Want to learn more about what Heritage Christian Academy has to offer and see the campus? Register today for our special “Come & See” even on Tuesday October 19, 2021! Space is limited so be sure to early to secure your spot!
Come & See Heritage Christian Academy
Featured – Family
Senior Scene
As a child I loved the start of a new school year. Fresh notebooks, clean paper, the skill of sharpening your pencil to a perfect point! However, what may be exciting for some children may be upsetting to others facing new teachers, classmates, bus drivers, and schedules. One thing of which we can be sure. The 2021-22 school year will launch a New Normal in education which remains to be defined. More than ever, we need to be aware of what our grandchildren are ‘learning’ in their school settings and support our adult children as they manage decisions concerning their children’s education.
How can a grandparent help? Whether near or far, there is much we can do to encourage and support our grandchildren this school year. The objective is to give our intentional interest and care!
- 1st and foremost- Pray! Consider joining or starting a Moms/Grandmoms in Prayer Group. Go to www.momsinprayer.org for information.
- Volunteer to read in your grandchild’s classroom or school library. Offer to help with a craft or party around a holiday or special event.
- Create a field trip matching what your grandchild is learning. History and science are great subjects to work with like visiting a nearby historical location.
- Learn with them. Find out what they are learning in a history, science, biology, etc. Research further to generate discussion.
- Long distance? Write a book together. Teach them the lost art of letter writing.
- Support your grandchild’s teacher. Send encouraging notes and prayerful thoughts. Offer your help.
- Generate conversation through questions about their friends, teachers, and activities. Be interested!
- Offer help with carpool and afterschool care where you can have one-on-one time with your grandchild. Great resource for car time: backseatbiblenuggets.com.
Our families need us now more than ever as we traverse the educational systems of our culture. The enemy’s attacks against our children will persist to waylay our families and God’s moral foundations Be it homeschool, private or public education, the intentional Christian grandparent has a great deal to contribute to the balance and health of our grandchildren. Remember, our grandchildren NEED us! Step up and Step In – to your grandchildren’s education this school year! Want encouragement and other ideas on how to do that? Attend the only National Conference on Christian Grandparenting live at Shades Mountain Baptist Church October 21-22. Visit www.legacycoalition.com/summit for registration, speaker, and schedule information.
-Cynthia Moss
GrandLife Director, Shades Mountain Baptist Church
Grandparent’s Day of Prayer September 12!
Several years ago, the prayer ministry of Christian Grandparenting Network saw the urgency to establish a day for grandparents to unite in prayer and established a Grandparents’ Day of Prayer to coincide with National Grandparents’ Day. The purpose of Grandparents’ Day of Prayer is to raise an awareness of prayer among today’s Christian grandparents. Visit www.christiangrandparenting.com for a list of ways to participate, including a 30-Day Prayer Challenge giving thanks to God for your grandchildren and praying for their new school year.
Miracle Moments
Brought to you by: Molly Maid of Birmingham, mollymaid.com/Birmingham
“Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God.’” John 11:40
At Grace Klein Community (GKC), we believe in miracles and see them every day. With a community of thousands of volunteers, we cannot post all the prayer needs on our social media platforms.
Some days, however, God impresses on our hearts that the time is now to engage the entire community. January 27, 2021, was one of those days. Long-term volunteer Rob Compton was in the hospital with COVID and pneumonia. The doctors told his wife, Kathy, that she had one day to get affairs in order and informed her that he would be on a ventilator the following day. The doctors said he had two to five days to live. Of course, Kathy never mentioned to anyone that the doctor gave Rob a death sentence. All she did was ask people to pray.
Though we did not know the severity of the situation, we knew in our hearts to use our social media platforms to rally prayer. Rob shared his testimony just one week prior- when GKC hosted a Youth With A Mission (YWAM) serve team from Texas- and many in attendance were new believers. We asked them to pray for God to heal Rob. We knew Rob would experience healing in heaven or if he walked out of the hospital. But we fervently prayed God would heal Rob here on earth and grow the faith of the YWAM team and other Grace Klein Community members.
After hundreds of people prayed globally, Rob slept on his stomach for the first time since contracting COVID and pneumonia. Overnight, his oxygen levels rose to 90 when they had been in the mid-80s for three days. Coincidence? Not a chance. We witness the power of God when His people pray.
On the day the doctors said Rob would be dead, he was discharged and walked out of the hospital. Rob is alive! Guess what? Due to bad weather, the YWAM team came back through Birmingham, and as they all sat on the floor, with Rob’s voice still raspy, he told them about the faithfulness of God. He heard people flat-lining all around him and knew the doctor did not think he would live, but he survived by the grace of God and the prayers of the saints. Often GKC is known for feeding people or food rescue, but we hope we will go down in history as an organization that believed God and saw Him do the impossible every day. All glory to God!
