This is the column in which West Michigan Christian News writer Terry DeBoer surveys the landscape for the area's faith-inspired arts/entertainment/events in the coming month. Here are a few Christmas themed happenings:

Carter Lezman, worship pastor at All Shores Wesleyan Church in Spring Lake. For the last two years Carter Lezman has been on life's roller coaster.

The worship pastor at All Shores Wesleyan Church in Spring Lake began his new job in January of 2020.

"I came from a church of 150 to one of 800 to a thousand; and from a volunteer team of 20 to around 70," recalled the Kalamazoo-area native. "The pace of work was a lot faster and more demanding," he added.

Then in March of that year came the COVID-19 pandemic. That brought a whole new set of adjustments for the 28 year-old singer-songwriter. From in-person meeting limitations to online streaming of worship, Lezman and his crew had to roll with the punches and keep things moving forward. That's in addition to supervising his three-person staff, organizing and encouraging volunteers, and keeping connections seamless with All Shores' two satellite campuses in Coopersville and Muskegon.

Her boyfriend was sex trafficking her, a term that was not as well-known 10 years ago to staff members of Wedgwood Christian Services (WCS). They are now, which why the Manasseh Project was launched soon after.

"At that point, we had not heard a lot about trafficking in our community," says Nikeidra DeBarge, WCS Manasseh Project coordinator.

Manasseh Project is a WCS outreach dedicated to ending the sexual exploitation of young women and men in West Michigan. Through community education and collaboration, and Wedgwood's Manasseh Project Trauma Recovery Center, the Grand Rapids nonprofit provides support and specialized residential treatment services for victims of sex trafficking.

Rodger Price: “So many pastors become spiritually dry because they were too busy doing God’s work but didn’t have time to hang out with God.”Rodger Price believes being a pastor is the toughest leadership position around. Not just one of the toughest, but at the top of the list.

Compounding the problem is pastors and other ministry leaders are often not taught in seminary what it takes to be a successful, organizational leader.

That's where LEAD 24/7 comes in.

Animated characters in “Tiny Ocean Tails,” a series from Studio 3:16Kristen Collier was helping two-year old Mila record her lines for a new video cartoon series.

"She wanted to be just like the bigger kids in Sunday School," said Collier of the toddler's role while working in her church video production room. "So (Mila) pressed the button for the microphone and repeated the words after me."

Collier is one of the on-site production managers at Studio 3:16, an in-house ministry of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, a mile south of GVSU's Allendale campus. And she was teaming up with young Mila on a pre-schooler project called "Tiny Ocean Tails."

This is the column in which West Michigan Christian News writer Terry DeBoer surveys the landscape for the area's faith-inspired arts/entertainment/events in the coming month – it's a good one for choir music! Here are a several possibilities for November that otherwise might be overlooked.

Dr. Rex M. RogersNone of us would pray, "Lord, send us a pandemic." The idea doesn't make sense.

Yet we know God uses adversity to advance his purposes, develop the Church, teach us what we need for the days ahead, and bring glory to himself. God even says we should be joyful in the face of hard times.

     "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know
     that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may
     be  mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4).

This occurred to me during Year 2020, our "annus horribilis." What possibly could be good and useful, much less enjoyable about a year – actually a year and one-half and counting – of illness and deaths, slowdowns and lockdowns, masks - vaccines – mandates and controversy, government orders, loss of freedoms, and anxiety?

Grand Rapids-based socially conscious recruiting firm Hire for Hope founder Ashley Ward announced its new community partner is YWCA West Central Michigan. Ten % of Hire for Hope's profits will be donated to YWCA to not only empower women who are experiencing domestic violence, but empower and unite all women and eliminate racism. For over 160 years, YWCA has been working to improve the lives of women, girls and communities of color through advocacy, local programming and services.

