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| Courtesy Photo |
• Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - From the Avalanche-Journal, news of regular services, and special events and programs at houses of faith in Lubbock and across the South Plains ...
• Read the rest of this LAJ report ...
Saturday, August 20, 2022
In the News ... "Lubbock Area Faith Calendar"
• Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - From the Avalanche-Journal, news of regular services, and special events and programs at houses of faith in Lubbock and across the South Plains ...
• Read the rest of this LAJ report ...
In the News ... "San Angelo area churches offer worship, volunteer options"
• Submit upcoming options for YOUR church to the Standard-Times
Staff Report
• San Angelo Standard Times
SAN ANGELO, TEXAS - Faith briefs may be submitted by emailing News@GoSanAngelo.com. Briefs are published in print on Saturdays and the deadline to submit an entry is noon Wednesdays ...
• Read the rest of this SAST report
In the News ... "Odessa Church News"
• Today and in the days ahead, in Odessa-area houses of worship
Staff Report
• Odessa American
ODESSA, TEXAS - Coming events include worship services, classes, Bible studies, community outreach, fundraisers, mission opportunities and more. The Odessa American welcomes church special events. Submission deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesdays for consideration for the following Saturday’s edition. Email oalife@oaoa.com.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 7601 N. Grandview Ave., has scheduled a Vitalant Blood Donation Blood Drive from noon to 4 p.m. today in the celebration hall.
To schedule an appointment, call 877-258-4825 or visit donors.vitalant.org. Use blood drive code: stelizabethann.
Immanuel Baptist Church, 4020 E. University Blvd., will present a Gospel Hymn Sing at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28.
Visit tinyurl.com/4jm6c2da.
The Monahans Chamber of Commerce and churches of Monahans have scheduled A Night of Hope featuring Dallas Cowboys Chaplain Jonathan Evans, former NFL fullback, Aug. 31 at the Ward County Event Center, 1525 E. Monahans Parkway, Monahans.
Doors open at 6:45 p.m.
Food vendors and jump houses will be from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
Call 432-943-2187, email chamber@monahans.org or visit tinyurl.com/2p8d8reu.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 7601 N. Grandview Ave., has scheduled Men’s Bible Study by Bishop Robert Barron from 7:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Sept. 12-Oct. 17 in the church parlor.
Signup sheets are located in the Narthex.
Visit setonparishodessa.org.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 7601 N. Grandview Ave., has scheduled Women’s Bible Study, The Turning Point, a study of the gospel of John by Dr. Allen Hunt, at 6:15 p.m. Sept. 14-Nov. 9 in the church parlor.
Cost of material is $20.
Signup sheets are located in the Narthex.
For more information, email Sondra Eoff at oppartnerinc.com.
Belmont Baptist Church, 806 N. Belmont Ave., offers family meals during its Family Supper time from 5:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. each Wednesday when Awana is in session.
Admission is free.
For more information, call 432-332-0248, email belmont@belmontbaptist.org or visit tinyurl.com/23vkhr47.
Catholic Charities Community Services Odessa, 2500 Andrews Highway, need of volunteers for pantry distribution.
Distribution times are scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays.
For more information on dates and times, call 332-1387.
Visit facebook.com/ccodessatx or ccodessa.com.
The West Texas Street Rod Association has scheduled Cars at Crossroads from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. every fourth Saturday of each month at Crossroads Church, 6901 E. Highway 191.
There will be coffee and donuts inside the church.
Visit tinyurl.com/cdjd6pvt.
Door of Hope Mission are in need of financial support to help provide hot meals, a safe place to sleep and shower to those who struggle with addictions through Bible study and counseling.
There a few ways to give:
• PayPal Giving Fund: 100% goes to the mission, visit www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2432315. PayPal does not keep a processing fee when you use this service.
• Door of Hope Mission website, www.doorofhopemission.com/donate.html, or mail a check to Door of Hope Mission, PO Box 1789, Odessa, TX 79760.
• On Amazon or eBay, add Door of Hope Mission as preferred charity, and a portion of purchases will go to the mission.
• On Amazon Smile (www.smile.amazon.com): Login to your account then select Door of Hope Mission Odessa TX so the mission receives donations from eligible purchases when you shop.
• On eBay (charity.ebay.com/charity/charity-name/2432315): Add the Door Of Hope Mission to favorites.
All donations are tax deductible.
For more information, call 337-8294 or visit doorofhopemission.com.
Sherwood Church of Christ, 4900 North Dixie Blvd., offers free clothing on the first Saturday of every month.
With so many families in the community are losing their jobs due to COVID and the downturn in oil, the Sherwood Clothes Closet is an opportunity for people to find needed clothing items for the entire family.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Masks are required to comply with city orders and to protect each other from spreading the virus.
