From the news release: LifeWay Christian Resources and Student Life, Inc., minister to more than 100,000 teenagers each year as two of the largest providers of Christian student conferences. On Aug. 15, Student Life officially became part of the LifeWay family of resources. Leaders of both ministries emphasized that while their camp experiences are programmatically different, each ministry is committed to seeing the lives of students transformed by Jesus and His Word. “LifeWay and Student Life share a passion for serving the church and helping the next generation grow in their devotion to Christ and commitment to reach the world for Him,” explained Ben Trueblood, LifeWay’s director of student ministries. “That passion for young people makes this relationship possible and beneficial to the Kingdom.” Student Life, based in Birmingham, Ala., has provided Christian summer camps and conferences for kids and youth since 1993. Because of the unique differences and emphases of each organization’s camp offerings and locations, leaders do not expect significant changes will be necessary in programming or locations. Click here to read the full announcement at Lifeway.com
Ron Paul’s estimate of Paul Ryan’s budget plan
While senator Rand Paul gave a less than enthusiastic “thumbs up” to Mitt Romney’s pick of Paul Ryan for his vice-president, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul of Texas made little small talk as to how he feels about a budget that is nearly as expensive as president Obama’s.
Seminary students carrying huge amounts of student debt after graduation
The Association of Religion Data archives is reporting that seminarians own a huge slice of the $1 trillion student debt pie. The Center for the Study of Theological Education at Auburn Theological Seminary has found graduating seminarians who have $70,000 to $80,000 in debt “no longer unusual.”
Dear presidential candidates:
Dear presidential candidates: Barack Obama, the Democratic incumbent, Mitt Romney, presumptive Republican nominee, and Gary Johnson, Libertarian presidential candidate. It is my hope this will make its way to your campaigns and eyes. One of you will occupy again or anew the oval office after the November election soon forthcoming. It does not take an off-the-charts IQ to recognize we have problems in the U.S. Heck, it does not even require an on the charts IQ to see it. Many of these issues are related to our seeming inability to stop spending more than we make. This has proven true on personal, corporate and government levels. This has been and will continue to be the focus of discussion, debate and disagreement going forward. Of this we are all aware. Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden blame Bush and warn of Romney. Mr. Romney and Mr. Ryan blame Obama and warn of four more years. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Gray claim there is little difference between the other two. For these accusations we are all prepared. In the wake of lingering military actions, both overt and covert, out of control spending by an argumentative and infantile congress, incessant finger pointing, name calling and slandering of people, misrepresentation of ideas, and general lack of civility, I fear a few things may be overlooked. Things that are of the utmost importance to many of the people you lead.
Five years into the Great Recession plenty of economic rumblings remain
Those who never lived through the Great Depression scarce want to imagine how much worse it was than the Great Recession we are currently enduring. With each economic indicator we hope to see upticks in production, manufacturing, GDP and the rest of the measures indicating health, while a fall in unemployment would also be welcome news. The Federal Reserve reported in June the median net worth for American families fell nearly 40% from 2007-2010. Recently Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, International business editor of The Telegraph (U.K.) penned a column entitled, “
‘The Most Hated Family In America,’ parts 4-6 [VIDEO]
Below are the next installments of Louis Theroux’ documentary, The Most Hated Family in America. If it does not auto start at 4:10, you might want to skip to that point to avoid overlap. WARNING: There is graphic swearing in sections as well as horrible language toward other people including homosexual persons, Jews, military persons, and others. There are also disturbing images and situations.
‘The Most Hated Family In America,’ documentary on the Westboro cult [VIDEO]
To bring this recent series on the Westboro cult to a close, I wanted to point your attention to a BBC documentary entitled The Most Hated Family in America. In 2007 British documentary film maker Louis Theroux traveled to Topeka, Kansas to spend time with the family of Westoro cult founder, Fred Phelps. Theroux allows nearly all of the primaries–including Fred Phelps himself–do the talking for themselves. His subtlety plays as dimwittedness at times, and the family members cannot help but talk to him. Shirley Phelps-Roper, daughter of Fred and most active member of Westboro, plainly says the Westboro cult does not exist to reach people for Christ. She also denies they are a cult. That alone should be exhibit number one that it is. Also featured is a man who came to Westboro for the purpose of filming a documentary only to join the cult himself.
The Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit, Pranitha Timothy
From Gary Haugen’s intro: St. Patrick was kidnapped and sold into slavery. He escaped, returned home where he found Christ. He returned to the “barbaric” Ireland to take the gospel where he had been enslaved. His efforts resulted in the “God does his miracles of transformation through the lives of transformed people.” Gary Haugen Pranitha Timothy leads people out of slavery. She has led more than 50 rescue attempts–4,000 men, women and children–who she knows by name. They once lived in brutal slavery but now live in freedom. She walks with them through years of restoration. When she leaves for a rescue operation there is not guarantee she will survive. “My friend, colleague and most humble hero.” Pranitha Timothy, Director of Aftercare, IJM, Chennai, India “Courage to Act” The restoration of people is not easy. Isaiah 42:1-7 spoke to her in chapel. “In faithfulness he will bring forth justice.” She is a brain tumor survivor. The tumor caused her to lose strength in her side, a lessened ability to swallow, and lost her voice. After two years God gave me this voice, feeble and yet powerful in his hands. [Her voice is very quiet and raspy.] The greatest miracle is not that God have me my voice, but that God changed my life. “In my hatred, my life became very dark. In my life I became aware that the only way to overcome the darkness was to embrace Jesus Christ whom I had rejected.” This calling is my response to the freedom I have in Christ. No matter what your sphere of influence, I think God wants you to hear this. 1. We are called to serve. I’m no hero. I’m simply called to serve a God who is already at work. Over and over I have talked to slaves who cried out to a God they did not even know his name and God sent our team in response. 2. This life belongs to God. My life is God’s and my strength is His. My husband, children and parents are safer in God’s hands than in mine. 3. I have learned the radical truth that God is good. There are many stories that ended good and it would be easy to tell you only of those stories. Men and women who were once slaves who are now elected community leaders. We trust that God is totally good, even when what we see in the world is painful. We are full of hope. If you ever have a chance to hear Pranitha Timothy, do it. She is a living example of God demonstrating His strength through weakness.”
Have you ever been in a blog comment thread like this? [VIDEO]
Forget about Godwin’s Law for a moment. There are a ton of blogs and news sites where comments degenerate about as quickly as “Publish” is hit by the editor. Well before either “Nazi” or “Hitler” are invoked disagreement and shouting abound, often like flinging darts into the darkness. No one is listening to the various points while most everyone is responding to what they “think” is being said. Maybe without argument (*cough) the Monty Python clip below is as brilliantly written and performed piece as ever seen in its medium. It’s the famous “Argument Clinic” with John Clinic and Michael Palin. Enjoy!
The Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit, Patrick Lencioni
Patrick Lencioni is as good as it gets on leadership and organizational effectiveness. My notes reflect his typically incomplete speaking style and the fact his slides were not always on screen long enough to copy the information. “People need to be reminded more than they need to be instructed.” Samuel Johnson Lencioni is an ENFP on the Myer’s Briggs scale. The things that Southwest Airlines does to make it successful are things other organizations seem to think are beneath them. Organizational Health is the most important competitive advantage a company can have.