Tri-State Voice Summer 2015

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Metro NY EDITION

Fuel Student Conference Page 10

Bruce Jenner and Human Design Page 18 BERGEN COUNTY YOUNG LIFE

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Circles Of Faith: Making New Friends Page 19

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C H R I S T I A N

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COLLYDE SUMMIT Collyde Summit 2015, featuring Shane, Matt Hammitt, and (Sanctus Real) and local and national speakers, September 1819, Calvary Temple, Wayne, NJ. Five tracks, 20 breakout sessions. Presented by Collyde and CityServe. www.collydesummit.com.

JEREMY CAMP NJ CityFest with Jeremy Camp, Danny Goken, and Andrew Palau, July 5, 4 p.m., Southridge Community Church, Clinton, NJ. www.events.chosentickets.com.

WORSHIP NIGHT IN AMERICA Worship Night in America, featuring Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, Max Lucado, Matt Redman, Kari Jobe, Matt Maher, Rend Collective, Aug. 8, 7:30 p.m., at Madison Square Garden. www.ticketmaster.com.

MISFIT CONFERENCE Misfit Conference, featuring Jentezen Franklin, Bethel Music, Social Club, Pastor Chris and Yahris Durso, Pastor Michael and Maria Durso, Aug. 21-22, Salvation Army Theater, Manhattan. www.misfit.nyc.

FOR KING AND COUNTRY For King and Country in concert, July 18, 7 p.m., Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ. Visit www.sixflags.com or star991.com.

TOUR DE COMPADRES The Bowery Ballroom presents the Tour de Compadres, with Needtobreathe, Switchfoot, Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors, Aug. 10, 7 p.m., Terminal 5, 610 West 56th St., NYC. www.ticketmaster.com.

For more events, visit www.tristatevoice.com.

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The Power of Unity and Good News in the City

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Commentary by Tom Campisi first witnessed the power of biblical unity back in 1991 at the Billy Graham Crusade in the New Jersey Meadowlands Arena. A relatively new believer, I watched and marveled each night as Billy Graham preached a gospel message that tied in pop culture, news of the day, and the need for a Savior. Following his preaching, hundreds, even thousands, came forward to commit their lives to Christ as trained counselors from local churches of all denominations were ready to pray with them. It was a glorious example of what can happen when the Body of Christ unites as one.

In 1957, the New York City Billy Graham Crusade lasted the entire summer as two million local church people and repentant souls filled Madison Square Garden and other venues (including 90,000 at Yankee Stadium) nearly every event night.

Billy Graham loved New York. He returned one last time, in 2005, for a threeday campaign in Flushing Meadows. Ten years after the renowned evangelist delivered three of his last public messages in Queens, NY, the Luis Palau Association is working with a wide, diverse army of 1,800 churches to foster collaboration once again among believers and bring Good News to the region.

On July 11, New York CityFest in Central Park will mark the culmination of hundreds of smaller neighborhood outreaches and events that began last year. Palau will deliver a message of hope to 60,000 people, along with special guests TobyMac, Mariano Rivera, Mandisa, and others. New York CityServe and New Jersey CityServe are ongoing outreaches, with the Palau Association working alongside local ministries to proclaim the gospel through acts of love and service to the poor, marginalized, addicted,

Evangelist Luis Palau will deliver a message of hope at the New York CityFest on July 11 in Central Park.

and victims of human trafficking.

“I recently sent a note to Billy Graham saying that I am following in your foot steps in New York,” said Evangelist Luis Palau.

Palau, who has preached the Gospel to 30 million people in 75 countries, understands that great things can happen when churches unite for a common purpose.

“Unity is absolutely vital,” he said. “The biggest scandal of Christianity is our division. We all profess to love Jesus. We may have minor differences, but there is only one Church. We don’t have to agree on everything, only the foundational truths found in the Apostles Creed.”

Palau noted Jesus’ prayer to the Father for our unity, and the result: “Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:23).”

“When there is unity, the world pays attention,” Palau said. “And they believe that Jesus is the one sent by God.”

Rick Del Rio, senior pastor of Abounding Grace Ministries on the Lower East Side, has ministered in New York for 33 years and has partnered with many collaborative outreaches. CityServe, however, may be the most impactful, he said.

“It’s been a catalyst for the city and brought us to a new level in relation to unity,” he said. “CityServe has created a movement. A team effort. The focus is on Jesus, saving souls, and serving.”

The movement started a couple years ago when a large group of Hispanic churches invited Luis Palau to come to the city. But the welcoming committee quickly grew exponentially as Korean, African-American, and other church communities joined in.

The humble spirit of the Palau Association impressed Pastor Del Rio right from the start: “They said, ‘How can we help? We want to come along side you and serve.’ ” Continued on page 4

The Persecution of Christians Globally

EAST COAST LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE Eagles’ Wings East Coast Leadership Conference, July 16-18, Calvary Tabernacle, Cranford, NJ. A.R. Bernard, Samuel Rodriguez, Mark Chironna, Robert Stearns, Stephen Jenks, Ryan & Sara Delling. www.eagleswings.to.

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RABBI JONATHAN CAHN ADDRESSES THE U.N. Editor’s note: The following article is a transcript of Jonathan Cahn’s address at the United Nations in April regarding the ongoing persecution of Christians in the Middle East and other parts of the world. Cahn, the senior pastor at The Jerusalem Center in Wayne, NJ, is the New York Times best-selling author of The Harbinger and The Mystery of the Shemitah. This message is not only relevant to world leaders, but to all people, everywhere.

By Rabbi Jonathan Cahn eventy years ago, this spring, the concentration camps of the Third Reich were liberated. In their liberation, the allies forced the nearby townsfolk to walk through the camps to face the unimaginable depths of horror that Nazism had led to.

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But for most of those who lived in those towns by the camps and, for that matter, throughout Germany, it was not unexpected. It was well-known that the Jews were being hunted down and taken in cattle cars to concentration camps where horror and likely death awaited them. They knew it, but did nothing to stop it. They themselves weren't in danger. Why should they have risked their comfort, their safety, their well-being for those who were?

But when they walked through those camps in the spring of 1945 they were forced not only to confront the evil of Hitler and the evil of Nazism—but the evil of their own. For in the end, it was their guilt that was the critical and decisive factor. Without their silent

complicity, without their sin of omission and self-interest, the mass murder of six million Jewish men, women, and children, could never have taken place.

In 1964, in the city in which this gathering has convened (New York), a young woman named Kitty Genovese was approaching her apartment door when she was attacked by a man wielding a knife. The young woman was brutalized over the course of approximately one half-hour. At least 12 people heard her screams or saw parts of the attack during those 30 minutes.

But the majority did nothing to help her.

Some weren't sure what the screams outside their closed windows were. But they Continued on page 25

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FROMTHEPUBLISHER

The Power of Unity

(Continued from page 1) A CHRISTIAN NEWS & EVENTS PUBLICATION

Jim Bushoven, pastor of community development at Hawthorne Gospel Church, has enjoyed praying, planning, and working side-by-side with other Christian leaders in New Jersey.

“Through CityServe, I’ve met many men and women of God from across this state in the last 18 months,” he said. “I’ve also learned about so many Christ-centered initiatives that churches are working on. It’s been most inspiring. The Kingdom of God is on the move and the Church is very much alive.”

“City Serve is a long-term effort involving hundreds of churches working through more than 50 new regional pastors’ networks,” said Kevin Palau, son of Luis and president of the Luis Palau Association.

“Each group is meeting needs in its own neighborhood. School partnerships are emerging as a productive way forward with more than 80 schools being served across the five boroughs.”

One of the highlights of this partnership was 20/20 Vision for School’s “Project 25,” which gave students $100 micro grants that were used to multiply service to others. CityServe has worked with organizations like the New York Rescue Mission and The Bowery Mission to serve the poor.

