TABLE OF CONTENTS
By Dr. Monica Greene-Smalls
Happy New Year! As we transition into 2025 and LFCC’s 19th Anniversary Year, The Year of Ascension we will also take a look back and reflect upon 2024, LFCC’s 18th Anniversary Year, The Year of Restoration & Renewal. We are grateful for the blessings that we received in 2024 and are excited about what God has in store for us in 2025!
In 2024, we celebrated Overseer Apostle Dr. T. Anthony Thompson’s 18th Pastoral Anniversary in March, and LFCC’s 18th Church Anniversary in October. Each occasion was marked with memorable messages from our very own awesome and anointed Pastor T, as well as from powerful guest speakers – all centered around our theme of Restoration and Renewal. 2024 also marked the 17th anniversary of LFCC's Overflow Prayer Call – which is global and meets 6 days a week, to lift up friends, family, and strangers in prayer, and to rejoice in each other’s praise reports and testimonies.
As we say goodbye to 2024 and transition into 2025, The Year of Ascension, we bring you articles to uplift and inspire you, as well as some that provide highlights from 2024 and a preview of things to come in 2025. In The Pastor's Corner, our Overseer Apostle T. Anthony Thompson reminds us that Greater is Coming to every area of our lives. Sister Tekia Lampkin reflects on the past year in Year in Review: Restoration and Renewal Dr. Monica GreeneSmalls then brings us highlights from 2024, as well as a forecast of some upcoming events in: Recognizing LFCC’s Graduates; Celebrating LFCC’s Inaugural Women’s Conference; and Spotlight on LFCC’s 2024 Youth Mental Health Summit. As we move into this New Year, we are reminded to stay focused on God and on His Word in the following pieces: Reflecting on God’s Word by Sister Tekia Lampkin; Words of Inspiration: God is Always There by Sister Jackie Meadows; and Personal Reflections: Missing God by Sister Roberta Pemberton. Sister Kim Floyd provides us with an Emotional Wellness Checklist that we will need to refer to regularly to help manage stress. Lastly, we are happy to bring you an updated Directory of LFCC’s Exciting Entrepreneurs. While we will publish an updated one-page Directory in the Weekly Announcements, please review this expanded version as it includes more detailed information about the products and services brought to you by the LFCC body.
As we celebrate the beginning of a new year of blessings, The Loving Life Newsletter Ministry thanks you for your ongoing support. We pray that your Year of Ascension will be filled with Grace and Favor as you prepare to GO UP to the next level that God has in store for you!
In Christ, Monica Greene-Smalls, Ph.D. Editor-in-Chief
In Memoriam
While preparing for this publication, we lost LFCC’s Church Mother, our dear Mother Hale. Words cannot express the deep sense of loss that we are all feeling. Mother Hale was an anointed and faithful Woman of God who prayed daily for every member of LFCC, as well as for our extended family members.
We are dedicating this issue to Mother Hale in gratitude for the many ways in which she blessed us and touched our lives. May she rest peacefully in God’s Arms.
With Love and Condolences,
Loving Life Newsletter Ministry
Greater is Coming
By Apostle Dr. T. Anthony Thompson
HAGGAI 2:8-9 (NIV)
8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty.
9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place, I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
Beloved, it is essential and critical for our journey toward destiny to understand that God is in control of our narrative and our story, and can I just tell you that your story is still being written. The bible declares that GOD is the author and the finisher of our faith. Which means that GOD is in control of our PROLOGUE and our EPILOGUE. And some of those chapters in between have been difficult; some of Joy and Pain, Sunshine, and Rain - that’s chapter Frankie Beverly. Some chapters are filled with excitement and laughter, some chapters are filled with times when GOD stretched our faith and pushed us to the edge, but all of these things were necessary for GOD to get out of us what HIS intent was for our lives. You will look back over your life and conclude that All things are truly working for our GOOD, to those who love GOD and are called according to His purpose.
