These were the most popular of my 200 GetReligion posts this year
My Top 10 most-viewed GetReligion posts of 2016 Continue reading These were the most popular of my 200 GetReligion posts this year
Category: Christian Chronicle
For a closed urban church, an alternate ending
Disbanded congregation’s old building purchased by Impact Houston, which plans to expand to a second location. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle HOUSTON — Another closed church. Another lost opportunity to serve wounded souls in the inner city. That could have been the story as the Lindale Church of Christ — a once-flourishing congregation in the nation’s fourth-largest city — disbanded in December … Continue reading For a closed urban church, an alternate ending
Best of GetReligion: December 2016
Links to Bobby Ross Jr.’s top columns
Oh, Politico! We’re not laughing with you, but at you, after that ‘advance God’s Kingdom’ scoop. Published Dec. 5.
False balance: As New York Times reports on divided campuses, only left has ‘real’ concerns. Published Dec. 8.
‘Just who is Dylann Roof?’: Do we really need to know what makes a mass murderer tick? Published Dec. 12.
Holy ghost in my past: How I blew my chance to explore the faith of the ‘real’ Santa Claus. Published Dec. 13.
‘He did it!’ – MLB coach beats cancer, but media remain vague on faith that sustained him. Published Dec. 15.
After Dylann Roof verdict, best stories aren’t about the killer — but resilient survivors. Published Dec. 17.
AP on religious liberty: Those bigots down in Mississippi are still up to no good. Published Dec. 19.
An old-fashioned Baptist political squabble: Hey WSJ, that’s what we call a scoop! Published Dec. 20.
Washington Post wrote about overlooked rural evangelicals; now it needs to talk to them. Published Dec. 21.
Surface-level journalism: New York Times fails to cover heart and soul of pro-Trump town. Published Dec. 28.
Click below for additional December 2016 columns.
Cold nights, warm hearts: Churches become homeless shelters
From Idaho to Maryland, congregations open their doors to strangers in need of food and rest. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle Each Friday night, a van picks up 15 homeless men in downtown Nashville, Tenn., and takes them to the Woodson Chapel Church of Christ for food, Bible study and rest. Four to six weeks per year, the Dalton Gardens Church of … Continue reading Cold nights, warm hearts: Churches become homeless shelters
A holy cure for ‘post-election stress disorder’
A holy cure for ‘post-election stress disorder’: Leaders of Churches of Christ urge believers to put their hope in the ‘king of kings,’ not politicians. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle As Christians who voted for Republican Donald Trump see it, America avoided the worst-case scenario in a nasty election featuring two of the most distrusted, unpopular presidential candidates ever. Other people of faith … Continue reading A holy cure for ‘post-election stress disorder’
Best of GetReligion: November 2016
Links to Bobby Ross Jr.’s top columns
In a town called Faith, voters offers clues on who exactly supports Donald Trump. Published Nov. 1.
MVP! Cubs’ Ben Zobrist – ‘a missionary in the big leagues’ – wins World Series again. Published Nov. 3.
#WarOnChristmas: RNS, other media jump on (nonexistent) controversy over Starbucks cups. Published Nov. 7.
Spiritual visions: Behind the scenes of Donald Trump’s ‘inner circle of evangelical advisors.’ Published Nov. 10.
Hey Dallas Morning News: Bible contains two books of Timothy, and Peter didn’t write them. Published Nov. 14.
Based on Trump’s win, it looks like religious liberty really is a thing — with no scare quotes. Published Nov. 15.
Heartland authenticity: Praise for one paper’s nuanced coverage of post-Trump Muslims. Published Nov. 16.
Weird case of godless former sex slave: Hey Reuters, are you really that afraid of religion!? Published Nov. 30.
Click below for additional November 2016 columns.
Giving from the heart — with a click or tap
E-tithing on the rise as more Christians contribute to the church online. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle When the collection plate is passed at the Figueroa Church of Christ in Los Angeles, it’s not unusual for minister James A. Maxwell to see members tapping on their smartphones. Don’t worry: These tech-savvy brothers and sisters aren’t distracted. Rather, they’re contributing what they’ve purposed in … Continue reading Giving from the heart — with a click or tap
‘There, but for the grace of God, go I’
Kansas church realizes its dream of opening a resource center for former inmates and drug addicts. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Roswell Church of Christ wouldn’t give up. For years, the inner-city congregation struggled to realize its dream of transforming a one-time dry cleaners into “a one-stop shop for ex-offenders and substance abusers.” But on a recent … Continue reading ‘There, but for the grace of God, go I’
Why ‘pounding’ the new minister is a good thing
‘Hospitality is so important and often more important than many longtime members who have never moved realize.’ By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle WACO, Texas — My youth minister son, Brady, and his wife, Mary, got a “pounding” when they moved to Texas. Ordinarily, that might worry me. But in the Christian context, it’s a positive thing — not a sign of an … Continue reading Why ‘pounding’ the new minister is a good thing
