Money—and spiritual transformation

"When you Give , God gives back to you. God is not a debtor," says Roderick Harris of Durham, North Carolina. Mr. Harris, who tithes 10 percent of his income to his church, is the exception, not the rule these days.

Many denominations agree that giving often depends on family priorities. Such financial support of churches "...is, perhaps, the best thermometer we have to indicate our spiritual condition and where our loyalties lie," says Sylvia Ronsvalle, executive vice-president of the Empty Tomb, a Christian research organization.

Some churches are trying to help members perceive a spiritual motivation for donations. Timothy Kimbrough, rector of The Church of the Holy Family in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, points out a link between a willingness to give and the transformation of the heart.

"What Jesus is after is a changed heart," he says, "a heart set on him or on the kingdom of heaven and not somehow fastened to the world and, in particular, material gain."

Reported in The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC)
February 20, 1998

Youth: more open about what they believe

"Maybe Teens Aren't more spiritual today," said Bill Stutz, the Kansas City director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, "but more kids are being open about their faith."

Others who work with young people agree. "God is calling kids to youth groups, not necessarily traditional religious settings," said Grant Gieseke, who works for the youth director at the Northland Cathedral Assembly of God Church.

"Their emphasis is on knowing God as opposed to simply observing a religious ceremony. Students are excited about a God who is real and who plays a real role in their daily lives, not just a vague idea of God."

Excerpted from an article by Amy Brown
Teenstar
The Kansas City Star
November 4, 1997

EAT YOUR (VIDEO) VEGGIES!

If You And Your children have not heard about "Veggie Tales" yet, Christian video-maker Phil Vischer hopes you will soon. A cucumber named Joshua, along with Israelites represented by other vegetables, gives a contemporary spin to Biblical stories. Sparkling songs and lively writing have made the videos a hit among customers who shop in Christian bookstores around the United States. Sales of the latest video, Josh and the Big Wall, have exceeded 220,000 units. Vischer wants Christian children to be delighted by the videos and learn from them. But he also thinks of them as a way of bringing the gospel's message to youngsters in non-Christian households. "I want to produce quality ... products that will cause children to bump into the ... message of God's truth," he says.

Reported in Computing Today, March/April 1998

God—and the fine-tuned universe

"I Believe Because I believe in the laws of physics, and the laws of physics tell me that God exists," says Frank Tipler. When he was a teenager, the Tulane University physics professor thought he was an atheist, but twenty-five years later, he says his knowledge of science has helped him change his mind.

While not all scientists are joining those who say that the order of creation makes them feel that a divine hand had to be behind it, Tipler and others argue that intelligent design is at the heart of the universe.

Patrick Glynn, who was also once an atheist, is author of God: The Evidence. He says that the universe in all its details—from the force of gravity to other basic scientific concepts—"seems to have been intricately fine-tuned from the start."

Reported in
The Atlanta Journal/
The Atlanta Constitution
December 13, 1997

INDIVIDUAL GIVING COUNTS

Although Institutions—Foundations and corporations—give billions of dollars each year to nonprofit corporations, individuals are still the best source of funds. In 1995, out of a total of $144 billion given to nonprofit organizations, contributions from individuals totaled $116 billion. Churches and religious organizations were the biggest beneficiaries, receiving 57 percent of individuals' donations.

Reported in American Demographics
January 1998

New research on the joys of marriage

About 90 Percent of Americans marry and for a variety of reasons. Now, a study by University of Chicago sociologist Linda Waite concludes that the actual quality of life in marriage is superior cohabitation cohabitation in a number of significant respects. As well as noting many specific benefits of a couple's long-term commitment to each other and specialization in chores and responsibilities, Waite's research adds that [marriage is] "far superior at connecting people to others—work acquaintances, in-laws—who are a source of support and benefits. It links married people to a world larger than themselves."

Reported in the Chicago Tribune January 18, 1998