What About "The Golden Compass"?

Emails have been circulating among Christians with concerns about the recently released movie The Golden Compass. While no one at TPE has seen the movie, we have seen enough information to believe there is just reason for concern.

Mark Earley, president of Prison Fellowship, covered this fairly in a recent BreakPoint Commentary titled, "It's Not a Hoax." To read that commentary, and for further links to relevant information, click here.

TPE offers "Answers" to your questions

By Kara Chase
Assemblies of God News Service

Looking for answers to your tough faith-related questions? Today’s Pentecostal Evangel can help.

Today’s Pentecostal Evangel (TPE) recently launched "Answers," a new blog-format Web site that provides answers to challenging questions about the Bible, theology and Christian living.

"TPE gets hundreds of questions in the course of a year ... and we feel that people deserve answers," Ken Horn, editor of Today’s Pentecostal Evangel, says. "So we try to answer, sometimes in the pages of the magazine. Time does not permit us to give personal attention to each question, so we hope that by building a database of answers that are posted online people will be better served."

The premise of the new interactive site is simple. "Answers" visitors submit their questions and Assemblies of God leaders, scholars and pastors contribute answers founded in the Word of God. In addition to submitting questions, the blog format allows site visitors to read previous answers, post comments and read others' comments. With these capabilities, "Answers" functions as both a resource and a platform for discussion.

Believers and nonbelievers alike are encouraged to submit questions and browse previously posted responses. The language of the answers is reader-friendly and easy-to-understand, with scripture references to encourage further study.

"We hope that people will consider these answers, and the scriptures provided, and open the door for their own study," Horn says.

The site already has questions and answers posted, but beginning in 2008, "Answers" will be updated at least once a week. The first of the year will also see the launch of other new AGblogger sites, including several contributed by TPE staff members.

According to the blog, the answers "are not 'official' Assemblies of God positions, except where noted. [They] are the opinions of the individual authors but all are believed to be compatible with official doctrine of the Assemblies of God."

Got a question? Visit answers.agblogger.org.

Veteran missionary distributes Today's Pentecostal Evangel

David and Gladys Guenther served as Assemblies of God world missionaries for 37 years in Guyana, Belize and Jamaica. Since returning to the United States in 1996, they have redirected their passion for souls into their community. Today’s Pentecostal Evangel is a trusted tool in that outreach.

Now living in Springfield, Mo., David keeps boxes of Evangels on hand for distribution during his ministry walks each week.

“I take my ‘Evangel walk’ several times each week,” he says, “leaving 300 to 500 each month in homes in the northwest section of Springfield. I find people very receptive.”

Recently David has enjoyed the help of a church friend, Jim Alread. Alread and Guenther distribute pamphlets about their church, Central Assembly, as well as the Evangels. As they go house to house, they also offer to pray with people who come to the door.

“I’ve been an Evangel reader since 1946,” David says.

Children’s Edition in Mexico

First Assembly of God in Minot, N.D., recently ordered 1,000 copies of the Fall 2007 Evangelio Pentecostal Hoy (the Spanish Today's Pentecostal Evangel) Children’s Edition. The church plans to use the issues during an outreach in Mexico.

“We’ve been going on ministry trips the last 10 years,” says Children’s Pastor Steve Ferris. “We plan to use these magazines over our next several trips. Our missions director Les Mau decided the magazine would be a great resource to share with children when our team is down there. We’re reaching some very impoverished areas, and the children just throng to us.”

“The annual children’s issue of Evangelio Pentecostal Hoy has become an effective evangelism tool in our Hispanic communities here in the United States as well as for church groups taking missions trips to Spanish-speaking countries,” says EPH Coordinator Efraim Espinoza. “Using BGMC funds available, missionaries as well are requesting large quantities of the Spanish children’s issue for their evangelism outreaches.”

