas

My family spends a great deal of time on the Gulf enjoying the emerald waters and sugar sand beaches. Like many of you, I grew up making that drive south, passing through small towns and keeping an eye out for the first palm tree. The beach was like entering a different world, and standing knee-deep before continu ous waves as they crashed against my body was both frightening and exhilarating. I felt but a speck, yet more alive than ever. I bet you’ve felt something similar there.

As the decades have passed, I don’t feel the same as I once did. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy it, and a good sunset can leave me speechless, but often I forget just how special it is to stand on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. That is until I see a family visiting from some land-locked state up I-65. I see that same paradise in their eyes that I saw as a kid. I nod my head in confirmation watching smiles stretch wide across their faces as they charge toward the warm Gulf waters to get lost in playing in the waves. “YES,” I think, “You see it’s true beauty.”

Christmas is like this too. The majesty of our Savior’s birth gets worn down like a shell in the surf. Jesus is still there, but the original texture has been smoothed over by commercialization.

I don’t know if any of us can stand in awe like the shepherds did the night the angels first appeared, saying, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). Or when the wise men arrived underneath the star they had been following and went “into the house, where they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him” (Matt 2:11). Even though we weren’t pres ent then, being awe-struck by Jesus is still the correct response today.

How, then, can we see the true beauty of Christmas?

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River Region Christians is published monthly by Keep Sharing, P.O. Box 230367, Montgomery, AL 36123. For information, call 334-213-7940. River Region Christians is copyrighted 2022 by KeepSharing. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

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Look into the eyes and faces of those who encountered him. The shepherds, the wise men, even Simeon, who took Jesus in his arms at the Temple and blessed God, saying, “My eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32).

Later, John, Jesus’ disciple, would pen these words, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Fa ther, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

The Scriptures are full of awe-struck encounters with Jesus. If you want December 25th to have meaning, open the Word and remember the true beauty of Christmas.

Pastor’s Perspective

by Dr. Chris Montgomery, Frazer Church

There was nothing wrong with the armor. In fact, it was probably the best armor in Israel. It was most likely made with the finest of materials. It was undoubtedly fash ioned with precision since it was for the most important man in Israel. The King!

I can see the craftsman working diligently. Going over every inch of the metals used to tailor such a piece

of equipment. I’m sure it was flawless. Completely functional. Beautiful to behold. Yet, there was a problem. The problem was that the armor was not made for David. It was Saul’s armor. And Saul had placed it on David. In 1 Samuel 17, we read the following

38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. (1 Samuel 17:38-40)

“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.”

So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shep herd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

Notice David did not immedi ately refuse. He did tie the armor

on. David even tried it out by walking around. However, something was not quite right. Something in (and literally on) David was uneasy. Something led David to refuse the King’s request and defy the King’s actions by taking off the armor the King had placed on him. Something in David enabled him to breathe in deeply and form the words that would ultimately reject the King’s offer of his very own armor. What was it? It was understanding.

One of David’s greatest qualities was that he understood who he was and who he was not. David learned something about himself while spending countless hours alone tending sheep. He not only learned something about himself but a few things about God as well.

David decided to choose some stones. He decided to place them in his shepherd’s bag. He decided to pick up a sling. These items seem elementary compared to the noble armor of a King. But David knew who he was.

The question is, do you? Are you walking around in someone else’s armor? An armor that someone else placed on you. Are you walking around wanting someone else’s armor? An armor not made for you. Or are you content? Content in the knowledge of your God-given identity, even if it is a shepherd’s bag with a few smooth stones and a sling inside.

Chris Montgomery is senior pastor of Frazer Free Methodist Church, 6000 Atlanta Hwy, Montgomery, AL. Visit www.frazer.church.

Bully Pulpit

by Michael Kruger

Is there more spiritual abuse in the church now than there was in days past? Or could it be that the world has shrunk so that we simply see more evidence of it? I am inclined to believe the latter, but regardless, it is high time that Christians address what is clearly a too-common issue. Whatever we believe about the church’s history, we cannot and should not escape the fact that some pastors and some church leaders behave in abusive ways. Not only that, but some of the traits we may even desire in our leaders are opposed to the char acteristics of leadership the Bible lays out. This is a church-wide problem, not just a leadership problem.

Michael Kruger’s Bully Pulpit is meant to address the issue by addressing Christian leaders. “I am writing as a leader in the church to other leaders in the church. Church leaders are the primary audience because they are the ones who can prevent spiritual abuse. They can stop bully pastors.” While there are other books written for the victims of spiritual abuse, this one is written for the ones who may purposely or inadvertently find themselves perpetrating it.

Of course Kruger is careful to affirm that it is only a slim minority of pastors who perpetrate abuse. “In some ways, the problem of abusive church leaders is not all that different from the problem of abusive police officers. While most officers are honorable, kind, and brave, some do use excessive force. And the reality of the former can’t be an excuse to ignore the latter. The dignity of the office would be better protected if more good police officers had the courage to stand up to the abusive ones.” What is true of police officers is equally true of pastors. This is an issue that, for the sake of the pu rity of the church and the safety of the sheep, must be addressed.

Bully Pulpit is a book that needed to be written and I am thankful that Michael Kruger took the opportunity to do so. I ap preciate his handling of a difficult subject, his precise defining of the term, and his care in distinguishing between behaviors that are abusive and behaviors that are not. I appreciate his kind but insistent calls to pastors and church leaders that they ensure they are measuring up to the biblical qualifications for those who would take leadership positions in churches and Christian organizations. Most of all, I appreciate that he took on the topic at all, for only by facing it and admitting it can we address it.

The World Next Door

by Rory Shiner and Peter Orr

It can be difficult to know how to tell others about our Christian convictions. It can be difficult to know the best way to tell others about what we believe and why we believe it. And while I am sure this has always been the case, there are new challenges that come with the seismic shifts we’ve seen in Western culture over the past decade or two—shifts that have carried us into what is increasingly obviously a post-Christian West in which our re ligious convictions are now a social liability far more than an asset.

