Each tribe must choose some experienced men who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will make those men the official leaders of their tribes. Then I took these men, who were already wise and respected leaders, and I appointed them as your official leaders. Some of them became military officers in charge of groups of a thousand, or a hundred, or fifty, or ten, and others became judges. I gave these judges the following instructions: When you settle legal cases, your decisions must be fair. It doesn't matter if the case is between two Israelites, or between an Israelite and a foreigner living in your community. Deu 1:13, 15, 16 CEV

• Pray for truthful media on candidates prior to local elections. (Abq Mayor and City Council, Oct 4^th) Pray for Christians to take responsibility and VOTE on Oct 4^th. Pray for supernatural discernment.
• Families who are displaced and who have lost loved ones in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Pray that efforts to rebuild will include Biblical principles to eliminate the generational cycle of dependence on welfare and the resulting poverty.
• Pray for purity in the lives of singles and faithfulness in the lives of married couples. Pray for the purity ball described below to reach as many people as possible.
• As Biblical principles are under attack in America today, public education is the most popular place to instill the values of atheism and secular humanism. Pray that Christians will have success in raising up teachers that understand Biblical principles for education and are not afraid to teach them. Pray for the Rudiments Course, Christian Heritage Speech Competition, and American Education Week described below.
• Pray for alleviation of starvation around the world. We are blessed with a standard of living in America that virtually eliminates starvation. Pray for the governments of these countries to take responsibility or at least allow relief supplies to get to the people who need it.
• Pray for the freedom to teach the truth regarding origins of the universe, life, and humanity. We are at an amazing time in history where NEVER before has science seen so much evidence of our Creator. Praise God!
• Wings Ministry to families of prisoners. Families and prisoners are at a receptive time of their lives and many are open to spiritual guidance.
• Pastors' Prayer Groups in New Mexico.
• 11 Prayer Points for NM from Glory of Zion.
• Civil Govt Prayer Guide - pray for our leaders according to 1 Tim 2:1-4.
• Lightshine Ministries - Prayer Guide
• Presidential Prayer Team - www.presidentialprayerteam.org
  Presidential Prayer Kids - www.presidentialprayerkids.org
• Prayer Warrior for America - www.visionamerica.org/-support/prayer.htm
• National Day of Prayer - year round dedication to prayer
• America 21 Prayer Watch

Community Calendar (click to check for updates)

Oct 1, 4p - "Privileged Planet," a thought provoking documentary challenging evolution, supporting an intelligently designed universe, will be shown on KOB TV Channel 4 Sat. Oct. 1st, at 4:00 PM. Invite someone from the scientific community to watch.
Oct 3-7 - Rudiments Course in America's Christian History and Govt using the Principle Approach, Mrs. Ruth Smith (The Pilgrim Institute), Heights Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 710-4574
Oct 4 - Abq election (Mayor, City Council, Bonds, Voter ID, Campaign Subsidies, Min Wage Increase)
Oct 7 & 8 - Shepherding a Child's Heart Seminar at Calvary Chapel, www.calvaryabq.org
Oct 10 - Columbus Day
Oct 15 - NM Youth Challenge Academy Wings Party (Roswell), 622-4420
Nov 5 - 15^th Annual Christian Heritage Speech Competition, Los Lunas Community Program (topics now online)
Nov 12 - Women of Virtue Conf, Legacy Church Abq, 7201 Central NW, 9-3:30pm
Nov 13-19 - American Education Week (reflect on Biblical principles for education)
Nov 17 - Visioning & Creativity for Believers Workshop, Bruce@gracechurchabq.org, 821-8800
Nov 19 - Purity Ball, Marriott on Louisiana, CareNet, 880-8373
Feb 24-26 - Family Life Weekend-To-Remember Marriage Conference, Tamaya Resort in Bernalillo, On-line registration isn't available yet, however, additional information about the Weekend-To-Remember conference is available at www.familylife.com/conferences/marriage.asp. If anyone has questions, they can contact me or my wife directly at 604-5688 (cell) or 792-0573 (home). - Bill Sturgill

