Latest news with #Christ-centered
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Worship news: backpack drive, potluck dinner, gospel music, bible study
CrossPoint Church: 214 S Court St. — CrossPoint Church will have a backpack drive in support of By The Hand, a Christ-centered after-school program serving kids in under-resourced neighborhoods of Chicago. The church will collect backpacks from July 13 to August 3. Drop-off bins will be located in the main hallway at the church. For more information, call 219-662-2211. Momentum Church: 2200 N Main St. — Momentum Church will have an international potluck dinner from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 13. Those who attend can bring a dish to share and invite friends. Interested parties can sign up at the welcome center or email info@ to say what food is being brought. Those bringing food should arrive 15-20 minutes early. Jeorse Park Beach: 3301 Aldis Ave. — The 2025 Wow Fest, featuring Pastor Beverly Crawford, will be from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 27. The event will have free haircuts and hair braiding, a backpack giveaway, a game truck and more. The Glen Theatre: 20 W Ridge Rd. — The African American Achievers Youth Corps, Inc. will host their 15th Annual 'Divas of Gospel' Concert on Saturday, July 26 at 6 p.m. at the Glen Theatre. Jonathan Portis will be the M.C. Tickets for the event are $15 and may be purchased at Beautiful Things, 4335 Broadway. The cost at the door will be $20. For more information, contact Smith at 219-887-2046. St. Timothy Church: 1600 W 25th Ave. — St. Timothy Church will have Gospel Extravaganza, presented by Urban League of Northwest Indiana, at 4 p.m. Sept. 14. VIP tickets are $75, and general tickets are $25. For more information, call 219-887-9621 or visit Eventbrite Valparaiso Baptist Church: 612 Emmettsburg Street— A Truth Seekers bible study will be at Valparaiso Baptist Church from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. July 17. The Bible study will be a meaningful time of connection and discovery. For more information, call 219-464-1443 or visit
Chicago Tribune
04-07-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Worship news: Backpack drive and Christmas in July sale
CrossPoint Church: 214 S. Court St. — CrossPoint Church will have a backpack drive in support of By The Hand, a Christ-centered after-school program serving kids in under-resourced neighborhoods of Chicago. The church will collect backpacks from July 13 to August 3. Drop-off bins will be located in the main hallway at the church. For more information, call 219-662-2211. Living Stones Church: 909 Pratt St. — Living Stones Church will have a widows' luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 26. The event is a time of connection, encouragement and fellowship with others who understand. To register, visit St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church Playground: 889 S. Court St. — St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church will have a 'run your own race' event July 10. Those interested should meet at the playground and plan to run or walk at their own pace. For more information, visit: Marquette Park United Methodist Church: 215 N. Grand Blvd. — All are welcome to worship at 11:15 a.m. Sundays at Marquette Park United Methodist Church. There will be refreshments to follow in the Fellowship Hall. Immanuel United Church of Christ: 2201 Azalea Drive — Immanuel United Church of Christ will have a Christmas in July sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 11 and July 12. There will be hundreds of Christmas and winter bargains, a $1 room and Mrs. Claus' cafe. Herr Farms: 10150 W. 219th Ave. — Bishop Robert McClory will hold the annual Mass for Migrant Farm Workers at 4 p.m. on July 27 at Herr Farms in Lowell. The bilingual Mass will be followed by an outdoor picnic. Attendees are asked to bring a dish to share and chairs for your group. Monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel: 1628 Ridge Road — Join the Carmelite Fathers in celebrating their 75th anniversary with a 5 p.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop McClory on July 19. After the mass, there will be food and performance from local choirs, and an outdoor eucharistic adoration. For more information, visit St. Peter Lutheran Church: 6540 Central Ave. — The church will host a rummage sale from July 31-August 2. The sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 31, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on August 1, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on August 2. Services are held every Sunday at 10 a.m.
