Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

It is that time of year again; when the weather begins to cool in the Northeast and the leaves begin to change, it means that it is soon time for the annual Lancaster Family Circle Banquet! This year, the dinner falls on Monday October 17^th. As usual, it will be held at the famed Good N’ Plenty Restaurant. The Lancaster, PA dinner event is a staple on Faith and Action’s calendar.

A special feature this year is guest Jay Sekulow, renowned constitutional attorney, religious liberty advocate, author and media commentator. Faith and Action president Rob Schenck invites all who are interested to join him at the for an unforgettable evening of Christian fellowship, in-depth analysis of the big issues of our day, and insightful analysis of next year’s presidential election.

Good N’ Plenty is a famed family-style restaurant with quite a storied history. In 1969, Christ and Dolly Lapp purchased a small farm in pursuit of their dream to one day open a restaurant. Word of the restaurant’s delicious PA Dutch food spread quickly, with customers sometimes willing to wait up to two hours for the opportunity to dine at the restaurant. Initially only seating up to 114 people, Good ‘N Plenty would soon add a “Dutch Room” to the restaurant to seat upwards of 600 people. Today, Christ and Dolly Lapp—along with their children and grandchildren—continue to serve guests with their unique home-style cooking.

Good N’ Plenty maintains a unique relationship to its surrounding Amish and Mennonite culture in Lancaster County.

RSVP for the dinner, which begins at 6:30pm, is due by Wednesday October 12th. Bring some friends and come join us at our favorite restaurant located at 150 Eastbrook Rd, Smoketown, Lancaster County, PA. Cost for this one-of-a-kind event is $16.75 for adults and $11.75 for children ages 4-12.

To book your reservation now, visit: https://www.donation-net.net/donation/donation1.cfm?dn=1065&source=113&CFID=13071292&CFTOKEN=79146435

This weekend, Rev. Rob Schenck will visit one of the longest term anchor churches for Faith and Action’s ministry: Believer’s Life Family Church. Located in suburban New Orleans, Believer’s Life has had a close, working relationship with Rev. Schenck since 1986. Rev. Schenck considers it a great honor and joy to reunite with the church, and commented that he is “grateful to God” for Pastors Randy and Cathy Cilluffo. The memory about the Cilluffos and Believer’s Life that will perhaps be most lasting for Rev. Schenck is the role the church played in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. 

Rev. Schenck went down to Louisiana shortly after the hurricane to visit the church. New Orleans had been obliterated by the devastating storm. As a result, all of the schools had been closed down. Believer’s Life, which had maintained a Christian school for many years, opened their doors to any student who would want to attend their school. The response was overwhelming because they were the only functional school on that side of New Orleans. Almost miraculously, however, Believer’s Life welcomed all of those students, and expanded their programs.

Believer’s Life soon became a refuge for people as there were hundreds of trailers on their property to house the homeless. They opened their property to anyone who needed their space for trailers. The church was a safe haven for countless people for nearly two years after the storm. They were a Christlike model of bold selflessness to a community in dire straits. 

Yet, at the time, when Rev. Schenck went to them to bring a financial gift, he was sent home with five times as much as he had brought them. Any attempt to refuse the gift was turned down and would have been a disappointment to the church. This kind of astounding generosity is characteristic of Believer’s Life and its pastoral team. Faith and Action’s gratitude will know no end to this church. They helped us launch in Washington, they helped us launch every stage of our ministry, and they’ve taught us what it means to serve a city with the kind of humility that changes lives and cultures for Christ.

Rev. Schenck will speak “off the record” about his daily missional dealings in Washington DC. If you are in the New Orleans area on Sunday October 9th, plan to join Rev. Schenck and the congregation at the 10:30 am service. Then, at 4pm, you can join Rev. Schenck for dessert at La Maison Creole ($10 tickets available in the BLFC foyer).

This weekend, Faith and Action president Rob Schenck will travel to Layton, Utah to spend some time with the congregation at Christian Life Center Church (CLC). He is invited to speak during both the 9 am and 11 am Sunday morning worship services. Rev. Schenck is particularly excited to spend time with CLC because they are a body of believers who espouse a purpose that is in harmony with Faith and Action’s mission.

