December 2010 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER

Transcription

San Diego County Edition
Vol. 28, No. 12
December 2010
www.christianexaminer.com
Christmas shopping
World
Busyness in
His business
Bibles, books, music
provide gifts in keeping
with the season
Former Jew-hating
Palestinian making a
difference in the West Bank
page 6
page 12
page 16
FREE
Tonilee Adamson
Bum Rap
Encounters with Jewish
advocate, then Jesus,
transform homeless man
plain he was looking for cans and
was a veteran.
“I don’t care if you are a veterinarian,” Soper screamed at the
sorry spectacle before him. “I need
By Lori Arnold
SAN DIEGO — By the time Rufus Hannah was sprinting face first
into stacked milk crates for $5 in
beer money at the hands of
young filmmakers recording the stunt for pleasure
and profit, dignity was no
longer his friend.
The last remaining shreds
of it probably evaporated
the night teenagers sprayed
him in the face with a fire
extinguisher while he was
trying to sleep in the upstairs doorway of a La Mesa
office building.
Sober for eight years, Rufus Hannah credits an
Earlier chunks of his dig- encounter with Jesus for changing his life.
nity frayed away even before
that episode when a knife was thrust you to get out of here.”
Rage burning inside of him, but
against his throat while a stranger
rifled through Hannah’s pockets too broken and drunk to do anyfor whatever change he still had or thing but comply, Hannah and his
one of the various times when beat homeless compadre, Donnie Brenofficers kicked him awake in a rain nan, scuffled off to the next Dumpstorm, telling him to move on to an- ster.
“I was a sloppy drunk,” Hanother city.
Barry Soper, the landlord of a 61- nah said, an addiction he earned
unit condominium development in earnestly from an alcoholic mom
San Carlos, owned a piece of Han- who, despite Baptist roots, drank
nah’s dignity as well after he barked throughout her pregnancy and
at the homeless man as he popped kept the legacy going by filling his
out of a Dumpster at his housing baby bottle with beer.
Pleased that his booming voice—
complex—the same place where
Hannah or his friend defecated accentuated with an intimidating
from alcohol abuse a day earlier.
See HANNAH, page 2
A disheveled Hannah tried to ex-
Jewish professor
highlights peace issues
for Israel, Christians
By Lori Arnold
PHOTO BY SOLANGE
Professor Barry Rubin, a Middle East
expert who has written more than 50
books on the region, updated San
Diegans about the likelihood of peace
for Israel.
LA JOLLA — American Christians should be doing more to help
their spiritual counterparts in Israel and surrounding regions, according to visiting Professor Barry
Rubin, an expert on Middle East
issues.
“One of the things that amazes
me, and I don’t understand, is the
failure of Christians to support
Christians there,” Rubin said. “You
have a situation in which people
are being murdered. Christians
are being treated terribly in Pakistan, Christians being forced out of
Iraq. There’s a lot of oppression in
Egypt. Christians have been thrown
See PEACE, page 17
Actors from last year’s Bethlehem Village re-enact the Nativity story at North City Presbyterian Church.
Poway church to re-enact the first Christmas
POWAY — North City Presbyterian Church’s annual Bethlehem Village 2010 will be presented to the
community from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 17 and 18.
The free program is a re-creation of first century
Bethlehem complete with census-taking by Roman
guards, a live Nativity, petting zoo, llama rides, kids’
crafts and games, puppet shows and musical entertainment.
For more information, visit www.northcitychurch.
com/bv or call (858) 748-4642.
Sole moves
Dance evangelism team
uses redeemed hip-hop
By Dawn Wilson
SAN DIEGO — Holy hearts and
happy feet combine for energetic
outreach at Rock Steady Ministries.
Founder and director Brandon
Henschel said the group uses hiphop music and dance in unique
evangelistic ministry.
Hip-hop music is a genre that developed as part of hip-hop culture
in the South Bronx of New York
City in the 1970s. Sometimes hiphop is used as a derogatory term
because of the subculture—drugs
and gangs—related to the music in
the past.
In the past 10 years, however, “an
influx of artists is trying to reverse
that trend,” Henschel said, reclaiming the genre from enemy territory.
Henschel called hip-hop the
“king of pop culture.” The drug
culture uses hip-hop, he said, but
it’s not because hip-hop is related
to drugs.
“The genre or style is nothing,”
Henschel said. “It’s how you use it.
Evil uses everything—ballet, classical music—but we’re not allowing
San Diego-based Rock Steady performs before the the cast and crew at the
premier screening of the film “To Save a Life” in Oceanside earlier this year.
Satan to use hip-hop for his purposes. We’re taking it back for God.”
Henschel, 29 and married with
one child, created Rock Steacy because he wanted to do something
positive with the training he received in dance. Trained in chore-
ography as a professional dancer
for 13 years, and classically trained
in ballet, jazz and hip-hop, Henschel’s work includes nine films
and many commercials.
See HIP-HOP, page 19
For information about advertising, subscriptions, or bulk delivery, please call 1-800-326-0795
2 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • December 2010 SD
HANNAH…
Continued from page 1
East Coast air—thwarted a major
conflict, Soper headed back toward
his complex office, but not before
stopping to share his war story with
Orlando Hawkins, a neighbor who
lived across the street from the
complex. Hawkins, an intimidating
presence who loved to sit on the
porch and watch the world go by,
listened as Soper relived his triumphant exchange with the homeless
bums.
Ninety-year-old Hawkins was not
impressed.
“He started telling me, ‘Jesus
wouldn’t like you,’” Soper, a Jew,
recalled. “‘You have to change your
ways and you have to hire them.’ It
offended him.”
Pragmatic at heart, Soper figured
he’d appease his friend, certain the
pair would never follow through.
“So I offered them a job, and Mr.
Hawkins is like, ‘Yes!’
Fresh from verbally accosting the
pair, Soper tracked down Rufus and
Brennan at another Dumpster and
offered them work.
“Be here at 10 a.m. sober and you
have a job,” Soper commanded.
Hannah was skeptical of Soper’s
seemingly schizophrenic behavior,
but vowed to show up the next day.
“I didn’t know what was going on
with him,” Hannah said.
But he was pragmatic, too, and
needed every cent for alcohol.
•••
For several years Hannah survived in his own asphalt Bermuda
triangle along the Navajo Road corridor where the cities of San Diego,
El Cajon and La Mesa abut. He and
his buddy, Brennan, looked out for
each other on the streets, developing a bond forged from the camaraderie of being homeless veterans;
grown-up versions of Tom Sawyer
and Huckleberry Finn, but instead
of scouring the countryside for wild
adventures the pair took to commercial Dumpsters seeking cast-off
food, discarded cigarettes, and aluminum cans that funded their daily
alcohol binges.
Hannah had learned to pour
every drop of alcohol he found
—type didn’t matter—into a single
container, which he squirreled away
for later in the day.
“It didn’t matter what it was because I needed a drink,” Hannah
said.
Sometimes he woke
in the middle of night
to take a few swigs to
stave off the alcohol
seizures that would
erupt when he went
too long without any
in his system.
Each night he
would look for a secluded spot where
he hoped to sleep
without harassment.
He would loiter in an
area for as long as he
could before officers
shooed him along to
one of the adjacent
cities.
In the ensuing years,
Hannah’s dependency
on alcohol increased,
ending his marriage
and leading to the estrangement of his son
and daughter. Causing a ruckus in his
hometown, Hannah
enlisted in the Army,
but broke his arm during boot camp. He was
medically discharged
before completing basic training.
He entered another
relationship
that proA video still shows a drunk and angry Rufus Hannah as he mugged
duced two more sons
for the camera. Hannah was featured on a Bumfights video before
and more broken
sobering up.
bridges. Along the way
fer, Soper sent his daughter off to a fifth child was born, but alcohol
•••
a fast food restaurant to buy the continued its wet rope around his
Soper, satisfied he had done his pair some breakfast and coffee neck. Eventually he landed in San
part to keep his Christian friend while he tried to come up with an Diego, where he met an unlikely
Hawkins, happy, went about his actual job for them.
advocate in Soper.
business that afternoon; Rufus and
When they had finished their
•••
Brennan delegated happily into his hot meal, Soper had them work on
past.
After the fence project was
some fencing, a project that kept
“I drive in the next day to my them busy for about eight weeks.
complete, Hannah and Brennan
shop and to my amazement—a
“They were like craftsmen,” the went back to their routine on the
little disappointment probably— property owner said of his tem- streets.
there they were,” Soper said of porary employees. “I got to know
“It was hard work,” Hannah said
Hannah and Brennan. Stunned them more as human beings than of the fence project. “We worked
that they took hiwm up on his of- as homeless people. And I got to full days.”
Occasionally they would pool
like them—except for Rufus. We
really never liked each other for a their money together with another
homeless friend so they could rent
long, long period of time.
“Donnie was almost like a sales- a cheap motel room for the weekperson. He’d put his arm around end. They would buy clean clothes
me; call me his “guardian angel,’ at the thrift store, take showers and
‘my hero.’ I loved that. Who doesn’t watch TV, safe from the elements
for several days.
like to get their egos stroked?”
But more often than not, their
But Hannah was still gruff and
days were spent in parks or along
standoffish.
“I didn’t trust Barry,” he said. “I the streets trying to be just invisible
had grown that way after living on enough not to draw attention to
the streets. I just didn’t trust any- themselves, but without losing their
humanity.
body.”
But even invisibility and human•••
ity can be sold for the right price
On the top of his distrust list was and Hannah and Brennan did so.
Hannah himself. At 16, he opted The results were a series of videos
out of a squirrel-hunting trip in his called Bumfights in which the pair
native Georgia with his father and did drunken stunts for quick bucks
brother. Instead, a neighborhood to feed the buzz that fueled the
friend took his place. The teen, the pranks that made money for several
son of a pastor, never returned; he enterprising teenagers.
was accidentally shot and killed on
“At the time, if I was recycling
the trip by Hannah’s father after during the day, cannin,’ if I made
the boys migrated into the line of $8 or $10 that was a great day. So
fire.
$5 sounded good to me. I could put
“(His dad) was never criminally it in my pocket because I needed
charged, but emotionally he died alcohol first thing in the morning
that day,” Soper said. “Rufus had just to function.”
a lot of guilt about it, thinking
In one exchange, Hannah beat
that if he had gone on the hunt- his buddy so badly he shattered
ing trip maybe things would have Brennan’s leg requiring a metal rod
changed.”
to be implanted to hold his ankle to
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SD
December 2010 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • 3
the limb. Brennan agreed to have
the word Bumfights tattooed on his
forehead; Hannah was less radical,
inking the Bumfights letters just below each knuckle.
“They really violated his civil
rights,” Soper said. “It kind of dehumanized these poor guys.”
According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, nearly
86,000 degrading videos of homeless people were posted on YouTube in just one month last year,
the news agency AFP reported.
•••
Concerned for their safety, Soper
contacted a Santa Ana law firm,
but before the attorneys or investigators from the district attorney’s
office could interview Hannah or
Brennan, the filmmakers took the
bumfighters to Las Vegas where
they filmed more stunts and kept
them below the radar. A month
later, Hannah called the man he
couldn’t trust to come rescue him.
Soper was there by the afternoon.
The next day he was putting them
up in a motel.
Not convinced his kindness was
leading to change, Soper said he
decided to try some tough love.
“Instead of taking Rufus back to
the motel I took him to a mortuary
and I made a deal,” the businessman said. “I said to Rufus I’ll either
buy you a casket today or you get
into the program. No more motel.
It is no longer an option.”
But Hannah needed to be sober
for three days before he could enter the VA’s rehab program. On the
third day Hannah was struggling
against his own will. Brennan and
Soper tied him up with bedsheets
to keep him from drinking. The
next day, weighing just 110 pounds,
Hannah entered the substance
abuse program.
“I was drinking a lot,” he said,
Barry Soper, who formed an unlikely
friendship with Hannah, wrote a
memoir about Hannah’s journey from a
homeless drunk to working family man.
usually consuming nearly two gallons of beer or .750 liters of vodka
a day.
•••
Between meetings, counseling
and pacing the floors, Hannah
spent a great deal of time reflecting on his past. He remembered
jogging with his then 6-year-old
daughter in preparation for boot
camp and how he promised to take
her to her first day of school, only
to break that promise to report for
duty. Only to get hurt. Only to get
discharged. Only to begin the descent into unbridled intoxication.
“I was having a hard time detoxing and I was layin’ there one
night in my bunk and at the foot
of my bed, I saw my daughter,”
Hannah said, his voice cracking as
each word emerged from his lips
detached, but accented by an anguished breath released deep from
a dark crater in his soul. His wet eye
lashes framing clear blue eyes.
“It’s like she’s reaching her hand
out and I was looking at her and it
seemed like her face faded into the
face of Jesus. I thought, ‘oh my gosh,’
Rufus Hannah’s life is different now. He works for Barry Soper at one of his complexes. He has reconciled with his children
and married the mother of two of his boys. One of his ways to give back is to volunteer on homeless issues.
I sat up on the side of bed and put my
face in my hands and it’s like God put
his hand on my right hand and said,
‘You know what Rufus? You know, your
kids mean more to you (than alcohol).’
So I decided right then, this is it. I
gotta face it.”
•••
After giving his life to Jesus
Christ, and with eight years of sobriety, Hannah now works for Soper at
one of his complexes. He’s reconciled with his children and married
the mother of two of his boys. He
volunteers on homeless issues and
once again went before the camera,
this time for a training video for law
enforcement on how to treat the
homeless with dignity.
This fall, Hannah and Soper released the memoir, “The Bum Deal:
An Unlikely Journey from Hopeless
to Humanitarian,” which details
their improbable relationship. In
2008 Hannah was presented with
a civil rights award from the California Association of Human Relations Organizations.
“There were five or six recipients
in the whole state of California,”
Soper said. “There were doctors
and lawyers, then there was Rufus
Hannah from Swainsboro, Ga.,
who hardly finished high school,
never graduated from high school
and there he was getting this major
award. It was incredible. It made
me feel so proud of him, so far he
came.”
•••
Hannah is grateful for how far he has
come, but his heart still aches for his
pal Brennan, who still roams the streets
thanks to the lure of his addiction.
“I miss Donnie a lot,” in tone that
rings of compassion, not pity. “The last
time I seen him, he was pretty messed
up. He hugged me. He was crying.”
The first line of acknowledgments in his book is a tribute to
that bond.
“Rufus Hannah wishes to acknowledge his best friend, Donnie
Brennan. May he be safe.”
MAF pilot drowns trying to save teens
Christian Examiner staff report
SUMATRA, Indonesia — A Mission
Aviation Fellowship pilot serving in Sumatra, Indonesia drowned Nov. 7 after
trying to rescue two teenagers who had
ventured too far into the ocean.
Benjamin T. Uskert, who also served
as a mechanic with MAF, was at a beach
with a group from a local orphanage
when the teens ventured into deep
water and were swept away from the
shore. He and another adult swam out
to assist them but Uskert and one of the
youths were overcome by the waves and
the current. Uskert, the married father
of a young son, was pronounced dead
at the scene; the body of the teenager
was not recovered.
“We are profoundly saddened by the
loss of our friend and fellow worker in
Christ, as well as the young man he was
attempting to rescue,” said John Boyd,
president and chief executive officer of
MAF. “Please pray for Ben’s wife, Katie,
and son, Jeremiah, as well as the other
members of the family.”
The Uskerts joined MAF in 2008.
They attended language school in
Indonesia for nine months before be-
PHOTO BY TRIPP FLYTHE
Missionary Benjamin T. Uskert, in a
family portrait with his wife, Katie, and
son, Jeremiah, drowned Nov. 7 while
trying to save two teens while on the
mission field in Indonesia.
ginning service with the MAF Sumatra
program a year ago. Memorial services
were set for Nov. 13 in Banda Aceh,
Sumatra, Indonesia.
Uskert was born and reared in
Valparaiso, Ind., and accepted Jesus as his Savior at an early age. He
graduated from Purdue University
in 2003 with a bachelor of science
degree in aviation technology. He
took additional courses at Trinity
Bible College and Moody Bible In-
stitute.
Prior to joining MAF, Uskert worked
as an aircraft technician and trainer. He
also served as director of maintenance
for the Indiana Aviation Museum,
overseeing a fleet of 17 aircraft. He
married Katie Tucker in 2005, and
Jeremiah was born in 2007.
A fund has been established to
assist with the cost of family members’ travel to Indonesia. Contributions may be made through the
MAF website at www.maf.org, or by
calling 1-800-FLYS-MAF. MAF has
served in Sumatra since 2004, when
the organization played a key role
in the recovery efforts following the
deadly Tsunami that devastated the
Aceh area.
