Back in 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. would write words from a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama that would years later, ring in the spirit of a young Michael Spivey. Those words were: “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” (Martin Luther King Jr., 1963 “I Have a Dream”). These words would resonate in the spirit of Michael Spivey until they were ripe with faith and the corresponding actions to step out in faith with a visi on for the youth in the Denver community. Bannered Host Ministries is a teaching, edifying and helps ministry aimed to build the mind of Christ within the youth participants. This is a program designed to promote life building skills, strong interpersonal skills, and reassert a sense of hope for the future. The mission of Bannered Host Ministries is to instill the principles of RESCUE: Responsibility, Empowerment, Serving, Commitment, Understanding and Ethical values.

Many of us remember Michael (Mike) Spivey as the distinguished football player at the University of Colorado in the 1970s. Not only did he attend the University on a full-ride scholarship from Houston, but his athletic abilities garnered him the prestigious titles of Second Team All-American, as well as First Team All Big Eight. And this was not the end of his football career. From C.U., he went on to be second round draft choice for the Chicago Bears and play with other such professional teams as, the Oakland Raiders, the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons. Today, however, Mike is on a different award-winning team – he’s the first round draft pick on God’s team to mentor and develop the business, as well as the biblical skills of young men, women and young adults in the Denver community.

For this necessary endeavor that will begin at the end of March, 2013, Mike and his lovely wife, Debra Spivey intend to “love” participants into quality youth. Debra herself brings not only a heart for excellence for our youth, but has been a successful business woman with nearly 36 years of experience in a major communications company, and for the past ten years has been the Director of Dance at Bethsaida Temple Christian Center. She is hopeful that her gift in dance ministry will be an addition to the Bannered Host Ministries program over time.

HOW IT ALL HAPPENED: Mike is no stranger to mentoring youth or getting out in the community to serve. As God’s preparation for Bannered Host Ministries, Mike is involved in the Synergy Program at Fort Logan, mentoring and teaching youth how to become successful men. “We will build on this in our immediate community with a program called “After God’s Own Heart,” – a program designed to mentor young men and women ages 11-16 with a curriculum that includes a code of purity, financial planning, job readiness, college preparedness and martial arts/self-defense. This mentorship program will equip young men and women with the core values expressed in Daniel 6:3 [“Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.”] to develop strong men and women of God and to equip them with a spirit of excellence. MENtorship and LeadHERship will always be the underlying message and direction of this Ministry.

“After God’s Own Heart” will be the first program that we officially launch in a structured format, because all that I have read in the Bible shows the excellence, giftings and talents of the people of God are exceedingly greater than those that the world has,” said Mike. “We see in Luke 16:8 [“And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.”] that the children of the world are craftier than the children of Light – we are the children of Light,” explained Mike, “but then, there is an answer to this in Luke 21:15 [“For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.”] where God said “I’m going to bless you so that the world dynamics will turn around for you and that the world no longer will have more advantages or access to education and wealth than we do,” said Mike. “We need to start doing this [dynamic] with our youth so they know how to compete in the marketplace – so they know how to get a job and go on an interview, and they know how to put together a resume and present themselves, for not only a first interview, but for a second and even a third if necessary. We want to teach them how to interview in front of a panel of people, not just one-on-one interviews. These are the job situations and types of challenges we want them to be trained and prepared for.” Mike said.

God has further solidified Mike’s qualifications for this program as he is currently involved in one-on-one mentoring with young athletes in addition to his position as Chaplain at the University of Colorado where he stresses to young male athletes that “. . .they do not want to just be known as a football player, but a man, and a well-versed man, well-educated. I didn’t get to enjoy the wide variety of things available to me because we [athletes] were put into a box.” The Ministry plans to accomplish their goals by operating as a “Ministry of Helps” within the community with an emphasis on young men, young women and young adults to have an understanding of who they are in today’s times and to be valuable assets in schools, the marketplace, and churches. “Our schools have removed Christ and our children MUST be taught at certain Biblical levels because so much more can be added to them. Debra and I intend to fill in the gap and do this through Bannered Host Ministries which is based on the Scripture in Song of Solomon 2:4 [“He brought me to the banqueting house and His banner over me was love.”] to help the youth recognize that we have a banner of love over us. I Corinthians 13:13 in the Bible talks about faith, hope and love and says that the greatest of these is love. [“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”] So what we want the youth to connect with in this Ministry is that this banner of love never fails, and the opportunity to demonstrate this love in our communities is to have a program that shows our youth and young adults the capacity of the love of Christ and what it can do,” asserted Mike.

