Friday's Catch: 'Are Sunday Morning Service Times Changing?' And More

St. James Episcopal Church, Milton-Freewater, Oregan, Closed January 18, 2026

Are Sunday Morning Service Times Changing? What the Data Says About the Future of Church Worship

For decades, 11:00 a.m. was the “sacred hour” of church life—the assumed, unquestioned start time for Sunday worship. But that era is fading fast. In this episode, Thom and Sam unpack the data and on-the-ground observations showing how churches are rethinking when they gather. From earlier services to multiple options to non-Sunday gatherings, flexibility is replacing tradition. What once served an agrarian culture no longer fits modern family rhythms. Growing churches are adapting their schedules to remove barriers and create more on-ramps for attendance.

Pastoring an Angry Church and Leading a Ministry You Didn't Start with Rich Villodas
I caught up with Rich Villodas backstage at Exponential to talk about the learnable skills that keep leaders and congregations non-anxious in an angry age, and the unique challenges and gifting needed to lead a church you didn't plant.

Clergy Transitioning at Local Episcopal Churches
The Episcopal Church of Christ the King in Sturgeon Bay and Holy Nativity in Jacksonport are preparing to bid farewell to their priest and welcome another.

Note the ages of the departing vicar and his replacement. This and the part–time appointment of the vicar for the two yoked churches does not bode well for their future!

Ocean City church won’t close shelter after city threatens ‘enforcement action’
Nearly six weeks after St. Paul’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in downtown Ocean City, Maryland, opened its overnight shelter for unhoused people inside its building, city officials charged the parish with a zoning violation. The city is now demanding the church close the shelter by June 8 at 9 a.m. or be fined an unspecified amount daily until operations cease and face “further enforcement action.”

Canadian Diocese Wants to Save its Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada is in dire need of repairs, and the diocesan synod has voted not to take the quick-fix route of selling it to a secular entity. The repairs could cost $17-$18 million, and the diocese wants to raise another $5 million to create an endowment.

The cathedral is nearly 175 years old and is on Canada’s Register of Historic Places, which praises it as an example of Gothic Revival architecture.

ACNA: Imagination Forfeited
We have mule churches. We need rabbit churches.

Too many ACNA clergy and congregations display the same lack of enthusiasm and even distate for planting new churches and making new disciples that has contributed to the decline of the Episcopal Church.

Anglican Denominations & Communions: A Guide to Global Alignments
The landscape of global Anglicanism can be confusing, even for those well acquainted with it. In a single US city, one can find Anglican churches from two or three different dioceses of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), along with other congregations connected to the Anglican Province of America, the Anglican Mission in the Americas, the Anglican Catholic Church, the United Episcopal Church of North America, and The Episcopal Church.

All present themselves as Anglican. Yet even a little casual digging reveals more than minor differences in worship expression and ethos, including some major variance in doctrine and even disparate definitions of what constitutes the gospel. Matters become more confusing when the Anglican Church in North American and The Episcopal Church both claim to be part of the Anglican Communion while denying that status to the other.

Who are all these groups, and how does a church belong to the Anglican Communion, if such a thing exists?

Faith communities must lead on the hunger crisis — but they can't substitute for US policy
The need for faith-based leadership on hunger is a sign American policy is not working.

Are You Really Filled with the Spirit?
When I was a college student, a classmate asked me whether I had been filled with the Holy Spirit. At that time, I wasn’t sure how to answer that question. Now, I know that the Bible tells me everything I need to know about the filling of the Spirit.

Let’s ask and answer three questions of the Bible about the Spirit’s filling: Who in Scripture is “filled with the Spirit”? What does this expression actually mean? How can I pursue and experience this filling of the Spirit?

3 Keys to Healthy Disciple Making Relationships
Whether you’re leading a discipleship ministry or personally discipling someone, we all make missteps in these relationships.

How to Discover Your God-Given Purpose
Let’s take a brief look at how to discover your God-given purpose. I’ve never met a person who didn’t want to know why they exist and how to make a difference in their sphere of influence.

There are at least three things you can do that will help in the process of discovery.

Want to Share the Good News? Ask Good Questions
People like talking about themselves. They want to discuss the things they love, the things they hate, and the reasons you should love and hate those same things. This is powerful information for evangelism. If we want more opportunities to share the gospel with people, we need to get them talking about their beliefs. And one of the best ways to get people talking is to ask good questions.

Image Credit: St. James Episcopal Church, Milton-Freewater, Oregan

Thursday's Catch: 'Wisconsin priest’s survey of thousands of churches aims to pinpoint what fuels growth' And More

St Thomas Episcopal New Windsor New York, Closed April 14, 2025

Wisconsin priest’s survey of thousands of churches aims to pinpoint what fuels growth
When the Rev. Chris Corbin looks at The Episcopal Church’s membership and attendance numbers, he sees bright spots.

Corbin, a priest in the Diocese of Wisconsin, has launched a project with backing from Forward Movement called the Growing Episcopal Churches Study. In it, he already has obtained survey responses from hundreds of Episcopal churches, and hopes to potentially hear from thousands more, to help pinpoint what factors makes some “bright spots” churches thrive compared to others.

Episcopal Church Faces Stark Demographic Reality As Membership Declines
Episcopal Church leaders have long heard warning sirens in their annual reports, with brutal statistics supporting this reality: They have lost half of their members since the 1960s.

If trends continue, the mainline Anglican flock in America will lose another half of its membership by 2040, with some demographers predicting institutional demise by 2050. But that's better than the Anglican Church of Canada, which could be gone by 2040.

The Coming Baby Boomer Cliff: What Happens in Churches When They Are Gone?
This is a friendly reminder of the upcoming webinar you registered for! If you have not registered for this free webinar, you may still have time to do so. It begins at 1:00 PM EST, today, May 14.

“How Leaders Make Meaningful Connections” featuring Zach Mercurio
What makes people feel like they truly matter in your church? In a season where many are disengaging from church life, how can leaders help people feel truly seen and valued? In this episode, Jonathan Page talks with Zach Mercurio about his book The Power of Mattering, and how simple, everyday interactions can transform church culture. Discover practical ways to help people feel noticed, affirmed, and needed—and why that may be the key to deeper connection and lasting engagement.

What to Say (and Not Say) Immediately After a Church Crisis
When a crisis hits a church, the first few hours can either build trust or break it. In this episode, Sam interviews crisis communication expert Amy Whitfield and walks through what to say (and not say) immediately after a church crisis. We talk about the first statement, the first 24 hours, and the common missteps that unintentionally escalate confusion, fear, or anger. Amy offers practical language that pastors and church leaders can actually use, along with guardrails for accuracy and accountability, especially when facts are still developing.

