'Made for Mission': Student Leadership Summit kicks off in Phoenix

Attendees at SLS20.

Thousands of Catholics from across the nation are gathering in Phoenix, Arizona, this week for SLS20, the biennial Student Leadership Summit hosted by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS).

The conference, which is being held under the theme “You Were Made For Mission,” opened on Dec. 30 at the Phoenix Convention Center, beginning with a Mass and keynote addresses from author and musician Emily Wilson, and Fr. Mike Schmitz. Fr. Schmitz is chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and leads the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth.

China: Early Rain Church pastor Wang Yi sentenced to 9 years in prison

Pastor Wang Yi in a sermon "Waiting Together for the Day of Redemption" preached on September 9, 2018 at Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China.

Pastor Wang Yi, head of one of China’s largest unregistered churches, has been sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of subversion of power and illegal business operations amid an uptick in religious persecution in China.

The pastor of the 5,000-member Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China, was sentenced Monday, according to a statement from the Intermediate People's Court of Chengdu Municipality.

Multiple People Injured in New York City Suburb Synagogue Stabbing Attack

Multiple people were injured during a stabbing attack at a synagogue in a New York City suburb Saturday night, according to reports.

Fox News reported that Steve Lieberman, a reporter with The Journal News in Rockland County, posted on Twitter that "at least three people had been stabbed just before 10 p.m. and that local police were conducting a search of the area" surrounding the synagogue on Forshay Road in Monsey, New York, a town of about 18,000 residents about 35 miles north of New York City.

Fox News also reported that "video posted on social media from Monsey showed emergency responders rushing victims to ambulances, surrounded by the flashing red lights of numerous emergency vehicles."

Fox News reported that "messages posted later by the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council of the Hudson Valley said that five people had been stabbed, including one victim who was struck six times, and that two of the victims were in critical condition." That message added that "a suspect was seen leaving in a gray Nissan Sentra vehicle."

One of the victims was stabbed at least 6 times, according to reports. The fifth/least severe case had a cut in his hand.

Reports said the perpetrator's face was partially covered with a scarf, but skin showed him to be an African American.

How to get young 'Christmas Christians' to engage yearlong

The problem of the “Christmas Christian” is one that’s troubled church leaders for decades. As a former youth pastor, I looked forward to seeing new faces in my youth group around the holiday season. However, once Christmas passed, those “Christmas Christians” disappeared.  Ninety percent of Americans celebrate Christmas, but it doesn’t translate into greater engagement with their faith the rest of the year. This is especially true for students, who are increasingly distancing themselves from their faith.

The problem of inconsistent church attendance is symptomatic of a greater issue – that young Americans simply don’t feel connected to their faith.

Trump Administration Investigating Ban on Christmas Decorations

Trump Administration officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have opened an investigation into MACO Management Company's ban of Christmas lights and yard displays at a 55 and older housing development in Missouri.

Liberty Counsel recently sent a demand letter to the MACO Management Company on behalf of residents at Grandview Estates, a HUD-subsidized residential complex. MACO Management prohibited residents from decorating their duplexes with outside Christmas decorations, including lights and yard decorations. Nothing in the lease agreement or regulations supported such a ban and residents have previously displayed Christmas lights and yard decorations for many years.

Excellence with Integrity: Four Reasons Why How You Do Your Job Matters

Throughout Scripture, it’s clear that how you do your job matters; the Bible has a lot to say about the importance of work and how Christians should conduct ourselves while performing in the workplace.

Colossians 3:23 reads, “Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,” and Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

Megachurch pastor steps away from pulpit because he feels far from God, tired in soul

The Rev. Howard-John Wesley, senior pastor of the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, surprised his congregation earlier this month with an announcement that he is stepping away from his ministry for a season because he feels far from God, tired in his soul and needed to recuperate mentally and physically.

“From January 1 (2020) to April 1. I am walking away from every responsibility I have as pastor,” Wesley announced in his sermon on Dec. 1.

“You can’t pour out of an empty cup. It is very dangerous for your pastor to be on empty,” he told congregants.  “I need to take care of me.”

Louie Giglio's new children's devotional hopes to bridge the divide between God and science

Louie Giglio addresses the crowd at Passion 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia, from Jan. 1-4, 2013.

Passion City Church Pastor Louie Giglio's new installment of his bestselling children's devotional, How Great Is Our God: 100 Indescribable Devotions About God and Science, encourages the next generation while bridging the divide between faith and science.
 
After reaching hundreds of thousands of children with the first set of devotions in 2017's Indescribable, Giglio now penned 100 additional devotions about God and science that will expand the curiosity of children with How Great Is Our God. The book includes scientific facts, photography, illustrations, and activities that cover topics such as, space and time, the human body, animals and more.

