Wednesday's Catch: 'When it comes to preventing abuse, are all churches equal?' And More

When it comes to preventing abuse, are all churches equal?
As an Anglican bishop faces a church trial for allegedly minimizing abuse and misconduct, observers are wondering: Could this have happened anywhere?

I have been a longtime observor of the Anglican Church in North America from the pre-GAFCON, Common Cause-Anglican Communion Network days. Among the things that I observed is that many of the people who would become a part of the ACNA were incredibly naive. They clung to the notion that since the bishops of the fledgling denomination were in their estimation "godly," nothing like what had happened in other denominations could happen in the ACNA.They listened to ACN moderator Robert "Bob" Duncan who spoke dismissively of the detailed governing documents of other Anglican entities and insisted that the new denomination only needed a barebones constitution and canons. Now the piegeons are coming home to roost.

The Late Great Planet Church
It’s not exactly news, but there are fewer people attending church now than before the pandemic. What we’re finding out now is just how big of a drop it was.

Rural churches fuel economies
A study of 87 rural churches in North Carolina suggests that each rural church contributes between $488,598 to $735,000 of value to its local economy each year. Rural churches support local businesses and provide community meeting space, early childhood education and more. The economic contributions of rural churches suggest they should be measured by more than the length of their membership rolls.

It’s Time to Release Churches from the Myth of Infinite Expansion
Every church has limiting factors. No church grows exponentially every year. Infinite expansion isn’t possible. Even the largest churches stay at the top of the list for only about twenty years. Each generation has its own group of biggest congregations or fastest-growing congregations. Compare any lists of the largest churches from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, or 2000s and you’ll find different churches leading the way. By virtue of their size, big churches are constantly shifting. Indeed, some of the largest churches from twenty and thirty years ago no longer exist today. They grew rapidly, declined just as quickly, and eventually disbanded.

U.S. immigration policies are harming persecuted Christians, evangelical leaders warn
The United States can help alleviate the suffering of persecuted Christians worldwide by restoring its refugee resettlement program to pre-Trump levels and restoring due process to its asylum system, World Relief and Open Doors US said in a new report.

Why potluck and Wednesday night dinners are important
In a country where 50% of the population has reported being lonely, it’s time to bring back the tradition of gathering and having meals with one another.

The Next Worship Leaders
People gather in homes, churches and pubs saying “Where, when can I go and meet with God?” The “worship leader” of every age says “What about here, what about now?” and lights the candles of music, visual art, design, architecture, sacramental actions and other languages of worship for the gathered community of faith.

Kids Ask: How Can Jesus Be in Heaven and with Us?
Kids ask lots of questions, and sometimes they ask big questions about God. Here’s one that’s come up recently: “How can God be in all places at once?” And, “If God is everywhere, is he inside my nose and mouth too? How can God be with so many people at the same time? That’s too many people!”

7 simple and surprising ways to help accelerate your teenagers’ spiritual growth
What are some other ways to help teenagers accelerate in their spiritual maturity?

Youth Conferences: 9 Christian Events to Recharge Faith & Ministry
With all these options, you can find a youth conference or event that fits your needs. Be sure to take note of registration deadlines. And take advantage of any early-bird pricing.

Is It Time To Edit the Voices You Follow on Social Media?
Are the voices you follow the voices you want speaking into your life?

Faithful Presence Where Your Feet Are
What if the limitations of your time and place were part of God’s grace to you?

Four Steps on the Path to Repentance
In some ways, Murdaugh’s trial provides a case study of how difficult it is to confess sin. While most of us will never have to confess a string of crimes as bad as Murdaugh’s, there will come a moment when we’re confronted with our sin and we’ll have to decide what to do. And what we do when we are confronted with our sin is, according to Scripture, a matter of life and death.

What Does the Bible Say About Fear?
Despite the prevalence of fear in our culture, the Bible equips Christians to respond appropriately when fear arrives.

Making disciples who make disciples
In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 28, Verses 19-20, we find the essence of the Christian mission encapsulated in what is commonly known as the Great Commission. Jesus, after His resurrection, imparts a profound mandate to His disciples, instructing them to go and "make disciples of all nations". These two verses have been the rallying cry for Christian outreach and ministry for centuries, driving the expansion of Christianity to every corner of the globe. But what exactly does it mean to "make disciples who make disciples"?

Are Americans ‘spiritual’ or ‘religious’ or both or neither?
Only 2% of Americans describe themselves as both “religious” and “spiritual,” while most others claim to be one or the other, according to a new study that examines how U.S. adults envision their faith identities. “Nearly half of Americans (47%) describe themselves as religious, another 33% say they are spiritual but not religious,” Gallup said in the survey released Sept. 22. However, while most Americans use one of those designations to describe their attitude toward the supernatural, the 18% who claimed neither term is double the share measured when Gallup began posing the question in 1999.