When Good Leaders Lose Their Way

Shelly Pond
10 Jun 2020
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lead

With a Ph. D. in Nutritional Biochemistry from Cornell University in hand, Mark Whitacre worked for Fortune 500 companies Ralston Purina and Degussa (Evonik) before he was hired at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) at age 32 as president of the BioProducts Division. He was the youngest Divisional President in the history of the company, and in just six years their fermentation complex became one of the largest in the world. He became a Corporate Vice President of ADM and was the leading candidate to become the next company president until poor judgment and high-level corruption brought his world crashing down. […]

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2020 Graduates Demonstrate Resilience and Optimism

Shelly Pond
3 Jun 2020
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It’s graduation season in the midst of a global pandemic. While social distancing laws have closed businesses and moved education to online formats, that hasn’t deterred the Class of 2020. “This class has been so adaptable and has remained faithful in finishing the school year in an excellent way,” said Dr. Ronald J. Farrar, Westminster Academy Upper School Principal. “They’ve been resilient and do what it takes to not just survive, but thrive,” said Stephen Smith, Boca Raton Christian School Principal. A different kind of graduation Despite ending their high school careers without the milestones of prom, senior trips and […]

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2020

Heart2Heart Outreach Restores Hope To Seniors

Shelly Pond
4 May 2020
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heart2heart

It should be no surprise that South Florida has been a hot spot for the Coronavirus since Florida has the highest concentration of older residents in the United States with adults over 65 making up almost 23 percent of Broward residents. Most of us have been sheltering in place to flatten the curve and in large part to protect our senior citizens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eight out of 10 COVID-19 deaths reported in the U.S. have been in adults 65 years old and older. The most vulnerable may reside in nursing homes, assisted living […]

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Health Crisis Sparks Unity And Innovation

Shelly Pond
2 Apr 2020
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As the Centers for Disease Control has suspended large gatherings to stop the spread of Covid-19 and flatten the Coronavirus Curve, church and ministry leaders have scrambled to online formats, finding creative ways to meet needs and cultivating community online while maintaining physical distance. Although large multi-site churches have been livestreaming their services for some time, Rachel Feuerborn, a spokesperson for YouVersion’s The Bible App, said their free Church Online Platform saw record-breaking attendance for the weekend of March 14-15, helping churches in countries around the world stream church services to 4.7 million unique devices, which is four times the […]

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unity

Women Engage In Radical Generosity With StrikeForce421

Shelly Pond
4 Mar 2020
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women

There is a movement of radical generosity building in South Florida and it’s being led by women. By pooling their resources together, women have found they can make a greater impact in meeting the needs of our community, and they’re doing it through a giving circle called StrikeForce421. Women coming together StrikeForce421 was founded by a group of four women as part of a larger generosity movement happening in the South Florida community.  JoAnne Daudt, Esq. and former NCF South Florida Relationship Manager, is the President of StrikeForce 421 and invited the others to form the organization. It is now […]

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Calvary House Restores Men Struggling With Addiction

Shelly Pond
3 Feb 2020
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For Americans under 50 years of age, drug overdose is the leading cause of death, above firearms, motor vehicle crashes or HIV/AIDS. And according to the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, the number of incidences in Florida surpasses the national average. Most everyone knows someone who struggles with addiction, a family member, coworker or neighbor. “Addiction does not discriminate; anybody and everybody is susceptible,” Antony Tchividjian is quick to point out. Coming from a 16-year-addiction to drugs, Antony finally achieved sobriety through Calvary House, a residential recovery program affiliated with Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale where he is now on […]

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calvary house

Faith-Based Ministries Invite You to Confront Human Trafficking

Shelly Pond
2 Feb 2020
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human trafficking

Community of Hope Church, in Loxahatchee, invites you to join them for “Confronting Human Trafficking” on February 25th from 7 – 8:30 p.m. This event will bring together faith-based ministries at the forefront of the fight and will feature a 30-minute documentary, produced by Place of Hope, that allows people to really understand the modern day slavery currently taking place right here in South Florida. The Horrors of Human Trafficking “Florida is 3rd in the nation when it comes to human trafficking and Palm Beach County is 2nd in Florida, so we have a huge problem right here in our […]

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First Priority Brings Game Day to Elementary Schools

Shelly Pond
8 Jan 2020
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First Priority is bringing a fun-filled gospel message to elementary schools in the New Year, and they are seeking churches, parents, volunteers and school sponsors to get in the game with them. FP Game Day is a new after-school club, featuring 20 minutes of high energy games followed by a Bible lesson and an invitation to receive the gospel. “The age range in which the highest number of people accept Jesus is between 4-14 years old,” said Game Day Director Brody Howell, pointing to statistics from the International Bible Society. “FP Game Day is going to reach 7-10 year old’s. […]

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elementary

“The Bomb Heard Around the World” Memorializes The Life and Loss of Civil Rights Pioneers

Shelly Pond
10 Dec 2019
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civil rights

“What a man does for himself dies with him, but, what a man does for his community lives forever,” said Harry Tyson Moore, a civil rights leader who founded the Brevard County Chapter and was president of the Florida Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1950. Moore and his wife, Harriette, died in 1951 after a bomb placed under their home exploded on Christmas Eve. Harry T. Moore – Civil Rights Icon Harry T. Moore was the first NAACP member and official to be assassinated for civil rights activism. While the murder was […]

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The Fort Lauderdale Christmas Pageant Thrills Audiences With A Message Of Hope

Shelly Pond
2 Oct 2019
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A South Florida mainstay, the Emmy-Award-Winning Fort Lauderdale Christmas Pageant returns for its 36th season this year, focusing on “The Thrill of Hope.” And what’s more thrilling than the circus? “It’s Barnum the Musical meets the revival of Pippin and The Greatest Showman,” announced Service Programming Director at First Baptist Fort Lauderdale David Gross. Promising to bring plenty of nostalgia, Gross explained, “We’re lacing circus elements within recognizable Christmas music.” Every number from the choir concert was inspired by Romans 15:13. “ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe…” (CSB). This […]

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christmas