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Having impressed when scoring three tries in their defeat by the All Blacks last week, Scotland went into their shells in the first 40 minutes against a tactically aware and powerful Springbok side.
They were staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat when South Africa hooker Adriaan Strauss scored his second try of the match early in the second half, but after reserve halfback Henry Pyrgos finished off a well-worked move from a lineout five minutes later, Scotland spent much of the match camped in the opposition half.
They were unable to add to the scoreboard however, but will be buoyed ahead of their final November international against Tonga next Saturday, a match they will be desperate to win given that they have dropped to a world ranking of 10 and the third group of World Cup seeds after Samoa's win over Wales on Friday. – Reuters.

subset: commoncrawl


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The implications of Jesus Christ's humanity for contemporary life will be the focus of the seventh biennial Veritas Forum at Hope College, being held on Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 8-11.
The implications of Jesus Christ's humanity for contemporary life will be the focus of the seventh biennial Veritas Forum at Hope College, being held on Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 8-11.
This year's forum is titled "The Body: Implications of the Incarnation." The event will consider the way that moral and social issues including hunger, sexuality, art, torture and human enhancement can be informed by thoughtful reflection on Jesus Christ's assumption of human form.
The forum will feature three keynote addresses, two panel discussions, a concert by Derek Webb and a culminating worship service.
Although the Veritas Forum has been planned for the campus community, the public is invited. Admission is free to all events except for the concert.
"This is a topic that for 2,000 years has been a distinctive among Christians who have been trying to understand both Jesus and themselves," said Dr. Marc Baer, who chairs the Veritas Forum's planning committee and is a professor of history at Hope. "It has implications for all our lives."
"If God chose to enter the world in a human body, then that should cause us to think about the implications for our bodies and others' bodies," he said. "And in a global age, what does that mean for us in terms of our concern about others halfway around the world?"
Baer noted that he has been pleased to observe among students in recent years an increased sense of their Christian faith's implications for engagement with the world. A deeper understanding of the underpinnings of that faith such as the forum seeks to provide, he thinks, can prove sustaining even - and especially - when challenges arise.
"I hope that such engagement is something that will continue," he said. "But if it's going to continue, people have to have a solid intellectual foundation for doing something that is often sacrificial and sometimes painful."
The Veritas Forum began at Harvard University in 1992 as a way to get students to think about what the school was founded upon: the Veritas, or truth, of Jesus Christ. Since then, dozens of campuses in the United States and abroad have emulated the Harvard model and held forums of their own.
The Hope Veritas Forum is designed to include the arts, ideas, theology and popular culture, so as to listen to how God works in the lives of writers, musicians, social activists, educators and artists. The forum has run every two years since its 1997 debut on campus.
This year's opening keynote, "'This is My Body': Modernity Confronts the Incarnation," will be presented by Roger Lundin on Thursday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. Lundin is the Blanchard Professor of English at Wheaton College.
Lamin Sanneh will speak during the college's chapel service on Friday, Jan. 9, at
10:30 a.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. Sanneh is the D. Willis James Professor of
Missions and World Christianity and a professor of history at Yale Divinity School.
A panel discussion focused on "Implications for the Arts" will take place on Friday, Jan. 9, at 4 p.m. in the Maas Center auditorium. The panelists will include Josh Banner, minister of arts and music at Hope, and Susanna Childress, who is a Lilly Fellow and lecturer in the humanities and English at Valparaiso University, who are also husband-and-wife songwriters; Matt Joynt, a member of the band Anathallo, which will be performing at Hope on Friday, Jan. 9, at 8 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Theatre; Charlie Peacock, a Grammy-winning, multi-format songwriter and record producer; and Joel Schoon Tanis, a Holland-based artist and 1989 Hope graduate who is also the creator and star of the locally-produced children's television show "Come On Over!"
The forum's second keynote address, "The Global Body," will be presented by Lamin Sanneh on Friday, Jan. 9, at 7 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.
The activities on Saturday, Jan. 10, will open with the keynote address "Dwelling in Christ: Facing our Fractured Bodies and the World" at 10 a.m. by Deborah Dortzbach in the Maas Center auditorium. A nurse by training who has lived and worked in Ethiopia and Kenya, Dortzbach is the director of health and social development with World Relief.
Dortzbach's talk and the messages of the previous two days will be the focus of a
closing panel discussion on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 11 a.m. in the Maas Center auditorium.
The panelists will include Dortzbach, Lundin and Peacock.
Derek Webb will perform on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 8 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Theatre. Webb, who was with "Caedmon's Call" prior to embarking on a solo career in 2003, also performed during the 2007 Veritas Forum.
Advance tickets for the concert are $10 for the general public and $5 for Hope students, and are available at the ticket office in the front lobby of the DeVos Fieldhouse, which can be called at (616) 395-7890 but will operate with reduced hours during the college's Christmas break. The office will be open through Friday, Dec. 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 29-30, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; and on Monday-Friday, Jan. 5-9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Any remaining tickets will also be sold at the door at the Knickerbocker Theatre for $12 for the general public and $7 for Hope students.
The Veritas Forum will conclude with the college's weekly Sunday evening worship service, "The Gathering," on January 11 at 8 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. Trygve Johnson, who is the Hinga-Boersma Dean of the Chapel at Hope, will preach "Eating the Body."
Additional activities for the campus community scheduled in conjunction with this year's Veritas Forum include a competition for the college's students to present poetry and visual art related in some way to the Incarnation. The poetry will be presented in a special edition of the "Opus" campus literary magazine, and the artwork will be displayed in the elevator gallery of the De Pree Art Center.
In addition, students are also being invited to prepare stage performances in song, dance or theatre that they can audition to present in conjunction with the forum.
The De Pree Art Center is located at 160 E. 12th St., on Columbia Avenue at 12th Street. The DeVos Fieldhouse is located at 222 Fairbanks Ave., between Ninth and 11th streets. Dimnent Memorial Chapel is located at 277 College Ave., on College Avenue at 12th Street. The Knickerbocker Theatre is located in downtown Holland at 86 E. Eighth St. The Maas Center is located at 264 Columbia Ave., on Columbia Avenue at 11th Street.


