Kevin Love Coat Drive

You can help families in need of coats this Christmas when you donate a new or gently-used coat to the Kevin Love Coat Drive. Kevin, forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves, recently called into 95.3 and gave us all the details.

The final day of the coat drive is now Tuesday, December 15th and you can drop off your donation at any of the following locations in the Twin Cities:

1. Brooklyn Park - 8401 West Broadway Ave, Brooklyn Park MN 55445
2. Inver Grove Heights - Salem Square, 5300 S Robert Trail, Inver Grove Heights, MN 55075
3. Little Canada - 2800 Rice Street, Suite 159 Little Canada, MN 55117
4. Minneapolis - 801 Plymouth Avenue N. Minneapolis MN 55411
5. St. Paul - 10 River Park Plaza St. Paul, MN 55107
6. Target Center Box Office - 600 1st Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55403

Joy Is In Our Hearts

Sara Groves stopped by the 95.3 Praise FM studios and gave us the story behind the song "Joy Is In Our Hearts" from her new album Fireflies and Songs.

The Christmas Window

Check out The Christmas Window starting the weekend of December 4th at North Heights Lutheran Church in Arden Hills! The Christmas Window is an original production featuring the music of Michael W. Smith and American Idol alum Phil Stacey as part of the cast. Listen in to our conversation with NHLC Director of Worship, Mark David Williams, as we discuss this exciting production.

One Shoebox Can Change A Life

We recently talked with Ted, an Operation Christmas Child Full-Circle Kid, who received a shoebox from OCC as a child and is now returning the favor and giving gifts and the hope of Jesus to children through Operation Christmas Child.

True Greatness

My dear friend Glenn Martin, director of Fellowship of Christian Athletes for the State of Minnesota, shares this wonderful story which was submitted by Jake Vanada who directs FCA in the west metro area.
-David McIver



It's the last game of the regular season, Minnetonka Vs. Wayzata, a huge rivalry between two high profile and greatly successful teams. Wayzata is the undefeated State Champ who beat Minnetonka earlier this year. However, on this particular night, Minnetonka wins this game 3-0 in overtime.

Through the FCA huddle ministry, Wayzata has a tradition of prayer after the game lead by their students and some coaches. Working in advance with the coaching staffs at both schools, Wayzata invited the players from Minnetonka to join with the Wayzata players after the game on the field for a joint time of prayer.

It was an unbelievable moment on a cold and misty night under the lights after a very tough well-played game. Probably 30-40 players from each team took a knee and gave God the glory and thanked Him for the night and the game. One Wayzata player prayed “Lord, our brothers from across the lake beat us tonight, and as much as we hate to lose, we are happy to have been in this game with them.”

I was humbled to have the chance to also pray with the teams and to see young men sincerely bow and give God the glory.

Way to go Wayzata and Minnetonka Football. You are two classy, well coached teams!

Operation Christmas Child

Nicole Sheldon, Upper Midwest Regional Director for Operation Christmas Child, shares about the exciting new program called Follow Your Box with 95.3 Praise FM. Through Follow Your Box, families, organizations, businesses, and churches can now know where their shoe boxes have been sent. Use the EZ Give feature on www.samaritanspurse.org to pay for shipping and a special label with a barcode will be available to print. Affix the label to your box and drop-off at a site near you during National Collection Week, Nov. 16-23. When your box ships, you will be notified via email which country your box is being sent to and important information about what Operation Christmas Child and Samaritan's Purse activities are happening in that country.

Parenting With Purpose

You have the chance to instill hope, vision and purpose in the lives of incarcerated parents and their children in need of healing and restoration. Lori Strong, Executive Director or Parenting With Purpose, stopped by our studios to tell us about their amazing vision and how you can be a part!

Until the Whole World Hears Preview

How Good and Pleasant...

When I attended Bethel University in the early 1980’s, I attended a service in this old building located near the seminary. This Church was built in 1857 and moved on campus in 1973. With five rows on each side it would seat about 50 people. One winter evening the girls from the building next door invited all of the guys in J Building to a campfire and time of ministry in the sanctuary. There were candles and singing, and then the student leading the service passed around styrofoam cups. We were told to punch holes in the cups as we acknowledged areas of sin and weakness. One of my roommates virtually destroyed his cup. It was funny, but to those of us who knew him it was also revealing. The cups were placed on the altar and we were reminded that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. We were encouraged to not go through life looking for the holes in the cups around us. As we closed the speaker took all the cups and stacked them together. She then took a pitcher of water and filled the top cup. Not a drop of water escaped, and in the silence of that moment she recited Psalm 133, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” A small gathering of believers but it changed my life. I stood at the altar of the old Scandia Baptist Church today and remembered.

-David McIver

MN Teen Challenge Christmas Concert

Minnesota Teen Challenge invites you to their 2nd Annual Christmas Concert to celebrate the FREEDOM found in Christ!