Victory Christian Fellowship Church, 325 N. County Road West, offers individuals assistance who are hurting from addictions to become drug and alcohol free, physically well and most important spiritually alive.
All services are provided for free.
Several homes are located throughout Texas, New Mexico and Chicago.
For more information, call the Rev. Albert Flores at 432-978-9959 or 432-335-8925.
For home locations, call for Odessa, 325-300-0832; El Paso, 915-838-8887; Fort Worth, 817-626-1819; Houston, 713-880-4732; Mathis, 361-547-3755; McAllen, 956-702-2781; San Angelo, 325-658-1061; Albuquerque, N.M., 505-550-5661; Artesia, N.M., 575-745-4294; and Chicago, 773-696-9094.
• Read the rest of this OA report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
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| Photo by Rich Copley |
PDA'S DAVID BARHART'S FILMS - Producing a film that makes a difference starts with relationships and gets to the big screen by talking with and listening to people whose voices aren’t often heard ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Friday, August 19, 2022
From ServLife International ... "Thank You!"
ServLife International is a movement defined by values of God’s kingdom, not programs built around human efforts and activities. The reign and rule of God should be made apparent to every person on the planet, despite their religion, race or socioeconomic status. We believe that issues of justice are inseparable from the good news that Jesus Christ came to proclaim. ServLife exists to take the gospel of Christ and the hope of a better, more just, world to the lives of people we touch. This happens through individual contributions of time, creativity, resources and dreams. |
| ServLife Photo |
Thank you to everyone who gave to the campaign the last couple months. We are pleased and honored to announce that you’ve exceeded our goal of $50,000!
We’ve now raised a total of $72,302! We are so grateful for your investment in educating children, empowering families and equipping pastors in India and Nepal.
• Click here to give a gift to help families and our partners in India and Nepal.
Join Our Mission
ServLife International propels reconciliation and justice by building global community to plant churches, care for children and fight poverty. Compelled by the message, life and love of Jesus Christ, we seek to care for the spiritual, physical, social, and economic areas of life in northern India and Nepal. Learn more about our latest news, featured stories, and how to get involved at servlife.org
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Support a Pastor
Our church planters spread the love of Christ in some of the most difficult environments in the world. • Support Them ... |
Sponsor a Child
For only $30 per month you can help give a child food, education, care and, most importantly, hope. • Sponsor Now ... |
Fight Poverty
The HOPE Fund, our micro-finance program, provides start-up funds for a small business, paving a way out of poverty for families in need. • Learn More ... |
From @FWMission ... Friday Story: “You Helped Make This Happen in June”
Wheelchair Arrivals; Containers Unloaded in Haiti; Our CEO on a Podcast; Children Making a Difference; Culture Brewing; All-Team Gathering; Visiting Krypton in India, and more ...
• Read the rest of this story ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
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| Photo by Karl Fredrickson via Unsplash |
PRESBYTERIANS FOR EARTH CARE - Nearly three in 10 residents of the United States live in coastal counties, according to U.S. Census data — 41 million along the Atlantic Ocean and another 32 million up against the Pacific Ocean.
It’s probably not news to most ocean-adjacent residents that sea levels are rising, owing to a number of contributing factors — not the least of which is climate change ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Thursday, August 18, 2022
FBR Report: "Killings and Intensified Violence by the Burma Army in Karen State"
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| FBR Photo |
24 May 2022
Karen State, Burma
* FBR's Complete Report Contains Graphic Material *
Dear friends,
This spring the Burma Army has been increasing its attacks against civilians all over Karen State along with other states in Burma. Fighting between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Burma Army intensified as the Burma Army launched a massive offensive in the eastern part of Dawna, Kawkareik Township in Dooplaya District of Karen State this spring ...
• CLICK HERE to read the rest of this FBR Report ...
Thank you and God bless you,
Dave, family, and team
• CLICK HERE to learn how YOU can get involved in FBR and its mission ...
“LOVE EACH OTHER.
UNITE AND WORK FOR FREEDOM, JUSTICE, AND PEACE.
FORGIVE AND DON’T HATE EACH OTHER.
PRAY WITH FAITH, ACT WITH COURAGE, NEVER SURRENDER.”
In the News ... "Buckner Midland announces opening of its Family Hope Center"
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| MRT Photo by Ben Shaffer |
By Ben Shaffer, Reporter
• Midland Reporter-Telegram
MIDLAND, TEXAS - Buckner Midland, a branch of the non-profit charitable organization Buckner International, announced the opening of its Family Hope Center at the Buckner Children and Family Services office on Monday.
The family preservation program will be the final installment of the organization’s three main services dedicated to caring for vulnerable families, children and seniors in Midland-Odessa.
