My Father, My God, I am overcome with thanks and appreciation for the love and mercy you continue to show me. You are a good and awesome God and I cannot imagine my life without You. Thank You Father for always being with me and for filling my heart with gladness. With You I am never alone and that thought comforts my heart. During these times that seem to move faster than the speed of light I need the certainty of your love.
Father, during these challenging times I know that You remain in control and in charge. I am not worried about anything because my complete trust is in You. Because of You I know that there is always tomorrow. I know from moment to moment You are with me. I know that my life is in Your hands.
Today and everyday I praise Your name. -AMEN
Publisher’s Prayer
Sandy Walker
My Father, My God:
All is well with my soul as I focus my attention solely on You. I am thankful as I breathe the air You so graciously provide to me each day. How wonderful it is to be Your child. How wonderful it is to know that You are in charge. I am thankful Dear Lord for the blessings You continue to bestow. Father I know that I am in no way worthy of all that You give to me. You give me peace and love. You give me food to nourish my body. You give me all that I need to survive. Your blessings are so much appreciated as You place the right people in my life and in my path each day. I know Father that You are also placing me in the path of others so that I might do Your will in being a blessing as well. Keep my eyes open, Dear Lord, so that I might see those in need.
I am eternally grateful for the love You continue to bestow upon me. You love me unconditionally with all of my issues and all of my faults. You love me, Father, in spite of myself. I thank You for being with me always. I am comforted by the knowledge that You are with me every moment of my life.
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Lord as I navigate this wonderful journey called life I am eternally thankful for the love you continue to surround me with. I am thankful for the love and support of my amazing family. There is nothing I have done or could ever do to earn the blessings You continue to bestow upon me. Father I pray to be a blessing to others as you so generously bless me. You, my Lord are so worthy to be praised.
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Father I pray for all of Your children who are feeling pain, frustration and lack. I pray Dear Lord
Father I pray for peace during these uncertain times. As much as we try to figure it all out, Lord You already know. When I find myself pondering the circumstances of the day I take comfort in the fact that You are in charge! Nothing will happen that You don’t allow and nothing
New Year, New You! 5 Simple Tips to Make Your Diet Healthier
It’s always good idea to take charge of your health, but there’s no time like the New Year. To help you get started, several dietitians and health experts are offering up fresh approaches to keeping those resolutions.
“You’ve had time to think about who you want to be or what you want to accomplish and to plan for that change,” said Claudia Zapata, a registered dietitian, nutritionist and author of the blog Claudia Zapata Celebrating Health. “The first days of the year serves as the ideal springboard for putting your plan into action.”
Advice from Zapata and numerous other experts are distilled into the following tips for healthier eating habits and getting active:
Start with a clean slate.
Clean and organize your pantry and fridge by chucking the overly processed junk foods. Replace those sugary cereals, cookies and crackers with hydrogenated oils, bottled salad dressings and refined grains like white rice and pasta. Instead, stock up on healthy granolas and unsalted nuts and seeds; a good olive and avocado oil; a variety of vinegars; and whole grains such as quinoa, farro, bulgur, millet and brown rice. Evidence of your clean slate will help: Post “before” and “after” photos on social media to inspire yourself and your friends.
Be truthful.
It can be easy to fool yourself into thinking you’re eating healthy. Sure, there are carrots in that cake and peaches in that pie. But these foods don’t count toward the fruits and veggies you should eat every day.
Cook more.
Develop seven to 10 go-to healthy recipes and the shopping lists you need for them. Print them out or take photos of them with your phone. Let family members pick favorites. Aim to try a new recipe once a week or once a month. Try tweaking favorites with different ingredients.
Reduce sodium.
Experiment by seasoning food with herbs and spices such as basil, black pepper, cayenne, garlic, nutmeg, and ginger instead of salt.
Include more seeds.
Many seeds offer heart-healthy fats, fiber, protein and important nutrients such as magnesium and potassium. Keep a shaker with unsalted sunflower seeds, flax seeds, in your refrigerator to sprinkle over soups, salads, yogurt and oatmeal.
