Author: Gordon Govier

The drumming signals the start of Sunday Mass at the Congregation of the Great Spirit. Father Edward Cook sits in the circle at the front of the church where he and the drummers play a song of welcome.Inside the small, white stone church at 1050 W. Lapham Blvd., where Lithuanians once worshipped, more than 100 people come to pray at one of the few urban churches in the country to blend the Roman Catholic Mass with American Indian traditions.Read more of this story.

Washington correspondent David Brody knew it was a symbolic moment when Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean appeared on the Christian Broadcasting Network. Then there was the landmark Nevada trip to interview Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his wife, Landra, at their home. Landing a face-to-face interview with Sen. Hillary Clinton for The 700 Club ? Say no more. Finally, after a year of negotiations, Sen. Barack Obama’s staff took a leap of faith and scheduled an interview with the news team at the Rev. Pat Robertson’s flagship network. Read more of this story.

News Release Even while preparing to open a new, larger pantry early next year, St. Vincent de Paul’s temporary Madison pantry is helping feed an average of 90 families per day.With numbers of client families at or near record highs recently, volunteers and staff members at Dane County’s busiest food pantry say they are glad their temporary facility will be replaced by a new, larger and better-equipped pantry within a few months. The food pantry, which serves all Dane County ZIP Codes five days each week, is operated by the local Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

The level of activity in U.S. churches when it comes to monetary giving and displaying care for others in need is "lukewarm," authors of a new report state. And being lukewarm can lead to churches being "spit out" of Jesus’ mouth, they warn. "The State of Church Giving through 2006: Global Triage, MDG 4, and Unreached People Groups," released Wednesday, evaluated members’ contributions to churches from 1968 through 2006 and the allocation of church funds to overseas mission work and urgent global needs. Read more of this story. Church Giving Outlook from Christianity Today

Flights to exotic locations, uprooting one’s family, and investing years of one’s life are no longer required to do global mission work given the advancement of communication technology. Now, with the power of Internet technology, Christians can share the Gospel and God’s plan for salvation with people in 191 countries around the world without leaving their home. Read more of this story.

COMMENTARYI have been surprised by the number of Christians who have given up on politics this year. "I don’t like either candidate, so I’m staying home," some say.I get fed up with the vain posturing and empty promises, too. But not voting is not an option—it’s both our civic and sacred duty. Voting is required of us as good citizens and as God’s agents for appointing leaders.Read more of this commentary.

I was in a newspaper newsroom during the Crash of 1987. Twenty-one years later, I’m still in the news game and now we have the Crash of 2008.The events of recent weeks are something that your grandchildren may ask you about in 20 years. In recent days, we have seen persistent comparisons to the 1930s. That sent me onto Internet search engines to find out what was going on in American Christianity during the 1930s and the Great Depression.Read more of this story.

The Amish are often portrayed as the most rooted of communities, who seldom venture off the farm except for short trips by horse and buggy.In fact, nearly 11,600 Amish households have picked up and moved to a different state since 1992, according to a new study. And that doesn’t include migration within states, said the study’s author, Amish expert Donald B. Kraybill.Read more of this story.

Religious people are more helpful and generous than others — but only on two conditions, according to a new study published in the prestigious journal Science.Read more of this story.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–The American Family Association announced Oct. 9 an end to the boycott it had organized against McDonald’s, citing the restaurant chain’s willingness to "remain neutral in the culture war regarding homosexual marriage."Read more of this story.