THE PROGRAM: For those interested in the Bannered Host “After God’s Own Heart” mentoring program, a downloadable application is available here.
Completed applications can be mailed to:
Bannered Host Ministries
P.O. Box 17808
Denver, CO 80217.
The deadline for turning in the application is February 21, 2013. For further questions, applicants may call
(303) 373-4000.

The program will meet once a month on Saturdays for six months. Friends of Mike and Debra have opened their Home Care building in Aurora to facilitate the program. Said an enthusiastic Debra, “We are happy to begin our program by the end of March. We are so excited to pour into the participants, the resources, talents and experience that God has blessed us with. We have received excellent volunteers and are looking forward to seeing the move of God!” Mentorship sessions will include subject-matter experts – not just sports figures, but experts in business and financial sectors as well. “We want to step up to the forefront to teach and develop the applications that Martin Luther King wanted us to utilize” emphasized Mike. “This is what he was saying way back in 1963, out of the Book of Amos 5:24, that justice and righteousness would roll down like a mighty stream, meaning we would have the opportunity for equality and we would have the knowledge and wisdom from God to compete in the seven mountains of influence in our own nation – the seven mountains being Education, Business, Government, Family, Media, Arts & Entertainment, and the Church.,- so that we have transferable skills to achieve our dreams.” Mike and Debra are very encouraged for the future! “As we grow, we will be able to expand to other age groups.

This program is so important because it will not just prepare our youth for college, but life as a whole, and will stress a developing relationship with God so that He is never left out of our pursuits.” Under the Pastoral leadership of Bishop Earl O. Holiman, Mike and Debra will be using the things they have learned in church, learned about in spiritual warfare and the challenges related to their life in order to apply faith in action to meet the adversities facing our youth today. “This is a spiritual and an educational program, because ultimately, salvation of their souls is the most important thing. And this is where they will need to have a growing relationship with God, in order to fulfill The Purity Code.– We want them to have a heart to do the things of God that we are teaching,” said Mike. In addition to the six times that participants will be meet for training, Mike and Debra hope to have team building activities in the community that will connect the youth back to the community. This aspect of the training is a major part of the program; to give back to the community, to serve and help others and understand the joy that this brings. This part of the program is called “GO,” in which the participants are encouraged to go out into the world and fulfill the great commission. Mike has been undertaking such commission activities since 1980 and as part of these ongoing efforts, the ministry recently adopted two families over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

The Spivey’s contend that as the program grows, the training will expand to develop the minds of the participants so that they speak well, are educated, are able to compete in the marketplace, become wise, are good athletes, are intelligent, dress well and present themselves well in all situations. According to the Spivey’s, the initial program will begin at the end of March and will run one Saturday per month for six months. Curriculums are now being developed and each session will include Purity Code training, Financial Planning, and will alternate with different subjects such as Job Readiness, Self-Esteem, College Preparedness, Personal Appearance, Interviewing Techniques and Martial Arts/Self-Defense Techniques).

Only 40 applicants will be accepted into the initial program, and all applicants are required to write a 200-word essay concerning their goals in their natural and spiritual lives in order to be accepted in the program. Whoever fills out an application will be considered for entry into the program, but 40 participants is a manageable number for Mike and Debra to successfully train (at this time). “These are the last days when the hearts of the fathers return to the children to teach them the unfailing love and how to be a servant of God,” said Mike. “There are so many things in the Word of God that have not been applied and need to be applied [in our lives] to enhance the quality of life for our children. This is our objective.” Mike and Debra are currently meeting with a core team to determine and to identify issues to include in the curriculum for training. “At this point, we have determined that the program sessions will range from four to six hours.

