en mford@multicastmedia.com Copyright 2008 2008-08-22T17:46:34-05:00 http://316networks.com/news/story/441/ http://316networks.com/news/story/441/#When:16:35:25Z Wife of Sen. Barack Obama gave opening address for Democratic National ConventionMichelle Obama says Barack Obama embodies within him the "hope" to lead America as its next president. "I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president," she said of her husband, the presumptive Democratic nominee. The woman who stands the chance of becoming the nation's first African-American first lady, Michelle Obama centered her speech on a theme of unity in light of controversial comments she made earlier on the campaign trail, which raised doubts about her patriotism. "All of us are driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won't do," said Obama. She added that Americans 'have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be." Michelle Obama was at times teary-eyed when delivering her address. She shared her childhood experiences and the hard work her and Sen. Obama endured to achieve their goals. "That is the thread that connects our hearts," she said. "That is the thread that runs through my journey and Barack's journey and so many other improbable journeys that have brought us here tonight, where the current of history meets this new tide of hope." "And you see, that is why I love this country," she said to a standing ovation. At the conclusion of her speech, Sen. Barack Obama appeared via satellite to congratulate her and to addres the Denver convention. "You were unbelievable. You also look very cute," Obama, said. "Now you know why I asked her out so many times -- you want a persistent president." Sen. Barack Obama intends to give his main speech Thursday night, formally accepting the party's nomination at Invesco Field in front of an expected audience of 75,000.   2008-08-26T16:35:25-05:00 http://316networks.com/church/entry/439/ http://316networks.com/church/entry/439/#When:17:46:34Z Churches and ministries are recommended to adopt written policies regarding sexual harassment or misconduct.NationalChristianPoll.com surveyed a number of women on inappropriate behavior they have experienced in the past, such as sexual advances, touching or sexual contact, suggestive jokes, or glances with sexual overtones. According the survey, it noted that under the legal definition of sexual harassment, these inappropriate behaviors need to occur in an employment setting and create either a hostile work environment for the individual enduring the behavior. However, outside the work environment, inappropriate behavior is often referred to as sexual misconduct. Such behaviors as suggestive jokes within ministry settings. says one minister. "There is a lot of inappropriate 'conversation' being tolerated by women so as not to antagonize men in their workplaces," said Joy Thornburg Melton, an ordained minister and attorney within the United Methodist Church. Melton currently serves as chief resource officer for PACT (United Methodist Property and Casualty Trust). "We train our bishops and district superintendents and local pastors in what to do when somebody brings a complaint of this nature - how it is to be processed and handled. We want to be able to deal with it openly, honestly, and expeditiously," Melton said. Melton recommends that churches and ministries alike adopt a written policy regarding sexual harassment or misconduct. Only half of the survey respondents said their employers have established policies and 34 percent said they aren't sure what their employers, both in the church or secular world, are doing to reduce the harassment or sexual misconduct. Frank Sommerville, a civil attorney, said, "The church needs to realize that it is composed of imperfect individuals." He adds, "As a result, it needs to be proactive in preventing harassment by training its leaders on the subject. It also needs to train its employees and volunteers to treat each person with dignity and respect." The survey involved 669 women, 172 of whom either worked outside the home or worked outside the home in the last three years. 2008-08-22T17:46:34-05:00 http://316networks.com/entertainment/entry/438/ http://316networks.com/entertainment/entry/438/#When:17:38:47Z Groeschel's new book, It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It, is a must-read for church ministry leaders.Craig Groeschel has witnessed a powerful presence from God that he calls "It" at work in many churches. What is this transformational force? How can you and your ministry get-and keep-It? As one of today's most innovative church leaders, Groeschel provides within his new book, It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It, several profile interviews with notable Christian leaders Mark Driscoll, Perry Noble, Tim Stevens, Jud Wilhite, and Dino Rizzo. Combined with an in-your-face honesty with off-the-wall humor, this lively book tells how any believer can obtain It. Published by Zondervan Books, this new exciting book addresses such important church leadership questions like: What are we (as a church) doing that we should stop doing?What is God trying to