Okay. Good morning, everyone. Welcome. Christopher, me, Salomi. Thank you for joining in. It's good to have you on this call. We'll break it started. I know other students are not yet here, but hopefully they'll join. So let's let's just begin. Could one of you please lead a prayer? Yes. Yes, sir. We just want to thank you for this beautiful day. We thank you for your promises that we stand upon. We thank you for the word that we are about to learn, Father. We thank you for your beautiful plans that you have for each of us, for which you are preparing us, Father. We bless our teachers. We bless Pastor Nancy. We bless all the students who are here, Father, who are learning, who are seeking your truth and Father, let your truth reign in each of us, Father. That's what we pray. Help us to be wise enough to apply all the words in our life and walk in victory and be blessed in every area of our life, knowing that you are the Lord of our lives and you are in control, Father, of our lives. When we give you control, Lord, Father, lead us and help us to do your will, Father. And Father, in everything we give you glory, honor, and praise for you deserve all the glory, honor, and praise. Bless each one of us and lead each one of us. Let everything be done according to thine wills. In the name of Jesus, our Savior, we ask and pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. So, in the last class, we were talking about keeping things in order as far as planting. Once you plant the church, we talked about how the legal things should be in its place, the financial, you know, whatever accounting and things. It has to be in order because all of this will help us, you know, not just to serve spiritually but also, you know, in accordance with the law of the land. So, I was telling us that we must keep proper accounts and then I was just saying that it's important for us to have a separate bank account. Why is this necessary? Because if we don't do that, then what happens is there can be a lot of confusion, okay? So, the money that comes in, if it goes into the pastor's account, you know, and then the accounting is done that way, you know, you would understand, you know, in the income tax return and so many things. So, everything sort of gets mixed up and confusing and it will be a lot wiser of the pastor to actually have a separate account. And also, we talked about how every place has a law and it requires for the registration of the church. So, that is also something one must look into, you know, almost immediately that would help. So, you see whether you can form a trust here in India, I think you cannot register as a church but you can register as a society or a trust. That's what we understand. And you could, as a religious trust, and then you could function under that. There are certain rules that come in because a religious trust does not file income tax. So, you would need to apply for a tax exemption and the government allows that for all religious trust. So, you would need to apply for that. And then that way, when you account for your church activity related, you know, money and all that, you don't have to pay a tax on it. So, these are all the legal aspects. These are all the guidelines given by the government. So, everyone, I know there are people from other countries as well in this course. So, we need to find out what does our law of the land say and accordingly plan the legal aspects, plan the financial aspects. And also, some practical things that we said was try not to be hasty when it comes to spending. It would be good to start off small in that, you know, you may want to look out for a place that is not very expensive in terms of rentals. You could start off there. And so, as you start growing, you would have slightly better income. At that point, you may want to find a larger hall or you may want to buy a better mic system. You may want to, you know, do up the place. So, be wise. Sometimes, what happens because we are so enthusiastic and then we may also say that by faith, you know, I'm doing it by faith. Yeah, it's true. If the Lord leads you and you're very, very keen and clear on it, then there are steps that one can take by faith, but not to get into unavoidable debts. Okay, unfortunately pastors tend to do that sometimes. They just take a huge loan and get into a big crusade or something or, you know, get a huge place and they're not able to pay for it. And there's a lot of pressure as it is ministry can take up a lot of your mental engagement and emotional strength. Now imagine if you have an unmanageable debt also along with taking care of the ministry, it can become very difficult. So these are all very practical things. And we talked about having a budget. If there is a budget, I'm breaking it down so that when, as in when, you know, different ones of us, we are getting into this church planting. We will know how to do these things. So budgeting might mean that, you know, you set aside money for all the church activities that you think are necessary. For example, Sunday services could be one budget head, you may have missions. That can be another budget head. Now, all the other activities, maybe you want to allocate some money for the youth activities. So that could be one budget head. So like that, we have different heads. And in that all the costs that come in, you sort of, you decide, okay, I can only afford to spend so much money for the hall of Sunday service. So we budget those things. But along with budgeting, the expenses, it's also very, very important to plan out the savings. So from the beginning, let's say, I'm just giving an example, let's say our income is 10 rupees. Now, I cannot plan to spend all 10 rupees. I would need to plan to save some amount of money.  So if we plan that way, we are saving up as we're doing church. And maybe we come to a point in our doing the church that, hey, I have 100 rupees in my savings. So I can now move to a better hall. I'm not under debt when I'm doing that. So these are some practical things for pastors and not to worry about what will others say if I do it in this particular place. So just be led by God. Don't be under pressure to appear large or fancy or anything like that because we are building this work as God is leading us. And surely, no, we know that our God is a God of increase. He will bless us. He will lift us up. He will cause that abundance to come in in the ministry. But Jesus spoke so much about managing money, isn't it? So we cannot waste money or manage it in a very careless way because it puts us in trouble. So if you can manage our expenses and also make provision for savings, that will be a huge help in the ministry. And when it comes to maintaining accounts, here in India, when you are at trust, you have certain obligations.  So we have to work on these things and maintain our accounts regularly. So these are our obligations for the not just the government's sake, but even our own understanding. Sometimes what happens, might think that, oh, we are doing spiritual work. Why is all this important? I'm not going to get into this. But also just to encourage all of us, there's a lot of help available. Even if you say rural areas or remote areas, you can find people who can help you do your accounting. You can find people who can guide you on the legal aspects. There are networks, even earlier I shared about a network of lawyers who are ready to help if pastors want knowledge on various matters. So help is available. It's not the question of help. And today, more than ever, we are very well connected. So we can get all the help that we need. But one needs to be determined to do these things and keep everything in order. So legal, financial obligations, there is a list over here. I will just read it out for the benefit of those who are only listening to what I'm speaking today. So apply for a permanent account number, apply for a tax account number. This is once you register your religious trust. Then register under section 12A. This is for IT exemption or income tax exemption from the commissioner and register for professional tax. If applicable, register under the religious places registration. The minutes of the meetings of the trustees must be recorded and filed. The regular statutory audits must be carried out. The necessary taxes must be filed. So we've listed it out but we would also need to check any updated guidelines or rules of the government and you could consult with the lawyer and they will keep us updated on all these matters. So another very practical aspect here is to have things in writing. This is with regard to any fields, for example, property owners. Sometimes people could come up to us and say, okay, why don't you use our place? So initially it all sounds very good. Now they might say, okay, it actually costs 10 rupees but I will give you this place for 2 rupees.  This is really suiting our budget. But what happens in the long run is we really never know if the agreement might change for whatever reason. Just imagine with me, the church is running and a lot of people start coming and there's no parking in that area. So people end up parking all over the street and the person who gave us the place is upset about it. Now they might say, okay, you know what from now onwards not 2 rupees, why don't you pay me 6 rupees? And then suddenly you're like, but you said 2 rupees and we made it 6 rupees. You know, so a lot of these, the agreement between people verbally can change over time. I'm not saying it always changes but what if it does? It sars relationships with people. So a good thing we can do is to have all these agreements when it comes to property, when it comes to vendors, just be very professional. If you can have things written out, you have contracts, you have agreements, rental agreement, even till date when we do things, we make sure when you're taking up a place we have a proper rental agreement signed by the parties concerned. So nothing is done in a, okay, we agreed verbally. Let's go ahead with it because it's a little bit of a risk there and it might strain relationships. So as far as possible put everything in written agreements. Don't go purely based on someone's word because situations might change there, word might change. So this is a little bit about how to get organized as a local church. Now I'll give us a few minutes to kind of quickly ask any questions or, you know, have your inputs on this and then we will proceed. We have other chapters. I'm going to try to just share the highlights because we have touched on the coming subjects earlier. You know it's about citywide church and it's about small groups. We've already looked at all that in detail. So I'm just going to look at the highlights and keep going on and hopefully we can finish the portions today. So any questions, any inputs, we talked about the legal and the financial aspects of organizing a church. So yeah, okay, I think when one comes close to planting a church, you probably might look into these things in a more detailed way. But you can always come back. Those of us in India, you can always come back to these pages that we looked at just now and it gives you all the necessary steps for you to, it's like a checklist. So you can tick it off and say, okay, now I've done this, I've done this and it'll be really, really helpful. So even recently, you know, with certain incidents happening across the country, pastors are required. They don't, they don't have a registration. If they don't have the permission of the local authority to run the church, they get into trouble. Okay. And