Copy of Jan-Feb 2013 - Word of Faith | Family Worship Cathedral

Winter 2013
We had our cake and ate it too!
Meet the Bronners
You’ve met the parents, now for those
who haven’t….let’s meet the Bronners.
February is Heart Month. Add these
heart-healthy foods to your diet.
Songs in the Key of Love
Loving couples dancing to the music
of marriage!
Black History Month
Celebrate the heritage at diverse
local events.
Word of Faith Times
a publication of the
Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral’s Media Ministry
Bishop Dale C. Bronner
FOUNDER/SENIOR PASTOR
Pastor Christopher Boyd
EXECUTIVE PASTOR
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
Mae Battle
Gloria Buchanan
Betty Dunham
Alice Evans
Lafayette Hughes
Florence Jackson
Louis Martin
Alice McCloudy
Juanita Clark-Reese Beverly Simmons
Maeomi Stembridge Beverly Wicker
Peggie Wimby
Sylvia Chambless
Jerry Griffin
Ruth Maddox
Ruth Morton
Jacquelyn Sims
Stephanie Williams
COPY EDITORS
Lillie Hinton
Linda Trotter
GRAPHIC ARTISTS
Shajan Clay
Bevis Liddelow
STAFF WRITERS
Mercedes Douglas
Stephen Hinton
Jill Watkins
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Lloyd Caldway, Jr.
Edward Guy
Gilbert Hunter
“His love endures all”
Psalm 100:5
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Cathy B. Hope
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Marian C. Barnes
Media Ministry Email address: [email protected]
WOF Times provides its readers with relevant and current information pertinent to the Christian walk and lifestyle. The WOF Times staff will make every effort to provide material which is
educational, entertaining, encouraging and inspiring. All of this is done in an effort to assist
WOF Times readers in developing a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.
DALINA BRONNER PHELPS & MARQUIS PHELPS
“I am the oldest and shortest of the five of us. My
husband, Marquis Phelps and I will celebrate five
years of marriage on March 8th. We are new parents to our baby girl, Aviya Analise Phelps who
was born on December 17, 2012. In May 2009, I
graduated from Atlanta Christian College with a
B.A. degree majoring in music with a specialization in performance and pedagogy and minoring
in Biblical Studies. After completing my studies
there, I began teaching private voice and piano
lessons and have been teaching ever since. I enjoy
my private teaching, love singing and enjoy assisting Dr. Nina with the Sanctuary Choir.”
Marquis Phelps graduated from Atlanta Metropolitan College and is an entrepreneur. He takes
pleasure in encouraging and building people.
NEIEL BRONNER ZIMBRON & LUIS ZIMBRON
Pictured above: Luis & Neiel.
Right: Eliana Grace and her grandfather.
Neiel Bronner Zimbron is a wife and mother to a
year-old daughter, Eliana Grace. She is the Director
of Communications at WOF and teaches teenage
girls in the Sunday School class, Jewels for Jesus.
Neiel enjoys performing spoken word, reading and
writing. She aspires to become an author and
speaker. Her husband, Luis likes spending time with
family, eating good food, playing the piano, listening
to music and learning new things.
KIRSTIE & KRISTIE BRONNER
Kristie Bronner is a senior music
major at Spelman College with a
4.0 GPA. She studies classical
voice at school and serves as a section leader and chaplain to the
Spelman College Glee Club and
she writes Contemporary Christian
music. She leads the youth praise
team along with her twin sister
Kirstie and is an assistant director
in the teen choir during her breaks
from school. She plans to record
Contemporary Christian music
with Kirstie, serve as a leader in
Word of Faith's Worship and Arts
Ministry and serve as a youth
events coordinator in ministry. She
also does inspirational speaking
and ministry to young ladies at
schools, churches, and other
events. She teaches the Jewels 4
Jesus Sunday school class for teenage young ladies with two of her
sisters, Kirstie and Neiel. She is
engaged to be married.
Kirstie Bronner is a senior music
major at Spelman College who aspires to write, teach, and record
Contemporary Christian and Gospel music. She is the student conductor and alto 1 section leader of
the Spelman College Glee Club,
and she, along with her twin sister,
lead the youth praise team and help
with the SALT Choir both at WOF.
Kirstie also aspires to do motivational speaking to women, and she
currently teaches a Sunday school
class (along with two of her sisters)
for young women, ages 14-18. She
is a member of the National Society
of Collegiate Scholars, the Golden
Key Society, and the Leadership
and Success Society, among a number of other academic associations.
