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The proof was in the pudding on a recent Friday night when close to 200 married couples came out to fellowship and spend time with their spouses at Married Couples Date Night, hosted by Family Ministries and emceed by Pastor Randal McNeill. The V-3 building was transformed into a movie theater and the doors could barely swing open before people started to rush in. Talk about being excited, the married couples took it to another level, for it was their night. What movie wouldn’t be complete without the right fixin’s to snack on; there was a concession area that included pizza, popcorn, sodas and candy…at a reasonable price (significantly less that what you’d usually pay at the theater).

Among the attendees were David and Margaret Brown from Richmond, VA. They have two boys, ages one and three. Ms. Brown said that the boys are very active, so she and David don’t get a lot of time to spend together. “We are thrilled to have this opportunity to spend some quiet time together. It’s hard for married couples with young children to have a date night because often we don’t have childcare. When we heard the announcement about Date Night, we jumped at the opportunity.”

After the couples were settled in, the lights were dimmed and the movie – No Greater Love – began to play. A lot of the couples said they needed to see this movie, which centered on the separation of a husband and wife, who later reunited after ten years of being apart. The father raised his son alone and had met another young lady. After spending much time with her, he was contemplating on asking her to marry him. But as fate would have it, he sees his wife at a Christian summer camp where his son was attending. That’s when God did something magnificent. He brought the two of them back together towards the end of the movie, but not without some controversy. They were able to work things out and reconcile their differences.

This situation was all too familiar for Betsy and Jarvis Mejias. Their marriage was nearly over. According to Betsy, it was Jarvis’ fault for the break up, and he agreed. But after attending the Matrimonio Para Siempre (Married Forever in Spanish) class led by facilitators Pete and Gladys Torres, their marriage was fully restored, and they are now enjoying their brand new baby girl, Esther!

The focus of the movie centered on reconciliation. God is constantly reconciling us back to him and each other. It’s up to us to recognize the recurring theme of reconciliation in our lives. In closing, Family Ministries Pastor Randal McNeill offered prayer for those who needed to be reconciled back to God. It was a poignant moment when several couples stood together, hand in hand…restoring their commitment back to HIM!

Be on the lookout for our next married couples date night – Jazz on the Lake – later this fall. In the meantime, if you’re married or thinking about it, you may want to consider taking one of our Fall 2010 Marriage or Premarital classes, which begin next week, and for which registration ends this weekend (August 29th). Click here for more info.

Hey! Has God done something amazing in or through your life here at Victory? If so, please Share Your Story here!

The teachers, staff and support team of Victory Children’s Ministry are an Amazing group of people!! Each week we drop off our child or children to their classes, and we know they’re in good hands. Well, behind the scenes, much more than what we see takes place. That’s where the Blitz Conferences come into play. And we’ve got another one coming up at the end of this month. To give you an idea of what these conferences are like, here’s a look at the last one, held earlier this year:

As we entered the V3 auditorium we were cheerfully greeted and invited to have some breakfast. With a football theme, there were jerseys, helmets, shoulder pads and a referee. Everything we needed to get the game started off right, although no equipment was necessary for the women vs. men football toss. As the hula hoops hung down over the stage the challenge was to throw the football through the hula hoop without hitting or knocking it down. Congratulations to the football toss finalists, Lana Soviravong and Keith Hall.

Pastor Colleen, who could not be present due to a conference in Nicaragua, pre-recorded a message emphasizing the value and importance of the children’s ministry. “These children are our mighty warriors and we must make the connection now. They are the church of the right now.” She also expressed that just as a football player must understand the importance of their position on the field, it’s vital that each member of the children’s ministry understand they too have a valuable role. It’s not just one person that wins the game; rather, it takes a team effort to achieve a victory.

Instant Replay

Family Ministries Pastor Randal McNeill, our referee for the day, enlightened us on how his Sunday School teacher impacted his life, and how we must impact the lives of Victory’s mighty warriors. Referencing Genesis 26, he encouraged each person to keep on digging, regardless of his or her situation or past experiences. When we encounter opposition and strife, keep digging! Our children are depending on us. God wants us to open up new wells for ourselves, as well as our children. So keep digging!

After a brief huddle/review of the schedule, the teams broke for their assigned classes. I briefly observed each class while they were in process. I was so excited for the children that attend these classes weekly. Their teachers were learning how to interact with them in ways that are sure to impact their lives, from the nursery to elementary. Wow!!

