Why faith matters to America: We talk to the author of an insightful new book
By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. Religion reporter Bob Smietana’s “aha!” moment came a few years ago while covering a hurricane. When a tornado, flood or other disaster occurs, so-called faith-based FEMA … Continue reading Why faith matters to America: We talk to the author of an insightful new book
‘We only need one to live’
Desperate to save a beloved older member, a church ran an ad seeking a kidney donor. A thousand miles away, a young believer felt God prick her heart. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle NEW BERN, N.C. — Sam Birmingham needed a kidney. He desperately needed a kidney. His quality of life — his life itself — depended on it. But the longtime Christian, who had … Continue reading ‘We only need one to live’
Why my old school district removed 41 books, including the Bible, from its libraries
By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. KELLER, Texas — I don’t remember the Keller Independent School District making national headlines when I was a student here in the 1980s. Even back then, this … Continue reading Why my old school district removed 41 books, including the Bible, from its libraries
How five Nashville churches came together
As attendance numbers shrink nationwide, these sister congregations see their future as ‘Greater Together.’ By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle Aaron Tremblay, now a minister in the Nashville, Tenn., area, preached for 10 years for the 75-member Leominster Church of Christ in Massachusetts. In Tremblay’s native New England, congregations tend to be small and isolated, the 37-year-old minister noted. “But what helps them continue on, even though … Continue reading How five Nashville churches came together
Fear, shock, questions follow the fatal shootings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque
By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. First, fear. Then, shock. Now, questions. Lots of questions. The Muslim community in Albuquerque, New Mexico — and even nationwide — has dealt with a gamut of … Continue reading Fear, shock, questions follow the fatal shootings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque
Sunflower State surprise: 5 takeaways as Kansas keeps right to abortion in Constitution
By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. Catholic churches and dioceses in Kansas spent millions of dollars in support of a referendum to remove the right to abortion from the state’s constitution. But … Continue reading Sunflower State surprise: 5 takeaways as Kansas keeps right to abortion in Constitution
Teaching the Gospel, via Zoom
Senior Christians in Virginia overcome technological fears to share Jesus around the world. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle FAIRFAX, Va. — It’s just before 1 p.m. on the East Coast as Jerri Harrington hits the play button on a video about Jesus. Roughly 7,500 miles away, it’s almost 8 p.m. in the capital of Kenya as six African girls watch the film, part of … Continue reading Teaching the Gospel, via Zoom
Music and memories: Life lessons on a family road trip
A nostalgic journey to Branson, Mo., the popular vacation destination in Ozark Mountains. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle BRANSON, Mo. — I blink, and I’m a child again. It’s the late 1970s, and I’m bickering with my younger brother and sister over my birthright: a larger allotment of space in the back of our family’s station wagon. We’re driving down the interstate, headed to my grandparents’ … Continue reading Music and memories: Life lessons on a family road trip
For Latino youths, a long-awaited reunión
After two years of pandemic delays, Spanish-speaking teens and 20-somethings welcome big national meeting. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle ELGIN, Ill. — Some flew thousands of miles to attend. Others made 16-hour drives in church vans. All came — from Churches of Christ in more than 20 states — to sing praises to God, play soccer and volleyball and enjoy fellowship with Spanish-speaking peers. The … Continue reading For Latino youths, a long-awaited reunión
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 