River Region Christians - March 2022

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Volume 23, Issue 11

Feature Articles

MARCH 2 0 2 2 Columns

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Publisher’s Note

Faith @ Work: Jeff Baker

Jason Watson

We were inspired by our interview with Jeff Baker, Certified Sales Consultant with Jack Ingram Mercedes-Benz. Jeff shares an open and honest testimony of how he has been changed by Christ in recent years, once he finally stopped pretending and decided to surrender his life completely to his Creator.

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Pastor's Perspective Fr. Andrew Rowell, Christchurch Montgomery

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Moments with Kym Kym Klass

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page 10

The Intersection

The Sometimes Forgotten Qualities of True Friendship

Bob Crittenden

page 20

Women Arising Pastor Kemi Searcy

by Scott Sauls Sauls explains how encouragement and correction are both important pieces to having an authentic friendship.

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Counselor’s Corner Sam Belkofer, LPC

page 28

Dave $ays

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Local Ministry Spotlight:

Beauty by Fire Ministries, Inc.

by Kym Klass A “beautiful” ministry is loving and assisting widows right here in the River Region.

Beauty by Fire Ministries is a group of women committed to caring for widows in their time of distress and ministering to individuals through a “Comfort and Prayer Package” in their times of grieving, sickness, and need. They also coordinate various activities such as the River Region Prayer Walk as opportunities for corporate prayer and worship in and for the community, state, and nation.

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Dave Ramsey

In Every Issue page 6

Books to Read page 8

Faith @ Work page 26

Support Groups March 2022

River Region Christians

Our Mission...

We believe the Good News concerning the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is worth sharing with our friends and neighbors in the River Region. Each month we deliver this life-changing message to the centers of activity across our community in a user-friendly and relevant way to empower and equip all those seeking to grow closer to God. Join us in this mission by sharing a copy with your neighbor or by becoming an advertising partner starting next month.

Editor DeAnne Watson deanne@readjourneymagazine.com

Publisher

Jason Watson jason@readjourneymagazine.com

Research Editor Wendy McCollum

Contributing Writers Sam Belkofer Tim Challies Bob Crittenden Kym Klass Dave Ramsey Fr. Andrew Rowell Scott Sauls Kemi Searcy

Advertising Opportunities Jason Watson ads@readjourneymagazine.com (334) 213-7940 ext 702

Digital Manager Scott Davis

From the Publisher New Things Are Coming!

Do you remember a few weeks ago when we got up to about 80 degrees? The sun was out, and the sky was powder blue. I bought a Jeep this year and that was my first chance to take the doors and top off, so you better believe I took advantage of it!

With a bigger view around me, I could see the signs of spring. Buds were breaking on the tall trees overhead and showing a faint green glow across their branches. I love those new signs of life that come in spring. I live out east where our planted trees are still young, so I love to take a ride through Dalraida and Forest Hills to see the azaleas and dogwoods blooming.

Signs of life refresh our spirits because they remind us that no matter how low we find ourselves there’s hope and a better future available. A friend of mine recently shared he’s celebrating his 11th year of sobriety. What a great celebration that must be each year, as he remembers where he once was and the ongoing change of being fulfilled today by something true and lasting. Yes, life can get real ugly and lonely, but there’s hope because of Christ and the new life He offers us all.

The Bible is full of stories of messy lives because the point of the story is that WE ALL need a Savior and Jesus is He. Another friend sent me a list of famous Bible characters and their flaws. Here are a few you may know: Noah was a drunk, Jacob was a liar, Sampson was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, David had an affair and was a murderer, Jonah ran from God, Peter denied Christ, the Disciples fell asleep while praying, the Samaritan woman was divorced, Paul was too religious, Lazarus was dead.

Go ahead and add your name and sins to the list, and I’ll add mine too.

But don’t be discouraged because Jesus offers us a new life in Him. A redeemed life. One that doesn’t just save us from punishment, but sets us on a new course of growth and peace as we walk in His good ways.

Look around you. Things are coming to life. Are you?

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River Region Christians is published monthly by Keep Sharing, P.O. Box 230367, Montgomery, AL 36123.

For information, call 334-213-7940. River Region Christians is copyrighted 2022 by KeepSharing. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

The opinions expressed in River Region Christians are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the owners, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. River Region Christians has the right to refuse any content that is not consistent with its statement of faith.

River Region Christians

March 2022

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March 2022

River Region Christians

Pastor’s Perspective

by Fr. Andrew Rowell, Christchurch Montgomery

Choosing to Grow Scripture doesn’t tell us much about Jesus’s early years. For the most part, God’s Word summarizes the thirty years between Jesus’s birth and His baptism in Luke 2:52, where we learn that Jesus “grew in the knowledge and stature of the Lord.” Not many words, but they are profound, aren’t they? For isn’t that what we all long for – that our children and grandchildren will grow to know, love, and serve the Lord? Isn’t that also what we hope for for ourselves – that we will constantly grow in the knowledge and stature of the Lord throughout our lives?

If you are reading this and have been baptized into Christ, then you have been sealed and marked as Christ’s own forever. (If you haven’t, please reach out to me or another minister of the Gospel – we’d love to see you redeemed by Jesus!). If you are baptized, you are no longer your own person, left to figure out the meaning of life or forced to fabricate your own self-identity.

Rather, you are God’s holy possession. You have been given meaning and purpose as a son or daughter of the King. Your identity is in Christ. You are royalty, filled with the Holy Spirit and unleashed for ministry in the world. The same is true for your baptized children. But since that day of baptism, have we and our children been growing in the knowledge and love of the Lord like our Savior in Whose footsteps we are to follow? Or have been trying to find meaning or identity in our careers, our favorite sports teams, our vacation plans, or our GPAs, rather than in Jesus?

A friend of mine is an adjunct professor at one of the premier Christians River Region Christians

March 2022

schools in America. He has been shocked by how little his students know about Scripture, or theology, or even what it means to seek after Truth. While almost all of his students were catechized when they were eleven or twelve years old, for most of them their development as Christians stopped at that point. After they were taught the core truths of the Gospel, they went through huge developmental stages - puberty and high school and the pressures of applying to college. But either the church or their family or, more likely, both, failed to keep giving them deeper drinks of the water of life as they matured. And so they arrive as freshmen having been re-catechized by the world, full of all sorts of beliefs contrary to the teachings of the Church. Most believe there is no Truth; that life is about creating their own identities; that their sexuality and their genders are fluid; and that each person is just the product of the intersection of one’s unique experiences and genetics, rather than that each person is a man or a woman created for good purposes by a Good God. My friends, may it not be so for us or for our children. In Isaiah 42, we are reminded that the Lord, Who created the heavens and gives breath and spirit to those who walk the earth has called you and me and our children to walk in righteousness. He invites us to share in the ministry of His Son, to be His light in the world. How overwhelming, that God would bring His peace, grace, and justice to the world through you and your children!

