http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/index.htmlHot News!enwebmaster@cfc316.orgCopyright 2006 CFC 2006-12-03T22:38:25-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Sat, 15 Sep 2007 17:42:58 -0400webmaster@cfc316.orgCFC Blog2006-12-03T22:38:25-05:00http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/018ce6e27df7fd386a69984deb0bb2ca-10.html#unique-entry-id-10http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/018ce6e27df7fd386a69984deb0bb2ca-10.html#unique-entry-id-10webmaster@cfc316.orgMinistry2006-12-03T22:34:10-05:00http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/1a9a021216d2e711c96271f6798b312b-9.html#unique-entry-id-9http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/1a9a021216d2e711c96271f6798b312b-9.html#unique-entry-id-9In the book The Irresistible Revolution, Shane Claiborne describes how Christians stood up for the rights of the homeless in Philadelphia. The city had passed anti-homeless legislation, making it illegal for homeless people to sleep or ask for money in the parks. In an effort to stop those who were seeking to help the homeless, officials went even further by banning all food from the park. Claiborne writes:
About a hundred of us gathered in Love Park with homeless friends. We worshipped, sang, and prayed. Then we served communion, which was illegal. But with clergy and city officials there supporting us, and with police and the media surrounding us, we celebrated communion. Most of the police sat back and watched, not daring to arrest anyone, especially during communion. Then we continued the "breaking of the bread" by bringing in pizzas. It was a love feast, and then we slept overnight in the park with our homeless friends.
We did that week after week, with the police watching over us and the media standing by. And then, one night after worship as we slept under the "Love" sign (which we had covered with a big question mark), the police circled the park and arrested all of us.
Later, Claiborne stood before a judge for his "crime," wearing a shirt that read, "Jesus was homeless." The judge was intrigued, admitting that he didn't know Jesus had been homeless. The judge said that the real issue at stake was the constitutionality of the law, then declared:
Let me remind the court that, if it weren't for people who broke unjust laws, we wouldn't have the freedom that we have. We'd still have slavery. That's the story of this country, from the Boston Tea Party to the civil rights movement. These people are not criminals; they are freedom fighters. I find them all not guilty, on every charge.
The newspapers announced it as a "Revolutionary Court Decision," and Claiborne writes that the judge asked him for a "Jesus was homeless" T-shirt.]]>webmaster@cfc316.orgYouth2006-12-03T22:28:12-05:00http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/8ef84e8d923173c5d3c16f8bfc719062-8.html#unique-entry-id-8http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/8ef84e8d923173c5d3c16f8bfc719062-8.html#unique-entry-id-8While their peers may be carousing and into all kinds of trouble, a new movement of teenagers is defying the trends of their generation. These teens are combating ignorance, rebellion, and apathy with the latest in modern technology: the blog.
Twin brothers Alex and Brett Harris, 17, created their blog (therebelution.com) in order to debunk the "myth of adolescence"—that being a teenager means freedom from responsible, productive action. According to Alex, "if teenagers think that this is the time to have fun, they won't be ready to be responsible" as adults. He adds that "low expectations affect you even if you're not into the drugs, sex, etc., and it continues until someone intentionally remedies that irresponsibility."
Both Alex and Brett believe that the best way to remedy the irresponsibility of their peers is to lead a "rebelution," which is a cross between rebellion and revolution. Alex defines this goal as "an uprising against social norms. We are refusing to be defined by an ungodly, rebellious culture." In other words, the Harris twins are leading a rebellion against rebellion.
Jonathan McCarthy, 18, also has a heart for indifferent and apathetic teenagers, although he specifically targets the Christian variety. He says: "The biggest threat that I see facing Christian teens today is a deadness to spiritual things and a conforming to the world in the areas of music, movies, and books."
McCarthy's blog, christianthink.blogspot.com, is the perfect place for him to emphasize a worldview based on Scripture and the necessity of a changed heart. As he continues to mature, McCarthy hopes to encourage others to become spiritual leaders through technology. He says, "We need to produce better, deeper media products and preach a gospel of judgment and mercy."]]>webmaster@cfc316.orgRelationships2006-12-03T22:25:11-05:00http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/49a3fe606769f6ab042da14640db40f9-7.html#unique-entry-id-7http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/49a3fe606769f6ab042da14640db40f9-7.html#unique-entry-id-7Percentage of Americans describing themselves as sexually adventurous—42
Percentage who've had sex on a first date—29
Average number of sexual partners men have in a lifetime—20
Average number of sexual partners women have in a lifetime—6
Number of adults who visit adult-only websites in a typical week—11 million
Percentage of adults who view magazines, movies, or videos containing sexual images weekly—20
Number of adults weekly who have sexual encounters with someone other than their spouse—26 million
Percentage of American teenagers who have had sex by the time they finish high school—65
Number of sexual scenes per hour on the top-rated television shows among teenagers—6.7
Overall percentage of television shows that feature sexual content—70]]>webmaster@cfc316.orgTeen2006-12-03T22:20:06-05:00http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/541af52f71b9a2b64014f41cfbb10490-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/541af52f71b9a2b64014f41cfbb10490-6.html#unique-entry-id-6In an eye-opening study, researchers have found that teenagers who listen to raunchy, sex-filled lyrics are more likely to indulge in early sexual activity than their counterparts who don't.
In 2001, the researchers surveyed 1,461 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17. Most of the participants were virgins at the beginning of the study. Between 2002 and 2004, the researchers carried out follow-up interviews to track the sexual developments in the teens' lives. Around 51 per cent of teens whose music collection consisted mainly of sexually degrading music began having sex within two years of the three-year study as against 29 per cent of those who did not enjoy such music. The research was first published in Pediatrics journal.
