Survey: Most U.S.Christians Don't Believe in the Trinity

An overwhelming majority of American Christians reject the basic  Christian teaching of the Trinity, prompting new concerns that Americans are living without the influence of "the truths and life principles of God," the Christian Post website reports today (March 31, 2025).

The Cultural Research Center of Arizona Christian University released the latest installment of its American Worldview Inventory series which documents Americans' views on the Trinity. The research is based on responses collected from 2,100 adult sin January.

Overall, ,just 40%of respondents believe that God exists and affects people's lives. That figure rises to 53% among self--identified Christians, 60% among theologically--identified born--again Christians, and 100% among Integrated Disciples. The latter term refers to those who have a biblical worldview, while a majority of those surveyed (59%) believe in the existence of Jesus Christ, a significantly smaller share of adults (29%) believe int he Holy Spirit.

Slightly more than 1 in 10 respondents  (11%) believe in the Trinity, that the God of the Bible is "three distinct but inseparable and equal persons in one infinite Being."The peronsin the Trinity are God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. 

"These results are further evidence of the limited or lack of trust Americans have in the Bible, the limitations we place in the authority and influence of God, and over refusal to cooperate with God by living in harmony with His ways and purposes," said theologian George Barna in response to the survey results.

Pope Has Worst Health Crisis Ever; Returns to Vatican after Five-Week Hospital Stay

Pope Francis was released from Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he has been battling double pneumonia for the past five weeks, returning to the Vatican on March 23, where he will continue his recovery, the USA Today website reports today (March 27, 2025). 

The pontiff left the hospital shortly after he made his first public appearance in weeks, waving to people and giving thumbs up from a balcony. 

Now, the attention in the Vatican is on how the 88--year--old pontiff will lead the Catholic Church following the worst health crises of his papacy. 

Francis' convalescence will take place in the Casa Santa Marta, designed as a guesthouse primarily for cardinals taking part in conclaves. It is this guesthouse that is the backdrop for much of "Conclave," the recent movie on the drama of a papal transition. 

On Sunday, March 23, Francis was discharged from the Gemelli Hospital and made his first public appearance since being admitted on Feb. 14. As he was wheeled out onto the hospital balcony, the pope looked happy to be heading home, giving a thumbs up to the crowd.  

Noticing God with Heart, Soul, Mind , and Strength

 Modern technology has become a "superpower," making the sensation of skill and semblance of progress almost effortless, the Crossmap website reports today (March 25, 2025). 

Personalized algorithms allow us to shed the seeming inconveniences of effort , connection, and patience that engage our human personhood.

Jay Yikim has welcomed Andy Crouch, renowned author, thought leader, and partner for theology and culture at Praxis. Crouch has written several influential books on faithful Christian living, including Culture Making. The Tech--Wise Family, Playing God, Strong and Weak, and most recently, The Life We're Looking For. 

In their conversation, Kim and Crouch explore the unique ways in which modern "personalized" technologies are malforming our loves, desires, and sense of personhood. 

They discuss the unprecedented  "superpower" that technology grants us to experience the illusion of power without the burden of effort. They draw a strong connection between our ever--shortening attention spans and our common struggle to experience God's presence meaningfully every day.Our growing absence of personal discipline, coupled with waning relational connection, is informing a covert belief that following Jesus should be easy and require little day--to--day effort. Informed by Scripture and Christian history, Kim and Crouch encourage us to embrace God's grace by committing to simple, time--tested spiritual practices that will open us up to the activity and presence of God over time. 

Lonely People Need to Find True Friendship in Christ

 A recent survey by Opinium of 10,000 UK adults revealed a sobering one in 10 people have no close friends, and three in 10 feel lonely almost all of the time, the Christian Today website reports today (March 23, 2025). 

God is love. When He created us, He imprinrted His image -- love -- within us. Just as a sunflower instinctively turns toward the sun, our souls naturally seek the source of life.

The problem? Instead of turning to God from whom we can receive true and complete love, we often seek fulfillment elsewhere. 