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Patient Forms
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Review the patient forms for the following types of visits:
We also provide doctor's office forms in other languages, including Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, and Spanish.
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You may be coming to NYU Langone for a doctor's office appointment or for a hospital stay as an inpatient, outpatient, or for observation. The forms you need to fill out vary depending on the type of visit, which include the following:
- An inpatient stay at a hospital, which usually lasts at least two nights, often for surgery, medical treatments, or to stabilize a serious illness or injury.
- An outpatient stay, which may take place at a hospital or one of our outpatient care centers, where you may have tests, a variety of treatments, or minor surgery. The stay is typically a few hours.
- Observation, which is a specific kind of outpatient care. People under observation remain in a hospital bed while being monitored for a serious change in their medical condition, usually for less than 24 hours. During that time, a healthcare team decides if the patient needs to be admitted to the hospital.
- A visit to a doctor's office to receive care from a physician or another medical professional.
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During your first visit to an NYU Langone facility, including a hospital, care location, or doctor's office where the NYU Langone logo is displayed, you need to read and sign the Patient Privacy and HIPAA Rights forms. Learn more about HIPAA patient privacy information.
For your safety, we use the PatientSecure® system. With biometric technology, the system scans a unique feature of your hand to simplify patient registration and provide the most accurate form of patient identification for future visits to NYU Langone.
We encourage you to review these forms as well:
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- For Medicare Inpatients
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Please call your doctor's office if you have questions about the forms.
- Health Information Exchange (HIE) Fact Sheet and Consent Form
- Notice of Privacy Practices
- Notice of Privacy Practices Acknowledgement
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Additional Forms for Doctor's Office Visits
Review these additional forms that you may need during the course of your treatment at NYU Langone:
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- NYU Langone Health MyChart Adolescent Proxy Access
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- Proxy Access to the Online Medical Record of a Child Under 12 Years Old
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Notice of Privacy Practices in Other Languages
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- Greek (ελληνικά)
- Italian (Italiano)
- Korean (한국의)
- Portugese (Português)
- Russian (Pусский)
- Spanish (Español)


