According to Forbes, Americans spent around $35.3 billion dollars in 2022 during the Thanksgiving weekend…of course, that includes Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The TSA is reminding air passengers that some Thanksgiving goodies aren’t allowed through airport security. And, as the conflict in the Middle East continues, don’t lose sight of the power of prayer.
Thanksgiving Dinner, Reflections on Thankfulness & The First Thanksgiving
Nearly 40 years ago, terrorism expert Brian Michael Jenkins made this claim, “The difficulty of defining terrorism has led to the cliché that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, implying that there can be no objective definition of terrorism, no universal standards of conduct in peace. That is not true.” AAA projects 55.4 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period*. An article in the Baptist Press Toolbox offers help to overcome fear.
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter passed away Sunday afternoon (Nov. 19) at the family’s home in Plains, Ga., the Carter Center announced Sunday. She was 96. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” President Jimmy Carter said. Thirty years after a landmark piece of religious freedom legislation was enacted, it’s more needed than ever. And, we know thanksgiving in prayer is an antidote for an anxious life.
While many prices are noticeably higher at the grocery store this Thanksgiving season, one product – in fact the featured item on many Thanksgiving tables – is experiencing a decrease in price. Thanksgiving turkey prices are down nearly five percent, according to industry magazine Feed and Grain. Churches, ministries and other houses of worship were the top recipients of charitable gifts for the year, with religion one of the few sectors realizing an increase in receipts, ABS said. And, Jesus calls His disciples to share their faith. As we gather with friends and family over the holiday season, there may be opportunities to share your faith. In addition to Jesus’ commission, why should you speak of the gospel?
Send Relief workers are continuing to provide aid in the Middle East. As Christianity in French-speaking West Africa has spread over the past few decades, Baptist women in the region desire theological education and further access to resources for biblical interpretation as they resist the influence of the prosperity gospel. And, have you ever ordered at a drive-through, only to discover when you arrived at the window that the person in the car ahead of you paid your bill?
For two years now, almost every church in America has been holding in-person worship services, but not every pre-pandemic worshiper has returned. Practicing Christians outpaced non-practicing Christians and nonbelievers in giving to charities including churches in 2022, the American Bible Society (ABS) said Nov. 14 in the latest release from its 2023 State of the Bible report. And, as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, Kie Bowman says we should remember to express thanksgiving in our prayers.
International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood believes lostness is the world’s greatest problem. One month after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel, Israel’s ground invasion into the Gaza Strip has reached a new stage with ground forces deep inside Gaza City, The Associated Press reported Nov. 7. And, if you pray, you’ve been there. You’ve experienced times when God’s obvious answer is no or wait. It may not have been the answer you were seeking, but it was the answer.
International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood believes lostness is the world’s greatest problem. One month after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel, Israel’s ground invasion into the Gaza Strip has reached a new stage with ground forces deep inside Gaza City, The Associated Press reported Nov. 7. And, if you pray, you’ve been there. You’ve experienced times when God’s obvious answer is no or wait. It may not have been the answer you were seeking, but it was the answer.
While serving in the U.S. Army for six years, Jared Huntley developed a passion to minister to those who have sacrificed much in service to their nation, and he’s planted three churches in the last decade, two of which have been in military communities. One lightning strike that claimed the life of a beloved teen girl in Palatka, Florida has sparked a spiritual revival throughout an entire community in northeast Florida. And, November is National Family Caregivers Month. Understanding the unique challenges caregivers face is the first step toward creating a more supportive church environment for caregivers.
International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood believes lostness is the world’s greatest problem. One month after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel, Israel’s ground invasion into the Gaza Strip has reached a new stage with ground forces deep inside Gaza City, The Associated Press reported Nov. 7. And, if you pray, you’ve been there. You’ve experienced times when God’s obvious answer is no or wait. It may not have been the answer you were seeking, but it was the answer.
During most of 2020, the 5 Loaves 2 Fish Food Pantry in Tracy, California provided 245 grocery boxes per week. International Christian Concern says Nigeria is the place where it’s most dangerous to be a Christian today. And, an plurality of adolescents think sex and romance are overused in television shows and would like to see more platonic friendships portrayed, an annual University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) study of 10- to 24-year-olds found.
A notable observation from the statistics is that a significant portion of younger pastors, under the age of 45, report struggling with mental health issues. And, Kentucky church leader Todd Gray admits he may have received some raised eyebrows as he recently left a bookstore on a seminary campus. Gray was carrying a newly-purchased book about PTSD.
The Ethics & Religious Commission has asked a federal agency that oversees employment discrimination to block employee allegations of sex-based harassment based on abortion, sexual orientation and gender identity. Ryan Stevenson’s past includes the good and bad, happiness and heartache, triumph and tragedy. And, perhaps you deal with shame from a previous decision or perhaps you’ve been falsely accused of something and have had to work through the weight of the wrong. A Lifeway Bible Study speaks to this issue.
More than 360 million Christians worldwide suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. Millions of people are living in households with food insecurity in the United States, including 3 million children, according to a report released this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). And, an seminary leader says there are some practical ways believers can help other believers know if they’re called to vocational ministry.
An Arkansas family is making an impact for the Gospel. Joy Ledbetter’s family carried out her wishes recently and sold the family farm that had been in the family for more than 100 years. The announcement of that gift comes just days before the Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Sunday has been set aside to pray for fellow believers in persecution. And, would you consider your church a messy church? Relationships are hard. Change is hard. Those are elements of the Gospel producing fruit in the local church.
With many of their colleagues on alert for potential deployment to growing hot spots near Israel, more than 365 chaplains and spouses gathered to train in evangelism and pray for peace in the Middle East. A bill that would allow Ukraine’s courts to outlaw Orthodox churches that maintain ties with Russia does not threaten religious freedom in Ukraine, a key Baptist leader there told Baptist Press. And, In a piece in the Baptist Press Toolbox, Mark Dance asks about your motives behind your use of social media.
The newly-elected Speaker of the House of Representatives is a Southern Baptist and served as a trustee of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) was elected to the speakership on Wednesday. Meta’s social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram intentionally target children and teens with features that harm mental health, attorneys general in 42 states and Washington D.C. said in lawsuits Oct. 24. And, in the Baptist Press Toolbox, there’s a prayer guide you can use as you think about the conflict in the Middle East.
Pro-life advocacy ministry Stand For Life is touring college campuses to engage students, churches and communities in building a society that values and protects all of humanity as created in God’s image. Jason Holly, the youth minister at First Baptist Church in Elizabethton, Tennessee, remembers when Texas Rangers rookie outfielder Evan Carter was a boy playing in the local Grasscutter football league for 6-8-year-olds. And, in 1988, 75 New York City churches gathered to pray. Eventually the number grew to 2,000 churches.
Relief workers continue to bring gospel hope to people dealing with grief and trauma in the wake of war. Religious freedom advocates lamented the loss of civilian lives in the Israel-Hamas war, antisemitism and Islamophobia on the 25th anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) Oct. 23. And, why does God allow suffering in the world? If you’ve wondered this, a Lifeway Bible Study challenges you to make sure you’re asking the right question.