Annual Collection Brought $6.6M in '13 Washington, D.C., February 19, 2014 (Zenit.org) | 37 hits

The annual Collection to Aid the Church in Central and Eastern Europe will be held in most U.S. parishes on March 5, Ash Wednesday. The collection supports pastoral, educational and construction projects in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia which were formerly under Soviet control.

The theme for this years collection is Restore the Church, Build the Future. The collection will focus on repairing and restoring Church buildings, strengthening Catholic education and intellectual life, and the development of new Church leadership. In 2013, the collection awarded $6.6 million in grants to 24 of the 27 countries it serves.

While many people in the U.S. are familiar with the challenges faced by the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, it is important to remind everyone of the harsh legacy of 50 years of communist rule said Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane, Washington, chairman of the Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The Church faces both physical poverty in countries that have still not become self-sustaining following communism and moral poverty, due to the growth of secularism.

We are able to distribute significant grants because of the commitment of the lay faithful to this collection, Bishop Cupich said. By showing solidarity with our struggling brothers and sisters in faith, each person who gives to the collection truly helps to restore the Church and build the future.

One funded project is located in Bucharest, Romania. The Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart run the New Home Centre, which provides a place for abandoned children. Through providing nursery care and preschool education, the sisters give the children a stable, safe environment and adequately prepare them to start primary school. Due to lack of funds, their building had become overcrowded and was not compliant with existing safety codes. The Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe funded a repair of the New Home Centre, as well as an expansion to provide living quarters for children and a separate kindergarten. These changes will ensure that the children continue to live in a safe, welcoming environment.

The bishops of the Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe oversee the Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe as part of the USCCB Committee on National Collections. More information on the Collection and the projects it funds can be found online:www.usccb.org/catholic-giving/opportunities-for-giving/central-and-eastern-europe/

(February 19, 2014) Innovative Media Inc.

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US Bishops Plan Aid for Eastern Europe

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The 150-year-old United Methodist Community Church on North Road reportedly owes thousands of dollars in past-due heating bills.JOHN DeSANTO/Times Herald-Record

Published: 2:00 AM - 02/19/14 Last updated: 11:42 AM - 02/19/14

BLOOMINGBURG The builder of the controversial 396-home Hasidic development may soon be adding a venerable old church to the many buildings he owns in this eastern Sullivan county village. Shalom Lamm has offered $330,000 for the white-shingled, Mountainview United Methodist Church, which is more 150 years old.

"The church has been for sale for a long time as it continues to consolidate its finances," said Lamm. "We feel proud and privileged to help a faith community."

Lamm says he isn't sure what he will do with the church. He already owns at least a dozen homes, apartment complexes, storefronts and other buildings in this village of some 400 residents.

A state Appellate Court judge on Tuesday allowed work to continue on 12 buildings of the controversial 396-home Hasidic development in Bloomingburg.

Judge Leslie Stein issued a stay of the stop-work order granted earlier this month by Sullivan County Supreme Court Judge Stephan Schick. So until an Appellate Court hearing March 10, work will resume on the 12 buildings already under construction at the Villages at Chestnut Ridge.

"One hundred twelve people can now go back to work," said developer Shalom Lamm, whose lawyers appealed Schick's decision.

Schick had seemed to agree with the lawyers for the Rural Community Coalition and the Town of Mamakating, who argued that the land on which the development is being built was annexed illegally, since the residents of that land didn't vote on the annexation, as required by the state Constitution.

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Developer Shalom Lamm offers $330,000 to buy church in Bloomingburg

Galveston, Aspen or Cancun are destinations that might come to mind for a Spring Break trip, but a group of 20 from the Kingwood area are embarking on a less typical journey.

Kingwood Christian Church is sponsoring its second bi-annual mission trip to Grenada. Known as the Island of Spice because of its production of nutmeg, Grenada is an island country consisting of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique in the southeastern Caribbean Sea.

While there, the group will partner with St. Patricks Parish of the Anglican Church to support its church and school in improvement projects and participate in cultural programs.

Participants from Kingwood Christian Church include teen-agers and adults, with the youngest being 13.

