Many in U.S. Drop Their Childhood Religion
from CBS News
A new study released last week by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life is unusual for its sheer scope, relying on interviews with more than 35,000 adults to document a diverse and dynamic U.S. religious population. The study says that the U.S. religious marketplace is extremely volatile, with nearly half of American adults leaving the faith tradition of their upbringing. More

Video: The U.S. Religious Marketplace
from CBS News
Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, talks about the new survey on religion in the United States and its findings. More

Obama Speech to Denomination Spurs IRS Investigation of UCC
from Associated Baptist Press
A speech that Barack Obama made last year to his fellow Congregationalists has spurred an Internal Revenue Service investigation that threatens the tax-exempt status of an entire denomination. Leaders of the Illinois senator’s United Church of Christ are fighting back, saying the IRS charges are baseless and "disturbing." More

Opinion: Why Churches Have Little to Fear from IRS
from Post Bulletin
There's no question that churches can and do engage in get-out-the-vote activities. The tightness around the collar comes when those efforts are conducted on behalf of a specific candidate. Tax exemptions for nonprofit groups were never intended to offer tax relief to partisan political activities. More

Audio Bibles Make the Cut
from Christian NewsWire
Audio Bibles are suiting up. Hundreds of student athletes across college campuses are listening to God's Word in audio. In this volunteer Bible listening initiative called "You've Got The Time," participants listen through the entire New Testament by devoting 28 minutes a day for only 40 days. More

Ten Years After Opening, 'The Upper Room' Continues to Offer Youth Prayer and Refuge
from the Statesville Record & Landmark
For nearly a decade, The Upper Room in Statesville, N.C., has been helping teens avoid the pitfalls of adolescence and the dangers lurking in the streets. Since the Upper Room opened, its mission has remained constant - minister and encourage youth. More

LifeBox Initiative Shows Soldiers that Churches Care
from Associated Baptist Press
For some soldiers serving far away from home, mail time is one of the most anticipated times of day. And for those whose only mail is one of the thousands of magazines sent by adult-oriented publishers, it's a day to remember how lonely they really are. More

Where Has All the Giving Gone?
from The Gazette
In recent months, First Baptist Church in downtown Colorado Springs, Colo., has slashed its youth ministry and missionary budgets, and relegated some full-time staffers to part-timers. The reason? Operating costs have been increasing while giving has dropped off. Churches across the nation are facing similar scenarios. More

Hunger Pangs Help Utah Teens Work Up Empathy for Poor
from Deseret Morning News
The 30-Hour Famine is an annual eye-opener for healthy, relatively affluent American teens. The idea is to give the students a glimpse of what it's like to be hungry and poor and to raise money for the international relief organization World Vision. More