Christian Community Magazine - June 2010

Summer Issue

June 2010 www.ChristianCommunityMag.com

Christian Community Magazine It’s already June! This year is flying by. Our summer edition starts out profiling Darlene Zschech, previous worship leader for Hillsong Church in the U.K. I was introduced to her through the song “When I Think About The Lord”. This song always puts me in a worship place in my spirit. Love it!

Ted Haggard is back with a new church, St. James Church. Check out their reasons.

JoAnn Sewell is showing those in grief how to refocus their attention to create a life of service in Making an Impact.

Chad Ochocinco made an impact on Dancing With The Stars, and is now making a little boy’s dream come true. Read about how he did this.

In Spiritual Growth, we learn how to be Agents of Change. We’re starting a CCM Directory page. Promote your ministry FREE to 1.5 million readers for two months. Contact us today to find out how.

So much in this issue…to much to mention here. We hope you enjoy this issue, we did! Thanks for being part of our family. Here we go!

Vol. 10, Issue 7 Rube & Gina Smith Editor & Publisher Marketing & Sales Chris Smith Enjoli Hall Amber Smith Richard Hall Shawnda Smith Demel Varick Christian Community Magazine Smith Publishing & Media Group 385 S. Lemon Ave. #E236 Walnut, CA 91789 P - (888) 841-7779 F –(909) 393-7447 www.ChristianCommunityMag.com ccemag@yahoo.com

Christian Community Magazine

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Contents Publisher’s Message…………..…Pg. 3 Cover Story……………………………Pg. 5 In The News……….....................Pg. 8 Making an Impact……………..….Pg. 11 Spiritual Growth…………… …….Pg. 14 Relationship Corner………….…..Pg. 15 What We’re Reading ……….…..Pg. 17 What We’re Listening To …. …Pg. 18 Calendar of Events…………….….Pg. 19

Conversations with Faith-full Women:

By Mercy Hope for FaithTalks.com

Darlene Zschech Mercy Hope: Darlene, when did you first fall in love Jesus?

Darlene Zschech: I was raised in a Christian home and with Christian grandparents.

But whether it was my parents, or maybe the culture of their family, we kind of drifted away from the things of God and I didn’t come back to Christ until I was fifteen. That’s really the point I remember getting radically born again, and from that day to this I’ve been absolutely overwhelmed by the love of God. Mercy Hope: As a worship leader, I know your heart is to point people to Jesus and turn their eyes to Him. How have you dealt with the temptation that’s so prevalent in the music industry to make it all about you?

Darlene Zschech: I think living in Australia helps. To be honest, Mercy, I don’t really live in that environment. I know where I’ve come from and I’ll never forget what life was like without Christ. So anything that happens like that I just kind of deflect and keep pointing people to the Author of my life. I just do the best I can do and don’t really focus on it. I don’t really listen to what people say, good or bad. The Media – you know, you just can’t live there. You’ve just gotta wake up every day and serve Christ.

Mercy Hope: Amen. If there is one song that would stand out in your mind as your anthem, what would it be?

Darlene Zschech: I kind of see my life somewhat like a bridge. Face down, helping people cross … internationally, cross denominationally, cross generationally, so depending where I am that anthem changes.

Mercy Hope: I’d like you to share about your trip to Rwanda, Africa.

Darlene Zschech: We actually went with Compassion International. We’ve done a couple Compassion trips. On this one we went to Uganda, and then to Rwanda, and then we went to Kenya. The plight of the Rwandan people, I guess not only because of what they’ve suffered through, but are working so hard to emerge from, really just caught every fiber of our being. I still can’t really put it into words what happened on that trip.

When we hopped on the plane to leave, Mark and I were like, “Look, we’re just one couple, but we have to do something.” We felt like God was saying, “Now you’ve seen it. What are you going to do about it?” And we were like, “We don’t know!” It’s just overwhelming.