Ocean City church says it will not comply with order to close indoor shelter
A dispute between the Town of Ocean City and St. Paul’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church is escalating after the town ordered the church to stop allowing people to sleep overnight inside one of its buildings.

The town issued a zoning violation last week ordering St. Paul’s to stop using Dewees Hall for overnight sleeping by June 8. Town officials say the church changed the use of the building without going through the required approval process.

The church says it will not comply.

Also See: Ocean City Maryland continues efforts to shut down Episcopal low-barrier homeless ministry; Exclusive: Interview with St. Paul’s By-the-Sea Pastor Jill Williams on the church’s low-barrier homeless shelter. And information on how we can help.

Christian schools endangered by new Trump rule
The Trump administration has proposed a new rule that could devastate Christian higher education by tying student loans to the earning potential of degree programs.

The earnings metric would require recipients of undergraduate degrees to earn more in median income than 25- to 34-year-olds with only high school diplomas. And alumni of graduate programs would have to make more money than their peers with bachelor’s degrees. The government would rely on IRS and Census Bureau data for the policy, which would go into effect in 2027.

Current students in degree programs that consistently fail to meet the standard would be barred from receiving student loans and Pell grants, the U.S. Department of Education announced April 17.

Trump's May 17 rally recalls 250 years of failed attempts at a Christian nation
While it is fitting and proper for individuals and congregations to rededicate themselves to their God in prayer, it is not the role of government to unite America in faith.

Also See: Evangelicals will dominate at ‘Rededicate 250’ this weekend

How to Stay in the Word, Even When You’re Busy
Why is it that so many of us who’ve followed Christ for years can’t quite manage to read His Word on a regular basis?

3 Questions AI Is Forcing Your Congregation to Ask
As AI reshapes everyday life, pastors are increasingly facing difficult conversations about identity, truth, and human connection within their congregations. Kenny Jahng, Editor-In-Chief at Church Tech Today, outlines three major disruptions church leaders must confront: the loss of work and purpose through automation, growing confusion around truth and authority, and the erosion of authentic community in an age of frictionless digital connection.

Camp safety can’t wait
Many states, including Missouri, rely heavily on self-reporting, limited inspections and vague emergency planning requirements.

Targeted and Engaged Evangelism to the Eastern Orthodox
There are so many evangelistic books in the marketplace that it often becomes too hard to know which to read and give away, so in the end we don’t give any away. That may be because there are so many goals to meet in writing an evangelistic book; the author must decide between multiple ‘goods’ which often involves compromises.

Image Credit: Anglican Watch

The Ascension Day at All Hallows (May 14, 2026) Is Now Online

 

Welcome to the Ascension Day at All Hallows.

This Thursday is the Ascension Day, also known as the Feast of the Ascension. With Christmas, Easter, and Whitsun (or Pentecost) it is one of the major festivals of the Christian year. It commemorates a key event in the history of humanity’s salvation—Jesus’s bodily ascent into heaven forty days after he rose from the dead and appeared to Mary Magdalene, to the apostles, and to other witnesses.

In today’s message we examine the significance of this event as the Christian Church has historically understood it from New Testament times to this day.

Readings: Daniel 7:9-14, Ephesians 1:15-23, and Luke 24:44-53

Message: Why Do Christians Celebrate the Ascension Day?

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-ascension-day-at-all-hallows-may-14.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to the Ascension Day at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-It is recommended that after reading or hearing a lesson to take time to reflect on what you read or heard during the period of silence which follows the lesson. It is also recommended that you do the same thing after reading or hearing the message.

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May the Feast of the Ascension at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Wednesday's Catch: 'Church of England celebrates continued post-pandemic growth' And More

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Manitou Springs, Colorado, Closed March 6, 2025

Church of England celebrates continued post-pandemic growth
Church of England attendance has grown for a fifth year in a row, according to an early snapshot of official figures published today.

Last year, Church of England congregations were attended by an estimated 1.023 million regular worshippers. In 2019, before the outbreak of the pandemic, regular worshippers stood at 1.11 million.

St. Paul’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church Faces New Deadlines From OC
St. Paul’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Ocean City says it is facing new deadlines from the Town of Ocean City, demanding that its indoor shelter cease operations by June 8.

New York Man Sentenced to Prison for Hate Crime against Episcopal Rector
A 32-year-old New York man has been sentenced to one-and-one-third to four years in prison for stalking and threatening an Episcopal priest in what prosecutors described as an anti-LGBTQ hate crime.

Goat herd feasts on Michigan church’s invasive plants
For almost a century, cartoons have depicted goats as animals that will eat anything. In Walt Disney’s 1928 animated short “Steamboat Willie,” for example, a goat eats Minnie Mouse’s guitar and sheet music. In Sony Pictures Animation’s 2026 full-length movie “GOAT,” the protagonist, a pygmy goat named Will Harris, eats an unopened tin can of nuts.

Goats cannot, in fact, eat just anything, but as foragers that prefer a varied diet of brush over pastures, they’re great for controlling invasive plant species. That’s why St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Romeo, Michigan, hired a herd of goats to munch on poison ivy, honeysuckle, shrubs, vines, thorns and other plants that have colonized its nearly 11-acre property.

Anglicans and the Abuja Contradiction
The Abuja Affirmation marks the end of an era. The third largest Christian communion, Anglicanism (behind only Catholicism and Orthodoxy), has splintered. While its demise has been a drawn-out affair, the church has reached an inflection point. A crisis of authority has existed for over fifty years, a crisis that conservative Anglicans had long sought to resolve by returning Anglicanism to its scriptural roots. At a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, this March, bishops from around the communion declared that the crisis had been resolved; the authority of the Scriptures had been restored. Their announcement was triumphant. But it contradicted reality.

Also See: Analysis: The Abuja "Contradiction" That Isn't

Here’s what’s different about clergy sexual abuse claims in UMC
One of the most consequential rulings on clergy sexual abuse in the entire history of American jurisprudence has received virtually no media attention. Its defendant? The United Methodist Church.

In a 2024 ruling in Chestnut v. United Methodist Church, the Second Department of the New York Supreme Court’s Appellate Division held that the UMC is not a “jural entity” and thus cannot be sued in a court of law.

Synod study group calls for greater role for laity in the selection of bishops
The study group’s recommendations are practical and easy to implement. They could be quickly adopted in the United States.

A Christian nation? At 250, America is still fighting over what that means
Historians say American history is more Christian than secular advocates claim — and less religious than Christian nationalists would have us believe. A look at the contested history of America as a Christian nation.

Also See: Religious freedom is for Christians only, says Jenna Ellis

The Coming Baby Boomer Cliff: What Happens in Churches When They Are Gone?
Just a reminder. Don't miss this free webinar on May 14th at 1:00 PM EST. Register today.