We chase counterfeit versions of love -- relationships based on convenience, status, beauty, or wealth. And when these superficial connections crumble, the emptiness creeps back in, and the cycle of loneliness starts again. 

You know who can relate to this universal human experience of loneliness? Jesus. 

Betrayed by Judas, abandoned by His closest disciples, and left to face unimaginable suffering,Jesus knows the pain of rejection and isolation. 

Despite knowing He would be abandoned, Jesus showed unwavering love to the disciples till the very end. He humbled Himself , washing His disciples' feet, serving them with patience and grace . He didn't walk away when things got hard. Instead, He laid down His life -- because that's what true love looks like. 

Study: Half of Churches See Growth since COVID--19 Pandemic

 A recent study shows that around half of Protestant churches in the U.S. have experienced growth in worship service attendance since the end of the COVID--19 pandemic, the Christian Post website reports today (March 21, 2025). 

A report by Lifeway Research published March 18 found that 52% of surveyed Protestant congregations saw their worship attendance grow at least 4% over the past two years. 

The report also found that more growth was reported among Evangelical pastors than Mainline Protestant pastors , with 57% of Evangelical congregations reporting at least 4% growth versus 46% of Mainline congregations reporting the same. 

Additionally, 62% of Pentecostal congregations have seen at least 4% growth within the last two years, as well as 59% of Baptist congregations . By contrast, 43% of Methodist congregations and 37% of Lutheran congregations reported a growth of at least 4%. 

"Clearly, at least two years of attendance growth was aided by people returning to regular attendance after being away since the start  of the pandemic," said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, as quoted in the report.

Pope Looks to Christ at "Period of Trial"

 In his weekly Angelus address. Pope Francis gave praise to God as the one who never abandons us, even in times of severe trial, the Christian Today website reports today (March 19, 2025). 

The pope, who has been in Rome's Gemelli Hospital for over a month battling double pneumonia, said that he was facing a "period of trial" and noted that he was far from being the only person in the world faced with serious health issues. 

"Our bodies are weak, but even like this, nothing can prevent us from loving , praying, giving ourselves,  being shining signs of hope for one another in faith," he said. 

In his address, Pope Francis referred to the transfiguration of Christ, an event in which Christ shone with heavenly light while on a mountaintop with Peter and John, His disciples. While on the mountain, Jesus met with two figures from Israel's past, Moses and the prophet Elijah.

"Jesus immerses Himself in prayer and becomes radiant with light....In this way, Jesus shows  the disciples what is hidden behind the gestures. He performs in their midst: the light of His infinite love."

The pope called for His followers to "praise the Lord, who never abandons us and who, in times of sorrow, places people beside us who reflect a ray of His love."

More Than 50,000 Canadians Began or Restored Relationship with Jesus in 2024

 More than 50,000 people began or renewed their relationship with Jesus Christ after attending an evangelistic Alpha Canada course in 2024, according to the Alpha Canada Impact Report 2024, released on Feb.21, the Christian Daily website reports today (March 15, 2025). 

Last year saw a 13 percent increase in Alpha course attendance compared to 2023, with 119,981 participants of  whom 52,281 found Jesus for themselves. 

Shaila Visser, national director for Alpha Canada, called 2024 "a landmark year filled with research, new releases" in her introduction to the report. She highlighted Alpha Canada's partnership with the Flourishing Congregations Institute to study how Canadian church leaders engage in evangelism.

According to the report, 72 percent of leaders reported a marked increase in spiritual curiosity in their local communities. Visser said, "This openness is a testament to how God is stirring hearts across our communities." 

New Film Investigates the Truth about Miracles

For centuries, theologians, scholars, and everyday people have debated whether miracles still happen, the Crossmap website reports today (March 13, 2025). 

As people of faith, we would like to believe that someone's  cancerous tumor mysteriously shrinking overnight is a miracle, yet the scientific community quickly pumps the brakes on that  notion, pointing instead to obscure , unreliable research to support what cannot be explained. 

