Change in giving to religious organizations and churches in 2008: +5.5 percent (a total of $106.89 billion)

Change in overall charitable giving in 2008: –2 percent (a total of $307.65 billion, the first decline in overall giving since 1987)

Eight years ago, Lebanon-born Ali Elhajj came to faith in Christ while living in America. As he encountered evangelical culture, he became troubled by how deeply American Christians misunderstood Islam as well as Christianity in the Middle East.

"It really came to a head in 2006, when the Hezbollah-Israeli war happened, and there was a lot being talked about in the media and churches," Elhajj told ...

The Nativity Story is a drama that focuses on the period of Mary and Joseph's life during which they journeyed to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus.

In this scene, the wise men have arrived in Bethlehem at the place where Mary has given birth to Jesus. Mary, Joseph, and the baby have previously been joined by a group of shepherds who have come to worship the baby Jesus.

The scene begins with the approach ...

In an article for Christian History magazine, Elesha Coffman offers a fascinating history of Advent and Christmas traditions. While some might be tempted to scoff at certain traditions, a closer look reveals ample evidence of a longing all of humanity shares for the Christ who has come:

The first church official to propose special activities for the pre-Christmas period was Perpetuus, bishop of Tours, ...

Since the 1940s, the Ad Council has been the leading producer of public service announcements. Of the thousands of commercials they have produced, their work for the "Don't Almost Give" campaign has been particularly powerful.

One ad shows a man with crutches struggling to go up a flight of concrete stairs. The narrator says, "This is a man who almost learned to walk at a rehab center that almost got ...

Paul said, "See that you also excel in this grace of giving" (2 Corinthians 8:7). Like piano playing, giving is a skill. With practice, we get better at it. We can learn to give more, give more often, and give more strategically. We teach the pursuit of excellence in our vocations. Why not make giving something we study, discuss, and sharpen, striving for excellence?

The Macedonian believers gave "as ...

Ghassan Thomas leads one of the few public churches that emerged [in Baghdad] after Saddam Hussein was toppled. His congregation erected a sign on their building that said "Jesus Is the Light of the World," but the church was raided by bandits who left behind a threat on a piece of cardboard. It read: "Jesus is not the light of the world, Allah is, and you have been warned." The note was signed "The ...

In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien writes about a kingdom called Gondor which for many years has had no king. While waiting for the rightful heir to come and claim his throne, a series of stewards has been placed in charge of the land. The steward in charge at the time of the events described in the book is named Denethor. He has two sons, Boromir and Faramir, both of whom figure prominently in the ...

Luis Palau, the Argentine-born international evangelist, describes how God expanded his ministry:

...

And the Lord gave me a verse. It sounds a bit bombastic, sort of big-headed, so I don't like to quote it in public. But to paraphrase, the Lord basically says, "I will open up nations to you." I took it personally, as a word from the Lord, and I wrote in the flyleaf of my Bible, "1966 (February, I ...

In a Best Life magazine article entitled "My Argument With God," Ricky Gervais, creator of the TV show The Office, wrote about his personal journey "from Jesus-loving Christian to fun-loving infidel in one afternoon."

When Ricky was about 8-years-old, he was drawing the Crucifixion as part of his Bible-studies homework. His 19-year-old brother and personal hero, Bob, came over to him and asked why ...