"Honorary title for this episode is 'Filling the Void.'" Listen and find out why (and thanks to Alonzo Rojo)! 

Jóvenes for Christ is a summer camp for English-speaking young Christians growing up in bilingual or Spanish-speaking churches and homes. In this episode, we hear from Jóvenes for Christ board members, Kevin Rivera (Lakeview Iglesia de Cristo, Garland, Texas), Alonzo Rojo (Robinson Avenue Iglesia de Cristo, Springdale, Arkansas), and Yazmin Tabares (Robinson Avenue Iglesia de Cristo, Springdale, Arkanses). 

They explain why growing up in English-speaking America and Spanish-speaking churches and homes is hard for young Christians. More important, however, is how this exposes the "generation gaps" common in so many Church of Christ congregations. While older generations in Spanish-speaking congregations may prefer to hold onto the Spanish language, does that come at the cost of driving away their English-speaking younger generations? And how might English-speaking younger generations honor and preserve what is precious from their Spanish-speaking elders?

This episode's cover features Jóvenes for Christ founder JuanRaymon ("J. R.") Rubio, who died in a car crash in December 2024. He was on his way home from a planning retreat for this year's Jóvenes for Christ camp. This episode is dedicated to his memory. Read The Christian Chronicle's report on Rubio's death and its impact on Jóvenes for Christ.

Link to The Christian Chronicle's coverage of the 2025 Jóvenes for Christ camp with its record attendance and baptisms

Link to Jóvenes for Christ (for more information or to support)

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Explore the Bible and the Bible lands with Freed-Hardeman University Graduate School of Theology. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle

MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient, Pulitzer Prize finalist and world famous investigative journalist Jerry Mitchell talks about how a relentless pursuit of the truth honors God and promotes God's desire for justice. In this episode, Mitchell talks about how he helped crack cold cases that brought to justice the murderers of five 1960s-era Civil Rights workers in Mississippi. He also makes a plea for Christians in society to renew and restore their collective and personal efforts to find and hold up truth, even when it hurts.

Link to Race Against Time: A Reporter Reopens the Unsolved Murder Cases of the Civil Rights Era by Jerry Mitchell (Simon & Schuster)

Link to the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting at Mississippi Today

Link to Jerry Mitchell's recent investigative work

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Explore the Bible and the Bible lands with Freed-Hardeman University Graduate School of Theology. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle

The two youngest members of The Christian Chronicle's full-time news team are incoming managing editor Calvin Cockrell (Gen Y) and outgoing managing editor Audrey Jackson (Gen Z). In this episode, they talk about how working with The Christian Chronicle is exposing them to the Church of Christ they never imagined or knew. They also talk about what it is like to be journalists at a time when the profession is under cultural, economic and political duress. And, if they were to start a new Christian Chronicle just for Christians under the age of 30, how would it be different from The Christian Chronicle of preceding generations?

Link to Audrey Jackson's farewell column as she leaves The Christian Chronicle for "greener pastures"

Link to Audrey Jackson's coverage of the 2023 earthquake in Turkey and the local Church of Christ response (referenced in the interview)

Link to Calvin Cockrell's report on a theatrical production at Bouldercrest Church of Christ (referenced in the interview)

Link to Calvin Cockrell's report on two churches merging in Spokane, Washington (referenced in the interview)

Link to The Christian Chronicle on TikTok (referenced in the interview)

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Explore the Bible and the Bible lands with Freed-Hardeman University Graduate School of Theology. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle

In 1979, Church of Christ congregations in Chicago joined together in a concentrated campaign to evangelize the city. That event because the first "Crusade for Christ," an evangelism campaign that visited a major U.S. city every other year until the pandemic. Over the 40 years that the Crusade for Christ visited American cities, tens of thousands of volunteers evangelized tens of thousands of neighbors, leading to countless baptisms.

This July 2025, the Crusade for Christ returns and up to 2,000 Church of Christ members from around the U.S. will converge on Detroit to feed the hungry, heal the sick, knock on doors and participate in "marketplace ministry" for five days.

In this episode, Leonardo Gilbert, national director of the Crusade for Christ talks about why personal evangelism among strangers still works, even in a social media age when everyone seems to be afraid of "stranger danger."

Link to the Crusade for Christ event website

Link to The Christian Chronicle's archive coverage of past Crusade for Christ e events 

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Explore the Bible and the Bible lands with Freed-Hardeman University Graduate School of Theology. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle

In early July 2025, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service changed its interpretation of the tax code to give houses of worship more leeway to engage in political speech, which may include endorsing candidates...even from the pulpit.

Is this a good thing for the church and its Great Commission?

Chris McCurley, preaching minister with the Walnut Street Church of Christ in Dickson, Tennessee, and host of the popular Dear Church Podcast, joins us to talk about politics in church. How much energy and time should preachers give to preaching and teaching on the politics of the day? When they do preach and teach on politics, what is the biblical way to do it? And should congregations and their preachers get into the political campaigning and endorsing business?

Link to a Church Law & Tax article that explains, in detail, the IRS's recent re-interpretation of the tax code and what it means to houses of worship in the United States

Link to the Dear Church Podcast

Link to the Journey to Hope Podcast (where Christian Chronicle Podcast host BT Irwin was a recent guest)

Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate

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Explore the Bible and the Bible lands with Freed-Hardeman University Graduate School of Theology. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle

On Sunday, June 22, 2025, a gunman armed with an AR-15 assault rifle opened fire on Crosspointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, as it assembled for worship. A fast-thinking deacon and two armed members of the congregation's security team killed the gunman before he could enter the church building and take the lives of any members or visitors.

