A West Coast church is attracting science- and adventure-loving students with a new program that prepares them for careers as commercial drone pilots. For the congregation the ministry is about answering the challenge that all churches face in a time of declining attendance and revenues — assessing congregational talents and interests, seeking where God is already at work in the community, and and taking chances on new approaches to ministry.
Tragedies like 9-11, Sandy Hook define online devotional effort
Law enforcement agencies, secular and faith-based relief groups, and media are known to instantly pivot and mobilize when tragedy strikes. And while those responses are usually the most visible, there are others who refocus and retool their efforts to comfort thousands during difficult times: the editors and writers of daily and seasonal devotions.
Virtual reality baptisms and 3-D biblical experiences: the church of the future?
Imagine a church building where the sanctuary morphs into biblical locations, where worshipers confront the burning bush at the same time it’s preached about, and where converts can be baptized without being physically present. That’s not the church of the future. For one pastor, that’s the church of now.
Christians often give something up for Lent. Why not white supremacy?
LaTonya McIver Penny wasn’t satisfied with surrendering chocolate or coffee or Facebook for Lent. Instead, the African-American pastor of a Baptist church in North Carolina decided to give up white supremacy this year.
‘God don’t make junk’: Transformed vision prompted transformed community in S.C. neighborhood
Metanoia, a grassroots, asset-based community development ministry founded in 2002, is changing lives and perceptions in a North Charleston, S.C., neighborhood.
Metanoia lives into its name as community’s opportunities flourish
According to Merriam-Webster, “metanoia” is a Greek word describing “a transformative change of heart.” A faith-based non-profit in South Carolina has lived into that definition in remarkable ways, observers say.
Photo Gallery: Metanoia in photos
All photos taken in this photo gallery of Metanoia are by Stephen B. Morton. [Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”14″ gal_title=”Charleston: Metanoia with Bill Stanfield”] In this series, we learn what happens when a community rejects traditional concepts of charity but instead taps the existing…
Arrests, deportations chill demand for immigrant legal aid ministries
When two Baptist ministers launched a legal aid ministry for immigrants in Virginia in the fall of 2016, it was aimed largely at helping Latinos attain and maintain legal residency. But Donald Trump’s election a couple months later, and his high-profile immigration crackdown since taking office, has slowed demand for Greg and Sue Smith’s LUCHA Immigration Legal Services in Fredericksburg, Va.
Billy Graham’s influence on Christian unity still felt, say many who remember his preaching
The death of Billy Graham has evoked, once again, amazement at the evangelist’s unparalleled spiritual impact on American faith and culture. But it’s also stirred speculation about how long, and in what ways, Graham’s influence may endure.