Saturday 8 July 2023

GOD WORKING IN LANGA

Dieunedort Ministries International Empowers Leaders in Langa, Cape Town

By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa

CAPE TOWN/South Africa: Dieunedort Ministries International, a globally recognized organization, successfully held its second Leadership training in Langa, Cape Town.

The workshop, held on Saturday, July 1, 2023 was hosted by the Phandulwazi Educational & Development Centre, featured esteemed leader Pastor David Long of the Friend of God Church as the guest speaker.

With a background as a former Prison Warder, Pastor Long captivated the audience with his lesson on “The Life-giving Leader.” He emphasized the significance of the family, stating that the Church, as we know it today, originated from the family. Reflecting on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pastor Long remarked that it provided an opportunity for the “Family Church” to flourish.

Also Read:

In his breakdown of what it means to be a life-giving leader, Pastor Long highlighted the inevitable challenges that leaders face. He stressed the importance of turning to God amidst the various voices and fears that arise. “In your life as a leader, there are many voices like fear, but you always have to turn to God for help,” Pastor Long expressed during the 1-on-1 session.

The class actively engaged with Pastor Long, contributing diverse perspectives on the characteristics of a life-giving leader. Some of the views included seeing a life-giving leader as a King or Queen, a Healer, a Helper, a Protector, a Unifier, someone willing to sacrifice for their followers, a Provider, a Coach/Mentor, a Teacher, and a Peace Maker.

Pastor Long also drew attention to the analogy of a tree, emphasizing that a tree’s success lies in producing fruit and facilitating the multiplication of other trees. “God is a tree, and we are branches of the tree,” he emphasized. “We, as branches, depend on the tree. The tree is Christ. Just like branches, we must depend on Christ.”

The class then embarked on a discussion to define who qualifies as a leader. Pastor Long and the participants acknowledged the existence of leaders with different roles and highlighted the significance of leading people in the right direction. They identified leaders in various aspects of life, such as parents, uncles/aunts, prison wardens, cashier/staff at shops, employees/employers, neighbors, family members, co-workers, and more.

Pastor Long further stressed the importance of love and its connection to leadership. “You can’t love people if you don’t love God. To love people is to do good works,” he affirmed. Furthermore, he contrasted a “Worldly” leader, whose focus revolves around the self, with a life-giving leader, whose center is God and serving the people.

Bishop Dieunedort, the founder of Dieunedort Ministries International, explained the purpose of organizing these Leadership trainings, stating, “We are inviting leaders (Guest Speakers) to help people unlock the gifts God has given them.”

Dieunedort Ministries International conducts classes at the Phandulwazi Centre in Langa, Cape Town from Monday to Friday, from 5 pm to 7 pm. The classes cover Foundation topics on Mondays, Business and Finance on Tuesdays, Marriages on Wednesdays, Deliverance on Thursdays, and Prophesy on Fridays. Additionally, the organization holds Leadership training on the first Saturday of every month from 10 am, with regular church services taking place on Sundays from 2 pm to 5 pm at the Phandulwazi Centre in Langa, Cape Town.

LINK: https://www.ndokwareporters.com/dieunedort-ministries-international-empowers-leaders-in-langa-cape-town/

GOD LEADERSHIP

Leadership training equips participants with empowering content

Last updated: 2023/06/22 at 2:33 PM

starconnect 2 weeks ago

THANDISIZWE MGUDLWA I Thursday, June 22, 2023

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – IN times of crisis great leadership becomes a necessity to resolve obstacles facing society. So much so as individuals, we have to dig deeper to our leadership gifts and talents in the process of building better lives for ourselves and for other people.

This much came up during the recent Leadership Training organized by the Dieunedort Ministries International and hosted by the Phandulwazi Educational & Development Centre in Langa, Cape Town recently.

To touch on some of the points raised on Leadership by the internationally renowned Bishop Dieunedort, participants left the two day training equipped with lessons on what they ought to do and contribute to their lives and in improving the human condition.

