Monday, November 26, 2012

MINISTRY FOCUS: Russian Ministries

Peter Deyneka Russian Ministries  is NOT a traditional missionary-sending agency. It's an international, evangelical mission organization that is there to help people in Russia (and all of the former Soviet Union) to grow and reach deep into their communities. The ministry evangelizes and equips Next Generation leaders to become light in the darkness, and bring hope to areas where situations seem hopeless.


How can you make a difference? 

(1)  Support the work of Russian Ministries through your daily prayers. You can check the website for a LIST of prayer requests. There is at least one listed for each day of the week.

(2)  Join their RAPID RESPONSE TEAM. Rapid Response Team Members receive up-to-the-minute information in their e-mail inbox, timely prayer requests and practical ways to make a difference in the lives of post-Soviet people. There is no cost to join the team and you can leave at any time.

(3)  Make a monetary DONATION.  This ministry relies on the gifts of people, churches and Christian groups for their outreach to the former Soviet Union. Gifts given in the United States or Canada are tax-deductible.

(4)  EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES are also available to those who are interested. There is an office located in Wheaton, IL, as well as in Canada.  


Monday, November 19, 2012

MINISTRY FOCUS: Your Story Hour

 
UPDATE 1-6-2013:  A friend of mine directed me to several links pertaining to "Your Story Hour" products and, after reading through the information, I feel it is important to mention that this organization is owned and operated by Seventh-Day Adventists. They do not admit to using SDA theology in their recordings. However, intenitional or not, there are times when it does present itself. While some of their stories are basic history dramatizations, and some are just stories with good morals, there are many that also intertwine the Bible with the writings of Ellen G. White, a woman who the Seventh-Day Adventists believe to be inspired by God as a prophet (even though her teachings do not match up with Biblical teachings). For more information, take a look at THIS BLOG POST by Andy Naselli. (Scroll down the page to read all the comments posted by former SDA church members.) In my opinion, if parents are serious about wanting to raise biblically literate children without causing unnecessary confusion, then I would suggest being very careful about introducing them to "Your Story Hour" and other SDA-affiliated ministries.
 
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ORIGINAL POST:
 

YOUR STORY HOUR with Aunt Carole and Uncle Dan is "a global, non-profit, interfaith Christian educational organization working with children, youth and families of all denominations." Since 1949, their main vehicle for reaching children has been their radio broadcasts of character building stories.
Children can be inspired to make sound choices by exposure to dramatized stories evidencing the positive results of developing character traits such as honesty, integrity, courage and faith. Your Story Hour exists to provide children with this exposure.
Thousands of entertaining STORIES can be purchased on the website. Or, you can listen to full episodes of the most recent broadcasts for FREE at ONEPLACE.COM.

Other options for our children include: 


CLUBHOUSE MAGAZINE - available online for FREE - a colorful magazine filled with stories, jokes, puzzles and quizzes. Read it online, or print it out.

ADVENTURES IN THE HOLY BIBLE - 52 Online Bible lessons with quizzes, also available FREE to children.

THE RAVEN & THE RING - a FREE printable coloring book to go along with the story of "The Raven and the Ring," which can be listened to at no charge. My children and I recently listened to this story about how a poor family chose honesty over provisions, and how God provided for their needs. We all enjoyed it.



 


Tuesday, November 13, 2012

"You Can’t Make Me" Revised Edition, by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias (Book Review)

Cynthia Ulrich Tobias has revised her book “You Can’t Make Me (But I Can Be Persuaded).” I never read the original version, so I can’t really compare; but I can at least tell you what I know about this newer version.

The book defines what a strong-willed child (SWC) is, and includes a checklist to help you determine just how much strong will is prevalent in your child (or yourself). We ALL have strong will. However, some of us rarely use it, and others find it impossible not to use. This book is specifically geared towards the latter - towards those kids who refuse to budge, even when given an ultimatum. It discusses how your SWC thinks, and gives practical suggestions on how to motivate him, while still keeping peace in the home.

My husband and I have a 9-year-old son who is somewhat in the middle of the strong-will spectrum. We know he has a healthy dose of it, but we have learned he will generally get on board with our expectations if we approach him the right way. This book helped solidify that the most important thing is to respect our son as a person who has his own thoughts and ideas, while still remaining consistent with our own expectations and not backing down on consequences when the line is crossed. We are still in the learning process and don’t pretend to have it all figured out, but we have realized there are battles worth fighting (and winning), and others that are not. Finding a good balance is the key.

With that in mind, the overall theme of the book seems to be encouraging good relationships with our SWC (and with ALL of our children, for that matter.) Without a good relationship, our authority over our children won’t mean a single thing. The author (who is also a SWC) says:
"It’s not authority strong-willed children have trouble with – it’s how the authority is communicated. If you put your finger in my face and tell me I have no choice, you’ve already lost the battle... However, if I know you value and respect me, we can build a relationship that can result in my voluntarily submitting to your authority.” (Page 120)
So.... if you are dealing with a SWC, or just need more suggestions on how to effectively motivate your children to be the best they can be without yelling and pointing fingers at them all the time, I would recommend picking up this book. It doesn't have ALL the answers; but, it can help by providing some helpful suggestions to frustrated parents, grandparents, and teachers. 

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for review purposes only.


Monday, November 12, 2012

MINISTRY FOCUS: EvanTell

EvanTell  helps believers in Jesus Christ to "overcome the two biggest challenges in evangelism – (1) fear, and (2) not knowing how – so that they can go and have an immediate and eternal impact for the Kingdom."

Their website offers various resources, including FREE online evangelism training courses in personal evangelism, children’s evangelism, and workplace evangelism. Each course has 4 sessions, and each session lasts 15-20 minutes. The sessions include animation, narration, and video, as well as interactive exercises. They will help equip you to share the gospel clearly and simply whenever the opportunity arrises.  

Monday, November 5, 2012

MINISTRY FOCUS: Breath of Life Online Ministry


Breath of Life Online Ministry is a Christian site, run by Schuler Murdock, which offers FREE screensavers, greeting cards and graphics downloads.

Mr. Murdock is using this ministry to share the message of God's love by providing a place of  "inspiration and encouragement on the internet." He takes this outreach very seriously as he believes "something as simple as a screensaver or a picture can have an awesome, permanent impact on a life."

This is a non-profit, non-commercial venture. However, contributions are welcome, and they will be used to make improvements to the ministry.

Here is a sample of one of the many wallpaper choices on this site. I like this one because it goes along with the theme of this blog; but be sure to TAKE A LOOK at them all! While you are there, you can also find Bible Study tools, links to other Christian ministry sites, and inspirational music on various topics.