At Southridge Community Church, in Clinton, NJ, CityServe rallied over 8,000 volunteers in a one-week span to pack over

The Tri-State Voice is an independent Christian newspaper, holding forth truth and traditional Judeo-Christian values as found in God’s Word, the Bible. We seek to increase awareness and activism among our readers in regards to biblical, moral, ethical, and political issues which affect the greater New York Christian community. Most of all, we are here to serve you.

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CityServe volunteers have made an impact in the Tri-State area over the last year.

2 million meals for the victims of the Ebola-ravaged countries.

These are just a few of the ways that the Palau Association is helping to empower people to serve their communities. These kind of ongoing, sustainable outreaches and collaborations will have an effect on our region, long after the Central Park event is over. Increased unity and a servant’s heart

will give us louder voices in our communities and change perceptions of what the Church is all about.

“When there is open cooperation, the media, the politicians, and even the atheists, pay attention,” Palau said. “Where there is unity, the Holy Spirit works with freedom.”

For a complete list of CityFest and CityServe events, please visit www.NYCityFest.org.

Palau Association Loves Portland, and NYC Too

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By Patti Townley-Covert hen Kevin Palau and his dad, internationally known evangelist Luis Palau, and a few evangelical pastors walked into a meeting with the newly elected gay mayor of Portland in 2008, no one knew what to expect—especially Sam Adams. Past experience and mass media portrayals of hypercritical evangelicals made Mayor Adams leery. Yet these Christian leaders came to humbly admit being known more for what they were against than for anything positive. And, they wanted that perspective to change. Partially motivated by a debilitating economic recession, Mayor Adams accepted their offer to serve the city.

According to Kevin Palau, president of the Luis Palau Association, they simply asked “how can we make Portland a better place?”

The Church loves Portland in the same way as believers in small towns and big towns, or wherever, love their hometowns.

“We love our neighbor. We love the community. We often just don’t know how to engage. So all we did was try to engage a little more collectively,” said Palau.

Cultivating unity between churches and partnering with nonprofits, businesses, and city government, LPA’s CityServe birthed a sustainable community effort that’s influencing cities across America.

Palau’s book, Unlikely: Setting Aside Our Differences to Live Out The Gospel (scheduled for release June 2, 2015), offers some powerful examples of Portland CityServe’s increasing momentum.

Education. Portland’s SouthLake Church initially brought 1,200 volunteers to Roosevelt High School for a one-day makeover.

Their effort revitalized the school and

turned into an ongoing relationship that involved mentoring, coaching athletic teams, and feeding and caring for the needs of the students. The impressive results motivated openly gay school superintendent, Carol Smith, to request a church partner for every school in her district. Other school districts followed suit. Now, said Palau, “we have 253 (and counting) public school partnerships.”

Foster Care. When Imago Dei Community Church wanted to spearhead an effort to impact Portland’s foster care, CityServe leaders went to all nine Department of Health Services and asked, “How can we serve?” A female employee burst into tears because nobody had ever asked that before.

Others wept. Hope had arrived.

Churches began partnering together distributing thousands of welcome kits to children who had been uprooted from their homes. Trained Christians started offering foster parents an occasional night off. Over the next five years, this collaborative effort is seeking 800 more foster families. Palau expressed his enthusiasm saying, “There’s no better way to model and share the love of Jesus with these most vulnerable kids.”

According to Palau, the Portland story continues with no one really owning it.

Hundreds of leaders keep the focus on the gospel while they continue sharing the vision for creative ways to express God’s love.

Endless ideas for community partnerships have been making Christ’s followers known for working together in selfless service.

When Palau and his team started talking with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and other community leaders a couple of years ago, Adams—though still progressive in his views—joined the discussion. He said that CityServe didn’t just change Portland, but

also his attitude toward Christians. Persuaded to partner with the LPA and numerous multi-cultural churches, Mayor de Blasio calls the faith community “a source of moral leadership, spiritual guidance, and selfless service,” and says that “New York CityServe can play a transformative role in . . . and expand opportunities for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.”

Palau’s joy is infectious as he explains how already about eighty church/school partnerships have formed in New York City.

Though Palau easily admits there’s no quick fix, such selfless serving provides a great opportunity to celebrate.

People who have seen the Gospel demonstrated still need to hear the Good News, said Palau. This spring ushered in numerous outreaches in the tri-state area—“from the UN to West Point to CEOs in mid-town Manhattan to Spanish-speaking events.”

And, on July 10th in Times Square and July 11th in Central Park, hundreds of local churches and nonprofits working closely with the LPA will proclaim the life-changing message of Jesus to the entire New York City Metro area.

“The Great Lawn of Central Park will be packed with families who have seen the difference CityServe has made in their boroughs,” said Palau. “They’ll rejoice with those who have made a difference—coming together in ethnic, denominational, and generational unity—playing games, listening to music, and hearing Luis Palau preach the Gospel.”

This story appears in the Tri-State Voice courtesy of Evangelical Press Association (www.evangelicalpress.com). Patti Townley-Covert is a freelance writer (www.ptcovert.com).

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Leading Well in New York City

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By Annette Cutino NYC Leadership Center eter Drucker, known as the father of modern management, once said, “It is not business, it is not government, but it is the social sector that will solve the problems of society.”

Unfortunately, the social sector or the nonprofit arena is tasked with addressing some of the greatest problems, while being significantly under-resourced. When faced with the challenge of meeting the financial demands of operating in New York City and funding life-changing ministries and churches, investing in leadership development understandably takes a back seat.

Enter The Leadership Fellows Program, an initiative of the New York City Leadership Center. In 2008, Dr. Mac Pier, CEO and founder of The New York City Leadership Center, along with other thought leaders, including Dee Ann Boyd, director of Leadership Performance, looked for ways to respond to the results of alarming research.

A survey of evangelical pastors by seven seminaries found that while they said their education had prepped them well in church history and theology, they felt undertrained in administration, management, and strategic planning (Jeff Chu, Fast Company Article). The Leadership Fellows Program was designed to bridge that gap.

The faculty members of this nine-month program are best in class in their strategic topics. Instructors include: Gordon MacDonald, Denver Seminary; Brad Rex, former VP of Epcot Center and Hilton; and Peter Scazzero, author of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. Topics include Developing a Culture of Generosity, Building a World

Class Guest Services Organization, and Emotionally Healthy Leadership, respectively. The program also covers Strategic Planning, Human Resources, Board Governance, Financial Management, and Fund Raising. At the end of the program, every leader develops and presents a “From Mission to Measurement” strategic and opera-

Over 200 leaders have graduated from the Leadership Fellows Program since 2010. tional plan. At the completion of the Leadership Fellows Program, leaders return to their organizations equipped with an actionable plan.

The Leadership Fellows Program’s primary mission is to increase the organizational effectiveness of churches and nonprofit ministries and to increase the leadership capacity of Christian leaders throughout the Greater New York area. Over 200 leaders have graduated from the Leadership Fellows Program since 2010. Here is what a few of our alumni have said about their experience: “Going through the Fellows Program has encouraged me to take a step back from the day to day and think about how I can be a good steward of the person God's made me, of the position He’s put me in, and of the talents and skills He’s continually developing in me. The high quality speakers and the readings have challenged me to think through themes

Mac Pier, founder and CEO of the New York City Leadership Center, speaks at the organization’s Leadership Fellows Program.

of effective use of time, of cultivating a culture of generosity and caring for others, and have helped me to re-focus on specific growth areas for me personally and professionally.” - Esther Larson, Senior Manager, Affiliate Development Hope for New York “The New York City Leadership Center is a tremendous resource to New York City and beyond. Its exemplary mission to uphold the image of Christ through effective management proves that responsible leadership is more than a religious requirement, but a way of life. If you want to see an impact in your leadership and community, then I would strongly encourage you to take part in the Leadership Fellows Program. This course has had a great impact on myself and our team.” – Adam Durso, executive pastor, Christ Tabernacle, Queens

If you are called to lead in the Greater New York area and desire to lead your church or nonprofit organization well, consider joining the upcoming cohort in October. To view our program brochure, promotional video, and to see alumni endorsements, visit our website at www.nycleadership.com.