Apostle Carlos Malone reflects on 45 years of ministry, a new restaurant, and his future
By: Zach Rinkins
The coronavirus pandemic has given Americans an opportunity to reflect on many things like racial unrest, work-life balance, the value of family and community, economic sustainability, and spirituality. During this time of national contemplation, Apostle Carlos Malone redeemed his time by implementing innovative strategies to continue ministering to his community, expanding his business empire, and carefully structuring his next move.
“The pandemic exposed the church. It exposed our strengths and weaknesses,” says Malone, a longtime senior pastor in Miami’s historic Richmond Heights community. “We have discovered that many people come to these places. But they do not know how to survive spiritually on their own.”
Like all of us, the time has taken Malone metaphorically and literally far from his East St. Louis, Illinois, hometown where he started preaching in 1977 as a 19-year-old minister. He eventually pastored a church there for four years and left to lead a flock of believers in Daytona Beach. After a four-year stint, a 32-year-old Malone became the senior pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in 1990. Malone says Bethel was home to roughly 400 members back then.
“It was a very exciting time for the people and me. Because the people were ready to progress,” Malone recalls. “There was a core group of young people who wanted to see the church at another level.”
“I, too, was a young adult. It allowed me to relate to so many people like young families and the older members.”
Under Malone’s leadership, the congregation serves under the banner of The Bethel Church (TBC), outgrew its previous location, moved to a modern 1,200 seat edifice, and serves roughly 3,000 believers. The now 64-year-old Midwesterner says he and church members worked together to create ministries and initiatives that met members’ needs, like offering a youth choir, Bible Institutes, and outreach ministries. Since the pandemic, the church has aggressively used social media, teleconference, and online tools to minister to believers.
“I don’t look at growth solely in terms of numbers. Often, people are growing in attendance, and they are supporting, but they are not becoming independent,” Malone shares. “I never wanted the ministry to be dependent on me. I believe that a leader is not a good leader until his people don’t need him.”
Malone is practicing this philosophy by cultivating a careful succession plan to ensure the ministry’s sustainability.
“Some leaders like to be needed. I don’t want to be needed. I want you to grow,” he continues. “I want members to grow from here, and then go from here and start doing some of these things that I’m preaching and teaching.”
As he approaches his golden years, he wants TBC’s next generation of congregants to have the benefit of younger, relatable leadership as they did more than thirty years ago.
“As an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I believe in succession,” he declares. “At some point, Bethel will have a much younger pastor who can lead this church to new dimensions.”
Though he plans to transition from the senior pastor role, Malone will remain the church’s apostle and advisor to his successor. He readily concedes that ministry is more significant than one individual.
“I want people to grow so they can start impacting the community and impacting the world because ministry is global,” he says. “We are supposed to be moving and growing, changing society and making it better.”
Malone challenges Christians to maximize their faith and spiritual gifts.
“We should impact the world beyond spirituality. We should be impacting the world economically, educationally, politically, socially and
in entertainment, all those areas,” Malone continues.
In addition to ministry, Malone is seeking to impact industry. The apostle heads various ventures in book publishing, theatrical performances, music production, and publishing. A conversation with the long-serving community leader and former Miami-Dade County Commissioner inspired Malone to revisit a dormant desire to expand into hospitality.
“The Apostle and I have worked together to advance this community for many years. I thought this community could use a high-quality, affordable restaurant serving the food we like. I asked him if he would be interested in creating a takeout restaurant,” says Dennis C. Moss, the immediate past Miami-Dade County Commission for District 9, an area that includes the Richmond Heights community. Moss also spearheaded the creation of the Larcenia J. Bullard Plaza located at 14508 Lincoln Blvd.
“I listened to his request and told him I would pray on it,” Malone shares. “I prayed on it and decided to move forward. I really appreciate Commissioner Moss and his support throughout the years.”