What a privilege, more than any career or sporting endeavor or academic effort or 4

deb ball. May we cling to this high calling as royal children and do all that we can do to let His Spirit have His way with us, that we might grow in knowledge and stature at every moment of our lives.

But this means that we have to choose to grow, for God will not force it on us. I was a youth minister for the first five years of my life as a priest. And nothing made me sadder than when I would urge a parent to encourage their children to engage with the things of God and they would reply, “Oh, I don’t want to force them to come to church or Sunday School or Wednesday nights! I’m afraid they’ll learn to hate it!” And I would always reply, “Do you make them go to school?” And they would stammer out something about the law and the importance of getting into a good college. And I would gently remind them that what one’s parents think is important is what children will grow up to think is important.

There is nothing in this world more important for us than growing in the knowledge and stature of God. That is the reason for which we were created.

May we never be ashamed to confess our faith in Christ, to fight bravely under His banner, and to continue as his faithful servants to the end of our days.

Fr. Andrew Rowell is delighted to be the second Rector of Christchurch Montgomery. He has a passion for preaching and teaching God’s Word and for sending the church out into the world to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

Fr. Andrew is married to Miriam “Mimi” Suber Rowell, who is a Critical Care Registered Nurse.

Andrew and Mimi have two sons, Stephen Ebenezer (Eben) and Ezekiel McConnell (Zeke).

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Each Sunday at 9:30am in person & online

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Shrove Tuesday + March 1 + 5:30pm Ash Wednesday + March 2 + 12:00pm & 6:00pm Lenten Evensong + March 6 + 6:30pm

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March 2022

River Region Christians

You’re Only Human

50 Ethical Questions

by Kelly Kapic

by J. Alan Branch

You know as well as I do that you are a finite being. Yet you know as well as I do that at times you fight against your finitude, you battle against your inevitable limits and boundaries as if they are a problem to be overcome or even a sin to be repented of. Yet what if your limits are not a bug but a feature of your humanity? What if these limitations are God’s gift and, therefore, good and worthy of embrace? These are the kinds of questions Kelly Kapic wants you to consider through his new book You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why

These are confusing times, aren’t they? These are confusing times for those who wish to live according to God’s Word and unto God’s glory. There is a host of questions we need to wrestle with, a host of ethical dilemmas we need to consider.

Is abortion permissible? Is it permissible in cases of rape or incest? Is it permissible when a child has been diagnosed in utero with a developmental disability like Down syndrome? What about with a fatal condition like anencephaly? Or what about in cases when there is an ectopic pregnancy?

Is it okay for Christians to sign advance directives that would decline potentially life-saving medical treatment? Is it ever permissible to decline or to halt life support? Can a Christian who has a terminal condition and is in excruciating pain choose to hasten death through physician-assisted suicide?

Such dilemmas are the subject of J. Alan Branch’s new book 50 Ethical Questions: Biblical Wisdom for Confusing Times. Each of the 50 questions receives a brief treatment of about four pages—not enough to answer it thoroughly, but enough to provide an overview of the issues and a reasonably solid answer. In each case he briefly defines the issue, suggests the relevant biblical ethical principles, and then offers a suggested moral stance. “This book is written for the Christian who attends church, loves the Lord, and believes the Bible,” he says. “I hope my discussion of these topics will give sincere followers of Christ a good starting point when thinking through very important issues.” And so this is not a survey of ethics as much as a basic guide to current quandaries.

I can see 50 Ethical Questions being helpful in a number of contexts. It can be read by the likes of you and me and equip us with a biblical perspective on contemporary issues. It might also prove a useful text for youth or young adult groups that want to come to firm convictions on ethical dilemmas. And then it may prove a useful resource for a pastor to keep handy so that in those times he is asked a difficult question, he can turn to the appropriate section and find at least a starting point for his answer.

In these cases and others, those who read the book will find answers that are reasonable, helpful, and best of all, biblical.

That’s Good News.

There is something deep in the heart of humanity that prompts us to rebel against our finitude, against the reality that we are dependent creatures who cannot exist for a day, or even a moment, apart from God. The very first sin was a rebellion against limits God had imposed on humanity and in some way that was the prototype for every sin that has followed. But what if we were to see that dependency upon God is a gift, not a deficiency? What if we were to go farther and actually embrace our limits and thank God for them, then live at peace with all the things we cannot do and cannot be?

In this book, Kapic says he wants “us to take time to carefully think about our creatureliness. This will reveal limits, dependence, love, reliance on the grace of God, and worship. We will examine the joy of being a creature and the freedom of resting on the promises of the Creator. We will question harmful and unrealistic ideals and begin to appreciate the messiness of our complex lives.” It is only when we come to see the sheer goodness of our limitedness that we can begin to relate properly as finite creatures before an infinite Creator and “worship him as he made us: dignified, purposeful, vulnerable, finite creatures. We do not apologize for our creaturely needs and dependence on others, for we discover this is how God made us, and it is good.”

Kapic makes it clear this book is a passion project, the culmination of many years of reflecting on the subject of finitude. That passion and depth of reflection is obvious from cover to cover and leads to a book that deep in its theology and profound in its teaching. It is at once comforting and challenging. Sinclair Ferguson summarizes it well when he says, “no hastily prepared, cheap-fix antidote, You’re Only Human is the product of years of reflection and concern, the work of a mature Christian theologian and a fine teacher. It is a love gift to the church.” I, like he, am glad to recommend it.

River Region Christians

March 2022

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River Region Christians

RRC: When did you come to realize you needed to be redeemed by the saving work of Christ?

JB: I was once an incurable prodigal living a life of duality. I only came to Jesus with my need; never my heart. In January of 2016, I finally began the journey of becoming and being my real self before God. There was no motive or hidden agenda this time. Yes, I needed rescuing again, but this time I chose to surrender completely. There was no tragedy or failure compelling me. I was simply tired of pretending.

RRC: Were there certain things you noticed early about how surrendering to the Lordship of Christ was changing you?

JB: I am a salesman and I like to win. Winning made me feel like I could do anything River Region Christians

March 2022

I wanted as long as I was a good person, so I used that mentality with the Lord.

I would take credit for my success and never allowed the grace of Jesus to take center stage like I do today. Becoming authentic also cost me the option of negotiating with God. I had to admit when I was being selfish, and I had to learn to obey the Holy Spirit. Obedience immediately led to greater blessing but that’s not why I chose, and continue to choose, to obey. I obeyed because I had never fully surrendered, before. I continue to obey because I now understand the love of the Father.

ing about my day and the challenges of life. I am no longer ashamed of the Gospel so almost every day I’m engaged in conversation about my faith. I might bring God up, or my client might, but I respectfully move into that conversation convinced that I have just been given another divine appointment.