Annette Cutino is the Manager of Leadership Performance at the The New York City Leadership Center.

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FUELING UP IN 2015 he Tri-State Voice recently interviewed Jacob Burgei, who served as the youth director at Faith Fellowship Ministries World Outreach Center for eight years before moving back home to Indiana in the spring. Jacob is currently serving in a pastoral role at New Covenant Christian Center in Kokomo, Indiana under the leadership of his father, Pastor Rick Burgei; He and his wife, Tara Lyn, are seeking to plant a Fuel Church in the Indianapolis region in 2016. Locally here in Metro New York, however, he will continue to be a big part of the Fuel Conference, which he founded five years ago.

TSV: How would you characterize your eight years in ministry in New Jersey?

Jacob Burgei: When God called us to New Jersey, we never knew what He had in store for our lives and ministry. Serving under the great leadership of Pastor David T. Demola at Faith Fellowship Ministries taught us so much about God's grace and stretched our faith in more ways than we ever could have imagined. It was a great season in our lives and we built so many relationships with people who are forever family in our hearts.

TSV: What surprised you the most about working/ministering in New Jersey?

JB: The thing that surprised us the most was the diversity and seeing all cultures, all races, all backgrounds come together to worship and to serve such a loving God. The people there have such passionate hearts for God and a genuine love that goes beyond words.

TSV: What are some of your best memories?

JB: There are so many great memories, but here are a few that we hold close to our hearts. First, seeing so many young lives changed at Faith Generation Youth Church and seeing them grow and flourish into the next generation of leaders God has raised them up to be. Second, would be the birthing of the Fuel movement in the Greater NYC region, and seeing so many different ministries, churches, students, and leaders impacted and forever changed.

TSV: Describe the beginning and evolu-

Q AND A WITH JACOB BURGEI

Jacob Burgei

tion of the Fuel Conference?

JB: We have always desired to see students and leaders unite and wanted to help them realize they are a part of something bigger and are not alone. Fuel was birthed out of a conversation with my wife regarding what we felt like God wanted to do in the region to bring unity. We shared our heart and vision for Fuel with about nine other youth pastors and leaders and we united to see Fuel Conference birthed in 2011 with thousands in attendance. From that point on it grew into a movement!

TSV: What was it like working with other youth ministers in Greater NYC? JB: From the moment we moved to the Greater NYC area, we were overwhelmed by the loving and welcoming embrace from so many youth pastors/leaders that treated us like family. It was great working with so many of them and building relationships that will last a lifetime.

TSV: And the Fuel Conference will continue?

JB: Fuel has always been about a team that has the heart and passion for students and leaders. It has always been in our hearts to expand the movement. Fuel is growing strong and the movement continues to make an impact. We have a great team alongside of us with Fuel Regional Directors, Danny Sanabria (God Belongs In My City), and Alex McCormick (The Kingdom Alliance), as well as key leaders Richard Ish-

mael (Richie Righteous) and Antonio Dimayuga (DJ YNot?).

TSV: What can we expect from FUEL 2015?

JB: We are celebrating five years of Fuel with Fuel Conference 2015 on October 9 and 10 at Highlands Church in Queens, New York. We know there are many conferences to attend in the region, however, Fuel is different is so many ways. Our heart is to reach as many people as we can with the love of God and see them fulfill their destinies. It is a grassroots movement, sparked from the hearts of youth pastors/leaders from the region, that makes everyone feel like family. We bring in nationally known speakers/artists who are a voice to this generation, but purposely keep the registration and event cost affordable for students and leaders to attend.

Every year, we also sponsor hundreds of inner city kids and/or students who don’t

have the funds to attend. Fuel is independently funded by some of our wonderful partners/sponsors such as Compassion International, God Belongs In My City, The Kingdom Alliance, Pillar College, Liberty University, Grateful Apparel, and many more. Seeing lives changed is priceless and makes every minute worth the investment.

Our 2015 lineup includes: John Gray, Adam Durso, Social Club, Richie Righteous, JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise, the Fuel Worship Band, DJ YNot? and many more. We are excited for all the new and great things in store for the year and are looking forward to seeing the Fuel Conference branch into more regions as it grows in the next few years! We are in this together!

For more information about The Fuel Movement, visit www.fuelconf.com or e-mail: thefuelmovement@gmail.com.

Registration coming soon.

Young Life Launches in Bergen County

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he national Young Life organization, a ministry that reaches more than a million teens a year, has launched the new Young Life Bergen County branch based in Ridgewood, the town with the largest public school enrollment in New Jersey’s most populous county.

Bergen Metro Director Jim Lloyd and his team of trained volunteers lead regular Club meetings for students from various high schools, “Wyldlife” for middle schoolers, a weekly “Campaigners” Bible study group, and a fellowship for public and Christian school staff members. This summer, high school and middle school kids are attending separate one-week sessions at Young Life’s Saranac Village camp in the Adirondacks.

The Club and Wyldlife meet at Ridgewood’s Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Linwood Avenue, strategically located near the town pool and green. Bethlehem is providing its excellent facilities free of charge, as well as a temporary office for Lloyd.

Campaigners meets in area homes.

The Bergen County outreach was initiated by Ridgewood’s Moms in Prayer group, which has met weekly the past 15 years to

pray for public school students and teachers. In early 2013, the women asked Young Life to send in a team and consider an area start-up. The local sponsoring committee that resulted has been led by two young Orchard School parents, business executive Craig Laferty and wife Kristin, a social worker with Valley Hospital’s hospice program.

Lloyd, a practicing attorney since 1996, changed careers to be the Young Life staffer in Westfield in 2009, and moved to lead the Bergen County branch in July, 2014. He recruited and trained the volunteers and began meetings that fall.

As resources and participation allow, the committee hopes to plant further clubs in the area. Young Life previously established an Asian Young Life chapter that meets in Teaneck and has begun other new operations in strategic Princeton and Rutgers universities.

To receive e-mail alerts on upcoming meetings, contact Lloyd at jim.lloyd@bergencounty.younglife.org or (973) 615-6881. Donations can be sent by check to: P.O. Box 1379, Ridgewood, NJ 07451 payable to “Young Life” with “NJ79” in the memo line, or provided online via www.bergencounty.younglife.org.

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Wellsprings Counseling Center Awards Scholarship to HCA Senior

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ellsprings Counseling Center recently awarded its “Mental Health Awareness in the Christian Community Scholarship” to Shelby Tortorello, a senior at Hawthorne Christian Academy.

Eligibility requirements include a career interest in psychology and/or mental health counseling and enrollment in a four-year, accredited college. Shelby was chosen for the scholarship, based on her essay, “Mental Health and Suicide: The Effects of Godly Mentorship.” Her award will be applied to her freshman year at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Wellsprings Counseling Center, LLC, has five locations in New Jersey and New York, staffed with trusted professionals who are dedicated to healing and transformation. Services include individual, marital, family, adolescent, and group counseling, as well as workshops on various topics. Their main office is located at 22-08 Route 208 South, Suite 16, Fair Lawn, NJ.

FCA Summer Camps: “Undefeated”

Dr. Lisa Steiner, director of Wellsprings Counseling Center, awards Shelby Tortorello the Mental Health Awareness in the Christian Community Scholarship.