Welcome home to the family inspired ‘Mr. Jack’s Soul on the Go’
Customer service is the main course at Mr. Jack’s Soul on the Go. Malone has charged his team to greet every guest with an inviting, “Welcome home.”
“Mr. Jack’s is your home away from home,” says Malone. “We take pride in cooking fresh food.”
Mr. Jack’s is Malone’s second attempt at running a restaurant. He previously operated the Bishop’s Fine Dining 22 years ago. He revealed the name was inspired by his grandfather Clarence Jack Malone, affectionately called Mr. Jack. The elder Malone was exceptional in the kitchen, a stickler on cleanliness, and a charming communicator; the family decided to begin a chain of different restaurants in his memory. They intend to leave a legacy that will perpetuate itself for generations to come.
“When I was very young, I remember my father having to close his restaurant back home in East St. Louis,” Malone recalls. “I was about 11 years old. At that moment, I made the decision that I was going to have a restaurant one day.”
Richmond Heights’ newest soul food eatery executed a soft launch during the holiday season that offered catered meals during the holiday season. Mr. Jack’s opened to the greater community at the beginning of the year.
“I could not think of a better leader to create a restaurant that delivers the food our community deserves at prices we could afford,” Moss adds. “I see this as a win-win for him and the community.”
Bullard Plaza is one of the capital improvement projects from Miami-Dade County’s Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond Program. County leaders hope resident businesses like Mr. Jack’s and others will spur economic development and service needs in the area.
“This small-business incubator will empower the community to innovate and create businesses, benefiting the community,” said current Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kionne L. McGhee, who sponsored the legislation for the building’s lease agreement.
Mr. Jack’s serves customers from Tuesday through Sunday at various times. Customers can order flavorful southern fixings that promise to delight many palates.
“Customers can expect authentic soul food like oxtails, fried chicken, and we have a special egg roll that has collard greens and beef short ribs inside of it,” Malone shares. “We also have the smothered pork chops and turkey wings that are incredibly delicious.”
Daily meal specials include meatloaf on Tuesdays, a chef special on Fridays, and butter-battered smothered chicken on Sundays. The menu also boasts, among other down-home mainstays like fried catfish, baked chicken, and baked spaghetti. All the entrees come with two sides like macaroni and cheese, black-eyed peas, or green beans. The restaurant’s banana pudding, peach cobbler, and five flavor pound cake are available for the dessert lover with a well-developed sweet tooth. In the very near future, Mr. Jacks’ will allow customers to select and pay for orders online via mrjacksdining. com and DoorDash.
Malone longs for an active future
Malone says he’s looking forward to growing his businesses, ministering across the globe, and supporting his
sons-in-the-ministry throughout America. He remains coy about his future and timeline. He did, however, offer this clue.
“I will be preaching until I die,” Malone says. “I am not stepping away. I am stepping aside. And, if I did my job right, my presence will still be felt.”
Log on to www.MrJacksDining.com to discover the southern stylings of one of South Miami- Dade’s newest cafes. Believers can find The Bethel Church’s online home at www.TBCMiami.org.
Lilly Endowment Awards University $1 Million Pathways for Tomorrow Grant
Palm Beach Atlantic University has received a grant of $1 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish culturally-competent graduate theological education on the campus of Florida Memorial University, a historically-Black university in Miami-Dade County.
The effort is funded through Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. It is a three-phase initiative designed to help theological schools across the United States and Canada as they prioritize and respond to the most pressing challenges they face as they prepare pastoral leaders for Christian congregations both now and into the future.
“We’re deeply grateful to the Lilly Endowment for its continued, generous commitment to this innovative initiative championed by our School of Ministry,” said PBA President Dr. Debra A. Schwinn. “We look forward to building on our relationship with Florida Memorial University to expand the accessibility of high-quality ministry education to unique populations in South Florida.”
