Odyssey Networks launches election 2012 coverage

NEW YORK (WordNews.org) Dec. 30, 2011 -- Odyssey Networks is kicking off its election 2012 coverage with a video called "Run-Up to Iowa."

The video looks at faith issues surrounding the Iowa caucus. On Jan. 3, Republican voters will choose their candidate to face President Barack Obama in the general election in November.

Odyssey said in a state where an estimated 60 percent of the GOP identify as evangelicals, candidates have been heavily courting the state's pastors and Christian power brokers in an effort to find favor with this crucial voting bloc.

Going online to increase the evangelical vote

IRVINE, Calif. (WordNews.org) Dec. 28, 2011 -- Restore America has tapped a web design firm to develop an online strategy to draw more evangelicals to the voting booth next November.
Restore America, a nonprofit formed in 1999, says it is working to restore America "under God."
It has hired Trinet Internet Solutions Inc., an Orange County, Calif., web development company to create a comprehensive online strategy to achieve its online goal of increasing the evangelical vote in the 2012 elections.
Restore America’s goal is to increase the number of evangelical voters to be 3 million more in 2012 compared to the number in 2008.

Minister says he faces arrest for reading Christmas story at Capitol tree

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WordNews.org) Dec. 21, 2011 — A pastor with a national profile is planning to read the Christmas story and sing carols at the Capitol Tree at the West Lawn of the United States Capitol Building on Thursday at noon.

The Rev. Patrick Mahoney told the Capitol police about his plans, which also include praying for peace, justice and religious freedom.
He will also be holding a small, 5-inch tall Nativity display.
Police officials told him some of his activities may be prohibited or constitute an illegal demonstration, Mahoney said.

To read more

A week with Mark Schultz: Renaissance (Part 5)

NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Dec. 16, 2011 — It was a whirlwind trip to Europe last year that filled Christian recording artist Mark Schultz with the inspiration to try something new.
Actually, some things new.
First, there was the instrumental album, “Renaissance.”
That was followed with a recently released book, “Letters from War,” which was inspired by the song by the same name. (More on that later)
“My wife and I went to Europe and I did a tour over there last year and it was awesome,” Mark tells WordNews.org.  “We were in Normandy where my grandfather served,” Mark says, “walking up and down the beach and climbing up the cliffs and going to see the cemetery.
That’s when it started to happen.

What is "it"? Click here for more

A week with Mark Schultz: The voice for the orphans (Part 4

NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Dec. 15, 2011 – Recently, Christian singer/songwriter Mark Schultz did a benefit concert for a clinic that helps unwed mothers-to-be.
“They can come in and get counseling about adoption as opposed to abortion,” Mark says.
During the night, he heard a presentation that left an impression.
“I heart a staggering figure—One and a half million abortions happen each year, and 15,000 adoptions.”
It hit home for Mark.
“I was adopted when I was younger,” he says. “I’m really realizing how grateful I am to be here, to have been able to be on this earth and to live to do these songs and perform and do what I love.”

A week with Mark Schultz: Early musical influences

NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Dec. 14, 2011 – Mark Schultz, the Dove Award-winning Christian recording artist, says his biggest musical influence may have been his boom box.
“When I was growing up I grew up on the radio because I lived on farms and stuff and your only friends were the box and earphones and listening to the radio,” Mark says. “I think that’s what got me decent at writing radio songs because I’ve been listening to them my whole life.”
What’s he listening to these days?

Click here to find out

A week with Mark Schultz: 'What's real resonates'

NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Dec. 13, 2011 — The songs Christian recording artist Mark Schultz began to write got a little more personal than ski outings and mission trips.
“There was a kid in the youth group who got cancer and the youth pastor was like, ‘Hey, why don’t you write a song about that?’”
Mark did.
“I wrote a song called ‘He’s My Son’ about a dad praying over his son who has cancer and that became not only a Christian hit but a mainstream hit.”

Click here to read more

A week with Mark Schultz: How it all began

 NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Dec. 12, 2011 – Mark Schultz’s songs are filled with stories.
But the Platinum recording artist known for such songs as “He Is” and “I Am” sort of eased into the whole story-telling song approach.
“Where it started for me was when I came to Nashville I got a job as a youth director at a church,” he says. “I didn’t mean to. It just happened. I lost a bet with a youth minister and ended up going on a retreat with a bunch of kids and got duct taped to a bed and, you know, stayed with the kids until they graduated from college.”

Click here for more

Macy’s dressing room policy focus of Fox Sunday program

NEW YORK (WordNews.org) Dec. 10, 2011 — Macy’s policy to allow cross dressers to change in the dressing room of their choice is the subject of Fox News’ Sunday program, America’s News HQ at 1 p.m.
Matt Staver of the Liberty Counsel will be among the guests.
Staver said that some Macy’s customers are outraged by the department store’s policy and are cutting up their Macy’s credit cards and refusing to shop at the store until the policy is changed. The policy came to light when Macy’s worker Natalie Johnson saw a man entering a women’s fitting room in her department area in a San Antonio, Texas, Macy’s.
Johnson, who will also be on the Fox show, told the man he could not change in the women’s room. Liberty said the man, who was wearing black lipstick, became upset and began swearing and warning Johnson about Macy’s lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender-friendly policy.

