Awaken Women's Conference

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Prayer For Kenya

[From Bishop R. E. Howard, General Overseer of the Church of God of Prophecy]

Everyone involved would have hoped that the disruptions in Kenya would have ended by now. So after days without hearing any word, we have received a clear report from our overseer in Kenya, Bishop Cyril Odendo. I would like to ask all members and friends of the COGOP to pray intensely for the restoration of order and peace in Kenya. Here is some of the report received today.

Bishop Odendo writes:

I will address the issues under the following headings.

A) DEGENERATION OF PEACE - The fighting, deaths and eviction of people, which previously affected Rift Valley, Nyanza, Western Kenya, Nairobi and the Coastal Provinces has not only continued unabated but has also engulfed the Central provinces where organized but outlawed Mungiki gangs are killing non-residents mercilessly. The death toll which stood at 600 people has according to the government, which is keen on saving its face, gone up to 1000 people.

Nearly one million people are camping in areas purported to be safe like, the police stations, yet these have become the targets of killer gangs and the police are also known to be taking sides in the situation.

B) CHURCHES CLOSED OR DESTROYED - Nearly all our churches have closed in Trans Mara ,Timboroa , Naivasha, Kisii and parts of Nairobi, Nakuru and Migori. Many of our members have been forcefully evicted from their houses, property destroyed or stolen and some of our members are confirmed dead.

Whereas it is nearly impossible to travel by road in Kenya, some organizations are making arrangements for transport and security to evacuate their people from these hostile areas. In as much as Red Cross is overwhelmed by the growing number of needy people, there is a lot of hostility in the camps and many threats on their lives.

[Bishop Odendo goes on to report about Health Hazards due to the lack of civil services and government controls; Forced Evictions putting some members, believers, and innocents out from homes; Starvation in parts of the nation; Evacuation of Members who are in the most desperate areas; and sadly Funeral Arrangement Costs. Clearly the situation is no better and the collapse of government has created greater problems that are spreading over the nation. Please respond to this call for prayer for restoration of peace in the nation of Kenya.

All who wish to donate for emergency relief may give offerings specifically for the Kenya Crisis. Local churches may send their offerings through Harvest Partners and Individual donors may address their offerings to Helping Hands.

Send your donations to:
Church of God of Prophecy
Global Outreach Ministries
"Kenya Crisis"
PO Box 2910
Cleveland, TN 37312
(423) 559-5100
retha@cogop.org

Christian Media

• New! Incredible Teen Purity Video Clip

Attention: Youth Pastor's, Teen Director's and Preaching Pastor's.

New! for Teens and Adult Services, "Purity Matters", High Impact Video Clip (1:35) Perfect for Teens, Messages, and Discussion Starters.

Click Here to Preview and or to purchase.

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• CMA to give away Clips/Images

Once a Month CMA will be giving away, at no cost, high quality clips/images. Why? because we want to Bless your Media Ministry for our Lord. Would you like to be included?

Email your contact info to info@ChristianMedia.org

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• Need Custom Resources? Click a Link Below

Professional A/V Install,

Movie Reviews,

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Church Websites

Prominent Pastor Goes To Prison

(Birmingham, AL) Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Greene denied Rev. Gregory Clarke's effort to remain free on bond while he appeals his income tax fraud conviction.

Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Greene denied the prominent pastor's effort to remain free on bond while he appeals his income tax fraud conviction.

Clarke, 53, was sentenced to serve 21 months in prison following his July 2007 trial on charges he filed false income tax returns for 2000, 2001 and 2002 tax years.

His attorneys had raised several issues on his behalf, including the racial makeup of the jury pool and whether there was evidence that Clarke used "sophisticated means" in committing the fraud. The judge conducted a Jan. 16 hearing in Birmingham's federal court and requested more information from defense lawyers and prosecutors before denying Clarke's request.

A Word From God

I received a prophetic word this morning from a true man of God:

"There are many who need their eyes opened and their hearts softened. We are facing a battle with the spirit of rebellion and disobedience. We deal with the influences of manipulation, intimidation and control. The spirit of selfishness and self-seeking has gripped the spirits of many; we must have the help of the Holy Spirit if we are to survive these attacks."

