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Jewish organization issues statement encouraging dialogue with Christians

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An orthodox Jewish organization in Israel said recently in a statement that Christians and Jews would benefit by engaging in dialogue with each other.

The Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation said that it has collaborated with Christian organizations for some three years and finds that doing so is mutually beneficial, Christian Newswire said.

The CJUC has worked with The Witherspoon Institute in Princeton, NJ by giving access to their scholastic work at Yale University and the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem on “ Hope & Responsibility in the 21st Century,” and “Covenant & Mission,” Christian Newswire reported.

The CJUC also engaged in information exchange with scholars from the Hebraic Heritage Christian Center in Atlanta, GA on the issues, “Jewish Understanding of Christianity,” and “Evangelization,” according to Christian Newswire.

The statement said, “Jewish and Christian theologies are no longer engaged in a theological duel to the death. Jews should not fear a sympathetic understanding of Christianity that is true to the Torah, Jewish thought and values. In today’s unprecedented reality of Christian support for the Jewish people, Jews should strive to work together with Christians toward the same spiritual goals of sacred history — universal morality, peace, and redemption under God — but under different and separate systems of commandments for each faith community and distinct theological beliefs.”

Rabbi Sclomo Riskin, CJCUC founder told Christian Newswire, “This statement only represents the view of our center but should also be used as a catalyst for other orthodox Jews and Jewry worldwide to consider fostering relationships with Christian communities. Leaders within the mainline Christian denominational world as well as the non-denominational movements of Evangelical Christianity have sincerely become friends of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. It is vital that we strengthen our relationship with them. We are certain that through these relational dialogues we will find far more which unites us than divides us.”

Evangelical response

In response, a group of Evangelical Christians issued a statement that is posted on the CJCUC website saying, “[We] acknowledge and affirm that we worship the same God as the Jewish people and that we inherited from them our understanding of monotheism—the very foundation of our faith—because faithful Jewish witnesses have transmitted this knowledge to the world since the time of Abraham.”

The statement pointed out the historical and spiritual links of the two faiths, and said, quoting Jesus’ words in the bible, that the salvation as Christians know it is “from the Jews,” the website said, adding, “We believe that Jews and Christians share a mutuality of witness that is profitable to both communities.”

The Evangelical statement on the website noted that, “Because Evangelical Christians—not unlike the larger Jewish community—represent wide diversity in both beliefs and practices we do not pretend to speak for all Evangelical Christians or for any other Christian communion. We speak only for ourselves as individuals and as participants in ongoing Christian-Jewish dialogue.”

The statement on the website added that Evangelicals “do so with great reverence for the calling that God has graciously given us and for his commission that we remain faithful to these deeply held convictions that have been revealed and confirmed to us by the Holy Scriptures.”

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EEW Magazine talks about Christianity and ethnicity with Kim Cash Tate

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EEW Magazine talks about race and spirituality in its cover story on Kim Cash Tate, the first African American author to join the roster of the veteran Christian Publishing group, Thomas Nelson.

Tate is a former attorney turned wife, homeschooling mother, inspirational speaker, blogger and novelist. Her books include More Christian Than African American, and the novels Heavenly Places and her latest fiction piece, Faithful, according to her website.

Tate’s first book, More Christian Than African American, talks about her own personal journey as a woman of color and a Christian. She was raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland, which is the wealthiest African American majority community in the U.S., according to her website.

Tate then earned a law degree at George Washington University, and expected to work in Washington D.C. Instead, she found herself in majority-white Madison, Wisconsin, where she could not avoid the issue of race and delved into her own identity as a Christian woman, the EEW magazine article said.

Tate is interviewed by Dianna Hobbs, founder of EEW Magazine. Hobbs told Christian Newswire, “I was moved by Kim’s poignant and passionate message that strikes at the core of breaking down the racial divide that still exists in some segments of the Christian community.”

Hobbs also told Christian Newswire, “Kim’s transparency and honesty about her early struggles with race and spirituality really drew me in, and I think many of our readers will relate.”

EEW Magazine, is an online publication for African American Christians of faith. It is published exclusively online and is a resource for inspiration and motivation through interviews and resources, according to Christian Newswire.

The publication has 250,000 readers, 90 percent of them African American Christian women. Part of EEW Magazine’s vision is to help fill the dearth of publications dealing with faith and ethnicity and to bridge this gap. The portal’s interview with Tate is viewed as a platform that will interest readers of color, Christian Newswire said.

