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Play Money
What would you do with a $2 million birthday gift?
I read a story recently about a group of church leaders who took up an offering among their respective ministries and brought in more than $2 million. I was surprised to discover, however, that the money wasn't raised for hurricane relief, AIDS orphans or training for pastors in the developing world. No, the leaders gave it to a friend: a prominent televangelist on his 70th birthday. Huh? >>READ MORE<<
To read more and weigh in with your comments, visit the Ministry Report blog.
NewsBite/PrayerPoint
Burma's "programme to destroy the Christian religion."
A secret document drafted by a government ministry in Burma has been leaked, and its contents would be comical if they were not so chilling. The memo, titled "Programme to destroy the Christian religion in Burma", contains point-by-point instructions on how to drive Christians out of the nation. Ironically, the state religion of Burma is Buddhism--a religion (some would argue) even more "peaceful" and "tolerant" than Islam.
To read the original article, visit the Telegraph and to see our take on it--and to link to a few ministries that are helping Christians in Burma--visit the Ministry Report blog.
LeaderBlogs
A slice from the ministry blogosphere.
I don't know about you, but I'm consistently interested in the ongoing discussion about so-called "sermon plagiarism." Perry Noble, pastor of NewSpring Church in Anderson, S.C., has a great blog (Warning: This guy's painfully transparent at times), and he questions whether there's really any such thing as original material when it comes to preaching: "I do not have 52 new things to say to the people who walk into the doors of NewSpring Church every week Combine that with the fact that there are a lot of really
awesome teachers out there who are saying some things that need to be
heard…and there you have it. I have learned that there are MUCH better
people than me when it comes to preaching and teaching…and I would be
an arrogant fool if I thought that I could not use a phrase or an idea
from them just because it was not “my very own!”
Read more at Perry's blog.
Culture Clip
Another cringe-worthy documentary on evangelicals?
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's daughter Alexandra has created Friends of God (I wonder if the name is a take-off on the worship song "Friend of God"?) a documentary on evangelical subculture--from Christian wrestlers and comedians to Testamints (you know, those breath-freshening witnessing tools). Some say that Pelosi addresses her subjects with a sympathetic eye. "'I believe in the culture war,'' she said. ''And you know what? If I
have to take a side in the culture war I'll take their side,'' meaning
the Christian conservatives. ''Because if you give me the choice of
Paris Hilton or Jesus, I'll take Jesus.''
To read The New York Times review of the film, click here.
FREE Bonus: "What We Lost"
Restoring authentic integrity in a world of superstar leaders.
 The moral failure of Ted Haggard in early November brought the staff of Ministry Today back to the drawing board with our plans for the January/February issue. From the Shepherding Movement of the '70s to the televangelist scandals of the '80s and the fivefold ministry emphasis of 2004, Ministry Today has attempted to bring a fresh voice to challenges facing church leaders. Read the entire article on accountability, discipline and restoration for free at Ministry Today online and let us know how you feel about our coverage. Send e-mails to ministrytoday@strang.com. |
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