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        <title>Christian Daily International | US & Canada</title>
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            <title>Christian Daily International | US & Canada</title>
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        <copyright>Christian Daily International © 2026</copyright>
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        <lastBuildDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 19:27:19 -0400</lastBuildDate>
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                                                        <item>
                <title><![CDATA['We refuse to look away': Megachurch hosting 8K to fight human trafficking]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/we-refuse-to-look-away-megachurch-hosting-8k-to-fight-human-trafficking</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/we-refuse-to-look-away-megachurch-hosting-8k-to-fight-human-trafficking</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/49/4925.webp">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[We refuse to look away: Megachurch hosting 8K to fight human trafficking]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ YouTube/Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ A worship service was held at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in February 2024. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 09:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A predominantly African American megachurch in Pennsylvania is hosting an 8K walk and run on Saturday to help combat human trafficking.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A predominantly African American megachurch in Pennsylvania is hosting an 8K walk and run on Saturday to help combat human trafficking.
Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church of Philadelphia, a congregation of about 15,000 members, will host its annual “She’s My Sister Walk/Run” on Saturday morning, with the course beginning at the church’s west campus and finishing at its east campus.
Enon Tabernacle Baptist First Lady Ellyn Jo Waller told The Christian Post that her church has hosted the annual run/walk for 20 years.
“Human trafficking wasn't just something happening somewhere else — it was happening right here in our own communities," she said. “As people of faith, we believe every person is created in the image of God, and no one should ever be bought, sold, or exploited. ... We also know that black and brown girls and women are disproportionately targeted because traffickers prey on vulnerability.”
"This event is our way of saying, 'We refuse to look away,'" Waller said. "It's more than a walk or a run — it's a public declaration that our community stands with survivors and is committed to prevention.”
'Awareness is prevention'
Noting that “awareness is prevention,” Waller said the church doesn't want attendees to leave thinking "they simply completed an 8K." Rather, the church wants them to leave "knowing how to recognize the warning signs, how to report concerns safely, and how to become advocates in their own families, workplaces, schools and churches.”
“The greatest weapon we have is awareness,” the first lady continued. “When parents know what online grooming looks like, when teachers recognize behavioral changes, when healthcare workers identify warning signs, when neighbors are willing to ask questions, traffickers lose opportunities to operate in silence.”
“If this event helps one family have a difficult conversation, one church begin a prevention ministry, one person recognize the signs of trafficking, or one survivor believe that healing is possible, then every mile is worth it.”
The event is part of a broader effort to support Enon Tabernacle Baptist’s She’s My Sister Ministry, which provides advocacy and education year-round to help communities and other churches fight trafficking.
The event also partners with the Salvation Army and the New Jersey-based anti-trafficking charity Hannah’s House Inc. to support programs like the Salvation Army’s New Day to Stop Trafficking (NDST) program.
'Not someone else's problem'
Ultimately, Waller believes the She’s My Sister event “is one of the ways we live out our faith by serving those who are most vulnerable and reminding survivors that they are seen, valued, and never forgotten.”
“My hope is that every person who participates leaves understanding that human trafficking is not someone else's problem — it's our community's responsibility,” Waller told CP.
“That's the vision that keeps us walking: a community where every daughter is protected, every survivor is embraced, and exploitation has no place to hide.”
Originally published by The Christian Post.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Churches called to support 1.9 million maritime workers for Sea Sunday 2026]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/churches-called-to-support-19-million-maritime-workers-for-sea-sunday-2026</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/churches-called-to-support-19-million-maritime-workers-for-sea-sunday-2026</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[seafarers hope mission to seafarers]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Mission to Seafarers ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:23:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Churches around the globe are being called to recognize the world’s 1.9 million seafarers this month during an international day of prayer, reflection, and fundraising for those working on the frontlines of global trade.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Churches around the globe are being called to recognize the world’s 1.9 million seafarers this month during an international day of prayer, reflection, and fundraising for those working on the frontlines of global trade.
Organized by The Mission to Seafarers, Sea Sunday 2026 will take place on July 12. This year’s theme, "Harbours of Hope: The Church Alongside Seafarers," challenges congregations to become places of welcome, safety, and support for maritime workers who often labor unseen.
Seafarers transport approximately 90% of global trade, including essential food, fuel, and commercial goods. However, the nature of the industry often forces workers to spend months at sea navigating isolation, exhaustion, and long separations from their families with limited access to communication.
For more than 170 years, The Mission to Seafarers has provided practical, emotional, and spiritual care through a global network of chaplains and volunteers operating in more than 200 ports worldwide.
Organizers said this year’s theme is biblical, drawing inspiration from Matthew 25:31–46. In the passage, Jesus instructs his followers to care for the vulnerable, stating that what is done for "the least of these" is done for him. The campaign encourages local churches to view themselves as modern-day harbors—places of refuge and dignity for those facing isolation.
The ministry highlighted the real-world impact of port chaplaincy through stories like Sally’s, a seafarer and new mother who had to return to sea, leaving her 3-month-old baby with extended family. A visit from a Mission to Seafarers chaplain provided her with a listening ear and a free SIM card, allowing her to see her child via video call.
"These small, compassionate acts can make a life-changing difference," The Mission to Seafarers said in a statement. "Sea Sunday reminds churches that hope doesn’t always arrive in grand gestures. Sometimes it comes through presence, listening and practical care."
The organization is inviting churches and individuals to participate by praying for maritime workers, hosting dedicated Sea Sunday worship services, and financial giving to fund chaplaincy visits, emergency aid, and communication resources for isolated crews.
