MelissaCould Become Major Hurricane, May Impact U.S.

 Tropical storm Melissa is projected to become a major hurricane that could inflict devastating damage on several Caribbean islands , as the possibilityof the U.S experiencing some of the storm's effects remains, the Christian Post website reprts today (Oct. 30, 2025).

The projected path of the storm, compiled by the National Hurricane Center, shows Melissa strengthening into a hurricane on the evening of Nov.1 before reading the status of a major hurricane shortly thereafter.

The storm is expected to be centered on Jamaica through Nov. 4 before advancing to Cuba as a major hurricane on Nov. 5. The National Huricane Cnter defines a major hurricane as a storm with wind speeds in excess of 110 miles per hour. 

In an advisory published by the National Hurricane Center, "Significant , life--threatening flash--flooding and numerous landslides are expected in the northern Dominican Republic and eastern Jamaica, with catatstrophic flash--flooding and landslides anticipated in southern Haiti."

Global Survey Finds Hope Rising for the Church

 The Lausanne Movement recently released a new global report revealing a renewed sense of optiimism among Christian leaders about the future of the church, even as they acknowledge deep challenges from secularism, political polarization, and ethical failures within churh leaderhip, the Christian Daily website reports today (Oct. 20, 2025).

Titled "Global Voices," the report draws on responses from 1,030 mission leaders across 119 countries. It is the first publication by the newly launched Lausanne Insights on Global Horizons and Trends (LIGHT)-- the Lausanne Movement's research department equipping the church with data--driven, biblically grouned, and forward--looking insight for global mission.

Dr. Matthew Niermann, Direector of Global Research at Lausanne, said the goal was to understand how Christian leaders perceive the church's opportunities and barriers amid globalization,digital transformation, and cultural shifts.

"We must know the world so that Christ can be known by the world," Niermann wrote. 

Although most respondents said the global church's strength has declined over the past five years, a majority anticipate renewed growth and influence in the next five.

Leaders from Africa and south Asia expressed he highest optimism, while those in North America and Europe were more cautious yet hopeful. Younger leaders were more positive than older generations, with many using words such as revival, renewal, and opportunity to describe their outlook.

"This is not the final word but a starting point," the report concludes. "May these voices not only inform us, but inspire us, to walk more boldly into God's mission for our emerging wold."

New Study: Half of Americans No Longer View Sins as Wrong

 A new Barna research study shows that Americans are changing their understanding and definition of 'sin," the Christian Daily website reports today (Oct. 25, 2025).

The new data from the American W

orldview Inventory national survey of 2,000 adults arranged by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University signals a domestic shift in the nation's moral compass and builds on earlier reports documenting widespread confusion about the existence and nature of sin, according to the press release.

Some behaviors -- such as drinking, gambling,and working on the Sabbath -- are "rarely viewed as sinful," according to the research. Others -- such as abortion, sexual fantasies,and cheating on taxes -- split public opinion.

Only six of 12 behaviors were still widely  regarded as sinful, mainly those related to speech, sexuality, faith. and drug use.

Dr. George Barna, Director of Research at Arizona Christian University's Cultural Research Center, commented that there was a difference in attitudes to sin depending on the age group.

"There appears to be a clear and moderately strong link between generational diffrences of opinion related to sin and the ongoing redefinition of morality in American society," Barna said.

Americans with Positive View of Religion Increase

 A new survey shows the share of Ameeicans who see religion as a positive influene on American society continues to grow, as does  the percentage who believe religion is gaining influence in public life, the Christian Post website reports today (Oct. 24. 2025).

On Oct. 20, the Pew Research  Center released a new research based on two data sets. The first responses  were collected from 9,544 adults in the U.S.between Feb. 3 and Feb. 9. The second was a survey of 8,937 adults conducted fom May 5 to May 11.

"Ameicans' views about religion in public life hare are shifting. From February 2924 to February 2025, there was a sharp rise in the share of U.S. adults who say religion is gaining influence in Ameerican life,"Pew Associate Chip Rotolo wrote in a report. 

"This is an increasingly view held by adults across several demographic groups -- with gains of at least 10 percentage points among Democrats and Republicans, adults in every age category, and in most large religious groups."

Meanwhile, 17% maintained  that religion's influence is growing and that this is a good thing. The share of Ameeicans with a net positive opinion of religion increased from 49% in Sept. 2022 and 57% in Feb. 2024.