Founded in 1945, MAF is a Christian
ministry organization, which transports
missionaries, medical personnel and
supplies, performs disaster relief work
and conducts emergency medical
evacuations in remote areas. MAF also
provides distance learning services, as
well as telecommunications services
such as satellite Internet access, highfrequency radios, electronic mail and
other wireless systems.
Actors Kevin Sorbo, Kristy Swanson, center, and Debby Ryan star in a scene
from the movie “What if...,” which will be screened at the San Diego Christian
Film Festival, set for Dec. 27 to 30.
San Diego Christian Film
Festival plans youth night
Inaugural 4-day event kicks off Dec. 27
SAN DIEGO — A premiere of
a new teen movie filmed on San
Diego beaches. Cast and crew on
hand to chat up filmgoers. Acoustic, rap and R&B artists performing live.
Sounds like a night designed for a
young crowd. It is. The first annual
San Diego Christian Film Festival, a
four-day event scheduled for Dec.
27 to 30, has set aside one evening
as its Youth Night, hoping to draw
middle-high, high school and college-age students to the inaugural
event being held at the Lawrence
Family Jewish Community Center
in University City.
Top billing during the night is
the world premiere of “Cutback,”
a new movie from SkipStone Pictures about a high school surfer
who dreams of turning pro before
tragedy forces him to take a second
look at life. Filmed in San Diego’s
beach cities, “Cutback” features
pro surfer Matt Beacham, host of
the Fuel TV hit series, “New Pollution.” Beacham plans to attend
the premiere along with other cast
and crew members.
Also being screened is the 2009
independent hit, “To Save a Life,”
written by Jim Britts, youth pastor
at New Song Community Church
in Oceanside. Britts, co-producer
Nicole Franco and other cast and
crew will be on hand to talk with
young filmgoers and other SDCFF
guests.
In between screenings will be
free musical performances, including acoustic singer-songwriter Joe
Henschel and longtime San Diego
musician Frank Grubbs. In addition, SDCFF recently joined forces
with MANDATE Records, a San Diego-based urban music recording
and development firm which will
provide rap and R&B artists during
the night.
“We wanted to create an evening
where teenagers could come with
their friends and church youth
groups could come and really enjoy
themselves,” said Richard Bagdazian, executive director of the
San Diego Christian Film Festival.
“We’ll have special giveaways too,
including a cast-signed skateboard,
cool clothing items and other great
stuff! It’s so important for the next
generation to understand and be
proactive in demanding good films,
so we hope they’ll come out.”
The festival also will feature a
“Film Bistro,” a lounge that guests
can drop in to and enjoy refreshments while watching the Honorable Mention films and other selections at their leisure on individual
DVD players.
For tickets or information, visit
www.sdchristianfilmfestival.com.
San Diego Christian Film Festival Schedule
The basic schedule for the inaugural San Diego Christian Film Festival is listed below. Please note that all times are subject to change.
Dec. 27
4 to 9 p.m. Films (Highlights: “Rwanda,” “What If...”)
4 to 9 p.m. Film Bistro and Refreshment Stations
5 to 9 p.m. Vendor Booths
5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Opening Night Reception
9 to 10 p.m. Opening Celebration
Dec. 28 Youth Night
3 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Films (Highlights: “Cutback,” “To Save a Life”)
5 to 10 p.m. Vendor Booths
Dec. 29
3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Films (Highlights: “The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry,”
“Rust”)
5 to 10 p.m. Vendor Booths.
Dec. 30
3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Film (“Amazing Grace”)
5:30 to 8 p.m. Silent Auction Bidding (Gala ticket holders only)
6 to 7 p.m. Round Table (Gala ticket holders only)
Dec. 30 Awards Gala Reception
6:30 to 8 p.m. Hors d’oeurves
7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dessert
8 p.m. Silent Auction Winners Announced
8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Awards Ceremony and Entertainment
For a comprehensive schedule of all showings and special events,
visit www.sdchristianfilmfestival.com.
SD
Pre-election fasting effort called a success
By Lori Arnold
LA MESA — Pastor Jim Garlow,
who led the national “Pray and
Act,” a 40-day fast in advance of
the Nov. 2 election, said he has no
proof the event impacted the landslide results, but he’s taking it on—
what else—faith.
“I came away from the event
highly encouraged, but unable to
provide any proof, any empirical
data that there was a direct correlation between our fasting and what
we saw,” Garlow said. “Would this
have happened without our fast,
possibly. I don’t know.”
The election, emboldened by
the renegade Tea party movement,
posted significant Republican gains
in the U.S. Senate and among the
governor’s seats. In the House, Republicans won an unprecedented
60-plus seats, snatching majority status and handing President Barack
Obama a major hurdle in pushing
forward his agenda.
“Nobody, once they drilled right
down through the election nationally, nobody expected this kind of
massive upsurge in fundamental
principles, biblical principles.” Garlow said. “And that’s what I call a
success. If we got to impact that by
a 40-day fast, praise God.”
He laughed about critics who
might chalk up the results to coincidence.
“I agree with the person who said,
‘Well, the more I pray the more coincidences I have.”
Garlow, the pastor of Skyline
Church in La Mesa and chairman
of Renewing American Leadership,
an organization founded by Newt
Gingrich to help preserve Ameri-
ca’s Judeo-Christian heritage, said
he has no way of knowing how
many people actually participated
in the fast, since it was intentionally
decentralized.
“We turned every leader loose
to influence their people,” Garlow said, adding that he was well
into the fast himself when he met
a nurse while getting an X-ray who
said she was also doing the fast.
“I was so encouraged when I
ran into those kinds of stories,” he
said.
Affirming the Manhattan
Declaration
Among those committed to the
fast were all 150 signers of the Manhattan Declaration, an evangelical
manifesto crafted last year to affirm
their commitment to “the sanctity
of life, traditional marriage and
religious liberty,” the same focus of
the fast.
“The goal was to attempt to see
people rise to power who care
about protecting babies in the
womb, and we certainly saw that 90
percent of the freshman class coming into Congress is pro-life,” he
said. “We’re not interested in seeing Republicans or Democrats or
Independents elected. We’re interested in seeing principled people
on the issue of protecting babies in
the womb.”
He said that most of the newly
elected members of Congress also
affirm traditional or natural marriage.
“If you embrace this new definition
of marriage that the secularists would
try to force upon on us, then you are
guaranteeing that everyone of those
redefined marriages, every single one
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of those children, will lack either a
mommy or a daddy and how unconscionable to do that to do children who
need both a mommy and a daddy,” the
pastor said.
Monitoring the election’s impact
on religious freedom issues is still
not clear, the Christian leader said.
“With religious liberty, that’s a
little harder to measure overall, but
most of those, again, in the freshman class are committed to that
principal.
Economic underpinnings
In addition to the emphasis on
the three-points of the Manhattan
Declaration, Garlow said the fast
also focused on “the biblical underpinnings to economics as it pertains
to civil governance.
“The national debt is a moral
issue.,” he said. “The oppressive
taxation is a biblical issue. The confiscation of property, taking away
private ownership rights. The Bible
affirms private property ownership.
It’s very clear in the role post-election meetings of the Republican
Governor’s Association, which was
held in San Diego, Garlow said he
was pleased by the mindset of the
newly elected state leaders, saying it
was clear to them that the election
was not a mandate for Republican
ideals, but a sharp message that
Americans have tired of the status
quo, regardless of which party is in
control.
“I heard one governor after another say do not, do not ignore
these principles by which we were
elected. Don’t listen to pollsters….,”
Garlow said. “It was nonpartisan in
its language. Like most Americans
I’m weary of partisan politics. I
want convictional people who will
not waffle. I want people who are
so principled that they would prefer to lose an election before they
would ever compromise on godly
principles. That’s where I sense
some positive news happening.
“Will they follow through? The
jury is out, and we’ve got to keep
praying. I don’t know. But in these
early stages there is reason for encouragement.”
Then there’s California
While the election picture for evangelicals was bright nationwide, Garlow
admits that Christians in California fell
far short of achieving their goals for
pro-family representatives.
He said a major prayer fast in
2008 was successful in turning back
gay marriage, but that the parallel prayer emphasis of seeing the
hearts of Californians change, has
not yet come to fruition.
“This is a tough state,” he said. “This
state is so bent on violating biblical
principles that out of respect to the
other 49 states we ought to secede from
the union so that our principles, our
economic principles do not destroy the
rest of the nation. We are teetering,
along with New York, on the very verge
of bankruptcy out of complete mismanagement and greed. It’s disgraceful
what has happened in Sacramento or
even in the economic realities of cities
like San Diego.
Even so, Garlow remains confident
that all is not lost on California.
“It means victory is imminent
and God is in control,” he said.
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Ho Ho Ho, rampant entitlements no mo’
You better not pout, you better not
cry, better not pout I’m telling you why:
Santa Claus is dead. OK, now that you’re
uncomfortable about this, please allow
me to explain.
First, please don’t get me wrong. I’m
not trying to shock little children (who
don’t read newspaper columns like this
anyway). I don’t want to steal anyone’s
holiday cheer. And please don’t waste
your time calling or e-mailing me about
how I am distorting the true meaning of
Christmas. It’s just that the lyrics of the
classic song, “Santa Claus Is Coming to
Town” have taken on new significance
over the past couple of years. Reality
has set in, big time. Our National Kris
Kringle is no more.
Consider this: Based on election
results from across the country
(with notable exceptions in New
York and here in always-wacky California), it seems Americans have
broken a long national addiction
to Uncle Sam-in-a-Santa suit. More
people have come to the realization that, despite keeping an eye on
who’s “naughty and nice,” the jolly
fella in his governmental form can’t
keep producing freebies forever.
He’s maxed his credit line.
Oh sure, for our “protection,”
security cams, tracking and scanning and TSA devices at the airport
keep tabs on all of us (like Santa’s
musical image suggests), but the
promises of an ongoing blizzard of
“free” gifts from Washington, D.C.
and Sacramento are over. When it
comes to excess “benefits,” the key
word these days is “unsustainable.”
Everyday citizens now know that
government programs, pensions,
prop-ups, stimulus and other assorted “gifts” have been charged to
our credit cards… and to our kids,
grandchildren… probably pets,
too. It’s all hit the fan.
The good thing is that Americans
deeply understand what’s going on,
signaling that message loud and
clear on Nov. 2. Now it’s only selected politicians who still believe in
jumping up onto Uncle Sam’s lap
(with a boost from union officials),
begging for more and assuming
there’s an endless stream of entitlements to come, like an ongoing bureaucratic manna. Well, God can
provide, but elected officials and
appointees cannot. It was like we
received the first gift of the season:
Clarity and accountability. It gave us
a sense of real hope that, Lord will-
Growing up in a
Midwestern, Swedish
family, we had fun with
Santa stories and elves
(“Yule Toomptas” they
A place for Santa
were called). It was
wonderful, with tradiI’m not trying to
tional memories made
take away from the joy
deeper by parents and
of this time of year.
grandparents who had
I simply think it’s a
plenty of family fun
good thing that the
Mark Larson
with the concept. But
nasty meltdowns and
transitions of the past
they always brought
couple of years can lead to smarter everything back to the Christ child.
decisions, brightening holiday sea- The Messiah, Savior of the world.
sons ahead.
There was no confusion.
One note about this whole Santa
thing: I understand many fellow Fantasy vs. biblical reality
Christians have a problem with the
We knew from the earliest age the
story of the hefty guy in the red suit, difference between fantasy and bibbig ol’ beard and rosy cheeks, de- lical reality. Whimsical stories of holfying all healthy eating regulations iday characters were always trumped
at each stop (love that milk and by the Christmas story in the book
cookies theme), dumping presents of Luke, read out loud in a halting
all over the world. The issue is that Swedish accent by my Grandfather
Santa can distract from the birth of (“Morfar” as he was called). It was
Christ.
made more meaningful when the
I suppose that’s true, but there scriptural account would often inare all sorts of things that can ob- spire stories of what that baby born
scure the true meaning of the sea- in a manger did in the lives of our
son. It all boils down to what you family members. Yes, that little child
make of it.
grew to adulthood and gave to ultiing, we may be able to
keep the nation from
driving off a cliff in an
overloaded sleigh.
mate sacrifice on our behalf. Powerful stuff, indeed.
Celebrating simplicity
In these days of chaos and transformation, it’s a blessing that more
of us have refocused on the basics.
We now know that promises and
bloated deficits from a National
Santa are certainly not gifts without a cost. But that doesn’t mean
we must toss out celebrations that
inspire us all to a happier, joyful
time. There’s also something refreshing about being in a position
to remember that “downsizing” to
life’s simpler things is actually very
satisfying.
Besides, God’s sharing of his
Son, without need for governmental votes and red-tape oversight, offering eternal life for all who truly
believe… is the very best gift of all.
Merry Christmas.
Larson is a veteran Southern California radio/television personality
and media consultant. He can be
heard daily in San Diego on KCBQ
1170AM from 6 to 9 a.m., and on
KPRZ 1210AM from 2 to 4 p.m. Email: mark@marklarson.com.
Busyness in His business
Is it only me or have you found
that the more we look around, the
more we see that people are struggling? My husband has frequently
said that if you are not depressed,
you are not paying attention. However, with the holiday season here,
we do not want our Christmas
cards to be the only place where
love, peace and joy can be found.
So, how can we possess those three
little words at Christmas time when
we cannot maintain those characteristics in everyday life?
I really believe that our anger,
anxiety and depression are not only
a result of our outward circumstances, but also a result of having a lack
of margin in our lives. If we define
boundaries as how closely we allow
people or things to approach us,
then margins are those imaginary
lines of how far we are willing to extend ourselves. If someone crosses
our personal space
we do not make time
or boundaries, we beor even have time to
come uncomfortable
give God a thought.
(and in extreme cases,
We rationalize, jusviolated).
tify and make excuses
In contrast, we dethat we are too busy to
termine the parammake the Lord a prieters of our margins.
ority. Busyness looks
When there is no marlike productivity and it
gin, we have limited
makes us feel needed.
ability to cope with
However, busyness is
broken cars, crying
Tonilee Adamson only blessed if we are
kids or sick pets. Inabout the Lord’s busistead of scheduling in padded time ness. His business is defined in each
for quality control, we find our- of our lives differently, but our perselves crying out for more time, bet- spectives should be the same.
ter organizational skills and greater
support. But what if we miraculous- His perspective
ly had the ability to schedule spare
By maintaining His perspective, it is
time, how would we fill it?
not about the crises but how the Christ
There is a saying, “If the devil can move through each circumstance
can’t make you bad, he will make to give meaning and purpose. Learnyou busy.” For some, this statement ing to talk to Him instead of yourself
is true. We can become so busy that changes your perspective. When I
find myself maxed out, I pray. When
I find myself too tired to think, I pray.
When I find myself too full from dinner to move, I pray. Prayer gives me
the cushion I need to get a Sovereign
viewpoint and to ask Him to move in
everything and to move me to serve
Him anywhere.
I am co-founder of Daily Disciples
FELLOWSHIP
Ministries and a media company called
Media 4 Women. Both keep me busy,
and people ask me frequently, “How
do you do it all?” I cannot say that I
have always liked or even enjoyed being busy outside of the home. But I was
challenged to move out of my comfort
zone and not only increase my borders,
but to expand my margins when hearing Charles Spurgeon’s comment on
Romans 13:10, “Love does no wrong to
a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” He said, “No man can
compass the ends of life by drawing
a little line around himself upon the
ground. No man can fulfill his calling
as a Christian by seeking the welfare of
his wife and family only, for these are
only a sort of greater self.”
Powerful Lausanne Congress
As a delegate and committee
chair for the Lausanne Congress in
Cape Town, I can affirm your excellent coverage of this historic event.
It was all you wrote and more.
On the closing night when 4,000
of us from around the world took
communion together and sang
“Crown Him with Many Crowns,”
while African drums played artfully along, I knew it was a taste of
heaven! What joy that all of us who
believe will some day be together at
the congress of heaven!
Jane L. Crane
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
but he was not in the same United
States I was. The media did, as he
suggested in his October 2010 commentary, not embrace and encourage the people who demonstrated
against the Vietnam war, supported
the civil rights movement, and the
equal rights movement for women.
I remember clearly how anti-war
demonstrators were called “communists” “unpatriotic” and other vile
terms. Many people wanted to deport the anti-war protesters. Many
protesters were brutally beaten and
jailed for criticizing the government. Where was Cal Thomas when
civil rights workers were beaten;
some were killed; and many were
jailed? The media portrayed these
people as “communists” and “agitators.” They were called “undemocratic” and not “Christian.”