RRC: Of course, we are found perfect when we are clothed in Christ, but He is still purging away our old sin nature and helping us to see He is better than our idols. How do you respond when He reveals those idols?

JB: Life in Christ is not for the faint hearted or those weak in the area of commitment. Loving Jesus is easy; following his way is hard, which is why so few actually live the life He came to give us. Everything comes down to obedience. Am I going to go with the world on this, or am I going with God? There should be a difference in us that’s noticeable and enticing. It’s what the world needs, and God uses His people for His glory and the good of others. If I appear to be the same person I was before I surrendered, then I’m not surrendered, I’m pretending. God can’t use anything fake.

JB: As soon as I begin thinking I’ve accomplished something, God checks my pride. He is gentle in His way, but He won’t compete with anyone or anything. I know He loves me, and His love drives me to want to please Him and give Him the proper honor. He still reveals to me those things that I’ve allowed to take a higher place of importance in my life... I think He’s always done that. It’s just that, now, I actually listen to His voice, and I try very hard to put that thing back in its proper place before it ever becomes an idol...

RRC: The workplace can be stressful with deadlines, quotas, and serving customers well, so being a faithful witness for Christ is challenging. How are you specifically able to shine the light of Christ in your field?

JB: I am in the car business, and most of what you have heard about it is true. I walk away from certain conversations... people notice that. I can’t be a light if I’m not spending time with God, so each day I start by getting in His presence, and talk8

RRC: Based on what you’ve learned through the peaks and valleys of your faith, what advice would you give fellow Christians who want to live for Christ beyond the church walls on Sunday?

RRC: Finally, what difference has Christ made in your day-to-day life?

JB: All that I am and all that I do should glorify Christ and be a blessing to others.

Allowing Jesus his rightful place as Lord and Master of my life allows me to be authentic. Being authentic opens my heart up and causes me to be vulnerable. Being vulnerable makes me real, and that’s what others are looking for. There are those who won’t come around me anymore because they see that the devil lost me. There are others that only know me as a Jesus Follower. It’s all pretty amazing, really.

Jeff is a longtime resident of the River Region. A career salesman, he is a Certified Sales Consultant with Jack Ingram Mercedes-Benz. Jeff and his wife, Shannon, attend Church of the Highlands and enjoy hosting a weekly small group in their home.

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March 2022

River Region Christians

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Christian people are not only called to give constructive correction.

We are also called to receive it.

Just as our cowardice may prevent us from offering such correction, so our pride may prevent us from receiving it.

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Encouraging words that build up and corrective words that steer away from sin and toward physical, emotional, and spiritual health are two essential sides of the same coin. When we honor both of these imperatives in our life together versus preferring one and rejecting the other, our community and friendship dynamics become more healthy and whole.

But when we neglect either encouragement or correction in our life together, we invite unhealthy, distorted realities to rule.

True Christian community has a primary goal in mind—to present ourselves and one another to Jesus Christ as a lovely, sanctified Bride “in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). While this verse from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians first applies to husbands and wives, it also applies to the Church—all friendship and community that claims to be centered around Jesus.

As Martin Luther once said, we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone. True faith will always be followed by growth in grace and virtue (Ephesians 2:8-10). That is to say, while Jesus invites us to come as we are, he does not want us to stay as we are. Life in Christ has both a safety and a trajectory.

The safety comes from knowing that Jesus, our faithful Savior, will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and that no one will ever be able to snatch us from our heavenly Father’s fierce, loving grip (John 10:28-30). No matter how deep our regrets or how checkered our past, there will never cease to be a place of belonging for us in our Father’s house. We are to God as the young, disabled Mephibosheth was to King David—who for Jonathan’s sake would never cease to have a seat at his king’s table (2 Samuel 9:13). For Jesus’ sake, we likewise will never cease to have a seat at The King’s table.

In this context of safety, there is also a trajectory that Jesus has established for all of us—We, his beloved daughters

If you have thirty minutes or more to listen, ask Antonio what he dreams of being in ten years.

WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE CHILDREN HAVE DREAMS.

1 6 0 0 7 T H AV E N U E S O U T H BIRMINGHAM, AL 35233 (205) 638-9100 | ChildrensAL.org

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River Region Christians

and sons, shall become like him, for we will see him as he is (1 John 3:2). In the end, and for our everlasting good, he will settle for nothing less. And, he has given us each other to help one another along on the journey.

Jim Morrison, lead singer for The Doors, said this about friendship: “Friends can help each other. A true friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself—and especially to feel. Or, not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them.

That’s what real love amounts to—letting a person be what he really is.”

On a positive note, Jim Morrison is highlighting the importance of accepting one another and resisting the urge to judge one another for every little thing.

On a less healthy note, however, Morrison’s philosophy can lead down some very tragic paths, as it ultimately did for him.

Morrison, widely known for his self-destructive behavior, died alone in a bathtub at age twenty-seven. Who knows where his path would have led him had more people courageously and lovingly spoken up about his hedonistic lifestyle—the sexual hedonism, the drugs, the nights without sleep, the hard living—and if he had had the ears to hear the few people who did speak words of concern into his life.

On the one hand, if we come at each other with all truth and no grace, we will become insufferable, self-appointed moral police who constantly tear each other down and rarely build each other up.

But on the other hand, if we go the way of Jim Morrison and give all grace and no truth to each other, we will become codependent enablers, cowards who would rather another soul be wrecked by self-destructive foolishness than risk social awkwardness.

But when we grant each other the Spirit-led blend of grace and truth, of love and law, of “Come as you are” and “I love you too much to let you stay as you are,” we give one another the supreme gift of true friendship and community. Even more, we give each other a Spirit-filled, embodied experience of how Jesus would relate to us if he were with us in the flesh.

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If Scott Sauls is a pastor, author and blogger in Nashville, Tennessee.

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When God’s Absence Helps You See Clearly

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I stood at my sister’s memorial service six years ago, having not spoken to God for the several days following her death.

The anger was too much. The hurt, the pain, the rawness. Two days after her passing, I literally held out my hand in a darkened bedroom when all I could feel around me was His presence. His presence, just waiting for me to reach out to Him. I did, with one hand. In that dark moment, that moment of utter confusion, anguish, and of a grief so deep I didn’t even recognize it, I reached out to Him and said, “You can wait.”

I wanted nothing to do with a God who I felt didn’t protect my sister. Who I felt was not there in her final moments on Earth.

Prior to stepping up to a microphone to speak for several minutes that one day in 2015, I prayed in my chair that He would provide me the strength I needed to say what I needed to say.

And for 10 minutes, He provided just what I asked of Him. Then I shut Him back out.

And I share this story often because I clung to those 10 minutes over the following months after my sister’s suicide.