Calvin University graduate and Tacoma, Wash. native Dean VanderLey has been promoted by the United States Navy to the rank of rear admiral during a ceremony held at U.S. Pacific Fleet Headquarters on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

Rear Adm. Dean VanderLey assumed command as Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Pacific, and Fleet Civil Engineer, U.S. Pacific Fleet, in August. He leads a team of more than 9,000 military and civilian personnel across seven Echelon IV commands and public works and construction offices in over 40 locations along the Pacific coast of the U.S. and across the entire Indo-Pacific theater.

Calvin University's 2022 January Series lineup includes New York Times best-selling authors, a renowned theologian, a retired four-star admiral, and a popular public television host, are among an eclectic lineup who will use the power of story to humanize some of today's most important and timely issues. The free lecture series, now in its 35th year, is Jan. 10-28.

Speakers include Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers, co-hosts of the popular podcasts, Pantsuit Politics and The Nuanced Life; Max Stossel, an award-winning artist named by Forbes as one of the best storytellers of the year; Colum McCann, an Irish-born international bestseller who is among the world's foremost storytellers; and Brad Montague, a popular storyteller and creator of the hit web series "Kid President," author of the New York Times bestseller "Kid President's Guide to Being Awesome," and an illustrator whose work is regularly featured in Joanna Gaines' The Magnolia Journal.

Five Grand Rapids' chefs recently came together for a peak-harvest, five course, farm to table dinner to help reduce homelessness in Grand Rapids. "Breaking Bread" benefited Degage Ministries' capital campaign Building Dignity Through Christ, which has already raised nearly $6.8 million of its $7.3 million goal. Chefs who made it possible were Clark Frain, Terra; Armando Suarez, Rose's; Katy Waltz, MudPenny; Devin Cook, Bistro Bella Vita and Amy Ruis, Apperitivo. Each chef prepared one course of the five course meal, featuring peak-harvest produce.

Mel Trotter Ministries recently launched a podcast titled Everyday Humanity. It is intended to share stories of life transformation through the compassion and unconditional love the MTM staff demonstrates. Episodes will drop each week on Wednesdays and will include interviews with multitudes of people who have been deeply impacted by what it means to experience homelessness.

Visit: https://www.meltrotter.org/everyday-humanity

Nathan Cochran (center) Bart Millard (right) and Mercy MeIt was twenty years ago that the MercyMe song "I Can Only Imagine" was released to an unsuspecting public.

The award-winning ballad, picturing what it might be like to see a departed father in heaven, soared to the top of both the Christian and mainstream music charts. It was a turning point for the upstart band, establishing a solid recording and performing career that has continued with this year's collection "inhale/exhale" and a new tour. (The tour comes to Grand Rapids Nov. 5 – see details below).

But the inspirational-pop band still lives with the echo from its "imagine" ballad of two decades ago.

"That's certainly a song that is larger than us and that people have taken ownership of," said bassist Nathan Cochran during a recent interview. "It's amazing that we will have that kind of legacy song that will outlive us as a band."

"I Can Only Imagine," written by lead singer Bart Millard after his father's death, spawned the 2018 biographical hit movie of the same name, providing another boost for both the song and the band.

Duane Laflin makes a scarf magically appear from a “secret message scroll” Magician/illusionist Duane Laflin has performed at secular venues on five continents and had extended runs at some of our nation's great "magic" theatres.

But he's also used his craft to share his faith and deliver a Christian message at mega-churches like pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback congregation in California as well as small churches "in the middle of nowhere."

Now he's organized an Oct. 22-23, 2021 conference to educate and equip Christian magicians/illusionists to use their slight-of-hand and other skills to advance the gospel (see details at the end of this article).

"I want to bring the things I've learned to people who want to do ministry," said Laflin from his modest "Grand Magic Theatre" storefront in downtown Colon Mich. "Teaching is a big part of what I do these days."

Fellowship for Performing Arts, a nonprofit New York City-based production company producing theatre and film from a Christian worldview to engage a diverse audience, returns to live theatrical performances in Grand Rapids at DeVos Performance Hall Saturday, Nov. 6, at 4 p.m., with one performance only of the hit national tour of C.S. Lewis' "The Great Divorce."