show you through your greatest limitation?What has God called you to do that you're afraid to try? Here are a just a few endorsments It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep it has received: "I predict the unpredictable will happen more predictably if you read and apply the principles in this book. This is a leadership gem."Bill Hybels Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church "Every church leader I know is looking for that illusive it. Craig Groeschel has not only found it , he's letting the rest of us in on what he has learned about it . This is a great book with extraordinarily helpful content. I'm getting it for our entire leadership team."Andy Stanley Pastor, North Point Community Church "As a visionary leader, Craig Groeschel understands it - that unexplainable attraction that draws people to church. And in this book he helps every church leader find it, keep it, and display it, so your people will finally get it."Ed Young Founding and Senior Pastor of Fellowship Church, Author of The Creative Leader "Craig Groeschel is one of the most visionary yet down-to-earth leaders I know. He challenges the way I think. And he inspires me to keep growing as a leader. If you're looking for a book that will help take your church to the next level, this is IT."Mark Batterson Lead Pastor National Community Church "I was actually mad at Craig for stopping this book too soon! I was learning so much, I seriously could not stop reading it and didn't want it to end. This is a book that is filled with proven ministry reality and truth. Even though it raises some serious questions to ask ourselves, it is one that gives hope and very practical advice."Dan Kimball Author of They Like Jesus But Not The Church For more information on Craig Groeschel, log onto www.lifechurch.tv. 2008-08-22T17:38:47-05:00 http://316networks.com/news/story/437/ http://316networks.com/news/story/437/#When:17:17:22Z Nearly half of adults polled say more churches should keep out of political matters.  This new change of heart is the result of how some social conservatives who have expressed being disillusioned with both major political parties, according to a survey performed by Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Four years ago, only 30 percent of conservatives believed churches should keep out of politics. According to the new survey, that percentage has risen to over half. The survey found the shift is strongest among Americans who now consider gay "marriage" a very important issue, and who think both parties have grown increasingly more unfriendly towards religion. "To my mind, that spells frustration," said Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center. "But by the same token, we know these very same people are not interested in less religiosity in the political discourse. They almost universally want a religious person as president." Conservatives hold similar views with moderates and liberals on the issue of church and politics. "It's not that they want to take religion out of politics," says Kohut, "it's that their frustrations with the way things seem to be going are leading them to say, 'Well, maybe churches should back off on this.'" The American public's opinion has remained unchanged on the belief that churches should not endorse candidates and that it is important for presidents to have strong religious and moral beliefs. The survey was conducted through phone interviews on July 31-August 10 from a sample of 2,905 adults.   2008-08-22T17:17:22-05:00 http://316networks.com/news/story/434/ http://316networks.com/news/story/434/#When:15:15:28Z Vision Beyond Borders had their Bibles confiscated after their refusal to leave countryMembers of Vision Beyond Borders had refused to leave the airport in the southwestern city of Kunming, however, after realizing that the communist authorities would not relent, they finally chose to leave. On Monday, the group said the U.S. Embassy told them the Chinese would abide by a law that forbids bringing religious products into the nation for more than personal use. Chinese officials gave back all 315 Bibles that belonged to the group when they returned to Kunming airport, and then escorted them to immigration. "They were nice, but you could tell they wanted us to leave," said Pat Klein, a group representative.He said the group had planned to distribute the Chinese-language Bibles to Christian contacts in China. China's government prohibits proselytizing and has expressed worry that the spread of religion goes unchecked, believers might ultimately challenge the Communist Party's authority. The Vision Beyond Borders group distributing Bibles is a Wyoming-based group that seeks to spread Christian teaching materials around the world. China has faced a large amount of criticism for human rights violations and repression of religious freedom. Religious practice in China is heavily regulated, with worship allowed only in party-controlled churches, temples and mosques. Bibles in China are printed at just one plant, run by a government-backed Christian association for use in officially sanctioned churches. Although Bibles can be purchased in some bookstores, they are extremely hard to find. According to a fax from the customs officials in Kunming, foreigners can only bring in one to three copies of religious products for personal use. A letter of authority must be obtained from the religious affairs office if more than three copies will be brought in. The policy was explained to the Americans, the fax said. The Vision Beyond Borders group were leaving China for Thailand.   