Free downloadable resources, including sermon outlines, prayers, and children’s activities, have been made available at missiontoseafarers.org/sea-sunday.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[AI editing tools could shift public opinion by quietly rewriting users' words, study says]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/ai-editing-tools-could-shift-public-opinion-by-quietly-rewriting-users-words-study-says</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/ai-editing-tools-could-shift-public-opinion-by-quietly-rewriting-users-words-study-says</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 26: In this photo illustration, the Grok website is seen on a computer screen on January 26, 2026 in Miami, Florida.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Joe Raedle/Getty Images ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 26: In this photo illustration, the Grok website is seen on a computer screen on January 26, 2026 in Miami, Florida. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:48:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[AI writing tools are quietly rewriting users' political views — and researchers say the cumulative effect could reshape public opinion at scale, according to a study from Oxford and Potsdam universities reported by The Guardian.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
AI writing tools are quietly rewriting users' political views — and researchers say the cumulative effect could reshape public opinion at scale, according to a study from Oxford and Potsdam universities reported by The Guardian.
Academics from the Oxford Internet Institute and Germany's Hasso Plattner Institute tested large language models from Elon Musk's xAI, Meta, Google, Alibaba and France's Mistral. They found the tools inject political bias even when instructed to preserve the original meaning of a draft.
The distortions ranged from subtle to complete reversals. Alibaba's Qwen changed a post reading "Jesus is not dead, he wasn't real!" to "Jesus is not dead, and he was real." A Mistral model turned a climate denial post tagged "#climatechangehoax" into one calling for "#ClimateAction." Meta's AI added language supporting abortion access to a post that made no such argument.
Grok, the AI embedded in X, showed the opposite tendency. The Guardian reported that when researchers asked it to explain a pro-choice post, it consistently generated context more favorable to pro-life arguments — a pattern the researchers attributed to instructions from Musk's company to challenge "mainstream narratives."
The researchers warned that even minor alterations, multiplied across millions of interactions, could produce opinion shifts larger than the bias introduced by any single AI system. They said existing regulations, including the EU AI Act and the Digital Services Act, do not address the problem.
"The cost is that we are learning other people's opinions when it is not their actual opinion," Oxford professor Sandra Wachter told The Guardian. "Language is one of the things making us human and all of a sudden a mediator is stepping into that process."
Google, Meta, Alibaba and X did not respond to requests for comment. Mistral declined to comment, The Guardian noted.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Sabbaticals, role changes top pastor wishlist for burnout relief—but few can access them]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/sabbaticals-role-changes-top-pastor-wishlist-for-burnout-reliefbut-few-can-access-them</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/sabbaticals-role-changes-top-pastor-wishlist-for-burnout-reliefbut-few-can-access-them</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/07/768.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[pulpit]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ Mitchell Leach | Unsplash ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:33:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[More than half of Protestant pastors in the United States say they need help with their physical and mental health, while the burnout-relief measures they believe would work best remain largely out of reach, according to new research from Barna Group.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
More than half of Protestant pastors in the United States say they need help with their physical and mental health, while the burnout-relief measures they believe would work best remain largely out of reach, according to new research from Barna Group.
The findings, published July 6 from a survey of 507 U.S. Protestant senior pastors conducted in early 2026, come as pastoral exhaustion has eased and confidence in calling has largely recovered from pandemic-era lows. Vocational satisfaction, however, has not followed. The share of pastors who describe themselves as "very satisfied" with their vocation has dropped 20 percentage points since 2015, from 72 percent to 52 percent.
When asked which area of their lives needed the most support, 52 percent of pastors named mental and physical health—well ahead of close relationships (41 percent) and financial stability (36 percent). Spiritual connection came in at 30 percent.
Age and gender shape those priorities. Pastors under 45 flag health concerns at higher rates than older colleagues—62 percent versus 51 percent. Female pastors prioritize health at even higher rates, with 66 percent naming it a top need compared to 49 percent of male pastors. Men, meanwhile, are somewhat more likely to identify close relationships as a pressing concern.
On the question of what would actually help, pastors were asked to rate a set of burnout-relief actions by both helpfulness and difficulty. Three responses stood out as high on both dimensions: extended rest such as a sabbatical, delegating responsibilities to staff or other leaders, and restructuring one's role to better match personal gifts and limits. Pastors say these measures would make the most difference. They also describe them as the hardest to take.
Sabbaticals require congregational backing and staffing cover. Delegation depends on having people to delegate to. Role restructuring requires a leadership team or board willing to raise and sit with uncomfortable questions. None of these can be accomplished unilaterally.
"There's a difference between recovering from burnout and actually resolving it," said Daniel Copeland, Barna's vice president of research. "Consistent rest, boundaries, and personal spiritual practices build the weekly rhythms that keep a pastor healthy. But the deeper question—whether your role is genuinely an expression of your gifts and strengths—requires a different kind of time and attention altogether."
Several relief measures that pastors find more accessible also registered as meaningful: consistent personal spiritual practices, clearer expectations around role and schedule, short breaks such as a long weekend, and honest conversations with close friends or family. These ranked as helpful and relatively achievable.
At the bottom of the helpfulness rankings, the Barna research found, are resources and curricula specifically designed for burned-out pastors—despite their wide availability. The gap between what is offered and what pastors say would help is substantial.
Support structures within ministry show a similar unevenness. Eighty percent of pastors say they rely on a spouse as their primary personal support, and 65 percent turn to a fellow pastor or ministry leader. Forty-two percent name a close friend outside the church. Mentors or spiritual directors are cited by 30 percent, and only 18 percent say they rely on a counselor or therapist.
Female pastors draw on a wider range of support: they are more likely than male pastors to name friends outside the congregation (51 percent vs. 38 percent), family members (52 percent vs. 32 percent), mentors (36 percent vs. 28 percent), and therapists (29 percent vs. 14 percent).
Copeland said the data points to a gap between the institutional support structures churches typically offer and the conditions pastors say they actually need. "Pastors deserve the time to step back and ask honestly whether their role is an expression of their actual gifts," he said. "If there's any vocation we want liberated from the mundane, it's this one."