Trinity Southwest University Lecture Schedule
Special Lectures Friday Evenings 6pm - 9pm:
(Open to the public and offered at no cost.)
9/9/05 Holy Spirit in the Old Testament Dr. Dollahite Library
9/16/05 Experience the Bible Lands - a Slideshow Prof. Heames Library
9/30/05 GRADUATION 2005 at The Foothills Church
10/7/05 Megiddo Prof. Sparks Library
10/14/05 Hindrances to the Biblical Counseling Process Dr. Encinias Library

UNDERSTANDING - And of the children of Issachar, which were men
that had understanding of the time, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads
of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.
I Chron 12:32

• Contents:
  Election Schedule
  Personal Perspective on Local Crime
  ACLU Attacks Abstinence
  NM Youth Challenge Academy Wings Party
  ID Meeting at UNM
  Shepherding a Child's Heart Seminar
  Shepherd's Guide 3^rd Annual Edition
  More Money for Pre-K Program
  NM Bike Ride for the Family
  Petitions
  Friends of the Family
  Resources
  -
• Election Schedule
  The ballot on Oct 4 includes candidates for Abq Mayor, City Council (odd districts), ten bond issues, voter ID, campaign subsidies, and minimum wage increase. Voter ID is desperately needed to stop voter fraud. The measure to subsidize political campaigns would put conservative (politically incorrect) candidates at a disadvantage since funding would certainly be pulled if a candidate said anything against abortion, homosexuality, "safe" sex, environmental activism, or evolution. Will increasing the min wage help the poor by giving them more money or will it hurt the poor by increasing inflation (employers passing the cost to customers)? The NM Restaurants Assoc thinks it's a BAD idea. Included in the min wage increase is a requirement to allow anyone access to business property. Ironic that a city ordinance prohibits access to abortion clinics for the same purpose (education).
  
  Voter education is available from the Chamber of Commerce, Vote-Smart, League of Women Voters, and the Journal/Tribune. The Tribune is conducting a candidate forum on Sunday based on reader submitted questions.
  
  Oct 4 - election
  Nov 18 - runoff if needed (40%, 45 days)
  -
• Personal Perspective on Local Crime by Mark Ortega
  The election for mayor of Albuquerque is fast approaching. Mayor Marty Chavez’s reelection bid is in high gear. The mayor appears to distort the facts on his record. The most obvious are his statements on crime. In Chavez’s website they stress that under his leadership Albuquerque has become a safer place for our families. After watching the news and being a victim of crime numerous times, I find his statements laughable. It is one thing to watch crime on TV. It is another to be a victim. In the last few years I have been a victim of several crimes. The first was intimidation. Intimidate means to intentionally say or do something which could cause a person of ordinary sensibilities to be fearful of bodily harm. It is not necessary to prove that victim was actually frightened, and neither is it necessary to prove that the behavior of the person was so violent that it was likely to cause terror, panic or hysteria (note A).
  Recently I was driving on Central. I was followed by a white van. As I tried to get in the right lane the driver refused to let me in. I went to the store to get something. As I was getting ready to leave a white van pulled up behind me. They refused to let me drive out. Two men came out of the van. Two others were inside the van. They intimidated me. I thought I was going to be assaulted. They told me I had disrespected them. One of them told me he had two kids in his car crying because of what I had done. They then asked me for money and personal information. I told them I had no money. One of them insisted if I gave him a dollar they would let me go. I refused. After they left I found out some useful information.
  
