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Campus Ministry – Positive Impact for Today’s Young Adults – 2/22/24

Campus Ministry – Positive Impact for Today’s Young Adults – 2/22/24

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Christian outreach and support for today’s young adults has transformed — yet again.

The unique needs and perspectives of this generation of college students has shaped how campus ministries are doing their work. Today on Family Life, we hear from Mike Andrews, Impact Ministry’s campus pastor at Penn State Altoona.

Andrews tells us about how the most significant impact which meets students where their lives are is primarily in small groups and Bible studies. Even for young people who have never had experiences in a church — or who have wandered away from an earlier faith — he says a hallmark of this generation is an openness to talk about deep core values and to explore spiritual issues.

Greg Gillispie also asks Andrews to give guidance to local church leaders on effective ways to shape youth ministries and to encourage the children of the church to plug into campus ministries if they go away to school.

For more information:

  • The ImpacttheU website
  • A promotional video to show high school and college students

 

 

 

Real Answers – How to Fight, Right – 2/21/24

Real Answers – How to Fight, Right – 2/21/24

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:40 — 7.8MB)

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Real Answers – How to Fight, Right – 2/21/24

New research discusses factors that lead to divorce. How people fight is an important dynamic.

Christian counselor Christopher Anderson joins Family Life’s Sarah Harnish to talk about how to fight in our relationships. He is not (obviously) encouraging spouses to seek out arguments, but to be able to handle disagreements well.

Attentive listening matters, he says. So does awareness on when to take a timeout to allow emotions to settle, so that the people involved can avoid increasing the tensions when differences arise. Anderson also suggests another good practice: writing out questions and responses ahead of time, when a problem needs solved.

 

 

“Real Answers” is a Wednesday Family Life news feature which helps Christians tackle the tough topics in our everyday lives. Check out our archives for more advice and encouragement — on relationships, parenting, work place issues, faith dilemmas and more, seeking a Biblical perspective on how to cope with and thrive in life.
Hometown Heroes – “Night to Shine” – 2/20/24

Hometown Heroes – “Night to Shine” – 2/20/24

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:31 — 7.6MB)

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It’s Family Life’s “Hometown Heroes”

Celebrate the congregations and volunteers in our listening area who created a magical, memorable evening for hundreds of special guests

 

The Night to Shine has become a global movement across the past decade, and numerous local churches are plugged in — many of them since the early days when the Tim Tebow Foundation launched a prom-styled festival for special-needs individuals.

In this edition of “Hometown Heroes”, we hear about the local area’s Night to Shine events held February 9, 2024. Representatives of three of these congregations tell us what happens, who is served, the significant responses of the families and the local community, and how this one night spurs churches to be attentive to special needs ministries throughout the year.

Our radio news feature offers highlights and stories. For each of these three congregations, we also will be posting expanded interviews with web-only bonus content.  

  • “Hometown Heroes” feature — highlights from all three congregations, as aired on the Family Life Noon Report  [click the podcast player above to listen]
    • Bethel Life Church, Greenville PA:  bonus content with Pastor Kent Bell [web]
    • Auburn Alliance Church, Auburn NY:  bonus content with Event Coordinator Chad Mitchell  [web]
    • Sunbury Bible Church, Northumberland PA:  bonus content with Pastor Preston Atkinson [web]

Other congregations whose leaders and volunteers also deserve “Hero” status are other churches in the Family Life listening area. These also sponsored a Night to Shine this month:

    • Our Lady Of Peace, Erie PA [web]
    • New Life Baptist, New Wilmington PA [web]
    • LCBC, Dickson City PA Campus [web]
    • Epic Church-Buffalo: Williamsville NY [web]
    • Cross Creek Church, Elmyra NY [web]
    • Catalyst Church, Altoona PA [web]
    • Calvary Church, Boalsburg PA [web]

The Night to Shine movement began ten years ago (2014) as an outreach of the Tim Tebow Foundation. The Heisman trophy winner for the Florida Gators, former NFL quarterback and sports broadcaster started his foundation to fight for what they call the “MVP” — the Most Vulnerable People.

Tebow (himself growing up as a missionary kid) has been at the forefront of multiple forms of international Christian ministry.

Find out about the Foundation and watch the national/international Night to Shine video.

 

“Hometown Heroes” is one of our Tuesday news features on our Noon Report and 5 O’Clock Report.

