Want to know about Sister Sharon? I’ll tell you.

I love children. I love learning. I want to help children learn, and therefore this ‘cast supports and equips parents and educators. Sometimes, I can’t resist adding helping the grandparent generation.

I founded The Great Shalom Broadcast in June 2008 to bring shalom (healing, achievement and total well-being) to children and young people through the preaching of the gospel and sharing of fresh, good, practical applications. Far too often there is too much discouragement and too much resignation. Nearly all helping professions encourage this, often so they can get more money! So, I offer the first step: faith! I say I believe in miracles and I take them any way they come. My family and I have seen them — all kinds. Let me share my perspective.

I had/have learning disabilities, but am in the generation where that was called “brain damage.” Yet, I was a honors student. I went to a couple of different graduate programs. I have pastored, taught college, and offered training and consulting to teachers and managers, especially directors of childcare centers. What I offer here is more grounded in the expertise of a mother and grandmother — who faced major challenges and surmounted them, with victory to tell about! Follow me toward academic success, and children who are flourishing!

DIVERSITY OF OPINIONS

The responsibility for the views expressed remains that of the speakers. I intentionally have a variety of guests. I invite them for their particular expertise. That is also true for the books I recommend; I recommend them because something in them might help someone. We do not have to agree on everything; we are just looking for great ideas to help your particular child or students.

Somebody who brings you practical expertise, you may find lacking in doctrinal understanding, but you take their practical contribution, don’t you? If your lawyer or doctor goes to a different church, you don’t fire them for that. So it is not fair to be mad at one minister, for what the guy the week before said. There is no point in getting out of joint because one person admires a leader you don’t. Or being angry at the station for anything. The point is : “How can the main point the speaker is making help a child?” Does anything help YOU help a child?

Satan is a master at accusing people and getting you to take offense. Take blessings instead. You might learn something. Indeed, that very challenge might be a revelation that will radically improve your life.

Similarly, just because someone has a good book or given us an interview, doesn’t mean we agree with everything they may do. If they should someday do something that we don’t agree with, that does not take away from what is done here.

We strenuously endeavor to walk as holy and as ethically as possible. To the limits of my ability and beyond, trusting in God, I try to bring to you the best practical strategies known. So many walk in such fear, and that is partially because others talk so much condemnation. I prefer to offer you the best I know, offer all my colleagues, educators or ministers or broadcasters as much grace and positive assumptions as I can, and offer as much to my listeners as possible. Therefore, rather than many ministers who take care never to mention someone else’s name for fear of being besmirched, I take the approach that both professors and my music friends take: it is honorable to mention someone else’s good work.

As in all broadcasting, it is the case here also, that the views expressed are not necessarily those of the management, staff, or underwriters of this broadcast or of the station airing the program. Similarly, we can’t be responsible for those channels or the platforms we use. We, are however, working to find and use the best.

MISSION

I am happy to have non-Christians who take the hope and faith and the knowledge I have and use it for their children. I love children, all children, and want them to do well.

For Christians, I would say that this ‘cast does indeed preach the good news of The Kingdom and making disciples (Matthew 28:19&20, Matthew 10:8). Particularly our vision is great shalom, or optimal well-being, for all children. We are believing for health, healing, wholeness, salvation, and success. We encourage and equip parents and educators to that end. We are not able to preach the full gospel here. Please see my other websites for other foci.

We are claiming God’s promise of shalom/soteria/full salvation to all the our offspring through Jesus Christ. Our aim is to bring hope, health, and healing to children and young people through inspiring, informing, and equipping parents and educators. Let’s get rid of resignation to brokenness and deficits. Let’s begin to receive the blessings God has for us. Isaiah 54:13 offers us a covenant promise that our offspring shall be taught of the LORD and great shall be the shalom of our offspring.

Shalom is Hebrew peace, prosperity, health, total well-being. It translates into Greek as soteria, meaning deliverance, healthy, salvation. Its root word, soter, means Saviour. Jesus, is much more to us than a ticket to heaven. God wants to save us to the uttermost.

When the enemy comes in like a flood, the LORD raises a standard. We humans were given dominion over the earth, lost it. Jesus won dominion back. It is time then to leave off the irresponsibility of Adam and Eve, and start acting like our Big Brother, Our Lord Jesus. Jesus the Christ went about doing good, healing all who came to him. How could it be then that we would fold our hands in resignation, saying, “Oh well, too bad these children have such problems.” Get busy. Start looking for the answers. God has them for us, waiting for us.

Seek God! Seek some practical answers! Seek the good of your children — and the good of children and young people everywhere. It is your job, at least if you claim to be a mature adult in the family.

It would be our honor to pray with you for your children, and we would like to know how your needs. Contact info@greatshalom.org or write P.O. Box 971 Austin, Texas 78630.

We are trusting God for the funding, especially for the air time. Air time costs for us, just like for any other program on the airwaves. We also need to invest in publishing and advertising to get the word out. God told us to do this. God said He would miraclize this like the rest. I am doing my part. I am very pleased indeed to be part of The Father’s project. You can be too. We are looking for partners in this great work. The rewards are the best: eternal heavenly rewards, satisfaction at helping the generation coming up, and for a few specialized partners, recognition on air.

