Director Ann Hokstad reported that 2,686 children and 1,896 adults heard a gospel message at the Fair in 2011, with more than 700 recorded decisions for Christ.

It costs about $5,000 to rent the space for the nearly four-week run of the Fair, said Hokstad, and CEF is seeking donations to cover the cost.

“We are asking you to stand with us and help defray the cost of the Fair,” Hokstad wrote in a letter requesting support in mid-April.

Donations marked “Fair Project” can be made payable to Child Evangelism Fellowship and mailed to P.O. Box 1975, La Mesa, CA 91944.

For more information, email cefsd@sbcglobal.net or call (619) 469-8593.


Sonshine Haven turns 20
EL CAJON — Sonshine Haven, which hosts after-school Bible clubs in nine San Diego County school districts, will celebrate its 20th anniversary at its annual benefit gala set for 5:30 p.m. May 3 at the Cottonwood Golf Pavilion.

The ministry was founded by Mari Rothman after she became aware of the tremendous physical and spiritual needs at a local elementary school. After working to provide shoes and other basic needs, Rothman launched an after-school Bible club to share the gospel with the children.

The program has since spread to 41 public elementary and middle schools. The middle school clubs are called “Higher Ground.”

The black-tie optional dinner will include live and silent auctions. All proceeds will benefit the ministry, which also offers life skills training.

Tickets are $75. The dinner is hosted by Outback Steakhouse of El Cajon.

For more information, visit www.sonshinehaven.org.


Seminar to study ‘Salt & Light’ issues
POINT LOMA — The Rock Salt & Light Ministry will host “Talk Truth: An In-Depth Discussion on the Issues” from 5 to 8 p.m. May 19 in the cafeteria at the Rock Church.

The event is designed as a forum to discuss the most important issues affecting the country and the church. Topics will include education, terrorism and foreign policy, the United Nation’s Agenda 21 and the 2012 election.

Panelists will include Dr. Rick Scarborough, a former Baptist pastor who is the founder and president of Vision America. The mission of Vision America is to “inform and mobilize pastors and their congregations to become salt and light, becoming pro-active in restoring Judeo-Christian values in America.” Scarborough is also the author of “Enough is Enough: A Call to Christian Involvement.”

Other panelists will include Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, which specializes in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights and other civil liberties; Frank Dowse, co-founder and president of The Agemus Group, LLC, a specialized global security crisis and risk solutions consulting firm; Lynette Williams, a retired Christian educator and volunteer precinct captain with Republican Party of San Diego County; and Mike Munzing, an Orange County Republican Central Committee member and Aliso Viejo City Council candidate.

Advance registration is $5. The deadline to register is May 13.
Childcare is available at $5 per child.

The church is located at 2277 Rosecrans St. For more information, visit www.rocksaltandlight.org.


Church honors teachers for excellence
SAN DIEGO — St. Stephen’s Cathedral Church of God in Christ honored area public and charter school teachers April 15 for their commitment in the areas of educational excellence.

The Educators Appreciation and Recognition service is part of the church’s emphasis on education excellence. Bishop George D. McKinney officiated at the service.

“The creation of jobs in our community is very crucial to its well being, and St. Stephen’s Cathedral Church of God in Christ is at the forefront in lobbying outside investment in order to achieve the goal, but it is necessary that our future workforce is well educated,” a news release on the event said.


Voters’ forum in Escondido
ESCONDIDO — The Biblical Citizenship Committee Forum at Emmanuel Faith Community Church will host “Decision 2012,” a voters forum from 7 to 8:30 p.m. May 11 at the church’s chapel.

Presentations will include how to vote biblically, research candidates and secure various election resources.

The chapel is located at 639 E. 17th Ave.

For more information, contact John Waring at (760) 760-480-9454.


Gospel Festival returns to Del Mar Fair
DEL MAR — The Eighth Annual Gospel Festival, a daylong tribute that will include a super choir, will be held June 9 on the Grandstand Stage at the Del Mar Fair.

The headline act will be Donnie McClurkin, a gospel music singer and pastor who has won three Grammy Awards, 10 Stellar awards, two BET awards, two Soul Train awards, one Dove award and one NAACP Image award. His hits include “Stand” and “We Fall Down.”

