Cleveland, TN–As part of the recent Ministerial Internship Program (MIP) Commissioning weekend, the 2014-2015 MIP Leadership Seminar was held at the Leadership and Communications Center at the Church of God International Offices.

Throughout history the church has, at different times, emphasized power and neglected purity or emphasized purity and neglected the Biblical promise of power. It is not, however, an “either/or” proposition but “both/and.” Jesus linked the two together when he said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8).

Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), the largest Christian mission agency to children in the world, announced this week that it had shared the gospel of Jesus Christ through their teaching ministries with 19,914,335 children in the United States and around the world in 2014. This represents a 27.6% increase from the 15,612,330 children reached in 2013 and includes 6.7 million professions of faith by kids worldwide.

Recently in Uganda, a small school of theology was approached by a denominational leader to inquire if they could train their pastors. The president of the school naturally asked how many pastors needed training. The response – “30,000!” An impossible task for this small seminary that trains 15 students a year.

Houston–In the terrible aftermath of tornadoes and destructive power of torrential rainfall, Operation Compassion, an independent benevolent organization with roots in the Church of God, is organizing its disaster relief partners for Texas and Oklahoma. Operation Compassion is putting in place multiple sites where survivors are able to find assistance with food, clothing, water and other emergency supplies.

Conservative stalwart Rick Santorum is jumping into the race for the Republican presidential nomination, calling on Americans to pray for a spiritual revival “to heal our land.”

North Carolina lawmakers voted on Thursday to allow government officials to refuse to perform marriages by citing religious objections, protecting those who oppose same-sex weddings from losing their jobs.
The measure, already passed by the state Senate, heads to Governor Pat McCrory’s desk after being approved by the Republican-led House of Representatives in a 67-43 vote.

Orange Tour 2015 will help church leaders learn to make the most of every phase of a kid’s life so they don’t grow up and miss what matters most. Taking place in 14 cities across the U.S. this fall, the unique format and regional aspect of Orange Tour allows for combined vision and strategy, along with specific best practices.

This year’s theme, “It’s Just a Phase,” will help family ministry teams make the most of every life stage as a kid grows from preschool through high school. Every life stage has unique characteristics, distinctive opportunities and relational dynamics to leverage. This event will explain these further to church leaders, and help them use the time they have with kids each week wisely.

Main sessions will give attendees an opportunity to learn alongside their team, while breakouts allow team members to dive deeper into subject matter that relates directly to their role or interest. Speakers will include Jon Acuff, Reggie Joiner, Kristen Ivy, Sam Collier, Doug Fields, Carey Nieuwhof, Jim Wideman, Virginia Ward, Joseph Sojourner, Kara Powell, Geoff Surratt, Brooklyn Lindsey, Adam Duckworth, Terry Scalzitti, Tom Shefchunas, Elle Campbell, Mike Clear, Ted Lowe, Tripp & Tyler, and more!

A small group leader training will be held the night before the all-day event. It will be free to everyone with an Orange Tour ticket, and will help small group leaders discover best practices to help them intentionally partner with the parents of the kids they lead.

Orange Tour is perfect for every member of a ministry team—preschool, children’s, student, NextGen/family ministers and senior pastors. Volunteers and key leaders are also encouraged to attend. The speakers, training, networking and community provide an excellent environment for growth.

Information shared through the tour stems from the Orange Strategy, a pioneering concept that believes parents, as partners with church leadership, create the most impacting center of influence for children and teenagers. “Thinking Orange” blends two vital, yet often unconnected worlds to reshape the current ministry model.

Tour stops for 2015 include Atlanta, Ga., Minneapolis, Minn., Seattle, Wash., Irvine, Calif., Lancaster, Penn., Washington D.C., Detroit, Mich., Indianapolis, Ind., Kansas City, Kan., Charlotte, N.C., Austin, Texas, Dallas, Texas, Ocala, Fla., and Nashville, Tenn.

Registration opens on Thursday, June 11, starting at $59. Additionally, the Irvine Tour stop will be a two-day event, and the price on June 11 will be $79.

For more information, visit www.OrangeTour.org.

(Source: Christian Newswire)

Although the circuit riding Methodist preacher of the 1800s was the forerunner of the idea of multisite campuses for local churches, the practice of having a central church that meets at more than one location was slow to develop.