By Vincent Cabreza |Inquirer Northern Luzon

BAGUIO CITYA suit filed by the Church and private individuals seeks to strip a watershed in the town of Benguet province of all commercial activity, including the construction of a supposedly ecological resort being developed by a congressman.

The suit took to task officials of Tuba town and several government agencies for the sale of land in the Sto. Tomas watershed, supposedly a protected area.

In a petition for a writ of kalikasan filed in the Supreme Court on Sept. 23, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Baguio Bishop Carlito Cenzon and several city residents asked the high court to stop all road construction and all forms of vegetable gardening and commercial development being blamed for the contaminatiion of water sources in Sto. Tomas.

The commercial projects include a proposed ecological resort being developed by Baguio Rep. Nicasio Aliping Jr. on land he claimed to have bought from farmers in the area, lawyer Francisca Claver, the bishops counsel, said on Friday.

An environmental order may also compel the Tuba municipal government to start nullification proceedings for land claims there, which it had legitimized by allowing them to pay tax declarations, Claver said.

The issuance of these tax declarations has opened the floodgates for the alienation and transfer of portions of the forest reserve, which is bound to bring about land speculation to feed the high demand for resorts and vacation houses in the name of tourism, the petition said.

The petition sought court action against Aliping, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje and local officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Tuba Mayor Florencio Bentrez Jr. and town officials like municipal assessor Prudencio Pinkisan, and the local police.

The Sto. Tomas watershed was classified as a forest reserve in a 1940 proclamation. It is often identified with Mt. Sto. Tomas, which is popular with tourists because of its two giant radar dishes.

But the watershed is composed of several mountain peaks, which are major sources of water for both Baguio and Tuba, and is host to the headwaters of the Bued River that supports the San Fabian River irrigation system in Pangasinan province.

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Church seeks stop to sale of land in watershed

The Gloria Dei Lutheran Church remodel is shown here in an architectural rendering. Image: Courtesy city of Dana Point

By Andrea Swayne

The Dana Point Planning Commission voted unanimously on Monday to approve conditional use and site development permits for the demolition of one building, construction of four new structures and parking lot changes at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.

The permit for the church, located at 33501 Stonehill Drive, includes plans to demolish the existing Fellowship Hall, convert the current sanctuary to administration offices, construct a new sanctuary, preschool, gymnasium, elevator tower, a carillon tower (bell tower) and a columbarium (a cemetery wall that would inter the cremated remains of church members).

The project will increase seating in the sanctuary from 192 to 331 and parking spaces from 104 to 146.

Four members of the public spoke against portions of the projectthe columbarium and carillon towercalling them undesirable due to the possibility of the bells creating unwelcome noise and the cemetery wall having negative effects on quality of life and home property values.

They also had a problem with receiving the public notice from the city only a few days before the meeting and the use of the unfamiliar words columbarium and carillon tower.

Parag Gondhalekar, whose house is situated near the border of the churchs 3.4-acre campus, said without those two elements, he would be in support of the project and called the use of the words as sneaky.

If it had been made clear (the words mean bell tower and structure with niches that hold funeral urns) more residents would have come to this meeting, he said.

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New Construction at Gloria Dei Church Approved

Christ Church Construction September 23 2014
via YouTube Capture.

By: George Nuber

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Christ Church Construction September 23 2014 - Video

A Greek community group in Mississauga is accusing a wealthy businessman of breaking his promise to build a landmark Orthodox church, a holy goal they claim to have been working on for 34 years.

The group, called the Greek Canadian Community of Peel and Halton, is suing Gerry Farantatos, an affiliated company and his family charity for $11 million, arguing they had a deal to help pave the way for residential construction on a tract of land in exchange for financing to build a church.

Farantatos denies there was ever a binding deal to fund the church and is contesting the lawsuit, according to court documents.

At the end of the day, we want to say to our grandkids, We did something better, said Bill Kanellopoulos, who sits on the Greek Canadian groups board of directors.