Sports Camps with a Mission

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ISC REACHES OUT TO LOCAL URBAN TEENS nspire Sports Camps was founded in 2007 to reach underserved young people with the Gospel. Four years ago, after running several foreign missions trips, ISC shifted its focus to “the mission field right in our own backyard.” Executive Director, Kurt Schwarz, and his team of leaders began partnering with urban ministry leaders across Metro New York to provide inner-city teens a high-quality, sleep-away camp specifically designed for them.

Over the last three summers, young people from over 20 cities, including Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, New York’s five boroughs, and Philadelphia, have ascended on camp for a memorable and lifechanging experience.

The ISC program consists of coed sports training for basketball, football, soccer, dance, and cheer.

Campers are also introduced to activities that many have never done before such as hiking, fishing, archery, low ropes, and high adventure courses. Team competi-

tion is encouraged and campers are treated to a number of highenergy challenges. The highlight of every day happens when campers file into “CLUB” for live DJ’s, bands, skits, and gifted speakers, including a different pro athlete each week.

Camp counselors are recruited and handpicked from regional young adult and campus ministries with one goal: to love kids and show them Jesus Christ. “The most important aspect of camp is the counselors,” said Schwarz.

These counselors purposefully participate in all camper activities

to develop deep-rooted connections which can last beyond camp.

Schwarz says, “Our campers come in with walls up high, and very little knowledge of Jesus, but as the week goes on and trust is built, we see those walls come down.” Each year, by God’s grace, about 70% of campers make a decision to give their lives to Christ.

Last year, ISC had its largest enrollment ever.

Partnering in the Vision Knowing the economic struggles many families endure, the ISC camper and cabin sponsorship program helps to provide the camp experience for only $95. Inspire Sports Camps, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization., and all gifts received are tax deductible.

This ministry is only made possible through the generous support of those who share the vision to see cities transformed one camper at a time. More information on how to sponsor campers can be found at www.inspiresportscamps.com.

Eastern Christian High School Receives Prestigious Honor

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astern Christian High School was recently recognized as one of “The 50 Best Christian High Schools in America.” The award, given by website TBS (thebestschools.org) is based on several key criteria, including: • Academic excellence • Extracurricular richness (fine arts, athletics, social activities, etc.)

HOME TEAM REPORT

• Geographic and demographic diversity • Christian faith taken seriously “We are thrilled to have been recognized as one of the top 50 Christian High Schools in America,” said Eastern Christian Executive Director and Head of School Tom Dykhouse. “Awards like this and our recent New Jersey District of Character recognition serve as tangible reminders that Eastern

Christian School is a place that lives its mission: to provide an excellent, Christ-centered education as we train up the next generation to transform the world in the service of the Kingdom.”

Founded in 1892, Eastern Christian School is a fully accredited, P-12, private Christian school system that serves over 700 students across three campuses in northern New Jersey.

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he Mid-Atlantic FCA Sports Camp (www.midatlanticfca.org/camps) will be held June 29 through July 3 at Kutztown (Pa.) University for boys and girls ages 13-18.

Sports include: baseball, basketball, cheerleading, field hockey, football, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track and cross country, volleyball, and wrestling. A Power Camp will be held (Oceanport, NJ) on July 20-23, in addition to a Lacrosse Camp (July 12-16, Gettsyburg College) and a Surf Camp (August 3-7, Ocean Grove).

This year’s theme is “Undefeated”—based on 1st Corinthians 15:57: “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

FCA Camps are times of “inspiration and perspiration” for athletes and coaches who want to reach their potential through comprehensive athletic, spiritual, and leadership training. The vision of FCA is “To see the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of athletes and coaches.”

For more information about starting an FCA Huddle Group or FCA camps or events, visit www.fcanj.org or call (732) 219-5797; email: hflaherty@fca.org

VISIT US ON THE WEB: WWW.FCANJ.ORG

T-Shirt Commemorates Baseball’s Unbreakable Record

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ohnny Vander Meer, who was raised in Midland Park, NJ and attended Eastern Christian School, holds a record in baseball that probably will never be broken—he pitched back-toback no hitters for the Cincinnati Reds in 1938.

The launch of a special T-shirt fulfills a vow children’s author Robert Skead made to Vander Meer’s boyhood best friend, Dick Jeffer, to do whatever he could to help keep the memory of his friend and the record alive. For almost his entire life (which ended a few years ago at the age of 96), Mr. Jeffer trumpeted Vandy’s accomplishment and he passed the torch to Skead, who had the shirt created and who crafted the children’s eBook, Batboy Stories™—Catching Rainbows, The Story of Johnny Vander Meer’s Back to Back No Hitters ($2.99, for ages 9 and up, available for eReaders and tablets) to share the message with a larger audience.

A n i m a g e o f Va n d e r Me e r appears on the front of a quality ash/gray t-shirt, which are $14 each and includes Vandy’s No. 57 on the back. All sizes are available. To place your order, email Robert Skead the size(s) needed, noting adult or youth, at rjskead@aol.com. Supplies are limited.

Vandy once said, “Kids are always chasing after rainbows and baseball is a world where you can catch them.”

“Vander Meer certainly caught his rainbow with this feat and we want more baseball fans to know about him and what he accomplished,” Skead said.

For more information, visit www.johnnyvandermeer.com.

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All The King’s Horses…

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arry Milazzo certainly didn’t ask for a broken life, but he would be the first to admit that his brokenness laid the foundation for an unshakeable faith in the goodness, love, and faithfulness of God. With incredible honesty and emotion, the Fair Lawn, NJ resident tells his story of triumph in the face of tragic loss and difficulty in All the King’s Horses (Creation House).

The author’s storyline runs perilously close to that of the Bible’s Job. At one time, he enjoyed the blessings of a happy family and millions in assets. But his perfect world was shattered when his second child, Bryson, suffered a catastrophic brain injury at seven months. An unwanted divorce resulted in Milazzo raising his three children alone. His financial stability eroded, and physical disease and collapse nearly ended his life.

“If your life has been devastated by circumstances which seem utterly impossible, even cruel, your future is brighter than you may realize,” writes Milazzo. “God is going to use the brokenness He has allowed to invade your life to give you a valid reason to ‘boast.’ He will give you power that can only be perfected when you are broken and weak.”

Indeed, there were times when Milazzo was himself tempted to curse God and die in the face of un-

LOCAL AUTHOR FINDS PURPOSE AND HOPE IN BROKENNESS AND IMPOSSIBILITY

“If your life has been devastated by circumstances which seem utterly impossible, even cruel, your future is brighter than you may realize.”

bearable pain. Instead, he chose to rely fully upon God, and can now comfort, encourage, and inspire others with the comfort he has received from Christ. Today, the passion of his life and ministry is “to lift up Jesus Christ to be seen as the magnificent God and King He truly is, and to make Him known as the Answer for every human problem, every broken dream, and every impossible situation.”

Commenting on his text, the author writes: “King Jesus takes our desperately unwanted brokenness, the very circumstances that have seemingly wrecked our lives, and uses them to produce a dependence upon Him that becomes the lynchpin of His divine purpose for us.”

Several local and national ministry leaders have endorsed

Milazzo’s book.

“If you want to be inspired and love God more, All the King’s

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Horses will help you to see Jesus in a fresh and biblically accurate way through the telling of a true story that proves what we all know deep inside: nothing is im-

possible for God,” said Rev. Howard Van Dyk of Hawthorne Gospel Church.

Milazzo shares his journey with brutal honesty, charm, and wit.

Readers will be inspired to embrace their trials with hope. They will laugh and weep when they encounter this powerful story of perseverance and proven faith.

“The best news of all,” the author writes, “is that the King has vowed to live His victorious life from within every broken believer in this dark world, enabling us by His grace and power to fulfill our purpose here, as we learn to rely upon Him alone.”

For more information, visit AllTheKingsHorsesMinistry.com.

Celebrating ‘Father’s Say’ ather’s Say,” an initiative of Legacy Minded Men, is being rolled out this spring.

