The Lodi area has plenty of Baptist churches.

This week's lesson comes from the Book of Ruth. But why is this little book in the Old Testament important? It contains no great moral teaching.

Jake McGregor wears a white golf shirt, shorts and sandals as he sits on a low stool and has what amounts to more of a conversation rather than a sermon about God and Jesus Christ.

The only other major monotheistic religion that is of non-Semitic origin is the Sikh religion. Its genesis is within the Indo-Aryan concept of metaphysics.

Last year, no more than 10 people attended Sunday services at the Buddhist Church of Lodi. Now, 50 to 100 people show up on Sundays, and they aren't all Japanese any more.

Harry Gyokyo Bridge III, 36, who didn't become a Buddhist until his college years, is the minister of the Buddhist Church of Lodi. He replaces Ken Fujimoto, who left the Lodi church in January after 21 years to become minister of the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin.

Many churches have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services, but 2011 is a rather unusual year, since Christmas falls on Sunday — so most Christian churches will have services on Christmas Day.

It was another world. We traveled outside the city of Port Au Prince, a one-and-a-half hour drive. It seemed like we were on another continent. It felt like a different planet. Our experience was totally new from last year, when we lived in the earthquake-ravaged capital city.

Emanuel Lutheran Church is moving in a new direction with the hiring of Eric Griffith as a pastor to focus on youth and family activities.

Emanuel Lutheran Church is moving in a new direction with the hiring of Eric Griffith as a pastor to focus on youth and family activities.

On alternate Sundays, you can combine worshipping the Lord with hearing a loud, raucous rock concert at Lodi's Emanuel Lutheran Church.

Katsuya Kusunoki had a definite learning curve when he became minister of the Buddhist Church of Lodi. That's because he's participating in his first ministerial assignment, and he's lived most of his life in Japan.

Failure. Something I don't wish on our president, or our country.

Several Lodi-area churches plan observances of the 9/11 tragedy during their services on Sunday.

A groundbreaking service for a new 32,000-square-foot children's center was celebrated on Nov. 4 as Temple Baptist Church families and guests from Lodi Christian School gathered outside near the construction site on the church grounds.

Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church has hired a fourth-generation pastor to guide the congregation in its transition to a more conservative Lutheran organization.

Steven Liparoto, executive pastor at Calvary Bible Church in Acampo, has been named senior pastor by the church board.

NEW YORK - Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was installed as head of the U.S. church less than two years ago, inheriting a mess not of her own making.

Jon Kibler-McCabe was installed last Sunday as pastor of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church before about 45 people.

After a year without a minister, the Buddhist Church of Lodi has welcomed Katsuya Kusunoki, a 32-year-old Japan native, on his first ministerial assignment.

Welcome to a brand-new year with many new beginnings. Five churches in Lodi (First Baptist, Emanuel Lutheran, Ham Lane Church of Christ, Temple Baptist and Vinewood Community) are involved in a powerful ministry called "The Story," and we invite you to join us in 2013.

First United Methodist's Alan Kimber was probably not here when the News-Sentinel printed the article entitled "Prize winner bridges faith and science." (Editor's Note: It was an Associated Press story published in the News-Sentinel on March 13, 1999.)

I heard a radio program the other day that had youth experts discussing the fact that large numbers of young people leave the church after high school.

Police Chief David Main — a manager with heart

Have you ever noticed that the words "new and improved" often turn out to be neither? Most of us have been consumers long enough to lower our expectations when we read an advertisement suggesting that some product has been improved upon. In our most cynical moments, we might even roll our eyes in disgust as we realize the only thing "new and improved" about this product is the price.