We want to contribute to the Canadian community and put a Greek flavour and taste into this community.

Farantatos lawyer, John Buhlman, told the Star in an email that his client wanted to build a church, but decided it was untenable after he commissioned a Deloitte report that determined the community group would have trouble paying the operating costs for such a building.

The facts are that while our client was never obligated to build a church, he always intended to do so, Buhlman said.

Maintenance of the church by the community would indeed be a problem, since for many years the church had very few members, and so far the church has not been built.

The alleged deal to build the St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church dates to 1980, according to court documents.

At that time, the Greek Canadian group was eyeing a tract of land near McLaughlin Rd. and what is now Highway 407 for a possible church and community centre, Kanellopoulos told the Star in an interview Wednesday.

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Mississauga Greek group sues over alleged Orthodox church deal

SALT LAKE CITY For a quarter century, the Church History Museum across the street from historic Temple Square has told the story of the LDS Church though an exhibit called "A Covenant Restored."

In 12 days, that exhibit will be history, after drawing about 7 million visitors.

Not only will the exhibit close, but the museum will shut down for a year-long renovation on Oct. 6, one day after the conclusion of the church's semi-annual general conference, then re-open with an important new film, a major new exhibit and a new floor plan on the ground level.

The new exhibit, "The Heavens Are Opened," will focus on the years 1820-46 and continue the church's efforts to provide more, and more transparent, information about the faith's origins.

The museum is expected to re-open prior to general conference in 2015, said Elder Steven R. Snow, historian and recorder for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and executive director of the Church History Department.

For the past year, the church has been releasing new, scholarly essays on pieces of its history in the Gospel Topics section of LDS.org. Two of those essays First Vision accounts and Book of Mormon translation will have companion exhibits at the museum when it re-opens.

The museum's senior curator, Kurt Graham, said the museum and the Church History Department have made what he called "a very, very concerted effort" shepherded by Elder Snow to create consistency between the history found in the Joseph Smith Papers Project and the Gospel Topics pages and what is shared at the museum and the church's historic sites.

Kurt Graham, senior museum curator

"We want members of the church and people outside of the church who are looking for information to get a very consistent message," Graham said. "We don't want them to hear one thing in the museum and then something else on the church's internet site and something else at a historic site and something else in the Smith papers. It's all one message. We want to coordinate that so that the real, latest scholarship we're aware of is available in all of these venues, in all of these channels, for the public."

The new first-floor exhibit will have eight sections that significantly upgrade the use of media and technology in the museum, including the First Vision Theater where visitors will see a new movie, now in production, depicting Joseph Smith's descriptions of his 1820 vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

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Major renovation to close LDS Church History Museum for a year

The Church History Museum in Salt Lake City Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014. Thirty years after its original opening, the Church History Museum will close on October 6, 2014, for one year to complete major renovations. The museum will reopen in fall 2015 with a newly designed floor plan and exhibitions.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY For a quarter century, the Church History Museum across the street from historic Temple Square has told the story of the LDS Church though an exhibit called "A Covenant Restored."

In 12 days, that exhibit will be history, after drawing about 7 million visitors.

Not only will the exhibit close, but the museum will shut down for a year-long renovation on Oct. 6, one day after the conclusion of the church's semi-annual general conference, then re-open with an important new film, a major new exhibit and a new floor plan on the ground level.

The new exhibit, "The Heavens Are Opened," will focus on the years 1820-46 and continue the church's efforts to provide more, and more transparent, information about the faith's origins.

The museum is expected to re-open prior to general conference in 2015, said Elder Steven R. Snow, historian and recorder for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and executive director of the Church History Department.

For the past year, the church has been releasing new, scholarly essays on pieces of its history in the Gospel Topics section of LDS.org. Two of those essays First Vision accounts and Book of Mormon translation will have companion exhibits at the museum when it re-opens.