Checklist: 9 Legal and Compliance Issues Every Church Should Review Annually
This annual church legal checklist is designed to help church leaders identify governance weaknesses, compliance gaps, and emerging legal risks before they escalate.

How to Stay Human in an AI World
If you think of social media as the drug fueling individualism, then with AI, that drug’s addictive nature has been made significantly more potent, like digital heroin.

Counter-Catechesis for Kids: Adapting ‘The Gospel Way Catechism’ for Gen Alpha
Catechisms are making a comeback. I hear regularly from pastors and church leaders who are interested in this question-and-answer method of Christian formation, both for children and adults. In a world with so many competing messages flowing to us through the endless scroll, we need the truth of the Christian faith to be pressed into our hearts.

5 Ways to Mobilize Your Church to Pray for Summer Camp
Churches that intentionally challenge their people to pray provide church-wide prayer support that impacts every moment of camp.

Churchgoers Look to Join With Others in Their Discipleship Walk
Churchgoers are getting better at building and deepening relationships within their congregations, but it’s still not a strength.

The Missing Reformed Doctrine for Spiritual Formation
Have you had the experience of feeling like your prayers simply bounced off the ceiling? Or your Scripture reading ceased to feel as meaningful as it once did? Have you looked back at seasons that felt like lush gardens of excitement, passion, and zeal for the things of God—but now feel more like you’re in the desert, spiritually barren, dry, and lifeless?

You might be surprised to know that the doctrine of spiritual desertion was a standard teaching of Protestant spiritual theology for centuries. Spiritual desertion is God’s act to lead his people into experiencing his absence to awaken them to the truth of how sinful and broken they truly are.

Spiritually burned out? Tish Harrison Warren and some ancient monks have advice.
Dealing with a sense of burnout and the weariness of modern life, author Tish Harrison Warren found help in the words of long-dead Christian mystics.

Image Credit: St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Manitou Springs, Colorado

Tuesday's Catch: '7 Signs Your Church Is Slowly Dying (And Nobody’s Talking About It)' And More

St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Des Plaines, Illinois, Closed January 4, 2026

7 Signs Your Church Is Slowly Dying (And Nobody’s Talking About It)
These are the seven signs most church leaders either don’t see or don’t want to say out loud. Read them honestly. If three or more describe your church, you don’t have a program problem. You have a foundation problem.

Big Church Assumptions that Unintentionally Hurt Small Churches
Some small church pastors have stopped looking for help from their big church counterparts because they're tired of being hurt. It doesn't have to be like this.

Why Evangelism Is Dying in Most American Churches
Jess and Sam share some sobering data on evangelism in local churches. They then look at the most significant challenges. The good news? All of these challenges can be met with a few changes.

Also See: An Encouraging Word from the Word for Church Leaders

The Coming Baby Boomer Cliff: What Happens in Churches When They Are Gone?
Just a reminder. Don't miss this free webinar on May 14th at 1:00 PM EST. Register today.

10 Things You Should Know About J. C. Ryle
Ryle is enjoying a huge resurgence in popularity.

Also See: Grace Gems: J. C. Ryle

The Spiritual Warfare Nobody's Talking About in Your Church
Joel Muddamalle is a theologian who thinks harder about spiritual warfare than almost anyone in the church today. In this conversation: how sin got a mass-marketing strategy, why your devices are a primary battleground, why the best answer to political division might be subversion, and how to keep your best people long-term.

Who Is the Holy Spirit?
When learning about the person of Holy Spirit, we must first make sure we understand who He is according to Scripture and how we can relate to Him the same way we would to God the Father and Jesus Christ. He is not some mystical force to be afraid of or an ethereal presence you can’t relate to. He is the Spirit of the living God, given to dwell within us. We cannot reduce Him to an object or describe Him incorrectly by avoiding personal pronouns. He is a person, and He has the power to liberate us, change us, lead us, and help us to look more like Jesus every day—if we learn His ways and obey His voice.

AI Is Doing What the Church Was Supposed to Do
72% of American teenagers have already turned to AI for companionship. Not the troubled kids. Not the extreme cases. Three in four teenagers are going to a machine for connection.

And the church needs to wake up to what that means.

Are we losing the ability to be still? ADHD, digital distraction and the spiritual battle for attention
Something troubling appears to be happening to human attention.

Across social media, millions of people now describe themselves as “neurodivergent”, discuss executive dysfunction, or wonder openly whether they may have ADHD. What was once regarded as a relatively specialised medical diagnosis has become part of everyday cultural language.

30 Summer Bucket List Ideas for Teens (Youth Ministry Edition)
...here’s the thing most people in the pews don’t realize: summer is actually the single greatest relational ministry window of the year.

Kids are out of school. The pressure drops. Parents are more available. And teens — even the ones who ghost you from October through May — show up when the stakes feel lower and the activity sounds fun.

Summer Church Activities: 18 Fun Fellowship Ideas
A great way to reach families is with summer church activities! After all, God doesn’t take a sabbatical during summer months. How can your church seize the unique evangelism and fellowship opportunities of the season?

To help you brainstorm, we’ve collected some of our favorite summer church activities. Check out all these fresh, fun ideas for community-building and outreach. (Bonus Tip: They’re also super ways to involve people of all ages in your church’s evangelism efforts!)

Who represents you and who do you represent?
Representation is one of the most powerful forces in human existence.

A single representative can shape the destiny of a family, a community, a company, or even an entire nation. Representatives influence culture, define values, and communicate what is acceptable, honourable, and true. Whether in politics, leadership, parenting, ministry, or friendship, representation carries weight because people are always reflecting something greater than themselves.

From a biblical perspective, representation is even more profound. Scripture repeatedly shows that God works through representatives, and the spiritual consequences of their actions often extend far beyond their individual lives.

Image Credit: Episcopal Diocese of Chicago

Monday's Catch: 'What Is the Goal of Church Revitalization?' And More

What Is the Goal of Church Revitalization?
Defining the end goal of revitalization allows one to set the compass and intentionally navigate the map before setting sail.

The Bohemian queen who was a catalyst for the English Reformation
11 May 2026 is the 660th anniversary of the birth of Anne of Bohemia, wife of King Richard II of England, who played an important role in the history of the English Bible. This is the story....

New Numbers on the Southern Baptist Convention: Remarkable Recovery or Dead Cat Bounce?
Denominations do not exist apart from their churches. They reflect the health of the congregations within them. When more churches are healthy than unhealthy, the denomination tends to have strategic capacity. When more churches are unhealthy than healthy, denominational leaders are pushed into triage mode rather than long-term leadership.

