POWER 4 LIFE BROADCAST SCHEDULE WMAR TV 2
6:30am Sundays
state of maryland
THE WORD NETWORK
10:30pm Sundays
national
Streamingfaith.com
7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am Sundays & 7:30pm Tuesdays
international
Power Radio.com
12noon and 6pm Daily
international
SERVICE TIMES Worship Service
7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am Every Sunday
Teen Temple
11:15am Every 2nd & 4th Sunday
Sunday School
After 7:30am Service every Sunday at the Forum
Children’s Church
11:15am Every Sunday
Tuesday Bible Study
7:30pm
Men’s Bible Study
9am 1st Saturday
Women’s Bible Study
10:15am 1st Saturday
Marriage Bible Study
11:30am 1st Saturday
Discipleship Building Class
9am -10:15am 3rd Saturday
Leadership Development
10:15am -11:15am 3rd Saturday
Empowermenttemple.org
Every Service Live
ORDER OF WORSHIP Doxology Opening Hymn Litany Prayer Praise & Worship Pastoral Remarks & Visitor Recognition Offering Sermonic Selection Sermon Invitation Offering Announcements Benediction
Echoes of Empowerment Magazine Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant Publisher & CEO Candance L. Greene Editor-in-Chief
R e g u l a r C o n t rib u t o rs
Jan Austin Education & Political Contributor J.T. Watson Financial, Political & Environmental Contributor
G u e s t C o n t rib u t o rs
Sheri Booker Deborah Owens
C O P Y E D I TO R S
Harbinger Communications Diane Gardner-Young
speak black man A Letter from the CEO & Publisher Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant A Japanese proverb says, “The best room in the house is the room for improvement.” The Lord has blessed us in the past 10 years to do phenomenal things. By far, no one can argue with how great Empowerment Academy is, how cutting-edge our websites are, how impactful our music ministry is, how empowering our television broadcast has become, how vocal we have been on social issues, and how miraculously our church has grown…but, I contend, there is room for improvement. Jim Collins’s book From Good to Great says that the enemy of great is good. People tend to become so comfortable in goodness that they forget greatness is an option. We cannot afford to settle for a good church. We must strive to become a great church, and there’s a lot of room for improvement.
P h o t o gr a phy
Barry Davis Franklin Fitzgerald Rachel Eliza Griffiths Stanley Marrow Lisa Wilkinson
a r t dir e c t i o n
Kerry DeBruce for KLAD Creative www.kladcreative.com Attention Postmaster: Echoes of Empowerment Magazine is an Empowerment Temple AME Church publication, which is a non-profit organization. To receive a copy of writer’s guidelines, contact Echoes of Empowerment at writeforechoes@empowermenttemple.org. Send comments and Letters to the Editor to Echoes of Empowerment Magazine, 1505 Eutaw Place, Baltimore, MD., 21217, or via email at echoes@empowermenttemple.org. Echoes of Empowerment Magazine is a quarterly publication © 2010 by Empowerment Temple AME Church. All rights reserved. All articles, except those identified as having their own authors, are property of Echoes of Empowerment Magazine and cannot be reproduced without written permission.
We are transforming our Sanctuary into a big room for improvement. My prayer is that every man becomes involved in a ministry, that our young people acquire a zeal for Christ in church, that our Seniors feel connected and that the community knows we impact more than traffic. The standard for our move to excellence is the Women’s Season. Just as women were the first to seek Christ at the tomb, Empowerment Temple’s women are looking to see revolution through ministry. Everything planned has been consecrated. Our room for improvement is so large that it won’t be filled until you get involved. As we move to become a better church, I’m striving to become a better pastor. Teamwork makes the dream work. Together we can, divided we won’t. Amazed by His grace,
Pastor Jamal-Harrison Bryant SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
03
contributors Sheri J. Booker is a writer, poet, spoken word artist, photographer, and teacher. She is the author of the poetry book, One Woman, One Hustle (Book Her 2003). She is currently writing a memoir, Nine Years Under (Gotham 2010), based on her nine-year experience in the funeral business. She has traveled the U.S. reciting and performing her poetry.