“We have family-based foster care and adoption as well as the family pathways program,” Buckner International President and CEO Dr. Albert Reyes said.
There are only three Texas cities that have all three services active – Dallas, Lubbock, and Longview, according to Reyes. In early 2023, Midland will join them. Candace Gray, senior director of Buckner Family Hope Centers, said they help local families in need.
“Typically, the families that Buckner serves through our Family Hope Centers are low-income families that have an income level that is often $50,000 or less,” she said. Families struggling with anything -- stress, poverty, lack of resources, abuse and neglect -- can find assistance by seeking out the Family Hope Center.
“They come to the Family Hope Center to find hope, support and empowerment for their families,” Gray said.
The center will primarily serve families in Midland and Odessa but is committed to all families in the Permian Basin.
Buckner’s Family Hope Center will be the first Buckner program in Midland since 2003, according to their press release.
Patricia Acosta, director of administration and operations for Buckner West Texas, detailed the recent impact of the organization’s service.
“In 2021, our team was able to facilitate 69 foster care placements, nine children were able to be in their forever home through adoption, and we were able to secure safe and affordable housing to 19 single mothers who are working toward a college degree, in order to break the generational cycle of poverty, through our family pathways program,” she said.
She added that they were able to assist more than 200 adults and children through services like parenting classes as well as other activities meant to create strong family bonds and end neglect.
Acosta made clear the organization’s mission through their “three E’s.”
“Engage, equip and elevate,” she said. “We will engage the families through assistance and community events. We will equip the families through education, financial empowerment and child and youth development. And we will elevate the families through family coaching, counseling and spiritual enrichment.”
The Family Hope Center’s Manager Gabriella Saldivar became slightly emotional while discussing the long, hard behind-the-scenes work that came prior to the announcement.
“I’m so excited this day has finally come,” she said. “This announcement makes everything official. For more than a year, our team has been hard at work trying to find the
perfect location for the Buckner Family Hope Center.”
According to Saldivar, they were seeking a location that was able to accommodate various types of classes, activities and services as well as being in an area that was accessible to families in need ...
• Read the rest of this MRT report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
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| Pedal for Protein Bike Tour |
PRESB YTERIAN HUNGER PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEE - During a recent meeting, the Presbyterian Hunger Program Advisory Committee heard about a variety of approaches that are being used by faith communities to address poverty and homelessness, from taking a group bike ride to paying off medical debt. ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
In the News ... "Queen Athaliah has bloody history"
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| Woodcut by Gustavo Dore |
By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American
ODESSA, TEXAS - The only woman to rule ancient Judah was Athaliah, who may have been the daughter of the wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.
Queen from 841 to 836 B.C., Athaliah left a baleful record of idol worship, intrigue and murder, say Minister Greg Fleming and Bishop Michael Sis.
“Athaliah is a princess in the royal family that rules the 10 northern tribes of Israel and she marries Jehoram, ruler of the two southern tribes of Judah, as a way to promote unity between these two feuding factions,” said Fleming, minister of Downtown Church of Christ in Midland.
“The exact relation of Athaliah to Israel’s King Omri and King Ahab is not clear. Is she Omri’s daughter and Ahab’s sister as indicated in older English translations of Second Kings 8:26 or is she Ahab’s daughter as indicated in Second Kings 8:18?
“In my view the most satisfying explanation is that she is born to Omri when he is quite old and he dies soon after her birth, leaving her to be reared in the royal house of Ahab, her oldest brother, who becomes regent upon the death of his father.”
Fleming said Athaliah made her move after Jehu assassinated her son Ahaziah and 42 royal descendants of David. “Seeing a power vacuum, she takes over as ruler of Judah, not knowing that Ahaziah’s sister Jehosheba and her Levite husband Jehoiada have rescued and are hiding the sole remaining member of the Davidic dynasty, a young boy, Joash.
“After six years Jehoiada anoints Joash as Judah’s king, Athaliah is slain in the royal palace and the general populace removes the altars to Baal in Jerusalem that had been introduced by Athaliah,” he said.
Asked if Athaliah had any good qualities, Fleming said, “Given that she is termed ‘that evil woman’ in Second Chronicles 24:7, I think not.
“Is Athaliah’s evil inherited from her family? While I will not minimize the formative influence of one’s family of origin, my conviction is that ultimately heritage is not destiny.”
Bishop Sis, of the Catholic Diocese of San Angelo, said Athaliah “was not a legitimate ruler.
“She usurped the throne of Judah and attempted to purge all legitimate claimants to the throne,” he said. “She promoted the idolatrous religion of Baal in Judah, complete with a temple, priests and worship.
