The Refuge Ministry, Calvary Chapel, is an outreach program that has been ministering to the homeless in Broward County since 2006. The program was started by Jym Kaye, then pastor at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, about eight years ago. Dirk Ruyf took up the challenge to oversee the program about a year now since Pastor […]
-Read MoreIn our own backyard, at Park Lakes Elementary in Broward County, has arisen a disturbing story of a twelve year old boy (Giovanni Rubeo) getting in trouble with his teacher for having the audacity of reading the Bible to himself during free time when the children were free to read whatever they wanted. But his […]
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We love reader feedback. We welcome and encourage it. Our readers reflect the diversity that makes up South Florida, viewing issues from varying perspectives. Having lived in a few places and traveled to many more before settling down in Fort Lauderdale, I really love living here and experiencing the diversity of its people. It’s never […]
-Read MoreEaster is a reminder for us all that even when darkness seems to be winning, light will prevail. When we make a big mistake or we see our leaders losing their personal battles, we are reminded that God is ever-present and bigger than our mistakes, misgivings or moral failures. In John 16:33, after sharing with […]
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At 21 years old I heard God speak to me in my dreams. He came to my rescue. It was the night I planned to take my own life. I was ready to end it all. And then, God shouted to me “I love you! I love you!” I was consumed. His love rendered me […]
-Read MoreEvery week no matter where I go, I hear business men and women that want to make the jump from full-time work to full-time ministry. What does that really mean? What is full-time ministry? Doesn’t Jesus want us all in full-time ministry? Some say, “I feel called to devote my whole life to telling others […]
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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. […]
-Read MoreThe grief and trauma of abortion surrounds us daily—one out of every three women in the United States has experienced an abortion, and some have experienced repeat abortions. According to the British Journal of Psychiatry, “Women who have undergone an abortion experience 81% increased risk of mental health problems and nearly 10% of the incidence […]
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Are you an evangelist? Evangelism means sharing the euangélion—the gospel or the good news. When Jesus began his public ministry, he referred to the call in Isaiah 61 to preach the good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, and renew our cities. There is power within each of […]
-Read MoreIn 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 […]
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