 

A fun P.S….  Tim Tebow (who became famous for waiting for a uniquely Christian marriage partner, despite his famous “eligible bachelor” status) met his future wife at his 2018 NTS, where Demi-Lynn was attending with her special-needs sister.)
Hometown Heroes – “Night to Shine” – Auburn Alliance – 2/20/24

Hometown Heroes – “Night to Shine” – Auburn Alliance – 2/20/24

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:16 — 5.9MB)

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Chad Mitchell is a member of the Auburn Alliance Church in Auburn, New York.

Hear more about the Night to Shine events in Pennsylvania and New York on the Family Life “Hometown Heroes” news feature.
Issues in Education – School Choice, Winter Breaks, and Student-Parents – 2/19/24

Issues in Education – School Choice, Winter Breaks, and Student-Parents – 2/19/24

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:57 — 8.2MB)

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How School Choice for parents makes public schools better

College kids raising their own kids

Will New York make FAFSA forms mandatory?

Why many school districts have Winter Break

 

Dr. Ralph Kerr at the Teaching and Learning Institute discusses the weighty issues impacting our public schools on “Issues in Education” – airing Monday’s during the “Noon Report”
Capital Connection – Life, Activism, and School Choice – 2/16/24

Capital Connection – Life, Activism, and School Choice – 2/16/24

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:33 — 14.5MB)

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Each Friday, the Capital Connection Crew delve into the thorny issues impacting our listeners all over New York and Pennsylvania.  Here’s what’s happening this week in Albany and Harrisburg

Abortion, by the numbers in Pennsylvania

Push to Legalize Doctor Assisted Suicide in New York

What Christian Activism looks like in 2024

School Choice runs into hurdles in Harrisburg

Why Sports Betting is a bad bet for New York

 

 

 

 

 

Jason McGuire is the executive director of the New Yorker’s Family Research Federation [NewYorkFamilies.org]

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

 
Choices toward planning for college – 2/15/24

Choices toward planning for college – 2/15/24

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:09 — 13.9MB)

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This is the time of year when many college-bound students are finalizing applications for which school they intend to go to in the fall.

Also at issue: how to pay for higher education, whether that is for incoming first-year students or those who are already at a college or university.

For advice on the decision-making processes, we sought the perspective of President Wayne Lewis of Houghton University in Houghton, New York. In this Family Life Interview, you will hear:

  • How the federal delays in this year’s one-application for financial aid computations (the online FAFSA form) has affected students, families and the schools — and best “next steps to take”
  • Timelines for applying to your preferred school(s), when financial aid determinations are made, and when someone can change their mind about which college to attend
  • How current students are great resources for sorting out where a new student can attend a place which fits them — whether they are liberal or conservative or moderate, whether they are Christian or not
  • The difference being colleges which teach their students “to think” versus places which teach students “what to think”
Inside Out – Thorns – Faithfully handling disappointment – 2/14/24

Inside Out – Thorns – Faithfully handling disappointment – 2/14/24

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:45 — 21.6MB)

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The Gift of Thorns

“We have to very careful to distinguish between ‘did God let me down?’ or ‘did my expectations of God let me down?’

 

What if not getting what we want is one of God’s great gifts?

“God knows what is good for us when we don’t,” says the Rev. Dr. A. J. Swoboda. “To ultimately assume God’s desires for us are the best desires, and believing that, is our first step in being followers of Christ.”

“I have grown the most in my spiritual journey with Jesus in places where I have not gotten everything I want. And what I’m trying to say is, I don’t grow in the great times. I grow in the times when I’m mad that I didn’t get what I want God to do,” Swoboda says.

 

When we find that we’re disappointed or angry with God, it’s important to figure out what God has promised us.  “We have to very careful to distinguish between ‘did God let me down?’ or ‘did my expectations of God let me down?’ We’ve got to be cautious to not assume that God and our expectations about God are the same exact thing,” he says.

It is actually a gift, Swoboda says, to not get what we want.

“Jesus lived a life of willingly giving up everything He wanted. In fact, in the Garden of Gethsemane, he pleads with the Father to not die on the cross. Yet he submits Himself to what the Father wants over what His flesh and emotions wanted. And so I think life is in those places in our life. I think the thorns are a gift. I don’t think they’re a problem, I think they’re a gift.”

“At least in our world, unless you embrace the thorn, you won’t ever receive the rose. And that with every thorn there is a rose. We tend to focus on the thorn, and we forget the rose.”

Hear much more from A. J. Swoboda by listening to our 15-minute podcast.

 

 

Swoboda is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and World Christianity at Bushnell University in Eugene, Oregon. He also leads a Doctor of Ministry program at Friends University. His new book is The Gift of Thorns: Jesus, the Flesh, and the War for our Wants. Learn more about A. J. Swoboda here.

“The Gift of Thorns” also is available as a Bible study series for individuals and groups.

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