1 www.facebook.com/auburnopelika.parents Back to www.alabamapublichealth.gov/immunizationIMMUNIZATIONSSchoolIsyourchildvaccinated? 9-126-8 • Hep A • Hep B • DTaP • IPV • MMR • Varicella • Hep B • MCV4 • Hep A • DTaP • MMR • Varicella • IPV • Tdap • Hep B • Varicella • Hep A • DTaP • MMR • Tdap • IPV • MCV4 Required Shots June 2022 Recommended Shots: Covid-19 (Ages 5 and up) HPV (Ages 9 and up) • Flu (All ages) GRADE K-5K
1 August 2022 River Region Christians page Faith8 @ JenniferWork:Handey As another school year begins, we sat down with Jennifer Handey, 2nd-grade teacher at Trinity Presbyterian School. She shares how her love for children and for God inspires her each day to help her students grow academically, spiritually and emotionally. page 10 10 Issues to Work byMarriedBeforeThrough...GettingTimChallies Marriage takes hard work, even in the best of circumstances. Why not walk through this list with your potential marriage partner before tying the knot? You’ll discover new things about each other, plus any “red flag” issues to work on InnSamaritanMinistry Out-of-town family mem bers are being helped in a very special way while tending to the needs of a loved one in the River Region. This temporary lodging ministry is provided through an arm of the Montgomery Baptist Associa tion and assists with the cost of a hotel for short-term stays, and homes that can host families for long-term needs. During their stay, families can receive meals, gas cards, plus spiritual and emotional care. Find out how you can help! Volume 24, Issue 4 AUGUST 2022 Feature Articles page 2 Publisher’s Note Jason Watson page 4 Pastor's Perspective Pastor Grady Smith, Gateway Baptist Church page 13 Moments with Kym Kym Klass page 17 Women Arising Pastor Kemi Searcy page 18 The Intersection Bob Crittenden page 26 Counselor’s Corner Dr. Lennie Howard page 28 Dave $ays Dave Ramsey page 6 Books to Read page 8 Faith @ InColumnsWorkEveryIssue
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.
many of us are as devout as they were, but we all struggle at replacing “know ing Jesus” with doing acts of religion. Often, they’re good acts too! Reading our Bibles, serving, fasting, attending church, tithing. The list of good things goes on and on. But something happens. Our record of doing those good things be comes our Christianity. At one time we confessed our helplessness apart from Jesus, but now we believe it’s our ability to be a “Good Christian” that makes us secure before God. Yes, it was Jesus who let us in the door, but now we no longer believe we need the Christ of our Christianity.
The opinions expressed in River Region Christians 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 Christians has the right to refuse any content that is not consistent with its statement of faith. From the
DeAnneEditor Watson deanne@readjourneymagazine.com JasonPublisherWatson jason@readjourneymagazine.com Research Editor Wendy McCollum Contributing Writers Tim Challies Bob Crittenden Dr. Lennie Howard Kym Klass Dave Ramsey Kemi PastorSearcyGrady AdvertisingSmithOpportunities Jason (334)ads@readjourneymagazine.comWatson213-7940ext702 Digital Manager Scott Davis Ad Design Tim
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Our Mission... We believe the Good News concerning the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is worth sharing with our friends and neighbors in the River Region. Each month we deliver this life-changing message to the centers of activity across our community in a user-friendly and relevant way to empower and equip all those seeking to grow closer to God. Join us in this mission by sharing a copy with your neighbor or by becoming an advertis ing partner starting next month.
What a sobering text. Are your religious actions, preferences, or traditions making you miss Jesus instead of knowing Him more? It’s ironic how these things can even make us an enemy of Jesus and people. Don’t get caught in those false beliefs that destroy us. Remain humble as one saved by grace and in constant need of the sustaining work of Jesus the Christ and nothing else. Then your good works will follow. Welch, Welch Designs
River Region Christians August 2022
“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” Matthew 7:22-23
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Perspective
What difference has it made in your life when someone has prayed for you? Have you ever been struggling with a sin, and had a fellow church mem ber stop, encourage you, and pray for strength for you? Have you ever been in a trial, and had a Christian friend reach out to listen and to pray for you? I hope that each of you is in a local church community where that is your experi ence and where you know first-hand the joy of others praying specifically for you.
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As I reflect on amazing moments in my life when others’ prayers for me made such a difference for me, I cannot help but think about something even more amazing, namely that Jesus Him self prays for us!
by Grady Smith, Gateway Baptist Church, Montgomery Jesus Prays For You
Hebrews 7:24-26 shows us this wonderful reality: He holds his priesthood perma nently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. As amazing as the prayers of our friends are, think about the significance of Jesus praying for us. Notice how Jesus is described in these verses. He is holy, or perfect. He is exalted, which reminds us that He is the sovereign King who rules over all. He is eternal, with no beginning and no end. The au thor of Hebrews is holding up for us the absolute supremacy and greatness of Jesus. As one author I read put it, “He is everything we are not!” Those attributes remind us that unlike our prayers, which are flawed and limited because we are sinners, everything that Jesus prays for us will be perfect. That means that He prays to the Father about exactly what we need and what will accomplish God’s good and glorious purposes. We have perfect intercession being made on our behalf!However, that amazing truth does not stop there. Did you notice that Hebrews 7 also tells us that Jesus “always lives to make intercession” for us? Minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year, Jesus is praying for all of HisAndrewpeople!Murray once wrote, “With out ceasing there streams forth from Him to the Father the prayer of His love for everyone and every need of those that belong to Him.” A moment does not go by that God is not aware of your needs and where Jesus is not praying for you. Unlike us, He never sleeps and never gets distracted. He perfectly prays for what we need every moment we needWhatit.exactly, though, does Jesus pray for us? Let me encourage you to read these Scripture passages and see what Jesus prays for us. Jesus prays for (1) For our faith – Luke 22:31-32 (2) For our unity together – John 17:11 (3) For us not to fall into temptation – John 17:15, and (4) For us to know His Word and grow from it – John 17:17. However, notice that in Scripture Jesus is not praying for us to have easy, trial free lives. Rather, His perfect prayers are for things much better and more important, things like our faith, ho liness, unity, and love for the Scriptures. As you reflect on this glorious truth that Jesus perfectly prays for us, realize that it does not lead us to be passive, but rather leads us to respond. He brews 7 describes how God’s people respond. Notice that we “draw near to God through him.” In other words, we day by day intentionally spend time with the God who created us, redeemed us, holds us, and even prays for us.
