The South has become the first region in the country where more than half of public school students are poor and more than half are members of minorities, according to a new report. . . 

“We’ve got to figure out how to break the cycle of poverty, and the way we’re doing it now isn’t working,” said Hank M. Bounds, the Mississippi commissioner of higher education and, until recently, the state superintendent of schools. “An affluent 5-year-old has about the same vocabulary as an adult living in poverty.”

via www.nytimes.com

The New York Times article above sounds another great alarm about issues relating to poverty and public education in our country.  Churches have a great opportunity to make a monumental difference in their communities.  One great way is through a program members our church has been involved with for years. It is starting up again for this year in February.  Below is the info:

Our LEAP TUTORING PROGRAM has been so successful that we’ve decided to do it again in 2010.  Last year, our 3rd, 4th, and 8th grade students who were in the program did considerably better than the students at their schools who were not in our program.

The success of the program, of course, was due to YOU—and that’s why we hope that you can help again this year.  The 2010 LEAP tests aren’t until April, and so we’ll begin the tutoring on February 18, and run every Tuesday and Thursday until April 8.  The hours at Central Elementary School are 3:30 - 4:30; at 802 Travis Street, 4:30 - 5:30.

Please call or email Sondra Dixon at 429-7510 or sdixon@voanorthla.org

I'm looking forward to having Evening Prayers with whomever shows up, beginning next Wednesday, January 13.

We’re providing free mp3’s of the New Testament in a dramatic recorded format. You’ll hear the voices of the New Testament come alive in dramatic fashion. You’ll be drawn into the Bible in ways like never before. (www.thefellowship.info/ygtt for more)

via cbfportal.wordpress.com

The focus of this Sunday's Scripture Readings is on the voice of God. I happened to run across this great idea for hearing the voice of God through the reading of Scripture in creative ways. The clip above is from Bo Prosser on CBF's The Fellowship Blog, which has more information on the listening initiative.

As Apple as I am, I don't know that anything will top the Kindle and the great resources through Amazon for a while.  If anyone can do it, of course, it would be Apple. Apple, I'd be happy to review it against my Kindle if you'll send a free demo. 

"What Billy Mays and St. John Have in Common" from john henson on Vimeo.

The average Sunday service draws between 100 and 200 people these days. It’s certainly no megachurch, but that’s two to four times the number who trickled in just a few years ago, Butler said. But members’ activities outside the sanctuary -- providing services for homeless people, tutoring high-school students, organizing international mission trips, supporting a women’s shelter -- are extensive. And its impact is bigger than its numbers might suggest.

via www.abpnews.com

I love to hear stories of old historic churches renewing themselves to retool for the future. There aren't many survival stories, but there are some keys to new life to be found in Calvary's story: nurturing community, reaching out to the local neighbors (be they homeless or young professionals), etc.

Some good questions from David Allen for end of year reflection as well as for looking ahead to 2010.

This Sunday is the Second Week of Christmas in the church year.  The lectionary texts give us great opportunity to linger a while with the Christ child and invite us to continue exploring the significance of God entering our world in skin.  While our Christmas trees may already be in the closet or on the curb and our gifts already exchanged for smaller sizes, Christmas isn't over.  It really isn't ever over.  This Sunday, in our services, we will be considering what John has to say about the significance of the the Word coming into our world.  My hope is that you'll take a look at these texts a few times between now and Sunday, taking time to hang on to Christmas a little longer.

The texts for this week are here.