There has long been a theological conversation about how people come to faith in Jesus Christ. For some, it happens through a powerful spiritual encounter. For others, it’s through hearing a sermon, reading Scripture, or witnessing a friend’s transformed life. But a recent report by the Evangelical Alliance highlights something beautifully simple and often overlooked — people come to Christ through the experience of a welcoming church.
Four Common Reasons Most Churches Aren’t Breakout Churches
What stops a church from having a breakout? Thom and Sam discuss four primary reasons they often see in their consultations and research.
A word of caution about the 'Quiet Revival' in the UK
Watching from afar it is not easy to ascertain what is going on, but then distance - and experience - also gives a wider perspective which I hope will be helpful.
Why religious communities are rallying behind the protest message of 'No Kings'
The world's great faith traditions reject temporal leaders who present themselves as objects of veneration and fear.
Stifle!
Gregory P. Magarian discusses 3 ways the government can silence opinions it disagrees with, without using censorship.
In evangelical churches, a rift over Trump’s immigration policies
Historically one of President Donald Trump’s most loyal demographics, evangelicals are divided over just how far to go with immigration crackdowns.
United Methodists Respond to ICE Raids, Unrest in Los Angeles
A United Methodist clergywoman who participated in a demonstration against deportation raids in Los Angeles June 8 said the protests were peaceful until law enforcement and National Guard instigated attacks on the demonstrators. The area's United Methodist bishop condemned the raids and called on United Methodists to defend immigrant families.
From votes to violence: Trump’s betrayal of Latino loyalty
What began as a peaceful protest in downtown Los Angeles quickly spiraled into a full-scale federal crackdown — rubber bullets, flash grenades, tear gas and a federally activated National Guard descending not on an enemy nation, but on American citizens. The spark? Resistance to the latest ICE operation that swept up 118 individuals, many at courthouses and clinics, violating the trust of sanctuary spaces. But the most jarring irony isn’t just the brutality — it’s that this violence erupted in neighborhoods where Latino voters helped Donald Trump reclaim the presidency in 2024.
Los Angeles diocese says 14 church members detained in immigration raids that sparked large protests
Fourteen members of the Diocese of Los Angeles were detained, the diocese said, in immigration enforcement raids late last week that sparked a weekend of intense protests and an escalating government crackdown after the Trump administration ordered the California National Guard to respond. The immigration raids “wreaked havoc and terror throughout Los Angeles communities, targeting working-class, immigrant families at work, school and home,” the diocese said June 8 in an email newsletter supporting the 14 Episcopalians who were detained. “These actions, and the level of militarization involved, are unconscionable and we condemn them entirely.”
Anti-ICE mayhem explodes in Texas as cops confront protesters
Protesters in two of Texas' largest cities clashed with police on Monday night to show solidarity with demonstrations in Los Angeles against President Donald Trump's sweeping deportation raids. As Trump mobilized 700 Marines to deal with the mayhem in LA, tensions quickly escalated in Dallas and Austin at anti-Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) rallies.
Why Trump’s move toward using the military on US soil is so fraught
The country hangs on a hugely significant precipice, as President Donald Trump moves toward making good on his long-running suggestions of an extraordinary step: deploying the military on US soil.
Trump’s war on international students could hurt private schools too
The Trump administration’s war on blocking international students from U.S. higher education could affect not only the Ivy League but even small Christian schools and Southern Baptist Convention seminaries. While Harvard University has drawn the most attention and headlines in the president’s attempt to curtail international student enrollment, a little-known fact is this: International students have been growing as a percentage of enrollment at all American colleges and universities. The national average of international students at all U.S. universities is 6%.
It will also hurt campus ministries to international studentsGOP Cuts to Food Assistance Would Hit Rural America Especially Hard
Billions in cuts to federal food assistance are looming as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a major tax and spending package that would slash federal spending on domestic programs to extend tax cuts passed during President Donald Trump’s first term. U.S. House Republicans passed the package in a 215-214 vote, and it’s now before the Senate. Cuts to SNAP would affect residents of every state in all types of communities, but advocates fear the fallout could especially hit rural people, who are more dependent on food stamps, the largest anti-hunger program in the nation.
As Trump's tariffs slow the economy, causing more layoffs and higher prices and curtailing food imports, community food banks and church food pantries will not be able to keep pace with the demand for emergency food assistance. We can anticipate growing food insecurity and hunger in those segments of the US population most affected by these tariffs and the resulting economic slowdown.11 Leadership Traits of Highly Effective Pastors
The role of a pastor is more than preaching sermons or officiating services. It is a calling that demands integrity, wisdom, emotional strength, and spiritual depth. Those who demonstrate effective pastoral leadership consistently display traits that inspire, guide, and empower their congregations toward growth in Christ. As churches face modern challenges, the qualities of a strong leader become even more essential. Here are eleven key traits that define highly effective pastors and set them apart in both their calling and their leadership.
Intentional Simplicity
The worship of God in song is a glorious thing. Biblically speaking, it can be accomplished through heavenly choirs (Rev 5) or the mouths of children (Matt 21:16). It can be through choirs on the walls of Jerusalem (Neh 21:31) or women on the shores of the Red Sea (Ex 15). The music can be the simple voices of disciples leaving the first Lord’s Supper (Matt 26:30) or the full orchestra of Psalm 150. It can be through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col 3:16), old songs (Rev 15:3) and new songs (Rev 5:9). Knowing that there are many faithful ways to pursue biblical worship, we have made a decision at our church to pursue an intentional simplicity. I want to commend that to you.
Common Courtesies: 5 Small Group Guidelines to Follow
There should always be small group guidelines that everyone can agree upon. This helps people know what to expect from others and what others will be expecting of them. It also promotes give-and-take interaction and encourages a sense of equality among group members, so no one person becomes more or less important than another.
Image Credit: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Medina, Ohio
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