Pastor’s
Let me encourage you today to take time to draw near to God by opening His Word (the Bible) to read about Him, by praising Him in words and in song for who He is, by thanking Him for holding you and praying for you, and by talking to Him about what you need as well. Grady Smith is head pastor of Gateway Baptist Church, 3300 Bell Road, in Montgomery.
August 2022 River Region Christians
The point is that there is a kind of sameness to Christian publishing where books tend to focus on the same themes, exposit the same passages, quote the same authors, and in the end say roughly the same things. It’s awfully refreshing, then, when you encounter a book that is different and distinct. And that’s exactly the case with Chad and Emily Van Dixhoorn’s GospelShaped Marriage: Grace for Sinners to Love Like Saints.
Though he does not claim to have thoroughly mastered the subject of worship, he has made a long and careful study of the matter and over many years of leading a church has attempted to refine his convictions along Reformed, Protestant lines. The result is On Worship which “is not a theological treatise, biblical study, or comprehensive handbook on worship.” Neither is it meant to be. It is instead “more like a compass than a road map” that “seeks to point you in the right direction.” The three sections and thirty chapters lead to a well-rounded and biblically-faithful understanding of why and how God calls us to worship him. It leaves room for different Christians to worship in ways consistent with their traditions and culture, yet also calls us to ensure that, no matter what, our worship is “shaped and governed by the Word of God. Sacred Scripture should be foundational to all that happens in our public and corporate worship assemblies. Beyond the foundation, however, God’s Word should explicitly structure our worship lives—privately and publicly.”
“This is a book for couples, but not just couples,” they say. “The institution of marriage is an integral part of the life of the Christian church. Time spent thinking about marriage will help some of us be more thoughtful about married life and all of us be more prayerful. For that reason, we appeal directly to married people throughout, but we also have in mind those who are only thinking about marriage or who want to support married people. There are no R-rated scenes. There are only helps for the married, prompts for those who want to pray, and encouragements for those who wish to defend and promote the institution of marriage, this gift from God that every church member ought to treasure, whether married or not.”
Gospel-Shaped Marriage
On Worship by H.B. CharlesThoughJr. we are 2,000 years past the founding of the New Tes tament church, we are seemingly still confused about how we ought to worship God. There are many competing philosophies of worship, many disagreements about every thing from its purpose to its Godordained elements and methods. We know we must worship, but we so often don’t know how. It is for this reason that we continue to see so many new books on the subject and for this reason that we need to. This in cludes, most recently, H.B. Charles Jr.’s On Worship: A Short Guide to Understanding, Participating in, and Leading Corporate Worship.
There are a few features of the book that the authors point out as distinguishing it from many others: its brevity (it’s just 160 pages), its focus on Christian spouses as being both sinners and saints (and therefore capable of great sin but also true holiness), and the way that, instead of drawing from contemporary books on marriage, it looks instead to the distant past. Gospel-Shaped Marriage is as good a book on marriage as any I’ve read and one I plan to recommend often and read alongside others. Though it could be a good option for pre-marriage reading, it would definitely be a perfect option for a mid-marriage refresher. Over the past few years we have seen a sudden outburst of gospel-driven, gospel-focused, gospel-shaped, and other gospelhyphenated books. Gospel-Shaped Marriage is among the best of them and, I suspect, among the few that will have some longevity— and that’s because marriage truly is shaped by the gospel since it exists to display the gospel. It combines sound biblical teaching with helpful real-life application and does so in a way that can help change, improve, and perhaps even transform any marriage.
After more than thirty years of experience in pastoring a church and preaching each week, I feel comfortable writing about those subjects. Who, truly, is competent to write about worship? And if writers feel confident that worship is a subject they have thoroughly mastered, should we be reading what they think?”
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Chad and Emily Van Dixhoorn I am often asked how I read so many books. My pat answer is something like this: “The more you read, the easier it gets. When you’ve read 8 books on mar riage, the 9th goes really quickly.”
This is a book that will benefit every Christian, for whether or not we have been called to take a leadership role in worship, it most certainly falls to each one of us to understand it and participate in it.
He confesses that, though he has previously written on preaching and pastoring, he found it surprisingly difficult to write on worship. “I believe I have a biblical philosophy of these [other] ministry subjects.
7 August 2022 River Region Christians Sunday Schedule Traditional Worship 8:30AM Discipleship Hour 9:45AM Contemporary Worship 11:00AM DISCOVERWWW.FRAZER.CHURCHANEWWAYINMONTGOMERY.We’re beginning a new chapter, committed to finding true freedom together! Join Frazer for our August Sermon Series:
Jennifer: I have had to walk by faith and trust the Lord to guide and direct my path. One of those times was deciding to teach again after having children. I had been a stay-at-home mom and then a half-day church kindergarten teacher. Being with my children was such a blessing! When I felt the tug to return to the classroom full-time, Trey and I prayed for wisdom about it. God was so sweet to not only unify our hearts, but also to place people and conversations in our lives that guided us toward our decision.
Jennifer: For me, nothing is better than my time alone with God. It is where I find peace. The dinner table has been a place for us to pray, share, and encourage one another as a family. Now that meals with our boys hap pen less, I text them to encourage them and remind them how much they are loved—by Jesus and me. Jennifer Handey is married to Trey Handey, and they have two sons. She grew up and resides in Montgomery, AL. those students. Cheering on our students and watching them work hard and grow in a sport they love is fun! I do love the sport of swimming; however, my true passion is supporting our students. Thankfully, our com munity coach Rachel Arnold does all the real coaching.
