Small church finds heart for international missions

Pastor Travis Hyde didn’t exactly get the reaction he’d hoped for. He saw dropped jaws and looks of disbelief; one woman appeared to almost fall out of her pew. In 2006, when Hyde became pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in War, W.Va., about 15 people were in the pews on Sundays. As the Christmas season approached, Hyde challenged the congregation to set a goal of $500 for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. “It was obvious from the look on some folks’ faces that they thought that was an impossible kind of task,” Hyde said. “The most they […]

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Starting off 2011 with forgiveness

Ah … 2011! Here we go again into another new year. When I think of all I have done and learned in 2010, I am excited to think of what an amazing opportunity I have before me to do it all bigger and better next year. Hopefully this time with more wisdom, grace, forgiveness, and understanding of who God is and how broken I am in my own strength. Last year I felt like I had a jet pack strapped to my back every day.  Looking forward, I hope this pack comes off and my life slows down so that […]

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Expectations can be a tricky

Expectations play a part in our everyday life – either through expectations placed on us by others, or expectations we place on ourselves –whether just or unjust. This Thanksgiving I was so excited about my wife’s annual holiday sausage stuffing feast. Why do we only make Turkey and Stuffing once a year? It’s not like it is an expensive meal; actually, it is very affordable and cost effective. Did I mention delicious? I wait in great expectation every year to this special stuffing that is mixed with maple syrup, sausage, apples and tons of butter – It makes the holiday […]

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Unique gifts that people actually need

With the Christmas season here, I have to admit that my mind wandered the other day to the gifts that I am expected to give to my family and friends. The next thing that came into my mind was, “Do they really actually need any of these things?” It seems to me that the holiday gift tradition has become more about “wanting” and not actually about “needing”.  So, I thought, “How great would it be if people can come together and buy items for the hurting/needy people around the world?” What better way to share the message of God’s love […]

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Amish leadership travels to Israel to issue apology

New York – November 30, 2010: Amish leadership from Idaho, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Switzerland were in Israel November 21-27 to issue a declaration of repentance to Israel and the Israeli people. The apology was issued by Amish Bishop Ben Girod, along with many other leaders of the Amish community, including Pastor Micah Smith. Bishop Girod and Pastor Micah Smith are pictured above. The 45-person delegation toured Israel, however their primary motivation was to ask for forgiveness and hold reconciliation meetings with rabbis, city officials, and Israeli families to simply say, “We are sorry for rejecting Israel, please forgive us.” Among […]

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In Profile: Pastor Larry Thompson

Durring the busy holidays The Good News was able to catch up with Larry Thompson, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale. With all the busyness of Thanksgiving, Christmas and the famous First Baptist Fort Lauderdale Christmas Pageant he still had time to answer a few questions.   How and when did you come to know the Lord? Although I grew up in church all my life, it wasn’t until I was 19 years old that I realized the difference between being religious and having a true relationship with Jesus. My girlfriend (now my wife) and I were at […]

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Finding the courage to ask tough questions

When I am around you, how do you feel?A speaker posed that question once at a meeting I was attending. It really made me think. How do others feel when I am around them? Of course, it’s a question that can be difficult to ask – because often the answer is difficult to digest! If you were to ask that question to someone who promised to be totally honest, and you were truly willing to listen, the answer could be life-changing.After the meeting where the speaker presented that question, I immediately wanted to ask that question to a few key […]

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God is more powerful than caffeine

I hate learning lessons the hard way.  Is there anyone who does?  I think I may have met a few.  Of course we all know that we grow and gain invaluable understanding when God teaches us a lesson and we finally get it, some sooner than others.  This past month, God had a few lessons for me to learn whether I liked it or not.Staying up late during deadline week just comes with the position of publisher.  It is expected and necessary for the paper to get out on time.  But this month, no matter how much espresso, Red Bull, […]

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God made it happen: Do business right to honor Him

There are a few common threads which have become noticeable to me over the years, working with local businesses. Some companies pride themselves on running “By the Book”, whereas others make it apparent that they do not share this same philosophy. Due to the choices made by these companies in terms of how to run their businesses, the differences in the success levels of each company is amazing. Integrity The Good News has a terrific computer database. Not only does it record each phone log and allows staff to leave notes for every incoming or outgoing phone call, it also […]

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