it's unfortunate. Some may not know, they had just been led by God and doing the spiritual work. But when something happens, and the pastor's question, you know, how come you're running this church, who gave you the permission? They don't have an answer. But then it becomes so difficult, even if you engage lawyers and people who can help, they are also unable to do anything because he has a pastor who does not have, you know, any permission, no registration, you know, and now what can one do to get this pastor out? So even these are all the practical things and we can't be ignorant about the legal and the financial aspect. So be aware of these things and you could also share if you come across a pastor who is planting a church, maybe you can recommend this book. You can also tell them, hey, there is a checklist. Why don't you see that you've done all these things, it would be really helpful as you grow your church. So that's about getting organized financially, legally, now coming to organizing of small groups. You know, we have seen how small groups are important. They really help us to live out the the teachings that we have in the church. We could every Sunday we could be listening to sermons, but then when you come to a small group, there will be life to life interact, life to life impact, there will be interaction. We can actually see how to apply whatever we have heard in the Sunday sermon. So smaller groups are very, very helpful. And we've said earlier that there are some churches that have tried because of these small groups. For example, the the church in Seoul, Korea, right, you are the full gospel assembly by David Yamichou. Now the kind of groups that we want to have, it can depend on what that particular pastor prefers. So here are some examples from APC small groups. What is life groups? Life groups were earlier known as cell groups, but you know, cells sounds more like prison. So that's why we changed it to like a lively name of life group. Whereas cell groups understandable, right? Cell, tissue, organs. So the way the body is formed and the smallest unit is cell. So that's what we meant. But still, you know, I think life groups is a lot better and life group is a common term these days. Most churches use life group in comparison to cell groups. So these life groups are places for fellowship, for discipleship. And, you know, one can grow in these in these life groups. Also, there's some call as alpha groups. Alpha groups are more of people. Now in the alpha groups, they're like the initial groups where you may not have all as believers. Maybe there are some seekers, some who are still, you know, yet to make their decision for Christ. But alpha groups are those those starting points where an unbeliever can feel comfortable and ask all their questions and hopefully, you know, they will make their decision for Christ. So the purpose of the alpha group is more winning souls and nurturing the new believers. So these are the two kinds of groups that we have here. Life groups can be based on any pattern that we prefer. You know, the G12 model is what we use here. G12 model was used in Caesar Castellino's church in Colombia. So that became very famous. So the model there was that leader starts a group and the group grows to 12 members. And the moment the group grows to 12 members, they split or they multiply. So it becomes more than 12, you try to start another group with the help of a leader who was prepared in this, you know, original group. And in that way, you know, to kind of start multiplying, you know, it's like that whole, you know, cascade effect, you have lots and lots of life groups, which which will happen as soon as one life group touches 12, they multiply. So something like that. So that was the original intent. But you know, even right now, we are kind of working on the same model, but there are some modifications here and there based on the context of our city and the, you know, the schedule of people in our city and all that, because we can't do it exactly the way it is done in some other city. So the G12 model is what we follow. The pattern of the life group, it's quite simple. So basically, what happens is every life group leader will review the Sunday sermon, the Sunday sermon. And if you all have noticed in our sermon draft, towards the end of the sermon, there is the life group, you know, the life group guide, there you have some questions, you have certain highlighted scriptures and all. So the life group leader, he can use that. He can just use, he or she can use that, lead the group. Typically, it would last for about one hour and a half hours. And it's totally the discretion of the life group leader, whether they want to serve snacks or they want to serve a meal, whatever they are, they can do. You know, sometimes family life groups, they have a meal together. But you know, that may not be possible for, you know, a life group of the youth or some professionals, they might want to meet quickly over tea and then wrap it up. So it's totally up to them. And again, how often would they like to meet? That's up to the discretion of the life group leader. Also, what time? So here, we've seen that people meet, like family life groups, generally their timing is like 7pm and all. But youth life groups also have a timing of 9pm because, you know, they prefer to finish their work and then get together. Sometimes they stay on 9 to 11 and all young people can do that. So it depends on the kind of life group. So we have here based on your ages, we have here based on, you know, it can also be based on interests, people's interests, right? So a group that is, you know, they're very, very interested in the police ministry or interested in something else. So you can also form a group. I remember once, one of our life groups, right now, that life group leader, I mean, he's married and he runs more of a family life group. But initially, like when he wasn't married, college days or something, he used to have a life group of the basketball court. So young people would come, they would all play a game of basketball and just have their group there. So things like that, one can know what works for the people in the church. So you have life groups based on that. What are the responsibilities of a life group leader? They invite new people. There can be people at church, right? You see that they're not connected to a life group. You know, encourage them. Hey, why don't you join the group? And then they keep in touch with the person through the week. Now, once people start coming, then you have some kind of a spiritual oversight through the week, call them up, ask them how they're doing, encourage them in their spiritual walks. So basically, development, spiritual development of the people is the responsibility of the life group leader. And a life group leader, the task is more of caring for the people. So we would say number care. And also sometimes, yeah, sorry, everyone, I got logged off. Yeah, sure. Thank you. I don't know at what point I got logged off. But basically, I was saying, you know, life groups can engage in outreaches, they can engage in evangelism. And it would be over here, we also have a system of reporting. So once the life group is held, a report comes into the pastoral team on what was done in the life group. So it's generally very brief, we discussed about this and this and that. And, you know, if there is something that needs immediate attention, okay, somebody is very sick, or, you know, somebody is having difficulty because of some issue, kind of bring that to the notice of the pastoral team, then the pastoral team can engage, they can pray for that person or reach out to the person. So something like that. The reason why the Sunday sermon is shared is people can have the, you know, something common, you know, for them to discuss and follow. But otherwise, earlier, we used to have anyone like the life group leader can share whatever they like. But, you know, eventually what happens is it becomes very difficult to keep a tab on who's sharing what and, you know, are there questions, what questions people have, how to address those matters. You imagine if there are 20 life groups or 30 life groups, every life group leader is doing their own topic, it becomes very difficult to kind of, you know, guide them and lead them. So this makes it a lot easier. And of course, as always, the flexibility for the life group leader to bring in something which is relevant. For example, if it's a woman's life group, I remember we were discussing about different women in the Bible. So we would quickly finish off the Sunday sermon and, you know, discuss all that. Then we also had additionally, we were discussing about the lives of women in the Bible. So you can have something relevant for your group as well. That way, you know, you're strengthening the actual need of the people. Youth might have something that they really passionately want to talk about. So we could also have another subject. So like you could keep the pastoral team informed and then continue with that. So things like that. Yeah. So the beautiful thing about life groups is that people are able to serve one another. They grow. You know, it's like, if you have successful life groups, then a lot of needs are met almost immediately. Someone's sick. Because of our relationship with those people, we are the first ones to respond. Yes, we can engage other teams in the church and call the pastor and all, but that might take some time. We just step in. You know, if it's a birthday, we wish and it's so beautiful to do life together.  And also another advantage is that people grow up faster because they are connected. They are being nurtured in a very individual and a personal way. So that's also something really wonderful. Then multiplication can happen because people are nurtured. They are growing, developing. You have more people through more life groups and that way the entire church can mature, you know, at a faster pace. Now, what are the downsides of having these small groups we've discussed, there is a danger or a risk of clicks of factions. You can have a splinter group. The group grows, but if, let's say, a life group leader or a couple of people in the life group have disagreements with the church, they want to split and become a church on their own. So is that a risk or a danger? Yeah, definitely. Things like that could happen, but it really depends on how, you know, oversight is provided. And also, there can be, remember we talked about the right kind of community. Christian community should be around learning the word and worshipping God and serving God and ministering to people, ministering to God. But if it becomes minus these things, we end up being a social club, you know, just going out for coffee, just going out for movies, but we are a group from the church. But how different are we from people from the world? I'm not saying that a life group should not go out for coffee. Yeah, of course, we can spend time, but I'm saying the main thing should remain the main thing. That's what makes it a life group. So should not become a social club, okay, minus God. So that's also a risk. And we have to train the leaders to maintain that integrity of the life group. And then, of course, there can be arguments, disputes over matters, you know, certain controversies when the leader is sharing on subject, maybe somebody brings up an issue and they're unable to resolve it there because the life group leader does not know all the answers. So these issues might also pop up. But if we have a good