Please also help us get the word out. Tell your friends and family about the broadcast. Many many many children and their families are suffering, thinking they are all alone. Many educators are dismayed and need a word of hope. Spread the news about Great Shalom!

NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

We do not discriminate with regard to ethnicity, nationality, age, sex, marital or parental status or disability, as stipulated by Title VII. As a faith-based religious organizaiton, we do discriminate on the basis of creed for the purpose of employment or leadership, as allowed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

Condensed Version

The Bible is our rule of faith and doctrine and my life.
I believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
I believe that Jesus was both fully God and fully man.
He really suffered and died and really rose again to provide salvation to us.
We must be born again, actively taking God’s gift by faith and confessing it with our mouth.

We invite Holy Spirit to have full operation in us.
We strive to be like Jesus. Faith results in actions.

Also, because I believe the Bible, word for word, and because I believe that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, I believe that healing is available to us. God is wholly good, just and merciful and therefore it is not God that harms us. Healing is just a part of that great salvation, that great shalom, that includes all of our life here and life hereafter.

For more detailed version, click here

Please notice that I wrote this statement of faith to indicate not just orthodox doctrine, but a real decision to live in faith, obedience, good relationship with the Lord, and not intentionally excluding part of the Body of Christ. We, all of us, have to make decisions about understandings, style, preferences, and groupings in our worshipping communities, but this broadcast focusses on serving as many parents and educators as possible by connecting them to Jesus directly and to God’s will that all children be whole, healthy, joyful and free.

It would be our honor to pray with you for your children, and we would like to know how your needs. Contact info@greatshalom.org or write P.O. Box 971 Cedar Park, Texas 78630. Please also check our Resources page for prayer tools.

FRIENDS AND HELPERS

We thank Michelle Sanders, Psalmist, and Richard Sanders, Minister of Worship, and the praise team at House of the Lord, who have provided our theme music You may find their CDs at www.hotlchurch.com/housemusic.htm.

Thanks Mrs. Sherry Bassett who providing the masthead arts help. She does designs for other people too. Sorry, no longer do I have contact info.

Thanks to Mr. Wayne Coleman of www.netbroadcasting.tv. If your ministry or church needs streaming, this is “the place” to go.

Thanks to Mr. Jon Simpson of Cobalt Bridge Multi-channel for encouragement. Please send me money so I can really hire this guy to tell me how to make this broadcast ministry much better!

Thanks to all the ministers and tech folk who give advice and encouragement.

Thanks and blessings to our underwriting sponsors, our partners and donors, without whom we could not buy airtime.

Thanks to all those who pray for us in align with our vision and in faith in God’s word and goodness.

And of course, more thanks than can ever be expressed to our Lord, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit, and Daddy God who make it possible from start to finish. Thank you very much.

ABOUT SISTER SHARON

Sharon Sarles is a mother, grandmother, teacher, former preschool director, retired college instructor, and retired minister. She has served as a congregational pastor, a consultant to early childhood educational administrators, a college professor, and a trainer to teachers.

She has obtained victories in homeschooling several offspring, now in two generations. Whether it is miraculous, on a growth or health basis, or from innovative education, she wants what God has for her offspring. She is honored to share that with you too.

Rev. Sarles was a particularly successful student. She eared a Montessori Diploma from St. Nicholas College of the Montessori Method of Education in London, with commended status. Then she earned a Bachelor’s at The University of Texas at Austin with Highest Honors and Special Honors in Sociology, in two years, as a single parent of a special needs child. Then she earned a Master of Divinity, having been awarded a Jean Brown Scholarship on the basis of scholarship and promise for ministry and a Newell Fellowship, based on class standing. Subsequently she earned a Master’s in Sociology. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Kappa Delta, Phi Kappa Phi, and Golden Key Honor Society, all honor societies. Life member Mensa. Yet, she is dyslexic!

As a professional educator, she has taught every age level. She continues to teach at the college level today. She now once again is offering training and consulting for professional educators, early childhood educators and directors of licensed childcare centers, www.orgstrat.net. Pastor Sharon is available for preaching.

She obtained a seminary degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, with some credits from Regent College in Vancouver. She served the Presbyterian Church (USA) as an Associate Minister for Education and Evangelism and as a solo Minister. Ordained in 1990, she now holds her credentials with Kingsway International Fellowship and is a member ICFM (International Convention of Faith Ministers).

Sister Sharon began both her service to the church and her educational career at 12 by serving in the church nursery. As a high school student, she worked in daycares. Since 1994, she has taught Sociology at the junior or community college level, finding pleasure in helping those students be successful who had not been so in the past. Having worked in business, she added business consulting to her training for early childhood educators in 1989. In 2006 she took a year off to homeschool her grandsons, after a terrible auto accident. Then in 2007 she took the position of a director in a high quailty preschool. She has devoted her time to the radio broadcast ministry since June 2008 and is now available to preach, train, and consult to churches and church related pre-schools.

For her consulting, teacher training and secular publishing work, please see www.orgstrat.net. For her resources for tutoring, assessments, and homeschooling mentoring see www.powerlearningcenters.com.

Testimony of grandsons’ healing is available in the archives.

Thanks be to God!