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Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent – a tremendous opportunity for a holy period of self-reflection, growth and prayer.
In Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday marks the first day, or the start of the season of Lent, which begins 40 days prior to Easter (Sundays are not included in the count).
Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. During some Ash Wednesday services, the minister will lightly rub the sign of the cross with ashes onto the foreheads of worshipers.
Not all Christian churches observe Ash Wednesday or Lent. They are mostly observed by the Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and Anglican denominations, and also by Roman Catholics. Eastern Orthodox churches observe Lent or Great Lent, during the 6 weeks or 40 days preceding Palm Sundaywith fasting continuing during the Holy Week ofOrthodox Easter. Lent for Eastern Orthodox churches begins on Monday (called Clean Monday) and Ash Wednesday is not observed.
The Bible does not mention Ash Wednesday or the custom of Lent, however, the practice of repentance and mourning in ashes is found in 2 Samuel 13:19;Esther 4:1; Job 2:8; Daniel 9:3; and Matthew 11:21.
During lent many of the faithful commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxury as a way to keep their minds stayed on Jesus. Many people will often give up old habits or addictions to seek spiritual growth within their lives.
Do you observe Ash Wednesday? What are you giving up?
Earvin “Magic” Johnson is launching a basic cable television network intending to showcase uplifting images of African Americans to a target audience.
The 24-hour channel will be beneficial, the former Los Angeles Lakers star said, by offering African American actors who have struggled to find work in mainstream Hollywood, new opportunities to work in their profession.
The network to be called Aspire will include film, TV, music, comedy, performing arts and shows about faith.
Olympic gold medal “Dream Team” player Johnson, who in 2002 was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, said he has found a way to present positive images of African Americans with stories that are written, produced and directed by African Americans.
“This is so exciting for me, I’m pinching myself,” Johnson said in a phone interview with The Los Angeles Times. “This is big for myself, for the African American community, and the African American creative community. I wanted a vehicle to show positive images and to have stories written, produced and directed by African Americans for our community. Aspire – that’s how I’ve been leading my life.”
America’s biggest cable provider Comcast, have also recently announced another minority-owned network to be backed by a big name celebrity.
Hip-hop star and Chairman of Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group Sean “Diddy” Combs has also revealed his plan to start his own music television network called Revolt. His network, which is set to be launched in 2013, will feature music and pop culture programming such as music videos, live performances, and interviews.
“I’m honored by the opportunity to be part of this effort to bring diverse programming to the masses. Marked by this partnership with Comcast, my hope is that this new network will spark a revolution in entertainment and encourage other media and communications companies to bring Revolt to their audiences” Diddy said on his new project.
KIRK FRANKLIN and his chart-topping album HELLO FEAR was just certified Gold, as reported by the R.I.A.A. The announcement follows Franklin’s two GRAMMY® awards wins for Best Gospel Album (HELLO FEAR) and Best Gospel Song (“Hello Fear”) earlier this week at the 54th Annual GRAMMY® Awards celebration held on February 12 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. With these two new trophies, Franklin – the #1 selling Gospel artist of all time – now has nine career GRAMMY® awards. Franklin also performed at this year’s live NBC Network NAACP Image award show. in which he was the winner for – Outstanding Song (“I Smile”) and Outstanding Gospel Album (HELLO FEAR).
Franklin’s HELLO FEAR debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Gospel sales chart and #5 on the Billboard Top 200 when it was released last Spring, making the album the fourth highest Gospel debut in Soundscan history. In addition to his GRAMMY® wins and NAACP nominations, Franklin was recently awarded four Stellar Awards for HELLO FEAR and “I Smile” — Song of The Year, CD of the Year, Producer of the Year and Contemporary CD of the Year. Franklin performed “I Smile” on last year’s American Idol finale, and was #1 at Gospel radio for 23 weeks, hitting Urban AC radio at #3. Currently, Franklin stars as Baylor Sykes in the feature film Joyful Noise starring Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah. He also hosts and executive produces gospel talent show “Sunday Best,” the highest-rated gospel program in BET network history, now heading into its fifth season.
