QUOTE: "When we [first started this], we were blown away at how people could actually worship along and have genuine community and connect in a very spiritual and very real way with an online church. … We've got people who may be exploring Christianity for the first time and who may not set foot in a physical church building, and we would like to clearly communicate the truth of the Bible in a way that people would understand. That's the top priority for us. Beyond that, we find that people will worship. Often a whole family will gather around the computer, and they'll sing and they'll worship together. Or if someone's travelling, they can stay connected to the church that way. They can invite a friend who might not come to church otherwise. … So it's a tool to help. Instead of trying to get people to come to a church, we feel like we can take a church to them." —LifeChurch.tv Senior Pastor Craig Groeschel, explaining the vision behind his church pioneering the way for online churches—and how these virtual communities are anything but merely virtual. [cnn.com, 11/15/09]

A group advocating for gay marriage is leading a campaign seeking to revoke the tax-exempt status of churches that supported the repeal of Maine's gay marriage law. Maine Marriage Equality reports that 80,000 people have joined its online effort to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) churches that advocated for Question One, which revoked the state's same-sex marriage law Nov. 3 with 53 percent of the vote.

Claiming the IRS "clearly forbids churches from participating in political campaigns in any form," Maine Marriage Equality provides complaint forms and contact information for the IRS at its Web site. The group also lists churches and organizations that campaigned for Question One along with major financial contributors.

"It's no secret that the Catholic Diocese led the ‘YES on 1' effort in Maine, among many other churches encouraging their congregations to vote ‘YES,' handing out signature forms and collection plates during service, and constantly asking for ‘sacrificial contributions' from churchgoers," the group claims

Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), said the campaign is an "all-too-obvious attempt" to use the IRS to intimidate pastors. He says the IRS almost always allows churches to support ballot initiatives such as Question 1.

"Pastors and churches have a right to speak about biblical truths from the pulpit without fear of punishment," Stanley said. "They can encourage their congregations to take a stand for marriage and can directly support legislative issues like Question One without running afoul of IRS rules."

ADF is offering free legal assistance to any church the IRS targets.

"Groups that want to redefine marriage are intentionally threatening the tax-exempt status of churches through fear, intimidation and disinformation to silence their voice," Stanley said. "ADF will stand with these churches to defend their right to free speech and religious expression against these baseless scare tactics." [charismamag.com, 11/16/09]

It's official: Church has gone to the dogs. Starting this month, Covenant Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles is turning God's house into a doghouse by inviting dog lovers to bring their pooches for a 30-minute canine-centric worship service. Intended as a weekly community outreach event, the services come complete with doggie beds, doggie treats and—we're not making this up—doggie prayers.

Pastor Tom Eggebeen thought of the idea three years ago to spark growth among his dwindling congregation and, as an avid dog-lover, believes the "Canines at Covenant" services meet a need for a largely ignored segment of believers.

"The Bible says of God only two things in terms of an 'is': that God is light and God is love," Eggebeen says. "And wherever there's love, there's God in some fashion. And when we love a dog and a dog loves us, that's a part of God and God is a part of that. So we honor that."

According to a recent Associated Press story, Eggebeen isn't alone but is part of a "growing trend among churches nationwide to address the spirituality of pets and the deeply felt bonds that owners form with their animals." Though calling this a definitive trend is debatable—one nationwide survey found a grand six churches involved in similar woof-oriented worship services—it does reveal a broadening attitude about pets and spirituality.

"It's the changing family structure, where pets are really central and religious communities are starting to recognize that people need various kinds of rituals that include their pets," says Laura Hobgood-Oster, a religion professor at Southwestern University who has studied the role of pets among Christians. "More and more people in mainline Christianity are considering them to have some kind of soul."

Whatever, er, dogma churches adopt, one thing is certain for Eggebeen: his plan is working. Of the more than 30 humans who attended the church's first service, three-fourths were newcomers. [AP, 11/4/09]

QUOTE: "The focus of the revival is on the gospel, the good news that Jesus brought, which is about personal transformation through faith in Jesus Christ alone, as well as societal transformation as we bring God's redemptive power to a broken world. From my perspective, how do you not join something that's around that focus? … There's huge value in the churches of the greater Dallas area coming together around the needs of the city." —Jeff Jones, pastor of Chase Oaks Church in Plano, Texas, on his congregation participating in the Justice Revival occurring in Dallas this week. Created by Sojourners founder Jim Wallis, the three-night event hopes to unite area churches across denominational, theological, racial and political lines for the goal of more effective outreach and service throughout the city. As was done in Columbus, Ohio, last year with more than 10,000 participants, the Justice Revival will culminate in a Saturday workday with more than 1,000 volunteers disseminated throughout the city for service projects. [dallasnews.com, 11/9/09]