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Embracing Change

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When Paul says in Ephe-sians 6:11, “Put on the full armor of God,” he means exactly what he says—we are to put on every piece of that gear intentionally,

meticulously, and consistently. When we step onto the battlefield unprotected, we make an easy target for the enemy’s attack.

Therefore, let’s look at each piece named in Ephesians 6:13-17 to see what it does and how we can put it on. I sug-gest you put on one piece at a time, from top to bottom. This is what I do every morning. I go through each piece of armor and remind myself of its purpose as soon as I get out of bed.

First, imagine a beautiful helmet, and picture yourself slipping it over your head, saying, “Lord, I choose to put on the helmet of salvation today in order to protect my mind. I want to think only Your thoughts, Lord. I want to thank You that when Satan sends one of his thoughts my way, this helmet of salvation will protect my thinking.” We must remember that the battle begins in our minds; this is Satan’s combat zone. The conflict may slip into our emotions and actions later, but it always begins with our thoughts. Therefore, our thought life must be protected from assault at all times.

Second, picture an immense piece of body armor, and say, “Lord, I choose to put on the breastplate of righteous-ness to guard my emotions. I want to feel only what You feel. Don’t let me react out of my emotions. Rather, let me respond based on the truth I know in my mind.” This is

important because too many people are led through life by their fear, anxiety, temptation, or other negative influ-ences. If you allow your feelings to carry you wherever they lead, you will be utterly defeated in your Christian life.

Third, strap on the belt of truth, and say, “Lord, I choose to fasten on truth so I can stay centered on Your Word. I want to live in the truth, walk in the truth, and testify to the truth.” When we are intimately acquainted with the Bible, Satan’s lies cannot deceive us. False teach-ing drops away as we take all that we hear and filter it through Scripture.

Fourth, consider your feet, and pray, “Lord, I choose to put on the sandals of peace. Wherever I go today, I want to be a peacemaker. I want my footprints to be evidence of the tranquility I carry in the Holy Spirit.” Roman soldiers’ sandals had long spikes embedded in the soles to enable them to plant their feet firmly in the ground. Similarly, with the sandals of peace, we can boldly anchor our feet in the bedrock of Jesus Christ.

Fifth, imagine that giant, door-sized Roman shield, and say, “Lord, I choose to take up the shield of faith. I want to thank You that, no matter how many fiery arrows the Enemy hurls at me today, no matter how many trials or temptations may come, I can stand safely behind the massive protection of faith.” Remember, faith is a mighty force that makes the difference between success and fail-ure, between victory and bitter defeat.

Finally, wrap your fingers around the Word, and say, “Lord, I choose to lift high the sword of the Spirit, Your

holy Word. Father, thank You for this spiritual weapon that cuts so deeply to bring about conviction and repen-tance.” Scripture—our only weapon—is both defensive and offensive. It enables us to deflect the blows of the Enemy, and it pierces the hearts of sinful man. Success in battle depends upon taking up God’s Word and mastering its use.

Now, how do you put on this armor? By faith. Even though you cannot physically see the battle gear, you can trust that God will indeed wrap you completely in His power and His presence as you go out each day into a dark world.

The danger we must avoid is the notion that we can choose which pieces of armor we need for each day. Would a soldier ever go into battle half dressed? Of course not! He knows every single item is vital to his survival. Likewise, if any piece is missing as we step onto our spiritual battlefield, Satan will surely attack that weak, unprotected area. This is why Paul specifically commands us to put on the full armor of God.

Sadly, the armor of God is a spiritual truth that far too many Christians take for granted—or simply do not take seriously at all. I challenge you, then, to be intentional about dressing for the spiritual battles you will face every day. The Lord has provided equipment for us; all we must do is put it on.

You are heading into warfare today. Are you dressed for it?

Ivory PaynePublisher

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Jesus.net Japan, an Internet evange-lism effort to reach millions shaken and still hurting from the March 2011 earth-quake, tsunami and nuclear accident, has launched a series of seeker-friendly “step-ping stone” websites in Japan in an effort to lead people to Christ and connect them with a local church. The U.S. entity and English information source for the minis-try is Jesus Net Japan (http://www.jesus-netjapan.org).

Jesus.net Japan is an extension of Je-sus.net (http://www.jesus.net), a global alliance of Internet ministries that oper-ates Christian evangelistic websites in more than 20 languages worldwide. Jesus.net recently was awarded the National Re-ligious Broadcasters’ “Innovation Award” for its global, cutting-edge evangelism strategy.

In anticipation of the one-year an-niversary of the disaster, Jesus.net Japan partnered with the Billy Graham Evan-gelistic Association for its “Celebration of Hope” event in Tohuku and will support Philip Yancey’s speaking tour in North-

ern Japan, March 7-11. It also will be in-volved in four BGEA events in Japan in 2013. Other partners include Samaritan’s Purse (http://www.samaritanspurse.org), Campus Crusade for Christ (http://www.ccci.org) and CRASH Japan (http://www.crashjapan.com).

“The disasters last spring and the con-tinuing economic upheaval here have peo-ple wondering what life is about more than ever before,” said Christian Zebley, former missionary to Japan and U.S. spokesper-son for Jesus Net Japan. “The Japanese are a very private people and do not talk about religion easily. Many already use the Internet to answer questions or find information about topics considered too embarrassing to discuss in person.”

According to ABC News, two million people around the world “look for God each day” online, said Zebley. Searches are on topics about the supernatural or on the big questions about life and the future.

“We want to give people an opportu-nity to get answers and hope where they spend a lot of time - on the Internet - and

connect them with other Japanese who have satisfied the longings of their hearts in Jesus,” he said.

Jesus.net Japan’s initial website, Hope for Living (http://www.hopeforliving.net), introduces visitors to survivors of earlier quakes or other traumatic experi-ences. Their stories illustrate how they have been strengthened by faith in God, or how they got to know Jesus in the midst of their turmoil. The site also contains prayers and words of hope to encourage those who are afraid, tired, lonely or going through difficult times.

Jesus.net Japan recently rolled out a second site to complement Hope for Liv-ing: Knowing God (http://www.know-inggod.jp), which introduces inquiring users to the gospel.

A future website, Why Jesus? (http://www.why.jesus.net), will be an interactive course that connects seekers with Japanese Christians online. These “e-coaches” will assist those who are seeking answers, over the period of a five-week online course, at the end of which they invite them to a

gospel meeting and help connect them to a local church.

As the one-year anniversary of the quake approaches, Jesus.net Japan is plan-ning more ways to reach out to the Japa-nese people, including a special series of Hope for Living stories from the stricken region, filmed with the help of Samari-tan’s Purse.

Jesus.net Japan is a part of Jesus.net (http://Jesus.net), a worldwide move-ment of more than 40 national and inter-national ministries who partner together to create a network of online websites and tools to assist and support online search-ers in their spiritual search. Their goal is to see online searchers become offline dis-ciples. This involves partnering with local Christian organizations and churches. Its vision is to share, through interactive web-sites, the good news of Jesus Christ to In-ternet users of the 35 most-used languages on the Internet. In the next 10 years, the goal is to expose 250 million people to the gospel and help 25 million people come to Jesus as a result of this effort.

Jesus.net Japan comforts souls after 2011 earthquakeInternet Ministry Draws Seekers to ‘Stepping Stone’ Websites to minister in Japan


church leadership

Change is hard. Changing a church or ministry is even harder – sometimes, nearly impossible. And yet we all know that in today’s world of disruptive, 24/7 change, responding well is critical to our success. Je-sus chastised the religious leaders of his day because they couldn’t read the signs of the times. And yet, today those signs seem to be rushing faster than ever.

As you struggle with your leadership team, employees, donors, or members of your congregation to try to shift their think-ing – and before you jump out a window in frustration – it’s good to have a reminder of the reasons people work so hard to resist change.

Figure out which of these applies to you, and how to overcome it, and you’ll be well on your way to seeing the birth of a transformed organization. Here’s a few key reasons why people resist change:

1. Self-Interest. Change is an unfair imposition on

their territory. Silos and walls happen, and people want to control their turf. They need to exert control over their immediate sur-roundings, and want to feel like they have a say in their own future. Like it or not, we human beings are territorial and want some sense of power.

2. Misunderstanding or a Lack of Trust.

What people don’t understand, they will resist. Just because you see why you need to change doesn’t mean they will. Re-alize that you have knowledge they don’t have, so make sure you’re helping them un-derstand all the issues and options. 3. Differing Ways of Assessing Things.

