Monday, September 24, 2012

MINISTRY FOCUS: Bridge To Life Ministries

Located in Muskegon, Michigan, BRIDGE TO LIFE MINISTRIES began in 1983 and has become a ministry that "focuses on the needs of marriage and relational issues for the purpose of reconciling men and women to God and each other."

Aside from offering counseling, encouragement and mentoring for couples, it is their desire and commitment to also train lay couples in local churches, equipping them for an effective marriage ministry. Currently, classes are available at various churches in the state of Michigan.

Donation amounts are suggested for counseling and seminar materials. However, no one is ever denied help due to a lack of donations.

 
Bridge To Life is a 501(c) (3) organization and all contributions are tax deductible for Federal tax purposes.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Everything the Bible Says About Prayer (Book Review)

This is an interesting little book by Bethany House Publishers. There is no specific author mentioned, although, an inner page says it is compiled by Keith Wall and edited by Andy McGuire.

The book is basically a compilation of Bible verses (in various translations) that point us towards prayer. Topics include things like praying with boldness, elements of effective prayer, and Jesus’ teachings on prayer.
It is not a book I would necessarily just sit down and read, but is a good little resource to have when looking for verses on the subject.

Disclosure: I received this book free for review from Bethany House Publishers, and I have expressed my own opinions. If you have a blog of your own, and are interested in receiving review copies from Bethany House, here is a link where you can sign up: www.bethanyhouse.com/bookreviewers





Monday, September 17, 2012

MINISTRY FOCUS: Love Packages

LOVE PACKAGES is "a ministry aimed at putting Christian literature and bibles into the hands of people around the world." Christians all across the USA send bibles, Sunday School materials, tracts, magazines and books to Love Packages. Then, they are sent to ministries in poorer countries, who then distribute them to people who are hungry for the Word of God. For more information on what they will and will not accept, please visit their Needed Materials page.

If you - as an individual, a family, a church group, or Christian organization - would like to collect your used Christian literature to give to Love Packages, there are a couple of different options for getting it to them:

1.  If you live close to Butler, IL, you can bring the materials to their headquarters and drop them off. While there, feel free to stay and lend a helping hand. (See volunteer information below).

2.  If you don't live nearby, use sturdy boxes to pack materials in packages that are 35 pounds or lighter, then mail them via 4th class Media Mail through the United States Postal Service.
Aside from sending Christian literature, are there any other ways to support Love Packages? YES!
VOLUNTEER at the headquarters: If you are close enough, they always appreciate an extra set of hands. Ways you can help include:  painting, maintenance, office work, cleaning, organizing, gardening, etc. If you are interested in being a volunteer for a day (or more), please fill out the Volunteer form and they will get back to you.

DONATE:  Monetary donations are needed to maintain and expand the ministry. (A 20 ton container to Africa costs approximately $4,000.) If you do not wish to donate online, you can also send to the address listed above.
SPREAD the Word: Tell your family and friends about this ministry, send the information to other Christians, or ask a local Christian bookstore to place brochures on their counter to advertise the ministry. Bulletin inserts for your church can also be downloaded HERE.

PRAY: A vital component to having a successful ministry. 
Supporting Love Packages in any of the above areas is a great way to help make a difference in the lives of others.


Friday, September 14, 2012

Easter is About Jesus (Mukkove Johnson's New Book)

My friend, Mukkove Johnson, has recently published her newest book "Easter is About Jesus." Back in January, I did an INTERVIEW with Mukkove about her first book, "Christmas is About Jesus," and am looking forward to using it with our children this coming Christmas season. After looking over a PDF version of her new Easter book, I am excited to use it in the Spring. The book is laid out very nicely, and includes 15 short devotionals to read with younger children as Easter Sunday approaches. Along with the devotionals, there are also a few thought-provoking questions and easy activity ideas.

One note of mention is that this book does not describe or define how each symbol of Easter was originally incorporated into the holiday. For example, there is no history of the Easter Bunny, and it does not say that "doing" the Easter Bunny at this time of year is right or wrong. The focus is not on the history or the meaning of the symbols. Instead, it uses these symbols (Easter Bunny, Easter eggs, Jelly Beans, Palm Branches, Empty Tomb, etc.) to bring about discussion based on the things we SEE during this time of year. It is a unique approach. The only thing I think the book was lacking in was a clearer explanation as to the purpose of Jesus' death and resurrection. But, that can easily be incorporated into your discussion time. 

Here is Mukkove, writing to us in her own words about the book:

Vicky, Thank you for having me on your blog! It’s an honor to share with your readers.

I live and write in Alaska with my wonderful family. My parents moved here from Minnesota when I was 9, so this is definitely home. We live on our own 5 acres and enjoy seeing mountains on the way to the store, and well everywhere else, too. I home school my three children. We’re just getting geared up for that now. We have a “soft” start date of September 10. This time of year is a bit like Christmas because of all the new supplies and curriculum arriving.