The research was conducted by Barna Group as part of its State of the Church initiative, produced in partnership with Gloo.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Jordan Peterson says recovery remains slow, but has resumed writing amid illness: 'Relieved']]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/jordan-peterson-says-recovery-remains-slow-but-has-resumed-writing-amid-illness-relieved</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/jordan-peterson-says-recovery-remains-slow-but-has-resumed-writing-amid-illness-relieved</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Jordan Peterson says recovery remains slow, but has resumed writing amid illness: Relieved]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ YouTube/Jubilee ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Canadian psychologist and speaker Jordan Peterson appeared in a YouTube video published by the Jubilee channel on May 25, 2025. The video showed Peterson debating a group of atheists on God and Christianity. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:20:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Canadian psychologist and author Jordan Peterson has shared a health update, revealing his activities remain "very limited" as he continues recovering from a prolonged illness, but he has resumed writing and is "relieved" to "be doing something creative and useful."]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Canadian psychologist and author Jordan Peterson has shared a health update, revealing his activities remain "very limited" as he continues recovering from a prolonged illness, but he has resumed writing and is "relieved" to "be doing something creative and useful."
In an Instagram post shared Tuesday, the 64-year-old 12 Rules for Life and Beyond Order author offered another glimpse into his recovery, saying his health still prevents him from returning to his normal schedule but that he has made enough progress to begin writing.
"My activities are still very limited at the moment. I have been doing some writing, however — thank God," Peterson wrote. "I'm so relieved to be once again doing something creative and useful."
The update comes just weeks after Peterson anno unced he would begin releasing one archived lecture each week while recovering from illness, though he’s unable to speak publicly. The famed psychologist also revealed he’s been spending time watching courses on Peterson Academy, the online education platform he co-founded with his daughter, Mikhaila Fuller.
In his latest update, he recommended historian Paul Kengor's course, The Dark Side of Marxism, praising the professor as "a truly engaging, creative and witty storyteller and lecturer."
Peterson used the post to criticize German philosopher Karl Marx, writing that Marx "was quite the satanic soul" due to the socialist author’s admiration for demonic themes in literature.
He also quoted a passage by Mephistopheles from Faust before asking whether New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, known for his socialist bent, was aware of the philosopher's intellectual influences.
The health update follows months of uncertainty surrounding Peterson's condition. In April, Fuller revealed that her father had suffered a recurrence of akathisia, a neurological disorder characterized by severe physical and psychological distress, after an old neurological injury was re-triggered.
She said Peterson had also battled pneumonia and sepsis during the health crisis, marking a year as "hell" for the family. Fuller said specialists eventually identified the underlying condition after months of misdiagnoses and expressed hope that Peterson could recover with time.
“Thank God for that. It’s just horrifying, and it’s so infuriating that these sensitivities, this damage that can cause severe symptoms like this, can last for so long after stopping psych meds and then, apparently, be re-triggered,” she said.
Though he doesn’t identify as a Christian, Peterson often discusses faith in his podcasts and lectures. His wife, Tammy, entered the Catholic Church in 2023, and Fuller has said she became a Christian two years earlier.
In a 2024 interview with The Christian Post, Peterson reflected on the benefits of Christianity, particularly when it comes to raising children in an increasingly secular culture.
“We are seeing a revival of church-going, especially of the more conservative type,” Peterson said. “And I suspect that’s probably also useful. Providing [children] with something like exposure to classic religious ideas is necessary.”
“By their fruits, you will know them,” he said, adding that it takes discernment to know who is truly living the Christian life.
“You have to pay attention to the fact that not everybody who says ‘Lord, Lord is going to enter the Kingdom of Heaven,’” he said.
Originally published by The Christian Post.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Global evangelical leaders call churches to mark Creation Sunday on Sept. 6]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/global-evangelical-leaders-call-churches-to-mark-creation-sunday-on-sept-6</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/global-evangelical-leaders-call-churches-to-mark-creation-sunday-on-sept-6</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Rev. Joseph Tia Sugri reads Scripture to members of Nanyeeri Baptist Church during a baptismal service at a river in northeastern Ghana. African theologians say creation is already woven into African Christian spirituality — not reserved for a special day]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ IMB ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Rev. Joseph Tia Sugri reads Scripture to members of Nanyeeri Baptist Church during a baptismal service at a river in northeastern Ghana. African theologians say creation is already woven into African Christian spirituality — not reserved for a special day but embedded in everyday worship. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Leaders from the World Evangelical Alliance, Baptist World Alliance, and the Lausanne/WEA Creation Care Network joined representatives of several other global Christian bodies Wednesday in a joint webinar calling churches worldwide to observe Creation Sunday on Sept. 6 — calling creation care an act of worship and discipleship, not a political cause.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Leaders from the World Evangelical Alliance, Baptist World Alliance, and the Lausanne/WEA Creation Care Network joined representatives of several other global Christian bodies Wednesday in a joint webinar calling churches worldwide to observe Creation Sunday on Sept. 6 — calling creation care an act of worship and discipleship, not a political cause.
The hour-long online event, held July 8, was co-organized by seven global Christian bodies and moderated by Latin American evangelical theologian Ruth Padilla DeBorst of the Latin American Theological Fellowship. It drew church leaders and pastors ahead of the annual celebration, which falls on the first Sunday of September.
"Caring for creation is not about politics," said Rev. Elijah Brown, CEO and General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, which represents 53 million baptized believers in 138 countries. "It is about worship, stewardship and loving our neighbors, especially those who are most vulnerable to environmental degradation and natural disasters."
Brown called the observance "an opportunity for your church to celebrate our creator God, give thanks for the beauty of the world God has made and recommit ourselves to faithful care and stewardship."
Rev. Botrus Mansour, Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance, grounded his endorsement in biblical theology and hope in Jesus Christ. "In a broken world that is kept captive between greed and fear, losing any perspective of hope, we as those who confess Jesus of Nazareth as our living hope should unite in serving our fellowmen in a relevant way," he said.
