Largest Christian Newspaper in America • goodnewsfl.org • September 2023 • Volume 25, Issue 6
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PUBLISHER 6 SEPTEMBER 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition I read things every day and like most I ponder the meaning(s). The Bible and verse is like that. The relatability and the mystery, and if we’re fortunate, the actual interpretation from those much more scholarly. I read this and was struck by such profound simplicity. I like to share thoughts, wisdom and encouragement that are often not my own but every day we should and can journey down a path of wonderment and joy that new knowledge brings if we are wise enough to keep our eyes open and our mind engaged. So I offer…. The Valuable Time of Maturity I counted my years and discovered that I have less time to live going forward than I have lived until now. I have more past than future. I feel like the boy who received a bowl of candies. The first ones, he ate ungracious, but when he realized there were only a few left, he began to taste them deeply. I do not have time to deal with mediocrity. I do not want to be in meetings where parade inflamed egos. I am bothered by the envious, who seek to discredit the most able, to usurp their places, coveting their seats, talent, achievements and luck. I do not have time for endless conversations, useless to discuss about the lives of others who are not part of mine. I do not have time to manage sensitivities of people who despite their chronological age, are immature. I cannot stand the result that generates from those struggling for power. People do not discuss content, only the labels. My time has become scarce to discuss labels, I want the essence, my soul is in a hurry… Not many candies in the bowl… I want to live close to human people, very human, who laugh of their own stumbles, and away from those turned smug and overconfident with their triumphs, away from those filled with self-importance, Who does not run away from their responsibilities .. Who defends human dignity. And who only want to walk on the side of truth and honesty. The essential is what makes life worthwhile. I want to surround myself with people, who know how to touch the hearts of people … . People to whom the hard knocks of life, taught them to grow with softness in their soul. Yes …. I am in a hurry … to live with intensity, that only maturity can bring. I intend not to waste any part of the goodies I have left … I'm sure they will be more exquisite, than most of which so far I've eaten. My goal is to arrive to the end satisfied and in peace with my loved ones and my conscience. I hope that your goal is the same, because either way you will get there too .. " by Mário de Andrade (October 9, 1893 – February 25, 1945) South Florida Edition • Good News • September 2023 • Volume 25, Issue 6 Advertising: We reach over 110,000 readers each month. 80,000 in print and 30,000 via our online digital edition. Placing an ad in our publication is affordable and effective to help grow your business. Call us today! Distribution: Available in more than 800 locations throughout South Florida. To become a free distribution point for the newspaper, please contact Shelly. The Good News is published by Good News Media Group, LLC, Reproduction in whole or part strictly forbidden without the consent of the publisher. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. Good News Media Group, LLC. PO Box 670368, Coral Springs, FL 33067 954-564-5378 • www.goodnewsfl.org Publisher: Leslie J. Feldman [email protected] Editor: Shelly Pond [email protected] Advertising & Marketing: Robert “Buddy” Helland Jr. V.P. Sr. Marketing Manager [email protected] Art Director: Milton McPherson [email protected] Associate Art Director: Joseph Sammaritano [email protected] Social Media Manager: Ariel Feldman [email protected] Editorial Assistant: Eric Solomon [email protected] Cover Photography: Justus Martin [email protected] Leslie J. Feldman PERSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . .8 We're Gonna Need a Bigger Box - by Stephan N. Tchividjian YOU ASK WHY? . . . . . . 10 Your Work Matters to God – by Dr. Tommy Boland THE CODE . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 He is Our Shepherd – by Dr. O.S. Hawkins ENCOURAGEMENT . . .14 On The Run – by Omar Aleman FOSTER CARE . . . . . . . .16 Far From Home in a Shipping Container – by Kevin Enders COVER ARTICLE . .18 – 19 One Pastor, Two Churches – by Shelly Pond PARENTING . . . . . . . . . .20 We Have Lost Something Important – by Dr. Bob Barnes & Torrey Roberts CHRISTIAN COLLEGE GUIDE 2023 . . . . . . .21 – 37 Florida Christian College Fairs . . . . . .22 Directory of Christian Colleges 24 – 30 Educating the Whole Person . . . . . . . . 32 by Dr. Debra A. Schwinn Why Choose a Christian College? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 by Karen A. Wrobbel, EdD LEGAL Q&A . . . . . . . . . .38 Working Two Jobs? Stay on a Solid Footing with Your Employer(s) - by William “Bill” C. Davell and Jennifer Wahba GOOD NEWS WANTS TO KNOW . . . . . . . . . .40 - 42 What's the most unbelievable yet true excuse you have ever had for being late? WE GET LETTERS . . . . .44 NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 OUT AND ABOUT . . . .48 CALENDAR . . . . . .42 – 43 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . .44 – 47 I read this and it made me think; think that I should print it… On The Cover Pastor David Hughes appears in front of the two churches where he now serves as lead pastor. First Baptist Church Fort Lauderdale, located in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale, appears on the left. Church by the Glades, located near the Sawgrass Expressway in Parkland, appears on the right. We thank the wonderful creative staff at Church by the Glades for assistance in this beautiful front cover collage. CONTENTS Good News • September • Volume 25 Issue 6