I clung to knowing He was there in my darkest, even when I shut Him out – and it gave me the hope I needed.

That He will provide. That He doesn’t desert. That He is a patient God.

If I said, “The darkness will definitely hide me; the light will become night around me,” even then the darkness isn’t too dark

for you! Nighttime would shine bright as day, because darkness is the same as light to you!” Psalm 139:11-12 There are struggles we face when we wonder how God works through it all. Why He is so quiet. Or even when we push Him away, how He possibly could be overseeing any of it.

Then days pass. Weeks, months.

Possibly even years. And we’re able to finally look back after we have passed through whatever hardships, darkness, uncertainties, and we’re able to whisper, “Oh... okay. Okay, I see it. Okay. Okay.”

And we’re numb. Dumbstruck. And we hold on to our revelation. Is it a revelation when we know deep in our heart He is always there?

It is when we don’t feel it or choose not to acknowledge it.

We may apologize to Him, but we finally feel free to move forward. Or to move, period. I know I’m not alone in this. I’ve seen you walk through broken relationships, wondering where God was in your arguments. I’ve seen you grieve, calling out to God about the unfairness of it all.

I’ve watched you mend your child’s heart, wondering how others can be so cruel.

I’ve watched families split apart, holding on to the thinnest of threads of hope.

I’ve even watched women leave abusive relationships learn about the strength they had to leave, survive, and live – really live – through their healing, and who say, “Only God.” 13

I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! Isaiah 65:24 We don’t give Him adequate glory for the considerable number of times we push Him away or don’t seek His presence during difficult times. Or question His existence, or love. We don’t acknowledge enough that He is there when our world falls apart.

And I’ll praise You in this storm; And I will lift my hands; For You are who You are; No matter where I am; And every tear I’ve cried; You hold in Your hand; You never left my side; And though my heart is torn; I will praise You in this storm.

– Casting Crowns There’s no greater truth. We don’t just praise due to circumstance, but always. We don’t just lift our hands to the Heavens when things go our way – but, always. We don’t just give thanks when we receive a favorable response to prayer... but, always.

Especially – over and again – when we don’t sense its purpose. Even when we can’t make sense out of any of it. Especially then.

I miss my sister every day, and will never stop telling this part of my story.

Those 10 minutes I asked for... those 10 minutes told me everything I’ll ever need to know.

It provided me with the power to remember that even when we don’t understand how or where God is working, that He is.

March 2022

River Region Christians

Church: Made to Order?

We do not come to Christ on our own terms; we come to Him, recognizing that we are sinners in need of a Savior. And, ideally, we don’t participate in the local church on our own terms - certainly, we can select areas of teaching and ministries, but by affiliating with a local church, we recognize that we cannot demand that 100% of all that transpires will be to our liking - and that of everyone else.

Now, there are other elements of accessing truth that you could consider “on demand” - you can choose to listen to Faith Radio or access our content online. There are other content providers, including Bible teachers, who have online content available, and we should make those choices in order to grow in Christ, not necessarily what makes us feel good about ourselves.

There is some interesting data that has just been released that does give some insight into attitudes about the practices of the local church.

It seems that the “lede” that I had been seeing has something to do with shorter sermons - however, as The Christian Post reports: Fewer than 10% of Evangelical Protestants want to have shorter sermons during worship, while nearly a third want more in-depth teaching, according to recently released survey data.

The article notes that Grey Matter Research and Infinity Concepts had teamed up and unveiled the findings of a report called: “The Congregational Scorecard: What Evangelicals Want in a Church.”

According to the report, “only 7% of respondents want sermons to be shorter, River Region Christians

March 2022

while 85% believe the sermon lengths are acceptable as they are. About 8% percent said they wanted sermons to be longer.”

The Post article also notes, “These trends were fairly consistent across generations...”

The article quotes Mark Dreistadt, CEO of Infinity Concepts, who stated, “The most surprising insight was that 30% of evangelicals want more in-depth teaching than their church is currently providing...,” adding, “This demonstrates an opportunity for pastors to go deeper into the Word of God. This is good news at a time in our culture when biblical literacy is so low — there appears to be a desire among Evangelicals to deepen their understanding of biblical truth.”

There has been much analysis of the relationship between faith and politics, and this survey actually shows that a majority of those surveyed did not mind political content in sermons; the article says that the “report also found that around two-thirds of respondents liked the political messages or political involvement of their churches, while 22% wanted less political involvement from their churches.”

The survey apparently covered a laundry list of topics; including how much music and the type of music; also, according to the article, “Respondents were asked for their thoughts on their churches’ focus on evangelism, social issues, outreach, overall service length, congregation size, racial

diversity, how often donations are requested and the number of women in leadership.”

On average, around 3/4 of people were “content” in these areas.

We cannot go to a kiosk somewhere and order up the church that completely fits our liking - but that’s not the point. Our decision to affiliate and participate in the local church means that we have chosen to serve the Lord together with a group of people who love God and are committed to drawing closer to Him, serving one another and serving the community. If we have prayerfully considered where to attend church, then we can be convinced of God’s call to fulfill His purpose in and through that congregation.

It may not be perfect, but we don’t do ourselves or the church any favors if we develop a cynical attitude or a hyper-critical point of view. If we find ourselves becoming divisive or frustrated, then perhaps the problem is not with the church. And, to adopt a “grass is greener” attitude and think things might be better somewhere else, you might just find that another church won’t meet your expectations, either.

While the local church may not be perfect, it is the instrument that God uses to exalt His name. Our ambition should be to find our place in the body of Christ and identify where God wants to use us. The work of the local church is made more effective through the obedience of the various members - I have said that Faith Radio, as a support to the local church, is devoted to helping believers grow in their walk with the Lord, which makes for stronger churches.

As part of the body, we are directed to use our gifts for His glory through His Church.

Finally, we should pray and support our pastors and church leaders and make sure that we possess a humble and obedient attitude. And, we can pray for one another, that God would have His way in all our lives.

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March 2022

River Region Christians

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by Kym Klass

Brooke Freeman was 28 years old when she lost her husband Jason to a tractor accident just months into their marriage. It was 2007, and she remembers the emotional implications with the grief, the loneliness, and the impact of the day-to-day life – and living on six acres in a doublewide trailer that the young couple had planned to build on.

“While every widow’s circumstances are different and unique, I learned early on that the implications emotionally and spiritually …are huge.”

It would be just over a dozen years later that she would use her pain to help other widowed women through Beauty

by Fire Ministries, which exists to glorify God, share the gospel of Christ, and serve family, the local church and community through prayer, service and discipleship.

Brooke founded the non-profit in 2014, and said the primary thing she wants other widowed women to know is that

“I learned at a young age what it was like to be a widow,” Freeman said.

