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’
#ElectionDay: A career journalist’s reflections, past and present
#ElectionDay: A career journalist's reflections, past and present This Twitter Moment appears at @bobbyross. Continue reading #ElectionDay: A career journalist’s reflections, past and present
Where’s the money to fix this?
Six tips that will keep a church from breaking the bank on big-ticket fixes.
By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Church Finance Today
Several years ago, members of the Bridge Church in Fresno, California, committed millions of dollars to a special capital campaign to upgrade facilities and expand parking lots.
But the church didn’t make a plan to set aside the future funds needed to keep its facilities running well.
“There had been pretty serious deferred maintenance for a while prior to that date,” recalled Dave Cowin, who serves as chairman of the church’s elder board.
When Cowin joined the elder board of Bridge Church in 2012, he proposed creating a capital reserve fund as part of the church’s annual budgeting process. The board chose to go with Cowin’s proposal. It was a wise decision that safeguarded the church’s resources and saved thousands of dollars for other ministry priorities just a few years later.
Like Bridge Church, many churches spend valuable time, energy, and money getting a building, but then neglect to plan — and budget — for the expenses needed to keep those buildings operating.
“They are more than happy to raise the money to move into a building,” said Tim Cool, chief solutions officer and project facilitator for North Carolina-based-Cool Solutions Group. But after they move in, churches “fail to plan for the fact that everything in their buildings has a natural life of deterioration.”
This article appears on the November 2016 cover of Church Finance Today, a publication of Christianity Today.
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
AFP: U.S. state of Oklahoma to vote on death penalty
By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Agence France-Presse
Oklahoma City (AFP) – This November, voters in the state of Oklahoma will not only help choose the next U.S. president, but also decide a ballot measure with big implications for the future of the death penalty.
Capital punishment is on hold in the southwestern state after a series of botched executions. With lethal injection drugs becoming harder to acquire, there are doubts whether Oklahoma can resume executions unless a new method is approved.
The ballot measure, known as State Question 776, aims to head off any attempts to end capital punishment by asking voters to enshrine it in the state constitution and empower legislators to decide the best method of execution.
“We’re allowing the people, who overwhelmingly favor the death penalty in Oklahoma, to show certain entities that they want this,” said state representative Mike Ritze, an Oklahoma Republican who was one of the proposal’s authors.
The measure is expected to pass on November 8, enjoying over 70 percent support according to a June poll.
But there have been a lot of questions raised in the last several years over the state’s death penalty.
Read the story on Yahoo! News.
Continue reading “AFP: U.S. state of Oklahoma to vote on death penalty”
‘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’
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 