As the frequency of active shooter situations at houses of worship is on the rise, how many congregations are prepared if the worst case happens?

Our guest is Rick Arrington, a security expert who trains houses of worship, schools and law enforcement agencies across the United States. A retired police lieutenant and an elder with the Rocky Mount (Virginia) Church of Christ, Arrington is the founder and CEO of the Crime Prevention Center and author of Securing the Faithful: Preventing and Addressing Crime in Places of Worship from Sunset Institute Press.

In this episode, Rick explains how congregations can better secure themselves against active shooters and other threats without abandoning the compassion, kindness, hospitality and openness that are to characterize the church of Christ.

Link to Crime Prevention Center

Link to Securing the Faithful: Preventing and Addressing Crime in Places of Worship by Rick Arrington

Link to The Christian Chronicle's coverage of active shooters at Church of Christ congregations

Link to a Christian Chronicle story (from March 2020) about Rick Arrington's ministry to help congregations better secure themselves

Listeners to this episode get a 50 PERCENT DISCOUNT on Rick's Securing the Faithful online training course. Click on the link below and enter the discount code PSQ5ZGC at checkout. crimepreventioncenter.org/training-courses/online-securing-the-faithful-course

Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate

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Explore the Bible and the Bible lands with Freed-Hardeman University Graduate School of Theology. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle

On June 12, 2025, The Christian Chronicle's Bobby Ross Jr. released a story about the Arlington (Virginia) Church of Christ. That congregation removed the pews from the center of its auditorium and replaced them with tables. Now, worshipers leave their seats and gather around those tables to share the Lord's Supper with each other. 

The article stirred up strong opinions among Christian Chronicle readers. Some affirm how the Arlington Church of Christ is trying a fresh and purposeful practice of the Lord's Supper. Others, however, believe that the new practice distracts worshipers from a solemn remembrance of the death of Jesus.

The energetic conversation among readers led The Christian Chronicle's opinions editor, Dr. Jeremie Beller, to write a column of his own. He wasn't the only Bible scholar to weigh in. Christa Sanders Bryant, an author, teacher, and PhD student in Biblical studies at Faulkner University shared the article and some thoughts of her own. 

In this episode, Bryant shares her own experiences with the Lord's Supper and how her biblical research reveals what 21st century Church of Christ folks may be missing from the church's first century practice.

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Explore the Bible and the Bible lands with Freed-Hardeman University Graduate School of Theology. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle

Lifeway Research executive director Scott McConnell is back to talk about some new research that sheds light on current events.

For starters, church attendance and sales of Bibles are going up. Not only that, but Americans' regard for the Bible seems to be increasing. Young people, in particular are demonstrating more openness to learning about the Bible. Scott explores what could be driving these trends and what it means for Church of Christ congregations and members.

Next, we turn to Lifeway Research's ongoing research on how evangelical Christians say they feel and think about immigrants and immigration in the United States. On one hand, evangelical Christians say that they are pro-immigrant and pro-immigration by a wide margin; on the other hand, they continue to support politicians that seem to be anti-immigrant and anti-immigration. What explains this?

Link to Lifeway Research's latest findings on the increase in church attendance in the United States

Link to Lifeway Research's latest findings on attitudes about the Bible and Bible-reading habits among Americans

Link to Lifeway Research's latest findings on how evangelical Christians feel and think about immigrants and immigration in the United States

Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate

Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

Explore the Bible and the Bible lands with Freed-Hardeman University Graduate School of Theology. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle

Church of Christ member Brian Bates is one of the cleanest--and hottest--comedians in the country these days. In this episode, he takes us behind the jokes to reveal how a comedian builds rapport and trust with strangers--whether they're in a bar on Saturday night or a church on Sunday afternoon. Could all Christians learn something about the "Jesus way" from stand-up comedians? 

Link to Brian Bates's website, including upcoming shows and videos

Link to the Nateland Podcast, featuring co-hosts Nate Bargatze, Brian Bates, Dusty Slay, and Aaron Weber

Link to Ryan Hamilton (a clean comedian that Brian Bates recommends)

Link to Greg Warren (another clean comedian Brian recommends)

Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate

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Explore the Bible and the Bible lands with Freed-Hardeman University Graduate School of Theology. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle

Could eating more pie lead to healthier and stronger churches?

Doug Pell says "yes." A longtime Church of Christ elder and retired senior executive from the U.S. defense industry, Pell recently authored Set in Order the Things That Are Lacking: Lessons in Biblical Leadership (Sain Publications).

In this episode, Pell shares the experience he gained from decades in church and corporate leadership and the knowledge he gained from his intense study of biblical eldership for local congregations.

Pell touches on the following themes:

• Why the corporate management model is not the leadership model that the Lord chooses for his church
• Why biblical leadership is harder than anyone imagines, but perhaps not as hard to attain as congregations might think
• How congregational leadership must happen in living rooms, not elders' meetings
• Why deacons and wives may be the most important people to a congregation's eldership
• And what does pie have to do with congregational health?

Link to Set in Order the Things That Are Lacking: Lessons in Biblical Leadership

Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate

Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

Explore the Bible and the Bible lands with Freed-Hardeman University Graduate School of Theology. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle