Worship ( Tuesday ) Charlie Brown Christmas.

How many remember Charlie Brown Christmas? I always had a heart for Charlie Brown especially when he got that sorry tree.
A Charlie Brown Christmas Tonight at 7 o'clock I will gather in front of the tube for a full hour with Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus and Lucy, Sally, Pigpen, Schroeder, and the rest of the Peanuts gang as they present the fortieth second annual televised presentation of A Charlie Brown Christmas. I was Young when this special first aired. I don't know that I've missed it more than a time or two since then.

I noticed in the TV listings that it will show again in December, for those who want to double-dip. I don't know about the repeat broadcast, but tonight stretches into a full sixty minutes (commercials included). ABC follows up with Charlie Brown Christmas Tales, featuring a vignette of each Peanuts character.

There may be more sophisticated animation, faster pacing, or deeper drama in other Christmas shows and films, but I can't think of one seasonal offering I welcome more. After all these years, I just learned something new. According to the trivia link, "During his famed speech, Linus, who is well known to be dependent on his 'Security Blanket', actually lets go of it when he recites these words: 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,' which is from Luke 8:10 [sic; should be 1:10]."

"Fear not!" The Church is not a "family special," but a special family. All who, by grace, are part of it are blanketed with the security of forgiveness, life, and salvation which are our nativity gifts from the One Incarnate God, our "Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 1:11 ESV)" In your Father's house, you can come to Him, letting go of your worthless human "security blankets," and cast "all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7 ESV)" How many remember growing up watching Charlie Brown?

Prayerful ( Monday ) Jesus In A Big Box!

One of Washington state's biggest congregations opened its largest church campus on Sunday. For the church, it's a greater opportunity to bring more people to Christ. For others, it's another "big-box building."

Christian Faith Center is the third-largest building project in Federal Way, Washington – only smaller than the city's Crossings shopping center and Wal-Mart Supercenter. Its main building is 219,000 square feet and includes a sanctuary that seats 2,500 which can be expanded to 4,500 seats. And that's only the first phase of the $70-million building project.

Like many megachurches, Christian Faith Center houses a production studio, a cafe, espresso stands, a book store, Bible school, and a game room.

"This isn't big for Microsoft, this isn't big for Boeing, this isn't big for the Seahawks. So why's it big for a church?" asked co-pastor Casey Treat, who says the competition isn't other churches but such large venues as Disneyland and the mall, according to KOMO TV.

With an average weekly attendance of about 8,000 at two campuses, the Christian Faith Center congregation has been eight years in planning for the new Federal Way location and not all have welcomed the megachurch.

"It's too big," said Shirley Gulbraa, who lives near the church, according to The News Tribune. "To me, that’s another big-box building."

Controversy over the size of a new megachurch building and fears of increased traffic are nothing new for churches seeking expansion. But former Federal Way Mayor Ron Gintz believes the community will benefit from Christian Faith Center.

"The people that go there hear a good message and go out and act on that message,” he said, according to the local newspaper. That means helping people in need through food banks and other programs, Gintz explained.

To ease traffic, the megachurch is paying $6.5 million to widen the street and improve road and traffic conditions, which are required by the city.

Christian Faith Center had begun with 30 people, most of whom were drug addicts and ex-alcoholics, in 1980. The founding co-pastor was a former drug addict himself.

Now one of the largest churches in the Northwest, the megachurch has held simultaneous Sunday morning services with co-pastors Treat and his wife Casey shuttling between two church campuses in a helicopter. Casey Treat is planning for a helipad at the new Federal Way location.

Closing one of its two original campuses and opening a larger facility in Federal Way, Christian Faith Center is aiming to expand its reach in the Northwest.

"It’s the opportunity to bring more people into the body of Christ,” said James Gossler, 43, of Federal Way, according to the local Tribune.