AG Author Introduces Latino Tradition

Vasthi Reyes Acosta introduces readers to the Latino tradition of celebrating Three King’s Day (Epiphany) in the first inspirational Latino novella published by Barbour. Her novella, “Gifts from the Magi,” is in the anthology A Big Apple Christmas. It is the first inspirational novella by Barbour centered on a Latino family.

Dr. Acosta states, “We as a community have so many stories to tell, our faith journey, our history of pain and struggle and triumph through Christ, the stories of our families and their celebration of faith. It is necessary to have our children see themselves reflected in books. See their culture, their heritage, and their faith in the stories they read to help them find their place in this world.”

Acosta, a Puerto Rican New Yorker, is one of three daughters born to an Assemblies of God minister, Rev. Carlos Reyes, in the Spanish Eastern District. She attends Englewood Assembly of God in Englewood, New Jersey, where she currently teaches Sunday School. She often speaks at women's conferences and weekend retreats. (Email: vasthi1201@aol.com.)

Happy Thanksgiving

The staff of Today's Pentecostal Evangel has so much to be thankful for. We are all thankful for the opportunity to share the wonderful things God is doing with YOU, our readers.

Have a wonderful, Christ-centered Thanksgiving.

Kids and the Outdoors

Our November 25, 2007 issue features two articles by Staff Writer Christina Quick:

"Go inside and play"
As kids spend less time outdoors, a generation may be missing out on the benefits of experiencing God's creation.

"After the fall"
A day of rock climbing became a struggle for survival when Craig DeMartino fell 100 feet.

Click the player below for our TPExtra audio for this issue as Christina Quick shares her own family and rock climbing experiences with Editor Ken Horn.

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3,000,000th Chinese Fire Bible Presented

In response to an urgent request a few years ago to provide the Chinese Fire Bible for 3 million house church pastors in China, the Assemblies of God Bible Alliance and Light for the Lost partnered together to make it happen.

On Nov. 7, Assemblies of God Bible Alliance director Herb Griffin presented the 3 millionth Chinese Fire Bible, just off the press, to an Assemblies of God representative who works with house church leaders in China. He also presented a copy to Linda Stamps-Dissmore, widow of missionary Donald Stamps who authored the Pentecostal notes for the Fire Bible (originally Full Life Study Bible) prior to his death in 1991.

This historic presentation took place at the sixth annual Fire Bible Summit in Palm Springs, Calif., attended by many U.S. pastors, district leaders and lay people who faithfully supported this project.

To date the Fire Bible has been produced in 23 language editions, and 32 additional language editions are in development.

— Janet Walker

Invite the world to your table

This year, when you’re giving thanks to God for an abundant and affordable meal around the family table, you can invite hungry children around the world to join you.

According to a 2007 study by the American Farm Bureau Federation, a family of 10 can celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings for $35.68 – about $3.50 per person.

Assemblies of God missionaries and national churches can provide a nutritious meal of rice and a sauce of supplemental protein and vegetables for just 50 cents or less per meal. When you give the equivalent of Thanksgiving dinner for one person – $3.50 – you can feed seven hungry children.

As you enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with your family, let them know that your gift through AG Relief is helping feed desperately hungry children throughout the world. In this way, many children can join you and your family for Thanksgiving dinner.

To provide a meal for a hungry child, call Assemblies of God World Missions toll free 1-866-470-9514. When you call, mention AG Relief Invite the World account 863240-8 (45).

Saying no to the Spirit

By Hal Donaldson

Have you ever looked in the mirror and asked yourself, Why do I feel so spiritually empty and hollow inside? And why does my life seem to lack power, vitality and joy?

If you’ve asked these questions, you’re not alone. Today many of us believers recognize our need for a fresh touch from the Holy Spirit. But too often our actions and attitudes hinder the work of the Spirit in our lives. In other words, we often say no to the Spirit in four ways:

1. Contentment. We say no to the Spirit by choosing to coast through life satisfied with only a morsel of God’s blessing and power. We become comfortable in our religious trappings, and a desire for more of Jesus is replaced by a craving for the status quo.

2. Obstructions. We say no to the Spirit by allowing sin to reside in our hearts. The debris of pride, cynicism, gossip, greed and more obstructs a fresh move of the Spirit in our lives.

3. Self-centeredness. We say no to the Spirit by becoming preoccupied with ourselves. In our quest for pleasure and self-gratification, we become oblivious to the people around us who are racing toward hell.

4. Talk. We say no to the Spirit by uttering insincere words. We say we want personal revival, but subsequently we’re unwilling to take the steps necessary to draw closer to Christ.

Do you want to say yes to the Spirit today? Then, wherever you are right now — perhaps even sitting in church or relaxing in a recliner at home — make this your prayer: “God, give me a desire for more of You. Forgive my sins and help me overcome temptation. Place in my heart a deeper concern for others. And help me pray more for personal revival and talk less about it. I invite You, dear Lord, to fill the cold, empty places of my heart with the warmth of Your presence. More than anything, I want to walk in the power of Your Spirit.”

(Originally published in our February 16, 2003 issue.)

Hal Donaldson is editor-in-chief of Today's Pentecostal Evangel.

The Christian response to hunger and poverty

(With Thanksgiving and World Hunger Day approaching, we repeat this article, originally published in our November 24, 2002 issue.)

By Ken Horn

"Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:15,16, NIV).

The Scriptures speak clearly in this and numerous other places that believers are to do their best to meet the needs of those who are without the bare necessities of life. The history of Christianity is indeed a history of benevolence. Though the church, especially in the United States, has gone through periods of time when it apparently had little concern for the needy, visitations of God in historic revivals have served to turn the community of faith back to this "second great commandment."

Two independent studies conducted more than 50 years apart sought to determine the kindest city in America. In 1940, a survey of 43 major American cities found that Rochester, N.Y., ranked first in altruism. Between 1990 and 1992, a study based at California State University, Fresno, again targeted Rochester as the U.S. city where the most helpful people live.1 To what could this remarkable, ongoing distinction be credited?

Revival.

In 1831, what many feel was the greatest revival in U.S. history took place — in Rochester. A revival primarily among the well-to-do, the move of God spawned what came to be known as "the Great Eight benevolent societies" and dozens of others. The impact of that revival is felt in Rochester and the surrounding area to the present day.

A keystone of the movement known as the Second Great Awakening, the Rochester revival was led by Charles G. Finney, the most significant evangelist of the period. For six months the revival burned, closing taverns and houses of ill repute, and introducing multitudes to a genuine relationship with Christ. The converted were largely among the affluent — doctors, lawyers, bankers, judges and businessmen. Finney turned the resources of the new converts toward benevolent causes, both official and unofficial; the city even became a stop on the Underground Railroad, the system that served as an escape route for slaves prior to the Civil War. One study of the period states, "The most important factor of this wave of revival was not the number of conversions it achieved, but the emphasis it placed on the reformation of society by the Spirit of Christ, operating through the newly regenerate."2

Though Finney’s role — like the revival itself — has largely been forgotten by most Rochester residents, its influence has clearly been passed down for generations. The correlation of the nation’s greatest revival and most benevolent city is no accident.

The "Prayer Meeting Revival" — called by some the Third Great Awakening — that shook the U.S. in 1857-58, reached the British Isles in 1859. Of this revival, George E. Morgan wrote in 1908, "The visitation of the Spirit first taught afresh the lesson of the New Birth; then, living faith was translated into good works, multiplying on every hand and producing world-wide results. A host of zealous converts carried the message of Divine love and practical sympathy into the darkest abodes of human woe."3 According to Sir John Kirk, the revival "reached out to body and soul."4 Converts cleaned up slums, founded hospitals, exposed the plight of those in sweat shops, improved the lot of prisoners and founded scores of other philanthropic organizations.

D.L. Moody, the most notable and successful revivalist of the latter half of the 19th century, himself touched by the Prayer Meeting Revival as a young man, was responsible for multitudes of benevolent causes that came to life following his crusades in the United States and Great Britain.

Two major distinctives of revivals are that they reach out, and they reach down. Jesus set forth His own mission in Nazareth when He read from Isaiah in the synagogue: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed" (Luke 4:18). The Christian’s lifelong goal of becoming more like Jesus demands that we follow in that mission. (See 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 2:5.) In emulating Him, we are to "consider others better than [ourselves]" and "look not only to [our] own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:3,4).

Periodically the church lapses into a social apathy, which has given rise to the dictum, "They are so heavenly minded, they are of no earthly good." Reactions to this have frequently driven an artificial wedge between ministry to body and spirit.

In the early part of the 20th century, a Baptist minister named Walter Rauschenbusch reacted to the seeming lack of evangelical commitment to ministry to the needy. Rauschenbusch, who was born in Rochester, and was thus impacted by that city’s rich history of evangelical benevolence, became known as "the Father of the Social Gospel in America." The Social Gospel eventually became a divisive term designating a movement that worked to improve the social order without emphasizing spiritual need. It and evangelical Christianity became diametrically opposed. Evangelicals feared extensive social work would eventually eclipse the gospel in their denominations as it had in many mainline denominations.

This backlash to the Social Gospel caused many evangelical churches to focus more on the spiritual aspects of the gospel, depending on cleaned-up souls to clean up society automatically. Still, evangelicals and Pentecostals have been no strangers to meeting the needs of man. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, for example, Pentecostal pastor/evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson fed thousands at her church regularly for a period of years.

Any logic that would attempt to divide physical and spiritual ministry is flawed. Even a casual review of the life of Christ reveals His active concern for the physical needs of people. In fact, this is of such importance to our Lord that He compared ministry to the poor to ministry to himself: "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me" (Matthew 25:35,36). When the perplexed righteous ask when they did these things, He replies, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40).

Some point to Christ’s use of the term "brothers" here as evidence that Christians are only supposed to care for needy believers. This is a serious error. After Jesus identified the most important commandment as, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30), He said the second most important is, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31). "There is no commandment greater than these," He said. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), Jesus made it clear that a "neighbor" is anyone in need. Proverbs 19:17 emphasizes this principle: "He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done."

The biblical basis for the Christian’s ministry to the poor is summarized best in the verse that Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross in the United States, counted her favorite: "In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12). These are direct words of Jesus; we call it the Golden Rule and it is at the heart of the Christian life.

The church of Jesus Christ must be concerned both for the physical and the spiritual needs of mankind. We cannot ignore the world’s hunger. William and Catherine Booth, founders of the Salvation Army, were first and foremost fervent revivalists. Their early motto was "soap, soup and salvation." Good works and the gospel must go together. It is difficult for starving people to hear the sermons of those who care little or nothing about their physical plight. A genuine revival will cause the church to reach down to people in physical need. It’s what Jesus would do.

Ken Horn is the editor of Today’s Pentecostal Evangel. E-mail your comments to tpe@ag.org.

1 "Our Kindest City" by John S. Tompkins. Reader’s Digest, July 1994, pp. 53-56.

2 From Sea to Shining Sea by Peter Marshall and David Manuel (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1986), p. 315.

3 Mighty Days of Revival by George E. Morgan (London: Morgan & Scott Ltd., 1908), p. 141.

4 Ibid., p. 144.

Numb to Sin

(Repeating the Vantage Point column from 4/9/2000. Seven and a half years later this still applies as things are even worse in this arena.)

Christians used to be concerned about the entertainment industry being morally on the edge, and worried that young believers would be tempted to dabble in questionable pastimes. That concern is now a thing of the past. Entertainment has blatantly gone over the edge and is pushing the envelope further daily, while many believers have plunged full-force into the deadly whirlpool.

I used to be somewhat naïve, thinking there was no way Christians would wallow in such filth. But my eyes were opened in the ’80s when a college-aged parishioner in the church I pastored told my wife, Peggy, that he went to R-rated movies. "What about the profanity?" she asked.