People have opinions, and may see the

cost as greater than the benefits. As a super-visor, you might not think much of where the coffee break room is located. But as a secretary, it could be very important. That’s just a small example of how different issues and policies mean different things to differ-ent people.

4. People Lack Confidence in the Deci-sion-Making Process

Sometimes they don’t believe all the relevant info has been included in the pro-cess, or they don’t trust the person in charge of implementing the change. If they’re not confident that the cost is worth it, they’ll fight against it. The key here is to be sure they’re aware or involved in process.

Knowing WHY they’re fighting change is half the battle. I actually consulted with an organization who hated change so much they had department-wide meetings about

how to get rid of me. In spite of the fact that my changes brought in record fundraising, higher salaries, better equipment, and even got rid of their dress code.

Most people struggle with change, so you need to figure out where they’re un-comfortable. When that happens, you can focus on what really matters – becoming the church or ministry you were meant to be..

Phil Cooke, Ph.D. is a speaker, media con-sultant, and filmmaker who blogs at philcooke.com. His latest book is “Jolt! Get the Jump on a World That’s Constantly Changing” by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

How you can see the birth of a transformed organization...

Reasons People Resist Changeby Phil Cook

4


church leadership

As people – we’re addicted to com-fort. Even as I’ve encountered other cul-tures and socio-economic classes around the world, I think this is universally true. But the difference between the first world and the third world is that most of us in the first world have the financial means to do what – in our own minds – we think will make us comfortable.

Rarely does our pursuit of comfort make itself clearly vis-ible. Rather, it disguises itself in more seem-ingly altruistic disguises – the pursuit of a pas-

sion, the establishment of a friendship or perhaps the opportunity to experience something new.

Now, obviously, these things are not inherently evil, and so there is often a genuineness in them. The danger comes when they are the shroud of an attempt at comfort.

I have a friend who’s a lot like me and you. She’s wants to accomplish things, but she wants to do it with as little work as possible.

The result: laziness. When things weren’t panning out for her writing career here in Orlando, she began to complain.

“Orlando’s just not a creative enough environment for me. I need to be around people that can inspire me to write,” she said. Months later, she moved to Los An-geles. Two years later, she’s still not writ-ing. She’s still unhappy. The only thing that has changed is that she lives in a dif-ferent city.

It’s a classic case of the “if only” syn-drome.

The musician knowing they could

Why Leaders Must Break the “If Only” Syndrome

write a hit record “if only I had that guitar.” Or the filmmaker know-ing they could create that Acad-emy Award winning film “if only I lived in LA.” Or the husband who thinks he could be a better one “if only we didn’t have such financial troubles.”

“If only I had…”“If only I lived in…”“If only I could…”“If only he or she had done…”“If only I knew…”Bottom line: In our pursuit of

comfort, we try to change every-thing but ourselves to achieve it.

I think that’s why a lot of the people I’ve heard say these things or begin to live them out have si-multaneously turned away from God. It’s much easier to blame ev-erything else, but all the while, God is saying, “what needs to change is your heart, your life, your actions.”

The truth is that what we’re re-ally looking for isn’t comfort. That’s why there are so many unhappy millionaires and executives and rock stars and professors. They’ve reached the pinnacle of their field, and still haven’t resolved that un-settled pursuit of comfort.

What we’re looking for is peace, and peace comes from one place – going to bed each night knowing that we’ve spent the day living out God’s dreams for our lives.

So, today, if you find yourself restless, root out the “if onlys” in your life. Take responsibility. And begin living the life you were made to live.

Cole Ne-Smith is the pas-tor of Status, a church in Orlan-do, FL. He also creates interac-tive art and expe-riences through his creative collective, Uncover the Color (uncoverthecolor.com). He blogs at colenesmith.com and is on twitter at @cole_nesmith

More from Cole NeSmith or visit Cole at colenesmith.com

In our pursuit of

comfort, we try to

change everything

but ourselves to

achieve it.


encouragement & inspirationTips to Deal with Change• Embrace the purpose God designed for

your life.• Remind yourself that God has the plan in

control.• Recognize the areas that He is changing.• Don’t resist the change – work with it.• Take one day at a time – Rome wasn’t

built in a day.Give God time to make the changes. It gets rough, but be patient. Life is not about how fast we run, but the quality of our character when we finish. If you feel impris-oned by your current circumstances, remember Joseph and get ready to rule over them!• Genesis 36 -42 – Josephs change made him great!• Jeremiah 1:5 – God knew you before you existed!• Job 14:14 – Be patient, God’s change will come!• Psalm 138:8 – God will perfect you!

Celeste Payne is the author of God Has a Miracle for You and founder of Empow-erment Sessions. Visit her online at empowermentsessions.com or on facebook Celeste Payne.

God Has a Miracle For You: Explore &

Embrace the Miracles of the Bible.

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empowermentsessions.com


encouragement & inspiration

By EssiE Johnson

So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Ac-bor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the New Quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shal-lum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, the keep-er of the Temple wardrobe. II Kings 22:13 (New Living Translation)

A group of men, led by the priest and sent by the king, seek counsel from a proph-et but in this case the prophet is a woman of God. God still uses women today.

The name Ida Robinson may not be in-stantly recognizable to you unless you are a member of the Mount Sinai Holy Church of America. At a time when the roles and ex-pectations of women were limited by tradi-tion and social expectations Bishop Ida Rob-inson came on the scene. She is the founder of a denomination where women were en-

couraged to serve in all levels of leadership. As retold on the denomina-tional website:

“On several occa-sions God had revealed Himself through visions and dreams. He had made her to know that she was to be an instru-

ment in His hand to establish a church that would allow full clergy rights to women. While fasting and praying in the church for ten days, she again received a revela-tion from God... As she related, “The Holy Ghost spoke and said, ‘Come out on Mount Sinai.” After receiving this message from God, Elder Robinson was fully convinced that she under¬stood what God meant for her to do...On May 20, 1924, the State of Pennsylvania granted her a charter for

the church. Recalling that God had spoken to her to “Come out on Mount Sinai,” the charter for the new church was granted under the name of the Mount Sinai Holy Church of America, Incorporated.”

The rest, as they say, is history. Today we encourage our children be

they male or female to step out in faith, fol-low the leading of the Lord and fulfill their destiny. A good friend recently retired as a major from the armed services. She spent 25 years in many areas of the world serving as a Chaplin, one of many females, from a traditional denomination where God took them in an entirely different direction than tradition would have dictated. With a lov-ing husband and children she faithfully fulfilled her tasks, as a wife, mother and Chaplin.

Today we challenge you to encourage and thank women who have made a differ-

ence in your life be it a wife, mother, sister, Pastor, friend, Evangelist, or any combina-tion of the above. We honor the women of God during national women’s history month and we thank the men in their lives who allow them the freedom to be who they are called to be. We thank those fathers, sons and husbands who allow these women, to serve God, while providing them with love, support and respect.

The words of a prophet, Huldah, help guide a king and caused a nation to con-sider her ways. Today, the Lord still uses who he wills.

Prayer: We thank you for the women you have sent into our lives as mothers, sis-ters, daughters, friend’s relatives and lead-ers. Grant them strength; grant them faith and help them to fulfill the destiny you have placed in their lives with humility and love.

Woman of God

Ida Robinson


columbus oh

Valor Christian College Spring College Days in conjunction with the Contending for the Faith Conference is your divine ap-pointment! Now is your time to go to the mat with the adversarial forces of darkness which are raiding against you. So put on your boxing gloves and prepare for spiri-tual battle March 15th-18th at the School of the Spirit!

This weekend will be action-packed with dynamic speakers, commanding theat-rical performances, live concerts and much more. Come expecting anointed imparta-tion from VCC Founder, Pastor Rod Pars-ley and others like Giant of the Faith, Ken-neth Copeland. Also joining us will be the Spiritual Son to Pastor Parsley, Pastor Isaac Pitre.