-Jenny Waltman
Founder, Grace Klein Community
If you have a Miracle that you would be willing to share, please email [email protected]. Subject Line: Miracle Moments or call 205-408-7150.
Senior Scene
Recently I was reading in John 15 where Jesus delivers his “I am” statement- “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener” and wondered how old a grapevine could live to be. I was amazed to discover they can live 120+ years. The oldest grape-producing vine living today is in Slovenia and over 400 years old!
Imagine the generations that took care of those vines. Creator Jesus knew the fruit that could be produced from a well-tended branch, but one thing was required to be productive. “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” A good branch had to remain on the vine!
So, it is with the Christian grandparent. With an earnest desire to see our grandchildren become Christians and live victoriously in this world, we are called to intentionally ‘remain on the vine’ to bear the good fruit of faith before our adult children and grandchildren. Once secure on the Vine, the branch must grow “showing yourselves to be my disciples.” As God’s children we never ‘arrive’ as a Christian. We are to grow in faith our whole life long. We cannot assume we can pour faith and unconditional love into our grandchildren unless we are experiencing those same things in our relationship with Christ. We cannot give what we do not have ourselves. A healthy branch is an ever-growing branch!
A healthy ‘branch’ lives joyfully. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” No one likes being around a grumpy ole’ grandparent. These verses prove a grumpy, negative, disagreeable grandparent is not a product of a healthy branch! Grandchildren need grandparents with a heart of joy, a fun-loving spirit, and a positive outlook on life. Grandparents who are pleasant to be around, speak kind words, encourage, serve, and have a heart for adventure.
The only national conference on Christian Grandparenting is coming to Shades Mountain Baptist Church for two inspiring days at the Legacy Grandparenting Summit 2021 on Oct. 21-22. With more Grandparents living today than at any time in history, today’s intentional Christian Grandparent can reach this and future generations for Christ! Be sure to stop by the Shades Mountain Baptist Church booth at the Celebrate the Family Expo May 8 at the Pelham Civic Complex to learn more about grandparenting resources including the Legacy Grandparenting Summit, www.legacycoalition.com/Summit.
-Cynthia Moss
GrandLife Director, Shades Mountain Baptist Church
Do you know a boy who is interested in music and singing? The Birmingham Boys Choir is currently holding open auditions for its 2021-22 season. To schedule an audition, visit our website: www.birminghamboyschoir.org/auditions.
Every Family Deserves Hope
I have been serving in the substance abuse recovery ministry for the past thirteen years and one thing that I have never heard from anyone is, “I always wanted to grow up to be an addict.” Experts estimate that in Alabama there are more than 300,000 individuals suffering from opioid addiction alone (vertavahealth.com/alabama/). Once you add in all of the other substance abuse addictions that number could easily be more than half a million just in Alabama. The bottom line is that the struggle is real.
Within the past two weeks, I have personally lost two people that I know to overdose. People find themselves trapped without ever having desired to become trapped. There are all sorts of reasons why an individual becomes addicted. There are behavioral reasons and physiological reasons alike but one thing I have realized is that very few are satisfied in their addiction.
The Foundry is one of numerous places in Alabama that works hard to offer hope to those bound by addiction. Our approach has many facets but the primary effort for us is to lead the men and women that walk through our doors into a new way of living. We believe that new life begins with an introduction to the life changing grace offered through Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 3:17 tells us that “For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” By offering a one-year, live-in recovery program, The Foundry can help everyone in our care stop using drugs. However, not using and being free are two very different outcomes. One key thought for the men and women at The Foundry is really a point for us all as well and it comes from John 6:37, “…and whoever comes to me I will never cast away.” Freedom from addiction, freedom from sickness, freedom from depression all require our coming to Him. But this action is wrapped in the promise that when we do, He will never cast us away. Addicts do recover. Freedom is available to us all in Christ.
-Micah Andrews
When you donate to the Foundry,
you’re supporting a charity,
you’re saving a life,
you’re restoring a family.
Every Family Deserves Hope
Visit a variety of health and wellness booths to learn new approaches to conquer your health concerns and find new ways to enhance your physical fitness, financial wellness, safety, and nutrition. Event takes place on May 1 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Veteran’s Park Alabaster, 7305 Hwy 119, 35007. Learn more here.
- Free Admission
- Food Trucks
- Free Health Screenings
- Physical & Behavioral Health
- LifeSouth Blood Drive
- Exercise Demonstrations
