March 14-20 is Women's Ministry Week. This is a time to honor the women who serve their churches and communities in ministry.  It's also a time for women to reach out to other women in their communities. To learn more, watch the video below.

Internet Evangelism Day is an annual digital outreach focus day for churches. This year, it is scheduled for Sunday April 25. It's an opportunity for any church to explore with its members the exciting opportunities for sharing the good news online. Ready-made free downloads – PowerPoint, video clips, handouts, drama scripts and music can be easily built into a presentation of five minutes or 50.

2010's focus day will be the sixth to be used by churches around the world since the initiative's launch in 2005. Over this period, digital media have developed dramatically, with the advent of YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, and the growing use of mobile phones to access online services.

IE Day's website is also a one-stop resource covering many subjects including: how to build a church website that is 'outsider friendly', using Twitter in evangelism, and ideas for effective blogging.

Perhaps surprisingly, you do not need to be technical to share your faith online. And you can volunteer to be an email mentor to inquirers with several large online outreach ministries.

Internet Evangelism Day is an initiative of the Internet Evangelism Coalition, based at the Billy Graham Center, Wheaton. It is supported by a wide range of Christian leaders and groups. "I am glad to commend Internet Evangelism Day," says John Stott.

More information: http://www.InternetEvangelismDay.com

Do you remember the television show from the 80’s, “The A Team?” The leader of the group was a John “Hannibal” Smith (George Peppard). Whenever the group had a wonderful idea to get out of a serious dilemma, Hannibal always used the line, “I love it when a plan comes together.” That’s how Bill Terry felt this afternoon when after everything that could go wrong went wrong over the last few days but we were still able to finish all that we had set out to do.

Over the course of the last six days, our team completed the following tasks.

• Installed 8 new windows
• Completed installation of exterior siding left over from the July ’09 trip
• Sealed and painted the entire exterior
• Installed two new exterior doors
• Installed six new interior doors
• Secured the back patio area (installed structural posts and beams)
• Painted the entire interior (3 bedrooms, hallway, 1 bathroom, kitchen, and living room)
• Upgraded electrical wiring and relocated the electrical panel
• Installed new kitchen cabinets and countertops
• Installed laminate flooring in the kitchen, 3 bedrooms, and the hallway
• Installed five combination ceiling fans and lights
• Installed two new light fixtures in the kitchen
• Installed light fixtures in two bathrooms
• Installed new water lines and drainage system for the entire house
• Installed new kitchen sink
• Installed new vanity cabinet and lavatory in both bathrooms
• Installed three new toilets

This list covers the major tasks that were completed, but is not inclusive of many minor repairs that arose.

This project that began in January 2009 required three one-week trips to complete. The groups usually consisted of 6 to 7-man teams in addition to local volunteers. IPHC Men’s Ministries and Acts2Day would like to thank every individual for giving their time, their resources, and covering all aspects of their travel.

A complete photo album will be available on the IPHC Men’s Minsitries Facebook page within the coming week. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and financial support. Projects such as these would not be possible without the full support of the IPHC Family. Mahalo.

It’s with a sense of sadness and elation that we come to the last day of the work project on the beautiful island of Oahu at Life Church. It has been a very productive trip. By 11 am this morning, our commitment to renovate and repair the minister’s residence, in addition to a hundred other things, will be complete. This is the third time (January 2009, July 2009, March 2010) that teams organized by IPHC Men’s Ministries have come over to work on this project. Each team has had its own strengths, as well as quirks. (I’ll fill you all in more later.)

Here at Starbucks, Bill Terry, Gordon Knox, and I are drinking our last hot chocolate, coffee, and chai tea. We will embark on finishing the last few stages of the project, packing, and preparing for our return home.

We’d like to take a moment to extend a very special thank you to all members of the congregation who provided the fabulous meals (especially last night’s sushi). The men and women who worked long and hard to make sure that I, as well as the team, was kept fed had a huge responsibility. We are truly grateful.

P.S. If anyone remembers, come ask me about Lucy. . .

Date: March 9, 2010
Time: 11 am CST
Topic: The Anointed Church Part II

Psalm 8:8 - God, brilliant Lord. Your name echoes around the world. (MSG)

After three long, strenuous days of renovation and repairs, the team deserved a day off. Initially, the plan was to just visit Pearl Harbor; however someone mentioned that we should take a tour of the North Shore. My goodness! What an incredible God we serve. The above verse was referenced during our morning devotions, and it adequately describes how we all felt after seeing the wonderful sights. Our day concluded with a fabulous meal at a local restaurant in Waikiki.

With one and one-half days to go before the team returns to the mainland, the completion of the project is well in hand. By the end of today, the exterior siding and painting will be completed, all electrical and plumbing matters will be finalized, and the kitchen cabinetry will be installed.

We will leave the island with the satisfaction of knowing that Pastors Greg and Joan Hood will be able to move into a freshly renovated residence.

Unfortunately, Day 3 didn’t begin with a rainbow; however, we were all focused by now and had received our confirmation. That was a good thing, because after the issues we hit this morning, I would have easily given up. After our 5 am visit. . . the team readied themselves for a productive day of renovation and repairs. Our goal for Day 3 was to complete installation of all siding, all electrical rewiring, plumbing, and painting.

Remember that on the afternoon of Day 2, Bill Terry was changing out two water cut-offs in the main bathroom when he discovered that the existing galvanized water pipes were clogged. This meant that a whole new task that hadn’t been planned for, had to be addressed. Over the course of the day, all new water lines were installed in the house (technically underneath).