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March 2022

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in their times of grieving, sickness, and need. They also coordinate various activities such as the River Region Prayer Walk as opportunities for corporate prayer and worship in and for the community, state, and nation.

The Comfort and Prayer Package for women offers aid to bring women to the throne of the Heavenly Father, to experience His loving presence, and to be reminded of His faithful promises, according to their website.

Items include: A Prayer Companion (an individual who is committed to pray for and minister to the recipient on an ongoing basis), a prayer shawl, praise and worship music, a candle, devotional, a prayer journal and an embroidered handkerchief.

Beauty by Fire reaches women from their 20s through their 80s. Freeman said those in their 50s through 80s attend most of the nonprofit’s events – “it’s just the structure of life and busyness. We have women in their 40s with five children, and those in their 80s with great-grandchildren.”

While most of the women are from the River Region, they have sent care packages upon request to women from Texas to New Jersey. Others have found the ministry online.

Asked why reaching out to the widows is so important, Freeman said aside from her personal experience, she falls to James 1:27 – Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

“After about four to six weeks, it becomes defeaning silent,” Freeman said of the time after losing a spouse. “That’s the practicality of how it plays out. The average length a woman is widowed is 14 years.

the Lord sees them in this season of grief, and “He will not leave them or forsake them.

“And that the Lord is going to sustain them, and that they will see at some point an element of good, even in those hardest times.”

Beauty by Fire Ministries began with a small group of individuals whose hearts were burdened with a desperate need for prayer over our community, state, and nation. As time has passed, the Lord gave the group a vision that would encompass this and much more, and that by His grace and strength, would fulfill His purpose as His devoted servants just as “His ministers a flame of fire,” according to their website.

The nonprofit was founded on the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He is “the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through” Him. (John 14:6) Our belief is that as servants of our heavenly Father, each of us is given a spiritual gift enabling us to accomplish His purpose as members of one body in Christ, so “let us use them…” (Romans 12:4-6a) We will purpose to grow in our Christian faith and walk in surrendered obedience to all the standards set forth in the Bible, God’s holy word, as well as minister to and encourage others in their faith. We have been called by His name and created for His glory (Isaiah 43:7) and it is our hope that the work of Beauty by Fire Ministries endure the test of fire that will come.

Through the ministry, Freeman and a group of women are committed to caring for widows in their time of distress and to minister to individuals through a “Comfort and Prayer Package”

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River Region Christians

When the ministry became official in 2014, Freeman said she felt every bit of emotion while putting together the first care package.

“And He reminded me how He met me,” she said.

Becky was the first recipient.

Hundreds have followed.

The outreach, the package, is to remind the women of the comfort they receive from others and Jesus.

“This allows them to promote their faith and not pull away from, but to retreat to the Lord,” Freeman said. “A lot of the ladies serve. And we have care community leaders. They minister to these other women.

“They are comforting others by the comfort they have been given. To hear their testimonies of the fellowship they enjoy, as well as having purpose and seeing the Lord continue to use them ... there’s such a community that has been created that is absolutely a beautiful picture of the church.”

“Their need is ongoing. Just because a woman has been widowed for 10 years, the yard still needs to be cut.”

It is the hope of the ministry that in all areas served, that the blazing presence and love of the “Lord our God would spread like wildfire on the hearts and lives of all those touched

by Beauty by Fire Ministries,” according to the website.

Freeman remembers in 2014 when she introduced herself to another young widow (who had three children). The woman had only been a widow for three weeks, and Freeman said she had a conversation with her about the Lord shoving her in the right direction toward her.

“The Lord was like, ‘Do you remember how I met you in those times, how people ministered to you in those times?’ From that moment, the Lord was showing me he works all things for good.

“And He allows me to share the comfort with others that He shared with me.”

Through Beauty by Fire Ministries, there are partnerships with churches and businesses, and Freeman is grateful for the River Region and the role they play.

“This ministry exists to facilitate James 1:27 in ways people don’t know how to,” she said. “We’re able to reach hundreds of women in the River Region because the church is activated and responding to the call of the need.”

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March 2022

Information and how to help: Visit online: www.beautybyfire.org.

To help: You can donate online, or checks may be mailed to Beauty by Fire Ministries, 4144 Carmichael Road, Suite 18-A, Montgomery, AL, 36106. Beauty by Fire Ministries is entirely supported by donations from individuals and businesses.

Kym Klass is a contributing writer and Communications Director of the Media Ministry at Frazer Memorial UMC in Montgomery.

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Cut the Fat! I don’t know about you, but the TV seems inundated with diet commercials.

Some are ready-to-eat, some are meeting oriented, some deal with supplements, others are steeped in psychology. It can be confusing... and a bit depressing. But don’t worry, this article is not calorie-oriented!

Have you been part of a spiritual fast? Some find it easier than others to eliminate foods for a specific duration. Fasting is as old as the Bible. The Pharisees wrongly used it to show off their “spirituality” while Jesus exhorted the disciples that fasting was needed to empower them. The 40 days before Easter (Lent) has traditionally been a time for the church to fast.

Our dear friend, Bishop Eugene Reeves, wrote some material about fasting where he calls it “feasting.” His words made me reconsider how I view fasting.

Perhaps we should think differently. When we address physical needs, we focus on diet and nutrition. So let’s do the same for our fast/feast, except make it spiritual.

First, I tend to miss certain favorite foods when I fast. So why don’t I do food replacements for my spiritual life? Think “gourmet” for a minute. If you were to characterize gourmet worship, what would it look like to you? Are there certain songs you would minister to God? Gourmet food looks good... so think about what your worship would look like. Write down some notes about your favorite times of worship and use these as a daily guide during your fast/feast.

Second, there is nothing like comfort food. It soothes us and makes us comfy.

River Region Christians

March 2022

What does spiritual comfort food look like?

It’s where we have wonderful communion with our Lord. Every bite of comfort food is delicious, so the spiritual comfort food in our conversations with our Father should be even more delightful. Find a special place where you can have deep discussions and profound communion.

Third, our bodies need nutritious food that still tastes great.

Our spirit man’s food is the Word of God. It builds our spiritual muscles. The Bible is balanced with principles for our lives, thoughtprovoking revelation for our minds, and emotional lessons. Take time to seek the Holy Spirit to give counsel as to what you should read during your fast/feast. Great selections will feed you over and over as you receive rhema revelation.

Fourth, we all have favorite foods... many of us love soul food. It feels like home, smells like home, and brings memories of great times. We can have literal soul food in our fast/feasts. Are there things you see missing in your life that you crave to have once again? This could range from relationships to disciplines, or ministry to career fulfillment. Write what comes to your mind as you consider what you are missing. Let the Spirit guide you into all truth as He counsels and teaches your soul to make strides in these areas.

His directions will feel good in your soul because they are a divine plan.