We’d known about the genocide, but we hadn’t really known about the genocide. We had a safe distance. Most of the world had a safe distance from Rwanda to be really compelled by it. They call it, “The time when the world forgot them,” which we did. So we thought, well, imagine if we just gathered friends from across the earth who really just actually love Jesus, and love people. Imagine what we could do we if we could just go shoulder to shoulder over those same 100 days (April 6- July 16) and just redeem the time and say, “Yes, we did forget, but man, we’re gonna guard these 100 days and bring the love of God into as many situations as we can in that nation.

“Music has the ability to inspire people from the soul of who they are, then to their mind, their emotions…and they make a choice, because worship is always a choice.”

I tell ya, it’s such a God idea because within 48 hours of my husband even speaking it out it took off. Kind of like, the song, “Shout To The Lord.” I didn’t even really write it, it just kind of took on its own life. The same thing has happened with Hope Rwanda.

Mercy Hope: Talk about Mercy Ministries Australia.

Darlene Zschech: Mercy Australia is fantastic. Mark and I, (and please don’t make us out to be heroes, because we’re really not), before we were married had been involved in youth ministry and we always said that one day we’d like to open a place for young women, because, I mean, I struggled with eating disorders, and Bulimia in particular, when I was young, and that overwhelming sense of inferiority. You just know that the enemy comes to seek and destroy and to steal from people their future and we thought that maybe one day we would open a place like that.

It was actually while we were at GMA that we heard about Mercy and we asked whether we could go and visit. So we went, and Mark and I met Nancy Alcorn in the foyer and it was as if we had known each other all our lives. Within 12 months Mercy was born in Australia, and we have two homes there now. Actually, Mark is now heading up Mercy International. And we have a home opening in the U.K., and one in New Zealand, and other homes in Australia. It’s very, very exciting.

Now that we’re a few years down the track we’ve got graduates working in the program and we’ve got babies born who were going to be aborted and it’s so exciting! We’ve dedicated a few of them ourselves, actually, and it’s just so great!

Mercy Hope: Amen! That has got to be almost indescribable!

Darlene Zschech: Oh, it is! To see a life turned around … I never get used to seeing what the love of God does in people’s lives.

Mercy Hope: Worship is so much more than just going to church and singing worship songs, although that is a key aspect. Worship is a lifestyle, and through your work with Compassion International & Mercy Ministries you truly exemplify that. What would you say to encourage Believers to move worship out of the four walls of their church?

I truly believe we must be worshipers because unless we have worship, and connection, and encounter with God our hearts are so hard that we don’t even see need, but true worshipers -- their hearts are soft and vulnerable in the Presence of God and you see need and it’s not even a choice! You have to do something about it!

Darlene Zschech: The Church is born to be the lighthouse on the earth, so we’ve always got to remember that, and music has always been the most powerful communicator.

When we come together as a Body with our expression of love songs to our God, attaching music to lyrics and the Word of God and inspired melodies, and basically this is Heaven. It really does help people. Music has the ability to inspire people from the soul of who they are, then to their mind, their emotions, etc. etc., and they make a choice, because worship is always a choice, to ascribe greatness to honor God because of His worth through song, through the lifting of hands, through the making of melody, all those things. So worship is a POWERFUL thing when we come in unity. I mean, it’s the only place ever that you’ll hear the same song sung by different generations, different ages, different tastes, understanding … but we can all sing “Amazing Grace” around the earth with the same conviction!

It’s supernatural what happens in worship through music.

“Just be faithful with what He’s put in your hand today. That’s all you need to do.”

But then in Romans 12, it talks about our lives poured out—our spiritual act of worship actually being sacrificial lives.

Throughout the Psalms it tells us to worship God and then it talks about bringing justice to those who have no voice. Proverbs 31 talks about speaking out on behalf of those who have no voice and bringing answers. I truly believe we must be worshipers because unless we have worship, and connection, and encounter with God our hearts are so hard that we don’t even see need, but true worshipers—their hearts are soft and vulnerable in the Presence of God and you see need and it’s not even a choice! You have to do something about it! When you read through the Gospels and look at how Jesus lived His life, because He had the most beautiful Heart, you see that He was always moved by compassion, always in a relationship with the Father, and always meeting the needs of people with no voice. In fact, He stopped the crowd to grab the one who was seemingly insignificant.

