A spiritual boost

Methuen woman sees likeness of Jesus on iron

Read the story here......

Then take a look at these pictures too...

 

MomsMiami.com

Who wears the pants in your family?

The media has spent a lot of time focusing on women's lower extremities lately and how they cover them. Just last week, Sarah Palin and bloggers everywhere were aflutter over a Newsweek cover showing the one-time VP wannabe's legs.

Youth Minister's conference

Military divorce rates continue to rise

November 28, 2009

BY PAULINE JELINEK

WASHINGTON -- The toll for a nation long at war is evident in military homes: The divorce rate in the armed forces edged up again in the past year despite many programs to help struggling couples, and the rate now is a full percentage point higher than at the time of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
There were an estimated 27,312 divorces among roughly 765,000 married members of the active-duty Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps in the budget year that ended Sept. 30, the Pentagon said Friday. Read the story here.....

Homeless Man Dies Across Street From Shelter

Read the story here……

From Crook to Choir Boy

Questions for Barry Minkow

From Scammer to Scheme Finder

One of the most infamous crooks of the 1980s, now a pastor and fraud detective, is preparing for his Hollywood debut as a pre-Madoff swindler.

» Interview by RANDY DOTINGA | Nov 25

Liberation theology is still alive and well & Nigerian priest wins fiction accolades

By Walter Altmann

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall twenty years ago, many critics have been quick to sign liberation theology's death certificate, says a leading Argentinian theologian. But its biblical concern with justice for all still continues to resonate in the neo-liberal, bi-polar era. To associate it with repressive communism is wrong. Read the full article here

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A Nigerian Roman Catholic priest who has appeared on Oprah Winfrey's television show and won praise for his fictional accounts of the lives of children in Africa, says that writing, like the priesthood, is a religious calling - writes Chris Herlinger.

"If you want your congregation to listen, that's where it begins: stories," author Uwem Akpan said during a recent reading and discussion at New York's Inter- church Center. Full story

'A Voice for Sanity'

J. Lee Grady doesn't want your gold. The journalist wants a 'Holy Ghost housecleaning' of the charismatic movement.

Sarah Pulliam Bailey | posted 11/23/2009

"Martin Luther had to say something, or they were going to keep selling indulgences. Now we have that going on in our midst," Grady told Christianity Today in his Orlando office. "If someone says, 'Send your $100 to be saved,' that is selling indulgences, and there are people doing that on Trinity Broadcasting Network." The TV corporation's fundraising appeals have been among Grady's most frequent targets. Read this interesting article here….

Bare Your Bookshelf allows Christians to minister from their own homes

USA (MNN) -- Do you have unused Bibles and other books gathering dust in your home? If so, send them someone who needs them through the Bare Your Bookshelf initiative. Christian Resources International executive director Fred Palmerton says: "We receive hundreds of letters every month from people overseas who can write and communicate to us in English. And they are seeking a Bible or other Christian books." CRI realizes they could never fill these needs alone, "so we designed Bare Your Bookshelf, which is a great program. We partner with champions all over American who want to be part of the ministry and do mission work right from their own home." Interested? CRI will send you a packet of information. Go to our Web site to learn more. http://www.mnnonline.org/article/13535

Rick Warren comes to Washington

by Dan Gilgoff
U.S. News & World Report

When the Rev. Rick Warren walked into a conference room perched above Washington's K Street last Friday to address a group of journalists, I was surprised to see him warmly embrace a New York Times reporter. Warren literally hugged the guy. I could just imagine the Weekly Standard headline: "Country's Top Evangelical Embraces Scourge of the Right."

Then Warren spied Sally Quinn, the Washington Post journalist and famed hostess, and hugged her, too. For a folksy Baptist preacher known for his extensive Hawaiian shirt collection, I thought, this guy sure knows his way around Washington's power circles.
Having never met Warren--I've interviewed him by phone--I approached him, introduced myself, and extended a hand. He wrapped me in his arms like I was his nephew.
Warren, whose Saddleback Church is the nation's largest congregation and whose Purpose Driven Life has sold more copies than any book in American history other than the Bible, mostly avoids the news media. In the months before and after his invocation at Barack Obama's January inauguration, he declined all press requests. And after doing a few sit-downs last Easter, Warren pulled out of a scheduled interview with George Stephanopoulos for ABC News's This Week and has stayed out of the national media spotlight since.

Read the complete story (Some news sites require registration)

NORTH PARK HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2010 CALENDAR

The 2010 North Park Historical Society Calendar is here! This is a wonderful way to support North Park and give your friends and family a special present for the up-coming holidays.

