Saturday Lagniappe: 'Build from the outside in' And More

Build from the outside in
Fred Rogers lived out Thomas Merton’s experience of seeing everyone as “holy” and “shining like the sun.” Mr. Rogers believed his neighborhood was beautiful and his neighbors were beautiful. He told his neighbors that he always wanted a neighbor just like them. For many church leaders this has been true—until your neighbors change!

Christians in Africa face worsening violence, report finds
A new report from International Christian Concern (ICC) has revealed a disturbing rise in violence against Christians across parts of Africa, with Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Kenya experiencing a surge in attacks, abductions, massacres and forced displacements. The report, titled "Troubling Trends: Escalating Persecution of Christians in Africa," was written by Linda Burkle and focuses on the first four months of 2025, while also tracing violent trends within the past two decades.

In rare move, Catholic leaders issue dueling letters criticizing GOP budget bill
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops took a firm but mixed approach to the bill, while other Catholic leaders signed an interfaith letter asking senators to oppose the bill.

Most Americans support teacher-led school prayer to Jesus but views differ by state: Pew
While most Americans support allowing teachers to lead students in prayer to Jesus in schools, views on the matter differ widely from state to state, according to new data from the Pew Research Center. Pew released the data Monday documenting Americans' views on Christian prayer in schools. The survey is based on responses collected from Pew's 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, which sampled the opinions of 36,908 United States adults from July 17, 2023, to March 4, 2024.

Welsh Primate Resigns in Cathedral Leadership Scandal
The Archbishop of Wales, the Most Rev. Andrew John, has announced his immediate resignation following a motion of no confidence passed by the Church in Wales’ Representative Body – the province’s trustee group. He has served as primate since 2021. He is the second Anglican primate in the UK to step down over safeguarding failings in less than six months. His departure follows that of the Rt. Rev. Justin Welby, who stepped down as Archbishop of Canterbury in January, following criticism of his handling of the prolific abuse carried out by John Smyth.

The Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ
The virgin birth of Jesus, which is more accurately labeled the virginal conception of Jesus, teaches that Jesus Christ was born apart from the normal process of procreation, but was supernaturally conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of her, without sin.

St. Stephen’s DC using ‘Rite 4: An Experimental Liturgy for the Eucharist’
St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church, Washing­ton DC, has begun using Services A & B from Rite 4: An Experimental Liturgy for the Eucharist, Based on the Book of Common Prayer. St. Stephen’s began introducing the Rite 4 texts into its English-language services on Trinity Sunday 2025.

Come, Let Us Return to the Lord (Lyric Video)
Matt Boswell, Michael Cochren, and Matt Papa have come out with a new worship song. Check it out. 

Northern California church launches outdoor play cafe as safe, inviting community hub
The Playground Café is first a playground – slide, tunnel, a kids’ playhouse and games for young and old – on the 4-acre campus of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Sebastopol, California. And after nearly eight years of planning, it now is also a cafe with a full menu of food from breakfast burritos to peanut butter and banana sandwiches and drinks from coffee and juice to beer and wine. Clergy and lay leaders at this enterprising Northern California congregation said they decided to dream big with the Playground Café, but it was a dream they almost lost, while their focus shifted to keeping the congregation running during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also See: Stop sitting on your assets

Evangelism for Introverts
We should be telling people about Jesus, not paying the pastors to do that work for us. And I wish to err on the side of practical advice, suggesting two courses of action seldom considered. I will assume your own love for Christ, your constant prayer, your dependence on the Spirit, your knowledge of the gospel, a growing concern for the lost, and a jealousy for God’s name. How can the shy become bolder for the glory of God?