A Legacy of Faith at The STAR Church

October 27, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

Church Leaders

Dr. Thomas Beavers never thought he would be a pastor. In fact, he hoped to be a medical doctor. But God had other plans.

“I got halfway through college when I realized I had the potential to be a medical doctor because I could make good grades, but I did not have the passion,” Dr. Beavers says. He started preaching before attending college but never planned to do it full time. “I come from a long line of preachers, but I never wanted to preach,” he says.

Beavers family — Dr. Beavers and his wife Candice have eight children and three grandchildren.

The STAR Church has been in the Eastlake community of Birmingham for 59 years. Dr. Beavers’ grandfather, Dr. Tommy Chappell, served as the third pastor of the church for 35 years. “I felt the call of God to preach in high school. When I literally heard the audible voice of God I ran from it,” Dr. Beavers explains, adding that after a series of four car accidents in a three-month period, he surrendered to “the call to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Pastor Beavers in black suit — Dr. Beavers serves as senior pastor of New Rising Star Church which now has three locations including Eastlake, Pell City and Sylacauga.

He attended Kentucky State University and majored in biology. Instead of going to medical school after graduation in 2004, he attended seminary. “As I was packing up my bags after graduation, the Lord told me to go to Birmingham and sit at my grandfather’s feet,” Dr. Beavers says. He enrolled at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School and started to shadow his grandfather at the same time. Beavers’ service at the church began as the janitor in 2004 and in 2006, his grandfather promoted him to assistant pastor. In 2010, his grandfather retired as senior pastor. Dr. Beavers stepped into the role of senior pastor and received his Doctor of Ministry in 2013.

The STAR Church has a large community development focus. “Under my grandfather’s leadership, we formed an early childhood development center, we established a credit union that still exists today, a family life center, and more,” explains Dr. Beavers, adding, Our mission as a church is twofold. We exist to know Christ and make Him known to the entire world and we strive to help people have a better quality of life on earth through community development,” he says. The church develops people in six ways: education, financial literacy, workforce development, housing, recreation, and the church. To learn more about The STAR Church, visit www.beatme2thestar.net.

-Melissa Armstrong

October 27, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

Healthy Living

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Most of us have heard this scripture. We usually relate it to our faith. We want to raise our children up to have a relationship with Jesus and to follow him. This becomes our goal and call as a parent.

Today I want to build upon that great foundation by communicating the importance of training up our children not only to know Jesus, but to serve him unhindered by stewarding the very body we have been given by God. The fact is, we can desire to be used by God in this lifetime and to do all that He has called us to, but if we don’t steward our bodies, we may not be able to physically sustain the call He has on our life. It doesn’t matter how much we desire to serve God and others if we wake up every day tired, in pain, and with various sicknesses. Many times, this causes us to default to focusing on ourselves rather than others. Our body is a vehicle given to us by God in this lifetime to accomplish everything he has for us. Are we stewarding that vehicle in a way where we can get maximum use and longevity?

We ponder this question with our adult clients as we seek to structure their health plan in a way that will help them have full focus and freedom on serving God. But it is very rare that our children experience this type of education in school. They are taught random facts about the body and how to play various sports. But they are rarely taught to think rightly about health and how it can impact others. They are taught how to pass a test instead of how to apply what they are learning to sustain health in any season of life. As parents how are we intentionally training up our children not only to follow Jesus, but to sustain that walk throughout our whole life? Are we being the example they need of what it looks like to be good stewards of the body we have been given?

These are a few questions I invite you to consider. If you don’t fully understand how that’s ok, we can help each other. We have curriculum based on helping you as parents equip your kids to build a biblical foundation in their health that makes health fun for students. We are here to support you any way we can. Check the F.O.R.M. Curriculum out on our website. God can use YOU to help train the next generation up in the way they should go!

–Ashton Tate

Founder of Glory to Glory Fitness in Nashville TN, and the creator of The F.O.R.M. Curriculum, a turn-key and biblically based health curriculum for schools and homeschool families.