I am often asked for recommen dations on books that someone can hand to an unbeliever, a skep tic, or a religious wanderer—books that may help persuade them to come to the Christian faith. I generally recommend Keller’s The Reason for God because of the way he engages intellectually with the modern mind, but now I’m glad to also be able to recommend a newer option: Rory Shiner and Peter Orr’s The World Next Door. This book, they say, “is our best shot at commending the Christian message to our friends. It’s driven by the universal human instinct to increase the joy of finding a good thing by sharing it with others. We both think we’ve found a good thing—the best thing—in finding God through Jesus. We want to share it.”

They take an interesting angle on an evangelistic work by framing it around the Apostle’s Creed, the most widely accepted summary of Christian truth. And so they lead the reader through the Creed, phrase by phrase. They discuss the being and nature of God and tell of his creative power; they introduce Jesus as God and man, as incarnated and virgin-born, as crucified and buried, as resurrected, reigning, and returning; they tell of the Holy Spirit and his ongoing work in this world. In other words, they lead the reader through the most essential claims of Christianity.

While I am obviously not a skeptic of the faith, I do believe its approach is helpful and will prove effective. I admire the authors for not running away from even the most offensive of Christianity’s claims and from its most difficult doctrines.

There are all sorts of good reasons to become a Christian, some of them very serious. But one of the more surprising reasons is that being a Christian is actually really interesting and, in its own way, fun.” I couldn’t agree more and it’s my hope that many people read The World Next Door and come to embrace the faith it describes.

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RRC: You were born in Millbrook, then moved to Ohio as a child and lived there for 60 years. What brought you back to Alabama?

JW: My family moved to Ohio when I was four years old. I did not want to move away from my grandparents. My family visited during the holidays, and my sister and I spent every summer in Millbrook. I loved Millbrook so much that I was convinced I wanted to live there. I told myself Millbrook would be the place to live when the time was right. However, the time never seemed right, and after high school, I married and had a family and a career. After the passing of my parents and two failed marriages, the time seemed right. I moved to Millbrook five years ago and have never regretted it.

RRC: How has serving as the Meals on Wheels Coordinator at MACOA impacted your life?

JW: Becoming the Meals on Wheels Coordinator has been an asset to my life. To become a Meals on Wheels client, you must be at least 60 years old, unable to cook for yourself, and homebound. I have always had a passion for the elderly. My mother’s siblings live close by, so my daughter, Jayne, and I make sure we are there when they need us. God has blessed me with health and strength, allowing me to serve others. When I see and hear about the obstacles of others, I know I am a blessed individual.

RRC: You love devoting your time to others. What involvement do you have with your church, Lake Elam Missionary Baptist?

JW: I am a dedicated member of the Lake Elam Missionary Baptist Church in Millbrook. I attended Lake Elam when I visited as a child, most of my family belonged to Lake Elam, and there was no other church I considered joining when I moved here. I began serving in the culinary department whenever the church would have programs. Currently, I serve as a greeter. Greeting the people coming through the door makes my heart sing, and seeing the smiling faces each Sunday makes my day.

RRC: You mentioned that you love your job and what you do; however, it can also be mentally intense. What does a typical day look like for you?

JW: The role of Meals on Wheels Coordi nator is sometimes stressful. We have 36 routes serving 428 clients in the Montgomery County area Monday through Friday. As the coordinator, I ensure a driver covers each route. There are 25 or more routes that I staff with volunteers each week.

RRC: How did you develop a passion for serving the elderly community?

JW: I like being around the elderly. In my opinion, an elder has so much wisdom to offer. Being attentive to older men and

women has value no matter how old you are personally. You can always learn something from an elder.

RRC: Years ago, you were diagnosed with breast cancer. How did your faith sus tain you during that challenging time?

JW: Twenty-seven years ago, I was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. My mammogram came back inconclu sive, so they did an ultrasound which also came back inconclusive. I know within my heart that God put things into place. Had I waited six months for another mammo gram, the cancer could have been in the later stages. My faith in God is strong, and He is my strength.

RRC: It’s extremely difficult to endure the loss of a child. To anyone struggling with the loss of a loved one, what coping advice would you give them?

JW: It is hard to cope with losing her, but I know God does not discriminate. I know that she is in heaven with him and is not suffering. I believe if I could ask her to come back, she would not want to. Losing a loved one is tough, but I would say to someone who is losing or has lost a child to lean on the Lord. He hears and feels your hurt. Know that God is with you and has his arms around you.

RRC: You believe: “If it’s not in God’s will, it won’t happen.” How do your words of af firmation reassure God’s plan for your life?

JW: I knew I wanted to move to Alabama. After praying to God, it became easy to prepare for the move. Sometimes, things seem hard, but God is always there to see you through. And you will look back at the dilemma and say, “Why did I worry so much?” He’s an awesome God.

Jan Woods is the Meals on Wheels Coordinator for Mont gomery Area Council on Aging. She’s a native of Millbrook, AL, and enjoys providing service and support to seniors in the Montgomery community.

Church on Friday, February 10, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00

Have you ever stopped, just for a second, and considered the far-fetched claims of Christianity at Christmas time?

During this particular holiday, Christians all over the world—millions and millions of them—pause to contemplate a first-century middle eastern infant, mothered by a teenage girl who had never been with a man, born dirt poor and from a small, obscure hick town called Nazareth. This little boy, this underdog whose life was allegedly surrounded by miracles such as a virgin birth, unexplainable healings, and resurrection, Christians say, is the answer to all the world’s problems.

The hope of the universe rests on the belief that this seemingly far-fetched fairy tale... is actually true.

Jesus, that little baby boy from the obscure hick town and virgin womb…he would grow up and speak these words about himself for anyone who would listen:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life,” he said, “no one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Why did Jesus claim to be the Truth, versus one single truth among many other truths? Why did he say he would not share his glory with any other God or religious leader? Why was he unwill ing to accept the mere designation of Rabbi or of a good moral teacher or of an exemplary human being? Furthermore, why do his followers seem stuck on the idea that Jesus, in being the truth, is the singular path to God? CS Lewis, a secular atheist intellect turned Christian, answers this question as well as anyone in Mere Christianity:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a mad man or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

But what is it, exactly, that has made Lewis so certain that Jesus is more than a great human teacher, but is instead the Son of God, the Word who has become flesh, the Incarnate Deity? I believe the answer to this question rests in a single word: Resurrection.