Barry Davis currently serves as Media Coordinator/Director at Empowerment Temple Church, and as the lead photographer for ECHOES of Empowerment Magazine.
Franklin Fitzgerald is a graduate of Hampton University. He served eight years in the Marine Corps Reserve. After graduation, he worked in news as an associate editor, producer and television news photographer. His is the founder of Clear View Digital Media, LLC and is happily married.
Rachel Eliza Griffiths is a photographer, painter and poet. A recipient of numerous fellowships, her work has been widely published in journals and newspapers including The New York Times. She lives in New York. Her work can be found at www.rachelelizagriffiths.com.
Stan Marrow is the original photographer for Empowerment Temple Church. Thanks to him, we have actual photographs of everything from the first service at the Baltimore Grand to the historic service at Camden Yards.
Deborah Owens is a wealth coach on My Generation TV, which airs nationally on PBS. She is also host and executive producer of Wealthy Lifestyle Radio. She has toured the country sharing her expertise with Bishop T.D. Jakes God’s Leading Ladies, and the Department of Defense. Her book A Purse of Her Own: An Easy Guide to Financial Security is available through her website www.deborahowens.com and at booksellers nationwide.
Lisa Wilkinson is the owner of Cool Pics by Lisa and also a registered nurse at Johns Hopkins. She also provides financial counseling to families and individuals. Lisa has been a member of ET for 6 years and part of the PR team and a member of WAR.
04
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
Cover Story with some of 08 Reminiscing Empowerment Temple’s founding members
Features
11 Where Are They Now? 14 10 Years in Pictures Poised, Prayerful and Powerful: 17 Women’s Season 2010 A Purse of Her Own: 20 Financial Advice from Deborah Owens
In Every Issue
02 Order of Worship/Broadcast Schedule/Service Times Black Man!: A Letter from CEO & Publisher, 03 Speak, Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant
06 Litany 10 Selah 24 ET Remix 26 The Buzz
litany
06
Leader
I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Ghost power. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ! I won’t look back…let up…slow down… back up…or be still!
people
My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living and dwarfed goals!
Leader
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity! I do not have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on the Lord, run with patience, lift by prayer and labor by Holy Ghost power.
people
My face is set. My goal is heaven. My road is narrow. My way is rough. My companions are few, my guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.
Leader
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
people
I WON’T GIVE UP…SHUT UP…LET UP…until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, worked up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go ‘til He comes, give ‘til I drop, teach ‘til all know and work ‘til he stops me. And when Jesus comes, He will have no problems recognizing me because He’ll remember, I was the one He gave POWER!
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
A decade ago, a young pastor and his 43 comrades of faith joined hands in prayer before opening the doors to their church to receive a new congregation hungry for the Word. That April morning in 2000 marked the birth
10 YEARS
of Empowerment Temple AME Church, and launched the ministry of one of the most
EMPOWERING
dynamic and innovative preachers in the nation, Pastor and Founder Rev. Dr. Jamal-
THE WORLD
Harrison Bryant. Since those humble beginnings, Empowerment Temple Church has become one of the most recognized ministries in the country. ECHOES wanted to celebrate Empowerment Temple’s 10 Year history in a unique way. We gathered some of the original members together to reminisce about the church’s not-so-humble beginnings (Read more on Page 8). ECHOES also found other members who moved on to pursue their passion, but left their indelible mark on the ministry (page 11). Finally, we offer you 10 years of Empowerment Temple history in pictures (page 14). So, sit back and take a trip down memory lane with us as we celebrate a decade of Empowering the World Through the Word! From L to R: Mike Britton, Amini Williams, Stan Marrow, Tracey Smith, Sheri Booker, Joe Greene
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
07
10 YEARS
Back Down
EMPOWERING
THE WORLD
T