  Right after the gentlemen left I went to store security. He told me Walgreen’s had been having problems with those types of incidents. The security guard told me that if I ever have that problem again to yell loud, beep my horn and flash my lights. I hope I never have to use his advice. According to the website PoliceCrimeStatistics (note B), in 2004 there were 1,481 incidents of intimidation in Abq. Last fall I was a victim of an aggravated assault. A panhandler threw a beer bottle at me after I refused to give them money for beer. A few years ago I had my company vehicle back window shot out by a pellet gun. My understanding of aggravated assaults is that there is intention to commit it. There were objects that are considered weapons in both incidents. I’ve also been threatened by a drug dealer in my neighborhood recently. Personal incidents and the news prove Albuquerque has a crime problem.
  
  A) Legal definitions or personal paraphrases are taken from or defined from or used as references from The Lectric Law Library’s Lexicon at www.lectlaw.com.
  B) Police Crime Statistics were taken from PoliceCrimeStatistics stats on Albuquerque. http://cogpubbkp.cabq.gov
  -
• ACLU Attacks Abstinence Education
  The ACLU announced a new initiative to destroy abstinence education state by state, school district by school district. The program, "Not in My State," provides a blue print to influencing school administrators and political officials against the freedom to choose the system of relationship education offered in each school or state.
  
  In a logical world, the ACLU would support abstinence education because abstinence provides liberty from the threat of premarital pregnancy, unwanted sexual advances and some sexual assault. They would take an open and honest look at the scientific evidence that shows that virgins are more likely to be at liberty to graduate high school, and less likely to lose their freedom by being involved in drugs or alcohol. Virginal teens are also less likely to lose their liberty and life through suicide than teens that are sexually active. The ACLU would read the peer-reviewed, published research that sexually active teens who attend abstinence education actually have the liberty to decrease the number of sexual experiences and sexual partners, and some even turn to the freedom of secondary virginity. www.abstinence.net/library/index.php?cat=Talking+Points, 22 Sep 05
  
  The ACLU agenda plays out in NM with the DOH forcing out abstinence educators. NM receives approx $500K of federal money every year for abstinence education. Strict guidelines govern the expenditure of this funding (often referred to as "a - h"):
  
  (A) has as its exclusive purpose, teaching the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity;
  (B) teaches abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage as the expected standard for all school age children;
  (C) teaches that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems;
  (D) teaches that a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity;
  (E) teaches that sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects;
  (F) teaches that bearing children out-of-wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child's parents, and society;
  (G) teaches young people how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increases vulnerability to sexual advances; and
  (H) teaches the importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sexual activity.
  
  DOH recently directed that abstinence be taught only in grades six and below while promoting other programs that teach children how to have sex "safely." Homosexuals are opposed to abstinence education because they are not allowed to marry. DOH will likely attempt to use federal abstinence education funding for their own agenda. Please contact Heather Wilson if you want illegal use of abstinence education funding prosecuted.
  
  The battleground is marriage, but on all fronts, especially in divorce (50% of marriages end in divorce) and family financial problems (usually too much debt), which is the cause of about 70% of divorces. These two fronts must be fought in the churches, such as through marriage ministries (Marriage Savers, etc.) and financial ministries (Crown Financial Ministries, etc.). We need strong marriages as the foundation for our churches and society. These marriages train their children as the disciples in the next generation and support domestic and foreign evangelism.
  Pat Fort - Public Information Officer employed by Best Choice
  -
• NM Youth Challenge Academy Wings Party
  I received this wonderful article from Shelly Currier, the Wings Director for Roswell. We need volunteers from ALL over the State of NM! We need drivers to bring the families to the party. We need volunteers to help us host the party. (All you have to do is COME & HAVE FUN!) We need donations to cover pizza costs for the 500 - 1,000 people we expect to be there. Please contact Shelly at 505-622-4420 or me at 505-291-6412 if you can help in any way. THANKS! Ann
  
  For the past month, I have been attending Sunday services from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM at the New Mexico Youth Challenge Academy. I have been working with the cadets, ages 15 through 18, teaching wonderful Christian songs that we will be singing at the Wings Party. This party will take place on Saturday, October 15th, from 1-4:00 PM in the Commercial Building at the Eastern New Mexico State Fair Grounds. Working with these talented teens has been an awesome experience.
  