Jesus, who was crucified, dead, and buried, rose again bodily from the dead. But is there evidence, any evidence what soever, that these claims are true? I think so. Do you?

The man Saul of Tarsus was militantly opposed to the Christian religion and a leader in the first-century massacre against the followers of Jesus. Yet, Saul of Tarsus later became a follower of Jesus. The turning point occurred for Saul when he was on his way to Damascus to arrest more Christians. Jesus, having risen from the dead, met him on the road, temporar ily blinded him, and asked him a question, “Saul, why do you persecute me?”

The message to Saul was clear. In standing against Christians, he was standing against Christ, the risen Messiah. And in standing against Christ, the risen Messiah, he was standing against the Truth.

In an instant, Saul, once a big shot among the Jews, became small in his own eyes. Saul, a great teacher and leader, was at a loss for words. Instead of striking Saul down, Jesus forgave him.

From that point forward, Saul of Tarsus was also Paul the Apostle, the inspired writer of approxi mately one third of the New Testament. He later wrote these words:

“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly and in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I re ceived mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

(1 Timothy 1:12-16)

This is why the little boy came into the world at Christmas time. To save sinners. Even the foremost of them.

But how did Paul know that his words were “trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance?” How did Paul know that his belief in Jesus was belief in the truth versus a belief in one of several legitimate, competing “truths?”

He knew his words were trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance because Christ had risen from the dead. —a claim that any other religious founder or leader cannot make. And if Christ has risen from the dead, everything else that Jesus said and did can be accepted as true. This includes things like the virgin birth, the healings, turning water into wine, and all those other wonderful things about the fairy tale that is true.

But what if the resurrection of Jesus—and thus everything else about Je sus—is actually not true? What if it is a myth? What if in the end, it turns out to be a cleverly made up hoax? If it is a hoax, Christians are the most pitiful people in the world.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church: “If the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most of all to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:17-20)

In fact…Christ has been raised.

How can we be so sure? As Simon Greenleaf, distinguished professor of law at Harvard discovered, the evidence is overwhelming. Based on the evidence alone, it takes more faith not to believe that Jesus rose from the dead than it takes faith to believe it.

As the Apostle Peter once wrote, “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty (2 Peter 1:16).

Eyewitnesses. Of his majesty.

What eyewitness evidence to Jesus’ resurrection was so convincing to the likes of Simon Greenleaf? There are several excellent books that have been written on the subject, including Who Moved the Stone? by an English journalist attorney named Frank Morrison. Also, The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith by Lee Stro bel, More Than a Carpenter and Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDow ell, and Tim Keller’s The Reason for God are excellent, more detailed treatments of the subject.

It may be helpful to highlight a few of these so-called “evidences.”

One such evidence is the Apostle Paul’s undisputed claim that there were over five hundred, real-time eyewit nesses to the resurrection of Christ in the

first century, “most of whom (were) still alive” (1 Corinthians 15:3-11). Another evidence is the historical record of how each of the twelve disciples of Jesus died. Judas, the one false disciple, hanged himself over guilt related to his betrayal of Jesus. Ten of the others died as martyrs because of their unwilling ness to recant their Christian faith to show ultimate allegiance to the Roman Caesar. The disciple John, exiled to the island of Patmos for the same unwill ingness to recant, died of old age as a prisoner for Jesus. With this historic record in mind, Josh McDowell wrote the following in More Than a Carpenter:

“If the Resurrection had not happened, obvi ously the disciples would have known it. I can find no way that these particular men could have been deceived. Therefore they not only would have died for a lie—here’s the catch— they would have known it was a lie. It would be hard to find a group of men anywhere in history who would die for a lie if they knew it was a lie.”

Other evidence for Christianity includes the countless lives over the centuries that have been changed. Liars becoming more honest, crooks returning what they have stolen, anxious and dying people finding peace, cowardly and fear ful people finding courage, hurtful people asking forgiveness from those they have hurt. These are only a few examples of how the Jesus Christ of Christmas and Resurrection changes people.

Perhaps you have been turned off to Christianity because of intellectual roadblocks. Perhaps, like Francis Schaef fer, you have been turned off by a “lack of reality” that you perceive in the lives and behavior of Christians around you.

Amid your questions, doubts, and disappointments, are there any Christians in your life who have shown you glimpses of something different, something more beautiful and lovely, even something ad mirable? If so, could this be Jesus reach ing out to you, inviting you to consider, or perhaps reconsider, his claims?

If you are not ready to open yourself to the possibility that Jesus is the Truth, would you consider embarking on the journey that Simon Greenleaf once did? Would you accept the challenge, as he did, of attempting to prove that it is false? Perhaps in your quest to prove Christian ity to be false, you might discover, as Greenleaf and Francis Schaeffer did, that there is only one reason to be a Christian: because it’s true.

Scott Sauls is a pastor, author and blogger living in Nashville, TN.

The Importance of Connection

I can count on maybe three fingers the number of times I’ve been without immediate family at Christmas.

This year will be the third. My father will be in Florida, and my daughter is traveling abroad with a group from her college. It is such an easy opportunity to tell others you’ll be fine when they invite you for Christmas din ner that you don’t wish to intrude on their time. Their traditions. Their excitement of the day.

“It’s okay... really, it’s okay,” you say.

I’ve lived a life over the years when my family was simply spread apart, but we’d sacrifice what we needed to be together for at least part of Christmas. A couple of hours here. A Christmas lunch there. Brunch. Whatever it took.

Because you realize connection is important.

Remember the beginning of Covid? When the shutdowns and stay-at-home orders were an introvert’s dream? And we joked that even after we were allowed to visit stores again, we wished others would remain six feet from us?

For a while, I enjoyed the forced discon nect. The relapse in the race against the clock. The time spent at home. The time away from others. Just me and my dog on the couch. Oh, just me?

For a while, this felt ideal.