ales of Empowerment Temple’s inaugural service are legendary—citizens from around the City waiting in long lines to get inside the Baltimore Grand, filling the makeshift sanctuary and overflow room beyond capacity to hear a word from God. Inside, the “Original 43”, were just as excited to see what God was going to do. For months, they had been planning and preparing not only for that Easter morning service, but for the launch of their church. Even without a church home, they knew Empowerment Temple was destined for greatness. Pastor Bryant, who had recently resigned from the NAACP as the organization’s National Director of the Youth and College Division to pastor Empowerment Temple, wanted to gather his new congregation from a different place, and made it a point not pull from other church’s pulpits, but to “fish” from the pool of the city’s unchurched population. So, they formed street teams that traveled around Baltimore with GOT POWER? fliers inviting everyone to the service. “We were at concerts, went to Mondawmin, Lexington Market, North Avenue letting people know about that first service,” says Sheri Booker, one of the youngest of the 43. That Easter Sunday at the Baltimore Grand, when 75 people joined the church, everyone realized that their grassroots efforts were successful. Weeks after the initial service, Empowerment Temple membership outgrew the Baltimore Grand and were persuaded, by the management, to find a new home. In August 2000, four months after the inaugural service, they relocated to Coppin State College where they began to realize how much of an impact they were making in the city. “We started seeing familiar faces at our bible studies and church services,” says Tracey Smith, who was part of Pastor Bryant’s original Sunday staff. “That’s when it began to sink in that we were gaining momentum.” Though they were still without a permanent home, word about Empowerment Temple spread outside of Baltimore, and notable preachers, psalmists and singers began to pour in for worship. “Rev. Al Sharpton, Marvin Sapp, Angie Stone came,” reflects Joe Greene, Pastor Bryant’s original armor bearer and the first Church Sexton. “We had no home, but they came anyway and were astounded by what
08
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
Memory Lane A Conversation with members of the “Original 43”
they saw.” What they saw was a very young church that was eons ahead of its time. “We had a television broadcast, several billboard and bus wrap media blitzs, T-shirts galore, and of course Pastor Bryant in the pulpit,” says Amini Williams, former Trustee and Pastor Bryant’s current Executive Assistant. Soon, Pastor and the 43 realized they were going to have to find a larger place of worship that would allow the church to conduct weekly services and administrative and ministry meetings. In mid-2002, Empowerment Temple and its 1,500 members moved and met at the high school. By then, the church had attracted many talented members who were willing to pool their resources together to help the church and achieve three goals—found and start a charter school, acquire an administrative office and find a permanent home. “By the end of 2003, we had Empowerment Academy up and running, moved our administrative offices to the Family Life Center, and were two steps closer to acquiring our church home,” says Mike Britton, Chair of the Steward Board. In 2004, after years of searching and months of community opposition, Empowerment Temple moved to Primrose. For the Original 43, the move, and Primrose’s inaugural service symbolized something they knew all those years ago at the Baltimore Grand, that Empowerment Temple Church was destined to be one of the greatest churches in the nation, and that their blood, sweat and tears helped build its foundation. “That service culminated four years of hard work,” says Sheri Booker, “we were finally in our own home, and in it, we would be able to do even more for the body of Christ.” In the six years since moving into the Primrose location, Empowerment Temple has done just that. From the Give Love Give Food Thanksgiving Day Campaign that has fed over 1,000 people since its inception, to our community outreach efforts and our international broadcast that feeds thousands of people via television and the internet, Empowerment Temple is accomplishing the goal Pastor Bryant set out for it to accomplish: to Empower the World Through the Word.
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
09
A Tribute to
Reverend
Felicia
Faye Long 1976 - 2003
Selah (sé-lah) “To pause and reflect” on the Word of God
She… She was a whole lot of woman Handcrafted by the potter Molded and made from clay Dipped in Godfearingness In salvation, she was glazed And sprayed with His nectar He gave her a voice that commanded Excellency A tongue that spoke prophetically, A futuristic vision intertwined with the spirit With a touch of old time religion Where there should have been a heart was the covenant She was a whole lot of heaven Loaned to the earth until she fulfilled her assignment Bringing the gift, his word, to Shekinah and Empowerment Mother to many, though she never bore seed Qualities of an angel Shielding them with her wings She was a whole lot of blessing A replica of virtuosity As fayethful as a mustard seed Completed her mission far too soon. -by Sheri Booker Friend, Mentee and Executive Assistant to Rev. Felicia Faye Long
10
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
WH
EY NOW TH
A RE E R E
?