EEW recognizes that on Sundays, “Blacks and whites, with few exceptions, worship separately,” Christian Newswire said. This raised the dilemma that Tate, and many women of color, are confronted with. The contrast of the love of Jesus through which we all are one, compared to the reality of race in worship and practice.

Tate’s books have dwelled a lot on this. Allen Arnold, senior VP and fiction publisher of Thomas Nelson told EEW, “What first attracted us to this gifted author was the way her stories – and her life story – both address and yet transcend race.”

Arnold told EEW, “Her novels, more than most Christian or African American fiction – features a diverse cast of characters who authentically represent the larger body of Christ. It’s exciting to publish this fresh new voice in Christian Fiction that doesn’t define readership or characters within the novel on the basis of their skin color but rather on the basis of their choices and their faith.”

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The Doug and Jon Show’ Teen Website Takes Evangelism to Next Generation

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A website is ministering to teens by featuring comedy videos, and videos about issues that concern them, as well as building up friendship and trust online as a lead into the gospel.

The Doug and Jon show engages in Internet Evangelism without being religious, and is willing to walk teenagers through building a relationship with Jesus, one teenager at a time, Christian Newswire said.

Jon Taylor, cofounder of The Doug and Jon Show told Christian Newswire, “Student-age young people are looking for answers, and they’re looking for them on the internet. With over half the world’s population, over 3 billion people, under the age of 25, we must find highly effective ways to meet them and share Jesus.”

The website has successfully put together a community of teens who enjoy the videos, forums and activities on the site. The website also has original comedy videos and cartoons, video blogs, and Q & A’s that deal with common teen issues such as being popular, sex, bullying and loneliness, according to Christian Newswire.

Jon’s wife Kara hosts a portion of the site that caters to girls. Doug, Jon and Kara are also very accessible for teens who may want to initiate online conversations. They see this as an important part of building a relationship with the teen and pointing them to the Christian portions of the website, Christian Newswire said.

The objective is to be upfront about their faith, but not to sound religious, and to give teenagers the chance to choose to accept Jesus into their lives.  Doug Hutchcraft, cofounder told Christian Newswire, “In a face-to-face conversation you can usually perceive if someone wants to hear the message of Christ through their body language. We have tried to translate this into the online experience.”

Doug told Christian Newswire that this is not a ‘baiting game.’ “We don’t trick or ‘bait and switch’ anyone into hearing the Gospel. We just create a relationship where kids can share with us what is going on in their lives and we are always ready to share Jesus when asked.”

The website is the product of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, and was put together when they noticed that there are very few “clean” websites that cater to teens and which offer comedy, Christian Newswire said.

Videos featured

On our visit to the website we see a list of five secrets to having a great relationship with Jesus. The five steps, on the website are: 1) Talk with Jesus, 2) Read what He’s written, 3) Be with His friends, 4) Do what makes Jesus happy and 5) Talk about Jesus. Beside the list is a video which talks about each step, and there is a comment forum where participants can respond and share how they are progressing.

The Life Video Blog section has an interesting collection of videos, some of which use animation. Some topics include “Lonely Facebook Report,” “Born, Breathe Die…is this it,” “Why am I Here?,” “Popularity is Overrated,” and “Bullies…Stop Messing With Me,” among others, a view of the website shows.

While some videos are serious, the comedy videos draw the most attention, including “Lady Gaga ‘Alejandro’ D&J Remix,” “Shark Week Lost Tapes,” and “The Chuck Norris Man Test,” according to Christian Newswire.

So far, The Doug and John show has received visitors from up to 67 countries, which shows that teens and tweens around the world are receptive to wholesome sites that are also conversational, entertaining and educational, Christian Newswire said.

Visit The Doug and John show at www.alrcnewskitchen.com/dougandjon.

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Fuller Theological Seminary adopts gender friendly, more readable Common English Bible

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A leading evangelical seminary announced recently that it is allowing the use of a new translation of the bible that is more gender friendly and readable for use in instruction in all of its campuses.

The Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA approved the use of the Common English Bible for its 4,000 students in all of its eight campuses, Christian Newswire said.

The CEB will also be used for master level courses at Fuller in its School of Psychology, School of Intercultural Studies and School of Theology, according to Christian Newswire.