In the program, fathers will record a five-minute blessing video for their children. The men will speak about what is means to be a blessing to others and what it means to be a legacy-minded man (boys) or woman (girls). On Father’s Day, the men will present the videos to their children.

“Generally, men don’t get the attention of their kids because they are not speaking into their lives,” said Joe Pellegrino, the president

of Legacy Minded Men (LMM).

“Mother’s Day currently boasts the largest church attendance of any Sunday service during the typical year. Father’s Day, on the other hand, finishes dead last. Why? Moms ask their families to attend church while fathers go fishing!

This statistic, better than any other, shows us where we are as a society.

Too many dads have checked out!”

Pastors are encouraged to have men in their churches record the videos and put all of them onto one DVD. The messages could then be shown at church on

Father’s Day; or men can record their own videos or write a letter to each of their children.

The project is meant to give fathers and grandfathers an opportunity to give on Father’s Day, rather than always being on the receiving end. Men are also encouraged to post the videos on social network sites and post photos of themselves with their children to Instagram.

For more information, call (973) 865-8000, visit legacymindedmen.org, or e-mail info@legacymindedmen.com.

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Poor Authority?

By Juan Galloway President, NYC Relief ocated next to Times Square, The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the largest bus gateway in the United States and the busiest in the world, serving 65 million people a year. Sadly, it is also a sanctuary for many homeless people struggling daily to survive.

Our mobile soup kitchen/homeless resource center known as The Relief Bus goes to Port Authority every Saturday night bringing hot soup, friendship, and resource referrals that can lead the homeless to wholeness.

Outreach Leader Brett Hartford details a sobering encounter with a police officer and a homeless friend at Port Authority: Last night, I met a friend of mine named Albert who is an alcoholic. I have been encouraging him to get into a rehabilitation program. He said he would think about it, but wasn’t ready.

Soon after, some Port Authority police officers walked over and asked what I was doing. I explained that Albert was a friend of mine

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whom I was trying to help and that we were just loving on people. He replied, “These people are garbage; don’t waste your time on them.” I told them that I had to disagree, and my job was to love “those people” on their good days and bad - and today happened to be one of the bad days. I thanked them for what they do and for protecting us all and wished them a good day. They said thank you and told me to just “go and do what you do somewhere else.”

Heartbreaking statements - especially from individuals whom people admire. But really, can you blame them for having that reaction?

NYC law enforcement officers have the nearly impossible task of maintaining safety and order for the city’s 8.5 million residents and the 55+ million tourists who come to the city every year.

Every day, they deal with disorder, frustration, public drunkenness, violent crimes, etc. If you were given the job

of keeping a certain area safe day after day, and see the same people causing trouble, harassing bystanders, and doing everything possible to make your job difficult, your negative view of them would be completely understandable..

So, as much as I want to be frustrated with the police in this situation, I really feel as though I need to advocate for them just as much as for my friends on the street. BOTH need love, BOTH need to be shown compassion.

Please pray for your local police officers. Please pray that they would tangibly see grace, hope, and love in their life, so they can, in turn, show the same to EVERYONE they are tasked with keeping safe.

As Brett's story illustrates, not only do we have a responsibility to help the poor and broken, we also have the authority to help them.

This authority wasn’t given by a government or an institution. We have been charged and empowered

by God to act: You shall not harden your

heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

(Deuteronomy 7:11)

“These people are garbage, don’t waste your time on them.”

When we freely give grace and compassion to the poor, we also become authorities to a watching world that looks for answers when trying to make sense of the glaring disparities between the haves and the have nots. In this way, we offer hope for “the haves” too, and give a living example of a pathway that leads to life and freedom for all.

As those who walk in spiritual authority and understanding, we are able to see past the symptoms and recognize the source of disease. We can see through the rotten

fruit and bring healing to the root.

We are able to see past the irrational behavior, and speak straight to the heart. We are only apprentices, but we are learning from our master how to “heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free.”

I have heard it said that God doesn’t call the qualified: He qualifies the called. I believe that He also authorizes the called. Authority is the power to influence others. We earn authority in people's lives by serving and laying down our lives for them.

Will we wear this “badge”? Will we take up this cross? Will we be a refuge for those who have nowhere else to run? Will we be someone’s port in a storm? We don't need to wait for someone to give us a title or endorse us. We are not to be people of small influence. We have authority to intervene into the lives of the hurting and homeless. We have “Poor Authority.”

Rev. Juan Galloway is president of New York City Relief, a mobile outreach that feeds the homeless and connects them to resources and places where they can find help.

Consider making a donation or volunteering at www.newyorkcityrelief.org.

‘Amazing Grace’ to Make Broadway Debut ollowing an acclaimed, sold-out world premiere in Chicago, the faithbased musical Amazing Grace is coming to Broadway. Based on the awe-inspiring true story behind the world’s most beloved song, Amazing Grace will play Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre with performances beginning Thursday, June 25, for a Thursday, July 16 opening night.

The new play features music and lyrics by Christopher Smith, a book by Christopher Smith and Arthur Giron, and is directed by Gabriel Barre (Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party).

“I knew that whatever else I had to do in my life, I had to tell this story to the most people I possibly could,” said Smith. “What a blessing to see many years of passion, hard-work, and faith play out through the talents of these remarkable performers, on a renowned stage.”

A captivating tale of romance, rebellion, and redemption, Amazing Grace follows one man whose incredible journey ignited a historic wave of change. John Newton (Tony Award® nominee Josh Young), a willful and musically talented young Englishman, faces a future as uncertain as the

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turning tide. Coming of age as Britain sits atop an international empire of slavery, he finds himself torn between following in the footsteps of his father – a slave trader – or embracing the more compassionate views of his childhood sweetheart (Erin Mackey).

Accompanied by his slave, Thomas (Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper), John embarks on a perilous voyage on the high seas. When that journey finds

John in his darkest hour, a transformative moment of redemption inspires a blazing anthem of hope that will finally guide him home.

Amazing Grace is a musical saga that captures the spirit of history’s sweetest and most powerful sound: freedom.

The production premiered last October in Chicago and was embraced by theatre critics and played to sold-out houses.

Tom Hewitt as “Captain Newton” joins Young, Mackey, Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper, Chris Hoch, Stanley Bahorek, Harriett D. Foy, Laiona Michelle, Rachael Ferrera, and Elizabeth Ward Land.

Amazing Grace is produced by Carolyn Rossi Copeland and Alexander Rankin.

Tickets for Amazing Grace are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com or by calling (877) 250-2929.

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DO YOU HAVE? • Desire to make a difference • Courage to push beyond the limit • Faith to love children who are neglected • Determination to do whatever it takes Come get your hands dirty as you become fully immersed in the inner city of NYC and the mission of Metro World Child. Play a huge part in our ministry as you work alongside our staff and interns as 20,000 kids come under the sound of the Gospel each week.

BOOT CAMP ACTIVITIES • Sidewalk Sunday School • Bus Ministry • Youth Ministry

Part-time Bookkeeper Position Responsibilities include maintaining the company receivables, accounts payable cycle, bank statement reconciliations, inventory adjustments, general journal entries, and other day-to-day accounting and clerical tasks. This role will also require a degree of problem solving skills, positive attitude, and strong communication skills. The bookkeeper will also assist in other projects as directed. Excellent Quickbooks skills is a must. Salary: $18.00 /hour.

Required experience: 2 years, accounting. Please send resume to ccampisi@tntmax.com.

Musicians Wanted for Band New Christian Eclectic/Rock Band seeks musicians: acoustic and electric guitarists, bass, and drums. Must read/write music (chords). Call Va for details at (862) 588-2663.

• Home Visitations • Ropes Course (team building) • Brooklyn Bridge Prayer Walk

Sign up today at www.metroworldchild.org/training or email us at brooklynbootcamp@metroworldchild.org.

