Let’s Stay in Touch!

July 27, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Publisher’s Note

While many of us right now may be unable to connect in person, we can still touch the lives of others with God’s love.

Pray Together– Some of my most valued prayers have been said with close friends or family by text, prayed through an email, or spoken over the phone. Consider texting, calling or emailing a friend or family member and letting them know you are praying for them and their family. Ask about any specific ways you can pray for them.

Tell Someone You Care– We might not be able to speak to each other “up close” and “personal” right now but we can impact someone right now with a phone call, a text, an encouraging email or a card. I love the “lasting” words contained in a card or letter- giving me the opportunity to read it again and again and be encouraged.

Read & Share Good News- What about sending that senior adult in your life that’s isolated at home an uplifting book to read? Follow it up with a “Book Club” over the phone review! And we all certainly need some Good News- so consider sharing with your friends and family through your social media a Good News article from a recent issue of Birmingham Christian Family– available 24/7 at www.birminghamchristian.com.

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring Good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation.” Isaiah 52:7

Friends, let’s get out and do some walking in the Word and sharing it with others any way we can!

Do you have a Good News story to share? Tell us about it! Visit www.birminghamchristian.com/contact to share your story with us! Can’t wait to learn how God is at work in your life!

-Laurie Stroud Franklin

Founder, The Christian Family Publication, Inc.

www.BirminghamChristian.com

Facebook: Birmingham Christian Family

Twitter: @cfpBirmingham

Instagram: @cfpbirmingham

LinkedIn: Birmingham Christian Family

Celebrating 20 Years of Good News!

“Look to the Lord & His Strength, Seek His face always.” 1 Chronicles 16:11 (Holman Standard)

July 23, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

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Special Feature

Night of Mercy Graphic — Experience a powerful night of worship, testimony, live Q&A, and more! Click here to register for Night of Mercy.

Now, more than ever, the world desperately needs God’s mercy. On July 30, Catholify and ARISE Worship Ministry Birmingham are hosting “A Night of Mercy,” beginning at 6 p.m. CDT. It will be livestreamed from Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Homewood and will include inspiring talks, a live Q&A, beautiful music, prayer, testimony, and more.

Gather with people from all over the world, from churches and homes, to pray, proclaim, adore and plead for Christ’s abundant mercy upon the world. Unite in a moment of worldwide adoration and intercession, reminding everyone of the need to repent of their sins and turn back to God with their whole hearts!

In addition to The Chosen, Jonathan Roumie has appeared in several shows including NCIS Los Angeles and Chicago Med.

Featured speakers and prayer leaders include actor Jonathan Roumie, currently most recognizable for his moving portrayal of Jesus in the VidAngel television series The Chosen. Roumie says, “The greater the serving of mercy and compassion we pour out for each other, the more we identify with our God who will no doubt lavish His mercy upon us! The Night of Mercy presents us with a beautiful opportunity to truly offer up our prayers for God‘s mercy on behalf of each other and the world.” Also hear a message from Father Chris Alar from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and composer and recording artist Danielle Rose will lead worship.

It’s easy and free to participate. Visit www.mercynight.com to learn more! †

August 13, 2020July 20, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Mission Makers

Golfers and Clay Shooters – how would you like to take your game to the next level? What’s better than crushing a long drive or vaporizing a clay target? The answer is… being able to crush that drive or bust that clay to help Sav-A-Life Shelby save babies and minister to young women facing crisis pregnancy situations!

Group of Clay Shooters — Enjoy a great day outdoors at the highly acclaimed Pursell Farms in Sylacauga while supporting the important work of Sav-A-Life Shelby, www.savalifeshelby.org.

Sav-A-Life Shelby is located in Pelham and brings the life-changing power of the Gospel to not just women facing crisis pregnancies, but also to their friends, boyfriends and family members who are all affected. Since the opening of its doors in 1985, thousands of lives have been saved through Sav-A-Life Shelby. In the words of TIME magazine, pregnancy centers are the “kind, calm, nonjudgmental” face of the pro-life movement. The Pregnancy Resource Center of Sav-A-Life Shelby offers help and hope through compassionate care and support. The Center provides free and confidential pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, abortion information, parenting classes, and material assistance are just some of the many services offered to empower women and men to make a life-affirming decision.