The Coming Baby Boomer Cliff: What Happens in Churches When They Are Gone?
Just a reminder. Don't miss this free webinar on May 14th at 1:00 PM EST. Register today.

What Does Revival Actually Look Like?
Russell answers a listener question about how to identify spiritual revival.

‘It’s not an idol,’ Trump-loving pastor declares
The South Carolina pastor who prayed over a 22-foot-high golden statue of President Donald Trump last week says it is not an idolatrous golden calf as described in the book of Exodus.

Mark Burns is a self-appointed pastor who previously lied about his educational background and previous military service. He unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, 2022 and 2024. He was an early and ardent supporter of Trump’s presidential campaigns.

Also See: Young Daniel and his three friends would like a word

Taking Jesus seriously
Writing from a Nazi prison, Deitrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “What keeps gnawing at me is the question, Who is Christ actually for us today?”. The question continues to gnaw at the soul of anyone who takes Jesus seriously.

Growing share of pastors don’t find job deeply fulfilling: Barna
While pastors have registered improvements in their mental health and feel more equipped for ministry than they were a decade ago, a growing share are reporting less satisfaction with their jobs, according to new research from Barna.

In their 2026 State of the Church series, conducted in partnership with leading technology platform Gloo, Barna researchers reported that feelings of inadequacy among pastors about their ability to do ministry hit the lowest level ever recorded.

America's pastor pipeline is collapsing
Fewer Americans want to become pastors, accelerating a leadership vacuum inside one of the country's oldest civic institutions.

Toolkit helps Episcopal congregations deepen intergenerational worship
In a time when many congregations are exploring how to bridge generational divides and invite fuller participation of children, youth, adults, and older adults alike in worship, the Roots & Wings: Intergenerational Formation Collaborative, based at Virginia Theological Seminary, is pleased to announce the release of the Hallmarks of Intergenerational Worship Toolkit via the ministry site Building Faith.

Designed for congregational leaders — ordained, lay, youth, and children’s ministry alike — the toolkit offers a framework for reflection, assessment, and growth in the practice of intergenerational worship. The resource identifies five “hallmarks” of intergenerational worship: Intentionality, Relationality, Dignified Reciprocity, Flexibility, and Empowerment. Leaders can use the survey piece of the toolkit to identify which hallmarks are especially strong in their context and which need more support. A resource article accompanies each hallmark so that leaders can more fully explore areas of strength and areas for growth.

This Generation Averages 9 Hours of Daily Screen Time — And It’s Affecting More Than Mental Health
Gen Z has officially become Generation Scroll. According to recent screen time data, the average Gen Z user now spends roughly nine hours a day on screens, outpacing millennials, Gen X and boomers by a wide margin. Another report found that nearly one in four Americans ages 18 to 29 say they spend nine to 12 hours a day looking at screens.

Nine hours is not a habit. It’s a second life.

10 Safety & Security Measures You Need for Your Children's Ministry
Churches have to get safety and security right if they want to earn the right to be heard by families.

That being said, here are 10 safety and security measures you need to have in place.

Everyone Lives, Everyone Dies—But Not Everyone Walks with God
...there is a way that we can live when it comes to our relationship with God that is more than living. It is so much more than living that you wouldn’t even use the same word for it. Enoch didn’t just live; he walked with God.

Podcast: Struggling to Evangelize? Start Here. (Sharonda Cooper)
In this podcast, Sharonda Cooped reframes our often fearful thinking around evangelism and talks about how changing our mindset as joining in God’s mission can transform our motivation towards this spiritual discipline. Sharonda also shares her own experience with evangelism and addresses some common fears around the practice.

Image Credit: St.  Barnabas Episcopal Church, Tullahoma, Tennessee

Sundays at All Hallows (May 10, 2026) Is Now Online

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday, Fifth Sunday after Easter, or the Sixth Sunday of Easter, depending upon whether a church is following the traditional one-year lectionary or the three-year Revised Common Lectionary, is Rogation Sunday and marks the beginning of Rogationtide, a brief season of four days, counting Rogation Sunday, which precedes Ascension Day. Among the customs associated with Rogationtide, are fasting and abstinence in preparation for Ascension Day, solemn processions through the community during which the Great Litany was recited or sung, the blessing of the farmers’ crops, and the beating of the bounds, which in its oldest form entailed showing the boys of the parish the boundary markers of the parish and giving them a good drubbing so they didn’t forget them. If the boundary marker was a pond, river, or stream, they were thrown into the water. These customs whose introduction in England goes as far back as the seventh century, survived the Reformation albeit they are now not as widely observed as they once were.

This year Rogation Sunday falls on the second Sunday of May, Mother’s Day, a secular holiday in the United States honoring mothers and others who have occupied that role in the care of a child and widely observed in US churches.

In this Sunday’s message we unpack John 14: 15-21 and its meaning for us.

Readings: Acts 17:22-31; 1 Peter 3: 13-22; and John 14: 15-21

Message: Honk If You Love Jesus

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2026/05/sundays-at-all-hallows-may-10-2026.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Sundays at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-It is recommended that after reading or hearing each lesson to take time to reflect on what you read or heard during the period of silence which follows each lesson. It is also recommended that you do the same thing after reading or hearing the message.

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Sundays at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Saturday Lagniappe: 'The Coming Baby Boomer Cliff: What Happens in Churches When They Are Gone?' And More

The Coming Baby Boomer Cliff: What Happens in Churches When They Are Gone?
What happens to the American church when the Baby Boomer generation is gone? Join Thom Rainer and Sam Rainer on May 14th at 1:00 PM for a revealing webinar that explores the demographic reality behind current attendance patterns and why many churches are more fragile than they appear. You’ll gain insights into how aging membership, declining birth rates, weak leadership pipelines, and changing giving patterns are reshaping the future of congregations across the country. Thom and Sam will examine likely outcomes, including mergers, shifts in real estate markets, increased competition for young families, and the growing role of immigration. This webinar is designed to help church leaders think clearly, plan wisely, and prepare faithfully for the next 10 to 25 years. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to equip yourself for the future—join us!

Related: What Will Happen in Churches When All the Baby Boomers Are Gone?; The Death of the Baby Boomers: 7 Things That Will Take Place in Your Church (A Church Answers Research Article); Five Reasons Churches Should Still Try to Reach Boomers; Denominations That Are on Red Alert for Rapid Decline; The Silent Exodus of Senior Adults (What's Happening in Churches?); and Who and What Is the Silent Generation?

Black clergy strategize, preach and urge election turnout after Voting Rights Act gutting
'We need accountability. We need to set goals, track registrations, follow up to ensure that those who register actually vote,' a Church of God in Christ bishop said at an 'emergency’ meeting.