October 27, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

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Parenting Points

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate and remember. We are given a national holiday focused on thanks, yet sometimes, it is easy for us in our lives to celebrate our blessings without remembering the Source.

In Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar falls into the trap of forgetting the Source. As he looks around and sees all the blessings God has provided him, he comments, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30 ESV). In the very next moment, Nebuchadnezzar hears a voice from heaven saying that God will remove the kingdom from him and cause him to lose his mind. Nebuchadnezzar had forgotten the Source. It cost him his kingdom and his life as he knew it.

During our Thanksgiving holiday, it is easy for us and our families to get so busy that we also fall into the trap of forgetting the source. Though we may not be as bold as Nebuchadnezzar to say it out loud, we can easily think that the food on the table is the result of our hard work at the office. Amid our wealth, we can miss our need and utter dependency on God as our Source. Throughout the Psalms, we read prayers of thanks to God for His provision. In Psalm 9:1 ESV, David writes, “I will give thanks to God with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” One of the many ways to thank God is to remember all He has done as the source of all good in our lives. Psalm 136:1 ESV reads, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” His goodness is all around us, yet we never slow down to notice and remember the Source.

This Thanksgiving, how will your family take time to remember the Source? What are some of the countless ways God has blessed you and your family? Where do you see the goodness of God? Maybe, this Thanksgiving dinner could begin with a time of praise for the Source rather than simply diving into another great meal.

-Dr. Ben Birdsong

Missions Minister at Christ Church Birmingham

Writer and Speaker

www.benbirdsong.com

October 27, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

Special Feature

Brought to you by: Community Partner COMPACT, www.compact2020.com

Being a law enforcement officer isn’t simply a job for Detective Kenny Lowery; it’s a calling. Recently recognized as Detective of the Year for the Helena Police Department, he has served in law enforcement for 23 years- five years with the City of Birmingham and 19 years with Helena.

Most of Detective Lowery’s time with the City of Helena has been spent serving as a School Resource Officer (SRO) at Helena area schools including Helena Intermediate School and Helena Middle School. “During my SRO time, I was mentoring kids, building relationships between law enforcement and the students, and getting to know the families in the community,” Detective Lowery says, adding that he loved being an SRO. His children joke that he is a celebrity in Helena because he knows so many families in the community.

In November 2021, Detective Lowery continued as a member of the Helena force but transitioned to a new role with Compact 2020. He explains that Chief Brad Flynn of the Helena Police Department approached him telling him of an open position with Compact. “It was a tough decision for me because I loved what I was doing at the school and the relationship with the administration,” Detective Lowery says. After learning about the position at Compact, he realized that the new position would be very similar to his job as an SRO. “The only difference was I wouldn’t be at just one school, I would go to multiple schools in Shelby County and expand the relationships I’ve made throughout the county,” he explains. When he looked at the new position in this light, he felt it was the right move.

Compact is a prevention, intervention, and education group. “We are a group of detectives and officers from different agencies in Shelby County with the goal to educate kids about things that may affect them negatively in life,” Detective Lowery says, adding, “examples include drugs, alcohol, and mental health.” By raising awareness of risk factors and providing intervention for any child and their family who needs support, Compact seeks to offer resources for families in Shelby County. Compact also goes into area schools and educates students on the effects of vaping, social media, and more. To learn more about Compact, visit www.compact2020.com.

-Melissa Armstrong

December 8, 2022October 27, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

bigstock Christmas gift boxes laid out 210459529

Publisher’s Note

Happy Thanksgiving & Merry Christmas to You- Our Readers! As we celebrate the season, all of us at Birmingham Christian Family wanted to do something special for readers like you who read and spread Good News with your family and friends each month- either sharing a print issue or reading and sharing one of our articles on-line. So, get ready to enjoy our Jingle All the Way Reader Giveaways!

The fun starts on Friday, November 18 with 4 Weeks of Great Give-A-Ways all valued at $250 or more!