Bishop Dieunedort started out, a leader is an influencer be it in the family, community, organisation, institutions and any other sector of society;

A leader is someone that leads in good things. A leader must first lead him/herself before he or she can lead other people. A leader is someone who takes initiative. A leader is someone who thinks for other people situations. A leader opens a way for him/herself and future generations. A leader is a builder. A leader is the pillar of the community. A leader is a shining star. A leader is always ahead of others. A leader must be disciplined. A leader must listen to other people and always learn. A leader must serve society.

The Rev Pastor Jean Paul Bukasa of Hope of Nations Church who was the Guest Speaker during the two day training added that a leader must be teachable.

A leader must be reliable; A leader must be faithful; A leader must be loyal; A leader must be dependable; A leader must have character.

In a one-on-one session on day two Pastor Busaka added that in order to make progress in life you must have boundaries.

In other words, a person must have NO. NOs to certain things. You can’t do as you please and not obey God’s Will.

” You must do good things you have never done before. And become a person you have never been before to make progress in life.”

And other people’s contribution to the issue of Leadership after the training at Phandulwazi added that a leader must show people direction, meaning that a leader has to know the way and show others how to get to the destination.

A leader must have a vision & mission, meaning that leader must have targeted goals and drive to achieve those goals working and leading other people in the process.

A leader must be a problem fixer, a Mr. Fix It or a Miss Fix It. A leader must be an effective communicator and teacher. Of course the are many other definitions of Leadership in the world.

But the above are just a few of what Africa and most of the nations battling with high levels on poverty, unemployment and inequality must strongly pay attention to. In fact , Leadership Training programmes should be integrated into the schooling system.

And for organisations like PHANDULWAZI Educational & Development Centre this must form the basis of the education and training that the organisation is embarking on in the future.

Perhaps, when the question of Leadership development has been addressed, real change and transformation in our society will come to life.

TAGGED: Leadership

LINK: https://starconnectmedia.com/leadership-training-equips-participants-with-empowering-content/

Monday 5 June 2023

SOUND OF GOD

Living Faith

‘Music & the Spoken Word’ to be broadcast in Spanish beginning later this month

Spanish language ‘Spoken Word’ will premiere June 25; a Portuguese broadcast is coming soon

By Mary Richards 2 June 2023, 9:49 PM CAT

Graphic showing the words “Música & Palabras de Inspiracion”

“Music & the Spoken Word” will premiere in Spanish on June 25 — becoming available weekly for Spanish-speaking audiences for the very first time.

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square made the announcement on their website on Friday.

Originating in Salt Lake City, the weekly half-hour program of inspirational music and uplifting words first aired on July 15, 1929, making it one of the longest-running continuous network broadcasts in history.

The new Spanish broadcast will be available on a Spanish YouTube channel, as well as broadcast throughout Mexico on selected radio and TV stations to more than 30 million viewers. More information will be posted on the choir’s Spanish landing page on its website, thetabernaclechoir.org.

Meanwhile, Bonneville Distribution is continuing its efforts to enlist more stations to broadcast the program throughout South America and the United States, explained a news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

A Portuguese broadcast of “Music & the Spoken Word” is coming soon, said the news release.

Choir President Michael O. Leavitt said, “This is a pilot. We are confident it is going to be well received. When we are able to prove it successful in Spanish and Portuguese, we will go to other languages because our goal is to have ‘Music & the Spoken Word’ heard throughout the world.”

The vision of inclusivity

Expanding broadcast to new languages was one of the choir’s new pilot programs announced last year to extend its reach and mission.

Tabernacle Choir announces 3 pilot programs to help reach, inspire people ‘throughout the world’; also a trip to Mexico in June 2023

“The decision to release ‘Music & the Spoken Word’ in Spanish across all of Latin America is a testament to the Tabernacle Choir’s vision of inclusivity and its dedication to reaching more people with the message of Christ’s love,” said the choir’s blog post.