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Thomas view of ’60-’70s
challenged
I do not know where Cal Thomas
was in the late 1960s and 1970s,
Outside of self
I have spent many days being
busy only with shopping, laundry,
vacation planning and house decorating. In that season of life, I spent
my energy in the things that were a
continued extension of my greater
self. I realized that being busy with
family things only kept me loving
and serving the things I already
love. I do not need to be spirit led
or dependent upon the Lord to love
those who love me back. However,
adding a responsibility that helps
to serve those outside my heart’s
desire has allowed me to grow and
love in a completely different way.
God is sovereign. He can do what
He wants and He can bless whom He
wants. Allowing the Lord to have free
reign in my overly scheduled day gives
me a peace and joy that blesses others
in addition to me. It really did come by
reprioritizing the busyness. “Busyness
in His Business.” We can remain busy,
but are we really about His business
or our own?
This Christmas season, let’s not
marginalize Christ, but let Him
expand our margins. He alone
brought peace on earth through
His presence and that same presence can reign in our hearts today.
There is no greater present than the
presence of the One who brought
the gifts of love, peace and joy not
only at Christmas, but also for our
everyday lives.
Adamson is co-founder of Daily
Disciples Ministries Inc. She and her
ministry partner, Bobbye Brooks,
can be heard every Saturday on
their popular radio program on KPRZ
1210AM. Find out more by visiting
www.dailydisciples.org.
Because of my participation in
many protest marches and gatherings, I sincerely support anyone’s
right to peacefully protest the
government’s actions, although I
do not understand the Tea Party’s
goals.
By the way, Bob Dylan did not
have an album entitled “While the
Establishment Burns.” Cal Thomas
should try to do research and provide facts for future columns.
Wendy Wright
Tacoma Wash.
Editor’s note: There are numerous
references to a hard-to-find and/or bootlegged “Trademark of Quality” Dylan
album called “While the Establishment
Burns.” Other sites suggest the title was
merely a single.
SD
Defusing a time bomb: The plight of Sudanese Christians
When he was 7 years old, Francis
Bok, a Christian from the southern
part of Sudan, was captured and
sold into slavery by Arab raiders.
Bok spent the next 10 years as a
slave before escaping.
Eventually, with the help of
Christian groups, Bok emigrated
to the United States, where he has
devoted himself to telling his story
and the plight of other Sudanese
Christians. Now he is telling an updated version of the tale, one whose
ending is yet to be written.
The story concerns a referendum
scheduled for Jan. 9. On that day,
the people of southern Sudan will
vote on whether to remain a part
of Sudan. Even if the run-up of the
election had gone smoothly, which
it hasn’t, there would still be ample
reason to fear what happens after
the vote.
One government official has
hinted that the government “may
not recognize the results” of the
referendum. Its stated reason is
that the Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement hasn’t fulfilled its obligations under the 2005 agreement
that ended a 22-year civil war.
That civil war killed at least 2
million people in the south and
caused another 4 million to flee
their homes. It followed an attempt to impose Sharia law on
Sudan’s Christians and animists.
Those who weren’t killed or turned
into refuges were often, like Bok,
enslaved.
Given this eliminationist history,
southerners are expected to vote
for independence, and the Sudanese government is expected to
balk at letting them go. Not because
it’s had a change of heart about its
Christian population,
but because that population is living atop
Sudan’s oil reserves.
That’s the real reason Khartoum, the
nation’s capitol, won’t
recognize the results:
If the south goes,
it will take Sudan’s
economy with it.
The
Sudanese
Chuck
government has already proven, both in the south
and, more recently in Darfur, that
it is willing to repeatedly commit
crimes against humanity to get
what it wants. Sudan’s president,
Omar al-Bashir, has already been
charged with genocide and crimes
against humanity by the International Criminal Court.
That’s why Bok is crisscrossing
this country warning audiences about
the likelihood that
catastrophic violence
will follow the Jan.
9 referendum. He’s
not alone: Secretary
of State Clinton has
called Sudan a “ticking time bomb.”
Colson
Genocide predicted
More
ominously,
Dennis Blair, the National Director
of Intelligence, told Congress that
southern Sudan was the most likely
candidate for “a new mass killing or
genocide.”
Despite the rhetoric, Bok says
that he and his countrymen are
worried, and it’s right that they are.
Because the only way the U.S. will
protect Bok’s people is if the Amer-
ican people, especially Christians,
make it clear that standing by and
doing nothing is unacceptable.
You and I have an obligation—after all, for two decades, we’ve been
fighting against the persecution of
Christians Southern Sudan. And
we were successful under the Bush
administration in getting a peace
agreement in 2005. So, I want you
to be prepared now to tell your representatives and the administration
they must do the right thing.
Sudanese Christians like Francis
Bok are determined not to be enslaved again. The question is: Are
we willing to help them safeguard
their freedom?
© 2010 Prison Fellowship. Reprinted with permission. “BreakPoint with Chuck Colson” is a
radio ministry of Prison Fellowship.
Modern journalism and the Olbermann factor
If MSNBC were
policy
prohibiting
consistent, Keith Olhost-anchors from
bermann would not
financially contribhave been the only
uting to political
on-air
personality
campaigns, because
disciplined for makdonating money isn’t
ing political contrithe only way one can
butions.
make a contribution.
For those who
Olbermann, along
don’t watch his
with other MSNBC
“Countdown” prohosts, regularly make
Cal Thomas
gram (which would
“in-kind” contribube most of the countions to Democrats
try), Olbermann was suspended by favoring candidates and poli“indefinitely” after it was learned cies in line with their beliefs. And
he donated money without ap- yes, some host-anchors at Fox, inproval from management to three cluding Glenn Beck, do the same.
Democratic congressional candi- Most observers of broadcast TV
dates. The problem for MSNBC (and cable news) know of other
was not only Olbermann’s failure “contributions” made by on-air
to get permission, but that he personalities, contributions that
anchored part of the network’s include the types of questions
Election Night coverage. Appar- asked and even the kinds of guests
ently at MSNBC, the chair you sit invited to appear on programs.
in matters more than the content
For a conservative guest, the
of your journalistic character.
questioning by a liberal usually
Unlike Juan Williams, who was goes something like this: “What
fired by National Public Radio do you say to people who think
for expressing an opinion on you are a jerk?” Translated this
the hated (by liberals) Fox News means, “I think you’re a jerk, but
Channel, Olbermann enjoyed a I’ll couch it in a way that makes
four-day weekend and is back on me look professional.” To a libthe air at MSNBC because he is eral guest, the liberal host asks:
a liberal and liberals mostly take “When did you first realize you
care of their own.
were right about everything and
I am intrigued by MSNBC’s the opposition was wrong?” I ex-
Silencing people
does nothing for the
credibility of a network.
aggerate only slightly to make a
point. What passes for modern
“journalism” is something quite
different from what I remember
growing up.
Mentors from my days as a copyboy at NBC News in Washington
look at me now from black-andwhite photos on my office wall.
Most of their names would not be
familiar to people younger than
40, unless they studied the history
of the profession. Among them
are Martin Agronsky, Ray Scherer, Bryson Rash, Frank McGee
and Elie Abel, all now dead. The
late David Brinkley is probably remembered more than the others
because of his greater fame and a
career that extended into the last
decade.
These were real journalists who
came to broadcast network news
mostly from newspapers and
wire services. They could write.
They believed journalism was a
calling and a public trust. Their
agenda was to report facts as they
discovered them. Probably most
were Democrats, but compared
to what passes for contemporary
journalism, their politics and
opinions were mostly kept out of
their reporting. The cynicism created by Vietnam and Watergate
began to change journalism and
compromised many journalists
and the ethical standard by which
they once lived.
Opining on news
Today’s “opinion journalism,”
which is a contradiction, has eroded the public’s trust in networks
and newspapers, as reflected in
declining ratings and circulation.
People today tune in to programming that only reinforces what
they already believe.
Still, Keith Olbermann should
not have been disciplined, if
that’s what a two-day suspension
can be called. Instead, each time
he makes a political comment, a
disclaimer should be put on the
screen which states which politicians he favored with donations.
The same holds true for all the
others. Silencing people does
nothing for the credibility of a network. Every network “performer”
and newspaper political reporter
should have information about
his or her actual and in-kind contributions available to the public,
including any speeches given that
endorse a specific candidate or
political group.
We in the media demand full
disclosure from politicians. If
more of us were transparent
about our political “contributions,” perhaps the public would
trust us more. Or not. Either way,
what we demand of others, we
should also demand of ourselves
and show the way by example.
© 2010 Tribune Media Services
Inc.
An ‘independent’ judiciary: independent of what?
By Bryan Fischer
The American Family Association, through its political arm,
AFA Action, took the lead in the
successful campaign to oust three
Iowa state Supreme Court justices
who had joined in a ruling, which
imposed same-sex marriage on the
Hawkeye State by judicial fiat.
We were joined in this campaign
by our friends at the Family Research Council and the National
Organization for Marriage.
All three judges were given the
boot by substantial margins, something unprecedented in Iowa history. Since Supreme Court justices began facing retention votes in 1962,
not a single justice had been turned
out of office prior to Nov. 2.
It was a stunning victory for judicial restraint and the institution
of natural marriage. These judges
represented the worst in judicial
activism, forcing their values down
the throats of ordinary Iowans.
The November election was
the first opportunity the citizen
class had to strike back against
the black-robed oligarchy our
judiciary has become, and strike
back they did.
There has been much weeping and wailing and gnashing of
teeth in the liberal community
over this victory for constitutional
government. This is because what
they have been unable to achieve
through legislative means they
have been able to achieve through
an out-of-control judiciary, which
legislates from the bench.
No wonder there is so much
hand-wringing on the left—their
tyrannical stranglehold on public
policy is now under full-scale assault. All the arguments against
throwing these hyperactive judges
off the bench boiled down to one
argument in the end: we need
an “independent” judiciary. This
begs the question: independent
of what?
We can all agree that we need a
judiciary that is independent of political pressure, bribery, corruption.
However, that’s not the kind of independence our friends on the left
want. They want a judiciary that is
untethered to the constitution and
the law. That’s something no stable
society can afford. If judges operate
independently of the constitution
and the law, as these Iowa judges
did, we no longer have the rule of
law but the rule of men, something
the Founders rightly despised.
The role of judges is not to make
law but to apply it. When judges
begin to legislate from the bench,
usurping powers that properly
belong to the legislative branch
of government, they immediately
forfeit their moral authority to
exercise judicial power, and the
people have every right to send
them packing.
USA Today laughably tried to use
U.S. Supreme Court Justice John
Roberts‚ famous umpire analogy
by saying, “Imagine what would
happen to the integrity of baseball
if umpires were hounded from the
field for making calls the home
crowd didn’t like.”
That’s a faulty analogy. The
question is what would happen to
umpires who ignored the established rules of baseball and made
up their own rules as the game
went along.
Let’s say an umpire decided that
this whole business of four balls
and three strikes was egregious discrimination against batters—they
only get three mistakes, while the
pitcher gets four. So he suddenly
decides to give batters four strikes
rather than three. He would’t last
past the top of the first inning.
He’d rightly get “hounded from
the field” by everybody in baseball
for exceeding his jurisdiction. He
would be the one compromising
the integrity of the game, not
those who held him accountable
for overstepping his bounds.
Every umpire understands that
his job is to apply the rules that are
made by somebody else. Judges
have exactly the same function
in an ordered society. Once they
think that they have the right to
make up the rules themselves, they
richly deserve an early retirement.
And AFA Action is committed to
help them get there, the sooner
the better.
Bryan Fischer is Director of Issue
Analysis for Government and Public
Policy at the American Family Association. He may be reached at
bfischer@afa.net.
Legislative Update
Religious hiring rights
Curtain descends on the 09-10 legislature focus of house hearing
By Rebecca Burgoyne
SACRAMENTO — After a long,
contentious season of budget stops and
starts, the curtain finally descended on
the California Legislature in early October. Stretching the budget struggle 100
days into the new fiscal year, legislators
set a new record for tardy budgets in the
Golden State. Once again, legislators
cobbled together a smoke-and-mirrors
budget that relied on rosy income
assumptions, creative financing and
gimmicks—assuring that the budget
was out of date virtually before the ink
with which it was written had dried. In
essence, the $86.5 billion budget kicked
the problem into next year.
Instead of applying elbow grease to
tackle underlying structural problems
that lead to repeated budget deficits,
legislators once again punted, passing
a budget and heading out on the fall
campaign trail, approving another
get-out-town budget in an election year
reeked of political expediency and a
hope that the political situation would
favor their partisan budget solutions
after the fall election.
The short-sighted budget prompted
financial experts to promise a difficult year ahead for California. The
credit-rating agency, Moody’s, issued an
October report, predicting that California’s reliance on “one-time measures,
optimistic revenue assumptions, and
the receipt of funds, some of which
may not materialize,” will likely result
in a mid-year budget shortfall later this
year and a significant budget gap next
year—likely $12 billion or more.
While former Gov. Gray Davis predicted a spring special election to raise
taxes, legislative leaders and Gov.-elect
Jerry Brown made the budget an im-
mediate priority following the election.
With a gerrymandered Legislature
dominated by Democrats and the
passage of Proposition 25 lowering the
vote threshold for budget passage to a
simple majority, late budgets may be a
thing of the past. However, voters underscored their distrust of Sacramento
with their passage of several other initiatives to limit the actions legislators
can take to pass a budget.
While Brown is a Democrat, he
remains somewhat of an enigma. Oldtimers know to be wary of his unorthodox tendencies and past willingness to
go head-to-head with fellow Democrats.
This go-round, he seems to recognize
voters’ unwillingness to raise taxes
in the midst of a recession and has
promised to seek their approval on any
proposals, increasing the likelihood of
a spring special election.
With roughly $8 billion in tax revenue set to expire in July—a temporary solution to the preceding year’s
budget—billions removed from the
bargaining table by voters, and billions
more in federal funds expected to
end, the new administration will have
another massive budget hole to fill.
A look ahead
On Dec. 6 legislators return to the
Sacramento Capitol to convene the
2011-12 legislative session. During this
short, organizational session, which
features orientation and swearing-in
ceremonies for newly elected representatives, legislators will begin introducing new bills. After the holidays, when
the Legislature returns to Sacramento,
bill introductions will continue in January and February, yielding to committee
hearings during the spring months.
The budget will remain a key focus
in 2011. Days after the November
election, both the governor-elect and
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, began setting the
stage for re-opening budget negotiations in the next few months.
In addition to the budget, the
Democratic majority in the Legislature
will dominate the policy agenda. Most
pro-family bills will not survive their first
spring hearing. Legislative proposals
can range from the re-introduction
of past bill language—tweaked to be
more successful this session—to totally
new ideas. Health care, child protection and expanded homosexual rights
will remain high on the priority list.
Already, a re-write of last year’s vetoed
SB 906 to create a new class of marriage,
called civil marriage, is being planned.
And, with a record number of openly
homosexual legislators—five in the
Assembly and two in the Senate—prohomosexual legislation will continue to
dominate California policy.
While nationwide, a tsunami of
change blanketed November elections,
California bucked the trend and reelected every incumbent state Senator
and Assembly member. California’s
gerrymandered districts guaranteed
that they won handily. We must stay the
course; California’s inability to function
did not happen overnight, and transformation will take time, too.
Californians left intact the state’s
voter-approved redistricting commission,
taking the task of determining boundaries for political districts out of the hands
of the lawmakers. With the power out of
their hands, we can, step-by-step, make
changes to reform our state.
Burgoyne is a research analyst for
the California Family Council.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (EP) — The
day after a presidential executive order
was signed to amend the way faith-based
organizations interact with the federal
government, a hearing was held by
a House subcommittee to consider
policies related to faith-based social
service providers.
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights
and Civil Liberties heard testimony
from two “separation of church
and state” advocates and one for
the constitutional protection of religious hiring rights. The hearing
took place on Nov. 18.
Rep. James Sensenbrenner, RWis., who sits on the committee, said
faith-based organizations should
not be discriminated against based
on their religious viewpoint.
“If Planned Parenthood can receive federal funds and continue
to staff based upon ideological
views regarding abortion,” Sensenbrenner said, “If religion is to be
treated equally, religious organizations should also retain their ability
to staff on a religious basis.”
Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Ga., argued
that religious hiring protections
were discriminatory.