Christian Faith Center is celebrating the new opening over the next two months with special events and services. The megachurch is scheduled to build a $12-million K-12 private school on the new campus next year. My question do the church need game rooms and book stores?

2nd Sunday ( Song ) by: Ce Ce Winans O Holy Night

2nd Sunday ( Song ) by: Soul Children of Chicago Silent Night.

2nd Sunday (Question ) Can You Become an Ex - Gay? G Craig Lewis Says No.

I found this clip of Lewis talking about gays in music and in the church. I have a problem with Lewis attack on people in general. If professionals say it is more to being gay than just being in our mind why the attack.
I am a heterosexual woman and I don't understand how someone can say I will change my sexual desire for men to a desire for women just by saying it. That is why my self I don't stand and judge people because we just don't know. It is easy for me to say they can change because I am not the one dealing with that choice.

For many years mental-health professionals have taken the view that since homosexuality is not a mental disorder, any attempt to change sexual orientation is unwise. But for healthcare professionals to tell someone they don't have the right to make an effort to bring their actions into harmony with their values is wrong. If a person want to make an attempt to change their way of thinking why not let them.

There are no scientifically rigorous outcome studies to determine either the actual efficacy or harm of "reparative" treatments, according to the American Psychiatric Association. However, there are numerous reports of individuals who have claimed to change, those who claim that attempts to change were harmful to them, and others who claimed to have changed and then later recanted those claims.

While some have noted cases where people have had bad experiences with "reorientation" approaches. They acknowledged that in other cases, individuals have "felt they were helped by having therapy available that took their religious values seriously."

The Church remains divided on the issue but is showing growing tolerance for the homosexual lifestyle. A recent poll revealed that for the first time in its polling, the majority of Americans (56 percent) said they do not believe sexual orientation can be changed. What do you think? Do you think you can change your sexual desire by saying I want to change?

MegaFest Goes To Africa.

After a yearlong hiatus, MegaFest – the hugely popular family-friendly festival that has drawn hundreds of thousands of people to Atlanta – will return in October 2008, this time as MegaFest International.

"At the previous MegaFest events, we had people attend from all over the world, all ethnicities, all religions; so many different cultures were in the room," said Jakes, senior pastor of The Potter's House in Dallas. "As I looked out, the feel was so much more aligned to an international event than a U.S.-specific event."

MegaFest launched in 2004 at the Georgia World Congress Center as an experience for the entire family, featuring concerts, seminars, and speakers. The inaugural event drew an overall record-breaking attendance of 560,000 and had an economic impact on the city of up to $125 million. The highly successful festival returned to Atlanta the following two years but attendance fell.

A 2007 MegaFest was cancelled along with plans for a 2008 event until Wednesday's public announcement.

"I am so excited about the return of MegaFest and the fact that it will be in South Africa, makes it that much more special," Jakes said in a statement.

Earlier reports revealed possible plans of taking MegaFest to Dallas where his support base is, but Jakes mentioned to The Dallas Morning News that they have not been able to overcome the "logistical issues" of holding the event in that city.

Jakes also clarified that the ministry's decision to not return to the festival's original launch site "does not in any way reflect negatively on Atlanta."

"I believe the true purpose of the ministry is to go beyond your traditional walls and minister to the world," he said in Wednesday's statement. "MegaFest International provides us with that platform."

MegaFest International is scheduled for Oct. 11-12 and is part of an 11-day tour across South Afri

Gambling On The Church.

I know there are some churches that sponsor bus trips to the casino to gamble is this right? The Church see divorce as regrettable, family violence as detrimental. The church tell us about alcohol, tobaaco and other drugs. But not about gambling Why? Gambling is a menace to society deadly to the best interests of moral social encocomic and spirtual life and destructive. I know that gambling is a poor stewardship of God's gifts. Gambling has caused financial ruin for millions has destoryed families relationships and lives. I know alcohol has destoryed families too I am interested to see what most people of the church think about Gambling as a whole. What are your thoughts on this?