[CP Today] SBC membership suffers historic 1-year decline

Monday, May 24, 2021 TODAY'S HEADLINES is sponsored by SBC church membership suffers new historic 1-year decline of more than 400K Church & Ministries Why a 24-y-o left her dream job to mobilize Americans to march for persecuted Christians When Gia Chacón's heart began to break for persecuted Christians at a young age, she knew God was calling her to be a part of the solution. This prompted her to launch her own nonprofit organization to host the first-ever march to stand in solidarity with the persecuted Church. A Message from Faithful Counseling * We receive commission for referrals to Faithful Counseling Struggling and need help? Consider going to our sponsor Faithful Counseling for affordable, online, Christian therapy - https://faithfulcounseling.com/christianpost. It's an affordable online service that assesses your needs, and matches you to a licensed therapist who is also a practicing Christian, and provides a platform for professional counseling done securely online. Get started with 10% off your first month.

U.S. Judge denies Christian college's request for religious protection against Biden's LGBT order A federal judge rejected a Missouri Christian university's plea for temporary protection against the Biden administration's Fair Housing Act, which, the school said, requires religious schools to open girls' dorm rooms and showers to male students. U.S. Biden passes on Notre Dame commencement speech amid backlash to abortion stance President Joe Biden passed on delivering the 2021 commencement address at the University of Notre Dame on Sunday as thousands of the Catholic institution's community members objected to the invitation over the president's pro-choice policies. World 8 Christians killed, church burned down during attack in Nigeria Eight Christians were killed, and a church building was burned down along with a few homes during an attack last week by bandits in northwestern Nigeria's Kaduna state amid what some advocates say is an attempt by some to "cleanse" the country of its Christians. Church & ministry Pastor Choco De Jesús tackles divisions in society, wants churches to be 'referee' in politics Pentecostal Pastor Wilfredo "Choco" De Jesús is working to tackle the problem of divisiveness and the need for churches to address the issue inwardly and outwardly. World India: Radical Hindu mob wielding swords kills father of Christian pastor in attack on family While India is going through a deadly second wave of COVID-19, the persecution of Christians carries on. Radical Hindu nationalists shot dead a 52-year-old Christian man, who was the father of a pastor, and wielded swords and sickles to attack other family members, according to a report.

A Message from VIDE PRESS Five Tips for Success as a Christian Author Your Christian experience is unique and it may be time to share it with the world in a book. But there's more to creating a book than writing down your experiences. Below are five steps to take so you are more likely to be successful as a Christian author. Read More.

Opinion Why you should (and probably already do) believe in limited atonement When it comes to which of the five points of Calvinism that irk non-reformed Christians the most, my money is on limited atonement. The doctrine of limited atonement teaches that Christ's redeeming work on the cross secured an actual salvation for only the elect of God.

Sponsored * We are an affiliate for Faithful Counseling and we may receive compensation for purchasing through our link. How Your Church Can Support Mental Health Awareness Month May is Mental Health Awareness month and churches are in a special place to reach people who are struggling with mental illness. Whether it's offering informal support groups within the church or referrals to professional counselors, like those at Faithful Counseling, there is a role for the church to play for people who have mental health conditions. Unfortunately, in some Christian communities, mental illness is still a taboo subject. Not everyone realizes that mental illness is an illness like physical conditions. It is a brain disease that may require medication and treatment by professionals. Both leadership and church members can start by speaking about mental illness and recognizing that it is a real thing. Whether it's in a sermon about mental health or a community group conversation, speaking about these issues publicly makes it clear that this is not something to be ashamed about. What churches can do, as a supplement to counseling, is care for spiritual health, to speak to that area of life that not all professionals will address. Many churches have care teams that ministry to the physical needs of members. These teams should also support the mental health needs, not as licensed professionals, but as members of Christ's body who "Serve one another in love" (Galatians 5:13b). Just like the person who recently had surgery will need someone to pick up groceries, so will someone lacking energy when in the throes of depression. Mental illnesses often express themselves physically. Churches can invite professionals to speak about mental illness to their congregation. We know there has been an increase in depression and anxiety from the pandemic over the last year. But there are also church members with long-term struggles pre-pandemic. Once church members see that this is freely spoken about in their Christian community by outside professionals and leadership, they learn that it's a safe place for them to discuss these struggles. The church should be known as a place of healing, not hurt, by advocating for professional support when indicated. Churches have also held conferences about mental illness. A one-day event held on a church site with mental health professionals shows that the church body recognizes this struggle and is willing to speak about it openly. This presents an opportunity for church members and lay leaders to become educated about mental illness. Whatever your church does to address mental illness, do not avoid conversations about it. By avoiding it, this contributes to the suffering of church members with mental illness and perpetuates any misperceptions about it being a sin. Faithful Counseling is not here to replace your church community. Instead, we provide additional support with professionals who are licensed by their boards and have over 3,000 hours of experience. They are spiritually informed, professionally licensed, and readily accessible. One reviewer said her counselor "is an integral devoted Christian who's advice aligns with the scriptures of God". Get started today with 10% off your first month using promo code christianpost. Learn more GET STARTED

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