On Mother’s Day, being pro-life means helping babies in developing countries live
Our commitment to protecting life cannot end at birth, nor stop at our nation’s borders.

Young Christians engaging with Bible more, survey finds
A new report reveals surprising levels of Bible engagement among young people aged 15–30, despite the apparent increase in secularisation.

The Patmos Youth Report, drawn from the larger Patmos World Bible Attitudes Survey conducted by Gallup in partnership with the Patmos Initiative and United Bible Societies, offers one of the most comprehensive looks yet at global attitudes toward Scripture.

The “Christian” Pantheon Of Acceptable “gods”
There is a curious thing about the first commandment, which is that almost no one believes they have broken it. Murder, yes. Theft, perhaps. Adultery, well, of the eyes if not of the body. But idols? Idols are wooden men in jungles and golden calves in deserts and fat little statues in temples on the other side of the world. The modern man hears Thou shalt have no other gods before me and feels a faint, rather pleasant solidarity with Moses, the way one feels solidarity with a man condemning a crime one has not yet thought of committing.

The truth is that we break this commandment before breakfast.

Why Do We Take Communion? 7 Biblical Reasons for the Lord’s Supper
Christians take communion — also called the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist — in obedience to a direct command from Jesus (Luke 22:19). But this sacred practice is far more than a ritual obligation. Every time believers share the bread and cup together, they participate in something with profound spiritual, communal, and prophetic significance.

If you’ve ever wondered why communion matters — or how to explain it to someone new to faith — these seven biblical reasons offer a clear and meaningful answer.

Why Walking Is a Powerful Spiritual Practice
When people ask me, “What are your hobbies?” I give them a boring answer: I walk. Walking and prayer....

How Grandparents Can Leave A Legacy
At the time of this writing, there are over 4.9 million children being raised by a grandparent in the United States. Grandparents need our support and prayers as they invest in their grandchildren.

Here are five questions you can ask to help grandparents navigate raising and influencing their grandchildren.

Geography of Discipleship with Eleanor Sanderson
Mission and discipleship are connected at the root. Today we’re going to explore some of those connections, not only through our guest’s own life, but also through her experience with particular discipleship programs, as well as what she’s learned through a first career as a geographer and her husband’s career as a mechanic.

Our guest today is the Rt. Rev. Dr. Eleanor Sanderson. Eleanor is Bishop of Hull in the Diocese of York and was previously the Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Wellington, New Zealand. She serves on the Anglican Communion Commission for Discipleship and Evangelism and has a passion for the renewal of God’s church through multiplying missional disciples and intentional communities.

Also See: Mustard Seed; Discovery Bible Study

Friday's Catch: 'Who was Mother Julian of Norwich and why is she important?' And More

Norwich Cathedral

Who was Mother Julian of Norwich and why is she important?

8 May is the traditional day to remember Mother Julian of Norwich. She is important because her book remains a classic of Christian spirituality and is the first book in English known to have been written by a woman. This is her story....

When I was a young boy, I lived in Seely Suffolk, or Holy Suffolk, so named for its many churches, and visited Norwich with my family. Norwich was in the adjoining county of Norfolk, a little over 20 miles from the village of Ilkeshalt St. Andrews where we lived. Norwich Cathedral is the see of the Diocese of Thetford.

Three Collects and Three Spiritual Songs for the Feast of Julian of Norwich
Dame Julian's Revelations of Divine Love has inspired a number of prayers and spiritual songs. Here are three of each.

Two years after schism, a United Methodist scholar pens a road map for growth
If the United Methodist Church wants to reach younger, more ethnically diverse people, it must focus on densely populated urban areas, suggests researcher Lovett Weems Jr.

Johnson Amendment Remains in Effect After Federal Court Dismisses Lawsuit
The Johnson Amendment—the controversial Internal Revenue Code (IRC) provision prohibiting most political activities by churches and other tax-exempt organizations—remains alive, despite a highly publicized lawsuit seeking to undo it.

Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' could drastically impact seminaries and Christian colleges, school leaders warn
Christian college and seminary presidents are speaking out against a provision in President Donald Trump’s most significant domestic policy legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, that will have consequences for students pursuing degrees in ministry and religious studies.

The Association for Biblical Higher Education, which oversees 165 institutions with a combined 86,639 students, invited nearly two dozen presidents of schools in its association to lobby Congress to exempt their students from Section 84001 of the Big Beautiful Bill, also known as H.R. 1.

Sam Allberry Removed From All Ministry Within the Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast Following ‘Inappropriate Relationship’
Bishop Clark Lowenfield, who is the first ordinary of the Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast, released a statement stating that he is “deeply grieved and broken-hearted” for Sam Allberry.

Allberry, an apologist, author, and speaker, was disqualified from ministry early this month for engaging in an “inappropriate relationship with an adult man.” He served as an associate pastor at Immanuel Nashville since 2023.

New Suicide Prevention Resource for Faith Leaders
The E. Stanley Jones Foundation and the General Boards of Higher Education and Ministry and Global Ministries have partnered to develop and release a suicide prevention video training course designed to equip faith leaders with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to prevent suicide, respond to crises, and care for individuals and families affected by suicide loss.

Warning Dreams from God: 10 Biblical Signs and What They Mean
A warning dream from God is a divinely initiated dream that alerts, redirects, or prepares a believer for something important. Unlike ordinary dreams — which often process stress or daily experience — a warning dream typically feels different in tone, urgency, and staying power. You remember it. You wake with a weight, a clarity, or a holy unease that doesn’t fade with coffee and a commute.

Navigating the Pre-Transition Space
In a season of transition for the church, Jonathan Page offers practical and pastoral insights into how congregations and clergy can navigate change with intention and faithfulness. Rather than rushing ahead or clinging to what was, he invites leaders and communities to finish well, make space for reflection, and keep the main thing the main thing.

Leading Faithfully through Transitions
In seasons of transition, leadership is tested as much as it is revealed. Dontá McGilvery reflects on how shifting roles and uncertainty have shaped his understanding of resilience, trust, and spiritual grounding. Rather than treating change as disruption alone, he challenges leaders to see it as formation—an opportunity to lead with greater humility, awareness, and dependence on God.

Sunday Style and the Devil's Beat
As technology kept advancing and music became an actual business, the denominations and their hymnals gave way to publishing companies’ and record labels’ albums and videos as our main form of church song discovery.

Two interesting things have happened because of this....

Effective Small-Church Prayer Strategies, with Chris Paavola (Ep 127)
“Just get together with two or three people—your Peter, James, and John—and just start praying.”

