Northeast

Liquid Church, one of New Jersey's fastest growing megachurches, will be singing Grammy-nominated pop music during the months of February and March at its Sunday morning church services.

The church will use chart-topping songs from today's music stars to help congregants see that the same pains from love today were recorded in the Bible thousands of years ago.

"Cee-Lo, Adele, Bruno Mars and Foo Fighters' story lines express the same burdens many people walking into the church are facing," said Tim Lucas, pastor of Liquid Church, said in a statement. "We could learn a lot from the love story God's telling that is quite relevant." more >>

Most certainly not the only drive-thru funeral parlor in the U.S., the Robert L. Adams Funeral Home in Compton, Calif., does stake claim to being the only business of its kind in the state that offers viewings for those who may want to honor the dead from the comfort of their vehicles. 

The Robert L. Adams Funeral Mortuary, opened in 1974, did not arrive at the drive-thru concept purely to cater to those who may be pressed for time and find a drive-by departing to be most convenient. 

According to the funeral home's office manager, the drive-thru service is primarily intended for elderly visitors who may find it difficult to move or for those who are physically impaired. more >>

Auditors overseeing the ballooning costs of the World Trade Center called the agency responsible for the buildings' construction "dysfunctional" for not keeping costs under control.

The estimated price tag of the World Trade Center complex has gone up $3.8 billion since 2008, when the cost was determined at around $11 billion, Navigant Consulting, Inc., said in its audit of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The governors of New York and New Jersey ordered the audit to be conducted. Both governors have been highly critical of the Port Authority, which is responsible for the airports, seaports and river crossings in the New York City area, according to The Associated Press. more >>

The majority of New Jersey residents are in favor of Gov. Chris Christie's suggestion to send a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage currently on the Senate floor to a referendum on the November ballot, according to a new poll from Kean University.

The poll found that 57 percent of New Jersey residents are in favor of sending the bill to referendum while only 32 percent oppose the measure. The poll's directors say the overwhelming majority is caused by citizens on both sides of the issue believing they have a good chance of winning if it comes to a popular vote.

The Kean poll would suggest, however, that those in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage would stand to benefit most from a referendum. When asked if they "favor or oppose same sex marriage," 48 percent of those polled were in favor while 32 percent were opposed. more >>

Renowned Pastor Tim Keller is speaking out for the first time against New York City's ban on church use of public school buildings.

"Grieved" that more than 60 churches will be forced out of public schools this month, Keller called the city's ban "unwise" and is hoping for a reversal.

"It is my conviction that those churches housed in schools are invaluable assets to the neighborhoods that they serve," the senior pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church said in a statement Tuesday. "Churches have long been seen as positive additions to communities. Family stability, resources for those in need, and compassion for the marginalized are all positive influences that neighborhood churches provide." more >>

The merger of two dominant mission associations in North America culminated Monday with the public unveiling of Missio Nexus, which is now the largest evangelical mission network in North America.

Missio Nexus, formed through the marriage of CrossGlobal Link and The Mission Exchange, will represent 35,000 evangelical missionaries deployed in every country by more than 200 agencies and churches.

Top evangelical leaders across North America convened for a special service held Monday in Boston that celebrated both the debut of Missio Nexus and the 200th anniversary of North America's first ordained missionaries. more >>