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After the 2005 Gator baseball season which took them to the College World Series final game, the Florida program looked to stay amongst the elite in the SEC, possibly the nation. Those dreams were met by disappointment as the last two seasons have ended without the Gators having a berth in the NCAA tournament or a record above .500.
With the dismissal of manager Pat McMahon and his coaches, Jeremy Foley tried to find a coach to represent Gator baseball for the long haul. Enter Kevin O'Sullivan, a young, energetic coach who is excited about what the future holds.
The Clemson Tiger baseball team was experiencing an outstanding post season, after an average regular season by Clemson standards. They were a two seed in the Coastal Carolina bracket, a rivalry that had just begun to bud. After many passionate games within the bracket, Clemson eventually advanced to play at SEC powerhouse Mississippi State the next weekend.
The Bulldogs proved to be too much for the underdog Tigers, and beat them on consecutive days by scores of 8-6 and 8-5. After that second loss on Saturday, June 9th, Kevin O'Sullivan felt as if a dream had ended. On the next day however, a brand new dream would begin.
"When I got the call, I was excited about the great opportunity if it were to happen at that point," O'Sullivan. "I just look forward to the challenge. I automatically started thinking ahead to start recruiting guys to Florida that I had been recruiting at Clemson. Then it was on to putting the coaching staff together."
The meeting with Jeremy Foley in Gainesville was everything O'Sullivan wanted it to be. Growing up playing high school baseball in Florida, he never dreamed he would one day be coaching one of the instate powerhouses.
"I came down on Wednesday and met with everyone in the athletic department. I accepted the job before the words even came out of his mouth. It all happened pretty quickly. It was something that I was extremely anxious to start and not waste any time.
O'Sullivan has fallen in love with the facilities he has at his finger tips in Gainesville. It's a rare occasion that you would find O'Sullivan in this office during his first month on the job however, as he has been out on the recruiting trail more often than not.
"I had already been to Gainesville, but not since they redid the stadium," O'Sullivan said. "It's all really, really nice. It's a great place and with the additions to office, training room, locker room and batting cages, it's now first class all around. It's something we use on a daily basis, but it's an excellent complex to use while recruiting."
Though O'Sullivan boasts 16 years in coaching the game, he has never had a head coaching job at any level. If you give any prospective coach a choice of which collegiate manager he would like to spend time under, plenty of names come to mind.
The SEC alone is full of historical coaches. What men like Ron Polk of Mississippi State have done is simply remarkable. The Big 12 is also full of coaching legends such as long time Texas coach Augie Garrido. When you look at the ACC and even the nation, some think that Clemson's Jack Leggett sticks out above the rest.
For the past seven years, Kevin O'Sullivan has had the opportunity to work under Leggett. He has learned many skills in his seven years under Leggett and plans to take many of his ideas to the Florida baseball team.
"He's a very personable friend and a great guy to work for," O'Sullivan said. "He trusts you enough to let you do your job. He has an outstanding knowledge of the game and has been very successful. All the guys who have coached underneath him have been successful and it speaks volumes about him.
"He's two best skills are developing practice schedules and motivation. He is great at using the time the NCAA allows to practice and get the most out of it. He's involved in every aspect of the program daily. When it comes to the kid, he is focused on the academic process, the strength training, and conditioning. When the players work out or run, he's with them and the other coaches follow suit. He's just always involved."
During O'Sullivan's eight years at Clemson, he helped more than 29 pitchers reach their eventual goal of being selected in the Major League Draft. Of the 29 picks, 11 of them were taken during the top five rounds. Even more impressive are the three first round picks he has coached, including Mike Paradis (1999), Tyler Lumsden (2004) and Daniel Moskos (2007).
"Each one of them brought something to the table," O'Sullivan said. "A lot of them weren't drafted from high school and that progression is something I take pride in. Seeing them progress to eventually be drafted, but also help get to Omaha. To see them ultimately reach their next goal, I think that's just tremendous."
Over the past two years, the Florida baseball team has fallen somewhat under the radar. This is mostly because of the success the football and basketball teams have had, combined with two less than exceptional seasons.
On O'Sullivan's trip into Gainesville to meet with Foley, he walked into the baseball stadium with a clear view of the Swamp and the O'Connell Center. Both places have experienced national championships aplenty in the past two years, a far cry from what has taken place on the diamond nearby. It seems that these two stadiums would stand over Alfred A. McKethan Stadium demanding to see the baseball team step up to the challenge. Does this make O'Sullivan feel any pressure?
"To be honest, I don't feel any pressure," O'Sullivan said. "I have my own pressure I put on myself everyday. I don't think pressure from anyone else is greater than the expectations that I have for this program. I think it's a positive that the basketball and football programs have done so well. We use that in recruiting also. We're going to do the best job we can and get the best guys possible. I don't think it's a pressure situation, but rather a total positive."
The coaches O'Sullivan has brought on board to assist his efforts at Florida look to be an all star group. Craig Bell has 11 years of coaching experience on the high school level. After helping the Wellington High School win the 6A state championship in 2000, he took a job with the Seattle Mariners where he served as their Supervising Area Scout for the Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
"The one word that describes Craig Bell is instincts," O'Sullivan said. "His instincts as a coach and an evaluator are great. He's surrounded himself with great people. He has on the field teaching knowledge on all aspects of the game. We have to be able to evaluate the right player and not go after the guy that's going to sign (professionally) and not show up. He has the right mentality to make sure these kids have the right makeup we're looking for and have the toughness that we need to win in this league."
Brad Weitzel also has an outstanding reputation as a scout, with his areas running deep into the state of Florida. He has served as the Florida Area Scout for the Minnesota Twins since 1991. His eye for talent is unquestionable, as he currently has 11 signees in the Major Leagues.
There has been speculation as to which assistant will be named the hitting coach and where other titles will be given. O'Sullivan says that he does not plan on issuing labels, but rather have a coaching staff that knows how to excel at every level of the game. Regardless of which coach focuses on a certain area, it's obvious that all three of them have outstanding eyes for talent.
"When we put this staff together, what I wanted to do was have a well-rounded staff," O'Sullivan said. "Some guys get labeled as a hitting coach or an infielder's coach. In coaching, you use a player's strengths to put him in the right situation. Coaching is no different."
"When I put this staff together, Brad and Craig were at the top of my wish list. We all have the same coaching background. Their hitting, fielding, and base running philosophies are all what I would teach if my expertise was in that area of the game. It would be a great mistake to limit either of these guys to only coaching one area on the field. They must have constant communication between each other about where they're at with certain kids and we'll do that on a daily basis. I'm going to let these guys go and do what they do best."
While O'Sullivan already has the title of head coach, he does plan to continue coaching the pitchers and catchers, just as he did at Clemson.
"I'll still handle the pitching and catching, and that's one part that will be somewhat separate from the position players," O'Sullivan said. "Having those two guys on board allows me to have the flexibility to coach the pitching. I've been doing it for a long time and quite frankly I didn't want to give it up. It's an area we need to improve on quite a bit and with my background it's a lot easier to sell to recruits since I've done that at Clemson for the last nine years."
Last year's Florida pitching staff was an obvious weak spot on the team. The pitchers had a team ERA of 5.27, more than 1.5 runs higher than the 3.73 ERA put up by the Clemson Tigers pitching staff O'Sullivan coached. The same Clemson pitching staff had a .263 batting average against them, compared to the .307 batting average against the Gators pitchers.
The most telling stat however could be pitching depth. Last year's Florida team had only two pitchers maintaining an ERA under 4.00 that threw more than 35 innings, while the O'Sullivan's Tigers staff boasted seven pitchers with the same qualifications. The stats surely speak of the improvement O'Sullivan will bring to the mound, but from the sound of it, the Gators' pitchers will be more exciting to watch.
"Our pitchers are going to be aggressive on the mound, I can promise you that," O'Sullivan said. "They're going to work fast and they're going to get hitters to put the ball in play. Guys who do that will pitch, and guys that don't do that won't pitch. We're not going to walk a lot of people and we're not going to work a lot of deep counts. We won't be afraid of contact and they're going to have a quick pace to their game. It's going to be really just that simple. Everyone who buys into that theory will find themselves on the mound an awful lot.
"We want the ball in play early in the count to keep our fielders active and field as many balls as possible. We want to get our guys in on offense a lot quicker and not be standing around for an extended period of time. We're going to work hard to get the leadoff hitter of every inning out and we're going to make quality pitches when we need to. I'm going to make sure they have confidence in themselves and have a great mindset because they're controlling the tempo of the game. And we're going to do that here."
The hitting philosophy however will not be as set in stone.
"We know that we can't cookie cut every hitter," O'Sullivan said. "We have a couple guys who can run and are top of the order type guys who need to learn how to bunt and be really good at it. We want those guys to work deeper counts and to work some pitchers. Then we have to depend on some guys in the middle of the order that we have to depend on to drive in runs. We're going to try and teach each hitter to their strength, rather than trying to teach one philosophy."
Regardless of whether the Gators are on offense or defense this coming season, O'Sullivan says that they will be an exciting team to watch. They are going to do things the right way, have the ability to get the job done no matter the situation and be a difficult team to beat.
"In every aspect of the game this team will be aggressive," O'Sullivan said. "We're going to be very good at base running and bunting. Every guy in the lineup will have the ability to lay down a sacrifice. We will not be afraid to make mistakes on the field. We want to play with a little bit of reckless abandon and have a chip on our shoulder. We'll get out there and compete. These guys will be proud to wear a Gator uniform. Most of all though, we'll be aggressive. I can promise you that."
When Jeremy Foley announced the dismissal of Pat McMahon, one area he spoke of was lack of recruiting success. O'Sullivan enters as a solution to this problem. Coming from Clemson, he brings a reputation as one of the nation's most persistent recruiters.
"Working with Tim Corbin (current Vanderbilt head coach) for five or six years and then working at Clemson is where that reputation comes from," O'Sullivan said. "The bottom line of this business is you have to have good players that fit your system and personality. Regardless of the type of coach you are, you aren't going to be successful if you don't have the players. All of our efforts so far by me, Craig, and Brad, have been trying to find guys who fit into this recruiting class. We've made some good contacts and have a little ways to go. It's the most vital part of any program."
It's a very good argument to make that college baseball coaches have the most difficult sport to recruit for. Now that basketball is forcing high school graduates to play one year in college, baseball is now the only sport of the big three in which a coach can lose a recruit to college baseball.
O'Sullivan already has an idea of what he would like his recruiting philosophy to be as the Gators head coach.
"You've got to roll the dice on a few kids every year but you can't do it too much in one class," O'Sullivan said. "You've got to pick your spots at a position you can afford it. If you need a catcher in a particular year, you can't go out after the best kid in the country, have him not show up, and then you've got nobody there. We've got to have a calculated chance at getting a kid if we're going to go out and recruit him."
In the end, O'Sullivan says the coaching trio is mostly excited about the road of head. The University of Florida baseball program offers a unique opportunity to recruit from one of the top high school baseball states in the nation. This combined with the evaluation and recruiting prowess shown by the group, and the sky is the limit for the Florida program.
"We're excited to be here," O'Sullivan said. "We know the expectations here and we're looking forward to meeting them. It's a great community to be a part of and it's an outstanding opportunity. We're certainly looking forward to the challenge."


