ChurchUnited Fosters Uncommon Partnership

Edwin Copeland
10 Nov 2016
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partnership

These days it seems as if churches are known more about what they are against, rather than what they are for. However, God seems to be up to something in our tri-county area. There is a movement called ChurchUnited afoot here in South Florida — a movement of churches coming together to live out Jeremiah 29:7, to seek the peace and prosperity of our region. Looking back over the last twelve months we can find tangible examples of unity, renewal, and partnership towards a common vision of seeing God’s Kingdom expanded. Common Goals Make Partnerships For example, in a recent […]

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Q Commons to Discuss Ways to Engage a Divided Nation

Edwin Copeland
8 Oct 2016
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We live in a nation that’s divided. We live in a region that’s divided. Our cities, our workplaces, even some of our own families are divided. In this moment, we are divided by culture, race, politics and just about every other difference you can image – or so it seems. We see protests and riots, hashtags and video clips, pundits and debates on television. We scroll through our newsfeed and become overwhelmed with dissenting opinions. In those moments it’s easy to get a sense that nothing could ever change for the better. The toxic combination of declining virtue alongside unfiltered […]

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divided

Where is the Church in the Refugee Crisis?

Edwin Copeland
8 Sep 2016
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More than a million refugees crossed into Europe last year, according to reports by the BBC. Millions more are crossing into Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and neighboring countries. This ongoing migration has been described as the “worst humanitarian crisis of our generation,” impacting nearly 60 million people globally. In war-torn Syria alone, more than 13 million children and their families are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. Refugees in Crisis Late last month an image of five-year-old Syrian boy sitting in the back of an ambulance went viral. Images of boats overloaded with refugees seeking hope for a better life flooded […]

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New Churches Embrace Downtown Fort Lauderdale

Edwin Copeland
1 Mar 2016
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Our world is changing. The way people live, work, play, and worship is changing. For the first time in history, the world as we know it is 50 percent urban. An estimated 5 million new people a month move to a city. Some have projected that by 2050, 75 percent of the world’s population will live in a city. While the implications of our changing landscape are vast, one thing is clear: God seems to be moving the world towards cities. Could it be so they can hear the gospel?According to the church planting team at Redeemer City-to-City, a leadership […]

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Q Commons Explores Cultural Topics and Advances Good in South Florida

Edwin Copeland
19 Feb 2016
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q commons

Take a look around South Florida…what do you see?Some see beauty – roadways lined with palm trees, breathtaking sunsets, endless beach, perfect weather, leading philanthropy, attractive people, yachts, cruise ships, expensive cars, a thriving economy and carefree smiles of people from across the world saying, “hello Sunny!” Others see brokenness. Income inequality – impoverished low-income housing across the street from a Ferrari dealership. A homeless epidemic – men and women with small children standing on street corners asking for a meal and safe shelter. An overtaxed foster care system – sirens wailing, first responders removing children from their homes. Overburdened […]

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Encountering the Homeless

Edwin Copeland
1 May 2014
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People frequently ask me, “How should I respond to the homeless I encounter?” If you live in or around South Florida, interacting with a homeless person is almost unavoidable. Gas stations, grocery stores, street corners and medians — just to name a few — are all common places many of us encounter persons experiencing homelessness. Some hold up signs asking for work, money, or food; others appear at park benches, bus stops or outside the doors of your church or business — all looking for some type of help. Do I talk with them? Do I lock my doors? Should […]

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homeless

A People of Peace

Edwin Copeland
1 Feb 2014
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people of peace

In a recent exit survey, Asia, a 5-month pregnant mother with one child, had this to say about her time in HOPE South Florida’s crisis-housing program as she graduated into more permanent housing: “I would like to say a special thank you to the staff, volunteers and supporters of HOPE South Florida! After finding crisis housing in your Faith-In-Action program, I now know I am loved, not alone, and have hope for a brighter future. Thank you for taking such great care of my daughter and I during our time of need.” Believe it or not, Asia’s words are meant […]

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HOPE for the Holidays

Edwin Copeland
5 Dec 2013
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It is easy to understand things in terms of their opposites. For instance, we know light because we know darkness. We know cold because we know hot. We know peace because we know unrest, and we know unrest because we know peace. Similarly, we know hopelessness because we know we know what hope feels like. Where is hope? If we survey our lives for just a moment, we can easily find clear, tangible areas where we’re not experiencing peace and are longing for hope. Turn on the TV and watch five minutes of the local news and you’ll clearly see […]

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The Untold Spiritual Story of Homelessness

Edwin Copeland
5 Nov 2013
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homeless

Christians are called to be a changed and transformed people, bringing change and transformation to their lives, their neighbors and their communities. However, there exists within this beautiful, yet broken body we call the Church a subtle chasm that hinders its mission and wounds its people – guilt and shame. From its inception, the church as represented by the people of Israel, has always had prophets – voices in the wilderness calling God’s people back to the realities of their calling to be a demonstration community. Their words often provided encouragement, presented challenges, stirred emotion, and inspired change. It is […]

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Hope Begins with You

Edwin Copeland
2 Oct 2013
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Do you ever find yourself wanting to help the homeless, but wrestling with the best way to do so? You ask yourself if the handful of change or crumpled bills you extend from your car window will be helpful or harmful. You fight feelings of fear and uncertainty when contemplating a conversation with the unkempt man on the street corner. And, with so many homeless in our community, you ask yourself if your efforts will even make a dent in helping to solve the problem. If you’ve ever found yourself asking similar questions, the good news is that hope begins […]

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