We’ll kick things off on Thursday eve-ning with Registration and a Live Band at the Bonfire Bonanza. On Friday, you will have an opportunity to experience “A Day in the Life” of a Valor student. Grab a quick breakfast in the MAC Café before heading over to classes in the newly renovated Can-field Hall. At lunch, you will have a chance to meet and fellowship with our students, faculty, staff and returning alumni. After lunch, there will be a Question & Answer Session, followed by tours of the entire WHC and VCC campuses, with optional tours of The Women’s Clinic of Columbus. Friday evening, the Contending for the Faith revival will explode with the preach-ing and teaching of Kenneth Copeland at 7pm. Immediately following that will be a Post-Service Pizza Party that is exclusively for you. And in between our 10am service with Pastor Isaac Pitre and the 7pm service with Brian & Jenn Johnson of Bethel Church on Saturday, you can join Pastor Rod Pars-ley and Pastor Clint Brown at a very special anointing service. Then, Sunday morning at 10am, Pastor Rod Parsley will take micro-phone in hand to anoint you and forever impact your life with the divinely-inspired message “Contend for your Faith”.

Only a $25.00 registration fee for each student covers all of the planned events for the weekend – including reserved seating for all services, meals and refreshments, a special t-shirt, and preferred parking. Reg-ister Now! Your guests come free!

GROUP REGISTRATIONRegistering a group of 10 or more stu-

dents? One student comes free! Click here to

register now!

About ValorValor Christian College is “The School

of the Spirit” where students from all 50 states and over 30 nations have come to be equipped as vessels for the end-time reviv-al. From housewives to businessmen and from five-fold ministry gifts to the ministry of helps we are equipping New Testament believers to make a difference in their com-munities for God’s kingdom.

The atmosphere of Valor Christian College is unlike most schools of its kind, offering practical, hands-on training and impartation for ministry combined with well-rounded academics. World Harvest Church offers a variety of training opportu-nities in areas such as Youth and Children’s Ministries, Evangelism and Missions, and Praise and Worship, to name just a few.

Located in central Ohio, 15 miles south-east of Columbus, the state’s capital, Valor Christian College was established as World Harvest Bible College in 1990 on the 10 acre site of the original 180 seat church facility but now has moved to become part of the

52 acre site where World Harvest Church is located today.

For more information about Valor Christian College’s online program, visit Valor Christian College Online!

ImpartationThe Word that best describes Valor

Christian College is IMPARTATION. It de-fines the spiritual atmosphere at Valor. Im-partation is the spiritual heritage transferred from Smith Wigglesworth to Howard Carter to Dr. Lester Sumrall to Pastor Rod Parsley. This mantle of anointing was passed to Pas-tor Parsley, and it ignites the Bible college with fire. Students are exposed to this in-fusion of power in the classrooms, chapels, and World Harvest Church services. Some things are taught, but the IMPARTATION can only be caught.

Mission Statement

Valor Christian College is a biblically-based community of higher learning called to educate and train Christian leaders in ac-ademic excellence, moral integrity, spiritual intensity and physical purity to be agents of

change and models of character and to serve Christ professionally in the advancement of His kingdom.

Former Students

“It’s helped me to realize that ministry is all about people, and the key is to love people!”

- Nina Trevino, Alumnus

“It has broadened my understanding that makes my impossibilities possible.”

- Beth Staten, Alumnus

“You don’t only know how to live, you learn what to live for!”

- Jonathan Chano, Alumnus

“You can go to another Bible College and learn about God’s Generals or come to Valor and receive the spirit of one.”

- Ryan Alt, Alumnus“Your destiny is determined in your

desire to pursue.”- John Shelton, Alumnus

Valor Christian College Spring College Days in Conjunction with the Contending for the Faith Conference

Jude 1:9 declares, “Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’”


Urban Trendsetters and Spencer 4Higher Media host the 2nd Chance Opportunity, Job Fair for Restored Citizens

For the very 1st time in Central Ohio’s History a 2nd Chance Opportunity & Job Fair will be held exclusively for Ex-Of-fenders and Restored Citizens! The first Opportunity & Job Fair will be held on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at the Columbus Neighborhood House/Sawyer Recreation Center. The initial January 11th date has been pushed back to April 11, 2012 to allow for more time to gain community support & participation.

“The 2nd Chance Opportunity and Job Fair” is designed to help eliminate the barriers to employment for ex-offenders, re-entry and restored citizens by provid-ing employment, job search skills, resume’ and interviewing skills, resources for hous-ing, educational resources, voting rights, re-establishing credit, How to start a Busi-ness and many other services. Special guest speaker will be Walter Smith host of Radio One weekly “Street Solider” program. Mr. Smith spent more than 11 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Since Mr. Smith’s release he has successfully turned his life around and will share his experi-ence on how to over come being labeled as an ex-offender and move forward with a productive life.

With over 9 million Ex-offenders be-ing released from prison each year plus the thousands of ex offenders & restored citi-

zens already trying to find employment in our community is even more of a reason to host this type of event. The 2nd Chance Job Fair will not only assist people looking for employment but will help our overall com-munities health, safety and well being.

The 2nd Chance Opportunity Fair was also designed to aid in Company’s Recruit-ment and Re-Investment efforts while as-sisting individuals receive what all of us deserves, a 2nd Chance to be a productive member our community and to their fami-lies. The 2nd Chance Opportunity & Job Fair’s will be held on the following dates throughout 2012: April 11th, July 11th and October 10th. Each event will be held at a different location in Central Ohio.

“We are proud to partner with Urban Trendsetters Media and Spencer 4Higher Media for The 2nd Chance Opportunity and Job Fair. We are expecting over 500+ people in attendance and over 50 vendors, exhibitors, sponsor booths and break-out sessions,” said Alan Huff, of the Columbus Neighborhood House. “In order to have a successful event, we need assistance from local companies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, the media and county, city and state departments in the community,” continued Huff.

The 2nd Chance Opportunity & Career Fair will also publish a complete resource

guide titled “A F.R.E.E. Me” for people in attendance and will be made available on line for those who can not attend.

The 2nd Chance Opportunity & Job Fair is being presented by The Columbus Neighborhood House, Urban Trendsetters Media and Spencer 4Higher Media. Media sponsors for the event include Radio One Columbus, Outlook Magazine, Bounce23

TV and Busted Newspaper.The press is invited to attend a Press

Conference to be held prior to the first event on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 10 a.m. For more information on the 2nd Chance Op-portunity & Job Fair and how you can be a part of this history making event send your request to [email protected] or call 614-348-2667.


The state of Ohio is on its way to mak-ing history this November, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Former Ohio House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty, who is black, won narrowly in a four-candidate Democratic primary for the newly redrawn 3rd District, which en-compasses much of Columbus and nearby

Franklin County. She prevailed over former Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy; state Rep. Ted Celeste, the brother of a former Ohio governor; and city Councilwoman Priscilla Tyson. Beatty also received the endorsement of Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman.

“We started out this campaign saying we would get out there and take our mes-

sage to all of the people in the district,” said Beatty. “We’d run a good campaign and talk about jobs and be that new voice. I think that resonated with people.”

The 61-year-old is expected to defeat Republican Councilman Chris Long in No-vember, which would then mark the first time Ohio has two African-American mem-

bers of Congress at the same time. Beatty would join Rep. Marcia Fudge, who is serv-ing her third term.

In 2008 Barack Obama carried roughly two-thirds of the district that Beatty will represent, according to the National Journal. We look forward to history being made this November.

JoYCebeattYblack Woman Wins ohio Primary, Could Make History in nov.


washington, dc

Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR) will celebrate International Women’s His-tory Month bringing together local and na-tional faith, political, civic and labor leaders, health experts, and financial advisors for the BWR National Women of Power Summit, “Amplifying the Voices of Women and Girls in 2012 and Beyond” taking place March 21 – 24, 2012 at the Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel 999 Ninth Street, NW, Washing-ton, DC. Created to empower Black women and girls, the event is open to the public. For more information call (202) 659-4929.

“The national summit has a dual pur-pose,” said Melanie L. Campbell, president and CEO of The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (The National Coalition) and convener of BWR. “One track is our Healthy Wealthy and Wise tour stop allow-ing women and girls in DC to come together to share problems and information and sup-port each other in sisterhood. The summit will also bring together state coordinators and also faith leaders for a vigorous training to prepare them for the upcoming presiden-tial election,” Campbell adds.

Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale, founder and Senior Pastor, Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia will speak at the Opening Prayer Breakfast. Susan L. Taylor, National CARES Mentoring Movement is the keynote speaker for the BWR Mentor/Protege Luncheon and Dialogue.