“If this bigotry—based on religion—is tolerated, racial and
sexual discrimination disguised as
religious discrimination certainly
follows—based on things like things
like single motherhood, divorce,
premarital sex,” Scott said.
The Democrat also pressed the issue farther, suggesting government
intrusion in private sector hiring
practices.
“If we don’t enforce discrimination laws in federal contracts in secular programs, where is our moral
authority to tell a private employer,
who may be devoutly religious,
what he can and can’t do with his
own private money?” he said. “A
policy of religious discrimination in
employment is wrong in the private
sector and it is certainly wrong with
federal funds.”
Douglas Laycock, a professor of
law and religious studies at the University of Virginia, said the changes
advocated by Scott and secular activists would obstruct the vital work
performed by faith-based groups.
“It uses the power of the purse
to coerce religious organizations,
to become less religious and more
secular,” Laycock said.
Gay-themed children’s
books to get award
CHICAGO — The American Library Association, which will present its prestigious Youth Media
Awards on Jan. 26, has added another category to honor: literature
with exceptional merit relating to
the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered experience.
The Stonewall Children’s and
Young Adult Literature Award will
now be awarded alongside such
prominent literary prizes as the
Coretta Scott King Book Award,
John Newbery Medal, Michael
Printz Award, Randolph Caldecott
Medal, Schneider Family Book
Awards and 13 other distinguished
awards for youth literature.
“Children’s books regarding the
GLBT experience are critical tools
in teaching tolerance, acceptance
and the importance of diversity,” association President Roberta Stevens
said in a statement. “Our nation is
one of diverse cultures and lifestyles
and it is important for parents, educators and librarians to have access
to quality children’s books that represent a spectrum of cultures.”
The Stonewall award, administered by the ALA’s Stonewall Book
Awards Committee of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered
Round Table, will be awarded annually to English-language works
for children and teens.
According to the association, the
Youth Media Awards guide parents,
educators, librarians and others
in selecting the best materials for
youth. Selected by committees composed of librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards
encourage original and creative
work in the field of children’s and
young adult literature and media.
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Student banned from
displaying American
flag on Veterans’ Day
DENAIR, Calif. — Officials at
a Northern California middle
school have done an about-face
after forcing a student to remove
an American flag that was attached
to his bike.
Cody Alicea, 13, had been flying
the American flag on the back of
his bike for nearly two months to
honor veterans like his grandfather.
On Veterans’ Day, Nov. 11, administrators at the Denair Middle
School told Cody that he could
no longer bring his bike onto
school grounds as long as it had
an American flag, citing that
other students had complained
about the flag and were offended
by it.
The school was inundated with
complaints from parents in and
outside the district causing the
school to reverse the decision.
Superintendent Edward Parraz
said that the decision to remove
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the flag was made as a way to avoid
racial tensions in the district.
“Our Hispanic kids will bring
their Mexican flags and they’ll
display it, and then of course the
kids would do the American flag
situation, and it does cause kind
of a racial tension, which we don’t
really want,” Parraz told KCRA-TV
in Sacramento. “We want them to
appreciate their cultures.”
Cody had removed the flag and
stored it in his backpack while at
school.
“Students have the right to wear
printed words or symbols on their
clothing and display them on their
vehicles while on school property,”
said Mathew D. Staver, founder and
chairman of Liberty Counsel, which
sent a demand letter to the school on
behalf of Cody.
“The flag should be in every classroom. It is absurd to ban students
from displaying the flag, especially
on Veterans’ Day,” Staver said.
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Amazon pulls pedophile
how-to book from site
WASHINGTON D.C. — Amazon
received thousands of complaints
by consumers and boycott threats
before pulling a pedophile how-to
book from its site.
The electronic book, “The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure: A
Child-Lover’s Code of Conduct,” offers
advice “to make pedophile situations
safer” for children, according to a
Google-cached version of its pages.
Amazon first defended the sale
of the book under free speech.
“Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply
because we or others believe their
message is objectionable. Amazon
does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we
do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions,” an Amazon representative told PC magazine.
Concerned Women for America
is calling on the Department of Justice to investigate.
“No reasonable person can dispute that there is probable cause
that a crime may have been committed here where a man is explaining how to molest children in
a book,” said Penny Nance, CEO of
Concerned Women for America.
“Is it unreasonable to suspect
that a man who is writing an instructional manual has in the past
done the very thing about which
he is writing? This is a crime; make
no mistake about it, and a most heinous one committed against the
most vulnerable,” she continued.
Nance said that thousands of
children are sexually abused in the
U.S. every year and, at the very minimum, she added, Americans expect
that the government will protect
children from sexual predators.
Consumers discovered the book
online Nov. 10, triggering a wave of
outrage. Two petitions on the social
networking site Facebook gained
more than 13,500 supporters.
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Ministry launches project
for veterans to help build
churches in Vietnam
2011 edition now available
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HAMPTON, Va. — International Cooperating Ministries has
launched a yearlong initiative inviting veterans to partner in the construction of 100 church projects in
Vietnam in 2011.
The initiative is being undertaken in honor of the 100th anniversary of the introduction of
evangelical Christianity in the Asian
country. The project complements
more than 220 church-related projects built or under construction in
Vietnam. The program will provide
direct material and spiritual assistance, and will honor the men and
women who served and help facilitate their healing process.
Janice Allen, ICM’s executive
chairwoman, said some veterans
who are supporting the initiative
see it as a healing experience.
“In coming to grips with the
horrors of war, these Vietnam veterans acknowledge the fact that
innocent lives were lost during the
conflict,” Allen said. “They also
understand that some Vietnamese
churches were destroyed. But what
they have come to discover as they
learn about ICM’s work in Vietnam
is that by helping to financially support church projects they often can
begin to make peace with the past,”
Allen said.
One Vietnam veteran said the
ability to help “... really hit a chord
with me. ... It was a way to help give
back. ... You know, (I) took away
lives ... and it was my job ... but now
I have a chance to give back,” he
said.
The cooperating ministry has
been partnering with ministry leaders in Vietnam since 1994. The initiative involves the construction of
large and small churches, chapels
and Love Homes.
The large churches are built
in and around larger urban centers and support congregations of
300 people or more, while small
churches, spread across specific
regions, providing a church home
for 100 to 300 worshippers. Chapels are designed to support 50 to
150 people, in areas not served by
larger churches.; Love Homes are
A volunteer helps to construct Boun Ea
Kmat Church in Vietnam. The ministry
is launching a new effort using
Vietnam veterans as volunteers.
established in rural settings, providing the seeds for future churches.
Love Homes provide a residence
for the church-planter and minister to up to 50 people, serving hundreds of congregations along the
Ho Chi Minh Trail, in the Central
Highlands and in the tribal areas of
North Vietnam.
The ministry works with indigenous partners to build “mother”
churches approximately 25 miles
from one another. Each of these
“mother” churches commits to
planting at least five “daughter”
congregations nearby. Using this
strategy, ICM and its partners have
seen more than 20,000 congregations established to date worldwide.
The churches are catalysts that facilitate the ministry’s primary purpose: nurturing believers.
The cooperating ministry uses
the teachings of the Mini Bible College, a clear, systematic Bible curriculum developed by Pastor Dick
Woodward that consists of more
than 400 individual lessons in audio, print and other formats. The
teachings include an entire survey
of the Old and New Testaments; the
Sermon on the Mount; the Gospel
of John; studies covering First Corinthians, Romans and the values of
Christ, family and marriage; and
more than 20 teachings on various
aspects of godly living.
For more information, visit www.
icm.org.
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Bibles, books, music provide gifts in keeping with the season
By Lori Arnold
WASHINGTON — American
shoppers plan to spend slightly
more on Christmas gifts this year,
according to an October survey by
the National Retail Federation.
Its poll of more than 8,700 people also showed that fewer people
indicated that discounts would be
a determining factor in their purchases, Reuters reported. While
electronics and technology are certain to drive sales, Christians seeking to find gifts in keeping with the
spiritual focus of the holiday have
many exciting choices.
The God Delusion Debate
For those looking for the ultimate
gift that keeps on giving—possibly
for eternity— Fixed Point Foundation has just released a six-DVD
set on Christian apologetics that is
designed to empower Christians to
defend their faith.
In addition to Christian defenders John Lennox, Dinesh D’Souza
and Alistair McGrath, the set includes the viewpoints of “New Atheists” Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.
The featured DVDs include “The
God Delusion Debate,” “Has Science Buried God?” “Is God Great?”
“God On Trial “Can Atheism Save
Europe” and “Science and the God
Question.”
The gift doesn’t stop when the
wrapping and ribbons are on the
floor, but continues online with
free downloadable study guides.
“Remaining comfortably insulated from the people and ideas that
shape our world is not what we are
about,” said Larry Taunton, executive director of Fixed Point Foun-
dation. “On the contrary, we have
engaged some of the most vitriolic
opponents of the Christian faith. It
is our opinion that much of the cultural discussion on these issues is
less than helpful, consisting as it so
often does of shouting heads and
sound bites. What we’re seeking is a
rational, civil exchange of ideas.”
Each DVD normally retails for
$12.98, but the “All Six Bundle” is
on special for $69.99.
For more information go to www.
fixed-point.org and go to the shop
link and click on specials.
C.S. Lewis Bible
Fans of such spiritual classics as
“Mere Christianity,” “The Screwtape
Letters,” “The Great Divorce,” “The
Problem of Pain,” “Miracles” and
“A Grief Observed” are sure to appreciate the new C.S. Lewis Bible,
which features the writings of the
noted author.
In addition to the full text of the
New Revised Standard version, the
Bible contains writings highlighting the spiritual journey from the
beloved Lewis. In all, the Bible includes more than 600 selections
from C. S. Lewis for contemplation
and devotional reading, introductory essays on Lewis’ view of Scripture, and indexes to guide readers
to each reading from Lewis.
“The C.S. Lewis Bible offers a
unique way for readers to reflect
upon important biblical passages,”
Mark Tauber, senior vice president
of Harper One, publisher of the
C.S. Lewis Bible, said.
“By pairing Lewis’ writing with
Scripture, this Bible offers readers
the opportunity to gain fresh insight into Lewis’s writings, his own
spiritual journey, and to the Scriptures themselves.”
The hardback edition
retails for $34.99, while
a leather version is available for $59.99.
The Almighty Bible
The folks at Apple of
the Eye and My Legacy
Press have created a new
Bible for teens in hopes of
eradicating biblical illiteracy among Christian youth.
The Almighty Bible was
designed with an eye toward research showing that
just 32 percent of U.S. Protestant teens read the Bible
at least once weekly, according to the National Study of
Youth and Religion. At the
same time, the “Generation
M2: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year
Olds” study shows youth are spending an average of 7:38 hours a day
using entertainment media.
“Talking to God may be losing
out to Facebook,” said Barna President David Kinnaman.
Hoping to counter the trend, the
publishers of The Almighty Bible
used a graphic novel approach using multi-media such as applications for smart phones and e-tablets
to create a book series that “enters
the war for our teens’ and tweens’
attention.”
“It communicates God’s stories
in the most innovative, creative and
stimulating way I have ever seen,”
said Charles Kim, a youth minister
who heads the giving program established by The Almighty Bible. “(It) is
better than any past or current teen
resource that I have seen…. We are
committed to doing God’s works by
spreading His
words
in the most
creative and progressive ways possible and teens and people are responding.”
The first two books in the series—Genesis and Exodus—sport
a biblically accurate concise sto-
rylines that are complimented by
dramatic illustrations that bring
the story and characters to life. The
next three titles to be released will
be Judges, Joshua and the Gospel
According to John.
Each book retails for $13.99.
thealmightybible.com.
‘What’s in the Bible?’
Bible literacy is not just limited
to teens, either. Phil Visher, creator
of the 60-million-selling DVD VeggieTales, has created “What’s in
the Bible?,” which is billed as the
perfect stocking stuffer. According to its publishers, “What’s in the
Bible?” introduces young viewers to
a host of comic characters who employ humor, song ...
even stick puppets to
clearly and accurately
communicate
the
truths of the Bible.
“It answers questions
we’re never too young
or old to ask. ‘Who
wrote this book?’ ‘Can
we trust it?’ And most
important, ‘What difference does it make?’”
Vischer said.
The first four of an
eventual 13-part series
are now available in
stores and online. Kids
stay entertained long
enough to learn about the
people and stories in the
Bible from Genesis to Ruth
thanks to a whole new cast
of zany characters, including Buck
Denver, the “Man of News!,” who
emcees the intrepid explorers Clive
and Ian, the Sunday School Lady,
and even a pirate singing in a hot-
air balloon.
The DVD’s retail for $14.99 or
$59.95 for a bundle of the first
four DVD’s. Check for sales at www.
whatsinihebible.com.
Books
Offerings for books range from
graphic novels, to children’s books,
to inspirational volumes. Some interesting titles for this year include:
Eye Witness graphic series
Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Head Press Publishing
is releasing a limited edition slipcase collection of its award-winning
Eye Witness graphic novel series.
The series, created and illustrated by Robert Luedke of Head Press
Publishing, has received numerous
awards for the books.
“The storyline combines elements of Indiana Jones, a gripping
New Testament story, time travel,
espionage and dramatic scenes that
rank among the best in American
comic artistry,” read a review by
journalist David Crumm.
The Eye Witness series includes,
in order of publication, “A Fictional Tale of Absolute Truth,” “Acts of
the Spirit,” “Rise of the Apostle”
SD
and “Unknown God.”
Available online and through
book and comic stores nationwide,
there will be a limited edition of
200 sets signed and numbered by
Luedke and only be available at his
personal appearances and through
the Head Press website.
headpress.info.
‘Little Star’
Bestselling author Anthony
DeStefano, who said he wrote his
best book at age 15, as a student
in a creative writing class taught
by Pulitzer Prize winner Frank
McCourt, is finally releasing it 30
years later.
A beautifully illustrated children’s book, “Little Star” retells
the Nativity story from the perspective of the star of Bethlehem—the
smallest star in the heavens and,
until then, all but unnoticed in the
night sky—who burns himself out
to keep the newborn baby Jesus
warm in his cold stable.
“I peaked at 15,” said DeStefano,
author of the adult bestsellers “A
Travel Guide to Heaven” and “Ten
Prayers God Always Says Yes To.” “I
honestly think this is the best thing
I’ve ever done.”
Earlier this year DeStefano published the children’s book “This
Little Prayer of Mine.” Both children’s books were illustrated by
Mark Elliott.
Published by WaterBrook Press,
the book retails for $12.99.
‘The Christmas Journey’
The Nativity story gets a different
perspective in “The Christmas Journey,” a new St. Martin’s Press release from bestselling writer Donna
VanLiere.
Depicting the landscape from
Nazareth to Bethlehem as well as
detailing the lowly stable itself,
VanLiere also brings to life conversations that might have taken
place between the carpenter and
his young bride. It offers insight
into the foods Mary packed for the
grueling trip, exposes the honesty
of Joseph’s fears, and conveys both
the intense pain and unspeakable
glory of Jesus’ entrance into the
world.
“Somehow through the years, we
have sanitized the cave where Jesus
was born and filled it with fluffy
lambs and a radiant glow,” VanLiere said. “We give little thought
to the physical trip of getting to
Bethlehem, let alone the emotions
behind it. I wrote “The Christmas
Journey” nearly 20 years ago for
a church Christmas banquet as a
reminder of what took place. I’ve
been reading it ever since.”
The book, illustrated by Michael
Storrings, retails for $12.99. For
more information, visit www.
donnavanliere.com.
Music and movies to behold the
sounds of Christmas
Two highly anticipated Christmas
albums have been released by finalists of NBC’s popular America’s Got
Talent and its sister competition,
England’s Got Talent.
Britain’s overnight sensation,
Susan Boyle, who blew away international audiences with her surprising appearance on that country’s
reality show—generating more
than 500 million YouTube hits—
has released The Gift, featuring “Do
You Hear What I Hear?,” “The First
Noel,” “O Holy Night,” “Away In a
Manger,” “Make Me a Channel For
Your Peace,” and “O Come All Ye
Faithful,” Boyle puts her stamp on
some unforgettable pop classics including Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day,”
Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” and
Crowded House’s “Don’t Dream
It’s Over.”
It retails for $11.98.
See GIFT IDEAS, next page
An Acoustic Winter’s Night
Wednesday, December 15
7:00pm (doors open at 6pm)
Sunridge Community Church
42299 Winchester Rd, Temecula
Tickets: $18 and $28
Tickets are available by calling 951-302-7597
Benefiting the children of
Rancho Damacitas Children’s Homes
BarlowGirl
instrumental music would most
certainly appreciate December Peace,
an offering by Stanton Lanier that
gives twice. Through the “Get Music—Give Hope” initiative, for every
album sold another copy of the album is donated to a cancer center.