Our Children’s Ministry leaders and teachers are incredibly dedicated. They desire to make a difference in our children’s lives. They want to ensure our children are well equipped with the knowledge it will take to have a personal relationship with Christ, our Lord and Savior. It is so important for us parents to make sure our children go to their classes so they can continue to grow in Christ, just as we grow in Christ.

After the class sessions, we all met back in the V3 Auditorium for the drawing for a 37″ flat screen television. Congratulations to the winner Myrtle McIntyre. Other prizes were given out as we played the “how well were you listening” game). After all the excitement calmed down, Pastor Olin Holly opened up the floor for comments. He then closed us out in prayer.

As we were dismissed, all I could think of was Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go. And when he is old he will not depart from it.” (NKJV) Exactly what the scripture states is what Victory’s Children’s Ministry is all about! Teaching the Word of God, making an impact and developing leaders by making the connection now!! ~ Renee J.

If you’ve ever given thought to helping out with Children’s Ministry, this is a great way to get started. In fact, we invite you to join us for our next Blitz Conference titled, Blueprint: Wisdom Builds the House on Saturday, August 28th, 9am-3pm. Click hear to find out more.

At Victory, we strive to minister to ALL of your needs because every aspect of your life should reflect the character of Christ. As believers, it is important for us to make sure that we are good stewards over everything God has blessed us with, including our finances, gifts and talents. So, each fall and spring, we offer various classes to equip you with the biblical principles of good stewardship, providing an excellent foundation for you to build upon. Financial Peace University (FPU) is one of the most sought after and successful classes we offer. Here are what two of our FPU graduates have to say:

I decided to enroll in FPU at Victory after I was promoted in 2009. I have always been very money-minded and am often asked to give advice to friends and family about how to handle money. With my promotion, I received a $15,000 salary increase, yet was still BURIED IN DEBT! I always had the idea that it was safer to make purchases with credit cards, yet I was not diligent enough to pay them off. Once the balances got high, I would use them for everyday purchases so I would be able to make the minimum payments. The FPU class gave me the courage to…(continued online at vwcblogs.com) let go of the plastic and put my faith in God regarding our finances. My husband and I also began to tithe faithfully while attending the FPU class. We quickly built our $1,000 emergency fund and hope to finish Baby Step 2 by the end of 2011. Thanks, Victory and FPU, for helping my family down the path to be debt free! ~ Melissa K.

As I attended the FPU course at Victory, I was excited about implementing the steps as outlined in the class. After I created my very first allocated spending plan, I tried my best follow it exactly as outlined. Well, I had to have maintenance done on my vehicle. I had allocated $25.41 for auto maintenance. Since I only needed an oil change, I knew that I would be able to stay in budget. I received a coupon in the mail from my dealer for a $19.99 oil change. So I took my car in and mentioned that I noticed that oil had been leaking when I parked. They said that they would take a look at that issue. Well, when they called me to check out, they told me that the screw in my oil pan was stripped and that they went ahead and replaced it. In my head I started to panic and thought, “How much is this going to cost?!”, “I won’t have enough money to pay the bill!”! When I got to the cashier’s window and told her my name, she said that my total was $25.41. I started to laugh. She asked if I was okay. I told her that I was going through the FPU class and that I had allocated EXACTLY $25.41 for my car maintenance. It was just confirmation that I should have complete trust God and of how much He loves me. ~ Tanya T.

Hey! What’s God been doing in or through your life at Victory? Please share your story here.

Also, more info about this and all our classes is available here.

The years 2008 and 2009 proved to be economically difficult for many families, including my own. My husband David has his own cleaning business, and slowly but surely, our sole source of income began to dissipate as we gradually lost cleaning contracts. We prayed and marketed, but we were unable to secure new contracts. Our household income eventually dwindled to $395/month for a family of four.

We continued to pray and plead to God for a breakthrough. In July 2009, my parents loaned us some money so that we could pay our bills and mortgage. During this time, Satan attacked my family in other areas of our lives. Though our income was low, we faithfully tithed, as we had in the past. August 2009 was the first month in which we could no longer afford our mortgage. By this time we’d tried, unsuccessfully, to modify our loan with several assistance agencies. Their responses were always the same, “Your income is too low.”

We ultimately fell months behind in our mortgage payments and began to receive letters and phone calls about foreclosure proceedings on our home. On some days, I remained strong and faithful that God would come through for us; on other days, I was weak and discouraged, believing that our Heavenly Father had abandoned us.

A few weeks before December 23rd (the date set for our foreclosure), my husband’s uncle, a pastor in Columbia, SC, called us to inquire about how things were going. He asked us if we’d contacted our church to ask for any assistance. I’d never heard of any such thing before, and so I procrastinated; my pride wouldn’t allow me to make that phone call to Victory World Church. I also didn’t want anyone to ever remember me as someone who’d had to ask for financial assistance.

Several days later the same uncle called us back to learn about our success with our financial request. My husband told him that we hadn’t called. His uncle asked to speak with me and counseled me on sins of a prideful heart. The following Monday, I called Victory.

To be as brief as possible, my initial phone conversation with one of Victory’s financial advisors was both discouraging and unsuccessful. After our conversation, I hung up the phone and broke down. However, a few hours later, after remembering how my father raised his children to “Try, try and try again,” I decided to call back.

The following day my phone call was transferred to [another financial advisor]. From the very beginning of our phone conversation, I knew that something was different this time and that it was God’s will that I speak with [this particular advisor]. He was reassuring, comforting and genuine. It felt like I was speaking with my own father. Though he was unable to assist us with our mortgage, he significantly helped us by praying for us and offering financial assistance to cover four of our household bills.

Beyond the practical help that we received, I felt so much better because of the genuine kindness and the love of Christ shown to my family by [this man]. I thanked him via phone, e-mail, and later, in person. I really wanted him to understand just how much his Godly service meant to my family and me.

The end result… On December 23rd, I transferred money from my credit card to our mortgage company in order to become “current” on our mortgage payments. Then, in February 2010, my husband was re-offered his former full-time job; he has also reclaimed some of the cleaning contracts that he’d lost. Finally, in May, my husband and I paid off my credit card. We are currently debt-free, with the exception of our mortgage. Praise be to God!!!

Our family continues to tithe into our storehouse, known as Victory World Church, in hopes that our contributions will serve to help other families who are struggling and need a “helping hand.” ~ Camille G.

Hey! What’s God been doing in or through your life at Victory? Please share your story here.

As Pastor Rolando talked about a few weekends ago, God’s presence has really been showing up during our 212º services and some amazing and supernatural things have been taking place. Among them, a number of people, both youth and adults, have experienced healing of all sorts of ailments and physical problems. In fact, the very weekend he spoke, several people believed for and received healing.

After that evening’s service, Ryan, who had been suffering with a severe case of medically diagnosed patella tendonitis for 11 years, wrote, “During the prayer, my left knee popped violently three times and immediately all pain and weakness went away.”

Saretha, who had been diagnosed with scoliosis – curvature of the spine – wrote, “During the service, Pastor Gonzalez asked if anyone needed healing. I was urged by the Spirit to raise my hand, even though part of me had accepted my condition. The moment I raised my hand, I felt the Holy Spirit over me as if He had been waiting for me. I had my eyes closed, but I felt four or five hands on me. I literally felt my equilibrium change. I felt my spine align and the stress in my back decrease. I thank God so much for this unexpected healing!”

These are just a couple of testimonies to God’s power and faithfulness. Regardless of what some people say, God still heals today!

And, if God’s been doing something in or through your life at Victory, please consider helping to build the faith of others by sharing your story here.

During the month of June, as you my recall, our iCare giving was focused on supporting one of our close local partners in ministry, the Norcross Co-op. Through both financial and material donations, we joined together to bless this ministry and those they serve in a big way – hundreds of families will be given the help and hope they so desperately need. Here is an excerpt of a letter that Shirley Cabe, the Co-op’s Director, wrote in response:

Dear Pastors, leaders and members of Victory World Church:

On behalf of the Norcross Cooperative Ministry Board of Directors, staff, volunteers and clients, thank you so much for your recent donation of $35,042 from the iCare offering during the month of June. This awesome blessing will help many families in our community who are struggling to make ends meet. I also want to thank everyone for the food donations that came in during the month. VWC members donated over 500 bags of food and personal care items.

Over the last few months, we have experienced a 25% increase in the number of our client visits. Currently we are serving over 1,100 families per month. Many of these families have never come to us for help before. Your donation will be used to help these families with basic needs: food, help with utility bill payments, rental assistance and temporary lodging for our homeless families with children.

Thank you again for your donation and your continued support of the outreach and ministries of Norcross Cooperative Ministry. Please continue to pray for our clients, this community and the staff and volunteers of Norcross Co-op. Working together we can transform this community, one family at a time.

In Christ,

Shirley Cabe

Thank you, Victory for your compassion and generosity!

If you’re a regular attender at Victory and God’s been doing something in or through your life here, please consider helping to build the faith of others by sharing your story here.

