Megachurch

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 >>

Over 50 churches in the Charlotte, N.C.-area will be preforming community service and caring for the poor on Saturday as part of LOVE Week.

Volunteers will work in locations across the city to clean-up parks, improve schools, feed the hungry and homeless, and serve the poor during the third annual event, organized by Elevation church, one of Charlotte's fastest growing megachurches.

Elevation spokesperson Tonia Bendickson told The Christian Post that "LOVE Week is the best opportunity for us to make an impact for our city. We partner with dozens [of] organizations like hospitals, senior centers, and schools." more >>

When finally given the opportunity to simply attend, and not preside or preach at a given church on Sunday, two notable Christian leaders found out just how difficult it was to fit into and connect to a new church today.

Having no current pastoral obligations, Geoff and Sherry Surratt, who have both served extensively at churches like Seacoast and Saddleback, visited over the past few months nine different churches, attending as anonymous visitors.

"It has been an eye-opening experience," Geoff Surratt shared on ChurchLeaders.com. Discovering firsthand the obstacles of connecting with a new church, the former Seacoast Church executive pastor shared a few pointers on how to "make your church stickier" and retain visitors. more >>

Crystal Cathedral, the Garden Grove, Calif., megachurch founded by the Rev. Robert Schuller more than 50 years ago, appears to be headed for a name change as well as a new design of the iconic church building, according to the property's new owner, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. 

The diocese finalized the $57 million purchase of the iconic property, complete with a stunning glass church building, on Friday. The ministry has been struggling financially for years, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Oct. 2010. The diocese will allow the Crystal Cathedral congregation to stay on the campus for the next three years before moving in. However, that is not stopping the new owners from making public some of its intended changes.

This week, Bishop Tod Brown announced that the diocese is looking for suggestions for a new name for the building. The suggested name should refer to Christ or to his activities as illustrated by the Gospels and can be submitted through the diocese's website. Following a review of all suggestions, Bishop Brown will determine the cathedral's name. The deadline for suggestions is Feb. 20, the diocese said in a statement. 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 >>

A video showing minister Paula White being wrapped in a Torah scroll by controversial rabbi and television personality Ralph Messer has emerged only days after White's attorney denied the pastor's endorsement of Messer following a "coronation" ceremony involving Bishop Eddie Long.

The ceremonial wrapping seen in the 2009 video (shown below) of Messer on White's program, "Paula Today," is almost identical to Messer's wrapping of Long during a recent sermon at the minister's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga., as seen in a video clip that has gone viral on YouTube since its posting on the Internet last week.

Following Long's controversy, all eyes turned to White when local press suggested over the weekend that the charismatic pastor of Without Walls International Church might be "crowned" queen during a Super Bowl Sunday service at NDCC, where she also serves as senior pastor. more >>