  Wings Ministry works with children of inmates. Children of inmates are ten times more likely to be incarcerated in their lifetimes than other children. The cause for part of the added risk is an absence of positive role models in their lives. Youngsters seem to relate to and emulate teens better than adults. With that in mind, encouraging the participation of the teens at Youth Challenge Academy seemed an ideal resource for positive teen role models. "At risk" teens that have dropped out of high school are given the opportunity to turn their lives around by acquiring their GED as well as some college credits along with valuable life skills training in this quasi-military environment. This is a voluntary program and a very intense one. The transformation is incredible—I believe it is because these teens embrace the change and welcome the structure and discipline of this program. I have heard so many people in our community praise these teens that are a very visible presence in Roswell as they perform community service, which is an important part of building character. These young people can become ideal role models.
  
  I have been talking with many local groups, both civic and religious, about supporting Wings Ministry and inviting them to this party to get a first-hand look at what Wings is all about. We have invited local judges, Children, Youth, and Family Services, CASA, Hispano Chamber of Commerce, Girl Scouts, Sertoma members, local churches, etc. The Eastern New Mexico State Fair Board has donated the Commercial Building on the Fair Grounds for the party and has offered to be our sponsor. Domino’s Pizza has also offered to sponsor this event.
  
  We are looking for additional volunteers for this one-day event. This is not prison-related; no clearances are needed. This party will provide a wonderful opportunity for those of you who want to see what a Wings Party is all about but were hesitant to enter a prison facility. Depending on the impact of gas prices on our cadet families (from all parts of New Mexico) we could have anywhere from 300 to 1000 people attending. Ann Edenfield Sweet and volunteers from all parts of New Mexico will be participating, but we need many, many more. So please let me know if you are interested. Volunteers can be pre-teens, teens, and adults of all ages. Major Longoria and I will be on the radio publicizing this event on Thursday morning, October 13th (four radio stations), and Friday morning, October 14th (KBIM Round Table). I also hope to have TV and newspaper coverage.
  
  If you are interested, please contact me at 622-4420. I need to know how many people will be present so we can order enough pizza. All those interested in contributing cookies for this event, contact me as well. In His Service, Shelly Currier, Director, Roswell Wings for L.I.F.E.
  -
• ID Meeting at UNM
  Why ID? The ravages of evolution can be seen everywhere from racism to violence. As students are taught we evolved from animals and have no purpose in life other than seeking personal pleasure, we see students despairing of life and turning to acts of violence for entertainment. As the scientific community awakes to the possibility that evolution is incorrect, we see opportunities to discuss alternative theories in the classroom.
  
  The Intelligent Design Network of New Mexico will hold its fourth scientific issues meeting on Tuesday, October 11 at 7:00 PM in room 2405 of the UNM Law School. The Law School is west of Stanford between Constitution and Mountain. Room 2405 is located off the Law School lobby. It is easiest to enter at the Law School and not the Law Clinic. The agenda will be as follows:
  
  1. Anthropic Coincidences: Do They Imply Design?—Mike Edenburn (retired engineer) and Mike Kent (Research Scientist at Sandia National Laboratories)
  
  2. Who's Afraid of Intelligent Design: Not Systems Biology—Rebecca Keller (Ph.D. in Biophysical Chemistry and President of Gravitas Publications, Inc.)
  
  The presentations will allow time for discussion. We hope you will be able to attend, and please feel free to bring a friend. We plan to hold these meetings quarterly, and they are scheduled for the second Tuesdays of January and April. Please put them on your calendar.
  
  The Intelligent Design Network of New Mexico is also sponsoring the showing of "Privileged Planet" by KKOB (Channel 4) at 4:00 PM on Saturday, October 1st.
  
