Email submissions and photos about special events, musicians, speakers, classes, etc., to faith@crestviewbulletin.com. Send items at least two weeks in advance if possible. Items run on a space-available basis.

UPCOMING

Little Explorers Early Learning Academy accepting applications

CRESTVIEW — The Summit Church is taking applications for one-year-olds through pre-school age children for its Little Explorers Early Learning Academy in North Okaloosa.

The school is described as "healthy, professional, family-oriented, licensed and accredited," according to a spokesperson.

Spots are limited and filling quickly. Visit www.LittleExplorersAcademy.net for more information.

RECURRING

AWANA PROGRAM: 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesdays, Joy Fellowship, 5978 Old Bethel Road, Crestview. Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed is for 4-year-olds through fifth-graders. Call 682-6219 to register.

REFORMERS UNANIMOUS: 6 p.m. Fridays, Central Baptist Church, 951 Ferdon Blvd. S., Crestview. Faith-based recovery program for people with any addiction. Directed by Wendell Morgan. 682-5525.

RESTORATION AND RECOVERY MINISTRY: 6:30 p.m. Fridays, Kingdom Life Worship and Training Center, 798 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Crestview. Weekly outreach ministry for healing, restoration, wellness and wholeness. For people who have struggles with addiction.

BREAD OF LIFE OUTREACH MINISTRY:  Sign up and a brief minstry and prayers at 11 a.m. and box pick-up is 3 p.m.11 a.m. Fridays, Kingdom Life Worship and Training Center, 798 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Crestview. The church distributes boxes of once a month per person.

CELEBRATE RECOVERY: 7-8:30 p.m. Fridays, Church of New Covenant, 3191 New Ave. N., Crestview. Faith-based 12-step program for people seeking healing from things that keep them from living healthy balanced lifestyles.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FAITH BRIEFS

When I was a young child, my blond hair was nearly white. My blue eyes seemed bluer when I wore blue shirts. My teeth were a bit crooked. And one ear didn’t have creases like most ears do.

One of my best friends had brown hair. His eyes were brown. His teeth were white and straight. And both his ears looked the same. He also seemed to have a tan year round.

My family went to the congregational church. His went to the Catholic church. His family was a bit better off economically than mine, but mine never lacked for any essentials.

We were very good friends. Yes, we would have our periodic squabbles and impose our childish banishments from each other's yard — at least until we made up. And we always made up.

When my family moved from the North to the South, we were both quite sad. We knew we would probably not see each other again in this lifetime. Tears were shed the day the moving van left our neighborhood.

Jose was born in Puerto Rico. I was born in New Hampshire. He was Hispanic. I was Anglo. Neither of us knew there was a difference. All we knew was there were certain aspects of our lives that were different — like our churches, our diets, the accent his mother had. 

But there were many more aspects that were the same. We laughed at the same jokes. We cried when we got hurt. Our blood flowed red when we scraped our knees.

I was not raised with prejudices. I was never taught that one race was superior or another inferior, or one religion better than another, or one political party was the only true party.

I was raised with the Scripture of Paul’s letter to the Galatians firmly ensconced in my heart and mind: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

James 2:8-9 says, “If you really fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin …”

My encouragement is to not see yourself as better than another, to not see others who are different than you as inferior nor superior, to not see your worth as being any more or less valuable than any other.

We are all created by God and for that reason alone, worthy of respect.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: We are all one in Christ

CRESTVIEW — Michael Lugones and his wife, Tammy, have become lead pastors at Lifepoint Church, 400 S. Ferdon Blvd., Crestview.

The Lugones, who were high school sweethearts, grew up in Key West and attended Southeastern University. They have been married 21 years and have served in ministry for over 16 years.

The Lugones came to Lifepoint from Greenhouse Church in Gainesville, where they served as youth pastors.

They have four children, Micah, Amelia, Ezra and Eliana.

The Lugones "have an incredible testimony of God's grace. They love people and have a passion to see them live life to the fullest and experience the joy and freedom that God has for them," a church spokesperson said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Lifepoint Church welcomes new lead pastors

In my private thoughts I can sometimes be somewhat of a word snob. By this I mean when words are used improperly, I cringe and I bite my tongue before it can offer a retort.

For example when someone writes, “Your my best friend,” instead of “You’re my best friend.”

Or when someone writes, “He lead the group all the way to the end of the path,” instead of “He led the group … .”

There are times I read articles in newspapers and see a reporter has written, “The perpetrator busted the window,” instead of “The perpetrator broke the window.”

Every year new words get added to the dictionary. I get it. It’s called progress. I like to think of myself as a fairly progressive person — if the progress has a purpose.

But it seems as though language and education are being dumbed down in order to meet the lowest common denominator of a group of persons. To dumb down means to lower the level of difficulty and/or intellectual content of something, instead of raising up intellectual capacity. And there should be concern for this.

The book of Hebrews, Chapter 5:13-14, states, “Everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.”

It’s important to know the familiar stories taught in Sunday School, but those stories will only get you so far in your faith. In order to grow in faith and knowledge, you have to sink your teeth into the solid food of the Scriptures.

When you understand more about the culture in which the Scriptures were written, and not from the standpoint of American culture, you will have had a taste of solid food.

When you wrestle with the teachings of Jesus Christ and not shy away from what he says is the difference between right and wrong, then you will have had a taste of solid food.

When you wrestle with the theology of the apostle Paul, asking the hard questions and not running from hearing an answer you don’t want to hear but need to, then you will have had a taste of solid food.

The Scriptures are not to be dumbed down because they are challenging. They are to be wrestled with, understood, and lived — regardless of what society says — because they are the source of life.

After all, this earth will pass away, but the word of God remains forever!

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Scriptures feed spiritual growth