Many have read and have been reacting to the column written by Ken Klukowski (click to read article), published in Breitbart News, a conservative political news outlet and organization. Ken Klukowski is on the faculty at Liberty University School of Law.

The following paragraph was a preface to an email written by someone who wanted to interpret the article by Ken Klukowski for the reader by providing a “condensed version,” perpetuating and extending the “half truth story.”

Mikey Weinstein founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation strikes again!
Pentagon Taps Anti-Christian Extremist for Religious Tolerance Policy– Weinstein will be a consultant to the Pentagon to develop new policies on religious tolerance, including a policy for court-martialing military chaplains who share the Christian Gospel during spiritual counseling of American troops. And the Obama administration is sitting down to talk with this man to craft new policies for “religious tolerance” in our military.

I want to make several points, all which come from my personal experience. Of course, they are my opinion.

1. The sum of article is not true.

There is some truth in parts but the intent of the writer is to stir up the conservative political right in support of a political agenda not for the sake of religious freedom.  If the writer was really intent on providing us with the truth on what the Department of Defense is doing to support the Chaplaincy and the freedom of religion that is protected under the 1st Amendment of our Constitution, he could have done simple research and run the truth to ground.  But then he couldn’t make his political point that the “Obama Administration continues to force its liberal agenda on our Nation.” (Not my words.)

These are summary statements from the Klukowski article:  Christian Chaplains will be court martialed if they share Christ in a one on one counseling session. NOT TRUE!   The Pentagon is hiring an anti-Christian bigot, Mikey Weinstein, to consult for them. NOT TRUE!  Mikey Weinstein is a clever writer who loves to stir up attention for himself and uses extreme exaggeration to generate alarm wherever he can. He is an atheist whose sole agenda is to eliminate the military Chaplaincy.

Mikey’s history with “religious freedom” goes back to the days when his son was a cadet at the Air Force Academy.   Mikey was a graduate of the Air Force Academy and a lawyer in the Air Force.   He founded the Military Religious Freedom Foundation after he targeted the Air Force Academy Leadership for the “coercing cadets to become Christians.”  He son was a cadet at the time.  A huge investigation took place at the Academy after Mikey Weinstein complained to the Department of the Defense that the Religious Freedom of the cadets was being violated.  Of course Mikey’s version of religious freedom is “freedom from religion.”  By the way, Mikey’s son stirred the pot because another cadet, an Orthodox Jew, told him he should get back to the Jewish Faith.  It wasn’t some general at the Academy that tried to coerce him into becoming a Christian. Since the investigation the Air Force has been quite sensitive to the accusations of Mikey Weinstein that the military services coerce and proselytize soldiers for the Christian faith.  The basis of Ken Klukowski’s article was Mikey Weinstein’s  article he wrote for the Huffington Post.  Weinstein (and others) will continue to use their free speech rights to bully, demean and castigate military Christians.

Here is the truth. The following is the Department of Defense release in response to the agenda based, half truths of the media’s blast of the story of Religious Freedom in the military.  Each of the services released it through their channels as a sign of solidarity for the Freedom of Religion for all  Chaplains and soldiers.

- DOD issued the statement on Friday, 3 May 2013:
“The U.S. Department of Defense has never and will never single out a particular religious group for persecution or prosecution. The Department makes reasonable accommodations for all religions and celebrates the religious diversity of our service members. Service members can share their faith (evangelize), but must not force unwanted, intrusive attempts to convert others of any faith or no faith to one’s beliefs (proselytization). If a service member harasses another member on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability, then the commander takes action based on the gravity of the occurrence. Likewise, when religious harassment complaints are reported, commanders take action based on the gravity of the occurrence on a case by case basis. The Department of Defense places a high value on the rights of members of the Military Services to observe the tenets of their respective religions and respects (and supports by its policy) the rights of others to their own religious beliefs, including the right to hold no beliefs. The Department does not endorse any one religion or religious organization, and provides free access of religion for all members of the military services. We work to ensure that all service members are free to exercise their Constitutional right to practice their religion — in a manner that is respectful of other individuals’ rights to follow their own belief systems; and in ways that are conducive to good order and discipline; and that do not detract from accomplishing the military mission.”