CLC has a simple, but powerful mission statement: “Loving God, Loving People, Serving Others.” It is a to-the-point articulation of how Jesus sums up the whole Law in Matthew 22:37-39: Love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. CLC seeks to encourage people to grow in their love for God, because the fellowship believes that loving others will be a natural progression of loving the Creator.

Rev. Schenck will take the opportunity to share with CLC a full missionary field report. The report will provide the congregation with intimate access so much of the behind-the-scenes work that goes on – and the behind-the-scenes relationships that are formed – on Capitol Hill. Rev. Schenck will thus have the opportunity to share with CLC how Faith and Action is specifically “Loving God, Loving People, and Serving Others” in our nation’s capital.

The report will give CLC – a faithful anchor supporter of Faith and Action’s ministry – an opportunity to learn about the latest developments of God’s faithful presence in Washington DC. If you would like to learn more about Faith and Action’s ministry to elected officials on Capitol Hill, and Rev. Rob Schenck’s faithful interactions with those officials, then please contact Faith and Action at 202-546-8329. Join us, CLC, and other churches and ministries all over the nation in loving our country by following Christ’s two great commands: love of God and love of neighbor.

On Monday, Faith and Action president Rob Schenck and chief of program Peggy Nienaber met with officials to begin drafting a resolution in support the King James Bible’s 400^th anniversary. The team at Faith and Action continues to work with the organizers of the events surrounding the anniversary of the King James Version (KJV).  As part of the ceremony that will surround the anniversary we are supporting the efforts for a joint resolution of congress recognizing the celebration. The congressional resolution will include a recognition of the rich history of the KJV Bible in American culture.

The first bible printed in America, the KJV was published by an act of congress and paid for by the public treasury. Since the inception of the nation the majority of public officials, including  presidents, have sworn the oath of office with the KJV. Clearly, it is a translation that occupies a special place in the history of American society.

In the beginning of May, a page from an original 1611 First Edition of the KJV will be on display in the Faith and Action National Ministry center for our visitors throughout the week. Recently, Rev. Rob Schenck had the opportunity to view one of the very first and complete 1611 edition KJV bibles at the Green Collection exhibit. It was the rarest of editions because it includes an error in Ruth 3:15 where it reads “he” instead of “she.” The error, which was corrected very early on, indicates that the copy is literally one of the first to come off the presses.

In conjunction with the upcoming annual Bible Reading Marathon, the 400^th anniversary of the KJV makes for a compelling time of celebrating God’s word and its profound effect on the lives of Americans – both explicitly and implicitly.

Rev. Rob Schenck with "The Fellowship" Co-Founder, Doug Coe

Yesterday marked the 59th annual National Prayer Breakfast – a yearly event held at the Washington Hilton on the first Thursday of February. The breakfast has taken place since 1953 under the Eisenhower Presidency. The founder of the event was the Norwegian-born Methodist Clergyman, Abraham Vereide. Among the nearly 3,500 guests are international invitees from over 100 countries. It is hosted by members of Congress and is organized by The Fellowship Foundation – a conservative Christian group often referred to as “The Family.” The breakfast was initially termed the Presidential Prayer Breakfast, but was officially changed to the National Prayer Breakfast in 1970.

Faith and Action president Rob Schenck has long enjoyed a good friendship with Doug Coe – the associate director of The Fellowship. Coe has often been referred to as the “stealth Billy Graham.” In 2005, he was named one of the 25 most influential Evangelicals in America by Time magazine. The group maintains a National Prayer Breakfast that is assiduously non-partisan. As many Democrats as Republicans have addressed the breakfast. Rev. Schenck commented that what is particularly laudable about the National Prayer Breakfast is the “strong component of intercessory prayer. People do not just talk about praying – they actually spend time praying.” Faith and Action chief of program Peggy Nienaber was one of the countless people engaged in prayer during the event.

Yesterday morning, President Barack Obama addressed the overflow crowd, providing some intriguing comments about his personal life of faith. At one point, the President commented, “[Through] working with pastors and laypeople . . . to heal the wounds of hurting neighborhoods . . . I came to know Jesus Christ for myself and embrace Him as my lord and savior. . . . When I wake . . . I ask Him to give me the strength to do right by our country and its people. When I go to bed . . . I ask Him to forgive me my sins, look after my family and the American people, and make me an instrument of His will.”