"You get to where you don’t notice it," was his reply.

That’s a problem. Numb to sin. Those words — and images — become a part of your subconscious and poison your spiritual walk. Dulled spiritual senses get to where they are not jolted by obvious sin. Could this lead to what Paul spoke about — having a "conscience seared with a hot iron" (1 Timothy 4:2)?

Christians are supposed to be different. "Come out ... be separate" (2 Corinthians 6:17). How can Christians justify going to R-rated movies when even most PG and PG-13 films are objectionable? We recently got a letter from a parent who purchased an E-rated ("appropriate for everybody") video game for her young child. Passing his room she was stunned to hear a curse word from the game. We can’t trust the industry to police itself or believe in their ratings.

And why would a believer have cable movie channels — or watch TV sitcoms? Commercials alone can make you feel like you’re swimming in a cesspool. (Try muting them.)

How does filling our minds with this stuff jibe with the holiness of Romans 12:2 or the pure mind of Philippians 4:8? Eventually we get to Matthew 12:34, where the mouth speaks from what’s in the heart.

Do we seriously think we can lift up "holy hands" on Sunday when those hands have been channel surfing through the vile, the degraded and the ungodly all week?

I’ve seen people go through ridiculous contortions to justify their vice. Ask yourself the following about anything you’re thinking of watching: "Would I be comfortable watching this with my pastor — or with Jesus?" No? Then turn it off.

Why do we see so little revival? Why are so many Christians poverty-stricken spiritually? Often we need look no further than the entertainment they absorb.

If you really want revival — or a closer walk with God — you had better be prepared to take a brutally honest inventory of your viewing habits — and give some things up. If you fill that void with wholesome pastimes and more of seeking after God, you’ll see a change. Guaranteed.

—Ken Horn

Update From Islamabad, Pakistan

Keith and Blanche Talkington are Assemblies of God pastors serving in Islamabad, Pakistan. Their ministry has been covered twice in TPE. See the Jan. 1, 2006 TPE World Missions Edition for background on this update.

Keith's report:

October 8, 2007 marked the second anniversary of the 8.0 scale earthquake that devastated a large area of Pakistan surrounding Islamabad. I still remember waiting under my desk for nearly three minutes for the tremor to stop. We were fortunate in Islamabad to escape with only minor damage. The people living in the mountains less than 80 miles away suffered terrible death and destruction. More than 200,000 died, at least a million were left homeless. During the six months following the earthquake the ladies of our church donated and packed clothes, food and blankets that were taken to the earthquake area and distributed to people who had lost everything. Often these supplies were carried in backpacks to earthquake victims in remote locations high in the mountains of northern Pakistan and Kashmir.

Two years later the relief operation has officially come to a close. Yet, thousands are still living in tents and many have yet to receive even primary medical care. Today we continue to work through [an] NGO (Non Government Organization) to provide1-2 day medical and eyeglass clinics for hundreds of victims of the earthquake in Kashmir. Most of those who were treated at the clinics received medical care for the first time in their lives.

Please pray for the new medical clinic that we have started in Islamabad in a needy area 20 minutes from our church. Most of those who have been treated have never seen a doctor or heard the gospel message.

Teen to be tried as adult

A 16-year-old Ohio boy charged with killing his mother and shooting his father will be tried as an adult and could receive life in prison if convicted.

According to The Associated Press, Daniel Petric would have pleaded guilty to murder if the case remained in juvenile court, said his attorney, James Kersey. Kersey said he offered the plea so Petric would be released when he was 21 years old.

But Lorain County Juvenile Judge Dave Berta ruled Friday that Petric would be tried as an adult and set his bond at $1 million.

Petric, who showed no emotion in court, is accused of shooting his mother and father while they were sitting in the living room of their home near Wellington, about 40 miles southwest of Cleveland, on Oct. 20. He is charged with murder and attempted murder.