I have always enjoyed writing and producing works. I started with the 6th grade class newspaper and never stopped. I worked on school newspapers and yearbooks all through high school. I write, journal, and scrapbook. I have one scrapbook from when we didn’t have a camera – more writing. I even wrote things and made them into books for my children. One of those is my first published book
Christmas is About Jesus: An Advent Devotional.

My second book is coming out in stores online September 18, 2012. Easter is About Jesus: Family Devotions for the Easter Season contains 15 devotions geared mainly towards younger children. Each devotion takes a common sight of the Easter season and explains how it can remind us of Jesus. There are discussion questions and “More Time with God” activities to help children grow in their relationship with God. The questions and activities should also help the devotions be more relevant to the entire family.

If you have read my books I would love to hear from you.

Thank you for reading,
Mukkove


http://kovesblog.blogspot.com/
http://christmasisaboutjesus-devotion.blogspot.com/
http://mukkovejohnson.blogspot.com/
http://www.KovesCove.com


Monday, September 10, 2012

MINISTRY FOCUS: ECS Ministries

Emmaus Correspondence School (which was originally a part of Emmaus Bible College) became an independent organization in 2002. They provide International correspondence courses, study resources for churches, and have a prison ministry.

The mission statement of ECS Ministries is "to glorify God by providing doctrinally sound resources and structured study materials for the purpose of teaching people from every nation to know Jesus Christ as Savior and to live in a way that is consistent with God’s Word."

In 2011, ECS distributed 1,450,000 Bible study courses worldwide, with a 72% completion rate!  Courses can by taken by anyone interested, including students as young as 8 years old, college students, professionals, retired persons, and homemakers. The cost of each course book (which is very inexpensive) includes grading of tests. Click HERE for a list of all the languages these courses are available in.

If you are not interested in taking a course,  but would still like to help out this ministry, DONATIONS and PRAYER SUPPORT are always welcome.

Friday, September 7, 2012

As Christians, We Are All Ministers

Continuing on with the "ministry" theme, here is a quote from Dr. James L. McIntosh, the Student and Academic Dean at Brookes Bible Institute in St. Louis, MO....
QUOTE: Many times folk will make the error that a minister has to be a person that a church hires to lead them. This is not always true. Ministry comes in many different forms. If you are a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, having trusted in Him and Him alone for salvation, then you are in ministry. Some may be in full-time vocational ministry, a pastor, a teacher, or a missionary; but ministry is what all believers are to do every day and it starts and is practiced at home.
I love that quote, for two reasons: 
1.  Because it shares my thoughts on Christian ministry, and how we are ALL ministers for the Lord in one way or another. We all have a story to tell, and we all have the ability to share our hope in Christ with anyone who will listen.

2.  Because it was written by my DAD. The quote came from an article he wrote for the August 2012 IFCA News Connection (NOTE:  IFCA International is committed to providing fellowship, encouragement, and identification for independent churches and men of like faith, as they work together in Biblical ministry).
Rather than copy my dad's article, I'm going to direct you to the PDF link where you can read it in full, and even print it out if you wish to do so...

After you've read the article, please come back here and take a moment to share your thoughts!






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Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Why Focus on Christian Ministries?

Those who follow my blog have probably noticed the theme I have been focusing on since this past Summer up until now. Every Monday, I have been introducing a different Bible-believing, Christian ministry. Let me share with you the reasons for this current theme.
1.  These posts are easy for me to write about ahead of time, then schedule them to be posted on Monday mornings. It helps save me time, and helps me be more consistent about posting on a weekly basis.

2.  Introducing various ministries can help us to know who/what is "out there." It makes us aware of what various ministries offer, allowing us to take part in their services, if interested.
3.  As Christians, we need to be supporting each other - especially in our ministries. So, these posts give us suggestions for volunteer work, give us ideas of who we can make donations to if we don't already give to a ministry, and/or tells us how we can pray for these ministries.
That's about it! So, if you know of a ministry you would like me to mention on one of my posts, I would be open to suggestions.  Feel free to send me an E-MAIL and let me know about it. 




Monday, September 3, 2012

MINISTRY FOCUS: Military Fellowship Ministry


Military Fellowship Center is a "home away from home" for military personnel stationed in the Jacksonville, North Carolina area. They provide fun and fellowship in a loving, Christian environment, including day trips, recreation, home cooked meals, Bible studies, and Christian counseling.

Walt Croom is the director of this ministry, and it is his desire to "be a blessing to those sacrificing so much for this great country!"


Daleville, Alabama is home to another fellowship center with the same types of activities and atmosphere.

This ministry would be happy to receive donations for general operational expenses, and for a building project. Feel free to CONTACT THEM for more information.