Mansour named environmental fear as one of the defining anxieties of the age. "One of the biggest fears for those who have no hope beyond the grave is that our planet is going down the drain," he said — and argued that Christians, far from standing apart from that concern, share it on deeper grounds. "Creation is nothing secondary. The natural is not unspiritual. Nothing is made without Christ" — citing John 1:3 and Colossians 1:20.
He argued that Christians who confess Jesus as Lord have particular reason, not less reason, to engage with creation. "As those who praise God for salvation and an eternal future in Christ, we honor the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ — not only by praising him for creation, but also by taking good care of his handiwork, not because we have no other hope, but because we do. It is an act of good discipleship and of fine stewardship."
The WEA leader framed the observance as a form of witness to a fearful world. "Those that confess Jesus as Lord should unite in taking care of God's creation, both to honor the creator and to show Christ's relevance in one more practical way, touching on the core of society's worst fears — showing that we also care for what is society's huge care, but with hope from the perspective of love."
"We therefore endorse the celebration of Creation Sunday as an expression of faith and as an expression of love, strengthened to do so by the authority of what scripture tells us to do," he said.
A theological foundation
Rev. Dave Bookless, an evangelical theologian who co-leads the global Lausanne/WEA Creation Care Network and serves as head of theology for A Rocha International, presented a new paper titled "Creation Sunday: An Introduction," produced by a working group of theologians from the convening bodies.
Bookless outlined six theological reasons for free churches — evangelical, Pentecostal and other non-liturgical traditions — to mark the day, beginning with Christology. "Creation Sunday helps us proclaim that Jesus is lord of all," he said, citing Jesus' role as preexistent creator in John 1, the cosmic reconciliation described in Colossians 1 and Christ's enthronement over all creation in Ephesians 1 and Philippians 2.
He described the gospel itself as inseparable from creation. Drawing on Romans 8, he noted Paul's declaration that "creation will be liberated from its bondage to decay." And he pointed to Romans 1 as evidence that creation plays an evangelistic role. "Creation displays God's eternal power and divine nature," Bookless said. "I often say creation is God's first evangelist."
The day also carries significance for discipleship and mission, Bookless argued. He cited Genesis 2's command to "work and take care of the garden" as a mandate that "has never been taken away," and linked creation care to the call in Matthew 25 to serve the most vulnerable.
He also drew a line from Creation Sunday back to Israel's liturgical calendar. "In the Old Testament, God's people celebrated festivals that often linked God's actions in history and God's actions in creation," Bookless said. Observances such as First Fruits and the Feast of Weeks were harvest-based, land-rooted celebrations. "We need to recover that tradition of celebrating God's provision and goodness in creation," he said.
Bookless spoke from personal experience about the spiritual dimension of engaging with creation. "The more I have learned about caring for creation, the more time I spend worshiping God in creation outdoors, the closer I find I get to Jesus," he said. He also noted that creation care "helps our faith become a seven-day-a-week rather than a Sunday morning thing."
African perspectives
Emmanuel Awudi, a theologian from Ghana representing the Pentecostal World Fellowship in the working group, opened with a historical observation. When the World Missionary Conference gathered in Edinburgh in 1910, he said, virtually no one anticipated the rise of a vibrant church in Africa. A century later, scholars widely acknowledge that the center of Christian vitality has shifted to the global south — and Awudi argued that shift carries direct implications for how the whole church thinks about creation.
"The wider church has much to learn from African Christians," he said. He pointed to indigenous African churches that have developed oral theologies enabling communities to conserve wetlands and ecosystems for centuries. He also drew on African hymnody, noting that African Christians sing of the mystery and wonder of God's creation in ways that echo the creation Psalms.
Among the Akan people of Ghana, he cited a traditional saying: "No one needs to teach a child the concept of God" — meaning the awareness of God as creator is understood to be innate, and the natural world is the first teacher. "The environment teaches believers a religious language," Awudi said. "The sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the lakes, the seas and the rivers, the thunder and the lightning, forests, plants and animals can all speak to human beings about the beyond."
For this reason, Awudi said, the feast of creation is not an import to Africa but a recognition of something already present. "The celebration of God's creation is already embedded in our spirituality and in our daily lives," he said.
That embeddedness, however, makes the formal observance no less relevant. Africa has suffered severe climate impacts, Awudi noted, and a named, celebrated feast can help channel African Christian creation theology into concrete care. He drew on Africa's long history of responding to environmental crisis — including, he said, the strategies employed by pharaohs during ancient famines — and expressed hope that "Africa can once again become the breadbasket of the world as it recovers the theology of creation."
Awudi identified three things the feast teaches: that creation belongs to God, not humanity; that human dominion is a delegated responsibility meant to mirror God's "compassion, love, mercy, and justice"; and that creation is not a resource pool to be exploited. "Every part of creation exists to fulfill God's purposes," he said. "It is not to be reduced to raw material or a commodity to be bought and sold on the market, but to be celebrated as God's creation."
He closed by urging that "the celebration of the feast of creation should not become an annual event but a way of life."
Creation Sunday is celebrated on the first Sunday of September each year. More information is available at creation-sunday.com.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[How a Texas church hosted a cultural and archaeological event around Jordan's World Cup game]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/how-a-texas-church-hosted-a-cultural-and-archaeological-event-around-jordan-s-world-cup-game</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/how-a-texas-church-hosted-a-cultural-and-archaeological-event-around-jordan-s-world-cup-game</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Thousands attend the Visit Jordan Experience, where performers in traditional dress appear onstage before a screen showing Petra.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ FBC Arlington ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Thousands attend the "Visit Jordan Experience," where performers in traditional dress appear onstage before a screen showing Petra. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The Rev. Dennis Wiles, center, meets with members of the planning team during the churchs partnership with Jordans World Cup delegation.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ FBC Arlington ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The Rev. Dennis Wiles, center, meets with members of the planning team during the church's partnership with Jordan's World Cup delegation. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:48:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Rev. Dennis Wiles, pastor of First Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, wanted to do something special for the World Cup. Nine tournament games were scheduled at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, and the church owned space downtown, not far from where they would be played.]]></description>
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The Rev. Dennis Wiles, pastor of First Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, wanted to do something special for the World Cup. Nine tournament games were scheduled at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, and the church owned space downtown, not far from where they would be played.