Sue Petric, 43, was pronounced dead at the home and the Rev. Mark Petric, 45, pastor of New Life Assembly of God in Wellington, remains hospitalized.

Link to original article

Prisoners' art gains community recognition

Inmates at the Hutchinson (Kan.) Correctional Facility who participate in Freedom Challenge, a ministry extension of Teen Challenge, opened their first art exhibit in October at the Exploration Place in Wichita.

Don Starnes, Freedom Challenge director, says the experience has helped change community perceptions about prisoners.

“We want people to know these guys aren't the refuse of society,” Starnes says. “These men, locked away for their sins, have found freedom to dream beyond their cells. There are guys in there with real talent.”

The Kansas District Council of the Assemblies of God also took notice of the art exhibit.

“We're really excited about FC taking this kind of initiative,” says Aaron Rust, District office manager. “This ministry is leading inmates to a relationship with Christ, freeing them from their life controlling issues that contributed to their incarceration.”

All proceeds from the sale of the inmates' works benefit Freedom Challenge, which is helping the incarcerated overcome life-controlling issues such as illegal drugs, alcohol and anger.

Since its inception in 2005, more than 80 prisoners have gone through the eight-month program.

— Matthew T. Polites, AG News

Daily Boost: Rejoice Always

(The following is the Daily Boost for today, Nov. 8, 2007. Daily Boost is a free devotional available online and e-mailed to subscribers every weekday. Visit tpe.ag.org to read or subscribe.)

Rejoice Always
By Greg Ebie

I sat on my porch swing several years ago thinking and praying to myself when a young man with whom I had made an acquaintance walked by. The sidewalk was only about six feet from where I sat, so I wasn’t surprised when he stopped to say hi. What did surprise me was what he said after I returned his greeting.

“You don’t look very happy,” he said. “What’s wrong with you?”

I had not thought about the look on my face as I sat enjoying the cool evening. Within my heart I felt at peace; no crisis, fear or worry was pressing on my thoughts. Yet my countenance did not reflect my heart; the expression on my face needed to change.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4, NIV).

It may seem odd that a man held prisoner and chained to a Roman soldier would encourage us to rejoice — not only to say it once, but to repeat himself for emphasis. I don’t imagine his guard ever asked Paul, “Why are you so down today?” Paul had learned the secret of rejoicing in the Lord regardless of his circumstances.

Paul could live a joyful life because he knew regardless of what might happen Jesus would be right there with him. Paul did not see himself as a prisoner of Rome, but as a “prisoner for the Lord” (Ephesians 4:1; see also 2 Timothy 1:8).

Several times in his epistle Paul encouraged the church of Philippi to rejoice and be joyful. Like us they probably needed the reminder. We can so easily let life get us down — even in the little things. We forget Jesus has set us free from sin and death. The Lord is by our side, and we can rejoice in Him always.

When that young man said I looked down, I asked the Lord to help me change the look on my face. I didn’t want people to think I was an unhappy grump. Several weeks later that same young man walked by as I was enjoying the porch swing again.

“Hi,” he said. But this time he added, “Boy, you look happy tonight.”

God had answered my prayer; my expression matched my heart. Years later this is still my prayer. “Lord, help me to reflect the joy You have given to me.”

Many people see Christians as unhappy and stiff. If that’s what a Christian is, I don’t want it. Jesus overflowed with joy. Shouldn’t we do the same?

D. GREG EBIE is senior pastor of Praise Assembly of God in Garrettsville, Ohio, and an author of Daily Bread devotionals.

Convoy of Hope responds to Katrina-like flooding

Images of the Mexican state of Tabasco are reminiscent of Katrina's damage to the Gulf Coast in 2005; in place of the lush, tropical landscape the area is known for, are huge brown lakes with only the treetops visible above the waterline. An estimated 300,000 people are trapped in their homes with helicopters and rescue boats plucking victims from pockets of refuge. President Felipe Calderon calls it one of the worst natural disasters in Mexico's history.

