Good News Club wins case in Hawaii
The Child Evangelism Fellowship has won its case in court. The organization which is the operator of the Good News Bible Club has won the right to establish the clubs in the state of Hawaii.
The organization had previously been denied applications to establish a club on the island state. The group was rejected by the state’s Department of Education at least six times over a three-year period. The CEF was represented by Liberty Counsel in their lawsuit. A U.S. district court ruled the Child Evangelism Fellowship must be given the same equal rights as any other school club that applies to be in public schools. Attorneys for the group called the decision a great victory for the CEF, parents, and students in Hawaii public schools.
BGEA announces legal fund for UK Christians
Rev. Franklin Graham has announced a new legal support group for Christians in Great Britain. The Billy Graham Defense Fund was recently announced by Graham, CEO and President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The group will offer legal support to Christians in the UK facing court cases due to religious persecution. In a statement Rev. Graham says he hopes the creation of this legal group encourages Christians in the UK to continue sharing their faith freely and with boldness. The legal fund is believed to have stemmed from the organization’s previous experience in the UK. In 2018, the BGEA’s tour of the UK was canceled, following the organization being forced to take down advertisements for their upcoming crusade. The group also had several venues cancel scheduled crusade events. The organization later sued and won a religious discrimination case. The organization was later awarded monetary awards totaling over 700- thousand dollars in damages.
Church/Pastor announce largest baptism event numbers in US history
A group in California is reporting the largest baptism event in US History. According to Baptize California, thousands gathered to be baptized at a beach and churches across the state as part of a statewide campaign to witness the Gospel. Pastor Mark Francey, who organized the event, says it was part of a vision given to him by God as an outreach to witness the Gospel to other California residents. The event resulted in six thousand people being baptized on the beach and six thousand more being baptized at various partner churches. Pastor Francey commented on the event saying in part, “You can smell another Great Awakening in the air like rain before it hits”. “God lit a match yesterday! If God can do this in the church in California, it can — and it will — happen in the rest of America!” The pastor and founder of Oceans Church previously hosted Baptize SoCal where over four thousand people accepted Christ as their Savior and were baptized.
SNBC Health report: excessive social media use and its effect on health
The US Surgeon General recently announced his desire to add a warning label to social media platforms. According to Dr. Vivek Murthy, the warning would be to address the growing correlation between adolescent mental health and social media use. According to Dr. Murthy, teenagers who spend three hours or more on social media have a higher risk of issues with anxiety and depression. The surgeon general compared the effects of social media on teens to the same risk as driving in an unsafe vehicle or consuming junk food in excess. Dr. Murthy advised parental monitoring and urged social media platforms to safeguard their sites. According to a study published on Yale Medicine’s website there are some teens who show positive effects from being on social media. However, over the last decade doctors have seen an increase with mental health issues in teens and children ages 12-15 who are on social media for an excessive amount of time.