Wiles, who will mark his 25th anniversary at the church, told Christian Daily International that the goal was simple: an outdoor gathering that felt welcoming to families, with activities to draw people in. The congregation was still working out what its role could realistically be during the tournament, he said, especially without a direct connection to any team. Still, its leaders believed they could create a space for community, hospitality and faith in action.
Then Arlington City Hall called with an unexpected opportunity. Jordanian officials were looking for space for their delegation during the World Cup, and the city thought the church's property might meet their needs. The delegation wanted a venue that could handle tents, stages and a market-style setup, along with the logistics to run it safely. Once the church understood the request, Wiles said, the decision came quickly.
What began as a World Cup celebration for local families grew into something larger — a partnership with Jordan's delegation that drew thousands of visitors over three days and turned into a cultural and spiritual exchange.
Wiles saw the opportunity right away. "I think their party is better than our party," he said. The church canceled its own celebration and redirected its plans to support the Jordanians. "We canceled our party and used the Jordanians," he said.

Planning meant close attention to safety. The church coordinated with city leaders and made sure local authorities knew its plans. Organizers expected a sizable crowd — perhaps 1,000 people — and wanted to serve visitors as well as residents looking for a place to gather.
The church handled the practical work, including insurance, coordination and security. Volunteers and leaders moved quickly on setup and operations. Wiles said the Jordanian team was organized and positive about working together. "It was pleasant all the way around," he said.
First Baptist Church in Arlington, founded in 1871, had planned its community event for June 27. The date suited the Jordanians: it was the day Jordan faced the current World Cup champions, Messi's Argentina.
In the meantime, the Rev. Elijah Brown, president of the Baptist World Alliance, connected Wiles with the Rev. Nabeeh Abbasi, president of the Jordanian Baptist Convention. The two exchanged emails, and Wiles said Abbasi's messages were encouraging and confirmed for him the value of cooperating with the Jordanian delegation.
Church leaders and members spent the day with their Jordanian counterparts, laughing and learning about one another before watching the World Cup match together on a big screen.
"We were planning for about 1,000 people for the event we had planned. Between Thursday and Saturday, around 3-4,000 people attended every day. It was incredible," Wiles said.
He was struck by the visitors. "The leaders of Jordan could not have been any more positive," he said, adding that the team was "competent, gracious." Their "professionalism and hospitality," he said, kept the collaboration smooth.
The church was grateful for the experience, Wiles added, and hoped it would lead to something lasting. "We hope it will be a developing friendship," he said.
The hospitality grew into a cultural and spiritual exchange. Five hundred people attended presentations on Jordan's biblical and Christian significance, including a talk on Thursday by Sarah Winner, an archaeologist working in Jordan. "It was a beautiful experience of biblical significance, and the plans of the 2000 celebration of the baptism of Jesus were informative and sweet," she said.
The lecture resonated, Wiles said; people wanted more than entertainment. The event also made room for conversation and new relationships — in the formal programming and in everyday exchanges among volunteers, guests and delegation members.
For Wiles, the experience showed that the church's mission is not limited to its first plans. He hopes to build on the connection, and is considering leading a group from his church on a tour of Jordan in place of its annual trip to Rome.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ' gets theater re-release ahead of 'Resurrection']]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/mel-gibson-s-the-passion-of-the-christ-gets-theater-re-release-ahead-of-resurrection</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/mel-gibson-s-the-passion-of-the-christ-gets-theater-re-release-ahead-of-resurrection</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Mel Gibsons The Passion of the Christ gets theater re-release ahead of Resurrection]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ 20TH CENTURY FOX ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Mel Gibson (right) directs actor Jim Caviezel in 'The Passion of the Christ.' ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sat, 04 Jul 2026 07:33:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[More than two decades after becoming a global box office phenomenon, “The Passion of the Christ” is returning to theaters in a newly restored format as audiences prepare for the release of director Mel Gibson's long-awaited sequel.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
More than two decades after becoming a global box office phenomenon, “The Passion of the Christ” is returning to theaters in a newly restored format as audiences prepare for the release of director Mel Gibson's long-awaited sequel.
Lionsgate and Fathom Entertainment announced Wednesday that Gibson's 2004 biblical epic will return to theaters nationwide Sept. 10-17 in a newly remastered 4K presentation featuring Dolby Atmos sound.
The limited theatrical re-release comes less than a year before the planned debut of “The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One,” which Lionsgate recently announced will arrive exclusively in theaters on May 6, 2027.
Audiences attending the special screenings will also receive an exclusive behind-the-scenes preview of the upcoming sequel, which explores Christ's resurrection and the events following His crucifixion.
The re-release marks the latest step in Lionsgate's effort to build anticipation for Gibson's return to "The Passion." Earlier this month, the studio announced that principal photography on “The Resurrection of the Christ” had wrapped ahead of schedule after 134 days of filming across Italy.
"'The Passion of the Christ' remains one of the most extraordinary theatrical experiences ever created," Kevin Grayson, president of worldwide distribution for the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said in a statement.
"For millions of people, it was far more than a film — it became a powerful shared cultural and faith experience," Grayson said. "Bringing it back to theatres in a stunning new restoration allows longtime audiences to experience it in an entirely new way while inviting a new generation to discover it in theatres for the very first time."
Starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, “The Passion of the Christ” chronicles the final hours of Christ's life, culminating in His crucifixion and resurrection. Upon its release in 2004, the film became a cultural phenomenon, grossing more than $610 million worldwide against a reported $30 million budget and holding the title of highest-grossing R-rated film domestically for two decades.
The film also received three Academy Award nominations and helped usher in a new era of faith-based filmmaking in Hollywood.