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PERSPECTIVE 8 SEPTEMBER 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition Box of mystery Years ago, when our children were younger, we used to schedule “mystery family vacations.” The idea was a brilliant one, I might add. The concept was simple. Lisa and I would devise a fun family vacation but keep it a secret. We would simply share with our children the date of departure, the date of return and provide them a packing list, inserted with a few decoys to throw them off. The first year our children complained that we were terrible parents trying our best to ruin their lives, (jury is still out on that one) but then the rest was history. Many of our most treasured family memories have come from these wild experiences. One particular summer we had scheduled a trip to visit the Grand Canyon, Zion and some of the other various amazing sites out West. We chose to do this during the month of August, which by the way is the hottest time of year to visit these sites… but it is what it is. One of our surprise sites was to spend two nights at the bottom of the Grand Canyon at the world-famous Havasupai Lodge. I had seen a short documentary about this place and the beautiful Havasupai Falls, located within walking distance of the lodge. I had heard that Tom Cruise had visited, which incentivized Lisa to now want to go. Knowing all of this, we booked ourselves a two-night stay. The simple plan was to walk the 8-mile trail to the lodge, enjoy the surroundings and the oasis, then helicopter out a few days later. However, to say the least, the lodge was nothing like I had expected. I was thinking something like a Disney property… more resort like. However, it was not… I would say it was a glorified Motel 2.5 (vs 6), at best. I would suggest that the idea of a resort at the bottom of the Grand Canyon within walking distance of an oasis was grander in my mind than the actual place itself. I think the scorpions, the flies, the heat, the clogged tubs and the sense of feeling trapped took away most of those feelings. However, what memories we stored… a lot with tears of laughter and joy, were worth the price. Quite the adventure, one that has become legendary within the annuls of our family and is worthy of a whole article itself. Expectations I sometimes think that is the way we are with God. We have these expectations of what God is like, how He behaves or what He may or may not do and then we may experience something different. We believe if we just pray hard enough, long enough or behave a certain way then God will show up. We have examples of that. However, we do run the danger of taking God and putting Him in a box we create, expecting Him to fit something we may need or desire. However, no matter how big our imagination, God never fits into our box. I struggle between the tension of having faith, persevering and not losing hope in God’s promises all the while realizing that God has a plan that is much more intricate and grander than I can imagine. The prophet Isaiah, in the Bible’s Old Testament, makes a statement in the 55th chapter when he speaks for God (that’s what prophets do) and says, “for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” He goes on to say more. What is also interesting is that some theologians believe that Isaiah is the one Paul references in Hebrews 11, when he talks about some being “sawn in two.” Ouch! Assuming that may be the case, how did Isaiah reconcile his devotion to God, all the while being threatened with a horrific death, knowing God could spare him? Jesus faced the same situation in the Garden of Gethsemane as He faced death. He reasoned with His Father with a conclusive statement, “not my will but your will be done.” Are you seeing a theme here? Therefore, how do we reconcile the fact that while we are hoping for a miracle, a job, a saved marriage, a healing, or the salvation of a loved one, while we wait and wait and wait, sometimes nothing happens. Perhaps our worst fears materialize, yet at the same time we are not to lose hope in God’s promises and His faithfulness. Is it wrong for me to place expectations on God based on my understanding of His word? Absolutely not! However, it still doesn’t make it easy. Perspective Here is a thought that helps me, and perhaps it’s my way of rationalizing the mystery of God’s ways, but I must stand on it. I think it is a matter of perspective. Sometimes it’s the perspective of time. I want something done now and soon, and God says it will be done, but in His timing. He has an eternal time clock. I have a limited clock… a lifespan is considered forever in my economy. He measures in generations. Therefore, perhaps I have to find myself fully trusting Him regardless of how I perceive the outcome to be. For example, think about Jacob living for years believing his son Joseph had been killed by a wild animal only to realize years later that he had been deceived, lived years in grief, only to find out that God had redeemed the evil in a most spectacular fashion. Take time to think of the myriad examples of men and women in the Bible that lived in faith, not knowing if what God was doing was working or not, but whole-heartedly believed Him anyway. That does not remove the tension, but it does give it perspective. God does not exist to serve me, but I exist to serve Him. Therefore, what is it today that you do not understand about God? What promise has He not fulfilled yet? Where are you disappointed in Him? What are you waiting for? Where do you feel that perhaps God has forgotten you? Remember, He has never broken a promise, and remember He gave it all for you; therefore, He has no reason to change. Start this fall with a recalibration of your expectations. Identify them, articulate them, put them in the proper place, hope for the best, but surrender your perspective, learn to be suspicious of your opinion and draw close to Him. The closer you are to Him the clearer His perspective becomes. By the way, God exceeded our expectations in the Grand Canyon. It was what man had done that was a disappointment. Are you seeing a theme here? Stephan N. Tchividjian is the CEO and co-founder of the National Christian Foundation South Florida. Visit southflorida.ncfgiving.com to learn more. - Stephan N. Tchividjian - CEO and Co-Founder National Christian Foundation We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Box