2.  There are Christian Organizations that “jump” on these kinds of events for their own agenda, as opposed to serving the public with truth and right.  I give you an example.

For a number of years, both during the time I was the Chief of Chaplains and since I retired from the Army, I have had dealings with Jay Sekulow and the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ).  Jay is the co-founder, with Pat Robertson, and Chief Counsel of ACLJ. He is a Distinguished Professor at Regent University School of Law. ”Jay is an accomplished Supreme Court advocate, renowned expert on religious liberty, and a respected broadcaster. He has a passion for protecting religious liberty – freedom – democracy” (From the ACLJ Website).

I personally believe the ACLJ does a great service in litigating matters of the law for the purpose of protecting our religious liberty. However, Jay Sekulow, like Breitbart News, presents half truths to generate interest and income. Alarming us with half truths, he coerces people to sign petitions and to donate to his organization.

When I was Chief of Chaplains, I defended the right of Wiccan soldiers to practice their beliefs under the 1st Amendment, the same Amendment that enabled me and every Christian Chaplain to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel to soldiers. According to the ACLJ, I was allowing “infidels to dictate what Religious Freedom should be in the military.” Or when I was defending the right of Chaplains to pray “in Jesus Name” in public ceremony’s, but cautioning them that if they insisted on ending their prayers “in Jesus name,” they may forfeit their opportunity to raise the name of the Lord through prayer in a public forum, military formation or ceremony where soldiers were required to attend or stand in a mandatory formation. Jay Sekulow ignored the personal memo I sent to him about the difference there is between a chaplain praying in a worship service, Bible study, counseling, or one on one care and ministry to a soldier vs. praying in a mandatory formation or military ceremony. You may remember seeing the letter I wrote to Jay. It, essentially, defused the issue and took away  his “cause” for defending the religious freedom of the Chaplain and it was no longer a rallying point around which he could raise money. I answered a lot of mail from you and members of our church who were wondering if things were as Jay Sekulow said they were and should they support ACLJ.

Having said that, here is the latest email blast that the American Center for Law and Justice has sent out — more half truths.

Gaylord,
There are ominous signs the U.S. military is turning its back on religious freedom.

Anti-Christian extremist Mikey Weinstein is now advising the Pentagon, helping set policy on religious tolerance in our armed forces.

Weinstein is anything but tolerant, attacking “fundamentalist Christian monsters” and calling Christians “pitiable unconstitutional carpetbaggers.” He has directly compared Christians in the military to al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Yet, the nation’s military leaders at the Pentagon, which he refers to as the “Pentacostalgon,” are actually consulting with Weinstein – relying on his input – as they create new policies that may roll back religious liberty – especially for Christians.

This must stop.

We must defend the religious freedom of those who defend our freedoms.

Sign the Petition to Protect Religious Freedom in the Military.

Jay Sekulow
ACLJ Chief Counsel

This was released after the Pentagon released its statement of support for religious freedom. Go to ACLJ website and see the picture of a chaplain praying. The headlines on the home page say, “Anti-Christian Advising Pentagon.” (Not True!) Notice that off to the right the picture and headlines is a big “red” link saying “DONATE.” You say that is marketing? I say it is preying on hopeful, trusting people with half truths.

3. We take whatever we read on the internet as truth and aren’t willing to research and verify the information for ourselves.

I regularly receive email from people asking my opinion on issues that concern them. They are assuming what they have read on the internet is fact or are asking if it is true. I am happy to assist them in sorting out the truth. I usually am able to come up with a reasonable explanation, especially when it relates to military issues, Department of Defense Policy, or the Obama Administration’s “liberal agenda” (Not my words). What alarms me is the fact that the email describing the issue has been sent to dozens of persons by one person. In turn, most of them send it on to others without questioning the validity of the information. I am grateful that the one who sends it to me is hoping I can help to sort out the truth.

We should guard against perpetuating half truths or false issues. With a little bit of our own “truth seeking,” we can help others learn the facts or the truth, as opposed to promoting an agenda that is based on false accusations.

4. People accept or perpetuate half truths, false statements, or accusations if it supports their own political agendas or views.

