Saturday Lagniappe: 'ACNA is tested and chaplains scramble as chaplain-endorsing nonprofit exits' And More

ACNA is tested and chaplains scramble as chaplain-endorsing nonprofit exits
The break comes as their bishop, Derek Jones, declined to participate in an investigation he and his lawyers deemed unlawful.

For readers unfamiliar with Derek Jones, a series of articles I wrote in 2010 may provide them with some background information and the controversy surrounding his reception into the ACNA from a non-Anglican convergence denomination--Anglicans Ablaze Goes A-Begging, Openness + Transparency = Trust + Confidence, More unanswered questions in Derek Jones’ reception as an ACNA bishop, and More than One Episcopi Vagantes Bishop in the Anglican Church in North America. As one can see from these articles, secretiveness and defensiveness have long been characteristics of the ACNA leadership.

Big Cities Need Great Small Churches, Too
Alongside big churches, we need an explosion of smaller, niche churches to infiltrate neighborhoods and challenge us to think differently.

The Burge Report: The Kids Aren’t Alright—And Church Student Ministry Might Actually Help
From diapers to dating, parenting never stops presenting hard questions. But today’s concern is different: Gen Z teens are experiencing a full-blown collapse in social connection. Dating is down. Friend time is down. Jobs are down. According to Monitoring the Future, the percentage of antisocial high school seniors quintupled from 3.5% in 1995 to nearly 16% in 2022. But here’s the twist: the one group that remained more socially engaged? Teens who attend church monthly. In today’s episode, Ryan, Thom, and Sam unpack the surprising role of religion in keeping kids socially healthy—and what churches can do to help.

In an ironic turn, Baylor University mirrors Southern Seminary What went around for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary three decades ago has come back around for Baylor University this fall. Woe be unto Baylor.

Another Pandemic Is Inevitable. Trump Is Making It More Dangerous.
Among its many painful lessons, the COVID-19 pandemic taught us that America’s defenses against a devastating health crisis were far weaker than most had reason to expect. More than 1.2 million Americans lost their lives to COVID, the most of any country. It’s puzzling and frightening to watch the Trump Administration dismantle initiatives aimed at keeping us safe from another pandemic.

COVID-19 has had a devestating effect upon church in the United States. It has not only resulted in a significant decline in church attendance but also has caused divisions among Christians over how to respond to outbreaks of highly infectious diseases and contributed to a widening division in society at large over vaccination and other public health issues.

Episcopal leadership conference focuses on churches’ response to the global refugee crisis
As Western governments continue cuts to foreign aid and humanitarian assistance, and as the United States dismantles its federal refugee resettlement program and eliminates the U.S. Agency for International Development, nongovernmental organizations and religious institutions, including The Episcopal Church, may need to step up their efforts to address the global refugee crisis.

With this in mind, the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe focused its annual leadership training over the weekend on the theme, “The Refugee Crisis: What we can do as parishes, missions and individuals.”

How ‘RaptureTok’ amplified an extreme corner of faith
The trend highlights how TikTok amplifies extreme performances of religion and raises questions about its impact on young people’s beliefs.

Also See: If You’re Reading This, You Might Have Missed the Rapture (According to TikTok)

Six types of people today’s church leaders have to try to shepherd in a single congregation... 

To help you better understand one of the many challenges church leaders face in shepherding the flock of God put into their care, it’s important to understand that in each congregation you’ll likely find a mix of these six types of people attending that local church....

The Frequency of the Lord’s Supper 

The clues in the New Testament about the frequency of communion combine to make a cumulative case. We’ll look at some verses in 1 Corinthians and in the book of Acts.

Many United Methodist churches celebrate Holy Communion only once a month and on Maundy Thursday and major church festivals. Yet John Wesley strongly advocated frequent reception of Communion and he himself practiced what he preached; William Willimon and other United Methodist leaders have encouraged more frequent celebration of Holy Communion; and the United Methodist Church licenses deacons and lay pastors to officiate at Holy Communion service, authorizing them to consecrate and distribute the elements. On the other hand, many small Episcopal congregations must rely on a shared priest or a supply priest to administer the sacrament and may celebrate Holy Communion only once or twice a month. On social media you find posts in which self-identified Anglicans champion only monthly celebration of Holy Communion.

Pray bigger prayers
We were thinking in our community group on Tuesday night about the kind of prayers we pray. Or, rather, the kind of prayers we often don’t pray.

To Speak Or Not To Speak: Thoughts on Making Public Comment
In recent weeks, I’ve seen a lot of public comment on current cultural issues. We live in a unique time. With the advent of social media, we have an abundance of hyperconnectedness, and the unprecedented ability to make our opinions known. The question that I constantly ask is, “Is this biblical?” To speak or not to speak? That is the question.

Fall Youth Group Retreat: Should You Plan Autumn Outings? 

Does it pay to organize a fall youth group retreat? Read on for expert advice about this important youth ministry topic.