RRC: What areas of involvement in your cur rent job give you personal satisfaction?
RRC: How would you describe your journey of faith?
Jennifer: For me, teaching was absolutely a calling. My job is to teach a curriculum, but my calling is to love, guide, and support chil dren as they grow spiritually, academically, socially, and emotionally.
Jennifer: I love children! It delights me to create ways to make learning fun and excit ing for students. The smiles on their faces make the extra efforts worth it. I love partner ing with parents too. It is an honor to share in their learning journey.
Jennifer: When I began teaching at Trin ity, our school did not have a formal swim team, but we did have students who swam and wanted to compete for our school. I was happy to help make that happen for
RRC: How do you promote spiritual forma tion in the lives of your students?
RRC: Your husband Trey attended Trinity for ten years, as well as your two boys (James and Joe). Did their attendance impact your decision to teach there?
Jennifer: Trey loved his time at Trinity, and we saw great value in his Christian educa tion. A school that would help us point our boys to Jesus was important to us. We also liked the confidence, respect, and faith demonstrated by the Trinity students in our community. We are grateful for all our school family poured into James (2020) and Joe (2022). Trinity was the best school for our family and teaching there is a blessing.
Jennifer Handey 2nd Grade Teacher, Trinity Presbyterian School
RRC: As a second-grade teacher at Trinity Presbyterian School, explain how you bring your faith into the classroom?
RRC: How do you nurture yourself and your family spiritually?
RRC: You have a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and a Masters’s as a Reading Specialist. How do you view your work as a vocation, and was it a calling from God?
Jennifer: I have always loved the Lord, but I never viewed myself as a sinner who needed a Savior until 7th grade Youth Camp. After that, I began to read my Bible and study His word independently. My faith deepened when I grew up and entered the real world.
Jennifer: Sharing my faith flows naturally. I am grateful for the freedom to do so in the classroom. During our class Bible time, I share how the scriptures we read have af fected my life. As we share prayer requests and pray together, students hear me ask for God’s wisdom, strength, and guidance.
RRC: Describe a time when you had to trust God and walk by faith or when you sought His guidance for a decision.
RRC: You are also a swim coach at Trinity. How did your passion for the sport emerge?
Jennifer: 1 John 4:16 tells us we must know and believe the love God has for us to belong to him. I intentionally point out His blessings in my students’ lives—especially the gifts that are unique to each of them. These blessings are evidence of His great love for each of us.
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RRC: How do you integrate your Christian worldview with your academic discipline? Jennifer: I can integrate my Christian worldview into every part of our day. Second graders delight in learning, so I direct their attention to the fact that the wonders of our world are a gift from our Lord. When we read a biography and discuss the lives of others, we talk about how God uses the good and bad things in our lives for His glory. These are just a few examples of what it looks like in my second-grade classroom, but the ulti mate goal is to have students use His Word to discern all information.
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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.
We believe that God is one God. The one God has three per sons: 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. editorial content
*All
published needs to be in agreement with our Statement of Faith Our Statement of Faith 1600 7TH AVENUE SOUTH BIRMINGHAM, AL 35233 (205) 638-9100 | ChildrensAL.org WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE CHILDREN HAVE DREAMS. If you have thirty minutes or more to listen, ask Antonio what he dreams of being in ten years.
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.
Do you have compatible life goals? Do you and your future spouse have similar goals for the future? Are you both committed to foreign missions, for example, or just one of you? Are you both eager to begin a family, or just one? Do you know how many children you each want to have and when you’d like to begin having them? How about the type and level of your commitment to the local church? Do not assume that you both have the same or even similar life goals. Talk!
How do you function together in group settings? While much of married life will be lived in relative isolation, much will also be lived in community. For this reason it is important to consider how your future spouse behaves in public and how the two of you behave together. How do the two of you work together in public? Are you both meeting people and making friends? Is
Do you respect each other’s character? Having been convinced that your future spouse is a believer, are you also able to respect their character? Does that person have the kind of character that will be a blessing to you throughout your marriage? These will be issues of leadership and submission as well as issues of parenting, working, temper, and much else. In short, is this person displaying mature and maturing Christian character?
Some people get married too soon. After love at first sight and a whirlwind romance, they quickly plan a wedding, exchange rings, and settle into a marriage that soon turns sour. So much pain can be avoided by working through issues before that wedding day. While courtship and engagement is, of course, the time to plan a wedding, it is also the time to plan a marriage. Here, drawn from the work of Jim Newheiser (Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage), is a list of issues to work through before you get married. Are you both in love with the Gospel, and is it impacting your lives? This is, of course, the most foun dational question of all. Are you a Christian? And is your future spouse a Christian? Are you both confessing your sins before God and one another? Are you both extending and receiving forgiveness? Do not marry anyone until you are convinced he or she is a Christian; do not marry a Christian until you are con vinced that you, too, are a believer.
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Why do you want to marry each other? Couples don’t always pursue marriage for the best of reasons. Sometimes the reasons go no deeper than physical attraction. Sometimes it’s an inordinate desire for companionship. Sometimes it’s that they are feeling guilt for sexual involvement. No matter the case, couples must be clear on why they want to marry one another. Be sure to prioritize godly character over looks, friendship, and everything else!
Tim Challies is a pastor, author and book reviewer. Find more of his work at www.challies.com.
What are your expectations of marriage? probably heard it said that a woman gets married expecting that her husband will change while a man gets married expecting that his wife will never change. The fact is, in some ways both partners will change and in some ways they probably will not. Are you prepared to stick it out for the long-haul with your future spouse as he or she is now? Are you willing to endure all kinds of trials with that person by your side?
