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Celebration is required

In order to be a great parent, friend or family member we must consistently contribute compassion and celebration into the lives of others. Compassion and celebration are not an option, they are a requirement. What is spectacular is that when we walk in step with God as we receive his son, Jesus Christ, as our savior and follow his leadership, he contributes compassion and celebration into our lives. We can then consistently contribute compassion and celebration to those we love. Jesus talked about his father’s desire to shower us with compassion and celebration when he told the ...

First Baptist Church XYZ to meet

First Baptist Church XYZ, a senior adult ministry for people in the 50-plus age group, will meet Thursday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church. Todd Erickson with Child Evangelism Fellowship will present the program “Birthday Party for Jesus.” Refreshments will be served.

Bismarck church volunteers bring food to South Dakota church

BISMARCK (AP) — In the small town of McLaughlin, South Dakota, many of the residents didn't celebrate Thanksgiving Day as most Americans do. Located 9 miles south of the North Dakota state line on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation at the junction of state Highway 63 and U.S. Highway 12, the Rev. Harvey Schmeichel and his wife, Patti, have seen over the years children and families go hungry for days. There are no large holiday meals in those homes. For nearly 19 years at the nondenominational Freedom Fellowship Church, located downtown on Main Street, the couple has ministered ...

Everyone needs compassion

We are heading into the most meaningful season of the year: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. It’s a time we celebrate with family and friends, build memories, and consider what really matters in life. It’s also a time we grieve what is broken or who is missing from our life. With that in mind I want to share with you two actions that our children, grandchildren, family members, and friends need from us. The great news is that God wants to pour both of these actions into our lives. And as He does we can consistently contribute these actions into the lives of others! If you ...

Pope urges charity when churches are sold, reused

ROME (AP) — The Vatican and bishops from Europe and beyond have developed proposed guidelines for the sale or reuse of Catholic churches to help ensure that they retain their cultural heritage and serve the good of the community, not commerce. With some churches being turned into discos, gelaterias or demolished outright, the guidelines suggest that if the church cannot be given to another Christian community, it should be reused for cultural or societal aims. Those would include being used as a museum, a library or conference hall, a food bank for the poor or charity center. The ...

Feelings and Thankfulness

Reports of mass shootings, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes and raging fires fill our newspapers and televisions regularly. We can be overwhelmed with feelings of sadness and frustration because of these circumstances; especially if we or loved ones are directly affected. We might even wonder whether thankfulness is possible. Paul, an apostle of Jesus, wrote about thankfulness while he was imprisoned for his faith. According to historical documents, the Roman prison where Paul spent time was called “House of Darkness” because it was a damp, over-crowded, smelly, dark, filthy hole in ...