The calendar features charming photographs of the historic homes and scenes in North Park.  The calendar is available for purchase at Vintage Religion located at 3821 32nd Street.  You can purchase them online on the North Park Historical Society website at:http://www.northparkhistory.org/

San Diego Downtown November Prayer Walk

Dear Friends,

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1Thess.5:16-18)

Let us continue to give thanks in all things and intercede for our colleagues and our city!

If you are able, please join the Downtown Prayer Walk this Thursday November 19th from 12:10pm-12:55pm.

We'll gather at the Civic Center Fountains (1200 Third Ave.) starting at 12 noon and Prayer Walk in twos and threes from 12:10pm-12:55pm. 

This is a great opportunity to join hands and hearts with other downtown believers and pray together for our coworkers, for downtown, and for the city as a whole!

Hope to see you today!

Blessings, the iConnect SD Network

Report: More Americans going hungry

Sheep and Goats

Kroc Church

By Matthew Lickona | Published Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009

Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center

6845 University Avenue, San Diego, 619-287-5762

Denomination: The Salvation Army
Founded locally: 2002
Senior pastor: John Van Cleef
Congregation size: 150
Staff size: 5
Sunday school enrollment: 50
Annual budget: $300,000
Weekly giving: around $775
Singles program: no
Dress: casual to formal
Diversity: diverse
Sunday worship: 10:30 a.m.
Length of reviewed service: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Website: krocchurch.org

Read the story here….

Science New You Can Use

To Make Memories, New Neurons Must Erase Older Ones

Science Daily, Nov. 13, 2009

We may experience difficulties in acquiring new information because the storage capacity of the hippocampus is "occupied by un-erased old memories," researchers at the University of Toyama in Japan researchers suggest, based on evidence from experiments with mice and rats. Read Original Article>>

Mood Improves On Low-fat, But Not Low-carb, Diet Plan

Science Daily, Nov. 12, 2009

After one year, a low-calorie, low-fat diet appears more beneficial to dieters' mood than a low-carbohydrate plan with the same number of calories, researchers at Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation-Food and Nutritional Sciences, Adelaide, Australia have found. Read Original Article>>

Contact lenses to get built-in virtual graphics

New Scientist Tech, Nov. 12, 2009

University of Washington researchers are developing a contact lens with embedded microelectronics for overlaying graphics on the real world that could provide a compelling augmented reality experience. Read Original Article>>

For secular and Catholic France, a shock to the system: the rise of the evangelicals

November 6, 2009

The Guardian by Lizzy Davies

As the piano strikes up, the congregation sways, palms to the ceiling, fists in the air, murmurs of hallelujah punctuating the music. Pastor Franck Lefillatre, besuited and bathed in the spotlight on his podium, intones into a microphone.

"Let out the words that are in your heart," he urges. His whispers crescendo to booming rhetoric. Behind him, emblazoned in gold lettering, are the words: "Jesus Christ: the same yesterday, today, eternally."

As evangelical services go, this gathering on a rainy Sunday afternoon is nothing unusual. In countless churches around the United States and many other countries it would be a staple means of Christian worship.

But this is not the American Bible belt. It is the Church of Paris-Bastille, and this congregation is just one of a growing number of evangelical communities spreading through France and prospering in spite of its staunchly secular – and Catholic – traditions. Read the complete story

COMMUNITY CLEANUP

Help keep your neighborhood clean! The last community cleanup of 2009 will be taking place this Saturday, November 14th starting at 8:00AM.

These events are the best way to help us take care of North Park, clear out the alleys, storm drains, gutters, and tree wells...and get to know your neighbors. Sponsored by North Park Community Association and Council District 3.

WHEN:  Saturday, November 14th

WHERE: SBC Global Parking Lot @ the corner of Texas St and Howard Ave (near the McDonald's)

Get Connected to Christian Youth Worker Networking

Get Connected to Christian Youth Worker Networking from Kevin Boer on Vimeo.

Remember Our Veterans Today

Click on the image for the animation.

Africa's New Pentecostal Churches

Did Jesus Wear Designer Robes?

The gospel preached in Africa's New Pentecostal Churches ends up leaving the poor more impoverished than ever.
By J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu

Responses:
Joseph Wore Designer Robes, Too! By Amos Yong
Redeeming Prosperity By Peter L. Berger
The Gospel of Greed By Ruth Padilla DeBorst

Underground Reality: Colombia

When seven young adults embark on a mission trip to Colombia, they discover a new reality - one of violence, conflict, persecution and ... courageous HOPE!

