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For those of us who patiently endure the long and harsh winter months while expectantly looking for any sign of a shift in season, the springtime brings a welcome change from the bone chilling New England cold. We look forward to warmer temperatures, April showers, budding flowers and a freshness that signals brighter days ahead. As the days lengthen and the temperature rises, we turn our backs on the seeming deadness of winter and face forward to the resurrection of spring, embracing the fact that the earth is rejuvenated, revitalized and reborn.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are very acquainted with the idea of being reborn. The scriptures tell us of a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, who lived during the time that Jesus’ ministry. Nicodemus came to Jesus one night and Jesus assured him that unless he was born again he could never see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus asked Jesus, “How can a man be born again?”. Jesus replied, “The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” John 3: 1 – 5 NLT

Nicodemus lived over 2,000 years ago but people still ask the same kind of question today: How can a person become a part of God’s kingdom? How can one be at peace with God? How can a person’s life be forever transformed? The answer is still the same today as when first spoken by Jesus: You must be born again. How can you be born again? You must be born of the Spirit and of water.

How can you be born of the Spirit? The Scripture tells us in Romans 10: 9 – 10 NLT that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” Those who are reborn believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, who, although sinless, shed his blood and sacrificed his own life to cleanse us from all sin and that God raised him from the dead.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we publicly acknowledge that we are reborn by being baptized, immersed in water. Baptism is how a new believer symbolically expresses the spiritual change that has already taken place in their lives. During baptism, a new believer enters into the water as their old selves, sinful & corrupt in nature. The believer comes out of the water as new

beings, dead to sin, alive to a new life as followers of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

We want to take this time to publicly recognize and encourage those new Christians that were baptized during our Watch Night service on December 31, 2013. We celebrate the miraculous change that you have experienced in your lives and commend the new direction your lives have taken. You are wonderful examples of the words written in II Cor 5: 14-15, 17 NLT, “Since we believe that Christ died for everyone, we also believe that we have all died to the old life we used to live. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was raised for them. What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! “

So we urge our newly baptized Christians to embrace this newness of life, to spring alive with excitement and determination, knowing that you’ve made the best decision you can ever make in this life. Like a suckling plant absorbs the nutrients from the rich soil surrounding it, we encourage you to spend as much time as possible reading and meditating on the Word of God so that you too can absorb the rich truth of God. Like the spring rain waters the budding plants and helps them to grow, so will spending time alone with God in prayer allow the Holy Spirit to water and refresh your soul and help you to grow in grace. Last, but not least, we encourage our new Christians to continue to attend church services regularly so that you can hear the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. Remember that “faith comes from listening to this message of the good news – the Good News about Christ” Rom 10:

New BelieversCome AliveBy Dionne Thomas

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By Raxann Miller

Q. What is a workplace savings plan and why do I need it?

Whether it is called a 401(k), 403(b) or 401(a), a workplace savings plan is an employee benefit designed to help you save for retirement. You choose how much of your paycheck to put into your plan account each

College Readiness

pay-period. If your plan offers an employer match, your employer can add money to your workplace savings account on top of the money you contribute, up to the maximum allowed by your plan. Overall, Americans are living longer and statistics have shown that Social Security, personal savings, and even part-time work probably won’t be enough. This makes your retirement savings plan essential if you want to maintain your quality of life after you stop working. There are many great reasons to start contributing to your workplace savings plan. Here are just a few:

Compounding If your retirement investments earn interest, then that interest you have earned can start earning interest, as well, which can help to grow your retirement savings.

Employer match You decide where to invest your money. Most workplace savings plans offer a variety of investment options to choose from—and you can change your investment mix as your needs change.

Automatic payroll deductionIf you don’t touch it, you can’t spend it.

Dollar cost averaging By contributing a set amount of money from each paycheck into a variable-cost investment like a mutual fund, you purchase more shares when the price is low and fewer when the price is high, so your average cost is actually less than the average market price of the fund’s shares.

Access to your savings Depending on the provisions of your plan, you may be able to take a loan or withdrawal from your account, if serious needs arise.

Q. Why is it better than saving on my own?

One of the key advantages to your retirement savings plan that aren’t available with personal savings or investment accounts are:

Deferred taxes The amount you save in your plan each year comes out before you pay current income taxes on it.

Benefits of AWorkplacesavings Continued on next page

Education is the corner stone to success for any individual. Studies have shown that individuals who have graduated from college will earn millions more in their life time than those that have not graduated from college. So, it is imperative that parents cultivate the fabric of success under education from an early age. The earlier we cultivate an appreciation for learning the less resistant children are to the regime of being college ready. Therefore the scope of this article is to equip parents and children with the design for ensuring the success and proper practices for college readiness.

During the school years most children are concerned with playground antics and classroom drama. However, this is a primitive time to start the college talk as well as start the preparation process. As a parent the goal is to set high standard that children are constantly striving to achieve. Parents should also be invested in student’s education, which includes: attending PTA meetings, checking homework, and being in constant communication with teachers. The more you know about your child the better equip you are to help meet their learning needs.

