$3 Million Donation Covers Tuition for University of Houston’s College of Medicine’s Inaugural Class

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/BrianReading)The University of Houston in Houston, Texas.

A generous donor has made sure that the members of the inaugural class for the University of Houston’s College of Medicine will not have to worry about paying for their education.

Announced recently by the school itself, the anonymous donor gave $3 million to the school to support the incoming class of students who will attend the university’s College of Medicine.

The donation covers the full tuition of the 30 medical students who will start their classes in the fall of 2020.

In a statement, University of Houston President Renu Khator said that student debt is the “number one” reason why students are discouraged from attending medical school, ABC News reported.

She added, “This generous gift will allow such students an opportunity to attend and ultimately lead the future medical workforce.”

Khator also called the donation an “absolutely exciting way” to welcome the students to the university’s College of Medicine.

The university is aiming to have at least half of each graduating class specialize in providing primary care in order to address the lack of primary care doctors in Houston.

The plan put forth by the university could also help elevate Texas’ place in the state rankings with regard to the primary care physician-to-population ratio.

Dr. Stephen J. Spann, the vice president of medical affairs and founding dean of the university’s College of Medicine also said that the donation brings the school “closer to becoming a major resource for the community by addressing the shortage of primary care…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – The Christian Post.

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Five Sources of Funding for Church Revitalizing and Replanting

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Ministry requires money. Today we discuss five potential ways you can increase funding in your church in order to minister more to your community.

Today’s Listener Question:

FROM JERRY

I know that more money often leads to more problems, but there are a significant amount of problems when there’s no money, too. What are some avenues of funding available to church replants and revitalization efforts?

Episode Highlights:

  • Resources—and money—follow activity in churches.
  • So much of ministry comes down to building relationships.
  • If you expect people to help fund you, you have to have a vision they want to support.
  • When people hear about ministry impact, they’re more likely to give to help.

The five sources we discuss are:

  1. Denominations and parachurch organizations
  2. Partnerships with other churches
  3. Raising support for your own position
  4. Greater giving by the existing members of the congregation
  5. Growing the church

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Revitalize & Replant is sponsored by the North American Mission Board and ChurchReplanters.com. More than 10% of churches in North America are at risk of closing and the North American Mission Board is committed to reversing this trend by decreasing the death rate of existing churches while simultaneously increasing the birth rate of new churches. To learn more about what it means to become a replanting pastor or to explore resources for replanting and…

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

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Woman Prays over Infant Found in Crash Scene

Woman Prays over Infant Found in Crash Scene



A brave mom couldn’t help but think of her own kids when she happened upon a horrific crash and spotted a baby boy in the wreckage. Wasting no time, she ran straight for the smoldering vehicles. And this guardian angel prayed the whole time during the intense baby rescue!


Tulonga Neputa was riding with some colleagues through South Africa when they came upon a terrible accident.


“You could see it had just happened, and a couple of other cars also stopped,” she recalled.


But apparently, Tulonga was the only one to notice a baby boy caught in the wreckage.


The brave mother-of-two wasted no time. She threw her door open and leaped out of the car.


As she sprinted toward the burning vehicles, she couldn’t help but think of her own kids. In the midst of “panicking and praying,” Tulonga scooped up the 8-month-old boy and did her best to soothe him.


“Don’t cry baby, everything will be fine,” she kept telling him over and over, as he cried uncontrollably.


Tulonga rocked the boy and prayed. Eventually, he calmed down and his huge sobs died down. His guardian angel looked him over, praying he would be okay.


“He was bleeding from the mouth and nose,” Tulonga said. “One of the other motorists said it looked as if his arm was broken, and we had to handle him very carefully.”


The kind woman cuddled the traumatized baby boy until paramedics arrived.


“I was so worried…

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

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Anglican Pastor Urges Christians to Befriend, Listen to LGBT Community, Says ‘Harvest’ of Souls Coming

(Photo: Youtube/ERLC )British minister Sam Allberry’s Tuesday night talk at the 2014 ERLC National Conference entitled “Is God Anti-Gay?” took on questions frequently posed to Christians such as did Jesus ever talk about homosexuality, why can’t the church overlook this issue and is it OK to be in a same-sex relationship if it is faithful and committed.

An Anglican priest who has openly spoken about his journey with same-sex attraction is offering advice for Christians navigating through the storm of sexual identities, saying that he sees a “harvest” of souls coming from the LBGT community.

In an interview with Desiring God, Sam Allberry — who is an Anglican pastor at St. Mary’s Maidenhead Anglican Church in the U.K. and the author of Is God Anti-Gay?  — urged Christians, particularly those ministering on university campuses, to not shrink back from speaking about sexual identity for fear of negative publicity.

“My encouragement to pastors and to campus ministries out there is that actually there’s a harvest to be had on this issue,” he said, when asked how Christians with orthodox convictions on sexuality might steward conversations on the touchy subject of sexual identity.

Allberry recounted that he has had the opportunity to engage with secular LGBT…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – The Christian Post.

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Eritrean Diaspora Watches Cooling Relations With Ethiopia With Hope & Mistrust – Urban Christian News

The sudden thaw between longtime enemies Eritrea and Ethiopia is opening up a world of possibilities for the neighboring countries’ residents: new economic and diplomatic ties, telephone and transport links and the end to one of Africa’s most bitter feuds.

But the fledgling peace is raising new questions for Eritrea’s diaspora, tens of thousands who fled their government’s tight grip, rigid system of compulsory military conscription and endemic poverty.

Now they are cautiously waiting to see how the truce will shape their homeland and perhaps offer them a chance to return.

“I want to go to my country,” said Salamwit Willedo, a 29-year-old Eritrean living in Israel. “Everywhere I am a refugee. . But my country is my homeland. I feel home there. So I hope, I wish, that (peace) will happen.”

Tiny Eritrea, with 5 million people, gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after years of rebel warfare. It has been ruled by President Isaias Afwerki since then and has become one of the world’s most reclusive nations. The state of war with Ethiopia has kept the Red Sea country in a constant state of military readiness, with a harsh, indefinite conscription system that has drawn criticism from rights groups and sent thousands fleeing in to Europe, Israel and other African nations.

The Horn of Africa arch-foes fought a bloody border war from 1998 to 2000 that killed tens of thousands and left families separated. But the antagonism faded abruptly last month when reformist Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that Ethiopia was fully accepting a peace deal signed in…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Urban Christian News

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UK ethics council decides altering human embryos is “morally permissible”

An ethics council in the United Kingdom has concluded that changing the DNA of a human embryo could be “morally permissible” if such changes are in the child’s best interests and do not create further inequalities in society.

This is a monumental and troubling announcement.

Embryonic genetic editing: the positives

Let’s begin with some background. In addition to my work at Denison Forum, I serve as the resident scholar for ethics with Baylor Scott & White Health. In this capacity, I am especially interested in the ethics of genetic medicine.

I have been following advances in genome-editing techniques that have made it possible to correct genetic defects in human embryos. Since inherited disorders affect millions of people around the world, such advances offer great potential.

According to the New York Times, one recently developed technique could conceivably apply to more than ten thousand conditions caused by specific inherited genetic mutations. This technique is relevant to certain breast and ovarian cancers and to diseases such as Huntington’s, Tay-Sachs, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and some cases of early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Genetic editing could also produce more viable embryos for in vitro fertilization. This procedure involves the creation of embryos in the laboratory which are tested for viability before being implanted in the mother’s womb. Repairing defective embryos could lead to fewer discarded or frozen embryos. If you believe life begins at conception, as I do, this is an important factor.

Embryonic genetic editing: the negatives

However, the negative possibilities of embryonic gene editing are frightening.

If an embryo can be edited genetically to prevent disease, could it also be altered to enhance capacities? For instance, one genetic hormone (known as EPO) is linked to muscle activity; could an embryo be engineered to produce more EPO and thus enhance muscle strength?

Genetic mutations can also produce…

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

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Christian persecution raised by MP in last PMQs

In the last Prime Minister’s Questions before the summer recess the MP for Croydon South squeezed in a question about Christian persecution, he said: “Around the world Christians are facing a rising tide of persecution and violence. Does the Prime Minister share my concern at this trend and in particular cases like those of Sunil Saleem, a Christians man who was beaten to death at a hospital in Lahore, in Pakistan? Or 33 women in Eritrea who were imprisoned simply for praying? In this country we quite rightly protect religious freedoms, will her government step up efforts to get other countries to respect religious freedoms?”

One of the cases he mentioned was that of Sunil Saleem, who was attacked in hospital by security guards and died. 