Fifth, we should prepare for our fast/ feast just as we do for special holiday 20

feasts. The ways that make you trip up on a physical fast are usually when hunger makes you feel drowsy or lethargic.

When you don’t feed your body, these are expected results. So let’s feed our soul and spirit as we participate in our fast/feast so we don’t get lethargic. What spiritual snacks can you have ready, when you start fading? Print out some key verses that you can use to encourage yourself in what your expectations are at the end of the fast. God’s promises are great snacks.

During physical fasting we are deprived of big meals. Don’t think you can do any better without big spiritual meals. You need to spend a quantity of time to receive all the spiritual vitamins and minerals you need. Your time should make you feel full.

Quick energy boosters are also used during physical fasts to keep the body and soul operational. Your spiritual energy boosters can be a special book to read or a few friends to call and encourage each other in your fast/feast.

As women of God, we are to not be under the law but under the Spirit. This means that everyone’s fast does not need to look the same, but can be uniquely designed by God’s Spirit. Let Him design yours. Let Him lead you in your spiritual fast/feast. Don’t tell your body that you are fasting food...tell your soul that you are on a quest for the best fast/feast available.

And press on through!

Here are some Scriptures you may find delicious: 1 Peter 2:22 2 Timothy 3:16,17 Hebrews 30:20,21 Psalm 118:105 Isaiah 40:8 Proverbs 2:6 John 16:7,8 John 8:31,32 Deuteronomy 8:3, 9

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March 2022

River Region Christians

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by Mark Gregston

Thinking that anything a parent can say, do, or offer to their children as they grow up will guarantee a smooth and trouble-free adolescence is just plain wrong.

I’ve learned that there are no such guarantees in parenting.

Stuff happens in the teen years that is out of a parent’s control, even if you do everything right. Raising one “angelic” teenager can lead one to think you have found the right formula, right up until you see your next child go down a completely different path. Welcome to the real world — a world where God gives each child a free will.

One parent wrote me saying, “We’ve done everything right. We took our son to church, raised him in a Christian home, sent him to a great Christian school, home-schooled for a few years, have taken him on mission trips and poured our life into him. What has gone wrong? How can he reject all that we’ve taught, and all that we’ve been striving for?”

These parents raised their teen in the church and taught him good and strong values. Then one day he decided that those things no longer worked for him, so he started “trying on” other values – values of his peer group. He was not interested in how his behavior made his parents feel. He was “in control.” He acted as he chose to act. Every trick in their parenting bag failed. Their arsenal was empty. Did they do everything right? Possibly.

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No parent is perfect, nor is perfection the answer, for even though God is perfect He still had a couple of rebellious kids.

now, but that is a very good thing. It’s how a teen matures into a well-grounded adult, who contributes positively to this world. It’s how they stretch their wings and prepare to fly.

Sometimes these “first flights” are hard for parents to experience, especially when they typically involve several failed attempts. The important thing is to be there when your wounded teen wobbles back to the nest; to offer encouragement for a stronger and more skilled flight the next time around.

Being a parent of a teenager can be hard work. There is emotional pain and even feelings of betrayal when your child gets off track in the adolescent years. But I know this — it makes us parents spend a lot more time on our knees! Therefore, the process is worthwhile. For in our journey, no matter how bumpy the turbulence, we may learn what God is trying to teach us as well.

My recommendation for most Christian homes is to loosen your grip, and let go of the rope, just a little. Allow your teen some healthy freedoms, and open the doors of your heart and mind to trusting God a little more, and a self-made, isolated existence a little less. It is tough to trust God this way, and even tougher to watch your teen navigate the rough waters of today’s evils. But by the grace of God and the wisdom of parents willing to take their parenting to a level that is more effective – it can be done.

Pain and stress comes when a child has chosen poorly and is clearly heading down the wrong path in life. This is not just when their choices are self-destructive — drugs, alcohol, sexual promiscuity, etc. — but also when they abandon their faith or decide after years of hard work, that college no longer matters.

When your teen is struggling to discover his or her identity in a quest to become independent, it can be an extremely frustrating and painful process for all involved. But it helps us better understand how God must feel when He see His children fail. No parent is perfect, nor is perfection the answer, for even though God is perfect He still had a couple of rebellious kids.

So, it’s not always about the parents, and it’s not always about how a teen is raised. It’s all about your child and his God-given gift of individuality and free will, which will be fully exercised during adolescence.

I’m sure you laid a firm foundation for your teen. You did a great job! You did such a great job that your teen feels capable of creating his own immature views. It may not seem like it

Mark Gregston is an author, speaker, radio host, and the founder and director of Heartlight, a residential counseling center for struggling teens located in Longview, Texas. He has been married to his wife, Jan, for 40 years, has two kids, and four grandkids. He lives in Longview, Texas, with the Heartlight staff, 60 high school kids, 25 horses, his dog, Stitch, two llamas, and a prized donkey named Toy.

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About Humility Humility – a modest or low view of one’s own importance.

“He needs the humility to accept that their way may be better.”

Oxford Languages

I am constantly amazed by our certainty that we are right. Being “right” seems to be very important to a lot of people. Sometimes, we become angry and impatient when what we believe is right, is not viewed as right by others. This anger and impatience seem to be wherever we look. In sacred places, on the news, on our streets, in our schools, in our homes, even in our churches. More important, in relationships with people we love and who love us, with friends and neighbors, with coworkers and with those we simply encounter.

When we look at our history, the history of the United States and its’ people, we learn that the need to be right, accompanied by a lack of humility, anger and impatience has been a thread that is woven into the fabric of the story of our country.

In the current environment of hateful and mean spirited words and actions, it is a little comforting that we can identify a pattern here. Maybe things can be okay. Maybe before words are said that can’t be unsaid. Maybe before wounds to our spirits, our hearts and our minds are inflicted.

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing one another in love.”

Ephesians 4:2

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One of the things I teach as a therapist is the importance of using wisdom to make choices and decisions. We achieve wisdom when we balance our feelings and thinking, taking a part of each to make a plan to move forward. By validating both, we can take care of our well-being, as well as considering the well-being of others.

Wisdom is only possible when inciteful and intentional work takes place. This usually requires changing, and that takes a lot of work, but it is important work.

When watching the faces and behaviors that represent those who are stuck in feelings of powerlessness, resentment, jealousy, anger and blaming of others for seeming or real injustice, we see an absence of anything other than raw, frightening emotion. There is no evidence of willingness to wait a moment and reflect. A willingness to try to act and speak with wisdom. We see opportunities lost and hurt feelings that can quickly mirror what is perceived. In hindsight and in the Here and Now, we see opportunities to change the direction of an interaction, a conversation, a passionate discussion. In the future we can anticipate chances that we will have to make a plan in wisdom to build rather than tear down.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness humility, gentleness and patience.” Matthew 19:14 We have chances every day to practice humility. We may be wrong, or at least, not entirely right. It is okay to grow our best selves by accepting our limitations and being willing to be humble.

