National and Regional

Values and Religion

Saturday, January 03, 2009

Osteen's message draws thousands to Jacksonville arena

About 9,000 First Coast residents started the new year with a message of hope and inspiration.

Friday, January 02, 2009

RELIGION NOTEBOOK: Church members to fast for 21 days

Approximately 250 members of Journey Church in Orange Park will embark on a 21-day period of fasting and prayer beginning Monday, Pastor Eric Jaffe said.

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Osteens coming to Jacksonville

Televangelist and all-around feel-good guy Joel Osteen said he's taken his share of criticism for being, well, so cheerful.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Groups reach out to assist area's Hispanic ex-offenders

Roberto Garcia was like a growing number of people about whom the Rev. Jose Calderon worried: an ex-inmate without English skills, facing life on the street or back in prison.

Monday, December 29, 2008

What's in a name? For churches, a lot

Running a successful church requires cutting-edge marketing and branding as much as it does innovative preaching and ministry.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Hillcrest Baptist holds its 3 nights of Christmas event

Hillcrest Baptist Church on the Westside went all out for its Christmas celebration this year.

Ahaveth Chesed began its Hanukkah celebration Sunday

CongregationAhavath Chesed celebrated Hanukkah, which started at sundown Sunday, with a gathering of members at its temple at 8727 San Jose Blvd.

Friday, December 26, 2008

RELIGION NOTES: Episcopal church for sale after split

An Episcopal church vacated by its congregation in a theological dispute has been put on sale by the Jacksonville-based Diocese of Florida.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Pastor hopes to find his voice on New Year's Eve

The thunder will soon be back, perhaps just not as loud. Two weeks after surgery to repair a damaged vocal cord, the Rev. Rudolph McKissick Jr. said Wednesday that he intends to return to the pulpit of Jacksonville's Bethel Baptist Institutional Church on New Year's Eve.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Bishop translated 'Silent Night' poem into a song

You may not know the name John Freeman Young, but it's possible you've been singing or humming a song he translated from German into English way back in 1859: "Silent Night."

Hanukkah's lessons of strength felt on first night

Perhaps it was fitting that the start of Hanukkah landed on a day threatened by rain and cold. An afternoon such as this needed the eight-day festival celebrating the triumph of light over darkness.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Hanukkah message for everyone

Hanukkah isn't the biggest holiday of the year for the Banks family in Mandarin. "Hanukkah is not in the Torah," mom Debbie Banks said, referring to holiday's origin in Jewish tradition instead of Scripture. "It's not a very important holiday for us."

Friday, December 19, 2008