The Fatherless Epidemic: Raising Up Men in Urban America
Thirteen years ago, pastor Alton Hardy planted a church in an underresourced African American community near Birmingham, Alabama. Alton worried about the crime, poverty, and lack of education he saw around him. But more than that, he worried about families.And most of all, he worried about fathers.In 2023, the CDC recorded that 70 percent of African American babies were born to single mothers. Overall, 40 percent of all births in the United States are now to unmarried moms, a number that doubled between 1980 and 2010.Alton got to work, preaching the gospel, teaching God’s design for our lives, and calling young black men to become strong leaders of their churches, homes, and communities.I can’t tell you he's witnessing a wholesale revival. But Alton’s church is growing. And for the first time in decades, couples with baby strollers are walking the sidewalks in his community.This is the story of how the gospel can change a life, a family, and a neighborhood. But it’s also a story that can change the way you think about your parents, your kids, and why God loves you.
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No Chance of Survival: How a Deadly Plane Crash Yielded a Growing Spiritual Harvest
Two and a half years ago, a plane went down in a Texas pasture. On board were five men—the lead pastor, the executive pastor, an elder, and two faithful members of Harvest Church near Memphis, Tennessee.Four of the men were killed instantly—experts later determined the chances of survival were zero percent. But one of the men—lead pastor Kennon Vaughan—lived.This is his story. But this is also the story of what happens when a church of disciple-makers walks through their darkest hours together. And this is the story of what God can do when lives—and deaths—are surrendered to him.—• This episode includes audio provided by StoryTellers Live, Harvest Church, and Gracepointe Church. We're thankful for their generosity and support in telling this story.• This episode is sponsored by Dordt University. To learn more, visit dordt.edu
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For God So Loved This Anxious Generation: Signs of Revival on Campus
Over the past few years, we’ve been hearing rumblings of revival on college campuses. To chase down the story, Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra headed over to Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, to see what was going on with the largest campus ministry you’ve never heard of—the Salt Company.Salt Company does a lot of things you’d expect—large worship gatherings, small group Bible studies, and summer mission trips. But they also do some things you wouldn’t anticipate, such as talking about sin, taking kids through Wayne Grudem’s systematic theology (the abridged version), and requiring student leaders to be members of a local church.In today’s sensitive, selfie-obsessed culture, you might wonder if discussions of sin or of robust theology would be a good on-ramp to Christianity. But over the last 40 years, Salt has grown to 12,000 students on 33 campuses (and churches!) in 16 states.What is drawing the most anxious generation to the gospel?
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Top Theology Stories of 2024
Join Collin Hansen and Melissa Kruger for their annual discussion as they look back on the top theology stories of 2024. They also share their favorite books from 2024, updates on personal projects, and what they're each looking forward to in life and ministry in 2025. They discuss: The rise in Bible sales in 2024Declining fertility rates worldwideBig changes for the United Methodist Church and the role of the Global SouthThe advance of assisted suicide in the UKThe Cass Report and the truth about transgender treatmentsEncouraging signs among Gen ZTrump’s election victory and a GOP shiftAnticipating the 2025 Gospelbound seasonBook highlights from 2024Personal projects and updatesDon Carson’s legacy and an important update about his life and ministryMentioned on this episode:"My Top 10 Theology Stories of 2024" by Collin Hansen (article)Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together
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How an Australian Church Is Changing Christian Songwriting
Over the last few decades, church music has shifted. Congregations sing fewer hymns and more praise songs. We hear fewer organ chords and more guitar riffs. We read lyrics that are less theological and more generic.The move toward quicker and more casual songwriting means new music hits our Spotify—and CCLI—lists more quickly. But it also means Christians are sometimes singing repetitive choruses, nonsensical lyrics, or wrong theology.That matters, because we sing those songs so often that we memorize them. We hum them in the car. We play them while we’re making dinner. We lean on them when hard times hit.About 10 years ago, a church in Australia noticed these problems. They tried a different songwriting process. It was slow and clunky and never should have worked—and yet it did.Odds are, you’ve sung their good theology in your church, in your car, or in your kitchen.Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together
Psalm 102 reminds us to record what God has done so that future generations will praise him. The Gospel Coalition's story-telling podcast, Recorded, chronicles a variety of stories of God’s redemptive and transformative work. These narratives testify to the beauty of the gospel on display in this generation—in many places and in surprising ways. Whether your faith is strong or struggling, tune in to Recorded for encouraging snapshots of God’s faithfulness, nearness, and love.
Ireland