It is critical to reflect and reminisce over your life and recall some of the things you were able to overcome, and we can only say BUT GOD!!! If it had not been for the LORD who was on our side, where would we be? Clearly, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Where would we be if God had not kept us, or covered us, if God had not protected us or provided for us? God has always been behind the scenes, navigating and orchestrating the affairs of our lives. This is the time that we need to brace ourselves, because of what GOD is about to do in our lives. He’s about to shift us into a new dimension and into a new season. I come against the spirit of depression, I come against the spirit of sickness and lack and discouragement; I come against anything that is not consistent with the purpose and destiny for my life… And I declare and decree over my life, regardless
of what has been, that GREATER IS COMING!!! Greater is coming to your house, Greater is coming to GOD’s house, greater things are coming to you and your family, and your children and the people connected to you … And when you are aware that greater is coming, something on the inside should start working on the outside and a change should come over you.
When you go through things and are able to get to the other side, you are a survivor, and you have a different perspective on life. People who endure much don’t deal with life like a normal person. Survivors realize that they didn’t overcome what they overcame to sit here and be quiet. God allowed you to survive what you survived so that you could encourage somebody coming behind you. You were supposed to open your mouth and tell somebody that GOD is active and moving in your life, because the bible says we are overcome by our testimony and the blood of the lamb. There are survivors who sit next to you every week, whose testimonies would blow your mind. You really can’t tell by looking at them, because they don’t look like what they’ve been through. They have been used, abused, misused, let down, set up; they’ve been broken, bruised, bent out of shape, diagnosed, laid off, locked up. They have been thrown down, kicked, stepped over, and left for dead, but they are still here! And if you are a survivor then your story is important. You story is necessary because you don’t view life like everybody else, which brings me to my first point:
1. Don’t be a victim, be a VISIONARY. Survivors don’t go through life having pity parties. Instead, survivors see themselves in their future. Survivors are able to look at their “not yet,” while other folks are stuck in “there once was….” They had past disappointments and tried to rebuild, restore, and repair the old temple but to no avail. They didn’t have the resources or the skilled labor like Solomon did, and it had to be painful to look at and say is anything even possible. So, they looked back and said ‘how can we rebuild from this rubbish?’ Reading this, you may be saying to yourself right now, “how am I going to rebuild my life, how am I going to rebuild my career, I don’t have the money, I don’t have the support to start over.” But if God be for you, who in their right mind will be against you? God has already factored all of this into your blessed equation, because sometimes GOD will let you hit rock bottom so that you will know He is the ROCK at the bottom. People of GOD, you’ve got to start looking at your future more than you’re looking at your past. Here is the revelation and my second point:
2. Don’t worry because GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES I don’t care how many times your horizontal relationships fail you - and they will - your vertical relationship with GOD never will. God is immutable, He is unchanging, He keeps His Word, and He is a God that keeps His promises. Because His Word is His promise, and His promise is His Word. If GOD makes you a promise, then His promises are YES and AMEN!!! There are 8,810 promises in the bible, 7, 706 of them in the Old Testament and 1,104 in the New Testament. If you really want to go deeper, go to Deuteronomy 28, which has 133 promises in that chapter alone. You are messing up if you are sitting on the premise and not standing on the promise. If God makes you a promise you can take that to the bank. God never made a promise that was too good to be true. God is not a man that He should lie nor the son of man that He should have to repent. Eighteen years ago, LFCC stepped out on a promise when everyone thought we were crazy, and I declare that GOD’s Word will not return void, but it will accomplish what it was set out to do.
Lastly, just as Haggai told the people, you need to:
3. Prepare yourself for the providential shake up God moves in mysterious ways. That’s why we have to be prepared, because the Bible says that in a little while God would SHAKE UP the nations. When GOD does the shaking, it is providential. Let me see if I can make it make sense: there is some stuff that you are going to blame on the devil, and GOD is going to say, “no, no, no my brother and my sister, that’s Me.” As a child of God, you’ve got to realize and recognize that your temporary inconvenience is for permanent improvement. God is shaking you up to put some things permanently in place in your life. Have we ever seen the world in a place like it is right now? Have you ever seen the calamities in culture and the weather and the government like it is right now? GOD is orchestrating a Providential shake up!!! The reason that you are seeing what you are seeing is because the world has divested itself from GOD. Because people have made a fundamental choice to do the world instead of the WORD.
