Author: Gordon Govier

Just weeks ago, much was made of the demise of the one of America’s largest voting blocs. The, "extraordinary evangelical love affair with Bush ended in heartbreak over the Iraq war and what they see as his meager domestic accomplishments," wrote The New York Times David D. Kirkpatrick. Evangelicals would no longer cast deciding votes in presidential elections–for at least six weeks.Then came the surprising rise of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is neck and neck with former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. Read more of this story.

Christmas is peak season for sales of children’s Bible storybooks. The lavishly illustrated collections vary from literal booklets that don’t hesitate to lay down the line against sin, to imaginative variations such as one where a butterfly hovers by Christ at the Crucifixion. Read more of this story.

Now comes the first wave of baby boomers entering retirement, and Don Parrott believes they’ve got a lot more left inside them that would further the Kingdom of God. That’s why Parrott wants them for the Finishers Project, so boomers can “finish out their lives strong” in service to others at home or abroad.Read more of this story.

How to respond to the next blockbuster book/documentary/movie that questions traditional Christianity.Not long ago, topics like textual criticism and the extra-biblical Gospels elicited yawns from my seminary students. I went through the obligatory motions of covering these staples of New Testament study, knowing that no matter how hard I tried, questions would be rare and engagement minimal.All that has changed. Topics like the James ossuary and the Gospel of Judas have hit Times Square, not only pricking the attention of seminary students, but also garnering coverage from journalists and culture-watchers, from CBS News’s traditional news team to 360 Degrees’s Anderson…

Officials at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are being accused of breaking an agreement and treating members of a religious club as second-class citizens.Read more of this story.

Pastors’ attempts to ward off the Christmas spirits of consumerism and busyness are so predictable, they’re easy to ignore. So many churches are looking for creative ways to reinvigorate members to take the energy they usually put into holiday-season spending and convert it into compassionate giving.Read more of this story.

Petite, blonde—"ordinary" is her description—Kay Warren has for 32 years played the role of nurturer, best friend and helpmeet. But for the past year Kay has been on the lecture circuit herself, preaching that Christians ought to apply themselves to the problem of AIDS, even though it raises uncomfortable questions about sex. This week her memoir, "Dangerous Surrender," comes out, and now Kay Warren has emerged at the center of things.Read more of this story.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Facing the killer who had opened fire at her church, Jeanne Assam gripped her handgun and asked God for help."I just prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide me. I said, ‘Holy Spirit, please be with me,’" said Assam, 42. "My hands weren’t even shaking."Read more of this story.Is Your Church Ready for a Crisis?

Life is overflowing for Dan Haseltine, lead singer for Jars of Clay. The band – winner of multiple Grammy and Dove awards – has a new CD called "Christmas Songs." It performed at a sold-out concert with Third Day at 7 p.m. Sunday at Elmbrook Church.Read more of this story.

Two missionaries-in-training were killed two more were wounded when a gunman burst into a residence hall at the Youth With a Mission center in the Denver suburb of Arvada, the police said.Read more of this story.More information from KUSA TVUpdate: Eight or More Shot in Two Colorado Church IncidentsLate evening update: Death toll at Four.Monday update.More about Youth WIth A MissionPastor: Guard, plan saved ‘hundreds of lives’ at church – CNN