The museum's senior curator, Kurt Graham, said the museum and the Church History Department have made what he called "a very, very concerted effort" shepherded by Elder Snow to create consistency between the history found in the Joseph Smith Papers Project and the Gospel Topics pages and what is shared at the museum and the church's historic sites.

"We want members of the church and people outside of the church who are looking for information to get a very consistent message," Graham said. "We don't want them to hear one thing in the museum and then something else on the church's internet site and something else at a historic site and something else in the Smith papers. It's all one message. We want to coordinate that so that the real, latest scholarship we're aware of is available in all of these venues, in all of these channels, for the public."

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LDS Church History Museum to close for yearlong renovation, new emphasis

South Riding, VA (PRWEB) September 24, 2014

Building God's Way ("BGW"), a company that has created a nationwide network of services exclusively for faith-based organizations, will be hosting a free half-day seminar luncheon for ministry leaders on Thursday, October 9 at Community Baptist Church in South Riding, Virginia. Community Baptist Church is one of more than 600 ministries that BGW has worked with throughout the U.S.

The "Momentum Summit" will feature expert speakers in the areas of church health, growth, facilities, funding and technology. This event is part of a 10-city fall seminar series and is expected to draw church leaders from throughout Northern Virginia, DC and Southern Maryland.

Seminar topics will include: "Positioning your church for health & growth"; "Rethinking facility construction & remodel"; "Innovative new funding strategies"; "Multi-site expansion planning"; "Ministry spaces for all generations"; and "Cost-effective solutions for cutting-edge A/V technology".

The event will be co-sponsored by Dominion Construction Group, the exclusive BGW church builder for the state of Virginia. Attendees will learn innovative ideas and strategies from a panel of speakers who have worked with hundreds of churches across the country.

The event will run from 9:00am - 12:15pm, followed by a complimentary lunch. For more information or to register, visit the event website or call 866-249-8484.

About Building Gods Way (BGW) - BGW has become a recognized leader in ministry design and construction through its extensive experience in working with hundreds of churches, Christian schools and colleges across the U.S. BGW's trademark programs based on Biblical stewardship and ministry on the construction job site have set them apart from other church builders and includes an unparalleled network of services, including church design, church building, church growth coaching, vision casting, capital fundraising, non-profit development, financial solutions, worship technology and more. For more information about BGW, call 844-413-8368 or visit the BGW web site.

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Church Leadership Seminar Coming to South Riding, Virginia on October 9

Cornerstone Chapel, one of Northern Virginias largest churches, took a major step Sunday to accommodate its growing congregation.

The church held a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off construction of a 100,000-square-foot building on the corner of Sycolin Road and Battlefield Parkway in Leesburg.

When its completed, the building will be the largest church building in Loudoun County, Pastor Gary Hamrick noted before a group of a few hundred people gathered on the property Sunday to mark the occasion.

God is doing a good work here, and it is humbling, he said.

The groundbreaking comes after a years-long battle in court for the rights to construct a church building on the property. After the Leesburg Town Council unanimously approved a rezoning of the property in May 2010, a neighboring landowner, Long Lane Associates, took the Town of Leesburg to court objecting to the rezoning; Cornerstone Chapel also was named in the lawsuit. Long Lane Associates argued that a proffer made with the previous owner of Cornerstones property in 1988 entitled it to a road that would bisect the property, and would prevent the church building project.

The Loudoun County Circuit Court sided with Long Lane Associates, which put the church construction project on hold. The case was appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court which, in June 2012, overturned the circuit courts decision. The Supreme Courts precedent-setting decision prohibits one property owner from dictating to another the use of [the latter owners] property, Leesburg Town Attorney Jeanette Irby said after the ruling.

