Today’s Briefing

Biblical archaeologists try to see under Jerusalem without digging.

Chick-fil-A wants families to be less online—just download its new entertainment app first.

In the Christmas story, the holy family’s flight to Egypt gives us a new perspective on how God works: across millennia, not minutes or days or even years.

Fewer than 1 percent of Serbians are Protestants. A social anthropologist talks with CT about the role of the tiny evangelical minority in the Orthodox culture of the Balkans.

Is today’s evangelicalism overcorrecting its fundamentalist past?

Behind the Story

From editorial director of news Kate Shellnutt: When I was a little kid, my family had a small stack of Adventures in Odyssey tapes that we would listen to in our station wagon or on the big silver cassette player at home. My family wasn’t evangelical, so we didn’t have things like Psalty the Singing Songbook, VeggieTales, Captain Bible, or really any other Christian content. We didn’t go to church. But we did go to Chick-fil-A.

We’d eat in the corner of the second-story food court at Lynnhaven Mall in Virginia Beach in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I’d get a kids’ meal with a tape—they were white and printed and with the Chick-fil-A logo. I thought Adventures in Odyssey and Focus on the Family were made by Chick-fil-A until I was an adult.

Obviously, Adventures in Odyssey is a hugely popular and long-running production of its own, but now Chick-fil-A is actually making up and distributing original productions. This CT piece on the Legends of Evergreen Hills and its new Play app looks at how today’s Christian families are responding to the offerings.

paid content

What if your church building could adapt alongside your ministry?

Aspen Group helps churches design facilities that meet today’s needs while preparing for tomorrow’s opportunities. Their integrated process—from design to construction and furnishings—ensures spaces that foster connection, support spiritual formation, and reflect the heart of your mission.

They know cost matters. That’s why Aspen Group prioritizes stewardship, offering solutions that align with your vision and your budget.

Discover what’s possible at aspengroup.gloo.com.

Advertise with us

In Other News

A California man shot two kindergarteners on the playground of an Adventist school before killing himself.
The launch of NASA’s next mission to the moon has been pushed back to April 2026. CT previously interviewed the pilot, Victor Glover, a Christian who asked people to pray for the astronauts and their families.
Church construction prompted rumors that Orange Country, Florida, was planning a moratorium on church buildings. The county says it is not.
Evangelicals are close to giving away 60,000 Bibles in Lyon, France.

Today in Christian History

December 9, 1608: English poet John Milton is born in London. Though most famous for his epic Paradise Lost, he also penned an exposition of Christian doctrine, a plan for Christian education, and various political writings.

Supreme Court Considers State Bans of Transgender Procedures for Minors

In its first major case on transgender issues, the US Supreme Court seems poised to uphold state restrictions on medical transition for youth. Dozens of protestors gathered on the steps…

The Rabbit Room’s ‘Christmas Carol’ Draws on Dickens’s Pure Religion

No matter how many times I hear “Come Thou Fount,” I still think of an angry Victorian man shouting, “Bah, humbug!” when we reach the Ebenezer line. The name has…

Me and Bobby McGee

Show Notes The Bulletin welcomes Andy McCarthy (National Review) to talk about the Hunter Biden pardon. Then, Russell, Mike, and Clarissa talk about South Korean protests as conflict in Syria…

Died: ‘Late Great Planet Earth’ Author Hal Lindsey

Hal Lindsey, who popularized end times theology by connecting biblical prophecy to current and near-future events, died on November 25 at the age of 95. Lindsey became a household name…

in the magazine

As developments in artificial intelligence change daily, we’re increasingly asking what makes humanity different from the machines we use. In this issue, Emily Belz introduces us to tech workers on the frontlines of AI development, Harvest Prude explains how algorithms affect Christian courtship, and Miroslav Volf writes on the transhumanist question. Several writers call our attention to the gifts of being human: Haejin and Makoto Fujimura point us to beauty and justice, Kelly Kapic reminds us God’s highest purpose isn’t efficiency, and Jen Pollock Michel writes on the effects of Alzheimer’s . We bring together futurists, theologians, artists, practitioners, and professors to consider how technology shapes us even as we use it.

VIEW FULL ISSUE

SUBSCRIBE NOW

CT Daily Briefing

Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily.

Delivered free via email to subscribers weekly. Sign up for this newsletter.

You are currently subscribed as no email found. Sign up to more newsletters like this. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe.

Christianity Today is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
“Christianity Today” and “CT” are the registered trademarks of Christianity Today International.

Privacy & Cookies | Advertise with Us | Subscribe to CT | Donate

Share