2008-08-21T15:15:28-05:00 http://316networks.com/parenting/entry/431/ http://316networks.com/parenting/entry/431/#When:14:00:05Z Discover how to properly equip your children how to stand for truth while in school.What He thinks is a bigger deal than what any teacher or textbook says. We have often said to our kids, "Just because a teacher declares something or a textbook states something, doesn't mean it is part of Truth with a capital T. It may be, but it may not. There is only one True Book in this family. The Bible is the filter for everything else in our lives." This does not mean that a kid has license to shoot off his mouth disrespectfully to a teacher about her words or her materials. Instead, we say, "We want you to engage your mind. We want you to think and evaluate everything you hear at school against what has been trained into your heart." Our prayer as parents is that the truth is so deep within them that anything divergent sticks out right away. One day when Tana was in sixth grade, he came home with a language arts packet a student teacher had given out entitled "Fairy Tales." Kelli looked through it, as is her normal habit. All the kids know that Mom will quickly browse through their various materials, passing along to Dad anything of interest for his review as well. Kelli came to a segment in the packet headlined "Religious Fairy Tales." Hmmm . . . this is interesting, she said to herself. Let's see what's in here. Wouldn't you know, the very first story in the set was "Noah and the Ark." Kelli stiffened immediately. "Tana, did you see this?" "Yeah, Mom-I already spotted the Noah thing," he replied through a mouthful of after-school snack. "I'm going to talk to her about it tomorrow after class." He was five steps ahead of his mother. Kelli took the opportunity to help him frame his comments. Together they developed what to say, something along the lines of "You know, it was interesting to see what's in the Religious Fairy Tales section. Actually, our family believes that the Noah event happened in real time and space. In fact, there's now even some archaeological evidence that supports this. I thought I'd just mention that there is another point of view." Please note that we did not set Tana up to say, "You're wrong! What are you, an atheist? Don't you believe the Bible?! This stuff is trash!" Nor did we pull him out of the class. Instead, we calmly and respectfully presented our viewpoint, couched in the framework of "Our family believes . . ." Who can argue against that? Everyone in America these days has the right to her own opinion, right? If some Internet junkie claims that telemarketers have a secret directory of cell phone numbers nationwide or that a particular brand of lipstick contains dangerous levels of lead, society nods and says that person is entitled to his personal opinion. For the Pritchards to believe in real animals inside a real ark riding out a real flood-well, that's their prerogative! When Tana came home from school the next day, Kelli asked, "So how did it go in English class?" "Mom, she was so embarrassed!" he reported. "She said she didn't even know that part was in the handout packet. She apologized all over the place for going against our family's beliefs. And she said she would go back and review the whole unit." This was more than we had hoped for. We had only embraced the biblical account for our own sake, and it ended up affecting what 30 other kids in the class were taught as well. On another day, Alyse's American History textbook turned up with a cleverly censored version of the Mayflower Compact, the governing document that the Pilgrims worked out just before landing at Plymouth Rock. It so happened that David had taught a Sunday morning class on this topic using materials from Dr. Marshall Foster of The Mayflower Institute, which had alerted us to watch for things like this-we were prepared with the original wording. Instead of quoting the full first line of the Compact, which is "In ye name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwriten," and so forth, the textbook read: In ye name of . . . , Amen. We whose names are underwriten, the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord King James . . . "Do you see these three dots at the start of the quote?" David asked the kids. "That's called an ellipsis. It shows that something has been left out. Would you like to know what it is?" They were curious, of course. He pulled out his class notes and showed the censored word: "In ye name of God, Amen." Their eyes grew wide as they looked at the textbook page. "Now here is the real question," David continued. "Why do you think the textbook authors omitted that one word? What does that tell you about