“Brooklyn Boot Camp is a rite of passage for anyone committed to ministry.” – Pastor Bill Wilson

Join the mailing list at TriStateVoice.com!

1 8 / TRI-STATE VOICE / SUMMER 2015

Bruce Jenner and Human Design

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By Bishop Joe Mattera uce Jenner has admitted that he has injected female hormones and transformed into a woman. This is coming from a guy who was once a symbol of male prowess because of his glory days as a U.S. Olympic hero. His transformation is being celebrated by many celebrities and goes along with the pop-cultural trend of transgenderism.

As a matter of fact, the secular media and news outlets are featuring this new fad so much, that those who reject it are called “genderists,” which is another new way of referring to someone as a bigot.

The forgotten people in all of this are his daughters, who are having a difficult time adapting. I don’t hear of any celebrities reaching out to them and no one is publically taking their side, most likely because they do not want to be called a bigot. Of course, I will go on record saying that I empathize with their need to have a real man and a real father figure in their lives, something that escapes the sentiments of secular mainstream pop culture.

Years ago, many Christian thought leaders predicted societal views regarding gender would change with the legalization of alternate forms of marriage, which is based on the erroneous premise that there is no real difference between male and female.

(They say gender difference is merely a human construct based on anachronistic religious biases carried over from the pre-modern religious era.) Removing these foundational categories of male/female has brought an ambiguity that has opened up

the floodgates of countless gender categories. For example, Facebook has dozens of possible ways to identify a person’s gender. I have heard some people say that gender identity has no limits.

There are now some school districts that forbid the use of the terms “boy” and “girl” and any other gender distinctions. Also, a law has been passed allowing boys to go to the girls’ bathroom if they feel like they are a female. This is because many secularists believe that gender is psychological, not just physiological. In my opinion, this is akin to saying that I have the right to be the starting center fielder for the New York Yankees baseball team because I feel that way irrespective of the criteria based on physical ability, talent, and experiential reality.

Of course, this flies in the face of the Judeo-Christian scriptures that teach God made male and female in His own image (Genesis 1:27). Jesus reaffirmed this teaching when He said, “In the beginning God made them male and female” (Matthew 19:4-5). To simplify the biblical argument: the way to tell if you are male or female is to check your biological anatomy. (Even in the extremely rare case of a person born as a hermaphrodite, there is a biological way to determine their gender). Hence, both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Lord Jesus Christ affirm the male/female distinction as God’s original construct of human design as His image bearers.

Furthermore, it takes both a man and a woman united together as one flesh in marriage to reflect God’s image to their children.

Many alternate forms of marriage assume

that children don’t need moms or dads, which is a blatant rejection of both divine human design and God’s construct for families.

Without divine design as our societal template, we are left with a Darwinian understanding of random/chance origins with implications that go further, since this under-

Both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Lord Jesus Christ affirm the male/female distinction as God’s original construct of human design as His image bearers. mines the uniqueness of humanity altogether. Philosophically, doing away with the biblical construct for humanity and families even opens up a door to human/robot families, human clone families, hubotism (attempts to create human and robot hybrids), and/or human/animal hybrids, as well as a plethora of other machinations and creations.

Consequently, without a belief in a purposeful human design, we have opened a door to cultural chaos, resulting in a depreciation of humanity itself.

What is one solution? We already have a growing “Intelligent Design” movement. I believe we have to take this further and birth a “Human Design” movement that brings us back to our roots as image bearers of God with the ability to philosophically, scientifically and sociologically debunk the notion of gender neutrality, as well as affirm the uniqueness of humanity by birth.

I also believe this gender neutral trend is eventually going to backfire on society as

the folly of this erroneous philosophy cannot survive generationally against the back drop of the created order. Thirty years from now, history will probably demonstrate gender neutrality and alternate family constructs as another failed human experiment. The worst thing about this is the devastation it will cause to young children like the Jenner girls, who need both a mother and a father, since their emotional and psychological needs transcend the trendy norms of pop culture.

Dr. Roberto Miranda, a scholar and the founder of the Fellowship of Latino Pastors of New England, said, “This present culture has brilliant insights along with foolish conclusions, which show the depraved mind of Romans 1:21.”

We need bold pastors in the pulpit and Christian thought leaders in the public square who are capable of articulating the biblical position and the implications of Genesis 1:27. We also need churches filled with strong, Christ-centered marriage ministries that will perhaps become the greatest apologetic of our faith in this century. All men, women, and children intuitively long for the biblical norms in society, because God created them with these divine instincts. This is the greatest advantage for those in the biblical camp; the balance has already been tilted in their favor.

Joseph Mattera has been in full-time church ministry since 1980 and is currently the presiding bishop of Christ Covenant Coalition and overseeing bishop of Resurrection Church in New York. For more articles, visit www.josephmattera.org.

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Are You Too Tired, Too Comfortable to Make New Friends?

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By Elise Daly Parker Editor, CirclesOfFaith.org o you ever feel like you’ve got enough friends to keep up with?

And besides, making new friends can be a little uncomfortable…awkward even.

Well I’m generally a people person. I like people. I grew up in a tribe of five. I am genuinely interested in people’s stories and I like to know what makes them tick. I am blessed with a lot of friends. I love them, but I feel like I don’t get enough time with them as it is. And then there are the women I’ve connected with online and at writing and blogging conferences. Time to just settle down and enjoy the friends I have.

So I kind of thought I was done making new friends.

I had the pleasure of meeting Kim Hyland, the founder of the Winsome Retreat, at the Allume Conference in the fall of 2014. She was so sweet in reaching out to me and encouraging me to come to her event, so I did. I didn’t know anyone who was going from my area, so I saddled up the horse…or at least put some gas in my car…and made the four-anda-half-hour trek alone through the Pennsylvania countryside.

I felt a little nervous as the sun set and darkness fell over the miles of beautiful farmland and windy roads.

What will this be like? I don’t really know anyone very well. Well, at least I know Delonna Gibbs. She’ll be there.

Finally, I found the long, twisty road that led to the White Sulphur Springs Conference Center.

I was weary from the ride. It was cold and

“I had become complacent, maybe even a little uncomfortable about stretching into new relationships.” dark, but the conference lodge shone like a beacon at the top of a hill. I made my way to the reception area and checked in. Of course, the woman from the retreat team couldn’t have been more welcoming. I got my room assignment. Since Kim headed up Winsome, I assumed she was in charge of room assignments and would likely put me in a room with Delonna (whom Kim knew I had met at Allume, as well).

“I’m rooming with Delonna Gibbs, right?”

“I don’t think so…”

My heart sank.

Oh no… I just want to relax and be reunited with my friend. I’m not up for getting to know someone new.

“Dinner is about to start, so you might want to get your stuff to your room and come on back down,” she smiled.

“Oh, okay, thanks. I’ll do that.” I murmured.

When I got to the room, the stranger’s stuff was already there. Honestly, I felt like crying. I was looking forward to spending more time with Delonna, getting to know her better.

What could Kim be thinking?

After coming back downstairs, I made a beeline for Delonna, who had her beautiful handmade jewelry set up in the hall. I told her how disappointed I was. It turned out that she had brought a friend with whom she was rooming. Made perfect sense, but I was still scheming to figure out a way to stay in their room instead of mine. It seemed most of the rooms could sleep three or four …

The retreat was off to a wonderful start, a beautiful evening of worship and an enriching first keynote. Soon it was time for bed. I went upstairs with trepidation. I was tired and now I had to make small talk.

Sleep in the same room with a stranger.

Ugh! Turned out, my roommate, Robin Hurst, was friendly and engaging…and before we knew it, we were talking, laughing, crying, sharing as if we had known each other for years. Instant friends! We even stayed up a little too late that night getting to know one another. We talked from the depths of our hearts - life stories of pain and redemption, loss and gain. We exchanged our desires, our writing, plans, and hopes. Our friendship quickly developed within the course of those couple of days.