In conjunction high schools students should be preparing for the SATs throughout their high school career, take advantage of free programs available such as the Princeton Review SAT prep classes. SAT results could mean the difference between city and state college acceptance. Community service is another key ingredient for college readiness. Students should get their feet wet in as many areas a possible for greater marketability in college. For Younger students it’s important to develop good studying habits through organization and practice. Younger students should also be familiar with rigor of reading advance and lengthy materials on a regular. Practice makes perfect. No one is ever born college ready but through planning and preparation success is eminent.

College readiness doesn’t start nor ends in the classroom. The classroom is simply a facet that adds to the entirety of learning and college preparedness. The Job of becoming college ready starts at home while adding to the skills already learned in school.

17 NLT. Your faith is developed by continually hearing the Word of God. So let’s continue to fellowship together as often as possible as we hear the Word and learn how to apply Christian principles from the Word to real life situations.

As new members of the kingdom of God, you’ve taken the first step in a lifelong journey with the Savior. We here at Miracle Temple Ministries are proud to call you our brothers and sisters in Christ and we celebrate the

transformation Christ has made in your lives. We love you and encourage you to “grow in the special favor and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” II Peter 3:18 NLT Grace and peace be with you now and always.

By Lenworth Grant

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The non-partisan Congressional B u d g e t O f f i c e l i s t s t h e o v e r a l l advantages of AHA: 1. The Act was designed to reduce overall health care costs by making services available to the 32 million who currently can’t get insurance. They often use a hospital emergency room as their primary care physician, increasing costs for everyone. This starts in 2014.

2. It requires that all plans cover 10 essential health benefits. Preventive services are free, which lowers health care costs by treating diseases before they reach an expensive crisis.

3. For people who can’t afford health insurance, the Federal government will pay the states to add them to Medicaid. The income requirement is expanded up to 133% of the Federal poverty level - roughly $31,000 for a family of four.

4. Those who don’t qualify for expanded Medicaid receive tax credits if their income is below 400% of the poverty level ($94,000 for a family of four). States are required to set up insurance exchanges, or use the Federal government’s exchange, to make it easier to shop for insurance plans.

5. Insurance companies cannot deny children coverage for pre-existing conditions. This benefit applies to everyone in 2014. Insurance companies can no longer drop anyone from coverage once they get sick. If a company denies someone coverage, that person can go to an external appeals process.

6. Parents can put their children up to age 26 on their health insurance plans. This increases profit for health insurance

companies, since they receive more premiums without higher costs for these healthier individuals. As of 2012, more than three million previously uninsured young people were added. (Source: Department of Health and Human Services)

7. The Medicare “donut hole” gap in coverage is eliminated by 2020.

8. People with existing health insurance can keep it (unless the provider drops it). Businesses prefer to offer a tax-free benefit like health insurance to attract good workers. That won’t change under AHA.

9. The AHA does not apply to businesses with less than 50 employees. Larger businesses are required to offer health insurance, but receive tax credits to help employees pay premiums. In 2015, the tax credit increases to 50%.

10. The Act lowers the budget deficit by $143 billion over the next 10 years by raising some taxes and shifting cost burdens to health care providers and pharmacy companies. (Source: CBO CBO Report on Health Care Reform and the Budget; Wall Street Journal, What Health Insurance Ruling Means, June 28, 2012; NPR, Medicaid Expansion, June 27, 2012)

Can my children be denied coverage if they have asthma or diabetes?No. Under the new health reform, insurers can no longer deny coverage to children because of a pre-existing condition, like asthma or diabetes. Health insurers will

Compounded growth potential Any earnings on your savings are reinvested right back into your account—where they can produce additional earnings. Remember that investing does involve risk. The value of your investment will fluctuate over time and you may gain or lose money.

Q. What happens if there’s an emergency and I need my money?

Because your plan is intended for long-term retirement savings, the IRS limits access to your account before retirement. The IRS recognizes six reasons that are deemed to be immediate and heavy financial needs:

home

from certain natural disasters

Some plans also allow hardship withdrawals for other reasons, as well as loans from your account. Not all plans provide for distribution for all these situations. It is important that you check with your benefits department for your plan’s specific rules. Hardship withdrawals are subject to ordinary income tax. You may also owe a 10% early withdrawal penalty if you’re under age 59½ when you make a hardship withdrawal.

Q. What happens if I leave my current employer?

One of the reasons retirement savings plans have become so popular is that they’re portable. Generally speaking, you can take your vested account balance—the percentage of your total balance you’re entitled to according to plan rules—from job to job.

The Pros of theAffordable HealthCare Act

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no longer be able to charge more or deny coverage to anyone because of a pre-existing condition. 

Where does the funding go in the communities?  Under AHA, funding is increased to promote better health and services in all communities. The funds are used to: 

S u p p o r t o n g o i n g h e a l t h c e n t e r operations.