Early on, President Obama called for continued prayer for both the family of Gabby Giffords and the Egyptian people. The former continues to recover from the horrid shooting, while the latter is in the midst of protest, rioting, and elevating violence. While the President acknowledged that his father was an unbeliever and his mother rarely took him to church, he cited Christian civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King as major sources of spiritual inspiration and Christ-like example.

He thoughtfully continued, “In the wake of failures and disappointments I’ve questioned what God had in store for me and been reminded that God’s plans for us may not always match our own short-sighted desires. And let me tell you, these past two years, they have deepened my faith. The presidency has a funny way of making a person feel the need to pray.”

And, in a light-hearted moment, the President noted that it is “comforting to know that people are praying for you who don’t always agree with you. Tom Coburn, for example, is here. He is not only a dear friend but also a brother in Christ. We came into the Senate at the same time. Even though we are on opposite sides of a whole bunch of issues, part of what has bound us together is a shared faith, a recognition that we pray to and serve the same God.”
The breakfast and the President’s remarks served as helpful reminders that God’s people are called to pray and join in prayer for all people and with fellow people who claim the name of Christ.

Faith and Action chief of program, Peggy Nienaber, represented Faith and Action at today’s National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. During his address to thousands of attendees, President Barack Obama spoke of the time when he “embraced Jesus Christ” as his “Lord and Savior,” and how he prays “to walk closer with God.”

Peggy sat with the staff of the annual event that has featured sitting presidents since the early 1950′s. She met the main speaker, screenwriter and film director Randall Wallace. The two chatted before the program got under way.

Other special guests this year included Jose Rodriguez, a survivor of the Chilean mine disaster and site manager who told of leading his men in prayer at the start of their 69-day ordeal, and his insistence that they kneel to thank God before beginning their journey out in a rescue pod. He also held up a copy of the small black Bibles sent down to his crew in a special emergency supply kit.

The closing prayer was given by Astronaut Marl Kelly, husband of wounded Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords, who is recovering from gunshot wounds after an attempted assassination.

Watch the President’s remarks about his personal faith:

On Monday, Faith and Action hosted several events in concert with the 17^th Annual National Conference for the Pre-Born and Their Mothers and Fathers.

A political challenge to this year’s conference almost derailed the entire event. Due to the recent changes in personnel on Capitol Hill, securing the venue proved to be an uncertainty until literally 24 hours before the event. However, because of the dedication of everyone involved, the event not only happened, but was a rousing success.

The opening service was held in the Capitol Visitors Center in front of a standing-room-only crowd, including dozens of pastors from across the country. Spiritual leaders descended on our nation’s capital from California, New York, Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, Minnesota, Wisconsin – even from former governor Sarah Palin’s church in Wasilla, Alaska. Many of the pastors, representative of the widespread hope that the horrors of abortion on demand will end in America, came from Faith and Action’s vitally influential Anchor Churches.

Of particular note at this year’s event was Naomi King – sister-in-law of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While the King family is rightfully highly regarded for their activism over the years in securing the rights of African-Americans, what is less widely known is that Naomi King and her family were all deeply committed to the pro-life effort. Abortion adversely affects the lives of African-Americans more than other ethnic groups. Yesterday, Rev. Rob Schenck described Naomi King as “very eloquent, charming, and articulate – a pro-life champion.”

Last weekend, Rev. Rob Schenck joined Gloucester County Community Church (GCCC) as its guest preacher during the Sunday morning services. Both the hosts and the area are familiar to Faith and Action. Pastor J. Bruce Sofia has spoken on Capitol Hill many times and is one of our most important pastoral advisors. Meanwhile, Rev. Schenck, as a native of New Jersey, feels right at home in the Gloucester County community.

Additionally, last weekend at GCCC was Sanctity of Life Sunday. Each week the church features a different mission outreach that they support. For Sanctity of Life Sunday, it was Choices of the Heart, a pregnancy care center helping women facing difficult circumstances due to pregnancy.  GCCC has also provided significant help to Faith and Action, including considerable resources from the GCCC state of the art video production department.

The ten year relationship between Faith and Action and GCCC has been a particularly fruitful one, with both mutually benefiting from one another’s Christ-like service.

Good news! Your prayers and phone calls–and the help of our many pro-life friends in the House of Representatives–have born good fruit: We will have our historic gathering at the US Capitol on January 24!

