Author: Gordon Govier

MIAMI (BP)–Lovie Smith had a limited amount of time during his Super Bowl XLI media session Monday, but the Chicago Bears head coach said he could spend hours talking about his star players and their efforts to get the team to their first Super Bowl berth in 21 years.Smith also wanted to spend part of his allotted time talking about what was most important in his life, his faith in Jesus Christ.Read more on this story.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE (ANS) — A 25-year-old singer, Da’Quela Payne from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has won the Christian "American Idol" style reality talent series ‘Gifted.’ The show, hosted by Brian Littrell, aired Friday night (January 26th) on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, with a potential audience of 95 million viewers. As the winner, Payne was awarded a major contract with the EMI Christian Music Group.Read more of this story.

Saving souls is serious business for Annandale pastor Steve Reynolds. So is losing weight.Which is why he stepped out from behind the lectern during a service one recent weekend to deliver a blunt message to those crowded into the pews below."About 40 percent of you need to lose weight," he told his congregation at Capital Baptist Church. "When you love potluck more than God, it’s serious."Read more on this story.Remuda Ranch Programs for Eating Disorders – News Release

From the time he was 4, Matt Cooke lived for baseball. He played on his school’s teams and made trips with highly competitive travel squads. But in the 10th grade he quit, choosing his church over his sport. Read more.Karate and Christianity .

The rector of Grace Episcopal Church, accused of breaking pastoral confidences and ridiculing parishioners, is resigning as part of a settlement that church leaders hope will preserve the financial and communal health of the congregation. Read more. Letter to church members.

COMMENTARYRICHMOND, Va. (BP)–The “Christian Revolutionaries” want to revitalize the church, not abandon it -– and they definitely want to participate in missions. Read more.

Who’s an evangelical? Until last year the answer seemed clear: Evangelical was the label of choice of Christians with conservative views on politics, economics and Biblical morality. Now the word may be losing its moorings, sliding toward the same linguistic demise that "fundamentalist" met decades ago because it has been misunderstood, misappropriated and maligned. Read moreWhat is an Evangelical and who qualifies? George Barna Reports.

MIAMI (BP)–Super Bowl XLI will feature two teams making their first super game appearance in two-plus decades, two Midwestern teams separated by only a couple hundred miles, but most importantly two coaches who are strong believers in Jesus Christ.Read more.

(CNSNews.com) – On Monday’s anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, Republican officials in Washington, D.C., told the thousands of activists who took part in the annual March for Life that "life is winning in America."Read more.

NEWS RELEASEAppeal will gather blankets, bedding at Madison ShopKo stores Jan. 26-27, churches Jan. 27-28.Madison’s mild winter has turned cold and snowy after all. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is asking Dane County residents to let the blanket of white and the low temperatures serve as reminders to share the comfort they enjoy in their own homes with those who have less – by recycling the warmth.