A speaking God. The rapture. Fire in the sky. Prayer. The Devil. Anyone who didn’t know better would think Oasis’s new album was made by Christians. Preachers even.

There is a common myth that Christianity is a soft religion. Underoath is helping to set the record straight.

The Living End are fast becoming veterans of the Australian music scene having released their fifth album White Noise this year.

Shinedown don’t list their musical influences in the sleeve of their latest album, but my guess is that Metallica would rank at number 1 if they had done so.

For every fan the Offspring have made over the years, they have probably offended a handful of self-respecting people. That just seems to be the way they operate. They leave insulted people in their wake.

Simple Plan are one of the biggest bands in the world at the moment. Their Myspace page has had more than 20 million hits. Their record sales worldwide stand at seven million.

With spring on its way to Sydney, Angus and Julia Stone’s debut album - A Book Like This - will be quite suitable to have in rotation.

If there is one particularly obvious thing about the album’s tone – it’s the optimism. If I was to throw a party to celebrate the start of summer I reckon I would get the Subways to come and play.

With a topic like 'Resurrection', this year’s Mid Year Conference was always going to drag lethargic uni students out of holiday-hibernation and force them into restarting their brains. And being one of those students, I can confidently say it did.

Hundreds of Christian university students took a week out of their holidays in July to spend time reading the Scriptures, discussing theology and hearing the Bible taught at a range of mid-year Christian conventions. This week sydneyanglicans.net examines the trends across a range of university Christian groups and speaks to the ministry workers of today who, as the students of yesteryear, had their own lives changed at mid-year Christian conventions.

Despite the popularity and success of HSC study camps, over 140 students have been turned away this winter.

Fitted with an elegant mane of hair, a moustache which curls at the ends, and an Indian accent, Mike Myers plays Guru Pitka; an Indian expert who can solve everyone’s relationship problems. Or at least that’s what his reputation would suggest.

Five regional “strategy nights” are happening this week to impart the Connect09 vision to key lay leaders in your parish.

He has a black belt in taekwondo and each week organises a fight, but Matt Vale from St Luke’s, Miranda insists his martial arts club builds friendships between Christians and non-Christians that can bear fruit for the gospel. St Luke’s rector the Rev Stephen Gibson sees this as just one part of the church’s five-year plan to radically expand its ministry.

Mountains church planter Craig Schafer will face a new challenge in the coming week as he makes the Hills his home.

Even though he’d recently heard the shattering news about Cyclone Nargis, the principal of Burma’s leading evangelical Bible college remained positive about spiritual hope for his home country as he spoke to a gathering of Australians last month.

Tonight, men who don’t normally go to church will be among those watching the well-loved game on Glenmore Park Anglican’s ‘big screen’.

As part of Connect 09 strategy, Winmalee's senior assistant minister, the Rev Rob Powell and his family have already seen a child from their street come to church after praying for their neighbours over dinner.