New Vision in 2010

As 2009 comes to a close, we’re anticipating the new plans the Lord has for us to fulfill. This past summer, in response to the growing need at His Branches, we pulled together a development committee that includes Board members, some staff, and others willing to donate their time. We recognize the urgency to establish ourselves on a solid financial base with community support to keep our doors open during these times of deep economic stress. Meeting monthly, the Lord has blessed us with expanded opportunities and relationships with individuals and with local community action groups who can help.

In July we met with the Ad Council of Rochester to “write our vision on a tablet” (Habakkuk 2:2-3) and clarify what we’re called to do. The Strategic Round Table met for 3 hours to generate ideas and identify the challenges we face. With the help of 10 marketing professionals who volunteered their time, we prioritized a lot of great ideas. We learned the importance of website optimization, how to tailor our message, and how to recruit administrative staff that can help us reach our goals. We all came away energized and encouraged. Our upcoming fund raising banquet on May 13th is one of the ideas we are moving on. More to come on that!

Our heart is to reach the people of Rochester for Christ by shining His Love openly through medical and crisis pregnancy care. There are a few groups that are talking with us about opening other crisis pregnancy offices similar to or in conjunction with Embracing Options. We would like to expand in our support of these groups. The spiritual hunger and physical needs are obvious but our resources are limited. Please help us to continue this work of mercy in our community.

Click here to read the December print version of The Grapevine.

The Manhattan Declaration

A Call of Christian Conscience

Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.

We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

1. the sanctity of human life
2. the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
3. the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Download a summary of the Manhattan Declaration.
Download the full text of the Manhattan Declaration.

Oscar Romero - 3/24/80

Oscar Romero: Bishop of the Poor

In 1980, in the midst of a U.S. funded war the UN Truth Commission called genocidal, the soon-to-be-assassinated Archbishop Oscar Romero promised history that life, not death, would have the last word. "I do not believe in death without resurrection," he said. "If they kill me, I will be resurrected in the Salvadoran people."

On this 29th anniversary of his death, the people will march through the streets carrying that promise printed on thousands of banners. Mothers will make pupusas (thick tortillas with beans) at 5 am, pack them, and prepare the children for a two-to-four hour ride or walk to the city to remember the gentle man they called Monseñor.

Oscar Romero gave his last homily on March 24. Moments before a sharpshooter felled him, reflecting on scripture, he said, "One must not love oneself so much, as to avoid getting involved in the risks of life that history demands of us, and those that fend off danger will lose their lives."

Click here to read a profoundly thoughtful prayer offered at Romero's memorial service that has become an indelible part of the heritage this brave and humble man left to us.

America at the Crossroads

Dear Friends,

I write to you today with contrasting and conflicting emotions. We have just seen the inauguration of the nation's first black President, and many of us, even those who didn't vote for him, are celebrating that historic moment. Given the scourge of slavery and the suffering of African Americans through most of the past 400 years, our ancestors would never have believed that a black man would someday be elected to the most powerful and influential position on earth. That is, indeed, a political achievement that is unprecedented in the history of this great nation. I congratulate President Barack Obama on his victory and his inauguration. Shirley and I are praying for him, the First Lady, and their children.

At the same time, I am deeply saddened and profoundly troubled by many of the policies and positions that the new president has pledged to support. He has taken dead-aim at the institution of the family and the moral principles on which it is based...

Click here to read Dr. James Dobson's entire commentary on the times in which we live in the February issue of Family Action News.

Change Has Come

Yesterday America's voters went to the polls and chose leaders for our future. Many of us have been praying earnestly for God's hand to be upon our land through our democratic process. Today the results are in, and we would like to congratulate all who have won election to office and wish them well in their endeavors. We are particularly holding up our new President-elect, Barack Obama, and his running mate and transition team as they prepare to pick up the reigns of our country in these unusually challenging times. While we may disagree with the stands they have taken on some issues, especially the critical ones of abortion and homosexuality, we pledge our full prayer support for them as they seek to bring healing and restore stability, both at home and abroad.

Click on the picture above to view Senator Obama's encouraging acceptance speech, and click here for a link to the website of his transition team.

God bless you!

Focus on the Epicenter

Here are two thought-provoking articles for your reflection as we enter times of national political change and global unrest:

1. Dr. James Dobson's current newsletter from Focus Action.
2. The Introduction and Chapter 1 of Joel Rosenberg's recent book, Epicenter.

Both are dense but well worth the read.

Abortion 2008

MSNBC and Newsweek have both run very interesting articles on the relationship between the abortion issue and the candidates in this year's upcoming presidential election. Click on the following links to read each article:

MSNBC - How McCain, Obama will change abortion policy
Newsweek - ProLife Catholics For Obama

Faith and Elections

His Branches does not endorse specific candidates in the electoral process or exercise strong political advocacy, preferring rather to demonstrate Christ's love through community-building and relationship-restoring acts of kindness and service. Along with the Pew Foundation and many others, however, we do believe that people of faith should exercise wisdom and discernment at the polls. In this regard, the online Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life is a well-researched resource for the upcoming elections. Please click on their logo, above, and visit their site periodically in the weeks to come as you prepare to enter the voting booth.

IFA Candidate Comparison

Intercessors for America has also prepared a thorough one-page comparison of the stands of both major candidates for President, which is available here as a PDF file for review and duplication.

SOHL Day of Prayer

Embracing Options will be hosting its 2nd Annual SOHL (Sanctity of Human Life) Day of Prayer on Friday, January 18th, from noon to 5 pm in our conference room at 350 Arnett Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14619. Light refreshments and coffee will be provided.

Invited: All Pro-Lifers in the Rochester area who either stand on the front lines daily against abortion or if you have a heart for the sanctity of human life. We ask Pastors to come pray with and over us to bless us for the upcoming year of this battle against abortion and its ravages on our community. Contact Sandi Clawson at: (525) 235-0690 if you'd like to attend or share a brief message of encouragement for all the staff and volunteers in the local pro-life community.

Praying for Jerusalem

DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM

The International Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, instituted with the endorsement of hundreds of Christian leaders from around the world, representing tens of millions of Christians, will be held annually on the first Sunday of every October, until the coming of Messiah. Our call is for sustained, fervent, informed global intercession for the plans and purposes of God for Jerusalem and all her people. This global grassroots prayer initiative coincides with the season of Yom Kippur, and for the first time in Church history, makes an effort at linking the Christian liturgical calendar with the Biblical, Jewish calendar.

On October 7th, this coming Sunday, thousands of worshipers from around the world will be lifting up their voices in prayer on behalf of Israel as they pray for the Peace of Jerusalem according to the scriptural mandate given in Psalm 122: 6–9: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you." For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.

Would you consider taking a few minutes during your Sunday morning service to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and all its inhabitants? For further information, please contact Diane Beaudoin, Rochester Coordinator for the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

Spring MD Breakfast

Our Spring MCCF MD Breakfast will be held on Saturday morning, May 5th, from 9-11 am at the Meliora Faculty Club on the River Campus. Dr. Chet Fox, a faculty member at UB with years of experience as a family physician, will share with us about "Praying with Patients: Tips, Tricks, and Traps." Please mark your calendars and sign up now!

Expanding Spiritual Care

Those of you that are familiar with the medical care provided at Grace Family Medicine know how we integrate prayer into patient visits, believing that faith is an integral part of the recovery process. In some difficult cases a rekindling of faith may be the only real answer to the patient's symptoms. For the whole body to function properly there has to be a clear balance of all the systems that the Lord created, and if one of those systems is not functioning properly then illness is more likely to present itself. One of the most profound and least understood systems in the medical community is that of our spirit or spiritual nature. Very often there are things that influence our spirit that are undetectable with modern science and thus cannot be treated using the scientific method alone.

Dr. Fountain pioneered a similar vision to whole person medical care in Africa while Dr. Morehouse was pioneering the approach here in America. The two of them have connected, and their vision is to see "spiritual care-givers" planted in medical practices all over the country. His Branches is looking for a spiritually mature, Bible believing Christian person who is interested in working alongside our doctors to offer spiritual counsel and prayer to individuals with maladies that modern science alone can't treat.

Jesus was the Great Physician, and we believe that a team approach to medical care that includes this new position will enhance our ability to impact and influence the health of our community.

Prayer Chapel Open

Strategic Intercessory Prayer... If we are to succeed at anything, it must be accompanied by prayer. How many of the saints throughout the ages have echoed this refrain? Our success at anything is tantamount to our success in prayer. Are you looking for a place of solitude? Are you looking for people to pray with you or for you? Do you need someone to help hold you accountable? For any reason, you are welcome to come and use our Prayer Chapel or join our network of people who are praying for this ministry and the people connected to it. Please join with us even at this moment, wherever you are, and say a short prayer for God to let His favor rest on His Branches, Inc.

Prayer Chapel Completed

Under the passion and leadership of Susan Morehouse, the prayer chapel at His Branches has finally reached completion. We were wonderfully blessed to have a volunteer group known as Jacobs Ladder come and put in recessed lighting and do some final painting for us. The Chapel is a cornerstone aspect to what is being developed as part of the strategic prayer initiative of His Branches, Inc.

Intercessory Prayer Meetings

Monthly intercessory prayer meetings of the Tree of Life Community are held on the third Wednesday morning of each month from 8:00 to 9:00 am in our main conference room at 275 Warwick Avenue. Please come and invite prayer partners who have a burden for city ministry.

We are beginning to work toward a vision in which we see the Greater Rochester area fulfilling its destiny in our day by becoming a community redeemed by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe that a refined prayer strategy is being called for along with a host of committed intercessors.

If you are interested in committing to this endeavor, please let us know.