Sunday Mornings: “Crossroads: Where Faith & Culture Meet”
For Life, Faith, Family, & Freedom with John Sloop, Rita Dunaway, & Dean Welty
“I beseech you to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Be not conformed to this world, but instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind to the perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1, 2)
The Invitation
We are delighted to invite you to join us every Sunday morning on five Valley radio stations for a new program entitled “Crossroads: Where Faith and Culture Meet”. It replaces a wonderful program called “A Place of Grace” which was hosted for over seven years by Donna Lou Shickel, and to whom we are deeply grateful for this opportunity.
Like hers, “Crossroads” will air on four AM stations: WBTX (1470) at 7:30; WSVA (550) at 8:30; WHBG/ESPN (1360) at 11:00; and WNLR (1150) at 11:30, as well as on WSVA/FM (92.1) at 8:30.
Why Crossroads?
For too long, we have been told that the church should not engage in “politics” or be involved in government. That is not Biblical, it is not constitutional, and it is certainly not what our Founding Fathers intended. Indeed, they repeatedly emphasized that “religion and morality are indispensable supports for political prosperity”.
Nevertheless, the damage has been done, and it is time for a major course correction. God is not a bystander, and the church must be engaged in every area of our lives – including in the public square.
Therefore, the primary purposes of “Crossroads” are as follows:
1. To inform, inspire, encourage, and mobilize those who share our concerns about the direction of our country, and who would like to be a part of a growing network that is committed to advancing Life, Faith, Family, and Freedom in our culture and in the public square;
2. To help ignite another Great Awakening that is built on the Judeo-Christian teachings and Constitutional principles on which America was founded and has prospered for the past 400 years;
3. To help support godly leaders who are committed to these values and these principles and who believe in America as a shining City on a Hill and as One Nation Under God;
4. To reach out to those in the listening audience who may be either disinterested or who may even hold contrary views, especially in the secular audience; and perhaps most importantly,
5. To present the message of salvation to those who may have never heard as well as to those who may have turned away, but also as a reminder for all of us to turn our hearts toward God in full surrender to His will and His purpose for our lives – which would help accomplish everything described above.
Who Is Crossroads?
The program will involve many Valley leaders who have been part of this overall effort in a variety of ways over a long period of time. However, it is being coordinated by the following individuals.
Dr. John Sloop is the former Senior Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church on Court Square in Harrisonburg and currently serves as Chaplain of the Valley Family Forum. He was recognized in 2013 with its first “Daniel” award for his bold leadership in standing for truth when others backed away.
Rita Dunaway is a former staff attorney with The Rutherford Institute who now works as a leading advocate for the Convention of States initiative. She is also the Deputy Director of the Forum who was presented with its first “Wilberforce” Award five years ago for her leadership in the public square.
Dean Welty is a former public school teacher, missionary, and career diplomat. He is the Director of the Forum which he and his wife Janet founded 12 years ago. He also hosts a weekly television program entitled Valley Faith in Action.
How Can We Help?
First of all, please tune in for these weekly programs. Throughout the year, they will feature special guests to mark particular days, events, and issues where Faith and Culture meet. They will also include specific suggestions for ways in which you can become involved.
Second, help spread the word to friends and family who would like to be a part of this effort to ignite another Great Awakening in the Valley and across the Commonwealth.
Third, please consider helping to support and to sponsor the program with your prayers and with your gifts, either individually or as a business sponsor. We will provide more details later for prospective sponsors.
Finally, we would love to hear from you. If you have questions about current programs or suggestions for future programs, please write to harrisonburgcrossroads@gmail.com.
For God and Country,
Dean Welty serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Christian Alliance and is Director of the Valley Family Forum, a network of families in the Shenandoah Valley that helps build Faith, Family, and Freedom in the culture and in the public square. He also hosts a weekly television program entitled “Valley Faith in Action“.
Valley Faith in Action airs at 8:00 p.m. on Friday and at 8:30 p.m. Sunday on WAZT-TV, which is Comcast Cable Channel 13 in the Harrisonburg area. It will air again at Wednesday midnight. You can also access it and other recent programs by clicking HERE.
