What's on: An evening of cross cultural praise and worship, August 16, Dong San Korean Church in Parramatta. READ ON MORE EVENTS

World food crisis needs global solutions, says report
The dramatic rise over the past twelve months in global food prices poses a threat to the very poorest and to humanity as a whole, says a new specialist report from the United Nations — which is seeking to coordinate global action. READ ON

An offering of letters
Micah Challenge is calling Christians all over Australia to pick up their pens to fight poverty. The “Offering of Letters” campaign asks churches and other Christian groups to prayerfully write a letter to the Prime Minister calling for compassion, generosity and justice for 1.2 billion people who live in extreme poverty. The letters will be delivered to Mr Rudd during the Micah Challenge National Gathering, Voices for Justice, in October. READ ON

Immaculate renovations
Architects around the world are transforming church buildings into various types of structures including houses, retail stores, libraries and, well, cooler churches. READ ON

Survey suggests ‘unchurched’ are a fluid group
A new survey shows that “unchurched” Americans may be worshipping more, and “churched” Americans worshipping less, than many people might think. READ ON MORE

Silence is God’s first language
Without a commitment to Sabbath, it’s as if we’re all living together in a prison that doesn’t exist. READ ON

Faith leaders out of touch about gays
Religious people are more positive towards homosexual people than is claimed by conservative faith leaders, a report out today says. READ ON Pastor is United Methodists’ first openly gay bishop candidate. READ ON Presbyteries in the Presbyterian Church (USA) will decide in the next year whether to remove from the denomination’s constitution language restricting ordination to those who practise fidelity if they are married or chastity if they are single. READ ON

Churches 'need do more on climate change'
A researcher for the Australian National University says Christian denominations need to do more to address climate change. Steve Douglas has studied the policies of the Catholic, Anglican and Uniting churches and found the Anglican Church is the least effective. READ ON

Scholars plan to reunite ancient Bible online
The oldest surviving copy of the New Testament, a 4th century version that had its Gospels and epistles spread across the world, is being made whole again — online. READ ON

A broad church with narrow attitudes
Who cares if the Church of England tears itself apart? READ ON The next Anglicanism? READ ON

Inmates share in youth day experience
A British Benedictine monk has taken World Youth Day into a women's prison in Sydney, leading inmates in an ancient form of Christian meditation. READ ON

Pope says 'spiritual desert' is spreading
Benedict XVI challenged young people to help build a “new age” by rejecting the “indifference, spiritual weariness and blind conformity” of the times. READ ON Pope calls for Christian unity, condemns violence. READ ON MORE MORE MORE Pope Benedict XVI has expressed a request for all religions to work together for the good of the world. READ ON Pope warns against splits. READ ON

Help or hindrance? Psychological impacts of religion
In the aftermath of World Youth Day, the University of Western Sydney (UWS) will hold a conference to explore the beneficial and harmful impacts of religion. READ ON

Churches' feedback greatly needed, committee says
A key committee of the World Council of Churches is calling ecumenical partners, including its 349 member churches, for more feedback on two crucial matters of concern facing the Church. READ ON

African churches want sanctions on Zimbabwe
Delegates from churches in Zimbabwe, South Africa and other southern African countries meeting in Johannesburg have expressed "overwhelming support" for targeted economic sanctions against Zimbabwe. READ ON

Account of Myanmar bravery shows people's woes
The Roman Catholic archbishop of Yangon says the human resilience shown by community rebuilding in Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis wreaked havoc in May, killing more than 130,000 people, has given hope to the church. READ ON

Many Swiss find nature more spiritual than church
More than half of Switzerland's Protestants find nature more spiritually moving than going to church, a poll conducted for a weekly magazine of the Reformed churches in the German-speaking part of Switzerland has found. READ ON

An olive branch to other faiths
Behind the clamour of World Youth Day, the Catholic Church is reaching out to other religions. READ ON That warm and fuzzy brotherly love is delusive. READ ON

WCC solidarity visit to help overcome violence
Churches working for peace in Indonesia will receive a solidarity visit of an international ecumenical delegation sent by the World Council of Churches from July 17 to 24. READ ON

Westpac Community Treasurers' Awards 2008
There are hundreds of thousands of community groups in Australia who rely on the unsung and unpaid labour of honorary treasurers. Responsible for the financial wellbeing of their organisation, they often go above and beyond the call of duty to make sure ends meet. READ ON

A fallible church
Since the first Lambeth Conference of 1867 there have been many serious rifts in the Anglican Church and there will no doubt be many more. READ ON What is the Lambeth Conference? READ ON MORE Strong ecumenical presence. READ ON

The Passion: 14 Stations of the Cross
International award-winning artist Miriam Cabello will exhibit her greatly anticipated The Passion: 14 Stations of the Cross to coincide with World Youth Day celebrations. READ ON

Court rules against restrictions for Pope's visit
Legal restrictions imposed for Pope Benedict's visit to Sydney this week, which could see protesters arrested for "annoying" Catholic pilgrims, are unconstitutional, the Australian Federal Court has ruled. READ ON MORE The decision to overturn the anti-annoyance regulation might seem to be a clear victory for the activists. This is an incorrect reading of the case. READ ON

British plan for carbon-neutral ‘ecotowns’ draws ire
The innovative proposal for ultramodern communities with solar power and subterranean recycling chutes is designed to address an acute housing shortage. READ ON

From church to 'rhizone'
The crisis of theological education ultimately stems from Christians who aim to become professional leaders in a world where Christianity itself is increasingly deinstitutionalised, and its leaders are rapidly becoming deprofessionalised. READ ON

Religious tensions rise in West Papua
Authorities in West Papua, Indonesia, must move fast to prevent tension between Christian and Muslim communities escalating into a Malukan-style conflict, according to a recent report by the International Crisis Group. READ ON

The gospel on being gay
So does the Bible condemn homosexuality? Or is scripture neutral, as Christian liberals believe? READ ON

How ethical are you?
Are you an enforcer, philosopher, judge, angel, teacher or guardian? Find out the composition of your moral DNA. READ ON

Methodist Conference to review position on abortion
A major report on abortion, assisted reproductive technologies and stem cell research has been received by the Methodist Conference. The report, Created in God’s Image, looks at the ethical and theological issues raised by these technologies, and aims to give church members a useful framework for discussing them, and other breakthroughs yet to come. READ ON VIEW REPORT

Lutheran cookbook shares potpourri of recipes
In an era of fierce debate about world food shortages, escalating prices, and food trade polices in an era of climate change, the origins of food and how people use it to prepare their daily fare has a particular relevance. READ ON

Soup fills gap left by slow season start
For the many seasonal workers who come to Jindabyne and the mountains, a lack of snow can do more than simply spoil their fun. READ ON

inTENTsive care with Médecins Sans Frontières
In August 2008, following a successful 13-year run in 13 countries around the globe, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Australia is launching the first Australian tour of Refugee Camp in Your City. READ ON

Meet the ‘Mod Squad’ at Synod 2008
This is not a reference to a ’70s TV series or to a procession of large bikers in leathers. It is the irreverent description given to a scheme by staff from the Synod Youth Unit and some former moderators to build a network of connection between young Uniting Church leaders and some much older people. READ ON

Inclusiveness a focus in Synod Bible studies
Can the church define itself by its inclusiveness? What might it be able to learn from the ideas of the Democratic Presidential Candidate, Barack Obama, who is said to have inspired Americans with his imagination? Synod members will be challenged to consider questions like these during daily Bible studies at Synod 2008. READ ON