"A lot of teens think that's the way they're supposed to be," says 17-year-old Natasha Ramsey. She is editor of sexetc.com, a Rutgers University Website on teenage sexual health. "They think that's the cool thing to do." She agrees that music is a major decision driver. "Teens will try to deny it; they'll say: 'No, it's not the music.' But it IS the music! That has one of the biggest impacts on our lives.]]>webmaster@cfc316.orgFamily2006-12-03T22:16:20-05:00http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/c9ef663039db32068b4e50f4685bfd8b-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/c9ef663039db32068b4e50f4685bfd8b-5.html#unique-entry-id-5A 2006 study conducted by Success magazine uncovered some surprising insights into the way Americans view success. For example, in response to the phrase, "Success in business means…," 60 percent of the respondents selected "Adding value to the lives of others." Only 18.8 percent said success meant "Making a lot of money."
The following are results for the question, "What is the single most important element for success?"
Faith—41.0 percent
Family—25.5 percent
Balanced life—11.7 percent
Happiness—7.3 percent
In addition, respondents were asked to identify "The most important factors for success":
Good relationship with family—89.9 percent
Good relationship with spouse—89.6 percent
Good relationship with God—86.0 percent
Freedom to do what you want—61.7 percent
Financial security—57.5 percent
Good career—47.1 percent
Leaving a legacy—43.4 percent
Money/wealth—32.3 percent]]>webmaster@cfc316.orgChurch2006-12-03T22:12:17-05:00http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/b071b6a086c51c167b4c429d2e8522bc-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/b071b6a086c51c167b4c429d2e8522bc-4.html#unique-entry-id-4In September of 2006, Sociologists from Baylor University released the results of a study looking into America's different views of God. Part of the study was a survey conducted by the Gallup organization, which identified four distinct views of God's personality and interaction with the world. Baylor researchers outlined the results as follows:
Thos who believe in an "Authoritarian God" who is "angry at humanity's sins and engaged in every creature's life and world affairs": 31.4 percent.
Those who believe in a "Benevolent God" who is forgiving and accepting of anyone who repents: 23 percent.
Those who believe in a "Critical God" who "has his judgmental eye on the world, but he's not going to intervene, either to punish or comfort": 16 percent.
Those who believe in a "Distant God" who is more of a "cosmic force that launched the world, then left it spinning on its own": 24.4 percent.]]>webmaster@cfc316.orgHuman Interests2006-12-03T22:04:56-05:00http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/568c69db2c20200119c3f61fbf20f3d3-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/568c69db2c20200119c3f61fbf20f3d3-3.html#unique-entry-id-3The cover story of the September 18, 2006, edition of Time magazine asked, "Does God Want You to Be Rich?" In researching for that article, Time phoned 770 self-reporting Christians across the United States and asked them to agree or disagree with the following statements:
Obtaining wealth…
God wants people to be financially prosperous.
Agree: 61 percent
Disagree: 26 percent
Material wealth is a sign of God's blessing.
Agree: 21 percent
Disagree: 73 percent
Poverty can be a blessing from God.
Agree: 45 percent
Disagree: 49 percent
Jesus was not rich, and we should follow his example.
Agree: 48 percent
Disagree: 44 percent
…And giving it away
If you give away your money to God, he will bless you with more money.
Agree: 31 percent
Disagree: 63 percent
Christians in the U.S. don't do enough for the poor.
Agree: 49 percent
Disagree: 43 percent
Giving away 10 percent of your income is the minimum God expects.
Agree: 39 percent
Disagree: 57 percent]]>webmaster@cfc316.orgHuman Interests2006-12-03T21:59:16-05:00http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/8692afe07cb9c929ae9a5184f76e8480-2.html#unique-entry-id-2http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/8692afe07cb9c929ae9a5184f76e8480-2.html#unique-entry-id-2According to the Self Storage Association, a trade group charged with monitoring such things, the country now possesses about 1.9 billion square feet of personal storage space outside of the home. All this space is contained in nearly 40,000 facilities owned and operated by more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, including a handful of publicly traded giants like Public Storage, Storage USA, and Shurgard.
According to a recent survey, the owners of 1 out of every 11 homes also own a self-storage space. This represents an increase of 75 percent since 1995. Most operators of self-storage facilities report 90 percent occupancy, with average stints among renters of 15 months. Last year alone saw a 24 percent spike in the number of self-storage units on the market.
But, amazingly, as the amount of storage space required by homeowners has grown, so has the average size of the American house. In fact, the National Association of Homebuilders reports that the average American house grew from 1,660 square feet in 1973 to 2,400 square feet in 2004.
]]>webmaster@cfc316.orgHumor2006-12-03T21:58:33-05:00http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/661a5221b3ad946466c293603d2a4a78-1.html#unique-entry-id-1http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/661a5221b3ad946466c293603d2a4a78-1.html#unique-entry-id-1A woman was doing her last-minute Christmas shopping at a crowded mall. She was tired of fighting the crowds. She was tired of standing in lines. She was tired of fighting her way down long aisles looking for a gift that had sold out days before.
Her arms were full of bulky packages when an elevator door opened. It was full. The occupants of the elevator grudgingly tightened ranks to allow a small space for her and her load.
As the doors closed, she blurted out, "Whoever is responsible for this whole Christmas thing ought to be arrested, strung up, and shot!"
A few others nodded theirs heads or grunted in agreement.
Then, from somewhere in the back of the elevator, came a single voice that said: "Don't worry. They already crucified him."]]>webmaster@cfc316.orgChurch2006-12-03T04:26:02-05:00http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/f33923bcae1f4ff0a2abecb18a1c0288-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://homepage.mac.com/gspring1/My%20Website/page8/files/f33923bcae1f4ff0a2abecb18a1c0288-0.html#unique-entry-id-0-edmond]]>