Produced by Grammy Awardwinner Will Ackerman, December
Peace was named Best Holiday
Album in the 2009 ZMR Music
Awards, a leading resource for
instrumental music genres.
The project features a range of
traditional selections, including
“Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” “O
Come, O Come Emmanuel,” and
“Silent Night,” as well as Lanier’s
original compositions “Thanksgiving,” “Shepherds and Stars,” and
“Silence,” among others.
December Peace retails for $15.
stantonlanier.com.
Ten-year-old Jackie Evancho, finalist for America’s Got Talent, has released O
Holy Night.
formances from America’s Got Talent including the audition tape that
landed Jackie her spot on AGT.
The album retails for $8.98.
GIFT IDEAS…
Continued from last page
10-year-old singing sensation
releases Christmas CD/DVD
O Holy Night, a CD and DVD
combo, features Jackie Evancho,
the 10-year-old soprano prodigy
whose per formances on the
American talent show, won the
hearts of millions. In addition to
the title song, the album features
“Silent Night” plus the beautiful
opera classics “Pie Jesu” (Blessed
Lord Jesus) and “Panis Angelicus”
(Heavenly Bread), both of which
Jackie performed on America’s
Got Talent.
The DVD features Jackie’s per-
‘December Peace’
Friends whose tastes include
‘The Essential Christmas
Collection’
Fans of holiday compilation albums will enjoy The Essential Christmas Collection, a two-CD set that
features 10 popular songs as well as
two original songs from Brandon
Heath and Michael W. Smith.
The inspirational lineup includes Third Day, “Angels We
Have Heard On High;” Tenth
Avenue North, “Go Tell It on The
Mountain;” Brandon Heath, “The
Night Before Christmas;” Casting
Crowns, “Joy to the World;” Kerrie
Roberts, “O Holy Night;” Michael
W. Smith, “All Is Well;” Jars of Clay,
“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear;”
Revive, “The First Noel;” Matt Maher, “Silent Night (Emmanuel);”
Anthem Lights, “Do You Hear What
I Hear?” Building 429, “What Child
Is This?” and Rebecca St. James, “O
Little Town of Bethlehem.
The album retails for $13.99.
‘A Christmas Snow’
“A Christmas Snow,” which won
Best Feature Film in the drama
category at the XP Media International Film Festival, is an
inspiring film by Tracy J. Trost
that presents viewers with a
heartwarming tale of faith, family and forgiveness.
Starring Catherine Mary Stewart, Muse Watson, Anthony Tyler
Quinn and Cameron ten Napel,
the film centers on a Kathleen,
who confronts Christmas, always
an unwelcome reminder of her
father’s abandonment almost
30 years ago. Although she has
tried to forget her past, it has
not forgotten her, and in the
days leading up to Christmas an
unforgiving blizzard traps her
in her own home with two unlikely roommates who bring her
face to face with the hurts of her
past. Will she be able to let go
and grab hold of a life changing
forgiveness or will she continue
to be haunted by the pain of the
past?
“A Christmas Snow” retails for
$14.99.
‘Amish Grace’
It’s not a Christmas movie, but
the gift of grace is poignantly presented in the Twentieth Century
Fox Home Entertainment movie,
“Amish Grace,” which first premiered on Lifetime TV.
Based on the true story and the
book, “Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy,” by
Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt
and David L. Weaver-Zercher, the
movie chronicles the community
of Nickel Mines, Penn., which was
forever changed when a gunman
killed five girls in a schoolhouse
shooting before taking his own life
in October 2006.
The story is told through the
eyes of a grieving mother, Ida
Graber (Kimberly Williams-Paisley;
Father of the Bride films, “According to Jim”), and other devastated
families, and showcases the Amish
community’s astonishing reaction
of compassion to the horrific events
that shook their town and tested
their faith.
“Amish Grace” has a suggested
retail price of $26.98.
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Infant son of Sanctus Real’s lead singer
diagnosed with congenital heart disease
By Holly Wilson
Internet blogger Joanne Brokaw
urged her readers to pray for the difficult pregnancy of Sarah Hammitt,
wife of Matt, Sanctus Real’s lead singer.
Infant Bowen Matthew, whose name
means “small victorious one,” was born
Sep. 9 and diagnosed with Hypoplastic
Left Heart Syndrome, a congenital
heart disease. The Children’s Hospital
Boston website says the syndrome “occurs in up to four out of every 10,000
live births.”
The infant struggled for 10 weeks at
the University of Michigan Woman’s
Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich, where he
endured invasive medical procedures
and battled numerous infections.
Bowen was finally discharged (with a
feeding tube) on Nov. 17 to the Hammitt home in Petersburg, a suburb of
Toledo, Ohio.
“Adding to the flurry of excitement
was the presence of a three-person TV
crew from ABC News, filming Bowen’s
homecoming for a segment to be
broadcast by Diane Sawyer at an as-yet
undetermined date,” reported The Toledo Blade. Readers can follow Bowen’s
progress at www.bowensheart.com.
Sanctus Christmas
For Sanctus Real’s bass player Dan
Gartley, the holidays arrive early.
“The Christmas season starts at
Thanksgiving with my dad’s family on
the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.”
He calls this arrangement the “result of
my own parents’ diplomatic solution ...
Thanksgiving in Michigan, Christmas
in Ohio.”
During holiday family gatherings,
Gartley, 28, watches “five baby boomer
siblings joke and bicker with the same
level of maturity as my younger brother
and I. They transport to an older, wonderful world that I can only imagine;
a world before computers…where
fast-food is a new invention…where
people write checks for groceries and
pay cash for big purchases.”
Matt Brouwer weds
Award-winning singer/songwriter
Matt Brouwer married Hannah Flicker
at the 10,000-member Houston church
where Brouwer serves as worship leader. The intimate August ceremony was
a small family gathering at The Woodlands United Methodist Church. Matt,
a Nova Scotia native, met his bride, a
physician assistant, during a mission
trip to Guatemala where Hannah’s
family serves in medical missions.
Myriad drummer loses cancer
battle
Randy Miller, drummer for The
Myriad, lost a two-year battle with
chondrosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, Nov. 5. Miller, 39, leaves behind
wife Kristyn and children Conor, 11,
and Gillian, 9. The Long Beach, Calif,
native moved to Redding in 1985 and
founded Metolius Construction with
business partner Tommy Carlson.
“Randy was a rare gem,” said Tim
Taber of Floodgate Records and Transparent Productions. “A totally humble
man, but an amazing drummer and
confident musician who owned his
craft. He was a man who loved Jesus,
his family, and any chance he could
get to play the drums.”
In lieu of flowers, friends request
donations for medical and funeral
expenses. Like many musicians, the
Millers do not have health or life insurance. Send tax-deductible donations
to the “Miller Family Mercy Fund” at
www.thestirring.org.
Visionary awards
The Christian Music Hall of Fame
held its 2010 Visionary Awards last
month at Trinity Broadcast Network’s
Trinity Music City in Hendersonville,
Tennessee. The Best New Artist of
the Year was country-rock singer/
songwriter Nathan Lee Jackson. Adel
Meisenheimer, president of Meis Music
Group, indicated that TBN intends a
national broadcast of the evening; TBN
has not confirmed a date. A complete
list of award winners is available at www.
hallmuseum.com.
Taking on change
Visionary Awards performer worship leader Aaron Crider sang his
title song from his new album The
Change. The CD is the result of his
observations during the 2008 presidential race. “No one person should
we put our faith and trust in. That is
just beyond earthly power.”
Once December performances
are completed, Crider and his family will spend Christmas in Colorado.
His wife Holly’s birthday is Dec. 25,
so their family tradition is to open
Christmas presents on Christmas
Eve. Holly will open her birthday
presents on Christmas Day!
Freshening up
Change is also the theme of Fresh,
the fourth album by Gospel artist Tye
Tribbett. “God is doing a new thing
in my life… marriage… ministry…
business… This theme came last year
while seeking God after committing
adultery.” He is grateful to his pastors
who facilitated restoration. Tribbett
notes that he has changed personal
habits. “I try not to lend myself to ‘idle
time’ where I’m just sitting doing nothing, because I know what an empty ‘Tye
mind’ can lead to.”
In contrast to the career damage sustained by gospel stars Sandy
Patty and Michael English after
adulterous affairs, fans have embraced Tribbett’s journey of marital
restoration on Fresh. The album
occupied the No. 1 position on Billboard’s Gospel Album chart after
the first week of its release.
Scoring a movie
Integrity Music recording artist Ken
Reynolds is writing the theme song and
additional music for the movie “All
You Can Dream.” Directed by Italian
Valerio Zanoli (“Hopeful Notes”), the
spring 2011 release stars Anastacia,
an American R&B/pop singer who
has found more success abroad than
in the U.S. This “family comedy” addresses a serious subject: obesity and
eating disorders. After filming mostly
on location around Grand Rapids,
the estimated $3 million movie is in
post-production.
Reynolds serves as worship pastor
at the 8,000-member Resurrection
Life Church in Grandville, Mich.; his
recording work has earned “Best of the
Best” recognition by Worship Leader
magazine and “Worship Project of the
Year” by Christianity Today.
Stamping the passport
Members of the worship band Jesus Culture are quickly filling their
passports with new stamps. They re-
Sanctus Real’s lead singer Matt Hammitt and his wife, Sarah, are asking fans to
pray for their newborn, Bowen, who is facing serious medical issues.
cently completed an 18-day tour of
England, Wales, Northern Ireland
and Germany. Next is a 10-day January trip for concerts in the Australian cities of Sydney, Brisbane and
Melbourne.
The worship band grew out of a
youth movement birthed at Redding’s
Bethel Church. Founding Pastor Bill
Johnson is a native of Minnesota and
member of the Northern California
Revival Fellowship.
Darlene Zschech, husband
leaving Hillsong after 25 years
SYDNEY, Australia — Darlene
Zschech, the prominent voice of
Hillsong Church who made the
song, “Shout to the Lord,” a worldwide worship anthem, is leaving the
Sydney-based church after 25 years
of service.
Zschech and her husband, Mark,
will be serving as pastors of Church
Unlimited at the beginning of the
year.
The couple moves on with the
blessing of their senior pastor Brian
Houston, and his wife, Bobbie.
Although they will no longer be
serving together in full-time ministry, the Hillsong pastors have invited the Zschechs to continue with
Hillsong music projects and conferences.
Darlene Zschech wrote “Shout
to the Lord” in 1993 and, according to Wikipedia, it landed
No. 43 on the Billboard Hot 100
digital sales list because of strong
downloads on iTunes. It has been
recorded by Carman, Don Moen,
Darlene Zschech and her husband,
Mark, are leaving Hillsong Church to
pastor Church Unlimited.
Rich Mullins, Michael W. Smith,
and John Tesh and was featured
during the April 2008 broadcast
of “Idol Gives Back,” in which the
remaining eight contestants of
American Idol sang the song with
the word shepherd replacing the
name of Jesus.
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Former Jew-hating Palestinian making a difference in the West Bank
By Mark Ellis
Assist News Service
JERICHO, West Bank — He was
a Palestinian fighter trained to kill
Jews. His animus was so strong he
dreamed of poisoning Jews who frequented the American restaurant
where he later worked.
“I hated the Jewish people,” says Taysir “Tass” Abu Saada, founder of Seeds
of Hope, a humanitarian organization
operating in the Middle East. His objective is to bring long-term change to
families through education, economic
development, cultural exchange and
humanitarian aid.
Abu Saada was born in the Gaza
Strip and grew up in Saudi Arabia
under Muslim teachings. Trained
as a sniper by the Fatah movement
to kill Jews, he even instructed children about their duty to fight and
kill Israelis.
Eventually he left the cauldron of
the Middle East in search of a better
life in America where he worked in
the hotel and restaurant industries
in Kansas City, Mo. And dreamed of
poisoning Jewish clientele.
“These Jewish customers loved
me, but I couldn’t find any liking
for them at all,” Abu Saada says.
At one Kansas City restaurant he
met an American named Charlie
Sharpe.
“He was the first customer I
served as a busboy who was kind
enough to thank me for clearing
his dish, which touched my heart,”
Abu Saada recalls.
Spiritual connection
One day Sharpe spoke to the
Middle East immigrant about a
“spiritual connection” he enjoyed,
which brought miraculous blessings
and peace. Weeks went by as Abu
Saada pondered what this connection might be. He begged Sharpe
to give him the secret.
Sharpe told him, “Tass, to have
the peace that I have you must love
a Jew.”
Abu Saada was taken aback by
this remark.
“I hate these people—you know
how I feel about them,” he said.
Sharpe placed a Bible between he
and Abu Saada as he told the young
man that Jesus was more than a
prophet, as believed by Muslims.
“The minute he put the Bible between the two of us it was like something powerful just shook me and
threw me away from it,” he recalls.
“Why did you jump?” Sharpe
asked.
“I can’t touch that,” Abu Saada
replied.
“Why? — It’s just a piece of paper.”
“No, it’s the Word of God and it’s
God and the name of God is in it.”
Startled by response
Abu Saada’s admission stunned
Sharpe momentarily.
“So you believe this is the Word
of God?” Sharpe asked.
“Yes,” Abu Saada replied, as
Sharpe reached for the Bible and
read the first chapter of the Book
of John. ‘In the beginning was the
Word…’
“When he started reading,” Abu
Saada says, “I started shaking and
I lost control and the next I know
I’m on my knees on the floor with
my hands lifted up, inviting Christ
to be my Lord and Savior,” he says.
“I felt like a mountain lifted off my
shoulder and a joy and peace came
into my heart I never experienced
before.”
Tears flowed from Sharpe’s eyes.
“Man, I’ve never seen anything
like this in my life,” he said, hugging Abu Saada.
“Do you know what happened?”
“No.”
“You’ve become a Christian,”
Sharpe told him.
“Well, if the reason I’m feeling
the way I’m feeling in my heart is
because he is the Son of God, then
I want him to be my Lord and Savior,” he replied.
About face
The transformation prompted
Abu Saada to serve those he once
hated. With the help of his wife
and children, who also converted,
he founded Hope for Ishmael, an
evangelical ministry, and Seeds of
Hope, a humanitarian organization
operating in the Middle East. According to Abu Saada, the greatest
need exists at Seeds of Hope, where
he and his team seek to make a difference in the lives of children and
families.
Seeds of Hope operates Hope Kindergarten in Jericho, and is in the process of furnishing a day care center.
“The children are learning English so easily,” he notes. Enrollment
is doubling this year at the kindergarten, with a waiting list of more
than 200.
Cultural center
Next year Abu Saada begins work
on a cultural center, where English,
French and German will be taught,
along with computer classes.
A new youth center under development will offer games such
as ping-pong and air hockey, along
with a pool table.
Former Palestinian fighter Taysir “Tass” Abu Saada, founder of Seeds of Hope,
greets Israeli soldiers after his conversion to Christianity.
Taysir “Tass” Abu Saada ministers to children in Israel.
“We’ll have a giant screen TV
where the kids can watch soccer
and basketball,” the ministry leader
says.
The young people in Jericho
and the West Bank have few places
to hang out, and as a result spend
much of their time on the streets
where they are vulnerable to the seduction of groups like Hamas.
Once complete, the youth center
will provide a safe alternative for
children 9 to 13.
Abbas gift
One of Abu Saada’s recent surprises was the gift of a 16-acre parcel
by Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas to build a sports complex.
“This was a shock when we got
his letter,” Abu Saada says, adding
that he has already enlisted the
help of an architect to help with
the “Herodian-style design” he envisions for the site, and will begin
raising funds for the project.
“We are praying the Lord will
bring in the support needed for
the school and the center,” he says.
“God is turning the hearts of the
people. I am humbled to be a small
part of what the Lord is doing.”
You can read more about the
ministry at www.seedsofhopeinc.
com.
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PEACE…
Barry Rubin: In his own words
out of the Gaza Strip. They are leaving the West Bank because of pressure from the Islamists.”
Rubin, who was the featured
speaker for an October event hosted by the San Diego Israel Coalition,
said during a post-lecture interview
that he was particularly concerned
by non-evangelicals who he believes
blindly support Palestinians.
“I see no reaction and I don’t
understand why churches, some
of them who have time to bash Israel, never lift a finger,” said Rubin,
director of the Global Research in
International Affairs Center and
the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel.