Church Solutions Conference & Expo

The Church Solutions Conference & Expo is pleased to announce three noted Christian figures, Chip Heath, co-author "Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die;" Gabe Lyons, co-author of "unChristian;" and Tony Morgan, chief Strategic Officer at NewSpring Church; as the keynote speakers at the upcoming nationwide conference and trade show for church pastors, executives and administrators. The Church Solutions Conference & Expo takes place Feb. 12-14, 2008, at the Phoenix Convention Center.

"I'm looking forward to heading to Phoenix to participate in the Church Solutions Conference hosted by Church Solutions magazine," said Morgan, "Some of my favorite people ... will be speaking."

Produced by Church Solutions magazine, a Virgo Publishing LLC publication, conference highlights include more than 30 progressive education sessions that will focus on practical topics and issues facing today's churches. Presented in a unique peer-to-peer format, seminars include topics such as staff management, financing, small groups, volunteer programs, building projects, multi-site campuses, online initiatives, multi-use space, insurance, green, security, trends, marketing, facility management, pastor burnout and more.

Education is co-located with an exhibit hall featuring some of the finest products and services the church market has to offer. Education and exhibit hours do not overlap, allowing attendees to put their education to practice with full access to vendors that cater to the church market.
The conference also offers excellent networking opportunities for church leaders and their spouses, from planned events to impromptu gatherings. Phoenix's idyllic spring atmosphere plays host to a golf tournament, shopping and art gallery excursion, and day trip to Sedona.
"The Church Solutions Conference & Expo brings together the best speakers, vendors and networking in the church market under one roof," said Katherine Kennedy, publisher of Church Solutions magazine. "We look forward to welcoming attendees and their spouses to Phoenix and providing them with realistic solutions that they can implement in their congregations through exceptional education and spirited interaction with their peers."

For more information, visit www.churchsolutionsconference.com.
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About Church Solutions:

Church Solutions magazine is the premier resource for today's forward-thinking church leaders. Every month, Church Solutions provides in-depth content on pertinent issues facing today's modern ministries, such as finance, education, construction, the Web, staff management and more. The publication has a companion Web site, www.churchsolutionsmag.com, a weekly e- newsletter, an annual FactBook; and hosts Webinars and publishes eBooks on a periodic basis.
It also hosts the Church Solutions Conference & Expo, one of the most cutting-edge national events serving the Church community. Held Feb. 12-14, 2008, downtown at the Phoenix Convention Center, this annual gathering unites pastors, church business administrators and executives, and related professionals in a nationwide exchange of information and experience.
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(Source: Christian Newswire)

Woman Mugged Leaving Church

A woman walking to her car from St. Mary's-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church in Birmingham, Alabama this afternoon fought back when a man attempted to snatch her purse, according to a South Precinct officer.

The Rev. Rusty McCown said the woman, a longtime member of the church, suffered minor scrapes to her hands after falling down during the struggle.

"She's a tough lady," McCown said.

Police say the man left in a blue Ford Mustang with a Mississippi license plate. A woman was in the car with the suspect, police said.

National New Church Exponential Conference

It's going to be a huge gathering of church planters and church leaders ... and it's all coming up April 21-24 in Orlando. The National New Church Exponential Conference will be held at First Baptist Church, and I hope I'll see you there! This year they have a great line-up of speakers (like Rick Warren, Tim Keller, Andy Stanley, Alan Hirsh, and Ed Stetzer. There are also seven main tracks including pre-launch, post-launch, reproducing churches, multi-ethnic, missional, church planting spouses, and nuts and bolts. And, you'll have the opportunity to network with over 2,000 church planters and church leaders all in one place. But here's the deal... The early-bird rate ends this Friday. Here are some more details, and a brand new free podcast featuring Greg Hawkins from Willow Creek.

First off, here are some options for listening to the latest podcast featuring Greg Hawkins:

1. Go to the Exponential Conference Podcast Page here...

2. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the all the Exponential Conference podcasts here...

3. Go to the Itunes link for the podcasts...

4. Download the podcast directly from here...

The conference early-bird rate is just $129, but that GREAT price ends this Friday (February 15).

Be sure to register this week here!

Day of Purity

The Fifth Annual Day of Purity will be observed on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2008. The Day of Purity is a day when youth make a public demonstration of their commitment to remain sexually pure, in mind and actions. Thousands of students across the United States and around the world will be celebrating St. Valentine’s Day by wearing white T-shirts to school that day to publicly show their commitment to not having sex outside of marriage.