How well do you know each other and yourself? Do you know yourself? Do you know your future spouse? A little pre-marriage counseling and planning can go a long way. Be fore you marry, ensure your pastor or a godly older couple has spent some time with you, whether formally or informally. Talk through these issues and any others that come to mind. A little knowledge can go a long way.
11 August 2022 River Region Christians one of you content to be alone and isolated? Does your future spouse have close friendships or have many of his or her former friends become isolated? Have you been able to work through the past? It is rare that a couple enters marriage without a romantic and sexual history (with one another or with others) and these issues can be very difficult to discuss resolve. They can put an im mense weight on a young marriage. Have you spoken to your future spouse about their sexual history in sufficient detail that you know enough? Have you asked and extended forgiveness for whatever sexual history you have accumulated? Also, is your future spouse chaste now or content to look at pornography and masturbate? Be sure to work through issues of sexuality. Are you able to be honest with each other about sins and faults? By the time you are engaged, the “best foot forward” stage of dating has passed and you have learned many of the flaws and foibles of your future bride or groom. The stress of engagement and marriage planning will all but guarantee you will have a couple of good fights, and these will give you the opportunity to see if and how you can resolve them. Is he or she quick to forgive? Quick to ask forgiveness? Long to hold onto sins? Is that person beginning to be like Christ in forgiving those who sin against him or her? Can you love and accept each other as you are? Some people enter marriage with the idea that their spouse is a project and that a little TLC will be all that person needs to be changed. While that may be the case, old patterns die hard. While you of course hope that God will continue that work of grace, the fact is there may not be as much change as you’d like. Don’t expect that your spouse will some day be a completely different (and better) person.
12River Region Christians August 2022 Women’s Encounter 2022 Thursday, August 11, 2022, 6:00 PM Fresh Anointing House of Worship, 6000 Monticello Drive, in Montgomery will be hav ing its Women’s Encounter Conference 2022 on Thursday through Saturday, August 11 through August 13. The speakers are Nikki Mathis, Rita Springer, and Tinell Dickens. For more information call (334) 373-4888. the complexities of poverty and paves the way for addressing the issue more compre hensively. Visit copreg/https://secure.qgiv.com/for/toregistertoday! Faith Radio Golf Tournament The 23rd Annual Faith Radio Golf Tournament will be held on Tuesday, September 20, at Wynlakes Golf and Country Club in Montgomery. This offers an outstanding opportunity for you to partner with Faith Radio while also promoting your business through sponsorship. We have many listeners who enthusiastically affirm our Faith Radio sponsors. For more information, contact Billy Irvin at Faith Radio, Billy@faithradio.org. www.wetumpkafirst.com/worship ATTENTION WETUMPKA AREA FAMILIES Online and On-Campus Come worship with us! (334) 567-7865@wetumpkafirst • 306 W. Tuskeena St., Wetumpka, AL 36092Firstsecretary@firstwetumpka.comUnitedMethodistChurchof Wetumpka WETUMPKAUNITEDMETHODISTFrst A church for your family, meeting the needs of our community.
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• One season David was a shepherd, the next season he was a king.
• One season Ruth was working in the field, the next season she was owning the same field.
The kind of judgment that is based on what people might notice about you, simply by observing from the outside? A failed relation ship. A lost job. Financial strains. Another relationship?Doyouever judge someone for their be havior, their reactions, actions - their, season – without understanding what journey God asked them to walk through to reach where they are today? What trials they have faced? The courage necessary to get to the point of your Dojudgment?youskip the middle, and critique the end? And it’s not your fault, because you didn’t know. But it’s the kind of judging with preconceived thoughts without asking this per son to share, to open up about the changes you’ve noticed. The kind of judgment that’s accusatory without asking deeper questions. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2)
• One season Mordecai was sitting outside the king’s palace, the next season he was inside the palace. Do we judge the shepherd? The woman in the field? The man sitting outside the pal ace? Do we truly understand another person’s them before, during, and after their season? You’ve heard others say, “I remember this one season in my life when... glad I worked through that to get to where I am today.”You see, very often, we don’t know what others face. Even they don’t understand it at the time. God is intertwined in every aspect of our lives. And, sometimes, all we can do is hang on. Sometimes we don’t even see or understand how God worked through us until days, weeks, years later. “It makes sense now,” we find ourselves saying.“When you accept the fact that sometimes seasons are dry and times are hard and that God is in control of both, you will discover a sense of divine ref uge, because the hope then is in God and not in yourself.” – Charles R. Swindoll We must remem ber as lives are in the midst of change, there is often a difficult season of adjustment, even panic and confu sion. A season when things appear ‘off,’ or a person sounds tense, short, are
andSeasons...HowtoNotJudgeThem
Do you ever feel the quote, “Never judge someone based on a season” could be your own life advice? Or just something you have to remember to repeat to yourself when you feel called to point out another person’s be havior or decisions?
anythingmarriagetobedforlearningaboutideashavingmeday.arerememberthere.We’vewithdrawn.allbeenWeneedtothatothersfacingit,too.EveryNothingmakesfeelsmallerthanpreconceivedorjudgmentssomeone,thenwhatittookthemtogetoutofthatmorning.Orleavetheabusivenobodyknewabout.
The family of the truck driver from New York who had a stroke. A father from Saudi Arabia who had a heart attack while flying over Montgomery. Another family who drove from Iowa after relatives had a car accident on their way to the beach. They were all strangers to the Montgomery area, but all shown grace and a place to rest their heads at night through the Samaritan Inn Ministry. The temporary lodging ministry allows family members who travel from outside of the River Region to visit and care for individuals needing extended medical care in an area medical facility.
