by Emily McFarlan Miller CHICAGO (RNS) There was an accordion player framed by twinkle lights in the doorway of the church and a fire pit on the sidewalk outside fighting back the cold and darkness of a windy, mid-November evening in Chicago, occasionally sending up a shower of sparks. The Rev. Rebecca Anderson, co-pastor of Gilead Church Chicago, had imagined the overall … [Read more...] about Chicago Church Releases a Beer for Advent — and the End of the World
Church
Tom Hanks, Joanne Rogers To Raise Money To Rebuild Tree of Life Synagogue Site
by Yonat Shimron (RNS) The Jewish congregation that once gathered in the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood is inching forward with a plan to repurpose its building, two years after an attacker shot and killed 11 Jews in an anti-Semitic rampage. On Wednesday (Nov. 18), the congregation named a raft of celebrities who have signed on to a … [Read more...] about Tom Hanks, Joanne Rogers To Raise Money To Rebuild Tree of Life Synagogue Site
Communities of Color Are the Focus of New Church Planting Network
(ChurchLeaders) A group of pastors and authors have launched a new church planting network specifically aimed at communities of color. In an interview with ChurchLeaders, founding president Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile explained how the movement’s focus on Black and Brown neighborhoods is biblical as well as missional. Pastor Anyabwile also addressed potential criticism The Crete … [Read more...] about Communities of Color Are the Focus of New Church Planting Network
Americans Increasingly Comfortable With Churches Defying Shut Down Orders
(ChurchLeaders) As the United States heads into its third wave of coronavirus case spikes, caution seems to be less of a priority as the public’s patience wears thin. Frustration at lingering government-directed restrictions is playing out in churches as well. Along with the alarming rates of infection we’re witnessing, the number of Americans who think churches should defy … [Read more...] about Americans Increasingly Comfortable With Churches Defying Shut Down Orders
James MacDonald Sues Attorney Who Looked Into His Finances
(ChurchLeaders) Although former megachurch pastor James MacDonald reached a settlement with Harvest Bible Chapel (HBC) in August, he’s heading back to court. MacDonald, who was fired from the Chicago-area church in February 2019, is now suing HBC and the attorney and accountants it hired to review church finances and MacDonald’s use of them. On November 4, MacDonald filed … [Read more...] about James MacDonald Sues Attorney Who Looked Into His Finances