Does it seem like your social media newsfeed is full of division and anger right now? You’re not alone. Between an election year in the United States, a global pandemic, social justice tensions, and holiday stress, there’s a lot of kindling for keyboard warriors. But what if Christians viewed social media not as a culturalContinue reading “Battlefield or Mission Field? You Decide”
Category Archives: Church
Religious Persecution Is Worsening Worldwide
Dictators are the worst persecutors of believers. This perhaps uncontroversial finding was verified for the first time in the Pew Research Center’s 11th annual study surveying restrictions on freedom of religion in 198 nations. The median level of government violations reached an all-time high in 2018, as 56 nations (28%) suffer “high” or “very high” levels ofContinue reading “Religious Persecution Is Worsening Worldwide”
You Figure It Out?
(Please read the following news report and comment on how you think this conundrum should be handled.) British police interfered with a baptism service held in England due to the religious event having more people in attendance than allowed by recently implemented lockdown restrictions. The London-based congregation The Angel Church held a baptism ceremony onContinue reading “You Figure It Out?”
Christian Persecution Rises During Pandemic
Christians worldwide are praying for the persecuted Church as religious freedom is increasingly threatened during the pandemic. Sunday marks the 24th International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP), held each year to unite the global Church in speaking out against persecution. Release International, one of the UK organisations supporting IDOP, said that evenContinue reading “Christian Persecution Rises During Pandemic”
A Congregation Is Not an Audience
What is Jesus doing right now? According to Ephesians 4, he is ascended in heaven and is gifting his church for greater mission and unity. He’s giving leaders, who equip all the saints for ministry, so that the whole family can be built up in maturity. By contrast, we all too often create ministry systems thatContinue reading “A Congregation Is Not an Audience”
Government Restrictions at All Time High
Newly released data from an ongoing Pew Research Center study shows that government restrictions on religion around the world have risen to a record level amid increases in government restrictions on religion in Asia and Pacific countries, most notably. The nonpartisan polling organization published on Tuesday results from its 11th annual study of restrictions on religion. TheContinue reading “Government Restrictions at All Time High”
Church Attendance Grew During Pandemic
Church attendance grew during the pandemic, a new study by the Evangelical Alliance has shown. Increases were seen in both offline and online attendance during Covid-19, according to the report ‘Changing Church’, by the Evangelical Alliance. The study analysed church attendance among 1,000 Christians, including 450 church leaders. They came from major denominations, including theContinue reading “Church Attendance Grew During Pandemic”
Gratitude Over Grumbling
Having a tough year? As church members choose conflict over peacemaking, appear more excited about politics than discipleship, give more weight to a pundit’s off-the-cuff opinion than your studied convictions, fall for sin rather than follow Scripture, reject the counsel of friends to pursue idols you know will hurt them, make time for school programsContinue reading “Gratitude Over Grumbling”
Closing Churches as Seen in England
As an MP who is known as a Christian, you won’t be unsurprised to discover that over the last week my inbox has been inundated with messages about the closure of churches. I have been deeply saddened by the news that churches will be closing for the next month. Over the last few weeks, IContinue reading “Closing Churches as Seen in England”
France’s Faithful Fearful after Attack
France is deploying military forces at religious sites as pastors are anxious and anguished after a Greek Orthodox priest was attacked with a sawn-off shotgun in the city of Lyon on Saturday, days after three people were killed in an Islamist extremist attack at a Catholic church in the city of Nice. Nikolas Kakavelakis, aContinue reading “France’s Faithful Fearful after Attack”