This second installment of Underground Reality, the best-selling DVD series from The Voice of the Martyrs, reveals the harsh realities of Christianity and daring missions in one of the most dangerous nations in the western hemisphere.

Watching this DVD you will witness testimonies from families of recent martyrs, from former assassins and from a missionary pilot who flies over the "hot zones" to deliver the Word of God.

» Watch the trailer for VOM's newest DVD,
Underground Reality: Colombia.

» Order your copy today.

Designed for families, young adults and youth groups, this video asks: What are you willing to risk for Jesus? What are you willing to sacrifice to spread his message of eternal salvation? Underground Reality: Colombia contains dramatized violence and may not be suitable for children.

2012 Prophecies Sparking Real Fears, Suicide Warnings

National Geographic News, Nov. 9, 2009

ON TV 2012: Countdown to Armageddon airs Sunday, November 15, at 7 p.m. ET on the National Geographic Channel. Preview >>

 

It's almost the end of the world, according to purported Maya predictions, and the 2012 apocalypse business is booming.

Amid the hype -- including a viral marketing campaign for 2012, the disaster movie opening Friday, with bogus scientific organizations, press releases, and 2012 whistle-blowers --some people are developing "end times" anxiety that has experts seriously concerned.

NASA's Nibiru and Doomsday 2012: Questions and Answers and 2012: Beginning of the End or Why the World Won't End? web pages seek to debunk stories about the fictional planet Nibiru and predictions of doomsday in December 2012. Read Original Article>>

Questions for Robert Duncan

Is This Bishop Catholic?

By DEBORAH SOLOMON

The head of the Anglican Church in North America talks about the pope’s overture.

Tongue Tied

For Pentecostals, A Generational Split over Speaking in Tongues- Tim Townsend

Elders in the Assemblies of God are worried about what a younger generation's more practical theology might mean for the future of the practice of speaking in tongues. Read all about it here.....

Germany celebrates fall of Berlin Wall

German Church Helped Bring down Berlin Wall- Deborah Potter

In the early 1980s, the Rev. Christian Fuhrer The Rev. Christian began holding weekly prayers for peace at St. Nikolai. Its weekly vigil eventually overflowed into the streets of East Berlin.

Phoenix Enlists Churches in Fighting Crime

By Heather Sells

CBN News Reporter

Friday, November 06, 2009

PHOENIX - For those seeking the sun, Phoenix is a desert playground. But south of downtown, darkness often rules in the form of crime and poverty.

Memorials to murder victims mark places in many communities like South Mountain.

It's familiar terrain for Lt. Mike Kurtenbach of the South Mountain Police Department. He took CBN News on a ride-along of South Mountain streets.

Kurtenbach easily identified which streets belong to individual gangs -- even pointing out a tiny cul-de-sac that two rival gangs have fought over. Read the story here……

The Secret Things of God

A Six Part Study of the Book of Beginnings

By Eric Rauch

Hermeneutics is the technical word for the study of interpretation. We "do" hermeneutics every day in the routine of our lives. Anytime we receive messages from someone else—whether written, verbal, or non-verbal—we must "decode" those messages to arrive at what we believe is what the other person was trying to communicate. Some messages are much clearer than others, i.e. less prone to interpretational difficulty. For example, "Watch Out!," is less likely to be misunderstood than, "that's an interesting painting." Some messages are actually designed, like the one about the painting, to be arbitrary. When my mom doesn't like a particular food, she will call it "different." Technically there is nothing untrue about calling something "different," but the real purpose is to avoid the unpleasant social situation of telling the cook that his food stinks. Since I am aware of this (having made some "different" food of my own), I am a better "interpreter" of what my mom really means, than is someone she has just met. Knowing what the "code" is, my hermeneutical abilities in this one area are better than others due to experience.

Read More here……..

Stories | Sheep and Goats

Mission San Luis Rey Roman Catholic Parish

Published Nov. 4, 2009

This year, the City of Oceanside couldn’t afford to host its downtown celebration of Día de los Muertos, but the festival found a new (if slightly smaller) home on the grounds of Mission San Luis Rey. ...

Mission San Luis Rey

4070 Mission Avenue, Oceanside
Denomination: Roman Catholic
Founded locally: 1798
Senior pastor: Charles Talley
Congregation size: 5000 families
Staff size: n/a
Sunday school enrollment: n/a
Annual budget: n/a
Weekly giving: around $20,000
Singles program: n/a
Dress: casual to formal
Diversity: diverse
Sunday worship: 8 a.m., 10 a.m., noon (Spanish), 5 p.m.
Length of reviewed service: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Website: sanluisreyparish.org