mechanism, we can address it. We can also hear when we do our, we have a training for the life group leaders. So when we do the life group leaders training, we kind of encourage them to keep away from, you know, if there's something that's going to cause an argument or a dispute or try not to, you know, bring up those things. And yeah, if there are questions, of course, you know, they could also email others, personal team or somebody else who can actually answer their questions. So things like that, how to help the life group leader navigate smoothly, one needs to plan. So some examples from here, but I'm sure, you know, every church has their own way of doing life groups and small groups, but small groups are really, really essential and they have a huge impact. So any additional thoughts or questions about life group, if you do have, then we can talk about it. Otherwise, we can jump to the next topic here. Yeah, I think we have discussed it earlier. So let's move further. The next subject here, chapter 28 in our notes is about mega church and multi site churches. So mega site mega church is the one that has a population of more than 2000 in a congregation. And we've talked about the benefits of a mega church. Usually it's, it has a large impact. It's noticed. And therefore, it can also have a voice in the city, it can have a voice in the nation. But the challenge of a mega church is the but if we have live groups, even in a mega church, we can address that matter. So mega churches are good in themselves. And, you know, research has shown that mega churches can make a significant difference in the region where they are planted. And mega churches offer, you know, multiple options, service timings to people, language options these days. And people are also able to connect online. So you know, that's, that's a, that's an advantage. And it can bless the lives of many people. So mega churches are good.  In fact, the other side of it, if we want to remain small and comfortable, then something is wrong, you know, because we are supposed to impact more people if we are believers and we are really disciples of Jesus Christ. So mega churches are actually good. However, you know, recently we've seen that not everybody is able to travel up to the place in a city where the church is planted. So even mega churches, I know of mega churches here in Bangalore who have started new sites, okay, and have started, you know, multiple services at different timings because not everybody is able to come to the, you know, that, that original church location where they used to have the services. So multi site is sort of emerging. Multi site simply means in a, in a city setting where we have satellite campuses, okay. So the satellite campuses is like you have one main, main congregation and then you have people gathering wherever, you know, it's comfortable for them. So here in Bangalore, APC is, you know, you all are aware, we have North, South, East, West along with Central. So the sermon that goes on is the same. So it's like the whole church is being pastored on the same subject, okay. So the same sermon is start. Now many churches in the West, I'm sure you're all aware that the sermon is live streamed, okay. And the multi site churches, the satellite churches will live stream. So what is this church elevation? You know, elevation is a good example of satellite campuses. They have that and you know, they, they would have worship in their location or sometimes even the worship is, is live stream. So everything is happening. But people are gathering in these, in these other campuses, okay. But they put a pastor in charge who can oversee the, the other aspects like member care, life groups, you know, different things that concern the people who attend that campus. But Sunday service as such, the teaching as such happens in the main location and they have a really like a splendid media team that does, you know, a wonderful capture of the entire service and it is live streamed. And you know, people are blessed by it. So a lot of churches have this going on right now. But here at APC, we kind of wanted like a physical pastor to do the sermon. Another reason being that, you know, it gives opportunity for more people to grow when, when there are people on site, they are doing the worship, they are doing the, they are doing the, you know, preaching of the sermon and all the other activities, because there are more opportunities, more people step in, they volunteer, they grow. So with that understanding, we are not live streaming, but you know, in the multi site model, we, we engage volunteers. And it really, you know, sort of, it, it, it has worked very well. And a lot of people can grow through this. So there is some details are provided here about the multi site locations and the teams at the multi site locations, it's essentially the same. Okay. So essentially the same teams, it's almost like, you know, it's like that, of course, people are different. Every church has its own flavor. And you would know if you attended a, you know, a north church and a south church and a central, you'll be like, wow, they're quite different because of the people who make up the congregation. But when it comes to the, the structure, the processes, they're almost the same. So you would have the same format. You go in for a pre service prayer. We have that in all the locations in central, I know, currently, we haven't started the pre service prayer, but generally, you know, we have the pre service prayer and then the, you know, service and it's almost the same, like the announcements. When you go in for an APC service, you know, like, you know, what to expect in terms of the format, the kind of volunteer teams that are there and all of that. So that's how it is planned. Over and above this, over and above this, you know, there are all the other ministries, the weekend schools, the Bible college, kids conference, youth camp, church camp, and you know, there are advertisements. So people from the locations can actually plug in to more than just the Sunday services and the life groups. So in this way, you know, people can be nurtured, they can be strengthened, developed. And yes, there are associate pastors in charge for each location. The spiritual ministry mainly of each location is their responsibility. As far as APC is concerned, our financial, you know, the way we handle the finances is central. So when the money comes in, offerings and all, now we have a method like we have offering teams in every location. And there's a way in which, you know, it is, it is collected and sent to one person in charge in the office who makes sure we have a, like, we have a time, you know, like, I think it's Monday only, almost immediately, the money goes in, everything is total, then we have a method like you have to put it into the bank. So we maintain the accounting in a very proper way from all locations. So centrally, we kind of handle the money in this way. So I'm just sharing it in detail so that, you know, anyone who's interested, you kind of know how to actually go about planning multi site churches, if you would like to. Okay. And of course, you know, other ministries when it comes to missions and all everything is central, we announce it. And then people sign up, people can sign up from all the locations. But we have one person centrally who coordinates things. So, you know, when people go out on mission strips, you would have somebody from North, South, they're everywhere. But they're all, you know, prepped for it in the same way.  So that's how the multi site locations here are managed. So I just pause in case you have any comments regarding multi site churches, mega churches, or if we don't, then we will proceed. Okay. I think lots of assignments. So seems like people are all busy thinking about your assignments. And I do understand that. Okay, Abraham has a question, please, how about the needs of the small church is everything provided from the main church? Okay, good question. Yes, Abraham. So that's how we work. We communicated to the office. And then, you know, we have a and then the office kind of coordinates and addresses the issue. So that's how we do it. Yeah, does that answer your question? Yes, my, you know, I grew up in a small church, where we had the same experience, we have to send all the offerings to the main church. But then of the day, when we need a venue, we need to buy instrument, the things we needed an extra money from the people. So it was very stressful for our pastor. So like, these are small churches, they don't have that much faith to give. And the offering that is in is sent directly to the head office. And there is no support from the head office, except the messages they give us and the leaders training will go. But when it comes to buy instrument, I mean, the equipment, everything has to be handed by the pastor himself. So it was very, so I just want to know that if maybe the main comes in, maybe like they help you with the venue, there's something they come to check on, you don't have this, let's help you. But if they leave everything to the small church, then it requires so much faith. Yeah, that is what I say. Yes, yes, Abraham, I do understand, you know, that that can be very, very challenging. But here, thankfully, everything is sent to the to the main church. But also from the main church, we have, you know, regular support. So if it is the venue, you know, it's paid for instruments, the basic setup, it's paid for and anything, you know, over and above, if you're asking for something that the other locations don't have, we really need it for our location, we just have to justify it as a present the need. And if it is, you know, understood that, yeah, this is a legitimate need, we have to spend towards it. Yes, even that is granted. So that way, the process here is quite simple. We don't really have to, you know, struggle to get any support. And same thing for events, we kind of plan our events. In fact, we plan in the beginning of the year, we kind of plan, you know, what we're going to do for our locations. And then even we kind of have an idea, okay, this event, it will take all these resources. This kind of cost will go into it.  And so there's really no problem because we have a process that we follow. But what you're saying, I think the process needs to be improved Abraham, like if that pastor can have a conversation with the main pastor and then, you know, set up some course of action that makes things easy, I think that will be helpful. Okay, Pastor, thank you so much. Yeah, yeah, sure. Yes, thank you. Good question. Sorry, Pastor, just want to ask Abraham. Yes, please.  