The sequel, which will reportedly also explore Hell, Sheol, the fall of angels and the origin of Satan, is being positioned as the largest faith-based film production ever released. Lionsgate recently announced that the story will unfold across two films, with the second installment scheduled for release on May 25, 2028.
In a 2022 interview with CP, Gibson revealed he’s drawn to stories that highlight redemption and the need for a Savior.
“I've been taught from a young age that we're flawed, and you’re going to make mistakes,” he reflected. “We're broken, and we need help. Usually, the best way to get help is to ask for it. And well, who do we ask? We're asking something better than us. And the minute you acknowledge that there is something better than you, you might get something that resembles humility, which is really the key to the whole thing.”
Tickets for the restored theatrical engagement of "The Passion of the Christ" will go on sale July 24 through Fathom Entertainment and participating theater box offices.
Originally published by The Christian Post.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[YWAM deploys sports ministries as 2026 FIFA World Cup enters knockout rounds]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/ywam-deploys-sports-ministries-as-2026-fifa-world-cup-enters-knockout-rounds</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/ywam-deploys-sports-ministries-as-2026-fifa-world-cup-enters-knockout-rounds</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2026 10:14:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[International missionary movement Youth With A Mission (YWAM) is running a coordinated outreach campaign across Canada, Mexico, and the United States as the 2026 FIFA World Cup advances through its intense knockout stages.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
International missionary movement Youth With A Mission (YWAM) is running a coordinated outreach campaign across Canada, Mexico, and the United States as the 2026 FIFA World Cup advances through its intense knockout stages.
The ministry utilizes the ongoing global soccer tournament to anchor evangelism, community service, and cross-cultural ministry in host cities.
According to recent data from the organization's global database, the movement manages more than 125 distinct sports ministry initiatives worldwide, with nearly 100 focusing specifically on soccer.
Numerous YWAM ministry centers across the three host nations are mobilizing local churches and international volunteers to engage traveling fans and surrounding neighborhoods. Teams host local soccer camps, organize public matches, and distribute localized evangelistic resources designed to share the Christian message during the games.
Organizers emphasize that soccer possesses a unique ability to bridge cultural and linguistic divides on the mission field.
"Sport offers a different way of communicating where people do not even need to speak the same language," YWAM host Lydia Hugen Toppler said during a recent broadcast of the YWAM News Show. 
Co-host Bill Hudson agreed, noting that crowds naturally gather whenever someone brings a soccer ball to a community.
This current activation carries forward a 50-year tradition of major event evangelism within the movement. The organization first launched large-scale sports ministries during the 1972 Munich Olympics, deploying nearly 1,000 volunteers to Germany. Following the tragic terrorist attack on the Olympic Village that year, those mobilized teams pivoted into the city center to comfort grieving crowds, hand out flowers, and pray on the streets.
Similar efforts later followed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, subsequent World Cups, and the recent Summer Games in France.
The current momentum of the World Cup is also acting as a springboard for further summer outreach in the region. The organization will host the Montreal Jubilee from July 17 to 25, marking exactly 50 years since street evangelists saw a widespread spiritual revival sweep Quebec during the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The upcoming nine-day event will bring a new generation of believers to the streets of Montreal for prayer, worship, and open-air evangelism.
Leaders invite Christian groups and individuals who want to participate in the ongoing World Cup efforts or local sports clinics to connect with host teams through the central ministry portal at ywam.org.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[PCUSA sees membership drop by nearly 27,000, loss of 128 churches: report]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/pcusa-sees-membership-drop-by-nearly-27-000-loss-of-128-churches-report</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/pcusa-sees-membership-drop-by-nearly-27-000-loss-of-128-churches-report</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[PCUSA sees membership drop by nearly 27,000, loss of 128 churches: report]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Courtesy PCUSA ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The national office for the mainline denomination Presbyterian Church (USA), located in Louisville, Kentucky. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2026 07:03:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States, lost over 26,000 members and 128 congregations in 2025, according to a new report.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States, lost over 26,000 members and 128 congregations in 2025, according to a new report.
A "Narrative Summary" of statistics released ahead of the PCUSA's 227th General Assembly was emailed to The Christian Post on Monday, showing a decline of 26,845 members from 2024 to 2025, with the denomination’s official membership number being 1,019,003 by the end of last year.
The summary was part of the Annual Statistical Report, prepared by the Office of Statistics and Rolls in collaboration with Research Services.
Although the denomination continued its decades-long decline, the report described 2025 as its "slowest rate in a decade." Membership fell by about 2.6% last year, well below the average annual decline of 4.6% over the previous 10 years.
Regarding member demographics, the report found that 60% were over the age of 55, including 35% who were aged 71 or older. By contrast, only 4% of members were aged 18 or younger.
The denomination also reported having 8,304 congregations at the end of 2025, which is 128 fewer than in 2024. Nearly all of these losses involved dissolutions of churches.
PCUSA reported launching 11 “newly organized congregations” last year, but also had 12 congregations that were “dismissed to other denominations,” according to the summary.
In recent decades, the PCUSA has seen a sharp decline in its membership, dropping from more than 2.5 million members in 2000 to just over 1 million members as of last year.
One contribution to the decline has been the theologically liberal direction of the denomination, which has prompted hundreds of congregations to disaffiliate in protest.
In 2010, for example, when the PCUSA General Assembly voted to allow regional bodies to ordain non-celibate homosexuals, about 300 congregations opted to leave the denomination in response, forming the theologically conservative ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.
PCUSA dipped below the 2 million member mark in 2011, according to numbers released in 2012, with then-PCUSA Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons saying at the time that it came down to "[a]t least two challenges."
"The first and primary need is to continue to increase our efforts to live out the Great Commission and share the good news of Jesus Christ," stated Parsons. "The second is to connect with the growing number of the 'Spiritual But Not Religious.'"
In May 2025, PCUSA's Interim Unified Agency reported that the denomination lost nearly 49,000 members in 2024, going from approximately 1.094 million in 2023 to approximately 1.045 million.
