JCM Inc Partners with Somebody Cares Tampa Bay to Feed the Homeless During the Worship in the Now Conference on November 7-9, 2012

TAMPA, Oct. 23, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Internationally acclaimed recording artist, speaker and actor, JAVEN and JCM Inc. partner with Somebody Cares Tampa Bay on a food drive held during the Worship in the Now Conference at CityLife Church, November 7-9, 2012. All attendees are asked to bring non-perishable items on Friday night, November 9th to join forces with two powerful non-profit organizations committed to assisting the homeless.

The Worship in the Now Conference is an important forum for people to collectively support those in need. This three-day life-changing conference provides teachings by great speakers, leaders and pastors on successful living, spiritual growth, and more. More than just another gathering, this conference is designed to unleash the power of worship in daily living. "The idea of worship is to sacrifice for the will of God. We are expected to fulfill the purpose of God in song and in action. Donating food to the homeless is one other representation of what worship is about," says JAVEN.

Joining JAVEN are special guests such as 'Iron Man' Life Coach Tim Storey, Grammy nominated artist DeLeon Sheffield, former NFL Player Terrell Fletcher, Matt and Laurie Crouch of TBN, and others who will deliver powerful messages which will be sealed with a dynamic MUSIC CONCERT.

"This partnership is important to us because when people give with compassion that is the real music of the gospel," says Daniel Bernard, President of Somebody Cares Tampa Bay.

"I'm excited to be adding this effort so it can also represent the body of Christ and what it means to reach out to help our brothers and sisters in Tampa during these tough economic times. There is a fighter in us, a prayer warrior in us. There is a worshiper in us as well and we have to dig deep to get it out," says JAVEN.

For more information on the Worship in the Now Conference, visit the www.worshipinthenow.com, www.facebook.com/worshipinthenow, and @WorshipintheNow.

About JCM Inc.
JCM Inc. is a powerful not-for-profit organization that changes lives across the country and around the world while partnering with such humanitarian works like Hope for Haiti, World Vision, LA Dream Center, and several domestic mission programs that deal with homelessness, hunger, and poverty.

About Somebody Cares Tampa Bay
Somebody Cares Tampa Bay unites and mobilizes the body of Christ to practically demonstrate and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to transform Tampa Bay.

Christian Newswire

'Jobs and Education Mandate: Defund Planned Parenthood,' says Civil Rights Activist Dr. Alveda King

ATLANTA, Oct. 22, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Dr. Alveda King, niece of the late Rev. Martin Luther King, submits the following and is available for comment:

"At the polls remember that women need jobs, not abortions. Children need education, not birth control. Defund Planned Parenthood and put their annual $365 million entitlement fund to better use.
"Planned Parenthood is the nation's largest abortion provider and they dole out abortions with a heavy hand. Why not use their huge annual entitlement to help students, families and struggling individuals in need of jobs and education? Give the money to the states for jobs and education programs.
"A plan like this would bolster the economy, and offer young Americans hope in the form of scholarships and or jobs instead of abortions-is that a novel or farfetched thought?
"Why don't we save babies in the womb and also rescue our failing educational systems instead of funding the nation's #1 abortion provider?
"In the late 1800's Reverend Wesley John Gaines called for the establishment of an institution for the moral, spiritual and intellectual growth of African American boys and girls. This vision was the foundation of Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia. The school opened in 1885 soon after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Once acclaimed, the school has suffered financial challenges over the last few years.
"An infusion of funds could help schools like Morris Brown recover and continue to educate students who can grow up to make meaningful contributions to society. An infusion of funds into entry level job opportunity programs could also bolster the economy and bring hope rather than despair to the dismal landscape.
"States could be invited to develop creative plans that fit their needs, and everyone would be in a win-win atmosphere created to empower our communities. No more entitlement mentality, offering free birth control and abortions. Let's offer hope rather than death and despair.
"By defunding Planned Parenthood, we could spend $365 million dollars a year on education and jobs. Yes, more jobs and school scholarships than we have right now in America.
"Instead of saying no, why don't we look at the bigger picture perspective; give our children and young adults hope, not abortions and harmful birth control drugs. We have to start somewhere; this could be a new beginning. Plant a seed and watch it grow! Defund Planned Parenthood."
More information on Dr. Alveda King and her work is available at King for America.