Yeah, Abraham, you said you got your pastor by the church and you sent all the offering to the many branch. How do you help your pastor? How do you, how the pastors are state? Well, in our issue then, the pastor was just surviving on his own. Yeah, and so it was a work of faith. So he was just, it was like starting that branch was also from another small church. You know what I mean? So the pastor of that church said, okay, since you are having a self-group here in this district, I want to help you. So the pastor, that is the immediate pastor was able to give this, our young pastor, a venue that he left everything for him, how to manage everything, everything was by him. But the offering was not going to the immediate pastor, it was going to the main branch. I don't know if what I'm saying really makes sense because like we have the main branch and yet we have a sub branch and then we have the last, I don't know how to say it, the last church. So let's say we were paid from the main church. So in other words, if we had issues, we were supposed to submit to the, our sub-church, then from the sub-church, they can take it to the main branch. But when it comes to the offering, because we have the account already, we have to go to the main church and then send the report there. But when it comes to issues of maybe finances or something, you cannot go directly to the main church, you have to go to the sub-church and we're receiving some support from the sub-church. But I don't know the day that support was not also coming in. So our pastor has to survive. I mean, it was not easy. It was not easy. It was not easy at all. I don't know whether what I'm saying really makes sense pastor. Okay, it's making sense for me. I think it's hard to do. It's hard for a pastor in such situation. Thank you. Yeah, yeah, this really happened.  So I knew everything that was happening. It was tough. Our pastor, you know, find it easy at all. Yeah, yeah, that's that's tough, Abraham. So at least I think like the parent organization can ensure salary or some people call it support, which is sent to the pastor or the main overseer of the branch. So at least, you know, like their survival, because obviously, you know, people have families, they have to take care of their own personal expenses. So that is managed. And then when it comes to the church expenses, the way we said, you know, some support, maybe a rental payment or, I don't know, something else, whatever you need, like the snacks or your regular costs of off the Sunday services, there must be some provision given to the local churches, because otherwise, it's not fair unless, you know, one has decided that, yeah, I mean, just think about this, if that person is a full time minister, and this is all what he does, all the income is given to the main branch, then where is the additional income for his expenses, or his family expenses, and the church related expenses, you know, he'll have to find another job. But that way, what's happening is, we are actually making it difficult for that minister to serve with all the available time, energy and resources, you know, that person's not able to commit, because now he's also stressed about surviving. So, yeah, that sounds very tough. Yes, but the first time, he even got to a point that just that we knew our pastor realized that he loved God, so most of the things did not really, because he will come to the public and he says something like, so sit your pastor, you know, so you realize that the pressure of money became a problem. I mean, he will instead of maybe giving it time and offering to say, so sit your pastor, that was almost part of his preaching almost every Sunday. And then you realize that it even stepped down to, I mean, forcing people to give to him. But just that by God's grace, we understood where the error was from, so we'd not really blame him. But some did not understand, so most of them must live in all those things, but it was really challenging. I mean, the pastor was dedicated to the ministry, he didn't have any extra job. So he was just living by faith and were giving the money as offerings to the head church, so he will just come to you, you know what I mean, maybe so see it. And then he didn't even come with offering, we have to give partnership and all those things. And yet the pastor, the money was not going to the pastor, so the pastor has to devise means, you know, to say, okay, now so sit your pastor, don't so to the church, so to me, that one, so it really affected his, someone, we realize that no, this is not good. But by God's grace, we've been able to stand together and I think he's still doing well, even though I'm not there, but he's still doing well, yeah, still doing very well. Wow. Yeah, that's a very different situation that yeah, thanks for sharing Abraham. There's a question here, Christopher's will quickly address this and then we will take a break. How does it work in a network of churches like Assemblies of God? Okay, so Christopher, this is what I've heard about Assemblies of God. I think in order to belong to the Assemblies of God, one needs to pay that organization a fee. So if I pay, and then I become a member of Assemblies of God, then I can use the name, so I can be whatever, if I want to call myself Joy Assemblies of God, Bangalore. I can become a Joy Assemblies of God, Bangalore. But I think the finances are the responsibility of the local church. So the income that comes in, I manage. I have my trust, everything. So I don't really have to give it to the main office. This is my understanding of the process. Anybody here from Assemblies of God, would you know? Yeah, this is what I have learned. And that's how I think it works, Christopher. Yeah, sure. All right, so let's go for a break class. Let's... Oh, okay. Shri Kumar is saying they support the pastors also. But Shri Kumar, would you know if they support all pastors? I don't think so. So the pastors who are in need actually, especially the pastors who are in need, not the megachurches. So the pastors who are really in need like the small churches where they are struggling. So what I heard is that they also help them to set up the church. And also to set up a church, they need a minimum number of people to start. And yes, absolutely, they have some legal formalities and all. So after that, like, initially they support the pastors also to work to grow the church. So as the church grows, I don't know that whether they will pay the salaries or not. But yeah, there is a initially they used to do it. That is something they were they were working in the past. But at this point of time, I don't know how it is working. But yeah, as per my knowledge, it is like that only. They support the pastors and also they help to set up the church, whatever instruments and all. Initially, they will do it. So yeah, that was their way of working in the past. Thank you, pastor. Okay. Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Shri Kumar for sharing that information. I think that's right. Yeah, even I've heard some pastors in the North, they've told me that for a couple of years, Assemblies of God was supporting them. So I think they they help them launch if they are a small church, and they support them for a while. And then the expectation is that they'll become self sufficient. And then the support is sort of cut off. So yeah, I think that also is there. All right. Okay, fine class, let's let's go for a break. We'll come back at 10 or five and continue with the rest of the chapters and hopefully we can complete today. Thank you.


This is the Vietnam of the Mekong Delta, one of the 9th Infantry Division's defense areas. It is the Vietnam of endless rice paddies and swamps. Of myriad waterways, the Mitho River, the Vam Kho, the Kanjuik, the Nga Bay. A watery battleground for which the 9th Division soldier is very well equipped. He is the striking arm of the Mobile Riverine Force. A unique joint operation by the United States Army and Navy, as novel and precedent setting as the air cavalry. To provide the payoff, as in all forms of war both new and old, come the infantrymen. These are soldiers of the 9th Infantry Division. Their stout-hearted performance in battle has added luster to the nickname of Division I in World War II. The Old Reliables. Okay, move out. The 9th had a glorious history in World War II. It served in Africa, France and Germany. And quickly won the reputation of being unbeatable, completely reliable in action. I know because I started out with them in North Africa. The terrain and the enemy have changed. Vietnam is far different from Europe. But one thing hasn't changed, the fighting spirit of the 9th Division. The men who wear its patch today have proved themselves to be from the same stock as the Old Reliables. I know them and their battle record well. I was assigned to the Division's Information Office, but it was reactivated for combat under the urgency of the Vietnam War. That was in February 1966 at Fort Riley, Kansas. In record time, the new 9th Division was transformed from a cadre of officers, non-coms and a mass of recruits into a combat-ready division. We said our goodbyes. By November of 1966, the 9th Division's 3rd Brigade was en route to Vietnam. In December, the 1st and 2nd Brigades followed. It was a long voyage, halfway around the world. Plenty of time for detailed training and calisthenics. But still time to relax. In Vietnam, meanwhile, our base was being rushed to completion, expanded from a smaller camp left by the 1st Infantry Division. This camp, called Bearcat, was established as the Division Base. It occupied a strategic position in relation to Saigon, with firm lines of communication to the sea at Bung Tau, port of entry and naval base. The 1st and 2nd Brigades came ashore at Bung Tau in January and February 1967. They were under the command of Major General G. S. Eckhart. By late January, the 1st Brigade had already been in combat in Operation Colby against a Viet Cong stronghold southeast of Saigon. It was typical jungle terrain, which means that movement was slow and visibility limited to a few feet in any direction. In some cases, the jungle was so dense, we had to create a clearing for the helicopters to come in. They never failed to deliver the ammo, rations and other supplies we needed. We began to hit paydirt, Viet Cong tunnels, bunkers and weapons, even a communist flag. When one search and clear operation was finished, we went on to another, and another. The 9th Division's main responsibility, however, was to help secure the Mekong Delta. This vast, fertile area is virtually one gigantic rice pattern, broken up by rivers, canals and earthen dikes. The Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces have been fighting a long struggle against the Viet Cong in the Delta. Our job was to help them. It was decided to set up operations at Dong Tam, about 40 miles from Saigon on the Mitho River. The question was, where do you put troops when every square inch of dry ground is lived on by Vietnamese or used to grow food? The answer was, create your own dry land. The world's largest dredges brought up millions of tons of sand from the riverbed and made a base capable of supporting an entire division. Supplies would come in via land, sea and air. Thanks to the engineers, the Dong Tam base soon had its own airstrip, big enough to handle caribou-sized fixed-wing aircraft, as well as helicopters. A large force moved in right away. Not that we stayed on base very much. Most of the time, we were out in the rice paddies, scouting for the enemy and learning how to operate in the deceptive terrain. What looks like a scenic rice paddy to the eye often feels like a swamp to the feet. You're lucky to keep moving, however slowly, in this watery muck. When it becomes more muddy than watery, a man can be completely immobilized. Getting stuck in a mud hole can be an exasperating experience. The swampy mud makes one grateful to hit open water. This stream was supposed to be affordable, in a way it was, from the neck up. When the water gets too deep for treading, the men of the 9th Division turn on a little Yankee ingenuity, using an air mattress to float gear across the stream, or by making a raft out of a poncho. For a 9th Division scout dog, a river crossing is no problem at all. The watery terrain makes it hazardous, even for the highly-mobile helicopter to use a rice paddy for a helipad. A fairly hard earthen dyke is much safer when it's available. Operation of ground vehicles proved to be a chancey thing, too. The powerful armored personnel carriers often plow through swamp water with great ease, but muddy roads are a real hazard. When you gamble on moving tracked vehicles on terrain like this, you can be a loser as often as not. The Delta proved to be a testing ground for machines as well as men. But as we got to know the lay of the land, we learned how to keep the armored personnel carriers moving. These APCs are M-113s. We like to have their firepower around when we hit a Viet Cong angle. We often ran into them without warning.  