  Mike Edenburn
  -
• Shepherding a Child's Heart Seminar
  Tedd Tripp will present Shepherding a Child's Heart seminar at Calvary Chapel of Abq on October 7 & 8, 2005 (Friday and Saturday) for $5 per person. Go to www.calvaryabq.org for more information.
  -
• Shepherd's Guide 3^rd Annual Edition
  The updated yellow pages guide to local Christian businesses is available at various churches and business in the area. Steward Mark Looper says "I'm very excited about how the Shepherd's Guide seems to be taking off! The demand for the book is just sky-rocketing. Hopefully advertisements will also. The Lord is truly leading me and keeping me focused with this book."
  -
• More Money for Pre-K Program
  Most of you will recall the controversial program for pre-kindergarten children passed at the very end of the 2005 legislative session (by a very small margin). The executive branch is already planning for expanding the program and increasing the funding. There are also problems (as predicted) with including the private child care sector.
  
  Rebecca Dow from the New Mexico Child Care Association said her center has 85% children who come from low-income or at-risk families. She got a grant to provide Pre-K services, but at the same time was told a CYFD grant she had for Focused Portfolios was cut 6.6% and her access to a Technical Training and Assistance Program (TTAP) to provide her staff with 45 hour classes and other training was ended because Sierra County was moved into a different district, which also had its budget cut by 6.6% even as territory was added to it. She made the point that money going to increase subsidy levels would assist taxpaying child care programs more than money going to Pre-K.
  
  "I thought when Pre-K was marketed," said Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, "it would be funded so that private child care centers would be rewarded in such a way they could compete with public schools." Apparently, she said, there’s not enough money in the Pre-K grants to allow private centers to pay people good salaries (as public schools can) or provide health insurance (as public schools can) or to provide for Technical Training and Assistance Programs. Siegle pointed out that Pre-K does have $1 million for professional development, which includes T.E.A.C.H. scholarships (Dow has three teachers on those scholarships). But it did not provide money for the TTAPs.
  
  "I see pretty severe problems and we’d better work them out before we go statewide," Beffort said. Rep. Lucky Varela of Santa Fe had some questions of his own about Pre-K and said he wanted to see a copy of the agreements worked out between the state and centers to check on what was required. But he suggested that the program is just under way and legislators must give it some time. "We have great hopes to expand this to provide voluntary Pre-K to any 4-year-old who would need it," Parkinson said.
  
  Salazar asked what the price tag will be for Pre-K next year. "We are only in the preliminary stages of that," Parkinson said. "The Pre-K program is one of the executive’s highest priorities and going with that comes asking for funding."
  -
• NM Bike Ride for the Family Aug 2005
  135 miles & meetings with ten churches & individuals
  
  
  First Indian Baptist Church in Taos - Thanks for lunch!
  
  
  Pastor Bennie Romero (right)
  
  Photos provided by Pastor John Powell from Las Cruces.
  -
• Petitions
  Marriage Protection Amendment
  Eliminate no-fault divorce
  Stop National ID Database
  Ten Commandments in Public Places
  Prayer in Public Schools
  Hoax - Dr James Dobson is not involved with any petition against the FCC for prohibiting Bible reading on the air.
  -
• Friends of the Family is a group of key supporters who invest monthly in family ministry. Their commitment is key to the ongoing effectiveness of Focus on the Family and enables us to extend the ministry to many who cannot afford the resources and services they need. They also enable our radio programs, our efforts to defend family values, and our outreaches to special groups like teens, unwed mothers, and non-Christians. For more information, call 1-800-A-FAMILY.
  
  You can send tax-deductible donations to Foothills Fellowship for direct support of the Principles Community Impact Ministry in NM.
  -

RESOURCES
This section has been updated with a link to resource organizations. Anyone finding these organizations helpful, please consider mentioning the Principles Newsletter when contacting them. Thank you.

Principles Newsletter Archives
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Resource Organizations

Principles Community Impact News (CINews) is edited by:
Mark Burton, Foothills Fellowship, 294-0016, Pager 971-2053
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