| | Tuesday, December 28, 2021 |
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| Politics | | Year in review: 5 key SCOTUS decisions in 2021 | | 2021 was an important year for the United States Supreme Court, particularly when it came to the First Amendment and religious liberty. Click the image to see our breakdown of five key SCOTUS decisions the justices tackled this year, including Fulton v. City of Philadelphia where the court unanimously ruled that Philadelphia city officials were wrong to exclude Catholic Social Services from its foster program because the organization refused to place children with same-sex couples due to religious beliefs. |
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| World | | Child advocates caution against TikTok over trans surgeries, cross-sex hormones | | Child advocates opposed to trans-ideology have warned about the risks of allowing children to use TikTok, particularly as evidence mounts that youth are being enticed to take experimental puberty blockers and undergo elective surgeries to remove essential body parts. Groups warn the proliferation of trans ideology is putting young people at serious risk, especially as it's being promoted as the latest trend. The Daily Mail reports that videos with the hashtag #Trans have been viewed more than 26 billion times, with the videos presenting a light-hearted take on experimental hormones and irreversible, body-altering surgeries to appear more like the opposite sex. |
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| U.S. | | Got Gloo? Churches turning to tech firm to target new members | | More than 30,000 churches have signed up with Gloo, a small tech firm that utilizes personal data and online activities to target individuals who may be interested in a church's message and potential membership. Gloo says it seeks to reshape "the ways that churches, ministries, and people connect with each other," which has become increasingly relevant as churches look for ways to boost numbers following declining attendance that has been exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic. |
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| Church & Ministries | | 'The Renewal' aims to restore America's covenant with God | | A major intercessory prayer gathering calling America back to its covenant relationship with God is slated for early January in Plant City, Fla. "The Renewal is almost like a second step in this process in the return to God," Kevin Jessip, the president of Global Strategic Alliance, told The Christian Post. Featured speakers for the Jan. 8 event will include Messianic Jewish Rabbi Jonathan Cahn and Pastor Carter Conlon of Times Square Church in New York City. |
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| Voice | | Op-ed: Blaming Israel for dwindling Christian population | | In this op-ed, Rabbis Abraham Cooper and Yitzchok Adlerstein call out the Archbishop of Canterbury for choosing "to score political brownie points with the woke world of NGOs by associating his name and rank with a blatant lie: That Israel is the cause of the rapidly dwindling Christian population in previously Christian parts of the Holy Land." Pointing to multiple instances of discrimination against Christians, including murder, the authors write, "We respectfully suggest that the Archbishop convert his considerable influence to awaken Christian conscience to intervene for truly endangered Christians across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia." |
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| Church & Ministries | | Lights go out for the final time as 221-year-old Pa. church closes | | First Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte in Pennsylvania opened in 1800 when there were just 16 states. After 221 years, the church officially closed its doors on Christmas Eve due to declining membership and attendance. "I’ll miss our personality, our laughter and our joy in just being together. And, of course, the faith aspect of sharing that with other like-minded people," church elder Candace Dannaker told The Centre Daily Times. |
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