BREAKING NEWS
News 1: CHRISTIAN MUSIC WEEK OPENS WITH 40 DAYS FESTIVAL
The 40 Days of Christian Music programme resumes today at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky with Jordan Family Band and The Promise, alongside speaker Ray Flynn. The Ark concerts begin at 4pm. The wider programme continues this week with The Hoppers, The Whisnants, Selah, 11th Hour, Gold City, Cochren & Co. and, on Saturday, Crowder.
With styles ranging from Southern Gospel and quartet music to contemporary Christian music and worship, the event offers a particularly broad snapshot of the Christian music landscape rather than concentrating on a single genre.
News 2: JOHN VAN DEUSEN GOES BIG
Singer-songwriter and worship pastor John Van Deusen is taking an intentionally different approach to modern worship music with the two-part project As Long As I Am In The Tent Of This Body I Will Make A Joyful Noise.
Rather than designing the project around short streaming cycles and radio singles, Van Deusen has created an ambitious 36-song indie-rock worship collection influenced by the alternative music world. Part 2 arrives 28 August through Anotherland Records, while its first single, “Only Living If I’m Abiding,” is available now.
Van Deusen, formerly frontman of The Lonely Forest, now serves as a worship pastor in Washington state. He told CCM Magazine that making music in his own distinctive studio style has itself become an act of worship.
It is an encouraging reminder that Christian music does not have to fit one production formula. Worship can sound congregational, gospel, orchestral, hip-hop, folk—or indie rock.
News 3: GERMAN EVANGELICALS EMPHASISE PEACE AND BRIDGE-BUILDING
The Evangelical Alliance in Germany has been marking the historic legacy of the Bad Blankenburg Alliance Conference while renewing its emphasis on reconciliation and peacebuilding.
Alliance chairman Reinhardt Schink has stressed the importance of Christians acting as bridge-builders and protecting human dignity amid European tensions. The commemorations also coincide with the wider 180th anniversary of the World Evangelical Alliance.
The focus is noteworthy because it presents Christian public engagement not simply as winning arguments, but as creating relationships across divisions.
News 4: NATIONAL OUTREACH UNDERWAY IN MEXICO
A large evangelical mobilisation called “México, Tierra de Bendición” is now underway across Mexico. A caravan of 120 vehicles and hundreds of Christians departed from Tuxtla Gutiérrez as part of a wider campaign involving churches, prayer, home visits and gospel outreach. Organisers say the initiative ultimately hopes to reach one million families across the country’s 32 states.
The main mobilisation runs through 16 August, with related activity expected to continue later in the year.
News 5: Swiss Minister Apologises to Churches
In a comparatively constructive religious-freedom development, Switzerland’s defence minister has apologised to Catholic and Protestant leaders after churches were not consulted before the government removed clergy’s longstanding exemption from military-service obligations.
The apology acknowledges that the churches should have been included in the process, although debate about the policy itself continues.
Today’s bulletin keeps this section intentionally concise rather than adding distressing stories simply to increase the headline count.