Mercy Hope: With your amazingly full life, and all the wonderful ministry things you are involved in, how do you keep your marriage and family so strong?

Darlene Zschech: I think it’s a matter of life vision. I don’t think it’s just a matter of balance, because it has a lot to do with Divine order, because everyday that changes. And with our family, this is not me doing my thing, this is us doing our thing.

For our daughters, this is all they know. In the Ministry it’s “What are we doing this week?” and it’s fun. I mean, it’s getting scary now because Amy is nearly seventeen, and we’ve traveled a lot and we’ve really made the world a small place for her, so talking about her future and Rwanda and maybe Kiev, and I’m like, “Oh, thank You Jesus!” (Laughs) So we do this together, and when I have down time I protect it. The office knows it’s out of bounds. Unless someone is dying, they can handle it. We’re not indispensable.

And I think humor is a really good thing. We’ve learned in our family that you’ve got to have a good sense of humor. Laugh a lot. It makes your journey wonderful! Don’t get too intense.

Mercy Hope: I know a lot of Christians right now who are battling discouragement and just having a hard time keeping their head up. Their laugh is gone, or at least hard to find. What would you say to encourage those who are “going through” right now and need to find their song, their joy, again?

Darlene Zschech: My encouragement to them would be, that they would always know how valuable they are to God; how loved they are and that God has a plan and a purpose for their lives!

I have experienced major discouragement and disappointment to the point that I felt very alone and overlooked. And for me, even as a young person, Psalm 139 was really critical to allowing me to stand at all, just as a human being before God and in my family. It just talks about my worth, and I think sometimes we can get overwhelmed by that feeling of “not good enough.” Nothing we could ever say or do could ever measure up to what people expect of us, but my first thing would be to remind the girls that they literally are of royal descent and to absolutely treasure it, and it does not matter what you’ve done, it does not matter where you’ve come from. Today you are just so treasured. I think just knowing that really helps you to get up in the morning and go, “Wow! God really does have a plan for me.” You may not see it today, but He does.

And, Mercy, for me, I’ve found that worship is critical, not public worship, private worship was critical and pivotal to my Spiritual growth—just coming before God—because when I actually made the decision and positioned myself and actually got into the things of God, it’s amazing how you can hear His voice! It’s incredible that the Creator of Heaven and earth would actually want to speak to you!

But when you position yourself and actually take the time, you will hear the Voice of God. One word in the depths of your soul, I’ll tell ya, you’ll be changed forever! That’s what happened to me, on a number of occasions. When He said to me that, “I never needed to perform for anybody,” that “I’m not for sale. I’ve already been bought with a price and I’m His.” Just so many times when I really understood being cradled by God and held in His palm. How can you get full of your own self-importance when you know really who you are as a person, and how frail and vulnerable?

Just be faithful with what He’s put in your hand today. That’s all you need to do. Usually what’s in your hand will end up leading to what’s in your heart. Be faithful with that today. For more information on this anointed singer, visit www.darlenezchech.com.

Ted Haggard Starts New Church in Colorado Adrienne S. Gaines for Charisma Magazine

More than three years after stepping down as pastor of the 14,000-member congregation he founded in Colorado Springs, Colo., Ted Haggard announced that he is starting a new church in the same city even though he once agreed not to start a church within 100 miles.

Flanked by his wife, Gayle, and their four children, Haggard said there will be a "launch party" Sunday at his house for the newly formed St. James Church, which will seek to help people "go through the difficult times in their lives."

"Though many believe that I am not qualified nor will I ever be qualified again to be a pastor ... because of what we have been through I may be qualified to help other people in need," Haggard said Wednesday at a press conference outside his Colorado Springs home.

Haggard founded New Life Church in 1984 and led it for more than 20 years. The church had grown to more than 14,000 members when Haggard resigned in November 2006 after confessing to sexual immorality with a male prostitute.

