In 1860 approximately four thousand Western Apache Indians occupied an enormous portion of the present state of Arizona. Ranging from the Sonoran desert environs to the ponderosa pine forests, the Apache subsisted on wild plant foods which they collected; corn, beans, and squash which they grew; animals which they hunted; and livestock which they stole in raids south of the border. Within forty years, however, the Apache way of life was inexorably altered as a result of contact with the White man. Following a series of bloody skirmishes with federal troops as well as savage massacres, the Apaches were confined to reservations for their own protection. Soon new words entered the Apache vocabulary—words like smallpox, scarlet fever,
Coming from a different culture but still embracing the Christian values that Loma Linda University emphasizes, I believe that my unique background and personal experiences distinguish my application from others. Growing up in Egypt, where the gap between social classes is significant, my parents always stressed the need to prioritize service into my life encouraging me to dedicate time in volunteering and helping others. As a result, my experience has grown from volunteering to serve as a camp leader for orphans in the summer to participating in international dental service trips. These involvements would allow me to use my skills in organizing missions trips at Loma Linda. Being a Coptic Orthodox Christian enables me to add diversity to the
Upon entrance to the Ebenezer church, the high-peaked ceilings immediately mesmerized me. The white, peaked ceilings were beautifully decorated in imagery of what appeared to be a flower motif repeated all throughout. The three windows at the top of the sanctuary brought lots of natural light creating a feeling of the presence of God. The architecture of the tall, elaborate stained glass held symbols of the church including the grapevine, wheat, etc. A worker for the National Parks Service told us that the stain glass windows had been donated the after destruction of the building, which is why names appear at bottom of every window. The church had a common theme of three at the front of the church at the podium. There were three seats behind the podium, three levels at the podium, and three levels on a cross image carved out of wood that read Tithe.
People always told me that money can’t buy happiness, but I never truly experienced what that meant until I met the people of Honduras. The country and the people had an impact on me and on how I see the world. In my interactions with the people and culture of Honduras, among some very challenging living conditions, I was inspired by their love of family, welcoming attitude, and joy of life. For me, Honduras was like a mirror for me to look in and see my own life compared to the Hondurans’. If I brought back one thing with me, it was the desire to be like them in how I face life, love family and friends, and be filled with joy.
In early August of 2009, I embarked on a long drive from the beautiful state of Virginia
This religious study will define the evolutionary growth of cultural and racial diversity of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) in the late 129th and 20th centuries. The original pietisten philosophy of the Swedish protestant movement defines the foundations of the ECC in the late 19th century. However, the formation of Mission Friends societies throughout the United States, and especially in the Chicago area, prompted a break towards a more radical evangelical ideology. These “conventicles” would define a distinct American style of evangelical practice through the leadership of Carl Olof Rosenius (1816-1868) and eventually, under the leadership of Paul Peter Waldenström (1838-1917). These cultural shifts would occur during the Great Migration
Some important fundamentals of the southern baptists are that they believe there is only one god. Which means this religion is monotheistic. They believe that god is the father, the son, and the holy spirit. They also believe that god created man.
The Latino paradox was identified by researchers in the 1960s and it notion that Latino immigrants of lower income and education has low rates of mental health issues compared to whites who has higher education and income. Relocating to a new country can be stressful, but Latino immigrants who relocate to the U.S. have better health overall than those who stayed behind. The video states that it could be due to the strong family bounds that the Latino culture has.
Imagine traveling to a foreign country on a mission trip with your 4 children and husband. Doesn’t sound too bad, right? What about being forced to drag yourself and 4 children on a perilous trek at the command of an overzealous, religion obsessed husband to the African Congo in hopes of “saving” a community from their “wrong” way of living? In Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible, a missionary family, ruled by an extremely opinionated and controlling husband, moves from their acquainted home in Bethlehem, Georgia to the poverty-stricken village of Kilanga in the Belgian Congo. As the family gathered and packed their most essential items needed for survival in a territory where they were not wanted, the thought of never returning flooded
Being immersed into the inner city is something not only urban ministry majors should experience, but all Christ followers. The many things we experienced during the weekend taught me a lot and helped further prepare me for my own ministry in an urban setting. Experiences such as the charter school, Beast of the Beats, CDC, talking to a homosexual pastor, and Tabernacle Revival Church made me feel a wide mix of emotions. Many times during the trip I felt so confirmed that this is I am suppose to focus my work for the Lord. On the contrary, there were times I wondered what I am getting myself into.
The Dr. Larry Crabb book “Effective Biblical Counseling” is a great work for the Christian community. He explores four different approaches to integrate the Bible and counseling strategies to bring believers closer to God. Dr. Crabb has ordained the local church as a ground to have God’s people ministered to through scripture. The church must assure that all leaders are trained to a certain degree in the area of counseling. Leaders can give of themselves in parliamentary procedure to serve others, to get through difficult times and turn into mature Christians.
Magdalene Hope is designed to help human trafficking victims to become free. As it was mentioned before, Magdalene Hope goals’ are to love the victims with the unconditional love of God, and to help them escape from being trafficked. Everyday, the staff makes an effort to end human trafficking and try to save as many lives they can. They want those women, children and men to become a new person by offering shelter, counseling, biblical studies, education, and basic personal needs that they need to start fresh.
Immanuel Baptist Church, like many Southern Baptist Churches in the USA exists, in their own words to “glorify God by making disciples who live Gospel centered lives through worship, service, and missions in authentic community.” (IbcShawnee.org) As a church, IBC Shawnee lives to fulfill the great commission of Jesus, which is to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy” through their local and global outreach programs (Matt 28: ESV). IBC thrives around a community-centered culture, as many of the activities and events that are planned at the church involve people of all ages, from senior adults to preschoolers. IBC regularly hosts events to bring the body of Christ together for
During the interview with Timothy Hughes, Pastor of the First Baptist Church, many difficult and probing questions were asked to discover the heart of his decision making process. The pastor, making himself available for this interview answered with much openness and transparency revealing how he makes decisions regarding a variety of issues. In regards to fear and its impact on his decision making, one could ascertain that this pastor uses acknowledgement of his fear to provide balance in this process. Decision made in regards to sermon preparation time is deemed to vary as he tries to “utilize a variety of sermon methodology or sermon preparation.” The importance of having a mentor relationship has been important in his life and has aided in making challenging decisions. The aid of such individuals have helped in molding the philosophy he has regarding decisions now. The use of small groups have aided in growth in his life and decisions he has made regarding the issues of focused study. The relationship he has with his family has a great impact on his decisions made. His wife is an
This perspective has convinced me that I can be used to biblically counseling others. To disciple new Christians, encourage friends and neighbors, and lead the lost to Christ. To be a small part of God’s plan to redeem a lost and dying world by pointing people to the cross and introducing them to Jesus is transforming. As a biblical counselor, I am hungry for not only seeing the lives of others transformed, but to continue to have the Lord continue to transform