their views? Their biases?" "It shows that they don't want to talk about God," said one of the kids. "That's right. They want to skip around that topic. Let's look here in the front of your textbook and see who wrote this, where they went to school, what their background is." From this flowed an energetic interchange about academic integrity as well as alleged "separation of church and state." Some people might say this story shows why Christian kids shouldn't be in public schools. We see it the opposite way. We see it as a great place to train kids in discernment. They find out who is being intellectually honest and who is not. They go back to school the next day with a juicy mystery to share with their classmates: "Psst! Hey, you see these three dots here in the book? Wanna know what didn't get printed that's actually supposed to be there?" We are not afraid of these things. We are far more afraid of failing to revere God in this situation. This kind of exercise prepares students for bigger challenges to come. Our son Tavita, who is now at Stanford University, tells us that he commonly sits in a classroom where the professor up front actually wrote the textbook! So the book's opinion and the teacher's are identical. This is enough to intimidate any 19-year-old student, and it means Tavita has to be all the more prepared to filter things for himself. Frequently, worried parents come to us saying, "You won't believe the latest thing that just happened at my kid's school. It's awful!" They launch into a passionate recounting of the incident and then ask, "Should I pull my child out?" "No," we reply. "What a great opportunity to teach your child what is truth and what is error! The situation itself is not nearly as important as what your child takes away from that situation. The first task for you is to bolster your child's comprehension of God's reality. That's far more important than running over to ‘fix' whatever the school is doing badly." William Barclay, the Scottish scholar known for his easy-to-read commentaries, wrote in his book Train Up a Child: The New Testament knows nothing about religious education and nothing about schools, for the New Testament is certain that the only training which really matters is given within the home, and that there are no teachers so effective for good or evil as parents are.1 God has given us minds to use for His purposes. We must be good stewards by processing everything through His grid and teaching our children to do the same. Someday they will be doing this kind of work with the next generation. This is how the torch of faithfulness is passed down the line. 2008-08-20T14:00:05-05:00 http://316networks.com/entertainment/entry/433/ http://316networks.com/entertainment/entry/433/#When:13:49:22Z Parents say new hit single by Perry promotes homosexuality and disgusting message.Her parents are outraged by the song's provocative lyrics, which include "I kissed a girl and I liked it." Perry's mother, Mary Hudson, says she is disappointed at the career path her daughter has decided to go down. "I hate the song," she said, according to the Daily Record. "It clearly promotes homosexuality and its message is shameful and disgusting. Katy knows how I feel. We are a very outspoken family." "I can't even listen to that song," the mother added. "The first time I heard it I was in total shock. When it comes on the radio I bow my head and pray." The 23-year-old former gospel singer's track continues to soar to the top of music charts around the world. "Katy is our daughter and we love her but we strongly disagree with how she is conducting herself at the moment," Mary Hudson said. "We cannot cut her out of our lives as she is our child - but she knows we disagree strongly with what she is doing and the message she is promoting regarding homosexuality which the Bible clearly states is a sin. "But the Bible also promotes understanding and forgiveness, which I keep reminding myself." Hudson said, meanwhile, that Perry's father has "had words" with her over her skimpy 50s-inspired outfits. "Some are too revealing and her father has had words with her about it. Like any child she is going through a period of rebellion." Perry, who has adopted her mother's maiden name for the stage, used to sing for God in church and even released her own Christian pop album as Katy Hudson in 2001, which included the track "Faith Won't Fail." The record made it on to Christian Music Today's best albums list that year. But she was spotted by a music producer who invited her to LA, according to her mother, and "that's when she started to change," Mary Hudson said. "I was worried she'd start doing drugs and drinking alcohol. I still am. I spoke to her only recently. She said, 'Oh Mum, I'm not going to turn into Amy Winehouse.'"   