Though Kim had put strangers together as roommates, it was obvious to us both that it was God who really put us together. This

was a divine appointment.

Soon after the Winsome Retreat, Robin experienced the heartbreak of losing her dad suddenly. I reached out to her to let her know I was thinking of her. I lost my cherished dad just years before and our conversations during our time together at the retreat revealed we both adored our dads and they adored us. This was a little cement that glued our relationship beyond that weekend.

And then when Robin was looking for a writing coach/consultant to help her tie up some loose ends on her beautiful children’s book, How Can I Choose, my beloved friend and encourager extraordinaire Holley Gerth suggested me. How crazy is that?

Holley had no idea Robin and I had met already.

I’m so thankful God pushed me into this new friendship with Robin.

I had become complacent, maybe even a little uncomfortable, about stretching into new relationships. But my encounter with Robin revived my delight in meeting new people. It opened up my heart…or maybe Robin opened up my heart to the adventure of new friendships.

So this year in April 2015, I headed to Winsome, this time with eager expectation of the connections I would make. I trekked again to those beautiful mountains with a car full of women, two of whom started out as strangers, who, through the weekend, became my cherished new friends. I roomed with Robin again, along with my dear friend and co-founder of Circles of Faith, Kimberly Amici. Just as I had the year before, I talked, laughed, and cried with those God brought into my life. Turns out forging new relationships is a blessed adventure that adds depth and richness to life.

Elise Daly Parker is the co-founder of CirclesOfFaith.org, a website for women where “Faith, Life, and Community Intersect.”

Contact her at: circlesoffaith@gmail.com.

www.TriStateVoice.com Metro New York’s Blog/News/Events Site!

Pastor Anthony & Sister Pat Ventola

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Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association Celebrates 146th Season he Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association presents a full calendar of recreational, cultural, educational, and faith-filled programs this summer season. Running from May 23-September 12, the roster includes worship services, Christian concerts, classical concerts, free weekly recitals, and much more. Most events are held at The Great Auditorium, a designated National Historical Landmark, located two blocks from the ocean at the intersection of Pilgrim & Ocean Pathways, Ocean Grove, NJ. One of the highlights of the summer lineup is the

Stephen Curtis Chapman will perform in concert on July 24 in Ocean Grove

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Camp Meeting Week that runs July 26 through Aug. 3. This week features special guest speakers Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, Pastor Lloyd Pulley, Pastor Ken Smith, and Rev. Dr. Steve Wende.

The calendar also includes weekly Sunday worship in the Great Auditorium (10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. services) and features renowned pastors like: Rev. David Epstein (June 14, 10:30 a.m.); Dr. Luis Palau (June 21, 10:30 a.m.); Pastor Ray Bentley (June 28, both services); Dr. David Ireland (July 5, both services); Rebecca Manley Pippert (July 19, 10:30 a.m.); and others. In addition, the Camp Meeting Association hosts a daily Bible Hour, 9 a.m., Monday

The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association's Great Auditorium will host a wide range of events this summer.

“Ocean Grove Auditorium 2007” by James G. Howes. Licensed under Attribution via Wikimedia Commons.

through Saturday, in the Bishop James Tabernacle. For a complete list of ministers and programs, visit www.oceangrove.org.

Concerts of all kinds are also a big part of the Ocean Grove Camp

Meeting Association summer schedule. Some of the upcoming musical events include: Bridgefest (June 26-27), featuring Shane and Shane; “Summer Stars” Classical Series with Imperial Brass and

Shane & Shane to Headline 10th Annual Bridgefest Beach Festival orship group Shane & Shane will headline the concert at Bridgefest 2015 on Friday, June 26th in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. Now in its tenth year, the twoday Bridgefest remains the largest and longest running Christian summer festival of its kind to be held on the Jersey Shore.

Hosted by The Bridge Christian Radio, this year’s festival will begin Friday at 9 a.m. with teachings that will continue throughout the

day. A free youth rally will be held at 2 p.m., across from the Great Auditorium in the Youth Temple.

The rally will feature live music, testimonies, and a powerful message from Pastor Kevin Miller (Awakening Church, Tennessee) about the impact of phones and other devices. The theme is “45 Degrees of Separation.”

Joining Shane & Shane on Friday night at Bridgefest will be Scott Cunningham, worship pastor at Calvary

Chapel Costa Mesa. The concert will be held inside Ocean Grove’s historic Great Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. (doors will open at 5:30 p.m.) The music will be interspersed with powerful teachings and messages from Bridge teachers .

Saturday will include more fun for the entire family. Activities include a free surf clinic (advanced registration required), a free soccer camp presented by Athletes in Action (advanced registration re-

quired), games, inflatables, face painting, food, vendors, and inspiring messages and panel discussions featuring Bridge teachers. The two-day celebration will culminate on Saturday with an ocean baptism at 5 p.m.

All-inclusive weekend wristbands are available for $25; Concert only tickets are available for $20; Call (888) 861-6100. More information about Bridgefest 2015 can be found at www.bridgefest.org.

Special Guest Phil Smith (July 2); Annual Independence Day concert with Ocean Grove Summer Band (July 4); “Summer Stars” Classical Series with Pianist YunChin Zhou (July 9); the 61st Annual Choir Festival, featuring hundreds of singers from the TriState Area and Choir Director Dr. Jason Tramm (July 12); “Summer Stars” Classical Series with Clarinet and Piano Duo Maksim Shtrykov and Misuzu Tanaka (July 16); “Summer Stars” Classical Series with The Solisti Ensemble (July 23); Steven Curtis Chapman (July 24); “Summer Stars” Classical Series with the Grand Orchestra featuring Gordon Turk and the Festival Orchestra conducted by Jason Tramm (July 30); “Grace and Peace” concert featuring Dr. Jason Tramm conducting the Great Auditorium Choir, guest soloists, and the Festival Orchestra, accompanied by organist Gordon Turk (Aug. 23); and Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea (Sept. 12).

The OGCMA also features free organ recitals on the Great Auditorium Pipe Organ with Resident Organist Gordon Turk and guest soloists. Concerts are offered every Wednesday and Saturday through Labor Day and feature: Isabelle Demers (July 8), Christopher Houlihan (July 15), and Christopher Creaghan (Aug. 19).

Also appearing at the Great Auditorium are pop/rock headliners Paul Anka, The Beach Boys, Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals, The Lovin’ Spoonful, and A Tribute to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons; Tony-Award Broadway showstoppers Andrea McArdle, Maureen McGovern, Donna McKechnie, and Faith Prince; and a big lineup of doo-wop favorites.

For a full schedule of events and ticket prices (if applicable), visit www.oceangrove.org. For information or tickets, call (800) 590-4064 (Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) or (732) 776-4015 (Saturdays only).

Advertise Your Christian Day Care, School, or College in the Tri-State Voice For advertising rates, e-mail Tom@tristatevoice.com, or call (201) 644-7062.

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The Persecution of Christians Globally never bothered to find out. It was cold outside and they were comfortable inside the warmth of their apartments. One neighbor, who actually saw the attack pondered whether he should even bother to ask another neighbor to call the police. His explanation, “I didn't want to get involved.” As a result of the bystanders of this city, the life of Kitty Genovese was violently snuffed out right outside her apartment door.

ANOTHER HOLOCAUST And now, as we meet in the city of the bystanders of that crime, another crime is taking place outside our closed windows. Seventy years after the bystanders of Nazi Germany walked through the death camps of the Holocaust, another stream of victims are being led to their deaths.

Again it involves a satanic evil of hatred, violence, and sadistic cruelty. And again it involves an innocent people marked for destruction—the followers of Jesus, known throughout the world as “Christians,” those who are taught, when struck, to turn the other cheek, when cursed, to bless, and when persecuted, to forgive those who oppress them. These constitute, by far, the most persecuted religious group on earth, oppressed, afflicted, hunted down and killed—men, women and children—the sacrificial lambs of the modern world.

