[05.06.08] The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) released a statement recently that called on all evangelicals to “forthrightly” share the love of Jesus Christ with the Jewish people.

Dozens of prominent evangelical leaders signed the statement, dubbed “The Gospel and the Jewish People,” which acknowledged Christianity’s marred history of anti-Semitism, but argued “the most loving and Scriptural expression of our friendship toward Jewish people” is telling them about Jesus and encouraging others to do the same.

[04.30.08] A new poll shows that Americans are more prayerful and biblically literate than citizens of other Christian-populated European nations reported Reuters.

Two-thirds of American respondents said they had read from the Bible over the last 12 months while only 20 percent to 38 percent of participants from the other eight countries—Britain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Italy, Spain and Poland—reported reading the Bible over the last year.

Shi Weihan, a 37-year-old father of two, was re-arrested March 19 and has been held without any family visits allowed, according to his wife, Zhang Jing. Shi was first arrested on Nov. 28, 2007, and held until Jan. 4.

Hall's participation on the multi-artist worship project Glory Revealed brought him individual honors for Special Event Album of the Year as well as Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year for "By His Wounds," the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Starring comedian, economist and author Ben Stein, the documentary explores what filmmakers say is discrimination within the academic community against educators and scientists who question evolutionary theories on the origins of life. The film cites several examples.

At George Mason University, biology professor Caroline Crocker said she was forced out for briefly discussing problems with Darwinian theory in her class and for telling students that some scientists believe there is evidence of intelligent design in the cosmos. Astronomer Guillermo Gonzalez was denied tenure at Iowa State University for his affiliation with the intelligent design movement.

The survey, which included 1,684 unchurched adults, provided participants with the choice between four photos of different church exteriors. The most traditional and Gothic options were by far the most popular choices.

[04.08.08] A group of charismatic pastors has teamed up to launch a church-planting movement whose goal is to expand God's kingdom through evangelism and prayer.

[04.07.08] Julie Meyer says she used to simply sing songs about God, but now she desires to worship Him with total abandon.

"When I began to understand God's love and passion for me, regardless of how weak I was, it radically changed my life," she says.

A California court decided on Tuesday to reconsider the decision it made to criminalize parents for home schooling their children.

[03.25.08] Christian and Jewish leaders will convene in Manhattan at the United Nations (UN) headquarters on May 15 to honor the 60-year anniversary of the modern state of Israel.

[03.20.08] Pentecostal pastors in a central England town have united a multi-faith community—by encouraging them to paint the Easter story. They also hope to smash a world record in the process.

[03.19.08] Of the 20 million people living in Ghana an estimated 40 percent are blind or vision-impaired, according to Mission Network News (MNN).

Every year tens of thousands of Ghanaians are suffering vision loss or blindness due to preventable ailments, such as cataracts. International Aid (IA), a Christian relief ministry that provides health care, hopes to help reverse these appalling statisctics.

 IA has built and staffed an eye clinic to serve patients trying to survive on little or no money in this Third World country, MNN reported.

In an unprecedented move within the Bible producing industry, Thomas Nelson Publishers has announced that it will discontinue synthetic Bible covers in favor of more eco-friendly materials.

With the move, Nelson becomes the first Bible publisher to transition to environmentally conscious Bible bindings and practices, company officials said. Due to production schedules, some products releasing in the coming months may still include synthetic materials. Customers can expect to find eco-friendly Bible offerings in stores by early 2009, and the company estimates that the total phase-out will be completed in the next three to five years.

Sixty-two percent of respondents believe nonprofits spend more than what is reasonable on expenses such as administration and fundraising.

The Zogby Poll, conducted for the American Bible Society, shows by far that the most important virtues are truthfulness and integrity. And respondents said they want a president that understands accountability to God and has a servant mentality.

[01.29.08] A recently released research report by Rainer Research conducted on 18- to 22-year-olds showed that only 39 percent of those who dropped out of church saw their churches as “caring,” while 51 percent described them as “judgmental.”

Other unfavorable views came to light as well. Forty-one percent said their churches were “insincere.”

[01.29.08] Judy Bauer has a passion for discipleship. Through Kingdom Advancement Ministries, which she founded in 1979, she has been training Christians worldwide to evangelize the lost and help new believers grow in their relationships with Christ.

She says more than 100,000 people have come to Christ in the last 28 years, and some congregations have doubled in size as a result of their renewed emphasis on evangelism. Bauer, a former church secretary, says God gave her the system she calls Tools for the Trade.

[01-23-08] Chinese police arrested a highly prominent house-church leader, along with his colleague and a co-worker, recently while the three were conducting church services near Jiuquan City in the Christian hotbed of Henan Province, China Aid Association (CAA) reported.

Fifteen days later the co-worker, Wang Hongliang, was released while the two renowned and aging house church leaders—Su Dean and Tian Min-ge, also known as Tian Jin—had their charges elevated to criminal detention in earlier this month.

[01-22-08] Both Christian and global leaders met in Southern California this past weekend for a unique, and unprecedented conference aimed at pointing church and ministry leaders in a more progressive, culturally relevant direction.

 
Dubbed the “Rethink Conference” and held at Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, the list of more than two dozen prominent speakers included former President George H.W. Bush, Larry King, Chuck Colson, Erwin McManus, George Barna, Henry Cloud, John Townsend, Rupert Murdoch and Lee.

Recently Earl Paulk turned himself into authorities after a warrant for his arrest was issued. The 80-year-old founder of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit pleaded guilty the next day.

The collaborative letter, initiated by Yale Divinity School and signed by many liberal Christian leaders, prompted strong reactions from other evangelical leaders.

Karis Community Church in downtown Columbia, Mo., recently lost $6,000 in funding from the Missouri Baptist Convention because the church’s pastor, Kevin Larson, refuses to forbid members from drinking the occasional brew.

In December, the Columbia Tribune reported that the executive board of the convention voted 28-10 to cut funding for all Acts 29 churches (a church-planting network) because of what the board viewed as an abuse of Christian liberty by Acts 29 members.

According to a study by Christian Research, attendance at Church of England services fell by 20 percent from 2000 to 2006, and the denomination is now almost half the size it was a generation ago reports the U. K. newspaper the Telegraph.

Likewise, Methodist congregations have dipped 33 percent over a 10-year period, and Baptist churches are seeing similar results.

For the second year, churches are being invited to participate in the International Holocaust Remembrance Day to be held Jan. 27.

(12-27-07) The movement to establish nonstop prayer on college campuses will gain momentum this month when youth from across the U.S. meet in Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 2-5 for the launch of the Luke 18 Project.

An outgrowth of the TheCall prayer ministry, the project draws its name from the parable of the persistent widow and seeks to mobilize 10,000 young leaders to plant prayer ministries, evangelize communities and fight injustice.

What happens when a pastor comes clean about porn? At least in one case, he receives forgiveness and understanding.

The Rev. Brian James, pastor of St. James United Methodist Church in New Tampa, Fla. confessed his habit of pornography to his congregation, which responded to his apology with tears and applause.

Central California’s Diocese of San Joaquin became the first in the nation to leave the Episcopal Church over the issue of the Bible and homosexuality reports the Associated Press (AP).

Clergy and lay members voted 173 to 22 at the diocese’s annual convention recently to eliminate all references to the national church from the diocese’s constitution.