“We will host the Power of the Sister

Vote Town Hall Meeting & Protect Our Vote Rally on Thursday 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm to cel-ebrate the collective political and economic power of Black women of the Diaspora,” said Dr. Patricia Hobson, co-chair of the lo-cal host committee. “Also on Thursday, in preparation for the 2012 Presidential Elec-tion, over 100 faith leaders will assemble for training on voter education, mobilization and protection.”

Other summit highlights include:

Thursday March 22 - Jazzercise Class, Inspirational Hour of Power, BWR Mentor/Protege Awards Luncheon, Public Policy Briefing

Friday, March 23 - Workshops on Healthy Living, Equal Pay, Financial Plan-ning, Mental Health and Wellness, Men-torship and Entrepreneurship; Global Em-

powerment Luncheon: Eradicating Violence Against Women and Girls; and skills-build-ing sessions to train organizers on fundrais-ing, utilizing new technology, and mobiliz-ing voters.

Saturday March 24 is Community Day and will be held at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 945 G St. NW. Community Day activities include a Love You More! Health Walk to Support Mental Health and Wellness; a youth summit; and a Healthy, Wealthy & Wise health fair and mini-expo.

Made possible by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and AT&T Foundation, the BWR National Summit is the culminating event for the ten-city BWR National Healthy Wealthy and Wise tour that traveled the country to educate and uplift underserved women and girls featuring inspirational women like actress/singer/activist, Sheryl Lee Ralph (Moesha); actress/business-woman, Vivica A. Fox (Kill Bill, Set It Off), actress/singer, Demetria McKinney (Ty-ler Perry’s House of Payne), and Clayola Brown, A. Philip Randolph Institute.

Black Women’s Roundtable is an in-tergenerational network of The National Coalition bringing together diverse women to motivate Black women to engage in all levels of civil society. The National Coalition is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to increasing civic engagement in Black and underserved communities. Cur-

Black Women’s Roundtable Celebrates Women’s History Month with National Women of Power Summit

Featured speakers include Susan L. Taylor and Rev. Cynthia Hale

Susan L. Taylor Rev. Cynthia Hale


NASHVILLE, TN (April 7, 2011) – The list of stars keeps growing for the 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards being held on Wednesday, April 20th at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta. Celebrities from across the entertain-ment landscape will present awards during the televised awards show. The 42nd Annual Dove Awards, hosted by Sherri Shepherd, will take place at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA on Wednesday, April 20 at 8 p.m. ET. The awards show will be televised on gmc, America’s favorite network for uplifting entertainment, on Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 7 p.m. ET.

Super Bowl and Green Bay Packer standout Greg Jennings, actresses Kim Fields and Yvette Nicole Brown, comedienne Chonda Pierce, actor Kevin Sorbo, singers Mandisa and Ruben Studdard, Leigh Anne Tuohy and Collins Tuohy round out the list of presenters. The pre-show event will be hosted by artist Jason Crabb, who is a multi-Dove Award nominee. Brian Courtney Wilson and Guy Penrod will perform at the pre-show.

Previously announced performers and appearances during the televised show include Audrey Assad, Franc-esca Battistelli, Natalie Grant, Ernie Haase and Signature

Sound, Deitrick Haddon, Kirk Franklin, LeCrae, Mary Mary, Britt Nicole, Chonda Pierce, Point of Grace, Ker-rie Roberts, Kenny Rogers, Smokie Norful, Marvin Sapp, Chris Tomlin, Laura Story, Tenth Avenue North.

The year’s new location and excitement surround-ing the awards show have tickets selling at a record pace. The ticket sales are already exceeding 60 percent over the past years at this date leading up to the April 20th awards show. “This is exciting and unprecedented for the

GMA Dove Awards,” states INO’s Dan Michaels, who is overseeing the sales for this year’s event. In addition to the already announced appearances, the GMA launched a very successful campaign inviting churches to submit video of them performing a praise and worship hymn. With nearly 100 entries to date, the winners will be part of this year’s telecast and awards show.

The 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards are produced by gmc, in association with Encore Entertainment. Mi-chael Johnson is director. Tommy Sims is musical director. Rex Humbard is executive producer for gmc. Ed Leonard and Mitchell Solarek are executive producers for GMA.

Many events will be taking place throughout the week in Atlanta surrounding the awards. The nominee luncheon will be held on Tuesday, April 19. Various re-cord labels will host special events and the annual Holy Hip-Hop Awards will be given out.

For more detailed information on the show and all the participants or visit www.watchgmctv.com/doves. Tickets to the 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards are now on sale at the Fox Theatre box office in Atlanta or at www.ticketmaster.com.

The 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards Takes Place at the Fox Theatre on Wednesday, April 20 and will be Televised

on gmc Easter Sunday, April 24 at 7 p.m. ETNominated Artist Jason Crabb to Host Pre-Telecast Awards

nashville, tn


HOTEL INFORMATIONWe strive to make it as easy as possible for you to secure room reservations. As a guest of KLM you may call the hotel directly and ask for the King-dom Life Ministry rate. Res-ervations may be held until 6:00 pm on the date of arrival. Individual reservations may be held until 6:00 pm on the date of arrival. Should guests pre-fer a guaranteed reservation, a credit card, advance deposit or direct bill is necessary. In the event a guest should desire to cancel a guaranteed reserva-tion, notice must be given by 6:00 pm on the date of arrival. Failure to cancel a reservation prior to 6:00 pm on the date of arrival will result in a cancel-lation charge for that night’s room and tax. http://www.klmcampmeeting.com/

BOOKING PROCEDURES:We strive to make it as easy as possible for you to secure room reservations. Upon ac-ceptance of this agreement, guests can call the hotel di-rectly and ask for the Kingdom Life Ministry rate. Reserva-tions may be held until 6:00 pm on the date of arrival. In-dividual reservations may be held until 6:00 pm on the date of arrival. Should guests pre-fer a guaranteed reservation, a credit card, advance deposit or direct bill is necessary. In the event a guest should desire to cancel a guaranteed reserva-tion, notice must be given by 6:00 pm on the date of arrival. Failure to cancel a reservation prior to 6:00 pm on the date of arrival will result in a cancel-lation charge for that night’s room and tax.

Sleep Inn & SuitesLocated Behind Hobby Lobby

on 28th Street4284 29th Street

Grand Rapids, MI 49512616.975.9000

www.hotelsgrandrapidsmichi-gan.com/KLM

Standard King or Double $69.00


cape coral, fl

Cape Coral’s ranking as one of the top cities in the na-tion for foreclosure and unemployment rates has prompt-ed a Florida church to shift its focus – from building a $15 million worship auditorium to building a 100,000-square-foot park for its city. After assessing how loss of jobs and homes was impacting families, Cape Christian Fellowship is launching a non-traditional church campaign to build Fellowship Park. Open to the public, Fellowship Park will include the city’s first amphitheater, a splash pad, four chil-dren’s playgrounds, sports and multi-purpose fields, com-mon areas, zip line, jogging trail, pavilion and cafe. It will be funded, built and maintained by the church. In addition, Cape Christian Fellowship is launching a community-wide campaign, “Not in My City,” providing resources to fami-lies facing hunger, homelessness and poverty.

“It’s alarming that 350 children are homeless in our city. Assessing the community’s needs was sobering and led us to turn our attention outside the walls of our church,” says Cape Christian Fellowship’s Lead Pastor Wes Furlong. “Even though we’ve outgrown our current facility, we cancelled our plans for a new worship center. Instead, we’re building a park where families can gather, play, at-tend concerts and community events. We’re also providing resources to help families who’ve lost homes or jobs. We are a church that exists for our city.”

The largest Mennonite Church in the U.S., Cape Chris-tian Fellowship has doubled its attendance in five years and created more than 20 ministries for the city, including a mentoring program for young mothers and a state-ap-proved character curriculum in public schools. It’s “Feeding

Cape Coral,” program stocks food pantries with more than 25,000 items. In addition, the church is recruiting volun-teers with the goal of logging one-million volunteer hours within public schools. Cape Christian Fellowship also plans to launch the Center for Family Life to create and multi-media resources for parents, married couples, and people with addictions and other life-controlling issues.

Cape Christian is located at 2110 Chiquita Blvd. S. in Cape Coral. The 25-year-old church is home to more than 1,400 people who attend its contemporary worship services each weekend. For more information, visit www.capechris-tian.com or call 239-772-5683.