The weekly “Spoken Word” text is available in 16 languages, the choir’s website noted last year. The broadcasts are streamed on the country Facebook pages of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and include language subtitles for the spoken introduction and concluding sign-off, the song titles and the “Spoken Word” message.

Now, in the new Spanish broadcast, while the choir will continue to sing primarily in English, all other components of the broadcast will be in Spanish — including the graphics, text, and even images featuring landscapes and the lifestyles and cultures of Spanish-speaking people throughout the world.

Leavitt said, “We want the visuals which accompany our music to be more relatable to our audience. These changes will also motivate more television and radio stations to carry our program.”

‘Spoken Word’ Spanish narrators

The initial pilot of “Music & the Spoken Word” in Spanish will feature a rotation of four narrators: Alex Melecio, Ana Yslas, Pepe Valle and Garna Mejia.

Mejia will narrate the “Spoken Word” in the debut broadcast — also making her the first woman narrator in the program’s history.

“I am thrilled that viewers, like my mother, will soon hear ‘Music & the Spoken Word’s’ inspiring messages in their own language,” Mejia said. “Since its beginning, women have lent their voices to the choir and been a driving force in the program’s success. I feel humbled to know that I am building on their legacy as a female narrator.”

Melecio is one of the three guest performers who will join the Tabernacle Choir’s concerts in Mexico City in June. Narrated “Spoken Word” segments will be filmed on location in Mexico during the choir’s tour.

Meet the 3 guest performers at the Tabernacle Choir’s concerts in Mexico City

Choir historian Heidi Swinton said the broadcasts are designed for an international audience.

“Mack Wilberg is a music director that thinks outside the box,” she said. “When he puts together each program, he does not just think about what music will be meaningful in Salt Lake City, he thinks about music that will speak to people in a universal way, whether they are in Mexico, New Zealand, Europe or the Philippines. He chooses music that helps people feel closer to the divine and will enhance the ‘Spoken Word’ portion of the program.”

Other efforts and objectives

Last year, the choir presidency announced four “high-level” objectives:

Expand the choir’s digital audience.
Magnify the choir’s missionary role.
Ensure that the choir reflects the Church’s worldwide mission.
Increase worldwide visibility.

In one of the choir’s initiatives, 10 international singers joined the choir in April 2023 general conference.

And the choir and orchestra’s tour June 13-19 to Mexico City is the first of a multiyear, multicountry world tour, with future locations to be announced later.

Want to join the Tabernacle Choir? Applications open June 1

See the Church News’ archive of ‘Spoken Word’ messages

LINK: https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2023/6/2/23746854/music-the-spoken-word-spanish-premiere-weekly-broadcast-mexico-latin-america?fbclid=IwAR3_zObtuTHAJe_1MYHJdhJ8i3r0gQOlj-96wYZh32RQl6CXrb3YUPOTW9U

THE CHURCH NEWS

GOD & HISTORY

History Revisited

What FamilySearch is offering as it celebrates Juneteenth and African American genealogy

FamilySearch will provide 6 free online RootsTech classes taught by experts and genealogists on various essential topics

By Trent Toone 2 June 2023, 10:59 PM CAT

FamilySearch will celebrate Juneteenth by offering free RootsTech classes on June 19, 2023.

FamilySearch is celebrating Juneteenth by offering free RootsTech online classes focused on African American genealogy.

Six new live and interactive classes, taught by experts and genealogists and hosted by FamilySearch’s deputy chief genealogical officer Thom Reed, will be available on June 19 at RootsTech.org/events, according to a news release.

“Join us also throughout the month of June to discover more about your African American ancestry through dozens of webinars from past RootsTech events,” the news release says.

What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth — short for “June Nineteenth” — is also known as Emancipation Day and Freedom Day. It commemorates the abolition of slavery in the United States. In June 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden signed legislation that made Juneteenth, or June 19, a federal holiday.

On Jan. 1, 1863, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to free enslaved individuals in the Confederate States. Two and half years later, on June 19, 1865, United States federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and enforce the freeing of all enslaved people. Texas was the last state to free slaves. On that day, former slaves began the celebration of Emancipation Day in the streets of Galveston.