CBN News investigative journalist Billy Hallowell believes in miracles. Curious to know the inside story of people who have experienced a miracle, Hallowell recently embarked on a journey to discover exactly what happens to the affected people and find proof to support what the Bible says about these seemingly supernatural occurrences. 

In the new documentary, "Investigating the Supernatural: Miracles," Hallowell traveled around the U.S. cobbling together fascinating insights from scientific experts, theologians, and those who have experienced a miracle, to determine whether miracles are still happening today. 

A miracle is something that happens that we can't explain. It is something that is shocking, that is stunning, that is mesmerizing. We know the end result, but we don't know how we got there.

If we have hope and we understand Scripture, then we have to be open to God working in a way that might make us uncomfortable. We might not understand it. We might not even want to believe that it's still happening. And that's why a lot of people have issues with miracles, because it's so hard to get your head around. 

Christian Converts Sent from U.S. to Islamic Countries

Christian converts from Islam are among migrants from countries hostile to Christianity who have been deported from the United States -- initially to Panama, where they are isolated before possible deportation to their home countries -- the Christian Daily website reports  today (March 11, 2025).

At least 10 Christians from Iran were among more than 100 people put on a military plane to Panama, including migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, and Uzbekistan.

Locked in the towering Decapolis Hotel Panama in Panama City with about 340 other migrants flown from the U.S. on three military planes, a 27--year--old Christian woman from Iran scrawled "Help us" in lipstick on a window. The New York Times reported its reporter made contact with her and learned that she and her three children had been desperate to obtain help from the outside world. 

Authorities had seized their passports and deprived most of them of their mobile phones before they were locked inside the hotel, guarded by armed personnel and prohibited from seeking legal help. 

None of the migrants at the hotel has criminal records, the New York Times reported. 

Over 100 Christian Leaders Denounce Trump Cuts to Foreign Aid

A group of over 100 Christian pastors and social justice activists have signed an open letter denouncing the Trump administration's cuts to welfare programs, foreign aid, and large--scale deportations of immigrants in the country illegally, the Christian Post website reports today (March 9, 2025). 

Titled "Returning to Jesus, Practicing Lent in Our Time," the letter was the result of meetings among faith otganization at Georgetown University, headed by longtime Evangelical progressive  activist Jim Wallis, helping organize signatures and other logistics. 

"The massive  cutting of foreign aid  to those most in need, and from many faith--based organizations supplying it is a gospel issue for us that we must  speak to, despite dishonest, personal, and unprecedented government attacks now coming against faith--based service providers," the letter reads. 

"We must defend lifesaving international aid and humanitarian assistance that prevents hungry people from starving, keeps those in ill health from dying, and defends children and families lives from being destroyed." 

  

Trump Administration Plans New Travel Ban of "Red List " of Countries

The Trump administration is working on finalizing a travel ban that would prohibit citizens from a "red list " of countries from entering the U.S., The New York Times website  reports today (March 7, 2025).

The ban would fall under an executive order, signed by the president on Jan. 20, titled "Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Others," meant to address "national security and public safety threats." 

The order claims it will protect U.S. citizens from "aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes."

It gave Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney Geneeral Pam Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard a deadline of 60 days from  the order -- in about two weeks -- to identify such countries and enact the ban. 

The draft identifies "red list" countries as Sudan, Venezuela, Somalia, Syria, Iran, Libya, Cuba, and North Koreato be barred from traveling to the U.S. Pakistan and Afghanistan are expected to be added to the list. 

It is unclear if those with valid visas will lose their permitted entry into the U.S.

American Society of Travel Advisors CEO Zane Kerby told "Travel Weekly" that "blanket " (entire country) travel bans constrain legitimate business and discourage friendly foreign visitors and "risk retaliation from targeted countries and their allies." 

Catholics, Orthodox Celebrate Easter on Same Date This Year

Christians around the world have been blessed with Easter celebrations being slightly different this year, the GBI website reports today (March 5, 2025). 