We have taken GOD out of homes, our schools, and our churches; you can go to some churches and never hear the name JESUS one time. But at the name of JESUS every knee must bow, and every tongue must confess that JESUS is LORD! There is a thing called Grace, Mercy and Free Will. And God is saying you better choose this day whom you will serve, because every time you turn on the news GOD is shaking things up. “But if My people who are called by my name, would humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,” then we are going to see the healing, then we are going to see the glory - we will see that GREATER IS COMING! Pastor T
Dr. T. Anthony Thompson Overseer Apostle
Restoration & Renewal
By Sister Tekia Lampkin
MARK 11:24 (NIV)
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
As we begin the new year, it is important to take time to look back over 2024 and take some time to reflect on our blessings and accomplishments. None of us are in the same place today as we were on January 1st of last year. Whether you started a new job, took up an old hobby again, purchased a home or car, or welcomed a new family member, something has changed that is worth being thankful for.
What did you ask God to restore or renew last year? How has he moved in your life? Have you gone back to therapy? Started taking classes again? Have you reached out to that friend that you’ve had a tenuous relationship with to apologize and move forward? Don’t despair if you haven’t taken the steps towards renewal or restoration yet.
Even though 2025 has begun, it is not too late to meet the goal(s) that you committed to at the beginning of last year.
Look to God to motivate you. For instance, maybe you were moved to start taking classes again, but school isn’t your favorite pastime, so it’s been difficult for you to get motivated enough to re-enroll. Think about the reasons why you were exploring earning a certification or degree in the first place: further education can open doors to promotions and other new opportunities.
As a byproduct, learning can produce endorphins, which are a type of ‘feel-good” brain chemical. Imagine having the certificate of achievement in hand once you complete the program. That same endorphin rush can happen when you decide to commit to other changes that will benefit your life. Say you are moved to get back into kickboxing; just anticipating the activity releases endorphins as you remember how much you enjoyed it and how much of a stress reliever it was when you practiced it before.
These feel-good chemicals and a little bit of prayer can keep you going once you begin a positive change and make a habit of it. And change begets change. Just like exercising motivates you to exercise more, making positive changes in one area could extend to other areas of your life. So, challenge yourself and see what happens. Ask God to renew your passion for a long-abandoned hobby. Start taking classes toward a certification and see if you aren’t motivated to go for a degree. Get back into kickboxing and see if you don’t also want to revisit dance classes or Zumba. Inviting renewal and restoration into your life could cultivate an exciting new journey that will open new doors for your future.
So, pray on it, then act. If it’s in God’s will for you, if He’s the one who dropped the desire into your spirit, He will make it happen. Thank the Lord for the blessings of renewal and restoration that He has already given and those that are yet to come!
PSALM 23:3 (NIV)
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Celebrating LFCC’s Graduates
By Dr. Monica Greene-Smalls
Missing God
By Sister Roberta Pemberton
Each year, the LFCC Scholarship Committee recognizes high school graduates with a scholarship to help with educational expenses and celebrates graduates at the college level and beyond.
While sitting in the café, sipping on my latte, I overheard a conversation between friends. It went like this:
The following Class of 2024 High School Students were celebrated on Sunday, June 23rd, 2024:
Brendon Brown
currently attending Stevenson University, MD
Christian Burn currently attending North Carolina Agricultural and Technical Shool, NC
Savannah Curry currently attending Temple University, PA
Shi’Ya Jones currently attending Loyola College, MD
The following Class of 2024 College Graduates were also recognized:
Renata Bledsoe
Associate of Science in Business Administration Harford Community College, MD
Verangela Christy
Bachelor of Science in Psychology Towson University, MD
John (Trey) Grey III
Bachelor of Arts in Music Washington College, MD
Jeremiah Grey
Bachelor of Arts in Music Washington College, MD
Lyric Kelley
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice University of Maryland Eastern Shore, MD* currently attending Southern University Law School, LA
*graduated Magna Cum Laude
As we look forward to celebrating our 2025 graduates, the LFCC Scholarship Committee is diligently working to prepare the 2026 high school graduates for their next level. The Committee held a successful Career and College Readiness Workshop on Sunday, January 26, 2025. Please check the Weekly Announcements for upcoming events and valuable information to support all of our students as they continue their educational journeys.