S MBA by Kym Klass
A Temporary Lodging amaritanMinistryInn
Samaritan Inn Ministry only reaches out to families who are from out of town. The ministry works closely with medical facilities including the Montgomery Cancer Center and a children’s specialty center connected to St.“We’veJude’s.helped families around the world,” Jones said. “Chaplains and case workers are the ones who call me with refer rals, and we see if they qualify. I take them a goodie bag to let them know someone cares and is praying for them. People come here, and 90 percent of the time they don’t know anyone and are scared and con cerned. We’re here to be the feet and hands of Christ. We need to make that face-to-face contact and build a relationship and be there for Whilethem.”theministry partners with area hotels on discounted rates – with Samaritan Inn funding the remaining balance – there’s no limit to how long families can stay in the houses they have available. The longest stay has been six months. The shortest, six days.Houses through the ministry have been donated, as well as the furniture in them.
For Debbie Jones, who oversees the ministry, Samaritan Inn is about showing the love of Jesus to strangers. They may or may not know Jesus, she said, but feels it is “our responsibility to be there for them, even if it’s just to show our love of Him and let them be able to see the light that He provides. “I just don’t want any strangers who are having a medical issue to not have somebody there to walk them through their journey,” she said. “I just never want to have to turn a family Assistanceaway.”through the ministry is based on need, and families can be as sisted with the cost of a hotel for short-term stays, and homes that can host families for long-term needs. During their stay, families can receive meals, gas cards, plus spiritual and emotional Samaritancare.InnMinistry
“I wanted it to be a place of comfort and rest,” Jones said. “If they’re going to be here more than two weeks, and one of our properties is available, I ask if they’re interested in staying.
“When you tell people you have a place for them to stay, you want to make sure it is a place they would be comfortable staying. This past April, we finished the third prop erty. Families don’t share a home. I tried that once, and it doesn’t work.”
The ministry lives off Matthew 25:36 – “I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in
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is part of the MBA Community Ministries, a faith-based community outreach arm of Montgomery Baptist Association, which has more than 400 volunteer missionaries. MBACM serves the disadvantaged with compassion-based services and programs while building bridges across racial, socioeconomic, and spiritual barriers. They work to empower individuals to build self-reliance with dignity, helping them achieve life-long stability. These Gospel-centered ministries work to meet human need and plant Gospel seed, according to their website. Funding for Samaritan Inn Ministry is made possible through private donations, as well as through churches and Sunday SchoolJonesclasses.said, very often, families who have received help through the Samaritan Inn find ways to give back through financial contributions as a way to help support the ministry. Also, “once a year, we have a fund raiser banquet, and invite families from past years to come back and share their stories.”
IRT 2735F A EXP 31 JUL 2023 © 2021 EDWARD D JONES & CO., L.P ALL RIGHTS RESERVED edwardjones com Member SIPC 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 Sang Y Chung, AAMS®, CRPC® Financial Advisor 1951 Berry Chase Place Montgomery, AL 36117 334-271-9573 SERVICE TIMES 9:30 AM Traditional 11:00 AM Contemporary FBCPRATTVILLE.ORG NEW SERMON SERIES BEGINS AUGUST 14
16River Region Christians August 2022 way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Samaritanheaven.”InnMinistry was the vision of Maryann Wilson wanting to be able to reach out to families, Jones said. She continues serving, along with her husband, Skip Wil son, as strong volunteers in the ministry. Jones is entering her 11th year with Samaritan Inn. A former schoolteacher, she says, “God has always kind of knocked me upside the head. I love serving people. And that’s all I’m doing. “When I started, we had one hotel. As of today, we have six hotels working with us in Montgomery. I don’t put families in the Prattville or Wetumpka area because we’re based in SinceMontgomery.”Jonesbegan working with the ministry, she said more than $12,000 has been saved by families staying in their homes versus paying hotel bills. From 2010 to 2020, more than 1,400 families have been“Ourhelped.homes are rarely empty,” she said. “We usually have a waiting list. We offer emotional and spiritual support. When they have other needs, we help as best we can. We have two restaurants that give us gift cards. Eating out three times a day and gas...it’s so much to handle. They need gas cards. We can always use gas cards and restaurant cards. They don’t have to be fancy restaurants. As they tell me, every little bit Thosehelps.”helped include a couple from New York named Joe and Shelley. They stayed in Montgomery for nearly five months and it was the first time Jones had been part of experiencing a profession of faith made by a family. “Joe was a typical New Yorker,” she said. “He didn’t understand the hospitality. Joe would call me late at night, questioning this and that. I poured scripture after scrip ture after scripture into him. He asked if he could attend Easter Sunday with us, and after that, he was in church every Sunday. “They both ended up giving their professions of faith. I know it has happened with some families who have left, but to be as much a part of that one gets to me be cause this is what Samaritan Inn is about. They were both baptized at Taylor Road BaptistWhenChurch.”thinking of Samaritan Inn Minis try, Jones thinks back to when she said her child was a youth pastor traveling through Pennsylvania and broke his collar bone. “I say, just close your eyes and think of your child, or grandchild, or spouse getting really ill. Would you want somebody to be there for them? We’re just doing this all for the glory of God, and we give Him the praise all the time. This is His ministry, His families, and His homes.”
Want to help?
The Samaritan Inn Ministry needs volun teers to pray with families, stay in touch with them while they’re in Montgomery, and provide homecooked meals. To volunteer, or for more information about the ministry and how to donate, contact Debbie Jones at (334) 201-6868 (she answers calls 24/7) or email
intionsKymAssociationInformationtaninn@mgmbaptists.org.samari-ontheMontgomeryBaptistandtheministriestheysup-port,visithttps://mgmbaptists.org/.KlassisacontributingwriterandCommunicaDirectoroftheMediaMinistryatFrazerChurchMontgomery.