Christian Newswire

'Escape From North Korea' by Melanie Kirkpatrick

The Untold Story of Asia's Underground Railroad
"Her account is as captivating as a thriller, but unlike a thriller it is morally compelling." -- novelist Mark Helprin, author of In Sunlight and In Shadow

MEDIA ADVISORY, Oct. 22, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- North Korea is hell on earth--ranking at the bottom of every international measure of freedom. Food is scarce. Religion is banned. Jails are abundant. Two hundred thousand men, women and children are incarcerated in political prisons. Their crimes? Possessing a Bible or disrespecting a photograph of Kim John Il.
It is a crime to leave the country. And for those who dare to flee, there is another circle of hell: life on the run in China. In Escape from North Korea, Melanie Kirkpatrick tells the riveting story of the North Koreans escaping to liberty. With a journalist's grasp of events and a novelist's ear for narrative, Kirkpatrick traces their harrowing passage along a secret route through China, which rejects them as criminals, on to Southeast Asia or Mongolia and, finally, to the sanctuary of South Korea and sometimes the U.S. They travel on a new "underground railroad," operated by brokers who are in it for the money and Christians who are in it to serve God.
Just as escaped slaves from the American South educated Americans about the evils of slavery, the North Korean fugitives are informing the world about the evil country they fled. Escape from North Korea describes how these heroic escapees are also sowing the seeds for change within North Korea by channeling news back to those they left behind. In doing so, they are helping to open their information-starved homeland, exposing their countrymen to liberal ideas, and laying the intellectual groundwork for transforming the totalitarian regime that keeps an entire nation in chains.
Christianity Today calls Escape from North Korea "a rare book that puts human faces on the numbers, a lamentation over policies and duplicities that have haunted a people terribly divided." Richard Land says "Melanie Kirkpatrick has done humanity a great service by telling this compelling story." Seth Lipsky of the New York Sun writes, "Her story reminds us all of why communist regimes so fear religion."
Surprises revealed in Escape from North Korea:

• North Korean exiles feed information into North Korea with forbidden cell phones, MP3 players, DVDs, flash drives.
• Chinese men place orders for "brides" from North Korea
• North Korea is the world's worst persecutor of Christians, yet Christianity is growing there.
• American Christians have gone to jail in China for the "crime" of helping North Koreans.
• A secret network extracts South Korean POWs from North Korea

Escape from North Korea was published by Encounter Books on September 18, 2012. Melanie Kirkpatrick is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and former deputy editor of The Wall Street Journal editorial page. To set up an interview, contact Dean Draznin Communications: Dean Draznin 641-472-2257 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            641-472-2257      end_of_the_skype_highlighting dean@drazninpr.com; Leslie Levine 847-205-9853 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            847-205-9853      end_of_the_skype_highlighting leslie@drazninpr.com. See www.MelanieKirkpatrick.com

Christian Newswire

Wisconsin Right to Life Dramatic New Television Ad Airing Statewide -- Draws Attention to HHS Mandate for Religious Institutions

MILWAUKEE, Wis., Oct. 23, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- A dramatic new television ad, produced by Wisconsin Right to Life, is airing in most of Wisconsin's media markets. The ad draws attention to the fact that the federal administration is ordering Catholic hospitals and universities to provide coverage for abortion-inducing drugs, even though abortion violates deeply held Church beliefs.

Wisconsin Right to Life Executive Director Barbara Lyons said, "To follow the administration's orders means Catholic hospitals and universities face a dilemma -- serve only Catholics and deny care to all others, defy the administration and face huge financial penalties -- or close their doors altogether. Wisconsin Right to Life believes this is an untenable situation that the public needs to be aware of."

Wisconsin Right to Life's "Freedom TV Ad" can be viewed here:
www.wrtl.org/freedom/index.html

Christian Newswire

Open Doors: Children, Others Surrounded by Terror, Sounds of War Across Syria

SANTA ANA, Calif., Oct. 23, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- After 20 months of fighting, there is no sign to an end in the civil war ravaging Syria. The war has claimed over 30,000 lives and left the country in ruins. The children of Syria have been among the victims.

"I spoke to a little girl (Yasmin) in Damascus," an Open Doors contact says. "What the girl shared with a mix of seriousness and humor shows what a terrible situation Syrian children grow up nowadays. Yasmin told me that they got rain and thunder in Damascus as the fall season is approaching. Then she continued to say with a small laugh, 'it's raining and thundering not just what God is sending us, but all kinds of stuff.'

"Children call the sound of bombings, attacks, gun shots and cannons 'music.' We wake up with this sound of music, live with it during the day and go to sleep with it."

The girl also told about shelling near her school. "All windows broke, but I wasn't hit by the glass. While all students were running around crying, I and a friend of mine were not afraid. We felt how the peace of Jesus fell on our lives."

