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January 29, 2026

This edition is sponsored by A spen Group

Today’s Briefing

After their children survived the Annunciation shooting several months ago, families in the same Anglican church are searching for healing. They found one solution: community.

Reporting from Minneapolis: A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to release lawfully present refugees it has detained in Minnesota in the last few weeks. But the arrests have already shattered the feeling of safety for refugees.

In Kenya, church pews are emptier with young adults attending bullfights on Sundays. Pastors are trying to call them back.

Historian Jon Fea’s latest book roundup explores college football, the enduring myth of the “self-made” success in America, and progressive Christianity’s relationship to war.

From the archives: In 1970, CT caught up with a famous advice columnist who said she received a lot of questions from clergy but more from their wives.

On The Bulletin this week: Minnesotans caring for their neighbors, the March for Life, and the plight of prodemocracy Syrians.

Behind the Story

From senior staff writer Emily Belz: What we might forget in all the news about the immigration enforcement in Minnesota is that the state has been through other unnerving violence in the last six months or so. Last summer, two state lawmakers were shot. Then in late August, a shooter targeted Annunciation Catholic School in its first Mass of the year.

Last month, I was in Minneapolis to spend time with families whose children survived that shooting and who all go to an Anglican church there together. One of the kids was best friends with Fletcher Merkel, an 8-year-old killed in the shooting. More and more children are survivors of these mass shootings, so I thought it would be helpful to see what recovery for them is like in a tight-knit faith community.

The goal in telling their stories now is not to pile sadness on sadness. While the kids and parents are truly struggling—with sleep, with sudden anxiety—they offer a story of a way forward. Americans often deal with suffering and grief in isolation, I think. These families are doing something different, and that’s why they wanted to share their stories with me.

If you scroll to the end of my piece, you can listen to an original song that the worship director at these families’ church wrote after the shooting. I think it’s relevant to all of Minnesota’s recent heartaches.

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In Other News

A Louisiana plaintiff who sued the Food and Drug Administration over its policy to allow mail-order abortion pills is facing pushback from Trump’s Justice Department.
In Maine, ICE has been expanding its operations, including arresting a worship leader who became the fourth immigrant from his congregation to be detained by immigration officials in the past six months.
A podcast explaining the Bible remains on the top of Apple’s charts after three years.

Today in Christian History

January 30, 1649: England’s King Charles I, a devout Anglican with Catholic sympathies who staunchly defended the “divine right of kings” while oppressing the Puritans, is executed after being convicted of treason under a Puritan-influenced Parliament.

What Happens When You Look Away from the Minneapolis Shootings

This piece was adapted from Russell Moore’s newsletter. Subscribe here. In 1981, novelist Walker Percy wrote a column he titled “A View of Abortion with Something to Offend Everybody.” As a Christian, he took…

Christian Devotion Does Not Undermine Christian Charity

It was a “social experiment” playing out on TikTok: A young Kentucky woman called churches asking if they’d buy formula to feed her (fictional) hungry baby. Only a handful agreed on the…

This Winter, Be Bored

Parenting literature these days is full of encouragement to let kids be bored. In an over-scheduled world, kids need downtime. Their brains benefit from white space, which ultimately results in…

Nicki Minaj Is Right on Persecution—But Neglects Suffering Closer to Home

This piece was adapted from the Mosaic newsletter. Subscribe here. Nicki Minaj has gone MAGA. The rapper’s political evolution seems to have begun last fall when she expressed rightful concern over…

in the magazine

Cover of the January / February 2026 of Christianity Today.

When Jesus taught, he used parables. The kingdom of God is like yeast, a net, a pearl. Then and today, to grasp wisdom and spiritual insight, we need the concrete. We need stories. In this issue of Christianity Today, we focus on testimony—the stories we tell, hear, and proclaim about God’s redemptive work in the world. Testimony is a personal application of the Good News. You’ll read Marvin Olasky’s testimony from Communism to Christ, Jen Wilkin’s call to biblical literacy, and a profile on the friendship between theologian Miroslav Volf and poet Christian Wiman. In an essay on pickleball, David Zahl reminds us that play is also a testament to God’s grace. As you read, we hope you’ll apply the truths of the gospel in your own life, church, and neighborhood. May your life be a testimony to the reality of God’s kingdom.

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