SOURCE Cape Christian Fellowship

CAPE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP FELLOWSHIP PARK Rendering of Fellowship Park. (PRNewsFoto/Cape Christian Fellowship) CAPE CORAL, FL UNITED STATES

Church Builds Park in Response to City’s Needs, Cancels Plans to Build $15 Million Worship Center


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Listen to gospel music 24/7/365 on 247 Praise Radio. Tune in at praisereporter.com

Top 10 Gospel Music. Listen 24/7

thousands of listeners each day!Since 2009, 247Praise Radio has been playing the best gospel mu-sic and ministry programs. Every-day, our site visitors log thousands of listening hours. In November we peaked at over 100,000 listen-ing hours and December is trend-ing just as high, Why? Because we play the best music. Tune in on your iphone, andriod by down-loading the INTUNE RADIO app and search for 247 Praise Radio. Listen and be inspired!

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Coming in November


gospel music

BET invites viewers to “Rise Up! Re-new! Rejoice!” on Palm Sunday, April 1st at 8 p.m.* for the 12th annual CELEBRA-TION OF GOSPEL. The highly anticipat-

ed music special airs for the first time in its 12 year history during the Easter Sea-son, further enriching the power, mean-ing and significance of the “Celebration

Celebrate the Legacy of Gospel Music and Honor the Memories of Whitney Houston and Mahalia Jackson

2012 Celebration of Gospel: Rise Up! Renew! Rejoice! April 1 on BET

of Gospel.” The two-hour special, taped Friday, March 16th at 8 p.m. PT at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, brings together gospel superstars and R&B leg-ends to share the stage in not often seen dynamic and exclusive performances. The #1 Gospel/Religious telecast since its inception** is hosted by best-selling author, veteran comedian and media mo-gul Steve Harvey.

This year’s stellar line-up includes the very best that gospel and secular mu-sic has to offer with performances by Gos-pel greats Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, The Rance Allen Group, James Fortune & FIYA, 2012 Grammy-award winner Le’Andria Johnson, Jessica Reedy, Earnest Pugh, Isaac Carree, Moses Tyson Jr. Ricky Dillard & New G, Zacardi Cortez and Maurette Brown-Clark plus a special appearance by BET Music Matters artist Mali Music as well as secular artists Grammy and Tony Award-winner Jenni-fer Holliday, as well R&B sensations Faith Evans, Johnny Gill, Ledisi and Kelly Price. In addition to musical performances, Dr.

Bobby Jones, of BET’s long-running gos-pel show BOBBY JONES GOSPEL and ac-tress Wendy Raquel Robinson of the rat-ings juggernaut THE GAME will deliver moving spoken word selections.

Additionally, two moving tributes are planned in recognition of the life and legacy of the “Mother of Gospel Music,” four-time Grammy-award winner, civil rights activist, and vocal powerhouse Ma-halia Jackson and to honor the memory of legendary entertainer, Whitney Hous-ton, whose singing gift was anchored in her gospel roots.

Tickets to attend the taping are free to the public on a first-come, first-service basis by submitting a request via [email protected].

CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL is a BET Networks production. Stephen Hill, BET’s President of Music Programming and Specials, Lynne Harris Taylor, Vice President of Specials and Music Produc-tion and Executive Producer Geovanni Brewer will oversee production. Conduc-tor Ray Chew (“American Idol”) returns as the show’s musical director.

COMING IN JULYSUNDAYS 8P/7C

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SUGGESTED HOTELS WHILE ATTENDING GOSPEL SUPERFEST

Marriott Downtown (walking distance)250 N. Main StreetMemphis, TN 38103(901) 527-7300

Crowne Plaza Memphis-Downtown (walking distance)300 North 2nd StreetMemphis, TN 38103(901) 525-1800

Holiday Inn Select160 Union AvenueMemphis, TN 38103(901) 525-5491

Spring Hill Suites85 West Court AvenueMemphis, TN 38103(901) 522-2100

The Westin Memphis – Beale Street170 Lt George W. Lee AvenueMemphis, TN 38103901-344-5900

Other downtown hotels to consider.... (see you in Memphis!)

The Peabody 4 starsThe MadisionThe Embassy Suites

www.gospelsuperfest.com


movie

Destiny Image Films has partnered with Ferocious Films for the DVD release of the 2012 Crystal Dove Seal award winning film The Frontier Boys to audiences around the world!

The Frontier Boys has been awarded Best Feature Film at three national and in-ternational film festivals. Most recently, The Dove Foundation awarded The Fron-tier Boys the coveted Crystal Dove Seal for Best Feature in its category.

The Frontier Boys marks the third feature film released by Destiny Image Films over the past 18 months. Their first two films, The Lamp (October 2011) and A

Christmas Snow (October 2010) continue to impact audiences and critics alike with their powerful messages of hope, love and restoration.

Featuring music from Switchfoot, Jesus Culture, Big Kenny, Superchick, Manafest and Rebecca St. James, Ferocious Films sets a new standard for quality, action and cin-ematography that should be expected from faith-based films.

The Frontier Boys is the hard hitting story of four high school boys whose unde-feated basketball season and friendship are threatened after a drive-by shooting leaves one of them in a coma and one of them with

a secret. Brent Fencett, Jed Bracken, and T.J. Lewis are star players on the Charlevoix High School Basketball team; Jackson Carl-son is their most obnoxious fan. They are unbeaten on the court and inseparable off it - until Brent gets caught up in his older brother’s mixed up life. The consequences of Brent’s choice leave T.J. in the hospital, and Brent’s soul in turmoil. Rebecca St. James (Grammy Award Winning Musician), Big Kenny (Big & Rich) and Earthquake Kelley round out this top notch cast in delivering a powerful and timely message of courage, forgiveness and triumph.

The Frontier Boys is now available on

DVD throughout the United States.Destiny Image Films has partnered

with Lifeway Films to bring The Frontier Boys to churches and youth groups around the country. To book a public screening for your church or community, visit Lifeway Films today!

Contact Joel Nori at Destiny Image Films for additional information including; complimentary screeners to review, promo-tional give-a-way products, and booking information for John Grooters, Rebecca St. James, Earthquake Kelley and the rest of the cast of The Frontier Boys.

Website: www.destinyimagefilms.com

Destiny Image Films Announces Faith Based Blockbuster Film: The Frontier Boys

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A new, less invasive way to screen for colorectal cancer could help save thousands of lives—if more people could access it.

The test is a virtual colonoscopy, which doctors say is as effective as standard colonoscopy for detecting cancer but often easier on the patient. The problem is, while most major insurance companies cover the procedure, Medicare does not.

An AnswerAn American College of Radiology Im-

aging Network (ACRIN) study, published Feb. 23 in Radiology, found that virtual colonoscopy works as well in those ages 65 and older as it does in adults ages 50−64 and can serve as a frontline colorectal cancer screening tool for seniors. This is consistent with the ACRIN National CT Colonography Trial for patients 50 and older, published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2008. Now that there is proof that virtual colonoscopy works very well, including in those ages 65 and older, Colon Cancer Alli-ance and other experts say Medicare should cover seniors for this life-saving test.

CT colonography employs X-rays and virtual reality technology to produce three-dimensional images of the colon that permit a thorough and minimally invasive evalua-

tion. It also requires no sedation.

The DiseaseColorectal cancer is the third most

frequently diagnosed cancer and second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Yet despite the known benefits of screening, studies indicate that millions of Americans age 50 and older are not being screened for the disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that up to 30,000 colorectal cancer deaths each year could be prevented if all those age 50 and older were screened regularly. Stud-ies at National Military Medical Center have shown that availability of the virtual exam significantly boosted screening rates.

The Doctor’s AdviceAs C. Daniel Johnson, M.D., of the Mayo

Clinic, explained, “CT colonography is a perfectly viable colorectal cancer screening tool for the traditional Medicare-age popu-lation. Wider availability made possible by Medicare coverage of CT colonography would attract more seniors to be screened for colorectal cancer-which is so success-fully treated when detected early. Making CT colonography more available to seniors ultimately could save lives.”

Further InformationLearn more at www.acrin.org.

Doctors Request Medicare Cover Lifesaving Testhealth & wellness

Baby’s Healthy FutureExpectant parents are learning of a spe-

cial way to protect the health of their new baby and his or her relatives.

It’s done by saving the cord blood, a rich source of unique stem cells that can be collected without invasive procedures or ethical concerns and used in medical treat-ments for the child, siblings and others if the need arises, explains Rallie McAllister, M.D., co-author of “The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth.”

