Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/10872
Saturday, May 22, 2010 – Daily News – 7A Religion Faith&Worship Website offers church reviews CHICAGO (MCT) — A graduate student at DePaul Uni- versity, atheist activist Hemant Mehta avoided being a church hater by becoming a church rater. Enlisted four years ago on a lark to attend about a dozen Chicago-area churches and honestly rate his experience, Mehta's beliefs did not change, but his attitude toward orga- nized religion did. His journey inspired an interreligious group of entrepre- neurs to recently launch ChurchRater, a new approach to church shopping modeled after Yelp, a popular website where users rate local businesses. By inviting ordinary wor- shipers to post reviews from the pews, the web site aims to help Christians navigate the more than 330,000 churches across the U.S. to find where they fit on Sunday morning. The Rev. Jim Henderson, an evangelical pastor from Seat- tle and one of the site's founders, insists that Sunday morning worship is when most churches choose to open their doors to the public and hence invite critique. Churches should wel- come the evaluations at churchrater.com, he added. While Henderson and his staff work to filter unnecessarily vile material to keep reviews useful, he said hard truths can hurt and help. "We're helping the church see themselves through the eyes of outsiders," Henderson said. "This is the phenomenon that's going on around churches and institutions. For a long time, lawyers and doctors didn't want to be rated. ... Church- es are not immune to this ... It's an institution in our country, and consequently the church is going to be subject to being reviewed by people." Some say the site could cure a weariness among the faith- ful who, faced with a plethora of choices, increasingly reject religious affiliation. But several pastors in the Chicago area said they worry that the system fails to recognize the com- plexity of relationships within congregations and instead serves as a place to air dirty laundry and settle scores. "Superficially, it appeals to how we do things," said the Rev. Sean Wicks, pastor of Lakeview Church of Christ in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. His church received a pos- itive review earlier this year. "For people who are looking for a church, that's a good way of sorting through the good and the bad. But to go deep- er, I'm against that consumerism when it comes to commu- nity," Wicks said. "People ought to choose to be part of a community and embrace the flaws of that community and work to fix them." In addition to inviting amateur reviews, ChurchRater also offers a consulting component. Churches can hire secret shoppers to parachute into the pews and generate a report based on their observations and interaction. Churches may choose to publicize the reports or keep them private. Henderson and Mehta crossed paths in 2006 when the enterprising young atheist auctioned himself on e-Bay, offer- ing to visit worship services at the whim of the highest bid- der. In his book "I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist's Eyes," which was published a year later, Mehta chronicled how Henderson won his soul for $504. While Mehta sent the proceeds to the Secular Student Alliance, the pastor sent the atheist to church. Mehta, who lives in Naperville, Ill., said he is pleased that the idea didn't stop there. Even as an atheist, he appreciates a mechanism that holds churches accountable for practicing what they preach. He sees potential for ChurchRater to make society a better place by opening a dialogue for the religious and non-religious to collaborate and serve others. Pentecost 2 — Seminal moment, summary moment Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series on Pentecost. Jesus promises His hearers in Mark 9:1 that some will remain alive when His Kingdom comes in power. Schol- ars love to debate how Jesus Himself could have gotten it so wrong about His impending return – but He never said He would return to this world before the audience had passed out of it. He said His Kingdom would come in power, and that is exactly what hap- pens on the Day of Pentecost. The dis- ciples become apostles – the students become the ambassadors – and they begin manifesting the signs and won- ders for which their master was known while thousands accept the rule of their master and begin to minister those signs as well. The process is not going to be completed in a twenty-four hour day – Day also refers to Season for Biblical people – and it will escalate as it rumbles along toward completion. Pentecost is both a seminal and a sum- mary moment in Kingdom history. Speaking of escalation – there have been more miracles reported and docu- mented in the past fifty years than in all of previous history