Table Of Contents
September 2021
Volume 65, Number 6
September
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About This Issue
Our September issue went to press before the stunningly rapid fall of Afghanistan’s government. This month’s cover honors the history of faithful, unseen service in Afghanistan on the part of local believers and Christian aid workers. With US troops largely gone from the country and the Taliban now firmly in control, it’s easy to forget that the church was at work there long before America’s “forever war” began—and will remain at work there, in whatever form it takes, now that the war has ended.
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Cover Stories

What Christian Aid Workers Want You to Know About Afghanistan
US forces are withdrawing after 20 years, but the story of Christian aid work goes far beyond military conflict.
She Was Captured by the Taliban in 2001. But God Gave Her a Bigger Story.
Q&A with Heather Mercer who went on to work for freedom in Kurdistan and adopt a Kurdish son.

Features

God Uses Changing Climates to Change Societies
In the Bible and in history, crises in creation can lead to reformation.
Where the Great Commission Meets Deportation
For millions of immigrants, removal from the United States is the heartbreaking end of a dream. For these two, it was also the birth of a ministry.
Populism Poses Dangers to Democracy. It Does the Same to Christian Witness.
How polarizing narratives corrupt our hearts and redefine our faith.
I Went to Hollywood to Make Music. Now I Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord.
How a celebrity vocal coach changed her tune after encountering the truths of Scripture.

Views

The Church Has Helped to Heal Those It Once Hurt
We can imitate those in Acts 6 who responded to the needs of neglected and oppressed women.
Why Christians Keep Preaching to Themselves
Sanctification, while certain, is not sudden.
Why Environmental Destruction Is Bad for Worship
When we destroy God’s creation, we can no longer hear its call to awe.

Reviews

Understanding Autism from the Inside
In a candid account of living on the spectrum, a Taylor University professor invites us to see his “deficiencies” as gifts.
Getting High Is (Increasingly) Lawful. Is It Ever Beneficial?
A pastor’s perspective on recreational and medicinal marijuana.
New and Noteworthy Books
Compiled by Matt Reynolds.
Fannie Lou Hamer’s Fight for First-Class Citizenship
Remembering a courageous civil rights activist whose name and story are too little known.
Well-Intentioned Sin Is Still Sin and Deserves Judgment
Why a holy God can’t overlook even the smallest offense.

News

Ministering to the 9/11 First Responders Who Never Had to Be Told to ‘Never Forget’
Twenty years after terrorist attack, the spiritual needs of survivors continue.
1 out of 3 New Guitars Are Purchased for Worship Music
Industry study says church bands are core business.
Pro-Life Advocates Push Local Resolutions
Tired of failures at the ballot box and in courts, some turn to community declarations.
Safeguard Gaps Leave Refugees Vulnerable to Sexual Abuse, Exploitation
Jordan church got hundreds of thousands of dollars in international Christian aid, but little to no oversight.

More from this Issue

Our September Issue: Hope Beyond the Headlines
In Afghanistan as elsewhere, there is more than meets the media’s eye.
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Responses to our May/June issue.