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Sacred to the Aboriginal people of Australia, the Ayers Rock (also known as Uluru) is an "island mountain" - an isolated remnant of the now disappeared prehistoric mountain range.
Home to refreshing springs, waterholes, and caves with ancient wall paintings, the Ayers Rock is notable for its ability to change colours at different times of the day,
especially a glowing red at dawn and sunset.
Inspired by the spiritual presence of the Ayers Rock, John brings another wonder from his heart right to your feet. The Ayers is an eloquent mid-heeled pump with two adjustable ankle straps designed on a vintage Fox & Fluevog hand carved wooden last, that includes a soft pointed toe with a curvy toe spring, and an unfinished raw leather wrapped 2.5" heel on a leather sole. Handmade in a Peruvian factory that has a reputation for outstanding quality and craftsmanship, the Ayers features dry, dusty Argentinian leathers with ornate loop-de-loop stitching, and will replenish your inner spirit.


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At first glance, the fitness center at Germantown Baptist Church in the Memphis suburb of Germantown, TN, resembles many other recreation centers nationwide. The 83,000-square-foot building features aerobic studios, two basketball courts, cardio and weight training rooms, racquetball courts and locker rooms. A closer look, however, reveals two differences that set the Germantown Recreation Outreach Center (ROC) apart from the surrounding clubs — it's free to use and it has a religious environment. Upbeat Christian music plays over the PA system, Bible scripture banners hang in the gym and a modest dress code is enforced.
"We built our facility 10 years ago to build a relationship with the community as a means of reaching out with our love of God," says Carla Rafferty, associate minister of recreation for the ROC, which draws about 30 percent of its visitors from its congregation of 10,000 people and 70 percent from the local community.
The Germantown ROC is just one of a growing number of church-owned fitness facilities reaching out to congregations and communities. No clearinghouse exists to show how many churches have built fitness facilities, but in the Southern Baptist religion alone, 20,000 churches have fitness facilities of some sort, estimates Brad Bloom, publisher of Faith and Fitness, an online magazine for Christians who are interested in fitness.
In 1953, the Baptist denomination began to focus on sports and recreation as a ministry, and today, other churches and religions view fitness centers and programs as a way to help members grow spiritually and physically, says John Garner of Lifeway Christian Resources, a Christian publisher based in Nashville, TN.
Bloom says that the number of church-based clubs is growing.
"Churches are realizing that if they want to impact the lives of people in the community, you have to do more than a church service on Sunday," Bloom says.
These facilities bring up a sticky issue for for-profit club owners, who often complain that religious-based groups such as the YMCAs and YWCAs build and operate fitness facilities with an unfair tax advantage. Church-based fitness centers are also tax-exempt, which means they don't pay taxes on new equipment and they are exempt from state and local income and property taxes.
Due to their growing numbers, their tax-exempt status and their ability to receive tax-deductible contributions, church fitness facilities can often afford to build state-of-the-art fitness centers that rival many for-profit clubs. During the last 10 years, the size, scope and design of church fitness facilities has changed to the point that the centers are on par with any recreation complex across the country, says Garner.
Despite the church facilities' tax advantages, few for-profit clubs have publicly raised an uproar about them. In fact, some for-profit club owners say that church-owned clubs are not their competitors.
Gina Harden, manager of a 65,000-square-foot Prairie Life Center club that opened in May 2005 two miles from the Germantown ROC, says she doesn't view the Germantown ROC as competition because her club and the church fitness center have different missions and offer different services. She compares it to running a Starbucks across the street from a church with a coffee shop.
"Our club's main goal and main mission is to provide services and programs to enhance our members' quality of life and needs," says Harden, who belongs to a nearby non-denominational church that also has a fitness center. "One of the amenities a church may have is a fitness center, but we are a health club and that's all we do."
Rafferty disagrees, saying that her facility does compete with Prairie Life Center in addition to an area community center, a Curves and other church fitness centers.
"Their biggest competition is our rec center because it's hard to compete with a free facility," Rafferty says. "We're more of a competition for them than they are for us because we don't charge a monthly fee."
Michael Scott Scudder, owner of consulting and training company MSS FitBiz Connection, Taos, NM, says that the faith-based revival in some parts of the country has affected economics in other retail areas, and it wouldn't be surprising if they affected the fitness business, too.
"So if they, on a faith-based business basis, choose to get into health and fitness, it has to have an impact on other commercial fitness operators," Scudder says.
However, Bloom says that to some extent, church facilities and for-profit facilities are going after different markets.
"There's still a lot of market that is to be had," he says. "A lot of people won't step foot into a faith-based facility because it turns them off."
Money and Value
Although a religious focus may turn off some people, free membership could be a draw to others. Most church-owned fitness facilities are open only to members and charge a membership fee ranging from $15 to $40 per month (although some charge less than $50 per year), but the Germantown ROC is open to anyone for free unless they take a group fitness class, which costs $3.50 per class. About 15,000 people participated in the fitness classes at the facility last year (although some of them were most likely repeats), and on average, the church fitness center has between 60,000 and 70,000 sign-ins each year. About 2,000 people are regulars, Rafferty says.
Group fitness at the facility generates about $150,000 annually and personal training generates about $130,000, Rafferty says. That money is used to pay the 11 certified personal trainers and is reinvested in equipment. The 15 certified group instructors are volunteers, but the church also uses some of the money to pay for their certifications, continuing education, music and shoes. The $160,000 annual budget from the church, which is funded by donations from church members, pays for the utilities, salaries for the remaining staff and other expenses.
Even without advertising, the ROC stays busy year round.
"We're at the point where we're getting enough participation that we're not looking for any more," Rafferty says.
Harden, who worked for a YMCA before moving to Prairie Life, says her club can give members more value for their dollar and for their time than the church fitness centers in the area can give. Unlike many of the church fitness centers, Prairie Life has an indoor and outdoor pool, tanning beds, massage therapy, a nail technician on staff, a steam room, a Jacuzzi, a sauna, a food bar and a pro shop as well as the standard amenities such as an indoor track, gym court, aerobics studios, and cardio and strength-training equipment. The club charges between $19 and $59 per month for memberships, depending on how many people sign up for the membership agreement. Although the churches in her area may offer free or discounted memberships, Harden says residents must consider whether a fitness facility offers comparable services, high-quality programming and the ability to meet members' fitness goals.
"People have to ask what they're paying for," she says. "To a lot of people, including myself, my time is more valuable to me, so I would be willing to pay more if the services and quality of the program are better. I don't think they (church fitness facilities) can compete with for-profit clubs. The money that we get from our club, we use in our club. With a nonprofit club, where are you getting the money, and are you able to fit the needs of your members?"
However, Rafferty argues that free membership and nonprofit status don't make the facility second class.
"Even without a membership fee, we have quality equipment and staff, keep our facility clean and keep everything top notch," she says.
The Question of Taxes
Just like other nonprofit fitness facilities such as Jewish Community Centers and YMCAs, church fitness facilities are exempt from federal income taxation under 501(c)3, according to the Tax Guide for Churches and Other Religious Organizations. Churches must withhold, report and pay income taxes for their employees. Their unrelated business income may be subject to taxes, too, but because church fitness centers are often open to the community and charge low rates, they often are not required to pay this tax unless they have a two-tiered fee system that is not within the financial reach of the community, says Robert Marvin, national media relations specialist for the Internal Revenue Service.
