Tallahassee Democrat from Tallahassee, Florida • Page 23

i P'f Saturday January 10, 2004 TV Advice Crossword Comics Religion Editor. Byron Dobson Pnonc (850) 599-2256 Fax: (850) 599-2295 E-mail: bdobsontallanassee.com Channel reaches out to local congregations Id II 1 i I i station has entered into a joint venture with CBS that will let the channel be viewed by residents from Thomasville, to the coastal communities in Franklin County. The only other analog Christian station Comcast offers is WTBC, Channel 99. Claire Evans, Comcast's marketing director for North Florida, said the decision to add WVUP was based on customer demand for faith-based programming and the station's ability to broadcast to such a large audience. ffe get requests for faith-based programming frequently, and there were quite a few Christian Heritage Church, 8:30 p.m.

Monday. Pastor Donald Sheppard, Watson Temple, 7 p.m. Tuesday. Pastor Teryl Todd, Evangel Assembly of God, 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Rev. Joseph Wright, Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The local programs will run a second time during slots that aren't in prime time. Cole, 34, worked for a local station for six years before starting his own production company in 2000.

Nikki Clack, 27, is the station's assistant manager. She fills several roles in conjunction with Cole, including programming and actual video production. Clack and Cole said the and John Hagee also can be seen on the 24-hour channel. WVUP is being shown on Channel 19, formerly the home of WGN, which now is Channel 2. The TV Guide channel moved from Channel 2 to Channel 74.

"There, was a need for strong local (Christian) television in this area. said Tod Cole, general manager. "We feel our Eurpose in Tallahassee is to ave local ministries decide which direction the station goes. If local pastors aren't involved, then we have failed." The following ministers have signed on with WVUP: Pastors Travis and Caleta Burke, New Life International Worship Center, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The Rev. Richard Ledford, By Byron Dobson DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER Imagine a Christian-based cable channel that features services by preachers in the Tallahassee area, strong public-afiairs programming and a mix of national Christian programs. Those are the lofty goals of WVUP, which debuted Thursday on Comcast Cable. The station is owned by the Christian Television Network, founded in 1979 in Tampa by Bob D'Andre. The network owns seven local stations in the South and one on the West Coast.

WVUP has five local ministries on the air and is negotiating with others. Nationally known preachers such as Charles Stanley, Creflo Dollar "We feel our purpose is to have local ministries decide which direction the station goes." Tod Cole General manager, WVUP "There's really not a place for Christians to voice their opinions locally on television." Nikki Clack Assistant manager, wvup Please see CHANNEL, 2D Briefs THE SIMPLE LIFE I JJ 1 77 i mJLi i tiinMoiiyr il RALPH LAUERKnight Ridder Tribune The Grandview Gospel Church, In Grandvlew, Texas, serves as a school and a house of prayer. CLASSES Unleash your creativity Learn how to connect with the creative energies of the universe at the Tools for Positive Living Class at 7 p.m. Wednesdays at Unity of Tallahassee, 2850 Unity Lane. The class focuses on recovering creativity from a variety of blocks, including limiting beliefs, fear and sabotage, and replacing them with artistic confidence and productivity.

A love offering is suggested. Call 562-5744 or visit www.unityoftallahassee.org. NEW HOME Live the Life moves: Live the Life Ministries has moved from its headquarters on Capital Circle Northeast. The Christian organization is now at 1690 Raymond Diehl Road, Suite C-l (behind Osaka Japanese Steak House). For more information, call 668-3700 or e-mail richalbertaol.com.

MEETING Discover Jewish traditions: Women can explore Jewish tradition at the Panhandle-Tallahassee Chabad Lubavitch Jewish Women's Rosh Chodesh Club meeting at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Chabad 2093 Greenwood Drive. The club is a study and creative hands-on activity group for women only. Participants can decorate glass candlesticks and taste Shabbos specialties, including home-baked Challah rolls, gefilte fish and kugel. A $7 donation is suggested.

Call 523-9294 or e-mail rabbichabadtallahassee.com. PROGRAM Rabbi hosts workshop: Rabbi Naomi Mara Hyman will host an all-day workshop called "treasures Between the Lines of Torah: An Introduction to Midrash" from 10 a.m. to 5:30 Jan. 18 at Temple Israel, 2215 Mahan Drive. Rabbi Hyman is an educator, writer, author, editor and poet.

