When Sara Dirksen and Tarah Armbrester visited Paraguay last September, they never dreamed of heading up a business to help its impoverished women. The two, 22-year-old Lee University graduates became co-founders of the Fair Ladies Project, an up-and-coming fair trade business to give women in Asuncion, Paraguay, a chance to pull themselves and their children out of the slums.

We currently find ourselves in the midst of an economic crisis and an uncertain future. Politicians are scrambling for solutions, Wall Street is teetering on the brink, and the average American is struggling with, or knows someone who’s struggling with, job loss and financial ruin. People are scared, and they’re looking for something not only to stimulate the economy, but also to stimulate their search for meaning in life.

Author Richard C. White is proud to announce the release of his new book, Building For Ministry (published by AuthorHouse).

In answer to the financial aid cuts at public universities and the need for more values-driven leaders, Grand Canyon University (GCU) has increased the number of scholarships it rewards to high academic achievers as well as those pursuing degrees in education and Christian studies.

In the continuing emphasis on “Prayer: The Heartbeat of the Church,” the theme for the month of April has been declared to be intercession. The initiative will begin in earnest at the next Great Day of Prayer, scheduled around the world in the Church of God for this coming Sunday, April 5, 2009.

Using modern language and phraseology, author, Bill Stahl, retells the ancient stories of the Bible in his own words in The Bible’s Story of Salvation (published by iUniverse). He incorporates the contributions of Bible scholars, historic, archaeological, and pertinent scientific data to “make the stories more understandable and to make them come alive, particularly the people of the stories,” says Stahl, “They were real people with real lives, having many of the same goals and ambitions, concerns and fears we have today.”

By Beth Moore

The privilege of prayer is the flagship proof that God created man to participate in His kingdom agenda and not just dangle from His fingers like a puppet. That a sovereign God welcomes mere human beings to touch His heart and affect His work is nothing less than stunning. A fresh read of Abraham’s intercession for Sodom in Genesis 18 ought to leave us reeling with the privilege and responsibility of divine access.

A Florida bill introduced to “prepare, strengthen and restore” healthy marriages has become a flashpoint of controversy for proposing to raise the cost of obtaining marriage licenses in the state.

Church of God Army Chaplain (CPT) Jeff Roberson and his wife, Amanda, were both recognized at the recent Saint Barbara’s Ball for the United States Army’s 1/320th Field Artillery unit at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.