Experiencing The Word
Church membership may be declining, but many churchgoers are double-dosing
Amid a collapse of loyalty to religious institutions, many churchgoers say they are attending multiple congregations on Sunday morning. By
Schools are looking for chaplains, but the understanding of who – and what – chaplains are varies widely
By Bryn Mawr College President Wendy Cadge and the school’s Director of Research Amy Lawton There is an ongoing push
Brooklyn’s Black church choirs persist amid attendance decline, gentrification
Choirs that once packed Brooklyn sanctuaries now sing to smaller crowds as pandemic-era streaming lingers and gentrification reshapes Black neighborhoods.
Gullah Geechee elders work to preserve sacred songs passed down by enslaved ancestors
By Luis Andres Henao ST. HELENA ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Minnie “Gracie” Gadson claps her hands and stomps her feet against
‘God understands us’: Inside a Nigerian church where deaf people find faith and community
By Ope Adetayo LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — It is like any other church in Nigeria‘s megacity of Lagos. A lectern faces rows
ELCA elects first Black presiding bishop, calls Israel’s action in Gaza a genocide
The Rev. Yehiel Curry, bishop of the ELCA’s Metropolitan Chicago Synod since 2019, will serve a six-year term as presiding
Trump administration again omits refugees fleeing religious persecution from US program
The Trump administration set the refugee cap for 2027 at 17,500, the same as this year. That would make it
They are paid to bring rain. When it fails – or leads to floods – violence can follow
By Rodney Muhumuza and Joseph Falzetta NAMISINDWA, Uganda (AP) — The farmers who paid David Nabutsilili money to summon rain were
16th Street Baptist Church marks bombing anniversary with a new visitor center
By Kim Chandler The Associated Press BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Sixty-three years ago, dynamite planted by Ku Klux Klan members exploded
RNS tracked the religious lawsuits against Trump’s immigration policies. Here’s what we found.
Eighty religious plaintiffs from 11 major faith traditions have joined lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s immigration policies, according to a
‘I am a person of faith’: How Christianity shaped Dolly Parton’s music and spirit
Country music icon Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday, credited her faith for her career, which crossed religions, races and politics
Clergy rally for Haitians in Maryland county amid fears of ICE surge
‘When I go to their house, they have to make sure it’s me before they even go to the door,’
Bible Verse
OCTOBER 2026
I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
PSALM 32: 5-8
Pray
OCTOBER 2026
- for missionaries, USAID and all others who devote their lives sharing the Good News gospel, feeding the hungry, and attending to health care needs around the world.
- for children, the homeless, migrants and other vulnerable people who need God's protection, strength, and encouragement.
- for leaders and authorities who need wisdom,. discernment, and integrity as they make decisions that affect our communities and nation.
- for Christians who stand in the gap in our nation. Give them your grace to overcome the hatred, immorality and nihilism that seem to grip our land.