We are grateful to the Lord for all those He has sent to help in this endeavor” explained Debra. Others who have partnered with Bannered Host Ministries to bring forth this program represent the following materials, churches companies and organizations: Bethsaida Temple Christian Center, Agape Care Community, Kingdom Services Training, Ranch Oil Companies, Hua Quan Dao Dojo of North America, Teq Media Group, Boots on the Ground Ministries, Young Men of Purpose LLC, HomeWord, Options Hair design, Dr. Thomas Perry, Ph.D., University of Arizona and Dr. Ryan Ross, Ph.D., University of Colorado Denver.

Hey guys! It’s Nicole!

I am currently a junior at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As many of you know, I am a Social Work major and a Spanish minor. This fall semester at ORU I interned at a children’s shelter called Laura Dester Children’s Center. This is an emergency shelter in Tulsa where kids go when they have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect, or foster care placement disruptions.

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I learned a ton at this shelter, not just about social work, but also about advocating and serving the poor. It was a great experience! My next adventure will be studying abroad in Costa Rica for two months during the summer of 2013! Costa Rica is a beautiful tropical country in Central America, right smack dab in between North America and South America.

During the first month, I will be taking Spanish classes at the Universidad de Costa Rica
The second month, I will be interning at a missions organization called the Abraham Project. The Abraham project is a nonprofit organization that operates children’s homes, a daycare, and a church. It also offers vocational training and legal consultation.

This trip is extremely important to me for a number of reasons:

• I absolutely LOVE the Spanish language. I really want to become fluent in Spanish. The ability to speak in Spanish will help me in a variety of settings, both professional and informal. I believe that spending two months submersed in a Spanish-speaking country will definitely help develop my Spanish skills.
• I want to do international social work at some point and this will give me a snapshot of what that will be like. I am very excited to work with the Abraham Project where I will be able to give tangible & practical services to the poor, which is my passion!
I love learning about different cultures.I want to make sure that I take advantage of the opportunity to go on an ADVENTURE before I graduate.
• And of course this trip is required in order to complete my minor degree in Spanish. I’ve got the vision for my future, now I just need the funds.

I need to raise $1,925 by the end of March in order to make this trip happen. It may sound like a lot, but I strongly believe that it is worth the investment. If everyone were to give just a little here and there, this goal could definitely be achieved. Please remember: I can’t do this without YOU. Everything helps.

Even the smallest donations can accumulate to something great; please don’t feel as though your small contribution does not matter. Your giving encourages me because it shows me that you believe in my dreams. Thank you for being a part of my life. I appreciate each individual family member and friend taking the time to read this.

If you have absolutely nothing to give, your prayers will be more than enough. Please spread the word if you know anyone else who might be able and willing to help out. Please help me to fulfill a desire that I believe God has placed in my heart. Please believe with me that I will be provided with all of the resources I need to go on this trip.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” — 2 Corinthians 4:18

Much love and gratitude,
— Nicole Williams

Please mail checks to:
Nicole Williams
ORU CPO Box 71-0034
7777 S. Lewis Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74171

AALIYAH CARTER is an honor student and athlete that have been strategically chosen to compete in the 2013 track & field competition for the renowned International Specialist of Australia DOWN UNDER SPORTS! Aaliyah was chosen for the intense competition due to her scholastic excellence as well as her talent, passion and skill in the sport. At the very young age of 15 Aaliyah already have many accolades under her belt.

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Aaliyah is the captain of the Vista Peak Preparatory track team where she has placed 10th in the state in the 200m dash, 12th in the state for 100m dash. Aaliyah also is a strong shooting guard and captain on her basketball team. In 2012 Aaliyah won the prestigious Dorothy I Height Youth Leadership Award from the National Council of Negro Woman she was awarded a scholarship that will assist in her scholastic endeavors. She is a leading student at Vista Peak High School where she maintains a cumulative GPA of 3.7or higher. Aaliyah is a strong determined young lady that is certain to make a splash down under in the track and field competition. She is set to attend Stanford or Ohio State University upon graduating High School.

