Charity Reaches Out To Ukraine Orphans For Christmas
A U.S.-based Christian charity is ramping up its efforts to bring hope to more than 60,000 children and orphans across Ukraine, Russia and the former Soviet Union this Christmas — 10,000 more children than last year. The huge-scale, church-led Immanuel’s Child outreach supported by Illinois-based Slavic Gospel Association (SGA, www.sga.org) gives local churches the opportunity to help thousands of children and their parents suffering from poverty and war and facing the ominous threat of a brutal winter.
This Christmas, it’s even more vital to bring hope to thousands of children and orphans caught in a humanitarian catastrophe. It’s estimated 7.5 million people, many of them children, have been displaced within Ukraine’s borders, and as many as 5 million refugees are hunkering down in neighboring Poland.
Immanuel’s Child’s local church network is part of one of the most important aid distribution efforts in the former Soviet Union and war-torn Ukraine. Since the Ukraine conflict began, local churches supported by SGA — an organization that’s been serving evangelical churches in the former Soviet Union for almost 90 years — have supplied meals to more than 7 million people.
For more information, visit www.sga.org.
Mr. T Preaches At His Home Church For First Time
Mr. T, whose real name is Laurence Tureaud, preached a message of faith at his home church, Cosmopolitan Community Church in Chicago, Illinois. He shared a message called ‘Doubting Thomas,’ which focused on the Scripture passage John 20:24-25. During the sermon, he noted that Christians, like Thomas, can sometimes doubt the Lord.
“Let me set the record straight right here, Thomas was not the only disciple that doubt. As a matter of fact, many of you are doubting Jesus right now,” Mr. T told the congregation. “Thomas did not doubt Jesus. Thomas doubted the disciples who was telling him about Jesus because Thomas knew the disciples were not credible witnesses.”
Mr. T described his opportunity to preach at his home church for the first time as “a great honor and awesome responsibility.” While he admitted that he was nervous while preparing to preach, he also shared that he let the Holy Spirit guide him.
For more information, visit https://twitter.com/mrt.
He Didn’t “Stop Believin’”: Journey’s Jonathan Cain Reveals God Inspired His Most Famous Songs
Singer and songwriter Jonathan Cain of the band Journey recently revealed that he credits the title of the hit song “Don’t Stop Believin’” to his father. But it wasn’t until later in his life that Cain realized God was the true inspiration behind his life’s work.
Cain is best known for co-writing “Don’t Stop Believin’,” as well as “Faithfully,” “Open Arms” and “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).” Cain leads worship at his church and is married to Paula White, senior pastor of City of Destiny Church in Apopka.
When he was in third grade, Cain survived a fire in a Catholic school that took the lives of 92 of his classmates and three nuns. Feeling lost, Cain’s father put him in music school, believing his son was “saved for something greater.”
Cain was devastated when his father passed away at the age of 63.
“I always wrote for him,” he said.
But in the midst of his loss, God revealed something to the musician.
“And then God, His voice came to me. I sat weeping at that piano, [and God] said, ‘No, Jon, it’s been me,’” Cain said.
Cain now sees the lyrics in songs such as “Faithfully” and “Open Arms” through new eyes as God revealing His love to him.
“It opened my eyes to the transcendence of a father reaching down to his son,” he said.
For more information, visit www.jonathancain.org.
Episcopal Priest’s Jeopardy! Streak Yields $78K And Some Subtle Evangelism
Answer: This Episcopal priest is now a Jeopardy! champion with winnings of $78,098.
Question: Who is the Rev. David Sibley?
Rev. Sibley, the rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Walla Walla, Washington, lived out a childhood dream, did some outreach on behalf of the church, and — above all — just had fun.
Rev. Sibley initially didn’t wear a clerical collar, wanting to play not as a priest but just another contestant. However, he soon realized that simply by virtue of being introduced as a priest before each game, his priesthood had become part of the show. In a separate Twitter thread, he also shared that he would be tithing 10 percent of his winnings to his parish, explaining what that meant and why he was doing it.
“There was a clear ministry opportunity that emerged as the week went on that I wasn’t expecting,” he said. For more information, visit www.stpaulsww.org.