I regularly receive email from people who want to show me how “evil the Obama Administration is.” It is usually about some 1st Amendment freedom that the “Obama Administration is taking from us” (Not my words). The following issue shows up in my email about every six months and has since 2009:

Ft. Bragg connection!! Obama stops soldier from speaking

Something you’ll want to be aware of: Obama stops soldier from speaking

Sent by Retired Vice Admiral Bob Scarborough, of Arlington, VA. “I wanted to give you all some disturbing information on our wonderful president. I work with the Catch-A-Dream Foundation, which provides hunting and fishing trips to children with life-threatening illnesses. This past weekend we had our annual banquet/fundraiser event in Starkville. As a part of our program, we had scheduled Sgt. 1st Class Greg Stube to come; he’s a highly decorated U.S. Army Green Beret and inspirational speaker who was severely injured while deployed overseas and didn’t have much of a chance for survival. Greg is stationed at Ft. Bragg , NC and received permission from his commanding officer to come speak at our function. Everything was on go until Obama made a policy that NO U.S. SERVICEMAN CAN SPEAK AT ANY FAITH-BASED PUBLIC EVENTS ANYMORE. Needless to say, Greg had to cancel his speaking event with us. Didn’t know if anyone else was aware of this new policy. You’re just starting to see the Obamanation. This is just how the Nazis did it in the 1930s — slowly, one step at a time. We have lost 50% of our freedom of speech in the last 2 years. The news media is not allowed to print anything negative about this evil Obama.”

The first thing I discovered was that the letter could not have been written by Admiral Scarbourgh because he died in 1986. The event took place in 2009. Someone wanted to give more clout to what they wrote so they used the name of retired Admiral Bob Scarbourgh as the writer of the letter. The Admiral was dead and the writer of email intentionally deceived the readers by using his name.

Secondly, a policy was not directed by Obama that would preclude service members from speaking at a faith-based event. A soldier can go to any church or speak at a faith-based event, in his uniform and share his faith, give a speech, tell his story, but he can’t make any political statements against government policy or make any political statements. If he is in uniform, he is in an official capacity. He is a servant of our Nation, on behalf of the President who is his Commander-in-Chief.

Thirdly, this event was a fund raiser for the Catch-A-Dream Foundation. It was not a faith-based organization. It was a 501(c)(3) organization but not a religious organization. The U.S. Army’s decision not to allow Sgt. 1st Class Greg Stube to speak at the Catch-A-Dream Foundation’s annual fundraiser was not based on an “Obama made” policy against “faith-based” events, as the author of this message claims. A long standing Department of Defense policy prohibits military service members from participating in “fundraising” activities in an official capacity. A soldier in uniform can not endorse or promote a product, organization or event or make any political statements. In civilian clothes, on his free time, he can express his opinion, etc. At those times he is not acting in an official capacity.

The email was an attempt by one individual to take a 1st Amendment right, freedom of religion or speech, and turn it into a political issue solely for the purpose of making the President appear as one who is trying usurp our constitutional rights and religious freedoms. “WRONG!”

I have dealt quite regularly, over the past twenty years, with these sorts of issues. We live in a fallen world, but I don’t see these events as an indication that our nation is decaying, nor do I see these as events which indicate the Lord is returning soon. Only the Lord knows that. Rather, I see these events as opportunities for us to act responsibly and faithfully to the admonition of the Lord to “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.” We need to respond faithfully to the Biblical principles of citizenship; being accountable, truthful, and responsible witness in our communities. Politics and political views aren’t the motivation for how I want to live. I want to serve and live for the Lord in such a way that I make a positive difference in our homes, churches, communities, cities, states, Nation and the world during the time the Lord gives me to live here on earth.

“The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious people—they will know that a prophet has been among them…do not be afraid of them or their words.” Ezek.2:4-5

Chaplain G.T. Gunhus is a retired Major General of the U.S. Army and lives with his wife Ann in Underwood, Minnesota.

A year ago, I went to a graduation party for one of our high school seniors and I parked my wife’s car on the dirt road that was in front of this student’s house. Well, my wife and daughter got out of the car and walked in but I was convinced I could get a little farther off of the road onto the grass and that’s when it all fell apart.