If you’re interested in bringing an eternal impact to your golf or sporting clays game, Sav-A-Life Shelby enthusiastically invites you to be part of this year’s Target Zero Sporting Clays and Golf Invitational at Pursell Farms in Sylacauga. Come out on October 17 for a morning shoot and afternoon golf event to raise needed funds for this special ministry. Participants raise funds through personal sponsors prior to the shoot (like a walkathon). To register and set up your personal fundraising page visit www.shelbyclays.org. For more information, contact David Anchors at 205-746-5740.

July 23, 2020July 8, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Healthy Living

Bradford Health Services opened its doors over 40 years ago. Since then, they have become one of the Southeast’s largest providers of alcohol and addiction treatment. The decades of success have not stopped them from continuing their effort to find new ways to walk the road to recovery.

Bradford introduced its new Christ centered recovery program called Steps of Faith in June. As the only clinically focused faith based program in Alabama, Steps of Faith aims to offer a new beginning for people with an interest in faith-based recovery. The program is built on three pillars of recovery:

1. Biblical, Christ Centered Application

2. Clinical Integrity through Licensed Christian Counselors

3. A 12 Step Model

Located in Warrior, Ala. at the Limestone Ridge Facility, the Steps of Faith program uses these core values to help people build a connection with God as they learn how to recover from addiction. Pastor David Padgett C.R.C., who has worked in the field of recovery for over a decade, will run the program. “Here at Steps of Faith, we have a passion for walking alongside those very early in the recovery process and helping them understand that God’s not mad at you, as a matter of fact, He’s never been more ready to have a relationship with you,” said Pastor Padgett. With Steps of Faith, you can build a relationship with God as you take the path to recovery.

The program is not associated with any specific church or denomination and accepts people of all walks of Christianity that are 19 years or older. Some of the clinical and pastoral services provided include:

Group and Individual Counseling
Weekly Family Sessions
Weekly One-on-One Pastoral Care Sessions
Weekly Biblical 12 Step Recovery Teaching

To learn more about this program and the team involved go to bradfordhealth.com/steps-of-faith or call 888-577-0012. †

July 1, 2020June 29, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

In Response to Pandemic, Christian Non-Profit Sees 31% Increase in Grants Over Same Timeframe Last Year

Thousands of givers at the National Christian Foundation (NCF) are stepping up during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing assistance when churches and charities need it the most. In March and April alone, givers mobilized more than $196 million in grants from their NCF Giving Funds (donor-advised funds), and critical resources went to efforts like disaster relief, providing for the homeless and the hungry, medical research, and local churches across the country.

NCF’s grants were up $50 million—a 31% increase—compared to the same timeframe last year.

“Givers at the National Christian Foundation responded immediately in the face of crisis, creatively finding ways to make an impact through their resources during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said NCF’s Chief Operating Officer, Diane Morone. “We’re blessed to serve some of the most generous people in the world and help them make a strategic, timely difference for the causes they care about most.”

In March and April alone, more than 46,000 grants were distributed to a variety of organizations. Assistance included:

$17.1 million in grants to humanitarian aid and disaster relief (400% increase over
March/April 2019)
More than $650,000 raised for smaller churches in need due to COVID-19, as part of the Churches Helping Churches initiative
$42.5 million to churches nationwide (a 62% increase)
$4 million to organizations providing food and basic human necessities, including 400
food banks nationwide
A 239% increase in grants to medical research

About National Christian Foundation

Headquartered in Atlanta, the National Christian Foundation (NCF) helps Christians simplify their giving and multiply their impact with tax-smart tools and strategies. With 30 local offices around the country, NCF has received over $15 billion in contributions from generous givers and granted over $12 billion to more than 63,000 charities since 1982.

FOR LOCAL CONTACT:

National Christian Foundation Alabama

Jim Bradford

205.380.6305 or [email protected]

ncfgiving.com/Alabama

June 25, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Photo Fun

More than 115 frayed and faded United States flags and one United States Marine Corps flag were recently properly retired thanks to the patriotism of two groups at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church. Members of the Monsignor Frank J. Wade Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus Assembly joined forces with Boy Scout Troop 237 to conduct a retirement ceremony for worn flags. For six hours on June 13 at the church Knights collected tattered flags from the public and had replacement flags available for purchase. The evening ceremony began with the Pledge of Allegiance and a presentation by the assembly’s Faithful Navigator Rick Lange and the scouts. Later, the flags were placed into fire as onlookers watched. The preferred way to retire U. S. flags is cutting and burning them. Flags cannot be buried or discarded. †