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10 SEPTEMBER 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition YOU ASK WHY Your Work Matters to God On September 4, Americans will celebrate the federal holiday known as Labor Day. So I’d like to give you a word of eternal encouragement about your labor: No matter where you work and what you do, your work matters to God. First, we must remember that work is not a result of the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Work was given to them before they sinned and rebelled against God. Work is one of God’s many good gifts to mankind. Theologians frequently refer to this as the Cultural Mandate or the Creation Mandate. “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground’” (Genesis 1:27-28). In this primordial truth, God is instructing men and women to be co-laborers with Him in creating culture that honors and glorifies Him. Perhaps no one has explained this truth more succinctly than Nancy Pearcey in her book Total Truth: “In Genesis, God gives what we might call the first job description: ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.’ The first phase, ‘be fruitful and multiply’ means to develop the social world: build families, churches, schools, cities, government, laws. The second phrase, ‘subdue the earth,’ means to harness the natural world: plant crops, build bridges, design computers, compose music. This passage is sometimes called the Cultural Mandate because it tells us that our original purpose was to create cultures, build civilizations – nothing less.” As image-bearers of the Most-High God, Adam and Eve were called to faithfully work to expand the cause of God’s Kingdom for the flourishing of all humanity. When sin entered the world, however, work was cursed and became much more difficult to perform than it had been previously, due to God’s judgment on Adam’s treacherous rebellion. The creation that groans for redemption is working against us. Secular and Sacred But this does not negate the truth that all of our work in every legitimate sphere of influence matters to God. Once we have established the correct, biblical understanding that work is a good gift from God and not a curse, we must also dismantle the false notion that some work is “secular” and doesn’t matter to God, while other work is “sacred” and matters deeply to God. All work is worship to God when you are doing it for His glory to expand His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven! Many mistakenly believe that only those in full-time vocational capacities – pastors, priests, missionaries, evangelists, and those who serve in parachurch organizations – are performing “sacred” work. The Protestant Reformers addressed this error centuries ago. Martin Luther utterly rejected the idea of “secular” work. He was certain there was no difference in God’s eyes between the milkmaid and the plowboy and the nun and the priest. Luther considered all work to be priestly work and an act of worship when it was performed for the glory of God. Luther wrote, “The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.” One of the many exquisite beauties of Christianity is that it speaks into the lion’s share of our lives. Followers of Christ must understand that all work done to the best of our ability for the glory of God and the expansion of His kingdom is a sacred act of worship and ultimately fulfills our original purpose of expanding the borders of our lives to the boundaries of God’s kingdom. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15). The creation ordinance of the Cultural Mandate is rooted in our identity as image-bearers of God. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In a word, God worked, and that means that all men and women, who are made in His image, are blessed to be able to work, both before and after the Fall. This applies to all people in all places and at all times. Work is a gift! “God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth’” (Genesis 9:1). Meaning, significance and purpose As a pastor, I have the privilege of counseling people from all walks of life who are looking for meaning, significance, and purpose in life. Well, here it is! The most fundamental truth about our human existences is that every person has been made by God to represent God in this world. This means that every person has dignity, value and worth, no matter who they are and what they do. As God’s representatives, we are to steward all of His resources to create culture for God’s glory and the eternal good of others . . . all others. Cultures and faith traditions that distort this truth and relegate women to a less important role have missed the significance of the biblical accounts of women like Miriam, Deborah, Abigail, Esther, Mary, Lydia, Phoebe, Priscilla, and the Proverbs 31 woman, to name just a few. How do you view your current station in life? Are you merely working for the weekend? Or for the glory of God? Do you thank God it’s Friday? Or do you thank God every day you have the privilege of doing your work to expand the cause of His kingdom in this world for the good of others? Have you fallen into the trap of seeing some work as sacred and some as secular? Whether you are serving as a butcher, baker or candlestick maker, if you are working to the best of your ability for the glory of God, your work matters to God. One of the best ways for you to love your neighbor as yourself is to strive for excellence at whatever job you do. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). From teachers to travel agents, artists to accountants, farmers to financial advisers, cooks to CEOs, homemakers to healthcare professionals, painters to police officers, farmers to fashion designers . . . each man or woman is doing what God has currently assigned to them. There is no such thing as a “secular job” in God’s kingdom. Every job — your job — is sacred work, and as you perform it for the glory of God, you are taking part in God’s work of restoration in this fallen world. Keep this biblical truth in view and you will find the meaning, significance, and purpose you are looking for — right now, right where you work, because you now know that your work matters to God. Jesus Christ died on a cross to redeem your life . . . and your work. This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN! Dr. Tommy Boland is senior pastor of Cross Community Church in Deerfield Beach (www.thecrosscc.org). He blogs regularly at tommyboland.com. - Dr. Tommy Boland - Cross Community Church Pastor
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THE CODE 12 SEPTEMBER 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters” (Psalm 23:1–2). Virtually every educated mind in the Englishspeaking world has heard the words of this psalm of King David. These words to our loving Shepherd have been spoken by many a soldier under a starfilled sky during a dark night in a foxhole on some faraway battlefield. These are the words whose syllables have been formed by, and whispered through, the lips of many while dying on a bed of affliction. These are the very words, like a lullaby for fear, that have brought hope and peace to millions across the centuries. When, in a Galilean setting, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11), every hearer’s mind must have raced back to these words of the psalmist: “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1). One of the clearest pictures of Jesus in the Old Testament is here in this old and oft-repeated psalm. The first five words hold the key and form the foundation of the entire chapter. “The… Lord… is… my… shepherd.” Once sealed in our hearts, these words speak volumes about our own relationship with the good Shepherd. Preeminent Note the first two words, “The Lord.” The scripture does not say, “A Lord is my shepherd.” It says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” There is no other Lord. He is preeminent. If you speak of Washington, I can speak of Lincoln. If you speak of Beethoven, I can speak of Handle. If you speak of Alexander, I can speak of Napoleon. But when it comes to Christ, He stands alone. He has no peer. There is only one Lord. Only the records of heaven have recorded how many martyrs have laid down their lives and met their deaths because they insisted on the first two words of this psalm, “The Lord.” They gave their lives to proclaim the truth: Jesus is the one and only Lord. Present David continued, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Oh, the depth of meaning of this little two-letter word. This good Shepherd, Jesus, is with me right now. This is not past tense. It does not say, “The Lord was my shepherd.” It is not future tense. It does not say, “The Lord will be my shepherd.” He is not only preeminent, He is present — “The Lord is my shepherd.” He is with us at this present moment to meet our immediate needs. Personal But there is more. The psalmist said, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Jesus is intensely personal. There is a huge difference between saying, “The Lord is a shepherd,” and saying, “The Lord is my shepherd.” What a difference comes to life’s circumstances and situations with that little word, my! We may hear of someone’s child who is deathly sick and have compassion and feel sorrow. But what a vast difference it makes if it is “my” child. This is not just any shepherd of whom David speaks. This is my shepherd. You are not simply some insignificant speck of protoplasm in this vast array of solar systems. The fact that the God of this universe is concerned about you and me personally gives purpose and meaning to our brief sojourn here on this small planet, suspended in the vastness of the immeasurable universe. Say it softly and ponder this wonderful truth—“The Lord is my shepherd.” One thousand years after David penned these words, Jesus made it clearly known He was the One the psalmist spoke of, saying, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). We find Jesus, our Shepherd-Savior here in the Psalms. Protective We find that Jesus is not only preeminent, present and personal, but HE is also protective. “The Lord is my shepherd.” One of the primary tasks of a shepherd is to protect his sheep. Without a good shepherd, the sheep could not find their way to water or other necessities. The shepherd keeps a constant vigil, watching for wild animals or other dangers that might harm his sheep. A good shepherd also goes after the sheep that strays from the fold. Who could ever forget the story Jesus told of the lost sheep in Luke 15? Without a shepherd, sheep are virtually helpless. They cannot find their way through treacherous mountain passes or run fast enough to escape predators, nor are they strong enough to defend themselves. Sheep are not prepared for flight or fight. Just as sheep need their shepherd, so do we need ours. Yes, “The Lord is my shepherd.” To this very day, Bedouin shepherds can be seen on the hillsides of Judea walking with their sheep along the mountain paths. They are always in front of the sheep, never behind them. That is because, unlike cattlemen with their cattle, shepherds never drive their sheep. Shepherds lead, and the sheep follow. Our Lord will never force us or drive us against our will. He leads us, and all we have to do is follow. As we journey through God’s Word, we find Jesus in every book of the Bible. No clearer picture of Him is found than in the book of Psalms. He is our Shepherd. From His lips come these poignant words, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). Are you listening? Are you following? Taken from The Bible Code by O.S. Hawkins. Copyright © 2020 by Dr. O.S. Hawkins. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. O. S. Hawkins is the chancellor of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served pastorates, including the First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, for more than 25 years. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, he has a BBA from Texas Christian University and his MDiv and Ph.D. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For almost a quarter of a century, he served as president of GuideStone Financial Resources, with assets under management of $20 billion, serving 250,000 pastors, church staff members, missionaries, doctors, university professors, and other workers in various Christian organizations with their investment, retirement and benefit service needs. He is the author of more than 40 books and regularly speaks to business groups and churches nationwide. All of the author’s royalties and proceeds from the Code series support Mission:Dignity. You can learn more about Mission:Dignity by visiting MissionDignity.org. - Dr. O.S. Hawkins - Chancellor, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary He Is Our Shepherd
ENCOURAGEMENT 14 SEPTEMBER 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition Paul Harvey's voice and delivery were exceptional, not to mention the mandatory ending to his daily broadcast. I take monthly license with these articles by utilizing his familiar format; a personal experience followed by a weaving tale until we get to "the end of the story." And today will be more of the same. There I was in the afternoon gym class prepared to give it all for the team. The coach had broken us into four groups of four for a relay race only available to the swiftest. We were running dead last as I received the baton from my exhausted teammate. As I took off after my prey, it seemed rather improbable that I could catch up, much less win... but I did. I never forgot that afternoon, for it provided me two prizes: one on the track and the other to my reputation as one of the fastest kids in high school. Exhortations regarding the Christian marathon Saul of Tarsus was a racing enthusiast and fully displayed it in his exhortations regarding the Christian marathon. He shared with Timothy to finish the race and to keep the faith. He inquired from the church in Galatia as to what had kept them from running the good race. He reminded the Corinthians that strict training was needed in order to race at the highest level, and that he pushed his body constantly in order not to disqualify himself from the prize. In the letter to the Hebrews, the writer exhorted the Jewish Christians to run the race with perseverance, given that they were surrounded by a great number of witnesses; certainly sounds like Apostle Paul advice. As I turned "much older" last month, the idea of what race strategy to use during the last 100 yards of my life requires additional thought and prayer. The fact that I have gotten this far is surprising given my lack of spiritual training. For openers, God wants me to participate not just spectate the rest of the way. However, should I pace myself to gain time or sprint to a quick finish? How much gas do I have in the tank? Do the last being first apply here? Aldous Huxley wrote a famous essay entitled "Ends and Means" about processes and results, which finds relevance in this discussion. For a good portion of my life, the mostly fleshly approach to living yielded very spotty results and feelings of frustration and guilt. I wanted to believe, much like Paul the Apostle, that despite wanting to do good, it was evil that triumphed in my life. But if the truth be told, the negative results occurred not despite my good intentions but rather because I chose evil once too many times. Could the reason be that stenciled on my running shirt was the word "me" instead of the word GOD? My racing coach A major goal for the final push should feature paying closer attention to vertical advice from The Lord in order to give horizontal stability to my roller coaster life. Heeding and following the advice of my racing coach, the Holy Spirit, will pay dividends in both stamina and approach for the task at hand. And as I share with my brothers and sisters at church and at Bible Studies, it is so rewarding to know that others are cheering me on. The world screams that "the end justifies the means"; yet it is only through His justification that I am afforded the righteousness to finish the course with the reward of eternal life in Heaven. Running for the Lord is made easier since He promises to carry us to the finish line on his broad shoulders. And when we get there, He will be waiting for us, not with a banana and a bottle of water, but rather with open arms and a trophy that reads, "Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant." I would love to turn back the clock and run the last 100 yards at the same breakneck speed of decades past, but I suspect that may not be the case; maybe the best I can hope for is to be "a tortoise for God." Hopefully, my final approach will mirror Paul's when he declared in Acts 20:24, "I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given, the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace." ...looking forward to the rest of the story! On The Run - Omar Aleman - Aleman and Associates