I nudged the car slightly closer to the side of the road and disregarded that we had received significant rain earlier. That fact became something I became that much more aware of when my wife’s car slid into a big ditch filled with mud. And that’s when things got interesting.

I drove the car back and forth as quick as possible as if I was trying to rock it out of being stuck in a snow drift but that didn’t work and in fact, all it did was bury her car farther into this big old rut that I made. Then the dad of the house came out and he guessed that I needed a tow truck to pull me out but before that came to fruition, one of our elders came to congratulate the same student in his Suburban and fortunately he had one of those Teflon cables and he pulled me out.

Now picture me stuck in the big old mud filled ditch unable to get out. Not a pretty sight – right? Now, here is the thing, in ministry we can do the same exact thing. We can get ourselves stuck into deep ruts. And sometimes these pits that we dig for ourselves wind up being pits that drive us to end vocational ministry, to scale back our ministry or to have our attitudes about mission and ministry changed. That’s what I want to write about in this post. And I think the topic lends itself in a few directions. So, consider this as two posts based on the following two ideas.

And as a side note, I think that not only do the suggestions given lend themselves to keeping us from burning out, they also foster longevity in ministry.

The FIRST half is on Preventing the Ruts. The second SECOND half is on Getting out of the Ruts

So, here is to the preventing the ruts angle –

(These are in no particular order but are given as they came to me and as I read about the subject)

1. Cherish your calling while avoiding the temptation to compare it to others
2. As you age, consider how your gifts and calling are aging and maturing and evolving into new aspects and areas.
3. Learn to adapt to new roles
4. Capitalize on your strengths
5. Admit and recognize your limits
6. Endure and trust the plans that God has for you
7. View your ministry in the terms of being a missionary
8. Recognize the fruits of longevity
   1. Added trust
   2. Added appearance from peers who will see you as a veteran and who can come to you
   3. Parental respect may grow
9. Don’t believe the lie that youth workers HAVE to be, young, athletic and play the guitar
10. Be who God has wired you to be
11. Develop peers in ministry and seek out those who are older
12. If you aren’t the pastor, deepen your friendship with him
13. Seek out to work with the boards in your church
14. Develop ministry schedules with your spouse’s blessing
15. Practice getting rest
16. Recognize that the task of equipping others for ministry is as significant as direct ministry to students
17. Prayer and getting into God’s word is huge
18. Being in the details is great but at the same time, be looking at the big picture which often lends itself to hopeful things
19. Act your own age/don’t pretend to be young to be hip
20. Desire a discerning heart
21. Rest in God’s strength, gifts, and grace

And here is to the angle of getting out of the ruts and pits…

1. If you haven’t, start to guard your family and spend more time with your own kids then ever before
2. Be willing to admit as needed
3. Endure and trust the plans that God has for you because what might seem to be a tough season of ministry might have great fruit on the next page of the story
4. Seek out those who can mentor you back into a healthy place
5. Be intentional and honest with those who wish to bless you – your pastor, boards, elders and synodical helps like our regional pastors
6. Seek out to work with the boards in your church
7. Collaborate with your spouse on ministry goals
8. Get rest – YM author/speaker Mike Yackonelli (deceased) used to tell youth workers who traveled from far away to attend the youth workers conventions he organized that if they came tired and beat to skip the session and sleep in and get rest.
9. Seek God’s heart in His word and in prayer and ask others to pray for you
10. Be reminded that one bad season of ministry might have around the corner a tremendous and enjoyable season of ministry
11. Remember that you are not Jesus and that you need Him as much as the students that you care for need Him

I’ve seen friends in ministry get so deep into the rut or the mud or whatever you want to call it that they simply didn’t get out. Or at least if they got out of the muck, they certainly didn’t get back into vocational ministry.

My prayer for my friends in ministry is that this post might offer something that stirs their heart and reminds them of the plans that God has for them.

And I’ll say one last thing….these are mere suggestions that I believe can foster a healthier way to participate in the plans that God has for us. These things on their own outside of God’s grace are empty efforts of business.

And if I can say one more last thing, if you ever find yourself in need of someone to talk to…I named folks in your own churches, people our national church family has given to us, and I’ll name that I too would welcome the chance to talk and pray for you, as well. So please feel free to take me up on that.