The CEB was approved because of its gender-inclusive language, and because it is more readable. At the same time, it does not sacrifice accuracy in translation. J.R. Daniel Kirk, who teaches the New Testament at Fuller, told Christian Newswire, the CEB is academically sound and conveys the original Greek and Hebrew writings in an understandable way.

Kirk told Christian Newswire, “We’ve approved the Common English Bible because it’s an academically excellent translation, because it communicates the underlying Greek and Hebrew texts in a clear and accessible fashion, and because it reflects the reality that the communities for which the Bible was written consist of both women and men.”

Two other translations that have Fuller’s stamp of approval are Today’s New International Version and the New Revised Standard Version, Christian Newswire said. However, the CEB was translated with the intention to respond to changes that have been wrought by the internet in terms of culture, religion and language, according to the CEB website.

For example, the language in CEB more accurately reflects the naturally spoken English of today, using seventh to eight grade level English, the same level of English used by newspapers, The Christian Post said.

The CEB merges biblical scholarship with daily English and its translation sounds more natural when it is read aloud. The Christian Post said this is because scholars, translators and readability editors contributed to its making.

Also, women comprised part of its translation team. Because it is new, it reflects today’s language more effectively compared to other translations that are simply updated. For example, it uses more contractions, which is common in daily English, The Christian Post said.

The CEB also has detailed maps that were made for it through an exclusive collaboration with National Geographic, which is reputable for its vivid quality and accuracy in map making, Christian Newswire said.

Critics however have taken exception to some phrases in the CEB. For example, it replaces the phrase “Son of Man,” referring to Jesus, with “the Human One,” which is more consistent with the intention of the Greek text, The Christian Post said.

The Greek phrase, ho huios tou anthropou, literally translates to “a son of x” and the same phrase is used in Acts 13:10 when Paul refers to a sorcerer as “a son of the devil,” The Christian Post said.

Essentially, the intended meaning is to “identify his character. He is devilish—or more simply in English, ‘a devil,’” the Christian Post said, quoting the blog of Paul Franklyn, associate publisher of the CEB.

Another phrase used in CEB is “Happy are” in the Beatitudes, as opposed to “Blessed are.” For example, “Happy are the people who are downcast, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs,” according to The Christian Post.

The Common English Bible will have its paperback edition available in July, and its hardcover edition in August at local stores.

Sources:

http://www.christianpost.com/news/common-english-bible-replaces-tniv-at-seminary-50158/

http://www.earnedmedia.org/sscm0427.htm

http://www.commonenglishbible.com/Default.aspx

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Christian movie and television award event to be aired on Hallmark Channel

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The 19th Annual Faith & Values Movieguide Awards Gala, which honors family-friendly films and TV programs, will be aired on May 16 at 7 p.m. on the Hallmark Movie Channel.

The event was actually held last Feb. at the Universal Hilton in Hollywood, Continental News said. Now, with its scheduled airing on May 16, the general public can share in the festivities by watching it on air.

The Movieguide Awards has always sought to encourage the making of movies and television programs that are spiritually uplifting and family friendly, according to Christian Newswire.

The Movieguide Gala program is hosted by Kevin Sorbo, who starred in the films “Soul Surfer,” “Hercules,” and “Sam Steel and the Crystal Chalice.” Sorbo said on Movieguide’s website, “I was thrilled and honored to be a host and presenter at this year’s Movieguide® Awards shows. Ted Baehr [founder of Movieguide®] and his team put on a great night, and I’m especially excited that it will air on the Hallmark Movie Channel.”

Also featured in the program are musical numbers by Ace Young (who first gained fame on American Idol), and Mary Mary, Christian Newswire said. Presenters include Maria Canals Barrera, Eric Martsolf, Kristy Swanson, Bailee Madison, Nadia Bjorlin, Nancy Stafford and Dean Cain, among others.

Buzz Aldrin, the second astronaut to land on the moon, will announce the Best Family Movie of the Year, according to the Movieguide Awards website. The entire event is a production of the Christian Film & Television Commission and its sister organization, Movieguide: The Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment.

Baehr told Christian Newswire, “This is an extraordinary blessing and opportunity to help people see that there is a growing amount of faith and values based, high quality entertainment.”

Baehr also said to Continental News that he was pleased that Hallmark decided to air the program this month. “[It] lets the whole country in on the faith, the fabulous and the fun.”