The Open Doors contact adds: "Bombings, missiles, shelling, attacks are happening all over the country and are increasing in Aleppo and Damascus. But God's favor is over His church. Pain and suffering are seen daily, but the church is keeping its hope in Jesus."

The reality is harsh. Sunday there was a bomb attack in the Christian neighborhood of Bab Toma in the old city of Damascus. "Thirteen people died and over seventy got injured," says the contact. "One person from the Presbyterian Church died. Jenna from the Nazarene Church got injured. She shared how God lifted her up by a miracle and placed her back on the ground. She had just passed the car with the bomb three seconds earlier."

The bomb exploded around 11 o'clock Sunday morning, the Open Doors' contact shares. "One of the pastors of a nearby church said that this was not long after their morning service was over. The believers went back to church for the evening service and many came."

A pastor from Aleppo reports that prices are getting higher and higher. "We are in a very tough situation and we don't know where we are heading. But thank God, after one week without running water, we just have water again. Having water is a luxury these days."

Christians in Damascus see God's protection and testify about His power. Martitza tells: "My bedroom was destroyed by a grenade which fell nearby. My bed was split in half. Because I was that night taking care of my mother-in-law who is very ill, I did not die in my bed."

In the midst of all the fighting, there are many kidnappings. According to the Open Doors contact, a priest and his wife in Katana were kidnapped. "Bold attacks on Christians and Christian areas are increasing." The contact says that churches continue to do their best to reach out to people and take care of them. "They focus their eyes and hope on Christ and on His plans."

The contact urges Christians in the West to pray for an end to the war, for Christians the energy to handle daily calamities and boldness to reach out with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

An estimated 100 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with millions more facing discrimination and alienation. Open Doors supports and strengthens believers in the world's most difficult areas through Bible and Christian literature distribution, leadership training and assistance, Christian community development, prayer and presence ministry and advocacy on behalf of suffering believers. To partner with Open Doors USA, call toll free at 888-5-BIBLE-5 (888-524-2535 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            888-524-2535      end_of_the_skype_highlighting) or go to our Website at www.OpenDoorsUSA.org.

(For more information or to set up an interview, contact Jerry Dykstra at 616-915-4117 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            616-915-4117      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or email jerryd@odusa.org.)

Christian Newswire

Join an American Moment on Veterans Day

FRONTLINE FAITH organizes moment of silent remembrance, thanksgiving and prayer for soldiers past and present

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 23, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Across generations spanning parts of two centuries, the 11th day of the 11th month -- known since 1954 as Veterans Day -- has given Americans everywhere pause ... to remember and say thank you. Thank you to the U.S. men and women who served in the military during two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Americans pause to thank those serving around the world today -- and their families, who wait, hope and pray for their safe return.

On Sunday Nov. 11, the FRONTLINE FAITH Project calls every American to show their gratitude and their patriotism during An American Moment at noon local time wherever they are. "We want everyone, everywhere, to observe a moment of silence -- An American Moment -- on this Veterans Day and those to follow," said FRONTLINE FAITH founder Cheri Lomonte.

The organization has a created a special video to promote participation in An American Moment. Watch it any time -- and share it -- at youtu.be/0LPUQtSs3b8.

FRONTLINE FAITH believes that An American Moment is a simple, yet powerful action for individuals, families and groups to partake in to show solidarity on Veteran's Day -- the day reserved for Americans to remember with special thanksgiving those brave men and women who paid the ultimate price for country, freedom and safety.

"It is my hope," Lomonte said, "that this collective moment of silent prayer -- lifted all over the world on a single day -- will fortify the men and women of our Armed Forces and also enkindle the spirit of unity in our nation, a nation now fractured by politics and distracted by worldly pursuits. I believe it is time for us to come together as one people who together love our God and our country, serving each to the best of our abilities."

Lomonte founded FRONTLINE FAITH to support the spiritual needs of the United States Military and knows that over the past three years, the thousands of faith-filled MP3 players FRONTLINE FAITH has distributed from Camp Pendleton to Kandahar have provided critical spiritual nourishment for U.S. men and women soldiers. She hopes An American Moment will do that -- and much more.

"We want to honor the men and women of our Armed Forces, past and present," she said. "We hope everyone will offer a silent moment of prayer at noon wherever they are -- a silent prayer to thank our military for their service, to pray for the peaceful repose of those who have died, and to pray for the intentions of those still living."

No matter where you are -- at home with your family, gathered with your friends, your church group, civic organization, on bases at home or abroad, or anywhere else, FRONTLINE FAITH calls all Americans to gather with those they are with at noon and join An American Moment to recognize, thank and pray for our military and our country.

