Thursday's Catch: 'More people are going to church than before the pandemic' And More

More people are going to church than before the pandemic
Evangelical churches up and down the country are reporting an increase in the number of people exploring faith and finding Jesus. Latest research by the UK Evangelical Alliance (EA UK) has found that twice as many people are committing to Jesus now than in 2021 during the pandemic.

Vicar goes medieval and celebrates church milestone as hermit
A Yorkshire vicar is taking a step back in time - over 800 years, in fact - by living as a hermit as part of a unique celebration marking a major milestone in his parish's history. Rev Philip Ball, vicar of St Mary’s Church in the East Yorkshire village of Hook, will don robes and a hood to assume the role of a medieval hermit during a special re-enactment weekend from 16 to 18 May. The event is part of year-long festivities commemorating the 800th anniversary of this historic Christian place of worship, which dates back to 1225. The building is an architectural gem, but like so many older churches, it is in need of some tender loving care.

Reviving Theology: Recovering the Lost Language of the Church
cross the country, particularly in post-1992 universities, theology and religious studies are being quietly dismantled. Where departments remain, they’re often diluted—absorbed into cultural studies or buried within broader humanities umbrellas. The reasons are familiar: political priorities, economic pressures, and institutional restructuring. But the effect is profound. Theology is being steadily exiled from the university. And yet, the Church seems oddly quiet about the death of its own first language.

Church Publishing announces the groundbreaking publication of the Dakota Hymnal
Church Publishing, the publisher of official worship materials, books, music, and digital ministry resources for The Episcopal Church, announced it will publish Wakan Cekiye Odowan / The Dakota Hymnal in June 2025. For the first time since it was authorized in 1893, congregations, families, and individuals around the world will have access to a comprehensive collection of hymns in the Dakota / Lakota language ensuring its deep spiritual traditions will endure for future generations. First authorized in 1893, the hymnal represents years of collaboration between Dakota and Lakota elders, linguists, musicians, and faith leaders committed to preserving and celebrating Lakota heritage through sacred music.

UMC bishops say ruling letting pastors perform gay weddings does not overrule local bans
The United Methodist Church leadership has clarified that a recent ruling from its top court allowing pastors to determine if they can officiate same-sex weddings dispute objections from church trustees does not overrule regional bans on the unions.

Has any Republican leader feigned concern for image of Trump as pope?
Baptist News Global has conducted an internet search for any currently elected Republican official who has criticized President Donald Trump’s AI-generated image of him as pope and found none. It is possible some Republican officials have spoken privately about the controversial image, but using the same AI technology employed to create the image — as well as traditional internet searches — we could find no record of a Republican official criticizing the image, much less condemning it.

Believing in Spirits and Life After Death Is Common Around the World
Belief in life after death is widespread around the globe, as is the belief that spirits can reside in animals and in parts of nature such as mountains, rivers or trees, according to a Pew Research Center survey of three dozen countries with a wide range of religious traditions. Moreover, the new survey shows that younger adults are at least as likely as older adults to hold these spiritual beliefs – unlike belief in God, which tends to be more common among older people, globally.

When Your Adult Children Leave the Church
“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Who hasn’t drawn strength from these Proverbial words? For many, they serve as a hope against the tide of secularism and cultural confusion. For others, they are a promise that reassures doubts about parental shortcomings. But, most pastors and church leaders will admit they all know congregants for whom these words are a tough pill to swallow. Parents who “did everything right,” who raised their kids in a solid church environment, who were not hypocrites, and who, more than anything else, prayed regularly for their kids to serve God. And yet, those kids at some point, either in their teen, college, or adult years, walked away from church and have not returned. It’s heartbreaking.

What’s the Earliest New Testament Evidence for the Divinity of Jesus?
To understand what the earliest Christians believed about the divinity of Jesus we turn to Paul of Tarsus. Why Paul? Larry Hurtado explains it best: “Pauline Christianity is the earliest form of the Christian movement to which we have direct access from undisputed firsthand sources” (Lord Jesus Christ, 85).As we shall see, Paul didn’t simply believe Jesus was God in some marginal, semi-divine sort of way. Rather he viewed him as the one God of Israel, the pre-existent Lord of the universe.

Developing a Taste for God’s Word
Why don’t many professing Christians learn to study the Bible? One common excuse is, “I just don’t have a desire to study God’s Word.” But we shouldn’t be surprised by this.

Moving the Needle with Technology in a Regular-Sized Church
Some of the best advice I ever received for revitalizing a church is “Start where you are.” I can’t remember where I first heard that statement, but I want to affirm the echo of voices. When it comes to technology in your church, the same is true: Start where you are. Many regular-sized churches lack technology resources and know-how. The main issue is not so much that they are not up to speed with what’s out there. Rather, the issue is that they often do not know where to start. Here are a few ways that you can move the needle to improve technology in your church....

Knowing Your People Helps You Ask Better Questions
It also helps you to kow what question not to ask as well as what questios to ask.

5 Ways Sending Students to Camp Today Impacts Your Church Tomorrow
The transformation students experience at camp goes beyond them; it has a lasting effect on your church in at least five ways.

You Don't Need AI. You Can Just Tell Your Kids Stories
In my experience, the biggest challenge to telling bedtime stories is the difficulty of making up a plot and dialogue and characters. This is where A.I. is offering to save you time and effort. Don’t buy it. You can do this.

AI cannot replicate the human interactions between storyteller and child. Good storytelling is interactive. One way you can feed your imagination is to read folk tales and fairy stories from around the world and familiarize yourself with the folk lore of different parts of the world.