"Generally, providing recreational facilities to the general public that are affordable and available to the community would further charitable purposes," Marvin says. "Therefore, fees charged for the use of such facilities would not be subject to unrelated business income tax."
Churches, like any nonprofit organization, must diligently follow the nonprofit guidelines established by the government (see sidebar on page 50) or risk losing their nonprofit status, Bloom says.
"The ones that are doing a great job want to demonstrate that they are following the expectations," he says. "Where the church fitness facilities really have an opportunity and an obligation is to assure that the programming they're providing is distinctively faith based, which more than qualifies them to be a nonprofit."
To maintain their tax-exempt status and serve their mission, many church-based fitness centers offer Bible study, devotionals or prayer time.
"It varies across denominations, but the Baptists are more upfront with it," Garner says. "In our recreation and fitness programs, we try to do it in a way that will attract people. We don't beat them over the head with a Bible, but they know when they come in that it's a church, and there will be prayer time."
The First Baptist Raytown ROC in Raytown, MO, plays Christian music in the weight room, has Bible scripture verses painted on the gym floor and has its dress code policies posted in the weight room and cardio area.
"We go by Christian principles, and we intend to keep it that way," says David Foster, the fitness and wellness director. He adds that a dress code prevents inappropriate attire and the staff can direct members should they want anything from the church.
The Raytown ROC's Christian atmosphere led Bobi Swope to join the facility when it opened two years ago. She comes in for twice weekly workouts on the treadmill and elliptical and in the weight room.
"We're here to find people looking for a church home who feel more comfortable coming to a gym," Foster says. "That's our goal, and that's why we built this place."
Raising the Roof
Churches often own the land surrounding their buildings and don't pay property taxes, Garner says. To finance the construction of a new fitness center, a church often borrows money from a bank or asks its members to pledge money to finance the project. Many times, a church decides to do both, says James Rainey, a financial consultant with GreenField Group LLC, a firm that provides financial advisory services to churches.
"They always go to the congregation first with some kind of giving plan," he says. "It can get as high tech as bringing in a capital stewardship coordination team to start up a three-year campaign and set goals and targets. The item that I stress to a church is to overcome their boundaries and limit their financing ability. They won't succeed if the membership is not committed to the project."
The Raytown ROC launched a program called Building Beyond the Walls to encourage church members to give more than their normal tithe of 10 percent of their income to build the $15 million facility two years ago. The center, which has $250,000 worth of exercise equipment, has about 600 members; 90 percent come from the church's 1,200 members, and 10 percent come from outside the church. Non-church members pay a $50 initiation fee and $40 per month. Church members can use the facility for free unless they enroll in a key card program, which costs $50 for an initiation fee and $20 per month for an individual membership.
"Since they built the fitness center and paid for it, why should we charge for them to use it?" says Foster, who is the only full-time employee at the Raytown ROC. He supervises four part-time, certified personal trainers and 30 volunteers, some of whom are also certified personal trainers.
Personal training sessions cost $25 for a 45-minute session, and unlimited fitness classes cost $15 per month. The Raytown ROC is marketing to community members by offering 14-day trial memberships.
"The Recreation Outreach Center is really an outreach tool," says Dave Bundrick, recreation outreach pastor at the First Baptist Raytown church. "The church built it to attract people to church who wouldn't otherwise come. We're nonprofit in every sense of the word, and we're a ministry extension of the church."
Businesses that focus on building churches are recognizing the construction of fitness and wellness centers as an opportunity for growth, Bloom says. The construction of church fitness facilities comprises 10 percent to 20 percent of business for Rainey, who helps churches set a budget and decide how to spend their money on a fitness center.
The cost of building a fitness facility can vary depending on the center's amenities, Rainey says. Basic gyms can cost about $40 per square foot, but more elaborate, multipurpose facilities can top $120 to $200 per square foot.
Rainey and the architects usually work from a pastor's grand vision and then trim the plans depending on the cost and the church's budget.
"It can range from a million-dollar, basic gym facility with a simple laminate-type flooring to a multipurpose facility," he says. "The sky is the limit."
Regardless of the cost to build these facilities, those who run them say that their purpose is not to make a profit but to reach souls. Rafferty says her recreation center uses sports, recreation and fitness as an opportunity to reach out to people, break down barriers and share their faith by providing an environment that is less intimidating than at other clubs and by getting to know the visitors personally.
"The interesting thing about using recreation to reach the community is not everyone is drawn to a church because of the Sunday school or choir, but everyone wants somewhere to spend their leisure time and play," she says. "We use fitness as a way to build relationships with people. If we gain their trust, that opens the door to sharing our faith."
That combination of faith and fitness is unattainable for many for-profit clubs and undesirable to others. Regardless, the growth of these types of facilities adds to the number of competitors in an already crowded fitness market, leaving for-profit club owners who find a church-based fitness facility in their market with the delicate question of how to compete when the competitor has what some would call an unbeatable ally.
Requirements For Tax-Exempt Status
The organization must be operated exclusively for religious, educational, scientific or other charitable purposes.
Net earnings may not inure to the benefit of any private individual or shareholder.
No substantial part of the organization's activity may be attempting to influence legislation.
The organization may not intervene in political campaigns.
The organization's purposes and activities may not be illegal or violate fundamental public policy.
Source: Internal Revenue Service
Tips for Infusing Spirituality into a Club
Reach out to a local church and offer discounts to members
Invite Bible study groups to meet in your community room or lounge
Play Christian music
Offer such group exercise classes as Gospel Aerobics
Hire a minister or chaplain to be on staff to serve members' spiritual needs
IRS Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf
A PDF explaining exemption and unrelated business tax issues for health clubs: http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=96391,00.html
The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association's page on tax-exempt competition: http://cms.ihrsa.org/IHRSA/viewPage.cfm?pageId=641
Outside of the Church
A few for-profit fitness facilities are jumping on the spiritual bandwagon by tapping into the religious market. Holy Spirit gym, one of the few full-service, Christian-themed health clubs in the country, has attracted about 100 Orange County (CA) residents looking for an uplifting, wholesome and less intimidating environment to get fit, says Gil Yurly, owner. To attract more members, he has contacted local churches and has offered incentives such as free memberships to senior pastors and free workout nights for local church members.
So far, however, the churches have not been responsive, he says.
"I'm disappointed that the churches have not gotten more involved," he says. "I have contacted some of the Protestant churches, and they had some interest and were excited, but no one is following up."
Despite the challenges of partnering with local churches, Yurly's 5,200-square-foot facility has received a positive response from the community since it opened in June 2006.
"A lot of people love the [religious] concept and have joined because of it," he says. "I've had people call and ask me if I'm going to be opening gyms in other parts of the country. If our gym does well and we open up more, it may lead to more people jumping on the bandwagon."