Friend one says, “Hey, guess who I saw yesterday while walking through the outlet mall? Erica Saunders!”
Friend two says, “Erica! Really? You haven’t seen her in quite some time. That girl is truly anointed.”
Friend one replies, “Yes, she is but I didn’t get the chance to speak with her. I was on a call and just gave her a quick hug and kept going.”
Friend two replies, “Really? You should have given her a little time and chatted with her. Who knows when you’ll see her again.”
Friend one says, “You know what? You’re right and something tells me I may have missed out on something. I may have missed God.”
Busyness, distractions, excuses, etc., are all weapons of the enemy. John 10:10 (NIV) states, “The thief comes ONLY to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” This thief will do whatever it takes to keep us from the will of God.
Have you ever experienced a situation like this or something similar? Have you been “that person?”
How about the friend that asked to stop by, but you decided that you were “too busy”? Or what about your caller ID displaying someone you “really didn’t feel like” speaking to at the time? And what about the co-worker that you’re not too keen on who was heading your way, and you avoided them? Or better yet, what about the church service you decided to not attend because you didn’t “care for” the speaker?
The phone call you sent to voicemail may have been God’s will for you to speak life into and over that friend. The friend you didn’t allow to stop by may have been God’s will to provide a long-awaited opportunity for you. And the co-worker you avoided may have been God’s will for them to guide you through a tough situation. God has a way for using uncommon people to get our attention or to do His will.
What if our prayer to God is for a need, a situation, a healing, a breakthrough or even forgiveness and He decides to send “that person?”
Let us remember and be mindful of our actions towards others – otherwise we may miss God.
Celebrating LFCC’s Inaugural Women’s Conference
By Dr. Monica Greene-Smalls
In July 2024, LFCC’s Jes Us Girls Ministry hosted their first-ever Women’s Conference, entitled, “Beauty for Ashes.” The Conference was a resounding success and was a blessing to all who were in attendance, including this writer!
In the interview that follows, First Lady Jewell Thompson, along with fellow Committee Leads, Jes Us Girls Ministry Leader, Sister Jackie Meadows; Minister Tikya Fowler; and Deaconess Ronda Bell, shares insights about the planning and execution of this amazing event, as well as plans for the upcoming Women’s Conference in July 2025.
How did you come up with the theme, " Beauty for Ashes" for LFCC's inaugural Women's Conference? What did the theme mean to you? What did you hope that the women who attended would learn and experience through their participation?
When Pastor Thompson approached us to coordinate a Women’s Conference, immediately Sis. Jackie, Minister Tikya, Apostle Jody, and I began praying about the conference. A result of our prayer was the LORD laying on our hearts the need for healing and encouragement for the Ladies.
Our hearts were burning for those who were hurting and trying to heal from brokenness, hurt and despair; burning for those seeking direction and empowerment. Our goal was a time to gather for uplifting, transformation, and healing. This was to be done in a loving, engaging atmosphere of camaraderie.
The answer to our prayer was the LORD giving us Isaiah 61 verses 1-3. The scripture speaks to bringing the good news of the Holy Spirit to the very type of individuals the Lord laid on our hearts. This is a verse of healing, release, overcoming, encouragement, and transformation.
Verses 1&2 reads in the NKJV:
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
It was after the LORD gave us this scripture that we started to discuss various themes that spoke to us f rom this scripture. The most evident theme came to us from verse 3 that summed up the goals of the conference and the scripture “Beauty for Ashes.”
No matter how hurt, broken or in despair, the Lord has messages of life, healing, and restoration in his word. He has laid up for us a beautiful end, a greater outcome to the trials and tribulations we are going through, have gone through or will go through.
Celebrating LFCC’s Inaugural Women’s Conference (cont'd)
By Dr. Monica Greene-Smalls
Do you believe that the conference met or exceeded your initial goals? Please explain (e.g., you can discuss the types of feedback received, testimonies from the conference, etc.).