Recently, the Messengers small group of Fusion planned a barbeque at the park for a Friday night, but the Lord had other plans. Friday came and so did the thunderstorms. The barbeque had to be canceled due to the weather, but that did not stop any of us from getting together at Reggie’s (one of our leaders) for dinner and a movie, or so we thought. Everyone showed up at Reggie’s with food, drinks, deserts, and anything else imaginable. The fellowship is always filled with peace, joy and wisdom. This time was no different! A few people had come to fellowship with us from other groups, and boy, were they in for a treat! We had no idea that rain could turn a Friday night barbeque at the park into an amazing night filled with the Holy Spirit.

After eating dinner, blankets were stretched across the floor, couches and chairs were occupied, and everyone was ready to start the movie. The group got into a deep conversation (as normal), about the Lord and his amazing works. One of the members decided to share her testimony while waiting on the movie to begin. This in turn, sparked desires in other people to do the same. One testimony lead to another, and conversations developed into messages from the Lord. Sharing testimonies opened up the door for the Lord to remind many individuals of things from their past that they had not remembered before. It also allowed people to recover from things that had previously been bothering them by sharing it aloud.

Now, it seems that the enemy didn’t like this one bit, as he had been trying to distract us and mess up the night in various ways. One way was by using the neighbors. We had one neighbor blocked in by accident, and he came banging on the door. Another group of neighbors stopped a group member while he was pulling in, trying to start an argument or fight. We prayed for the neighbors along with the children in the room and each other. Unfortunately, the enemy struck again when another member was about to tell her testimony.

She was struggling with a migraine and feeling sick. A couple of people went to check on her and as soon as she stated what was going on, we decided to pray for her. Laying hands on her and praying out loud with the whole group brought about deliverance from spirits that she had been dealing with, such as rejection. The Lord gave her strength to tell her testimony, which in turn brought about the need for deliverance in another group member.

Each person was actively taking authority over spirits that were not of God, walking with the power of the Holy Spirit. The truths that were being spoken aloud were too much for the enemy to handle. We reminded him that Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed his blood for us! He died for redemption of our sin, for our healing and our deliverance. He died for us to have a personal relationship. We showed that our God lives inside of us by the Holy Spirit (TAKE THAT!). Both of these group members were delivered that night… well, it was actually the morning by the time we finished. Not only were they delivered and filled by the Holy Spirit (so the spirits have no place to come back and reside), but they also received rest.

By this time it was roughly 3am and we were praising the Lord through music. Everyone joined together to pray for covering of each and every one of us and over the children once again. After prayer, one of the ladies mentioned while leaving that her hand was hurting and tingling. One of the leaders of The Messengers prayed for healing over her and they both received it. The next morning, that leader got a text message stating that she had been healed.

PRAISE THE LORD! GOD IS SO GOOD! A Friday night barbeque being rained out turned into two deliverances, a physical healing and many emotional and spiritual healings through testimony.

This past weekend, I invited our 212º Youth Pastor, Rolando Gonzalez, to close out our One Prayer: Unstoppable teaching series. As many of us have heard, God has really been pouring out his Spirit in the 212º services and I wanted him to share some of what’s been going on with the rest of the church. He did so with a great message about the Unstoppable Kingdom. Here are a few of his key points that we all need to hear and receive into our hearts:

• The Lord enjoys spending time with us; he wants to spend time with us.
• God has a plan and if we can get out of His way ‘great things’ will happen for His glory.
• God is a lot happier and more joyful than we usually think he is
• In his presence is joy
• A lot of the things of God are pretty simple; they start getting complex when we try to take them apart, try to explain them
• God has set things in place and in motion and nothing can stop him
• His kingdom is who he is – meaning that God is not standing away just watching, but he’s currently active in his kingdom – Jesus is involved with his kingdom
• We know that God is everywhere, but sometimes it’s like He is more in one place than others; this “more” of God is His glory or presence
• His presence is what makes the unusual usual
• We were made to function in God’s glory, in his presence
• The Holy Spirit loves to bring revelation of the Father’s love and reveal Jesus Christ to us
• When the Spirit comes, He brings the unstoppable kingdom

If you want to experience God’s amazing presence and power as a part of his unstoppable kingdom, I urge you to listen to or watch the rest of Rolando’s message and then surrender completely to the Holy Spirit. You will definitely be encouraged. And, don’t miss the powerful collection of testimonies on the video that he played during service. I’m going to include it here as well. God is on the move. As we unite together with him, we are and will be unstoppable!

