A Montana city has delayed a decision regarding a contract between it and a local nonprofit because of church-state concerns brought up by a local activist.

The Missoula City Council heard complaints from local activist Rob Best who felt that the contract giving funds to City Life Community Center for use of its gymnasium would violate the separation of church and state, as the center is a Christian organization.

The contract, if approved, would allot $36,000 to the center in return for the organization helping to sponsor sports activities for youth in response to a growing demand for indoor winter sports. more >>

The Second Mile charity, founded by former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, will be transferring over funds and programs that help at-risk youth and their families to a Houston-based Christian organization known as Arrow Child and Family Ministries.

"The Second Mile has made a positive difference in many peoples' lives, and we are very pleased that Arrow will continue this good work," said interim CEO David Woodle in a press release from the organization.

"Arrow's mission is consistent with the goals and objectives of The Second Mile's programs. While we are sad that The Second Mile will not continue running programs, we are heartened that the important work of helping children – and their families – reach their full potential will go on," the CEO added. more >>

A Church of Scotland counseling center will celebrate its 50th anniversary this Friday with a special service in Glasgow.

The Tom Allan Centre is run by CrossReach, the social care arm of the Church of Scotland.

It first opened its doors in 1961 as a rehabilitation service for people with alcohol problems and it was formally dedicated on June 8, 1962. more >>

The case of Chen Guangcheng, the blind Chinese dissident who captured the world's attention with his escape from house arrest, is seen as a victory for human rights and many have praised the self-taught lawyer who challenged China's one-child policy, calling him a hero who worked for a noble cause.

The Pennsylvania Pastors' Network, a Bible-based group of clergy and church liaisons who describe themselves as a non-partisan organization encouraging "informed Christian thinking about contemporary social issues," said in a statement Monday that Chen's work on behalf of women and unborn children should be honored.

"Chen Guangcheng, who defended Chinese women from the crime of forced abortion, is finally free and for that we ultimately thank our Lord Jesus Christ. Chen is a tremendous human rights leader whose cause is to end China's One Child Policy and forced abortion. Chen and his wife, Yuan Weijing, and their children, have endured treatment that most of us will never know in our lifetimes, but Chen suffered for the cause of the unborn and the lives of the women and families in China," Colin Hanna, president of the network, said in a statement. "For this he is honored and is a living example to those in America, demonstrating how to act on our convictions to the very end." more >>

Christian organizations and Good Samaritans around the world are joining together this week as part of an awareness and fundraising campaign that hopes to impact the lives of over a billion people globally.

The campaign, known as Live Below the Line (LBL), is an initiative begun by the Global Poverty Project and has since morphed into an international effort in which people from all over the world – from Nigeria to Haiti – live in solidarity with the world's 1.4 billion people who live below the World Bank's definition of the extreme poverty line.

Participants of LBL live off of $1.50 a day – the equivalent of extreme poverty – from May 7-11 to experience firsthand the challenges people who live in destitute poverty face on a daily basis. more >>

A California megachurch is hoping to gather 16 tons of food during the month of May for its annual drive to benefit a local food bank.

The Rock Church of San Diego, with an attendance exceeding 12,000, has pledged to donate 32,500 pounds of food to the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. Miles McPherson, pastor of The Rock Church, told The Christian Post that this was the third year that his church was involved in the food drive.

"This initiative is part of the Rock's community outreach campaign, bringing people together to address human needs and transform lives in San Diego and the world," said McPherson. more >>