Faith News Network

NEXT 2018, held January 22-24 in Cumming, Ga., will bring together more than 100 next generation pastors and youth ministry leaders from some of the largest churches in the United States to have conversations about some of today’s most pressing issues. Since its inception four years ago, the event has tackled various topics, from racial reconciliation to workplace culture.

“Oftentimes, leaders in ministry feel like they’re alone,” said Frank Bealer, executive director of leadership development at Orange. “We’re wrestling out loud the unique tensions of the church without fear or judgment.”

The event will feature TED Talk-style presentations and roundtable discussions and is hosted by Orange at its headquarters north of Atlanta, Ga. Leading up to the event, attendees submitted questions pertaining to their challenges as ministry leaders that will be answered in the group format.

This is an invitation-only event. The discussions, ideas, and strategies generated at past NEXT events have positively influenced thousands of churches and the world. For more information about the event, visit next.thinkorange.com.

About Orange:
Orange (The reThink Group) is a nonprofit organization providing resources and training to help churches maximize their influence on the spiritual growth of the next generation.

(Source: Christian Newswire)

Church of God USA Missions will be hosting two conferences for equipping prospective church planters to plant or re-launch life-giving churches.

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today it will establish a Conscience and Religious Freedom Division within the Office for Civil Rights to specialize in enforcement of and compliance with laws that protect conscience and free exercise of religion, and that prohibit coercion and discrimination. Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver and Director of Public Policy Jonathan Alexandre participated in today’s event in which HHS emphasized its commitment to faith-based organizations.

Family Research Council commended the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for approving the nomination of Governor Sam Brownback (R-Kans.) to be the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, a job then-Senator Brownback was pivotal in creating in 1998 to address religious persecution and genocide around the world.

The winter 2018 issue of Church of God Engage has been released and is available digitally at www.cogengage.org.

Thousands of pro-life supporters will take part Friday (January 19) in the 2018 annual March for Life in downtown Atlanta.