At Sundays ceremony, Hamrick thanked several who had partnered with the church through the process, including Leesburg Mayor Kristen Umstadd, Supervisor Geary Higgins (R-Catoctin), Del. Dave LaRock (R-33), state Sen. Dick Black (R-13) and Del. Randy Minchew (R-10)who sponsored legislation that essentially provides for the same property rights if the Supreme Court hadnt ruled in favor of the town and church. A representative for Supervisor Ken Reid (R-Leesburg), who sat on the Town Council when the rezoning was approved, also was present.

The planned building will include a sanctuary with space to seat 2,000, as well as childrens classrooms and auditoriums for middle and high school students.

Cornerstone Chapel has occupied a 30,000-square-foot building just off Sycolin Road south of Leesburg since 1997, but its gotten logistically tricky to serve the growing congregation. The church holds four services each weekend to accommodate the 3,500-person congregation.

Some Sundays, more than 250 people watch the service via live stream in overflow rooms because not everyone can fit in the sanctuary, Executive Pastor Andy Wagner said.

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Leesburg Church Groundbreaking Follows Years-Long Court Battle

Day of Giving Day of Giving

Updated: Monday, September 22 2014 10:41 AM EDT2014-09-22 14:41:20 GMT

All over Minot today people have been on either the giving or receiving end of the largest single day community service event Minot has ever seen. Melinda Bolton reports on the community-wide service project.

All over Minot today people have been on either the giving or receiving end of the largest single day community service event Minot has ever seen. Melinda Bolton reports on the community-wide service project.

Updated: Sunday, September 21 2014 10:31 PM EDT2014-09-22 02:31:43 GMT

Our Savior Lutheran Church, sits on the south side of Minot and was supposed to go under construction back in 2011, but because the Mouse River flooded, the church opened it's doors as "Hope Village" instead. Three years later they are finally able to put themselves first and get some construction done. The church had a high water table, and flooding issues of its own even before the Mouse waters reached its crest. By creating a new parking lot, and angling the flow future water will take, th...

Our Savior Lutheran Church, sits on the south side of Minot and was supposed to go under construction back in 2011, but because the Mouse River flooded, the church opened it's doors as "Hope Village" instead. Three years later they are finally able to put themselves first and get some construction done. The church had a high water table, and flooding issues of its own even before the Mouse waters reached its crest. By creating a new parking lot, and angling the flow future water will take, th...

Updated: Sunday, September 21 2014 10:28 PM EDT2014-09-22 02:28:59 GMT

Health officials say 17 cases of West Nile Virus have been reported in North Dakota this year. They also say 8 people have been hospitalized and one death has been attributed to the mosquito-borne virus. State health authorities have been monitoring the West Nile virus since 2002 and cases have been reported in every county in North Dakota. Last year, there were 127 West Nile virus cases among humans and also two deaths.

Health officials say 17 cases of West Nile Virus have been reported in North Dakota this year. They also say 8 people have been hospitalized and one death has been attributed to the mosquito-borne virus. State health authorities have been monitoring the West Nile virus since 2002 and cases have been reported in every county in North Dakota. Last year, there were 127 West Nile virus cases among humans and also two deaths.

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Our Savior Lutheran Church Construction

Published: Sun, September 21, 2014 @ 12:01 a.m.

By ROBERT CONNELLY

rconnelly@vindy.com

AUSTINTOWN

The small Log Cabin Church of Austintown at 565 N. Canfield-Niles Road situated itself in 2010 near trees and land that had been for sale for years.

The landscape changed last May, when construction at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course began construction next door.

An electronic billboard went up, featuring an advertisement for Hollywood Gaming, about 15 feet from the church front door.

Terry and Nancy Snyder decided then to erect a cross that is connected to the Southern Baptist church.

The cross is tall, but not nearly as tall as the billboard.

You have to recognize the fact that to look at that [billboard], they have to see the cross of Jesus Christ sitting right next to it. God has designed things. Nothing is all good, and nothing is all bad, said Terry Snyder, pastor of Log Cabin.

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Churches near racino recommend against gambling