New Life agreed to pay Haggard's salary through December 2007, provided he move away from Colorado and participate in a restoration process. Haggard also was prohibited from opening a church within a 100-mile radius of Colorado Springs.

Haggard was released from those requirements in February 2008 when his formal ties with New Life Church ended. At that time, New Life leaders released a statement saying Haggard's restoration process was "incomplete."

The Haggards have been traveling in ministry since January 2009 when HBO aired a documentary titled The Trials of Ted Haggard. The couple began hosting a prayer meeting at their home last November and in May they incorporated the name St. James to track reimbursement of ministry travel costs.

In a statement Wednesday, New Life pastor Brady Boyd said the church wishes the Haggards well.

"New Life Church will always be grateful for the many years of dedicated leadership from Ted and Gayle Haggard and we wish their family only the best," Boyd said.

Haggard said he wants St. James to "be a blessing" to his former congregation and complimented the leadership at New Life Church. He said he and Gayle waited to start a congregation until New Life was healthy and strong.

Gayle Haggard said she and her husband were launching St. James in Colorado Springs because they felt they needed to return to the city where they started "to finish their story."

She said after spending 22 years "investing our lives in an amazing church and serving people we love ... I wasn't willing to let the scandal be the final chapter."

The couple said they were returning to pastoral ministry with greater compassion after having been broken as a result of the scandal. Ted Haggard said the church would be open to all—"Democrat, Republican, Indepdendent, gay, straight, tall, short."

"I believe Jesus' arms are open to everybody," he said. "And I believe in your darkest hour, that is when the Lord draws closest. ... We've really had a baptism of love, and we think judgment is the opposite of love. We don't want to hate anybody, but we want to give people an open hand."

After the launch party Sunday, a second planning service will be held June 13 to determine where the fledgling congregation will meet. The first official church service will be held June 20, when Haggard said he will preach from the book of Hebrews.

"I think the emphasis will be through life without divorcing the church. "How to let a part and still be able to heal."

Haggard, who also resigned member National Association scandal broke, said his goal political.

"We want to be helpful to in society, but I don't want to said. "I want to do what it what we're committed to."

“I believe Jesus’ arms are open to everybody,” he said.

“And I believe in your darkest hour, that is when the Lord

family and how to ... go members," Haggard said of of the body get a little sick

as president of the 30 millionof Evangelicals when the is not to make the church

draws closest..”

- Ted Haggard

people wrestling with issues be a political activist," he takes to help people. That's

Responding to a question about gay marriage, Haggard said the church would support marriage between one man and one woman as God's ideal for marriage. But he said "as for society wrestling with that question, that is a totally different question."

"Inside the church we discuss God's ideal, but the discussion about public policy is a different issue," he added.

Haggard said he didn't know how large St. James would become but said he and Gayle were "ready to get to work." During the press conference, he invited couples with marital or other difficulties to contact them for counseling. Read more at www.charismamag.com.

Christians Head to World Cup to Evangelize Soccer Fans Christians from across the globe are gearing up to share the gospel with the thousands of soccer fans expected to attend the world's biggest sporting event this month.

Some 200 Brazilian Christians began arriving in South Africa last week for the FIFA Word Cup with plans to target a very specific group when the games begin June 11: North Koreans. Read more at www.charismamag.com.

JoAnn Sewell, Washington Woman, Finds New Life With Volunteering After Husband's Death Huffington Post

Two years ago, Washington woman JoAnn Sewell was mourning the death of her husband, at loss for how to move on.

"For about a year, I just sat around feeling sorry for myself," Sewell said. "My blood pressure went up, my weight went up, my health started going downhill, and I just decided I had to get out of the house and start doing something."

Responding to an ad in a local newspaper, Sewell began volunteering at the Marysville Community Food Bank.

The Daily Herald reports, through her volunteer work, Sewell found a new passion and a way to cope with her grief.

