Midwest

An Indiana Senate committee voted 8-2 on Wednesday in favor of a bill that would require the state's public schools to teach creationism alongside evolution in science class.

The Senate Education Committee, which is controlled by Republicans, voted in favor of the bill despite protests from advocacy groups.

"The governing body of a school corporation may require the teaching of various theories concerning the origin of life, including creation science, within the school corporation," the bills says. more >>

Every pastor is susceptible to burnout, Wayne Cordeiro, pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship, told a group of seven influential church leaders Wednesday.

Cordeiro was speaking at an event called the Elephant Room in Aurora, Ill., which featured "conversation's you never thought you'd hear from pastors." The Honolulu pastor acknowledged that getting burned out isn't an issue many pastors discuss publicly from the pulpit. But he recently released a book called Leading on Empty that centers on a period of burnout he went through in the ministry.

"It doesn't matter if you are in a small church or a big church," it can happen to anyone, he said at the conference, which was broadcast to over 60 locations across the U.S. Cordeiro explained that when he first started feeling burned out he didn't acknowledge it, and tried to keep going. more >>

A 15-year-old Wisconsin student has been "censored and punished" for expressing his Christian beliefs – supporting the biblical family view – in a school newspaper op-ed article about homosexuality and same-sex parent adoption.

Brandon Wegner, a contributor for Shawano High student paper "The Hawk's Post," wrote the editorial column in support of children being raised in a home by a mother and a father.

He cited various authorities and sources, including Scripture, in defense of his opinions. Wegner argued that children raised in an environment in which the mother and father are present had the best chance for success and that homosexual adoption should be prohibited. His article was released in conjunction with an opposing viewpoint provided by another student, Maddie Marquardt, also "The Hawk's Post" copy editor. Marquardt countered in her argument that gay couples should be able to adopt because the foster system is broken and children need a two-parent home. more >>

N.T. Wright stormed the gates of Calvin College in Michigan to deliver the message that the Gospels have been taken too lightly.

The renowned theologian was the final speaker of Calvin College's annual January Series on Tuesday, and drew an overflowing crowd of 1,400 people.

"The upshot of the talk was to say that for too long Jesus' life has been skipped. In terms of faith, we treat the Gospel stories too lightly," Scott Hoezee, the director of the Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin College, told The Christian Post on Wednesday. "We cannot understand the Gospels overall arch and its details unless we understand that it's a continuation of Israel's story." more >>

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In round two of The Elephant Room conference, a series of "blunt conversations" between influential megachurch pastors held in Aurora, Ill., Wednesday, the non-negotiables for presenting the Gospel were discussed.

The seven pastors participating in the event all agreed that in a Gospel presentation there are five elements that are key: recognition of sin, that Jesus lived without sin, Jesus' death and resurrection, repentance, and faith.

But discussion mediator James MacDonald said even with that agreement, there is still "a lot of talk these days about the Gospel" and how to present it. He asked Crawford Loritts of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, Ga., and Steven Furtick of Elevation Church in Charlotte, N.C., to weigh in on the topic. more >>

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Seven influential megachurch pastors took part in live unscripted discussions on different approaches to ministry in the second round of The Elephant Room – an event billed as "conversations you never thought you'd hear" from pastors.

Held in Aurora, Ill., and broadcast to over 70 locations around the U.S., the discussions were mediated by James MacDonald of Chicago's Harvest Bible Chapel and Mark Driscoll of Seattle's Mars Hill Church.

With nondenominational churches growing across the county, the role of denominations and church networks was the first topic discussed. more >>