Week 1 Family Four Pack of Tickets to Cirque Dreams Holidaze, BJCC, December 9-10, www.cirquedreams.com. Starts on Friday November 18. To be entered for a chance to receive the Family 4 Pack, LIKE and SHARE the giveaway post on Birmingham Christian Family‘s Facebook, @BirminghamChristianFamily and TAG 3 friends in the comments. WINNER will be announced on the Giveaway Post November 25, 2022. So be sure to LIKE our Facebook page.

Week 2 Artist Daniel A. Moore’s new pencil drawing portrait of Coach Nick Saban, framed limited edition, www.danielmooreart.com. Starts on Friday November 25. To be entered for a chance to receive the framed portrait, LIKE and SHARE the giveaway post on Birmingham Christian Family‘s Facebook, @BirminghamChristianFamily and TAG 3 friends in the comments. WINNER will be announced on the Giveaway Post Friday December 2, 2022. So be sure to LIKE our Facebook page.

Week 3 Luxurious Filson Wool Blanket from Mark’s Outdoors Vestavia, www.marksoutdoors.com. Starts on Friday December 2. To be entered for a chance to receive the Filson blanket, LIKE and COMMENT on the Giveaway Post on Birmingham Christian Family’s Instagram, @cfpbirmingham. Be sure to follow our account. Post to your story on Instagram for an extra entry. WINNER will be announced on the Giveaway Post Friday December 9, 2022. So be sure to LIKE our Instagram page.

Week 4 $250 Trak Shak Gift Card to use at any area Track Shak, www.trakshak.com. Starts on Friday December 9. To be entered for a chance to win the $250 gift card, LIKE and COMMENT on the Giveaway Post on Birmingham Christian Family’s Instagram, @cfpbirmingham and be following our account. Post to your story on Instagram for an extra entry. If your account is private, message us a screenshot of your story for the extra entry. WINNER will be announced on the Giveaway Post Friday December 16, 2022. So be sure to LIKE our Instagram page.

WINNERS for each giveaway will be announced EVERY FRIDAY morning on the Giveaway Post- November 25, December 2, 9, and 16, 2022. So be sure to LIKE our pages on Facebook and Instagram.

A NEW GIVEAWAY begins EVERY FRIDAY afternoon- November 25, December 2, 9, and 16, 2022.

A BIG THANK YOU to our advertising partners who make the gift giving possible and most importantly help us share the gift of our Savior Jesus Christ with readers and followers every day of the year!

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

-Laurie Stroud Franklin

Founder, The Christian Family Publication, Inc.

www.BirminghamChristian.com

Facebook: Birmingham Christian Family

Twitter: @cfpBirmingham

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LinkedIn: Birmingham Christian Family

Celebrating 22 Years of Good News!

October 27, 2022October 27, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

Special Feature

For 40 years, Christmas Village Festival has been a staple shopping experience for the city of Birmingham and beyond.

It all started in 1982. Lisa Fullilove’s father, Wayne Dees, was in direct mail marketing and wanted to diversify. “He got with his silent partner and came up with something new. They traveled around the southern states to get vendors and produced the show,” Fullilove says. In the first few years, they would have a variety of live entertainment to draw more vendors and shoppers to the show. “That’s how they built the business,” she explains.

Special Feature Celebrating 40 Years Christmas Village Lisa Fallilove with volunteers in green shirts — Lisa Fullilove has worked the Christmas Village Festival since she was a teenager. She is seen here (left) with volunteers who make the event a success each year.

Fullilove has fond memories of growing up around the show. “I grew up selling tickets, taking tickets, decorating and all of the fun things,” Fullilove says. Christmas Village Festival has always been at the BJCC but has expanded over the years. “It used to only be in the north and south hall of the BJCC but now we take up the whole exhibition space,” she adds. She remembers the early years of the show being somewhat chaotic but each year became more organized. “We are now known for the organization of the show. That’s why vendors come back year after year.” The show started with roughly 200 vendor booths and now has 750 booths! Seeing Christmas Village Festival grow each year fills Fullilove with a sense of pride for what her father began 40 years ago. “He was a wonderful person,” she says.

Special Feature Christmas Village 40 years manger scene — For 40 years Christmas Village Festival has been helping visitors celebrate the season and complete their Christmas shopping.

