Controversy involving a church that opposes same-sex marriage and uses a school district’s performing arts center apparently has led the Austin, Texas, school district to reconsider its policies on facility rentals.

Celebration Church, a Georgetown, Texas, congregation, rents the district’s performing arts center to use for the worship services by one of its campuses. But the congregation’s affirmation of marriage as defined by Scripture sparked protests outside Sunday morning service in late August by two gay rights groups, Stonewall Militant Front-ATX and AZAAD Austin. Members of the groups chanted and waved gay pride flags and signs, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

Austin Independent School District now is considering changing the rental policy, an action that would result in the congregation being booted. Officials claim it is not in reaction to the protests. 

“With the [performing arts center], we want to ensure we are keeping it open for students and schools and not eliminating their opportunity to utilize it,” district chief of staff Jacob Reach told the newspaper. “There’s also a lot of wear and tear involved, and [we’re] making sure we keep that building in good shape. We have custodial staff that actually go in there and clean. When we have events every night, it’s just not possible for them to do that. It’s the same with our other…

Christian radio listeners have been fans of Lauren Daigle for a while now. But the two-time Billboard Music Award winner is attracting even more attention with her newest album, Look Up Child.

This week the album, which sold 115,000 units, climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, surpassing popular artists like Ariana Grande, Drake, and Nicki Minaj.

“Granted, the aforementioned musicians’ records are a few weeks old while Daigle’s is brand new. The might of Look Up Child‘s release rivals that of other top artists in the past,” Rolling Stone reported.

“I’m incredibly grateful for how well people have connected with Look Up Child,” she told RollingStone.

Look Up Child is Daigle’s second studio album, and it’s broken a few records so far, according to the magazine:

• 
  Biggest Christian music album of 2018.
• 
  Biggest traditional sales frame of any Christian album in nine years.
• 
  Best debut sales for a Christian female artist in 20 years.

RollingStone went on to say: “The album’s success highlights something broader, however: the deep persistence of Christian music in the U.S. audience — an aspect of music consumption that has been largely skipped over by headlines proclaiming rap as the sole driver of modern music in America. While rap and R&B have indeed risen to become the leading genre of music consumption, Christian music remains a…

ABC’s “The Middle” star Atticus Shaffer recently sat down with Billy Hallowell from PureFlix.com as a part of their “Pure Talk” interview series, to talk about how he has kept his faith in Jesus while working in Hollywood.

The 20-year-old actor starred on the popular sitcom, “The Middle” for nine years until it went off the air earlier this year. 

During his appearance on “Pure Talk,” Shaffer was asked a series of questions from fans, the first among them, “What is your favorite book of the bible?”

Shaffer shared that though he hasn’t read the entire bible yet, he has found a fondness for the book of John, his mother’s favorite book. 

Shaffer said it became one of his favorites because, “it talks a lot about healing and about what we have been given – the fruits of the spirit, the gifts of the spirit – when we accept Jesus as Lord.” 

Shaffer also noted that he liked the Old Testament book Isaiah calling it, “incredibly powerful.”

The actor shared with Hallowell that he and his mother do a daily bible study together alternating between old and new testament scripture noting that it helps him to fully understand the prophets with “Jesus in [his] heart.”  

Another part of Shaffer’s life that he has been very open about is his battle with osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease.

When…

Many Christian leaders are offering their opinions on Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and they are divided. 

Though the schism has only become greater since Kavanaugh was accused of sexual assault on two occasions, faith leaders were divided on his potential appointment well before then.

Here is what they have had to say:

Most notably, evangelist and president of Samaritan’s Purse relief agency, Franklin Graham, said to Christian Broadcasting Network “It’s just a shame that a person like Judge Kavanaugh who has a stellar record — that somebody can bring something up that he did when he was a teenager close to 40 years ago. That’s not relevant. We’ve got to look at a person’s life and what they’ve done as an adult and are they qualified for this position. So this is just an attempt to smear him.” Graham was met with much backlash after making this comment, many questioning the message the preacher was sending to survivors of sexual assault.

American Family Association President Tim Wildmon seemed to agree with Graham that the accusations are a part of a smearing campaign saying, “We’ve seen this game played before. Clarence Thomas. Herman Cain. Roy Moore. In some shape or form, each of those men had charges of sexual misconduct lodged against them during seasons of political rancor when it was impossible to prove — or…

As Hurricane Florence flooded North Carolina this month, an nondenominational megachurch was turned into a makeshift medical shelter to provide safe haven for some of the most medically-reliant people in the area.

Although thousands of people were evacuated throughout North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia to normal disaster response shelters, some evacuees needed more care than could be provided in a typical evacuation shelter.

Thankfully for people in the Raleigh area, C3 Church in Clayton voluntarily opened its doors to those in need of medical assistance during what is said to be the wettest tropical cyclone ever to strike the Tarheel State.

According to North Carolina Health News, Pastor Matt Fry…

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article titled “Do We Still Need to Believe in Hell?” which has evangelist Franklin Graham speaking out. The article poses questions about the afterlife and if Hell even exists.

The article, written by Dr. Scott G. Bruce, professor of history at Fordham University, argues that “Hell is a cruel and oppressive concept” that has lost its power on mankind thanks to scientific theories like Charles Darwin’s evolution. 

The professor asserts that the concept of Hell should be dispelled from humanity saying, “In some distant, better future, the foreclosure of Hell will be an important step in the maturation of human communities that can mete out justice on their own, without supernatural aid.”

Upon reading this article, Graham took to Twitter to defend what the Bible says about Hell, that it is not a concept, but “reality.” 

Graham wrote, “A few days ago the @WSJ published an article titled “Do We Still need to Believe in Hell?” The writer says that “Hell is a cruel and oppressive concept…” The fact is, Hell is much more than a concept—it’s a reality.”

A few days ago the @WSJ published an article titled “Do We Still need to Believe in Hell?” The writer says that, “Hell is a cruel and oppressive concept…” The fact is, Hell is much more than a concept—it’s a reality. 1/3

As he gets ready for his final Sunday at Quest Church in Seattle, Washington, Founding Pastor Eugene Cho, formally introduced the Rev. Brenda Salter McNeil as the church’s new transitional pastor.

McNeil, who previously served as a teaching pastor at Quest Church, is also an associate professor of reconciliation studies in the School of Theology at Seattle Pacific University.

She was welcomed to the transitional pastor role during a blessing service at the church on Sunday, which she highlighted on social media.

“I was formally introduced and blessed as the new Transitional Pastor at @seattlequest today! My goal is that we’ll be as spiritually, relationally, organizationally and financially strong & healthy as Pastor @EugeneCho has left us. May it be so, Lord!” McNeil noted in a post on Twitter late Sunday night.

McNeil is expected to serve as transitional pastor from October 2018 to March 2019 when a new lead pastor is expected to be nominated, according to information posted on the church’s website.

Pastor Cho and…