But even the most self-proclaimed introverts began craving human connection. Even if it meant standing on the side of the street while a friend stood at their front door so two people could talk. Even if it meant sit ting outside at restaurants – chairs distanced. Even if it meant taking multiple Covid tests and quarantining for the required number of days so we could see our family during the holidays. We began to do what it took.

Human connection is synonymous with survival. We are not designed to live this life

alone and without human contact. Through our trials, our loneliness, and even our joys, our hearts and minds are intended to share, to touch, to communicate, and to connect with others.

“Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25)

While the introvert joke subsided after a few weeks – months? – during the beginning of Covid, we have seen since March 2020 that connectivity became crucial. Then... and now. And with the holidays upon us, it’s even more critical.

Maybe because we’ve survived so much together the past three years. Maybe because we realize how valuable our time is together. Maybe because we’ve finally realized how crucial connection is.

Jesus set the example for us of how important relationships are – with how He lived His life.

In Luke 10:1-2, Jesus sent His fol lowers out in pairs to share the good news of God’s peace. But He didn’t send people out alone. He wanted everyone to have someone to travel and do work with. When God asks us to take the next step, He often uses other Christians to help us along the way. (NewSpring)

After this the Lord appointed seventytwo others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where

FoundedUponGod’sWord

At Christchurch, Holy Scripture serves as the final authority for our teaching and preaching. Indeed, over the course of three years, almost the entire Bible is read aloud and preached upon.

Montgomery

Aldersgate UMC

Dalraida UMC

12 p.m., Communion; 3:15 p.m., Family Ser vice; 5 & 7 p.m., Candlelight Services.

6610 Vaughn Road, (334) 272.6152 www.aldersgateumc.org

Warm and Loving

LiturgicallyJoyful

At Christchurch, worship involves the entire congregation, as we offer God praise, thanksgiving and adoration using worship traditions that can be traced back to the earliest days of the Church. Our worship is not designed to entertain us, but to honor the true “audience” of worship, the Lord!

December 11 at 10:30 a.m.

Christmas Carol Service Sanctuary and online at Aldersgateumc.org Christmas Eve Carols, Communion and Candlelight Saturday, December 24

Committed to Mission

ad on page 13 3817 Atlanta Hwy., (334) 272.2190 www.dalraidaumc.com

Frazer Church

Christmas Dinner December 21, 5:30 pm Christmas Eve Candlelight , 11 am

By God’s grace and through His Spirit, the people of Christchurch enjoy the richness and joy of being a true family. We’d love for you to become a part of us! Regardless of who you are, you will always find a home at Christchurch.

Sundays 8800 Vaughn Road, Montgomery, AL 36117 www.christchurchmgm.net 334.387.0566

The people of Christchurch respond to God’s Word by going out into the world proclaiming the good news of Jesus, and we joyfully serve as His hands and feet whether in places like Uganda and Guatemala or within Montgomery.

Christchurch

ad on page 3 8800 Vaughn Road, (334) 387.0566, ext. 203.

Candlelit Service of Lessons and Carols

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Christmas at Eastern Hills Baptist 3604 Pleasant Ridge Rd., (334) 272.0604 www.ehbconline.com

Christmas Hope, Christmas Music Program Featuring our Children’s Choir, Student Choir, Song Drama, Adult Choir, guest Orchestra. Free Admission - Childcare provided for birth through 5 years old December 4, 3 p.m.

Christmas Candlelight Service All ages will attend this service which includes a special story time for children.

December 24, 5 p.m.

Church of the Highlands 4255 Taylor Road, (205) 980.5577 www.churchofthehighlands.com

Dates to be announced on website. Come join us for a service full of worship, prayer, and celebration as we honored the birth of Jesus Christ. Please visit our website for times and locations.

First Baptist Church ad on Back Cover 305 South Perry Street, (334) 834.6310 montgomeryfbc.org

The Living Christmas Tree December 8-11 Thursday and Friday at 7 PM; Saturday and Sunday at 4 PM

Come experience the splendor of Christmas in Main Sanctuary as the FBC choir and orchestra present, The Living Christmas Tree, a musical presentation that celebrates the birth of Jesus and the hope He brings.

Christmas Communion December 18, 5:30 pm

Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship December 24, 3:30 and 5 pm Christmas Worship December 25, 10 am

First United Methodist Church 2416 West Cloverdale Park, (334) 834.8990 Sunday, November 27

Advent 1 - Hanging of the Greens Sunday, December 3

Advent 2 – Holy Communion Sunday, December 11

Advent 3 – Lessons and Carols December 18

Advent 4 – Poinsettia Sunday Christmas Eve Services Saturday, December 24

ad on page 17 6000 Atlanta Highway, (334) 272.8622 Visit frazer.church Frazer Church Women’s Christmas Brunch December 3, 9 am to 11 am in Wesley Hall Women and girls of all ages are invited to our annual Women’s Christmas Brunch featuring tables beautifully decorated by the ladies of the church and a special message entitled “Setting Another Place” from Donna Oliphint. Tickets are $10 in the Atrium beginning November 3.

Lessons and Carols of Christmas December 4 at 4 p.m.

The Longest Night Christmas Worship December 21, 6 p.m.

“Candlelight Worship” Friday, December 23 at 6 p.m. (Contemporary) or Saturday, December 24 at 4 p.m. (Traditional) and 6 p.m. (Contemporary) Christmas Day Services December 25 from 10-11 a.m.

We will offer one service on Christmas Day, December 25, at 10 a.m., as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. The service will be led by Pastor Chris and his family. There will be no childcare available. Classes will not meet.

Gateway Baptist Church

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3300 Bell Road, (334) 272.9494 gatewaybaptist.com Candlelight Service and Communion

Saturday, December 24, 5 p.m.

Heritage Baptist Church

1849 Perry Hill Road, (334) 279.9976 www.hbcm.net

Christmas Eve Service December 24, 5 p.m.

His Vessel Ministries

300 Water Street, (334) 356.4478 Open House December 13, 4-6 p.m. Refreshments served, Live Music

Saint James Church 9045 Vaughn Road, (334) 277.3037 www.sjlife.com

Happy Birthday Jesus Party Children’s Ministry is throwing our annual birthday party for Jesus!

December 11, 11a.m.