Sheri Booker Pastor Russell St. Bernard Rev. Myiesha Cherry Lorna Hanley They are the unsung heroes and heroines who joined Empowerment Temple and got to work. Members whose blood, sweat and tears can still be felt in the walls of the Ministry, and whose fingerprints are still embedded on the parts of the Ministry they helped to build. Though ECHOES could not find all of these important members—Mildred Bradshaw, Rev. Rodderick Merrick, Myra Queen, Edwin Pridgen, Abram Outlaw, Jay and Carla Young to name a few—we were able to connect with four trailblazers who continue to empower everyone they encounter.
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
11
WHERE IS
WHERE IS
Remember the “Got Power” signs that were on all of the buses and billboards around Baltimore City in the spring of 2000? Well, Lorna Hanley is the brainchild behind that and all of Empowerment Temple’s original marketing campaigns. One of the “Original 43,” Lorna was also the church’s first Public Relations Director and Editor-in-Chief of ECHOES of Empowerment Magazine. “What I remember most is the urgency of the entire mission and vision of the church. We all understood where [Empowerment Temple] was headed, and that it was going to be what it is today.”
Poet and writer Sheri Booker was a high school senior when she became one of the “Original 43.” As a member, she served as an Ambassador, volunteered in the Pastor’s office with then Pastor’s Assistant Carla Young, Youth Coordinator, then Assistant Pastor Rev. Felicia Faye Long’s Executive Assistant and Steward. After the church moved from the Baltimore Grand to Coppin State University, she wrote a poem entitled “Endangered Black Man.” Pastor Bryant persuaded her to recite it during service. That recitation not only sparked her own career as a spoken word artist, it also launched Liberating Yourselves Rhythmically In Christ (L.Y.R.I.C.), Empowerment Temple’s ministry for poets and writers.
Lorna Hanley
At the same time that Lorna Hanley was helping to build Empowerment Temple, she was also teaching, serving eight years as an English teacher at Walbrook High School, and then obtaining a Masters of Arts Degree with a concentration in Administration and Supervision. Soon after, Hanley was accepted into the highly competitive New Leaders for New Schools Program. In 2008, Dr. Andres Alonso appointed her principal of the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, an all-girls charter school for young women in grades 6-12. Doors to the school opened in the fall of 2009. “I truly feel I am doing my life’s work. I wake up every day and run to work because I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. I know I’m on track with God’s plan for my life.” Learn more about Lorna Hanley and the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women at www.blsyw.com.
12
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
Sheri Booker
Since her first spoken word performance at the church, L.Y.R.I.C.’s founder has published her own book of poetry, lived and worked in South Africa for a year, obtained a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction Writing, received a book deal to pen her memoir Nine Years Under, and is currently working as an Adjunct Professor at BCCC. When asked about how Empowerment Temple has influenced her, Sheri Booker says, “the Church gave me the foundation I needed to excel anywhere, to actually empower the world through the word.” Learn more about Sheri Booker and her upcoming performances and readings at www.sheribooker.com.
WHERE IS
WHERE IS
Myisha Cherry
Russell St. Bernard
Rev. Myisha Cherry is a modern day Renaissance woman. Baltimore City Paper’s 2005 Best Preacher Poet, is a minister, published writer, performance poet, guitarist, blogger and professor of Creative Writing, African American Philosophy, Christian Theology, Social Philosophy, Ethics, World Religion and the Philosophy of Religion. She came to Empowerment Temple while still an undergrad at Morgan State University. As a member, she served on the Ministerial Staff, led L.Y.R.I.C., was appointed Media Director, and was a regular poetic contributor on Empowerment Temple’s Saturday night ABC broadcast Grace At Night.
Most of Empowerment Temple’s youth remember Pastor Russell “Russ” St. Bernard. He joined Empowerment Temple at Walbrook, but wanted do nothing but soak in the word. Assistant Pastor Felicia Faye Long thought otherwise and encouraged him to operate in his gift. Initially, he served as a Trustee, then transitioned to the Youth Ministry serving as a mentor, bible study instructor to the young men, and then Assistant Youth Pastor turned Head Youth Pastor upon Min. Jeff Johnson’s departure. Soon after becoming a minister, he began to preach the Gospel to youth at Empowerment Temple and around the country.
