Theresa Flores, founder of Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution (S.O.A.P.), told The Christian Post that major sporting events like the Super Bowl generally have more men in attendance who are visiting from a different city, and often do things they wouldn’t normally do at home. This creates a demand that “traffickers and pimps are there willing and waiting to supply,” she said.

Because of this, about 150 volunteers for S.O.A.P. are heading to Indiana before the event, not to tailgate, but to pass out soap at Indianapolis motels.

Each bar of soap will have a label on it with phrases like “Are you being threatened?” or “Are you witnessing young girls being prostituted?” The soap provides the number for a human trafficking hotline so that those at the hotel, or young girls who are being trafficked, will see it and can call for help.

S.O.A.P. volunteers will distribute the bars Feb. 1-2, in conjunction with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship students who will hand out fliers to raise awareness for the trafficking issue with football fans.

For the full story click here.

Source: Christianpost.com

Source: Christianpost.com
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation announced on Friday that it has reversed course and will restore funding to Planned Parenthood.
A special announcement on the Komen website revealed that the cancer foundation is clarifying its policy changes to only disqualify groups based on conclusive criminal investigations and not “political” ones such as the federal inquiry currently taking place on Capitol Hill.

The announcement also included an apology for its earlier decision on Tuesday about cutting ties with Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

“We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives. The events of this week have been deeply unsettling for our supporters, partners and friends and all of us at Susan G. Komen,” Nancy G. Brinker, the CEO and founder of Susan G. Komen, stated.

Brinker once again explained that its Tuesday decision was not political but part of measures taken to ensure donors’ investments were being used effectively.

For the full story Click Here.

Source: Christianpost.com
The Filipino Roman Catholic Church has asked native boxer and politician Manny Pacquiao to be the country’s “Bible Ambassador,” hoping to set a trend among locals like NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has done with his faith in the U.S.

“We asked him to partner with us in promoting the reading of the Bible among Catholics,” Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) bible ministry, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

“Tim Tebow became very popular by promoting the word of God,” David said. “Some have referred to Manny Pacquiao as the Tim Tebow of the Philippines.”

Pacquiao, a devout Catholic, was recently elected to the country’s lower house of parliament, has yet to respond to the offer.

The boxer, known to wear a rosary around his neck before and after fights, credits God as the power behind his success.

In a mid-January interview with television station ABS-CBN, Pacquiao described his rekindled faith after an “encounter with God” in a dream. That experience from years ago led the Filipino native to give up womanizing and gambling.

For the full story Click Here.

“Starbucks is promoting sin against God,” Pastor Steven Andrew of USA Christian Ministries told The Christian Post. “I want God to bless the United States of America and God to bless Christians.”

“God says homosexual marriage is an abomination and so God cannot bless that.”

The author of Making a Strong Christian Nation called on believers and the church to take a stand against the international coffee company by no longer consuming the popular beverages, serving them at the church, or referring to them in sermons, following other religious organizations like Liberty Counsel which opposed Starbucks’ position.

“Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord?” Andrew shared, referring to 2 Chronicles 19:2. “If Christians support those whom oppose God, the Bible teaches that God’s wrath is on us so the key is if we love Jesus, we’ll boycott Starbucks.”

But how was Starbucks, a business supporting same-sex marriage, “hating God” when they never explicitly stated that?

For the ful story Click Here.

Move over Real Housewives of whatever and make room for the women of the cloth.

TLC is capitalizing on the latest trend of reality shows and giving the world what it really wants to see with a new series “First Ladies” of the Atlanta area churches.

With True Entertainment, the same production company behind RHOA, behind it, how could it go wrong?

“We are excited to work with TLC to profile the lives of these strong-willed women,” True Entertainment president Steven Weinstock says. “With most praise in religious communities directed towards male preachers, we are thrilled to give these remarkable ladies the spotlight they crave and deserve.”

The series will follow the women who play the role of preacher’s wives and mothers at home. The real drama is how they manage both while keeping their cool.

An airdate has yet to be announced. But they need to hurry that up because it’s bound to be a popular one.

Source: Eurweb.com

Tithing, or giving 10 percent of your income to support the ministries of your church, is vulnerable during the slow economic recovery. As the national unemployment rate trends downward, currently at 8.5 percent, the opposite is true for African-Americans. Since October 2011, black unemployment has increased from 15 percent to 15.8 percent in December, according to Bureau for Labor Statistics.

The jobs crisis has impacted giving. The non-profit, Faith Communities Today, says 80 percent of congregations in a recent survey said they took a financial hit during the recession.

Dr. Thomas Johnson, Sr., Senior Pastor of Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in Harlem says many of his members were impacted by cuts on Wall Street, public education and public transportation. “We see a difference in our tallies on Sunday when we count our tithes and offerings that there has been some decline,” he says.

Some of the funds from tithing and offerings are used for building maintenance and infrastructure. But despite the dip in giving he says members expect the type of ministries they are accustomed to. “People still expect the same level of passion, and energy and resources and opportunities in worship.” Dr. Johnson says.

SOURCE: The Grio

Source: Christian Post
Several hours before the season finale of “Kourtney and Kim Take New York” aired last night, Kardashian attended a service at Life Change Community Church in Agoura Hills, Calif. Prior to the service she stated via Twitter, “I want to start a bible study group with my friends!”

The events leading up to Kardashian’s widely publicized divorce of New Jersey Nets forward Kris Humphries became the focus of her show’s season finale, in which she could be seen frequently shedding tears over her unhealthy marriage.

But while the model and reality star’s Tweets on Sunday revealed her angst to see the season come to a close, she seemed excited to learn more about the Bible.

“On [my] way to church with the girls!” she posted on her way to the service in Southern California. Afterward she said that she “can’t wait” for next week’s service, which she indicated will feature a lesson about angels.

Kris Jenner, Kardashian’s mother, was also in attendance for the Sunday service. She Tweeted a message of thanks to the church’s pastor, Brad Johnson, for sharing a helpful sermon about “Toxic Family Members.”

For the full story Click Here.

Source: Eurweb.com
This morning, Gayle King denied a report from Media TakeOut that Beyonce and Jay-Z chose Oprah Winfrey to be the godmother of their daughter Blue Ivy Carter.

The gossip site had reported that the couple chose Winfrey because they’ve grown close to her over the years. But Oprah’s best friend Gayle King, who would know such things, denied the report on Friday’s “CBS This Morning.”

“It’s absolutely not true that she’s the godmother,” King said. “She’s friends with them, of course, and likes them both very much. She’s working on sending them a baby gift. She hasn’t even had time to send a baby gift because she’s been away.”

King added, “Let me just say, if (that report is) true, it is news to her. It is news to her. You know, she was heading to South Africa when the baby was born.”

Identity is Fortune’s 3rd Album and is an 18 track album of encouragement and inspiration. Be Sure to catch James Fortune and FIYA performing “Never Again” on the Stellar Awards set to air on GMC February 11th, check your local listings for times.

Source: GospelFlavaBlog

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Pastors T.D. Jakes of the Potter’s House and Jack Graham from Prestonwood Baptist Church agreed that racial hatred still exists both inside and outside the Church.

Jakes was quoted as saying:

“The Body of Christ will never be what it needs to be until others challenge her truths with their experiences. The embarrassing thing is that we as churches are not doing as well as the nightclubs are at integrating. We have to challenge that. There’s more to it than racism. It’s comfort. It’s the natural inclination to be in environments where people act like you, dress like you, think like you.”

For the full story click here.

Source: Christian Post

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