Establish new health center sites.

Expand services.

Support major capital improvement projects.

Help enroll uninsured Americans in the Health Insurance Marketplace.

Hire more workers.

To repay educational loans and provide scholarships to primary care physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, behavioral health providers, and other primary care providers who practice in areas of the country that have too few health care professionals.

Can I get help in another language?  Yes, New York is a diverse state with many people that may speak or read in a language other than English. You can call the Marketplace at 1-855-355-5777 (Available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)for more information or help applying for coverage in your language or for any other questions. All help is free of charge. 

Do all plans sold in the Marketplace comply with the new health reform?  Yes. All health insurance sold on official Marketplaces must include all the new benefits, rights and protections of the Affordable Care Act. To access your state’s Marketplace visit NYstateofhealth.ny.gov

How is the New York State of Health Marketplace different from other online marketplaces? The NY State of Health is different because:

Consumers and small businesses are able to go to a state-of-the art website which makes shopping for health and dental insurance easier.

It offers assistance from trained

enrollment assistors.

It is the only place where small businesses can obtain federal tax credits.

 

Miracle Temple Ministries (MTM) supports and encourages their young people to pursue an education and to attend college after graduating High School. For many years, the youth department of MTM has been spearheading a graduation ceremony each July, to celebrate the accomplishments of all graduates (from Pre-K to college).

Who was Vincent S. Somers?Evangelist Somers was a man who was loved, appreciated, and respected by all...no matter your age, young or old, he could identify with you in some aspect. He was a youth leader, mentor, teacher, and encourager. He challenged individuals to stretch beyond their comfort zones to reach their full potential both spiritually and personally. Evangelist Somers embodied the scripture “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” Romans 12:18

Pre-Scholarship……Prior to the implementation of the “official scholarship”, MTM celebrated all graduates by giving them school supplies, metrocards and money to help with their college

expenses. Those who were going away to college would receive “goody bags”& survival kits including, but not limited to, alarm clocks, towels, cup-a-noodle soups, toiletries, etc.

W h a t i s t h e V i n c e n t S . S o m e r s scholarship & what is its purpose?The Vincent S. Somers Scholarship was initiated in 2006. It was established to honor the legacy and memory of the former youth president, the late Evangelist Vincent Somers. The purpose of this scholarship is to offer graduating high school students of the Miracle Temple Ministries Community the opportunity to apply for & obtain financial assistance to aid in the pursuit of their higher education goals.

Scholarship Requirements…Eligibility is determined by submitting a complete application & fulfilling all requirements.

Applicants must be high school graduates, be accepted to & attend college in the fall semester of that same year. Students submit their high school transcripts (inclusive of all 4 years), teacher recommendations and an essay for review by the scholarship committee. All applicants are expected to participate in volunteer or community services & should be involved in school activities. Internships & taking advanced classes are also encouraged. The scholarship committee reviews all applications that have been submitted (by the given deadline) to determine the first place winner of

THe Mind is A Terrible Thing To Waste

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By Michelle Maxwell

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the scholarship. If there are multiple participants, a 2nd and 3rd place winner will be chosen.

Funding, Supporters & SponsorsThe largest and most prominent supporters of the Vincent S. Somers Scholarship are the Miracle Temple Ministries church family. Scholarship funding is primarily dependent on the profits from the annual “True Love Waits” banquet which is held annually in February around Valentines Day. Supplementary funding is received from individuals who make a personal contribution and private organizations like The Marriott (a past sponsor) and M. Melnick & Co. Inc. who support the vision of the Vincent S. Somers scholarship.

Awards…How much money has been

distributed? Although the Vincent S. Somers scholarship is designed primarily for High School seniors, the scholarship committee also recognizes the accomplishments of all graduates. In 2013, $4,000 in scholarships was awarded to the high school graduates and $425 in Staples gift cards were presented to all other graduates from Pre-K to junior high school. Since 2006, approximately $30,000 in scholarships and gift cards have been awarded to the graduates.

Scholarship winners are announced during the graduation ceremony in July of each year. Award monies are disbursed in two portions. Half of the award is given to the recipient their freshmen year and the second half is given to them at the beginning of their

sophomore year in college. Recipients are required to submit their first year’s college grades and proof of registration for their second year of college.

The Future…Are you an individual who believes that knowledge is power? Do you believe in the influence of a good education? Do you want to make an impact on a young person’s life? Do you support the vision and purpose of the Vincent S. Somers scholarship? Then we implore you to consider making a tax-deductible donation to this cause. Your investment in our young people’s future will be well worth it.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” -Nelson Mandela

The Editorial Team

Asshur K. Cunningham (Editor in Chief) | Lenny Grant (Senior Executive Editor) | Tristan Mantock (Executive Editor)

Kijuan Dale (Editor) | Geovani Mullings (Photo Journalist)

Somers Scholarship Winners