For two decades, Kirk Franklin has been a pioneer in gap-bridging musicianship, uniting gospel, hip hop, pop and R&B audiences. His rhythms have resulted in albums that have consistently topped Billboard’s Gospel, Christian and R&B/Hip Hop charts. He is also a New York Times best-selling author for “The Blueprint: A Plan for Living Above Life’s Storms (Gotham/Penguin). To date, Franklin has garnered nine GRAMMY® Awards, an American Music Award, 35 Stellar Awards, 14 Dove Awards (CCM), six NAACP Image Awards and two BET Awards.
It’s been two years since Gotee Records pop songstress Stephanie Smith last offered up a new project, but today she’s sharing her powerful new single, “Letting Go,” as it releases digitally across the country.
The anthemic, catchy track was produced by Barry Weeks (Francesca Battistelli, Avalon, Hawk Nelson) and written by Smith and Weeks, along with hit songwriter Brian White.
“I feel like there have been a million songs called ‘Letting Go,’ but I still wrestle with executing the concept in my day to day,” says Smith. “This song is my reminder to myself that there is a good God who sees me, knows me and has a better plan for my life than I do. Sometimes I get too attached to an idea of how my life should look and when my expectations aren’t met, the process of releasing my grip can be painful, but I know that I am always safe in his grip.”
After initial raves with 2008’s full-length debut, Not Afraid, she followed with an EP-2009’s Stephanie Smith-which heralded the production handiwork of Mark Lee Townsend (Relient K, House Of Heroes, Deas Vail) with Smith co-writing all five of the tracks. Smith has toured non-stop with an ever-growing fan base, solid album sales, and industry acclaim. Her packed-out schedule found her making the rounds at music festivals such as Rockfest, Ichthus, AtlantaFest, Music in the Park, Kingdom Bound, and Riverstages, as well as a return to Agape Fest, the original stage that lead her to meeting TobyMac and eventually signing a deal with Gotee Records.
Upon on the unveiling of her long-awaited new single, TobyMac comments, “Stephanie Smith is a tenacious young artist with a voice that rises to the skies and a vision that demands our attention.”
Smith has also performed at various conferences including Feedback Conferences, Secret Keeper Girl Tour, Pure Freedom, and the Asphalt Assault Tour, and also joined illusionist Brock Gill as part of the Florida-based SuperWow Camps, where nearly 350 individual youth groups attended weekly. Smith continues to work with the non-profit organization Soles4souls, as well as Compassion International.
The Sounds of Blackness took home an award for Outstanding Best World Music Album at this years NAACP Image Awards. The group has been around for over 40 years impacting audiences in five continents with the depth and breadth of its artistry, covering all forms of African-American music from gospel and soul to jazz, R&B, reggae, hip-hop, rock and blues, to ragtime, field hollers, work songs and traditional spirituals.
Watch the entire broadcast below.