FOSTER CARE 16 SEPTEMBER 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition As I am writing I am in Upstate New York this summer, and while here, we visited the St. Lawrence River. This is a massive river and a popular route for shipping containers. As I watched these massive boats hauling hundreds of shipping containers, I was reminded of a story from 4KIDS. Just a couple of years ago, a little girl came to a 4KIDS Foster Family in Palm Beach County, and the trauma she had endured prior to arriving at their home was heartbreaking. This little girl had traveled all the way from Guatemala in a shipping container. I cannot imagine the fear she had to experience and the discomfort of being stuck inside a shipping container for so long. Alone, scared, and in an unfamiliar country, she was first placed in the home of a relative where she faced physical abuse. When 4KIDS was notified that this little girl was in need of a safe and loving foster home, Cheryl* who was a foster parent with 4KIDS for five years, said “yes” to her immediately. Her 4KIDS Foster Family took a long journey with her so she could experience healing. It took time and trauma-informed therapy to help her recover from her unimaginable experience. Within the first year of living with Cheryl and her three adoptive daughters, she began to thrive both academically and emotionally. Once guarded and fearful, she is now known best for her love of laughter and fun. Human trafficking prevention We don’t know what could have happened to this little girl had she not been discovered by the right people and eventually delivered safely to a 4KIDS Family. Safe, loving foster families, like the ones provided through 4KIDS, are often serving as human trafficking prevention. In fact, an organization out of Texas called Backyard Orphans, reported a university study that found as many as 80% of children who are rescued from human trafficking in the United States have experienced some time in the foster care system. The numbers are staggering and undeniable. I know many of us have been out to see the movie “Sound of Freedom.” Witnessing the realities of human trafficking up close is leaving a powerful impact on viewers. By the end of July, the movie had crossed the $100 million-dollar mark, packing out theaters in a remarkable way. When we see stories like the “Sound of Freedom,” it is so easy to walk out of the theater overwhelmed by such a dark and prevalent crisis like human trafficking. Speak up It is vital for us to take the time to amplify these stories and use our voice to advocate for those who can’t. Proverbs 31:8 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.” But as we seek actionable steps to prevent and end human trafficking, I urge you to look at improving the foster care system in our immediate community. These kids need us to see the injustices they are facing and protect them from harm in their most vulnerable state. Micah 6:8 says, “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” I pray that you would find opportunities to seek justice and to love mercy for the people in our community who are waiting to see and experience hope. Kevin Enders is the President of 4KIDS of South Florida. Learn more at 4kids.us Far From Home in a Shipping Container - Kevin Enders - 4KIDS President & CEO Aerial view of a container ship going upstream in the St. Lawrence River near the port of Montreal in Canada
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COVER STORY 18 SEPTEMBER 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition From the sawgrass to the beach, two Jesus-loving churches have joined forces in a unique partnership that maintains their individual distinctions under the leadership of one pastor, while creating a powerful spiritual synergy that is breathing new life into one of the oldest churches in Fort Lauderdale. Raised in South Florida, Pastor David Hughes, lead pastor of Church by the Glades, one of the fastest growing churches in the county, known for its creative approach and high-energy music, took on a second role in June as Lead Pastor of First Baptist Fort Lauderdale. A 115-year-old historic church, First Baptist Fort Lauderdale is an iconic landmark in downtown Fort Lauderdale that was in decline after the impact of COVID and four tumultuous years of controversial leadership by former Pastor James Welch over confrontations with congregants, financial transparency and the cancelling of the beloved Fort Lauderdale Christmas Pageant after a 36-year run. Pastor Hughes said he has felt called to First Baptist Fort Lauderdale for over a decade! It all started 12 years ago when Former First Baptist Fort Lauderdale Pastor Larry Thompson suggested Hughes conduct a Church by the Glades service on Saturday nights at the Fort Lauderdale church to attract more youth to the congregation. Hughes said, “I prayed about that for about for about three seconds and said, ‘Larry I would love to!’ It’s one of the most unselfish Kingdom things I’ve ever heard. However, when he took it back to his leadership team, they weren’t comfortable with it, so it never happened, but that’s what lit the fire in me… I have driven by Broward Boulevard arguing with God for 10 years, saying, ‘Come on Lord, I don’t understand.’” In retrospect, Hughes said he believes it all comes around to “God’s timing is God’s timing.” With 25 years of pastoral experience, Hughes calls himself the Abraham generation and says he’s raised up an Isaac generation of young leaders who now direct efforts at Church by the Glades, where the focus is heavily on reaching the unchurched based on the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. Resurrecting the church Formerly known as Coral Baptist Church in the 80ies, Church by the Glades grew out of a similar situation. Hughes explained, “Coral Baptist had a very kind and loving pastor who retired. However, in the years before I came here, there were a couple of staff-led divisions and splits. They started other churches within blocks and there were a lot of hurt feelings. The church went from 900 in