2008-08-20T13:49:22-05:00 http://316networks.com/parenting/entry/430/ http://316networks.com/parenting/entry/430/#When:15:43:58Z Discover what parents can do to assist their straying young adults.Now 23, Perry is the voice behind I KISSED A GIRL, a "bi-curious" pop single that's rocketed to the top of the charts, and UR SO GAY, a song that relies on gay stereotyping to express what some have called the singer's "girl power." Perry also recently cleared up rumors about her ring: "I'm definitely not a virgin!" she said. "[People] think the promise ring means no sex! No, the promise ring is just a promise that he'll get me another ring. A better ring! Seriously, it's not one of those 'no sex' promise rings. That kind of went out the window when I was 17 years old." Perry isn't unusual when it comes to moving away from her parents' values. Many young people raised in Christian homes reject their parents' faith and morals during their early twenties. Research by the Barna group reveals that "twentysomethings continue to be the most spiritually independent and resistant age group in America." So what can parents of straying young adults do? Some try to speak into their children's lives with words of wisdom, cashing in the "influence capital" they banked through the easier years. But staying connected isn't easy -- is celebrating any success of a prodigal the equivalent of parental approval? Others threaten to withdraw financial or emotional support as a consequence, hoping to force their kids to "do the right thing." Basically, there's not much else to do. Except wait and hope and pray and love, which is probably what the Hudsons (Katy Perry's parents) are doing. H. Norman Wright, author of Loving a Prodigal (Chariot Victor Books), recommends a process of grieving, seeking support, and surrender: After a while, I think parents simply have to relinquish their child and give him or her to God. This should be the first thing we do, but for many parents, we'll exhaust our own resources before recognizing that God will be the one to bring change. You almost have to detach yourself from the child and realize that you can't control him and bring him back. Katy Perry was recently quoted in Entertainment Weekly as saying, "I got this Jesus tattoo on my wrist when I was 18, because I know that it's (religion) always going to be a part of me. When I'm playing, it's staring right back at me, saying, 'Remember where you came from.'" I'm sure her parents are praying that she will.   2008-08-18T15:43:58-05:00 http://316networks.com/worship/entry/429/ http://316networks.com/worship/entry/429/#When:14:19:54Z Simeon Nix served as worship leader for Bell Shoals for 13 years.Nix earned the masters of church music in voice from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1988 and the bachelors of church music from Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss. in 1983. He served churches in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida and was a featured artist and speaker for workshops, revivals, crusades, conferences and conventions in the United States as well as a number of international events. In 1997, Nix recorded a project entitled "I Will Abide,” and in 2000 "A Journey of Grace," produced by Jay Rouse and Randy Vader at Gaither Studios in Indiana. Over the last three months, Nix was instrumental in guiding the heartbroken church through its grieving process following the death of Senior Pastor Forrest Pollock and his son in a plane crash. Through both his music and countless counseling sessions with members, Nix helped the church realize that God was indeed in control and that He still had a plan. Gary Payne, a friend and staff colleague of Simeon's was quoted as saying, "He was never afraid to give you a big hug and tell you that he loved you." Last Tuesday, Nix was hospitalized after experiencing significant chest pain. Doctors cleared the blockage by inserting a stent. His prognosis was good for a full recovery. He was released from the hospital Friday and told friends and fellow staff members how good he felt. He even took a short walk around the neighborhood Saturday night with his wife and some friends. Late Saturday night, Nix suffered another heart attack and passed away a few hours later. He was 47 years old. Simeon leaves his wife, Beth, and the two children they adopted as toddlers from Russia: Bre'Ana, 7, and Sterling, 7. His extended family was the Bell Shoals congregation, which numbers about 7,000. Funeral arrangements are pending.   2008-08-18T14:19:54-05:00 http://316networks.com/news/story/428/ http://316networks.com/news/story/428/#When:14:01:53Z Hosted by Pastor Rick Warren, candidates provided views on a variety of moral issuesAt the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency, hosted by Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain were asked nearly identical questions on stewardship, leadership, worldview and America's role in the world. 