One common misconception about Christmas Village Festival is that everything is Christmas related. “It’s not all Christmas items. We have gift items and personal items like food vendors, pottery, jewelry, art and more,” Fullilove says, adding that shoppers can expect to see new vendors this year including inflatable chairs for the beach.

Christmas Village Festival will be at the BJCC on November 3-5 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and November 6 from Noon- 5 p.m. “Stop by and get all of your shopping done in one place,” Fullilove says. To learn more, visit www.christmasvillagefestival.com or call 205-836-7173.

-Melissa Armstrong

October 27, 2022October 27, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

Mission Makers

Daniel Cason Ministries reaches out to the homeless, the helpless, the hurting, the hungry and the hopeless with the love and compassion of the Savior. The week leading up to Thanksgiving 2022, free groceries will be distributed to those living in the poorest communities of Birmingham. Last year with your help we served families in 10 communities. This year our goal is 20 communities! The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the ministry will also distribute hot meals, groceries and clothing all day at the ministry center, located at the corner of Graymont Avenue and 7th Street North (538 7th Street North,35203).

Daniel Cason Food Drive — Daniel Cason is seen here with canned goods donated last year by Briarwood Church to be given out to families in the poorest communities of Birmingham. If your organization would like to host a food drive for this year’s event, call 205-365-1800.

To make this happen we need at least 100 organizations to donate canned and dried food. We also need many volunteers to help us deliver help to these families. Would you consider telling your “group” about this event and help us feed our brothers and sisters for Thanksgiving? You can help by hosting a food drive or cooking pans of food for hot meals to serve on November 22 at Daniel Cason Ministries, 538 7th Street North, Birmingham. Call 205-365-1800 for more details and to sign up.

Throughout the year, Daniel Cason Ministries provide those in need in our community with:

Thanksgiving Outreach: Groceries, Clothing, School Supplies, Toiletries
K.I.D.S. – Kids in Divine Service Music & Arts Training
K.A.S.P. – Kids After School Program
Our Daily Bread hot meals to those in need
Bread of Life Feeding & Clothing
GED Preparation Classes

It’s easy to donate & keep track of your contributions! The Daniel Cason ministry has an administrative system with the National Christian Foundation to help more efficiently process your donations and provide the tax receipts you de- sire and need. To sponsor one of our programs:

- Make check payable to National Christian Foundation
- Mail to- National Christian Foundation/Alabama 400 Office Park Drive, Suite 201, Birmingham, AL 35223
- In Memo Section of Check Write: K.I.D.S./Daniel Cason KIDS Ministry #1171757

Remember, people really don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care! One person can’t do everything, but everyone can do something. Please help us!

— Rev. & Mrs. Daniel M. Cason, Daniel Cason Ministries

October 26, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

bigstock A Child Girl Hugs A Military F 453584699

Legal Matters

Brought to you by: Community Partner Holliman & Holliman, www.hollimanlegal.com

Have you seen U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in the news recently? On August 10, 2022, President Biden signed the PACT Act of 2022 or its full name, The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. This law made sweeping new changes to help Veterans and others get the benefits they deserve.

Let’s compare what benefits were available and to whom prior to this law and what benefits are now available and who is eligible for them related to Camp Lejeune. Between specific dates in 1953-1987, hundreds of thousands of people at Camp Lejeune drank and bathed in the water including Veterans, their families, workers, and service people. Prior to the PACT Act and beginning as late as 2017, if you were a Veteran, a Reservist, or a Guardsman with an illness that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) considered to be a “presumptive illness,” you only had to prove you had the disease and you were at Camp Lejeune in the required time period. In other words, normally a “connection” or “nexus” between your injury or illness and your military service is required, but with the PACT Act, the VA automatically assumes the connection.

After your claim’s evaluation, you were awarded a disability rating between 0% and 100%. If you had other illnesses or injuries, these could be combined to get a higher rating. For example, if you retired from the military and were awarded a 40% rating, you could receive your retirement pay and service-connected disability benefits at the same time. One needs to achieve or be awarded a 50% rating to get both retirement pay and service-connected disability benefits at the same time. With proper application and proof, family members of service members with one of these presumptive illnesses could receive health benefits, too.