combined. There have been more decisions for Jesus Christ in the past half century than in all the combined centuries before as well. The Lord indeed escalates His Pentecost – His harvest-time – progres- sive revelation. In the past two years He has put this process on steroids as He releases and activates a season described in Luke 1:17. We are called to go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, to prepare a people for righteousness. God knows the miracles are impressive, but it is all for the purpose of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children that a people might be prepared for righteousness. And we understand right- eousness in terms of citizen- ship in the Kingdom. Who then are the fathers whose hearts are to be turned? We are any who are willing to be so transformed that we live our lives for the sake of those who are dying. It is that sim- ple. care less whether a Christian speaks in tongues or not. He cares passionately about whether we get a clue that the time is short and that there has never been a better time to place our faith not in our ability to hear but in His ability to speak. Jim Is it about my high school friend whom I have not seen in four decades who calls me out of the blue because he felt compelled in a time of personal crisis? God gave me a word of knowledge regarding the man’s root issue. When I shared it with him, the first response was a breathless, "How did you know?" The second was to commit his heart to Jesus and the third was to receive the healing for his heart that he had always believed was never to be for him. But just as important is the thyroid condition God healed in a radio talk show host who then began to pray and witness for a young family friend – she had never believed she was called to be so open about her own faith – and now the friend is in the Kingdom and the host is emboldened beyond her own wildest dreams. I can tell you this – although it may sound like all this talk of miracles is for charismatic types only – God couldn’t Wilson GodTalk Jesus called out three types of signs of the times for which His people should keep watch. They will be visible all over the world when the time is here. They are wars and rumors of wars – check – men calling evil good and good evil on a wholesale basis – when children are compelled in American public schools to affirm the goodness of gay marriage because their text- books say so and public officials rou- tinely break the laws they are sworn to defend we can say check again. The last sign is that we will be hated by all for His sake; when our own Homeland Security secretary can warn that people sporting Christian bumper stickers might be terrorists we can check this one off as well. Jesus says this all good – we should lift our heads – and the miracles and decisions do keep coming in droves. But the time is short and the Church will be judged ahead of the world. It is Pentecost Season – God is waiting for His Baptism to be accomplished in His people first – and the Great Commis- sion is calling us out of our comfort zone. Courtesy photo The Kindergarten through Second grade students from North Valley Baptist Church AWANA Sparks Club with the $62.60 that they contributed to assist the people of Haiti through Samaritan's Purse. Tehama County Church Directory HOYT-COLE CHAPEL OF THE FLOWERS 816 Walnut St. - Red Bluff ABUNDANT LIFE FELLOWSHIP — 21080 Luther Rd. — Pastor J.E. Heitman 528-2499 — WORSHIP — Sunday 11AM & 6PM Red Bluff.... ANTELOPE HOME FELLOWSHIP(SBC) — Berrendos School — 401 Chestnut St 200-4112 — Pastor John Bohrer — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:45AM APOSTOLIC ASSEMBLY — 1321 Nelson Dr., Red Bluff. — 527-8541 Pastor Rudy Cepeda — WORSHIP — Sunday 1:00PM & Friday 7PM BETHEL ASSEMBLY OF GOD — 625 Luther Rd. — 527-0445 Pastor Ron Fortenberry — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:30AM & 6PM CALVARY CHAPEL — 12375 Paskenta Rd. — 527-8219 Pastor Gilbert DeLao Jr. — WORSHIP — Sunday 9:00 & 11:00 am CHURCH OF CHRIST — 1605 Park Ave. — 527-3036 Evangelist Gary Dent — WORSHIP — Sunday 11AM & 6:30PM CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS — Antelope-545 Berrendos 529-2506 — Bishop James Beeman — SERVICES Begin Sunday 11:00AM CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS — Red Bluff-545 Berrendos 527-7012 — Bishop Earl Wintle — SERVICES Begin Sunday 9:00AM COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH — 598 Round -Up Ave. 527-4203 Pastor Dr. Paul Wright — WORSHIP — Sunday 9AM & 6PM CORNERSTONE CHURCH OF GOD — Hwy. 36, Jorgenson 527-9210 — Pastor Roy Duggins — WORSHIP — Sunday 10AM & 5PM FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH — 501 Pine St. — 527-4361 Pastor Bruce Cloutier — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:15AM FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH — Hickory & Madison — 527-4688 Pastor Dan Woolery — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:30AM FIRST CHURCH OF GOD — Jackson & Luther — 527-5717 Pastor Rod Thompson — WORSHIP — Saturday 6PM & Sunday 10:15AM FIRST CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE — Johnson & Hickory — 527-3361 Pastor Jesse Morris — WORSHIP — 10:30 AM FIRST SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH — 585 Kimball Rd. — 527-5083 Pastor Tom Turner — WORSHIP — Sunday 11AM FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH — 525 David Ave. — 527-5754 Rev. Kate O’Leary— WORSHIP — Sunday 11AM GATEWAY BAPTIST CHURCH, IND. FUND. — 12830 Glasgow Dr. — 527-2964 Pastor Jeff Eldred — WORSHIP — Sunday 11AM & 6PM LAKE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY CHURCH — Lake Club — 347 6970 Jim Bredow, Pastor — WORSHIP — Sunday 8:30AM-10:15AM LUTHERAN CHURCH, ST. PAUL — Jefferson & Elm — 527-3414 Pastor Dallas D. Dubke — WORSHIP — Sunday 8:30AM & 11AM NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCH — 1625 Johnson St. — 527-8134 Pastor Vern Milliken — SERVICE — 10:00AM NEW HOPE FOURSQUARE CHURCH — 925 Walnut St. — 528-0642 PastorS Steve and Linda Priest — WORSHIP — Sunday 10AM — Youth, Thurs. 6:00 PM NORTH VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH (Ind.) — 345 David Ave — 527-0543 Pastor Mark Roberts — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:50AM NUEVA VIDA — 11841 Hyw 99W — Red Bluff — Spanish-speaking Pastor Freddie Villasenor — WORSHIP — Sunday 11:00AM Red Bluff.... OPEN VISTAS AWARENESS CENTER — 900 Walnut St. — 529-9285 Rv. Tresha Wing — SERVICE — Sunday 10:00AM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH — Jefferson & Hickory St. — 527-0372 Interim Pastor Rev. Leon Thompson — Sunday school 9:30 A.M. – SERVICES at 11 A.M. PENTECOSTAL CHURCH OF GOD — 370 Kimball Rd. — 527-6346 Pastor Mike Cox — WORSHIP — Sunday 11:00AM RED BLUFF COWBOY CHURCH — Hampton Inn, Round-Up Room Pastor Coy Huffman — For infomation call 209-559-9965 RED BLUFF GOSPEL ASSEMBLY — 836 Washington St. — 529-9909 Pastor John A. Partsch — WORSHIP — Sunday 1:30PM - Wednesday 7PM SABBATH COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN — 705 So. Jackson St. — 529-1890 Pastor Ron Largent — WORSHIP — Saturday 10:45AM SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH — 515 Main St. — Father Joyle T. Martinez MASS — Saturday 5:15, Spanish 7PM — Sunday 8:30AM, 10:30AM, Spanish 12PM THE SALVATION ARMY — 944 Walnut St. — 527-8530 Majors Frank & Susan Severs, Pastors — SERVICES — Sunday 10AM & 11AM SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHRUCH — 720 S. Jackson — 527-3733 Pastor Jon Spoolman — WORSHIP — Saturday 10:45AM SHEPHERD HOUSE OF PRAYER — 601 Monroe St. 529-5350 — Pastor Brent Kohler — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:00AM ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH — Jefferson & Elm — 527-5205 Rev. Maryly Adair — Sunday 9:30AM, Holy Eucharist Rite II SUNRISE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP — C.B.A. — The corner of Cedar & Jackson — 527-6818 Pastor Byron Shaw, Pat Hurton — WORSHIP — 10:50AM — Bible Study 9:30AM TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL — 8529 Placer Rd., Redding 243-5726 — For service dates & times — 529-9246 TRINITY LANDMARK BAPTIST CHURCH — 20920 Hampton Rhodes Drive — 528-8668 Pastor Tim Chambers — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:45AM - Wednesday 7:00PM TRUTH TABERNACLE — 285 Gilmore Road, Red Bluff — 527-5533 Pastor Sam Howard — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:30AM - Sunday School 9:30AM UNION SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH — 1256 Walnut St. Bidwell School Cafeteria — 840-6177 Pastor Robert M. Wheatley — WORSHIP — Sunday 3PM only UNITED CHURCH OF GOD — 645 Antelope Blvd. Suite 13 — 824-3657 Elder Dick King — WORSHIP — Saturday 12:30PM VINEYARD CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP — 738 Walnut St. — 527-2449 Pastor Steve Igarta — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:30AM WALNUT GROVE CHRISTIAN CENTER — RHEMA Bible Church 435 Round Up Ave. — 527-9065 — Pastor Michael Ragsdale — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:30AM ZION CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES — 836 Washington St. 529-1836 — Pastor Joshua John McKim — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:15AM Bowman... COMMUNITY CHURCH — Bowman Rd. & Landes — 347-6130 Pastor Mark Lugg — WORSHIP — Sunday 10AM This directory sponsored by: Los Molinos.... COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH — Sherwood & Josephine 527-3490 — Pastor Kathleen Smith — WORSHIP 11AM MILL CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH — HWY 99E and Taft