Billy Graham hospitalized

ASHEVILLE,N.C. (WordNews.org) Nov. 30, 2011  — Evangelist Billy Graham has been hospitalized at Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C., near his home in Montreat, for evaluation and treatment of his lungs.

A spokesperson said Graham was alert, smiling and waving to staff as he was admitted.

Mr. Graham’s personal physician, Lucian Rice, described Graham’s condition as stable. The pulmonologist treating Mr. Graham, Mark Hellreich, M.D., said that Mr. Graham is being tested for possible pneumonia.

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First virtual Christmas choir being assembled. Seriously

MORRISTOWN, N.J. (WordNews.org) Nov. 29, 2011 -- Imagine choir practice where you never have to leave home.
That’s the plan devised by Liquid Church of New Jersey. Liquid Church is inviting people from around the world to participate via webcams and YouTube in the first ever Christmas Virtual Choir for Christmas Eve services.
“Whether they’re soldiers in the Middle East, moms in Estonia or students in Phoenix, Arizona, the church will leverage technology to synchronize individual singers into a unified choir rendition of Silent Night,” the church announced.

“We’re creating a unique experience for singers across the globe to come together as one voice this Christmas,” said Tim Lucas, lead Pastor of the New Jersey-based Christian church.

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Religious freedom in China at lowest point since Tiananmen Square crackdown

BRUSSELS, Belgium (WordNews.org) Nov. 28, 2011 — Religious freedom is nonexistent in China, ChinaAid founder and president Bob Fu will be telling the European Parliament on Wednesday. Fu said human rights and religious freedom in China have deteriorated to its lowest point since the period after the crackdown on the 1989 Tiananmen Square student-led pro-democracy demonstration.

Fu and several other ChinaAid witnesses were invited by the European Parliament to testify at its hearing on “The human rights situation in China” at the parliament building in Brussels, Belgium.

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Ministry partners with inmates to help amputees

Nashville (WordNews.org) Nov. 27, 2011 — Two Nashville-based organizations have formed a unique partnership and are are teaming up to help amputees in developing countries.
Standing With Hope, a nonprofit faith based corporation providing artificial limbs to amputees in the West African country of Ghana, will now work with Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) to launch a work program for inmates to disassemble donated used prosthetic limbs and recycle key components needed for fabricating new legs for amputees overseas.

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Universities join in 40-day prayer for Penn State

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WordNews.org) Nov. 25, 2011 -- A 40-day prayer series focused on the Penn State scandal has been launched and students and faculty from other universities are encouraged to join the effort.
The online prayer series was created by CS Heinz, a writer.
"Universities that Penn State normally competes with in sports and academia are signing up to pray for Penn State," Heinz said. "Our need for something and someone greater than ourselves is uniting us in this dark hour. I think that's why many people are turning to prayer."
In addition to students and faculty at Penn State, people from universities such as Ohio State, University of Virginia, Clemson, and University of Oklahoma and joined in.
The email series called "40 Days of Prayer for PSU," is designed to help people pray for the crisis at Penn State including the alleged victims, their families, and abuse survivors. It is available at www.PrayPSU.org.

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Thursdays with Brandon Heath: On other artists (Part 5 of 5)

NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Nov. 24, 2011 – Christian music artists Brandon Heath and Britt Nicole have been touring together since October, opening for Brandon’s “Leaving Eden” tour.
Brandon said having Britt on tour, an old-time friend, brings a different dimension to his concerts. Mainly, a slightly different fan base.
“As a young female artist, she brings little girls and that wouldn’t be my audience,” Brandon says. “I feel like we both bring a very valuable audience to each other. It’s cool to see her in her ministry and do what she does. I think we complement each other well.”
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Wednesdays with Britt Nicole: 'A great journey so far' (Part 5 in a series)

Britt Nicole

 NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Nov. 23, 2011 – When we last left Britt Nicole, she was in a conversation with God.
She wanted to go to college in Nashville, but He wanted her to return to her small town in North Carolina.
“There’s nothing for me to do here,” she remembers complaining. “But as soon as I surrendered to God and said, ‘I’m not going to take my path, I’m going to take Yours,’ doors began to open for me as far as my music"


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Is 180 film blackballed by billboard companies?

LOS ANGELES (WordNews.org) Nov. 22, 2011 --  A sign of the times?
Ray Comfort, head of The Way of the Master ministries and the creator of the film “180” which has gone viral, says three of the largest billboard companies in southern California have declined to allow him to advertising the film using their billboards.
Other companies that were approached haven’t returned calls.
Meanwhile, Comfort said, these same companies advertise “atheists’ mockery of god and the Bible, promote strip clubs and porn conventions.”
Comfort, who is Jewish, said one of the billboard companies is owned by a Jewish person who was upset that the 180 film compares abortion in America to the Holocaust.

