Author: Gordon Govier

DENVER — U.S. Roman Catholic bishops began a campaign Wednesday to strengthen the institution of marriage by encouraging spouses to perform simple day-to-day gestures for one another.Read more of this story.Black Church Movement Targets Families.

Think for a moment about your cellphone.How many phone numbers does it have? How many photos?If it were lost, how long would it take you to reconstruct your life? If it were found, how much would you pay to get it back?Read more of this story.

It takes unselfish people to grow a church, says Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church in California. “Are you willing to do what is inconvenient for you in order to reach out to others?” he asked the participants attending the Urbana 06 Pastors and Church Leaders track.Read more of this story.

MEDJUGORJE, Bosnia — Nora McNulty, a Scottish grandmother, began climbing the hill at 5:50 a.m., having traveled 1,300 miles in search of something hard to find at home."Everybody is looking for peace, a calmness," she said. "Here I can take my mind off everyday living."Read more of this story.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama gave a noteworthy speech on Saturday before 10,000 members of the United Church of Christ in Hartford, Conn., and every media account I’ve seen has ignored what I see as being the most significant part.Read more of this story.Obama Points to Rick Warren, T.D. Jakes as Models for Faith-Driven Action

NEWS RELEASEWashington, DC – Today, the United States Supreme Court in a 5 to 4 decision, rejected a challenge by a radical separationist advocacy group that sued to stop federal funding of "faith-based programs." The case of Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation challenged funding for federal faith-based programs as a violation of the Establishment Clause. Justice Alito read the Court’s opinion which held that taxpayers cannot challenge actions of the Executive Branch as violations of the Establishment Clause.Read more. Wisconsin State Journal Coverage.

COMMENTARYFor many Americans, Sunday is unlike any other day of the week. They spend its luxurious hours curled up in bed with the paper, meeting friends for brunch, working off hangovers, watching golf, running errands and preparing themselves for the workweek ahead. But Sunday is also, for many, the Sabbath–a special day for religious reasons. Not that you would notice."Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy," we are told in Exodus. Of all the gifts Jews gave the world, that of a weekly day of rest is certainly one to be cherished. And yet the Sabbath is now marked…

BELLFLOWER, California – At the height of his Hollywood success, former "Growing Pains" sitcom star Kirk Cameron started worrying about something his money couldn’t buy: salvation.Read more of this story.

They admit they’re a motley bunch, but the people organizing Madison’s first low-power FM community radio station say they all have a common goal: getting new voices on the airwaves.Those in central Madison be able to tune in 99.1 WIDE starting in September, a moment that the organizers — area non-profit groups, volunteer journalists, music aficionados, church groups and community activists — have been awaiting for six years.Read more of this story.Lake City Church also starting a new radio ministry.

COMMENTARYYou can gain anything you want in life—wealth, health, the perfect mate, business success, respect from others—literally anything. That is the promise of the No. 1 best-selling book The Secret (Beyond Words). The editor, Rhonda Byrne, explains that "the secret" can be found in everything from Babylonian religion to Buddhism to Albert Einstein. The Secret (available as both a book and a DVD) is no secret now, however. It has become a global video event, a clever cross-promotional marketing plan, and a book touted by Oprah.Read more of this story.