Saturday, January 30, 2010

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Priest Shortage Leaves Faithful Alone on Sickbeds

"Finding a priest to be at the bedside of the dying is becoming harder and harder across the country. The shortage of priests has been a problem for years, but its implications become most clear at dire times for the ill."

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Economy’s Impact on Churches: How Have They Adapted

Part two or a three-part look by Barna at the economy and churches.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Religious Groups Fill Haiti Government Gaps

"Religious missions, with their deep community connections, are proving to be particularly critical conduits of help, both spiritual and material."

43% of Americans Report Bias Against Muslims

"A whopping 43% of Americans report at least “a little” bias against Muslims, and a majority, 53%, have an unfavorable view of the religion, according to a Gallup poll released today."

Monday, January 18, 2010

Martin Luther King Article

"No Christian played a more prominent role in the 20th century's most significant social justice movement."

Remembrance Humor

Three friends from the local congregation were asked, "When you're in your casket, and friends and congregation members are mourning over you, what would you like them to say?"

Artie said: "I would like them to say I was a wonderful husband, a fine spiritual leader, and a great family man."

Eugene commented: "I would like them to say I was a wonderful teacher and servant of God who made a huge difference in people's lives."

Don said: "I'd like them to say, 'Look, he's moving!'"

Friday, January 15, 2010

2010 Statistical Abstract: Religion

Population: Religion - Three areas of coverage:

Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population
Religious Bodies--Selected Data
Christian Church Adherents and Jewish Population, States

Football Humor

By the time Ted arrived at the football game, the first quarter was almost over. "Why are you so late?" his friend asked.

"I had to toss a coin to decide between going to church and coming to the game."

"How long could that have taken you?"

"Well, I had to toss it 14 times."

Church Contributions, Budgets Recede in Poor Economy

A national survey of 1,002 Protestant pastors in November by Nashville-based LifeWay Research found:

•28% reported raising less money than in 2008.

•57% said the poor economy was hurting their church.

•70% reported increased requests from people outside their congregation for assistance.

•43% budgeted more money to help more needy people.

•3% were considering closing down their churches.

Pastors' Work Hours Tallied in New Survey

"Protestant pastors in America are working long hours, sometimes at the expense of relationships with church members, prospects, family and even the Lord, according to a LifeWay Research study released Jan. 5."

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Pat Robertson's Controversial Comments

"Televangelist Pat Robertson is no stranger to controversial comments. Here are some of his most outlandish remarks."

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Louisiana Prison Gives Inmates Chance to Earn Ministry Degree

"Since starting the program at Angola, the Baptist seminary has begun similar ones in the Mississippi and Georgia prisons. Angola and seminary officials believe they are the only full-time, college-accredited programs for ministers in the nation's prisons."

After 25 Years, L. Ron Hubbard Scientology Materials Restored

"More than 1,000 unreleased recordings of lectures by L. Ron Hubbard and reams of corresponding writings have been unveiled in the culmination of a 25-year project to locate, restore and transcribe lost pieces of the Scientology founder's work."

Friday, January 8, 2010

Minister Humor

An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. "Where would you like to sit?" he asked politely.

"The front row please," she answered.

"You really don't want to do that," the usher said. "The pastor is really boring."

"Do you happen to know who I am?" the woman inquired.

"No," he said.

"I'm the pastor's mother," she replied indignantly.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked.

"No," she said.

"Good," he answered.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Amish Prove Clean Living Pays Off

"U.S. researchers say an examination of cancer rates among the Amish underscores the virtues of exercise, not smoking, healthy food and fewer sex partners."

Monday, January 4, 2010

Can Megachurches Bridge the Racial Divide?

"According to Michael Emerson, a specialist on race and faith at Rice University, the proportion of American churches with 20% or more minority participation has languished at about 7.5% for the past nine years. But among Evangelical churches with attendance of 1,000 people or more, the slice has more than quadrupled, from 6% in 1998 to 25% in 2007."

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Racetrack Humor

Charlie was a regular visitor at the racetrack. One afternoon he noticed an unusual sight. Right before the first race, a Catholic priest visited one of the horses in the stable area and gave it a blessing. Charlie watched the horse race very carefully, and sure enough the blessed horse came in first!

Charlie followed the priest before the next race, and again he went to the stables and performed a similar procedure. Charlie played hunch and put a couple of dollars on the blessed horse. Sure enough the blessed horse came in by two lengths and Charlie won close to fifty bucks!

The priest continued the same procedure through the next few races and Charlie won each time. He was now ahead $1,000, so between races Charlie left the track and went to the bank and withdraw his life's savings $20,000.

The biggest race of the day was the last one. Charlie followed the priest and watched carefully which horse he blessed. He then went to the betting window and put his whole $21,000 bundle of cash on that horse to win.

Then Charlie went out to watch the horses race. Down the stretch they came, and as they crossed the finish line, the horse Charlie's fortune was bet on was dead last!

Charlie was crushed. He located the priest and told him that he had been watching him bless the horses all day, and they all became winners except the last horse on which he had bet his life savings. Charlie then asked, "What happened to the last horse which you blessed? Why didn't it win like the others?"

"That's the trouble with you Protestants," sighed the priest. "You can never tell the difference between a blessing and the last rites."

Church Humor

The church gossip, and self-appointed arbiter of the church's morals, kept sticking her nose into other people's business. Several church members were unappreciative of her activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence.

She made a mistake, however, when she accused George, a new member, of being drunk after she saw his pickup truck parked in front of the town's only bar one afternoon.

She commented to George on a Sunday morning, in the company of many, that everyone seeing it there would know what he was doing.

George, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just walked away. He didn't explain, defend, or deny; he said nothing.

Later that evening, George quietly parked his pickup in front of her house and left it there all night.

Polishing the Puritan Image

"A recent introduction to Puritan history rehabilitates their reputation and legacy."

Top Ten Religious News Stories of 2009, of the Decade

"The events, people, and debates of the past year that have shaped, or will significantly shape, evangelical life, thought, or mission. Also: Top 10 news stories of the decade." From Christianity Today