| | Open Doors changes name amid 'expanding' vision | | Curated for you byCP Editors | | Good afternoon! It's Monday, January 2, and today's headlines include Open Doors changing its name to better reflect its expanding vision, a California church that was vandalized ahead of an event with worship leader Sean Feucht, a CP Voices editorial on five major developments for American churches, and details on three key projects filmmakers Alex and Stephen Kendricks have planned for 2023. | | The Christian humanitarian organization Open Doors has announced it is changing its name to Global Christian Relief as it seeks to further its mission of creating the world's "most extensive, covert network serving persecuted Christians." The group, which made the announcement in a Jan. 1 tweet, explained on its website that it felt the name change was necessary to address the "exponentially growing persecution of Christians," stating, "We need a large vision to mobilize dedicated Christians to support our persecuted family in new and life-changing ways that will expand God’s Kingdom for the next 50 years." The group plans to launch visionary projects alongside its partners in the field, provide greater access to the most dangerous countries for Christians and expand its networks "to serve the Church where the need is greatest." Founded in 1955 by Andrew van der Bijl, a Dutchman more widely known as Brother Andrew, the nonprofit currently operates in more than 60 countries, providing services such as emergency relief, community rebuilding, and vocational training to persecuted Christians. Continue reading. | | P.S. Twitter has reinstated The Christian Post. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter so you never miss an update! |
|
| Listen to the CP Daily Podcast |
|
|
| Activists vandalize church hosting Sean Feucht worship event | | Worship leader Sean Feucht took to social media to share that the California church where he was set to perform on New Year's Eve was defaced with explicit graffiti, including "F*** Sean Feucht" and "Queers Bash Back." The Christian musician, who's well-known for leading outdoor revivals nationwide, told his Instagram followers, "Last night, bigots spread hate and violence at a church where we are holding a New Year’s Eve event (at City View Church) in San Diego." Other words spray painted on the wall and property around the church included, "Christofascists not Welcome," "Sean Feucht Kindly F*** Off," "Separate Church & State," "Trans Rights Are Human Rights," "No Safe Space for Bigots," "Transphobes out of SD," "God Loves LGTBQ," "F*** Christian Nationalists," and more. A glass window was also found broken and spray painted. Feucht wrote that the police are investigating the vandalism as a hate crime, asserting, "The enemy making the age old mistake. Persecuting the Church won’t stop the Gospel, it’ll spark a wildfire." Read more. | | World Boxing Council launching transgender category | | Months after banning trans-identified males from competing against women, the head of the World Boxing Council reportedly said the organization is looking into launching a new category for trans fighters to ensure "safety and inclusion." WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman recently told The Telegraph that the organization is "going to put out a global call for those (trans-identified athletes) who are interested in 2023 and we will set up the protocols, start consultation and most likely create a league and a tournament." The WBC issued its "Statement/Guidelines Regarding Transgender Athletes participation in professional Combat Sports" last August, declaring that boxing matches should only occur "between two equally matched competitors." In his interview with The Telegraph, Sulaiman stressed, "In boxing, a man fighting a woman must never be accepted regardless of gender change. Woman-to-man or man-to-woman transgender change will never be allowed to fight a different gender by birth." Read more. |
|
|
| Returning to our first love for the Lord | | Dr. Michael Brown writes about the power of experiencing "first love" in the Lord. Explaining how reigniting this love inspires passion, faith, a fresh love for God, and a fresh love for others, Brown writes that nothing is more important than seeking to return to that first love and that, in doing so, you will be forever changed. Read more. | | 5 major developments for churches with an attendance under 250 | | Ninety-two percent of all churches in the United States have an average worship attendance of fewer than 250 people, writes Church Answers CEO Thom Rainer. In this editorial, Rainer outlines five significant developments for what his organization has labeled "standard churches," including that there will likely be a migration to neighborhood and rural churches and a return to evangelism. Read more. |
|
|
| The Storms Have Only Just Begun | | This decade has been and will continue to be the stormiest and most chaotic season any of us will face in our lifetimes. In less that three years we have experienced at least five major storms: a pandemic, widespread economic devastation (twice), a war in Europe that threatens the world, and societal breakdowns which are tearing our country apart. Read more | | |
|
|
| US cautions about 'next generation' of jihadi fighters | | U.S. forces and their allies killed at least 686 Islamic State operatives in Iraq and Syria in 2022 "to degrade the terror group's ability to direct and inspire destabilizing attacks in the region and globally," according to the U.S. Central Command. "No U.S. forces were injured or killed" in the 313 operations the American troops and partner forces conducted this year, per CENTCOM. "While we have significantly degraded (ISIS's) capability, the vile ideology remains uncontained and unconstrained," CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla said. Kurilla further cautioned about the "potential next generation of ISIS," saying, "These are the more than 25,000 children in the al-Hol camp (in northern Syria) who are in danger. These children in the camp are prime targets for ISIS radicalization." He called on the international community to work together "to remove these children from this environment by repatriating them to their countries or communities of origin while improving conditions in the camp." Advocates have long raised human rights concerns within the al-Hol camp where over 50,000 people, mostly Islamic State fighters' family members, live. Read more. |
|
|
| 'War Room' directors talk projects for 2023 | | Filmmaking brothers Alex and Stephen Kendricks already have several projects in the works for 2023. The duo recently shared details on three upcoming projects with Christian Headlines: the re-release of their first film, "Flywheel" (2003), a video curriculum for college students, and a new film. In discussing the video curriculum, Alex Kendrick explained that it will teach students "what we've learned as Christian [filmmakers]" about how "to include the Lord's principles and how we tell stories and make films," adding that the "goal is to be faithful with what God's called you to do and the platform that you have to honor Him." Read more. | | | | | | | | Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow! -- CP Editors |
|
|
|