The size of the project has become much bigger on site than what was initially planned for. I don’t care what we say about child labor laws. In this instance, I paid no heed to them. All kidding aside, without the volunteer help of three teenagers and two children, we definitely would not have completed our tasks for today in a timely manner; especially considering who was responsible for the outdoor painting.

Scripture tells us that God rested on the seventh day. However, being that we’re just human, we will be getting a head start and taking day 4 off. Our plan is to visit some sites across the island of Oahu. Check back tomorrow to see where our curiosity took us.

Thank you to everyone for their prayers for this team. They have been greatly felt.

Rabon Steward and Garry Bryant work together to put up new wood paneling.

This morning, a few of us woke up at 5:00 to make a quick Starbucks run. After devotions at 6:30, we were all getting ready to leave for breakfast when we were once again greeted by rainbow. This time, everyone else saw it and took it as confirmation of God’s blessing upon this project.

Over the course of the day, men painted walls, ran new electrical lines, installed lights, cabinets, and countertops, laid wood flooring, installed ceiling fans, and updated plumbing (which we will have to get back to tomorrow). And here is where we had a few problems. But as someone said, every problem has a solution. We were connecting new faucets for the new bathrooms when we found that the water pipes were clogged with rust. So it was decided that the team would replace all the existing galvanized water pipes with PVC piping in the house.

However, the day ended on a wonderful note. Kailua Pentecostal Holiness Church (Life Church) had a combined service with Centro Cristiano Su Gran Alabanza (His Highest Praise Christian Center). Pastor Brian and his congregation were extremely hospitable. Service began with a time of prayer followed by worship led by their youth worship and fine arts team. Garry Bryant, Field Director for Acts2Day Ministries, delivered a powerful message entitled “Faith and an Individual’s Potential.” The service concluded with a time of prayer for those who were recommitting their lives to expanding the Kingdom in Hawaii and the Islands.

^{Editor's Note: Men's Ministries is in Kailu, Hawaii to help restore a house for the pastor of the Kailua Pentecostal Holiness Church.  They will be sharing building updates and photos with our readers throughout the trip. Here is Discipleship Ministries team member Wesley Samuel's account of their first work day in Hawaii.} 

After Noah and his family left the ark, God made a promise to Noah and gave him a rainbow as evidence of the covenant. Maybe the rainbows this morning were just a reminder of that covenant. But I’d like to think that God was making a small promise to us as well.

When one thinks of Hawaii, one’s first thought is a tropical paradise; not Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. However, this morning, ten men from different parts of the country, led by Bill Terry, Director of IPHC Men’s Ministries, converged on Kailua, Hawaii, not for vacation but to restore a house that had been run down. Mind you, it’s not just any old house. This will be the future home of the pastor of Kailua Pentecostal Holiness Church. At the beginning of the day, there were no windows, the walls only had texture on them, and the kitchen was bare. By 6:00 that evening, every room had been painted, windows had been installed in multiple rooms, tile work had been completed, cabinets had started to go up in the kitchen, and electrical lines had been rerouted.

These men had worked so hard that by 8:15 some of them were already “out.” We look forward to the next few days, not just to the completion of this task, but also the wonderful new relationships that have been forged.

To see more photos, visit the iPHC Men's Ministry page. 

^{Editor's Note: This post was written by Emmanuel College alumna Christina Spearman. She and her husband are associate pastors at a Pentecostal Holiness Church in the Mid-Atlantic Conference. Christina's post is one of a series about the historical season of Lent, which consists of the six weeks leading up to Easter.} 

I started observing Lent several years ago when a friend of mine told meabout her observance and her commitment to give up sweets. I was initially intrigued by the challenge, and I appreciated the goal-oriented nature. I honestly didn’t begin observing Lent to impact my spiritual development. I wanted to challenge myself and give up something that would impact my health. Lent grew from a physical and mental challenge to a spiritual exercise that I look forward to each year.

Now that I work at a Catholic institution, I feel that celebrating Lent helps me connect with the students in a different way and share a positive experience with them. This year, I gave up soft drinks and complaining. Honestly, one is going better than the other. I felt that I was becoming dependent on soft drinks to keep me awake and energized, and I wanted to break that habit. I also hoped that giving up soft drinks would challenge me to get more sleep, drink more water, and generally take better care of my physical body, something I think many Christians often overlook.

I knew that giving up complaining would be a challenge, but I didn’t realize exactly how hard it would be. I was shocked at the number of times I opened my mouth to say something negative during the first few days of Lent. I felt that I had become more negative over time, but I had no idea how much I was complaining. Every time I start to complain now, I try to stop myself and find something to be thankful for. When my job is stressful, I thank God that I have a job. When the forecast calls for snow (again!), I thank God I have shelter from the weather. When I feel too tired to cook dinner, I thank God that I have something to eat.

In addition to becoming more thankful, observing Lent has challenged me to be repentant for my negative thoughts and reminded me of the power of spoken words. I have many opportunities each day to speak blessings instead of curses and to honor God for what He has done in my life instead of complaining about things that are mostly trivial. For me to truly embrace the roles of salt and light, the way I speak must be different than many of those around me.

I know that I need to continue my Lenten commitment long after Easter Sunday. Cutting back on complaining is just the beginning. Practicing contentment is the next step for me. I have yet to learn how to be content in all things, but I know that I am getting closer to that goal with every complaint that does not escape my lips. I hope that soon the complaints will not form as quickly in my mind and ultimately my heart. Observing Lent provides me with daily reminders to deny myself, focus on Christ, and be mindful of the witness I am cultivating.