Awards

Awards that will be handed out include the Epiphany Prizes of $100,000 each for Inspiring Movie and TV production. This year’s winner for film is The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which is the third movie from the Narnia series. For television the award went to Amish Grace, according to the Epiphany website.

Another financial award is given by the Kairos Prize totaling $50,000 for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays by First-Time and Beginning Screenwriters. Other awards are the Best 10 Movies for Families, the Best 10 Movies for Mature Audiences from teenagers to adults, the Faith & Freedom Awards for Positive American Values, and the Grace Awards for Most Inspiring Performances in Movies & TV, Christian Newswire said.

The John Templeton Foundation is the sponsor for the Epiphany and Kairos prizes. The Christian Film & Television Commission ministry, and Movieguide are both international ministries headed by Baehr, Christian Newswire said.

CFTVC and Movieguide are committed to “redeeming the values of the entertainment industry by influencing industry executives and by informing and equipping the public about the influence of the entertainment media,” according to the Movieguide website.

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Three Christian mompreneurs land honors in StartupNation competition

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A greeting card company that was started by three Christian moms ranked recently among the top 200 Leading Moms in Business competition.

The Little Card Company was started in 2010, according to its website, by three mothers who one day thought about how frustrating it is that there are no photo greeting cards on the market that are modern and have faith-based messages that they could buy to send out to family and friends for Christmas.

This became the seed idea for The Little Card Company, and since its inception it has provided modern, high-quality, well-designed and faith-based options for personalized greeting cards to announce the birth of one’s child, say Merry Christmas to loved ones, send out faith-based messages on Thanksgiving, Easter or New Year, or distribute as invitations to a party, the website said

According to The Little Card Company’s website, “This is more than just putting Christ back in Christmas. Our cards offer our customers a chance to share all the exciting moments in their lives with family, friends and associates throughout the entire year. But they also go one step further — they create an opportunity to share the joy of Christian faith as it relates to those very special events.”

The Little Card Company ranked No. 72 in StartupNation’s 2011 Leading Moms in Business competition. Over a million votes went into the selection of the top 200 businesses that moms could do without having employment that would interfere with tending to the needs of one’s family, Christian Newswire said.

April Goodwin, co-founder of The Little Card Company told Christian Newswire, “We are thrilled to be recognized as a part of this fantastic group of innovative, self-starting women! Participating in this competition not only helped us grow awareness of our brand, but also provided us with a broader platform to share the news of Jesus.”

StartupNation is a website with resources to help people find the information they need to put up a business. Included is information on getting a business started, the marketplace, a connection venue for prescreened vendors, resources to get more customers, and a web community of more than 100,000 members, according to its website.

Rich Sloan, a co-founder of StartupNation told Christian Newswire, “With start-up rates at an all-time high, these moms are leading the pack in start-up rates. They’re going after business opportunities and developing innovative products and services with fervor.”

The 2011 Leading Moms in Business winners shared some of the following attributes: 1) A feel for the need to provide good value and discounts, 2) An innovative product that could meet the needs of mothers, 3) The incentive of being one’s own boss, 4) Having a social media element in the business, and 5) Adhering to responsible business practice even as it provides sustainable solutions, according to Christian Newswire.

For info on The Little Card Company, visit http://www.littlecardcompany.com/.

 

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Interdenominational group declares May Digital Outreach Month

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An interdenominational movement designated recently May to be Digital Outreach Month, with Sunday, May 15, slated as Internet Evangelism Day.

The group, Internet Evangelism Day, is an initiative of the Internet Evangelism Coalition which holds office at the Billy Graham Center in Wheaton, IL., according to Christian Newswire.

The purpose of holding Digital Outreach Month is to help churches learn about the ways that the Internet can be used for online evangelism. According to the IE Day website, the last 15 years have seen the world transform with a digital communication culture, changing the rules of effective communication both online and offline.

With some two billion web users, and double the number using mobile phones, the web has emerged, the IE Day website said, as a hyper-medium that links all digital media together.

Tony Whittaker, coordinator of IE Day said on its website, “The last 15 years have changed our world forever. Digital media are transforming the way we communicate, behave and even think. If Facebook was a country, it would have the third largest population in the world.”

In light of this, IE Day prepared a resource center to help churches around the world learn how to use the internet to share the gospel. Included is a one-year online guide with May 15 as its annual focus day, and the entire month as Digital Outreach Month, the website said.