attendance to 470, so it didn’t totally fall apart but everything was trending the wrong way. At the time it was almost all senior adults. When the interim pastor became suddenly ill, I was invited to speak one week and stayed, then eventually we saw God resurrect what was a dying church.” Today Church by the Glades is a thriving church, known for its “No Perfect People Allowed” slogan and high-quality video production, with more than 6,000 in attendance weekly at its three campus locations. A graduate of Baylor University, Hughes earned a Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also somewhat of a showman. Having worked as a former model and actor, he appeared in commercials, magazine ads, infomercials and feature films, which begs the question: does he plan to resurrect the Fort Lauderdale Christmas Pageant? “If this had happened 12 years ago it may have been a different story, but practically speaking, it’s not even a possibility right now,” Hughes answered. “The pageant people see first Baptist as the pageant church, and we were, and it was great. The pageant had purpose in its day, but now we’re just kind of building back.” Reflecting back on his 22 years at First Baptist Fort Lauderdale, Thompson said, “When I met David, I said, oh man, there's a kindred spirit. I love the guy. He's a great communicator with a commitment to the Lord Jesus who is able to love the people. I have great admiration for David, and I don’t think Fort Lauderdale could have done any better than that, so I’m really excited to see what God is going to do.” In a video message during Pastor Hughes’ first official service at First Baptist, Former First Baptist Fort Lauderdale Pastor Dr. O.S. Hawkins, recalled, “I’ve known David for decades. When he was a young teenage boy, he used to come up to the church and meet with me, and I saw such potential in him that has been so fulfilled… We’re thrilled to hear that David and Lisa Hughes are there in view of a call to pastor First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, and there’s an extra bonus in their son Charlie, who I’m proud to say is now a student at Southwestern Seminary where I’m now Chancellor, and he’s one of the greatest young preachers in America. So I’m thrilled.” An innovative partnership Now the pastor of two churches, Hughes emphasized, “This is not a merger. It is a partnership that helps both churches. It gives CBG a place to reach, and it gives First Baptist resources, help, energy, volunteers.” The innovative union maintains two separate churches with two separate governances and structures. And when it comes to worship, Hughes said although CBG David Hughes: One Pastor, Two Churches Shelly Pond Good News Editor Church by the Glades Pastor David Hughes
COVER STORY 19 SEPTEMBER 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition e I d t w e a t e G is kind of known to be a little “crazy and wild,” I wanted to honor the stylistic service of First Baptist, which we’re calling new classic. Then we’ll do a second style service that feels more like Church by the Glades with a little higher energy. We’re describing the contemporary service as a double expresso, and the new classic as café con leche because it’s a blend of beautiful flavors.” However, the challenges ahead are much greater than worship style. Hughes compares it to climbing Mount Everest, saying, “we’re at base camp, but we can climb this mountain together.” In the midst of the transition, the City of Fort Lauderdale was hit by a 100-year flood in April that damaged much of the 300,000 square foot facility, making their 3,000-seat auditorium unusable while they await settlement of the insurance claim, and the building was already in dramatic disrepair. When the air conditioning went out in the kids’ space, Church by the Glades gifted $600,000 for its replacement, saying, “We feel like it’s God’s money and it’s our call.” A Fort Lauderdale institution Many in the Christian community feel First Baptist Fort Lauderdale is just too important of a church for us to lose. “For generations this was the turf taking church, leading the charge in terms of the Kingdom, and we cannot just let it go quietly into the night and sell off its assets,” Hughes remarked. Stephan Tchividjian, CEO and co-founder of the National Christian Foundation in South Florida, agreed. “I've been pretty vocal for the last five to six years plus that a healthy First Baptist is essential to the South Florida Christian community. And it's not just a matter of keeping a church on life support or protecting a piece of property; it's way bigger than that. You've got one of the oldest churches in South Florida on one of the busiest and most influential intersections in our community. If you get on an airplane and look out the window, you see this beautiful big church right smack dab in the middle of it, and I think that church should be thriving. There should be multiple services. There should be lines of people trying to get in… I also believe because of the massive amount of growth in Fort Lauderdale over the last 20 to 30 years you have a significantly unreached population that live in those apartments and work downtown.” “There are also tremendous needs, and he’s got a church there that has great potential to penetrate the inner community in all kinds of ways,” added Tchividjian. “I remember when I was young, back in the O.S. Hawkins days, they used to have a big event called the Feast of Plenty in which they closed down the streets and fed many… it just had this testimony of this is how we take care of those around us. So, I told David plenty of times, you're not alone here. You can count on us to support and help you in any way we can… I’m a huge David and Lisa fan because they have such an evangelistic heart, and I think God will bless them for that.” When speaking with the search committee at First Baptist, Hughes referred to a passage in Luke 5 when Jesus said cast the nets on the other side and they had a giant catch. “As the boats began to fill and the nets began to break, they called their partners in the other boat. So, Simon is the one who obeyed the Lord, and he got the blessing, but James and John got spill over blessing because they came and partnered, and both boats were full,” explained Hughes. “God lit this fire in me 12 years ago, but I’m doing this because two boats catch more fish than one, and I’m ready to catch some fish!” n First Baptist Fort Lauderdale Pastor David Hughes