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A week with Erica Lane: Life lessons and 'finding the beauty and joy of Christ'

NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Dec. 9, 2011 – Erica Lane pretty much succeed the things most important to her—school and music.
“I’ve excelled in high school. I succeeded in college. There were things that opened my eyes at a time in my life but overall it was a pretty good life,” the Christian recording artist said.
What opened her eyes also “defines the direction I take in music.”
It was her sophomore year at Texas Tech University. To that point, Lane had few worries and had been cruising on a pretty smooth path.

To read more click here

A week with Erica Lane: How 'A Merry Little Christmas' came about

NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Dec. 5, 2011 -- Erica Lane tells how her first Christmas album sort of evolved out of necessity.
"The album came about last year. We did a live Christmas concert in Nashville. I had an orchestra and choir backing me," the Christian recording artist recalled. "The original plan was to record and make a live Christmas album out of that concert night. And then I ended up getting really sick that night."
To find out what happened next, click here.

Macy's fires workers for preventing cross-dresser from using women's dressing room

 SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (WordNews.org) Dec. 5, 2011 – A law firm announced today that Macy’s fired one of its workers for preventing a male cross-dresser from changing in the women’s dressing room.
Liberty Counsel said the woman, Natalie Johnson, refused “to violate her religious beliefs by permitting a young man from entering the women’s dressing room.”
A call to Macy’s was not immediately returned.
Johnson said saw a young man walk out of the women’s fitting room. She told him that he could not go back in because it was for women only.
Liberty Counsel said the cross-dressing young man claimed that he is a “female.” Johnson said that he was wearing make-up and girl’s clothing, “but clearly he was a male.”

To read more

Forced abortion opponent reported still alive

LINYI, CHINA (WordNews.org) Dec. 3, 2011 --  Forced abortion opponent Chen Guancheng is still alive, despite previous reports that he had died under house arrest, Women's Rights Without Frontiers said.
"Now his mother is allowed to go outside to buy food although escorted by three guards, and his health also is getting better," a source told Women's Rights Without Frontiers.
The source said Guancheng had been treated better recently.
"Chen's situation was exposed and got huge public attention," the source said. One campaign that brought considerable visibility to Chen's plight was the flow of concerned citizens attempting to visit him for his 40th birthday on Nov. 12. Many of these citizens were beaten and detained, according to Women's Rights Without Frontiers.

 In addition, the "Chen Sunglasses Freedom" campaigns inside and outside of China have raised the visibility of his case. These campaigns post photos of people wearing sunglasses in support of Chen. The source stated, "I think it's great. I think it's very helpful for people all over the world to show they care about Chen through the Sunglasses campaigns. I think it's very important to show support inside and outside the country – we can work together." These campaigns, spearheaded by Women's Rights Without Frontiers and Dark Glasses Portrait, can be found at www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/index.php?nav=chen-guangcheng and ichenguangcheng.blogspot.com/.

Click here to read more

Revolutionizing how churches use PowerPoint?

ASHLAND, Ore. (WordNews.org) Dec. 2, 2011 -- ExaltNow revolutionizes how churches use PowerPoint in worship.
That's how Sharefaith.com began their news release highlighting its new product. Sharefaith, a church media company, recently aunched a PowerPoint plugin "that is likely to revolutionize the way churches uses PowerPoint in their worship service."The product went on sale this month.
"The ExaltNow worship software plugin for PowerPoint combines text over video for seamless slide transitions, and offers full integration to a church's existing CCLI song select database," the company said. "Creating and planning a worship service within MS PowerPoint has never been this easy."
Sharefaith conducted a survey this month of 10,000 churches and found that 89 percent of congregations rely on PowerPoint as their premier projection software during their church service.

To read more

AdoptionJourney.com launched to encourage couples considering adoption

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WordNews.org) Dec. 1, 2011 — Three national organizations have partnered together to help couples interested in adoption.
The Adoption Journey Project has launched a new website, www.AdoptionJourney.com. It is a collaborative effort between Bethany Christian Services, Lifesong for Orphans and Lifeline Children’s Services.

“The vast majority of resources being published by adoption agencies and supporting organizations are for families that are either close to or have committed to the adoption process already,” said Marc Andreas, vice president of marketing at Bethany Christian Services, the largest adoption agency in the country.

“We recognize that couples just starting to think about adoption have completely different perspectives and needs regarding the discernment process for adoption in their lives. This project will provide tangible resources to help support them and the beginning of their own adoption journey.”

Click here for more

Wednesdays with Britt Nicole: 'Let's hang out with God for a little bit' (Part 6 of 6)

NASHVILLE (WordNews.org) Nov. 30, 2011 – “There’s some cool opportunities that are coming up,” Christian music artist Britt Nicole blurts out.
Then, she adds cautiously, “Something I don’t know if I can share yet.”
A hint?
“There’s other people they’re putting together.”
Britt is currently touring with Brandon Heath’s “Leaving Eden” tour. She talks about what she would like to do one day.
“There’s a lot. So many things I would love to do,” she says. “Ultimately, I want to reach people.”
She talk about the frustration she gets sometimes in the midst of completing a performance.
“A lot of times on tour we have this hour-long or two hour-long show and people are almost at the breaking point where God is about to do something in their life,” Britt says, “and you’re like, ‘Ok, good night, see you next year.’ It’s like, ‘Wait!’ God was moving and they were about to have a break through in their life.’ I see that a lot. For me that kind of breaks my heart.”
She knows what she would like to do at those moments.

To find out, click here