316Networks.com, an Internet media service provider of choice for leading evangelical leaders and ministries all across the nation, broadcasted the faith forum live on Saturday evening. According to Saddleback pastor Rick Warren, who was the sole interviewer throughout the two-hour event, the goal of the civil forum was to "restore civility in our civil discourse." "Now, we believe in the separation of church and state," Warren said in his introduction before heading into the first round of questions with Obama, "but we do not believe in the separation of faith and politics because faith is just a world view and everybody has some kind of world view." "And it's important to know what they are," he told the packed crowd of over 6,500 in Saddleback's worship center, reiterating statements made prior to the forum. Starting with Obama - who was selected to go first by a coin toss, Warren sat down for a one-hour interview with each of the presidential hopefuls, both of whom the megachurch pastor identified as friends, patriots, and "people who both care deeply about America." Warren's questions - which were drawn from the input of pastors and church leaders throughout America and a team of experts on issues such as religious persecution and AIDS - ranged from personal questions on the candidate's greatest moral failures and most gut-wrenching decisions they've had to make to "values" questions on issues such as abortion, marriage and stem cells. While the responses from Obama and McCain contrasted on a number of issues, as expected, such as their opinions of the present Supreme Court justices, the two senators notably agreed on what America's great moral failure is - the lack of selflessness. "I think America's greatest moral failure in my lifetime is that we still don't abide by that basic precept in Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me," responded Obama during his session with Warren as McCain waited in "a cone of silence." "There is a pervasive sense, I think, that this country is wealthy and powerful as we still don't spend enough time thinking about the least of these," he added. McCain, in his response, said America's greatest moral failure "has been throughout our existence, perhaps that we have not devoted ourselves to causes greater than our self interest although we've been at the best at it of anybody in the world." The presumptive Republican presidential nominee urged for greater American participation in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, the military, and faith-based and volunteer organizations. "The first words of your very successful book is ‘This is not about you,'" McCain said, citing from Warren's best-selling "Purpose Driven Life." "And you know that really also means, serve a cause greater than your self interest," he added. Aside from America's greatest moral failure and the belief that marriage is a union between a man and a woman, responses from the two presidential contenders were largely divergent. When the issue of abortion was brought up, McCain succinctly replied that babies are entitled to human rights at the moment of conception and pointed out his 25-year pro-life record in the Congress and the Senate. Obama, on the other hand, stood by his pro-choice platform but reiterated that he is not pro-abortion. "I don't think women make these decisions casually," he explained. "They wrestle with these things in profound ways - in consultation with their pastors or spouses or their doctors and their family members." Obama suggested that there were other ways to lower the abortion rate, including the reduction of the number of unwanted pregnancies and the providing of resources that allow women to make the choice to keep a child. The democratic senator was also put on the spot when asked about his thoughts on faith-based organizations, struggling to answer directly Warren's question on whether faith-based organizations should forfeit the right to access federal funds due to their policy on hiring people based on faith. "Generally speaking, faith-based organizations should not be advantaged or disadvantaged when it comes to getting federal funds by virtue of the fact that they are faith-based organizations," he said. McCain also had his share of awkward moments. Most notably, when asked what it means to be a follower of Christ and how faith works out in his life on a daily basis, McCain replied that he's saved and forgiven and quickly went into telling the story of his run-in with a Vietnamese Christian soldier during his time as a POW. "I'll never forget that moment," McCain said after recalling the moments of solidarity he shared with the Vietnamese Christian soldier. On the other hand, Obama - who has been noted as more spiritual, though liberal, than McCain - replied clearly that Christ "is a source of strength and sustenance on a daily basis." "I know that I don't walk alone, and I know that if I can get myself out of the way, that I can maybe carry out in some small way what He intends," he said. In their conclusions, both candidates claimed their ability to reach across the table as a strength that they would offer to America as the nation's next president. "I have a record of reaching across the aisle and working with the other party, and I want to do that and I believe, as I said, that Americans feel it's time for us to put our country first," said McCain during his one-minute summary on why he wants to be president. In addition to his "ability to build bridges across partisan lines, racial, regional lines," Obama said he feels like the American dream "is slipping away." "I think we are at a critical juncture economically; I think we are at a critical juncture internationally," he added. 2008-08-18T14:01:53-05:00