This year Christian Record Services, Inc., (CRS) celebrates 120 years of ministry to the blind. “With the Lord’s guidance, it is the members, donors, volunteers and employees who have made Christian Record impactful all of these years,” says Diane Thurber, president.
Each set will contain one large Columbia Union pin and eight conference pins that depict a different scene from King David’s life. These local, separate pins are not complete in themselves but are part of a bigger whole, says Frank Bondurant, vice president for Ministries Development at the union.
“Two weeks later, my last living grandparent passed away,” Anissa Perla remembers. “It was a horrible, dark time in our life. I remember thinking, I need to grieve and just let my opinions out. I wanted to take it to another level in terms of sharing with other women and men. Miscarriages happen more often than we think; it’s [approximately] 1 in 4 women. We don’t talk about it. It’s like a sad, secret society.”
Church leaders should be especially careful, Luttrell believes. “Leaders are put on pedestals and are expected to be perfect and have normative experiences, but if they have struggles like everybody else does—like a porn addiction or divorce—then everyone’s scandalized. They’re expected to keep it silent and not say anything.
“Sometimes when we’re not honest with the things we’re struggling with, people feel like you’re trying to deceive them," says Season Cromwell," Like, ‘Why didn’t you tell us?’"
When three families shared personal struggles on social media, the prayer and support they received helped to turn their pain into purpose. Also, read about two Fulbright scholar members and more!