The Prime Minister replied: “As a government, we stand with persecuted Christians all over the world and we will continue to support them. I think it is hard to comprehend almost today that we still see people being attacked and murdered because of their Christianity but we must reaffirm our determination to stand up for the freedom of people of all religions and beliefs and for them to practice their beliefs in peace and security.”

She continued: “I’m very pleased that I’ve been able to appoint the noble lord, Lord Ahmad, as the government’s special envoy for freedom of religion and belief and he will be…

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

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Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenses Could Reach Average of $200,000 for Retirees, Report Says

(Photo: Unsplash/Matthew Bennett)Expenses could remain substantial even for retirees

Out-of-pocket medical expenses in particular could become very costly for retirees, according to a new report from the Vanguard Group. 

The Vanguard Group, with assistance from Mercer Health & Benefits, found that the expected average cost of out-of-pocket medical expenses for a female retiree beginning at age 65, and accounting for the estimated remaining life span which would tack on 24 years, could go to as high as $200,000, WFMY News2 has reported.

The report also revealed that the average cost of out-of-pocket medical expenses for a male retiree is lower by 2 percent due in part to men having shorter lifespans than women on average.

If the prospect of trying to set aside $200,000 for retirement is intimidating and even seemingly unrealistic, the authors of the report encourage people to look at the challenge of saving up for possible expenses in a different way.

Instead of trying to figure out how to save $200,000, the report urges people to break down that amount into more manageable yearly goals.

Doing that reveals that the average retiree might end up needing to spend around $5,200 per year, but that will already cover out-of-pocket medical expenses, Medicare premiums and drug purchases. The number could still rise, but that would likely be due to inflation.

Notably, the estimates for out-of-pocket medical expenses do vary among different studies.

For instance, the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College suggests that the average amount a 65-year-old couple would need to set aside is around…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – The Christian Post.

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Five Consequences of the Pending Retirement of Boomer Pastors

Podcast Episode #451

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Every single day, 1,000 Boomers are hitting retirement age. This includes Boomer pastors. Today we discuss the consequences of this reality and also highlight why many are choosing Interim Pastor University to prepare for their next stage of ministry.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

  • More churches are starting to plan for pastoral succession because they’ve seen how other churches have failed with it.
  • Thankfully, more churches are starting to raise up pastoral successors from within.
  • The interim pastor role has changed over the past few years. It’s no longer primarily just pulpit supply.
  • There is no set retirement age for pastors, but too many hang on too long.

The five consequences we discuss are:

  1. There will be more pastoral vacancies than qualified candidates.
  2. More churches are giving thought to pastoral succession.
  3. More and more pastors are getting additional training for interim and bi-vocational positions.
  4. There is a mixed view on pastors staying at their current churches past retirement age.
  5. Some Boomer pastors will lead their churches toward mergers and acquisitions.

Episode Sponsors

The ministry landscape is changing, and the need for biblical training is more necessary than ever. It’s time to get your Master of Divinity degree. The M.Div —Midwestern Seminary’s flagship degree program — is the primary track for ministry preparation. At just 81 hours,…

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

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Married Couple Dates Again after Accident Wipes Wife’s Memories

Married Couple Dates Again after Accident Wipes Wife’s Memories



Even though Jeff and Angela Hartung have been together for more than 17 years, the couple is still getting to know each other. After a terrible accident, Angela lost all memories from at least 15 years of her life. Now this husband dated wife after accident to see if he can reclaim their 


Angela had been crossing the street in New York City when she was hit by a car. She suffered a traumatic brain injury and was left in a coma for a month. When Angela finally woke up, she believed she was still married to her first husband and that her children were still only 2 and 8 years old. In reality, her first husband had passed away many years ago, she was remarried, and her children were now grown adults.


And worst of all, Angela could not remember her current husband, Jeff. She did not even remember ever meeting, much less marrying the man who she had been with for nearly two decades. A lot of people may have given up, but Jeff saw this as a blessing. “How many times have we said, ‘I wish I could go back and do something over again?’ I’ve gotten to do that,” he said.


To start off, he put up pictures of their life together all over the house. Then, he decided to start dating his wife again. They learned to get to know each other all over again and Jeff never left her side.


Angela eventually fell in love with this amazing man all over again, and they decided to celebrate…

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

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