Issue 1.1January 2012
In This Issue
Health Corner
Money Matters
Inspiration
The Holiday
Community Spotlight
Monthly Emphasis
Partner with GCT


Join with us as we continue to share the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. Your donation to Greater Community Temple makes evangelistic outreach and community-focused events possible. Your gift is tax-deductible. May God bless you as you bless this ministry!

 

Make a Donation

 

Pick of the Month

It's been 14 years since the International Music Department of the Church Of God In Christ released a recording, but it has been well worth the wait. On November 1 - "All Saints Day" of the Holy Convocation - the much anticipated project, The St. Louis Experience: Watch Me Praise Him- became available to the waiting public.

Recorded under the leadership of Dr. Judith Christie McAllister during the 104th Holy Convocation in St. Louis, MO, this project is "saturated with the anointed praise and unrestrained worship of the Saints." The C. H. Mason Memorial International Mass Choir really outdid themselves as they interpreted the hearts of members of our great church who wrote and composed the original works.

From the anthem "Great God, Great Vision, Great Accomplishments," written by IMD Vice President Dr. Rickey Payton, Sr., to the church staple "Glory to His Name," led by Bishop Darrell Hines, this project is steeped with musical excellence.

Although it is not the title cut, the vamp of "Glorious is Thy Name" - written by Dr. McAllister and led by Evangelist Leslie Pace - repeats "watch me praise Him" and has quickly become one of my favorites.

There are also three vignettes included. One has IMD Vice President Elder Edger O. Madison, Jr., encouraging us to "Let's Have Church." Another has our Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr., taking a walk down memory lane in "Reflections."

I could go on to expound on each of the 13 tracks of this project, but I encourage everyone to get a copy today and share in The St. Louis Experience for yourself.

Zacchaeus Hayslett
Contributing Writer

Quick Links
Join Our Mailing List

GCT

GCT

GCT
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GCT

 

 

 

 

 

 

GCT

 

Welcome! It seems like just yesterday that 2011 began; now we are starting a brand new year, 2012.

Once again we have the privilege to greet you in our monthly Inspirer newsletter. Take your time and peruse each article because there is a lot of good information for you and yours. We have tidbits from many areas of ministry we know you will enjoy. So don't just scroll down to the end and look at pictures; you'll miss some very valuable information.

Our theme this year is "Embracing The World Around You"! Jesus said in Mark 16:15 "...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel..." Each of us is strategically placed where we are, but we must have discernment in order to see the needs of those around us. This year, I challenge you to be the light of your community!

Always remember, if ever you are in our area, we would love to have you and your family come by and visit with us.  

 

EMBRACE,

Bishop Brandon B. Porter
Senior Pastor www.bbporterministries.org

 

 

 

 

 

Health Corner

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month


Cervical cancer starts in the cervix. The cervix is the lower, narrow end of the uterus. It connects the vagina (birth canal) to the upper part of the uterus. The uterus (womb) is where a baby grows when a woman is pregnant. Cervical cancer is highly preventable in most Western countries because screening tests and a vaccine to prevent HPV infections are available. When found early, cervical cancer is highly treatable.

All women are at risk for cervical cancer. It occurs most often in women over age 30. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer. HPV is a common virus that is transmitted during sex. At least half of sexually active people will have HPV at some point in their lives, but few women will get cervical cancer.

Risk factors
* Smoking.
* Having HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) or another condition that weakens the immune system.
* Using birth control pills for five or more years.
* Having birthed three or more children.

Symptoms
Early on, there may be no signs and symptoms of cervical cancer. Advanced cervical cancer may cause bleeding or discharge from the vagina that is not normal for you, such as bleeding after sex.

Prevention
1. The Pap test (Pap smear) looks for precancers; cell changes on the cervix that may become cervical cancer if not treated appropriately. The Pap test is recommended for all women.
2. The human papillomavirus (HPV) test looks for the virus that can cause these cell changes. Consult with your health care professional about whether the HPV test is right for you.