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (May 7, 2026) Is Now Online

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

In this Thursday evening’s message, we take a look at one of the “abide” passages of the Gospel of John—John 15: 9-11—and what it tells us about being a disciple of Jesus.

Reading: John 15: 9-11

Message: “Abide in My Love”

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2026/05/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows-may-7.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-It is recommended that after reading or hearing a lesson to take time to reflect on what you read or heard during the period of silence which follows the lesson. It is also recommended that you do the same thing after reading or hearing the message.

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Thursday Evenings at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Thursday's Catch: 'Why Small Churches Stay Small — And What Finally Breaks the Pattern' And More

Church of Our Saviour, Lugerville, Wisconsin (Closed September 10, 2024)

Why Small Churches Stay Small — And What Finally Breaks the Pattern
Most small churches stay small not because they lack resources, but because they resist change. Common barriers include rapid pastor turnover, control by a few key members, lack of a clear growth plan, prayerlessness, and an unwillingness to welcome outsiders. These patterns can be diagnosed and addressed — and many small churches that have confronted them have experienced meaningful, lasting growth.

Church of England publishes report on mission funding impact
The Church of England’s Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB) has published its annual review for 2025, outlining the results of its investment into mission and church growth activities.

The SMMIB said it had distributed £98 million to Church of England dioceses and £5.9 million to mission partners in a bid to “revitalise” parish churches and fund ministry, youth work, renovation and other mission projects.

Hearings to Begin in ACNA Primate’s Trial
The Anglican Church in North America’s Court for the Trial of a Bishop will hold hearings this week on the first pretrial motions filed in the disciplinary matter of the Most Rev. Steve Wood, according to a court announcement.

Archbishop Wood, the denomination’s primate, was indicted on ecclesiastical charges of personal and sexual misconduct last December. His trial is scheduled to begin July 20.

SBC membership down, but baptisms and attendance on the rise: report
Southern Baptist Convention membership declined in 2025, but attendance and baptisms continued to rise, according to a newly released report.

Lifeway Research published a report on Tuesday about the Annual Church Profile (ACP) statistics, which found that SBC membership dropped by over 3% last year, going from approximately 12.72 million members in 2024 to approximately 12.33 million in 2025.

How the devil was disguised in the SBC and Paul Pressler's Conservative Resurgence
During the Conservative Resurgence, I thought we were fighting for the Bible. Instead, we were also political pawns for an abuser.

One Counseling Resource Every Church Should Have
Regardless of church size or context, there’s one counseling resource every church can and should have available for those in their churches.

Climate change is getting so bad that it’s making food less nutritious
Climate change’s effects often aren’t obvious.

In a particularly lateral example of how our planet’s changing environment is coming to affect our lives, scientists are now warning that our increasingly CO2-suffused atmosphere is causing the plants we eat to be less nutritious. Though the changes are subtle, they could already be endangering millions of people with poor diets, and hundreds of millions if the trend holds in the coming decades.

Also See: Fewer insects, fewer nutritious crops: Pollinator decline puts human health at risk; After 9,000 years of cultivation, rice has reached its thermal limit

7 Traits of the Best Leaders: Lessons from a Wisdom Seeker
Looking back...the best leaders I ever had shared some common traits. There were things that set them apart from other leaders, helped them be successful, and caused me to take notice in them.

The ‘Lordly’ Supper: An Antidote to What Ails the Church
By describing communion as a ‘Lordly supper,’ Paul emphasizes the dignity and honor involved in the ordinance.

The Corinthians thought they had accepted the invitation to this great supper, but Paul’s critique reveals they had shown up to the wrong celebration.

Is a secular religion propelling the AI race?
Philosopher Émile P. Torres contends that a bundle of techno-utopian ideologies is ubiquitous in Silicon Valley. AI ‘doomers’ and ‘accelerationists’ may be locked in a ‘clash of eschatologies,’ but Torres sees them all as part of the same futuristic faith.

Faith plays key role in young people’s mental wellbeing - study
A new study suggests that religion can play a significant role in shaping the mental health and emotional resilience of young people, particularly when it is expressed through positive coping practices.

The research, led by Dr Lydia Mannion of Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, examined how religious belief and practice intersect with psychological wellbeing among students.

Don’t Divide Enjoyment and Edification in Youth Ministry
Mikey Lynch recently published an article for TGCA encouraging youth ministries to display both social activities and teaching topics on their term calendars, and I’m grateful he did. It’s a simple, practical and easily applied set of suggestions, which I can see being immediately useful to a number of contexts. Plus, Mikey wasn’t grumpy or despairing at youth ministries, nor is he belittling or condescending in his proposals. As a youth minister, I was encouraged.

However, when he asked me for my thoughts, I did find myself wanting to nuance (or even push back on) something in his initial premise. So, after a friendly exchange of emails, he invited me to pull together some thoughts.

Parents' refusal to give newborns vitamin K shots is increasing preventable deaths in US
Babies across the United States are dying from vitamin K deficiency bleeding, a preventable condition, after parents refuse the standard newborn vitamin K injection.

ProPublica's Duaa Eldeib reports multiple infants experienced catastrophic bleeding in their brains, seizures, and respiratory failure within weeks of birth. Along with autopsies revealing deaths that could have been prevented with a simple, inexpensive shot.

10 Easy VBS Tips That’ll Make Leading Vacation Bible School a Breeze
VBS doesn’t have to be hard; use our 10 easy VBS tips to make your VBS even easier!

Image Credit: David Paulsen/Episcopal News Service

Wednesday's Catch: 'How the Modern Church Was Shaped: The Seminary Class Every Church Leader Actually Needs' And More

Logo of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Louisville, Kentucky (Closed April 24)

How the Modern Church Was Shaped: The Seminary Class Every Church Leader Actually Needs
Most church leaders are leading inside a model they never chose and rarely understand.

In this episode, Todd Wilson, founder of Exponential, walks through the true history of the modern church: Church Growth, Seeker Sensitive, Attractional, Missional—and what’s coming next.

This is the seminary class no one got, but every church leader needs.

Crucial Commitments: 5 Simple Decisions That Members of Healthy and Growing Churches Make
Churches that are laser-focused on these five commitments tend to experience a continuous cycle of healthy church growth, while churches that allow the urgency of the moment to distract them from these commitments tend to experience decline. Thom and Sam discuss the new book, Crucial Commitments.

Depressed Congregations: Root, Rosa, Acceleration, and Innovation (Part 2)
Part 1 of this essay appeared yesterday, May 5.

What it means: SBC membership shrinks as US population grows
Although the Southern Baptist Convention remains the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, only about 3.6% of the 342 million Americans were members of SBC churches in 2025. Not only has membership in SBC churches been on the decline for two decades but the proportionate influence of Southern Baptists continues to decline as well.