"Let us remember our troops on the front lines," said Fr. Jim Evans, a chaplain serving with the Texas Army National Guard. "Indeed, let us remember all of our veterans, and let us pray for all of our military who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

"At noon wherever we are," he added, "let us pause for a moment to honor, to pray for and to thank those men and women who now serve and have served, that we might live in freedom. We are one nation; let us show our patriotism as one nation under God."

About Veterans Day
World War I fighting ended Nov. 11, 1918, when Allied nations and Germany signed an armistice -- a temporary cessation of hostilities. The war officially ended June 19, 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first commemoration of what was then known as Armistice Day in November 1919. It became a legal holiday in 1938, and was amended to become Veterans Day in 1954. The Uniform Holiday Bill of 1968 included Veterans Day in a group of four national holidays to be celebrated on Mondays -- regardless of date -- in order to provide long weekends for observance and activities. It became apparent quickly that most Americans preferred to observe Veterans Day on the specific annual date of Nov. 11, and President Gerald Ford returned the holiday to its original date by signing Public Law 94-97 in September 1975. That law officially returned Veterans Day to Nov. 11 beginning in 1978, where it remains.

About FRONTLINE FAITH
Founded in 2009, FRONTLINE FAITH produces MP3 players packed with prayers and inspirational material for Christian U.S. military serving around the globe. Each programming package includes features exclusive to its target audience (Catholic or Protestant) and common features like letters from children and inspirational music. Catholics will find a full Mass recorded at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.; Rosary meditations; and a variety of prayers. Protestants will find faith-filled commentaries and messages from pastors, chaplains and troops.

FRONTLINE FAITH has distributed more than 30,000 MP3 players to date, but its task remains daunting. According to numbers from the Department of Defense, reflecting active-duty troops through Jan. 31, 2012, more than 960,000 self-identify as Christian. "When I receive emails from our military thanking us for the players we send to them" Lomonte said, "and what the players mean to them, I am humbled and blessed and I feel very small compared to what they are doing for me and our country. We are all in this together. So when one of us hurts, we all hurt. Our troops need our spiritual support. It is our duty to help our troops with prayer and players."

That duty -- helping -- can take a variety of forms in addition to making An American Moment a priority on Nov. 11:

• Donating as little as $24 to produce and distribute a FRONTLINE FAITH MP3 player;


• Sharing news of the project in church communities to help spread the word about FRONTLINE FAITH;


• Sharing personal stories from the front, or those of family members deployed;


• Connecting FRONTLINE FAITH to online social communities:
  Like and share the FRONTLINE FAITH Facebook page -- Follow FRONTLINE FAITH on Twitter -- @FrontlineFaith.

For more information, or to request a sample MP3 player and/or an interview with Founder Cheri Lomonte and other spokespersons, please contact Alexis Walkenstein (561-445-5409 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            561-445-5409      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or AWalkenstein@MaximusMG.com), Tim Lilley (678-990-9032 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            678-990-9032      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or TLilley@MaximusMG.com) or Kelly Kracht (651-470-3854 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            651-470-3854      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or KKracht@MaximusMG.com) of The Maximus Group.

Christian Newswire

'Purposeful Parenting in Adoption' Seminar Saturday to Help Adoptive Parents

MASON, Ohio, Oct. 23, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- To help equip adoptive families deal with the challenges specific to raising adopted children, All God's Children International is presenting a free training seminar with Patty Jewell, LCSW, and founder of the Center for Family Connection. Through the presentation on "Purposeful Parenting in Adoption," Jewell will explore the impact deficiencies in early childhood care can have on a child's ability to attach, advances in neuroscience as it relates to parenting, how to function as a transracial family, as well as many other topics.

Her training will center on how adoptive parents can properly attach to adopted children, despite the challenges their child may be facing when trying to build lasting relationships due to trauma and maltreatment. She will also give powerful information about strategies that promote well-being in children, and tactics to help parents form proper bonds with them. For the past 14 years, Jewell has worked directly with children and families who are experiencing significant and ongoing problems related to early abuse, neglect and abandonment.

The free seminar will take place on Saturday, October 27th from 10am to 2:30pm at Hope Church in Mason, Ohio. Attendees can RSVP online at AllGodsChildren.org/purposeful_parenting.