Cord Blood Registry, the world’s larg-est and most experienced family cord blood bank, has created a new website, www.cordbankingbasics.com, that offers an inter-

active experience to help families make in-formed choices about preserving their new-borns’ cord and tissue cells, either through private banking, where cells are collected and stored for a fee for use by your family, or public banking, where the cord blood is stored at no cost to the family and can be used by any patient.

Learn MoreFor more information, visit www.cord-

blood.com or call (888) 932-6568.


Listen to the BattLe For the FamiLy Broadcast mon.-Fri. at 12:30 est on

247Praiseradio.com

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children…” is the first half of Proverbs 13:22. There has been much spec-ulation as to how this verse is to be under-stood and implemented. The obvious idea is that grandparents should leave money to their grandchildren. We’re sure that is true, but we suspect that there is much more to the concept of inheritance than just leaving our progeny financially set. We suspect that a valuable inheritance must include our values, virtues and vision.

Children are precious, delightful, full of fun and hope. They bring joy and rich-ness to all those that will take time to ap-preciate them. But there’s the rub. Far to many children are neglected and treated like they are a nuisance. In our fast past world, that treasures achievement and col-lecting things, there is far too little interest in developing children. This is systemically true.

Recently, we listened to an intriguing report on CNN. It featured a spokesperson for The Children’s Defense Fund. During the interview, the spokesperson alluded to a report presented to The Children’s Defense Fund by Hart Research Associates. The sta-tistics they presented were both startling and alarming.

40 percent of Black children are born poor. In the fourth grade, 85 percent of Black children cannot read or do math at grade level and later almost half drop out of school. A Black boy born in 2001 has a 1 in 3 chance of going to prison in his lifetime.

The CNN interviewer, Ali Velshi asked the pertinent question, “What is the an-swer?” Assignments were proposed for many segments of society. The government must provide better schools. Churches and social agencies must offer better programs. However, the role and responsibilities of

parents was alluded to only as a passing afterthought

Here now is our issue, a call for pa-rental action should have topped the list. None have better access, more of a vested interest in and most of all the privilege of molding and shaping the lives of children than do their parents. We suspect that the root cause of so much of these alarming sta-tistics and the state of unpreparedness of our children is due to parents transferring their responsibilities to other entities.

Television and other forms of elec-tronic entertainment are seen as convenient babysitters. School programs are made to bear the entire burden of the educational development of our children. And while the “it takes a village to raise a child” con-cept is attractive and has merit, we must be careful to avoid dumping our children in someone else’s lap.

We passionately recommend that all parents revisit and reevaluate their child raising practices. Ask the hard questions, like who exerts the most influence with my children? With as much objectivity as can be mustered, avoiding the presumptive and usually unrealistic commendations of our own children. Instead find out if your children exist in any of the categories of ac-ademically under-performing children not-ed in the Hart Research Associates report.

Adult personal achievement is gratify-ing to be sure. We are convinced, however, that the consistent, long term investment in the education and moral development of our children will produce a joy and sense of fulfillment that no other pursuit can aspire to. If enough of us buy into this vision, our culture will not only survive but also thrive. Please, let’s put the children first.

The Fraziers

“Put The Children First”Bishop Clifford L. Frazier & Co-Pastor Pamela Frazier

www.battleforthefamily.com

family & lifestyle


business & employment

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the February 2012 Em-ployment Situation re-port released today:

“Our nation’s labor market continued to reg-ister solid growth in the month of February. The economy added 233,000 private sector jobs last month, while the unem-ployment rate held steady at a three-year low of 8.3 percent.

“We’ve had 24 straight months of pri-vate sector job growth, adding more than 3.9 million jobs to an economy that was bleeding almost 800,000 jobs in a single month when President Obama took office.

U.S. job growth over the last six months has been the strongest since before the recession began in 2006.

“U.S. labor force participa-tion is on the rise. The American people are more confident that they can find work because they see a strengthening economy. The consumer confidence index is at its highest level in a year, and many employers are responding by adding to their payrolls.

“February’s accelerated job growth was widespread across a range of industries, in-cluding 82,000 new jobs in professional and business services, 61,000 in health care and social assistance, 44,000 in leisure and hos-pitality, and 31,000 in manufacturing. The continued growth in the manufacturing

sector is encouraging. This industry, which lost more than 2 million jobs through the recession, has added back 429,000 positions in the last two years.

“Now that more jobs are being created, we need to help American workers obtain new skills to be successful in today’s rap-idly changing labor market. We can make great strides here if we act on President Obama’s proposal to forge new partner-ships between community colleges and businesses so employers in high-growth in-dustries can put Americans in jobs requir-ing specific technical skills.

“One area of continued concern is con-struction, which lost 13,000 jobs in February. The president has put forward a specific plan to develop the nation’s infrastructure, which will have an immediate effect on this industry and the workers who depend on

it. We need to build and modernize roads, rails, runways and schools, which would create thousands of good jobs in short or-der. Infrastructure investments are sorely needed across the country, and our unem-ployed construction workers deserve a bi-partisan deal and the jobs it would bring.

“Last month, Congress extended un-employment benefits and payroll tax relief, proving that it is possible for lawmakers to work together without the drama we saw last year around the debt ceiling debate. Uncertainty from the political environment has derailed our recovery before. By com-ing together on the challenges before us, we can continue to quicken the pace of our recovery and put more Americans back to work.”

U.S. Department of Labor news mate-rials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov.

Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on February employment numbers

(NAPSI)—How many good jobs Amer-ica can provide may depend, according to one ingenious theory, on how close the country can come to following the National Football League’s (NFL) successful attempt at increasing diversity.

The NFL’s Rooney Rule requires the 32 teams to give fair interviews to qualified mi-nority candidates whenever a head coach-ing or general manager position becomes available.

Since the Rooney Rule was adopted, the league has gone from three minority head coaches to eight minority coaches and five general managers and teams led by African-American coaches have competed in and won the Super Bowl, proving that minorities richly deserved those leadership positions.

What if CEOs and corporate boards took a page from the NFL owners’ play-book and adopted a voluntary version of the Rooney Rule to level the playing field for minorities in corporate America? Robert L. Johnson, founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies and founder of Black Enter-tainment Television, proposes a similar RLJ Rule for business.

Demographic trends show that mi-norities are quickly becoming the largest employee pool and consumer base in the

U.S. Unless corporate America reaches out and embraces this growing group, experts believe this nation cannot win in the global game of economic competition.

Although many companies have made a strong commitment to diversity over the years, minorities still lack access to business

opportunities, he contends. As a result, the income gap, according to a Pew research study, has increased tenfold and the wealth gap between white Americans and African Americans over the last 20 years has in-creased from $20,000 to $90,000. Black un-employment stands at nearly 17 percent.

To reverse these trends, Johnson says, creative and voluntary business solutions are needed. His RLJ Rule is designed to en-courage companies to establish a “best prac-tices” policy of identifying minority candi-dates or vendors that are often overlooked under traditional hiring or procurement practices.

It suggests that companies (1) volun-tarily implement a plan to interview a mini-mum of two qualified minority candidates for every job opening at the vice president level and above; and (2) interview at least two qualified minority-owned firms for vendor or supplier contracts before choos-ing a winner.

The purpose of this voluntary rule is not to suggest quotas or require companies to hire any individual or minority, just to make certain that minorities are fairly and fully considered before any job opening or vendor opportunity is filled.

While this can be a way of ensuring fairness and equity in employment, many

in corporate America may soon see di-versity as a business imperative, no less important than financial performance, succession planning and shareholder rela-tions.

To further address the issue of unem-ployment, especially within the African-American and minority communities, Johnson created an Internet-based jobs and opportunities site designed to aggre-gate minorities looking for jobs and minor-ity small businesses seeking to do business with U.S. corporations. The idea behind OppsPlace, as it’s called, is to create a suc-cessful business that minority profession-als and minority companies will use to in-troduce themselves to corporate America and that corporate America will use to maximize diversity and inclusion.

“I see a need for more comprehensive solutions and am a firm believer that a lot more can be done to address the issue of unemployment, especially within the mi-nority community,” Johnson explains.

This strategy, he believes, will show how talented African Americans, given the opportunity, can succeed at the high-est levels, help ensure future success for many minority Americans and make this country better. For more information, visit www.OppsPlace.com.