“Thus she was guilty of mass murder and idolatry. Nevertheless, I do not believe that her behavior was inevitable because as a human being she had free will.”
Sis said Athaliah, like everyone, chose between good and evil. “Therefore, I believe she could have chosen differently,” he said ...
• Read the rest of this OA report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
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| Dr. Corey Schlosser-Hall |
"BEING MATTHEW 25" LIVESTREAM - Two-thirds of the way through the second session of CPJ Training, moderator Christian Brooks of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of Public Witness turned the conversation to recent headlines ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
Partners Blog: “'The generation nobody wants to belong to”
Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief and Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma, and now in the Middle East, as well. Their mission is to demonstrate, through holistic action, God’s love to children and communities made vulnerable by war in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other conflict zones. |
| PR&D Photo |
Stories are powerful. One person’s story turns a nebulous conflict into a face with a name. It reminds us of our shared humanity and allows us to stand in solidarity with people we have never met.
Our team was recently on the ground in Karen State, Myanmar, responding to recent displacement from the ongoing attacks by the Myanmar Military. The attacks have resulted in the displacement of at least 2,799 people in the past few weeks ...
• Read the rest of this post ...
Partners Relief and Development is a registered charity in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. "We’re a small, grassroots nonprofit passionate about making a big impact in communities affected by conflict and oppression, demonstrating God’s love to children and giving them the opportunity to live free, full lives." For more information aboput Partners, visit their website at partners.ngo/
In the News ... "The Salvation Army and Cielo Vista Mall Partner for Back-to-School Denim Drive"
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| EPHP Photo |
Staff Report
• El Paso Herald-Post
EL PASO, TEXAS - Students are back in school! Parents are already scavenging the store aisles for school supplies, but amid the frenzy of seizing the best deals and buying new clothes is an often overlooked reality: many kids are without these basic back-to-school essentials ...
• Read the rest of this EPHP report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
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| Screenshot |
"COMPASSION, PEACE & JUSTICE" TRAINING ANNUAL EVENT - In the middle of the chaotic summer of 2020, I find myself one early Saturday morning at the recently opened pool that we use in the summer. Perhaps due to my vocation (youth ministry), I really enjoy and learn from observing and listening to young people ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Monday, August 15, 2022
From @chinaaid : "Protesting mother censored and suppressed"
The ChinaAid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China. |
| ChinaAid Photo |
Distributed by ChinaAid, July 2022 ...
BEIJING, CHINA – Yuan Shanshan, the wife of Beijing human rights lawyer Xie Yanyi, recently disclosed that her six-year-old child has reached school age and was refused admission because their house is a rental and they do not have a Beijing hukou (household registration). Immediately after she disclosed the fact online, authorities manipulated her phone. They blocked her personal WeChat account, and she cannot answer phone calls ...
• More on this story from ChinaAid ...
In the News ... School supplies gathered during ArtWalk"
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| LAJ Photo by Ronald W. Erdrich |
By Ronald W. Erdrich, Reporter
• Abilene Reporter-News
ABILENE, TEXAS - The heat - it was 100 degrees - might have kept some from coming early but as they arrived, they were greeted with vendors, face painting and the music of Cassidy Sooter, who spent much of the early evening strumming and singing staring down that blazing sun at Minter Park.
Visitors also got the chance to donate school supplies to the Abilene Independent School District's Homeless Student Ministry ...
• Read the rest of this ARN report ...
In the News ... "Ministry in the music: McCreight's new work a labor of love, sharing a gift"
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| LAJ Photo by Annie Rice |
By Doug Hensley, Reporter
• Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - In the theological world of Jeff McCreight, there is ministry and there is gift. Ministry is his work as a longtime Lubbock pastor. Gift is his incredible singing voice. Most of the time, the two work together.
McCreight, lead pastor of Rock City Church, has recently recorded a new musical project with a single entitled “You Ain’t Looking Hard Enough,” receiving airplay and positive reviews from critics and fans alike ...
• Read the rest of this LAJ report ..
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
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| Photo by José Barrios via Unsplash |
VIRTUAL JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA - A recent virtual journey to Guatemala carried this title: “Confronting Climate Change with Actions of Hope.” The webinar, attended by more than 100 people, featured Bible study by The Rev. Dr. Karla Koll, a mission co-worker and professor of history, mission and religion at the Latin American Biblical University, an ecumenical institution in San Jose, Costa Rica ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Sunday, August 14, 2022
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
YOUTH IN THE CHURCH AND WORLD - In the middle of the chaotic summer of 2020, I find myself one early Saturday morning at the recently opened pool that we use in the summer. Perhaps due to my vocation (youth ministry), I really enjoy and learn from observing and listening to young people ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
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