Nestled inside a musty velvet jewelry box from among the belongings of her late aunt, Adele Flower Dalton, Kathryn Flower Ringer found a curious antique – a lady’s pocket watch. The scrolling, elegant numbers and hands were real gold; but the face and the case, a steely black. Kathryn discovered the watch’s significance immediately, as … [Read more…]
An Assemblies of God layperson and former drug addict recently launched an outreach to support addicts and families devastated by dependency. Earlier this year, Janelle Lanning Unger, who oversees the recovery ministry at Freedom Assembly of God in Mentor, Ohio, started VIP (Vigil, Intercession, and Prayer) Outreach to fight drugs in a spiritual manner. She … [Read more…]
New York Teen Challenge Director Jimmy Jack thinks he knows the solution to the nation’s opioid crisis: Teen Challenge. Jack has told Trump administration officials as much, handing a 14-page report to three of them at the White House Oct. 26 when President Trump declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency. Jack also … [Read more…]
I think I might be gay. My wife left me for another woman. My friend’s church says the Bible approves of homosexuality. My teacher says transgender desires are natural. I’m attracted to the same sex and I don’t want to be — help me! For pastors, leaders, parents, or peers who have had these kind … [Read more…]
Emily Hardy was just 10 years old when Eric Hoffman, the Illinois District Youth director, came to her church, Industry (Illinois) Assembly of God. That day Eric shared the story of his daughter, Emma, who in an effort to raise $1,000 for BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge), took pledges to smash eggs on her … [Read more…]
Single mom Malinda Mayne, 42, of Bolivar, Missouri, knew she needed to find a way to get her two teenage children to the Fine Arts Festival during General Council 2017 in Anaheim, California. For over a year, she saved each week, but as the calendar rolled closer to August, she only had enough for either … [Read more…]
HOT SPRINGS, Arkansas — Tony and Kerri Ballard gather with other houseparents at the COMPACT Family Services pavilion at 3:30 on a warm late October afternoon. As they wait for the busload of students to arrive after school, Tony lifts up specific prayers on behalf of staff and the young residents of Hillcrest Children’s Home in … [Read more…]
As a kid I remember when the Traveling Memorial Wall for the Vietnam War came through Eugene, Oregon. I understood that the memorial was a tribute to the fallen and those who were still missing in action from an era my parents had lived through. I studied as much as I could about the Vietnam … [Read more…]
A taxi driver slowed down on a busy street in Staten Island, a borough of New York City, recognizing Ronald L. Squibb, lead pastor of the International Christian Center (ICC). He waved and stopped to talk with Squibb, then en route home after a morning session at the gym. Strangers like the taxi driver recognize … [Read more…]
The first time James H. Reed read the Bible through, he was on a ship en route to Japan in 1945. His mother had slipped the Scriptures into Reed’s briefcase, where it remained relatively untouched throughout boot camp. “After boot camp, it took us 31 days to get to Japan, and the sea was rough … [Read more…]