While the focus of his lecture,
“Israel’s Struggle for Peace and
Legitimacy,” was on the protracted efforts to bring stability—and
more-than-fleeting peace to the
region—Rubin said afterward that
Christians have a role in the region.
He also praised evangelicals who
have helped to repatriate more
than 1 million Jews back to Israel,
primarily from Russia. As many as
30,000 are still resettling into the
country, he said.
Even so, Rubin, the author of 53
books on the Middle East, said he
believes more discourse between
Jews and Christians is needed.
“I think there are lots of misunderstandings—misunderstandings
on the Jewish side, too—that have
to be resolved,” Rubin said. “A lot of
people are living in the past. They
have not adjusted to the events of,
let’s say, the last 20 years. A lot of
things have changed. I think a lot
of things have changed in the evangelical movement among Christians
and a lot of things have changed in
the outer world. And often, we have
a very common basis for cooperation.”
Although evangelicals have become vocal supporters of the Israeli
cause, Rubin warned that their dedication to proselytizing is a major
obstacle toward that cooperation,
causing many in the Jewish community to be suspicious of Christians.
“I will not work with any group
that is involved in anything like
that. It’s a terrible insult,” he said.
Attacking religion
Proselytizing aside, Rubin said
both Jews and Christians are
becoming increasingly vulner-
Earlier this fall Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a new
agreement between Israel and the Palestinians to pursue peace talks,
although negotiations were bogged down over a West Bank housing
moratorium.
After following numerous attempts to create a peace accord, Rubin said, “We’ve actually gone backward,” citing more intense talks
from 1990 to 2000 and 2005 to 2009. Below are some more of Rubin’s
thoughts from an Oct. 15 interview.
Newly announced peace negotiations:
“There’s not going to be any peace agreement. It’s an amazing gap
between the reality on the ground and what is reported in the media
and also by academics and political figures. It’s nowhere near reaching an agreement. So it’s a mirage.”
Obstacles to peace:
“The Palestinian side is not ready for peace, The leadership still
hopes to get everything. They don’t really care if their people suffer
for 10, 20 or 30 years while they carry on the struggle. This is what
they say every day.”
Broader regional implications:
Citing as many as 20 separate conflicts in the region, Rubin calls the
“massive struggle between radical Islamist groups” in trying to seize
power over countries and transform those countries as one of “great
events of our time.”
“These people are very serious, they are very extreme and they are
willing to sacrifice and, in many, cases they are willing to die.”
able to a rising tide of selective
religious intolerance, not just
from Islamic fundamentalists,
but also from academia and the
media. The professor said he
believes critical coverage of Israel has dissipated somewhat in
the past of five years for several
reasons: stronger diplomatic
policies under Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, fewer attacks between the two sides, and
a broader global understanding
of the increased Islamic fundamentalist threat.
Still, Rubin said he believes Israel
often finds itself at the center of uneven reporting, as in the case of this
summer’s flotilla standoff in which
vessels filled with humanitarian aid
tried to impede Israel’s blockade
of the Gaza Strip. Israel was widely
chastised for the encounter, despite
its assertion that the flotilla was
an act of provocation. The same
slanted coverage, Rubin said, is also
increasingly targeting Christians.
“The mass media do not really
cover any Christian or evangelical activities unless it’s to attack,”
the professor, editor of the prestigious Middle East Review of International Affairs Journal, said.
“This is not acceptable. This is
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absurd.
“Jews and Christians are hated
because of religion; because religion is said to be a bad thing. To
a greater extend than ever before
in history, attacks on Israel represent attacks on Western society
often by people in Western society who want to destroy religion,
who want to destroy nation-states,
who want to destroy democracy.
So the linkage between your
(American) interests and Israel
are tighter than they have ever
been before.”
Passive response
Complicating the issue, the expert said, is a growing global propensity to choose passiveness in
an effort to usher in peace.
“So many people in the world
are not willing to defend themselves anymore,” he said. “We’ve
found, in the last few years, that
the hatred and attack on Israel
is a symptom of some very bad,
larger things,” he said, citing the
decline of religion in Europe.
“Many people say Israel is the
canary in the coal mine, meaning
it’s the thing that gives the warning that something is wrong, that
dictatorships and bad things are
on the march. We’ve gotten past
that point and we need a Chilean
like rescue from that mine.”
While peace is the ultimate
goal of Israel and its people, Rubin said the implications of signing a treaty are enormous.
“What about the day after?” Rubin said, adding that his country
could become vulnerable because
of the instability of the Palestinian leadership.
“Signing a peace treaty doesn’t
mean you end the conflict,” he
said, adding that there could be
a coup in Palestine with new leaders opting to tear up the agreements, leaving Israel in a worse
strategic position, as it would have
go to the United Nations to seek
resolution.
“How can you understand the
issue if you don’t hear that?” he
said.
Despite the challenges, Rubin
said he’s confident in Israel’s success in seeking lasting peace, although he envisions it will take
decades, not years.
“The question is how many lives
and how many years will be wasted in that process?” he asked.
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Send us your Christian activity/event for next month, and we’ll list it in
THE CALENDAR at no charge. The deadline is the 15th of the prior month.
Send to the Christian Examiner, P.O. Box 2606, El Cajon, CA 92021. Or
fax to (619) 668-1115. Or e-mail to calendar@christianexaminer.com. We
regret we cannot list Sunday morning services.
NOV 28 • SUNDAY
DEC 1 • WEDNESDAY
Messianic Concert. 6pm, 5714 El Cajon
Blvd., San Diego • (858) 366-2088
“My Therapist ‘Sez’…”, an interactive
panel of Christian therapists moderated
by Dr. Don Welch on “Managing my
reaction to my mate’s shortcomings”
with Jennifer Konzen, Victoria Kim,
Gary Cundiff & Karen Lenell. 6:45-8pm,
Skyline Church, 11330 Campo Rd., La
Mesa • (619) 660-5000
An Irish Christmas with Keith
& Kristyn Getty.
6pm, Shadow
Mountain Community Church,
2100 Greenfield Dr., El Cajon, free •
(619) 590-1768
NOV 29 • MONDAY
‘The 3-1/2 Stories of Christmas,’ dinner
theatre.5:30pm, La Jolla Presbyterian
Church, 7715 Draper Ave., La Jolla,
$10-20 • (858) 729-5514
NOV 30-DEC 30
Lamb’s Players Festival of Christmas.
Lamb’s Player Theatre, 1142 Orange
Ave., Coronado, $20-58 • lambsplayers.
org, (619) 437-6000
DEC 2 • THURSDAY
DEC 4 • SATURDAY
DEC 10 • FRIDAY
DEC 13 • MONDAY (cont.)
Women’s Christmas Tea. 10am-12pm,
The Church at Rancho Bernardo, 11740
Bernardo Plaza Ct., San Diego, $35 •
(858) 592-2434 x304
5th Annual Pastor’s Appreciation Luncheon, with
Jim Daly. 11:30am-2pm,
Four Points Sheraton,
8110 Aero Dr., San
Diego, free. Hosted by
K-Praise • kprz.com,
(858) 535-1210
Christian Women’s Club luncheon.
11:30am, Lake San Marcos Country
Club, 1750 San Pablo Dr., San Marcos, $16 • (760) 432-0772, (760)
744-3744
Women’s Christmas Bazaar. 12-2pm,
The Church at Rancho Bernardo, 11740
Bernardo Plaza Ct., San Diego • (858)
592-2434 x304
Christmas on the Corner. 5-8:30pm,
El Cajon Wesleyan Church. 1500 E
Lexington Ave., El Cajon, free • (619)
647-0077
DEC 5 • SUNDAY
RBCPC Christmas Concert. 4pm, Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian
Church, 17010 Pomerado Rd., San
Diego, free • (858) 487-0811
Family Connections Christian Adoptions,
free information session. 6-8pm, 2191
El Camino Real, #202, Oceanside •
fcadoptions.org
Back to the Manger, presented by SMCC
Children’s Choir. 6pm, Shadow Mountain
Community Church, 2100 Greenfield Dr.,
El Cajon • (619) 590-1768
San Diego Evening Aglow. 6:30pm, San
Diego First Assembly’s Chapel, 8404 Phyllis
Pl., San Diego • (619) 890-8203
DEC 9 • THURSDAY
DEC 3-4 • FRI-SAT
Living Nativity. 6-8pm, St. James Lutheran
Church & School, 866 Imperial Beach Blvd.,
Imperial Beach • (619) 424-6166
Celebrate Family Tour featuring a live
Focus on the Family radio broadcast
recording with Jim Daly, John Fuller &
Rebecca St. James. 7-9pm, Town &
Country Resort & Convention Center,
500 Hotel Circle N, San Diego, free •
focusonthefamily.com/sandiego
DEC 10-11 • FRI-SAT
“God with Us,” Fri 7pm
& Sat 6pm, Faith Chapel, 9400 Campo Rd.,
Spring Valley • (619)
461-7451
DEC 10-12 • FRI-SUN
A Shadow Mountain Christmas. Fri
7:30pm; Sat 2pm;
Sun 5pm, Shadow Mountain Community
Church, 2100 Greenfield Dr., El Cajon •
(619) 590-1768
It’s a Wonderful Life, the musical. Fri
7pm; Sat & Sun 6pm, San Diego First
Assembly, 8404 Phyllis Pl., San Diego,
$5 • (858) 560-1870
“Trapped By a Treacherous Twin or
Double Trouble.” Sunshine Brooks
Theatre, 217 N Coast Hwy, Oceanside
• (760) 529-9140
DEC 11 • SATURDAY
Bethel Seminary San Diego
Christmas for Kids. 9:30am-12pm,
Reformation Lutheran Church, 4670
Mt. Abernathy Ave., San Diego, free •
(858) 279-3311
DEC 15 • WEDNESDAY
Christmas Concert. 4pm, Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church,
17010 Pomerado Rd., San Diego, free
• (858) 487-0811
“An Acoustic
Winter’s Night,”
featuring BarlowGirl, 7pm,
Sunridge Community Church, 42299 Winchester Rd,
Temecula. $18 and $28. Benefit for
Rancho Damacitas children’s homes
• (951) 302-7597
DEC 16 • THURSDAY
Professional Women’s Fellowship, lunch.
Handlery Hotel , Mission Valley, 950 Hotel Circle N, San Diego • pwfsd.org
DEC 17-23 • FRI-THU
Traditions of Christmas –A Musical
Spectacular. Balboa Theatre, 1100 3rd
Ave., San Diego • cctmusicaltheater.
com, (619) 588-0206
DEC 17-18 • FRI-SAT
Bethlehem Village. 6-9pm, North City
Presbyterian Church, 11717 Poway Rd.
Poway • northcitychurch.com/bv
DEC 17-19 • FRI-SUN
Distinguished Lecture Series
Toys for Joy 2010. 9am-4pm, Abraham
Lincoln High School, 4777 Imperial Ave.,
San Diego, free. Hosted by ALHS and the
Rock Church • (619) 226-ROCK
“Trapped By a Treacherous Twin or
Double Trouble.” Sunshine Brooks
Theatre, 217 N Coast Hwy, Oceanside
• (760) 529-9140
Friday, February 18, 2011
Concerned Women for America & Action
Chapter. San Diego First Assembly, 8404
Phyllis Pl., San Diego • (619) 435-5440
DEC 18 • SAURDAY
Dr. Margaret R. Miles
Bethel Seminary welcomes historical theologian
Dr. Margaret R. Miles as Distinguished Lecturer on
February 18. Dr. Miles served as Dean and Professor at
the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley (1996-2002),
and Bussey Professor of Theology at Harvard University
Divinity School (1978-1996) — the first woman to
receive tenure at HDS.
Her many publications include Augustine and the
Fundamentalist’s Daughter (2010), The Word Made Flesh: A
History of Christian Thought (2005), Reading for Life (1997),
Seeing and Believing: Religion and Value in the Movies (1996),
Practicing Christianity (1990), and Image as Insight (1985).
San Diego’s Women’s Connection.
11:30am-1:30pm, Mission Valley Resort, 875 Hotel Circle S., San Diego, $22
• (619) 670-3833, (619) 276-6972
Children’s Christmas Pageant, “Cookin’
Up Christmas.” 5:30pm, Las Flores
Church, 1400 Las Flores Dr., Carlsbad
• (760) 729-0231
DEC 12 • SUNDAY
An Irish Christmas. 2-4pm, Balboa Theatre, 868 4th Ave., San Diego, $37.50-70
• (619) 570-1100
DEC 12-26
An American Christmas, a feast & celebration. a Lamb’s Players production.
Hotel Del Coronado, 1500 Orange Ave.,
Coronado, $120-160 • lambsplayers.
org, (619) 437-6000
12:00 - 1:30 pm Luncheon ($15 for pastors, laypersons; $10 students)
DEC 13 • MONDAY
Jesus Loves Me, This I Know:
“Joy to the World,” San Marcos-Vista
Men With a Purpose. 12-1:30pm, Doubletree Club Hotel, 1515 Hotel Circle Dr.,
San Diego, $20 • (619) 222-3688
4th Saturday Classic Christian Dances.
7-11:30pm, Classic Christian Events,
535 Encinitas Blvd., Ste. 100, San Diego,
$10-15 • (619) 889-8955
DEC 18-19 • SAT-SUN
The 34th Annual Candlelight Presentation of Lessons & Carols. 7:30pm, The
Mission, 10818 San Diego Mission Rd.,
San Diego • (619) 283-7319
DEC 19 • SUNDAY
Tim Zimmerman & The King’s Brass with
The LJPC Chancel Choir & Brass. 4-7pm,
La Jolla Presbyterian Church, 7715 Draper
Ave., La Jolla, free • (858) 729-5514
DEC 24 • FRIDAY
Christmas Eve Candlelight Services.
3pm; 5pm; 7pm, Las Flores Church,
1400 Las Flores Dr., Carlsbad • (760)
729-0231
Reflections on a Fundamentalist Childhood
7:00 - 9:00 pm Public Lecture (free)
From Behind My Own Back:
Augustine (and Freud) on Self-Deception and Conversion
Dr. Miles’ noon/luncheon lecture is “‘Jesus Loves
Me, This I Know:’ Reflections on a Fundamentalist
Childhood.” Recalling Deuteronomy 8:2, “Thou
shalt remember all the ways by which the Lord
thy God has led thee through this wilderness,”
this features an appreciative and critical
autobiographical consideration of the richness
and pressures of childhood in the home of a
fundamentalist minister.
Her evening topic is “From Behind My Own Back:
Augustine (and Freud) on Self-Deception and
Conversion.” In his Confessions, Augustine held that
only through conversion through God’s grace could
he confront self-deceiving strategies earlier focused
on sex and achievement. Later, Freud secularized
these concepts. This lecture explores surprising
ways in which Freud unintentionally enables a vivid
understanding of Augustine.
RSVP to Mitchell Campbell by February 14
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“God put it on my heart to do something positive with this training,” he
said. “Seven years ago, I saw the big
picture goal of a massive, Costco-sized
dance facility where the community
could come.”
Families go to dance studios, and the
technique and curriculum are good,
Henschel said, but it’s not a Christian
atmosphere. He wants to provide families with professional, quality training
that won’t burn a hole in their pockets
with tuition and will also include discipleship courses.
In the meantime, Henschel continues to train his outreach teams.
New dancers blossom from auditions, but only after some weeding.
“Usually, around 100 people come,
but 50 leave within a week,” he said.
“When they first hear about RSM,
they don’t have any idea that it’s a
pre-professional style. After they come,
they realize, ‘I think I should take some
classes!’”
At the minimum, auditioners need
intermediate hip-hop level ability.
“People who never have danced have
a problem, as well as those who think it
will be easy, or think they can come to
class whenever they want,” he said.
During the first month of orientation, team members learn the code of
ethics and sign a contract, and then,
during rehearsals, another one or two
students drop out.
Team members are ages 12 to 30.
Two girls started at age 11 and now
attend performing arts schools,
Henschel said.
Committed to evangelism
The source of the ministry’s name
was Henschel’s idea. “Rock” refers to
Jesus being our Rock, he said, but it also
plays up the ministry’s relationship with
The Rock Church in San Diego. There
is also a subtle reference to Rock Steady,
a break dance company from the 1980s
that’s still around, Henschel said.
Though the dancing is fun, the commitment to evangelistic outreach drives
the program. According to the Rock
Steady website, “an estimated 20,000
people have seen RSM’s professional
standard in dance and have heard the
testimonies of its members of God’s
A Recovery Facility for
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Where God does the healing
Breaking the
bondage of
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since 1972
For more information please call
800-404-2258
Although a major focus of Rock Steady is hip hop, the team also performs
more lyrical, contemporary styles of dance as they did in this interpretation of
“Creation” at the Rock Church.
grace and salvation.”