As the so-called mainstream media continues to inundate our nation’s young people with messages and images glorifying sexual immorality, a new movement encouraging teens and adolescents to remain sexually pure is gathering steam. It’s called the Day of Purity, and it takes place each year on February 14. This grass-roots effort is supported by Christian groups nationwide and organized by Liberty Counsel, a conservative religious rights group based in Orlando, Florida.

Mathew Staver of Liberty Counsel believes it is high time to encourage young people to remain sexually pure and to resist the popular media messages that tell young people that sex is virtually expected behavior for them. He initiated the day to allow young people who choose to remain chaste to have a national organization that will encourage their efforts. In addition, he wanted to illustrate the dark options that await those who launch into sexual experimentation.

He points to recent studies showing that more than three million U.S. teens are infected each year with sexually transmitted diseases, and this country has the highest teen pregnancy rate among developed countries.

In addition, 20 percent of the annual 1.3 million abortions in the U.S. are performed on teens. Staver says that, given the devastating consequences of choosing sex outside a monogamous marital relationship, everyone should wholeheartedly support youth who are willing to make the commitment to sexual purity.

This day offers youth the opportunity to make that commitment. When you stand up for sexual purity you send a message to parents, churches, communities, legislators, and the media that it’s time for a positive change in our culture. Now is the time for our youth to let their voices be heard. They can be a part of the “counter culture” saying, “It’s time for change. We can make a difference.” Each year, more and more students and organizations around the world have joined in the effort to spread the potentially lifesaving message of sexual purity. This year, more than 600 organizations and people from nine foreign countries have expressed support for the day.

The Day of Purity is a great opportunity for parents and their children to talk together and pray together about tough issues. As youth gather in groups to pray and seek God’s help and strength to keep their Pledge of Purity, they can also gather at home with their families and by praying together gain the support they need to keep their lives pure. The message we need to send to our youth is not to be discouraged. There are hundreds of thousands of youth who have already made the commitment to remain sexually pure. When you all stand together, you can make a
difference. You can restore our culture, one person at a time.

Though we live in a culture hostile to traditional values which has produced shocking statistics on the state of our youth, the question is what are you going to do about it? As youth, are you going to stand up and be heard for what you know is right?

As parents, are you going to get involved and fight for curriculum that reinforces traditional values? As pastors, are you going to teach from the pulpit the importance of maintaining sexual purity? The Day of Purity is your chance to do something, to get involved, to restore our culture.

There are hundreds of organizations throughout America dedicated to helping students maintain sexual purity. The Day of Purity complements those efforts. It is important to stress that the Day of Purity is not just for public school students. It is for private school students and home schooled students. It’s for parents, single adults and youth leaders. It’s for America. No matter how much we try to protect kids from the message of sexual promiscuity, it reaches them. It’s in our churches, at our playgrounds, and on our televisions. We need to fill the airwaves with our message of sexual purity.

Youth are encouraged to go to their local, state and federal leaders encouraging them to pass a proclamation or resolution supporting the Day of Purity.

Day of Purity participants can obtain a planning manual, wristbands, Tshirt, informative flyers, bumper stickers and a copy of the Pledge Card at http://www.dayofpurity.org/.

National Day of Prayer

The National Day of Prayer on May 1 is another opportunity for your church to come together in prayer. This site provides information about how to plan or find an event near you.

http://www.ndptf.org/home/index.cfm

Preparing For Sunday

As pastors, we are very fallible people and yet we are to speak for God. In this article, John Ortberg explains how preparation is a way of life, not just something we do to get “amped up” for the weekend.

How all-too-human preachers can prepare their souls to preach -

Tools To Help People Grow Spiritually

[By Rick Warren]

If you want the people in your church to grow, you’ve got to be intentional. Many people think that the Purpose Driven paradigm is all about church growth. It’s really about spiritual growth. It’s not about building hearers of the Word; it’s about building doers of the Word. In this issue, we’ll look at three tools that Saddleback uses to help people grow. [more]

Evangelism Quote of the Day

“God be thanked when the Law so works as to take off the sinner from all confidence in himself! To make the leper confess that he is incurable is going a great way toward compelling him to go to that divine Savior, who alone is able to heal him. This is the whole end of the Law toward men whom God will save.” - Charles Spurgeon