The numerical growth of Chinese Christianity

What we miss when we focus on the numerical growth of Chinese Christianity.

Hannah Anderson is among a rising number of evangelical women enrolling in seminary. But female students continue to face unique pressure to justify their call to higher education.

Kids’ questions about God may sound silly, but they often get at something much deeper, writes a mom whose child asked about Jesus’ underwear.

An apologist’s tribute to Frederick Buechner, for capturing the incredulity of joy and a doubt-tinged gospel hope.

Behind the story

From Kate Shellnutt: I’m not sure what it’s like for other parents, but in these first couple years of raising a kid, I tried to discuss and model what we believe about God and just see what sticks in his toddler brain. As Michelle Lee writes this week, children’s questions or observations about faith may throw us off, make us laugh, or challenge us, but there’s often a real theological query somewhere beneath.

My three-year-old, after being told that everyone would die one day, asked me if he would have to “have nails” in his hands “like Jesus.” I was caught off-guard because I didn’t realize how much he had been paying attention to the Holy Week stories. At his young age, Jesus was the only person he knew who died. (I did assure him that while I didn’t know how we’d die, I was sure it wouldn’t be by crucifixion.) His question opened up a conversation I wouldn’t have introduced on my own. It was my first moment of a “delightful and harrowing” theological inquiry at bedtime, but I know it won’t be the last.

In other news

Pentecostals are most likely to offer special ministries and events for singles in their churches.

Conservative United Methodists are calling on regional bodies to withhold funding to the denomination over requirements complicating the process for churches that want to disaffiliate over LGBT stances.

Coptic Christians in Egypt are angry about the response time of firefighters and paramedics to a church fire that killed 41.

After TobyMac’s son died in 2019, he thought he’d only be able to write sad songs for the rest of his life. He’s getting ready to release his first album since the tragedy, Life After Death.