Whittaker told Christian Newswire, “You do not need to be technical. There are many simple yet fulfilling ways of being salt and light in cyberspace.” The website includes resources to help Christians build a church website that can appeal even to non-churchgoers; and how blog and use twitter to share the gospel online. There are also opportunities to mentor others through email by linking with outreach ministries.

Free ebooks on internet evangelization

To further celebrate IE Day on May 15, several major Christian publishers have collaborated to offer free e-book downloads at the IE Day website of Christian titles that are normally paid for, which deal with evangelism through the web by using social networks and other digital forms, Christian Newswire said.

Naomi Frizzell, chief communications officer of The Lausanne Movement, told Christian Newswire, “This is a great opportunity to explore digital evangelism. I encourage Christians everywhere to take advantage of these free downloads to learn how to effectively share their faith in the digital world.”

How churches can help

IE Day is calling on churches and other Christian groups to lend time for digital evangelism this month, whether through featuring IE Day on its church bulletin, so that churchgoers can access the IE Day resource website, or set aside time during church meetings using free downloadable video clips, PowerPoint, drama sketches, etc. from IE Day’s website, Christian Newswire said.

The IE Day website also has pages that can be accessed using mobile phones. To learn more, go to www.IEDay.net.

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Christian leaders respond to Osama bin Laden’s death

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Christian leaders have responded to the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by issuing statements and through Twitter.

Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy said, “All persons of good will can be grateful that the U.S. military, helped by U.S. intelligence agencies, has successfully ended Osama bin Laden’s career of terror.”

He continued, “Sadly, since 9-11, many church voices have insisted that Christianity mandates pacifism. Hopefully there will now be greater appreciation for the Church’s historic stance that God ordained the state to punish evildoers who attack the innocent.

“The Church does not rejoice to see anyone perish. It always seeks repentance and offers God’s grace, even while recognizing the state’s duty to punish. As Christians we would have preferred to see bin Laden renounce terror. But he died, as he lived, by the sword. The Church has always understood that government has a distinct responsibility to execute justice, sometimes employing lethal force,” Christian Newswire reported.

The Vatican also released a public statement which said that bin Laden must answer to God for the killing of so many and for abusing religion as an excuse to spread hate, Reuters reported.

Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman told Reuters that Christians “do not rejoice” when a man is killed, but the death of Obama is a reminder of “each person’s responsibility before God and men.”

Lombardi told Reuters, “Osama bin Laden, as everyone knows, had the grave responsibility of having spread division and hate among people, causing the deaths of an innumerable number of people and exploiting religion for these purposes.”

Lombardi also told Reuters that he hoped that bin Laden’s death “would not be an occasion for more hate, but for peace.”

Meanwhile, Muslim extremist websites have drawn up bin Laden as a martyr who fought for Allah. One post said, “We won’t cry today, but we will revenge. Men and women in America will cry,” according to CNN.

Many Christians chose to respond to the news of bin Laden’s death by sending out Bible verses through Twitter.

The third most popular bible verse that was re-tweeted was started by Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, who quoted Prov. 21:15. The verse is, “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous, but terror to evildoers.”

The second most popular Bible verse re-tweeted was sent out by Rev. Run of Run DMC fame. Rev. Run tweeted Psalm 138:8 which says, “The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands.”

The number one most popularly re-tweeted Bible verse is Prov. 24:17. However, it is not known who started it. The verse says, “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice.”

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GodTube launches 1 month May campaign with contests, prizes

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GodTube has been redesigned and rebranded, and now, it is being re-launched with a whole new campaign where people who participate can win cash and prizes.

Starting on May 2, GodTube will begin a flurry of contests, promotions and announcements. The campaign, 30 Days of GodTube, is designed to generate awareness, interest and promote the use of GodTube’s many features, as well as educate users on how to benefit most from the site’s applications, according to Christian Newswire.

On May 2, GodTube will begin a 10-day video scavenger hunt. This is a competition that will be held in the first two weeks of the month. Each day, competitors may win $50, the website said.

In this contest a new clue will be posted at 8 a.m. EST on each day to find the GodTube logo on a video. Once the participants find the logo, they must comment and use the initials VSH. The winner will be randomly selected with the use of Random.org, the website said.

On May 16, entries will be accepted to the flash mob video competition. This is a contest where participants can win $1,500. Any group—a youth choir, dance group or just friends, can create a flash mob (sample flash mobs can be viewed in GodTube) whether it’s a prayer flash mob or any original idea of their choosing, the website said.

