Faith & Purpose
‘I Am Restored’
Two-time Grammy winning hip-hop artist and New York Times bestselling author Lecrae shares his thoughts on George Floyd and opens up about his own struggles and journey to restoration.
Building Bridges
New nationwide school integration initiative to bring together districts, charters, and housing experts.
Successful Moms of the Bible
Motherhood is not for the weak. It takes guts to raise children well and still keep ourselves intact. We need more than a firm hand and a special, authoritative look; we need wisdom and help. If we open our eyes and hearts, we can hear the moms of the Bible teaching us invaluable lessons about raising our kids.
Black church leaders urge churchgoers to continue to ‘tele-worship’
Top officials of seven black Christian denominations have joined civil rights leaders in calling for people to stay home until it is safe in states whose governors are lifting shelter-in-place orders.
Rethinking Sacrifice
Through the lens of the cross, Rev. Toby Sanders invites us to reimagine what a healthy notion of sacrifice would mean for our vocations and our communities
Christians face an online Easter, preparing to share the gospel without sharing the virus
Because of COVID-19, observing religious feasts online, such as Easter, is mainstream this year. A theologian and a sociologist offer six considerations for digital religion.
6 Ways to Live and Make a Difference in a COVID-19 World
Dr. Cindy Trimm, a bestselling author, and leader of a global ministry offers six practical and engaging ways to empower the faith community so we can pro-actively manage the challenging days before us.
A Vision of Success
Johnnie Jones III has made it a life’s mission to help young people see beyond the ‘hood.
Why technology didn’t (and won’t) destroy the church
Technology has become an empowerment tool for both pastors and parishioners. Online versions of the Bible are one factor people point to when citing reasons for increased engagement with the Good Book. But on the other side of the pulpit, technology is now empowering pastors to minister more effectively.
Coronavirus Close Your Church? Here Are 10 Churches to Watch Online!
The Urban Faith team asked friends, family, and Facebook members. Here are 10 great options that were recommended by our online community. Get your praise on and take a moment to offer up prayers for those who are sick and suffering.
Tech-Based Health Program Brings Our Kids, Parents Together
Rural African American families typically have more disadvantages than those living in urban areas. But high-tech options can help.
When Lenten fasting is indistinguishable from a New Age cleanse
Increasingly, the popular concept of Lent has been transformed into a kind of vaguely theistic detox. It’s a chance not to give up earthly pleasures but to exorcise toxins.
How to use digital devices this Lent for holy reflection
Digital fasting during Lent has become popular. Technology, in fact, can be good for religion.
25 Podcast Shorts on Love & Life
Be inspired by 25 biblically based, two-minute devotional podcast shorts that cover tough love, love and sorrow, love and relationships, beloved hymns, unconditional love, peace and love, and loving Jesus.
How Clergy Can Avoid Burnout
Parishioners play an important role in clergy well-being. The clergy who do best have parishioners who remember they are human.
The Curious Origins of Christmas
Christmas has pagan roots, but that isn’t a reason not to celebrate it, instead it gives us reason to believe all the more in the season’s power.
Teaching Your Kids About God: Christ vs. Christianity
COMMENTARY: My 13-year-old son’s shocking confession forced me to confront my tendency to obscure Jesus behind the “religious” parts of my faith.
Teacher Wants to Pay it Forward
Raymond Blanks knows Newark gets a bad rap beyond its borders. He also knows “how beautiful” his hometown can be. Returning to teach the children of Newark felt like a personal responsibility.
Arkansas’ Teacher of the Year uses poetry and hometown pride to connect with her students
Stacey James McAdoo talks about how she gets her students to open up, how she confronts racism and other “isms” in the classroom, and how teaching in her hometown makes her a different kind of educator.
Cleanin’ Up Christmas
We are meticulous in repainting the Christmas narrative to make it look beautiful to the world, but do we miss out on the significance of humble beginnings when we do this?
‘Overcomer’ Star Priscilla Shirer to Headline Selah Conference
NEWS RELEASE: Created by Vashti Murphy McKenzie, bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the first woman elected to this position in the denomination’s 232-year history, Selah is the place for women to dream big, go home, and execute.
The Gospel and Embodied Solidarity
“Same God,” is a documentary about Larycia Hawkins, the first African American woman to be a tenured professor at Wheaton College in Illinois, who set out to highlight the commonalities among Judaism, Islam, and Christianity and discovered what keeps them apart.
Ashamed of the Gospel?
Have you ever been ashamed to share the Gospel? Don’t be so quick to answer that question. In this article, Cornell Ngare offers a personal reflection on the difficulties – and opportunities – of evangelism.
COMMENTARY: I had a teacher who looked like me
“It is imperative that my students feel like they matter, and that they are accurately represented in their classrooms. I want them to see someone who looks like them, shares similar experiences and provides authentic anecdotes to overcome the challenges they experience.”