And there was always the difficulty of determining who was friendly and who wasn't.  Some were even underwater. We always left a grenade as a call to fire, parts from sniper fire and boobie traps. But we called in Medevac to get our casualties out fast. Stopping didn't necessarily mean resting. We filled sandbags for our defensive perimeters. In one month, the 9th Division filled half a million sandbags. Half a million! We got a surprise visit from a 9th Division veteran, General William C. Westmoreland. He dropped in during Operation Port Sea, in which we bagged a lot of Viet Cong supplies and equipment. We were all pleased to see him wearing a 9th Division patch from his service with the old 9th in Tunisia. We kept moving, or rather sloshing ahead. Wetness was the order of the day, the week and the month. Most of us would feel strange if we ever got dry. Well, it did simplify taking a bath and washing laundry. Gradually, we began to move more and more on the waterways, not in them. They became highways, not obstacles. Of course, the Division's helicopters continued to play a major role as air taxis for troops to transport artillery, vehicles, even other helicopters, and to extend the Medical Civil Assistance Program, MEDCAP, deep into isolated Delta villages, whose inhabitants seldom see a doctor. The medic showed that sometimes the best medicine comes in the form of a laugh. The fixed-wing spotter planes, nicknamed bird dogs, had the job of guiding aircraft into strikes at enemy positions. While the jets orbit overhead, the bird dogs take a run at the VC positions to mark them with smoke rockets. The pilots are highly trained Air Force forward air controllers, FACs. They don't hesitate to fly low within a few hundred feet of the enemy in order to bring the planes in on target. The daring and precision of these men is a major reason for the tremendous effectiveness of inter-service cooperation between the Army and the Air Force. The war in the Delta produced another form of inter-service cooperation in which the 9th Division played a major role. The Army and Navy combined resources to create a unique strike force, to which the Air Force also gave fire support. It was called the Mobile Riverine Force. The second brigade of the 9th Division was its primary combat unit. One must go back to the American Civil War to find a major precedent for this inland waterways task force. Army and Navy working together as a fighting team. When the men go out on a mission, they have the close support of the Navy flotilla with all the facilities necessary to resupply and maintain them. The soldiers live aboard the USS Benawa and the USS Colleton were not fighting. These floating barracks hold a 30-day supply of fresh food and provide medical, dental, and other facilities. The auxiliary personnel lighter also accommodates men of the Mobile Riverine Force. The USS Eskari contains a complete machine shop and facilities needed to maintain and repair weapons and equipment. Seaborn supplies are usually brought up from Vung Tau, or Dong Tam, by LST. In case of need, choppers bring in supplies directly to the decks of ships. The workhorses of the Mobile Riverine Force are the armored troop carriers, or ATCs. The ATC is armor-plated and has an armored canopy over the troop area. It can carry a two-and-a-half-ton truck or a 105-millimeter howitzer. The command and communications boat, or CCB, is the control center for the ground forces commander and the boat group commander. The battleship of the flotilla is the monitor, a landing craft armed with a 40-millimeter and a 20-millimeter cannon, an 81-millimeter mortar, and 40- and 30-caliber machine guns. This variety of weapons makes this shallow draft vessel a versatile fire support ship. It was in firepower that the 9th made its own important innovation, the use of barges as artillery platforms. Infantry elements of the Mobile Riverine Force would range far and wide once operations started. The guns and mortars aboard the armored troop carriers and monitors did not have either the range or the caliber to provide the long-range heavy fire support troops would need. Only artillery could do this. The 9th Division's 3rd Battalion, 34th artillery, decided to try using barges as gun platforms, anchoring them firmly to shore. The M102 105-millimeter howitzer, the lightweight, flexible model originally designed for airborne operations, proved to be an excellent weapon for this purpose. The M102 carriages provided an easy 360-degree traverse. Steel braces were welded to the deck to keep the gun in place. Two 105s to a barge. Three barges to a battery. Necessity rising out of conditions in the Mekong Delta had caused the 9th Division to come up with a new way of deploying artillery to back up its waterborne troops. Another invention was the Air Mobile firing platform. This device made it possible to have heavy fire support follow troops as they moved inland in the Delta. Because it is 90% aluminum, the 24-foot square can easily be airlifted to rice paddies or to streams or canals remote from the main riverways. It provides a stable firing platform in muddy river banks up to 4 feet deep. Mechanical jacks at each corner can be adjusted to keep the platform level. Packed with troops and firepower, the Mobile Riverine Force was ready to go anywhere in the watery wilderness. An ATC can carry a full platoon of combat-equipped soldiers and move in just about any river, canal, or creek. This mobility in shallow as well as deep water has enormously increased the striking range of impingermen in the Delta. The men get set to hit the beach. Before they go in, however, Air Force jets pound the landing area. The fighter bombers saturate the Viet Cong positions. As the ATCs move into the beach, the men add their own fires to keep the enemy down. Before long, the men of the 9th Division made contact with the enemy, only to find them strongly dug in. So the heavy stuff, 155-millimeter howitzers, are brought in to knock out the VC positions. When the enemy tried to break off the battle, airborne reinforcements were called in to cut him off at the canal. All casualties were quickly evacuated and given emergency treatment on the hospital-equipped ships of the Mobile Riverine Force. The Division Commander tried to bring us in from the field every three days. We were greeted with a fire hose salute to get the swamp mud off before we went below for hot showers. Hot chow, dry clothes, and a comfortable bunk. It wasn't hard for the 9th Division landlubbers to take sea duty under these conditions. There was even time to go on deck and look at the scenery ashore, a native village, or a colorful assortment of native rivercraft, but for a little while made us feel like tourists on accrues. Soon enough, another passerby on the river brought us back to the fact that the war was very much with us. The 9th Division had a training mission as well as a fighting one. We were proud of our reliable academy that taught the fine points of fighting in Vietnam to newcomers, as well as sharpening the skills of combat veterans. The importance of the academy was emphasized by frequent visits by the new commanding general of the 9th Division, Major General George O'Connor, who assumed command in June 1967. The men of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam were also given intensive instruction by the Division in all types of weapons and equipment. It wasn't long before training of this nature paid off. The South Vietnamese troops became more effective and acquitted themselves well in battles with the Viet Cong. Other academy students were these crack troops from Thailand. These tough little men are known as the Queen's Cobra Regiment. We oriented them on the use of the compass in land navigation and other equipment, emphasizing devices useful in jungle fighting. Their officers were given demonstrations in the tactics of counter-guerilla warfare. We also ran the ties through a quick reaction force to teach them to stay cool and fire back when they ran into a Viet Cong ambush. A very special school trains the 9th Division's long-range reconnaissance patrols. The beret and special patch its members wear testified to their elite status. The men are trained hard to develop stamina, strength, and alertness for their secret missions of reconnaissance, ambush, or sabotage. They must be able to endure a maximum of stress on a minimum of sleep, food, and water. They cannot expect help if trapped by the enemy. Their lives depend on their own resourcefulness and endurance. They become experts at camouflage. Success of the mission depends on perfect concealment. They must blend into the jungle even better than the Viet Cong. They are briefed in detail on terrain features and the location of the enemy objective. Every man knows how to navigate by day and by night. The patrol is inserted into enemy territory by a helicopter that flies in at low level. The men dismount in five seconds or less and move out swiftly. Ideally, they hope to avoid detection, by or contact with the enemy. Mission accomplished, the team leader calls out an asthma and the distance to the extraction point, then leads the patrol back. Normally, a mission will last several days or longer. The men are completely out of communication with their base until they rendezvous with the helicopter at a predetermined time and place. Despite the high hazard in these missions, there is no lack of volunteers. Far less exciting is the regular daily routine of combat. Going out on patrol. Coming back from patrol. Monotonous, mostly. Still, the year passed quickly. So quickly, we were almost taken by surprise when we got reminders in the mail that Christmas was here. The item that really made this Yuletide a memorable one was this streamlined version of Santa Claus. She was minus only reindeer. But a very welcome visitor. The beginning of the new year was memorable, too, since the enemy started their offensive then. They tried every trick in the book. But here in 9th Division country, the Vietcong never had a chance. They were clobbered by our superior Firepower. His VC were through fighting. Large amounts of captured weapons. And we rescued one friendly. We kept pushing ahead in the rice paddies. And the jungle. Fighting from the rivers. And from the air, we drove on. And we'll continue to drive on until a just and honorable peace is won. So that these people may have a chance to live their lives in the way they choose, without fear or communist coercion. That is what this war is all about. To achieve this, the 9th Division will stay on the job as long as it has to. Many new pages will be added to the division history. Many battle streamers were won in South Vietnam. And there may be several more before the 9th goes home. While it remains in Vietnam, it will do what it has always done. Fight and win. That, in a phrase, is the story of the 9th Division. That is why its pride of outfit is so strong. That is why it cherishes its reputation as the old reliable.