Extra Grace Required When Ife was thirteen, she looked like a sloppily-dressed, frumpy grandma. She often wore a scarf on her head. Most of the other adolescents at church avoided Ife as she tried to engage everyone, “Hi Tim!’ or “Hi Bella!” Ife had been born with a mental injury to her brain. She drooled, walked slumped to one side, and laughed a bit too loud. She weofwhous.peopleCathybehavioractedfunnyingIfeeverygavepopularlove.and…neededwanted…extraCathy,abrightandteen,alwaysIfesomeattentiontimeshesawher.respondedbyhangontoCathy’sarm.ThethingwasthatCathyasifIfe’slooksandneverbotheredatall.Thereare“odd”livingallaroundThesearepeoplechallengeoursense“normal”andwhethercan“endure”socializing with them. You can find them in your neighborhood, office, or church. Sometimes the issue as to why they are “odd” is not as demonstra tive as Ife’s was. Yet, they still make us uncomfortable, often to our own embar rassment.Jesus looked for people who others did not befriend. He had dinner with tax collectors, considered the social worst of the worst. He rubbed elbows with whores, cheats, and contagious lepers. We used to call these kinds of people “E.G.R.” or Extra Grace Required” persons. But Jesus loved them, spent time with them, and yes, died for them. He said, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). It can cost you something to be seen with an EGR. My friend Megan felt God wanted her to reach out to Penny, who was on several neural medications to help alleviate eralattention.undividedhadandsomeMeganthewalkaPennymeetdecidedMeganMeganministrythevolunteerPennyschizophrenia.herwasainchurchled.toupwithonceweekandaroundlocallake.gotexercisePennysomeSevleadersat
2. Jesus befriended the rejects and was criticized for it. Not everyone will ac cept why you are helping your person.
5. Trust God for when things need to change or cease in your attention toward your person. This person is His child and He will provide the next steps.
6. Work for God’s glory and not your own. Luke 6: 32-34 (Message Bible) says, “If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.”
3. Let the Lord show you how He sees the person that needs your love. Seeing through His eyes gives a different perspective than what the world has to offer. Pity is not a worthy motivation.
Women have a caring instinct that is naturally built into them. God gives us families to nurture and ways to care in ev ery place our feet tread. I suggest you pull the power of your caring instinct forward and make a difference in another’s life.
4. Let the Holy Spirit lead you in what you are and what you are not to do for your person. Having them for dinner every night is going to impose on your family. Finding a time to meet when your family is busy elsewhere can be a better choice.
17 August 2022 River Region Christians
the church told Megan not to “waste her valuable time” with Penny. They said that there were potential leaders who could use Megan’s time instead. But Penny persisted.Today, Penny has her mental issues under control and is the missions leader at her church. She has a responsible job in a leading national company. Penny proves there is potential in everyone to be used for God’s glory. Some people may be more successful than others in the eyes of society, but who can say what God sees? Who do you have around you that is an EGR? Some may just behave or speak in a way that is not acceptable in the culture around them, while others may be challenged mentally or physically. Ask the Lord to shine His light on any person that needs extra grace and love from you.
3
Here are some points to remember as you minister:1.Youragenda is not to change the person you are assigned to---just to love them the way they are and accept them. Let God do the changes. Your goal is not to create, manipulate or even see the final goal. Yours is but to obey God’s call
Extra Grace Required? Woman of God, become Extra Grace Given!
18River Region Christians August 2022
In the words of the Declaration of Independence, we find these powerful phrases that echo through the annals of time:“We hold these Truths to be self-evi dent, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness--That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Con sent of the WandaGoverned...”Franzofthe National Right to Life Committee included those words in a piece she wrote over 15 years ago, in which she stated: The right to life is a “self-evident truth;” it is not based on the speculations and shifting opinions of men. The right to life is “unalienable” and an essential part of us. It exists independently from what others want. It is not a grant from government. It exists, whether there is a government or not. And it certainly can’t be ruled out of existence by unelect ed judges.Shegoes on to state: Instead of being guided by the Decla ration of Independence, the pro-abortion majorities in the Supreme Court’s abortion cases since 1973 have blocked out the bright light of the Declaration and groped around in the resulting “penumbra” and made up a new “right” to suit their pur pose.Franz says, “To grasp how far down we have come from the rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence...,” that this “right” of a mother to take the life of her unborn child is inconsistent with the “concepts of a ‘self-evident truth’ or an ‘unalienable right.’”
Michael Farris, President and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom, com mented on the Newsweek website on the restoration of a Constitutional perspective on abortion represented in the majority opinion in the Dobbs case. He Justicesaid:Samuel Alito’s thoroughly researched opinion makes it abundantly clear that Roe was an act of raw judicial power—which simply means that the Su preme Court made a policy decision on abortion rather than duly applying the language and mean ing of the Constitu tion.Farris went on to commend the Court:The Supreme Court acknowledged that it seizedimproperlythepower of the people and their legislatures half a century ago. Now it has relinquished that power and given it back to the people. That’s a marvel worth celebrating.Thisisnot a matter of taking away a so-called “right” to terminate a pregnancy and by so doing, taking a life. It is a mat ter of restoring the rights of citizens - as it’s been said: “We the People.” - to make their own decisions. The question of abor tion is now returned to each state. In 2018, the voters of Alabama approved a Constitutional Amendment affirming the right to life. This was a direct action by the voters of the state of Ala bama on this issue. Consistent with that, the following year, the elected representatives of “We the People” passed the Hu man Life Protection Act, prohibiting most abortions in the state. After the Supreme Court ruling on June 24, it was allowed to go intoThiseffect.isdemocracy in action and the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized the democratic process that was established in our Constitution by allowing the people, through their elected representatives, and perhaps even by amendments to their state constitution, to set abortion policy in their states. In a stunning, sweeping, and divisive act of judicial activism in 1973, the nation’s highest court imposed federal law in a matter that was not addressed in our Constitution. On June 24, 2022, the error was cor wishedperpetuity.itcorrectedcouldlikeAmericansmorerected.Iimaginethanafewfeltthaterrorneverbe-thatwassettledforManyitwere.