Another highlight of the day will be the GF8 Super Choir, whose 1,000 voices will serve as the opening act for the Grandstand show.

Other gospel groups and solo acts will be added in the coming weeks.

The Grandstand show is free with fair admission for unreserved seats, but reserved seats may be purchased for an additional fee.

For more information, visit www.sdfair.com.


Salt & Light training seminar set
SAN DIEGO — Mission Valley Christian Fellowship will host a Salt & Light training session from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 19.

Salt & Light groups are lay-led, church-based ministries dedicated to the pursuit of biblical values in culture by supporting legislation and policy that supports parental rights, religious freedom and other traditional family issues.

The training model is designed to unburden pastors while equipping the congregation with resources needed to protect religious freedoms.

The training is open to pastors or their appointed leaders.

The church is located at 6536 Estrella Ave.

The cost of the seminar is $125, which includes materials and lunch. Reservations may be made by calling (858) 759-7095 sending an e-mail to admin@saltandlightcouncil.org.


Defending the faith
CHULA VISTA — Come Reason Ministries will hold its “Dare to Defend Apologetics Conference Series” May 11 and 12. The event begins at 7 p.m. Friday.

The focus of the seminar is to help believers deepen and defend their faith. It will be led by Lenny Esposito, president and founder of Come Reason Ministries, a Christian apologetics organization. Esposito has written more than 150 articles dealing with such topics as the existence of God, theology, philosophy, social issues and biblical difficulties.

Topics to be explored at the seminar include “How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?” “The Challenge of Islam,” “How to Share Your Faith,” “Understanding Eastern Religion” and “The Impact on Western Culture.” A Q&A session will also be offered.

Admission is $15 for both days and includes a continental breakfast on Saturday.

The church is located at 1771 E Palomar St. For more information, visit www.comereason.org or call (619) 421-1100.


Symposium to center on abortion recovery ministries
LONG BEACH — The SHARE Symposium: Sharing Hope, Awareness and Recovery Efforts, hosted by Abortion Recovery InterNational, will be held July 16 to 18 at the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club.

The 2012 event is the first for the West Coast. In addition to seminars, the symposium offers access to lay counselors, pastors and professional therapists. This tear’s theme is “Come Aboard.”

The symposium is designed for leaders considering abortion recovery ministry and those who already have active outreaches. The program will include strategic planning plus the sharing of ideas, resources and concepts.

“It’s about building community relations so that we may all work more collaboratively to provide extended healing opportunities to individuals and families,” the event literature says.

In addition to the classes, the seminar will include times for fellowship and prayer.

Registration made by May 31 is $195. Afterward it’s $215.

For more information, visit www.sharesymposium.org.


Marriage retreat in Rancho Mirage
RANCHO MIRAGE — The Rock Church Marriage Getaway 2012 will be held June 1 to 3 at the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa.

Now in its 11^th year, the retreat is designed to provide couples a time of intimacy, healing, connection and relaxation. Miles McPherson, pastor at the Rock, and his wife, Debbie, will lead the conference, while Sharon May, Ph.D., will share marriage tools. Comedian Michael Jr. will provide entertainment.

The registration fee is $375.

For more information, send an email to internpr@therocksandiego.org or call (619) 226-7625


Adoption seminar in Oceanside
OCEANSIDE — Family Connections Christian Adoptions, a nonprofit ministry, will hold a free information session on the process from 6 to 8 p.m. May 3. More sessions are scheduled for June 7 and July 5.

The ministry is seeking good homes to place dozens of children in need of a stable home environment.

Free information packs are also available.

Family Connections is located at 2191 S. El Camino Real No. 202.

For more information, send an email to lisareaves@fcadoptions.org or visit www.fcadoptions.org.


Survivors ProLife Camp accepting applications
COSTA MESA — The 15th annual Survivors ProLife Training Camp for pro-life high school and college-age youths will be held June 21 to July 1.

The 11-day camp will prepare participants in how to draft a news release, share the truth of abortion on a street corner and other activism tools. According to organizers the camp uses “a signature combination of classroom teaching and hands-on experience to produce pro-life leaders for the next generation.”