Rev.
In 2006, after preaching her last sermon, I Go Broke If I Have To, Rev. Cherry followed her heart and relocated to New York City to “be in the center of all things creative.” Now, as a Brooklynite, she makes a living as a professor at York College of the City University of New York and The Fortune Society in Long Island, NY. She is also a successful poet, writer, performer, and budding musician. Rev. Cherry has a blog called getsick.net, which serves as an umbrella for all of her creative gifts. Rev. Myisha Cherry says she learned about the importance of excellence, to be comfortable with who she is in ministry, to appreciate her creative gifts, and “the idea that she can accomplish anything” from the six years she spent at Empowerment Temple Church.
Pastor
In 2007, Pastor Russ was offered a youth pastoral position at The Fountain Church in Florida. While there with his wife, former Trustee Erica St. Bernard, he helped to build the church’s youth department, and he also began to write and lecture on methods to help other youth pastors build a successful youth ministry. In early 2010, God moved Pastor Russ and his wife again as he recently accepted the assignment as Youth Pastor at Reid Temple AME Church in Southern Maryland. Pastor Russell St. Bernard says he learned about limitlessness from Empowerment Temple. “There are no limits to what God can do and where you can go” if only you believe.
To find out more about Rev. Cherry, read her blog at
Read Pastor Russell St. Bernard’s blog at
http://getsick.net, or follow her on Twitter.
http://thehopedealer.net and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
13
1 Years of Inspiring Themes
2OOO The Birth of Empowerment 2OO1 The Year to Empower Everyone 2OO2 From Coppin to the Cathedral 2OO3 From Coppin to the Cathedral 2OO4 The Year of Open Doors in Favor, 2OO5 Overflowing Faith & Finances
2OO6 Supernatural Success 2OO7 Its Gotta Happen 2OO8 Demonstrate & Dominate 2OO9 It’s Our Time 2O1O 10x Better 14
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
15
STATISTICAL HIGHLIGHTS 10 TIMES BETTER April 2009 - March 2010
Conversions
801
Accessions
1,403
Baptisms
116
Total Membership
8,759
Total Funds Raised
$ 4,874,159
Treasury Balance
$ 255,396
Scholarships & Internships
$ 46,925
Give Love, Give Food
over 1,000 families fed
Haiti Relief Fund
$ 20,000
Empowerment Academy*
16
leadership conference with president barack obama
5 students attended
Registered Voters
3,610
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
* Empowerment Academy’s First Graduating Class in June 2010
women’s
Season
2010
5 Star Women Doing It 10x Better: Poised, Prayerful and Powerful. That is the theme for this year’s Women’s Season, and ECHOES wants to share with you some empowered women who have dared to fly. First, learn about what the Women About Results (WAR) Ministry has in store for Women’s Month (page 18). Next, learn about our other ministries for young girls and women, D.I.V.A.S. and the Cecelia Williams Bryant Missionary Society (page 19). Then, wealth coach Deborah Owens will share financial advice tailor-made for women (page 20). Finally, ECHOES will introduce you to one of our members who is empowering parents and youth (page 22).
