PODCASTS

Tag: #FAMILYLIFENEWS
Capital Connection – the Big Issues in PA, NY, and the USA – 9/06/24

Capital Connection – the Big Issues in PA, NY, and the USA – 9/06/24

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“Capital Connection” on Family Life

It’s the “season premiere”, as our roundtable with resident experts about the happenings in Albany and Harrisburg are back

 

The Capital Connection Crew is back and discussing politics, with just two months to go until the election.

Jason McGuire is the executive director of the New York Families Foundation [NewYorkFamilies.org]

Michael Geer is the founding president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute [PAFamily.org]

Among our topics today, they’re talking about a new initiative to get more people of faith to the polls on November 5.

Now that the summer break is over, Capital Connection resumes our Friday broadcasts during the Family Life Noon Report, on air, on app, and via multiple streaming platforms. We also podcast these conversations at FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts.

Resources, links and info about subjects covered in this podcast:

  • “Capital Connection Live”, two public events in NY and PA, with Michael Geer, Jason McGuire and Bob Price on stage for a full evening of discussion and analysis — FamilyLife.org/events
  • The March for Life in Pennsylvania, Monday, September 23 — MarchForLife.org/Pennsylvania/
  • Take the Pledge to register to vote (Christians at the ballot box, and in early voting) — National Family Policy Alliance and the Christians Engaged organization
  • Voter registration deadlines are October 21 in Pennsylvania, and October 26 in New York State. Registration — and updating your name, address or political party (important, if those apply) — can be done at your local country election office, when you apply for or renew your driver’s license, or online through the state government website. Links from many advocacy groups also connect you with this process. Mailed-in applications in both states must be received on or before the deadline date.

 

 
Vote Your Faith – Chris Leader on an effort to boost Christian turnout at the ballot box – 9/05/24

Vote Your Faith – Chris Leader on an effort to boost Christian turnout at the ballot box – 9/05/24

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A Christian leader, named Chris Leader, is on a 100-day countdown to encourage evangelical Christians to register to vote this fall.

The “separation of church and state” isn’t in the U.S. Constitution, not in that form anyway.  But Chris Leader says many people of faith separate themselves from political and social involvement. His effort “Vote Your Faith” is trying to change that.

In this conversation with Family Life’s Greg Gillispie, Leader explains how some Christians are being intimidated, so they avoid voting, politicking, or even speaking out on the issues in the nation and in the local community. He points to Biblical motivation to get registered, plus how a better turnout of Christian voters could quickly solve many of the current problems in our culture.

Vote Your Faith offers inspiration, resources and tools to help improve the ratio of faithful Christians who participate in campaigns and elections. (Some surveys show that 25 to 33 percent of evangelicals stay away from the polls on Election Day).

 

 

As of the date of this Family Life Newsmaker Interview (9/05/2024), Chris Leader is about one-third of the way through his 100 Day Countdown to November 5th . He posts a new commentary each day.

Here are links to those (soon to be) 100 commentaries and the Vote Your Faith website.

 

 

 

 
Missions Pulse – Let’s go to Paris – 9/04/24

Missions Pulse – Let’s go to Paris – 9/04/24

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987 medals awarded at the Paris Olympics

Another 1,647 medals this week at the Paralympic games

10.500 athletes last month, and another 4,400 this week from 169 nations

700,000 New Testaments and Scripture books distributed!

–   –   –   –   –

Yes, all of these statistics as the sports world has been focusing on Paris. Yes, 700,000 Bible books have been given out, in connection with the Paris Games over the past 6 weeks.

Once every 4 years, the 2 versions of the Summer Games bring about a gathering of athletes, officials, families, dignitaries and fans from nearly every nation on the planet.

A network of evangelical Christian groups has been working for the past 18 months to coordinate a massive outreach to share Jesus with the people in the region which hosts the Games, and with all those people who come from all over to attend. Some of these people have never had an encounter with Christianity, even though they are citizens of some nations that the friendly to this faith. Some of the volunteer evangelists are sharing Good News with people from places and cultures where, back home, Christianity is banned.

Tom Hawkins is with Greater Europe Mission who is among the coordinating team for Ensemble 2024, a massive faith-sharing effort by a combined group of European and global Christians from a wide and diverse swath of the theological spectrum.It ranges from local congregations to large denominations to members of little house churches.

This Family Life exclusive takes you to Paris. Hawkins talks about some of the life-changing stories from these efforts and connections. As otherwise-disabled athletes are thriving in their athletic events this week, they see many Paralympic competitors (and fans with handicaps) who have dealt with physical setbacks are ripe to hear the Gospel.

He also provides hopeful insight about a potential transformation in Europe, where across the past 30 years, cultures have diminished their faith practices. He says though, that he sees signs that a continent which has increasing become defined as “post-Christian”, the culture appears to be, in any places, entering a “pre-Rivival” mode.

 

 

Bonus factoid:  The group of groups chose the name “Ensemble” to show how they are united across cultural and historical and theological distinctives — and because the same spelling of the same word has the same meaning, across multiple languages.

 

–   –   –   –   –

Tom Hawkins spoke to Family Life News Producer Greg Gillispie this week, via Zoom, from Paris. The Paralympics Games continue there through Sunday, September 8.

 

     For further information:

The Ensemble 2024 website

The Ensemble 2024 blog

Tom Hawkins works with Greater Europe Mission (GEM), which carries out extensive envangelization outreaches, during and beyond the Olympics.

Tom and his wife Bev met at Nyack College in New York. They have been mission workers in France since 1994.