Man finds camera in bathroom, realizes why wife takes so long. James stands frozen in his tracks. What was his girlfriend doing in the bathroom? He quietly creeps over to the bathroom door and he feels sick to his stomach, completely unaware of what his girlfriend was up to. He rested his ear on the bathroom door and he could hear a faint giggle followed by a groan coming from inside. With his heartbeat in his throat, James took a deep breath before barging into the bathroom. But he had no idea what he was about to uncover. James Aston had a perfect life. A fantastic job, a gorgeous city-center apartment, and a loyal, beautiful, and kind wife called Holly. Yes, James thought he had the life all men dreamed of living. Especially with a beautiful woman by his side.  When James first met Holly five years ago, straight away he felt butterflies in his stomach. Whenever she smiled or laughed, his heart melted like warm butter sliding down hot toast. It was safe to say that James was in love. And now, five years since their first date James and Holly are still happily together.  It was nearly James and Holly's five-year relationship, and James had planned to make this anniversary their most memorable yet. He wanted to show Holly just how much she meant to him. But while James started planning and preparing his anniversary gift, this smitten man had no idea what was coming to him. For the past few weeks, Holly had been acting strange. She had started to become irritable and constantly checking her phone. Was she hiding something? James brushed it off as nothing serious. But then really strange things started to happen. Every night, like clockwork at 7.30 p.m., Holly would go take a bath. But every time she had won, she spent ages in the bathroom. James had no idea what his girlfriend was doing in the bath.  James knew that he had to find out the truth about his girlfriend. He knocked on the door and asked if she was okay. However, she merely responded with I'm fine. But James got told him that something sinister was happening in the bathroom. He didn't know it at the time, but James was so right. James started to worry if the spark he had with his wife had fizzled out. After all, the two had spent half a decade together, but they were still in love with each other, right? But why was she spending hours and hours in the bathroom? And why was she acting so strange and irritable? James was determined to find out the truth, but he wasn't prepared for it. No way. It was a Friday night and James massaged his girlfriend's back before offering to run her a bath. Her face lit up as soon as James offered, and he went into the bathroom. As he watched the water fill up the tub, James knew that in 30 minutes he'd finally find out what his girlfriend had been up to. But he was never expecting the truth. James ran his girlfriend's bath, and he watched her as she walked into the bathroom before slamming the door shut and locking the door tight. James didn't know why, but an uneasy feeling hit the pit of his stomach.  James had planned to race in the bathroom, claiming there was an emergency. From there, he'd get to see exactly what his girlfriend had been getting up to. But it was only when James saw a secret camera in the bathroom that it dawned on James that his girlfriend wasn't the woman he thought she was. James quietly crept over to the bathroom door, and he could hear the swish sounds from the water as his girlfriend, presumably, moved about in the tub. He rested his ear on the bathroom door, and he could hear a faint giggle followed by a groan coming from inside the bathroom. With his heartbeat in his throat, James took a deep breath before barging into the bathroom, ultimately uncovering his girlfriend's secret. As James barges into the bathroom, he can see his girlfriend in the tub, surrounded by bubbles. What's going on? She asked, panic washing over her flustered face. But just as James was about to respond, he saw something that stopped him cold. As soon as he saw it, he felt a shiver run up his spine. You see, a secret camera was positioned at the edge of the bathtub which was pointing in James's girlfriend's direction. But just as he was about to inquire about the camera, James saw something else. Something that was inside the tub with his girlfriend. And as soon as he saw it, James felt sick to his stomach. You see, a small kitten was inside the bathtub with James' girlfriend. What's that doing here? he asked. James' girlfriend looked at James and smiled. It's for you, she said. Happy anniversary! His girlfriend had gotten James a kitten as a gift for their upcoming anniversary. Adam was over the moon with the kitten, and at least now he knew what girlfriend had been getting up to.


Good morning. It's a privilege to be a part of you today. My name is J.R. Harding and I'm excited to make some remarks in the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. But before I move forward with my formal remarks, I'd like to thank the planning committee, Dr. Ross, Dr. Cooper, and all of you who I've not yet formally met for this invitation to speak today. I'm most excited to discuss accessibility and inclusion in higher education. But first, I come to you from Florida State University in Tallahassee. I'm a member of the management department at the College of Business. By way of background, I am a two-time quadriplegic who works full-time. My teaching, research and service interests evolves around workforce inclusion in the abilities and passions of persons with disabilities. Personally, I live an active and full life. I enjoy the outdoors, adaptive sports, traveling, and I've been a pioneer in the public policy and advocacy space for over 30 years. I have the great pleasure of sharing my life with my lovely wife, Erica, now on to my formal remarks. Inclusion, inclusion and accessibility are like a puzzle. We must endeavor to assemble all of the pieces that result in full and independent access to all parts of life for persons with disabilities. As many of you may recall, on July 26, 1990, President George H. Bush declared to the world that with his signature, the Americans with Disabilities Act would let that terrible wall of exclusion come tumbling down. Moreover, he argued, we will not excuse, we will not tolerate discrimination in America. We will provide persons with disabilities the opportunity to be blended fully and equally into that rich mosaic of the American mainstream. This directive and the last set of civil rights passed in America has become a beacon of hope and inspiration for all persons with disabilities here at home and internationally. It starts with employment. It's critical that we harness the talent of persons with disabilities through greater access and inclusion, because we represent 15% of the world's population, and here in America, 61 million identify as having a disability. And three families encounter economic and social barriers, because one or more of their family members are living with a disability. These numbers will simply continue to compound over time, and especially as a world ages. We have been formally measuring employment data for persons with disabilities since 2008. That means we've only been measuring and evaluating the relationship between those with and without disabilities as equals for 14 years. And truth, that's not very long, but at least we are measuring the impact of the ADA and relationship to that aspirational goal of inclusion without barriers. The measurement tool we've been utilizing is the current population survey or the CPS. This month, the Census Bureau of Labor and Statistics produces telling reports from their six proven questions and truth that took eight years to incorporate these data points into the metrics. As a result of this information. The constant has been true over the years. Opportunities and success of individuals with and without disabilities are not equal. Employment rates for PWDs are higher than those without disabilities. The employment ratio for persons with disabilities is lower, and the employment participation rate for persons with disabilities is also lower. These outcomes do not seem to fulfill the promise of a blended fully and equally into the mosaic of the American mainstream as President Bush proclaimed 32 years ago. That terrible wall of exclusion has not yet come tumbling down. Therefore, what obligations, what expectations and what responsibilities does the National Academy of Science, engineer medicine have to do with the ADA, and the tearing down of the walls of discrimination. The leaders within our institutions of higher ed, federal government and fellow Americans, we must simply lead by example. If we do not embrace this challenge, who will. We must live up to our mission to teach to serve and to identify those best practices through research. We must not forget that higher ed and employment opportunities have always been a springboard to economic and self sufficiency. We must endeavor to raise that bar on what full inclusion is and can be for each next generation. The ADA is an arrow found within that quiver of America, but it's only an effective tool when we choose to untap its potential for economic and social growth. It's predicated on justice and equality. The ability to enable anyone willing to try to achieve their highest level of self sufficiency and independence. It has the natural ability to exponentially expand discovery competitiveness and innovation. Are we building access and inclusion into our grants. Are we specifically creating those opportunities for the next generation. Persons with disabilities are very much like our institutions of higher ed. Those like to solve problems case in point the morale act of 1862 provided land grants to states for that specific purpose of establishing colleges that specialized agricultural and mechanical arts. Some of these first universities included Wisconsin, Iowa State, Missouri, and Rutgers. Later, the second morale act of 1890 created or distinguished HBCs historical black colleges. Currently, these institutions make up the world's most distinguished collection of tier one universities in the world. These universities have helped to transform this country. They have helped propel us into the industrial age, build roads bridges and dams across the land. They've facilitated the training, education, employer restoration of engineers, architects and scientists needed for this new landscape. Likewise, the GI bill coming out of World War two was also very transformative on the growth of higher education systems that served as a catalyst for persons with disabilities. So thanks to the regions at the Illinois at the University of Illinois Champaign soldiers soldiers living with permanent disabilities were invited and actively recruited to learn and thrive within the university culture. These early pioneers had that unique can do American spirit. We saw similar challenges taking place, change taking place at the University of Berkeley with Ed Roberts and the Roman quads. As a result, the country now has the rehab act of 1973, which specifically requires programmatic inclusion of persons with disabilities for all entities