20 SEPTEMBER 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition PARENTING Today’s family has lost something and it’s a huge loss. Not to worry though. It can be found. The members of today’s typical family have lost their connection to each other. They have little in common other than the same address. Unfortunately, today’s family members have unplugged from each other. To meet a natural need to be plugged in somewhere, today’s children are plugging into the outside world and working desperately to stay connected. I don’t even think they know why. The answer is, however, it’s the only connection they have. Pull the plug on social media Texting, Tic Tok, Instagram… all were meant to be informational rather than a relationship substitute. It turns out that these social media venues are now filling the family relationship vacuum. Today’s children desperately need his or her parents to pull the plug on the family substitute and work at re-plugging the family connection. September is the beginning of the Family year. Even though school begins in August, that’s just a dry run as families get out of the summer routine and reorganized for the school year/activities regimen. As the child and teen does the natural thing, reconnect with friends, parents must choose to be intentional about being family. When does your child “own you” … have your full attention? I can already hear a parent saying to themselves, “My child doesn’t want my full attention!” Is that because every time you and your child talk it’s about a problem? Instead of talking, is it a lecture? Plug into your child’s heart Plugging into your child’s heart is not about making a child listen to you. It’s about helping your child feel comfortable talking to you. Have you ever heard your child say, “Mom, would you just listen for a minute?!?” One way or another every parent has heard their child shut down with that frustration. Eventually that child pulls the plug to mom and plugs it into someone who will listen. Reconnecting with your child begins with choosing to make this a priority. This has to be a big enough priority that the parent will rearrange an already busy schedule to make time to be with the child. Difficult as it sounds, the parent has to be the one to be flexible with the scheduling. Today’s child is already overly booked into a ridiculously rigid lifestyle. “What if my child doesn’t want to spend time with me?” Why should they? Look at time spent together in their past. Was it pleasurable or painful? When a parent reaches the point where the child has taken his communication plug someplace else, a parent has to work patiently to get that plug back. Be patient and persistent Be patient and persistent. Set a daily time to reconnect. Work hard at not doing all the talking. Work even harder at not lecturing. Work much, much harder at looking the child in the eye and act like this is an important conversation… because it is. Yes, you might even have to fake it at first. Establish those small daily regroupings. For many that means a meal together. Next put a weekly family night on that calendar. Don’t view entertainment on a screen, be the entertainment. Go for a walk and ask open ended questions then let them talk without interruption. Sit somewhere together and work at starting a conversation. Some reading this are thinking, “Wow! How is there that much free time?” You have to find it. It is that important. Family night was important. We watched our teens start to make outside connections more important than their family connection, and we knew we had to get intentional about getting them re-plugged into our family. Set them up for success Why is this important? Helping your teen find the plug for a family relationship will change their current lives and help them be successful in their future relationships. Today’s child and teen desperately needs to get information from a source that loves them and also has the right answers. From a place that has the best answers as well as a listening ear that will let them process information. To get the privilege of being listened to by your teen, really listened to, is a privilege that the parent has to earn. Your teen might hear you because they have to, but they won’t come to you for answers unless you have spent the time re-plugging. Giving your child the right place to plug back into the heart of the family will nurture the child today but it will also train your child for adulthood. It will help their own future family. That became evident once again this past month when I heard a weeping wife say, “My husband has no idea how to talk or listen. Unfortunately there is a man at my office who does… and I’ve messed up big time!!!” Now, as we begin another family year, make sure each family member is getting plugged into the right place for the healthiest relationship. Be intentional about being a safe place to plug into. The effort done now will bless everyone in the future. Visit parentingonpurpose.org for more advice from Dr. Bob Barnes and Torrey Roberts. - Dr. Bob Barnes and Torrey Roberts - Sheridan House Family Ministries We Have Lost Something Important!
21 SEPTEMBER 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • Christian College Guide CHRISTIAN COLLEGE GUIDE 2023 d y d p e a e o e t l r d y s l n
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