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The Weekly is a highlight of the work the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is doing to strengthen you and our churches for God’s glory.
ERLC hosts conference to equip churches to confront sexual abuse
Churches should be a refuge for those who have experienced abuse. But, too often, survivors haven't found the protection they deserve and the care they need from the church.
Although a strong and responsive church community can and should be a source of healing and comfort for a survivor of sexual violence, when churches fail, the effects are devastating. When abuse has been mixed with twisted theology or survivors have been met with skepticism or shame within their church community, the effects on their faith can be devastating.
The sexual abuse crisis in American society and in the church—represented by the #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements—prompted SBC President J. D. Greear to commission a Sexual Abuse Advisory Group within the denomination. The group was tasked with “considering how Southern Baptists at every level can take discernible action to respond swiftly and compassionately to incidents of abuse, as well as to foster safe environments within churches and institutions.”
This Week at the ERLC
Dan Darling writes at USA Today on how Christians can make America more civil by returning to our core beliefs.
Dan Darling also writes at Facts & Trends on 9 things you should think about before arguing online and was featured talking about being pro-life on LifeWay VOICES.
- The 2019 Caring Well Conference is underway in Dallas, Texas. There’s still time to join via live stream.
- Dan Darling released his latest book, The Characters of Christmas: The Unlikely People Caught Up in the Story of Jesus, published by The Good Book Company.
What You Need to Know
Did you know you can help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world from right where you are? Baptist Global Relief (BGR) is an incredible organization that you can partner with. Read more about the work of BGR here.
On October 13, 2019, churches in the U.S. will highlight Global Hunger Relief and take up a special offering to help people like Mr. Kumalo. The money you give—even if it’s a small amount—makes a difference in countless lives. Only God knows the ripple effect you create when you relieve hunger pangs and give people hope for a better future. Will you allow him to use your resources to help those in desperate need?
Parents, are you wondering how to help your kids sit through church service, sometimes known as “big” church? Nicole Lino has some good tips in her latest article. Read it here.
The truth is, though, it’s not my needs that are important. Worship is not for me. It’s not my break from my children. Worship is what I give to the King of kings, and what I am giving to him right now, in this season of my life, is a devotion to spiritually nurture my children. My sacrifice of training and modeling is actually what God expects of me in my role as a parent of the children he has entrusted to me.
The church should be multigenerational. Too often, though, we’ve siloed ourselves into groups of our peers. Dan Darling writes about this and gives suggestions for how we can engage with those of other ages and stages. Read it here.
We shouldn’t want to build a Church that looks just like us or our “tribes,” even if it’s the easiest and most comfortable thing to do. Instead, we should labor, side by side, to build a Church that’s like Jesus, that values every age and stage. After all, “our” way of doing church isn’t helpful unless each part of the body, from eight to 85, is represented and respected.
News From Capitol Hill
This week marked the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. The communist regime is a small drop of water in the history of the nation, which goes back for thousands of years, but its actions have had a significant impact on the world today.
This year also marks 30 years after the Tiananmen Square massacre, a haunting reminder of the Chinese oppression that continues today. For decades, China has persecuted Christians, but in recent years the pressure and persecution has increased. Churches have been destroyed, pastors have been imprisoned, and extreme forms of technological surveillance have been used in houses of worship.
Since April 2017, China has systematically detained and abused more than one million Uyghur Muslims in what the Communist Party refers to as, “re-education camps.” The Chinese government has also aggressively interfered with Tibetan Buddhist practices and culture and imprisoned thousands of Falun Gong practitioners.
As the Chinese Communist Party marched again on Tiananmen Square in triumph and celebration, let it be a reminder to us to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ and all persecuted religious minorities living under this oppressive regime. The ERLC will continue to call on the U.S. government to hold China accountable for their many religious freedom and other human rights abuses. We must never turn a blind eye to this oppression because, as Russell Moore said in his recent Wall Street Journal oped, China's main threat is a moral one.
Featured Podcasts
On The Way Home podcast, Tim Goeglein joins Dan Darling to discuss his book American Restoration: How Faith, Family, and Personal Sacrifice Can Heal Our Nation. Goeglein is vice president of External Relations for Focus on the Family. Formerly, he served as a special assistant to President George W. Bush and as a deputy director of the White House Office of Public Liaison. Listen in here.
- In this episode of Signposts, Russell Moore is joined by Rosaria Butterfield for a conversation about the gospel and hospitality in Christian community. A former tenured professor of English and women’s studies at Syracuse University, Rosaria converted to Christ in 1999 in what she describes as a train wreck. In this conversation, they also discuss her memoir, The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, which chronicles that difficult journey. Listen here.
From The Public Square
Judge: U of Iowa Officials Have to Pay for Repeated Discrimination Against Christian Groups
Megan Fowler, Christianity Today
The recent ruling in favor of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship was the second time the court called out inconsistent policies on campus.
For a Lot of American Teens, Religion Is a Regular Part of the Public School Day
Pew Research Center
Yet many other U.S. adolescents rarely observe religious behavior in their schools, and a majority say they rarely or never discuss religion with friends.
Federal judge temporarily blocks Georgia abortion law
ABC News
A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked Georgia's restrictive new abortion law from taking effect, following the lead of other judges who have blocked similar measures in other states.
He Asked to Hug the Woman Who Killed His Brother: ‘I Forgive You.’ ‘I Love You.’ ‘Give Your Life to Christ.’
Justin Taylor, TGC
Botham Jean’s brother Brandt was allowed to give a victim-impact statement, and he addressed Amber Guyer directly. The result was a beautiful Christian testimony—truly salt and light in a dark and twisted world.