text: 3D Systems is a service company specializing in providing VSP (Virtual Surgical Planning), patient-specific anatomical models and other implements for transfer of a digital clinical plan to the operating room. Visit us at this years ACOMS & FACES 31st Annual Winter Meeting to learn about VSP Orthognathics which utilizes 3D software to digitally plan orthognathic surgeries. These surgical plans allow for 3D printed intermediate and final orthognathic splints to be designed and used in surgery.


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|Version 6 (modified by gz, 11 years ago) (diff)
Release Notes for Clozure CL Trunk
When making a change you want users to know about, add a description of it here. When it becomes time to make a release, we can copy the relevant entries from here into notes for the new release.
Compiler warnings now record their source location. We should try to make cvs slime use this before the next release, otherwise it's not particularly noteworthy
The compiler can (and does by default) scan FORMAT control strings for possible errors. (r11805).
Export and document an interface to populations. (r12094)
Change in :sharing :private semantics (r12240)
Code coverage http://trac.clozure.com/openmcl/wiki/CodeCoverage (r12300)


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libgit2 is a portable, pure C implementation of the Git core methods provided as a re-entrant linkable library with a solid API, allowing you to write native speed custom Git applications in any language which supports C bindings.
Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Mac OS X, iOS, Amiga, MinGW and fully native Windows.
Builds out of the box with no dependencies. Works in embedded devices and iOS.
Written with portability in mind. Builds in GCC, Clang and MSVC.
GPLv2 with Linking Exception. Link with open and proprietary software, no strings attached.


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Full Spectrum CBD Pills and Capsules
For individuals who prefer taking medicines internally instead of any other form for the intake of hemp derived cannabidiol (CBD) intake, the best option is CBD Capsules. A majority of individuals are comfortable with using supplements in capsule form, and these Full Spectrum CBD Tinctures have been used for years to help deal with various health issues and ailments.
Pure CBD capsules may be taken with food according to your preferences. You can also consume them on an empty stomach and not have any issues. Full Spectrum CBD Oils can be carried with you no matter where you go and you can take Whole Plant CBD hemp oil on a regular basis, whether you happen to be stuck in traffic or are traveling abroad. CBD capsules don't leave you with any excuses for missing your daily take of CBD! The rich CBD capsules are naturally pure and are very useful since they may be consumed with either water or food, depending on what the user's preference is. In addition, CBD pills are vegan friendly as well and therefore are a convenient option for everyone to use.
Our Full Spectrum CBD Oil With Hemp Seed Carrier Oil Tinctures
Full Spectrum CBD Tinctures
In store we have whole, premium plant CBD hemp oil that are contained in tablets and capsules and can be ordered from anywhere in the world, from our website directly and then shipped right to your house for your easy and simply daily CBD intake. We prepare our high quality CBD capsules without using any preservatives and therefore provide the safest method for consuming CBD. In addition, various CBD capsule brands are in the works, and will be providing them to you very soon.
CBD capsules are very easy to dose and use, and are among the most popular of all of the different intake methods that are used throughout the world. If you are servicing for a convenient CBD intake alternative method, then you should consider CBD capsules, especially if you are comfortable already with taking supplements in capsule form.
Full Spectrum CBD Oil Tinctures
With CBD capsules having the advantage of being able to consume them at any time and anywhere, they are a suitable and convenient type of CBD intake. They also help you to easily control your CBD dose. Hemp Genix CBD Capsules are great for whenever you are out and about. CBD-rich hemp oil capsules are easily to travel with, and you can take them whenever you need to.
Full Spectrum CBD Oil Capsules Guide
All Hemp Genix Full Spectrum CBD Oil and Full Spectrum CBD Capules are 25 mg per capsules as compared to 10 mg from competitors and competitors with 25 mg with imported oil, lower purity levels and higher costs. Our Oil is over 80% Purity, Zero THC and 100% USA. The industry standard for purity is currently at 17% to 40%. For medicinal purposes there is a big difference between a 80% 25 mg CBD Capsule Pill and a 40% 25 mg CBD Capsule. They are considered to be a whole food source for hemp-based CBD. You can take your Full Spectrum CBD Oil along with you on your next upcoming adventure, even if that happens to be just surviving rush hour traffic on your way home from work.
– Made in the USA
– No preservatives
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– Gentle formulation that can be taken with or without food and at any time
– Made out of non-GMO natural ingredients
– A whole food source of hemp-based, natural cannabidiol (CBD)
– CBD-rich hemp oil within vegan capsules
Can be take with or without food. They are made with non-GMO hemp that is grown without chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides. Non-psychoactive. No preservatives or artificial colors. CBD is a natural component of hemp oil.
Full Spectrum CBD Tinctures NorfolkPure CBD Oil Vs Water Soluble CBD Oils Which Is Better?
CBD oil, in its natural form, isn't water soluble. The oil form won't dissolve in water. Thus, there are a variety of processes that can be utilized to change the form of CBD oil into a water soluble product.
Previous to September of 2016, no one even talked about a water soluble form of CBD oil. It simply wasn't heard of and it wasn't on the market. Bioavailability is the one thing that all vitamin companies and pharmaceutical companies have worked diligently on. In their quest to develop a water-soluble CBD oil, they've had to continually improve on their products.
Hemp and marijuana, in natural forms, aren't water soluble as the plant is full of oils. To further complicate matters, our bodies are made up of mostly water. With our brains at about 80 percent water and the rest of the cells in the body at 90 percent water, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that we have a problem if we're relying on CBD oil as a medicine.
Everyone knows that oil and water don't mix. This poses a serious issue. The body simply can't absorb oil. Thus, only about 10 percent of the vitamins are going to be absorbed by the body.
The pharmaceutical industry has discovered many side effects from standard drugs. Due to this lack of bioavailability of many of the drugs with water, the body is only able to absorb approximately ten percent of the medicine to have any effect on the body.
So the question remains, where is the rest of the product going? The body is missing out on the other 90 percent of the medicine. Guess what, it's being stored in the fat cells and it can remain there and reach highly toxic levels.
As a direct result of these toxins, the body may begin to feel nauseous, tired, groggy and more. As pharmaceutical companies raced to resolve such issues, the CBD oil industry recognized they were having the same issue. If they could find a water soluble form of the CBD oil, their patients would receive a full dose of the medication and not just a partial dose.
While the CBD oil products worked well as a vaping product, they were failing miserably as an edible. The oil products also worked well as an ointment or skin care product, but again, failed when people relied on the dosages of CBD oil via a dropper.
Thanks to research, many CBD oil companies are jumping on the bandwagon and creating a water soluble CBD oil. This is allowing patients to get their full dosage of their medication to ease their pain and treat other symptoms such as seizures and other ailments.
Some companies will use glycerin to help the CBD oil become water soluble. Never do they use detergents or solvents. The best water soluble products for CBD oil are all natural products that are used with curcumin. Curcumin has its own properties such as an anti-inflammatory as well as an antioxidant. When combined, they work together to help ease the various medical conditions that they are treating.
Thus, to answer the question of Pure CBD Oil Vs Water Soluble CBD Oils Which Is Better? The short answer will be dependent upon what form you're going to use to ingest the CBD oil.
For those who are smoking or vaping, you'll want to hang tight with the regular CBD oil. It will vape better if it's in an oil form.
For those who are relying on the drops or an edible, you're going to want to choose a water-soluble form. Obviously, you'll have to do some fact checking when you buy your CBD oil and discuss how you plan to use it.
Additionally, it's important to remember that when using a water soluble CBD oil you're getting a full dose. So you won't want to take more than you need. It would be easy to take more if you're used to the nonwater-soluble form of the CBD oil.
Always check your dosage and try to start out with a very small dosage before moving up the dosage scale. Start with the smallest amount possible and focus on how it's working.
Keep in mind how you'll be using it, what you're using it for (medical reason) and how frequently you're going to be using it.
Understanding how long it takes to feel the effects and how frequently you should be using the dosage will help you to choose the right dosage for your needs.
Remembering how you're going to be ingesting it will help you to focus on whether or not you need a water soluble form of the CBD oil. Ask questions and keep in mind that different companies use different methods to change whether or not the product is water soluble.