What is Juneteenth? And how is it celebrated?

Free online classes

Participants will receive a comprehensive overview of African American genealogy with its unique challenges and opportunities.

The Juneteenth classes will focus on essential topics, such as how to get started, helpful resources, effective research strategies, overcoming genealogical hurdles, leveraging DNA testing for African American genealogy, and how to access lesser-known records and resources.

The classes offer information, tips and techniques to assist participants in advancing their family history discoveries. Most of the classes will provide a free, downloadable syllabus.

Participants can also watch via FamilySearch YouTube, RootsTech Facebook and FamilySearch Facebook. Register at RootsTech.org to add classes to your personal playlist for future on-demand viewing.

Outline of Juneteenth Online Classes

9:15–10 a.m. MDT — “Juneteenth: Understanding This History and Why It Is Important,” by Janice Gilyard.
10:15–11:15 a.m. MDT — “How I Found an Enslaved Ancestor in My Family Tree: Aaron Anderson,” by Karen Strickland.
11:30 a.m,–12:30 p.m. MDT — “From Ali to Clay: Taking the Family Narrative to DNA,” by Cheri Daniels, Donald Shores, Sherman McRae, Keith Winstead and Eric Brooks.
1–1:45 p.m. MDT — “Unveiling Partnerships: Accessing and Using Cohabitation Records at FamilySearch.org,” by Taneya Koonce.
2–2:45 p.m. MDT — “A Lineage Society for Descendants of Enslaved Africans: Sons & Daughters of the U.S. Middle Passage,” by Evelyn McDowell and Ruth Hunt.
3–3:45 p.m. MDT — “America’s True Forgotten Patriots,” by Ric Murphy.

More Juneteenth webinars

The following webinars are available for free throughout June 2023 at RootsTech.org:

“The 1870 U.S. Census: Tracing Emancipated Families” by Andre Kearns.
“African American Resources on “ by Lyn Rasmussen and Julia A. Anderson.
“African American Genealogy: Let the Truth Be Told” by Janice Gilyard.
“A Mosaic of Homesteaders: Black Homesteaders in the West” by Jonathan Fairchild.
“State and County Courts” by LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson.
“Caribbean Slave Registers” by Pooran Bridgelal.
“Antebellum Emancipations and Free People of Color” by LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson and Deborah A. Abbott.
“Researching Enslaved Ancestors” by American Ancestors (NEHGS).
“Success Strategies for African American Research” by Lyn Rasmussen and Julia A. Anderson.
“Using Manuscript Collections” by Deborah A. Abbott.

Tuesday 30 May 2023

POWER OF GOD

Global

In wake of devastating earthquakes, Bishop Waddell signs off on more Church humanitarian aid in Turkey

The Church donated over $13.5 million by early April, and is now donating housing, medical clinics and more

By Kaitlyn Bancroft May 26, 2023 2:03 p.m. EDT

Bishop W. Christopher Waddell of the Presiding Bishopric with his wife, Carol, stand with the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) of Turkey team in Turkey, May, 2023.

Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, recently spent two days in earthquake-devastated Turkey, where he signed off on donations, reviewed recent humanitarian aid and learned about additional needs in the area.

At least 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria were killed when magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 earthquakes struck the region on Feb. 6. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints responded quickly, contributing over $13.5 million in aid by early April through 20 relief projects.

“As we drove through the city of Antakya, I was amazed at the level of destruction. I’ve only seen something like that in pictures from cities bombed during World War II. It was sobering,” Bishop Waddell told ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Collapsed buildings in Turkey following earthquakes in May, 2023.

Antakya is the capital of the Hatay Province in the southern part of the country near the Syrian border. The city has also lost its infrastructure, including water, power and sewer lines.

“For all intents and purposes, the city of 400,000 people no longer exists,” Bishop Waddell said. “Most of the houses and factories have collapsed. Those homes and buildings that are still standing will need to be demolished.”