Millions looking to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ will mark the moment on April 20. In most years, Easter is often celebrated on different dates by Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians. 

Despite the Julian calendar falling 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar, the Eastern Orthodox Church's 230 million members will mark Easter on the same date as other believers in 2025. The coincidental marrying up of dates last occured in 2017, with Christians needing to wait until 2034 for the same date to occur. 

 However, this year we will see Orthodox communities from Greece to Cyprus and Russia to Ukraine share festivities with those from Western denominations in Britain and the United States. 

 Millions of  Christians also welcomed the first day of lent on Ash Wednesday earlier today. 

US Christianity Increasinfg after Decades of Decline

A recent study reveals that since 2019, the percentage of Christians in the U.S. has remained between 60% and 64% , while the percentage of religiously unaffiliated individuals has plateaued, the Christian Daily website reports today (March 3, 2025). 

"Most studies of U.S. religion had previously shown steady declines in Christianity that began in the late 90s and accelerated in the 2000s,"  wrote Aaron Earls, senior writer for Lifeway Research. 

Since 2019, Christianity has hovered between 60% and 64%. 

Regarding the religiously unaffiliated, or "nones," the study indicates that "the nones have hit a ceiling after years of regular growth," according to Earls. "When asked their religious identity,  around 3 in 10 Americans (29%) say they are atheists, agnostics, or 'nothing in particular,'" Earls added. 

Theatre Triumph Brings Life of Jesus to Thousands

A large--scale theatrical production depicting the life , death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is taking the United States by storm, selling out major venues across the country in the lead--up to Easter, the Christian Today website reports today (March 2, 2025).  

"The Thorn," originally a small church play, has transformed into a breathtaking stage production, featuring more than 40 performers, including aerialists, dancers, actors,and musicians. 

With its unique blend of choreography, music, and cuting--edge visuals, "The Thorn" immerses audiences in the Gospel story in a way they have never experienced before. As creator John Bolin explains, the goal is to help people see "Jesus in a way they never have before" and to feel connected to Him on a personal level. 

Bolin's journey with "The Thorn" began in 1997 when he moved to Colorado Springs and volunteered as a youth pastor at New Life Church. Without formal training as  a preacher, he used his background in marketing and entertainment to engage young people through what he called "illustrated sermons" -- a mix of music, video, and choreography. 

Bolin continued staging "The Thorn" each Easter at New Life Church, drawing thousands of attendees year after year. 

As its popularity grew, "The Thorn" became an independent touring production, performing in large evangelical churches nationwide.

However, it came to a halt during the COVID --19 pandemic. 

 When Bolin reached out to churches in 2021, they all declined. 

Bolin said, "I honestly think God was at work in that ."

With no guarantees of success, Bolin and his wife took an enormous personal risk, taking out a $500,000 loan to fund a tour in performing arts centers. 

They booked 10 venues and handled all the productions themselves. Nearly every show sold out. "That was the beginning of a new chapter and what we see as a miracle," Bolin said. 

Trump, Zelensky in Heated Discussion in Oval Office

 Volodymyr Zelensky got a warm welcome in Europe today (March 1, 2025) as leaders across Europe rallied to his defense on the heels of an extraordinary Oval Office clash yesterday in which President Trump accuses the Ukrainian leader of "gambling with World War III," the NPR website reports. 

Britain Prime Minister Kier Starmer told t he Ukrainian president that he has "full backing across the United Kingdom." 

Meanwhile, many of Europe's leaders pushed back against the Trump administration's perceived alignment with Russia's leader Vladimir Putin and the apparent browbeating of Zelensky. 

French President Emmanuel Macron was among the most pointed in his public statements , distinguishing between what he called the "aggressor" -- Russia -- and the "victim" -- Ukraine. He said that countries including France that helped Ukraine and sanctioned Russia three years ago after the February 2022 invasion were right to continue to do so.