Our mission trip to Grenada two years ago was a wonderful and enlightening time for my family, said Dave Wallis, an IT professional who is going on the trip again in 2014. We had the opportunity to build a computer lab for a school, do some construction and cleaning in some local churches, and start a womens support group. Most importantly, we had a chance to interact with some very warm and gracious people, many of whom have now become our good friends. The experience expanded our vision and our hearts beyond what we see in our daily lives.

This year, the groups focus includes constructing new pews and storage areas for the church, improving its electrical system, and upgrading the schools computer lab by networking computers and printers and loading updated software. The group also will share members musical talents by performing at a school assembly and in a Gospel Concert. They also will participate in opening ceremonies for the St. Patricks Day Festival. The trip is March 7- 17.

Members of the Grenadian church will host activities for the visiting Texans, including a barbecue on Bathway Beach featuring the national dish of Oil-down. Oil-down is a stew of breadfruit, salted meat or chicken, coconut milk and spices. Real FM Grenada (a local radio station) is sponsoring the barbecue and in 2012 even broadcast a church service from Kingwood Christian Church to the entire nation of Grenada.

The partnership between Kingwood Christian and St. Patricks Parish exists because in 1991, Kingwood High School and TCU graduate Lindy Nelson was assigned to teach at the school in the city of Sauteurs, while serving in the Peace Corps. She met and married another teacher, Ryan Paryag. As a family, the Nelson-Paryags have made their home in Kingwood since 1994.

Meeting new people and learning new things is exciting and builds enthusiasm for all congregations.

We were able to awaken the gifts that existed in that church, Ryan Nelson-Paryag said. We saw that it doesnt take a huge amount of resources to really make a difference in others lives. As a result of us going there, the womans group in particular has been energized again.

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Kingwood Christian Church group traveling to Grenada for memorable Spring Break

Traffic at the Interlocken and Church Ranch Boulevard on-ramps to eastbound U.S. 36 will be realigned onto the newly constructed ramps this week, which will result in nightly closures Tuesday through Thursday, according to an email update on the U.S. 36 Express Lanes Project from the Colorado Department of transportation.

The Church Ranch on-ramps to eastbound U.S. 36 will be closed nightly from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.; the Interlocken on-ramps will be close from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Other detours and delays to expect this week include:

Today through Saturday:

Nightly single lane restrictions from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. on eastbound U.S. 36 between Sheridan and Federal boulevards for wall construction, barrier locations, grading and paving operations.

Nightly single lane restrictions from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. on westbound U.S. 36 between Sheridan and Federal boulevards for median barrier demolition, grading, paving and concrete hauling.

Nightly single lane restriction from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. on eastbound U.S. 36 from the Uptown Avenue bridge to Sheridan Boulevard for dirt hauling and paving.

Eastbound U.S. 36 off-ramp to West Flatiron Crossing Drive closed nightly for median and storm drain work. Traffic will be detoured to Interlocken Loop. Closures will be from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. today through Thursday and from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Nightly single lane restrictions from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. in both directions of U.S. 36 from 88th Street to Wadsworth Parkway for dirt and concrete hauling, paving, striping, temporary barrier placement, surveying and repairing potholes.

Nightly single lane restrictions from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. in both directions of U.S. 36 from the 88th Street bridge to Foothills Parkway for striping, repairing potholes, barrier installation and survey work.

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Church Ranch, Interlocken on-ramps to eastbound U.S. 36 closed nightly Tuesday through Thursday

PHOTO COURTESY KATHY PORR Pam Colvin Rainbow Child Care Center, a ministry of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand, recognizes Pam Colvin for 20 years of service with the center. Colvin retired Jan. 31 to assist her husband with his business. She has taken care of babies, 1-year-olds, and, most recently, 2-year-olds. Center Director Kathy Porr said, Pam has been the anchor at Rainbow for many years, and will be missed but not forgotten. The staff gave her a farewell party Jan. 27. At the party, the Rainbow Center board acknowledged her contributions with several gift cards, and each of the staff members gave her a gift with a cat motif, her favorite collectible.

PHOTO COURTESY LINDA BISHOP New digs In New Hope United Church of Christs new space at Good Samaritan Florida Lutheran Retirement Center in DeLand, the Rev. Karen Curtis-Weakley preaches on the Sermon on the Mount, You are the Light of the World You are the Salt of the Earth, and she uses a lighted salt block to show the metaphor.