Now, Sewell spends almost every day at the food bank, helping to coordinate other volunteers and inspire them with daily quotes she writes on a white board. She has also helped start the Giving Gardens program, encouraging local farmers and gardeners to donate extra produce to the organization.

In April, Sewell was honored by the organization as 'Volunteer of the Year.' A plaque will hang in her honor on the walls of the food bank.

Sewell looks forward to continuing her work with the food bank and hopes to help the organization implement a gleaning program to collect fruit from local trees to supply the food bank's shelves.

Chad Ochocinco was at Our Children Mending Hearts Event, And Made One Little Boy's Day Lysa Heslov, Founder and President of Children Mending Hearts

Children Mending Hearts is a global arts exchange between at-risk children in America and children living in conflict zones that educates, empowers and encourages children and gives them a voice, inspiring them to a sense of empathy and desire for peace.

I thought news of our event was long over and had been busily planning our trip to Haiti and the workshop in Las Vegas with at-risk youth when I was sent this link three days ago by the NFL who had done a story on one of our kids.

Then an hour later I got an email telling me that the video had been picked up as the lead story on Yahoo and that we had over 17,000 hits. I was in utter shock to say the least. Little Ruben, who has been living in a shelter in Brooklyn, had one dream, and that was to go to football camp. With the help of dear friend Rich Eisen, we arranged for him to go to football camp this summer and had Chad Ochocinco (Ruben's idol) come to our event to surprise Ruben.

Watching the video and weeping once again gave me that positive re-enforcement that I so desperately needed.

I think for those of us that work with children on a daily basis and have suffered the recent slings and arrows of the economic crisis especially, in the NGO arena, we sometimes feel that no matter how hard we work and no matter how much we give that somehow it's never enough.

I wake in the morning and lay my head on the pillow at night thinking about the kids we work with and end up constantly asking myself how I can do more. This beautiful story is just a reminder to me and to the rest of the world that to help one child at a time is okay. I'm happy to report that Ruben and his mom have moved into transitional housing. Children Mending Hearts has just provided them with a computer and tutoring for Ruben.

He has been accepted into three charter schools and will be attending Deion Sanders football camp the second week of July. To learn more about Children Mending Hearts, visit www.childrenmendinghearts.org.

Agents of Change “If anyone cleanses…himself…he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and use for for the Master, prepared for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 2:21

By Joe Stowell

Only when we are changed, can we be agents of change.

With 4 years of seminary under my belt, I walked into my first ministry with a long agenda. As a new pastor, I thought I was there to change that place. Instead, God used that place to change me.

The board members were supportive, but they relentlessly kept my feet to the fire in administrative details. I needed to learn how to work with lay leadership, how to be careful in my work, and how to dream with others.

We often think God has assigned us to change the world around us when in reality He is interested in changing us. Why? To make each of us “a vessel” for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work” (2Tim. 2:21). God often uses the most unlikely people in the most unlikely places to teach us some of life’s most difficult lessons. And just when we think we’ve arrived, He is instructing us further.

Not long ago I entered a new season of ministry. I may be a “seasoned veteran,” but I’m still learning, still growing, and still amazed at how God continues to shape this vessel for His noble purposes.

If you want to be an agent of change, don’t resist the true Agent of Change. He has your best interest – and His – at heart!

How to Overcome Bitterness

by Dr. Gary Smalley, Family counsellor, president and founder of the Smalley Relationship Center

As I live and breathe God is good. Though cancers may come to our bodies or marriages, as long as we have breath, we have freedom in Christ. Even though it may seem this world or Satan has taken over your husband or wife, even still do not grow bitter. When we grow hard in our hearts we grow cold and isolated. My friends we cannot lose sight of the best friend we have- our deliverer!

When this world and people try to steal you away, dig deep within your soul and evaluate the cost of growing bitter. I’m firmly convinced this is the meaning of Eph. 4:26-27 “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold.” This is about a season of unresolved anger. It’s not about a night- but night after night.