Palm Beach Atlantic will provide the Master of Divinity component of a Bachelor of Arts-to-Master of Divinity program on FMU’s campus. PBA offers the only university-based Association of Theological Schools-accredited M.Div. in the region. PBA intends to replicate its School of Ministry’s 3+2 program, which combines three years of undergraduate study with two years of M.Div. study in a model that reduces time and money needed for pastoral education. In addition, PBA will offer generous, targeted scholarships and continue to develop a low-cost management structure to keep tuition affordable.
The Palm Beach Atlantic program on FMU’s campus will train African American pastors and aspiring pastors where they are, with faculty who look like them in a program based in their context. A full-time project director and associate director who have extensive experience in theological education and who reflect the context of African American church life will lead the program. PBA and FMU expect both institutions to grow in collaboration.
Pastors, trustees, community members, faculty and administrators have described an “extraordinary reception and hunger for this program,” said FMU President Dr. Jaffus Hardrick.
“Pastoring is core to our call,” Hardrick said. “The context-first vision you propose will move our region from being exceptionally underserved toward becoming a model for the future in a sustainable way that looks a generation ahead.”
PBA is committed to hiring excellent faculty who represent the students and who are capable of creating contextually-appropriate curriculum and instruction.
“Many students in PBA’s new Ph.D. program come from the Black church tradition, and with this additional training, may become wonderful faculty in the future,” said PBA Provost Dr. E. Randolph Richards.
Palm Beach Atlantic University is one of 84 theological schools that are receiving a total of more than $82 million in grants through the second phase of the Pathways initiative. Together, the schools represent evangelical, mainline Protestant, nondenominational, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic and Black church and historic peace church traditions (e.g., Church of the Brethren, Mennonite, Quakers). Many schools also serve students and pastors from Black, Latino, Korean American, Chinese American and recent immigrant Christian communities.
“Theological schools have long played a pivotal role in preparing pastoral leaders for churches,” said Christopher L. Coble, the Endowment’s vice president for religion. “Today, these schools find themselves in a period of rapid and profound change. Through the Pathways Initiative, theological schools will take deliberate steps to address the challenges they have identified in ways that make the most sense to them. We believe that their efforts are critical to ensuring that Christian congregations continue to have a steady stream of pastoral leaders who are well-prepared to lead the churches of tomorrow.”
Lilly Endowment launched the Pathways initiative in January 2021 because of its longstanding interest in supporting efforts to enhance and sustain the vitality of Christian congregations by strengthening the leadership capacities of pastors and congregational lay leaders.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. The primary aim of its grant making in religion, which is national in scope, focuses on strengthening the leadership and vitality of Christian congregations in the United States. The Endowment also seeks to foster public understanding about religion and lift up in fair, accurate and balanced ways the contributions that people of all faiths and religious communities make to our greater civic well-being.
We
are the change that we seek.
President Barack Obama
O R I G I N S O F
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
That September, the Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent
Known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the group sponsored a national Negro History week in 1926, choosing the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
The event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organize local celebrations, establish history clubs and host performances and lectures.
Celebrating diversity. February is Black History Month. We take this time to honor achievements by African Americans and recognize their central role in U.S. history. At Jackson Health System, we celebrate the heritage of our patients, nurses, doctors, and staff of all backgrounds. Our diversity is a firm foundation for the future and underlines our commitment to deliver compassionate care to all in need.
There’s no resilience gene to help us deal with adversity. Experts say it’s a skill to foster, a muscle to pump up.
Six months into the twin calamities of a pandemic and a tough economy, this may be a good time for a resilience workout.
Resilience is the ability to withstand, bounce back and grow in the face of stressors and changing demands. “For a long time, people believed resilience was kind of a trait, something you have or you don’t,” said Vanessa Downing, a psychologist in Wilmington, Delaware. “Now we know it really is much more a set of skills that can be taught and learned.”
Downing, who worked for many years to help heart patients and caregivers become more resilient, now directs the ChristianaCare Center for WorkLife Wellbeing, part of Delaware’s largest health care system. As colleagues have struggled to cope with COVID-19, she said, “We have really doubled down on the importance of understanding what resilience really means, and what it takes to create lasting resilience. It’s a huge issue, especially at a time when there’s so much facing people, whether they work in health care or not.”