June 25, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Photo Fun

Prince of Peace (POP) Catholic Church in Hoover recently presented Bradley Murai with the 2020 Caitlin Sweeney-McDaniel Award for Faith in Action. This award honors a graduating high school senior within the parish who exemplifies their Catholic faith in action, serves their community, and is a well-rounded student. The award was established 16 years ago in memory of Prince of Peace Catholic School student Caitlin Sweeney by her parents, Joe and Cindy Sweeney. Joe Sweeney, along with POP’s pastor Father John Fallon, were at the May 22, 2020 ceremony to present the $500 award and a commemorative snow globe to Bradley, who is a graduate of Hoover High. His name will be added to the plaque that hangs outside the POP School library which lists all winners since the award’s inception. Bradley will attend Jefferson State Community College in the fall. †

July 6, 2020June 25, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Photo Fun

The community is rallying to support local businesses. Check out the #Shop Shelby County T-Shirt movement! The Shelby County Chamber in partnership with Turner Promotions, Brownstone Marketing Solutions, 58 INC have come together to support businesses throughout Shelby County. Visit www.roguegarments.com and click on the #ShopShelbyCounty tab to purchase a “#ShopShelbyCounty” t-shirt($25 each). $15 from each shirt sold goes directly to support businesses in Shelby County, Ala. †

June 25, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Special Feature

The winner of our 2020 Favorite Summer Spot/Activity Reader Survey is Camp Sumatanga! Tiger-Rock Martial Arts and Riverview Camp for Girls were close runner ups. Thank you to each reader who completed the survey! Congratulations to Bethany G. from Alabaster for winning a $75 Gift Card to The Trak Shak!

Readers’ Choice Winner Camp Sumatanga’s mission is to create an environment dedicated to Christian transformation! Located in Gallant, Ala., there are several camp options for all ages! Day Camps and Classic Elementary Camps provide the perfect way for your child to be engaged in the outdoors with a variety of activities including swimming and hiking. Spark Elementary Camp allows kids to have a hand in designing what their camp experience will be. Campers select an affinity for their week of camp. Affinities include art innovations, camp splash, trailblazers, sports or sampler. Classic Mid High Camps give youth an opportunity to personally engage in God’s word as they transition from hearing to actively listening and discussing their faith with peers. And Classic Senior High Camps offer a week of spiritual formation and leadership through creative worship, intentional fellowship, and outdoor adventures. Learn more at www.sumatanga.org.

Readers’ Choice Runner Ups.

Enjoy the outdoor beauty waiting at Aldridge Gardens, Hoover! With walking trails and beautiful views, the gardens are a great place to spend time outdoors. The grounds are open daily from 8 a.m.- 7 p.m. To learn more, visit www.aldridgegardens.com.

Tiger-Rock Martial Arts has five convenient locations in the Birmingham area. All locations are offering online and in-person training. Tiger-Rock skills and life-lessons give children the tools to build confidence and focus, helping them to rise up and conquer future challenges. Visit www.tigerrockmartialarts.com to find more information.

June 25, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Mission Makers

The WellHouse, a local ministry serving victims of human trafficking, will soon be able to help children. The Housing Affordability Trust recently awarded The WellHouse with full funding for the construction of a Home for Trafficked Minors. It will be the first in Alabama and one of only 40 known programs in the nation.

Advancement Director at The WellHouse, Chapple Watkins explains that the need is great. “When we rescue a child, right now there is no immediate placement for them, and we have to find an out-of-state program to transport them immediately, which creates logistical challenges.” With the Home for Trafficked Minors, the WellHouse team will have immediate emergency placement and can offer a long-term care program. Construction is expected to begin in August and operational in early 2021. “Our main prayer is for the victims to find stability, learn they are loved, seen, known, and cared about, and to help them grow into young adults with a bright future, free from the grip of trafficking,” says Watkin adding the main goals for the new Home for Trafficked Minors are to “provide safety and stability for the child, and to work with them through their trauma to find a place of healing…Our overarching goal is for every woman and child to know Christ as their Savior and Redeemer.”

Mission Makers WellHouse Building — Since opening in 2010, The WellHouse has served over 500 victims of human trafficking. The ministry provides residential, therapeutic programs and emotional care.

There are several ways to help The WellHouse ministry including financial support for ongoing operational needs and volunteering. Watkins stresses that the number one need is prayer. “We need every WellHouse child to be covered in your prayers. Pray for our team and all of our current residents, for total restoration and a full and complete life in Jesus.” Learn more at www.the-wellhouse.org.

-Melissa Armstrong

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