 

 
Bible2School – Time Out from the School Day for Faith Development -9/03/24

Bible2School – Time Out from the School Day for Faith Development -9/03/24

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Bible2School – Time Out from the School Day for Faith Development

A Family Life Interview with Kori Pennypacker

A Pennsylvania-based program gives students the opportunity to leave the school building each week for a Bible-based time of fun and learning.

Some might wonder how this can happen with secular elementary schools, but it is legal and successful for families who choose it.

Kori Pennypacker is President of Bible2School, which essential offers a voluntary option to have experiences similar to Sunday School or an interactive Vacation Bible School. It happens during recesses or lunch periods, offsite, so Bible2School is free to have faith-based content.

Pennypacker explains the program, tells us about how this program benefits students who are already in churches and those who don’t yet have any interactions with faith, and how Scripture and values education benefits school and communities.

This interview was our daily News Feature during the Family Life Noon Report on our network of nearly 70 radio stations across PA and NY — and on our live stream.

 

For more information:
Family Life Noon Report – Zooming out to Bigger Views of Election Issues- 9/02/24

Family Life Noon Report – Zooming out to Bigger Views of Election Issues- 9/02/24

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Zooming Out to Bigger Views of the Issues surrounding this Election

A Special Edition of the Family Life Noon Report

Labor Day – 9/02/2024

The proverbial “start” of the election season traditionally kicks in Labor Day Weekend. As American culture slides past the holiday and into the school year, voters are within a couple of months of Election Day. While much of the public has been plugged in to this year’s unique campaign, others are just now ready to begin to explore who and what will be on the ballot.

In this half-hour special from Family Life News, we zoom out beyond the daily and weekly twists and turns of the candidates and their campaign. Today, we delve into some of the bigger issues about the election:

  • Pennsylvania’s role as one of this year’s most prominent “swing states” to select the president and majorities in Congress
  • One political scientist’s take on the detriments and benefits of the Electoral College system
  • A call for Christian voters to step up better, to cast early ballots or show up at the polls November 5  (Other interest groups have better turnout percentages)
  • While individuals have full freedom to participate in politics, churches actually do not need to “separate” church and state
  • The history of congregational involvement in politics, and cautions about specific partisanship
  • If election results this fall have an obvious lean, will there be a mandate?
  • If key races are close (or fought in court), will the people trust the results?

Bob Price and Greg Gillispie have extended interviews with these expert guests:

  • Dr. Mark Caleb Smith teaches political science at Cedarville University, and is dean of the college at that Christian school.
  • Jason McGuire is executive director of the New York Families Foundation, heads up New York Family Action, and is a commentator on “Capital Connecton”.
  • Kim Roberts researched IRS regulations on charitable organizations and talked with leaders in how faith groups and politics intertwine. Her articles are posted on MinistryWatch.com.
  • Also, “Breakpoint” commentator John Stonestreet talks about the role of Christ’s followers in shaping elections and public debate. He is president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview.

Click/tap each photograph for additional interviews with these guests, plus their biographies, or scroll through additional podcasts at www.FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts.

All Family Life News podcasts are available for listening, subscribing, downloading and sharing. Go to FamilyLife.org or use the Family Life Now app.

 Smith

 McGuire

  Roberts

  StonestreetNewspodcasts

 

An update:  In the conversation about IRS regulations about churches which receive charitable contribution status, our guest mentioned the Johnson Amendment (starting at :19:37 in this recording). Now, the National Religious Broadcasters organization is leading other plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against the IRS, contending those 1950’s-era regulations seek to place unconstitutional restrictions on free speech and freedom of religion. This new article from MinistryWatch.com explores the issues surrounding this complaint from the faith-based groups.
Staycation – Elk Country Visitors Center – 8/30/24

Staycation – Elk Country Visitors Center – 8/30/24

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It’s “Staycation Destinations” on Family Life

Keystone Elk Country Visitors Center – the PA Wilds

North Central Pennsylvania is gearing up for a massive influx of tourism, as we move past Labor Day Weekend.

The Elk Country Visitors Center at Benezette, Pennsylvania, sees 400,000 guests annually. Add in the people who go elk watching each fall in the public lands without stopping by the visitors center, and you’ll know why this interaction with nature’s unique wildlife is such a big deal.

Ben Porkolab is the Conservation Education Coordinator for the Keystone Elk Country Alliance. In this Family Life News Feature, he offers our listeners a radio tour of the Pennsylvania Wilds, one of only two regions in the U.S. where Elk are this numerous.

You will hear about the Pennsylvania elk herd, plus what makes these huge animals so unique. He talks about why Elk County and the surrounding regions captures the imaginations of so many people. It draws crowds from through the local area and throughout the world. (Porkolab gives the example of one couple who came half way around the world, with three specific tourism goals.)

Porkolab also gives insights into how this kind of Wildlife Tourism is so significant to the region.

 

Check out the Elk Country website for full details, recommendations for your visit, and live cameras and recorded videos to “take you there” (even if you can’t visit in person).

In addition to this Staycation podcast, we also have web-only BONUS CONTENT with elk viewing and elk-viewing safety tips for you and your family. Check it out as well.

 

 

Staycation Destinations is a weekly summer feature presented by Family Life News. Even as we arrive at the end of Summer 2024, your radio travels don’t have to end. All of Greg Gillispie’s features are available from your “Family Life News” podcast feed or through the NEWS tab at www.FamilyLife.org. You can visit — or revisit — these unique places in New York State and Pennsylvania by listening to or downloading our audio.You can also scroll through our Staycation archives from previous summers.

You can also share these interviews with friends and family, or choose to subscribe to receive notifications each time your favorite Family Life podcast posts a new episode. Find all our podcasts on our website or through the Family Life Now mobile app.

 

 

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