Christmas Eve Services December 24, 12 p.m. Traditional Service

If you long to sing in a candlelight service with Christmas hymns in a stain glass sanctuary on Christmas Eve at noon, then this is your service. December 24, 5:30 p.m.

Contemporary Service This service contains worship from upbeat to the hope filled somber Christmas songs, a quick Christmas message that includes candle lighting, Silent Night around the pond, and then fireworks! Nursery for 3 and under.

Taylor Road Baptist

1685 Taylor Road, (334) 271.3363 www.taylorroad.org Candlelight Service December 24 at 5 p.m.

Vaughn Forest Church

8660 Vaughn Road, (334) 279.5433 www.vaughnforrest.com Christmas Eve Service December 24, 4 pm

Prattville

Centerpoint Fellowship Church 1200 McQueen Smith Road, Prattville (334) 356.3076; www.centeringlives.com

Jingle Jam Christmas Party December 4 from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. Candlelight Service December 24 at 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

East Memorial Baptist Church 1320 Old Ridge Road, (334) 365.7500 www.eastmemorial.org

“The Promise of Christmas” Our Celebration Choir, Orchestra, and Drama Team will present an East Memorial Favorite. December 11 at 10:30 a.m. Christmas Eve Service December 24 with times TBA

First Baptist Church

ad on page 11 138 South Washington St., (334) 365.0606; www.fbcprattville.org

He Is Christmas Musical December 11, 5 pm

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service December 24, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Christmas Worship December 25, 10 am

Wetumpka

First United Methodist

ad on page 20 306 W. Tuskeena Street, (334) 567.7865 wetumpkafirst.com Christmas Eve Candlelight Service and Communion December 24, 5 pm Christmas

Schedule your retirement review today.

It’s been said that we spend more time planning vacations than planning for retirement. Let’s set aside some time to create positive change for you and the people you care about and understand:

• How much you’ll need to retire

• If you are on track for your retirement goals

• Which IRA is right for your retirement needs – Roth or traditional

• The importance of asset allocation and how it can help as you work toward your long-term goals

It’s more than just money. Investing is about realizing the possibilities of your future.

1951 Berry Chase Place Montgomery, AL 36117 334-271-9573

edwardjones.com

Sang Y Chung, AAMS®, CRPC® Financial Advisor

The road in Autaugaville is long, winding, and filled with hope. It is a road to renewal, healing, and mending of broken hearts. It is quiet.

Just off County Road 165, a place was created to move men from the “milk to the meat” of God’s Word... to make them com mitted disciples of Jesus Christ. Canaan Land Ministries works to produce a strong follower of Jesus Christ – one who can stand

on their own and attack the kingdom of darkness. It has, for the past 40 years, offered a one-year intensive Bible Training Center to students while committed to two key principles:

Accept every student free of charge and never accept govern ment funding that would hinder the freedom to share about the life-changing, addiction-freeing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Through the course at the Bible Train ing Center, students learn the knowledge and relational skills necessary to rebuild

“When we started, we realized there was no age limit to a broken heart,” said Caleb Gober, who helps oversee the min istry with his mother, Sandra Gober. “It’s someone’s life. A lot of people experience emotional breakdowns in life, maybe due to a divorce, not seeing their children or a claim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set

anointing us. It’s a privilege for Him to move through me.”

Canaan Land Ministries was founded in 1981 by Mac and Sandra Gober (right). They, along with their dedicated staff, have seen God work the miracle of salvation, grace, and changed lives into thousands of families throughout North Amer ica and various parts of the globe. The ministry is designed especially for men 18 years of age and older who have struggled with some type of lifecontrolling issue.

It all began when Mac Gober brought one young man home need ing help. Others followed. So have thousands over

They have church on Wednesday nights and Sundays. So men are constantly get ting submerged in the Word of God. Then we teach them to walk out the Word.”

About 35 men can be housed on the property at once, along with several volunteers. While the Bible Train ing Center is a oneyear program, the men come at various times during the year follow ing a phone interview to discuss their intentional ity… “to see if they want the help for them selves,” Gober said. “They are asked, ‘Why are you coming here? What’s your reason. Why do you feel you need help?’ We want to en

Structure of the day

Breakfast begins at 6:15 a.m., with prayer and worship for 50 min utes starting at 7 a.m. Then, there are three 50-minute Bible classes at the top of the hour, beginning at 8 a.m., followed by lunch.

The afternoons are filled with work. The men or their families are not charged for the program, and they’re also not “working” for their stay. “We consider this their home for a year,” Gober said. “There’s not one person who doesn’t care for their home. If you have a home, you cut grass, rake, cook, sweep, and mop. Really, just household chores. Then there’s prayer time with staff and students.”

Calls to families can be made once a week, and free nights include activities such as shooting pool, fishing, and watch ing sports and approved movies. When the men become eligible for visitation, they can spend time off-property with their family.

Support abounds

Canaan Land Ministries is not a 12-step program. Any man who battles drug or alcohol addiction is encouraged

to be clean before arriving at camp. In addition, Canaan Land remains free of charge, largely thanks to donations from Covenant Partners and friends of the ministry, including churches, businesses, and individuals.

Canaan Land has never lacked for having men who can cook. The ministry receives food from the Montgomery Area Food Bank, Sam’s Club, and Walmart. La dies from Voice of Victory Church (on the CLM property) also provide meals.

Paul teaches in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

“Throughout the course of the pro gram, students have the opportunity to wash years of unrenewed thinking away with the cleansing love of Jesus,” Gober said. With a focus on developing mature men, CLM utilizes Bible study, prayer, counseling, and daily work assignments to “produce a strong follower of Jesus, able to stand on their own and attack the kingdom of darkness.”

The ministry strives not only to hear the Word of God but to be ‘doers’

“We help them along in that,” Gober said. “Where we see them fall, make a mistake, blow up, or have is sues or struggles, we’re there to say, ‘This is not who you are.’ The Bible says we are to love our neighbor. We can’t do that with our own strength, but with the strength of the Lord. We show them how to practice what’s written in the Bible.”

To Give

If you wish to help Canaan Land Min istries, visit them online at www.canaan land.com. Click on the “About” tab and scroll down to “Our Vision.”