Responding to a request for assistance, Convoy of Hope staff has been in regular communication throughout each day with local partners there. Convoy of Hope disaster responders are laying the groundwork for a full-scale response once rivers have crested and flooding subsides.

"We refer to this as a compound disaster - though the flooding and the threat to life is the primary concern at this point, there will be long-term implications such as severe economic issues due to the loss of agriculture and industry," says Convoy of Hope's International Project Director Gary Higgins.

"The amount of water is incredible," says Tabasco Governor Andres Granier. "We have lost 100 percent of our crops and 70 percent of the state is under water."

One million people, about half of the state's population, with an estimated 500,000 homeless are seeking relief from the worst disaster in the state's history.

"We are just like New Orleans. All the water that comes in has to be pumped out," Granier says.

Despite the throngs of sandbags placed along waterways, several rivers overflowed their banks last week, pouring over into hundreds of villages and towns, including the state capitol of Villahermosa.

President Felipe Calderon flew to the oil-rich state on the country's Gulf coast to assess the damage and promised more soldiers and rescue workers. Residents had refused to leave their flooded homes because of reported looting in the absence of police protection.

To donate toward Convoy of Hope's international disaster relief efforts, or for more information about the organization, visit www.convoyofhope.org.

— Kristin Kubitschek, AG News

$500,000 grant awarded to Shapes Mentoring Program

A three-year grant from the Department of Health and Human Services will provide $510,000 in funding for Shapes Mentoring Program, an Assemblies of God-based ministry to children with incarcerated parents.

“Our program went from theory to reality in the first three years, and now it’s really ready to grow,” says Scott Jett, director of Shapes.

(Photo of a mentor and his mentee participating in the Shapes Bicycle Program.)

The program will expand into 21 Missouri counties, in addition to the original target areas of Greene and Christian counties. Though the program is currently only in Missouri, Jett says Shapes is available to help people anywhere in the nation start a similar outreach in their churches.

Last year, 90 percent of the mentors kept their pledge to spend an hour a week for a year with the child. In its first three years, Jett says none of the 100 kids in the program faced trouble with the law.

“Breaking the cycle of crime passed from parent to child is a key to reducing crime rates both in Missouri and nationwide,” U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri says. “It is through efforts of organizations like Shapes Mentoring Program that we can liberate these children from suffering from the same fate as their parents.”

For more information about Shapes, visit Shapes.ag.org.

—Jennifer McClure

Caribbean flooding impacts ministry

Following heavy rains over a 12-day period, Tropical Storm Noel has added insult to injury causing severe flooding throughout the Caribbean and Central America. The devastation in several countries has captured the attention of the Assemblies of God-affiliated compassion ministry, Convoy of Hope.

Convoy of Hope Public Relations Director Kristin Kubitschek told AG News that staff members are on location distributing relief supplies in Nicaragua, Haiti and El Salvador. Also, in-country partners in the Dominican Republic are assessing needs there.

Reports from the areas state damage includes loss of life, damaged and destroyed businesses and homes, hundreds of contaminated wells, mudslides, significant crop damage and sanitation issues that accompany flooding.

Among those caught in the powerful Caribbean storm are Assemblies of God World Missionaries Larry and Dee McNeill of Latin American Theological Seminary. On Thursday, McNeil said Noel had been pounding the Dominican Republic classroom where he taught for several days.

“The normally peaceful brook behind the dinning room is now a raging river,” McNeill reported. “Electric power has been off for two days. Although water is flooding the entire campus, there has been no water for showers for days, making the hot, humid Bible College almost intolerable.”

However, students on the island – all seasoned ministers – aren’t complaining.

“In spite of the hammering rain and violent wind, ministry leaders of Dominican Republic are studying a master’s degree program in ministerial leadership,” McNeill reported. “They are pressing on to get every drop of benefit from their courses of study.”

— Dan Van Veen, AG News, and John W. Kennedy