The Roses small group, led by Mark Cooke, provides spiritual, emotional and educational support for people affected by and/or living with chronic illnesses. Chronic illnesses can create daily stresses that build over time and erode our spiritual strength. As a group, we create an outlet to discuss issues, provide support and counter these daily stresses. Here’s what a couple of our group members have to say:

Hi! My name is Donna and I belong to the Roses Chronic Illness Support V•Group. Everyone with an illness needs compassion, understanding, and prayer to help them through each day. At Roses, I found folks who are non-judgmental and genuinely concerned about every aspect of my well being. I have experienced an understanding that I feel can only be found among those who are also ill. I still have so much to learn about Jesus, but every visit at Roses helps me grow spiritually as well as emotionally. If you are facing the challenge of chronic illness, I sincerely hope that you will join us in our journey. ~ Donna R.

Since I have been coming to the Roses group sessions, I feel this truly adds a great level of openness that I haven’t felt in some time. Being able to talk deeply and honestly with other people who are going through their own illnesses is a true release. Many times in a person’s life, the stress of failures, mistakes and disappointments can create a large sense of loneliness and resentment for the world and self. You may even find yourself blaming and arguing with God about why this had to happen to you when others are getting over from doing so much worse. Nevertheless, friendship and communication helps to fight off those feelings of depression and helps you to understand that God will use your small down times for a greater cause. No person is alone no matter how alone they feel. The world was created as a whole and that whole is made of many parts. Some are scarier than others, but the communion of many can ease life’s long, rough roads. I know I was created for greatness, and being part of something greater than myself helps me to know that, even when the way is cloudy or hard. ~ James S.

“Some people complain because God put thorns on roses, while others praise Him for putting roses among thorns.”

We weren’t meant to walk through life alone; and true growth, spiritual and personal, often take place in loving, supportive, grace-giving, truth-telling relationships – like those found in V•Groups. To learn more about V•Groups or find a V•Group near you, click here.

If you’re a regular attender at Victory and God’s been doing something in or through your life because of it, please take a moment and share your story here so that others may be encouraged in their faith.

Black Shirts with white designs and bright green letters stating “FUSION ON TOUR” speckle each train car that takes off from the Doraville train station heading to the Atlanta Airport. A group of thirty people, split up in five different groups, all with the purpose of spreading the love of the Lord. Equipped with bags filled with bottled waters, hearts overflowing with God’s truth, the Holy Spirit and boldness that only the Lord himself could provide. As the train departs, anticipation gets stronger.

On a normal day, the door opens and many people rush on the train, find a seat, and get occupied with various things – men and women with headphones in their ears listening to various types of music, students doing homework and many eyes closed while leaning up against the window. The only noise heard is coming from the train tracks and walls being scraped at random times throughout the trip. The good thing is, this was no normal day. This day was made by the Lord, for the Lord, and it’s time for people to know and understand; so let’s take it back.

The doors open and many people rush onto the train hearing, “Good evening,” and “How are you?,” along with other questions and statements directly to the individuals. Each person trying to find a seat, scrambling around before the train takes off. As they find their seats, they are greeted with a bottled water and many kind words. If they had an empty seat and were welcoming of a neighbor, the seat filled up fast for conversation. Many were still trying to sleep, do homework or listen to their iPod.

Brayden goes from person to person giving hugs from God, which lifted many spirits and opened some hearts that were not welcoming to begin with. Ken, Celara, Dee and myself listened to different individuals, giving them a genuine ear that wanted to hear how their day was or what was going on in their lives. Some didn’t open up completely, while others broke down; one girl coming back to the Lord after hearing what He desired for her. Even after the water was out, we went from person to person and checked on them, telling them that God loves them. As the people got off, we told each one to have a blessed night and anything else that was on our hearts.

Being able to see the love of our Lord was a blessing in itself. To see the smile on others’ faces and gain understanding of the selfishness that plagues our society was something that couldn’t be taught by lecture, only by actions. This was just a small glimpse of what they should be seeing and what we ourselves should be doing and seeing. The Bible states that we are to first love the Lord, then, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Those are just basics and most haven’t been doing that right. So how can we, as Christians, go about claiming the Lord without having the basics down?! Fusion on Tour has begun, and it is time to be doers of the word, not hearers only. It’s time to look in the mirror and see what God has in store for us and what Christ would have done. It’s time to see Christ in our mirror and know that we are getting closer and closer to being just like Him. ~ Lauren W.

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But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (James 1:22-27 NKJV)