This years winners are below in BOLD
Outstanding Motion Picture “Jumping the Broom” “Pariah” “The First Grader” “The Help” – Winner “Tower Heist”
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Eddie Murphy – “Tower Heist” Laurence Fishburne – “Contagion” Laz Alonso -“Jumping the Broom” – Winner Oliver Litondo – “The First Grader” Vin Diesel – “Fast Five”
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Adepero Oduye – “Pariah” Emma Stone -” The Help” Paula Patton – “Jumping the Broom” Viola Davis – “The Help” – Winner Zoe Saldana – “Colombiana”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Anthony Mackie – “The Adjustment Bureau” Charles Parnell – “Pariah” Don Cheadle – “The Guard” Jeffrey Wright – “The Ides of March” Mike Epps – “Jumping the Broom” – Winner
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Bryce Dallas Howard – “The Help” Cicely Tyson – “The Help” Kim Wayans – “Pariah” Maya Rudolph – “Bridesmaids” Octavia Spencer – “The Help” – Winner
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture “I Will Follow” “Kinyarwanda” “MOOZ-lum” “Pariah” – Winner “The First Grader”
Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture “A Separation” “Attack the Block” “In the Land of Blood and Honey” – Winner “Le Havre” “Life, Above All”
Outstanding Documentary (Theatrical or Television) “Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest” “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey” “Sing Your Song” – Winner “The Rescuers” “Thunder Soul”
TV
Outstanding Comedy Series “Love That Girl! “ “Modern Family” “Reed Between the Lines” “The Game” “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” – Winner
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Dule Hill – “Psych” Malcolm-Jamal Warner – “Reed Between the Lines” – Winner Phil Morris – “Love That Girl! “ Pooch Hall – “The Game” Terry Crews – “Are We There Yet? “
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Tatyana Ali – “Love That Girl! “ Tia Mowry-Hardrict – “The Game” Tracee Ellis Ross – “Reed Between the Lines” – Winner Vanessa Williams – “Desperate Housewives” Wendy Raquel Robinson – “The Game”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Craig Robinson – “The Office” Damon Wayans, Jr. – “Happy Endings” J.B. Smoove – “Curb Your Enthusiasm” Nick Cannon – “Up All Night” – Winner Tracy Morgan – “30 Rock”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Amber Riley – “Glee” Gabourey Sidibe – “The Big C” Keshia Knight Pulliam – “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” – Winner Maya Rudolph – “Up All Night” Sofia Vergara – “Modern Family”
Outstanding Drama Series “Boardwalk Empire” “Grey’s Anatomy” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” – Winner “The Good Wife” “Treme”
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Andre Braugher – “Men of a Certain Age” Hill Harper – “CSI: NY” L.L. Cool J – “NCIS: Los Angeles” – Winner Taye Diggs – “Private Practice” Wendell Pierce – “Treme”
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Chandra Wilson – “Grey’s Anatomy” Khandi Alexander – “Treme” Regina King – “SouthLAnd” – Winner Sandra Oh – “Grey’s Anatomy” Taraji P. Henson – “Person of Interest”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Corey Reynolds – “The Closer” Ice T – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” James Pickens, Jr. – “Grey’s Anatomy” – Winner Nelsan Ellis – “True Blood” Omar Epps – “House M.D.”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Alfre Woodard – “Memphis Beat” Anika Noni Rose – “Law & Order Special Victims Unit” Archie Panjabi – “The Good Wife” – Winner Diahann Carroll – “White Collar” Loretta Devine – “Grey’s Anatomy”
Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special “Five” “Hallmark Hall of Fame, Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith” “Luther” “The Least Among You” “Thurgood” – Winner
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Esai Morales – “We Have Your Husband” Idris Elba – “Luther” Laurence Fishburne – “Thurgood” – Winner Louis Gossett, Jr. – “The Least Among You” Samuel L. Jackson – “The Sunset Limited”
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Anika Noni Rose – “Hallmark Hall of Fame, Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith” Jenifer Lewis – “Five” Rosario Dawson – “Five” Taraji P. Henson – “Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story” – Winner Tracee Ellis Ross – “Five”
Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series Aaron D. Spears – “The Bold and the Beautiful” Bryton James -” The Young and the Restless” Emerson Brooks – “All My Children” – Winner James Reynolds – “Days of Our Lives” Texas Battle – “The Bold and the Beautiful”
Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series Christel Khalil – “The Young and the Restless” Julia Pace Mitchell – “The Young and the Restless” Tatyana Ali – “The Young and the Restless” – Winner Tonya Lee Williams – “The Young and the Restless” Yvette Freeman – “The Bold and the Beautiful”
Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special) “BET News Exclusive: The President Answers Black America” “Judge Mathis” “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” “Unsung” – Winner “Washington Watch with Roland Martin”
Outstanding Talk Series “Anderson “ “Oprah’s Lifeclass” – Winner “The Doctors” “The View” “The Wendy Williams Show”
Outstanding Reality Series “All-American Muslim” “American Idol” “Dancing with the Stars” – Winner “Sunday Best” “Tia & Tamera”
Outstanding Variety Series or Special “2011 BET Awards” “Black Girls Rock! “ “Oprah Presents: Master Class” – Winner “Prince! Behind the Symbol” “UNCF An Evening of Stars Tribute to Chaka Khan”
Outstanding Children’s Program “A.N.T. Farm” “Dora the Explorer” “Go, Diego! Go! “ “I Can Be President: A Kid’s-Eye View” – Winner “My Family Tree”
Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children’s Program (Series or Special) China Anne McClain – “A.N.T. Farm” Keke Palmer – “True Jackson, VP” – Winner Lance Robertson – “Yo Gabba Gabba” Leon Thomas III – “Victorious” Zendaya Coleman – “Shake It Up”
Recording
Outstanding New Artist Committed Diggy Simmons – Winner Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. Mindless Behavior Wynter Gordon
Outstanding Male Artist Anthony Hamilton Bruno Mars Cee Lo Green – Winner Chris Brown Common
Outstanding Female Artist Beyonce Jennifer Hudson Jill Scott – Winner Ledisi Mary J. Blige
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration Boyz II Men Cee Lo Green feat. Melanie Fiona Mary J. Blige feat. Drake – Winner Sounds of Blackness The Roots
Outstanding Jazz Album “Chano y Dizzy” – Terence Blanchard and Poncho Sanchez “Friends” – Stanley Jordan “Guitar Man” – George Benson – Winner “Legacy” – Gerald Wilson “Road Show Vol. 2” – Sonny Rollins
Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary) “Becoming” – Yolanda Adams “Church on the Moon” – Deitrick Haddon “Hello Fear” – Kirk Franklin – Winner “Something Big” – Mary Mary “The Journey” – Andrae Crouch
Outstanding World Music Album “Afrodiaspora” – Susana Baca “Carnival Fever” – Brother B “Live at 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival” – Boukman Eksperyans “Sounds of Blackness” – Sounds of Blackness – Winner “The First Grader” – Alex Heffes
Outstanding Music Video “25/8” – Mary J. Blige “Hear My Call” – Jill Scott “I Was Here” – Beyoncé “Someone Like You” – Adele “Where You At” – Jennifer Hudson – Winner
Outstanding Song “Best Thing I Never Had” – Beyonce “Fool for You” feat. Melanie Fiona – Cee Lo Green “I Smile” – Kirk Franklin – Winner “So In Love” feat. Anthony Hamilton – Jill Scott “Someone Like You” – Adele
Outstanding Album “4” – Beyonce “F.A.M.E. ” – Chris Brown “I Remember Me” – Jennifer Hudson – Winner “Lasers” – Lupe Fiasco “The Light of the Sun” – Jill Scott
Literature
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction “A Silken Thread” – Brenda Jackson “Boundaries” – Elizabeth Nunez “Say Amen, Again” – Reshonda Tate Billingsley – Winner “Silver Sparrow” – Tayari Jones “The Plot Against Hip Hop: A Novel” – Nelson George
Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction “Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America” – Melissa Harris-Perry “Super Rich” – Russell Simmons “The Cosmopolitan Canopy” – Elijah Anderson “The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in Its Place” – Hill Harper – Winner “Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness?: What It Means to Be Black Now” – Toure
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author “2Grieve 2Gether: A Journal from the Heart Helping Survivors & Supporters Navigate the Healing Process” – Denise Hall Brown “A Defining Moment”- Patricia Duncan “The Loom” – Shella Gillus “The Strawberry Letter” – Lyah Le Flore – Winner “We the Animals” – Justin Torres
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Auto-Biography “A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama’s Mother” – Janny Scott “Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention” – Manning Marable “My Song” – Harry Belafonte – Winner “No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington” – Condoleezza Rice “The John Carlos Story” – John Carlos, Dave Zirin
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional “A Year to Wellness and Other Weight Loss Secrets” – Bertice Berry “Living My Dream: An Artistic Approach to Marketing” – Synthia Saint James “Our Difficult Sunlight: A Guide to Poetry, Literacy, & Social Justice in Classroom & Community” – Quraysh Ali Lansana “The T.D. Jakes Relationship Bible: Life Lessons on Relationships from the Inspired Word of God” – T.D. Jakes – Winner “Too Important to Fail: Saving America’s Boys” – Tavis Smiley (Author), Juan Roberts (Illustrator)
