Pastor’s daughter, 12, killed after snow fort collapses on her outside church

Esther Jung and a nine-year-old girl were attending services with their families at Rothem Church before they went out to play in a nearby snowbank, according to Arlington Heights police in Illinois.

The adults went to look for the pair an hour later and found them buried under snow before calling for help.

 

The police said both children were taken to hospital but Esther died shortly after arrival as a result of asphyxia and hypothermia.

Her friend was released from hospital on Monday after being treated for hypothermia and is expected to survive.

At her family’s home in Elk Grove Village, neighbours told ABC news that Esther would often build snow forts in the front garden.

Neighbour Peg Gradl said: “It’s just so sad. It’s something she loved to do, and she did regularly, so she was probably confident in her skills.

“Two little girls just having fun in the snow. It’s so normal, but it’s a danger we don’t often think of.”

The Arlington Heights Police Department has said it does not suspect foul play and has ruled the incident as an accident.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

… Read More



Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

قالب وردپرس

Council removes church’s banner, labelling it a ‘distraction to motorists’

All Saints Church in Highertown put up a banner in a bid to encourage fundraising for its ‘The 10 10 Lifehouse Project’ which will create a new home for a number of community groups including those who help the homeless.

However, church members were shocked when the banner was pulled down by staff from management organisation Cormac, following orders from Cornwall Council.

 

Stuart Roden, a member of the church’s project group and a Truro city councillor told Cornishstuff.com: “The 10-10 Lifehouse project at All Saints church Highertown is a brilliant project.

“Last Wednesday morning at 8.15am, Cormac turned up and tore up the posts and moved the banner on the basis the verge adjacent to the church is ‘Cornwall Council land’.

“The banner was torn and damaged and the posts thrown into the church car park. There was no warning or attempt to discuss this with the church or even to ask them to move it onto church property.”

Truro Lifehouse Project

 

While the Cornwall Council has admitted it was responsible for the removal of posts and banners, it has insisted the “removed signs were then handed back over to a church representative”.

The Council also explained why it deemed the removal necessary: “Unfortunately, two banners had to be removed, on safety grounds, from a roadside verge where they were considered to be a distraction to motorists at a…

… Read More



Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

قالب وردپرس

Hotel Dishwasher Wins Lawsuit after Being Forced to Work on Sundays

Hotel Dishwasher Wins Lawsuit after Being Forced to Work on Sundays



A jury awarded a hotel dishwasher $21.5 million after they found that her employer violated her religious rights by forcing her to work on Sunday. 


Marie Jean-Pierre informed her employers at the Conrad Hotel in Miami that she could not work on Sundays when she accepted the job in 2006. Her employers honored her commitment to mission work through Soldiers of Christ Church until 2015. Then, her new boss started scheduling her to work on Sundays.


Pierre explained why she wouldn’t work on Sundays in comments to NBC Miami. She said “I love God. No work on Sundays because I honor God. She also said that her pastor wrote a letter to her boss explaining her church’s religious beliefs about working on the Sabbath, but her complaint alleges that her boss threw the letter in the trash. 


Her employer allowed her to switch shifts with coworkers until she was fired in early 2016 for misconduct, negligence, and unexcused absences. This led her to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Then she filed suit against Park Hotels and Resorts, Inc., claiming their actions violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act.


The jury awarded Pierre $36,000 for lost wages, $500,000 for emotional pain, and $21 million in punitive damages. However, she will likely only see about $300,000 since the law caps how much can be awarded for punitive damages.


Park Hotels and…

… Read More

Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

قالب وردپرس

Understanding the Internet Church as a Entry Point to the Physical Gathering

Podcast Episode #504

SUBSCRIBE:
iTunesRSSStitcherTuneIn RadioGoogle Play • iHeart Radio • Spotify

The term “internet church” brings a mix of emotions and reactions from church leaders, but if your church is online, there are a few best practices to cover. Today, we discuss eight of them.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

  • Even if your church live-streams services, the physical gathering should be emphasized and be the priority.
  • Point to groups in your preaching to get people more involved in the community of the church.
  • When people give to a church, they become more connected to a church.
  • If you have an online service presence, you need an online prayer presence.