Enter the Pact Act of 2022. This act provides the ability to sue the federal government for the suffering and loss associated with exposure to these toxic chemicals in the water at Camp Lejeune. As a Veteran, you may very well have both avenues open- a service-connected claim and a lawsuit- even if you were previously denied a service-connection for this type of claim. It’s extremely important that you carefully research for an attorney with the right expertise to help you with these claims.

-John R. Holliman, JD

Partner at Holliman & Holliman, PLLC

www.hollimanlegal.com

205-663-0281

No representation is made that the quality of the legal service to be performed is greater than the quality of service performed by other lawyers.

October 26, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

Special Feature

Are you looking for a new children’s book that points readers to God’s Word? Birmingham author Laura Martin recently published her first children’s book with a Biblical emphasis. The concept of this book is unique to the Christian market, so she hopes it will bless many Christian families. It provides a means of clean entertainment with a purpose. The intention of the series is to help children learn a Bible verse but not to just be quickly forgotten. The goal of Scripture memorization should be birthed in the cry of the believers’ heart to say, “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119: 11)

Years ago, Martin noticed that her young children would memorize verses for their homeschool requirements and quickly forget them. With a desire that her grandchildren would not fall into this same trap, she published this first book after the Lord dropped the idea for a whole series into her heart. Throughout the books in this series, readers will learn a complete verse in small portions ending with a memorized verse practiced over and over throughout their reading experience. There is also an attached page to explain the verse in context, meant to give the children and their parents, grandparents, or teachers a way to help them see the purpose of this verse and its’ application for their lives.

Here is a glimpse into the story line. “Six-year-old Kanani needs to learn a Bible verse to earn a star for her Bible Club. Kanani’s mom decides to help her spunky little girl and son, Chad, learn their verses. Through a series of hide-and-seek games, the children find different parts of the verse and succeed in memorizing what they need for Kanani’s award. This book series follows Kanani and Chad through their lives and around the world with the Navy faither and clever mother as they seek to lean new Scriptures on their family adventures.”

Learn more about Martin and Hide-and-Seek Scriptures Book 1: The Bailey Family Goes to the Beach at www.lauramartinkidsbooks.com. †

October 26, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

Best Books

One night long ago, near a small village called Bethlehem, a group of shepherds was guarding a flock of sheep. Shepherding was a job held only by those on the margins of society. Shepherds were usually poor, uneducated, and devoid of any sense of respectability. They were a band of nobodies simply trying to survive. Then the unimaginable happened. A terrifying angel. Tidings of great joy. Skies filled by angelic heralds of a Messiah. God scanned the world and chose a raggedy band of poor shepherds to welcome the birth of His Son.

Making Room in Advent (InterVarsity Press) by Bette Dickinson is a beautifully written and illustrated Advent devotional that celebrates the people and events of the birth of Jesus. The devotion involving the shepherds is just one example of Dickinson’s emphasis on how the story of Jesus, from the very beginning, reveals God’s orientation toward the outcast, the poor, and the seemingly insignificant. From the Annunciation to Jesus’ childhood trip to the Temple, the author selects twenty-five stories that lead us to a greater appreciation for the wonder of Christ’s birth. Each devotion includes an original work of art, a reading with scripture, a question for reflection, and a prayer.

Christmas can be a frantic and busy time of the year. We all feel the pull of distraction from the meaning of Christmas. Making Room in Advent is a wonderful resource designed to help us focus and reflect on the story of Jesus’ birth and what it means for us today. In a sense, are we not all shepherds? Are we not all of humble estate – unworthy recipients of God’s attention and grace? This Christmas, may we do what those poor shepherds did on that dark night long ago. May we, with wonder and humility, bow before the Messiah and worship.

-Darrel Holcombe, Owner
Sanctuary Christian Books and Gifts
Colonial Promenade, Alabaster
www.sanctuarychristianbooksandgifts.com
205-663-2370

A Legacy of Faith at The STAR Church

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