BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

********** ADVERTISEMENT ********** A night of refreshing for the Body of Christ CONCERT Eagle Mountain International Church | Fort Worth, Texas Stephen & Candy LaFlora With Grammy® Award winning Saxophonist Kirk Whalum Friday | October 26, 2018 | 7 p.m. This concert will be recorded live for Stephen & Candy’s next album. Eagle Mountain International Church Kenneth Copeland Ministries Headquarters 14355 Morris-Dido Road Newark, Texas 76071 Schedule is subject to change without notice. ********************************************** * * * * article from p. 16 continues * * * * “After college, I started praying for a wife. I was the director of a gospel opera, but I’d decided to quit because of some things going on in the production. I had a dream and in it the Lord told me not to quit. That audition brought Candy into my life. As soon as we started dating, I introduced her to the Word of Faith. We married in April 1986. As a couple, we became Partners with Kenneth Copeland Ministries. My dad was pastoring a church, and we led the music ministry and the youth group.” A Word From God? Candy closed her Bible as Stephen came into the room one morning about a year later. “The Lord spoke to me about traveling with KCM,” she said. Stephen beamed, nodding his approval. “I want us to put together a demo for them,” Candy continued. “I love the way you think,” Stephen said, giving his wife a hug. They made a VHS tape of a recent concert and sent it to KCM. They never heard back. Candy figured she had missed God. Instead, she picked up what would become a lifelong prayer burden for them. Over the years the couple attended the Southwest Believers’ Convention, sitting in the nosebleed section. Hungry for the Word, they soaked up the teachings on faith and enjoyed the presence of God. In 1987, their first daughter, Stephanie, was born. Changing Direction A television producer friend contacted Stephen and asked him to compose music for a program on NBC. Stephen declined the offer because of a conflict. But the following month, he accepted an offer to write the music for a children’s program scheduled to air on the same network. Stephen composed the music, which won an Emmy® Award. Meanwhile, Candy was busy filming TV commercials and singing jingles. She also auditioned for "Star Search," a television talent show hosted by Ed McMahon. She made the cut and was accepted to be on the show, but due to a sudden dramatic shift in their lives, Candy never made an appearance on the show. In 1988, God directed Stephen and Candy to enroll at Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Okla. “Rhema introduced us to worship in a new way,” Candy explains. “We sat under the teaching of Brother Kenneth E. Hagin, which was wonderful, and Brother Keith Moore taught us how to flow in the Holy Spirit in music. He would get a new song from the Lord, and then call me up to sing with him and have Steve play piano. Patsy Cameneti taught us to flow in prayer by the Spirit as well. “Both of us graduated in 1990, sold out to God and ready to go anywhere He sent us. We were a little surprised when He sent us back home to Chicago. We had the teaching, the youth, the energy and the passion to do new things. But God wouldn’t let us. He planted us right back where we’d been before we left. Ministering in a local church of 150 people. Leading music and being youth pastors.” The Lord’s admonition to the couple was clear: 'Be still. Be planted. Serve. Stay faithful.' Breaking Out It felt like they’d gone backward to a dry season. However, Brother Moore had warned them that there would be seasons of proving, Candy recalled. During that time, in 1991, Candy gave birth to their second daughter, Jennifer. “I learned several important things from Brother Copeland while I was in my 20s that had a major impact on me,” Stephen recalls. “He taught on Matthew 26:40 where the Lord asked His disciples if they couldn’t pray one hour. I was in college practicing the piano five hours a day. Surely, I could give God an hour of prayer. BVOV : 17

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