Back to governmental leaders: How often do you see politicians admit their er rors and attempt to correct them? Some times there will be apologies on personal matters and moral failures in order to save face. When there are policy directions that need to be corrected, how often do you see mistakes of the past repeated? We can be reminded that we are exhorted in Scripture to pray for our leaders.
Restored Right
Those in government, as well as each of us individually, can realize that, when possible, when we see that a mistake was made, we can take the necessary steps to correctThereit. is certainly a spiritual applica tion: God has given us a method through which we can correct our mistakes - Christ atoned for our sins and by owning up to those sins and confessing them to Him, we can receive forgiveness. The problem comes when we don’t identify and take the necessary steps to correct our errors.
The Bible relates that “pride” - an exagger ated sense of one’s own ability - results in “destruction.” We should constantly check ourselves and stay in a state of humility.
19 August 2022 River Region Christians1 “Guide me in your truth and teach me” psalm 25:5 Faith Radio’s Ministry Magazine - Jan-Mar 2018 WE ARE MORE THAN A RADIO STATION, PLEASE CONTACT US IF WE CAN PRAY FOR YOU. we are your prayer partner 1-800-239-8900 • WWW. FAITHRADIO .ORG TUNE TO 89.1 FM • DOWNLOAD OUR FREE APP LISTEN LIVE ON FAITH RADIO.ORG • TELL YOUR SMART HOME DEVICE “PLAY WLBF”
for Busted Up Sinners By Scott Sauls like me For honest Christians (should there be any other kind?), becoming like Jesus Christ— or what Scripture calls sanctification— is often an anticlimactic process.
August 2022 River Region Christians others. Along the way, I could become the kind of friend, neighbor, spouse, and contributor that might even win an award or two someday (Ha). Like many Christians in their newfound faith, I felt really good about the kind of person that I was destined to become in Christ. I would, as the Apostle had written, be able to “do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). It was only a matter of time before I would become the very best version of myself. Or so I thought.
Now, some 29 years later, I am more of a realist. These days, I often feel more sinful and less holy and virtuous than I did in those first days as a brand new Christian. Although there are many ways in which I have become more like Christ, in other ways I still ignore and disobey and even deny him. At my best, those who are closest to me will tell you that the fruit of the Spirit is at work in my life. At my worst, those same people will tell you that I can be petty and even angry about the most insignificant things. I get road rage. I get way too irritated with people who eat a little too No matter how much better we become over time, no matter how much more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled we are this year compared to last year (Galatians 5:22-23), we never prog ress in our character to the degree that we once hoped that we would.
Ironically, the more like Jesus we actually become, the more unlike Jesus we realize that we are.
When I first became a Christian, I had a brimming optimism about becoming a better version of myself. This, after all, is the promise of God to all who trust in Jesus—He will not merely help us turn over a new leaf; he will actually give us a new life. As a newly born child of God, I was a new creation.
Aren’t you relieved that every last one of them is an incom plete work in progress whose less flattering features remained with them until their dying day, even as they journeyed toward perfection?Howawful and despairing it would be if the valiant, selfsacrificing, heroic disciples of Jesus weren’t also screw-ups just like us. Their failings bring me almost as much comfort as the promises of God, because if there is hope for busted-up sinners like them, then there is also hope for a busted-up sinner like me.
I am a man who lives by fear as much as I am a man who lives by faith. When I see Jesus on the cross crying out, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” I often think, “My God, why haven’t you forsaken me?”
22River Region Christians August 2022 use my spiritual gifts and platform as a means to draw attention to myself and applause myflashesestwhendeservestothatothers—applausefrombelongsonlyGod,whoalonetheglory.Sometimesanimmodmoviesceneinfrontofeyes,Idon’t look Iaway.fearthe future as much as I trust God for the future.
Encouragement comes from knowing that even the greatest heroes of faith were also flawed and broken—wrecked, weary, rest less, and sometimes tortured sinners—even at their spiritual peak.
Scott Sauls is an author, blogger and head pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville.
I am with Herman Melville on this one. I am “dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending.” Twenty-nine years a Christian and the words of Brennan Manning in The Ragamuffin Gospel ring true as much now than ever: “ When I get honest, I admit I am a bundle of paradoxes. I believe and I doubt, I hope and get discouraged, I love and I hate, I feel bad about feeling good, I feel guilty about not feeling guilty. I am trusting and suspicious. I am honest and I still play games. Aristotle said I am a rational animal; I say I am an angel with an incredible capacity for beer.” Can you relate to this? Are we hopeless? Thankfully, there is also plenty of reason not to despair. Because of Jesus, there is encouragement available to us as we experience the rupture of anticlimax, and as we face the fact that until Jesus returns, we will continue to fall short of the glory for which we have been created.
Aren’t you relieved that those you respect most in the faith also have Aren’tshortcomings?yourelievedthat so many of the men and women in the Bible—people like Isaiah and Paul, and Rahab and Martha— are also men and women with deep, abiding flaws?
23 August 2022 River Region Christians
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.
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: 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.
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.
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: 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: ChristChurch, 8800 Vaughn Road Cancer Support Group for general cancer. Tuesday afternoons at 1 pm. For more info, please call Christy Holding at 531-1390 or Debbie at 467-4578.
Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy.
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: 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.
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: 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: 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: 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.
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.
Alzheimer’s / Dementia
Location: Cedarwood Community Church, 10286 US HWY 231 in the tumpkaWallsboro/Wecommunity. The church is 1 1/2 miles past Tutwei ler prison. Gamblers Anony mous, Saturdays at 6 pm. Mondaysandat 6:30 pm. Call 567-0476.
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
24River Region Christians August 2022 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.
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: 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
Gambling
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: 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: 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.
Location: Christchurch Anglican Church, 8800 Vaughn Road next to Southern Homes and Gardens
Location: Prattville Church of Christ, 344 E Main St.
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: 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: 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.
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: 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: 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: 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.