Every year, tens of thousands of Christians are dehumanized, tortured or killed, and over 100 million Christians live under the darkness of persecution. It is the modern age that holds the most savage and barbaric of days. And what are we doing as Christians are being led away to be devoured?

We meet in the world's most revered gathering place of nations. And as kings, leaders, ambassadors, and delegates convene here to discuss international issues, within the borders of over 60 of those nations, Christians are being persecuted by their own governments or by those in whose midst they live—from North Korea, to Iran, to Afghanistan, to Syria, Nigeria, Iraq, Pakistan, Vietnam and Indonesia, and many, many more. In North Korea, Christians are imprisoned, sent to labor camps, tortured, and killed, for the crime of owning a Bible. In Nigeria, entire Christian village populations have been massacred. In Orissa India, 70,000 Christians have been forced to flee their homes. In Syria, 80,000 Christians have been quote, "cleansed from their homes.” In Indonesia, Muslims have put 10,000 Christians to death.

And now, after almost 2,000 years, some of the most ancient Christian communities, from the Copts of Egypt, to the Nestorians and Assyrian believers of Syria, to the Chaldean and Assyrian believers of Iraq are in danger of extermination, genocide. As the evil of Isis and its allies sweeps across the Middle East, an ancient civilization is being annihilated, its people perishing, crucified, decapitated and buried alive in their ancestral soil. The Vicar of Baghdad recounted this year how Isis ordered four Christian children to renounce Jesus and follow Mohammed. “No,” they said, “We love Yeshua ... He has always been with us.”

These were the last words the children ever spoke on this earth as Isis beheaded them.

We hear the accounts of the early Christians being led into Roman arenas to be torn apart by wild beasts. And we ponder how savage and barbaric those days were.

We wonder what we would have done had we been there. If we had lived in those days

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Pastor Jonathan Cahn

and could have saved the lives of the innocent, would we have saved them?

But the truth is we do live in those days.

More Christians have been persecuted, brutalized and killed in the modern age, than in any other. Every year, tens of thousands of Christians are dehumanized, tortured or killed, and over 100 million Christians live under the darkness of persecution. It is the modern age that holds the most savage and barbaric of days. And what are we doing as Christians are being led away to be devoured?

This very body, the United Nations, adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which declares that everyone has the right to “manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance.”

A STRANGE, IMMORAL SILENCE In the World Summit Outcome Document of September 2005, paragraph 139, the United Nations declared that the international community has the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. So the questions must be asked, “Where are all the resolutions?” “Where are all the troops?” “Where are all the actions taken to protect the most persecuted people on earth?” “And where's the universal outcry?”

It's a strange and immoral silence, the same strange and immoral silence that allowed 6 million Jews to be delivered to their deaths.

We must not repeat the mistake of the last century. Evil never stays put. The same darkness that destroyed 6 million Jewish lives would end up destroying over 60 million lives throughout the world. The evil that first warred against the Jewish people was a harbinger of what would soon overcome the earth.

In the days when coal miners were dying of black lung disease, an answer was found in the caged canary. The canary was brought deep into the mines. If it grew sick and died, it would be the sign and the alarm that the air inside the mine was toxic. What happened to the caged canary was a harbinger of danger.

The persecuted Christian is the caged canary of the modern world. The Christian is the first target of evil, and so the sign and the alarm of a toxic evil in the world and a growing danger. And if we don't deal with that evil when it targets others on distant shores, we will surely deal with it when it targets us on our own shores.

No civilization can call itself moral if it fails to defend its most defenseless against that which seeks to devour them. No nation can call itself good if it sits back and does nothing of effect as the forces of evil murder the innocent. And no people can call themselves "Christian" if they watch passively on

the sidelines as those who share the name of Messiah are oppressed and killed for their faith.

If our faith consists of how comfortable and prosperous God can make us in this world, as we deafen our ears to the cries of those who are in this world neither comfortable nor prosperous, our brothers and sisters imprisoned and tortured for their faith, how can we bear the name “Christian?” On the Day of Judgment we will be asked, “Why did you do nothing to save them?” And what will our answer be?

WE CANNOT FORGET THEM It is written in the book of Hebrews, “Remember those who are in chains as in chains with them.” So as we sit on our couches in front of our television sets in our air-conditioned homes, are we remembering our brothers who sit on the stone floors of prison camps as they suffer for their faith? They would say to us now, “Do not forget us in our suffering.” “Remember us.”

“Remember us as our enemies come to take our lives.” “Do not forget that we once lived and that we once gave our lives for our faith and His namesake.”

We cannot forget them. We must remember them. And we must help them.

What would you do if in your neighborhood, a band of criminals had taken over the house next door and were holding your neighbors hostage? What if every day, they oppressed them, humiliated them, beat them, abused them, tortured them and began planning their deaths, father, mother and children?

What if through your windows at night you could hear their muted screams for help, but did nothing? You didn't try to save them yourself. You didn't tell your other neighbors and gather them together to help. You didn't even bother to call the police. In the end, how would you be judged?

The answer is unavoidable: You would be judged as guilty, as immoral; you would be judged as evil.

And what if they didn't live next door, but down the block? What if they lived a town away, a nation away, or an ocean away?

Would it make any difference? Does geography in any way alter or lessen the charge and requirement of morality? It does not.

So if men, women and children, across the world are now being held captive, beaten, tortured and put in danger of death, and we know about it, if we hear their distant screams, but choose to do nothing, then how will we, in the end, be judged? We will be judged likewise as guilty and immoral.

We will be judged as evil.

It is written that on the Day of Judgment,

we will be either upheld or condemned by the good or bad we did or did not do to God, to Messiah. And when we ask Him, “When was it that we did good to You?” Or “When was it that we sinned against You?” He will answer, “When you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to Me.” THE CRIES OF THE MESSIAH Therefore, if we refuse to get involved and help these, the least of His brothers, what are we doing? We are refusing to help the Messiah. If we turn a deaf ear to their cries, we are turning a deaf ear to the cries of the Messiah.

And on that day, He will say to us, “When my village was burned down in Nigeria, why did you do nothing to help Me? When I was imprisoned inside a labor camp in North Korea, why did you forget Me? When Isis came to kill my family, why did you not help us? And when I was tortured, when I was beheaded, when I was buried alive, when I was crucified, why did you ignore my cries for your help? Why did you let Me perish? Now depart from me, for I never knew you.”

When that day comes, let it not be said of us that we heard the cries of God and did nothing to help Him. In the time it takes us to hold this session more people will be brutalized, more lives snuffed out. If it was your family about to be destroyed, if it was your life about to be taken, if it was your little child about to be beheaded, and others could have helped but chose not to, what would you think? Then let us do the only right and moral thing we can do. As it is written in the Scriptures: “Deliver those who are being delivered to death.”

Do not go down in the annals of history and in the judgment of God as the bystander who saw the evil but did nothing to stop it, who heard the screams of the Kitty Genoveses of this world but chose to let them die outside your door; who watched the cattle cars deliver the innocent to their deaths but chose to stay silent. Do not be guilty of another holocaust.

Open up your windows and hear their cries. Open up your doors and step outside your dwelling. Open up your heart and your life and do whatever you have to do to save them. Messiah is screaming! Messiah is being buried alive! Messiah is being beheaded. Messiah is being crucified ... again! Save Him! Save the Messiah! Deliver those who are being delivered to death! For God's sake ... do the right thing! Thank you. © Jonathan Cahn 2015. For more information on the ministry and books of Jonathan Cahn, visit his ministry website, www.hopeoftheworld.org.

SUMMER 2015 / TRI-STATE VO ICE 2 7

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