The Rev. Tim Cargal, who oversaw the report, told Presbyterian News Service last year that, at the current rate of decline, the PCUSA will dip below 1 million members by the end of 2025.
"Like all 'milestone' numbers, that will certainly garner a lot of attention, and deservedly so," Cargal explained at the time. "However, net losses do not tell the whole story."
"The broader American societal trends are of declining religious participation across denominations and faith traditions, but even in that context, the PCUSA is continuing to bring people into Christian community."
Originally published by The Christian Post.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Evangelical Press Association announces search for new executive director]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/evangelical-press-association-announces-search-for-new-executive-director</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/evangelical-press-association-announces-search-for-new-executive-director</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Evangelical Press Association, EPA]]></media:title>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:13:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Evangelical Press Association has opened a national search for its next executive director, a position overseeing the U.S.-based group's membership, annual convention, awards contest and finances, according to the association's announcement.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The Evangelical Press Association has opened a national search for its next executive director, a position overseeing the U.S.-based group's membership, annual convention, awards contest and finances, according to the association's announcement on July 2.
The chosen candidate is expected to begin on Jan. 1, 2027, succeeding Lamar Keener, who plans to step down after more than a decade with the organization. Keener joined the EPA staff in June 2012 and became executive director on Jan. 15, 2015.
The association credited him with sustaining its focus on professional standards, member service and connection among evangelical publishers and communicators.
"EPA is deeply grateful for Lamar Keener's steady leadership and faithful service," said Dwight Widaman, president of the association's board.
The Evangelical Press Association describes its purpose as strengthening evangelical periodicals and Christian communicators through training, networking and recognition. Its next leader will manage the daily work of that mission, including recruiting members, planning the annual convention, and overseeing programming, fundraising and financial management.
The group characterized the post as a hands-on job within a small nonprofit. The executive director works closely with the board while running the operations needed to serve members and maintain programs.
EPA members reach readers through print and digital channels in a shifting media environment, the association said. It wants a candidate who "should appreciate EPA’s historic commitment to evangelical publishing while bringing the operational discipline, relational strength, and communication skill needed to serve members effectively today."
Applicants may submit a resume and cover letter describing relevant experience to the association, which said it will review submissions on a rolling basis. A detailed job description is available on request.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[New book calls churches to make child protection a gospel priority]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/new-book-calls-churches-to-make-child-protection-a-gospel-priority</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/new-book-calls-churches-to-make-child-protection-a-gospel-priority</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Gods Heart for Child Protection and Safeguarding: Practical Theology from Global Perspectives]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Book cover ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ God's Heart for Child Protection and Safeguarding: Practical Theology from Global Perspectives ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:59:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Church leaders, theologians and child advocacy practitioners from around the world gathered online to launch God's Heart for Child Protection and Safeguarding, a new volume urging Christians to view safeguarding not as an administrative requirement but as a central expression of the gospel.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Church leaders, theologians and child advocacy practitioners from around the world gathered online to launch God's Heart for Child Protection and Safeguarding, a new volume urging Christians to view safeguarding not as an administrative requirement but as a central expression of the gospel.
Published by Langham Publishing in partnership with VIVA, the Lausanne Children at Risk Issue Network and the Global Child Protection Alliance, the book brings together more than 30 contributors from five continents to address child abuse through biblical theology, practical guidance and case studies drawn from ministry contexts around the world.
During the online launch, co-editor Dr. Martin Munyao said the book was written to help fill a significant gap in theological education and ministry resources.
"We cannot ignore" the scale of abuse facing children, Munyao said, citing global estimates that one in four girls and one in 13 boys experience sexual abuse before age 18, while more than 600 million children live in conflict or humanitarian settings. He also noted that abuse within churches remains widely underreported and that many theological institutions still lack child protection frameworks.
"What we're talking about today is safeguarding. It's not just an optional extra for Christians. It's a gospel imperative," he said.
Munyao described the book as more than an awareness resource. Covering issues including gender-based violence, child trafficking, online sexual exploitation, child marriage, disability, family violence, humanitarian crises and church ministries, each chapter combines a global overview, biblical reflection and practical case studies. The book is intended for seminaries, churches, Christian organizations and NGOs.
Co-editor Dr. Nativity A. Petallar said she hopes the book will encourage churches to confront difficult realities rather than avoid them.
"My hope is that this book will break through church discomfort by forcing an honest conversation about an unthinkable reality — abuse happens within religious institutions," she said. She expressed hope the resource would help readers move "from passive bystanders to active advocates" who foster safer church cultures and take proactive steps to prevent abuse.
Asked what she hopes church leaders will remember from the book, Petallar said safeguarding should never be viewed as merely another policy.
"The central message I hope church leaders would take from this book is that safeguarding is an essential expression of the gospel," she said. Over the next five years, she hopes theological colleges, churches and ministries will embed cultures of protection into everyday practice.
Phil Green, CEO of VIVA, said churches around the world have often done remarkable work for children but acknowledged they have also sometimes caused harm.
"Our motivation to do better when it comes to child protection and safeguarding needs to be that God values children and therefore so should we," Green said. "Keeping children safe is a biblical mandate." He added that safeguarding must become embedded in relationships and community life rather than existing only as written policy.
The launch also highlighted practical examples featured in the book. Tryphosa Kwagala, VIVA's monitoring and evaluation manager in Uganda, described how community networks have established "safe spaces" in police and judicial facilities to provide child-friendly environments for victims and witnesses of abuse.
She said local churches can play a critical role because they understand their communities and are well positioned to advocate for children's protection.
"They can link the teachings of Christ into how people should safeguard children," Kwagala said. "They can be big advocates of child safeguarding because they are already rooted in their communities."
The event also featured the Global Child Protection Alliance, which seeks to promote collaboration among Christian organizations working to protect children. Alliance representatives argued that child protection should be viewed as a matter of justice rooted in God's character rather than as an optional ministry emphasis.
World Vision International also endorsed the publication. Bill Forbes, the organization's global director for child protection and child participation, described the volume as an important theological and practical resource for churches.