The camp begins with four days of training and workshops and is then followed by a week of activism exercises designed to help the student discover the type of pro-life outreach that fits them best.

The camp fee is $425 and includes food, lodging, training materials and transportation during camp. The Survivor website lists a variety ways of securing discounts and fund-raising ideas.

Online applications are being accepted at www.survivors.la/camp-online-app.htm.


Local author hits million sales mark—again
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — “Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back,” co-written by San Diego resident Lynn Vincent, has sold 1 million ebooks since its November 2010 release.

Co-written by Todd Burpo, the boy’s pastor father, the book is the first ebook offering by publisher Thomas Nelson Inc. to reach the milestone.

According to PubTracks, the only other books to reach that pinnacle are “The Help” and “Water for Elephants,” each of which was complemented by a major motion picture.

Written in the first-person narrative of Colton’s father, Todd, “Heaven Is for Real” is the true story of Colton’s life-threatening illness and sudden surgery and how he slipped from consciousness and entered heaven. He narrowly survived the incident, and several months later while passing by the same hospital where his life was saved, Colton began talking about his experiences during surgery and making a trip to heaven. The family didn’t know what to believe, but soon the evidence was clear.

The week of April 8, “Heaven Is for Real” was listed as the No. 1 nonfiction paperback on the New York Times Best Seller list, its 58th non-consecutive week in the top spot and a record for Thomas Nelson.

Vincent has also written the New York Times bestseller “Same Kind of Different as Me” and “Going Rogue: An American Life.


Creation Club offered for kids
SANTEE — The Creation & Earth History Museum will present its Creation Club workshops for children ages 3 to 12 at 10 a.m. May 5.

The museum offers a variety of activities such as a Dinosaurs & Dragons Workshop, where kids create a dinosaur tooth necklace; the Noah’s Ark, Flood Legends, where they build an origami boat to float; the Complexity of a Human Cell, where they can build an edible cell out of Jell-O; Fun with Fossils, with fossilized hand prints; and the Creeping Things Reptile Encounter, offering hands-on experiences with reptiles.

For more info visit www.creationsd.org or call (619) 599-1104.


Prestige Awards in San Diego
SAN DIEGO — San Diego Gospel musician Eddie Baltrip will honor local artists through the Prestige Awards, set for 6 p.m. May 12 at Bayview Baptist Church.

 The evening will begin with a Red Carpet reception for the nominees prior to the show. Awards will be presented in 22 categories, which were voted on by the community in an online ballot tabulated by a third party.

In addition to the award ceremony, the event will include a performance by Eddie Baltrip & Fulfillment, a Gospel Stellar Award nominee. Organizers plan to make this an annual event.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

The church is located at 6134 Benson Ave.

For more information, call (619) 852-6500.


Gala to benefit Liberia’s children
SAN DIEGO — “Swinging for Liberia,” a gala to benefit Growing Liberia’s Children, will be held at 6 p.m. May 4 at the Abbey restaurant downtown.

The San Diego ministry builds and restores schools largely destroyed by war and poverty, supports teachers and, coordinates sister-school sponsorship programs and student scholarships.

Live entertainment for the event will include jazz, drums and dance. A silent auction and raffle are also planned. Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 at the door. Free on-site childcare is available by reservation for children age 4 through the sixth grade.

The venue is located at 2825 Fifth Ave.

For more information, visit www.growingliberiaschildren.org.


Institute to offer ‘Changed by Grace’ conference
ESCONDIDO — “Changed by Grace,” the annual summer conference of the Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship, will be held June 28 to 30.

Keynote speakers include Tim Lane from the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation, Julius Kim from Westminster Seminary California, Jim Newheiser from IBCD, and John Sale from Valley Center Community Church.

The conference, geared toward individual edification as well as continued growth in biblical counseling skills, will also offer 21 workshops.

Also on the agenda are two pre-conferences, “The Basics of Biblical Counseling Course,” taught by Dr. Jim Newheiser June 25 to June 28, and “Who Do You Think You Are? Discovering and Responding to Your Identity in Christ,” a women’s pre-conference led by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson, held from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. June 28.

Registration costs increase as the conference advances. Day pass options are available for those who cannot attend the entire conference.

For more information, visit www.ibcd.org or call (760) 747-9252.