Applebee's Waitress Fired

We told you about the receipt left for an Applebee’s waitress by a pastor on which she wrote “I give God 10%, why should you get 18.” The waitress, Chelsea, posted a photo of it on Reddit. But now the Applebee's in St. Louis has fired Chelsea. HuffPost Comedy has started a petition with hopes of convincing Applebee's to rehire Chelsea.

Bible study for sports stars

Christian sports legends Bubba Watson, Tim Tebow, and Ben Crane gathered together this week for a Bible study in Phoenix. Read the story here.

Receipt Photo Goes Viral

A restaurant receipt has gotten a pastor a lot of attention on Reddit. She left it at an St. Louis Applebee’s and added this comment, “I give God 10%, why do you get 18?” Pastor Alois Bell of Truth in the World Deliverance Ministries says she ended up leaving a tip of $6.29 — the same amount that was scribbled out on the receipt — and that her credit card was also charged with an additional $6.29. Bell told
everyone else at her table also left tips in cash. Bell told KTVI-TV that when the receipt was posted to Reddit, Bell said people started sending her angry messages. “I’ve been harassed because of this and it doesn’t tell the whole story.” 

Stanley gets heat for Obama comment

Megachurch pastor Andy Stanley responds to his description of President Obama as 'pastor in chief' here.

Megachurch Cities

A Barna survey finds Las Vegas has the highest concentration of megachurch attendees. On the other end- Salt Lake City, Madison, Wisconsin, and Toledo, Ohio. The survey also finds one in ten of the people who say they are Christians attend a church with 1,000 or more regular attenders. After Vegas comes:

2. Baton Rouge
3. Tampa-St. Petersburg
4. Orlando
5. Dallas, Fort Worth
6. Houston
7. Albuquerque/Sante Fe

Megan Fox and the Pentecostal church

Megan Fox says knows what it’s like to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The actress tells Esquire she started speaking in tongues at the age of eight when she attended a Pentecostal church in Tennessee.

“It feels like a lot of energy coming through the top of your head—I’m going to sound like such a lunatic—and then your whole body is filled with this electric current. And you just start speaking, but you’re not thinking because you have no idea what you’re saying. Words are coming out of your mouth, and you can’t control it. The idea is that it’s a language only God understands. It’s the language that’s spoken in heaven. I can’t stand pills. I don’t like drinking. I don’t like feeling out of control. I have to feel like I’m in control of my body. And I know what you’re thinking: Then why would I want to go to church and speak in tongues? You have to understand, there I feel safe. I was raised to believe that you’re safe in God’s hands. But I don’t feel safe with myself.”

Fox is now a member of a non-denominational church, which she says offers her a refuge from the madness of Hollywood.

Pastor Missing in Iran

An American pastor is missing in Iran. He was imprisoned in Iran on charges of evangelizing others, but no one has heard from him lately. lFox News spoke with his wife to find out the latest.

Poll: Religious Liberty Threatened

A new Barna poll shows about half of all Americans are concerned that religious freedom is at risk in the country. A large number of them say they believe activist groups are making an attempt to remove “traditional Christian values” from the public square. Here's the breakdown.

How concerned are you that religious liberties are under threat in the U.S.?
Very - 29%
Somewhat - 22%

71% of Evangelicals responding to the question answered "very" or "somewhat" while 97% of Evangelicals agreed with the statement “some groups have actively tried to move society away from traditional Christian values.”

A poll by Religion News Service and the Public Religion Research Institute nearly a year ago found 56% of Americans did NOT feel that religious freedom was under attack in this nation. The Barna poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

#1 Album

A Christian album hits the Billboard chart at number one. Chris Tomlin talks about his new album with Fox News in the video below.

This is Religious Freedom Day

Each year, the President declares January 16th to be Religious Freedom Day and calls upon Americans to "observe this day through appropriate events and activities in homes, schools, and places of worship." The day is the anniversary of the passage, in 1786, of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom.The goal is the promotion and protection of students' religious expression rights by informing educators, parents, and students about these liberties.

Inaugural Benediction

Luis León will give the closing prayer at the presidential inauguration. He is pastor of Saint John’s Church, an Episcopal parish located near the White House. It is so close, in fact, a pew has been reserved for the president to visit any service since 1815. In 2005 Luis León gave the invocation for the President George W. Bush’s second inauguration. Just a few days ago, Atlanta Evangelical pastor Louie Giglio withdrew from consideration after a sermon he gave more than a decade ago about gays came to light.

Why Washington's National Cathedral will start hosting same sex weddings

CNN reports on a change at the Washington, DC cathedral which has hosted many national events.

Missionaries Die in Accident

Several parishioners from a Michigan church were killed during a missionary trip to Haiti. Father John Vallier says all three were members of the Parish of the Holy Spirit in Grand Rapids. They were in Haiti as part of a medical team traveling in five vehicles to a villiage south of Port-Au-Prince when their SUV slide down a steep hill after the brakes failed. The driver was killed as well.

Pastor Drops out of Obama inauguration over Gay comments

The pastor picked to give the inauguration benediction is out. Louis Giglio withdrew when some comments he made some 20 years ago were posted on ThinkProgess - a politically liberal website. The pastor of Atlanta's Passion City Church said gay relationships are sinful, an abomination and he warned his congregation about the “aggressive agenda” for acceptance of the “homosexual lifestyle.” The Presidential Inaugural Committee picked Giglio for his efforts related to human trafficking, but withdrew its support of him over the remarks and gay advocacy groups urged the committee to pick someone else. Read Giglio's comments about why he pulled out here.

Gays in America’s Christian churches

The Washington Post offers a slideshow of how different churches are responding to gay members here.

Colorado Christian U.’s lawsuit over contraceptive coverage Dismissed

Colorado Christian University legal challenge to new health-care rules requiring employers to offer insurance covering contraception has lost in court. A federal judge has dismissed the school's lawsuit. There are about half a dozen Christian colleges and universities challenging the Obama administration, which claims the suit came too soon because the administration is promising to issue new regulations to accommodate religious objections. A similar suit by Wheaton College lawsuit was dismissed in August for the same reason.

Scores of Evangelical Christians to show support for Hobby Lobby

In the video below, KCTV in Kansas City reports on Hobby Lobby's stand on a healthcare measure they said conflicts with the company's Christian beliefs.

KCTV5

Targeting 'Les Miserables' to Christians

CNN takes a look at how the movie Les Miserable is being promoted to Christians here.

The challenge of hope in 'Les Misérables'

The takeaway of CNN contributor to the new film adaptation of Les Miserable here.

Congregation gives more than half-a-million in 2 days

A Miami megachurch has raised more than $600,000 in two days to help "the hurting and under-resourced in Miami and India." Christ Fellowship Church had hoped to raise $337,000, but the result was overwhelming. The church has six campuses and operates an organization called Caring for Miami which offers counseling, homeless assistance, medical and dental care, and other services to people living in the area. A large portion of the gives will go to fund that outreach. Children in the church raised more than $3800 by bringing pennies for helping children in need. Middle and high schoolers were encouraged to take their shoes off after a special service. More than 1,800 pairs of shoes were collected as donations to those in poverty living in places like Haiti, El Salvador. There is more information on the church here.