Northwest Syria had already been affected by conflicts in the region, causing around 2.8 million people to be internally displaced and dependent on humanitarian aid. The earthquakes exposed more people to the elements and left them needing help obtaining food, medical care and clean water.

During his time in Turkey on May 10 and 11, Bishop Waddell reviewed results of Church-provided humanitarian assistance and met with Turkish officials about additional support.

He also spent time visiting some temporary housing, including a tent camp and a container camp, and a mobile medical clinic in Payas and mobile clinic factory.

Bishop Waddell signed a letter of donation providing 500 housing containers for displaced people. The containers are each equipped with a toilet and shower, and provide families with more privacy than tents. Those staying in tents must use community toilets and showers.

Rows of tents are show with several people walking among them in Turkey after the earthquakes.

The Church is also providing mobile medical clinics to the region. Three clinics are operational, and a fourth will be delivered soon.

Bishop Waddell also learned of a fifth location where a mobile medical clinic is needed, and that was approved upon his return home. It will be in a town called Oguzeli where the population has swelled to 70,000 from 10,000 as survivors move there seeking refuge.

Additionally, the Church is helping fund repairs for a hospital in Gaziantep that was damaged in the quakes.

While in Turkey, Bishop Waddell also met with Dr. Selami Kilic, Director General for EU and Foreign Affairs at the Turkish Ministry of Health, and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority of Turkey, headquartered in Ankara.

Kilic expressed great appreciation for the Church’s assistance and said the Church has been among the most efficient organizations in its earthquake response, doing what it says it will do.

GOD IS GOOD!

Global

On World Hunger Day, see how the Church works to end hunger worldwide

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seeks to provide temporal relief by collaborating with organizations around the globe

By Mary Richards May 28, 2023 5 p.m. EDT

Mothers and children wait in line for food at the Ifo Refugee Camp in Garissa County, Kenya, on Dec. 8, 2022.

Founded by The Hunger Project in 2011, World Hunger Day is marked every May 28 to raise awareness about the more than 800 million people suffering from chronic hunger around the globe.

When someone lacks the physical or financial capability to meet their nutritional needs, it leads to malnutrition, wasting, stunted growth and death.

Fighting all forms of hunger is one of the key humanitarian initiatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For example, the Church’s annual Caring for Those in Need report for 2022 lists:

520 food security projects.
46 childhood nutrition projects funded.
$32 million for the World Food Programme.
$5 million for UNICEF’s global nutrition campaign.

Often, the Church’s most effective way to bring relief to people is to partner with local humanitarian and nonprofit organizations that have local resources and the expertise to address all different types of hunger and malnutrition.

Below are some of those examples of collaboration and response.

World Food Programme

A $32 million donation to the United Nations World Food Programme in September 2022 was the Church’s largest one-time donation to a humanitarian organization to date.

The organization was able to increase food rations at three refugee camps in Dadaab in eastern Kenya, helping families and children sustain their own cooking together.

Another way the donation helped was by providing more super cereal — a highly fortified porridge that provides calories, proteins and vitamins to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in need.

The Hunger Project

In Ghana, Naomi Osabutey learned to make bread, and it’s now the primary source of her income. Patience Nugba-Yiyiava was taught how to grow and sell vegetables to help her family.

Funding from the Church helped The Hunger Project train these women and many others to become more self-reliant and have dignity and ability to care for themselves and their households.

ALLOWING GOD TO WORK IN YOUR LIFE

Members

What is emotional resilience and how can I develop it? Learn about the Church’s new resource

By Sydney Walker 27 Sept 2021, 7:08 PM CAT

View 3 more

A couple from Ecuador laugh and stand in a workshop. The emotional resilience materials are currently available in English and many additional languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, French and Russian.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

As the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts, researchers are finding that simple interventions can help build emotional resilience — the ability to adapt to challenges and change — and increase positive emotions.