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry “Afro Clouds & Nappy Rain: The Curtis Brown Poems” – James Golden – Winner “Head Off & Split” – Nikky Finney “Honoring Genius: The Narrative of Craft, Art, Kindness and Justice” – Haki Madhubuti “Intimate Thoughts” – Darrin Henson (Author), Anna Saunders (Illustrator) “Last Seen” – Jacqueline Jones Lamon
Outstanding Literary Work – Children “Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band” – Kwame Alexander (Author), Tim Bowers (Illustrator) “Before There Was Mozart” – Lesa Cline-Ransome (Author), James Ransome (Illustrator) “Heart and Soul” – Kadir Nelson (Author/Illustrator) “White Water” – Michael S. Bandy (Author), Shadra Strickland (Illustrator) “You Can Be A Friend” – Tony Dungy (Author), Ron Mazellan (Illustrator) – Winner
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens “Camo Girl” – Kekla Magoon “Eliza’s Freedom Road: An Underground Railroad Diary” – Jerdine Nolan (Author), Sadra Strickland (Illustrator) “Jesse Owens: I Always Loved Running” – Jeff Burlingame – Winner “Kick” – Walter Dean “Planet Middle School” – Nikki Grimes
Two of American’s biggest megachurch pastors – Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House and Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church, both in Texas – will share the same stage at the 2012 International Pastors & Leadership Conference. The three-day conference, scheduled to take place May 3-5 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., promises to address the most pressing needs of today’s church and bring together some of the biggest Christian leaders in the world today. Besides Jakes and Osteen, Bishop Tudor Bismark from New Life Covenant Church in Harare, Zimbabwe, Bishop Noel Jones from the City of Refuge Church in Gardena, Calif., and Dr. Cynthia James, a Christian psychologist providing counseling to more than 140 pastors, will be some of the names present at the event.
The conference is aimed at both pastors and their wives, as well as church executives and their administrative support staffs, and will present strategies for how to balance the business of church with the spiritual needs of the congregation and community at large.
What is unique about the event is that it will allow some very prominent pastors, such as Jakes and Osteen, to network and work together, which they do not get to do too often throughout the year with their busy schedules and obligations to their own congregations. Although the conference will have a big focus on senior pastors and look at operational strategies for large churches, it will also have a forum to address the holistic needs of churches of any size.
“Leadership is not just the exclusive domain of the senior pastor. Rather, it is a responsibility shared among those who lay a solid foundation to ensure a structure’s upward stability and proper functioning at every level,” said Bishop T.D. Jakes in a press release.
The theme of this year, called “The Mission is Not Impossible,” will address some of the biggest hardships facing pastors today and look at ways to overcome them. Some of the topics on hand will be the uncertain economy, which continues to pose questions for church finances, the moral failure among leaders, and how pastors can build up their congregation and bring their church up to the next level.
The official website for the event also says that this year there will be more space, more sessions and more empowerment. This year’s conference also includes new workshops such as one featuring live demonstrations in the areas of dance ministry and praise & worship. It promises a more intimate/interactive setting for church leaders and professionals.
The conference, led by Bishop Jakes, has been gathering leaders from around the world since 1995, and is reportedly one of the most successful annual church conferences in the United States.
More than 6,000 church leaders from 25 different nations around the world attended the 2011 International Pastors & Leadership Conference last year, where they learned what to do when a crisis strikes and they need to keep their church together. Also staged in Orlando, the conference brought in around $6.5 million to the region, according to the visitors’ bureau.
Bishop Jakes gives a short preview of the upcoming conference in the clip below, promising that it will be “amazing:”
Gospel Dream Winner Tony LeBron will release Surrender, on March 6, 2012. Surrender, produced by Richie Pena (Natalie Grant; Babyface) with vocals produced by Anthony Evans is a collection of songs ranging from Hillsong’s “Forever Reign” to the more upbeat Latin inspired “Te Alabo” which reflects Tony’s Latin heritage. LeBron, a South Florida based worship leader and performer who was born in the U.S Virgin Islands and is of Puerto Rican descent beat out thousands of entries to win the fourth season of the talent search TV series Gospel Dream on the Gospel Music Channel (GMC).