The videos have to be original and must not exceed 10 minutes. Music must also be original, or come from an EMI list of approved songs, the website specified.

Another activity, Mad Lib, is interactive and is scripted exclusively for GodTube.com, Christian Newswire said.

Godtube.com offers Christian videos and faith-based content online with sections on sports, Christian news videos, inspiration, Christian music, Christian comedians, and videos that are cute and/or funny featuring children and/or animals. There is also a Prayer Wall where one can post one’s requests, the website said.

GodTube was purchased by Salem Communications Corporation, which is the largest commercial radio broadcasting firm in the U.S. for Christian and family-oriented content and themes, Christian Newswire said.

Lindsey Neidenfeuhr, Brand Manager of GodTube.com told Christian Newswire, “This campaign will help engage our current users and educate millions of other people in a fun and interactive way. GodTube.com is as committed as ever to the original mission of offering a safe and family-friendly place to share videos.”

To date, GodTube.com has some 2.5 million visitors with eight million pages viewed monthly. Some 1,500 new videos are uploaded weekly, at a daily average of 215. Since the site was purchased by Salem Communications Corporation eight months ago, GodTube has had visitors from 228 countries, Christian Newswire said.

Neidenfeuhr told Christian Newswire, “GodTube.com is an alternative for anyone concerned about the vulgar and inappropriate videos available online. Searching the same term on both GodTube.com and YouTube.com will yield completely different results. People can rest assured GodTube.com will garner videos relevant for all ages.”

Fastest growing website

GodTube.com first opened in 2007 and was cited by ComScore as the fastest growing website in August of that year. Salem Communications Corporation has under its wing Salem Radio Network which syndicates news, talk and music programs to some 2,000 radio station affiliates.

Salem also owns Salem Media Representatives, a national media firm for advertising sales, plus Salem Web Network and Salem Publishing, according to Christian Newswire.

For full details on the contests, go to www.godtube.com/30days.

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Christian Pastor says Easter is best spent doing acts of philanthropy

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A Christian pastor wrote in his newly-released book that Christians should celebrate Easter outside the church rather than just within it.

Rev. Eric Foley, pastor of Doers of The Word Evangelical Church (with branches in Colorado Springs and Seoul, Korea) says in his book, The Whole Life Offering:   Christianity as Philanthropy that from a biblical point of view, Easter is best celebrated on the road, Christian Newswire said.

Foley, who is also co-founder and CEO of Seoul, USA, takes a deep look into Christian history, Scripture and Protestant theology. He says in his book that making one’s life an offering to God is characterized by being soaked in grace, in this way empowering one’s Christian discipleship, according to the book’s website.

In so doing one achieves full maturity in the faith. The website says, “[G]rowing to full maturity in Christ isn’t only possible; it is God’s intended purpose for every Christian, right here on earth in the midst of everyday life.”

In the first chapter Foley says the book’s goal is “[T]o enable the philanthropy of Christ to be magnified more fully in the life of the reader, and to equip the reader to mirror that philanthropy more fully into the lives of others as a continual act of worship.”

Foley adds, “The Whole Life Offering is Christ’s philanthropy. He pours the fullness of his life into any who will receive it. Those who receive it are enabled and authorized to share the length and breadth of it with others,” the website says.

Foley says, “Whether it’s the disciples who meet Jesus on the road to Emmaus or the apostles who are called out of the Upper Room and on to Galilee, the Easter message is clear: If you want to meet Jesus, hit the road,” Christian Newswire reported.

Foley writes in his book about seven spiritual disciplines that enhance loving God, and 10 outreach disciplines to strengthen loving one’s neighbor. Easter Sunday, he adds, is the perfect time to practice both branches of loving, Christian Newswire said.

The seven spiritual disciplines are called Works of Piety, while the 10 outreach disciplines are anchored on these. Foley says in the website, “We find not only what we should be doing in order to love our neighbors, but how to do it to the glory and praise of God.”  The Whole Life Offering can be purchased either at Amazon or at the book’s website, www.thewholelifeoffering.com, according to Christian Newswire.

Foley’s church, Doers of the Word meets via satellite in Seoul, Korea and Colorado Springs, Colorado. In the last 20 years Foley has trained some 1,300 church leaders on volunteerism and socially oriented programs, the website said.

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