Thursday, August 22, 2013

Student volunteers impact cities in path toward lifelong service

NEW YORK (BP) -- Student missionary Season Helms can pinpoint the day last year when she began to look at New York City and urban ministry differently. Traveling with friends on the subway, Helms spotted a young woman dressed less than modestly.

As Helms looked beyond her clothing to the puffy eyes, scrapes and bruises, she saw a girl obviously in pain. Helms and her friends soon learned the girl had been attacked at Coney Island and her phone, money and extra clothing had been taken from her, leaving her with only a swimsuit. Helms and her friends helped the girl find more clothing to wear, connect with her friends and begin to heal her wounds.

"Then we got an opportunity to talk to her about God," said Helms, who later wrapped up her term as a North American Mission Board student missionary. "She told us that God couldn't love her. She had done too many bad things. Her perceived absence of the Lord in her life had led her to believe He wasn't there and He didn't love her."

READ MORE AT BAPTIST PRESS

More Details Emerge on 'Left Behind' Remake

ilming is underway in Baton Rouge, La., for the reboot movie version of the best-selling, end-times thriller Left Behind.
Quinton Aaron, who played Michael Oher in the 2009 film The Blind Side, has been cast in the role of Simon, a cameraman who is traveling to London when almost half of the passengers on his flight suddenly vanish into thin air, The Hollywood Reporter said.
The project is being developed by Cloud Ten Pictures, which released the first film adaptation of the book in 2000, following it with two other installments from the successful series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins—which have sold more than 64 million copies since the first title came out in 1995.
Featuring the tagline "Some were saved, and some were...," the remake stars Nicolas Cage (Rayford Steele), Chad Michael Murray (Buck Williams), Cassi Thomson (Chloe Steele), Nicky Whelan (Hattie Durham) and Jordin Sparks (Shasta).

READ MORE AT CHARISMA NEWS

American Bible Society Opens .BIBLE Domain; Called a 'Move From Gutenberg to Google'

American Bible Society Opens .BIBLE Domain; Called a 'Move From Gutenberg to Google'

Report: Iranian Man Jailed for Christianity - Middle East - News - Israel National News

Report: Iranian Man Jailed for Christianity - Middle East - News - Israel National News

School Shooter Taken Down By Bookkeeper Antoinette Tuff HERO Interview


Guideposts Reaches Program Milestone: Comfort Kits Touches 100,000th Child

DANBURY, Conn., Aug. 19, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- Emergency Department professionals at Broward Health North (BHN) in Deerfield Beach, Fla. see more than 7,500 pediatric patients every year for all types of medical problems and injuries. Earlier this year, the hospital introduced Comfort Kits to help soothe anxious children who are being treated. "I knew as soon as I had seen these kits that Broward Health North's Emergency Department needed them immediately," said Kathy Zizzo, Emergency Department patient representative. "We've had great response from kids and their parents."
An equal delight for the professionals came when the hospital was informed that a board-certified emergency room physician recently helped Guideposts achieve a major milestone. "We were very excited to find out we provided the 100,000th Guideposts for Kids Comfort Kit to one of our pediatric patients," said Pauline Grant, CEO of BHN. "We strive to provide a five-star experience to all of our patients, and these kits more than support our goals, they give children a boost during a difficult time."
Since the program was launched seven years ago through a collaboration with Chaplain Anna Gentile from the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, N.Y., Comfort Kits have made their way to 48 states where they are distributed free of charge to medical facilities for children who are sick or injured. The "small box with the big impact" contains a cuddly yellow stuffed star named Sparkle, a child-friendly journal that enables them to express their feelings and find inner strength, an "I'm Special" bracelet, and much more. These kits are specially designed to help youngsters cope with the uncertainty, discomfort and stress of being hospitalized or undergoing treatment.
"We are delighted that Comfort Kits have been distributed to 100,000 children nationwide and thrilled that the program continues to grow," said Rhonda R. Neal, Manager of Guideposts Outreach Services. "It is an achievement of which we could only dream when we began this program in 2006. The Comfort Kits program is just one way in which Guideposts continues to uplift people of all ages in their time of greatest need."
In the words of one parent ..."when my daughter was just out of surgery, she really enjoyed hugging the star. After that she filled out the journal and put stickers on some of the pages that she liked. She also liked the ball. My daughter is 6 years old and got her tonsils taken out. Thank you and your donors so much. This expression of love from strangers to our little girl meant so much to our family." Sara
Please visit us at comfortkits.org or like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ComfortKits.
About Guideposts: Guideposts (guideposts.org), a nonprofit organization, touches millions of lives every day through products and services that inspire, encourage, and uplift. Its magazines, books, websites, prayer network, and outreach programs help people connect their faith-filled values to their daily lives. Its flagship title, Guideposts, reaches six million readers. The Guideposts family also includes, Summerside Press, Candy Cane Press, Ideals, and Williamson imprints.


Christian Newswire