Surrender was primarily inspired by LeBron’s recent visit to Israel, a visit that would prove to be life changing. Joining up with other fellow singers, LeBron journeyed through the Holy Land, visiting and performing at the Holy Sites. While at the Garden of Gethsamene he was inspired to re-record the #1 song by Clay Crosse, “I surrender all.”
“It was an early morning when we visited the Garden, was raining and I didn’t know what to expect. I began to recollect all that had happened there and realized that this was the place where our Savior surrendered to the Cross so that I could have Life…filled with emotion…I realized my need to surrender completely and what it meant to take up my cross and follow Him.” — Tony LeBron
LeBron’s passion for worship music and his desire to use it as a tool of service for the church has led him to tour and be a guest worship leader at various churches, most recently the Brooklyn Tabernacle. LeBron’s passion to reach out to a multi-cultural generation has resulted in him being a part of several overseas missions trips which have included Costa Rica, Peru and India. Over the years, LeBron was a member of the group TRUTH, the Promise Keepers praise team and has shared the stage with Dove Award Female Vocalist of the year Natalie Grant.
Surrender can be summed up in one statement by LeBron, “It’s only when we completely surrender where we will find life and that more abundantly”. For more information and tour dates visit www.tonylebron.com or email tony@tonylebron.com
theHELPPPPagency, dubbed as the premier “Red-Carpet” event producers in the faith-based community announced today its star-studded line-up of artists and Slam Dunk Honorees for the 7th Annual All-Star Gospel Brunch & Extravaganza. The All-Star Gospel Brunch, in conjunction with NBA Entertainment, will celebrate local leaders in the Orlando area that have made a difference in their communities. The event will be held during the 61st Annual NBA All-Star Weekend in Orlando, FL, Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
This year’s event will include performances from Grammy® Award-Winning artists Marvin Sapp, and Grammy Nominee, Sundays Best Winner and Orlando Native LeAndria Johnson, just to name a few.
“NBA All-Star Weekend is always an exciting time for the local community, NBA players, NBA legends, NBA moms, and NBA wives,” exclaims event producer Tomeka Holyfield. “For the past 6 years, NBA Entertainment continues to recognize that many players and their families appreciate the opportunity to pause a moment and enjoy the inspiration that this event delivers. It’s an awesome platform for athletes, current and former players and executives alike to come out and share in the accomplishments of leaders in the community who make a difference.”
The star-studded event, co-hosted by actress Sheryl Lee Ralph and comedian Jonathan Slocumb will highlight and pay tribute to 5 Slam Dunk Honorees who are Pastors in the Orlando and Jacksonville, Florida areas. They are: Jonathan McKnight, Willie C. Barnes, Bishop Rudolph McKissick, Jr. and Clint Brown. A Special Video Tribute during the luncheon will honor Zackery Tims for his life and legacy, and long-time supporter and friend of All-Star Gospel Brunch, Paula White. NBA Legend Doug Christie and his wife Jackie Christie will get the LOVE & BASKETBALL Award!
The red-carpet affair is known for its 3-course brunch, live music from some of today’s top Gospel artists, gifts and star-studded production. Known as one of the hottest tickets during All-Star Weekend, this fabulous event boasts an afternoon of elegance, entertainment, and inspiration. Proceeds from the day’s events are donated to the Helpppping Hands Foundation to assist battered women and children throughout the world.