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Nourishing Body & Soul
This summer, not everyone hit the open road for their travels. Some took to the blue waves of the water along the East Coast, instead, shooting amazing photographs of every port they stopped at along their journey.Â
Kris Gebhardt and his wife Angela, two fitness and beauty experts from the Indianapolis area, just so happen to be two of those people that took to boating. They also happen to be the brains and force behind the much-anticipated 27,000 square foot Spa that will be featured inside the 380 million dollar newly renovated historic French Lick Springs Resort and Casino in Southern Indiana.
"Cruising the coast from Florida all the way up around to the Great Lakes on board an 80 foot jet powered luxury yacht is a wonderful way to clear the mind and draw inspiration for how to design and run a great spa,â€? explains Kris. "It's a good way to keep healthy and see the country in a whole new way. Plus it inspires and puts us in the right frame of mind for our spa work. Particularly because the spa is being designed around the famous historic healing waters of the rich Pluto mineral springs.â€? Â
Nurturing a healthy mind and body is something they are used to. They bring to the designing table a host of experience and qualifications that include owning several businesses within the beauty and spa industry and years of experience in the fitness industry. Kris has authored five fitness-related books, including the latest, "Overhaul: Reinvent, Rebuild & Remake Yourself� (GCI Press, 2003), and he has also been a consultant for a multitude of famous faces, including rocker John Mellencamp.
"The Spa at the French Lick is going to be hard to beat,� says Kris. "Angela and I have spent millions to create an environment that people won't want to leave, once they visit. Not only will they get the opportunity to relax and reinvigorate, but they can also admire some great art work, of the hand-painted allegorical murals in the lobby being done by Conrad Schmitt Studios.�
For now, people will continue to anxiously await the opening of the new spa and the 42,000-square-foot casino. As the couple finishes up their East Coast cruising journey, and capture a few more breath taking photographs that will be featured in the guest rooms at the historic hotel, one can only wonder what inspiration they will draw from the next wave they come across.
Latest comments
Ann GarrisonFebruary 22,2018 @ 08:03 PM
I think you have "Filtered HTML" turned on here. If you switch to "Full HTML," it will probably...


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It's A Blessing is back!
Everything this lovely mom sells in her Etsy store has Christian meaning and purpose.
The Lord laid it on this mom of 7's heart to bless, encourage women with these special bracelets----and look at all the pretty new items they have now since we last visited:
Wait on the Lord Blessing Bracelet--$13
Every bracelet comes with a pretty print up on cardstock of the meaning of each charm/colored bead.
Great gift for someone who just moved into a new home! Here are some examples of what the charms mean:
Fish-a symbol for Christ- "But He blesses the home of the righteous." Proverbs 3:33
Heart-for love-"If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." John 14:23
Flowers-"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." I Peter 1:24 A reminder not to get too hung up on the details...God's Word is what stands forever.
House Charm-"Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in YOUR HOUSE; they are ever praising you." Psalm 84:3-4. Read the rest here.
Blessing babies-$2
Made pioneer style by the daughter of the owner of It's a Blessing, who is only 10 years old!
Isn't is just sweet?
She works hard to make them just right for little hands to play with during a church service or as a special little something for a new baby. They are inexpensive enough to even use as a decorative touch to your wrapped baby gift and comes in different colors.
Read the rest here.
And so much more like scarves, blankets for moms who have miscarried and children's bracelets--
click here to view them all.
Would you like to advertise on A Wise Woman Builds Her Home?
When you advertise with us you get to advertise on three blogs for the price of one!
Click here for rates or contact me at email@example.com


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Try MPORN on your phone, tablet or other mobile device
Mporn.com, experience porn how it was meant to be - in the palm of your hand! Here you can access the best HD & high-definition mobile porn videos on any major smart-phone or hand held devices such as, android, iOs, iPhones, tablets, phablets and others! Upgrading to premium is easy, fast and discreet. Porn on the go! Don't leave home without it! Register now to sign-in.


