As South Africans turn their hearts towards Christ, communities are being changed, and major societal problems are diminishing in Gods hands.

Color blind
Racial tensions, for example, have been extreme in this country that was formerly run by an all white government. Though the black population now has equal rights under the post apartheid leadership, they are frequently treated as outcasts by the white minority. As black citizens move into communities, white residents generally move out.

However, one pastor has challenged his all white congregation to be different. He has begun several Bible studies where citizens of both races come together for the study of Gods Word. As a result, his church is growing, and tensions are diminishing. Other trained leaders are also following his example in beginning bi racial studies.

Combating AIDS with purity
As is the case with most of the continent, AIDS has also been wreaking havoc throughout South Africa. According to Operation World, it is the primary cause of death in South Africa, with more than a thousand victims buried daily. This devastating trend is due, in large part, to lifestyles of promiscuity.

Yet through Bible studies, South Africans are learning that God intended something much different. One Bible study graduate says, My life is now completely changed. I started knowing how special I am before God. I even know that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

One by one, South Africans are dedicating themselves to purity, in thought and in deed. And as their behavior changes, their risk of contracting this deadly disease decreases dramatically.

Fire in the Church
It was by Gods grace that the Bible League was able to begin ministry in South Africa during the late 90s. And since then, trained Christians have been working faithfully to place Scriptures, in seven different languages, into the hands of many South Africans whose hearts have been prepared by the Holy Spirit. What is more, since each Bible recipient has graduated from a Bible study, he or she has at least a basic understanding of the salvation message it holds.

One pastor reports, My people have started to read their Bibles and share the Gospel with their friends and neighbors. And I never stop receiving new members for classes and baptism. We are a church on fire!

On our knees
We thank God for the tremendous work that He is doing throughout South Africa. And we know as we continue to place His Word throughout this country, the healing is sure to continue.

If you find that the Roman Catholic Church has left you and are looking for a Catholic wedding ceremony, there are true Catholic options.

In most cases the choice of location for your wedding is yours. Depending on weather and other factors ceremonies may be held out-of-doors.

While some of the jurisdictions do not maintain any church buildings they often have a church available for use.

You may also be able to use interdenominational churches and chapels for more formal settings. Hotels, banquet halls, private homes, museums and other locales are other options.

Assistance in personalizing your wedding ceremony is always available. There are many ways in which this can be accomplished.

Options for readings, both from the scriptures and other sources, which speak to marriage, are available.
Vows can be written by you or chosen from more traditional writings.

Catholic wedding ceremonies which speak to various ethnic groups can also be accommodated. Unity candles, roses to parents and other more traditional activities can be easily included.

Discussing your wishes about the Catholic wedding ceremony with your officiant is the best way for you to get what you want.

Your Catholic wedding ceremony will be very similar to that celebrated in the Roman jurisdiction since they share the same liturgical forms. The Nuptial Mass is the preferred way of celebrating the sacrament.

Because these jurisdictions are ecumenical, all people participating in the ceremony are invited to the altar for communion, regardless of religious affiliation. On a practical side, it only adds a minimal amount of time to the length of the ceremony.

Catholic wedding ceremonies can also be celebrated outside of the Mass. Ceremonies can also be performed by and ordained Deacon if a Mass is not requested.

As Catholics, they believe in the sanctity of marriage; they also realize that we are only too human. When a marriage ends through divorce, there is often evidence that the essential element of marriage did not exist. Remarriage is allowed in order to avoid further human tragedy.

In the marriage between those of different faiths, these jurisdictions are inclusive. You are encouraged to consider how religious differences might impact your relationship. It is not one of those easily overlooked issues.

Unlike the requirements of the Roman Catholic Church, marriage preparation courses and individual counseling can help. You will be encouraged to take time to prepare yourselves.

Your marriage will work only if both of you are committed to making it work. Ideally, the officiant should meet with you at least once before the ceremony.

Remember, to be legally married, you will need to have a license from the county clerk or the state department of registration for the place in which the ceremony will occur.

