Next Generation

A Mission for Youth

Javan Shashaty
2 Jul 2019
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I remember exactly where I was sitting at the back of that crowded gymnasium. Surrounded by hundreds of other teenagers, I awaited the final session of a week-long church summer camp. As a 14 year old who grew up in church, I knew how these things worked. The final session would be filled with moving worship, a passionate altar call and many tears. I was at an interesting point in my life. Most of my Christian experience up to that point could be summed up in three words: “going through motions.” I knew a lot about Jesus, but I didn’t […]

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Making History

Edwin Copeland
18 Jun 2019
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The book of Acts tells a story about a group of people who changed the world. These ordinary people sparked an extraordinary movement known as the Church. Driven by a unified vision, they discipled and deployed every Christ-follower to be an agent of grace — to spread faith, hope and love everywhere they went. Every Christian, no matter who they are or what they do for a living is indeed God’s “Plan A” to bring renewal and restoration to the spiritual lostness, social pain and cultural brokenness we see all around us. Today, we believe the Church — God’s people […]

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history

Kingdom Tipping Point

Edwin Copeland
1 Apr 2019
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tipping point

A tipping point is when a small series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause a larger, more important change. As Church United, we are busy behind the scenes uniting pastors, churches, leaders and organizations towards the goal of a seeing a gospel tipping point take root across South Florida. We’ve come together around evangelism, church planting, education and next generation engagement. However, none of these things will create a tipping point or start a movement without you. If you’re reading this, you are the most important piece of the story God is writing in our community. […]

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Bringing Clarity to 21st Century Missions

Rob Hoskins
15 Mar 2019
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“When everything is mission, nothing is mission.” This Stephen Neill quote elicited a positive wave of wows, yesses, and amens from a ballroom full of ministry partners as I delivered our State of the Ministry address. It resonated with the room full of partners, pastors, missionaries, staff and friends because we can all see that each generation, denomination, and region the Church is operating under a different definition of missions. We’re passionately working to try and serve all the people and meet all the needs. The truth is, while we can do anything, we can’t do everything. Jesus made it […]

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mission

Historic 50th Class Urged to “Dream Big” at Palm Beach Atlantic University

The Good News
5 Mar 2019
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Last August, Palm Beach Atlantic University started the semester in a seemingly typical way. Hundreds of new students arrived with their parents, moved into their dorms and wore the traditional sailor hats personalized to help “break the ice.” Professors resettled in their offices after the summer break and the buildings on the east side of campus looked fresh with a new coat of paint, a signature blush-beige that complements the terracotta barrel tile roofs. Focused on upcoming classes and getting the hang of college life, most students didn’t realize that they were making history as the 50th entering class to […]

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Church United: Fourth Year of Collaboration

Edwin Copeland
3 Jan 2019
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As a new year begins, the Church United story enters into year four of our mission to unite churches of our region for the purpose of seeing God’s kingdom descend upon South Florida. For the last three years pastors and ministry leaders have been connecting and collaborating together in their common desire to share faith, give hope and extend love. If 2018 taught us anything, it proved that we really are stronger together. As one local pastor put it at last year’s Love South Florida night of worship and celebration, “Church United is moving deeper into our hearts.” Looking towards […]

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year

Don’t Squander Your Summer

Dr. Bob Barnes and Torrey Roberts
1 Jun 2018
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summer

In our house it always feels like we come crawling into summer time like someone who just finished a marathon…one they didn’t train for. We are all absolutely exhausted but SO looking forward to a break. Dreams of a beautiful summer of family bliss dance in our heads as parents, but how often is that really the case? One of two things may happen: either we get to August wondering what in the world happened to the summer days, or we get to the end of June wondering when they can go back to school (or both depending what day […]

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Youth and Next Generation Leaders Take Center Stage at Church United

Edwin Copeland
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As Church United, we believe a mission to own the lostness, pain and brokenness of our community must include a mission for youth. Without a strong focus on reaching the next generation, we will miss perhaps what could be the greatest domestic missions opportunity in our nation’s history. Research points to the reality that over one million youth at least nominally in the church today will choose to leave each year for the next three decades. Thirty-five million youth raised in families that call themselves Christians will say they are not by 2050. However, we believe the story is far […]

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youth

Storms Inside Me

Isaiah Hazim
1 May 2018
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  This winter break, I, along with 450 other student ambassadors, embarked on a ten-day expedition to Israel. It was an experience I will never forget, and even more importantly, it taught me just how important Israel is to God. In total, eleven buses were filled with college students from all over the U.S., who had applied through their schools to become student ambassadors with a program called Passages to Israel. Along with thirty new friends, who quickly became family, I was on bus #9, one of eight students brought by faculty member Dr. Andrea Hazim, representing the Elev8Life educational […]

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God Is Uniting The Church for The Sake of Mission

Edwin Copeland
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    As a result of research, prayer and the movement of the Holy Spirit, we believe that we are at a pivotal moment in the life of the Church in South Florida. By all accounts, the next 30 years will represent the largest missions opportunity in the history of not only America, but also our very own South Florida. We are witnessing the largest and fastest numerical shift in religious affiliation in the history of our communities. Pew, Barna and independent research all agree that even in the most optimistic scenarios, Christian affiliation in the U.S. will shrink dramatically […]

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the church