Religious influencers repackage Christianity for an always-online generation

Deportations surge, aid collapses and faith groups in Latin America struggle to respond
Religion News Service: “There simply isn’t enough capacity even for the local community. It’s much harder with a population that has been abandoned in places that are extremely difficult,” said Karen Perez, the country director for Jesuit Refugee Service in Mexico.

 

Religious influencers repackage Christianity for an always-online generation*
The Washington Post: At a time when Americans are fleeing institutional religion, people seem to want deeper, specific reasons why they could practice one way or another — if at all.

 

How the sanctuary movement offers lessons for fighting ICE: ‘An impact that spans decades’
The Guardian: With its roots in religious doctrine, the modern move to house, clothe and protect immigrants started in the 1980s.

 

My teenager is exploring her spirituality. I support her leap of faith, even as a non-religious parent
The Guardian: My daughter is dipping her toes into sacred waters, seeing what it feels like to surrender and finding a sense of meaning to life that is bigger than herself, Jackie Bailey writes.

 

The Deepak Chopra-Jeffrey Epstein friendship tells of a spirituality industry in crisis
Religion News Service: Chopra’s friendship with Epstein is dismaying, in part for what it says about the spiritual and wellness culture he exemplifies.

‘Mother of Migrants’ brings hope to the vulnerable

Pope Leo says parishes should reflect a Church that ‘cares for her children’ The pontiff encouraged a Rome parish facing poverty and social challenges to show its closeness to those wounded and searching for hope.

Pope Leo XIV warns of wider Middle East conflict At his Sunday Angelus, the pope voiced alarm over violence and fear spreading from Iran across the region. Ireland group calls for inquiry into deaths of 108 babies born alive after abortion Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news. Bangladesh’s ‘Mother of Migrants’ brings hope to the vulnerable Sister Zita Rema of the Salesian Sisters of Mary Immaculate has spent decades of tireless service to the poor, the displaced, and the forgotten.

Large family with 13-year-old in seminary and a baby named Leo touches pope’s heart When their 13-year-old son entered the minor seminary, his parents had no idea that one day the whole family would meet Pope Leo XIV, an encounter that was a special blessing for them all.

Legalized assisted suicide is gaining momentum

Legalized assisted suicide is gaining momentum. Are evangelicals on the sidelines?

A teenage school-shooting survivor found help recovering from trauma with faith—and EMDR, an increasingly popular therapy.

In Texas, international student ministries are helping students struggling with post-graduation job uncertainties due to recent H-1B visa changes.

A letter from Christianity Today president Nicole Martin on helping the church think clearly.

Behind the Story

From senior staff writer Emily Belz: Today’s story about EMDR was brewing for a while in my mind. In covering the Annunciation Catholic School shooting late last year, I kept hearing families bring up going to eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to deal with the trauma. For other stories over the years, I’ve heard Christian counselors bring it up. Then I started noticing friends talking about it. That puts an automatic flag in my mind for a potential story, especially since it was not a topic CT had covered before.

Also making it story-worthy is some amount of tension over it: A biblical counseling organization (generally speaking, a more conservative subset of Christian counselors) put out a statement critical of EMDR in 2021, calling it "Christ-less." Christian counselors in general support it.

My goal wasn’t to focus on EMDR when I first spoke to Ellie Wyse, who lived through a school shooting in 2019, but she brought up how much it had helped her. News in general tends to be bad, but I wanted to highlight something good that came out of a horrible news event. With war underway in Iran, evangelical leaders went to the White House to pray for President Trump. CT has previously covered the evangelical leaders who are closest to the president. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom released its annual report, recommending the State Department label Afghanistan, India, Libya, Syria, and Vietnam as new "countries of particular concern" on religious freedom.   A. R. Bernard, the pastor of one of the largest evangelical churches in New York City, was sworn in as the new head of New York Police Department chaplains alongside Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Today in Christian History March 9, 1831: Evangelist Charles Finney concludes a six-month series of meetings in Rochester, New York. The meetings, which have been called "the world’s greatest single revival campaign," led to the closing of the town’s theater and taverns, a two-thirds drop in crime, and a reported 100,000 conversions (see issue 20: Charles Finney).

El Paso Diocese declares bankruptcy

El Paso Diocese declares bankruptcy amid abuse filings, 'very limited' financial resources

Bishop Mark Seitz said nearly 20 lawsuits against the diocese led him to file for Chapter 11 reorganization.

Maryland high school seniors arrive home safely after being stuck in Middle East during hostilities A group of high school seniors and their teacher chaperones spoke with EWTN News about being stuck in the Middle East during the beginning of hostilities there last week. Luxembourg includes ‘freedom to abort’ in its constitution, following France's lead Although abortion has been legal in the country since 1978, by a large majority vote in the legislature the small European nation has inserted the "freedom to abort" in the constitution. University of Dallas panel explores American exceptionalism through a Catholic lens The speakers encouraged the college students to get married, have children, stay off the internet (unless it enables them to telework and stay near their extended families), and be political.

Sister of slain bishop reflects on traveling exhibit honoring the 19 Algerian martyrs An exhibit honoring the 19 Algerian martyrs is making stops at major cities around the globe. The postulator for the martyrs’ cause and the sister of one of them tells EWTN News what they stood for.