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What do you need help on? Cancel X
ThruSpace is an exciting puzzle game in which you move and rotate an object called a keydron through gaps in walls. Putting your keydron through a gap earns you points, but mastering this ability allows you to perform combos (picking up pairs of crystals simultaneously) and tricks (rotating the keydron so that its shadow covers all of the gap before passing through it), which are key to achieving high scores. Refine your skills in multiple game modes (Normal, Endless and Trick Challenge), brush up on the rules in Keydron Tutorial, or watch replay data in Keydron Memories. As the game progresses, the number of available keydrons, backgrounds, stages and levels will increase. If you have a broadband Internet connection, you can register your high scores on the leaderboard via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and compare scores with other ThruSpace players. This game is easy to play but difficult to master. Do you have the skills and reflexes necessary to overcome the increasingly complex challenges of ThruSpace?
Game News
ThruSpace news at GameSpot.
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All of us have been benefited by Linux in some way or other and this is due to all the work that is being done by so many organizations and people around the world. I would like to spare some time to tell you about my initiative to raise 100$ for Linux Foundation. Please visit my donation page or click donate on the widget in the bottom of the page. The Linux Foundation will highly appreciate it and so would I.
I hope you would like to give back if you can … I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Related articles
- Linaro group advances Linux on ARM with 11.10 release (arstechnica.com)
- Linux Mint Updates; Easy DVD Edition Upgrades, Improved Menus, Integrated Search Engines [Downloads] (lifehacker.com)
- Wayland Goes Linux (lockergnome.com)
- China Mobile Joins the Linux Foundation (linux.slashdot.org)
Link to this post!


text: Blue Goblet is a series of fonts and ornaments by Cory Godbey and Jeremy Dooley. This best selling series has now been extended to include a new member, Blue Goblet Serif. Blue Goblet Serif comes with a variety of weights and also an outline version. Blue Goblet is hand-lettered by the artist, Cory Godbey, and is organic, spontaneous and exuberant. Characters bounce and dance above and below the baseline and x-height, making this a whimsical and fun script.


text:
Solder tab terminals are used to connect circuits. They can be easily welded onto the end of a wire and can be attached to a click connector. There are two types of click connector – male and female, which fit together. This means you can connect two wires by attaching a solder tab with opposing click connectors to each. Solder tab terminals are easily disconnected. Tab terminals differ from ring terminals in that they don't need to be bolted to a board, but function like a socket.
What are solder tab terminals used for?
You can use solder tab terminals as a wire extension. They can connect a circuit to a power supply, or be used to link an antenna to a radio signal or WiFi. They're also used to earth electrical currents.
Types of solder tab terminals
Solder tab terminals can be made from various metals. The contact plating can be tin, tin over copper or tin over nickel over copper, while the contact material is brass. They come in a range of sizes and can be straight (for extensions) or right angle (for space efficiency).


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Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Announces $550 Million Joint State-Federal Settlement with SunTrust
SAN FRANCISCO – Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced a $550 million joint state-federal settlement with mortgage lender and servicer SunTrust Mortgage Inc. to address mortgage origination, servicing, and foreclosure abuses.
The three-year settlement provides direct payments to California borrowers for past foreclosure abuses, loan modifications and other relief for borrowers in need of assistance, and tough new mortgage servicing standards, and grants oversight authority to an independent monitor.
"We are recovering from the foreclosure crisis in California, but for too many families the legacy created by this crisis has been an enduring struggle to stay in their homes," Attorney General Harris said. "This settlement will help California's homeowners with Sun Trust mortgages get loan modifications and work to regain their financial footing."
The settlement includes California and 48 other states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Today's agreement requires SunTrust to provide all borrowers nationwide with $500 million worth of loan modifications and other relief. SunTrust may fulfill its obligations in many ways, including principal reductions and refinancing for underwater mortgages. Because SunTrust receives only partial settlement credit for many types of loan modifications, the settlement will provide relief to borrowers that will exceed the overall minimum amount.
More information about the loan modification process will be released at a later date, though current borrowers with loans serviced by SunTrust can contact the company directly with questions at 1-800-634-7928.
Approximately 4,733 Eligible California borrowers whose loans were serviced by SunTrust and who lost their home to foreclosure from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2013 and encountered servicing abuse will be eligible for a payment from the national $40 million fund for payments to borrowers. The borrower payment amount will depend on how many borrowers file claims.
Eligible borrowers will be contacted by the settlement administrator about how to qualify for payments.
The settlement requires SunTrust to substantially change how it services mortgage loans, handles foreclosures, and ensures the accuracy of information provided in federal bankruptcy court. The terms will prevent past foreclosure abuses, such as robo-signing, improper documentation and lost paperwork.
The settlement creates dozens of new consumer protections and standards, including:
- Making foreclosure a last resort by first requiring SunTrust to evaluate homeowners for other loss mitigation options;
- Restricting foreclosure while the homeowner is being considered for a loan modification;
- New procedures and timelines for reviewing loan modification applications;
- Giving homeowners the right to appeal denials;
- Requiring a single point of contact for borrowers seeking information about their loans and maintaining adequate staff to handle calls.
The agreement resolves potential violations of civil law based on SunTrust's deficient mortgage loan origination and servicing activities. The agreement does not prevent state or federal authorities from pursuing criminal enforcement actions related to this or other conduct by SunTrust, or from punishing wrongful securitization conduct that is the focus of the Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group. Additionally, the agreement does not prevent any action by individual borrowers who wish to bring their own lawsuits.
The agreement will be filed as a consent judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
SunTrust, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SunTrust Banks Inc., a bank and financial services company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
The agreement's mortgage servicing terms largely mirrors the 2012 National Mortgage Settlement (NMS) reached in February 2012 between the federal government, 49 state attorneys general, including California, and the five largest national mortgage servicers. That agreement has provided consumers in California with over $20 billion in relief, created tough new servicing standards, and implemented independent oversight.
Following the settlement, Attorney General Harris sponsored the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, a landmark package of legislation that restricts dual-track foreclosures, guarantees struggling homeowners a reliable point of contact at their lender and imposes civil penalties on fraudulently signed mortgage documents. In addition, homeowners may require loan servicers to document their right to foreclose. This legislation was signed by Governor Brown in July 2012 and took effect on January 1, 2013.