Int'l Business Times
26-06-2025
- General
- Int'l Business Times
From Orphanage to Business School: How LivingStone International University Helped Shape a Life of Purpose
People often draw their deepest inspiration from the family that raised them, regarding them as their ultimate source of belonging and identity. But what happens when this source is suddenly, violently erased? Eric Kubwimana knows this reality all too well. Born in Rwanda's Western Province in 1993, Eric lost his entire family during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Yet despite this devastating loss, he refused to let this define his trajectory. Instead, he persevered, guided and strengthened by his new home and family that forever transformed his life and purpose. At LivingStone International University , Eric discovered that education could be more than knowledge acquisition; it could be a pathway to profound personal transformation and service to others. Foundations of Resilience: The Orphanage Years Eric's childhood memories are filled with the huge absence of family, a void left by the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. At just six months old, he was placed in Orphelinat Noël de Nyundo (ONN) after his mother passed away. A year later, the genocide claimed the lives of his father, two older sisters, and every member of his extended family. With no relatives left, the orphanage became Eric's home. Eric shares that ONN, the orphanage that became his refuge, offered more than shelter. It became the foundation where he learned resilience and developed the inner strength to carry him through future challenges. Eric mentions, "Life at ONN taught me resilience in the face of unimaginable loss. Growing up without a family was difficult, but the orphanage gave me a foundation of care and discipline that allowed me to focus on my education." The Turning Point When the opportunity to pursue higher education arose, Eric was ready to seize it. After finishing secondary school, he was given a chance that he described as "would change the course of his life." He received a scholarship from a non-government organization, His Chase, to study at LivingStone International University in Uganda. LivingStone International University (LIU), a small private non-profit Christian university established in 2012, aims to transform Africa through Christ-centered higher education. With over 250 students from across Africa, LIU provides a deeply relational learning environment rooted in mentorship and discipleship. However, transitioning and entering into this new big world did not become easy for Eric. Like many young people who have grown up in hardship, he wrestled with questions of identity, purpose, and meaning. He recalls, "When I arrived at LIU in 2013 to begin a degree in Business Administration, I was unsure of my future." However, what he encountered at LIU was not just a university but a community of faith, mentorship, and personal transformation. More than an institution of higher learning, Eric shares how LIU offered him a new family, one defined not by blood, but by shared values and a commitment to nurturing spirit-filled leaders and members of society. According to Eric, it was in this environment that he began to heal, not just intellectually, but spiritually and sense of belonging, reinforced daily by the university community, helped him shed the fear and uncertainty that had once shadowed his future. Chad Allen, the CFO at LIU from 2013 - 2018, mentions, "LIU aims to direct its students towards God's mission in the world: a mission of creating, healing, building, loving, teaching, serving, and saving. The university's success lies not just in its academic programs but in its ability to cultivate leaders prepared to serve their communities with integrity and compassion." Beyond Graduation: Leadership, Faith, and Giving Back Graduating from LIU marked the beginning—not the end—of Eric's journey. Armed with a degree in business administration, he returned to Rwanda in 2017 and began working in the banking sector, with positions at Letshego Bank and Access Bank. Yet Eric shared how the sense of calling that began to stir in him at LIU only grew stronger. Eventually, he left the corporate world to enter full-time ministry. Eric describes this decision as a choice rooted in the clarity, conviction, and purpose he had found during those formative university years. Eric shares, "The seeds planted at LIU continue to bear fruit—not just in my career but also in how I live my life. My mentor from LIU still walks with me, offering prayer, guidance, and encouragement." Today, Eric is pursuing postgraduate studies in theology and leadership at Africa College of Theology (ACT), committed to preaching the gospel and discipling others. His story represents one of many similar journeys among LIU's graduates. Regardless of race, ethnic background, upbringing, gender, or physical disability, students are accepted and given equal opportunities to pursue their dreams. While many universities focus primarily on knowledge transfer, LIU recognizes that true personal development is the balance of intellectual excellence and spiritual maturity, rooted in faith and the word of God. The ripple effects of this approach extend beyond individual success stories. Graduates like Eric Kubwimana become sparks for change in their communities, using their education not just for personal advancement but for collective benefit and the glory of God. Eric mentions, "From orphanage to business school, my story is one of grace and transformation. I am a living testament to what is possible when education is grounded in faith and community. LIU didn't just give me a degree. It helped me discover my purpose—and my voice."