Henschel said there has been at
least 172 salvation decisions this year,
although some of the venues where
Rock Steady presented did not make
altar calls and Henschel has no idea
how many turned to Christ.
At The Rock Church, where Miles
McPherson is pastor, the dance ministry
team will often create a piece based on
the pastor’s message—for example,
“Redemption,” which focused on the
power of the Word of God.
Rock Steady makes hip-hop presentations at youth conferences,
such as the Alliance Youth Conference, the Southern Baptist Convention’s “Tsunami” youth conference
in Long Beach, and the Hispanic
Youth Conference in Orlando, Fla.
“We reached more than 1,000
students in those three conferences,” Henschel said.
He prepares his team to share
more than dance routines. Those
selected must attend three-hour Saturday rehearsals and Monday night
discipleship classes led by leadership team member Jason Queen.
Students gain a theological foundation through an in-depth, inductive
seminary curriculum, and they are
taught how to give their testimonies
in three to five minutes.
Sometimes they present their craft in
area continuation schools for troubled
students, gang members and such.
“We’re also trying to catch a ride with
Miles Ahead Ministries, Miles McPherson’s “Do Something” campaign,”
Henschel said. The team will go to St.
Lucia in the Caribbean next May with
the campaign, sharing their dance
presentations in a youth outreach
with testimonies and “an invitation,”
Henschel said, “to attend the main
event with Miles.”
McPherson describes Rock Steady
as on the cutting edge of urban evangelism.
“There is no denying the ministry is made up of incredibly skilled
choreographers, directors, and
dancers, and they don’t deny the
fact that God has given them those
talents,” McPherson said.
Donations needed
Anyone can take the hip-hop
dance classes, but Henschel’s bigger vision of a training facility would
give opportunities for those in the
lower levels of society to get off the
streets, to be part of something
positive, and to use their God-given
gifts to impact people for Christ.
“They would receive training, discipleship and a career in the performing arts,” he said.
“We have just incorporated the
ministry, and we’re looking for private and corporate donations,” he
said, adding that the estimated cost
for creating the facility and offering
discounted training to be $30 million.
“We have seven thousand so far.”
Normally, Henschel said, tuition
for this kind of professional training would be around $20,000, but
he hopes to offer training for half
that amount, and the in-depth Bible and discipleship training make
the package attractive for interested Christians.
rocksteadydance.org.
calvaryranch.org
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DEC 24 • FRIDAY (cont.)
JAN 2-9 • SUN-SUN
JAN 27 • THURSDAY (cont.)
Candlelight Christmas Eve Services
with Dr. David Jeremiah. 4pm & 6pm,
Shadow Mountain Community Church,
2100 Greenfield Dr., El Cajon • (619)
590-1768
Christian Singles Mexican Riviera Cruise
on Royal Caribbean’s “Mariner of the
Seas” • christiansinglesfunevents.com,
(714) 210-3337
Valley, 950 Hotel Circle N, San Diego
• pwfsd.org
“Carols, Candles, & Communion.” 5pm,
Faith Chapel, 9400 Campo Rd., Spring
Valley, free • (619) 461-7451
DEC 27-30 • MON-THU
San Diego Christian
Film Festival. Lawrence Family Jewish
Community Center, 4126 Executive Fr.,
La Jolla • sdchristianfilmfestival.com
DEC 31 • FRIDAY
Christian Singles, Giant New Year’s
Eve Dance Party. Cal State Fullerton,
Titan Student Union Building, $39-50 •
Christiansinglesfunevents.com, (714)
210-3337
JAN 15 • SATURDAY
Live in Concert, Greater Vision. 6pm,
El Cajon Wesleyan Church, 1500 E
Lexington Ave., El Cajon, free • (619)
440-4452
Kathy Trocolli & Friends Caribbean Cruise
with Chonda Pierce, Avalon, Shawn McDonald, Tammy Trent • 1-800-288-4778,
christiancruises.com
JAN 27 • THURSDAY
FEB 26 • SATURDAY
Professional Women’s Fellowship,
breakfast. Handlery Hotel , Mission
World Help’s Tour of Hope California,
a women’s conference featuring Noel
Brewer Yeatts and the Children of the
World, 9am-4pm, Sonrise Community
Church, 8805 N. Magnolia Ave., Santee.
Various rates • www.thetourofhope.net
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• Future events for San Diego County not listed in this issue.
• Events for Orange County, LA County and the Inland Empire
• Weekly and monthly ongoing meetings: Bible Studies, Evangelism,
Fellowships (Men, Women, Seniors, Singles, Youth, MOPS), Motorcycle
Ministries, Music/Entertainment, Prayer Groups, Recovery and Support groups (Alcohol, Divorce, Domestic Violence/Abuse, Food, Sexual,
Grandparenting, Grief, Celebrate Recovery, The Most Excellent Way,
and many more), Seminars/Classes, Health/Fitness.
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(619) 246-6131
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JAN 30-FEB 4 • SUN-FRI
Bethel Seminary’s Distinguished Lecture Series
with Dr. Margaret R.
Miles. 12-1:30pm (luncheon); 7-9pm (public
lecture), Bethel Seminary
San Diego, 6116 Arosa
St., San Diego • (619) 582-8188
JAN 22 • SATURDAY
630 Grand Ave., Spring Valley
10-day 5-star tour of the
Holy Land hosted by the
Christian Examiner. Limited
to 20 for a more personal,
intimate experience • Israel.
christianexaminer.com,
(619) 668-5100
OCT 15-22 • SAT-SAT
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Cruise with Ellie Lofaro, Don Piper •
1-800-288-4778, christiancruises.com
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Grown Ranger
Setbacks help shape faith of
Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton
By Bob Allen
ABP News Service
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DALLAS — Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton told a Texas
Baptist mega-church Nov. 7 that he
would not have overcome the alcohol and drug addiction that nearly
cost him his baseball career without
God’s help.
Coming off a season in which
he won the American League batting title and led the Rangers to
their first World Series, Hamilton,
29, told worshippers at First Baptist
Church in Dallas that the best part
of his MVP-caliber year was the platform it gave him to talk about his
faith in Jesus Christ.
“That’s what I enjoyed most
about the entire year,” Hamilton
said. “Not the awards, not going
to the playoffs, going to the World
Series … but it was about sharing
Christ with as many news people as
I could, preferably live so they can’t
cut out Jesus’ name.”
The season ended short of his
dream of a national championship,
though, after the San Francisco
Giants beat the Rangers in five
games.
Hamilton, who recounts his faith
story in a 2008 book titled “Beyond
Belief,” told the congregation he
went to church on and off while
growing up, but most of his interests revolved around sports. He accepted Christ after his rookie season but did not become grounded
in his faith.
After injuries suffered in an automobile accident forced him out of
baseball, Hamilton started hanging
around tattoo parlors, where his
friends introduced him to alcohol
and drugs.
“It was the biggest mistake of my
life,” Hamilton told worshippers.
After that, he said, he was on and
off of drugs for the next three years
but got suspended from baseball after failing a couple of drug tests.
He stayed clean for several
months, got married and started
a family before a relapse forced a
separation in his marriage and a restraining order against him to keep
him out of his home.
PHOTO BY KEITH ALLISON/WIKIPEDIA
Texas Ranger outfielder, Josh Hamilton, is pictured at the plate during the 2008
season, the same year he published “Beyond Belief,” which chronicled his
struggle with substance abuse.
He hit bottom when his grandmother confronted him for using
drugs in her house and for the first
time made him understand how he
was hurting people who loved him.
He pulled a Bible from a closet and
recommitted his life to Christ.
Hamilton said the experience
brought about a complete reordering of his priorities, which before
then had been exclusively about
baseball.
“When I recommitted my life to
Christ, the priorities made a drastic
change,” he said. “It went God first,
humility, family, sobriety and then
baseball, if it ever happened again.”
But all that didn’t prevent another well-documented relapse when
he went to Arizona to prepare for
the 2009 season.
“For three weeks I stopped reading my Bible,” he said. “I stopped
doing my devotions. I stopped praying. I stopped fellowshipping with
my accountability partner for three
weeks. And I thought I could take
one drink. And that one drink led
to about 20.”
Setting safeguards
Hamilton said he has to take
safeguards to keep from falling
off the wagon. For one thing, he
doesn’t carry cash or credit cards.
If he needs to buy gas for his truck,
even though it is inconvenient, he
calls his wife to meet him at the gas
station and then returns the credit
card to her after filling up his tank.
He also consciously surrounds
himself with people who care about
him and want the best for him.
“It’s an every day battle,” he admitted. “I’ve got to get up every
morning and take my cross up. I’ve
got to just wake up in the morning and tell myself with God’s help
and Christ’s help I’m going to be a
responsible man, husband, father
today.”
His support system extended
to his Ranger teammates, who rallied around him after winning the
American League Division Series
on Oct. 22 by dousing his head with
ginger ale instead of the traditional
championship celebration involving champagne.
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will present its “Back to the Manger”
production at 6 p.m. Dec. 5.
Finally, the church will host candlelight Christmas Eve services at
5 and 6 p.m. Dec. 24 with a special
message by Dr. David Jeremiah.
The church is located at 2100
Greenfield Drive.
shadowmountain.org or call (619)
440-1802.
Rock Church to host
Christmas outreach
Christmas for Kids
SAN DIEGO — Reformation Lutheran Church will hold its Christmas for Kids outreach for children
ages 3 to 12 from 9:30 a.m. to noon
Dec. 11.
The birthday party for Jesus will
include a variety of activities, including crafts, songs, creative learning activities, cookie decorating, a
Christmas video and a reading of
the Christmas story. The program
concludes with a performance by
the children singing a Christmas
song they learned at the event.
There is no charge, but pre-registration is requested. For more information, visit www.ReformationSanDiego.
org or call (858) 279-3311.
Adoption seminar planned
OCEANSIDE — Family Connections Christian Adoptions will host
a free information session from 6 to
8 p.m. Dec. 2.
Couples interested in adopting
are invited to attend to learn more
about the pressing need for adoptive families. Free packets are available.
The ministry, which has matched
needy children to families for 27
years, is located at 2191 S. El Camino Real No. 202.
fcadoptions.org or call (760) 9660531.
Pro-life campus tour
seeks team members
A small child is all smiles as she
receives a toy at last year’s Toys for
Joy outreach sponsored by the Rock
Church.
Celebrating ‘God With Us’
SPRING VALLEY — Faith Chapel presents “God with Us,” a family
friendly Christmas production Dec.
10 and 11.
Performances are 7 p.m. Friday
and 6 p.m. Saturday.
The church will also mark Christmas
Eve with a “Carols, Candles & Communion” service at 5 p.m.
Campo Road.
fchapel.org or call (619) 667-7189.
Treachery on the stage
OCEANSIDE — Downtown
Oceanside’s New Vision Theatre
Company presents “Trapped By a
Treacherous Twin or Double Trouble,” family-friendly musical melodrama Dec. 10 to 12 and 17 to 19 at
Sunshine Brooks Theatre.
The theater, associated with
Choose Life Church, is located at
217 North Coast Highway.
sunshinebrookstheatre.org or call
(760) 529-9140.
Christmas concert
centers on Jesus
SAN DIEGO — Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian
Church will present a free Christmas concert at 4 p.m. Dec. 15.
The church’s music ministry is
presenting the concert as a reminder
that Christmas is more than glittering
tinsel and sparkling lights. Selected
songs were designed to “unwrap the
many joys of Jesus’ birth.”
Family Law and Mediation
James D. Scott, Attorney, CFLS*
*
Board Certified Family Law Specialist and Mediator
Murphy Canyon Mediation Center
Mediation services to keep family problems out of court and out of the public eye
PHOTO BY MARCUS HILLMAN
A mom shares a free Thanksgiving dinner with her children Nov. 20 at
the San Diego Rescue Mission. The meal gave the guests a few hours of
reprieve from a rainy November day. Nearly 250 volunteers served about
1,500 clients during the annual outreach. In addition to the meal, the
guests were treated to toiletries and other items including T-shirts, socks
and information about the various programs offered by the mission.
Pomerado Road.
For more information visit www.
rbcpc.org or call (858) 487-0811.
A wonderful singing life
SAN DIEGO — San Diego First
Assembly of God Church presents
“It’s a Wonderful Life: The Musical” December 10 to 12.
The drama, featuring a choir and
live orchestra, is based on the 1946
original movie by Frank Capra.
Show times are 7 p.m. Friday and
6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Phyllis Place.
Tickets are $5.
sdfa.org or call (858) 560-1870.
SAN DIEGO — San Diego Christian Business Expo III is seeking
vendors and sponsors for its Jan. 22
event at the Community Concourse
in downtown San Diego.
As many as 100 exhibitor spaces
are available.
In addition to the vendors, the event
will offer educational seminars, a fashion show and live entertainment.
Doors to the event open at 10 a.m.
sdcbe.com or call Bill at (619) 2466131.
The Law Office of James D. Scott
Located in Lovely Murphy Canyon
4669 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 211
San Diego, CA 92123
(858) 974-4900
www.scottfamilylaw.net
2533 S. COAST HWY 101, STE 280
Thomas A. Kirby, Attorney
Steven R. Sandness, Attorney*
*Admitted State of Minn. only
‘A Shadow Mountain
Christmas’
EL CAJON — “A Shadow Mountain Christmas,” featuring the congregation’s choir and orchestra,
will be presented Dec. 10 to 12.
Performances are set for 7:30 p.m.
Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m.
Sunday.
Free tickets are available for that
production.
Not to be outdone by the adults, the
Shadow Mountain Children’s Choir
RIVERSIDE — Campus Life
Tour, a team of young adults who
do pro-life ministry on universities
across the country, is accepting applications for candidates seeking
full-time appointments.
According to administrators, the
Campus Life Team will be “traveling throughout the West Coast this
spring to promote the dignity of life
and the love of Christ among college and high school students.”
Among the activities scheduled for
the second semester include Walk for
Life West Coast, an annual outreach
at the San Diego Earth Fair, as well
as ministering to mothers during a
Mother’s Day outreach.
The team is also planning to expand its ministry to Baja orphanages.
The spring tour begins Jan. 16.
For more information, send an email with your name and telephone
number to Kristina at campus@survivors.la or call (951) 750-1114.
Business expo seeks
vendors
CARDIFF, CA 92007
POINT LOMA — Rock Church,
in partnership with Walter J. Porter
Elementary and Abraham Lincoln
High schools, will present its 14th
annual Toys for Joy Christmas event
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 11 at Lincoln. As many as 16,000 people are
expected to attend.
Guests at the event will receive a
toy for each child ages 11 or younger, non-perishable food, clothing,
a fun zone, entertainment, prayer
and a free food court.
Those wising to help can sponsor
a toy or non-perishable food drive,
sponsor promotional items, volunteer with your family or company or
provide cash donations.
The high school is located at
4777 Imperial Ave.
For more Information, visit www.
toys-for-joy.org or call (619) 2267625.
Christian retailer C28, which operates stores in various Southern California
malls, draws a crowd at last year’s San Diego Christian Business Expo. Vendors
are still being sought for Jan. 22 event.
ACCIDENT AND PERSONAL INJURY CASES
CALLAHAN, LITTLE & SULLIVAN
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SLIP & FALL ACCIDENTS
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Recipient 2003
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SAN DIEGO 858.481.6111
JOHN B. LITTLE
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FREE
Liberty Charter High School
Grades 9-11
ENROLLING NOW
Small School
Strong Academics
Leadership
Literacy
Technology
Located in La Mesa
4207 Spring Gardens Rd.
Alpha receives
$160,000 grant for
training internships
BANNOCKBURN, Ill. — Alpha USA—a ministry that expects
to see more than 100,000 people
make personal commitments to
Christ just this year, has received a
$160,000 grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.
The money will be earmarked for
Vintage Alpha, a nine-month internship focused on the life and ministry
of Jesus Christ. Based at Westminster
Chapel in Bellevue, Wash., Vintage
Alpha helps young adults become
mature—or vintage—disciples of Jesus
and teaches them how to lead others
along the same path.
During the nine-month program,
interns are provided with opportunities to live life with those outside
the four walls of the church, with
the hope of showing them Christ’s
love through action and deed.
alphausa.org/vintage.