25 August 2022 River Region Christians Grief
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: 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.
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
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 : 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 Send support group info deanne@readjourneymagazine.com.to MOPS meeting, their children are lovingly cared for in the MOPPETS program. Email Denise Braswell at deniseorscott@yahoo.com.
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.
It is never too late to develop your playful, humorous side. If we are called “childish,” what is wrong with that?! Jesus had an ex tremely high view of children. Children are extremely creative, imaginative and are constantly desiring to learn more about their world around them, and that is healthy for us as adults also. The more you play, joke, and laugh, the easier it becomes.
How Do You Play? This is a frequent question asked to those who are dealing with depression, anxiety, or any other struggle causing problems in their life. The question is often met with silence or a blank look on their Doface.you remember being told, “You need to grow up?” Sadly, most of us took that to mean we are to be serious and no longer enjoy play. George Bernard Shaw said, “We don’t stop playing because we get older; we get older because we stop playing.”What is play? Play is when you are in the moment and cannot think of anything else, and when time flies by (and you do not care). Play may have a competitive component, but that is the least important part. Adult play is when we strive to forget work and other commitments and be more social in an unstructured and creative way. The only objective you are seeking is to have fun and enjoy yourself. The amount of time outside of work today for the average American grows every year, yet we seem to have more struggle playing in meaningful ways. For far too many people, play has become another stressful search to “win or else.” When my son was much younger, I coached his t-ball team. It was amazing to see the children enjoying the fun of playing and they rarely asked the score or who won. Not so for the parents! Week after week a parent would ap proach me asking who won and ap peared dumbfounded when I would say I did not know. Video gaming for all ages has provided more anonymity as people isolate in their homes and play against a faceless person with an imaginary avatar on screen. The days of sandlot baseball and pickup football have given way to “super-organized” sports with winning as the primary objective. Often children are not allowed to simply enjoy the game and are pushed into hours of practice, special trainings, and games that leave little time for family and church activities.While these pur suits are not all nega tive, they can often lead to the fantasy of playing college and pro sports which only a small percent age achieve. The NCAA did a study and concluded, “out of all high school athletes, a little more than 7% of them head on to play in college each year. Then, out of the pack of college athletes, only approximately 2% of them will be drafted into the pros. In total, it gives a high school baseball player just a 0.16% chance of ever being selected by a pro team (college football player a .35% chance of being drafted to pro team, men’s basketball .28% and women’s basketball .19%.”
Rev. Dr. Lennie Howard has been a Licensed Professional Counselor for 32 years, and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for 21 years.
26River Region Christians August 2022
If we can discover the path to restoring “fun play” we will be amazed at how doing so will stimulate our mind’s imagination, improve our emotional wellbeing, increase creativity, and enhance our ability to resolve problems. In addi tion, it can increase happiness, decrease depression, improve our overall cognitive health, and lower risk of developing many age-related diseases. In Elton Trueblood’s classic book, “The Humor of Christ” he enables us as Christians to understand the importance of fun and humor, “But when you imagine the spar kling eyes of Jesus and the hint of a smile on his lips, with the disciples winking at each other and elbow ing each other in the ribs as they traveled along the dusty roads, many scriptural passages will often make much more sense.”
River Region Christians August Should I Buy a Hybrid to Deal with Gas Prices?
A. I get lots of questions about these kinds of scenarios, and how it plays into people’s budgets. Many folks wonder if it would be better to go out and get a new vehicle with better gas mileage. Well, do you really want to lose more money? Let’s say you currently drive a vehicle worth $10,000 that gets 15 miles per gallon. There’s a $25,000 hybrid you’re think ing about buying that gets 25 miles per gallon. That’s a $15,000 price difference just to get 10 more miles a gallon. If you drive 100 miles a week, that’s about a $10 dif ference a week. That would be about $40 extra you’re spending a month in gas if you stuck with the current car. A monthly car payment is a whole lot more than that! In short, the math doesn’t work. You’d have to drive to the moon and back to make it cansmarterThereworthwhile.arealotthingsyoudotocutdown on your fuel bill. Have you thought about trading for something smaller? If you’re driving a gas guzzler, trade it in on another car worth no more than your current car’s selling price. This means bet ter fuel efficiency without a car payment. Carpooling is an option, too, even if you split the driving just a few days a week. If you want to get a little more radical with the money-saving ideas, you could think about moving closer to work. Spend some time doing the calcu lations and looking at the specifics to see if it makes sense in your case. Finally, and this may be a last ditch effort, you could consider changing jobs. No one’s forcing you to work where you do, especially if you’re spending a lot of time and money on the road just getting to and from your job. If you’re really spending a ridiculous amount on gas each month, it might even be time to look into ideas you may have once had to start your own business. But don’t use better gas mileage, or bad advice from your friends, as a ratio nalization for buying a new car. It’s just not worth it!
Q. Do you think I should get a new hybrid car to save money on gas? A lot of my friends have done this, and with the rise in gas and oil prices lately, they’re telling me I should, too. According to them, I’ll save a ton of money, especially since I have a bigger car and a longer drive to work. What are your thoughts?
for big smiles and even bigger innovations.
YOUR HOME FOR HEALTH
Treating patients and families with genuine compassion, kindness and respect is the rule here, not the exception. But while a smile can make you feel welcome, it can’t make you feel better. That’s why, at Jackson Hospital, we never stop working to bring advanced treatments and technologies to the community – including state-of-the-art Robotic Surgery, which can lead to less pain, reduced scarring and shorter recovery times.
First Baptist Church Sunday, August 28 6:15 pm | Main Sanctuary An evening of Southern Gospel music that you will not forget! Come hear soloists, trios, quartets and choirs share timeless gospel music and sing along with treasured favorites in old-fashioned homecoming style. Gospel Sing 305 South Perry Street | Montgomery, AL 36104 | 334.834.6310 | www.montgomeryfbc.org Capital City