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
FOS has beds available for women needing substance abuse help
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – The Friends of Sinners (FOS) women's house has open beds available June 12 for women seeking treatment from substance abuse disorder. FOS says all are encouraged to call the FOS women's facility and submit an application found on this website. People are also asked to call 270-683-7007 for the FOS Women's Program. Animals removed from two Daviess County homes in 'severe' animal cruelty cases FOS says it is a 'Christ-centered' drug recovery program in Owensboro treating both men and women at separate locations since 2009. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jerry Falwell Jr. to get $15 million payout after Liberty University sex scandal
Liberty University has agreed to pay its former president, Jerry Falwell Jr. roughly $15 million as part of a settlement after his resignation in the wake of sex scandals that rocked the famously conservative university. Falwell took over as president following the 2007 death of his father Jerry Falwell Sr., a massively influential figure within America's modern right-wing Christian movement who founded the university in 1971. Falwell Jr. resigned in 2020, and a settlement was announced in 2024, but the terms were not disclosed. But recently filed tax documents reveal the university is paying Falwell more than $15 million to 'settle certain claims and close certain transactions.' USA Today first reported the disclosures. Falwell has also agreed to pay the university $440,000 to settle 'disputed expenses' with the university. The filings did not include details of the payments. In total, Falwell is set to receive roughly $5.5 million to settle the lawsuits along with $9.7 million as part of his retirement package, according to tax filings. The Independent has requested comment from Liberty. Falwell told USA Today that he was 'very pleased with the outcome of the settlement negotiations and with the final settlement.' In its 2024 statement, the university said it had reached a 'global resolution agreement' with its Board of Trustees 'settling all outstanding disputes on both legal and personal matters' with Falwell. 'This agreement is grounded in a firm commitment to protecting and preserving Liberty's original mission of developing Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge, and skills essential to impact the world,' according to the statement. Falwell took over the university in 2007 after the death of his father, the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr., who founded the college. Thirteen years later, Falwell – who shook the evangelical Christian and Republican establishments with his 2016 endorsement of then-candidate Donald Trump — was placed on indefinite leave in August 2020 after posting, then deleting, a provocative Instagram photo in which he wraps his arm around a woman while they both have their pants unbuttoned, revealing their bare midriffs. The university announced his resignation a few weeks later, following the publication of allegations that Falwell and his wife had engaged in a years-long sexual relationship with another man. In a lengthy statement at the time, Falwell claimed that the man had tried to blackmail the family and accused him of threatening to reveal the relationship "to deliberately embarrass my wife, family, and Liberty University unless we agreed to pay him substantial monies." 'Over the course of the last few months this person's behavior has reached a level that we have decided the only way to stop this predatory behavior is to go public,' he said at the time. Giancarlo Granda, who shared messages with Reuters as part of the outlet's investigation into his relationship with the couple, denied the allegations against him. Granda said he was in his early 20s when he first met Falwell and his wife Becki while working as a pool attendant at a Florida hotel. He reportedly began a sexual relationship with Becki Falwell in 2012, which continued through 2018, during which Falwell would watch, according to Reuters. The Falwells had meanwhile financed a Miami beach hostel, in which Granda also had invested, according to Reuters. The Falwells filed a lawsuit over its ownership in 2015, which was dismissed, and they refiled in 2017. Reuters and The New York Times also reported in 2019 that in 2015, Falwell sought Trump's attorney Michael Cohen — who at the time had arranged for hush-money payments on the president's behalf to pay for the silence of women who alleged affairs with the president — to get rid of photos that Cohen allegedly claimed should be kept 'between husband and wife.' After leaving the university, Liberty launched an investigation into his alleged conduct and a wave of litigation followed. Falwell sued for defamation, but the complaint was dropped. Liberty then sued Falwell in 2021 alleging breach of contract, and in 2023, Falwell filed a lawsuit over his retirement package and another against the use of his father's image. Those claims were dropped by July 2024, when the university announced a settlement was reached. The settlement 'is based on a mutual understanding regarding the amount Liberty University will pay its former president in authorized retirement and severance under the various disputed agreements' as well as 'the conditions under which the university will make use of Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr.'s name, image, and likeness,' Liberty said at the time. Falwell, university and its board 'sincerely regret the lengthy and painful litigation process, and each take responsibility for their part in the disputes,' according to the statement. 'Falwell acknowledges and apologizes for the errors in judgement and mistakes made during his time of leadership,' the statement aThe Board of Trustees acknowledge and apologize for the errors and mistakes made on their part as well. The Trustees and Falwell are committed to move forward in a spirit of forgiveness and with the hope of reconciliation in a Christ honoring manner.' The university and its board promised no further statements on the settlement. That same year, President Joe Biden's administration sought $16 million from the university following allegations that students were afraid to report sexual abuse, which included a $14 million fine and $2 million pledge from the university 'for on-campus safety improvements and compliance enhancements.'