The eight points that we discuss are:

  1. Some people really cannot attend
  2. Clearly indicate the importance of the physical gathering to the internet church
  3. Provide discipleship resources
  4. Point to groups in the community
  5. Be bold about seeking financial stewardship participation
  6. Have a vibrant prayer ministry
  7. The necessity of a champion for the internet church
  8. Be creative in internet worship services

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast

  • Brainerd Baptist Church Sermon Bumper

Rainer on Leadership is a member of the LifeWay Leadership Podcast Network


Episode Sponsors

Vanderbloemen Search Group is the premier pastor search firm dedicated to helping churches and ministries build great teams. They’ve helped thousands of churches just like yours find their church staff and are uniquely geared to…

… Read More



Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Thom Rainer.

قالب وردپرس

What Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece says about abortion

Today is National Sanctity of Human Life Day in the United States. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation designating January 22 as the first such day. (January 22, 1973, was the day Roe v. Wade legalized abortion-on-demand in all fifty states.)

Since that time, Presidents George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump have issued similar declarations. Presidents Clinton and Obama did not.

Forty-six years after Roe v. Wade, we’re still debating abortion in this country.

Last Friday, the March for Life 2019, described as “the world’s largest pro-life event,” was held in Washington, DC. Vice President Pence and his wife made an appearance; President Trump spoke to the group via video.

The next day, the 2019 Women’s March gathered in our nation’s capital to advance several agendas, including the protection and expansion of abortion rights. The day after, thousands of churches across America observed Sanctity of Life Sunday. They prayed for an end to abortion, advocated adoption, and supported the sanctity of all human life.

Since 1973, nearly sixty-one million babies have been aborted in America, more than 54,000 so far this year.

Americans are confused about abortion

The logic against abortion seems simple. Ronald Reagan: “I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.” Pope Francis states the case succinctly: “The right to life is the first among human rights.”

And yet, public sentiment on this issue remains confused and conflicted.

Last July, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey found that 71 percent of Americans (including 52 percent of Republicans) say they oppose reversing Roe. That’s a record high since NBC/WSJ began polling on this issue thirty years ago. Only 23 percent thought the ruling should be overturned, a record low. Another recent poll found that Planned Parenthood is the second-most popular institution in America, following only the FBI.

However, a survey earlier…

… Read More



Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Denison Forum.

قالب وردپرس

iChoose All Night January 2019

    0

    iChoose All Night Events are an amazing night of worship, prayer, fellowship and fun with each other in God’s presence.iChoose All Night Events are an amazing night of worship, prayer, fellowship and fun with each other in God’s presence.Source

    Lion of Judah – London

      0

      Come and join Lion of Judah at their first headline gig at The Water Rats London for an incredible blend of Indie worship and praise.Come and join Lion of Judah at their first headline gig at The Water Rats London for an incredible blend of Indie worship and praise.Source

      Ways to Go Beyond with Rupert Sheldrake

        0

        This talk launches Rupert Sheldrake’s new book, Ways to Go Beyond in which he looks at seven spiritual practices that are personally transformative and have scientifically measurable effects.  All provide ways of going beyond our everyday states of mind into a sense of a greater conscious presence, bliss, fuller understanding, or deep connectedness. 
        In this sequel to Science and Spiritual Practices, Sheldrake writes as both a scientist and a spiritual explorer, and assesses practices that are not normally thought of as spiritual, such as participation in sports, learning from animals and psychedelic experiences, as well as more traditional practices like fasting, praying, observing holy days and being kind. He asks why these practices work. Are their effects ‘all inside the brain’ and essentially illusory?  Or can we really make contact with forms of consciousness greater than our own? Sheldrake suggests that we can. 
        Rupert Sheldrake PhD is a renowned biologist best known for his hypothesis of morphic resonance. He is  author of more than 85 scientific papers and 12 books, including The Science Delusion and Science and Spiritual Practices. He was a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge and a Research Fellow of the Royal Society, and is now a Fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, in Petaluma, California, and of Schumacher College, in Dartington, Devon.  www.sheldrake.org

        This talk launches Rupert Sheldrake’s new book, Ways to Go Beyond in which he looks at seven spiritual practices that are personally transformative and have scientifically measurable effects.  All provide ways of going beyond our everyday states of mind into a sense of a greater conscious presence, bliss, fuller understanding, or deep connectedness. 


