Hispanic Churches Growing, Damaged Churches Find God’s Grace & Making Digital Activism Better

Hispanic churches in the United States face unique challenges but are finding success in building community within their congregations and reaching those outside their walls.

Lifeway Research partnered with two dozen denominations and church networks to include what is likely the largest number of Protestant Hispanic congregations in the U.S. ever invited to a single research study.

The study reveals a picture of Hispanic churches that are newer, younger and more effectively evangelistic than the average U.S. Protestant church.

Most Hispanic Protestant churches (54 percent) have been established since 2000, including 32 percent founded in 2010 or later. Fewer than 1 in 10 (9 percent) trace their history prior to 1950.
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Even as a new storm system sweeps across the U.S., disaster relief workers are busy in Alabama where they continue to help churches and residents affected by last week’s storms in and around Selma.

Many churches in the area said they received that churches hundreds of miles away were collecting love offerings and seeking way they could help the churches whose buildings were damaged or destroyed by the storms.

In Augtoga County, an EF3 tornado stayed on the ground for 77 miles and had more than 1,100 impact points. Seven people were killed by the storm in that county alone.
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Good News for Today is made possible through our friends at The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to inspiring believers to deepen their commitment to Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission — no matter the cost. Find out more and sign up for their free monthly magazine at vom.org/goodnews.
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In a First Person piece on Baptist Press, Jason Thacker, ERLC chair of research in technology ethics, provides some wise advise for people engaging in the digital world.

First, he says, as our teenagers and families participate in these online movements, we need to stop and examine our motivations for participating. It is tempting to post, share or like things in order to be seen as the type of person that is socially involved but then fail to actually address these issues in the real world.

Second, he writes, you may feel called to get involved with important issues like abortion, sex trafficking or racial injustice, but true change usually happens in real-life relationships with others.

There are countless reputable and Gospel-centered organizations that you can partner with in your community to help move the needle on these important issues. You can give resources, volunteer time, and participate in community events that allow you to put feet to the online support.

Read the full piece and sign up for our daily emails at Baptist Press.com.