After graduation, she will also continue coordinating youth events as
she does now. She has been a
leader in coordinating the Purity
Conference of 2011 and the threeday Awaken Me: Removing the
Blindfolds Conference of 2012 that
drew over 600 young people from
WOF and beyond. She plans to continue in these musical and ministerial endeavors that connect with
her passion for God, music, and
fulfilling the great commission.
DALE BRONNER, II
Walking in the footsteps of his grandfather, Nathaniel Bronner, father and uncles before him, Dale is a
junior at Morehouse College where he’s a Philosophy major. Aside from his studies, he spends time
listening to music, playing the guitar and is quite the
boxing fan. When asked his plans for the future, his
answer is simply, “to do what I love.”
We Honor Marriage Ministry
Our mission is to create an atmosphere where God’s love abides in such a way that couples
would be drawn to His word, His will and His way for their lives. To encourage couples to receive the skills and knowledge necessary to form and sustain healthy and holy families. To establish support groups to counsel and mentor the unhealthy marriages, as well as provide training
for those with a heart to reach the lost and teach the found with the love of God in marriage. We
desire to be an effective point of reference for the pre-married and married couples through
courses such as Radical Love and Marriage Enrichment that involves social activities, seminars,
workshops, conferences, retreats and counseling.
Marriage Enrichment meets every Sunday for community,
accountability and responsibility for your relationship
with Christ Jesus.
Ministry Leaders: George and Yvonne Amos
Sabrina C. Stewart is the Executive Assistant to both Bishop Bronner
and Dr. Nina Bronner. Within that capacity, she also serves as the
Director of Special Events for Word of Faith Cathedral. Ms. Stewart’s vision and creativity in event design launches the mood of
church anniversaries, conferences and other celebrations.
Ms. Stewart shared with WOF Times that she begins preparations
for her assignments well in advance so that every detail of the
theme flows together for that “wow factor”. Her goal is to make
each occasion memorable from catering to entertainment and lighting SABRINA C. STEWART
to sound. She wants WOF guests to simply sit back and enjoy!
“Honor her hands for all that her hands have done, and
let her works praise her at the gates.”
Proverbs 31:31
20th Anniversary
INSIDE THE GATES...
The theme for the 21st Church Anniversary was “Great Gatsby
Holiday Glam.” She selected lush, satin table linens in pewter for
the head table and pin-tucked crimson taffeta for the VIP seating.
The floral arrangements included black baccarat rose balls, pure
white hydrangea, peacock and ostrich feathers accented with lush
green foliage and sparkling gems. To add a note of elegance, the
head table was outfitted with tall silver candelabras draped with
pearls and crystals. To complete the look, custom menu cards were
exquisitely done with glitter accents.
On the following pages, WOF Times has featured some amazing couples who love being
married to each other. They’re sharing some
good old-fashioned antidotes that help to keep
their relationships sweet and spicy! We’ve
added some vintage R&B songs for each couple
just to set the tone.
“You and I”
Here we are on earth together,
It’s you and I
God has made us fall in love, it’s true
I’ve really found someone like you.
“The Radical Love course and Marriage Enrichment classes have taught us a lot about love
and holy matrimony. We have been married
for 48 years and appreciate being a part of a
church with a marriage ministry. Three things
we do to keep our union fresh are: spend time
with God, spend time with each other and
maintain a peaceful home.
Spending time with God includes praising Him,
spending time reading His word and meditating on God’s word. We pray for each other and
ask the Lord for wisdom, understanding,
knowledge and discernment regarding how to
treat each other. We get the right answers to
solve situations that come up. Spending time
together, frequent dates and vacations stimulate our senses and godly conversation. Our
home is peaceful; and a haven from the cares of
the world: mistakes are permitted and laughter
is frequent. Forgiveness and not “going to bed
angry” have aided us in keeping the peace.
In the beginning of our marriage, we didn’t do
all these things, but with God’s grace and
mercy and continuous learning - our marriage
has endured. For us, divorce is NOT an option.
It gives us joy to encourage other married couples. Never Quit!”
Joyce & Clifton Beeks
“You’re All I Need to Get By”
Like sweet morning dew
I took one look at you
And it was plain to see
You were my destiny.
“There may be many clever tips on how to keep
your marriage fresh, but we have found that nothing is more important to restoring a “newness” to
love like the willingness to change. There is a freedom in realizing that when we got married, part of
God’s plan was to use our differences to transform
us into the image of Christ. That means we were
never designed as one flesh, to remain the same as
we were apart. When we allow God to change us,
even in the areas of identity that we have previously
held dear, our commitment to Him, as well as our
love for one another is refreshed and He is faithful
to make all things new. After all, the excitement of
new experiences is quickly soured when we bring
the same old stuff along with us on the journey!”