I can’t tell you how God can change your bitterness to blessing but obedience is the start. Start drawing yourself to Christ and He will release you from your darkness and pain. God never puts more on us than we can bare, so don’t you think drawing closer to Him might be a good idea? God has a plan for your life. Will you trust him with your obedience and see where He takes you? Staying in a marriage that’s terrible is painful but living a life away from God is unbearable- so don’t try. Try true obediencereal obedience- only you know if you are holding something back from God. Allow God to handle the big stuff; your job is to open your heart to Him.

I'm starting with the man in the mirror, I'm asking him to change his ways.

No message could have been any clearer If you wanna make the world a better place, Take a look at yourself and then make the change!

- Michael Jackson, Man in the Mirror

Don’t look for reasons to divorce but seek the benefits of obedience. You have such an opportunity to feel God’s presence in your life like you haven’t before. Why are we so scared God doesn’t want to give us the abundant life only He can give? We seek the love of our spouse that may not be obtainable instead of the complete love of our true prince.

Take the time to be obedient, do the right thing, and walk out your commitment to Christ first and you’ll find peace in God before you make any big decisions. When you are bitter you can’t be close to God- so you know you aren’t ready to make a big decision. God will be patient with you, take the opportunity to allow Him to guide you into a deeper relationship with Him first. God is good even when we are in pain. Wrestle with it until you believe it! You may come out with a limp like Jacob but you will be blessed. Learn more at www.smalley.cc.

Lord, I’m Ready to Be a Wife Christine Pembleton

www.christinepembleton.com

Do you want to get married, God's way? Lord, I'm Ready to Be a Wife will show you how to avoid common dating pitfalls and recognize a potential husband when you meet him. Funny, real, and relevant, this book will encourage you while you're waiting, and help you prepare to be the woman he's always wanted to marry. The stories of Ruth and Esther will show you what it takes to get a man to "put a ring on it" and still maintain your love for the Lord. Today could be the day you meet the man you've been praying to meet.

Wisdom from T.D. Jakes T.D. Jakes www.amazon.com

Only T.D. Jakes can wash over you with wisdom that will clean away all your troubles and trials and present you as a shining masterpiece of God's glory. With the wisdom of Solomon, one of the best known and beloved pastors of our time, T.D. Jakes, shares 40 wise and personal insights to refresh and empower you to tackle life s challenges. This interactive devotional journal immerses you into a world where God s power infuses you with wisdom that you never thought possible. How much better to get wisdom than gold.

The Girl God Wants: Sister-to-Sister Talk about Loving God, Living a Great Life and Enjoying It

By Daniella Whyte www. daniellawhyte.com

In The Girl God Wants, young ladies will be encouraged to memorize Scripture through the Scripture Says section in each chapter. They will be motivated to act on their faith through the Celebrate section at the end of each chapter. They will also be challenged by the quot;Think About Itquot; sections placed throughout the book. By the time a young lady completes this book, she will know: who she is in Christ, what her purpose is in life and where her obedience to God can take her and she will be The Girl God Wants.

The Faith of Barack Obama

By Stephen Mansfield

www.mansfieldgroup.com

In The Faith of Barack Obama, New York Times bestselling author Stephen Mansfield takes readers inside the mind, heart, and soul of presidential hopeful Barack Obama--as a person of faith, as a man, as an American, and possibly as our future commander in chief.

Barack Obama, according to Mansfield, is "raising the banner of what he hopes will be the faith-based politics of a new generation . . . and he will carry that banner to whatever heights of power his God and the American people allow.""You must read this perceptive and well written book. Then you will know why Barack Obama has such a passion for justice and equity, such a gift for filling people of different generations with a newfound hope that things can and will change for the better."

-- ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU

Songs of Emotional Healing CD CeCe Winans Are you hurting, feeling alone, contemplating on giving up or know someone who is? CeCe Winans offers this CD full of songs of encouragement, comfort, healing and love to lift all those who are feeling down for whatever reason. This eight-song set includes "The Healing Part," "You Are Loved," "His Strength Is Perfect," and more.