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
17
Women’s Month 2009
W ar ----------------------------
Poised, Prayerful & Powerful: W.A.R. on a Mission for God
Events
MAY 08
MOVE’s 3rd Annual Free Car Wash (For Ladies Only)
09
Mother’s Day Power Sunday Power to End Stroke
15
Power Heart Walk Druid Hill Park 8am-12noon
MOVE’s 3rd Annual Ladies Night Out Family Life Center Spa Pampering 3pm-6pm Dinner & Entertainment 6:30pm-9:30pm
22
WAR & DIVAS Conference
23
Women’s Day: Poised, Praying, Powerful
18
Women About Results (W.A.R.) is a ministry for every woman who is a member of Empowerment Temple Church and is committed to spiritual growth, community building and health awareness. The ministry, led by Sis. Vanessa Jackson, has created a legacy of shedding the light on health and wellness, as well as community involvement in Baltimore City and County. In addition, WAR works diligently to collaborate with other ministries within the church to accomplish their initiatives. W.A.R. is ready to celebrate Women’s Season 2010 with purpose and power. This year, they have teamed up with the American Heart Association to focus on Heart Health. The Women’s Month health initiative launches on Sunday, May 9th. Dubbed “Power Sunday,” W.A.R. and our congregation, with the help of the American Heart Associa-
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
tion, will make the pledge to be more heart healthy. W.A.R.’s health initiative continues on Saturday, May 15th with the Heart & Sole Power Walk from 8am-12pm at Druid Hill Park. Olympic Gold Medalist Jackie JoynerKersee will join W.A.R. for this event. Saturday, May 22nd, W.A.R. and D.I.V.A.S. will team up for a Women’s/ Teen’s Conference, while on Sunday, May 23rd, W.A.R. will celebrate Women’s Day here at Empowerment Temple Church with special guest speakers Dr. Rita Womack and Rev. Joanne Browning. Women’s Month 2010 is going to be a wonderful time where Empowerment Temple women will be poised, prayerful and powerful in the Lord! For more information about the WAR Ministry and Women’s Month events, contact war@empowermenttemple.org.
The Cecelia Williams Bryant Missionary Society The Cecelia Williams Bryant Missionary Society is on the move. The ministry was founded to provide opportunities and resources to meet the changing needs and concerns of people throughout the church, the community and the world. The Missionaries are sharing the gospel throughout Baltimore mainly through their partnership with the Druid Heights Transitional Housing Project, where they provide clothing, mentorship and spread the gospel to women living in the facility. Through their annual Pauline Lucas Williams Scholarship Fund, they Missionaries raise money and provide school tuition and uniforms for girls living in orphanages in Swaziland, South Africa. Email missionaries@empowermenttemple.org to learn more about the Cecelia Williams Bryant Missionary Society.
D.I.V.A.S. Daughters of Integrity, Vision, Affirmation and Spirituality (D.I.V.A.S.) is Empowerment Temple’s ministry exclusively for young girls. The ministry was created not to foster a “diva” mentality, but to help young girls understand that they were created for a Godly purpose. Moneira Hawkins, dedicated Empowerment Temple member and ministry leader for D.I.V.A.S., wants the ministry to help our girls “live, walk and speak God’s word, and to be assured in who and whose they are.” For more information about D.I.V.A.S. or to volunteer to be part of the D.I.V.A.S. Ministry team, email divas@empowermenttemple.org.
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
19
A Purse of Your Own Deborah Owens
Dedra, a recent visitor to my website, shared her financial frustration in an email: “I was employed and had a wonderful 401k plan which I didn’t take full advantage of. Now my mother is sick and I know what I need to do. Hopefully it’s not too late.” Dedra felt she had plenty of time to invest in a retirement plan. Unfortunately, for far too many women, this scenario is becoming the rule and not the exception. It’s time to flip the script and make your financial present and future a priority.
20’s and 30’s Just out of college and starting your career is the time to avoid financial pitfalls—credit card debt and financing your graduate degree. Banks court upwardly mobile professionals in the same manner that a beau courts his future bride----happily ever after. Rule of thumb: if you can’t pay cash or write a check for the balance every month, then you can’t afford it. You do the math. Pay the minimum amount on a five thousand dollar credit card balance and your final payment with interest will accrue to more than three times your original amount. Let your employer finance your graduate degree even if it means a lower salary. Tuition reimbursement can pay dividends well into the future.
30’s and 40’s Making the choice between career and family can be challenging. You must continue to contribute to a retirement plan whether you are working for an employer or not. Take advantage of spousal IRA’s which allow a non-working spouse to contribute up to $4,000 per year. If your spouse is contributing to a 401k, you need to allocate an automatic monthly contribution into the family budget.
40’s and 50’s The kids are headed to college and if you haven’t been able to save or establish a prepaid tuition program then it’s time to apply for Federal Student Aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov . If it’s a choice between paying for college or funding your retirement, you must choose your financial future. You can’t take a loan out for retirement, and there’s nothing wrong with kids working their way through college. A four- year, fullyfunded college education is not a birthright.