Saralu (Sam) Belkofer is a Licensed Professional Counselor. Sam counsels adolescents, young adults and adults, employing psychotherapy to gain insight into problems to develop needed strategies for life transitions, survivors of abuse and neglect, addictions, forgiveness, ADHD, anxiety and depression, issues of abandonment, attachment and development of life skills.

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These days, it can feel like all we hear is “no.” Sadly, too many of us picture God only in terms of what He is against.

The Easter Season reminds us that God says “Yes”—Yes to life, Yes to joy, Yes to second chances, and Yes to you.

We invite you to join us on a journey through Holy Week, marking the steps of Jesus that led him to the cross, through death, and out the other side into resurrection life. At Frazer, we believe that Jesus not only lives, but also that in his life you can discover God’s “Yes” to your new life today.

S U N DAY S C H E D U L E

8:30 AM–9:30 AM ...Traditional Worship 9:45 AM–10:45 AM ..Sunday School for All Ages 11:00 AM–12:00 PM..Contemporary Worship WATCH US ON WFRZ TV & ONLINE AT WWW.FRAZER.CHURCH DOWNLOAD OUR APP | 6000 ATLANTA HWY. IN MONTGOMERY 25

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Palm Sunday Worship Stations of the Cross Interactive Prayer Journey Maundy Thursday Communion Good Friday Worship Easter Sunday Celebration

River Region Christians

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Adoption

Location: Vaughn Forest Church, 8660 Vaughn Road, Montgomery APAC, Alabama Pre/ Post Adoption Connection Support Group: This group provides education and social interaction for adoptive families. Meets 3rd Tuesdays, 6-7:30 p.m. For more information call Jill Sexton at 409-9477.

Alcoholic / Addiction

Location: Caring Center of FBC, 52 Adams Avenue CrossRoads Support Group is for addicts/alcoholics and family members. Meets at 6 p.m.

Tuesdays and follows a Christcentered 12-step program.

Call 264-4949.

Location: Christchurch Anglican Church, 8800 Vaughn Road next to Southern Homes and Gardens Celebrate Recovery meets every Friday night. Dinner at 6:00, nursery available for children 4 and under. Large Meeting starts at 6:30. For more information, contact Dolly McLemore 334-301-3490.

Location: Dalraida United Methodist Church 3817 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery An Alanon meeting is held at 9 am on Saturday mornings. Call 272.2190 for details.

Location: Grace Presbyterian Church, Corner of Bell Road and Atlanta Hwy. Alcoholics Anonymous and Alanon meetings are held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, at 6 p.m. An Open AA Speaker meeting is held on Saturday at 6 p.m. An Alanon & AA held on Sundays at 2 p.m.

Location: Grace Point Community Church, 78223 Tallassee Hwy (Hwy 14), Wetumpka Celebrate Recovery- every Tuesday night- 6:15pm. All are welcome! These meetings are a safe and loving environment for individuals seeking to conquer their hurts, habits and hang-ups! gracepoint.info.

Location: Heritage Baptist Church, 1849 Perry Hill Rd, Montgomery, AL Route1520 is a Christ-centered recovery movement dedicated to showing the way home for men impacted by sex and pornography addiction. Meets: Mondays, 6:30 – 8:00 PM CST. No Childcare Provided. Email montgomery@route1520.com, visit http://www.route1520.com/ men/groups-for-men/ or call 877.200.1520.

Location: Journey Church, 435 Sheila Blvd, Prattville Celebrate Recovery - Christ-centered 12-step for anyone struggling with addiction or life-challenging issues.

Mondays beginning at 6:15 pm. Childcare available.

River Region Christians

March 2022

Call John Pearse at 303-243-4308 or visit myjourneychurch.com.

Location: Landmark Church, 1800 Halcyon Blvd.

RSVP- This is a 12 step spiritual recovery program for overcoming addictions. Wednesday @ 6:30pm in Rm. 121 of the Life Center.

Location: Prattville Church of Christ, 344 E Main St. CASA - 12 step (Christians Against Substance Abuse) spiritual recovery program, for overcoming addictions.

Class begins each Wednesday evening @6:30 PM. Please call 334-365-4201 for additional information.

Location: St. James UMC, 9045 Vaughn Road Celebrate Recovery meets every Thursday night from 6-8 pm in the Youth Room. This is a Christ-centered 12-step group for anyone struggling with an “addiction or life-challenging issues.” For information, call Chris Henderson at 334-215-0427.

Location: First United Methodist Church, Wetumpka 306 W. Tuskeena Street ‘Fresh Start’ Recovery meets every Thursday, 6-8pm (meal included). In 2011, Fresh Start Motorcycle Ministry (FSMM) began when God laid it on the heart of a lifetime biker to minister to those with his background.

All are welcome, not a requirement to own/ride a motorcycle. For any information contact ministry leader, Paul Henderson, 334-201-5428.

Location: Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1728 S. Hull Street, Montgomery Route1520 is a Christ-centered recovery movement dedicated to showing the way home for men impacted by sex and pornography addiction. Meets Wednesday from 6:30-8 pm. For more information email riverregion@route1520.com, visit http:// www.route1520.com/ men/groups-for-men or call 877-2000-1520.

Alzheimer’s / Dementia

Location: First UMC, 2416 W. Cloverdale Park, An Adult Parkinson/Alzheimer’s respite ministry meets from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Lunch is served. Contact Daphne at 834-8990.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy An Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers’ Support Group meets on the first Thursday of each month at 10:30 a.m. in Room 3103. Call 495-6343. for more information.

Cancer

Location: Aldersgate UMC, 6610 Vaughn Rd Cancer Survivors Support Group is sponsored by Samaritan Counseling Center.

We would love to have anyone (patient or family member ) join us. Thursdays at 1 pm. Please call before attending just to make sure we are meeting that week. Please call Debbie D at

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467-4578 or Ben W at 202-1912.

Location: ChristChurch, 8800 Vaughn Road Cancer Support Group for general cancer. Tuesday afternoons at 1 pm. For more info, please call Christy Holding at 531-1390 or Debbie at 467-4578.

Location: Frazer UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy. Central Alabama Multiple Myeloma Support Group meets from 10 a.m. to noon the second Saturday of every month in Room 3105. We have guest speakers, video presentations, printed information and a group that welcomes sharing their journey with myeloma in an informal setting. Refreshments are provided. Contact Joe Crowley at 334-207-4385 or jpcrowl46@yahoo.com Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy. Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy. Women of Hope Breast Cancer Support Group, providing education, awareness, and mentoring for breast cancer patients/survivors, family and friends, meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in Room 8114.