Having regular screening tests is most important in preventing cervical cancer. Women age 30 or older with normal screening tests are at lower risk of getting cervical cancer in the next few years. For that reason, your doctor may not schedule another screening test for up to three years. But regular check-ups that may include a pelvic exam are still necessary.

Getting a Pap test regularly is still important, even if you think you are too old to have a child or you are not having sex anymore. If you are over 65 with normal Pap test results for several years, or if your cervix was removed during a hysterectomy, your doctor may advise you to stop getting regular Pap tests.

Reference source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Money Matters

Financial Foundations Start at Home

 


It's your child's first day of grade school and the first encouraging words to breach your lips are "Make good grades!" So, being a good child, he or she works hard to make you proud. You subliminally chant "Rah, rah, sis, boom, bah...," year after year as you rally your child through to high school graduation. Your child's default interpretation of the faithful cheer is to make good grades in order to get into a good college or university and to continue to make you proud.

You realize your child is misguided, so in a moment of wisdom, you explain that it is not about you, but rather his or her future. It helps a great deal when you explain how tough life can be without an education. But then, you vaguely explain that nothing in life is free and that everyone must make a contribution. You somehow believe your message is clear when you as a loving, wise parent send your child off to find his or her purpose in life and offer to foot the bill for the journey!

Honestly, parents' intentions are well served by encouraging their children to be the best they can be. But life is hard, and while encouragement is beneficial, solitarily it does little to provide insight into how they can realistically set and reach goals financially. A major part of transforming children into responsible adults is to birth specific financial awareness into their understanding at a young age.

Generally, elementary school children are neither too fragile nor too young to learn how to apply basic math skills to real-life scenarios. Learning how to balance a checkbook and discovering what that minus sign at the end of your monthly budget means are simple life skills that propel a sense of financial awakening into the mind of a child. Expanding their horizons by introducing fundamental applications of the laws of supply and demand during an impromptu trip to the grocery store is priceless.

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." That training includes building a sound awareness and understanding of money matters. Financial foundations do not begin in the classroom; they start at home.  

Inspiration

Let's Praise & Worship in Truth

Praise God for what He has done;
Worship God for who He is.
For God so loved the world,
He gave His only begotten Son.
Where would I be without Jesus?
He satisfies and joy He supplies.
Life would not be worth living without Him!
All things in Jesus I find.
If nobody else praises Him
Let me praise Him and let my lifestyle
Be a form of worship simply because Jesus
Is the one who looks at the heart (Psalms 51:10, John 4:24).
Let us act like God does indeed exist and
Govern ourselves according to the Word of God.
Let us claim our identity as the righteousness of God.
Satan has no power over God's people, so let's keep praise on our lips,
Binding every spirit that is not like God; allowing the Holy Spirit to stir up gifts;
Living holy and sanctified lives in this present world!
Amen and amen.
Happy New Year!
The Holiday

Dr. King Today: A Dream Come True or a Dream Deferred

On January 15, 2012, America will commemorate the 83rd birth date of prominent African-American Civil Rights Movement leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In celebration of his life, we look to understand what the existence of Dr. King's legacy would mean today. Dr. King's former I Have a Dream speech would now be a reality in the eyes of many Americans, but at what expense? While black America has painted the bigger picture of the dream with the inauguration of the first black president, Barack Obama, small obscurities of this picture leave Dr. King's dream incomplete. The Civil Rights Movement spearheaded, by Dr. King fifty years ago, now transitions far past the color of America's skin or its laws of inequality. And the fire Dr. King once fueled for young black America is no longer a blaze, but a mist of smoke.

Today, Dr. King's dream for "little black boys and little black girls" to hold the hands of "little white boys and little white girls" unveils a deeper revelation than the actual activity of unified clasped hands. His dream would particularly be aimed at our black youth who have been afforded the same opportunities as other races but fail to hold on to those opportunities by way of recognition. Too often, the affordability of a public education goes unrecognized by black youth. But to understand the struggle of integrating public schools and libraries across America is to understand the importance of utilizing a free public education. Dr. King also stressed the importance of the black voice or the ability to vote. Today, the young black mind might prefer to browse a social networking website than to cast a vote for the next political leader. But to understand that blacks were once lynched for voting is to understand the weight of One Voice.

