In what he hopes will be a “game-changer in terms of the Cooperative Program and our whole relationship with missions,” Hayes Wicker has led First Baptist Church in Naples, to launch the “Great Commission Connection.” The initiative aims to personalize missions by linking church members with missionaries and others who serve the denomination, while also boosting funding for Southern Baptists’ cooperative missions. The project already has resulted in connecting 507 families in the Naples congregation with about 1,500 Southern Baptist missionaries, the Florida Baptist Convention and faculty members of Southern Baptist seminaries. The church anticipates additional families signing up. “The […]

A place to hone your craft and realize your publishing goals Have you ever said, “I could write a book?” Here’s your chance to learn how. The Florida Christian Writers Conference will be held March 4-7 at Lake Yale Conference Center in Leesburg, Florida. This four-day conference will host editors, publishers, agents and writers – both famous authors and aspiring ones. The Florida Christian Writers Conference is designed to be inspirational as well as instructive. From worship and fellowship times to classes and workshops, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the publishing industry and how to proclaim […]

Beachblast 2, a Christian Rock concert open free to the public, will be hitting Hollywood Beach on Feb. 20. The concert, put on by Apocalypse Evangelism Ministries, will be featured at the Hollywood Beach Bandshell, located right on the beach at Johnson Street in Hollywood, from noon to 4 p.m.Beachblast 2 will feature some of Florida’s very own Christian talent, including the winner of the 2009 Word Records National Talent Search, The Josh Bramos Band, which will kick off the concert part of the production at 12 p.m. Unity of Us, a Christian Rock band, will be performing at 1 […]

Over the past few years, while some churches have traded their metropolitan mega-churches for smaller suburban churches, or have, for a number of reasons, split apart, one church has decided to unite with another and to move to the city of Miami Gardens in hopes of becoming a resource to the community. Pastor Wayne Lomax founded The Fountain of Pembroke Pines church more than 13 years ago, with its first few services actually being held in his living room. As the church moved from living rooms and school campuses, its congregation grew in size as well, from eight initial members […]

Kevin P. Tynan’s biographical informationBorn: New Brunswick, N.J.Florida residence: since 1975.House of worship:    St. Mark’s Catholic Church.Married since 1983.Children: Two.Occupation: Attorney Family/human interest Q: Where did you grow up and what was it like? A: I was born and raised in New Jersey, with a one-year stint in Bermuda when I was four; but I feel I grew up in Florida. When I was 15, my parents moved us to Hialeah and bought a lakefront home. To me, this was what Florida was all about – the weather, boating (sailboat), swimming, fishing – and all I had to do […]

Three prominent Democrats have announced that they are not going to be running for their seats this year. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said he wanted to write books. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., told reporters it was just time for a change. Moments later, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter announced that he would drop out, because he wanted to spend more time with his family. What each incumbent hinted at, but left unsaid, was that they were facing long odds in their upcoming races. Ritter and Dorgan didn’t even have announced opponents, but still trailed prospective rivals by 8 and 20 points, […]

The legal battle to determine the constitutionality of one-man, one-woman marriage began in a San Francisco federal courthouse in mid-January. The challenge is to Proposition 8, which California voters approved in November 2008. There already has been an unusual twist, according to Jordan Lorence, an attorney defending the amendment. “What is significant, and somewhat unusual, is that the judge asked a lot of questions,” Lorence said. “You don’t have judges interrupting the opening arguments.” The Supreme Court of California created same-sex marriage in 2008, even though the justices knew the issue was about to go to a vote. Ron Prentice, […]

Every time I write about marriage, I hear from readers who lament their sexless marriages. The comments are all from men, and they tell of years, sometimes decades, of living together without love, affection or sexual intimacy. The writers describe an arid life of “going separate ways” and “living separate lives.” Often a man will speak admiringly of his wife as the mother of their children and a fine person, but sadly relate that there is no longer any personal interaction between them as a couple. These are the ones who haven’t bothered to divorce, yet they lead lives of […]

The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a case concerning a Texas school district policy that bans students from wearing clothes that declare a political position. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the school dress code. The high court rejected a Dallas high school student’s appeal. Paul Palmer sued the Waxahachie Independent School District for political censorship. The district wouldn’t allow Palmer to wear a T-shirt supporting then-presidential candidate John Edwards. Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel for Liberty Legal Institute, said the rulings are a “punch in the gut to freedom.” “If you don’t have a right to free […]

Despite assurances by President Obama that the debate over health care reform would be a public one, Democrats are moving to close the meetings to the public. The House and Senate passed different versions of the health care reform bill, and those differences must now be resolved in committee. Rules in both the House and Senate say conference committee meetings must be open to the public, and multiple promises were made during Obama’s presidential campaign that negotiations on health care would be an open process and televised. But after a meeting with her leadership team, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said […]