The conference definitely exceeded our goals. We knew that the conference was God ordained because he manifested himself in several ways while in the planning stages. We did not start searching for venues until January 2024 and immediately the Lord made a way for us to book Water's Edge Events Center for a Saturday in July! It was unbelievable because Water’s Edge books up no less than a year or two in advance. Sis. Ronda joined our planning committee as the recording administrator and Elder Tia was so faithful in proving to us her technical skills to assist with getting the registration site up and running. The Lord gave us unity and kept us on one accord the whole time. We knew it was going to be a transformative event, but we had no idea exactly how much the Lord would manifest himself the actual day of the event. I don’t recall an event with almost nothing but women and it being drama free and in such a loving and supportive environment.
The Praise and Worship through, dance and song only enhanced the presence of the LORD who could already be felt the day before the conference even began.
When Minister Tikya and I arrived at Water’s Edge to start setting up, one of the staff at the venue approached us and said “I don’t know what it is, there is something in the atmosphere giving me this feeling like tomorrow is going to be amazing.” From this confirmation from someone not connected to us, we knew that this was truly a God ordained time and that He had already designed the day down to every workshop presenter and every attendee. God had a purpose and a plan, and it was fulfilled that day. It was His day!
You are now planning for a two-day conference to be held in July 2025. What will the theme be? What are some of the topics and activities that are being planned for that event?
Yes indeed, we are planning Beauty for Ashes 2025. The conference is being planned for a 1 & 1/2 day experience, beginning the evening of Friday, July 25th and all day on Saturday, July 26th. The event will be held at Water’s Edge as we found that they have expanded their space which will accommodate additional attendees and breakout sessions.
We are in the planning phases for our conference topics, but at the core we will continue to target the whole person: Soul, Mind, and Body. We have added new members to our planning team and welcome thoughts, ideas, and connections.
Editors Note:
The 2024 Women’s Conference’s dynamic and anointed Keynote Speaker, Apostle Dr. Suzanne Howard, who is a also Certified Mental Health Coach, hosted a 30-Day Soul Detox event in January 2025, entitled, “Understanding and Healing from Trauma,” which was presented in concert with her newly published book, Understanding & Healing from Trauma: Pathway to Emotional Freedom.
If you missed this powerful and transformative event, each session was recorded and is available for viewing on YouTube. For more information, go to: https://www.suzannemhoward.com
A Recap of LFCC’s Youth Mental Health Summit
By Dr. Monica Greene-Smalls
Building on the success of the two Youth Mental Health Summits (YMHS) held in 2023, LFCC’s Youth Mental Health In & Outreach Team hosted LFCC’s third YMHS in September 2024, led by Elder Tia Turner and Sister Samantha Pryce. The topic area of focus was Social Media, specifically, the associated psychological impact and addictive behaviors - a very timely and critical topic for today’s youth. The day started with a discussion for the youth, led by a panel of their older teen and young adult peers, who shared their experiences navigating the positive and negative impacts of social media. The parents participated in a concurrent session in which they discussed the challenges involved in monitoring not only their children’s social media use, but also their personal experiences as well.
After a tasty lunch, both parents and youth participated in a highly informative and interactive session, led by the day’s keynote speaker, Mr. Charles RobinsonSnead, LPC, LPCMH, NCC, who is a Psychotherapist and the Clinical Director at Minds in Motion Therapeutic Services ( https://mindsinmotiontherapy.org/).
Mr. Robinson-Snead defined social media as a collection of websites and apps that allow the users to share content online, through texts, videos, and multiple platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, etc. He explained that excessive use of social media can lead to mental health conditions, including depressive disorders and anxiety. He talked about both the positive and negative impacts of social media and explained how its use can become an addictive behavior (i.e., compulsively engaging in the same behavior despite negative consequences). Mr. Robinson-Snead provided a Christian perspective in his discussion and reminded our youth that social media does not define them. The speaker stated that “God said ‘it is good’ when He created everything, including all of us.” He encouraged our youth to remember, “I am worth more.”
Mr. Robinson-Snead provided some Tips & Tools for the youth to take with them as they continue to navigate the complex world of social media.