Maurice & Ericka Cooper
Howard & Sherrye Nicholson
Be certain that your marriage is God ordained. As time progresses, we get caught
up in our daily lives. When we have days
or moments that aren’t so great, we must
stop and reflect on the beginning. What
was it that attracted me to that person?
Remember, that no one is perfect and this
includes you and your mate.
“Always & Forever”
Always and forever, each moment with you
Is just like a dream to me, that somehow came true.
It’s nice to slow down and smell the roses.
Now, our kids are grown and independent.
We can enjoy our grandchildren, family
vacations or outings. Or, quiet times together; a night out to the movies. We just
enjoy being together. Slow down and savor
the rest of the journey. Share each other’s
differences and learn from them.
Helen Keller said, “Happiness cannot come
from without. It must come from within.”
“For the Love of You”
Driftin’ on a memory.
Ain’t no place I’d rather be than with you.
Lovin’ you, well, well, well...
The Secret to Making Our Marriage Last
We are committed to our relationship with our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ as the head of our lives and the intimacy of our marriage spiritually, physically, emotionally
and mentally. We take our assignment of marriage to heart
and agree that divorce is not an option. Our faith is what
keeps our marriage fresh and fun! The word that brings
compassion for us in marriage is Hebrews 13:4. Marriage is
honorable among all...We believe to honor is to listen and
speak respectfully to one another. We acknowledge our
weaknesses and strengths as another opportunity for prayer
and praise. The fun in our lives is had in making memories
through travel, adventures with our family, fellowshipping
with friends and finding humor in our daily lives.
Yvonne & George Amos
Not Just Surviving: Really in Love!
We have been married for over 33 years and it hasn’t been
without a challenge. We have truly understood that “Life
Ain’t Been No Crystal Stair”, however, we have embraced
the fact that God has been with us every step of the way!
Although, we weren’t nearly as secure in our relationship
with the Lord when we got married, we had the examples of
our parents, (both sets married for more than 50 years) that
marriage is a commitment. As the years passed and we grew
closer to God, we came to acknowledge the fact that a true
marriage is a covenant relationship between a man, a
woman and God. It is through that understanding that our
love has grown and we two have become one. We have purposed to be faithful to each other so that our own children
might witness the example of the love of Jesus Christ in a
marriage relationship. Not only our children, but other family members, friends and those we don’t even know! Our 33
years have been a time of enjoying each other through good
times and consoling each other through times of grief. We
know that God has been the thread of love that has run
through the tapestry of our lives helping us to continually
build our covenant relationship.
Betty & William Kennebrew
“Let’s Stay Together”
I, I’m so in love with you.
Whatever you want to do, is all right with me.
‘Cause you make me feel so brand new.
And I want to spend my life with you.
Tips for A Better Relationship
•
Establish priorities early in the relationship, with your
marriage at the top of the list.
•
The demands and activities of parenthood must not
crowd out the husband-wife interaction.
•
Be alert for the warnings signs of a deteriorating
relationship: nagging, sarcasm, possessiveness,
criticism and discontent with self.
•
Achieve a balance between “doing
your own thing” and enjoying
shared activities.
Love in the Bible
Here are some Holy Scriptures that teach us about love:
“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God,
and whoever loves has been born of God and knows
God.” 1 John 4:7
“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the
truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.” 1 Peter 1:22
“No, in all these we are more than conquerors through
Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor
life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things
to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8: 37-39
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
eternal life.” John 3:16
“Love is patient. Love is kind….It
always protects, always trusts, always
hopes, always perseveres.”
1 Corinthians13: 4-7
Let’s Celebrate!
WOF celebrated it’s 21st Anniversary
on Friday, December 21, 2012 at the
Georgia International Convention
Center in College Park, GA. Nearly
2,000 members, guests and friends
met for an evening of entertainment,
dinner and fellowship. Jazz vocalist
Avery Sunshine kicked off the night
with her soul infused selections, followed by BET comic, Prescott whose
homespun tales had the crowd in
stitches. American Idol R&B singing
sensation, Fantasia brought the house
down with her robust and electrifying
performance. She was also accompanied by her mother, Diane Barrino on
a few gospel selections including
“Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior.”
Later, Bishop Bronner and Dr. Nina
Bronner were honored with a commendation from the White House in
the form of a plaque with a message
and picture signed by President
Barack Obama.