St., 384-1564 — Pastor Carl DeBiase — WORSHIP — Sunday 11AM & 6PM SPIRIT OF LIFE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH OF GOD — 25235 Orange St. — 824-0659 Pastor Randy Cosby — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:30AM & 6PM Corning... BELIEVERS CHURCH OF GOD — 783 Solano St. — 824-6502 Pastor Dan Steigmn — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:00AM BETHEL CHURCH — 1520 East St. — 824-0175 Ron Cottingham, Pastor — WORSHIP — Sunday 11AM CHURCH OF CHRIST — 1418 South St. — 824-3603 WORSHIP — Sunday — 10:30AM CHURCH OF CHRIST — 1440 Yolo St. — 824-4333 David King, Minister — WORSHIP — Sunday 11AM & 6PM CHURCH OFJESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS — Marguerite & Blackburn — Bishop A. Daniel Drum — WORSHIP — Sunday 10AM CORNING FOURSQUARE — 404 5th Street — 824-5776 Rev. Sue Duffy WORSHIP — Sunday: adults 9:15, 10:30 AM — Tues.10AM prayer meeting FAMILY BIBLE CHURCH — Marin & Pear Sts. — 824-0989 Pastor Joycel — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:45AM & 6PM FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH — 506 Colusa St. — 824-3490 Pastor Chris Fissori — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:15AM — Sunday School 9AM FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH — 1421 Marin St. — 824-5739 WORSHIP — Sunday 11AM FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH — 824-5535 — Marguerite & McLane Pastor Howard Sanborn— WORSHIP — Sunday 11AM HARVEST CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH OF GOD — 1006 6th St. Corning 824-2091 — Pastor Michael Sharp — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:00AM IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHOLIC CHURCH — 824-5879 — 814 Solano St. Father Juan Manuel Ponce — MASS — Sunday 10AM, 12:00PM - Spanish MT. OLIVE LUTHERAN CHURCH — 341 Solano St. — 824-5530 Pastor Dallas D. Dubke — WORSHIP — Sunday 9AM NEIGHBORHOOD FULL GOSPEL CHURCH — 901 South St. — 824-2323 Pastor Ken Killinger — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:50AM & 6PM NEW LIFE ASSEMBLY CHURCH — 824-3426 Pastor J.R. Gonzales — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:00AM - Sunday School 9AM OLIVE BRANCH BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP — 565 1st St. — 824-3661 — SERVICE — Sunday 10:30 AM SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH — West & Butte — 824-2153 Pastor Jose Torres — WORSHIP — Saturday 11AM ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH — First & Marin Sts. — 824-4979 Pastor Maryly Adair — CHURCH — Sunday 11AM TRUTH TABERNACLE — 1308 Solano. — 824-4586 Pastor Ed Schaefer — WORSHIP — Sunday 2PM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH — 824-5841 — East & Solano Pastor Ray Watkins — WORSHIP — Sunday 9AM AUTO ELECTRIC INC. 1055 Main St. - Red Bluff 527-5170 Vina... VINA COMMUNITY CHURCH — 5th & D Street — 839-2340 Pastor Larry Peterson — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:30AM & 6PM Cottonwood... ABUNDANT LIFE CHRISTIAN CENTER — 19019 Gaspoint Road — 347-9208 Pastor Doug Hamblin — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:30AM ASSEMBLY OF GOD — Gaspoint Road — 347-3313 Pastor Bob Whitman — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:45AM & 6PM FOURSQUARE CHURCH — 2400 Rhonda Rd. Rev. Paul Shrum — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:30AM & 6PM Dairyville... CONE COMMUNITY METHODIST CHURCH — 11220 Hwy. 99E — 527-2329 Pastor Kathleen Smith —WORSHIP — Sunday 9AM El Camino... COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH — Hwy. 99W — 385-2314 Pastor Nancy Pharis-Curie — WORSHIP — Sunday 9:30AM SHADY REST FULL GOSPEL CHURCH — 7211 Hwy. 99W 385-2155 — Pastor Andrew Dalson — WORSHIP — Saturday 7PM Gerber... BAHA’I FAITH OF TEHAMA COUNTY — 22870 Reno Ave., Gerber 385-1091 FAITH HOPE LOVE MINISTRIES — 21941 Chard Ave. 385-1431 — Pastor Ina Driggers — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:30AM GERBER BIBLE FELLOWSHIP — 301 Samson @ Ventura 385-1718 — WORSHIP — Sunday 10AM Las Flores... LAS FLORES FULL GOSPEL — 9662 San Benito Pastor Rev. Elroy & Martha Lake — WORSHIP — 10:00AM Wed. 6PM Manton... MANTON COMMUNITY CHURCH — Forward Rd. — 474-5156 Pastor Michael Stiener —WORSHIP — Sunday School 9:30 Sun. 10:45 Platina... ST. HERMAN OF ALASKA MONASTERY — Begum Gorge Rd. Abbot Herman — LITURGY — Sunday 8:30AM Rancho Tehama... COMMUNITY CHURCH (Non-Den.) — 585-2526 WORSHIP — Sunday 11AM CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRIES — 585-2975 Pastor Don Luke — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:30AM/6:00PM Tehama... ASSEMBLY OF GOD — Third St. — 384-2603 Pastor Walter Bright — WORSHIP — Sunday 10:30AM 11:15 AM & 6PM ST. STANISLAUS CATHOLIC CHURCH — 824-5879 Corner of 4th & D — MASS — Sunday 8:00AM - English RED BLUFF