This week’s featured article unpacks both good news and bad news about Christians who are divorced. The good news? Whereas divorced or separated Christians in previous decades avoided attending church, a greater percentage of them do attend church today. The bad news? Despite increasing church attendance among divorced believers, in comparison with married Christians, a significant church attendance gap still remains.

In “Despite Stigma, More Divorced Evangelicals Are Going to Church,” Ryan Burge puts forth data and analyzes trends that should be of interest to us all—whether we are married or divorced—because the information here challenges us to consider how we can better welcome those who have been divorced. This isn’t a question so much about what one’s church teaches about the sanctity of marriage or if and when divorce is permissable; it’s more a question of ministry. For if we know that divorce is prevalent in our society at large and that a significant percentage of Christians have gone through divorce, then out of love for our community we can try to close that church attendance gap. We can consider: What do divorced people experience when they visit our church, check out a small group, or attend a church activity? What can church members who’ve been divorced offer our church in terms of providing insight for how to be more welcoming to those who’ve gone through divorce?

We all know and love people who’ve been divorced. In fact, it is likely many reading this newsletter have gone through a divorce. These experiences are deeply painful. How can our churches become places of grace and healing? May God continue to form each of us into people who are shaped by God’s merciful love and who extend generous, Christlike grace to others.