HONOR THE
ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT: 1963-2013
Celebrate Black Heritage!!!
The year was 1963, and as the whole world watched, events in Birmingham sparked the beginning of the end of a centuries-long struggle for freedom. In the year leading up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the city’s most
courageous citizens fought for a world where we could all live as equals.
And this year, we celebrate their strength, their determination, their defiance and the enduring legacy of their hard-won victory over oppression.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater,
America’s cultural ambassador, bringing African
American cultural expression to the world.
@ the Fox Theater, February 14-17, 2013
Author’s Discussion and Community Lecture
In collaboration with the Atlanta Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, the AARL will host historian, Zellie
Rainey Orr, who will discuss her latest publication,
High Flyin’ with the Tuskegee Airmen. This well
crafted and historically accurate book brings to life
the trials and triumphs of America’s first black military aviators. This event will also include a discussion with former Tuskegee Airmen.
“High Flyin’ with the Tuskegee Airmen”
Saturday, February 16th @ 3:00 pm
Auburn Avenue Research Library
February is Heart Month
Eat heart–healthy foods!
The foods you eat influence your heart health. Tons of fried foods, boatloads of ice cream
and heavy doses of buttery sauces can clog arteries, making for one unhappy heart.
Be good to your heart-include these foods in your diet.
Chickpeas: Any bean is a welcome addition to a heart healthy diet. Black, lima, navy, pinto
and garbanzo (aka chickpea) beans are all high in cholesterol-lowering fiber. Chickpeas are
also packed with vitamin B-6 which helps lower homocysteine (higher levels of homocysteine mean a higher risk of heart disease.
Leafy Greens: A diet high in magnesium may help lower blood pressure, triglycerides and
increase the healthy HDL cholesterol. Foods packed with magnesium include leafy greens
like spinach and Swiss chard, as well as sweet potatoes, quinoa and cashews.
Sardines: This underappreciated fish packs a heart-healthy pinch. Sardines contain hearthealthy Omega-3s like other fatty fish, but sardines with soft bones give you the added bonus of calcium and vitamin D. Both work together to help reduce the risk of heart disease
along with strengthening your bones.
Milk: Studies show that foods high in calcium and vitamin D can help reduce the risk of
heart disease by up to 15 percent. They also show that most folks don’t get enough milk
each day. Add milk to smoothies, cereal, coffee and drink a glass with meals and snacks.
Salmon: Fatty fish like salmon and tuna are packed with Omega-3 fats which help lower
triglycerides (fat in your blood) and total cholesterol. Salmon also contains vitamin B-12,
which is shown to help lower the risk of coronary heart disease.
Almonds: Adding almonds to your diet has been shown to help reduce the bad LDL and total cholesterol. Almonds can also help lower C-reactive protein, another risk factor for heart
disease.
Oats: Oats have soluble fiber, which helps reduce cholesterol. Although rolled oats may be
your first choice, don’t count out other forms of oats like oat bran, oat flour and steel cut
oats.
Follow these easy tips, like eating well and exercising, to keep your heart strong.
I DECREE…
By Bishop Dale C. Bronner
I DECREE
that Jesus is Lord over my life, my thoughts, my imagination, my desires, my house, my city,
my state, my nation, and my world!
I DECREE
that the failures of my past will no longer hinder the promises of my future. My latter days will
be greater than my former!
I DECREE
that the pressures and failures of my past are forming the treasures of my future!
I DECREE
that I am no longer WHO I used to be. I am a new creation in Christ with a glorious future.
I DECREE
that the fruit of the Spirit are abundant and growing in my life.
I DECREE
that my body is healthy and strong, my mind is alert and disciplined, and my spirit is perceptive
and receptive to the things of God!
I DECREE
that I am rapidly coming out of debt and changing the habits that put me there.
I DECREE
that I am growing as a person and developing as a leader. I am a lifelong learner!
I DECREE
that I am focused on my life assignment to serve God and humanity with all I am and all I have.
I DECREE
that I am abounding in the love of God and that I am a vessel of God’s amazing grace! I am an
encourager and mentor for others.
I DECREE
that I have uncommon favor for uncommon results in my life! I am engineered for excellence,
created to conquer and sent to succeed.
I DECREE
that I am a bold witness for Jesus Christ and many shall come into faith with Christ as a result
of my witness.
I DECREE
that, because of the shed blood of Jesus for me, sin has no more power over my life!
I DECREE
that I will fulfill my destiny and become everything that I shall have wished I had become
when I stand before God!
So let it be written… so let it be done!