LaVrai – The Truth

(Wikimedia Commons)

Can you imagine going into the restroom of a church and seeing  a condom dispenser mounted on the wall, or an open box of condoms near the paper towels on the sink? Or how about, instead of getting a leaflet on the way out after service, being handed a condom? Churches are places of worship, not condom distribution centers. Read the rest of this entry »

This image is only for demonstrative purposes.

This could have easily been a case of props-gone bad, but thankfully, no one was injured in this “choreographed” church lesson. However, it seems the pastor’s ego may have been bruised based on how he’s treating a congregant who seemed to be genuinely concerned for the safety of fellow church members in the line of this arrow being used as a “teaching tool.” Read the rest of this entry »

(Rick Gershon/Getty Images)

The Arkansas House recently passed a bill 57-42 that calls for a ban on firearms in certain places… the law used to ban guns in churches and bar. The revised bill has dropped churches from the ban.

The Arkansas House on Wednesday approved a bill allowing concealed handguns in churches, despite hearing arguments that lawmakers should put their faith in God, not guns.

The bill, which passed on a 57-42 vote and now heads to the Senate, removes churches and other houses of worship from the list of places where concealed handguns are banned. Currently, the only private entities where concealed weapons are banned are churches and bars.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Beverly Pyle, R-Cedarville, said she introduced the measure after a series of church shootings across the country. She said it would be up to each individual church whether to allow the concealed guns.

“It is time we changed our concealed-handgun law to allow law-abiding citizens of the state of Arkansas the right to defend themselves and others should a situation happen in one of our churches,” she said.

Pyle said at least 20 states have similar laws allowing churches to decide whether to permit concealed guns.

Read the full article here…

Turn to your neighbor and say, “Neighbor. Please don’t accidentally shoot me while you’re praising the LORD.”

And I suppose it will be less of a hassle for gunmen looking to shoot up a church…

As for GOD’s people using firearms responsibly, try this woman’s testimony…

The Great Lakes Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin, rented a space at a local elementary school in which to hold their weekly Sunday service, but once parents started seeing their flyers floating around, officials had to show the church the door.

The Rev. Dave Nelson just wanted to talk about sex. And porn. And homosexuality.

But he won’t be doing it at Nash Elementary School.

The Great Lakes Church, a new church which has rented space at Nash for four weeks, lost its permit late last week after sending a colorful flier that proclaimed, “Thank God for Sex.”

The flip side listed Nash as the location for the service, and a series of topics scheduled over the next five weeks, including:

- Great Sex (Bedroom: From Battleground to Playground)

- Sexy and Single (Why God Doesn’t Care About Your Virginity)

- Sex Secrets (Porn, Homosexuality and Stuff Like That)

The Kenosha Unified School District called the flier obscene, disruptive and a violation of Policy 1330, which covers renting Unified space to private organizations.

Nelson said he was stunned at the outcome, and was just trying to attract non-church-going Christians to a new kind of service, while dealing with topical issues. The flier also advertised “loud music, a casual atmosphere, short services, and fun for kids.”

Read the full article here…

I checked out the Great Lakes Church Web site and they really seem desparate to draw people in… The worship service music is described as “loud.” … What on earth are they trying to drown out? The loud video titled “See our service” sure is an eye and ear-opener.

This is also how they describe the event on their site:

Sunday, February 8th, 2009 Thank God For Sex
WHAT: Thank God For Sex (New Series)
WHEN: February 8th – March 8th (9am and 10:30am)
WHERE: Tinseltown Movie Theater
WHO: Everybody

Good or bad, right or wrong, the word sex conjures up a variety of images and ideas in everyone’s mind. As much as we think we’ve got it all figured out, sex is a pretty complicated topic evidenced by the wide range of emotions that people connect with it. Join us as we look at how to be more free and have more fun in our sex lives!
CONTACT: info@greatlakeschurch.com

I’m still trying to find out what all of this has to do with Salvation and getting into the Kingdom of GOD…

[HT: Slice of Laodicea]

Is the TV-based mega church pastor trend about to collapse?

Once one of the nation’s most popular televangelists, the Rev. Robert H. Schuller is watching his life’s work crumble.

His son and recent successor, the Rev. Robert A. Schuller, has abruptly resigned as senior pastor of the Crystal Cathedral. The shimmering, glass-walled megachurch is home to the “Hour of Power” broadcast, an evangelism staple that’s been on the air for more than three decades.

The church is in financial turmoil: It plans to sell more than $65 million worth of its Orange County property to pay off debt. Revenue dropped by nearly $5 million last year, according to a recent letter from the elder Schuller to elite donors. In the letter, Schuller Sr. implored the Eagle’s Club members – who supply 30% of the church’s revenue – for donations and hinted that the show might go off the air without their support.

… It’s a problem common to personality driven ministries. Most have collapsed or been greatly diminished after their founders left the pulpit or died.

Members often tie their donations to the pastor, not the institution, said Nancy Ammerman, a sociologist of religion at Boston University. Schuller, with a style that blends pop psychology and theology, has a particularly devoted following, she said.

“Viewers are probably much less likely to give when it’s not their preacher they’re giving to,” she said. “There’s something about these televised programs where people develop a certain loyalty.”

Read the full story here…