Kym Klass is a contributing writer and Communications Director of the Media Ministry at Frazer Memorial UMC in Montgomery.

A Christmas Advent-ure: Unwrapping Christmas

The Bible tells us in James 1:17 that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.” John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...”

God gave! This year’s Faith Radio Ad vent Guide is built around a consideration of God’s gifts. A topic and Scripture can be used daily during December or can be incorporated into weekly Advent readings.

1 - SALVATION - Luke 1:46, 47: My soul magni fies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

2 - MERCY - Luke 1:50: His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.

3 - SATISFACTION - Luke 1:53: He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.

4 - HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESSLuke 1:74,75: We, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

5 - EXCITEMENT - Luke 2:33: Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.

6 - HIS PRESENCE - Matthew 1:23: Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, God with us.

7 - WORSHIP - Luke 2:14, 20; Matthew 2:11 Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen.

They saw the young Child with Mary, His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.

8 - ETERNAL LIFE - John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Behold what manner of love the Father has be stowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

10 - TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD - John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory.

11 - PEACE WITH GOD - Romans 5:1: Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

12 - UNLIMITED JOY - Psalm 16:11: In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

13 - ACCESS TO THE THRONE OF GOD - Hebrews 4:16: Let us there fore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

14 - CONFIDENCE IN PRAYER1 John 5:14-15 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the peti tions that we have asked of Him.

15 - A DESIRE TO KNOW HIM - Philippians 3:10 That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.

16 - VICTORY OVER SIN - 1 Corinthians 15:57 Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

17 - HIS WISDOM - 1 Corinthians 1:30: Of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanc tification and redemption.

18 - ETERNAL HOME IN HEAVEN - John 14:2-3 I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

19 - EMPOWERMENT FOR SERVICE1 Peter 4:10: As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

20 - FINANCIAL RESOURCES - 2 Corinthians 9:10-11: Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness...

21 - THE BODY OF CHRIST - Colossians 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.

22 - SECURITY - Psalm 46:1: God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

23 - LOVE FOR GOD AND OTHERSMatthew 22:37-39: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great com mandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

24 - A MEASURE OF FAITH - Romans 12:3 God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

25 - HIS GRACE - Ephesians 2:8: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.

You Are Worthy of Love

I turned the key in the door and walked into my home. We had just re turned from the airport, and it was very late. I turned on the light and immediately noticed a chair was out of place next to a cupboard. Strange. I looked to the right. All the bikes were gone. One of my kids began to cry. We had been robbed.

I was up until 3 am cleaning up the mess. The robbers had emptied every drawer in the house, looking for valuables. I slept uneasily for a few hours. The next morning I got up, reported the robbery, and went to my biopsy appointment. Over the past several months, a large tumor had been growing on my thyroid. I’d waited many weeks for the biopsy and was anxious to get it done and eventually get the results. After my appointment, I went straight to work and saw five clients. The sessions went well, but I was tired by the end of the day.

Perhaps you have had seasons like this. Seasons where it seems the world is against you. Tragedy befalls tragedy, or sickness follows loss. You get through the hard days by sheer willpower but are exhausted.

Do not diminish your pain. It is easy to look around and think others suffer more than you. I know because I often feel the

same. However, if we ignore our pain, we will grow weary and be less able to care for others. We can’t heal from what we don’t acknowledge. When we recognize our needs and our pain, then healing begins.

Arielle Schwartz, a trauma-informed psychologist, states, “Resilience is an ability to flexibly adapt to challenging, adverse, or traumatic life events.” Cultivat ing resilience requires caring for oneself physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. What are your needs in each of these areas? In what areas are you in need of healing?

After a month of wait ing and further tests, the re sults ultimately showed that the tumor was thy roid cancer, but likely treatable. There were a lot of unknowns. I rode a 100-mile bike race a few days later and truly wasn’t sure if it would be my last. The day before the surgery, scans suggested the cancer hadn’t spread far, although the surgeons would need to test several more lymph nodes during the sur gery to be sure. The next day I underwent surgery. When I woke up, they told me I was cancer free.

I could not have endured this stress ful season if I did not believe I had worth. Regardless of however many tragedies befall me, I am a child of God. Every person has value and dignity. We are all created equal, in God’s image, and

worthy of love. The Christian Scripture tells us in 1 John 4:19, “We love because God first loved us.”

During my own difficult season these past several months, I received every kind word, check-in, and “I’m praying for you” offered to me as signs I am loved. I continued to care for myself and release stress by exercising daily. If I hadn’t cared for myself, I could not have continued to show up well for my clients and family.

I do not know what the future holds. But by God’s grace, and with that deep indescrib able peace, I embrace each day with grati tude. Life is a gift, and I want to make the most of each day I am given. May that same peace be with you as you enter into this season with aware ness of your own needs and self-worth, knowing you are loved by God.

Wendy Jacobsen is licensed as an LMFT in Alabama and California. She has also worked extensively with couples and in community mental health with people of all ages. She is a Level 1 trained PACT therapist. Wendy’s therapeutic approach is trauma-informed, humanistic, and multicultural. Therapeutic modalities she utilizes are trauma-informed, evidence-based and incorporated as determined by the client’s needs. These include Trauma-Focused CBT, psychobiological approach to couples therapy (PACT), somatic mindfulness, and attachmentbased therapy.

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 iner rant in the original manuscripts. The Bible is the only essential and infal lible record of God’s self-disclosure to mankind. The Scriptures are the authoritative and normative rule and guide of all Christian life, prac tice, and doctrine. They are totally sufficient and must not be added to, superseded, or changed by later tradition, extra-biblical revelation, or worldly wisdom. The Bible is perfect in every way and shows us how to become and live as Christians.

The way of becoming a Christian is by faith alone in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who came to us, born of a virgin, in full human form while remaining fully God. Jesus was, and is, perfect, and was crucified so that others could live. Three days later He rose from the dead, never to die again. He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own. Those who have faith in Jesus as their Lord in this life, and Savior from damnation in the next life, now live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, becoming more like Jesus everyday.

We believe that God is one God. The one God has three persons: the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Just as God is one, so also, all believers are to be one. We believe in the unity and fellowship of all those that have faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We are one in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, which is composed of all men, living and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith.

