Lecrae released a new music video for his song "Mayday" off his Gravity album that features rapper Big K.R.I.T. and singer Ashton Jones today.

The track marks Lecrae's first major collaboration with a secular rapper as him and Big K.R.I.T. go back and forth speaking about their experiences with fellow believers and the church.

Big K.R.I.T. confesses his lack of church attendance during his verse and expresses his frustrations with the church in general with Lecrae basically delivering the response at the end of the song. more >>

The makers of the popular Bible app YouVersion, who have logged 72 million downloads onto smartphones and tablets, are tracking downloads of their Christmas Story reading plan in somewhat similar fashion to the way the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) does with Santa Claus every year.

Every Christmas season NORAD "helps ordinary citizens track Santa's progress as he delivers gifts to good little boys and girls around the world.

"Now, for the first time, you'll also be able to track the beloved story that gave birth to the season," stated YouVersion this week. more >>

The sixth millionth lesson from a popular Bible club for children was sent by Child Evangelism Fellowship recently to a member, marking a milestone for the largest Christian-based children's ministry in the world.

The Truth Chasers Club, which was established in 1999, had almost 49,000 active members in the United States this past year. CEF recently designed eight new series of Bible lessons for the club, each targeting a specific age group of children. The lessons are colorful, engaging and thoughtful, and have been very well received by club members, says the fellowship.

"They are enthusiastic about the lessons because they are brighter, more attractive and the pictures are of children they can identify with," said David Howe, the director of the Truth Chasers Club. "The lessons are also more engaging because they include more activities along with reading and studying." more >>

A Texas pastor who described himself as a "strong believer in the Second Amendment" held a class on concealed carry at his church.

John Miller, pastor of the Heights Baptist Church in San Angelo, helped oversee a concealed carry class at his church.

"Everybody had a great time; a successful event," said Miller in an interview with NRANews earlier this year. "We had 16 people attending. We had several more who had planned to come but because of circumstances were prevented from coming." more >>

A coalition of churches and individual Christians in Santa Monica, Calif., has decided to not let a city ban on Nativity scene displays at a public park deter them from showing their outward expressions of Christmas. Complete with an ensemble of people dressed as historical figures present at the time of Jesus' birth, groups began singing Christmas carols and telling the Nativity story at a park next to the city's pier Monday evening. They plan to continue each night until Dec. 23.

Some are calling the action a "creative loophole" in the recent ruling because it applies to unmanned nativity displays such as the ones at the park hosted by the Santa Monica Nativity Scenes Committee for 59 years. While some of the city's Christian leaders are saying that, in spite of the ban, the chance to be present and interact with those visiting the park is a blessing.

"What I'm realizing this year that's exciting for me is that we are continuing to say we don't think that we are the only ones who get to celebrate this time of year," said Pastor Steve Snook of Metro Calvary Chapel Church in Santa Monica. "The idea is that everybody can celebrate the materialism of Christmas. They can celebrate the lights and family and all these things, but we want to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas and we're going to do it." more >>

A Maryland church building belonging to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) may soon become a landmark.

St. Mark's Lutheran of Baltimore was deemed a candidate for landmark status due to its elegant sanctuary, which was designed by famous American architect Louis Comfort Tiffany. Lauren Schiszik, preservation planner and landmarks coordinator with Baltimore's Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation, told The Baltimore Sun about the rarity of the site.

"St. Mark's is one of only a few intact Tiffany-designed interiors left in the world… a glorious example of Tiffany's vision, and it's all there," said Schiszik. more >>