Local

Hepzibah House: A Safe Haven for Survivors of Sex Trafficking

Imagine for a moment a young girl, 13 years old. Imagine she’s walking home from school when she is suddenly pulled violently off of the street into a van where she is chloroformed and shackled. Imagine she wakes up in the back room of a warehouse on a dirty, stinking mattress, chained with a group of other girls. Imagine she is forced, through systematic abuse and drug doping, to perform unspeakable acts against her will, repeatedly, to those who are willing to pay for it. Imagine her bruised and broken body and soul with hope extinguished by the relentless brutality […]

-Read More


South Floridians Restore Missions Hospital

In November 2008, Don Campion, president of Banyan Air, returned to Egbe, Nigeria, to show his wife, Sueanne, the little village in Africa where he grew up and his parents were missionaries for forty years. What he discovered grieved him.  The hospital that his parents, Dr. George and Esther Campion, a young doctor and nurse, had pioneered in a remote village in 1952 was completely run down and there had been no missionaries there for more than five years before their visit. “It was obvious that the hospital would be reduced to a clinic or go out of existence entirely, […]

-Read More


Truth in Action Celebrates 40 Years of Broadcasting

Truth in Action Ministries, formerly known as Coral Ridge Ministries, celebrated 40 years of Christian broadcasting on May 3. Founding the broadcast ministry, Dr. D. James Kennedy, who served for 48 years as the senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church eventually became the most-listened-to Presbyterian pastor in history. Christian broadcasting meant a lot to Dr. Kennedy as he was reached as a young man through a Christian broadcast that interrupted his sleep. Through that experience, Jim Kennedy discovered the eternal impact of broadcasting. His broadcast ministry continues today through the programs Kennedy Classics and Truth that Transforms with Dr. […]

-Read More


Auction and Golf Tournament Benefit First Priority

The 10th Anniversary First Priority Auction held at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale on May 2 gathered over 200 people to raise funds to reach students on public school campuses with the Gospel. Nearly 200 local businesses and individuals provided items for purchase. At their 12th Annual Golf Invitational, held the same day, golfers and their friends pledged support and 65 local businesses and individuals provided corporate sponsorships. The events exceeded last year’s proceeds by nearly ten percent. Over 3,000 students have made a profession of faith this school year at one of First Priority’s 168 campus clubs in six counties. […]

-Read More


His House Celebrates 25 Years

Nearly 500 friends of His House Children’s Home in Miami gathered to celebrate 25 years of restoring the hearts and lives of kids on April 26 at their annual banquet, “The House that Love Built.” Serving as master of ceremonies, South Florida radio personality, James Sheppard, from 90.9 LiFE FM introduced special guests including Founder “Mama Jean” Caceres-Gonzalez and speaker, Dr. Bob Petterson, who shared his testimony. Children from the International program performed a special song for Mama Jean and students from His House Academy danced. His House Children’s Home serves the community as a full case management agency that […]

-Read More


Western-Style Auction Raises Funds for Sheridan House

Sheridan House Family Ministries held its 34th annual Spring Auction on April 25 on their 58-acre campus located in Davie. Over 300 supporters showed up for event that featured a country western theme as a throwback to the early days when the event resembled a county fair. Guests came dressed in cowboy boots and hats and enjoyed a BBQ dinner, craft tables, hayrides, a candy truck for the children, and music before the live auction. The event raised over $50,000 with more than 100 silent and live auction items. Sheridan House will use 100% of the funds to help children […]

-Read More


Firewall Centers Mentor At-risk Students

“Our nation has a dropout epidemic. About 1.3 million students drop out every year. That’s 7,000 a day! At Firewall, we challenge the statistics and prove that with the right academic help and involvement, these at-risk students can not only survive, but thrive,” according to firewallcenters.org. Firewall Centers operates daily after-school tutoring and mentoring programs for at-risk students that instill and promote holistic success—academic, professional, social, family, and self. This past year, Firewall offered six centers serving almost 250 Broward County students, and next year the non-profit organization looks to open up even more centers. In furthering Firewall’s mission to […]

-Read More


Get Involved With Vacation Bible School

Because I am a seminary professor, I live most of my life in the ivory tower of academia. In spite of that, I love Vacation Bible School! Despite the fact that I teach New Testament Greek as my vocation, I have no greater privilege than helping children to understand the gospel. In my life I have been a worker or attendee at well over two hundred Vacation Bible Schools. Learning to love the Gospel Because I spent a good part of my life as a professional juggler/ventriloquist and have used these skills to pay my way through graduate schools, I […]

-Read More


4KIDS Big Cardio Focuses on Fitness & Funds

The 7th Annual 4KIDS BiG Cardio 5K, Sports and Fitness event on May 3 dawned humid but mercifully overcast just before some 1,600 excited participants gathered at the 5K run/walk starting line at Central Broward Regional Park. This year’s event was truly ‘all about the kids’ and they came in strollers, baby carriers, buggies, wagons—and on their own two feet! Between the 5K and sports tourneys, over 350 kids signed up to participate in 4KIDS’ biggest event of the year. The day delivered on its promise of ‘something for everyone’. The Fun Zone was packed with kids climbing, bouncing, sliding, […]

-Read More


Ministering Beyond The Four Walls

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 Jym left to overseer the satellite churches. Lifenet4Families provides meals at its facility located at 1 NW 33rd Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, from Monday to Saturday. This leaves Dirk and his very able volunteer staff to fill in the gap on Sundays. It is heartwarming to […]

-Read More