Zion, the latest and third album from contemporary Christian and alternative rock band Hillsong United, is also now the group's most commercially successful album after striking gold with a mainstream audience and debuting at the number five spot on Billboard's 200 chart on Friday. It is also number one on Billboard's Christian Album chart.

The only albums currently ranking higher than Zion on the mainstream music chart are Bruno Mars' Unorthodox Jukebox, Amok by Atoms for Peace, Babel by Mumford and Sons and The Heist by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.

In a message on Friday to fans on Twitter, the group wrote: "Thank you all for your support getting Zion into the top 5 on the USA top 200 Billboard charts//We appreciate you all." more >>

This upcoming weekend will mark the beginning of the second annual Fun in the Son festival, a week-long open air festival in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, organized by American evangelist Andrew Palau in collaboration with the Haiti Broilers, a local poultry company.

Palau and his ministry team will spend March 9-16 in the central public park of Haiti's capital city, known as the Champs de Mars, to hold free medical clinics, action sports demos, and children's programs, among other events.

The week of festivities will culminate with a free open-air music festival, available to all Haitians wishing to attend. more >>

NASHVILLE – Morning sessions during the second day of the National Religious Broadcasters' four-day convention included breakfast meetings with such groups as the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and a time of worship during the general session.

Author and speaker Tony Evans told those in attendance that he is grateful for the opportunity for people in the media industry to come together and remember that they can serve as a comprehensive influence in the world.

"This is not the day to be polite or give ordinary sermons or sing ordinary songs," Evans said. "We are watching this country falling. The kingdom of God needs to arise." more >>

Tucker Carlson, contributor to Fox News, recently issued an apology to those of the Wiccan and Pagan religions after he spoke out against the University of Missouri's policies regarding religion.

"Comments in the story offended a number of people – that was never my intention," Carlson said on the Feb. 23 taping of "Fox News and Friends Weekend."

"I also violated one of my basic life rules, which is live and let live. The Wiccans have never bothered me or tried to control my life. I should have left them alone. Sorry about that," Carlson added. more >>

A British ex-convict who was once heavily addicted to heroin but was able to turn his life around attributes his success to finding God during a religion course in prison.

Darrell Tunningley, who has described his former life as being "like the Antichrist," now serves as a pastor at Hope Corner Community Church in Runcorn, Cheshire, England.

"One day a bloke with a clipboard asked me if I wanted to join the Alpha Course and I basically went because they offered free coffee and biscuits and I wouldn't have to spend my afternoon in my cell," said Tunningley to the United Kingdom publication The Sun. more >>

There are three things that all creative people struggle with, says Pastor Sam Luce, who is the Utica Campus Pastor of Redeemer Church in Utica, N.Y.

Luce, who was the children's pastor for the past 14 years at Redeemer before becoming a campus pastor, wrote recently in his blog that his church began a Creative Community Night.

"It's a time where the creatives in our church can join in community and grow in relationship and in their various gifts," he writes. "The format is basically small groups based around relationship and skill development, followed by a creative service where we worship and receive from the Word, lastly we work on creating a flow for the weekend service." more >>