On the other hand, 20% of those surveyed held a net negative view of religion in 2025. This includes 10% of respondnts who thought that religion's influence is declining and this decline is a good thing. Another 10% believe that eligion's influence is growing and that this is a bad thing. 

The remainder of Ameicans surveyed in 2025 had  a net neutral or 'unclear view" about religion.

Anti--Christian Hate Crimes Rise in Europe

 A new report shows that anti--Christian crimes across Europe are being downplayed and overlooked, the Christian Today website reports today (Oct. 21, 2025).

The 125--page document was published by the Organization for Security and Co--operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). 

The report on anti--Christian hate crimes was launched earlier this month at the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference. It states that Christians in Europe have been subject to a variety of incidents, ranging from graffiti and vandalism to violent attacks and murder.

One contributing factor to anti--Christian hate crimes is tensions with other religions. 

"Religion--related violence may also stem from the perception of Christianity as a rival, inferior, or adversarial faith-- often framed within violent extremist narratives, historical grievances, and geopolitical tensions," the report said,

Armenia Arrests Bishop, 12 Clegymen in Feud between Church Leaders, PM

A bishop in Armenia's Apostolic Church and 12 clergymen have been  arrested as part of a widening rift between church leaders and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government, the Christian Post website reports today (Oct. 19, 2025).

The arrests are the latest in a string of detentions targeting clergy critical of the administration.

Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan of the Diocese of Aragatsotn was charged with coercing citizens to participate in public gatherings , obstructing electoral rights, and misusing his office to commit large--scale theft, Armenia's Investigative Committee claimed this week, according to the Associated Press.

Authorities began investigating Proshyan in September, after a fellow clergyman accused church officials of pressuring members to attend anti--government demonstrations in 2021 and alleged corruption in Proshyan's diocese. Twelve other clergymen were detained from the same diocese.

The ArmenianApostolic Church denounced the arrests, calling them part of a "systematic campaign" to interfere with its operations. "There is obvious malicious intent to hinder the normal activities of the church," it said in a post on social media.

Deadly Floods Devastate Mexico

Torrential rains and massive flooding have killed at least 64 people and left dozens missing across central and eastern Mexico, prompting churches as faith--based  groups to mobilize nationwide to help survivors, as authorities race to reach isolated communities, the Christian Daily website reports today (Oct. 18, 2025).

Triggered by the remains of Tropical Storms Raymond and Priscilla, the floods have caused widespread destruction in Hidalgo, Veracruz, Queretaro, Puebla, and San Luis Potosi, where overflowing rivers, landslides, and collapsed bridges have cut off towns and villages. Thousands of families have lost their homes and belongings, and power outages have left more than 40,000 people in the dark. 

president Claudia Sheinbaum said on Oct 13 that her administration estimates about 100,000 homes were affected by flooding and landslides. Dozens of communities remain isolated, she said, and food and water must be flown in to reach those trapped by collapsed bridges and damaged roads, according to The New York Times.

Churches across the affected regions have requested donations of canned food, bottled water, dlothing, cleaning supplies, and hygiene products to deliver to victims. Pastors have organized their congregations to assist in gathering and distributing aid to those in need.

Turkey Bans Foreign Christians on "National Security" Grounds

 Legal advocacy group  ADF International has warned that the Turkish government is expelling hundreds of Christians from the country on "national security" grounds, the Christian Today website reports today (Oct.17, 2025).

Since 2020 over 200 foreign Christian workers have been expelled from the country, in total impacting around 350 people.

From Decemmber 2024 to January 2025--  a period of justt wo months -- 35 new codes are believed to have been issued against foreign Christians. As well as blocking individual Christians from entry, the practice often leaves Protestant congregations without spiritual leadership, as many of those targeted are ordained ministers.

ADF is urrently involved in more than 30 legal cases of Christians challenging their expulsion in both Turkish courts and in the European Court of Human Rights.

Linda Rieder, Legal Officer for ADF International, said "Turkey's labelling of peaceful Christian residents as "security threats" is a clear misuse of law and an attack on freedom of religion or belief.

Finding Jesus in a Time of Violence

 In the United States, we find ourselves as a nation gripped by violence, strugging to see a way forward, the Christian Daily website reports today (Oct. 16, 2025).

For example, Charlie Kirk and the endless list of school children whose lives were cut short in their classrooms and chapels.