Pope Leo poses a huge problem for far-right Christians: expert
Pope Leo XIV poses a huge problem to far-right Christian elements who have fallen in with the MAGA movement, University of Pennsylvania religious studies professor Anthea Butler told MS NOW's Nicolle Wallace on Tuesday — not just because he opposes much of Trump's war and immigration agenda, but because he sets an example for Christianity that they can't follow.

Poll finds broad rejection of religion-related messages from Trump, Hegseth
Americans are deeply uncomfortable with recent religion-related statements by President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — a striking rebuke in a closely divided country, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll.

The poll finds positive ratings for Pope Leo XIV, who has criticized U.S. actions on immigration and in Iran, clashing with Trump.

Experts say anti-Christian bias task force report is full of bias
The report fundamentally misunderstands religious freedom and how it is legally protected in this country.

Republican tax bill has kicked millions off food benefits 

Enrollment in the federal government’s main nutrition program has fallen sharply as a result of changes Republicans enacted last year to help pay for tax cuts.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program had more than 3 million fewer beneficiaries in January than it had last July, according to the government’s latest data. It’s a drop of 8%, among the steepest ever. The program is the government’s largest antihunger initiative and one of the most responsive to economic need.

What affects the people of a community affects the churches of the community.

World 'unprepared' for next pandemic as countries fail to agree on sharing information, tests and vaccines
A key deadline to finalise a global pandemic treaty has been missed by negotiators, prompting warnings that the world remains unprepared for the next major disease outbreak.

Countries have been trying to agree how they should share information on pathogens, such as bacteria or viruses, that could cause pandemics – and what access to any resulting vaccines, tests and treatments they should be guaranteed in return.

The Sin We’ve Stopped Taking Seriously
I’m convinced we don’t take pride seriously as a sin—either in ourselves or in others. We live in a world overflowing with self-promotion, where arrogance is reframed as swagger and narcissism passes for self-confidence. We have lifted up leaders whose egos are so massive we no longer flinch at their self-aggrandizement. Boasting marks our culture today. It’s now normal.

Beyond Ax Throwing: 8 Non-Stereotypical Men’s Ministry Events That Actually Disciple Men
Healthy men’s ministries don’t just plan events; they build pathways for men to take a next step toward community, discipleship, and purpose.

The Pastoral Virtue of Avoidance
At least seven times in the pastoral epistles, Paul directly charges Timothy and Titus to “avoid” and to “have nothing to do with” ideas and people who pose a threat to their flock. This is jarring since one of the main purposes for these letters is to encourage Timothy and Titus to engage false teaching and teachers. Yet here is where the paradox emerges: Paul teaches a pastoral virtue of avoidance—showing that sometimes the wisest form of engagement is careful restraint.

So, what is going on here? Given that Paul clearly wants false teaching and teachers dealt with and also wants these pastors to avoid certain discourse and people, the question arises: What is Paul prohibiting here and what does it mean for pastors today?

4 Bad Reasons (and 4 Good Ones) to Use a Commentary
...Bible commentaries can be an invaluable tool when used with intention, but careless use can hinder real learning. The goal of all Bible study is not that we would assimilate the facts we find in our study aids but that we would dive deeply into God’s Word and grow to love its divine author.

Before you open that Bible commentary (or rush to put it back on the shelf!), consider four bad reasons—and four excellent ones—to use it.

From panic to false alarm: the danger of ‘rage bait’ 

Earlier this month, Surrey police reported an alleged gang rape of a young woman in Epsom. Further information was unforthcoming, and the vacuum was filled by increasingly frenzied speculation on social media, driven by what a BBC headline called a “rage bait frenzy”.

‘Rage bait’ is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative or offensive”. It may contain no truth but seeks to stir engagement through fury.

Should I Report Abuse in Church to the Police?
Russell answers a listener question about whether church policies should include reporting abuse to local law enforcement. (Spoiler alert: yes, you should.)

Op-Ed: The power of persistence in child abuse prevention — in wake of legislation, commitment is key
“I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.” The Little Engine That Could taught many of us the power of persistence – not giving up when the going gets tough and maintaining a sense of hopefulness when all seems lost.

That mantra, backed by the persistence of our community partners, helps the Kosair for Kids Face It Movement remain hopeful in our mission to prevent and end child abuse in Kentucky. Now with nearly 200 partners serving families and children in communities across the Commonwealth, that bold mission drives our commitment to promoting best practices, empowering the community, and advocating for effective policies for more than a decade.

Child Safeguarding Resources
The following materials are available from the Kosair for Kids Face It Movement. All of our educational print materials are provided at no cost to ensure there are no barriers to getting the information in the hands of parents, caregivers, and professionals. If you would like to help us further our mission by supporting the work, please consider donating to Kosair for Kids.

These resources may be available outside of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Check with the provider.

Image Credit: St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Louisville, Kentucky

Tuesday's Catch: 'Are Atheists and Agnostics Really Declining in Number in the United States?' And More

Are Atheists and Agnostics Really Declining in Number in the United States?
Thom reviews recent data from the Cooperative Election Study and Ryan Burge, focusing on atheists and agnostics. The information raises many questions and provides encouraging opportunities for churches.

Also See: Are the Boomers Nones No More?

The Crowd is Not a Church
Jesus isn’t interested in gathering a crowd. He’s interested in building a church.

United Methodism two years after 25% of churches disaffiliated
The United Methodist Church’s experience with the disaffiliations of a number of its congregations has received widespread coverage in church media and in some secular media outlets. Because the polity of the UMC differs from that of many other denominations, this chapter in our denomination’s history may be confusing to those with different approaches to the ways congregations and whole denominations govern themselves.

Some may find it helpful to learn of the steps that led to the disaffiliation process, what its effect has been upon the denomination and what it may hold for the future of the denomination in the United States. The following constitutes a brief overview of these concerns.

Also See: Signs of Rebound Amid Uneven Recovery: the Changing Congregational Landscape

Depressed Congregations: Root, Rosa, Acceleration, and Innovation (Part 1)
This is a two part essay. Part 2 will appear tomorrow, May 6.

Evangelical groups warn Trump’s deportations could leave 1.3M 'torn apart' from families
'What might have been an abstract policy decision that's taking place in Washington now is actually impacting communities,' said Walter Kim, head of the National Association of Evangelicals.

Why MAGA’s Christian revival claim is a total fantasy
In 2026, right-wing media have been full of reporting on an alleged Christian fundamentalist revival among young Generation Z men — who, they claim, are going to evangelical churches in big numbers. Many of these reports also claim that Gen-Z men are searching for "tradwives" who reject feminism, wear old-fashioned attire (including prairie dresses) and are determined to be stay-at-home moms.