About All God's Children International: Founded in 1991, All God's Children International passionately serves the world's orphan and vulnerable children by offering hope through the life-changing ministries of adoption, orphan care and missions. Each year, AGCI unites nearly 200 orphans from around the world with their forever families across the United States. Through AGCI's Hannah's Hope orphan homes, children are provided medical care, education, ministry and safety while waiting to be placed in loving homes. Additionally, AGCI provides orphan care for children without families, family preservation projects, and short-term missions. www.AllGodsChildren.org

Christian Newswire

Colo. Megachurch Pastor: Hype vs. Holy Spirit

A Colorado Springs megachurch pastor became disillusioned when he began to follow on Twitter around a dozen high-profile pastors whose ministries he respected.

These pastors would regularly tweet something that was, in Pastor Brady Boyd's opinion, overflowing with hype. "Super Bowl of all Sundays," "the megamonster of all sermons," "I can't think of another time I have been more excited about preaching a message," they tweeted as they touted upcoming weekend services.
"How can it be, week after week?" Boyd, senior pastor of New Life Church, wrote in his newly released book Sons & Daughters.
Sadly, the result of hype is a church full of consumers.
"It would be easy to blame church congregations for the madness that has consumed our gatherings these days, except that from what I see from their pastors, we're conditioning them to behave this way. We hype and promote and position and tweet and inadvertently create pews full of consumers instead of devoted worshipers of God," Boyd stated.
"We hyp-ers are setting up our people to expect an experience, instead of teaching them to encounter their Lord."

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/colo-megachurch-pastor-hype-vs-holy-spirit-83629/#imdcYjKkZ2ium4UX.99

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Felix Baumgartner Says his Jump Was a Leap of Faith

Egyptian Islamist Muhammad Saad Al-Azhari Opposed to Clause in Constitution Preventing Sex Trafficking

Job Corps sites in Miss. & Texas honored

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Christian Women's Job Corps sites in Philadelphia, Miss., and San Marcos, Texas, have received this year's top honors from the Woman's Missionary Union Foundation.

The two CWJCs, which receive a $1,800 grant each, are part of WMU's national network to equip disadvantaged women for life and employment, offering weekly Bible studies and job training, while also pairing them with mentors for encouragement and accountability.

CWJC of Philadelphia, Miss., established in 2008, offers a Jobs for Life program that includes computer basics, budget training and a clothes closet with clothing appropriate for job interviews.

Site coordinator Sandi Lewis added that the site's one-on-one mentoring sets it apart from secular training programs in the community.

And the site's Jobs for Life curriculum "is biblically-based," Lewis said, "so it addresses issues that [other skills training] programs do not."

Lewis said the site will use the WMU grant to purchase additional GED resources and computer tables for use during classes. Currently, the nine computers used in training are on tables that are too high to comfortably use in an hour-long class, Lewis said.

"There are enough roadblocks to overcome for our ladies," she said, "and having them practice computer skills at desks that are at the correct level will make the process easier and more comfortable."

READ MORE

What Distinguishes Christianity From Other Faiths?

Egypt's Morsi Slammed for Condoning Anti-Semitic Rant

Stunt Icon Vic Armstrong to Direct Nicolas Cage in 'Left Behind'

Legendary stunt coordinator and second-unit director Vic Armstrong is making a very rare jump into the director’s chair for the rebooted Left Behind movie.

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Armstrong is in negotiations to direct Nicolas Cage, who is making a deal to star in what producers hope will be a new trilogy based on the mega-successful Christian-themed books written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins.

STORY: Faith-Based 'Left Behind' Books Returning to Big Screen

Paul Lalonde, who was one of the producers of the original, independently made series that starred Kirk Cameron, is producing the action thriller with Michael Walker. Jay David Williams of Family Screen Partners is exec producing.

The movies were political thrillers that focused on the End of Days and the Rapture. Those Christian beliefs are again the focal point of the new movie, but the story will be more in the mold of a classic disaster film. The plot unfolds during the first few hours after the Rapture and focuses on the survivors.

Producers are working with a budget in the $15 million range and are aiming to shoot the first movie in spring 2013 in Baton Rouge, La.

 READ MORE

What's New: 'Fires of Faith' shares the history of the King James Bible translation

"FIRES OF FAITH: The Inspiring Story Behind the King James Bible," by Brock Brower with Lee Groberg and Steven Porter, Covenant Communications, $29.99, 115 pages (nf)

The history of the King James Version of the Bible is full of hardships and struggles. It is now the No. 1 bestselling book of all time, with tremendous influence on not only religion, but language, culture, art and literature.

"Fires of Faith" is a hardback book that relates how the King James Bible was able to be translated into English during a time when Europe did not practice religious freedom. The brave men and women, some losing their lives for the sake of the book's translation, who fought the battle include William Tyndale, John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, Henry VIII, Queen Mary I and King James. Each of played a significant role in the publication of the King James Bible.