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CREATIVE BELLS

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  RING FOURTH. No, that is not misspelling. No, I did not mean to write RING FORTH. RING FOURTH is the name of the handbell choir at FOURTH Baptist Church. I know that because the choir director is my wife, Carmen Allen. RING FOURTH will be using their creative bell ringing to celebrate the birth of Christ this weekend. Saturday night and Sunday night at 6:00 p.m. the church will present a program called “In Bethlehem.” The bell choir will be joined by the orchestra, children’s choirs and the church choir in the production. “Bell ringing involves teamwork,” says Allen. “Every ringer depends on the rest of the group and the rest of the group depends on every ringer. Imagine 130 fingers on one piano each playing just two or three of the notes to make a complete song. That’s teamwork.” All are invited to the program this weekend. The address of Fourth Baptist Church is 900 Forestview Road, Plymouth, Minnesota. If you cannot attend in person, plan to watch the livestream. R...
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CREATIVE CHRISTMAS CHILD

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  Churches in more than 100 nations will be handing out Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts this season. Thirty-nine of those boxes were packed by the Golden Agers at Fourth Baptist Church of Plymouth, MN. It has been such a privilege to work with the Golden Agers this fall. They have been participating in Operation Christmas Child for several years and this year was no exception. Donations for items to be packed in the shoeboxes exceeded expectations and a delightful morning was spent putting those items into the boxes along with a personal message and a picture of the Golden Ager who packed the box. Some of the boxes were so full they reminded me of the verse in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over.” Accompanying every box were prayers for those who would be receiving them. The Samaritan’s Purse website says “many shoebox recipients also participate in our 12-lesson follow-up discipleship progr...
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CREATIVE GIFTING

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  So, you want to buy creative gifts for everyone in your family. Here are some suggestions. CHILDREN: “Smoky, the Cheating Dragon” Helps the children in your family learn how to play fair and lose a game graciously. Illustrated by Katie Allen. YOUTH: “Joash, Boy King of Judah” An exciting Old Testament biography about a pre-teen who lived for God. The adventures, heroism and accomplishments of King Joash. TEENS: “Dare to Walk On Water: Transformed by God” Practical biblical encouragement toward sanctification, transformed into His likeness. From head, to heart, to hands. ADULTS: “The Gospel Invades Afghanistan” Thrilling true story of the conversion of an Afghan governor and the impact of the Holy Spirit in Afghanistan. All are available on Amazon along with several others I have written. Just type in the name of the book and the author, Robert A. Allen.
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Thanksgiving Quiz 2025 Answers

  THANKSGIVING QUIZ 2025   ANSWERS 1.        Who recommended the turkey as our national bird rather than the bald eagle? a.        Thomas Paine b.       Benjamin Franklin c.        Alexander Hamilton 2.        Which state has the most turkeys? (Not a political question). a.        Iowa b.        Kansas c.        Minnesota 3.        Which turkeys actually gobble? a.        Females b.       Males c.        Neither 4.        In Brazil Thanksgiving celebrations they replace cranberry juice with what? a.        Jaboticaba b.     ...
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Creative Blessings

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  One of my great blessings this Thanksgiving season is a contact I made recently on Facebook. Byron Grant was one of the young people in my first youth group. During college days I served the church in Fairmont, Minnesota, where Byron and his parents attended. He left for LeTourneau College after graduation, and I lost contact with him. The blessing comes from what Byron has been involved in since those early days. In 1979 he and his family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, to work with North America Indigenous Ministries. They started home Bible studies which grew into a Native church with an emphasis on First Nations People. Along with teammates they opened a counseling center called the Tillicum Native Centre. Tillicum is a word from the trade language of the West Coast Native people, meaning “very good friend.” “We desired it to be a place where we could bridge the divide between the First Nations people and the church,” writes Byron. “Our focus there was evangelis...
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CREATIVE SISTERS

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  Their excuse has always been quilting. But I haven’t seen a new quilt in years, until this time. The four sisters have been meeting for a week every year since I can’t remember when. My wife Carmen, with Joyce, Jeanne, and Cindy, have flown from Montana to South Carolina and from Minnesota to Kentucky saying they were “going to quilt.” And they did! At first. I saw the quilts. And I saw one again this year. But even without any quilts in the intervening years, they continued to meet. It turns out they didn’t need the excuse at all, they just enjoyed spending a week together. I’m still not certain what all they did, even this year with a quilt back on the table (or on the floor as it happens when it needs to be spread out for layering and basting—whatever that is.) I know they did some shopping, especially at thrift stores. I know they shared meals and recipes. I know there was some sight-seeing; a visit to a quilt museum was on this year’s schedule. I know there was music b...
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CREATIVE PRAISE

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  When the entire audience rose to its feet in a standing ovation, praise did not seem to be directed at the production, but at God Himself. Our hearts had been lifted toward the Almighty through the story, the lyrics, and the music itself. He alone deserved all the honor and glory. “Newton,” a new oratorio based on the lives of John Newton, William Cowper, and their contemporaries, was the production we had just heard. Composed, orchestrated, and conducted by Josh Bauder, the oratorio featured thirty-nine scenes. The life stories of Newton, Cowper, Wesley, Scott and Wilberforce awakened in each listener an appreciation of the transforming power of the work of God in the lives of men. Slave trader, drunkard, prodigal, and a man battling extreme depression found forgiveness and strength through God’s amazing grace. The full-bodied sounds of the orchestra supported the excellent vocal solos and choir. The libretto written by Bauder provided humor and pathos as well as historical accu...
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