8 June, 2025

News Briefs for Jan. 24

by | 24 January, 2024 | 0 comments

A book by Matthew Bates, a scholar with RENEW.org and associate professor of theology at Quincy (Ill.) University, was selected as the top title in the Popular Theology category of Christianity Today’s 2024 Book Awards. 

Why the Gospel? Living the Good News of King Jesus with Purpose can help “new and mature believers alike . . . rekindle a living allegiance to King Jesus,” wrote CT reviewer Rachel Lynn Lawrence. 

“I’ve understood the ‘what’ of the Good News,” Lawrence wrote, “but after delving more fully into the ‘why,’ I’ve discovered even greater depths to biblical messages of salvation, glory, and divine kingship.” 

“We know what the gospel is,” a tagline for the Eerdman’s book shares, “but do we know why it is.” 

Bates’s 2021 book, The Gospel Precisely: Surprisingly Good News about Jesus Christ the King, was released via RENEW.

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Two successive accidents involving motor vehicles outside Community Christian Church in Plainfield, Ill., Jan. 17 resulted in the death of a 12-year-old girl who had just attended a CCC youth activity, media outlets reported. 

The girl had been a passenger in a vehicle involved in the first two-vehicle crash. She then quickly got out of her vehicle and was in the roadway when she was struck by a third vehicle, according a Plainfield Police Department report. 

Gianna Lamb, 12, died later at a local hospital. 

According to WLS, people involved in both accidents were part of the church and were either driving to or from the church. 

“We’re going to see this family and the families involved through this tragedy,” John Ciesniewski, community pastor with CCC-Plainfield, told WLS. “We’re going to love ’em. We’re going to walk every step of the way with them. And we’re going to hope and pray this never happens again.” 

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The National Preaching Summit will gather at The Creek in Indianapolis on March 11-12 to explore the theme, “Undivided: Preaching Unity in Turbulent Times.”  

The Summit focuses on helping preachers become better biblical communicators. College Press Publishing Co. organizes the event each year. The emphasis this year is on overcoming the things that divide us so we can live in unity under the name of Christ (John 17:20-21).

Speakers will include Jaron Scott, Sean Palmer, Ben Cachiaras, Daniel McCoy, and Jason Ishmael. Ten workshops also will be offered during four worship hours. 

Registration cost is $169. College student/college-age registration is $75. Learn more and register at preachingsummit.com.

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Send news items to cs@christianstandardmedia.com.

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