"I think that one of the best-hidden beauties of this little devotional is it really does tear down the divide, if you will, in some ways that people try to build up between God and science,” Giglio told a local media in a recent interview.

How to Know God Has Called You to Be a Seer Prophet

Are you a seer prophet? While all believers have the ability to see in the spirit, not all are seer prophets.

How would you know the difference? Jennifer continues in her Seer Dimensions series with more ways to discern the call to seership.

Practical Ways to Cleanse a Room of Demonic Activity

When you enter a hotel room, you can cleanse it from demonic activity.

I think we all enjoy our anointed homes that we have prayed over and where we have Christian music playing. I don't know about you, but I have cultivated an atmosphere of praise in my home. It is peaceful.

I enjoy being there in the presence of the Lord. In fact, sometimes it makes it difficult to leave my home to go out in the world.

However, as I travel for the kingdom of God, and as some of you travel for your work, ministry, vacation or holidays, how do we continue to protect the natural environment we have to live in and guard our souls when we are away from home?

Why Social Justice Should Be a Crucial Part of Your Evangelism Strategy

During his message at The Gospel Coalition's 2019 National Conference, Pastor Tim Keller argued that justice—advocating for racial minorities, the poor and the needy—needs to be an important part of the Christian lifestyle. He says the primary mission of the church is to call people to repentance and share the gospel message, but that if we do not show our love by our deeds, the outside world will not heed the message we preach.

"When the world sees Christians only evangelizing and not caring about society, not doing the Good Samaritan thing—when the world sees Christians only evangelizing, you know what they see?" Keller says. "They actually see people who just care about increasing their tribe, increasing their market share, increasing their power. Now that's not true, but from the outside, they don't have the Holy Spirit. What else are they going to think when they see you do evangelism and the church grows and grows and grows? They're going to say, 'They're just like every other business in the world, every other power block in the world, trying to get a bigger part of the market.' But when they see us evangelizing and pouring ourselves out for the poor and the needy, and caring about racial justice—when they see us doing both, as Christians, then I think, frankly, the preaching of the gospel makes a lot more sense to them."

To hear his full remarks on the subject, watch the embedded video above.

How a False Prophet Can Still Give an Accurate Prophecy

Did you know a false prophet can actually give a correct prophecy? However, we still must not follow that prophet if the source of their power is demonic, says Pastor Joshua Reyes.

"False prophets and false prophecies are not the same thing," Reyes says. "A false prophet will either prophesy out of an evil and prideful heart or out of deception. The prophecy itself may be correct, but the spirit behind it is unclean, making the prophecy false because the source is tainted. Always consider the source of the prophetic word.

Did You Know Demons Strategically Monitor You?

You know the Christmas song that goes, "He sees you when you're sleeping; he knows when you're awake"? Well, prophetic minister Kathy DeGraw says you need to be aware that demons are strategically watching you so they can tempt you.

"When we look at monitoring spirits, they are gathering what we say, what we do, how we act, how we behave, and they're reporting back to the demonic commanders," DeGraw says. "Demons are organized, disciplined and committed. I want you to think about them kind of as a military force."

Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke Dies Saturday at 79

Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, a German Pentecostal known for his mission work throughout Africa since 1967, died Dec. 7, according to a Facebook post. Bonnke founded the ministry Christ for All Nations, which has recorded "more than 77 million documented decisions for Jesus."

Bonnke reportedly passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, and the family asks, "in lieu of flowers, to please make a donation to Christ for all Nations – Africa Crusade."

Pope Francis’ letter on nativity scenes shares the story behind a beloved Christmas tradition

Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter Dec. 1 on the meaning and importance of nativity scenes, calling for this “wonderful sign” to be more widely displayed in family homes and public places throughout the world.

“The enchanting image of the Christmas crèche, so dear to the Christian people, never ceases to arouse amazement and wonder. The depiction of Jesus’ birth is itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God,” Pope Francis wrote in Admirabile signum, meaning “A wonderful sign” in Latin.

Why This Businessman Upended His Life and Started a Christian TV Station

A Tampa-based businessman gave up his nice life in order to start a television studio for the glory of God.

In a video interview, Howard Conder, founder of Revelation TV in the UK, says God called him out of a comfortable life to follow him into the television industry.

"I was working in America having set up a music studio in Tampa, Florida in the 1980s," Conder says. "My children were in school, my family settled, and outwardly everything looked great. But in my heart, God was doing something. You know the way God works. Doors open, and other doors close. And suddenly you find yourself doing things you never expected. ... I saw the power of God and I saw the power of television and the good it could do, and I knew I could never go back to being a businessman ever again. God had began a work in me, and when He called, there was no way I was going to refuse Him."

Watch the full video bellow