Using a Football Rule To Create employment Opportunities


Jacksonville, FL – Bishop Rudolph McKissick, Sr. and Bethel Baptist Institution-al Church is excited to announce the upcom-ing 16th Pastoral Anniversary for Bishop Rudolph W. McKissick, Jr. The Church ex-tends an open invitation to the community to worship with them. Bishop McKissick, Jr. has served 16 years of service to the Lord’s Church and his community which is an un-forgettable accomplishment. He has helped thousands of youth and seniors in Jackson-ville. The Church will honor and bless the Senior Pastor with a celebration he will not forget. Join us in love for it will be a time of festivities, fun and fellowship.

Friday March 9th at 8:00p.m. – Theme: The Worshiper, The Warrior, The Winner…Gospel Comedy Show with Comedians ROD Z and DAVID “Mr. Brown” MANN of (Meet The Brown’s TV Show) Tickets $15 at the downtown church campus, 215 Bethel Baptist Street, Jacksonville, FL.

Sunday March 11th - Anniversary Sun-day - Theme: Approved By God - Deliver-ing the word at the 7:40a.m. and 10:40a.m services is guest minister Pastor T.R. Wil-liams, New Faith Church in Houston, TX and for the 5:00p.m service Pastor Leofrice Thomas of Open Arms. Services will be at the downtown church campus, 215 Bethel

Baptist Street, Jacksonville, FL.Wednesday, March 14th at 7p.m. – FREE

CONCERT WITH NATIONAL GOSPEL RE-CORDING ARTIST JAMES FORTUNE and FIYA at Bethel, located at 215 Bethel Baptist Street, Jacksonville, FL.

jacksonville fl

Bishop Rudolph W. Mckissick, Jr. Pastoral anniversary Celebration March 9th , 11th, and 14th at Bethel Baptist institutional Church

Bishop Rudolph W. McKissick, Jr.


Michael Matthews presents the Gos-pel Stage Play I Need A Man at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, FL. “I Need A Man”, but not any man will do. . . Momma Lily is allowing her four daughters to live with her as long as they live their lives in

a way she approves. She detests anything to do with the church and the Christian faith. She is con-vinced that all of her daughters need men and that they won’t be able to find them in the church. Momma Lily is into partying, and her en-ablers are her drug dealers. The only

person Momma Lily can’t boss around is her father. He doesn’t allow her to get away with speaking to him the way she speaks to others.

I Need A Man features: Emmy Award Winner and NAACP Image Award Win-ner Jackee Harry from the T.V. series Sis-ter, Sister & 227, R&B recording artist and Soul Train Music Award Winner Ginuwine, American Idol’s Ruben Studdard, Gospel Award Winning songstress Lisa Paige-Brooks, The “Smooth Operator” himself Big Daddy Kane, Beverly Todd Peoples Choice Award Winner and NAACP Award Nomi-nee, Drew Sidora from BET T.V. series The Game, R&B recording artist Alyson Wil-liams, Christopher “Play” Martin from the movie House Party, and Comedian Pierre.

Playwright Michael Matthews, known as the “God-Father” of gospel stage plays, has been a major influence in the lives of many entertainers, producers, and play-wrights. He created the model that is used by producers of successful urban and gos-pel stage plays today. 1n 1984 Michael Mat-thews wrote the hit gospel musical Wicked Ways. This was the beginning of a series of successful gospel musicals extending over 10 years including: Momma Don’t, Come out of the Rain, I Need a Man, Who Can You Trust, Sneaky, Fake Friends and Momma I’m Sorry.

I Need A Man is scheduled Thursday, March 22, 8:00pm, at the Jacksonville Veter-ans Memorial Arena is located 4300 A Philip Randolph Blvd Jacksonville. Tickets may be purchased at Jacksonville Veterans Me-morial Arena Box Office or Ticketmasters.com and outlets. Ticket prices range from $39.50 – $45.50, please include applicable service charge. For additional information and group sales call JEBA Enterprises at 305-835-0321 or [email protected] or log on to www.jebapresents.com to pur-chase tickets.

i Need a Man, Hit Gospel Stage Play by Michael Matthews Thursday, March 22


events claendarGospel music association (Gma) Dove awards

* April 19th, 2012: The 43rd Annual Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards will be held at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. For details as they be-come available, visit www.doveawards.com.

arkansas* July 2012: The 2012 Rhythm Of

Gospel Awards will be held. The event recognizes churches, pastors, choirs and independent gospel artists for their out-standing contributions to Gospel. For the 2012 headliners, nominees, itinerary and more, visit www.therhythmofgospela-wards.com or call Mark Rogers at 210-745-5858 ext. 109. (Photo: Rhythm Of Gospel Awards logo).

Texas* June 1st - 2nd, 2012: The 2012 Gospel

Quartet “Meet And Greet” Network Show-case & Conference will be held at The Mar-riott Houston (Hobby Airport), 9100 Gulf Freeway, Houston, TX 77017. The event is being called the biggest ever quartet meet and greet in Houston. The event will fo-cus on quartets, traditional groups, soloists and traditional choirs/ensembles from all over the USA. Early bird registration is open until 12/31/11. For more informa-tion and to request a registration package, send an e-mail to [email protected] or call Darrell Jay Jones, CEO, at 936-222-4006.

april 6th - 9th, 2012* The Bahamas Praise Experience

is coming! Join Gospel Promoter Derek Stubbs along with The Bahamas Interde-nominational Mass Choir and other sing-ing groups, marching bands and dancers from The Bahamas in a fabulous U.S. gos-pel tour. The tour will stop in the cities of West Palm Beach, Florida -- Miami, Florida -- and Orlando, Florida. For more infor-mation, e-mail Derek Stubbs at [email protected].

Georgia• April 7th, 2012 (Easter weekend):

D&K Suit City and AVRI Entertainment presents Joe Ligon & The Mighty Clouds of Joy in concert at Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church, 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur, GA 30034. 4 pm. Tickets are $20 advance / $25 at the door. For tickets, call 678-683-8125 or 404-241-3030. (Photo: The Mighty Clouds of Joy). view flyer

* March 20th - 23rd, 2012: The 2012 Board Meeting of the Gospel Music Work-shop of America will be held at Town & Country Resorts, 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108. For details, visit www.gmwanational.org.

Georgia

• April 2012: The National Associa-tion of Gospel Promoters, Managers, Ra-dio & TV Personalities 14th Annual Con-ference and Black-Tie Gala will be held at the Hilton Atlanta Airport Hotel, 1031 Vir-ginia Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30354. For more details and showcase opportunities, call Minister Barbara McLaughlin (NAGPM President & Founder) at 267-980-2079 or visit http://nagpm.tripod.com. (Photo: Minister Barbara McLaughlin).

missouri• April 13th - 14th, 2012: The St.

Louis, Missouri Gospel Announcers Guild - GMWA presents a Gospel Industry Show-case & Luncheon featuring Dr. Bobby Jones of Bobby Jones Gospel on BET TV. The event will be held in St. Louis. ALL gospel artists are invited to attend and participate in this event. Early register is highly suggested because slots are limited. Request your registration form by calling Chuck Spearman at 314-436-5381 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Please include your phone number with your e-mail.

new York• April 19th - 21st, 2012: TAO Min-

istries presents their 11th Annual Pressing Towards Your Vision Conference in Roch-ester, New York. The event features show-cases, workshops, awards presentation and concert. For registration details, visit www.taoministries.com or call Golden Lewis, Founder, at 585-224-3590.

Freeport, Grand bahama• June 15th - 17th, 2012 (Father’s Day

weekend): Gospel USA Magazine presents its 4th Annual Gospel Fellowship Retreat 2012 to be held in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Join Publisher Cecil L. Brown along with many popular, independent Gospel artists, groups, special guests and fans from across the USA for a fabulous weekend of music, seminars, fellowship and fun! For details, visit www.GospelFellowshipRetreat.com or call 305-234-8689.

Detroit• Elder Amos Smith-Attorney At Law

presents Church Law Conferences 2012, 10AM-3PM on Feb 8, 2012, at Detroit Mar-riott Southfield, 27033 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield, MI 48034; and Feb 22 at Holi-day Inn Gateway Ctr, 5353 Gateway Cen-ter, Flint, MI 48507. For Pastors & Spouses, Future Pastors, Treasurers, Board Mem-bers, Trustees, CPA’s, Bookkeepers, and Accountants. $129 Registration ($99 Early Bird Special). For more info, call 312-560-6725 or 312-551-0496.