receiving federal funding. Many of you may recall at first, Ed was deemed to disabled for the VR system to work. However, upon his graduation from Berkeley, Governor Jerry Brown made at the VR director to signify to the country. That abilities are measured in the heart of an individual, not solely by their ambulatory skills. Personally, I'll always be grateful to Ed's determination is tenacity and his advocacy for unfettered inclusion. I got to be the first Ed Roberts of Western Kentucky. He was their first student with the significant mobility impairment. We had to build ramps sidewalks accessible dorm rooms, implement reasonable accommodations, and have faculty members learn how to incorporate me into the curriculum. Rather than leaving me on the sidelines of the classroom and life. During these early years, my friends, of course, still bounce me up and down steps curves and fraternity parties, and occasionally spilled me out on the concrete, but that's part of that pioneering spirit. Later, higher ed took another significant leap forward with breaking down barriers through the passing of the ADA. This watershed legislation required all of our colleges and universities to take a deep dive into their architectural infrastructure, accommodation process, programmatic activities to ensure both academic and interpersonal development of students with disabilities. Today, we make up about 12.5% of the total student population, matriculating and our universities. These news tools were transformative on so many different levels. So what would our colleges and universities be that place just for gentlemen to be trained, but a place for everyone to learn to thrive and to make community contributions to that mosaic of the American way of life. Each of you here today, have your own unique higher education stories. Each of you are probably had that special faculty member who took the time to befriend you to mentor you and guide you into your profession of choice. Like you, I'll never forget how Florida State faculty member accommodated me during my second spinal cord injury. In the middle of my dissertation data analysis, you remember chapters four and five. When I flipped my band at 75 miles an hour, broke my shoulder, both legs, and my spinal cord for the second time. Yes, truly unimaginable. The shock of the second injury caused me to lose all of my previously gained abilities that I could hardly afford to lose my dissertation chairperson, Dr. Barbara man chose to drive down to the University of Florida, where I was recovering. She showed incredible empathy and concern for my well being. She asked if I needed anything. She asked and inform me not to worry about my data, and that we would get the dissertation completed. I told document that I would like to work on my analysis and the application section from the rehab room. To discharge the university community figured out how to beam my dissertation from my dorm room to the university server to another university server, and specifically to my household room, which was outfitted with an adaptive computer to meet my needs. This was done in the summer of 98. This was done before we had Google and solving problem. This problem, they took reasonable accommodation to a whole new level. This was only possible because universities were on the cutting edge of technology. They introduced the ethernet connection to enable large amounts of data to be sent back and forth on this thing called the internet. I was able to finish my dissertation, just two months behind my original goal, despite all of that physical and mental damage to my body. Because of this level of student-centered instruction and commitment, I am gainfully employed and have been so for well over 20 plus years. In fact, I'm making a planned gift to some of my universities to ensure that the next generation of students with disabilities are able to benefit from the teaching and the research and the service opportunities. They might encounter at their school of choice. So how do we show our leadership? How do we continue to use our universities and colleges as economic and social change agents? How do we specifically meet the needs of our marginalized population that are facing attitudinal, structural, programmatic communication, and financial barriers to education and work? Well, building upon that puzzle metaphor, we must continue to assemble all the pieces of our inclusion tools to mitigate and eliminate barriers. These tools include, but are not limited to, physical access, programmatic access, information technology, internships, mentoring, and much more. I'd like to use the 4As as a teaching tool to empower my students to build a more robust workforce in the future. The 4As are start with the right attitude, build that access, have those accommodation tools, and assimilate everyone into your teams. This approach is driven by that inclusion framework found on the employer assistance resource network. The framework is uniquely tailored to assist almost all individuals on the diversity spectrum spectrum with inclusion needs. I ask each of you, what are you doing to promote the right attitudes, to ensure the proper infrastructure, to promote reasonable accommodations within your labs, your research, your exams, and so forth? How are you assimilating the next generation into the professions of science, engineer, medicine? Are you leading the way? Are you building a pipeline of talent in your field? Are you communicating inclusive practices, utilizing accessible technology, and ultimately, are you measuring the impacts of your part of the world into the greater system? When will each of you see and understand that my mobility device is not who I am, but just how I get around? I am defined by many different characteristics and interests, none of us are singular in our perspectives. Our differences are not our weaknesses, but rather our strengths. We, persons with disabilities, have a lifetime of solving problems. It is this kind of tenacity, this kind of innovative thinking, this kind of persistence that will help us continue to build a knowledge-based community for today and tomorrow. After all, living with a disability is not a constant. It is an ever-evolving concept that has the intersectionality across the ages, ethnicities, genders, religions, and identities. If we live long enough, we will all encounter some type of disabling condition. Many of us have already begun this journey of living with a disability. Perhaps some of you use glasses or hearing aids to accommodate your own particular needs. So, how many of you are demanding that your new state-of-the-art research facilities is accessible and inclusive? Do your buildings and features within them exceed the minimum standard? Minimum? Let's maximize. Each of our new facilities on our campuses and across our institutions of government will be here for 50 to 100 years. Let's build universal, let's make them universally accommodate without the need for specialized interventions for each new student and faculty member entering and utilizing the facility. How many of you are currently using accessible features on your iPhone, your computer, the environmental controls built in your home? Are you creating accessible documents for your syllabi, your research papers? Are you communicating them in a manner that individuals can read them freely and independently on any device at any time? Are you advancing inclusion as defined by the social model of inclusion rather than reinforcing the archaic biases built into the medical model of living with a disability? As each of you are aware, one model places the burden of advocacy and accommodation on the individual living with the disability rather than placing the reasonable expectations on our institutions or businesses and communities to remove the barriers from full and active life. The 2010 standards are creating new expectations, opening previously closed doors like the outdoors and amusement parks. These universal design standards have been improved upon since those early stages of 1990 and 92, where we did not have the benefit of science and technology that's now driving a more functional and purposely constructed environment. Things like lever door handles and curb cuts. Remember, everyone complained about them, but now none of us can live without them. The Workforce Investment Opportunity Act of 2014 substantially changed our funding and supporting the nation's workforce dollars. It's specifically charging us to reach out to young people with disabilities and requires our nation's largest contractors to meet those 7% aspirational workforce goals. Moreover, the EOC promulgated some aspirational goals for the federal government at 12% diversity numbers and uniquely recruiting those with most significant impairments like quadriplegia, down, cerebral palsy, and the like. We are witnessing the push for employment first initiative where everyone living with a disability can be working in integrated and competitive environments, integrated and competitive environments. Soon, many of our not for profits will no longer be able to use this tool called the 14c waiver to support and drive sheltered workshops. They will need to be able to pay individuals with disabilities, the minimum wage or higher right competitive and integrated. Soon, we will have to absorb thousands of new employees into the broader mosaic of the American life. When previously, they were told, they were less able. Perhaps we are the ones for less able because we lack the vision, the compassion, the understanding and the ability to raise that bar. And I appreciate being with you today.


Lights are an essential part of making your scene. Without them, everything would be dark. So let's quickly go over what kind of light options you might have. For starters, we already have a light in our default scene right next to our cube here. But as of right now, we can't see the light actually doing anything. That's because we're still in solid or preview mode. To see how our light is affecting our meshes and shaders, simply go to rendered mode. You can do that in the top right-hand corner by clicking the rightmost sphere or using the Z hotkey pie menu. As you can see, we now have our cube being lit up by our light. Our current default light is a point light and will emit light in all directions with a falloff. To change our light type, simply go to the light settings in the properties editor. Aside from point lights, we also have sun, spot and area lights. Each one of these does something slightly different. The sun object emits global light from the specified vector direction, regardless of where the light object is located. Spotlights work pretty much how you might expect a spotlight to look, and area lights are just like point lights, but biased towards a specific direction, so rotation will matter. There are also additional settings for each one you can play with, but this is the basic idea behind each light object type. Now in cycles, you can also use emission shaders to light up a scene. If you simply give an object an emission shader, it will cast light on its environment as well. However, this does not work in EV.