A recent study conducted across 87 countries by researchers from Harvard, Stanford and other universities found that using a simple method to help people think differently about their situations improved their emotional response.

Developing healthy thinking patterns is one of many topics covered in “Finding Strength in the Lord: Emotional Resilience,” a manual and course offered by Self-Reliance Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to help members and their friends adapt to challenges with courage and faith centered in the Savior.

“There’s no shortage of emotional trials or struggles that we’re going to have,” said Derek Hagey, Family Services program manager who helped develop the Emotional Resilience manual. “The development of this program really is to help those who are looking at the future and saying, ‘I want to develop some skills to help me.’ …

“Let’s strengthen our emotional resilience now. Let’s build those skills that we need. Let’s develop that mindset of hope.”

Cover of the manual “Finding Strength in the Lord: Emotional Resilience.”

In addition to developing healthy thinking patterns, the Emotional Resilience manual includes resources for managing stress and anxiety, understanding sadness and depression, overcoming anger, managing addictive behaviors and building healthy relationships.

The request to develop the manual came prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hagey said.

Designed for anyone and everyone, the manual and course are not meant to be a replacement for therapy, he emphasized, but rather an introductory resource for developing skills, building hope and experiencing healthy relationships.

“The central part of all of this is the Savior and turning to our Savior throughout the whole course,” Hagey said. “Christ bore all the infirmities of this world — not just some or not just the sins — but all infirmities, so that He can know how to succor us and help us through our struggles. … With Him, there’s always hope.”

Some Latter-day Saint congregations have started organizing virtual and in-person group meetings, based on local conditions and directions, to go through the Emotional Resilience manual together with a facilitator.

Elizabeth Valencia of the Dayton Ohio Stake is one of many who has participated in an Emotional Resilience group. She described the course as introspective and said she learned how to develop “a healthy response to life experiences rather than be derailed by them.”

Valencia said the most impactful part of the manual for her was Chapter 2: Healthy Thinking Patterns. As a reminder of what she learned, she still has a picture on her computer screen of the Savior talking to a woman at the well (John 4).

“In the picture, she’s looking at Him, and He’s looking back at her,” Valencia said. “I put [Doctrine and Covenants 6:36] there because one of the things you’re talking about is recognizing inaccurate thinking patterns … and to try and look to the Savior in every thought.”

During the weekly meetings, Valencia said, “you talk about dealing with life and how to find strength through the teachings of Jesus Christ and support from other people.”

“You don’t have to share if you don’t want to,” she added, “but you learn a lot about a lot of things … from depression to exercise to taking care of your body to communication with other people. It covers a wide, wide variety of topics that can help us to be emotionally and spiritually stronger than we were when we started.”

A family smiles for a portrait in Ghana. The new emotional resilience materials are designed for anyone and everyone to learn how to better adapt to challenges and change.

Valencia said she would participate in the manualized-study course again. “There is so much content there, and I think at different times in your life, there are different things that you would learn from the different modules.”

Valencia’s husband, Dayton Ohio Stake President Ricardo Valencia, commented on the importance of emotional resilience for members in his area and the enduring impact of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s general conference talk “Like a Broken Vessel.”

“We’re so grateful that an Apostle would address [mental and emotional health], and the fact that the Church has continued to see that as a need and come out with a course like this to help address those needs — I think it just makes a great point that the Lord is mindful of us and that He’s putting forth the resources to bless His people,” President Valencia said.

The emotional resilience materials are currently available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Russian and other languages, with 10 additional languages forthcoming. Other self-reliance manuals offered by the Church are titled “Personal Finances,” “Starting and Growing My Business,” “Find a Better Job” and “Education for Better Work.”

Learn more at ChurchofJesusChrist.org/self-reliance/manuals-and-videos.

LINK: https://www.thechurchnews.com/2021/9/27/23216820/new-emotional-resilience-course-manual-self-reliance?fbclid=IwAR2G8D_RWgNt3yqhHQXyY3CjYI1nNvonFLHW46BPz8tBKw_O2vBgmGOqCAc