        In this sequel to Science and Spiritual Practices, Sheldrake writes as both a scientist and a spiritual explorer, and assesses practices that are not normally thought of as spiritual, such as participation in sports, learning from animals and psychedelic experiences, as well as more traditional practices like fasting, praying, observing holy days and being kind. He asks why these practices work. Are their effects ‘all inside the brain’ and essentially illusory?  Or can we really make contact with forms of consciousness greater than our own? Sheldrake suggests that we can. 


        Rupert Sheldrake PhD is a renowned biologist best known for his hypothesis of morphic resonance. He is  author of more than 85 scientific papers and 12 books, including The Science Delusion and Science and Spiritual Practices. He was a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge and a Research Fellow of the Royal Society, and is now a Fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, in Petaluma, California, and of Schumacher College, in Dartington, Devon.  www.sheldrake.org

        Source

        10th National Peace Symposium 2019 ‘The Role of Women as Nation Builders’

          0

          The Ahmadiyya Muslim Women’s Association UK will be holding our 10th Annual Peace Symposium on Thursday 24th January 2019. The theme of the event is “The Role of Women as Nation Builders”.
          This is a ladies only event which will be held at the prestigious Baitul Futuh Mosque, Morden, the largest Mosque in Western Europe.
          This key event is attended by ladies from across the UK including parliamentarians, diplomats, academics, faith and civic leaders as well as representatives from numerous charities and faith communities. It promotes a deeper understanding of Islam and other faiths and seeks to inspire a concerted effort for lasting peace. We are expecting guests from various backgrounds and local dignitaries to be in attendance.
          Guests will be received from 5:00pm for registration, refreshments and a chance to meet other women from the community. They will also have the opportunity to tour the Mosque and explore the various interactive and informative exhibitions on display.
          The main proceedings will commence at 6.30pm and following talks from our esteemed speakers, there will be a question and answer session.
          The event will conclude with a formal 3-course dinner.
          We do hope you can join us for what promises to be a most enjoyable and enlightening evening!

          The Ahmadiyya Muslim Women’s Association UK will be holding our 10th Annual Peace Symposium on Thursday 24th January 2019. The theme of the event is “The Role of Women as Nation Builders”.


          This is a ladies only event which will be held at the prestigious Baitul Futuh Mosque, Morden, the largest Mosque in Western Europe.


          This key event is attended by ladies from across the UK including parliamentarians, diplomats, academics, faith and civic leaders as well as representatives from numerous charities and faith communities. It promotes a deeper understanding of Islam and other faiths and seeks to inspire a concerted effort for lasting peace. We are expecting guests from various backgrounds and local dignitaries to be in attendance.


          Guests will be received from 5:00pm for registration, refreshments and a chance to meet other women from the community. They will also have the opportunity to tour the Mosque and explore the various interactive and informative exhibitions on display.


          The main proceedings will commence at 6.30pm and following talks from our esteemed speakers, there will be a question and answer session.


          The event will conclude with a formal 3-course dinner.


          We do hope you can join us for what promises to be a most enjoyable and enlightening evening!

          Source

          PURPOSE ’19: What is God’s Purpose for me in 2019?

            0

            What does it mean to live as a Christian in 2019? Through keynote speakers, discussions, and performances, we will dig in to this and more.What does it mean to live as a Christian in 2019? Through keynote speakers, discussions, and performances, we will dig in to this and more.Source