ASGB is open to the Orlando general public and tickets may be purchased online at www.allstargospelbrunch.com or at the honoree’s respective Churches. A limited number of VIP tickets are available. For sponsorship information, please call Toska Medlock Lee at 214.729.6144 or visit www.allstargospelbrunch.com
About the HELPPPP Agency:
The Helpppagency birthed in 2005, is a full service event planning and management company based in Atlanta Georgia owned and operated by Tomeka Holyfield. The Agency gained national attention in 2006 after producing the first ever red carpet event during NBA All-Star Weekend catering to the Christian Community. The event recognizes and celebrates local pastors, sports figures and celebrities who share in the faith. The All-Star Gospel Brunch, now in its 7th year, has become a staple event during NBA All-Star Weekend. www.thehelppppagency.com
About The HELPPPPing Hands Foundation:
A 501(c) 3 non-profit organization designed to meet the needs and empower women and children everywhere since 1997. For the past 14 years they’ve been Helping, Empowering and Preparing people for their PURPOSE, PLAN and PLATFORM by lending a HELPPPPing Hand. The focus is on assisting abused & battered women and their children by providing support counseling, education and resources that will help to transition these individuals back into society as a viable citizen in homes and communities. To learn more about The HELPPPPing Hands Foundation, visit them at www.TheHelpingHandsFoundation.us
The last piece of land needed for a multi-year project to build a full-scale Noah’s Ark on an 800-acre site in Williamstown, Ky., has been purchased by a group of developers led by Answers in Genesis, the biblical apologetics ministry announced Wednesday.
Despite tough economic times, project leaders are hoping to offset costs by building the “Ark Encounter” attraction in multiple phases over many years, and opening the Ark and other supporting elements during phase one.
Answers in Genesis (AiG), which also oversees the Creation Museum in Petersburg, had previously delayed ground-breaking for the estimated $24.5 million project after funds had only reached $4.4 million.
“We have decided to stop trying to predict the U.S. economy so we will announce ground breaking/construction as soon as we are funded,” Mike Zovath, sr. vice president with Answers in Genesis, Special Projects, who is overseeing the Ark Encounter project, told The Christian Post via email.
Zovath said that while the complex design and engineering of the Ark is moving forward at a good pace, he would like to see the rate of the donations and private funding increase.
“We trust the Lord will continue to touch hearts of donors and private funding. We have seen surprising interest in lifetime memberships and we have already passed the $5 million mark in donations,” he said.
The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in 18 to 24 months from the start of the grading.
Zovath, who was in charge of building AiG’s high-tech Creation Museum, noted that “due to the rolling hills and ravines of this scenic property, about 800 acres are needed in order to get at least 160 useable acres, plus create a necessary buffer around the Ark Encounter attraction.”
Click Here to read the full story by the Christian Post.
GRAMMY® award-winning and multi-platinum-selling artist Michael W. Smith will headline a spring “Wonder, Worship & Glory Tour” to nearly 20 cities through March. Smith will be joined by popular Americana four-piece family band L’Angelus and tour sponsor, Pong Research Corporation, maker of patented smart phone and iPad cases that have been proven to protect users from wireless device radiation.
Showcasing music from Smith’s latest releases GLORY (Nov. 21, 2011) and Decades of Worship (Jan. 17, 2012), as well as popular Smith tunes from the last three decades, the tour will launch in Greensboro, N.C. on Feb. 23 and visit 12 states. A complete list of tour dates follows this release.
Back by popular demand, Smith has asked fan favorites L’Angelus to rejoin him on his spring tour.
Smith fans were introduced to this talented sibling group at his Nashville Fan Weekend in 2011 and again later in the year when L’Angelus joined his “It’s a Wonderful Christmas: The Symphony Tour.”
A long-time proponent of healthy living and an avid user of mobile devices, Smith is delighted to welcome Pong Research Corporation to the tour. “As soon as I learned that the World Health Organization classified cell phone radiation as a possible carcinogen, I decided I wouldn’t even think of using my smart phone and iPad without having them in Pong cases,” says Smith. “Every member of my family uses them.”
“Even this many years into it – I get excited about planning a new tour,” says Smith. “It’s always fun to play new music, dust off a few I might not have done in a while and, of course, share time worshiping together. It will be great having Katie, Paige, Steve and Johnny (L’Angelus) out with me again.
For additional information on the tour and an up-to-date tour itinerary, visit: www.michaelwsmith.com.
