Monday's Catch: "Jesus Loves Small, ‘Insignificant’ Places" and More

Jesus Loves Small, ‘Insignificant’ Places. So Should We.

It’s a popular quote, commonly attributed to Charles Spurgeon: “Discernment is not simply telling the difference between right and wrong; it’s telling the difference between right and almost right.” This maxim, I’d suggest, also applies to ministry paradigms and practices. In his book A Big Gospel in Small Places: Why Ministry in Forgotten Communities Matters, Stephen Witmer argues that when it comes to missions and church planting today, the prevailing paradigm that focuses on reaching urban centers of size and influence is, well, almost right—but it may be missing some important things. Read More

Churches See Need, Pay Thousands in School Lunch Debt

In its “2019 School Nutrition Trends Report,” the School Nutrition Association (SNA) found that having “unpaid student meal debt is common.” That was from a survey of almost 800 school districts across the country. Some districts do offer the option of free or reduced-price meals if students qualify. However, completing the paperwork can be a challenge, found education reporter Elsa Gillis in a story on school lunch debt in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area. And then there are still students who do not qualify for such meals. School lunch debt is higher in regions that do not offer reduced-cost options. Read More

One Rhode Island public school made the international headlines this past May when it announced that it would be giving a soy nut butter and jelly sandwich instead of a hot lunch to children who were unable to pay for their lunch. As a result of the public outcry the school would reverse this policy. What happened highlights the problem of "unpaid student meal debt." 

Food Insecurity in America Tied to Prices, Poverty

High food prices have contributed to a stubborn food-insecurity rate across the more than 3,100 counties in the U.S. during the last decade, a new report shows. But exactly who is at risk of going hungry varies across the country. "If we want to look at the health and well-being of America, one of the best ways to look at it is through food insecurity," says Craig Gundersen, lead researcher for hunger relief organization Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap project, which explores hunger and related trends in local communities. Read More

Backpack Programs: Actions for Healthy Kids

What is a backpack food program? Backpack food programs provide nutritious, non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food to children to ensure they get enough food on weekends and holidays to avoid hunger when they can’t depend on school meals. Learn More

For further information see Backpack Food Program Models: Rural Health Information Hub. It describes a number of school-based models including summer meals and school food pantries. On its website the Child Care Council of Kentucky explains how it is working in partnership with a community food bank to provide weekend meals to students in need at a local elementary school. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, now is a good time for your church to get involved if it is not already involved.

Keith Getty: Modern Worship Movement a 'de-Christianizing of God’s people'

The Christian Post interviews the "In Christ Alone' writer Keith Getty. According to Getty, many modern worship songs focus on emotionalism rather than sound doctrine and Scriptural truths, leading to a generation ill-equipped to understand or defend the Christian faith. Read More