Is it possible to be wealthy and a Christian? For years, many wealthy people within the church have wrestled with this question, feeling a deep sense of shame for all that they have. But what if there was another way to look at wealth?

On Saturday, February 6, 2016, for the first time ever, The VITAL Initiative was presented to pastors west of the Mississippi River and the expansion is set to continue throughout 2016.

Midlands Region Administrative Bishop Derwood Perkins invited Pastor Michael Nations, founding director of The VITAL Initiative, to challenge the pastors attending the Super Saturday Church Training Conference held at Cross Community Church in Des Moines, Iowa. The theme for the conference was the theme Bishop Perkins has chosen for the Midlands Region, “Empowered, Engaged, and Elevated.” There was over 100 pastors and laity in attendance.

The VITAL Initiative has a mission to help the Church of God realize and utilize the place and power of small churches in 21st century Kingdom work.

“There was an immediate connection and the Lord blessed and encouraged as Pastor Nations shared the ideals of The VITAL Initiative with pastors serving faithfully in Iowa and Nebraska,” Bishop Perkins stated.

Michael Nations stated, “If the Church of God is going to fulfill the mission task God has set before us, we must engage every church, including small churches.”

For more information about the Vital Initiative, visit www.thevitalinitiative.com. To contact Michael Nations by telephone call (828) 246-5071 or by email at michaelnations@thevitalinitiative.com.

Level Up Coaching and Consulting, a leadership and personal growth firm in Lehigh, Florida will be taking its One Day Forward Leadership Development Experience to the Big Apple. The event will take place March 12, 8 a.m- 4 p.m. at the Hilton New York JFK Airport 144-02 135th Ave. Jamaica, NY.

ISIS targeted more Muslim-populated areas in Syria on Sunday. According to reports, the attacks left at least 140 dead in Damascus and Homs. These attacks were the deadliest of Syria’s five-year war.

Monday afternoon, while campaigning in Nevada, presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) announced he had asked his communications director to resign.

Dr. T.L. Lowery, an iconic leader in the Church of God and in the Pentecostal world, passed away Sunday, February 21, 2016, at his home in Cleveland, Tennessee. He was 87.

Author Mike Moore will transform the millennial generation with stories that are plainspoken, raw, and relatable in his new book, Love God Hate Church. Millennials are leaving the church in droves. A recent LifeWay survey showed that seven in ten young adults who regularly attended church as teenagers leave the church by the time they reach their mid twenties. While some remain nominally Christian, another recent Pew Research study shows that 36% of Millennials don’t affiliate themselves with any religion at all—over twice as many as Baby Boomers.

A newly-launched ministry is offering both online and direct personal help for anyone experiencing spiritual pain and confusion such as lack of purpose and passion for life.

The “spin” from a number of sources Saturday night was that Democrats crossed party lines in large numbers and voted for businessman Donald Trump in the South Carolina Republican Primary to give him his huge win.