*All editorial content published needs to be in agreement with our Statement of Faith

Helping navigate the mental health system for teens and children.

Services are FREE and confidential. Services provided by phone are not medical advice and should not be considered as such.

Services are provided via telephone by licensed mental health professionals who recommend the most appropriate mental health resources.

PIRC is available seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

PIRC is NOT a crisis or suicide hotline. Call for mental health resources.

The PIRC is generously supported by funding from the Anne B. LaRussa Foundation of Hope, United Way of Central Alabama, the Daniel Foundation of Alabama and the Walker Area Community Foundation.

Adoption

Location: Vaughn Forest Church, 8660 Vaughn Road, Montgomery APAC, Alabama Pre/ Post Adoption Connec tion Support Group: This group provides education and social interaction for adoptive families. Meets 3rd Tuesdays, 6-7:30 p.m. For more information call Jill Sexton at 409-9477.

Alcoholic / Addiction

Location: Caring Center of FBC, 52 Adams Avenue CrossRoads Support Group is for addicts/alcoholics and fam ily members. Meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and follows a Christcentered 12-step program. Call 264-4949.

Location: Christchurch Anglican Church, 8800 Vaughn Road next to Southern Homes and Gardens

Celebrate Recovery meets every Friday night. Dinner at 6:00, nursery available for children 4 and under. Large Meeting starts at 6:30. For more information, contact Dolly McLemore 334-301-3490.

Location: Dalraida United Methodist Church 3817 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery An Alanon meeting is held at 9 am on Saturday morn ings. Call 272.2190 for details.

Location: Grace Presbyterian Church, Corner of Bell Road and Atlanta Hwy. Alcoholics Anonymous and Alanon meetings are held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, at 6 p.m. An Open AA Speaker meeting is held on Saturday at 6 p.m. An Alanon & AA held on Sundays at 2 p.m.

Location: Grace Point Community Church, 78223 Tallassee Hwy (Hwy 14), Wetumpka Celebrate Recovery- every Tuesday night- 6:15pm. All are welcome! These meetings are a safe and loving en vironment for individuals seeking to conquer their hurts, habits and hang-ups! gracepoint.info.

Location: Heritage Baptist Church, 1849 Perry Hill Rd, Montgomery, AL Route1520 is a Christ-centered recovery movement ded icated to showing the way home for men impacted by sex and pornography addiction. Meets: Mondays, 6:30 –8:00 PM CST. No Childcare Provided. Email montgom ery@route1520.com, visit http://www.route1520.com/ men/groups-for-men/ or call 877.200.1520.

Location: Journey Church, 435 Sheila Blvd, Prattville Celebrate Recovery - Christ-centered 12-step for anyone struggling with addiction or life-challenging issues. Mondays beginning at 6:15 pm. Childcare available.

Call John Pearse at 303-243-4308 or visit myjourney church.com.

Location: Landmark Church, 1800 Halcyon Blvd. RSVP- This is a 12 step spiritual recovery program for overcoming addictions. Wednesday @ 6:30pm in Rm. 121 of the Life Center.

Location: Prattville Church of Christ, 344 E Main St. CASA - 12 step (Christians Against Substance Abuse) spiritual recovery program, for overcoming addictions. Class begins each Wednesday evening @6:30 PM. Please call 334-365-4201 for additional information.

Location: St. James UMC, 9045 Vaughn Road Celebrate Recovery meets every Thursday night from 6-8 pm in the Youth Room. This is a Christ-centered 12-step group for anyone struggling with an “addiction or life-challenging issues.” For information, call Chris Henderson at 334-215-0427.

Location: First United Methodist Church, Wetumpka 306 W. Tuskeena Street ‘Fresh Start’ Recovery meets every Thursday, 6-8pm (meal included). In 2011, Fresh Start Motorcycle Min istry (FSMM) began when God laid it on the heart of a lifetime biker to minister to those with his background. All are welcome, not a requirement to own/ride a motor cycle. For any information contact ministry leader, Paul Henderson, 334-201-5428.

Location: Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1728 S. Hull Street, Montgomery Route1520 is a Christ-centered recovery movement dedicated to showing the way home for men impacted by sex and pornography addiction. Meets Wednesday from 6:30-8 pm. For more information email riverre gion@route1520.com, visit http:// www.route1520.com/ men/groups-for-men or call 877-2000-1520.

Alzheimer’s / Dementia

Location: First UMC, 2416 W. Cloverdale Park, An Adult Parkinson/Alzheimer’s respite ministry meets from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Lunch is served. Contact Daphne at 834-8990.

Location: Frazer Church, 6000 Atlanta Hwy

An Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers’ Support Group meets on the first Thursday of each month at 10:30 a.m. in Room 3103. Call 495-6343. for more information.

Cancer

Location: Aldersgate UMC, 6610 Vaughn Rd

Cancer Survivors Support Group is sponsored by Sa maritan Counseling Center. We would love to have anyone (pa tient or family member ) join us. Thursdays at 1 pm. Please call before attending just to make sure we are meeting that week. Please call Debbie D at 4674578 or Ben W at 202-1912.

Location: ChristChurch, 8800 Vaughn Road

Cancer Support Group for general cancer. Tuesday afternoons at 1 pm. For more info, please call Christy Holding at 531-1390 or Debbie at 467-4578.

Location: Frazer Church, 6000 Atlanta Hwy.

Central Alabama Multiple Myeloma Support Group meets from 10 a.m. to noon the second Saturday of every month in Room 3105. We have guest speakers, video presentations, printed information and a group that welcomes sharing their journey with myeloma in an informal setting. Refreshments are provided. Contact Joe Crowley at 334-207-4385 or jpcrowl46@yahoo.com

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy.

Location: Frazer Church, 6000 Atlanta Hwy.

Women of Hope Breast Cancer Support Group, pro viding education, awareness, and mentoring for breast cancer patients/survivors, family and friends, meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in Room 8114. Call 220-4599 or e-mail womenofhope@charter.net

Divorce

Location: First Baptist Church, 305 S. Perry Street Divorce Care Wednesday nights @6:30-8:00 pm in Room 405B. Child care is available. Contact Kathy Cooper at 241-5125 for information.