Black minister to his mostly white ELCA denomination: ‘We need to rethink church’
The Rev. Lenny Duncan is not your typical Evangelical Lutheran Church in America minister. Duncan is the black pastor of a mostly Afro-Caribbean congregation in one of the nation’s least diverse denominations.
DE’LEICE R. DRANE ON HER EMPOWERING BOOK “LIFE IS…”
De’Leice R. Drane and Rev. Dr. Bernice King discuss Drane’s book “Life Is…: An Inspirational Book of Devotions, Prayers, and Empowerment.”
Could black philanthropy help solve the black student debt crisis?
Black charitable giving, in part, arose from the black church and fraternal organizations throughout the 1800s and 1900s with movements such as abolitionism, the Black Women’s Club Movement and the Civil Rights Movement.
Maryland has created a truth commission on lynchings – can it deliver?
The first truth commission to research lynchings has been established in Maryland. It has the potential to educate the public about and support racial reconciliation. But it also faces obstacles.
Gospel choirs try to build racial harmony through song
A number of choirs are dedicated to bridging black and white communities in metropolitan areas rarely associated with racial harmony.
In African refugee camps, app replaces Bibles left behind
The digital library has done much to replace the reference books many South Sudanese churches lost to the tumult of the country’s civil war.
Psychiatrist Stays Close To Home And True To Her Childhood Promise
Yamanda Edwards is the only psychiatrist at Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital, caring for residents in South Los Angeles, a community with a shortage of mental health care.
Easter Sunrise and the Risen Inmate
On Easter morning, God rejoices in the praises of His people from the church sanctuaries. But God also listens for the prayers of the prisoner. Will we also remember the prisoners and their families on Resurrection morning?
Isn’t Lent Depressing?
Dr. Monica Coleman explores how someone who lives with depression can actually like such a depressing time of the church year.
It’s Lent, Shhh…Don’t Tell Anyone
It’s time to stop talking about what we are giving up for Lent — or judging those who do — and start pressing into Lent quietly and in expectation of God’s reward.
Fighting urban violence, one empty lot at a time
Could cleaning up neighborhoods make cities safer? Researchers are looking at novel, inexpensive solutions to crime that everyone can agree on.
‘A personal legacy’: Quilts seek to honor lynching victims
People can look at the quilts longer than a lynching photo and take in the history, Quilting has long been a traditional medium for African-American art.
Podcast Short: One teacher’s faithfulness had a remarkable outcome
God does exactly all He promises to do. He is absolutely trustworthy, so those who place their faith in Him can count on His faithfulness forever.
Podcast Short: A Vietnam War survivor promotes peace
Individuals and groups all across the world need to see models of peace and harmony among God’s people—especially in families, in churches, and between ethnic groups.
Colorado linebacker finds balance between football and faith
As a Seventh-day Adventist, Taylor observed the Sabbath from sundown on Fridays to sundown on Saturdays during his high school days by resting and worshipping. On Friday night, he helped fill water bottles before games and then headed home for prayer.
In ‘gOD-Talk’ discussions, black millennials explore their faith, spirituality
African-American millennials are charting their own course when it comes to spirituality.
A Tale of Two Farmers
Two farmers who work to make their communities healthier, happier places.
Ministries of Social Entrepreneurship
How social entrepreneurship is funding the work of grassroots urban ministers.
Civil rights legend Meredith says he’s on a mission from God
Meredith aims to confront what he sees as society’s “breakdown of moral character” by encouraging people to live by the Ten Commandments.
The Biggest Risk Facing Young, Black, Christian Men
The most frequent risk young, Black, Christian men face is being thrust into ministry too soon. An acute need for the unique blend of theological and cultural gifts these young men offer sometimes causes churches to send them out before they’re ready.
Will you recognize Him when you see Him?
On a day when I felt every right to be lost in my own weariness, a hungry stranger offered my sons and me the chance to feed Jesus.
Honoring James Cone, founder of Black Theology
We would like to hear how Dr. James Cone influenced you. We invite you to share 200- to 250-word tributes on UrbanFaith.com. Send your tribute with your first and last names, city, state, and church affiliation (if desired) to [email protected]
Loving Past Segregation in America’s Churches
It’s no secret that Sunday morning is often referred to as the most segregated day of the week, when Christians of all races come together to worship among their ethnic peers. However, do most Christians prefer to fellowship this way, even in the most segregated areas...
Author Shares Journey on Beating the Odds in ‘Moments of Surrender’
Moments of Surrender: Revealing the Missing Pieces is a realistic walk through the growing pains of surrendering your life to God. The book is written by Author, Life Empowerment Coach, and Speaker Charlene Bolden who uses her journey from being a child in the foster...
Check Out These 5 Podcasts For Black Christian Millennials
RELATED: 25 Podcasts on Love & Life Hip-hop’s mourning for Nipsey Hussle shows beauty can be found in brokenness 30 Years of Christian in Hip Hop In case you’ve been hiding under a rock, podcasts have become all the rage in recent years. If you are a Christian there...
What to do when Jesus sleeps while the boat is rocking
Matthew 8:23-27 KJV 23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him,...