FOR THIS REASON, PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ANY MORE PHONE CALLS OR SEND ANY MORE E-MAILS OR FAXES TO CONGRESS!

It took hundreds of phone conversations, E-mails, faxes, and personal meetings to get a clearer picture of why we were being blocked from holding the 17th annual Conference for the Pre-born where it’s always been–inside the “The People’s House.”

Before I explain, it’s important to point out that the story is very different between the House and the Senate. Each have their own process for securing US Capitol venues. We still have no explanation of what happened on the Senate side, but it appears that’s where the problem was all along.

As you know, for the House, the last election brought a pro-life majority. Great pro-life leaders, including Speaker John Boehner, Virginia Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA), Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-CA) and others, went immediately to work trying to help us. (While some pro-life senators did the same, they couldn’t get very far with their colleagues.)

The result is that our pro-life majority in the House, working through the good offices of the Pro-Life Caucus, succeeded in securing space for us in the brand new US Capitol Visitors Center, part of the magnificent Capitol complex.

The only downside this year is the size of the room–and the times available to us. We don’t want to discourage anyone from attending, but because of limited seating, you may need to stand for all or part of the proceedings. Also, we must be underway precisely at 8:00 AM and dismiss precisely at 9:30 AM.

The National Conference for the Pre-born and their Mothers and Fathers will be held in Room 201 (HVC 201) in the Visitors Center. If asked, please tell the guards you are attending the National Conference (not service) for the Pre-Born in HVC 201. (Details repeated below.)

Please help us by coming early to the entrance of the US Capitol Visitors Center, located on the East Lawn of the Capitol, along First Street, NE (below street level). DO NOT BRING SIGNS, COOLERS, WATER BOTTLES, or anything else that will cause you to be turned away at the security check point. PLEASE NOTE: You will have to permanently surrender these types of items before passing through security screening–as there are no storage facilities for them.

Please forward this information immediately to family, friends, fellow church members, anyone traveling to Washington for the March for Life and anyone else you know who may like to participate in this year’s conference.

CLERGY ARE INVITED TO THE FRONT OF THE MEETING ROOM TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE LITURGY. (All parts are in the printed bulletin so no preparation is necessary.) If you would like to vest, you are invited to do so.

Details:

17th Annual National Conference for the Pre-born and their Mothers and Fathers

Monday, January 24, 2011

8:00 AM

US Capitol Vistors Center, Room HVC 201 (Healthcare Caucus Room)

First Street, NE

Washington, DC

Please arrive early! No signs, water bottles, coolers, or excessive metal objects.

We look forward to sharing with you in this sacred remembrance and celebration!

Over the years, one of the most effective tools Faith & Action has used in speaking the Truth to those in power here in Washington is our National Clergy Council Executive Committee. Believe it or not, the Washington, DC “culture” still respects ministers–if for no other reason, because politicians know a pastor shakes hands with a lot of people every week!

We use our Executive Committee to capture the attention of law and policy makers–and to be a prophetic “trumpet” to sound the alarm and to declare God’s Word and Will to those who shape our public life.

Our next Executive Committee Conference is here in Washington on Monday, January 24, 2010. This is, of course, the day of our annual National Clergy Conference for the Pre-born–the only full-scale prayer and preaching service to be held annually inside the US Capitol complex. Members of the Executive Committee have a reserved place in the program for this 8:00 AM ceremony.

At 2:00 PM, we will convene at the nearby Capitol Hill Club for a ceremony honoring three extraordinary people who have helped our work immensely. Then, at 3:30, we will engage in a critically important “Roundtable” on religious liberty. This is the opportunity for Executive Committee members to be heard. After some opening remarks by key Washington leaders on this subject, the floor will be opened to our Executive Committee members so you can share with us your concerns, your insights and wisdom. The substance of this discussion will be distilled in a report and filed with the newly appointed Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom and with the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Our office at Faith and Action is prepared to work with your staff to ensure your visit and participation is well organized. An exclusive behind-the-scenes Christian heritage tour of the US Capitol is planned for Executive Committee members on Monday evening.

With the recent elections there is a window of opportunity open now that may close in the near future. We must seize this moment!

For more details, please have your office contact my executive assistant, Peggy Nienaber, at 202-546-8329, extension 104.

Click below to see a detailed list of the activities for the day:

NCC Timeline – January 24 2011