God cried out through the prophet: "They offer superficial treatments for my people's moral wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace." Across America , our hearts are heavy. We feel grief, anger, even despair. It is not only the act of violence that affects us, but the spirit of violence that hangs heavy in the air.

God said, "Let us make human beings in our image." So God created human beings in His own image (Genesis 1:26--27). Our scriptures proclaim the imago Dei, the sacredness of all humankind: irrespective of social class, or gender, or political affiliation.

Christ-followers, our calling is "Blessed as the peaccemaker, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5--9). American Christians must find their way back to the Son of Man to learn from Him. Our symbol is not a sword, but a cross.

This is a time for a path that models Jesus with an open hand -- one that treats all our neighbors of differing cultures, class, and faith with respect and love. 

Trump Brokered Ceasefire Ends 2--Year Gaza Conflict

 This week, the first phase in the U.S.--brokered ceasefire plan saw the return of 20 israei hostages from Gaza and almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel, the USA Today website reports today (Oct. 14, 2025).

Some former U.S. leaders did respond to the Trump administration's plan for the region. Four days before the hostage release, Obama said "We should be enouraged and relieved that an end to the conflict is within sight, without naming Trump himself.

Democratic Sn. John Osoff of Georgia released a statement on Oct. 13, saying the ceasefire and release of the hostages have sparked hope for "an enduring peace in Gaza," adding he commends the "efforts of the Trump Administration and international partners to achieve this moment."

TBN Shows Best Sermons on God's Love

 For over 50 years, the mission of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) has remained unchanged: to use every available means to reach as many individuals and families as possible with the changing Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Crossmap webssite reports today (Oct. 13, 2025).

Launched in 1973 by Christian pioneers Paul and Jan Crouch, TBN began as one low--power television station broadcasting a few hours of Christian programming each day to viewers throughout the Los Angeles area. In the years since, TBN has grown into a family of over thirty twenty--four global networks reaching every inhabited continent with entertaining inspirational and life--changing programming for every family member and demographic.

TBN began as a dream to "build a     

Christian television network that spans the whole world." Today, that dream is a reality...and still expanding!

Christianity Is Being Censored Everywhere

 A senior legal comminications officer at Christian advocacy group, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), has warned that public expressions of Christianity are increasingly under threat, the Christian Today website reports today (Oct. 10, 2025).

Writing for The Spectaor, Lois McLatchie Miller took aim, not at the usual suspects of North Korea, China, and certain Muslim nations, but at Britain, America, and parts of Europe.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk, she argues, was the most dramartic form of censorship. "He spent his short life teaching students that men and women are not interchangeable, that children deserve protection, and that faith can transform despair into hope. He called people to marry to build families, and to serve causes bigger than themselves. For this, the darkness claimed his life."

Similarly, murderous techniques are deployed in Nigeria. Despite being at least 50 per cent Christian, Nigeria claims having more Christians killed per year than any other country. According to Open Doors, this year alone 7,000 Christians have been killed in sectarian violence, committed mostly by Muslims.

As Miller puts it,"If the past 2,000 years teach us anything, it is this: the darkness does not win. Opponents  of faith beware. Suppression provides the most fertile ground to spread the faith."

Thousnds Attend Brussels Evangelism Event with Franklin Graham

 More than 14,000 people gathered in Brussels, Belgium to hear a message about the hope of the gospel from veteran evangelist Franklin Graham, in an event supported by 620 evangelical churches, the Christian Daily website reports today (Oct. 7, 2025).

Graham --son of the late evangelist Billy Graham and president and CEO of both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and Samaritan's Purse -- delivered the keynote message at the "Festival of Hope" evangelistic outreach at Brussels ING Arena on Sept. 27.

"We praise him for the hundreds of lives changed for eternity as people of all ages responded to the Gospel," the BGEA wrote on social media following the event. 

"It's a sign that God is on the move and something real is happening," said David Vandeput, president of the Belgian Federal Synod of Evangelical and Protestant churches. "This is a milestone that will be remembered by the evangelical church in Belgium, but it's not about religion. It's about Jesus Christ! This is just the start -- it's the launching point -- I believe there is much more to come."

Black History Month Reminds Us Christianity Is Not a "White Man's Religion"

 Each year,Black History Month invites us to reflect not only on the struggles and achievements of Black communities, but also wrestle with the deeper spiritual questions that shape our identity and faith, the Christian Today website reports today (Oct. 6, 2025).

