The Portuguese issue of Playboy showing Jesus Christ among topless models.

“We did not see or approve the cover and pictorial in the July issue of Playboy Portugal…. It is a shocking breach of our standards.” -Theresa Hennessy, Vice President of public relations at Playboy Enterprises

(Wait. Playboy has standards? –Url Scaramanga)

How iPhones are changing religion.

“The future is very bright, but we have yet to get our mind around a world where some [people get] their whole religious experience through a device.” -Dudley Rose, the associate dean for ministry studies at Harvard University’s Divinity School

(Does this mean Steve Jobs is the digital pope? –Url Scaramanga)

The growing disenchantment with church growth strategies.

“I don’t think there is anything intrinsically wrong with the church growth principles we’ve developed . . . yet somehow they don’t seem to work.” - C. Peter Wagner, a leading spokesmen for the church-growth movement.

(Mr. Wagner, have you ever considered a career in politics? I also hear there are some vacancies at BP. –Url Scaramanga.)

Why evangelical churches lose fewer young people than liberal churches.

“For evangelicals, if children and youth are not enjoying church, it is the church’s fault and evangelical parents either find a new church or try to improve their youth ministry. For liberals, the tendency is the reverse; if youth do not find church interesting, it is their problem.” -James Wellman, author of Evangelical vs. Liberal: The Clash of Christian Cultures in the Pacific Northwest

(A good reminder that the call of the Christian life is to enjoy church. –Url Scaramanga)

A Methodist seminary in California decides to start a program to train Muslim imams and Jewish rabbis.

"It kind of fits, to some extent, California.” -David Roozen, director of the Institute for Religion Research at the Hartford Seminary

(Ya know what else is totally California? Disneyland. Maybe the seminary should train Mouseketeers too. –Url Scaramanga)

New report on who is most likely to be involved in church activities.

"There certainly is a dominant demographic faith profile of Christians in the nation. The typical profile of an involved Christian is a married woman in her early fifties." - David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group

(Perfect if our mission is to make disciples of Martha Stewart. –Url Scaramanga)

The impact of using business strategies and consumer values in the church.

“In a recent survey of 1,000 church attenders, respondents were asked, ‘Why does the church exist?’ According to 89 percent, the church’s purpose was ‘to take care of my family’s and my spiritual needs.’ Only 11 percent said the purpose of the church is ‘to win the world for Jesus Christ.’” - Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California.

(Alrighty then. Good night, folks. Would the last person to leave the church in America please turn off the lights? –Url Scaramanga.)