Location: Frazer Church, 6000 Atlanta Hwy

Divorce Care meets each Tuesday from 6 – 7:30 p.m. Come to the Library area. This group will provide support & guidance to assist you in working through the issues, pain & pressures surrounding divorce. Call 495-6343 or email rnave@frazer.church.

Gambling

Location: Cedarwood Community Church, 10286 US HWY 231 in the Wallsboro/We tumpka community. The church is 1 1/2 miles past Tutwei ler prison.

Gamblers Anony mous, Saturdays at 6 pm. and Mondays at 6:30 pm. Call 567-0476.

Location: Mental Health of America, 1116 South Hull Street, Montgomery. Sundays @ 5 pm.

For more information about the GA meetings call 334399-6918. For information about counseling services or to request a guest speaker please call the Alabama Council on Compulsive Gambling at 334-277-5100.

Grief

Location: Cornerstone Christian Church, 301 Dalraida Road River Region Survivors of Suicide meets on the second and fourth Thursday of every month (excluding holidays) from 6:30-8:00 PM. Welcomes anyone regardless of their religious beliefs. Contact Cheryl Vinson at riverregionsos@gmail.com.

Location: Eastmont Baptist, 4505 Atlanta Hwy. Compassionate Friends is a national self-help support organization for families grieving the death of a child meeting first Tuesdays at 7 pm. Call (334) 284-2721.

Location: Church of the Highlands, 4255 Taylor Rd. Eryn’s Embrace offers hope and healing to children and teens grieving the loss of a loved one through peer support groups. Meets the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 4-5:15. More info: www.erynsembrace.org; erynsebrace@gmail.com; Erin Camp 334-657-1871.

Location: First UMC, 100 E. Fourth St, Prattville Grief Share, led by Dave Dageford. Call 365-5977 if you are interested.

Location: Frazer Church, 6000 Atlanta Hwy GriefShare, Wednesday mornings 10am -12pm in the East Sanctuary. For more information call the church 272-8622. Dian Sims (facilitator)

Location: Grace Baptist Church, 304 Old Montgomery Highway, Wetumpka Mourning to Morning is a Christian growth group for mothers who have lost a child, from before birth through adulthood. Meets the last Thursday night of each month. For info, contact Alice Scarborough (334) 462-4775 or Gwen Ellis (334) 567-8754.

Location: Millbrook FUMC, 3350 Edgewood Rd Grief Share meets Sundays from 5-7 p.m. For more information or to sign up, please call the church office at 285-4114 or email churchoffice@mfumc.org.

Location: Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church 1550 E. Washington Street Grief support group meets every Monday at 6:00 P.M7:00 P.M. For additional information, please contact Alice Glover at (334)281-2754.

Parenting

Location: First Baptist Prattville, 138 South Washington Moms LIFE (Living In Faith Everyday) meets twice monthly from 8:30 - 11:45 am in the chapel at the Church from AugMay. We offer a time of fellowship, Bible study, musical guest, special guest speakers and a lot of fun!! Cost is $5 per meeting. For moms of all stages and ages of life. Childcare provided by reservation. Call April Scott at 828446-6666.

Location: First Baptist Church, 305 S. Perry Street MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) is a place you can share a good meal, make new friends, and find encouragement as you face the everyday challenges of raising your little ones. We have educational speakers, great conversation, and fun activities. Free childcare is provided. Meetings are every 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m., September through May. Contact Tiffany Alewine at 241-5165.

Location : Landmark Church, 1800 Halcyon Blvd. Single Moms Support Group, Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. in classroom 118. For information call 277-5800.

Location : Perry Hill UMC, 910 Perry Hill Road

Single Moms’ Care and Support Group meets 2nd and 4th Thursdays from 6:15 - 8:00 PM. December meeting will be on the 11th. Free snack supper pro vided to moms and children. Child care for infants -16 years. Call 272-3174.

Location : Redland Baptist Church, 1266 Dozier Rd, Wetumpka

A MOPS group will be held 1st and 3rd Tuesday’s of every month during the school year, and has scheduled play dates and moms nights out through the summer and beyond. While moms are in a

MOPS meeting, their children are lovingly cared for in the MOPPETS program. Email Denise Braswell at deniseorscott@yahoo.com.

Location: Young Meadows Church, 5780 Vaughn Rd

River Region MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers) meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 am (September-May). Interested moms can reach out to riv erregionmops334@gmail.com or find us on Facebook. riverregionmops334@gmail.com.

Send support group info to deanne@readjourneymagazine.com.

Is It Okay to Hide Money From My Spouse?

Q. After hearing you talk about financial infidelity, I have to admit that I hide money from my husband. I have been setting aside money for emergencies without his knowledge. He is not terrible with money, but he always seems to find something to spend it on. Before I started doing this, we never managed to save much money at all. But now I feel like I have been doing something wrong. What should I do? A. I believe in saving up for emergencies. I mean, I’m the guy who tells people to have three to six months of expenses saved in an emergency fund, right? But deception is never a positive thing in a relationship—especially a marriage. You need to talk to your husband about this.

I know it won’t be easy for you, so you have to make sure you tell him in the right way. Playing the blame game won’t

help. Basically, you’ve been deceiving him about this. Sure, it sounds like he has been immature when it comes to your household finances, but you made the decision to hide things. You chose to do this instead of talking to him about your concerns.

Let’s start here. Tell your husband you need to talk to him about something important, and sit down together with no distractions. Explain what’s been going on, and that you’re sorry for not being honest about things, but you also need to speak up and tell him why you were doing this secretly. If you were afraid to disagree with him, tell him that. Tell him why, too, and let

him know you just want the two of you to have a successful financial future, and that you’re committed to never hiding things again. Manag ing money in a marriage isn’t a “his” or “hers” thing. It’s a “we” thing. You can fix this, but it’s going to take some honesty, understanding and making an effort to work together toward the same goals—like saving or living on a written, monthly budget.

You each have a vote, but it also means you have to stand up and vote no if he wants to blow money on silly stuff when you guys don’t have your finances in order.