QUOTE: “If we put down our picket signs and picked up a basin of water and towel to wash feet with then maybe the world would sit up and listen. Or maybe they wouldn’t. But either way, we’d be more like Jesus.”—Greg Stier, National youth leader of Dare 2 Share Ministries. [Christian Post, 1/23/08]

QUOTE: “Life is all about stewardship. It all belongs to God—he just loans it to us for a short period of time. The first command God gave to man was to take care of the Earth, which includes managing and protecting the environment.”—Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church.

A growing number of Americans believe that there are biblically legitimate alternatives to conventional church, the latest Barna study shows. Subjects were presented with alternative activities and asked if they were acceptable substitutes for traditional church services. The alternatives included engaging in faith activities at home, with one’s family (considered acceptable by 89% of adults); being active in a house church (75%); watching a religious television program (69%); listening to a religious radio broadcast (68%); attending a special ministry event, such as a concert or community service activity (68%); and participating in a marketplace ministry (54%). Less acceptable substitutes included interacting with a faith-oriented website (45%) and participating in live events via the Internet (42%). [Barna.org, 2/18/08]

QUOTE: “We are living in the midst of a silent revolution of faith. Millions of Christians throughout the world are leaving the old, accepted ways of “doing church” for even older approaches. Those older approaches are rooted in the Holy Scriptures and the eternal principles of the living God. Consequently, the motivation for this transition from the old to the older is not simply to get us in touch with our history or to reclaim our roots. It is borne out of a desire to return to our Lord with authenticity and fullness. It is a thrust to bond with Him through the Word of God, the Kingdom of God, and the Spirit of God.”—George Barna and Frank Viola [Pagan Christianity?]

Even in a time when innovative outreaches seem to be the norm, some evangelistic methods still raise eyebrows. A new documentary “The Pussycat Preacher,” follows former stripper Heather Veitch as she ministers to women in the sex industry. The film chronicles the formation of the ministry JC (Jesus Christ)’s Girls. Veitch’s methods are hardly conventional. She brings women from her church into strip clubs to evangelize. Though Veitch claims the ministry has been welcomed in the sex industry, she says many Christians have been reluctant, accusing Veitch of endangering women by taking them into a “dark world.” The documentary contains no nudity or offensive language. [Christian Post, 2/16/08]