Though Dr. King may be pleased with the overall progression of black America, these are just two of the many small obscurities which leave the picture painted by Dr. King's I Have a Dream speech incomplete. It may be the small obscurities of black America that continue to keep Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream deferred.


Contributing Writer: Antonio C. Hewlett

Community Spotlight

World Dance Open House - Free classes all day

Presented by Mid-South World Dance Center at Mid-South World Dance Center

January 7, 2012

It's time for our annual New Year's Open House!

Mid-South World Dance Center will be open all day from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., offering free 30-minute classes in a wide variety of genres! This is an opportunity to try something new and get a jump start on New Year's resolutions to get active, start a new hobby or meet new people!

PARENTS: Take advantage of this opportunity to try a new series of youth classes in traditional and global genres too! Children's classes will be in Studio B, starting at 1:30 p.m. (see schedule below).

PLUS, FREE CHAIR MASSAGES from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Studio B with Kat Farber, LMT of Saille Healing Path.

SCHEDULE OF FREE CLASSES:

Studio A
10:30-11:00 Tai Chi
11:15-11:45 Nia
12:00-12:30 African
12:45-1:15 Irish
1:30-2:00 Adult Ballet
2:15-2:45 Hula Hoop Dance
3:00-3:30 Belly dance
3:45-4:15 Hip Hop
4:30-5:00 Tango

Studio B
10:30-11:00 Massage
11:15-11:45 Massage
12:00-12:30 Massage
12:45-1:15 Massage
1:30-2:00 Creative Movement 3-5yrs
2:15-2:45 Kids World Dance 5-12yrs
3:00-3:30 Contemporary 7-14yrs
3:45-4:15 Liturgical/Praise 7-14ys
4:30-5:00

No need to sign up; just get there early to secure your space!!!

Mid-South World Dance Center will be offering discounts for on-the-spot registrations! Most classes are $48/4 weeks, but many of the instructors will be offering the first month for only $40 for students who drop by and register during Open House!

LOCATION: Inside the Walnut Grove Office Garden at 3100 Walnut Grove, just before Walnut Grove turns into Union Avenue; near the Central Library, directly across from Pier 1 Imports in the Chickasaw Shopping Center.

CLASS SCHEDULES: Please visit our website at www.midsouthworlddancecenter.com to check out our full schedule of youth and adult classes starting this month!

Monthly Emphasis: Purpose

Happy New Year! The monthly focus for January is Purpose. According to Webster's New Elementary Dictionary, purpose means something set up to be achieved or attained.

Many people make New Years' resolutions for what they want to accomplish; such as losing weight, stopping drinking, saving money, starting a new relationship and so on. Many times people start something but fail to achieve their goal by completing what they started. Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed"(NIV). When you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and live a holy and separated life, your Heavenly Father is ready to help you achieve your goals naturally and spiritually, if you choose to follow His instructions.

The Lord has a purpose for why He revealed His Word to us. You will have knowledge to make good decisions (Proverbs 1:7). Proverbs 19:8 says, "To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper" (NLT). I've heard many times that if a person doesn't love himself, no one will love him. God's Word shows you answers to today's problems and, most of all, the love of God. Most importantly, the Word of God says we are free from the power of sin and become slaves of God, and now we can do the things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life (Romans 6:22). Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Thank you Jesus for dying for us!

In closing, my purpose is to say that the Word of God is your guide, set up for you to achieve and attain. Joshua 1:8 says, 'This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shall meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then shalt have great success. "

By: Minister Sylvester Person

GREATER COMMUNITY TEMPLE'S mission is to impact its community through evangelism, discipleship in order to change the world. We are committed to developing the believer in their faith of the Lord Jesus Christ through the consistent and systematic study of God's word. We exist to celebrate God's presence, to demonstrate God's love, to communicate God's word, and to educate God's people.

Bishop Brandon B. Porter
Senior Pastor