These include:
1) Therapy – to learn effective ways of managing how you feel in response to what you are exposed to, and how to manage your emotions in a developmentally appropriate and health way;
2) Timers – to put boundaries on yourself (e.g., setting timers on apps and phones
3) Accountability – ask parents and/or friends to be your accountability partners regarding social media use;
4) Practice a Hobby – participating in sports, music, reading, art, and/or DIY projects as a healthy way to prevent overuse and over reliance on social media. He also encouraged the youth to seek support from resources such as therapists, mentors, Boys & Girls Clubs, sports and enrichment programs, and church youth groups.
The dynamic keynote speaker closed by reminding the youth to take time to fast from social media periodically and to instead use that time to increase their time spent in prayer and devotion, as well as with family. He noted people usually tend to spend less time on social media when they come off of the fast. He also encouraged the youth to build relationships with their parents or with other adults. Lastly, Mr. Robinson-Snead reminded parents to resist the urge to respond impulsively when their children confide in them, and recommended that they read, The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (https://jonathanhaidt.com/anxious-generation/).
In the feedback provided to the YMHS Committee, the participants shared that they enjoyed the Summit and learned a lot of relevant information that they hoped to apply to their own social media use. The youth also provided suggestions for future YMHS topics, which underscores the need for this important platform. Based on their suggestions, planning for 2025 is currently underway and the Youth Mental Health In & Outreach Team will feature a two-part series on Relationships, specifically focused on Peer & Parasocial Relationships in the spring and Family Issues/Relationships in the fall. Look out for additional information on these exciting Youth Mental Health Summits coming your way soon!
Reflecting on God’s Word
By Sister Tekia Lampkin
We need our faith now more than ever. Faith and God’s Word can get us through anything. When things don’t go our way, our first inclination may not always be to pray about it. Depending on the situation, we may experience anger, depression, or any feeling in between. We may resolve to try to figure out the situation ourselves or just shut down entirely under the weight of battles that we were never meant to face by ourselves.
Going to God’s Word must become a regular, automatic part of our lives in all circumstances. When you’re up, pray a thankful scripture. When you’re down, pray an uplifting scripture. When you feel like you’re lost in the desert, seek a scripture for guidance and meditate on it. Keep God’s word in your heart as both a resource and a weapon against evil. There is no new problem under the sun, and there is no problem that HE cannot work out in your favor.
ISAIAH 40:8 (NASB)
The grass withers and the flowers fall but the Word of our God stands forever.
God is Always There
By Jackqueline Meadows
I just want to encourage everyone today with a reminder that God is always with you. Whatever you may be going through, God is able to bring you through it. You must believe that you are not going through it alone. God is with you. God always carries us through it. That's why we can say, “I don't know how I made it.” The word says, “yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death… thou art with me" (Psalm 23:4), and “I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).
We may be experiencing challenging or difficult times, but we must stand on God's word. I can remember as a child that the mothers would always say we needed to learn and memorize God's word. As a child I didn't understand, but as an adult I totally understand. We must stand on His word even when we don't understand and trust that He is there taking care of everything. We can trust that He is with us through every challenge we face, and we are ultimately going to come out stronger in the end. Remember God is always there. Lean on Him, for God is our "Strong Tower." He is our "Keeper.”
God is always there, and He will bring you through.
Be blessed, Sister Jackie Meadows
Emotional Wellness Checklist
By Sister Kim Floyd
YOUR
HEALTHIEST
SELF Emotional Wellness Checklist
Emotional wellness is the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt
BRIGHTEN YOUR OUTLOOK
People who are emotionally well, experts say, have fewer negative emotions and are able to bounce back
emotional wellness is being able to hold onto positive emotions longer
To develop a more positive mindset: Explore your beliefs about the meaning
REDUCE STRESS
Everyone feels stressed from time to
lasts a long time—a condition known as chronic stress—those “high alert” changes Learning healthy ways to cope with To help manage your stress:
Directory of LFCC'S
Exciting Entreprenuers
By Jackqueline Meadows
Directory of LFCC'S
Exciting Entreprenuers
(cont'd)
By Jackqueline Meadows
