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This edition is sponsored by Moody Publishers |
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This week, our Latin America editor published a harrowing report on the rural Mexican churches facing threats of violence, extortion, kidnappings, and forced displacement by drug cartels. “In some cases, there were no services because there was no quorum,” said one evangelical leader. “Families had to flee because gangs were recruiting all the young people, and there were no people to gather with.” |
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Pastor Esaú Aguilar divides his time between ministry duties and a job at a tomato packaging company. His church in El Refugio is just a ten-minute drive from a training camp and killing site run by the cartel, called a “Mexican Auschwitz” by one newspaper. Earlier this year, authorities investigating the compound found ashes and bone fragments. |
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Though young men working for cartel bosses follow behind them, Aguilar and his congregation continue to evangelize in their community, handing out pamphlets. The pastor prays for these men and others who’ve been trapped by the cartels. |
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“It’s a life of slavery and sin,” he said. “The only thing that can free you from it is the Lord Jesus Christ.” |
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P.S. Our global coverage this week also included reports on Christian Rohingya refugees in India, crime in Nigeria, and aid distribution in Gaza. And our editor in chief Russell Moore wrote on PEPFAR’s lifesaving impacts across Africa. Christianity, he says, is “at odds with the pagan world in saying that the powerful should care about the vulnerable, that every person ought to matter. If we are right about that—and I think we are—we should speak up for our own legacy.” |
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This Father’s Day, we’re honoring dads with a gift for everyone. Now through June 15, new subscribers can save $10 on a digital subscription or $20 on a digital + print subscription. Visit OrderCT.com/FathersDay to subscribe and save. |
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On Being Human, psychologist-theologian Chuck DeGroat speaks with Steve Cuss on the crisis of integrity in church leadership. |
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“How is character formed in the first place? If there is to be character reformation, what does that look like?” | Listen here. |
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These days, five minutes of evening news or a quick scroll through social media can steal your joy. Doubt and discouragement can creep in and real, lasting joy can feel unattainable—even for those who deeply believe.
In I Choose Joy, pastor and author Chip Ingram lays out a clear, biblical pathway to true joy. Through practical, Scripture-rich examples, Ingram leads you on a path to choosing joy even when life hurts and guides you through what God’s word says about finding lasting joy rooted in God’s goodness. If you’re looking for a life defined by joy rather than anxiety, fear, or worry, you’ve found the right guide.
You can live a life of abundant joy in the midst of difficulties. Let this be the beginning of your own joy story. Order today! |
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Haleluya Hadero, Black church editor: I really liked this piece about Syrians who returned home after Assad fled, to reconnect with family members and, in the case of one woman, look for her detained father. |
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Sara Kyoungah White, editor: The British game show Taskmaster season 19. My husband and I have watched all the seasons, and this latest is a good one. |
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Bonnie Kristian, editorial director, ideas and books: This may be a too-ambitious project I’ll come to regret, but I’ve ordered a personalized recipe journal for each of our kids with the idea that I’ll write down all my regulars so the kids can eventually go out into the world as reasonably competent cooks with reliable, familiar, mostly easy recipes at the ready. (The part about writing down a bunch of stuff by hand—in triplicate!—is where I think the regrets may arrive.) |
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Is your church truly thriving? Discover a more comprehensive way to measure congregational health and see how your ministry relates to national trends. Access your free Church Health Dashboard today.…
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Silicon Valley might be drawn to Jesus in the hopes of wealth and power. He can work with that.
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Clare Morell’s “The Tech Exit” succeeds where so many volumes fail, never flinching at the digital crisis faced by families, schools, and churches today.
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A computer’s praise or petition sounds a lot like our human Christianese. That doesn’t make them equivalent.
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The consideration is not “How can we use this technology redemptively?” but rather “Should we use this technology at all?”
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It's easy to live in a state of panic, anxiety, and fear, from the pinging of our phones to politics and the state of the church. In this issue, we acknowledge panic and point to Christian ways through it. Russell Moore brings us to the place of panic in Caesarea Philippi with Jesus and Peter. Laura M. Fabrycky writes about American inclinations toward hero-making. Mindy Belz reports on the restorative work of Dr. Denis Mukwege for rape victims in Congo. We’re also thrilled to give you a first look at the Global Flourishing Study, a multiyear research project about what makes a flourishing life across the globe. While panic may be profitable or natural, we have a sure and steady anchor for our souls in Jesus. |
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