Basilica of Saint Mary Major feast on Friday

MANILA, Philippines — Friday is the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, Italy, one of the four major Roman basilicas, and the most important church dedicated to the Blessed Mother. In Rome, the traditional triduum in honor of the feast was observed from Aug. 1-3, followed by a two-day celebration that culminates Friday, Aug. 5, with a Pontifical mass.

Pilgrims traditionally drop white rose petals from the dome after the feast mass in commemoration of a miracle attributed to the Blessed Mother. In the country, a special mass will be celebrated at the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan, which has been declared as an affiliate of the Basilica of St. Mary Major. (Christina Hermoso)

Rice subsidy

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has released P1.44 billion for some 600,000 farmers and fishermen under the government’s rice subsidy program that started last May.

DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman said the rice subsidy program benefited 678,621 small-scale farmers and fishermen nationwide who have undertaken Cash-for-Training and Cash-for-Work (CFT/W) efforts.

Soliman said beneficiaries under the rice subsidy program are trained on disaster management and mitigation, including family and community preparedness. (Ellalyn De Vera) Policiy clarified

The Department of Education (DepEd) clarified Thursday its policy on holding make up classes following the consecutive class suspensions in the last two weeks brought by typhoons “Juaning,” “Kabayan” and “Lando.” In an official statement, DepEd Communications Unit Director Tina Ganzon said that it is not “required” to hold make- up classes this weekend.

“They [school officials and teachers] can choose to do it towards the end of the school year,” she explained. Ganzon said there is a total of 202 days in the calendar for the school year 2011 to 2012 wherein 180 days are non-negotiable, contact learning hours. (Ina Hernando-Malipot)

Healthy plan

Health officials Thursday pushed for healthy lifestyle through the "Ehersisyo Para sa Lahat II – Department of Health (DoH) with NBA in school," a basketball clinic for high school students. Students at the Florentino Torres High school in Tondo participated in the brief basketball training provided by Fil-American Miami health coach Erick Spoelstra and his team of experts sponsored by the DoH, the city of Manila and the National Basketball Association. Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona said that the youth should be educated on the importance of regular exercise and healthy diet to prevent the development of non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as heart diseases, stroke, cancer and diabetes – diseases that make up the leading causes of deaths in the country. “There are lots of activities that people can choose from like running, biking, hiking, walking, basketball, football, swimming, etc.

YouLead August: Strategic Programming | Church Ministry Center

It’s not realistic to create program after program, filling the church calendar with event after event, and think that keeping church families more and more busy will bring about community and spiritual growth. In fact, the opposite is true. When programs are designed strategically, focus and energy and resources can zero in on one thing. This month, we’re challenging you to think about the programs and events in your church differently, and to strategically align the programming of your church. We know that you lead in several ways at any given time. You lead yourself, you lead volunteers, you might lead a staff, and you often lead up. Below, read through what we have in store for you to accomplish each of these tasks. PERSONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Sometimes it seems like Sunday is coming toward you like one of those bullet trains. It’s easy to let the speed of life keep you from investing in yourself and others. Grab a Sharpie and mark some personal time each week this month to invest in your own leadership development—20 minutes should do it. We’ve already got a plan mapped out for you, so making the time is the first step to accomplishing it. BOOK PREVIEW:  The Other 8 Hours by Robert Pagliarini If you work eight hours and sleep eight hours, what do you do with the remaining eight hours of your day? The take-aways from this book will help you program those eight hours for thriving in, rather than surviving through, your life. PODCAST: Rhett Smith, interviewed by Jeremy Zach Rhett Smith, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and part-time youth and family pastor, goes into great details about how to grow, personally, in ministry, being intentional with boundary setting, and recommends some great reading for ministry leaders. Rhett offers up a lot of great suggestions on how to be a leader who lasts. VIDEO: John Saddington John Saddington is a Professional Blogger, Engineer, Evangelist, and Consultant. Not to mention a Husband and Dad. He is busy to say the least, but he does a remarkable job, setting goals, and creating a unique strategy for his life. Listen in, he’s got some great advice! REAL WORLD: North Point Ministries What ideas North Point chooses to develop and what they don’t come down to one way of thinking: Think steps, not programs. This is the filter phrase through which they sift everything. We’ll look at how North Point’s steps don’t lead to programming, they lead to community groups. TEAM LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Now that you’ve taken some time to invest in yourself, don’t hold on to it! Pass along some great information to your volunteers that will make them consider and think differently about the ministries, programs and events at their church, and even the strategic programming of their personal lives. This month, we’ve included some handy-dandy, already written, already designed emails that you can send on your team. WEEKLY EMAILS: Why We Do What We Do As a leader, part of your job is to help others think differently about what they do and how they do it. This month the weekly emails are designed to create discussion and introspection. We’ll share stories and practical ways to think in strategic terms. We encourage you to gather with your team to rethink some of the ways your ministries, programs and events line up, or don’t, with what your church is trying to accomplish. Whether you’re leading a large staff, a few people, or you’re trying to lead up to your senior leadership, we’ve got something for you. We’re including another book review with this portion of YouLead because we felt that it would be a great tool to reinforce this month’s topic. Speaking of that, this month’s focus is (drumroll)— STRATEGIC PROGRAMMING [S6] Programs are evaluated on the basis of how they function as a step toward specific spiritual and relational goals. BOOK PREVIEW:  The Church of Facebook: How the Hyperconnected Are Redefining Community by Jesse Rice It often seems we are hyperconnected via the plethora of social media sites available to us on the Web. With statistics and practical tips, The Church of Facebook takes a look at how Facebook has synchronized millions of people on its site, and the challenges of being connected too much. SENIOR LEADERSHIP PODCAST: Jeff Henderson interviewed by Carey Nieuwhof It’s not every day we get to listen in on a conversation between two incredible senior pastors. Jeff Henderson was the campus pastor of Buckhead Church, until recently when he transitioned to start another North Point Campus in Gwinnett. He has a lot of wisdom to share when it comes to being strategic. REAL WORLD: In-N-Out If you have ever eaten an IN-N-Out burger, you know that they are delicious! But what makes this organization unique, is their commitment to quality, their dedication to customers, and the fact that they have been doing what they do for over 60 years. There’s quite a bit the church could learn from that kind of dedication!

Dyer Methodist Church Dedication Program, church program

Zion Lutheran Church dedication program

Dedication program-- the Brethren Church

Dedication program, Court St. M.E. church parish house, Flint, Michigan, November 18 to 24, 1929

Dedication program of the Parish house, Immanuel Presbyterian church, West Grand Boulevard at Porter Street, Detroit, Michigan