By Margie Dykes BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Feb 17, 2014 - 9:04:54am

Annual fish fry

All are invited to the Friday, Feb. 28, annual Fish Fry at First United Methodist Church of DeLand. The event will be 5-7 p.m. in the Life Enrichment Center (LEC), and is sponsored by the United Methodist Men. A complete fish dinner with beans, tater tots, coleslaw, beverages, and an assortment of desserts will be served for $7 per person, with a family paying no more than $22. Children under age 6 eat for free. The proceeds will go toward scholarships.

On Sunday, Feb. 16, Pastor Owen Stricklin will continue his sermon series Christians Under Construction. The focus is on building a solid foundation of intentional spiritual growth. The message at all services Sunday will be Furnishing It With Love, based on 1 John 4:7-18.

Feb. 16, is also Undies Sunday. Those attending services that day are urged to contribute new underwear and socks, which will be given to Tuesday Mercy Hour guests after they shower. Other needed items for use during the hour are body washes, shampoos and conditioners, razors, shaving cream, toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, hairbrushes and hair dryers.

The Wednesday Music Club of Central Florida will present Dr. Michael Rickman in a special piano concert at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 2, in the LEC parlor. A $10 donation will be taken at the door, with the proceeds funding the clubs Music Scholarship Awards.

All are welcome to attend the services and activities of the church. Call the church office for tickets and additional information at 386-734-5113.

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Spiritual Side: All invited to annual fish fry, Friday, Feb. 28

Wedged between railroad tracks and a freeway overpass, the Cathedral of the Holy Face of Christ the Savior has yet to find a congregation

Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends the Orthodox Christmas service at the Cathedral of the Holy Face of Christ the Savior in the Russian city of Sochi on Jan. 7, 2014

On Jan. 7, exactly a month before the Winter Games in Sochi began, Russian President Vladimir Putin stopped by the host citys new cathedral to attend Orthodox Christmas Mass. It seemed like a symbolic moment. In record time, Putins government had built an entire Olympic city, complete with stadiums, hotels, railroads and freeways, on a patch of swamp in Sochis suburbs. It was Putins little miracle, and what better place and time to celebrate than on Orthodox Christmas in Sochis new church? There were just a couple of problems.

The ornate Cathedral of the Holy Face of Christ the Savior, built mostly in the Byzantine style, was still under construction at the time. It had been consecrated only a few days earlier, before the altar had been assembled. And then there was the issue of its location. Wedged between railroad tracks and a freeway overpass, the church was nearly impossible for any locals to approach by foot without jumping fences and running across several lanes of traffic. So people had to be bussed in to stand behind Putin and his key Olympic managers during the Christmas Mass. With that, the cathedral served its first essential function a photo opportunity for Putin. But whom it will serve when the Olympics leave town is so far a bit of a mystery.

Theres an old Russian tradition that when you make a conquest of land, the first thing you do, before building a fort or a bathhouse, is build a church on top of it, says Vasily Gromov, an amateur historian and restorer of Orthodox churches in the region of Krasnodar, which includes Sochi. But this one doesnt make much sense.

On the second Sunday of the Olympics, Gromov, who is 76, came early to the evening Mass to voice some concerns to the priests. How could they put such a massive cathedral in a place where people cant get to it? I circled around for an hour before I figured out how to get here, says Gromov. There are fences and freeways everywhere, he says. Its like a maze! So he was not surprised to see the cathedral nearly deserted during the long evening service, with never more than a dozen parishioners at a time, most of them Olympic tourists. And whos going to come here when the Games are over? Gromov asks.

(MORE: Sochis Sixth Ring)

TIME put that question to the cathedrals abbot in January, a jolly old priest named Father Flavian, who is prone to bouts of giggling that make him place his hand over his mouth. He did not have any great answers. The church, he explained, was not really part of the original Olympic project; it was conceived as an afterthoughta year before the Games began, the holy icing on the Olympic cake. Its a miracle that we even built it in time, he said. We only had four months to cover the whole interior in frescoes, which is some kind of Olympic record! (Indeed, when two reporters visited on Jan. 17, workers on scaffolds were still painting the final touches.)

But with all the rush, few considered the placement of the church or its functionality. I know, its true, its really hard to get here, Father Flavian admitted. Were pretty much on an island. Then, as another fit of chuckles started coming on, he added, When I visit Moscow and the higher clergy asks me where Im from, I tell them I work out on the bogs.

