This 12-year military veteran of Desert Storm and 23-year veteran of law enforcement might not look like your typical minister, but Pastor Bill Pope (he prefers “Bill”) has guided Encouraging Words Ministries (EWM) Church since 2008. This mission comes naturally to him, as he was raised in a family of ministers.
“My great-grandfather, grandfather, and mother all served as ministers,” states Bill.
By ROCCO MAGLIO
[email protected]
Every year on All Souls Day, November 2nd at 10 am, a service is held at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Brooksville, Florida. That is the only service held in the church all year. The church is named after one of the patron saints of Poland, St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów.
All Souls Day is also referred to as the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed and the Day of the Dead. It is a day of remembrance for the souls of those who have passed on.
Neighbors, kinsfolk, and congregation members greeted each other with smiles, laughter, and love-- as they always have-- in front of the church on Lake Lindsey Road. The church called Eden Baptist has been the bedrock of this small agricultural community for 175 years: as old as the state of Florida and constituted nine years after Colonel William Lindsey, Commander of the Alabama Volunteers, was wounded by an Indian arrow. He perished by that arrow, but not before making it to a cabin situated near a lake-- that lake was named for Colonel Lindsey. Beh
The establishment of the United States was strongly based on biblical teachings and moral values. The leaders of the revolution were God-fearing men. Many of the signers of the constitution studied in religious colleges and often were ordained ministers. Congress opened with a prayer at each session.
The Covid-19 virus has forced the modernization of three of the most populous ancient religions. The extent of the change will be the most evident so far in Judaism, the oldest of the faith groups which trace their origins to the Biblical patriarch Abraham, when the Jewish High Holy Days begin at sundown Friday (Sept. 18).
Even the shofar (a hollowed-out ram’s horn played something like a bugle) will be wearing a mask during the traditional Rosh Hashana (New Year) service in many synagogues usually crowded with among the largest number of worshipers of the year.
On Wednesday evening, September 16, more than 300 people gathered in downtown Brooksville for a UNITED Courthouse Prayer Night. The event, spearheaded by Youth Pastor Chris Fullam from Grace World Outreach Church and his wife Analysa, was organized by United Youth Hernando. This inter-denominational group is made up of young people and youth pastors of various faiths.
by JULIE & ROCCO MAGLIO
The Easter and Passover holidays of 2020 will be remembered for the virtual lockdown that the nation was under. People celebrated the holidays in different ways. Some celebrated at home talking to family over video chat, attending online services and some went to drive-in church services.
Normally holidays are a chance to reconnect with family and friends. Holidays mark the few times a year that many extended families get together. This year there were few of these family gatherings as the families stayed apart to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Founded in 1996, the SEED Foundation is a non-profit 501c(3) organization. It is
volunteer and donation based. Carl J. Pizzo founded the organization on the
philosophy that communities can make the world a better place. The idea came to him
when he noticed how many people who suffer from illness or personal tragedy qualify for government support.
by SUE QUIGLEY
HERNANDO SUN WRITER
In 2017, a point-in-time count on just one night throughout America, found that more than a half a million people were homeless, according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Homelessness is described as “persons without a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence,” as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
We all stand on common ground when it comes to making bad choices and terrible decisions but this does not have to be the end of our story. Missing the mark is common when we give our emotions the power to guide and lead us and we can make a mess out of things in a hurry. However, there is a huge difference between allowing our mistakes to keep us in the bondage of hopelessness and believing that he can save and deliver us.