As a follow up to this, my heart is to ask some veteran youth workers to participate in a panel discussion via a conference call on what they have learned and experienced in life and ministry over the years. If you are a veteran of at least 10 years of youth ministry, I’m hoping that you would reach out to me and let me know of your willingness to be a part of that panel as it is announced.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. - Hebrews 12:1

Peace,
Mark

March 2013

This may be the May/June issue of Faith & Fellowship, but it’s been an endless winter in Minnesota. A few days ago, after yet another snowstorm, I ran my snowblower down my neighbor’s sidewalk, returning one of his many favors. Another neighbor’s car was barricaded against the curb because a snowplow driver had plowed around it. I blew out enough snow that he’d be able to drive out easily, smiling to myself to think he’d never know who had set him free. Isn’t this what it means to “go and do likewise”? Yes and No.

We think of the Good Samaritan as everybody’s good neighbor. But the priest and Levite who passed by without assisting the injured man—and even the injured man himself—wouldn’t have thought of the Samaritan as being either good or a neighbor, prior to his act of kindness. He was the last person on earth they’d have expected kindness from, or shown kindness to. Thus the story was shocking to Jesus’ hearers, who thought “love your neighbor and hate your enemy” was the way to live.

It’s easy to help the neighbor who helps me. Easy to do something nice for a friend. Easy to take pride in assisting people I like. But people I don’t like, or who don’t like me? That’s another story.

Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35-36).

“Go and do likewise.” To act like the Samaritan of Luke 10 means blowing snow for the people next door, and much more. It means going to unfamiliar or even unpleasant places, and giving without expecting anything back. It means going to people groups who haven’t heard about Christ in the last place on earth you might want to live yourself.

The Most High God came, in the person of Christ, to give his life for ungrateful and wicked people. That’s a real neighbor. Sons and daughters of the Most High will look for ways to “go and do likewise.”

I had been asked to consider serving on the Council several months ago and had only recently agreed. I have to admit that the idea of discussing synodical policy and direction with pastors, professors and presidents had me more than a little intimidated, but I soon recognized the error of my ways. I realized that I sat among a group of very bright and experienced people, leaders who could be anywhere, doing anything. Yet here they were, quietly and selflessly doing God’s work, wrestling with CLB issues and concerns that affect not only them, but all of us. I saw an intensity and dedication in them that had me questioning the depth of my own involvement in God’s Church.

What did I learn from my first Council of Directors meeting? A new appreciation for the calling God gives to each one of us. God challenges us to live intentionally for him each day—to set aside the selfishness that keeps us from living in the full grace of Christ’s work on the cross.

Are you worried about the CLB? Not enough pastors? Not enough money? The answer lies with each one of us. Our faith is evidenced in our heart response to God’s calling. We need to support our local churches, pastors and synod both prayerfully and financially. We need to be that example of service for the next generation.

Yes, I admit it. I am a kook, a rookie in my daily walk. I wait for others to show the way. I think of myself first. I fail. But God’s grace is sufficient. He is there, patiently waiting for us to mature spiritually. Each one of us needs to accept his challenge for greater service. He’s calling now.

Warren Hall serves on the Council of Directors and is an elder at Hope Church at Silver Lake in Everett, WA.

This article was written by CheckPointers Tory Brue, Mitchel Nickolauson, Tommy Olsen and Eric Smith, and CheckPoint Director Tony Rogness. CLICK HERE to learn more about CheckPoint

“… and the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? What does that look like? These are recurring questions in CheckPoint discussions these past few months. We’ve had discussions about loving our neighbors in at least three different arenas: friends and family, neighbors who are in our congregations, and neighbors who are not as close to us.

First, there are those neighbors who live closest to us—friends and family.

Right now, my neighbors are the population of nine people living on the 40-acre peninsula we call home. That number does not include the transient ice fishing population, of course. My most immediate neighbors are the three other guys who share my cabin. Loving each other as we love God, and as God loves us, is quite a challenge at times. We have one bathroom, two small bedrooms, and many quirks to deal with. At times we seem to forget to love one another. Sometimes those closest to us are not even appreciated! Certainly loving our neighbor must first include loving and serving our closest family and friends.