That is technically true. Just like the stadiums hosting the Olympic Games, the church rests on marshlands in a suburb of Sochi called Adler, right on the Black Sea coast, and its lack of solid bedrock has bedeviled the organizers from the beginning. The ground was so moist and unstable that Olympic buildings had to be redesigned several times, contributing to the massive cost overruns that eventually brought the overall price tag to around $50 billion more than all the previous Winter Olympics combined.

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Sochi Has a Big, Empty Church

(PRWEB) February 17, 2014

Building God's Way, a nationwide church architect and builder network that provides a broad range of solutions to Christian ministries, announced this week that it has partnered with Dennison & Associates to launch a new division of Building Gods Way called BGW Accounting. Dennison and Associates is a CPA firm that provides accounting services exclusively to Christian ministries throughout the United States.

This partnership will combine the church accounting experience, expertise and excellent reputation of Dennison & Associates, CPA, with the broad network of services offered to ministry-based organizations through the BGW program, including church design, engineering, construction, fundraising, growth coaching, worship technology and more. With a unique understanding of the local church and other faith-based organizations, BGW Accounting will be able to provide ministries with superior accounting services at a lower cost, resulting in more resources available for Kingdom growth.

Building Gods Way founder and President Dan Cook commented on the new partnership, Dennison & Associates aligns very well with our approach and our heart for helping ministries be the best stewards of their God-given resources. We have worked alongside this company for a number of years and have been impressed by their expertise and understanding of the church market. We are excited to partner with them to bring this expertise to more of our clients.

BGW Accounting will offer a wide variety of accounting services to churches and other Christian ministries, including annual audits, review and compilation, and bookkeeping services. For churches that are planning a construction project, BGW Accounting will provide a free analysis to help them better understand their funding capacity and prepare for the lending approval process. Other professional services include consultation in the areas of board governance, internal control assessment, 501(c) 3 registration, federal tax form 990 and federal/state payroll assistance.

Prior to forming Dennison & Associates, founder David Dennison served as the president of a church finance company that assisted ministries with their borrowing needs and personally originated over $175 million in church mortgage loans throughout the United States. This experience provided him with a unique understanding of the financial inner-workings of the local church.

I am honored to be able to serve the BGW network of Kingdom builders and ministry clients. BGW is truly one of the premier design/build firms dedicated to serving the local church. I look forward to joining with BGW to help churches be better stewards of the resources God has given them, said David Dennison.

David Dennison, CPA, MBA, MS is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. For more information about BGW Accounting, contact David Dennison at 719-264-9906 or ddennison(at)bgwservices(dot)com.

About Building Gods Way - BGW has become a recognized national leader in ministry design and construction through its extensive experience in working exclusively with churches, Christian schools and colleges. Since 1998, BGW has worked with more than 600 ministries nationwide and has developed an unparalleled network of kingdom building services that include church design, church building, Christian school and college architecture, church growth coaching, vision casting, capital fundraising, non-profit development, financial solutions, worship technology and more. For more information about BGW, call 800-552-7137 or visit the web site at http://www.bgwservices.com.

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Building God's Way Announces Launch of New Division to Provide Accounting Services Exclusively to Christian Ministries ...

RACINE The St. Davids Society of Racine & Vicinity will hold its 125th annual meeting and St. Davids Day observance on Sunday, March 2, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 40 Ohio St.

The event will begin with special morning worship services at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. in recognition of Covenants Welsh heritage, dating back to the late 1800s when Welsh immigrants congregated at the Welsh Calvinist Methodist Church on Villa Street. The Old Welsh Church later became the Tabernacle Presbyterian Church of Racine before it merged with Providence Church of Racine to become Church of the Covenant Presbyterian Church with the construction of the new church on Ohio Street in 1962.

At 11 a.m., the St. Davids Society will host a Te Bach (Welsh for little tea) in the churchs gathering space.

Following the fellowship time, the group will convene the annual meeting in the church sanctuary at 11:30 a.m.

In addition to a short business meeting, highlights of the event include a Gymanfa Ganu (Welsh hymn sing) and performances by the 2014 winners of the St. Davids Society music scholarships, which encourage and reward the pursuit of excellence in music by local high school students.

All are welcome to the event; no Welsh ancestry is required.

