Author: Gordon Govier

It’s not out of the ordinary to see Muslim women in veils or chador, or Orthodox Jewish women wearing long skirts, long sleeves and wigs to cover their hair. But it is unusual to see an American Christian woman covering her hair or adopting a distinctly modest style of dress that defines her as a person of faith in a secular society. Read more.

New Berlin – With a logo that looks like a coffee stain, it’s clear The Ridge Community Church is a bit different. There won’t be power-tool demonstrations at the pulpit but other steps are being taken to make the target group – unchurched, beer-drinking, sports-loving 35- to-38-year-old guys – as comfortable as the wives and children with them. Read more.

COMMENTARY–Since World War II, the evangelical church has spent a lot of time, money, and energy on activities designed to grow the church – from bus ministries in the 1960s to rock music in the 70s and 80s to direct mail campaigns today. Individual churches have grown dramatically, but the truth is that there are more people and fewer churches in America than at any time in the last half-century. And the influence of the church in this country is perhaps at an all-time low.

When I was attending an event a few months ago where my book, Dark Journey Deep Grace, Jeffrey Dahmer’s Story of Faith, was on sale, a friend of mine was excitedly showing the book to another friend and urged him to buy it. The second man refused to even consider the book. When my friend asked why he reacted that way, the man said, “Because of what he (meaning Jeffrey Dahmer) did.” When my friend told me this story, we both agreed that this man understood the first part of the title, but missed the best part, the last part.…

DALLAS (ABP) — Worshippers hear them speak each Sunday, and a steady stream of people visit them each week. But for many pastors, ministry makes a lonely life.Though they often relate well to large groups of people on many different levels, ministers nationwide have reported difficulty in forming authentic personal relationships. And that feeling of solitude takes its toll, experts say, sometimes to the detriment of those involved. Read more.

Lessons from the Amish for the Greater ChurchCEN (Phoenix, AZ Oct 2006) Facing the emergencies of this past week in the Amish community brings home reminders for all Christians, churches, and ministries. As the Amish Community in Lancaster PA buries their beloved daughters and sisters, they remind us that to forgive is divine. Inviting the family members of the assailant to their usually closed funeral services, and offering to assist them in their grief with tangible gifts of kindness are a witness made in heaven.

Young Christian leaders from around the world listened to a mission expert present about the rapid growth of evangelicalism, especially in the global South, at a Lausanne gathering in Malaysia this week. Jason Mandryck – co-author of the mission prayer guide Operation World – presented on the status of the Christian faith around the world Tuesday during the plenary session “State of the Gospel” at the Younger Leaders Gathering. Read More.

October is Clergy Appreciation Month. This month we will be profiling some of Madison’s memorable pastors. This article by Eileen Hocker focuses on several pastors, past and present.It was the early 1970s. Madison had a one percent ethnic minority community. Midvale Baptist Church, a small church on Madison’s Westside, wanted to reach out to the African American community.“I remember this guy named Dave, and his driver, who came through the community every Saturday to see who was coming,” said Rev. Alex Gee, pastor of Fountain of Life Family Worship Center. “Then on Sundays the bus came. It was called the Happy…

News Release (MADISON, WI) – Members of the historic First Congregational Church will pound the first nail and kick off construction of a new Habitat for Humanity of Dane County home in the Twin Oaks Subdivision in Madison this Saturday, October 7, 2006.

News Release(Madison, WI) – On Monday, October 2, 2006, the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship chapter at the University of Wisconsin-Superior filed suit in federal court against the President of the University of Wisconsin, Kevin Reilly; the University of Wisconsin system; the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents; UW-Superior Chancellor Julius Erlenbach; and UW-Superior Dean of Student Life Stewart Platner. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship-UW Superior (InterVarsity-Superior) is the local, student-run chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA (IVCF). InterVarsity is asking the UW-Superior to reinstate the chapter and allow all InterVarsity chapters on UW campuses to use religious criteria for the selection of chapter officers.…