Hope and Grace CD

By Women of Faith

Hope and Grace is a vocal CD produced by Women of Faith featuring a mix of well-known top artists together on one CD. These artists have all performed at the popular Women of Faith conferences. The format of this compilation creates a "something for everyone" audio CD. Hit songs from the soulful sound of Mandisa's My Deliverer, the classic confidence of Sandi Patty's Blessed Assurance, to the worshipful strains of On My Knees from Nicole C. Mullen, all highlight God's grace and the hope we have in Him.

Wake Up My Soul CD

By Andy Kirk

Worship leader at Nashville's Hopepark Church, Andy Kirk offers his debut release Wake Up My Soul. The album title reflects Kirk's heart as he explains, "I hope to see God's people awake from their slumber. Awaking from the numbing effect of culture and society, to the knowledge and revelation of who Christ is and what He can do through us. I'm truly humbled to see what God has done with a small seed of talent in my life, and I am eager to share these new songs of hope and surrender with the Church." This ten song release includes "Wonderful Savior," "Let Justice Ring," "Falling In Love," and more.

MercyMe The Generous Mr. Lovewell Nearly a decade since "I Can Only Imagine," multiplatinumselling supergroup MercyMe dares to imagine the world as it should be in its brand new release, The Generous Mr. Lovewell. Produced by Brown Bannister (Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith) and Dan Muckala (Brandon Heath, Backstreet Boys), The Generous Mr. Lovewell fuses MercyMe fundamentals heart-provoking lyrics, powerful worship anthems, ballads and pounding, infectious melodies--with the simplest, yet greatest mandate of our lives as Christ followers: what it means to love well. "It almost goes without saying that we should love generously, that we should love like Jesus," Mike Scheuchzer of MercyMe says, "but does it?" Does hearing it make it real? It's so easy for us to live in our own little self-absorbed bubbles. We forget that above anything else we are called to love our neighbors, to reach out, to engage even the unlovable around us. It's not an option if we really want to be like Christ. The Generous Mr. Lovewell is a picture of the change we want to see in our own lives. Without love like this, everything we do, everything we are, is in vain."

Letting Go

By Jennifer Knapp Grammy nominated Jennifer Knapp returns from a seven year hiatus with a new album, Letting Go (Graylin Records/Thirty Tigers) on May 11th, 2010. Recorded in Nashville, Letting Go was produced by Paul Moak (Mat Kearney, Martha Wainwright, Amy Grant) and features ten folk-rock songs showcasing her astonishing straightforwardness and honesty. Knapp s impressive history includes selling over one million albums with her previous releases, Kansas (debut 1998), Lay It Down (2000), and The Way I Am (2001). The Kansas-born musician toured the globe with artists such as Jars of Clay and was featured on 1999 s Lillith Fair Tour. Jennifer scored a Grammy nod in 2002 along with other awards and nominations. With a considerable fan base, critical and commercial successes, Knapp walked away from it all at the height of her career. After seven years of soul searching and time spent in Australia, Knapp comes full circle in 2010 with a new album, new tour, and a renewed love of music. This spring she will preview her new music on a co-headline tour with Derek Webb, kicking off on March 5th in New York City. She will play on the revamped Lilith Fair tour, the first one in 10 years. Since Jennifer played on the last one in 99, being asked to play the re-launch is very special, a reminder of why Jennifer came back to her musical roots.

Abundant Living Family Church Marriage Conference Friday, June 25th – 7:30pm, Sat., June 26th – 8:30am 10900 Civic Center Dr. Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 www.alfconline.com Pastor Lou and Dora Elizalde 909.204.4541 lelizalde@alfconline.com

God’s Glamourous Girls Spirit of Faith Christian Center Dr. Dee Dee Freeman June 16 - 18 Jericho City of Praise 8501 Jericho City Dr Landover, MD 20785-4703 www.spiritoffaith.org

A Night of Hope With Joel & Victoria Osteen\ Tampa Florida Friday, June 4th, St. Pete Times Forum

Girls Night Out Sponsored by World Vision June 12th – 7:30pm Redeemers Lutheran Church Ontario, CA 909-986-2615