Author: Gordon Govier

After modeling a seeker-sensitive approach to church growth for three decades, Willow Creek Community Church now plans to gear its weekend services toward mature believers seeking to grow in their faith.Read more of this story.

Problem: Most churched high school students do not make it through college with their faith intactThe faith disconnect that occurs when Christian high school students make the transition to college or career (Lifeway Research’s survey from August 2007 shows the dropout rate at 70 percent) is not necessarily something that students plan. The problem is usually that students do not have a mature faith that they will continue to nurture when they are away from the influence of their parents.Read more of this story.More on this topic: "Raised in the Church" – The Stamford Advocate

EP News— The first volume in the “Chronicles of Narnia” film series was a good-but-not-great movie. The Christian imagery was present but not overbearing – just as Lewis would have liked, no doubt. And though the movie was 10 minutes too long, the story moved well enough.Now comes volume II, “Prince Caspian.” It’s shorter, spiritually darker, and has much more action. All of which means that while “Caspian” may not be a better book (Narnia buffs argue about which book is the best), it is a better movie than “The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe.”Read more of this story.A…

As Israel this month celebrates the 60th anniversary of its creation as a modern nation — and the Palestinian Arabs in Israel and displaced to surrounding nations lament the destruction of their way of life in the process — Father Elias Chacour was in Madison talking Wednesday evening to several hundred people about his work as a leader of Palestinian Christians. Read more of this story. A Palestinian Christian finds the path from hate to forgiveness – Christian History and Biography magazine

"Shadowlands" comes to life under stage lights at Concordia University in Mequon through May 18 as Acacia Theatre Company presents William Nicholson’s dramatization of the late-life romance of renowned Oxford University author, scholar and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis with American poet Joy Davidman Gresham.Read more of this story.

The messages are simple enough. Some include a prayer, others offer stories or pictures.Then, slipped into the cyber-epistle, the kicker: If you love God and/or are not ashamed of your religious beliefs, forward the e-mail to a particular number of people.Read more of this story.

Super Sunday is all about putting our faith into action by touching people’s lives in service to them and our community. On this coming weekend Door Creek Church will be canceling ALL normal services and gathering for one joint service at 10:00 a.m. at the Monona Terrace. Read more of this story.

Not long after he became the presumed Republican nominee, John McCain flew to New Orleans to face a skeptical audience — conservative leaders of the Council for National Policy.A questioner zeroed in on a topic McCain rarely addresses on the campaign trail, asking him to explain his faith in God.Read more of this story. Getting to Know John McCain – Wall Street Journal McCain’s Christian Problem – Robert Novak

COMMENTARYA number of explorers have laid claim to discovering Noah’s Ark, usually on or near Mount Ararat in Turkey. But each always finds something different. Obviously, logic dictates that they can’t all be right—and most must be wrong. Churches and Christian conferences have hosted speakers who tell fantastic tales—in fact, too fantastic. Time after time we have realized that their discoveries have as much historical value as The Da Vinci Code. As much as we would like to believe them, their claims remain speculative and unproven.Read more of this commentary.

NEWS RELEASEAs people in our families age, we all face new questions, have new concerns and look for answers to create a safe, comfortable future. With those goals in mind, the Human Concerns Committee of Blessed Sacrament Parish, 2116 Hollister Avenue, Madison, with sponsorship from the Office of Justice and Pastoral Outreach of the Diocese, presents outstanding speakers on Thursday, May 22, 2008 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. All Madison area residents are invited.