Columnists

For the past year, Hollister's St. Luke's Episcopal Church (720

It may be a cliché, but that makes it no less true: Every religion is only a generation away from extinction. One local church that is not about to let that happen is Gilroy's Foothills Church (8335 Church St.).

We’ve talked about some of the seasonal hazards of spring and summer. Add to that list one more item that rarely gets any mention. We’re talkin’ fishing ... or at least preparing for that fishing trip. Your tackle box has a lot of goodies that will attract your dog or cat. So keep it closed and latched. Those hooks and lures can do a lot of damage if your pet gets one in his or her mouth.

The debate over healthcare reform for the past year has

I’ve complained for years about the scourge of ballot-box budgeting – that’s when voters approve propositions that earmark government revenue for specific purposes, circumventing the normal budget process involving the state legislature.

Despite society’s exuberance regarding Christmas, Easter is “the greatest and oldest feast of the Christian Church.” This ancient holiday commemorates the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ and is the linchpin of a whole series of Christian holy days.

Last year held both disconcerting and promising changes for South County. On the disconcerting side, a California Supreme Court decision came at the end of the year that allows the state of California to kill redevelopment agencies. The decision means that the Morgan Hill Redevelopment Agency, which is responsible for many projects that improve the quality of life for city residents, will cease to exist on Feb. 1, 2012.

Last March my Teacher's Perspective column

St. Peter and other apostles of the early church devoted themselves entirely to spreading the Gospel, living on money given by church members. St. Paul, a late addition to the group, frequently performed paid outside work so as not to financially burden the young churches he founded. Since his occupation was making tents, self-supporting or “non-stipendiary” ministry is often called “tentmaking.”

Easter is the most important day of the year for Christians, and it arrives relatively late this year: April 20. However, it is preceded by the preparatory season of Lent, which begins on March 5 for most Christians (and March 3 for those following the traditional Eastern Orthodox calendar).