She is the director of education for Temple B'Nai Israel in Easton, and executive director of Shiviti: A Gateway to Jewish Contemplative Practice. Call 877-3517 or 671-5564. For women of all denominations: Orientation and registration for Non-denominational Community Women's Bible Studies will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Thomasville Road Baptist Church, 3131 Thomasville Road. The classes are 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Thursdays at the church. Courses include "Believing God" by Beth Moore, "Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby, "A Heart Like His" by Beth Moore and "Jesus on Leadership" by C. Gene Wilkes. Child care is available through costs or to register, call the church office by Monday at 386-4288. Just for moms: Mothers with young children can participate in the "Moms Out and About" program from 9 a.m.

to 12:30 p.m. Thursdays at Thomasville Road Baptist Church, 3131 Thomasville Road. The program is free. Call 422-1787 or 668-7747. LUNCHEON Improving marriages through partnership: Area clergy and community leaders are invited to join the Family Empowerment Institute, Capital City Church and Community Coalition in a Partnership Luncheon at 11:30 a.m.

Thursday. The purpose of the luncheon is to include area clergy and leaders in the signing of a covenant and partnership agreement in support of the African-American Healthy Marriage Initiative. A representative may be sent on behalf of. the church or organi- zation leader. The luncheon will be at Faith Christian Family Center, 310 Laura Lee Ave.

Make reservations by Monday. Call 841-4334. GRADUATION i Pastor graduates with honor: The Rev. Ear-nestine Barkley was awarded a Bachelor of Minisfrv nptrrfift from Trinitv Colleere of the In Texas and elsewhere, Mennonites inhabit their own world I i i I RALPH LAUERKnight Ridder Tribune Leanna Ulrich, left, and Joshua Yoder share a hymnal at the Grandview Gospel Church. The children sing each day before class.

By Elizabeth Campbell KNIGHT RIDDER TRIBUNE GRANDVIEW, Texas When Evangeline Yoder returns home from school to her family's cozy mobile home, it's quiet except for the sounds of a clock chime and of her 3-year-old brother riding his rocking horse. Suburban children might miss the constant racket of a television or video games, but Evangeline doesn't. Without parental prompting, she and her. brothers and sisters set to work doing their chores. The boys help their father in his shop, where he builds minibarns, or storage buildings.

The girls use a food processor to prepare grains for the family's breakfast cereals. The simple home life is standard for the Yod-ers and other Mennonites who call rural Grand-view home. Like Evangeline's parents, Gareth and Phyllis Yoder, most have moved to the area in the past nine years. "I've never had TV in my home. I've never known what it's like," Evangeline, 12, said.

"We see it in the stores, but it's not important." The Yoders, who two years ago moved from La The Local Angle In Tallahassee, the Berean Mennonite Church is on Blountstown Highway, two miles west of Capital Circle. Sunday school is at 10 a.m., followed by an 11 a.m. praise and worship service. An evening service is at 6:30 p.m. Sundays.

Contact Pastor John Nissley at 574-6034. Please see MENNONITES, 2D Politicians miss religion's middle ground Bible and Theological Seminary of "gradually getting more comfortable with talking about religion." All he accomplished was providing columnists such as William Safire, Cal Thomas and Kathleen Parker fodder for ridicule. Safire had a field day with Dean's answer to which was his favorite book in the New Testament (the book of Job) and Dean's preface to that answer you know much about the Bible which I Cal Thomas put the question, "What exactly does Dean believe about Jesus, and how is it relevant to his candi- Please see SANDON, 3D attention of most pundits. I refer not to the widely discussed gap between the conservative, largely evangelical members of the religious right (whose votes are ceded to the Republican Party) and more secular Americans (the majority of whom vote Democratic). That gap is real enough.

But to define the separation of religious commitment and presidential politics only from this angle is to ignore the gap between politicians and those Americans who are critical believers, who try to be both critical of and faithful to a religious tradition. Howard Dean has only obscured the issue with his recent clueless strategy of Ind. The Rev. Barkley graduated with High Distinction Honor (GPA 3.85) magna cum laude. She is an ordained itinerant elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and she had served as chief pastor of several church congregations within the Florida, Tampa and East Florida annual conferences of the Eleventh Episcopal District of the AME Church.

She is currently the pastor of Mount Ararat AME Church in Marianna of the West Florida Annual Conference. LEO SANPON RELIGION IN AMERICA There is a gap between the presidential campaigners and a certain religious constituency that seems to escape the.