One challenge is the misconception that Christianity is a "white man's religion."

Christianity was at times distorted to uphold slavery and colonialism.Passages of Scripture were from their context to excuse cruelty, while systems of exploitation were cloaked in the language of religion.

Moreover, many colonial missionaries dismissed African traditions, branding them "pagan"or "uncivilized."

Yet, this distortion does not reflect the heart of the Gospel, which is a God whose love knows no borders. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus' life, death, and resurrection were never for one race alone.

The Bible already affirms this vision. Galatians 3:28 declares that in Christ "there is neither Jew or Gentile, slave or free, nor is there male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Christians Should Follow Jesus

 Following the call of Jesus Chist means being at war with errant cultural and political ideas, the Christian Post website reports today (Oct. 4, 2025).

Right now, Christians face persecution, torture, and death in the name of Jesus all around the world. Martyrdom has been a by--product of the church since Stephen gazed into the Heaven he was about to enter and saw the glory of God with Jesus standing to His right, waiting to welcome Stephen home. 

Churches saw record attendance the weekend after Charlie Kirk's murder, joining an ongoing return of Christian houses of worship,especially among young men.Many people across America and Western Europe are reportedly coming to faith in Jesus Christ, having returned to the gospel of the past or heard it for the first time.

Taking up the cross requires action, denying ourselves, and living for the Lord. Our nation is in a state of cultural war that is destroying America. Following Jesus always brings Christians into conflict with a secular world that will never fully accept the biblical message of grace and truth, a constant across all of church history. The killing of Charlie Kirk and the subsequent rejoicing from many of the political left remind Ameica that the situation is dire and unsustainable.

It is now clear that trans indoctrination, which contradicts the simple truth that God created humans in His image as male or female, fuels much of this violence. Denying the fundamental  truth of one's sex or endorsing this confusion in others invites spiritual instability.

Sarah Mullally to Lead Anglican Communion as First Woman Archbishop of Canterbury

 The Bishop of London, Rt.Rev. and Rt. Hon. Dame Sarah Mullally,DBE, has been appointed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman to lead the worldwide Anglican Communion of 85 million members in 165 countries, the Christian Daily website reports today (Oct. 3, 2025).

The announcement by Lambeth Place, following confirmation by Downing Street on Oct. 3 that King Charles III appointed the nomination, follows months of debate over the appointment process. Critics in the Church of England Evangelical Councel (CEEC) had argued that procedural flaws and new regulations barred male clergy from consideration, raising questions about transparency in the selection.

The Cown Nominations Commission (CNC) for Canterbury nominated Mullolly after a "process of public consultation and prayerful discernment that began in February this year,"Lambeth Palace said.

Mullally, a former chief nursing officer for England and later Bishop of London, will formally take office at her Confirmation of Election of St. Paul's  Cathedral in January 2026, followed by heri nstallation at Canterbury Cathedral  in March. Ordained in 2001 after a career in nursing, she has emphasized service, listening, and unity as the hallmarks of her ministry.

"As I respond to the call of Christ to this new ministry, I do so in the same spirit of service I first came to faith as a teenager," Mullally said. 

"At every stage of that journey, through my  nursing career and Christian ministry, I have learned to listen deeply -- to people and to God's gentle prompting -- to seek to bring people together to find hope and healing." 

Gunman Kills 4 after Crashing Vehicle into Mich. Mormon Church

A gunman drove his vehicle into a Church of Jesus Christ of Later --day Saints building in suburban Grand Blanc, Michigan on Sept 28, 2025 before opening fire on worshippers during a large service, killing four and wounding eight others, the Christian Today website reports today (Oct. 2, 2025).

In a press conference that afternoon, Police Chief Williaam Renye said officers fatally shot the suspect, a 40--year--old man from Burton, Mich., after he rammed through the front doors of the Mormon Church during the worship service and began firing at congregants. 

The gunfire sent parishioners scrambling for safety as police emergency crews rushed to the scene, about 60 miles north of Detroit. Several people remain in critical condition at local hospitals. 

The gunman also started a fire inside the LDS church. The blaze quickly spread , filling the area with smoke and making it too dangerous for first respondents to conduct a full search.

Renye said the FBI has assigned more than 100 agents to assist with witness interviews , digital evidence, and the investigation into the shooter's background. Search warrants are being prepared for the suspect's home and electronic records. 

Authorities have not released the gunmen's name, and no motive has been determined.