50 Plus It’s time to put the pedal to the metal. Most retirement plans allow you to contribute retirement catch-up amounts if you are over the age of fifty. Employer plans like 401k’s allow you to contribute an additional five or twenty thousand dollars annually. You can also invest an additional thousand to five thousand dollars annually in a Roth or traditional IRA account. It’s never too late, but time is of the essence at this stage in your life. A little selfishness is in order.
The statistics for women and retirement can be downright depressing if you allow yourself to fall victim to so called typical outcomes----a widow taking care of elderly parents with your grown child living at home. Every woman needs a purse of her own. No exceptions. No excuses.
20
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
Member Spotlight
Lisa Calicchia Baltimore City Public School educator, and Empowerment Temple member, Lisa Calicchia had seen it all—from students who were inspired by their parents who were involved in every aspect of their lives, to those who lost their way because their parent’s involvement was non-existent. Calicchia began to see a pattern with the students whose parents were not involved. They all wondered why they should care about school if their parent’s didn’t. In response to the frustration she felt, Calicchia wrote I Want to Teach Not Raise Your Child. “I wrote it because I was angry, hurt and disappointed with how heavyburdened and angry our students were when they came to school.” So, God gave to her the vision to journal everything that happened in her classroom and then to transform that journal into a book. “My book reflects any class, in any school, in any city across the nation. Every colleague I talked to felt the same way I did.” It is her prayer that parents will read this book and see how their actions, good or bad, affect their children. Calicchia also hopes the book will inspire parents who are not as involved in their children’s educational journey to make the necessary changes toward being a more a positive influence in their children’s lives, even if that means being mature enough to “apologize for wrong choices” they have made over the years. To learn more about Lisa Calicchia and her book, I Want to Teach Not Raise Your Child, or to find out how to purchase the book, visit http://lisacalicchia.com.
22
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
et remix
january 1
2
3
4
5
1. Empowerment celebrates Dr. Jamal H.
Braynt Road name change
2. Olympic Gold Medalist Jackie Joyner
Kersey helped us kick off our monthlong health initiative
3. Pastor Bryant and Bishop Sarah Davis,
Bishop to Haiti. ET donated 20,000 to the Haitian Relief Fund
4. Pastor signs copies of his book
World War Me: How to Win the War I Lost
5. Voices of Empowerment rocking
february 1
2
the House of God on New Years Eve
1. Bishop Montegue speaking to
the congregation
2. Singer Chrisette Michele celebrated Black History Month at Empowerment Temple
24
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
march 1
2
1. Ministry leaders were recognized for their
stewardship at the Outstanding Leadership Luncheon
2. Youth Ministry launched Teen Friday Nights
in March
april 1
2
1. Beyond Words Mime Ministry performs
on Resurrection Sunday
2. Bishop Veron Ashe leads service during
Holy Week
3. Pastor and clergy during Live taping of
3
4
the 7 Last Words on The Word Network
4. Pastor preaching Window Seat in
support of Erykah Badu
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
25
the buzz
2 O 1 O
Make our 10th Year 10x better by pressing your way to these upcoming events!
MAy 8TH MOVE’s 3rd Annual Free Car Wash (For Ladies Only)
23RD Women’s Day: Poised, Praying, Powerful
30TH Barefoot Sunday
9 Power Sunday TH
30TH - September 6 Summer Sermon Series
Power to End Strokes
Summer of Signs and Wonders: 333 Miracles
15TH Power Heart Walk Druid Hill Park 8am-12noon
22
JUNE
ND
WAR & DIVAS Conference
in the
20TH Father’s Day
next issue
Look for this issue of ECHOES of Empowerment Magazine to hit your email box Summer 2010!
ECHOES shines the light on our YOUTH: New Leadership, New Perspectives and New Youth Initiatives
Why You Should Wait?: A Fresh Perspective on Abstinence with Dr. Lindsay Marsh
ECHOES celebrates Empowerment Temple Marriages
26
SPRING 2010 | ECHOES of Empowerment
Are you looking for ECHOES between issues? Look no further. Follow us on
Facebook and Twitter.