Second, we have neighbors in our congregations. What does it look like to love them?

Loving our neighbor is not only a way to reach out, but it is also an important way to care for the body of Christ. When people in the Church fail to love each other, it reveals a level of hypocrisy within the Church. According to current research, many youth who leave the Church say they are leaving, in part, because of the hypocrisy they see. Loving our neighbor may help these young people stay connected to the Church. It may even keep the prodigal from leaving and searching elsewhere to feel wanted, valued and loved.

We are called to love all our neighbors, including the ones who aren’t in our friendship or congregational circles.

Loving our neighbor is more than a concept to grasp. It ought to be a way of life. It means actively and intentionally seeking out people and caring for them. It is about getting to know them and spending time with them in both the good times and the difficult times—sharing their joys and sorrows. Loving our neighbors is action, not merely sentimental emotion. It is only by the love first shown us by God that we are able to truly love our neighbors in a way that changes lives.

The message is the same regarding all our neighbors; I need to love them as I love myself. The greatest need I have is for the Gospel. “For it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). In fact, the need for the Gospel is the greatest need that any of us have. Telling our neighbor the good news of Jesus Christ is important, but without love, our speech is only a noisy gong or a crashing cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:1). When we truly love our neighbors, it helps them hear the Gospel above the noise and the clamor. It shows them the love of the Father.

Showing others the love of Christ—loving them as he loves us—is what the Church is supposed to be about. It should be what distinguishes Christ’s followers from the rest of the world.

This article was written by CheckPointers Tory Brue, Mitchel Nickolauson, Tommy Olsen and Eric Smith, and CheckPoint Director Tony Rogness.
CLICK HERE to learn more about CheckPoint

CheckPoint is a leadership and ministry training program at Inspiration Point Christian Camp + Retreat Center. The purpose of the program is to train young adults for ministry and leadership in the church and to help them develop critical life skills. While CheckPointers are engaged in the study of Scripture and issues related to ministry and leadership, working at Inspiration Point provides a field in which leadership, ministry, and life skills can be developed. The goal is that young adults will develop skills that are transferable to other ministry situations and positions. (Visit CheckPoint webpage)

CheckPoint exists in three phases:

The first phase begins in September and continues through May. Phase 1 is the part of the program where the bulk of the teaching takes place. Teaching will be centered on five core themes: Biblical study and Christian Foundations, Worldview and Culture, Leadership, Ministry Skills and Service.

The second phase is the summer (late May through August). CheckPointers will serve in a variety of ministry positions on summer staff. The intent is that this will give them an opportunity to use the ministry and leadership skills in a familiar environment where they are mentored on a daily basis.

The third phase takes place following the summer staff experience. CheckPointers will be placed in ministry positions in local congregations. These positions may be part time, full time or volunteer. The congregations will be asked to help with housing and living expenses. This help may consist of providing a stipend or salary, providing housing or assisting in finding work. CheckPointers will be mentored by CheckPoint staff throughout the year and will return to Inspiration Point periodically throughout phase 3 for “CheckPoint Check-Up” seminars.

For more information contact: 

Tony Rogness, CheckPoint Director
Email: tony@ipoint.org
Inspiration Point Christian Camp + Retreat Center
Phone: (218)998-4572
CheckPoint Webpage

Living Faith Church will be breaking ground on their new church on Thursday, May 2nd at noon; everyone is invited to join us for this special moment! The property is located near the corner of 14th Street SW & 11th Ave SW. The new church will seat about 150 with room to expand as we grow. We are stepping forward in faith trusting that God will lead us and provide for us. There’s no way our small group will be able to afford a big loan so pray that God will move the hearts of those with resources to cheerfully give from their abundance!

Living Faith Church is a member church of The Lutheran Brethren of America. We are a fellowship of Christians from many backgrounds joined together to grow in faith and to serve God in the work he has prepared for us. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Eph. 2:10)

Our name, Living Faith means an awakening of faith that a believer receives through God’s gift of grace by the work of the Holy Spirit. “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Eph. 2:8,9) A good example of Living Faith is found in Luke 15, the Parable of the Lost Son, when the prodigal finally comes to his senses. Pastor

Bob Lawson