Hi everyone, welcome back to another monthly product video. Once again, we prepared a list of 10 high potential products for you guys to sell this August. As you know, dropshipping can be very competitive, so it's good to stay on top of the game. And one way of doing this is by taking note on what products are trending month by month. And that's where we come in to help. So before we move on to our hot products, make sure you subscribe to this channel so you don't miss out on any future videos about hot selling products. Our first product of the day is in preparation for an international holiday coming up August 14th, which is International Bowling Day. So over here we have indoor and outdoor bowling sets for kids and adults. We've got different variations, you know, blow-up ones, wooden ones, plastic. And you can choose all the different kinds. I would recommend listening a few and seeing which one is the best seller for you. Pro tip for you guys, many dropshippers forget to plan first holidays and special events, and this can be one of the most costly mistakes you can make. Holidays are when retail stores, both online and offline, make the bulk of their sales. And this doesn't just mean the big holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving. This also includes novelty holidays like International Bowling Day and many more. So make sure you stay prepared. Our second product of the day is back-to-school supplies. Now, I know it's August, but many parents are preparing in advance because September is right around the block and they need to start getting their kids ready for school.  You could just get notebooks, you could get notebooks and markers and highlighters. Again, the same tip from before applies here that it's very important for us to know as dropshippers what's coming up in our calendar, what special events are coming up that we need to prepare for. And that's why I really recommend also downloading an e-commerce calendar. In that way, you'll know exactly what to prepare for. Our third product of the day is camping hammocks. Now, it's August, it's still summer, people are going out camping, they're making more trips, especially now that the pandemic is slowing down, people are feeling more comfortable going outside. So this is a really hot trending product right now. So you could go somewhere like Home Depot. You've got some that are more camper friendly that are waterproof or you've got some that are just made out of string. And it really depends. Again, I recommend listing a bunch of different variations and seeing what is your best seller. Our fourth product of the day is reusable shopping bags. Now, this has been a real trending product in the last couple of years and I actually think it's a great thing. People are using less plastic bags and that's really great. And these are also kind of a fashion statement sometimes. We've got different colors, we've got different patterns and it's pretty cool the different variations that you can choose from. Now, one way to save yourself time because like I say, I keep saying list multiple variations, but you don't want to go list one by one and do this manually and move it to your store. So a little shortcut for this is downloading the AutoDS extension. And over here you'll see this little circle at the bottom is what you'll get. And basically it'll collect all the products for you that are on this page and then you can export it as a CSV file and download it onto your desktop. If you are an AutoDS user, you could take that CSV file and download it into your drafts. So this will really save you a lot of time instead of moving them manually one by one. You could get the whole list of products into your draft section within seconds. Our fourth product of the day are mesh food covers. Now, this is an interesting product and maybe not very well known, but it's actually becoming very, very popular and it's pretty cool product. A lot of people are buying them for picnics or just any outdoor outings. And they're basically these little bags that you could put on top of your food that will deter bugs from getting onto them. And here once again, you have different variations. You could buy them in multiple packs. You could buy them as singles, in colors, as baskets. So I would definitely highly recommend this product. All right, our fifth product of the day is reusable metal straws. Now, just like those shopping bags, the reusable shopping bags, this is another trending product that has really gotten huge over the last couple of years. I actually own this product myself and these are amazing. And they are so cheap, especially sourcing them from AliExpress. So this is a really great product that you can make a high profit margin on. Now, our seven products of the day is taco holders. A lot of people are cooking at home. They want to do something, some fun family dinner night. Taco night is always a good way to go. So you've got this really cool product where you can put out your tacos on this kind of serving tray that's specially designed for them. You have a bunch of different variations again, some that are colorful, some that are larger and can fit more tacos. We've got special ones that are designed for kids like this one over here that's in the shape of a truck. So you could really get creative with this, list a lot of them and see what works. And this is just in general a very fun product. This product is trending now, but it can also be a year round product because tacos aren't just a summer food. You eat them all year round because they're delicious. All right. So our next product of the day is memory seat cushions. Now, people are sitting down a lot. You want to be a bit more comfortable on that seat or not buy a cushion for it. It seems pretty cool. You got memory foam pillows. Why not memory seat cushions too? By the way, I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but all of the platforms that were mentioned in this video like Ali Express, Walmart, Amazon, they're all supported by Autodesk. So if you're an Autodesk user, you can really take any of these products and upload them to your store without a problem. So once again, you have a bunch of different variations to choose from. And this is actually a bit more of a higher ticket item. You've got some that are ranging in the, you know, $20 range and then some that are in the $70 range. So it's really up to you to choose which one you want to list. Sometimes I would recommend going for that higher ticket items to see if you can actually gain a higher profit margin from this by dropshipping a higher ticket item. Now, our ninth product of the day is on Ali Express and they are motivational water bottles. This is just an altogether fun product. It's summer. A lot of people are being more active. They're outdoors. They're doing sports and they want to motivate themselves. And why not have that motivation everywhere also on your water bottle? So you never lose that motivation. It's a pretty nifty product. I would get one of these. So you've got a bunch of different variations. They all say, you know, different motivational quotes on them. They're fun colors. Should be easy to run with and, you know, as an active product. You know, some of them even have, you know, grip holders like this one over here. And you just have a bunch of different cool variations to choose from. I highly recommend you start selling this because this product is really trending. And our last product of the day are bird bath fountains. Now, this product might seem a little random, but it's actually selling like hotcakes. It is such a hot selling product. So you have different variations. You've got solar water fountains. You've got ones that attach directly to bird cages. You've got just a little bathtub for birds. You've got really cute products over here and they're not too costly. You know, they're ranging really between a dollar to $15. So I would say, again, try out different variations. See what works for you. See what's your best seller. I would never recommend just choosing one of these and seeing if it works for you because then you're not really testing your market. So I would say choose 10 to 20 of these, list them in your store and see which one works for you. All right, well, that's it for our monthly product video. Thank you so much for watching. I hope you guys start listing these products now because these are super hot. Anyway, don't forget to subscribe to the channel so you don't miss out on any future product videos. Thanks for watching.


Hi everyone, Joe for jazby's casebreaks.com coming at you with 2021 hit parade football sapphire edition series four Six box random team break number one It's a random team break high risk high reward One autograph in there only the best make the cut for sapphire All right, so let's go big. Thanks to these folks right here who only want the best in This break in this sapphire wait was that really the last spot mojo? I think so, right? Yeah, all right. Thanks Dario. Thanks everybody for getting into this break high risk high reward, but hey nothing ventured Nothing gained in a break like this. So very big. Thanks everybody all 32 teams are in Let's roll it. Let's randomize it two and a five seven times for names and teams one two three four five And then six and seven all right. We got Roy All the way down to Steve all right two and a five seven times for the teams And seven then final time after seven times. We got the Pats Down to the Cowboys Now Billy Dory was asking Who he thinks gonna be this year's Super Bowl winner Well, it's way too early Billy, but it's intriguing Joss X9 was saying the chiefs Justin saying the safe bet would be a rematch from last year What does everyone think?  And here's the case right here Sapphire Edition football Series four, I guess they only made six cases of this Good luck everybody Any trade any trade at your own risk as well trade at your own risk We are actually a little behind schedule. So maybe we're gonna have to roll Texans up for trade. Maybe Texans Jets We'll leave the video rolling Rams available All right trade window going once Unless we get a deal done if you're watching the replay of this video, you can obviously fast forward through this this trade window part trade window going twice Kind of whispers after the maybe Jets Texans. Otherwise, we're gonna roll And there's no real traditional checklist for this Just just basically just take a look at the sell sheet and you can kind of get an idea of the quality That's supposed to be in here And I think I think hit parade has three different tiers and I think sapphire is indeed The the top tier one think sapphire then platinum and then limited or something like that I remember correctly, you know, maybe maybe Eric silence means no Sure, why not oh Okay Always makes me nervous, but these guys are a lot more spicier than me Saturday night, let's go nuts. All right, New York Jets For Houston confirmed So Eric is now out of the Texan spot and the jet spot is down here Dario is out of the jet spot and into the Texan spot now We'll put a tee next to there for trade and Eric is now in the jet spot We'll put a tee next to there for trade VIP. Eric is saying is the top one then sapphire All right, and now TWC trade window closed. There's two four and six. I think we are doing all six boxes, right? Yes, six box case great Good luck only 50 boxes total their award winners first out of the gate is Gonna be Nice, I think they're all gonna be nice 2020 panini spectra football Joe burrow patch and autograph mid-nine auto attend from PSA five out of 25 Cincinnati bangles, that's for Roy Here's the final printout by the way. All right next one losing my voice the next one Kind of get stuck in that sponge there sometimes is From panini black football Rob Gronkowski nice, excuse me a second. Excuse me All right Roy wow Roy also has the Patriots Patriots edition of Gronk all aboard the big hit express Then we've got Big Ben Rothsburger Ben Rothsburg champion signatures nice on-card auto for the Steelers Gale With Pittsburgh that's 10 out of 10. All right few more to go Pretty nice stuff here Share your hit with hit parade. They're pretty nice people Next one is Jersey and autograph CD lamb two-color patch and autograph from prism 45 out of 99 Steve right with the Dallas Cowboys Two more to go. It is on the list Ryan next one These are stuck on the sponge here. What's going on there? Is a nice one. It's rookie patch auto Baker Mayfield 25 out of 125 Michael with the Cleveland Browns clean blood. This is for you and the final one. Good luck Yeah, Hank saying Baker Mayfield cards are hot right now They could have a really nice season next year. They already had a great season last year. Oh Nice one of one NFL shield and autograph for mentee football Terry McLauren Nice West Thomas with the Washington football team All aboard the big hit express And there you go boys and girls Sorry about the little a bit of a coughing fit there, but I got a lozenge. I'm good now 2021 hit parade football sapphire edition series for six-box break random team number one in the books Thanks for watching. Thanks for breaking with us. We'll see you next time for the next one


What's up everybody, Jason here for JaspiersKageMage.com 2023 Kenini Zenit Football Six Boxer PYT number two just sold out and it features a Colts Dolphins Packers and Eagles guys piece of these teams via the serial number. Now I remember there was going to be some non numbered base potentially inserts that are not numbered. Remember those ones will be randomized to the customers in this break at the end of the break and like I said we'll play it by a year if there's relics or autos also then we can separate them as well. But if anything does pop out sorry for these teams and it's numbered it's going to go by the serial number so there you go. Remember any and all redemptions for these teams in the title will also go automatically to spot zero and should get some nice hits for these teams guys didn't see much for them in the first half so here we go guys let's roll the dice we got ourselves a five and a six eleven times one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven eleven times eleven times josh down to josh and then eleven times one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven one down to nine so josh with one michael with seven josh with six five yohan with two josh with zero yohan with three robert with four john with five and then josh with nine all right guys so coming up next in a separate video is the group break yourself guys good luck everybody