"This book reminds us that safeguarding and protection are not optional extras," Forbes said. "They are a true measure of our faithfulness." He added that the book calls Christians to move beyond awareness toward intentional action to prevent violence and support healing and justice for children.
The launch concluded with prayer for children affected by abuse and for churches to become places of safety. Organizers also announced a three-part webinar series later this year that will explore the book's themes in greater depth.
Published by Langham Publishing, God's Heart for Child Protection and Safeguarding is available in print and digital formats through major booksellers and Christian retailers.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA['How do we prevent suicide among your teenage friends?' — A podcast on listening to the next generation]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/how-do-we-prevent-suicide-among-your-teenage-friends-a-podcast-on-listening-to-the-next-generation</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/how-do-we-prevent-suicide-among-your-teenage-friends-a-podcast-on-listening-to-the-next-generation</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Geordon Rendle]]></media:title>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:51:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[“How do we prevent suicide among your teenage friends?” This powerful question sits at the heart of today's episode of Faith Without Frontiers, where host Gordon Showell-Rogers speaks with Geordon Rendle, Youth for Christ’s global youth advocate, about faith, mental health, grief, hope, and the urgent need to truly listen to today’s teenagers.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
“How do we prevent suicide among your teenage friends?” This powerful question sits at the heart of today's episode of Faith Without Frontiers, where host Gordon Showell-Rogers speaks with Geordon Rendle, Youth for Christ’s global youth advocate, about faith, mental health, grief, hope, and the urgent need to truly listen to today’s teenagers.
Geordon Rendle has spent decades working with young people across different countries and cultures. His life story is one of global experience, deep compassion, and a lifelong commitment to seeing young people recognized not as a problem to be managed, but as people with purpose, gifts, and the ability to transform their communities.
Canadian by passport and deeply shaped by his years in Latin America, Geordon grew up in Colombia as the son of missionaries. From an early age, he witnessed both human brokenness and remarkable resilience. His experiences alongside vulnerable communities, including visiting prisons with his father as a child, shaped his conviction that every young person deserves to be seen, heard, and valued.
Throughout this episode, Gordon and Geordon explore the challenges facing a generation experiencing rising loneliness, anxiety, and questions about meaning and identity. One of the central themes is the importance of giving young people agency — creating opportunities for them to contribute, lead, and participate in meaningful ways.
Geordon challenges adults and churches to rethink how they view teenagers. Rather than seeing young people only as the future of the church, he argues that they are part of the church today. They have insights, creativity, and spiritual gifts that should be welcomed and trusted.
A key idea discussed in the podcast is what Geordon calls “upstream leadership.” Instead of only responding when young people are already in crisis, communities need to ask deeper questions: Why are young people struggling? What pressures are shaping their lives? What can be done before they reach a breaking point?
When discussing the issue of teenage suicide, Geordon emphasizes the importance of listening. Young people themselves often understand the struggles of their peers better than anyone else. By including them in conversations and solutions, families, churches, and communities can work together to restore hope.
Today's episode of Faith Without Frontiers is ultimately a conversation about relationships between generations. It asks what happens when adults stop assuming they already know the answers and begin listening to the voices of young people themselves.
With honesty and wisdom, Geordon Rendle offers a message that reaches far beyond youth ministry: there is always hope, and every young person deserves to know they are loved, valued, and called to make a difference.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Lausanne releases free discipleship video series to connect everyday faith with global mission]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/lausanne-releases-free-discipleship-video-series-to-connect-everyday-faith-with-global-mission</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/lausanne-releases-free-discipleship-video-series-to-connect-everyday-faith-with-global-mission</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Michael Oh, global executive director and CEO of the Lausanne Movement, appears in a trailer for Becoming a Global Disciple, a free five-part video series connecting personal faith with global mission.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Lausanne Movement ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Michael Oh, global executive director and CEO of the Lausanne Movement, appears in a trailer for "Becoming a Global Disciple," a free five-part video series connecting personal faith with global mission. ]]>
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                                                                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2026 04:02:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Lausanne Movement has released a free five-part video series designed to help Christians connect personal faith with global mission, according to the organization.]]></description>
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The Lausanne Movement has released a free five-part video series designed to help Christians connect personal faith with global mission, according to the organization.
Becoming a Global Disciple, which launched June 22, offers short video episodes, discussion guides and devotional plans for use by churches, small groups, student ministries and individual believers. The resource is available in English and Portuguese at lausanne.org/globaldisciple, with French and Spanish translations expected within weeks.
The series grew out of a global listening process conducted in the lead-up to the Fourth Lausanne Congress, which identified deeper discipleship as one of the most significant gaps facing the church in fulfilling the Great Commission, the movement said.
"Following Jesus has always been deeply personal, but never merely private," said Michael Oh, global executive director and CEO of the Lausanne Movement. "The God who meets us in our daily lives is also the God who loves the world, gathers a global church, sends his people in mission, and calls us to live as one body in Christ."
The five episodes cover themes including the global church and its unfinished mission, prayer and cross-cultural learning, friendship and partnership across cultures, and the relationship between global and local discipleship. Each episode is paired with discussion questions, Scripture passages and practical next steps.
Contributors include voices from across the global church: Pearl Ganta, Desmond Henry, Janet Sewell, Joe Handley, Nana-Yaw Offei Awuku, Jurie Kriel and Jason Watson, alongside Oh.

Watson, Lausanne's director of content, said the series was built for ordinary church contexts. "Many church and ministry leaders care deeply about global mission, but they are asking how to help ordinary believers take meaningful next steps," he said. "Becoming a Global Disciple is a practical, accessible resource they can use without having to build a series from scratch."
Rather than framing global mission as the domain of missionaries or frequent travelers, the series is intended to help every believer see their daily life within the wider mission of God, according to the Lausanne Movement.
The resource can be accessed at lausanne.org/globaldisciple.]]></content:encoded>
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