Everyone Lets stop worrying about politics for a minute and take time to pray for the following pastor. God bless. Keith Brooks ----- Original Message ----- From: "A/G News and Info" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 5:33 PM Subject: [ag-news] A/G NEWS #943: February 18, 2004
> ---------------------------------------------------------------- > AG-NEWS: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 > Please send story leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] for consideration > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > > ** A/G pastor in critical condition after head-on collision > > Darren Larkin, pastor of First Assembly of God Church in Chaffee, > Missouri, and wife Rebecca, hit head-on in car accident while > traveling to church Valentine's Day dinner on February 13. > Rebecca Larkin pronounced dead at the scene. Pastor in body cast > and in critical condition at St. Louis University Hospital. > Driver of other vehicle said to have been improperly passing > 18-wheel truck when accident occurred. Driver and passenger of > other vehicle both in serious condition. > > > ** FAF 2004 Nationals to be held in Austin, Texas > > National youth ministries announce annual Fine Arts Festival > Nationals to be held in Austin, Texas, August 2-6, 2004. Nearly > 50 FAF divisions offered this year. District competitions held at > various dates (contact your district for more information). This > year's FAF theme is "Unfinished Business." More information about > national competition found at <http://www.faf.ag.org/>. > > > ** Ministering in difficult places: A chaplain's call > > Interview with Assembly of God Army Reserve Chaplain (Maj.) > Daniel Odean, the Joint Detention Operations Group chaplain at > Guantanamo, Cuba. Offers insight to military ministry, as well as > how this deployment has challenged him and his family. More > information about A/G Chaplaincy at <http://chaplaincy.ag.org/>. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Marriage - enrich it, even save it! > > Enrich your marriage... > > ...through the A/G Marriage Encounter program, designed for those > couples looking to strengthen and build their marriages. See > http://agme.org/ for upcoming events. > > Save your marriage... > > ...designed for couples that are separated, divorced, dealing with > adultery and/or addictions, A/G MarriageRestored reports nearly a 75 > percent success rate. To learn more, see > <http://www.marriagerestored.com/>. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > ** A/G PASTOR IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER HEAD-ON COLLISION > > An Assembly of God congregation is left praying for the recovery > of its critically injured pastor and mourning the loss of his wife > following a traffic accident over the weekend near Chaffee, > Missouri. > > Rebecca Larkin, 36, and her minister husband, Darren Larkin, 39, > who pastored the First Assembly of God Church in Chaffee, were en > route to a church Valentine's Day dinner in Jackson, Missouri, > when the accident occurred Friday evening (February 13) on > Highway 25. > > According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the couple was > northbound when their car was struck head-on as another driver > improperly attempted to pass an 18-wheel truck. > > Rebecca Larkin was pronounced dead at the scene. Darren Larkin is > currently at St. Louis University Hospital, where he remained in > critical condition Monday. > > The driver and passenger of the other vehicle were taken to St. > Francis Medical Center with serious injuries. > > First Assembly of God member and trustee Fines McAlister of > Chaffee arrived at the scene 10 minutes after the accident took > place. He spoke with a trapped but conscious Darren Larkin for > about 20 minutes until emergency workers began to extricate him > from the vehicle. > > At that point, McAlister did not know that Rebecca Larkin had died > in the crash. When her husband asked where she was, McAlister told > him she was being attended to. > > According to McAlister, Darren Larkin is in a body cast with > numerous broken bones. He has been sedated. McAlister said as of > Monday afternoon he doesn't think Larkin is aware of his > wife's death. > > The Larkins had been at the Chaffee church since September. The > two were originally from Oklahoma but had spent the past 19 years > in Tennessee, where their grown daughter now resides. > > -- Callie Clark, Southeast Missourian (used with permission) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > ** FAF 2004 NATIONALS TO BE HELD IN AUSTIN, TEXAS > > National youth ministries has announced that the next national > Fine Arts Festival (FAF) will be held August 2-6, 2004, in Austin, > Texas. More than 10,000 participants and non-participating > attendees are expected at the annual event. FAF is open to > students in grades 6-12 (as of September 1, 2004) who attend > Assemblies of God youth groups nationwide. > > National FAF participants must perform and qualify on a district > level for the invitation to vie with other participants nationwide > for the Award of Merit, the festival's top honor. Students who do > not qualify to make presentations at the national level may attend > the event as non-participants. > > Some of this year's 49 FAF's divisions include: graphic design, > vocal solos and ensembles, digital and traditional photography, > short sermon, sign language solo and ensemble, comedy, > instrumentals and worship teams. For a complete list of > categories, log on to http://www.faf.ag.org/ to download a copy > of the 2004 Official Fine Arts Festival Rules book and National > FAF Registration Form. > > According to FAF official rules, students are required to use FAF > 2004's theme "Unfinished Business," in certain categories that are > delineated in the rules book. Participants should check with their > district office for dates, locations and times of qualifying > festivals. > > For more information about FAF, send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED], log > on to http://www.faf.ag.org/ or call 417-862-2781, ext. 4035. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > ** MINISTERING IN DIFFICULT PLACES: A CHAPLAIN'S CALL > > More than 600 "enemy combatants" of the United States are being > held by the military at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, > Cuba. Because of intense scrutiny from the media and international > community and the fact that the war on terrorism has no end in > sight, life at the prison for those who serve there can be > stressful -- especially for chaplains since one of their own was > charged with breaching security last October. > > But where others might crumple under pressure Assembly of God Army > Reserve Chaplain (Maj.) Daniel Odean, the Joint Detention > Operations Group chaplain at Guantanamo, is flourishing. The > reason for his success, he reluctantly suggests, is the fact that > he is only doing what he signed on to due: serve those in his > charge. > > Recently, Assemblies of God US Missions spoke with Odean about > serving as a chaplain while negotiating difficult and stressful > circumstances. Following is our exclusive interview with him. > > AGUSM: What are your main responsibilities? > > Odean: I serve as a chaplain for Joint Task Force (JTF) Guantanamo > focusing primarily on the Joint Detention Operations Group (JDOG) > that consists of service members from all branches. > > The JTF conducts operations for detaining, securing, sustaining > and worldwide escort operations of suspected terrorists to Camp > Delta (the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay) in support of Operation > Enduring Freedom and Global War on Terrorism. > > I also serve as an advisor to the commander on religious, moral, > ethical and morale issues. > > As the JDOG Chaplain I minister to more than 1,000 troopers, but > also ensure that appropriate free exercise of religion is > maintained throughout Camp Delta. > > This is done through advising command, communicating with the > Military Police and ensuring that the detainee population has the > religious items they are allowed to have and which are approved. > > Finally, I conduct worship services. I pioneered the "Soul > Survivor" program, which is a contemporary spirit-filled worship > experience. The JTF Command has supported it and the response has > been great. God is using "SS" to touch the JTF! > > AGUSM: How do you respond to critics who say you, as a Christian > chaplain, cannot meet the needs of Muslim captives? > > Odean: I am responsible to carry out the Commander's Religious > Support Program and intent. At Camp Delta, the Commander is > concerned with the Military Police's ability to maintain a high > standard of military professionalism and excellence. > > I serve the Commander by advising on issues and concerns > [regarding the detainees] that have been communicated to me while > I am interacting with the MPs. > > This is all part of military ministry; it also creates > opportunities to establish rapport and credibility that opens > doors for ministry. > > AGUSM: In what ways do the detainees turn to you for help? > > Odean: I help manage detainee religious issues and promote > religious sensitivity. I do not want to lead anyone to believe I > have a counseling type relationship with the detainees. But I > assist the Military Police with mission focus and by remaining > firm, fair and consistent toward the detainees. > > AGUSM: At times you must feel that those you serve and the media > scrutinize anything you do as a chaplain -- how do you deal with > such pressures? > > Odean: This is a highly visible mission and the pressure, which > that brings doesn't really bother, effect or intimidate me. > However, I am very aware of it. I have to rely on God's wisdom and > direction. > > I am supporting the mission by ministering to the spiritual needs > of America's troopers while at the same time, ensuring that the > detainees are able to exercise the essential basics of their > faith. > > AGUSM: What do you say to those who say Guantanamo Bay is just > another example of the United States being at war with Islam? > > Odean: U.S. Policy is that we are not at war with the religion of > Islam; we are at war with terrorism. We are at war with the > enemies of freedom. We are defending freedom here at Guantanamo > Bay. America and the world are safer places because of missions > such as this one and many others our military are involved in. > > AGUSM: How do you stay spiritually fit? > > Odean: I deal with pressures by spending time in prayer and > studying God's word. I seek God on how to speak life into > situations here. I pray for God to hover over this place and that > He would stir the hearts of people. I also have a great Church > Family here at Guantanamo Bay, which provides support. > > AGUSM: In doing your service how is Christ evident in your life? > > Odean: I make Jesus evident by being positive, understanding, > willing to listen, supportive, steady and consistent in all > things. When troopers speak to me about problems, issues or > concerns, I try to focus them on the bigger picture of life while > applying the Scriptures and asking if I can pray with them. I try > to let them know they don't have to do this on their own, but with > God's help and strength, they can accomplish all things. > > AGUSM: What lessons have you learned by ministering at Guantanamo? > > Odean: God has a purpose in all things and I've learned to trust > Him more. I have had to trust Him to watch over my family. It is > not easy to minister while separated from your loved ones, but one > learns what commitment and sacrifice are all about. > > Deployments like this stretch people. Sacrifice and > selfless-service are expected and cherished in the military. I > have learned that America is a better and safer country because of > those who are committed to serving in our nation's military. > > AGUSM: What has been the toll on your family during this > deployment? > > Odean: Brenda, my wife, is a strong person. She is understanding > and supportive. I could not be effective in military ministry > without her unselfish support and her holding things together on > the home front with our three kids. She has a harder job than me > any day! She's my hero! > > AGUSM: What would you say to someone who is contemplating becoming > a chaplain? > > Odean: We need more spirit-filled military chaplains. Yes, it is > challenging and demands sacrifice, but the Kingdom of God is to be > advanced and freedom needs defending. It's time to step up to the > plate and allow God to use you in mighty way. > > For more information about the A/G Chaplaincy program, see > <http://chaplaincy.ag.org/>. > > -- Kirk Noonan > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For a regularly updated list of upcoming significant Assemblies > of God days and events--many linked to informational, registration > or ordering pages--see the following address: > <http://www.ag.org/top/calendar_long.cfm>. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > AG-NEWS: The A/G News & Information Service, (c) 2004 > > A service of the Assemblies of God's Office of Public > Relations. 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