Dr. Abby Rosenberg, an associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, agreed.
“The time you really need to dig deep and activate your own resilience is when life seems hard,” said Rosenberg, a pediatric oncologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital. She specializes in promoting resilience among young patients with serious illness and their families.
“It’s the process of harnessing the resources we need to get through that tough time and maintain our well-being. Resilience gives you the ability to say, ‘Yes, it’s hard, and this is how I’m going to get through it.’”
The benefits are not just psychological. Resilience helps to lower stress, and chronic stress is linked to health consequences that include high blood pressure, depression and heart disease.
A study published last year in the Journal of the American Heart Association indicated that African Americans living in neighborhoods more conducive to resilience—specifi-
cally, neighborhoods with better aesthetic quality, healthy food availability and a lack of violence—had less cardiovascular disease than their counterparts with the same level of cardiovascular risk factors who lived in other areas.
A 2018 study published in Psychological Science found people who reported higher levels of lingering negative feelings from daily stressors had more chronic conditions almost a decade later.
So, how do we become more resilient?
Take care of yourself. “That means ensuring our own basic needs are met,” Downing said. “Things like getting enough sleep, trying to eat nutritious meals and making sure our social connections are there even when we have to be physically distant. That may require a lot more work than in our pre-COVID way of living.”
And with so many people now working from home, it’s important to set healthy work boundaries to prevent overworking and burnout. Maintain a regular work schedule and allow time for lunch and breaks.
Reflect on problems you’ve overcome before. “What have you done in the past when things were hard?” Rosenberg said. “That can help people think about which particular resources they need now, and to be able to ask for help.”
Focus on gratitude. “Our brains are hard-wired to notice the negative, and that’s what sticks with us more,” Downing said. “You have to take proactive steps to balance the scales.”
To put that into practice, she said, “At the end of each day, record one or two good things that happened. Take a moment to open a window and simply let the air brush over your skin. Find a way to notice the moment rather than rushing through it to worry about the future.”
Don’t go it alone. “Some people think about resilience as a Lone Ranger, pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps kind of mindset,” Downing said. “What really helps us get through challenging times is having people in our life to help us meet our needs.”
According to recent data collected from the Employ Florida activities report, CareerSource South Florida (CSSF) currently has the largest population of pre-apprentices enrolled in training of all Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDB’s). The data shows that since the US Department of Labor (DOL) awarded the Apprenticeship USA Statewide Expansion Grant to the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) in November of 2016, CSSF has assisted more than half of the 516 individuals who participated in pre-apprenticeship training within the 24 LWDB’s across the State.
Working in collaboration with Miami-Dade County Public Schools and community based organizations including Adults Mankind Organization, Youth Co-Op Inc., and the Cuban American National Council, CareerSource South Florida has been able to engage youth and improve participation in pre-apprenticeship programs. CareerSource South Florida has also invested in the Miami-Dade Youth Pre-Apprenticeship Career and Technical Training Program, which introduces students
to trades that could lead to a career in the construction industry.
This innovative program includes a paid summer internship offering $13.88 per hour for 150 hours. Each year, students complete a minimum of 150 classroom hours for a total of 300 hours to complete the program. Participants will earn certifications from the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) and OSHA-10 skills training.
According to the Florida Department of Education, registered pre-apprenticeship programs provide an avenue for both adults and youth who are at least 16 years old to become qualified to enter registered apprenticeship programs. After completing their programs, pre-apprentices may be granted preference for entry into registered apprenticeship programs. They may also receive credit towards the completion of their registered apprenticeship program, often shortening the program length by as much as a year.
CHURCH DIRECTORY
B. Bailey Sr.
Pastor James R. Polk, Sr. Pastor / Teacher
Doris Granberry, Pastor Rev. Doris Granberry, Pastor