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Erica Lane's 'A Merry Little Christmas'

NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Nov. 21, 2011 — If you’ve already started listening to Christmas music, here’s a new one to try out: Erica Lane’s “A Merry Little Christmas.” Lane is a classically trained singer/songwriter. She’s a former Miss Houston. She’s been in a family-friendly reality TV series. And now, her third album.
This six-song Christmas album includes classics like “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells” as well as “Angels in the Snow,” which was recorded for a film.
“I originally wrote ‘Angels in the Snow’ for a movie called ‘A Christmas Snow,’ but it has evolved into much more than a song for film,” she said. “People approach me every time I sing it and share their memories and stories of lost loved ones, relating themselves to the message of the song."
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Santa is in, Jesus is out at SC cancer center

CHARLSESTON, S.C. (WordNews.org) Nov. 19, 2011  – A cancer treatment center in Charleston, S.C., has reversed its decision to not display Santa Claus on its property.Now, a Christian law firm, Liberty Counsel, is urging The Hollings Cancer Center to reverse its ban on the Nativity scene and other religious Christmas symbols.
Liberty Counsel sent a letter to a cancer treatment center, demanding the change.
Liberty said The Hollings Cancer Center is a state-funded institution.
"They reversed the decision and let Santa Claus sneak in, but for now baby Jesus is still out in the cold," the legal organization said.

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Thursdays with Brandon Heath: Staying grounded, 'Doing what I was born to do'

 NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Nov. 17, 2011 – If you listen to Christian radio much, you don’t have to wait long for a Brandon Heath tune to come on.
Hits like “Give Me Your Eyes” and his current hit, “You Put the Light In Me,” get lots of airtime.
How’s a guy stay grounded?
“I have a men’s group of about four guys that I meet with,” he said.
Because Brandon tours mostly on weekends, “I get to be home with the fam over the week and then I’ve got a mentor that asks me a lot of tough questions sometimes. [And] I have a counselor,” he said. “So, I think that it’s pretty extraordinary, if I think about it. I have some pretty awesome people in my life. But I’ve made it a priority to have them. It’s important that they’re around.”

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Wednesdays with Britt Nicole: A conversation with God (Part 4 in a series)

NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Nov. 16, 2011 – Christian music artist Britt Nicole began sensing God’s calling on her life when she was 16 years old.
“I remember sitting in youth group one night,” she recalls. “My aunt and uncle were my youth pastors. They asked us to write down our vision or dreams.”
Her dream?
“I remember writing on this little piece of paper that I wanted to reach a million [people] through music,” she says. “I wanted to reach people and touch people’s lives.”
Britt’s on track to do just that. She’s got three albums out: “Acoustic EP,” “Say It” and “Lost Get Found.”
But Britt’s plan and God’s were not exactly the same.

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C.S. Lewis' stepson to answer questions over Twitter

SAN FRANCISCO (WordNews.org) Nov. 15, 2011 — If you ever wanted to know what life was like living with the great Christian thinker C.S. Lewis, you now have a chance to find out. Publisher HarperOne, in collaboration with the estate of C. S. Lewis, announces the first-of-its kind event with Douglas Gresham, stepson of the celebrated author.

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Former Borders prez to lead Christian Leadership Alliance

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (WordNews.org)  Nov. 14, 2011 — Tami Heim, the former president of Borders, has been appointed president and CEO of Christian Leadership Alliance. She begins Jan. 1, 2012.

To read more:
 http://tinyurl.com/CLAHeim

Book calls on men to 'step up'

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (WordNews.org) Nov. 12, 2011 – “Will you be ready to step up?”
It’s a challenge Dennis Rainey, co-founder of FamilyLife, is giving to me these days.
“Men are in a battlefield,” he says. “Literal bullets may not be flying, but the need to bravely step up is quite real.”
It’s a battle for the young and old alike, Rainey says.
“Regardless of your age or stage in life, you are uniquely suited for a task God has in mind. There’s no question of that,” he says, “only a question of—Will you be ready and will you step up?”

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Wednesdays with Britt Nicole: No worries. Here to reach, love people (Part 3 in a series)

NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Nov. 9, 2011 – Britt Nicole says she’s been given a lot of freedom as a Christian recording artist.

“I’ve been very blessed to be able to work with people that I love and that really support me and support my heart, what I feel called to do and really give me a lot of space creatively to be myself and not feel like I’m in a box and that I’ve got to do specific things.”

But she says she knows that’s not the case for everyone.

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Religious freedom group challenges Operation Christmas Child

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WordNews.org) Nov. 8, 2011 – The head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation wants to stop the U.S. Air Force Academy from promoting Operation Christmas Child, according to the American Center for Law and Justice.
According to notices that went out to supporters Tuesday, the ACLJ said Mikey Weinstein, head of the foundation, complained about an email sent by students to fellow cadets encouraging them to “provide the joy of Christmas to impoverished children around the world.”

Wednesdays with Britt Nicole: Touring with buddy Brandon Health (Part 2 in a series)

NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Nov. 2, 2011 – Christian recording artist Britt Nicole has been touring with fellow singer/songwriter Brandon Heath since Oct. 6. Tomorrow, another town, another state. This time, Dothan, Ala. At Ridgecrest Baptist Church.

2 days set aside for International Day of Prayer

(WordNew.org) Nov. 1, 2011 -- The International Day of Prayer will actually be held on two days this year.

Sunday, Nov. 13 is the official day designated the International Day of Prayer. However, the day will be celebrated on Nov. 6 in the United Kingdom and Ireland.