A catered luncheon buffet will be served at 12:30 p.m. in the churchs Welsh Hall, for which reservations are required. Luncheon reservations are required by Feb. 21 by calling Sue Evans at (262) 633-7819.

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St. Davids Society to celebrate Welsh heritage March 2

The meetinghouse will be the primary worship space for about 1,000 of the 25,000 Mormons in the Philadelphia area, said Corinne Dougherty, director of public affairs for the church's Philadelphia region.

Tenants need not be Mormons to rent an apartment or townhouse in the development, officials said. They said the units would rent at market prices.

Wednesday's announcement is the next step in the church's commitment to invest in Philadelphia, City Council President Darrell L. Clarke said. Church officials said the development would complete their local building plans.

The total cost of the project is not yet known, church officials said.

The church will not receive city or state money for the project, Nutter said. He said the project would create an estimated 1,500 to 1,800 jobs.

The for-profit residential tower will be subject to city taxes, mayoral spokesman Mark McDonald said; the meetinghouse will be tax-exempt because of its religious nature. He said the project was also eligible for the city's 10-year tax abatement for new development.

Plans for the project still need approval from various city agencies, and no date has been set for groundbreaking. Construction is projected to last from 18 months to two years.

Nutter said the new buildings on what is now a parking lot would bring "more residents, worshipers, and retail activity to one of the most architecturally significant sections of our city," and would transform the skyline.

The nearly 360-foot tower - by comparison, the Comcast tower rises 975 feet - will also mark the latest step in the redevelopment of Vine Street, which already is home to the Central Branch of the Free Library and the planned transformation of the Family Court building into a luxury hotel. The new buildings will rise just a block from the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, across the Vine Street Expressway.

Other signs of change in the Benjamin Franklin Parkway area include the announcement Monday of a deal for the overhaul of John F. Kennedy Plaza, and a proposed casino in the former Inquirer Building on North Broad Street.

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Mormons to build 32-story tower near Center City

William Thornton, writing for AL.com (Feb. 6), reports, Forget American hustlers or Wall Street wolves-- if you want to take Alabamians' money illegally, the most common way is through churches.

That's what Joe Borg, the head of the Alabama Securities Commission for two decades, said today in a talk at the Gadsden Rotary Club. Religion is the most successful vehicle for fraud in the state--through what is known as affinity frauds--with Ponzi schemes and get-rich-quick investments preying on those who pray.

"Think about it, you've got a lot of people who are all part of the same community," Borg said. "God's supposed to be watching over your funds. And they think, Why would they take advantage of you?'"

Borg has seen and helped prosecute all kinds of phony investment scams and frauds during his time, so he has a lot of stories to tell.

Borg is not alone in his ability to tell stories about fraud and embezzlement by church volunteers and staff in this country. When I was editing Church Executive magazine I made it my personal campaign to draw attention to what can only be described as a kind of pandemic of crime in churchesand often congregations wont reveal the fraud or prosecute the offenders. Jesus wouldnt want us to turn over a believer to the police, might be the refrain among many churches.

You might be reluctant to believe that church embezzlement is that frequent. But just go to Google Alerts and put in the phrase church fraud, as I have, and you will get weekly reports of one or two or three culprits caught stealing small and large amounts from their congregations. At the magazine I would run short summaries of these prosecutions every other month under the headline, Why Churches Need Internal Controls.

Cases involving churches are hard to prosecute, Borg said to writer Thornton. "You ask for a witness and it's like you're attacking their faith," Borg said. "The really good schemes make faith in God equivalent to faith in the program."

Churches also allow scammers to get closer to a big target market--the elderly, writes Thornton. There is approximately $13 trillion in stocks, securities and other financial products held by Americans over 60.

And with no money coming in, uncertainty about Social Security or anxiety over potentially-catastrophic medical costs, fear can drive them to seek safe, easy investments, he says.

The sums can be a few thousands of dollars, or run into the millions of dollars, such as the scam in Indiana. Charles Wilson writes for the Associated Press in the past week: Thousands of devout investors who lost savings after a southern Indiana brokerage persuaded them they were helping to build churches will get the last of their share of the money that's being repaid by the end of the year, the official overseeing the payback said Monday, a case that has been going on since 2005.

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Want to get fleeced?--go to church. Part 1