If you mean “the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church”, the answer is “YES”. If you mean the roman jurisdiction within the Catholic Church, the answer is “no”. The other Catholic jurisdictions are not affiliated with the Roman jurisdiction of the Catholic Church.

It is your wedding, and having a Catholic wedding ceremony may be important to you. Overcome the barriers put in front of you and make that special day a blessed one.

Addiction can be viewed as a disease of isolation, becoming disconnected to life. Addiction recovery and spirituality can be viewed as the process of becoming connected. The more connections in our lives, the greater the chance of coming into harmony with our surroundings.

There are basically four areas of life, or types of relationships we work toward in becoming connected. Positive spirituality may be viewed as having a healthy relationship and positive self-esteem with yourself, firstly. Secondly there is the relationship you may have or want to develop with whatever form of Higher Power is right for you. It can be God, Nature, a Force of Universe, it is up to you. Please note we are not mixing religion with this idea ofspirituality. The third are to develop healthy connections or spirituality is in relationships with family. Lastly is the area which is kind of a catch all, community. This includes casual relationships, work, social situations, etc.

Here are 7 tips for spirituality that are very concrete areas for development. It is very important to be working in each area, set up specific goals that are measurable and achievable. Instead of saying ‘I will start meditating’ say ‘I will spend 10 minutes before breakfast and ten minutes after dinner alone reading the meditation of the day’.
Without further ado:

1. Use personal prayer and/or meditation. This is quiet time to start to develop time for yourself and to assess how things are going in your life.

2. Spend time in groups. This could be attending a worship service, singing in a choir, acting in a play or any group with positive interaction and direction. This enhances our ability to develop relationships with other people.

3. Spend time learning. Grow your mind. This could be taking a few classes at the community college, book study groups, self-help or mental health material.

4. Take time for yourself. Plan a quiet day just for you, away from family and work. Indulge yourself in quiet. There are many retreat areas where you can find peaceful surroundings for recharging yourself.

5. Physical fitness and proper diet. There is a very satisfying feeling that comes from taking care of yourself physically. Get in shape to be the best person you can be.

6. Recreation. Indulge in some activity just for sheer fun. Explore hobbies, sports, whatever floats your boat, but make time for it. Do not plan to ‘get around to it someday’. Just do it.

7. Be of service. Do some volunteer work or engage in random acts of kindness. It really does feel good and build self-esteem to help someone with no thought of reward. This is a cosmic win-win situation.

We hope that gave you some ideas about how to improve your relationships with self and others. The key thing is to take action. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Why not take steps to improve your spiritual connection?

When this occurs, it can be hard for the bible thumper or minister to get heard in the back of the room.

When this occurs, many like to invest in a church sound system so the sermon can be heard by everybody in the church with small problem. I’d never been to a church with the requirement of such a thing until just recently.

Each church I’ve ever attended was tiny, and there wasn’t any have to have a voice carry that far. When my hubby lost his granny latterly, the function was in a Catholic church, and the place was quite big. There had been a church sound system that they used, though only a 3rd of the church was filled. The daddy appeared to have a voice that was relaxing, but failed to carry very well. The church sound system actually made it simple for everybody to grasp what he was exclaiming. It took me a little while to become used to the way the church sound system sounded. The clergyman had a microphone headset on his head, but I forgot about it within just a few minutes into the service.

There wasn’t any feedback, and it was set at a particularly comfy level. I used to be a bit frightened when a song came though the system and I could not see who was singing, but I suspect it makes perfect sense to have some prerecorded music for times when a soloist may not be available. As funerals can occur at any point of the week, it creates a lot of sense to me. When searching for a church sound system, there are a few things to recollect.

If it is just wanted for voices and the occasional song, something simple will do. You do need to get high quality, but it doesn’t need to be a complicated affair. However, if you have music, like some churches do, you could need something more complicated to handle everything. When the church sound system is used to mike up instruments and vocalists, you also need to have someone that knows how to run it.

If you do not have anybody in your congregation, somebody can learn simply enough.