About Michael W. Smith: Throughout his 29-year career as arecording artist, Michael W. Smith has amassed an impressive catalog of achievements. His 24 albums have garnered multiplehonors including an American Music Award, three GRAMMY ® Awards (from 13 nominations), 44 GMA Dove Awards and 33 No. 1 radio hits. In addition, he holds 16 Gold, 7 Platinum and 2 Double-Platinum albums for career sales of 15 million. Most recently, Smith released GLORY, his second full-length instrumental album, on Nov. 21, 2011 and Decades of Worship, a collection of his most popular worship songs, Jan. 17, 2012.
Inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2009, Smith has scored film projects, written 12 books and been featured by media outlets including “Hannity,” NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “Good Morning America,” “NBC Nightly News,” “Larry King Live,” “FOX & Friends,” The Associated Press, Billboard, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Newsweek and more.
Constantly giving back to the community, one of Smith’s current projects is Rocketown – a nightclub for teens in his hometown of Nashville, Tenn. – which serves as a safe place for young people to enjoy music and for artists to be discovered. He and wife of 30 years, Debbie, are the proud parents of five children.
About L’Angelus: Taking its name from an ancient prayer, L’Angelus performs as a dynamic high energy four piece band, featuring Katie, 27, Paige, 26, Johnny, 24, and Stephen, 22. They describe their sound as Louisiana roots, but still love to play the popular old rock and country and Motown tunes – Americana music. Audiences across North America and Europe are drawn to the “joie de vivre” that radiates from the stage. Music in the Cajun culture has always been a unifying force – it brings families together on the front porch and at the parish dance.
Selected in 2006 by Billboard Magazine from more than 1,400 artists as one of six finalists in the Independent Music World Series, L’Angelus has been steadily gaining international attention. Two of their original compositions were featured in the nationwide PBS documentary on Louisiana’s Wetlands, Washing Away, narrated by Susan Sarandon. May of 2009 marked their first internationally televised concert, with an hour long interview and performance on EWTN’s “Life on the Rock,” where the group explored the influence that the Catholic culture of community celebrations has had on the development of Cajun and Irish music. Their most recent release, Sacred Hymns Collection, was picked up for international distribution by Ignatius Press, the world’s largest Catholic publishing company, and quickly became one of the most popular items in their music catalogue. On tour in Ireland thispast summer, the trio of musicians was literally grabbed off the street to interview and perform live on the country’s two largest radio programs, “RTE with Pat Kenny” and “BBC Radio Live.” For more information, visitwww.langelus.com.
About Pong Research Corporation: Founded in 2010, Pong is the world’s leading maker of cell phone and iPad cases that protect smart phone and tablet users from the wireless device radiation that the World Health Organization classified in 2011 as a possible carcinogen. Developed by scientists out ofPrinceton, Harvard, UCLA and MIT, Pong cases have been tested and proven in FCC-certified labs to reduce the level of exposure to wireless device radiation by up to 95% below the target set by the FCC. Pong embeds in each case a patented and proprietary technology that redirects and redistributes the cell phone radiation that would otherwise be absorbed by the user’s head and body. Easy to put on and take off, Pong cases fit a variety of iPhones, BlackBerrys and Android phones as well as the iPad and iPad 2, are available in a variety of colors and styles, and have been designed and tested to work anywhere in the world. For more information, visit www.pongresearch.com.
March Thursday, March 1 – Decatur, Ill. Friday, March 2 – Appleton, Wis. Saturday, March 3 – Rockford, Ill. Sunday, March 4 – Rock Island, Ill. Thursday, March 8 – Hawthorne, N.J. Friday, March 9 – Milford, Conn. Saturday, March 10 – Rochester, N.Y. Sunday, March 11 – Lancaster, Penn. Thursday, March 15 – Meridian, Miss. Friday, March 16 – Pascagoula, Miss. Saturday, March 17 – Bossier City, La. Sunday, March 18 – Montgomery, Ala. Thursday, March 22 – Rochester, Minn. Friday, March 23 – Rochester, Minn. Saturday, March 24 – St. Cloud, Minn.
