Church Camp: Belonging, Betrayal, and New Beginnings
Roasted marshmallows, campfire stories, shaving cream battles—for some of us, Christian summer camp is where we felt most at home. But for campers at white Evangelical church camps in particular,…
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S8 E16 | Why I Haven’t Sent My Kids to Church Camp with Cara Meredith
Apple YouTube Spotify More! For some of us, Christian summer camp is where we felt most at home. But for campers at white Evangelical church camps in particular, camp was…
COGNOSCENTI | Why our family still makes time for church on Sundays
"On Sunday mornings, our family does something unusual. We wake our three teenagers earlier than they want, shower and dress up a little bit, and drive seven minutes up the…
S7 E8 | The Gifts of an Evolving Faith with Sarah Bessey
Apple YouTube Spotify More! Is faith something that should always stay the same? Or is it something that evolves by necessity? Sarah Bessey, author of Field Notes for the Wilderness,…
Screenshot of cover graphic of RNS essay
RNS | Why do I still go to church?
READ THE RNS ESSAY: Why do I still go to church? For many Americans, going to church has become outdated, impractical, and in some cases even a sign of oppression.…
There Are Good Reasons for Leaving Church. Why Do I Stay?
There are good reasons for leaving church: scandals, abuse, hypocrisy, patriarchal structures, intolerance. Nearly 40 million American adults were once churchgoers but aren't any longer, according to Jim Davis, Michael…
Hillsong was extraordinary. That’s the problem. | RNS
I watched the FX documentary, The Secrets of Hillsong last week, and it struck me that the allure of Hillsong was also the cause of its downfall. If you aren’t…
Nonverbal Individuals in the Church
When Penny was first born, an older Christian woman with a child with Down syndrome came to visit. She told me how her church hadn’t wanted to baptize her daughter…
I’m a Denominational Mutt
When it comes to Christianity, I am a denominational mutt. I was baptized as an infant in an Episcopal church. I was confirmed as a tween in a Presbyterian one.…
S6 E8 | Christmas, When Church Lets You Down with Bekah McNeel
It’s Christmastime! But how do we celebrate Christmas when consumerism and church hurt bring complicated feelings to this season? Journalist Bekah McNeel talks with Amy Julia Becker about divisions within…
