Pages

Tuesday, September 02, 2025

Tuesday's Catch: 'The Global Church Needs More than American Worship Songs' And More


The Global Church Needs More than American Worship Songs
The globalization of worship music has largely meant the Westernization of worship. Churches in the United States, the United Kingdom, or Australia compose and record songs, which are then translated and sung around the world. This dynamic follows globalization patterns in other areas, and thus is easily explainable.

But what happens if most of the songs sung in a Romanian or Brazilian or Ghanaian congregation are translations of Western works? Might something beautiful be lost?

Do Non-Religious People Actually Hate Religion?
To me, there’s always been a pretty big blind spot when it comes to the study of non-religion in the United States. There are plenty of survey questions that ask about religious attendance and belief in God. However, there are very few questionnaires that ask people to express their views of religion, generally speaking. Do folks think that churches, synagogues, and mosques are a net positive? Or do they really think that there’s nothing good that comes out of houses of worship?

Bible-teaching group seeks foot in the door of Kentucky public schools
A nonprofit organization created to promote evangelical Christian curriculum to “opt-in” public school children now has its eyes on Kentucky, where Republican legislators earlier this year created a path for religious education during school hours.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed Senate Bill 19 but the Republican-controlled General Assembly overrode his veto to require moments of silence at the start of school days and allow school districts to permit moral instruction programs for students off campus during school hours.

Global fertility decline sparks debate over future policy, as UK birth rates drop to unprecedented levels
The world is undergoing a profound demographic shift. According to new analysis from Pew Research, fertility rates have fallen sharply in every region since 1950 – a trend reshaping societies from Asia to Europe and increasingly raising alarm in governments.

People of Faith Will Give Mother Earth and Brother Sun Big Hugs in September
Come September, many of the world’s 2.2 billion Christians will join other people of faith in a month of faith-based events to show their love for God’s creation and their determination to save the Earth from extinction.

Season of Creation, a worldwide ecumenical campaign, marks 2025 with the theme “Peace with Creation.” Based on Isaiah 32:1-18, the theme speaks of God’s justice and righteousness initiating a peaceful, fruitful world.

Reformed and Amillennial: Five Reasons to Embrace Amillennialism
Why should Christians—especially those in the Reformed camp—embrace amillennialism over premillennialism or dispensationalism? In this post, I’ll share five compelling reasons that won me over, and I believe they can convince you too.

9 Glances That Could Save Your Ministry
Former pastors reveal ministry glances that could prevent some pastors from leaving the ministry and keep others from needless suffering.

Should Christians Use AI-Generated Prayers?
Artificial intelligence has become a part of nearly every area of life, from education and medicine to art and entertainment. Churches and individual believers are not exempt from this influence. One of the newest and more surprising uses of technology is the generation of prayers by AI. Apps, websites, and chat-based platforms can now create prayers instantly, tailored to themes like gratitude, healing, or intercession. This raises an important question for the church: Should Christians use AI-generated prayers, or does this undermine the deeply personal act of speaking to God?

How to Make Small Groups Work Anywhere
Churches of all sizes and traditions have long turned to small groups as a way to build community and grow discipleship. Whether they are called cell groups, life groups, or home fellowships, these gatherings give believers space to connect on a deeper level than Sunday mornings often allow. Yet one common question persists: how can these groups succeed across different settings, cultures, and contexts? The good news is that with thoughtful planning and adaptability, effective small groups (sometimes referred to a “cell groups”) can flourish in almost any environment.

Be A Helper
On Tuesday afternoon, I was in a car accident in front of the local middle and high school. In those first seconds of shock, before I could even process what had happened, two teachers rushed to my car. They didn’t hesitate, didn’t pause to think about what it might mean for them. They came running. Moments later, the school resource officer was standing by my door.

The helpers came.

That phrase has stayed with me all week. What happened to me is just one glimpse of a larger truth: our survival as a society depends on ordinary people who respond to extraordinary moments.

No comments:

Post a Comment