St. Luke's Episcopal Church 03.01.2026

  

We call this SoNoGo - South Park-North Park-Golden Hill & Our Mission: to see the baptized who live in SoNoGo worship in SoNoGo

St. Luke's Episcopal Church

The Episcopal Church

St. Luke's North Park is a Christian community praising God and seeking justice and healing in this dynamic neighborhood of San Diego since 1923.  We strive to create spaces for God’s grace to form life-changing relationships with Christ and each other across lines of prejudice and privilege. In the past three decades, God has led us to a new blessing: to serve as one of the primary congregations and cultural centers for South Sudanese Americans in the city, and more recently, for former Congolese refugees. Worshiping with our diverse community is a joyous experience that includes singing in Arabic and Swahili, and individuals from around the globe and the U.S., united by our found “home” at St. Luke’s and in Christ.  Our infant, toddler, children, and youth ministries are full and thriving, thanks be to God! We are proud partners with RefugeeNet, a non-profit dedicated to the well-being of refugee families. We’re also grateful to host sixteen twelve-step support meetings on campus each week. St. Luke's North Park is a Christian community seeking justice and healing in San Diego's North Park neighborhood. We dream to be a place where all people can enter into uncomfortable and brave spaces with others different than themselves -- different races, ethnicities, classes, creeds, sexual orientations, and gender identities -- and find their perspectives and hearts transformed. We follow a God who loves each of us especially for who we are and desires that every single human among us has all she or he needs to thrive in this world. Until that day comes, we will work alongside God's powerful Spirit to do justice in this hurting world and help all people find a loving and dignified home.

San Diego Japanese Christian Church 03.08.2026

 

 We call this SoNoGo - South Park-North Park-Golden Hill & Our Mission: to see the baptized who live in SoNoGo worship in SoNoGo

San Diego Japanese Christian Church

OMS Holiness Church of North America

San Diego Japanese Christian Church (SDJCC) is here to share the good news that a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is the key to abundant living in today’s world. Our church was founded as an outreach to Japanese speaking farmers in San Diego County over 80 years ago. SDJCC now has English and Japanese speaking ministries. It’s easy to miss, tucked away at the elbow of 19th and E streets just above Interstate 5: the Japanese American Christian Church in Golden Hill. You’d most likely drive past this humble place of worship on the way up Broadway without noticing it, but if you happened to be on a stroll down E Street looking at the nice old houses, you’d stumble upon it after the bigger homes give way to a series of California bungalows. It’s there before E turns right into 19th. Across the street from the church, a chain-link fence lines the sidewalk above the 5 where the homeless set up camp on a regular basis before they are swept out and relocated only to return again when the police shift their attention elsewhere. Historically, the church itself is a product of a relocation of a different sort. As my City College colleague, historian Susan Hasegawa informed me, it was originally founded as the Japanese Holiness Church by Christian Nikkei (immigrants and their descendents) in 1930 and located on Newton Avenue. Sponsored by the Oriental Mission Society, the church focused its efforts on outreach to Issei (first generation immigrant) farmers.

Christ United Presbyterian San Diego 03.08.2026

 

We call this SoNoGo - South Park-North Park-Golden Hill & Our Mission: to see the baptized who live in SoNoGo worship in SoNoGo

Christ United Presbyterian Church of San Diego

What Is The Presbyterian Church (USA)

Christ United Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Rev. Dr. Kerry Allison is the pastor of this parish church in South Park. We were established in 1981 when an invitation was extended to two churches—Brooklyn Heights Presbyterian, established in 1921 and the Golden Hill Presbyterian, established in 1956—to merge and each church accepted. The late Reverend Doctor George Walker Smith founded Golden Hill Presbyterian Church in 1956 with support from the Presbyterian Women organization. The church, located at 22nd and Market in South Park, became a human rights leader in San Diego as the congregation grew. Reverend Smith was the first black school board member in San Diego. May he rest in peace and rise in glory. Christ United continues its ministry in power and presence to the present day. All are welcome to join us in worship and togetherness. 

Trinity North Park 03.08.2026

 We call this SoNoGo - South Park-North Park-Golden Hill & Our Mission: to see the baptized who live in SoNoGo worship in SoNoGo

Trinity United Methodist Church

The United Methodist Church

Trinity United Methodist Church has been part of the North Park community since 1915, bringing warmth and connection to our neighbors for over 100 years. We seek to KNOW, LOVE, and SERVE God and our neighbors through study, worship, community events, outreach and service projects, and having fun together! We'd love to have you join us as we grow in faith and love here in North Park.

Renew San Diego 03.08.2026

 

We call this SoNoGo - South Park-North Park-Golden Hill & Our Mission: to see the baptized who live in SoNoGo worship in SoNoGo 

Renew San Diego

What is the Reformed Church in America?

Since Easter of 2018 we’ve met weekly on Sundays and developed our capacity to serve our neighbors, especially those in great need spiritually, physically or emotionally. At Renew, you’ll find a community that reflects the diversity of center-city San Diego. We welcome and include people of every ethnicity and culture, believing and unbelieving (most of us a mixture of these), wealthy and poor, inclusive of sexual orientation and marital status.

NEWLIFETV 03.08.2026

 

New Life Global Outreach (Johor Bahru Johor Malaysia)

New Life Global Outreach is a Christian teaching and equipping ministry in Johor Bahru Johor Malaysia. John and Hepsibah Ezekiel are the teaching elders at NLGO. We pioneered New Life Bible School and New Life Bible Church to train and equip every believer for the work of the ministry. Our emphasis is on the “GO” of the great commission to make disciples of the nations with an Apostolic Spirit of a SENT ONE. John and Hepsibah Ezekiel know our neighborhood of SoNoGo and have visited on a few occasions. On one visit Pastor Hepsibah was sitting around in a kitchen in North Park when the local pastor of RIC - Ruamjai International church on North Park Way walked in; they knew each other from Bangkok where they had been classmates many years earlier. We serve an exciting God. Hepsibah Ezekiel is also related to SoNoGo as having been raised in the tradition of North Park Community Advent Christian Church in Malaysia.