Call 220-4599 or e-mail womenofhope@charter.net

Divorce

Location: First Baptist Church, 305 S. Perry Street Divorce Care Wednesday nights @6:30-8:00 pm in Room 405B. Child care is available. Contact Kathy Cooper at 241-5125 for information.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Divorce Care meets each Tuesday from 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Come to the Library area. This group will provide support & guidance to assist you in working through the issues, pain & pressures surrounding divorce. Call 495-6343 or email rnave@frazer.church.

Gambling

Location: Cedarwood Community Church, 10286 US HWY 231 in the Wallsboro/Wetumpka community.

The church is 1 1/2 miles past Tutweiler prison.

Gamblers Anonymous, Saturdays at 6 pm. and Mondays at 6:30 pm. Call 567-0476.

Location: Mental Health of America, 1116 South Hull Street, Montgomery. Sundays @ 5 pm.

For more information about the GA meetings call 334-399-6918. For information about counseling services or to request a guest speaker please call the Alabama Council on Compulsive Gambling at 334-277-5100.

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Grief

Location: Cornerstone Christian Church, 301 Dalraida Road River Region Survivors of Suicide meets on the second and fourth Thursday of every month (excluding holidays) from 6:30-8:00 PM. Welcomes anyone regardless of their religious beliefs. Contact Cheryl Vinson at riverregionsos@gmail.com.

Location: Eastmont Baptist, 4505 Atlanta Hwy. Compassionate Friends is a national self-help support organization for families grieving the death of a child meeting first Tuesdays at 7 pm. Call (334) 284-2721.

Location: Church of the Highlands, 4255 Taylor Rd. Eryn’s Embrace offers hope and healing to children and teens grieving the loss of a loved one through peer support groups. Meets the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 4-5:15. More info: www.erynsembrace.org; erynsebrace@gmail.com; Erin Camp 334-657-1871.

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Location: First UMC, 100 E. Fourth St, Prattville Grief Share, Wednesday evenings at 6 pm in the church parlor. Led by Michael Beatty. Call 365-5977.

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Location: Frazer UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Grief Recovery Support Group meets Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m., Rm 3105. Call495-6343 for more info.

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Location: Grace Baptist Church, 304 Old Montgomery Highway, Wetumpka Mourning to Morning is a Christian growth group for mothers who have lost a child, from before birth through adulthood. Meets the last Thursday night of

each month. For info, contact Alice Scarborough (334) 462-4775 or Gwen Ellis (334) 567-8754.

Location: Millbrook FUMC, 3350 Edgewood Rd Grief Share meets Sundays from 5-7 p.m. For more information or to sign up, please call the church office at 285-4114 or email churchoffice@mfumc.org.

Location: Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church 1550 E. Washington Street Grief support group meets every Monday at 6:00 P.M7:00 P.M. For additional information, please contact Alice Glover at (334)281-2754.

Parenting

Location: First Baptist Prattville, 138 S.Washington Moms LIFE (Living In Faith Everyday) meets twice monthly from 8:30 - 11:45 am in the chapel at the Church from Aug - May. We offer a time of fellowship, Bible study, musical guest, special guest speakers and a lot of fun!! Cost is $5 per meeting. For moms of all stages and ages of life. Childcare provided by reservation. Call April Scott at 828-446-6666.

Location: First Baptist Church, 305 S. Perry Street MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) is a place you can share a good meal, make new friends, and find encouragement as you face the everyday challenges of raising your little ones. We have educational speakers, great conversation, and fun activities. Free childcare is provided. Meetings are every 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m., September through May. Contact Tiffany Alewine at 241-5165.

Location: Landmark Church, 1800 Halcyon Blvd.

Single Moms Support Group, Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. in classroom 118. For information call 277-5800.

Location: Perry Hill UMC, 910 Perry Hill Road Single Moms’ Care and Support Group meets 2nd and 4th Thursdays from 6:15 - 8:00 PM. December meeting will be on the 11th. Free snack supper provided to moms and children. Child care for infants -16 years. Call 272-3174.

Location: Redland Baptist, 1266 Dozier Rd, Wetumpka A MOPS group will be held 1st and 3rd Tuesday’s of every month during the school year, and has scheduled play dates and moms nights out through the summer and beyond. While moms are in a MOPS meeting, their children are lovingly cared for in the MOPPETS program. Email Denise Braswell at deniseorscott@yahoo.com.

Location: St.James UMC, 9045 Vauhgn Road Moms in Prayer International: This is a Christ centered interdenominational prayer ministry made up of moms, grandmothers, aunts or any woman who wants to gathers to pray for their children and schools. Meets every Sunday afternoon from 3:004:00. Call Annette Jones for more information on joining us or training to start your own group. 850529-4730 or email Montgomerymipac@gmail.com.

Send support group info to deanne@readjourneymagazine.com.

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March 2022

River Region Christians

Where Should My Child Park His Money?

Q.

Our son is 13, and he has been doing some part-time work for a friend of the family. He makes $40 to $60 a week, and he would like to begin investing the majority of what he earns. Do you have a suggestion?

A. Well, here’s the thing. At this point in

his life, the goal of this investment isn’t wealth. Number one, it’s not a lot of money.

Number two, well, it’s not a lot of money.

The goal is to create knowledge, reward his interest in the subject and teach him how to handle his finances as an adult.

I’ve got no problem with you helping him open checking or savings accounts at a local bank or credit union. There are lots of good lessons to be learned in reconciling a bank statement, and the value of spending, saving and giving. Then, you could get with a good financial pro, one with the heart of a teacher, and let him open a mutual fund for $50 a month with

you as the custodian. He could learn about compound interest, how to calculate the value of his shares and other things, and all that would be a good learning exercise.

We did these things with our kids. But keep in mind that over the course of a year—and when you’re 13, that’s an eternity— there’s not going to be a lot of action on the investing side of things. It could be kind of boring for him at times. But he’s better off to learn now that good things don’t always come with flashing lights and whistles.

Slow and steady wins the race!

It’s Always a We Thing Q. My husband recently approached me

with an idea for our money. He wants us to set up an account where we both put 10 percent of our income for discretionary

10 OFF

$

A. I’m sure deep down he’s a

decent guy and he loves you very much. But he’s looking at this all wrong. Right now, he’s being pretty immature and selfish about the situation.

Let’s look at this from another angle. There are lots of families where only one person works outside the home and generates an income. Would it be fair, then, to say only the person making money is allowed a little cash to spend for fun once in a while?

When two people are married, they are pronounced “as one.” That means even if you only have one person with an income, it becomes our income. If you have kids, they become our kids. Marriage is not a me thing, it’s a we thing. Always.

Learn more about

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spending. My husband makes more money than I do, and because of this, he says it is fair that he would be able to spend more than I would. How do you feel about this?

Neurofeedback.

Schedule your FREE initial consultation today!

Help for :

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March 2022

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