Aaliyah is in need of donations to sponsor her trip to Australia, please send all donations to:
Down Under Sports
1755 North East, Suite 201
North Logan, UT 84341

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE, some wearing hooded sweatshirts, carrying bags of Skittles or cans Arizona Ice Tea, marched through Denver to the state capitol March 26 in honor of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin, who was shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer. (more…)

ON SATURDAY, December 4, 2010, members of the Colorado, Montana, Wyoming State Branches of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) held their State Conference of Branches, to elect new Denver officers.

Ms. Beatrice Madison, State President for Colorado, Montana and Wyoming NAACP State Conference of Branches: “We are excited that this reorganization is an opportunity for the Denver Branch to experience a brighter and wonderful future.

“As you know, Colorado’s educational system is not up to standard as it should be. That is one of the most forefront activities that the NAACP national office wants us to be involved in-getting the education piece of the states in gear, because as a people, Americans are losing on the education front.

“Also, the national office emphasizes that ‘people come in all colors.’ so when we say ‘colored people,’ we are speaking of people of all colors; it is not just an African-American organization anymore. We reach out to everybody, because everybody reaches out to us. No matter what the problem is, nowadays, I think the first stop people make is at the NAACP.”

Ms. Robbie Bean, Membership Chairperson, Reorganization Committee: “I have learned so much, and today I am bubbling with happiness.”

James Simmons, First Vice President of the Colorado, Montana, Wyoming NAACP State Conference of Branches, and President of the Casper Branch: “Our Casper Branch was chartered in December, 1950, and has overcome many challenges. Today it touches all aspects of society, and commands a lot of respect. The majority of my members are White.

“Once they got into the organization and saw what we are actually about, instead of seeing that it is an organization that is for Blacks only, they find that it is an organization that doesn’t have a color requirement.”

“The concept of the NAACP came forward, and they saw how we function in the community; they know how effective we are if we go by the by-laws of the NAACP, and that it works. It works regardless of what color you are; it works regardless of what gender you are.

“Even the Ambassador of Guatemala (who has since passed on) and his wife joined the NAACP because they saw how we did things, and they supported us in a discreet manner. They believed in the concepts of our organization. We try to continue handling the cases we get in a very professional way; and we are very effective.”

Marcus J. Farmer, newly elected NAACP Denver Branch President: “Some of the goals we have for this reorganized Branch are to immediately become involved and address the issues that are the forefront issues of the community.

“We want to be sure the community sees our Branch as new, fresh, revitalized, energetic, passionate, and there for them. One of the things that I want to emphasize to the readers of the Body of Christ News is that I want them to shift their paradigm and rethink about NAACP in Denver.

We are doing a complete reorganization; it’s a new thing, and I particularly want to encourage people in their 20s, 30s and 40s to look at what we’re doing, because what we’re going to be focusing on are things that are relevant for our day, our time, the 21st Century: the things that people of color face in our society.”

Richard Smith, Chairperson for the reorganized NAACP Denver Branch: Currently, we do not have an office in Denver. It will take us a few months to get organized and to identify where our offices should be located. As soon as our new officers are in place, we will have press releases with phone numbers and e-mail addresses so people in the Metro Denver area will know who to contact.

“In January, we also have a national training session for all new Executive Officers, which needs to be completed before we become active within the community. We also want to work together with other organizations. We have contacted the Ministerial Alliance, fraternities, sororities and other African-American organizations.

“We encourage people from throughout the metro area to become members. This is no longer a predominately African-American organization; we want Caucasians, Latinos, everyone, to be members of this great organization. We are here, and we are ready to move on within the Metro area, and also within the State.

“We have a lot of issues at hand, when it comes to human rights, and civil rights and this is what we are focusing on. Times have changed, and we are changing with the times. We are being inclusive, rather than exclusive. We want to work together.”