This updated and expanded version of the original production features four actors portraying 22 vivid characters. They take a strange bus trip from hell to the outskirts of paradise, where they are given an opportunity to stay or return to hell . . . forever divorced from heaven. The choice proves to be much harder than imagined. And it all takes place in 90 minutes!

Four Christian Reformed Church chaplains shared their experiences while serving in Afghanistan and turmoil occurring at the airport in Kabul.

The Kent County Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships team recently attended a special meeting of the Kent County Board of Commissioners work session, urging them to require students in pre-K through 6th grade students to wear masks while indoors at school.

"We are gathering to support our (Kent) County health officer, Dr. Adam London, and the Kent County Health Department's order requiring pre-K through 6th grade students to wear masks while indoors at school," said Khary Bridgewater, coordinator for the Kent County Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Team. "As leaders in the faith community, we continue to work alongside our health care providers on the frontline of this deadly pandemic by serving the sick, comforting the suffering and burying the dead. We applaud the extraordinary work of the Kent County Health Department in serving all members of our community, including our children."

Faith Hospice is currently raising funds to construct a community-based Grief Support Center at its Trillium Woods inpatient facility in Wyoming. The new Grief Support Center will be better able to serve staff, patients, and the general community. As well, the new space will allow Faith to expand bereavement services, give staff a home base to find support, and enhance training and education for better care. Learn more here: https://faithhospicecare.org/grief-support-center/.

Demand for senior living services drove Holland Home to undergo a $5.5 million expansion project at its Breton Woods campus on 44th Street near Breton Avenue in Kentwood. Completed recently, the new facility will provide an innovative 19,000-square foot, 15-bed assisted living unit and a 5,400-square foot activity center with a gym and exercise area. The privately funded single-story assisted living unit will be a much-needed addition to the two existing assisted living buildings on the Breton Campus. Each of the existing structures, built in 2015 and 2017 respectively, contain 15-bed units. Meanwhile, as more seniors incorporate iPads, apps and online shopping into their daily routine, they are increasing their risk of online scamming. To help residents understand all the traps and help with password and technology security, Holland Home is offering free educational classes to better equip residents on how to identify and avoid online scams.

D.A. Blodgett-St. John's broke ground in mid-August on a $10 million multipurpose facility near the organization's Knapp campus in Northeast Grand Rapids. When finished in late 2022, the new building will serve as the campus cornerstone, as it integrates all children and family services under one roof, an intentional move to improve outcomes for the 7,000 children and families it serves annually. Locating all services onto one campus will save the organization $2 million over the next two decades

Rev. Scott Stark: “The microchurch initiative allows us to have another pathway of leadership ministry.” Green shoots of evangelism and new leadership prospects will soon sprout for Grand Valley State University (GVSU) students.

The Christian Reformed Church in America campus ministry intends to first train GVSU students, with the goal of eventually getting underway microchurches, says Rev. Scott Stark, director of campus ministry at GVSU.

"Microchurches, as we define them, take complex things and make them as simple as possible but they're not simplistic," says Stark. "I'm talking about small communities of people — 5 to 30 people — that are centered around the person of Jesus Christ. They're started by believers but are often designed missionarly in order to welcome de-churched or unchurched people either with shared interests, characteristics, location, and vocation."

Glenn Bulthuis, shown here performing with the Hark Up HornsSinger-songwriter Glenn Bulthuis has done plenty of benefit shows in his 44-year concert career. But his upcoming Oct. 22 performance with his band the Tonedeafs and Chris Hansen's Brass has special meaning for the veteran musician.

"These two organizations (Manna Media and Turning Point Missions) are close to home," said Bulthuis during a recent interview.

Both of the non-profit ministries are headed by members of his Oakhill Presbyterian Church on Grand Rapids' northeast side.