Two Palestinians armed with a meat cleaver and a gun killed four people in a Jerusalem synagogue on Tuesday before being shot dead by police, the deadliest such incident in six years in the holy city amid a surge in religious conflict.

In a widely anticipated decision, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago issued a ruling last week that brought an end to the suit where a lower federal court had declared the ministerial housing allowance unconstitutional.

The ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) has announced in its 5th Annual State of Giving Report that annual cash charitable giving to ECFA-accredited organizations increased 6.9 percent between 2012 and 2013. It reflects total cash donations of $11.6 billion in 2013, an increase from the previous year’s $10.9 billion.

The first Muslim prayer service ever hosted at the National Cathedral, a landmark Christian church in the U.S. capital, was briefly interrupted on Friday by a lone anti-Islamic protester but the religious gathering continued with a theme of tolerance.

Since the United States’ founding, American civil and military leadership have taken deliberate steps to meet the religious needs of the military and to prevent it from becoming a purely secular entity. The founders were no strangers to government provision of religious support to the military.

This Sunday, November 16, 2014, is Church of God International Native American (American Indian) Sunday. The Church of God has been with blessed with the ministry of many indigenous people groups through Multi-Cultural Ministries who have added significant contributions to the heritage of our church.

The Awakening America Alliance (AAA), comprised of a broad spectrum of para-church ministries, individuals, and denominations, recently convened at WinShape Retreat near Atlanta for their fall Upstream Strategy Summit. These Summits are marked by:

• Strategic Planning and Development of Preach2Engage Resources
• Encouragement and Renewal for National Leaders and Spouses
• United Ministry Efforts for Seeking a Contemporary Spiritual Awakening
This unique blending of key leaders in the arenas of marketplace, next-generation, and media, produced fresh ideas and strengthened relationships among a diverse group of leaders.

It’s easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas amid the bustling holiday season, but with “Forgotten Christmas” (www.gfa.org/info/FC), pastors and their congregations are reminded that a simple gift to the “least of these” can transform lives across the world.

In just one generation, Latin America has seen the number of people who identify themselves as Catholic plummet, with more people becoming Protestant or dropping religion altogether, a new report shows.