Saturday, October 23, 2010

Message to Thieves

A Jacksonville, Florida church has a message for whoever stole three air conditioning units from it. In fact, it's posted on a sign out front: "To whoever stole my air conditioners, you are going to need them, - God." The Normandy Park Baptist Church is a small congregation and it will cost around $4000 to replace the equipment that was stolen last weekend.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Lindsay Lohan Gets a Bible

Lindsay Lohan’s father handed her a Bible at her hearing this morning over her probation violation hearing. She accepted the Bible, but didn't speak to him. Michael Lohan clapped when the judge ordered her back to rehab rather than putting the troubled actress in jail. She had failed two drug tests last month. It has also come to light that Michael Lohan was attacked by a man and cut in a parking lot the night before.

Teacher Quits Suit

An Ohio school teacher has dropped his million dollar lawsuit over his firing. John Freshwater was dismissed from Mount Vernon Middle School for burning the image of a cross on a student's arm. He has been on suspension for last 2 years. The entire school board agreed to fire him for teaching Christian beliefs in his classroom. But Freshwater claimed a hostile work environment and harassment over his beliefs.

Brett Favre's Wife

The wife of quarterback Brett Favre says she's relying on verses from Isaiah to keep her going during the scandal involving her husband reportedly sending sexually explicit emails. Deanna Favre has a new book out called The Cure for the Chronic Life. She told Good Morning America, "I'm a woman of faith And faith has gotten me through many difficult struggles. It will get me through this one." She has put the versese from Isaiah 41:9-14 on her refrigerator, which reminds her not to be afraid. Her book is co-authored Florida megachurch pastor Shane Stanford and talks about Deanna Favre's struggle with breast cancer, her husband's prescription drug addiction and marriage problems. She says:
I think we always see the way out. Our strength obviously comes from God. We see the better way. People who don't have faith, I think they just get stuck; they don't see a way out. In the book, I hope we can lead those people maybe to Christ. They'll realize there's more to life. There's a better life, and God has a purpose and a plan for them and (can) provide hope.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Blogger Suit Settled

An agreement has been reached over a lawsuit involving a blogger critical of Mac Brunson, pastor of Jacksonville, Florida's First Baptist Church. The blogger, former First Baptist member Tom Rich, will reportedly get $50,000 for being "outed" by the local sheriff's office and then being issued warnings not to come back to the church or else he would be arrested. Brunson also made derogatory public remarks about Rich. The investigation of Rich's website was conducted by a police detective who was also a member of the minister’s security detail.

Jerk Billboard

A Beaumont, Texas church has put up this billboard that says they are "a bunch of jerks." The Christ Covenant Church put the sign up to acknowledge its failures to the local community. The billboard is meant to direct people to a website about a new sermon series.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Clink Eastwood's Spirituality

Clink Eastwood's new film called Hereafter offers a story from which he says was "was his chance to deal with one of life's and religion's biggest question ereafter explores the afterlife through the interconnected actions of three people across the globe. Christianity Today says the film "stacks the deck too heavily in one direction" and "other than the priest at the funeral, God is absent." Here is the trailer.

Megachurch Bankruptcy

A Southern California megachurch is filing for bankruptcy. Crystal Cathedral Ministries, founded by Robert Schuller, owes creditors nearly $100 million. Best known around the country for the weekly TV show The Hour of Power, the ministry based in Garden Grove, California, is being sued by some of its creditors.

Donations down, Churches face Foreclosure

Here's a video from CNN about financial issues facing churches.