But Salon's Amanda Marcotte, in article published on May 4, argues that this "Christian revival" among Gen-Z men is a myth.

Conspiracy and the Christian
Conspiracy theories have been around a long time. But they have surfaced with a vengeance in recent years, serving up a counter narrative to the official explanations for all sorts of things. Conspiracy theories are fringe beliefs but have become increasingly popularized and believed by average voters, citizens, and—important for our purposes—church members.

Why do Christians say “Amen”? 

There are certain words we use so often in church that we rarely stop to think about them. “Amen” is one of those words. It slips so naturally off our lips at the end of a prayer or sermon that it can almost feel automatic. But this small, familiar word carries a depth of meaning, history, and spiritual weight that is far from ordinary.

Let’s slow down and rediscover what we are really saying when we say Amen.

For Every Minister Who Struggles With Your Prayer Life
Real prayer is about relationship. And relationships are hard. Even (especially?) with God.

You Answered an Altar Call. But Was It a Conversion?
This article argues that while altar calls can serve as meaningful moments of response, they risk producing emotional decisions without lasting faith.

The Algorithm Is Changing How We Speak and Strive
“Algospeak” capitalizes on our desire for attention and status. We should turn to God for both.

Grok convinces man to arm himself because assassins are coming to kill him
Over the past year or so, a bizarre phenomenon has emerged: people start talking with AI chatbots about delusions or conspiracies and get sucked into mental health crises that doctors are calling “AI psychosis.”

The results can be grim. We’ve seen mainstream AI implicated in numerous suicides, involuntary commitment and even murder.

Image Credit: St. Columba Episcopal Church, Bristol, Tennessee

Monday's Catch: 'Your Church Is Placed Where It Is on Purpose' And More

Your Church Is Placed Where It Is on Purpose
Your church is not where it is by accident.

God, in His sovereignty, has placed that congregation in a specific location, among specific people, at a specific time. The address is not random. The neighborhood is not incidental. The community is not a coincidence.

It is an assignment.

The Protestant faith is losing people in the UK
Protestant churches are experiencing a complex pattern of growth and decline across the world, with Western nations - particularly the UK - emerging as key areas of concern, according to new findings from the Pew Research Center.

The data, drawn from surveys conducted in 24 countries in 2024, highlights how “religious switching” - when someone adopts a different faith from the one they were raised in - continues to reshape Christianity globally.

Why MAGA Christians are suddenly embracing Islam 

In recent months, there has been an unexpected trend among far-right, MAGA influencers. These often self-described Christian nationalists, some of whom have spent years railing against Muslims, are suddenly showing a strange level of interest in Islam. Writing for the Washington Post, religion editor Matthew Schmitz suggests that it’s because, to a large degree, these fundamentalist Christians have begun to recognize ideological parallels between themselves and their Islamic counterparts.

Thousands expected as ‘Jesus March’ returns to London for Pentecost
Thousands of Christians from across the UK are set to gather in central London this Pentecost weekend for a large-scale public event celebrating the Christian faith.

The gathering, known as the Jesus March, will take place on Saturday 23 May from 2pm to 5pm.

US churchgoers report stronger faith and renewed commitment five years after Covid pandemic
A major new survey of over 24,000 Christian churchgoers in the US suggests many believe their faith and congregational life have strengthened in the years since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The report, This Place Means Everything to Me, was produced by Faith Communities Today and the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations project.

Not all revivals are noisy
...there has been much debate in recent times about whether or not we are experiencing a quiet revival here in the UK. Now, I wonder how many people involved in the debate have actually been in a situation that has been widely or officially recognised as revival?

More Gen Z adults say life can be fulfilling without marriage, children: study
Compared with previous generations, more of America’s youngest adults, popularly known as Generation Z, believe that you can have a fulfilling life without children and that marriage is not necessary to provide children with a stable home, new data shows.

While most Gen Z young adults, born around 1999–2015, hope to get married, new data from Barna’s "The State of Today’s Family" report suggests they are delaying marriage due to economic concerns and greater emotional awareness.

Is Your Women’s Ministry Accessible to Single Moms?
Here are some guiding questions to help churches consider how their women’s ministry can serve single moms.

Two buses, three hours and 13 miles: how Americans in ‘transit deserts’ get groceries without cars 

Zen’Yari Winters’ job, at a pet shop in East Memphis, Tennessee, should be a 20-minute trip from her house. She leaves herself three hours to get there. “The bus is always, always late,” she said – if it shows up at all.

It’s not just her work commute that’s affected by the time-consuming guessing game that is riding with the Memphis Area Transit Authority (Mata). The only full-service grocer in the Chelsea-Hollywood area where she lives closed in 2025. To shop for food in person, she could take two buses for a 13-mile (20km) trip to Walmart. But she risks waiting at bus stops for hours with perishables – or shelling out about $24 for an Uber back.

This is a need that local churches can meet.

Who Is God?: The Church’s Task of Proclaiming the Triune God A substantial number of Americans are getting God wrong. They’re believing in a god but not the Christian God.

The Art of Clear Teaching and Preaching
The eighteenth-century English bishop J. C. Ryle wrote what is, perhaps, the most outstanding article ever on simplicity in preaching (pp. 1145–1161). I’d be very happy for you to stop reading this article and just read his! But leveraging off what he says, as well as my own observations and experience, I want to suggest nine things to work on if you want to be clear in your Bible teaching and preaching (whether that is a sermon, a Bible talk, a devotion, a lesson for kids, or any other ministry of the word).

How to Worship When God Feels Distant
As Christians, even though we know we’re supposed to actively worship God, and we experience days or even long seasons where we enjoy giving him the praise he’s due, sometimes we just don’t feel like it. In the midst of the daily demands of work, family, school, and home, worship can feel strange and out of place. Things like social media, our favorite TV show, shopping, or watching our favorite sporting event can feel more exciting, enticing, and deserving of our praise, attention, and devotion. As we give time, money, and attention to other things, our senses can become dulled to the awareness of God’s presence and promises, further perpetuating our feelings of apathy and distance.

In those moments, how can we continue to live a life of worship, even when God feels distant? What are the next steps for a Christian who knows they ought to worship God but just doesn’t feel like doing it?

Before You Record a Video Lesson
Should your local church offer its next discipleship or membership class as a series of YouTube videos? Is this wise and best? Here are three questions to help you navigate this foggy question with wisdom.

4 Summer Family Fun Ideas to Help Boost Attendance
Fend off the summer attendance slump by intentionally connecting families to your ministry using these four summer family fun ideas.

Image Credit: St. Peter’s of the Lakes, Gilbertsville, Kentucky