Chichgo• April 28, 2012, at 05:00 PM. A Great

Gospel Extravaganza. This is a benefit concert to help raise money for the Josh-

ua’s Ensemble to go to New Orleans this summer for a gospel convention. This event will take place at the True Temple of Solomon, 7138 s. Halsted Ave, Chicago, IL 60620 Cost: $10 Donation For More Info: 773-712-3201, 773-778-2811, visit www.fa-cebook.com/joshua’s ensemble

• Thursday, July 19, 2012, at 09:00 AM. Independent Gospel Artists Alliance Con-ference The 3rd Annual Independent Gos-pel Artists Alliance Conference educates Gospel, Christian, and Inspirational Artists on the business of music, featuring educa-tional seminars, Artist showcases, media interviews, and networking sessions. The conference will be held at The Mount, 215 Las Gaviotas Blvd, Chesapeake, VA 23322 Cost: $80 Early Registration $130 Regular Registration For More Info: 3015093459, 4439563429, visit http://www.indiegospel-alliance.com

oTher evenTs & news• Sunday Best is gearing up for its

fifth season. Auditions for the new season kick off in Dallas, TX on March 24. Other cities for auditions include Washington, DC (March 31) and Atlanta, GA (April 14) with a fourth date and city to be an-nounced. Crystal Aikin, Y’Anna Crawley, Jessica Reedy, Le’Andria Johnson and Am-ber Bullock are members of the Sunday Best family.

• Actress Vivica A Fox is set to host the 2012 Gospel Superfest in Memphis, TN March 23rd. There will be performances by LaShell Griffin, Tyrese, Vanessa Bell Arm-strong, Earnest Pugh & more.

• The McDonald’s Tri-State Owner/Operator Association is bringing back Gospelfest May 12, 2012 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The auditions are complete and competitors are preparing to share the stage with Shirley Caesar, Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary, Fred Hammond, Vickie Winans and a special comedy set by Steve Harvey.

• The Hollywood Reporter and Elev8 confirm the new cast of Tyler Perry’s next Madea Movie. Actress Denise Richards announced on twitter last night that she will star alongside Tyler Perry in his latest film project, Madea’s Witness Protection. The movie, which begins shooting in At-lanta next week features Perry as the gun-toting, sassy-mouthed Madea and the cast includes Romeo Miller, Eugene Levy, Tom Arnold and Doris Roberts. Tyler Perry’s next film “Good Deeds” is set for release on February 24 from Lionsgate.

• Erica Campbell, half of the multi-Grammy Award-winning sister duo, Mary Mary, has given birth to her new daughter. Campbell and husband, producer/song-

writer Warryn Campbell welcomed their third child, Zaya Monique Campbell, on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012. Both mother and daughter are resting comfortably.

• The Malaco Music Group an-nounced that two (2) Malaco published songs appears in two (2) Academy Award nominated films. “The Help” - “Victory Is Mine” By Dorothy Norwood. (Best Picture, Best Actress, Best supporting Actress) Also, “The Undefeated” - “Making It Better” By The Barons. (BestDocumentary)

• New Birth Missionary Baptist Church plans to reopen its New Birth Academy, according to Channel 2 Action News. New Birth’s announcement in late December that the school would close after 18 years sent hundreds of students scram-bling to find a new school. The church said then it would have to close the school due to the sluggish economy and low enroll-ment. New Birth spokesman Art Franklin confirmed to Channel 2 that it was an-nounced at Sunday’s worship services that the academy will reopen through a cooperative agreement with Aurora Day School. Franklin declined to release details on what role Aurora Day School will play in New Birth Academy operations, saying the details would likely be released during a news conference later this week. Aurora has campuses in Tucker and Roswell.

• Music World Gospel has announced the signing of Andrea Helms. Helms was the runner up in Season 4 of BET Sunday Best. She will release her forthcoming single, a cover of the Mary Mary hit “Yes-terday”. Look for her seven-track EP to hit stores March 2012.

• The nominees for the 43rd Annual NAACP Image Awards includes Yolanda Adams, Deitrick Haddon, Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary and Andrae Crouch. They have been all nominees in the category of “Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary)”. The Sounds of Black-ness have been nominated in the categories of “Outstanding World Music Album” and “Outstanding Duo, Group, or Collabo-ration”. Kirk Franklin’s “I Smile” is also nominated as “Outstanding Song”. This year’s NAACP Image Awards will air live on February 17, 2012 at 8p ET on NBC.

• Jonathan Nelson has signed with Karew Records. The announcement took place Stellar Award weekend in Nashville, TN. Karew Records, owned and created by Karen Clark Sheard, is the label home for Sheard, The Clark Sisters and Kierra Sheard. Nelson is the first signee to the la-bel outside of the immediate Clark family. Look for new music from Jonathan Nelson later this year.


other events & news • Earnest Pugh, sent shockwaves

through the music industry this weekend during the 27th annual Stellar Awards festivities that took place in Nashville, TN. Pugh announced that his EPM Mu-sic Group label had secured a distribution deal with Entertainment One (E1).

• VaShawn Mitchell and Kirk Frank-lin were the biggest winners at the 27th Annual Stellar Awards on Saturday night January 14, 2012.

• Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) honored gospel giants Kirk Franklin and Hezekiah Walker at its 13th annual Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards Luncheon Friday January 13, 2012 in Nashville. Marvin Sapp’s “The Best in Me” was named BMI’s Most-Performed Gospel Song of the Year, co-written by Sapp and Aaron Lindsey. Kim Burrell and Israel Houghton hosted the luncheon, along with Catherine Brew-ton, BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, and Del Bryant, BMI President & CEO. Artists delivered stunning per-formances before the show included Wess Morgan, William McDowell, Earnest Pugh and VaShawn Mitchell. The awe-inspiring musical tribute to Hezekiah Walker fea-tured Faith Evans, Dorinda Clark Cole, Kim Burrell, DJ Rogers, Tamela Mann, Israel Houghton and Marvin Sapp. The charismatic songs of Kirk Franklin were then celebrated with performances by Fred Hammond, Jessica Reedy and the Kirk Franklin Singers, Myron Butler, LeAndria Johnson, Isaac Carree, Rance Allen and Kim Burrell.

• Tyscot recording artist Damita has proclaimed 2012 a year of great things for the body of Christ and plans to creatively express her love for God in many ways this year. “I Love You” is the lead single from Damita’s much anticipated 2012 release. She will perform her brand new single live in Nashville during various 2012 Stellar Award events.

• Mathew Knowles’ Music World Gos-pel will release Brian Courtney Wilson’s new CD project, “So Proud,” in stores and available online everywhere on February 7, 2012. The CD cover of “So Proud,” the highly-anticipated new project from gos-pel sensation Brian Courtney Wilson, fea-tures a picture of Wilson as a baby wearing headphones.

• Universal Music Christian Group/Fontana recording artist LeJuene Thomp-son is set to release her third album, The Evolution of Me, in the spring of 2012. The lead single from the CD, “Let God Do It,” will impact gospel radio this month. The first single from the CD, “Let God Do It,” was written by LeJuene and Cedric


other events & news


other events & news

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Soulfunny: adj \sl -f-n\ the qual-ity that arouses emotion and sentiment, seeking or intended to amuse the central or integral part of a human being; the vital core.

The Soulfunny Radio Show is a radio show that airs on Rejoice Musical Soul Food to approxi-mately a half million listeners weekly through approximately 50 radio stations around the country. With nationally recognized Comedian Steffon Vann hosting and Spoken Word Artist Vicky Clark and Pastor Sharon Riley as co-hosts, The Soulfunny Radio Show enlightens, encourages and entertains its listeners through music, shared testimonies, guest interviews and listener interaction all done with a twist of comedy to keep it fun, fresh and exciting.

www.soulfunnyradio.com

The Soulfunny Comedy Cruise is a cruise that combines the Soul-funny Comedy Show and a Royal Caribbean Cruise to provide an affordable way to Refresh, Relax and Rejuvenate your Soul! Traveling to tropical places like Cozumel and The Bahamas and sharing in fellowship and activi-ties such as a night of comedy and a morning worship service The Soulfunny Comedy Cruise is a way to have fun in the sun with other Christians from around the country and plenty of opportu-nities for witnessing to those outside the body of Christ.www.soulfunnycruise.com

What Is Soulfunny

The Soulfunny Radio Show

The Soulfunny Comedy Cruise

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