Call Today 619.668.2131
Angel Food reaches
out to military
Preparing Christian Leaders
for the Challenges of Tomorrow
Register for “Shadow Day”
February 10, 2011
for
Now enrolling 12
the 2011-20
academic year
* Biblically based academics
taught from a Christian
worldview
* College preparatory
curriculum
* WASC Accredited
* 12 CIF sports
* Small classes with low
student to teacher ratio
* Affordable tuition, offering
3, 4, or 5 day programs
* Early registration discount
2321 Dryden Rd., El Cajon, CA 92020
619-303-8035
info@foothillsschool.net
www.foothillsschool.net
Cal Thomas
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FORYOURNEXTSPECIALEVENT
CONTACT-ARK,ARSON
Represented by Mark Larson Media Services, Inc.
Phone: (619) 579-0967 • Email: mark@marklarson.com
www.SpeakersGroup.net
MONROE, Ga. — Angel Food
ministries, which has served more
than 25 million boxes of food, has
developed a new holiday program
in which clients may now buy food
boxes designated for the family of
active duty personnel.
“Our service women and men
put so much on the line, and their
families are the ones who feel it the
most,” said Pastor Joe Wingo, who
implemented the program. ”We
want to help them and help the
enlisted folks know we care. Yet, we
have so many truly hungry here in
our country and this same program
can feed them, too.”
Angel Food works with 6,000
neighborhood social services and
religious institutions in 44 states.
Those wishing to designate a box
for military personnel may do so on
the ministry’s website, angelfoodministries.com.
Two more abortion
clinics close
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Surgical
abortion clinics continue to close at
a rate of nearly two per month. Operation Rescue, which last year documented a trend in abortion clinic
closures in its “Project Daniel 5:25,”
said two more are following suit.
Cedar Women’s Clinic, the first
abortion clinic to open in Yakima,
Washington, closed Nov. 17, after
31 years of operation. Officials with
Operation Rescue said the closure
comes as state statistics show the
abortion rate for women ages 15 to
44 dropped from 18 per 1,000 in
2008 to 16.7 per 1,000 in 2009.
One abortion clinic remains in
Yakima.
In Michigan, Womancare of
Downriver is in escrow to a physician whose practice does not include abortions. Once escrow closes, so will the abortion clinic.
Jennifer McCoy, who said abortion
doctor Albert Hodar forced an abortion on her when she was 16, said she’s
relieved that the Southgate clinic has
been tentatively sold.
“That clinic will never do another
abortion again,” she said.
Appeals court upholds
N.H.’s pledge law
CONCORD, N.H. (EP) — The
1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld on Nov. 12 a New Hampshire
law that requires public schools to
set a daily time for students to volun-
tarily recite the Pledge of Alliance.
The Alliance Defense Fund filed
a friend-of-the-court brief defending the pledge.
The court chastised the lawsuit,
brought by the Freedom from Religion Foundation and longtime
pledge-challenger Michael Newdow, which questioned the constitutionality of “under God.”
“The New Hampshire School
Patriot Act’s primary effect is not
the advancement of religion, but
the advancement of patriotism
through a pledge to the flag as a
symbol of the nation,” the decision
read. “FFRF’s premise is that children who choose not to recite the
Pledge become outsiders based on
their beliefs about religion. That
premise is flawed.
“There are a wide variety of reasons why students may choose not
to recite the pledge, including
many reasons that do not rest on
either religious or anti-religious
belief.”
Newdow plans to appeal.
Gay activists file two
new lawsuits against
marriage
HARTFORD, Conn. (EP) — The
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders and the American Civil Liberties Union filed separate lawsuits
in November challenging the constitutionality of the federal Defense
of Marriage Act.
GLAD’s lawsuit—Pedersen v. Office of Personnel Management—
was filed with the U.S. District
Court of Connecticut on behalf of
five same-sex couples and one widower, residing in Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire.
The ACLU’s lawsuit—Windsor
v. United States —is pending before the U.S. District Court of the
Southern District in New York. The
U.S. Department of Justice, which
has 60 days to respond to these
two cases, is currently appealing a
district court ruling on two similar
lawsuits—Gill v. Office of Personnel
Management, and Commonwealth
of Massachusetts v. U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services.
Americans say elections
more negative than
past, lack civility
NEW YORK (EP) —New research released in November suggests Americans are fed-up with the
lack of civil discourse in this country and believe American political
leaders are not working to overcome differences.
The PRRI/RNS Religion News
Survey, conducted by Public Religion Research Institute in partnership with Religion News Service,
found that nearly six-in-10 Americans believe the country is more divided over politics than it was in the
past and only one-in-five Americans
believe American political leaders
work well together to overcome differences to get things done.
“In the first major election since
the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizen’s
United ruling removed restrictions
and reporting requirements on political contributions to influence
elections, twice as many Americans
say the tone of the elections were
more negative than positive compared to past elections,” said Dr.
Robert P. Jones, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute.
The PRRI/RNS poll found that
only one-in-five Americans believe
national political leaders work well
together to overcome differences
to get things done. The poll found
that this partisan divide does not
trickle down to their local communities; two-thirds of Americans say
people in their own local communities indeed work well together.
Cyber attacks fail to
deter Praylive.com
BALTIMORE, Md. — Praylive.
com is vowing to continue its ministry despite allegations that it has
been “under attack by domestic
terrorism, ethnic intimidation and
cyber bullying for the past few
weeks.”
Officials with Praylive said they
were forced to temporarily shut
down the ministry’s 24/7 live, interactive Internet radio station for a
few hours in order to work on some
technical issues.
Wenda Royster, Founder of Praylive has stated, “It is incredibly
sad that while Praylive has been
a source of encouragement to so
many people, especially during this
time of unemployment, homelessness and sickness, there are those
who are determined to stop it,” said
Wenda Royster, its founder. “But we
are not backing down. Hate groups
will not take over!”
According to the ministry, the
telephone lines, as well as the Internet, have been inundated with
racial slurs, profanity and threats
during their broadcasts.
Christian Coalition
releases app for iPhone,
Android
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The
Christian Coalition of America has
released a new mobile phone application for iPhone and Android
smart-phone platforms.
“We are excited to take the next
step in online activism by allowing
pro-family conservatives to keep
up with the latest content from the
Christian Coalition anytime, anywhere,” said coalition President Roberta Combs.
“As more and more Americans
choose to access the Internet with
smart-phones, it is vital that we
make it easier for them to get connected, take action and stay informed on the critical issues that
face our country.”
The new application gives users access to information from the
coalition’s website as well as allows
them to participate in online campaigns and petitions.
Application features include Action alerts, news updates, coalition
blogs and commentary, voter education content, “Call Congress” features and online campaigns.
FBI sex-trafficking sting
yields 885 arrests,
rescues 69 children
WASHINGTON, D.C. (EP) — A
sex-trafficking sting by the FBI recovered 69 children and resulted
in the arrest of 885 people and 99
pimps.
“Operation Cross Country V,” an
ongoing project of Innocence Lost
National Initiative, made the arrests
from Nov. 5 to 7 in 40 cities around
the country. Officials did not say
whether sex-trafficking has become
more prevalent, or if the FBI has
become better at coordinating with
state and local law enforcement
agencies.
States targeted include: Alabama,
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Ohio, Oregon, Texas
and Washington.
SD
ACCOUNTING
DISC JOCKEYS
HELP WANTED
REAL ESTATE
SERVICES
Accounting Services (PSA, Inc.) Save $$$ on your
personal taxes, business expenses and much more!
Visit www.StopBurningMoney.com to learn more
about how we can help. (619) 464-1015.
Getting Married?
Party? Fundraiser?
TLC Plumbing Inc. is a Christian based company
providing excellent plumbing services performed
with high standards. We are looking for experienced
plumbers and apprentices who are able to provide
the same. We provide excellent pay and benefits
to those desiring to work in an upbeat Christian
environment. If you are interested please call (619)
398-8674, fax (619) 667-0234, or email jobs@
tlcplumbinginc.com
Prudential CA Realty. Have you recently failed
to get a loan modification? Unable to refinance?
Owe more than your home is worth? Behind on
your payments? Experiencing a financial hardship?
Received a notice of default? If you answered yes
to any of these questions, you may be facing the
loss of your home. Let’s determine if a short sale
is the right option. Contact Mark Geraci (619)
300-1733 or MGeraci@cox.net. Visit our website
markgeraci.prudential.com. I am hiring referral
agents. DRE# 01881571.
Tax Preparation for personal and business returns
16 years experience. Offer in compromise. Tax solutions, Payroll Services, Incorporation, QuickBooks
pro advisor, www.irstaxhelp.com (619) 561-1170
mention this Ad for 20% discount for new clients.
Leslie & Associates, Inc.
Aguilera & Associates, Accounting & tax services.
(619) 838-4808. www.bookkeeping-tax.com.
Fun, organized Christian DJ & wife will help you
plan & coordinate your event. We also teach
Swing, Salsa, Country & more. Lighting available.
www.JimHenryDJ.com
1-800-805-5497
ANNOUNCEMENTS
40” Letter/Number Mylar balloons, pet signature
labels, mini-mugs, lite-up hockey pucks, advertising
specialties, award pins and trophies, Pittsburghese
T-Shirts and Mugs. A Cup of Ideas, Inc, www.
acupofideas.com, www.acupofideas.net, (412)
264-4410.
BOOKS
Free Bible Study by mail, postage paid! (760)
723-8425. Nondenominational.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Work from home. Put your faith first. Family second
with an opportunity to earn a great income. (952)
474-4682. Buscando Bilinque
EDUCATION
Be an Immigration Consultant/Paralegal. $395
includes certificate and placement. (626) 5522885.
HEALTH & FITNESS
Loose 21 Pounds In 40 Days! If You Don’t Loose
Weight It’s free! www.masterstouchcg.com
Dental Savings. Hello! My name is Dr. Tito Pompa
(D.D.S.). I’m a Mexican-American dentist with my
practice in “safe downtown Tijuana.” Our family has
been in the dental profession for two generations
and during that time we have developed a large
American client list for people who were looking
for professional dental care at affordable prices:
Root Canal = $180-300; Crowns = $215-575;
Fillings = $36-72; Extractions (w/ anesthetic) =
$36-72; Free exams; pricing for Bridges, Dentures,
Implants, and Cosmetic Dentistry is available by
examination. Escort/Guide service is available. A
birth certificate and drivers license can be used
instead of a passport. References gladly provided.
Appointments: Monday-Sunday, except Fridays. For
additional information, please call Walt, my sales
manager, at (714) 854-9905.
HELP WANTED
Come join our team!
Mount Miguel Covenant Village is a Christian Retirement Community just a
few miles east of San Diego, Calif. Our community consists of eleven residential
apartment buildings, a 48-unit assisted living facility and our skilled nursing center.
Our 28 acre park-like setting has been applauded for its beauty and is enjoyed by
residents and employees alike. We are an accredited continuing care retirement
community, and are part of Covenant Retirement Communities (CRC), a not-forprofit corporation, dedicated to the service of others.
Employment Opportunities
We are currently seeking energetic professionals with great communication
skills for the following full-time or part-time positions:
N Janitor (FT)
Social Services. Promising Futures, ser ving
DD population in East County, seeking reliable,
dedicated individuals to fill the following full time
and part time positions. Raises/bonuses for
exceptional work. Residential program: Program
Manager, Program Instructor. Overtime opportunities available. Salary start from $8-$10/hour.
Center for Independent Achievement Day Program:
Instructor/Job Coach, $8.50-$9.50/hour. Phone
(619) 592-4850, fax (619) 592-4878 or email
resume to pficareer@yahoo.com.
Principal. Trinity Christian School. Start September
2011. Contact (619) 462-6440, www.trinity.org.
HOUSING FOR RENT
El Cajon, 2 bedroom, 2 full bath apartment. AC,
private patio, built-in appliances/microwave, DR
ceiling fan, carpet, verticals, laundry, small single
story complex. $978. (619) 669-0770
San Diego First Assembly senior apartments (55+).
Enjoy a great location. 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 650 sq.
ft. Water included. Please call (858) 583-1532.
Newly refurbished 1 bedroom house in City Heights.
Nice yard with patio and driveway. New washer and
dryer. $1,300/mo. (858) 245-1856.
MINISTRIES
When someone you love is gay. Christian ministry
to families needing help coping with homosexuality. Group meeting. First Tuesday of every month,
7-9pm. Fireside Room, Education Building, San
Diego First Assembly of God, 8404 Phyllis Place.
(619) 426-9300.
Electronic Repair. TVs, microwaves, etc. Honest
work at low rates. Dick, (619) 448-4755.
REAL ESTATE WANTED
Expert Proofreading and Editing. Get it right before
your readers see it! Dick, (619) 448-4755.
Family needs rent to own. Good area condo,
townhouse or single family. Excellent references
and credit upon request. (619) 562-9626
I lease option or buy homes quickly. Excellent credit
and references. (619) 851-1896.
Carpet cleaning specialist. 11 year veteran, owner/
operator looking for people who care about their
carpet. (619) 772-4764 www.trulycleancarpets.
com.
ROOFING
SINGLES
Low cost, top quality. Guaranteed. New, recover,
repair. Dennis Cook Roofing. Lic. # 545185. Call
(619) 443-1300.
Christian singles activities for Southern California
— dinner-dances, Singles Safari, cruises, New
Year’s Eve dance, fun activities. Call 1-888-2228818 or visit ChristianSinglesFunEvents.com.
Wanted: Artists to draw and color simple, realistic
pictures of children’s Christian reading series.
Contact: robinsonnck@aol.com
Work at home by loving a golden retriever. Be a dog
guardian, receive unconditional love and earn good
pay, too! Please call (619) 468-3540.
Aquarium and koi ponds cleaning and service.
Weekly or monthly. Reasonable rates. Call Jim
(619) 460-8515.
Dils Roofing & Repairs. Free estimates. License
#639961. 1-800-501-7663.
TRAVEL
ROOMS FOR RENT
Lowest Possible Fares on airline tickets. Deal with a
Christian Travel Agency. Dick, (619) 448-4755.
Large master suite for rent: Front half of view
home off Highway 94 and Federal Blvd. Completely
remodeled and furnished. Pvt entry, dining area, bath
room, full size refer and shared kitchen. Covered
parking, gated community. Christian male must
be responsible, honest and be able to pay rent on
time. No booze, drugs, pets or smoking! $440 per
month. Mark (619) 300-1733.
VACATION/RETREAT
RENTALS
Lake Arrowhead Vacation Homes—Great for families, retreats, reunions. (562) 427-9810.
Furnished or unfurnished room for female; $500
and utilities share. Quiet area in central location.
Please leave message at (858) 278-6215.
Ski out the back door. Huge Big Bear cabin,
sleeps 16, next to Bear Mountain. Great for
families or retreats. (714) 283-5161, stewartlaw@
sbcglobal.net
Home to share, 92111 zip. 55 or older. Friendly
& close to the Lord a must. $500, street parking.
(858) 717-2363.
Big Bear Vacation Home with guest house, sleeps
1-24 people. Very reasonable. Call for more info
(909) 322-6407.
Female roommate to share 2 bedroom, 2 bath
condo. $500/mo plus 1/2 utilities. Gated, off-street
parking. (619) 647-7744. El Cajon. Very nice, must
see. Jan 1st or sooner.
MUSIC/MUSICIANS
N Certified Nurses Assistant (Per Diem)
N Sales & Marketing / Church Relations Rep (FT)
If you enjoy working with seniors, we want you to be a part of our
mission-oriented team! Persons with an active Christian faith are
encouraged to apply.
To apply for these positions, or to inquire about other open positions, please
e-mail resume w/salary history to dskudar@covenantretirement.org, or fax to (619)
931-1237, or apply in person at 325 Kempton St., Spring Valley, CA 91977. EOE.
Guitar Lessons. Veteran worship leader and guitarist Scott Coyle is now accepting guitar students
through College Avenue School of The Arts. All
levels welcome. Call (619) 287-4747 x218 for
more information and availability.
Before you give them $$ for Christmas – You won’t
find anything like our God is for Every Day® Stories
and Songs for Children. They are our own original
creations, prayerfully designed to reach a deeply
spiritual place in your child’s heart. 8 Story and Song
themes including “Lord, I’m So Grumpy,” and “The
Best Gifts.” CD now only $9.99. Buy CD get a tape
free! Reviewed as “a delight for kids” by the Dove
Foundation. Call now! Toll-free 1-866-569-8486
www.JoySoul.com or carol@joysoul.com
Christian Examiner Classified Advertising Form
Subscription Order Form
$19.95 for 12 monthly issues mailed directly
to your home or place of business
Q San Diego County
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December 2010 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER

Transcription

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