Church Shows Appreciation for Law Enforcement
By SI Filings
Aug
27
2020
"Among U.S. Christians, about three-quarters say churches should be subject to the same rules as other businesses. Evangelical Protestants express the most support for giving houses of worship more flexibility, but even in this group, a 62% majority says houses of worship should be held to the same standards as other businesses and organizations" - Pew
"It is legal to meet for worship in California. But, to do so, churches must follow the regulations put in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus, which involves meeting outside with masks and with distancing. How a church does that is up to them, but it is possible, as we have discovered." - RNS
"The ERLC issued a document July 10 that provides guidance to church and civic leaders regarding the effort to protect public health, particularly through the process known as contact tracing." - BPNews
"...churches should also be thinking seriously about their communications and public relations strategy as they consider reopening. As a longtime member of a large and thriving church and two decades as a public relations strategist, I have seen a lot of good, but also some mistakes when it comes to church communications." - Church Leaders
"'Now is a perfect time,' he says, 'for us to be the church . . . and let our joy be contagious.' In that same video he showed viewers a yard sign saying 'Our Hope Is in You, Lord.' The church’s name and logo are in the top right corner. He challenged his congregation to display the signs in their yards." - GARBC
By Jeffrey D. Burr
This year marked the 10th anniversary of ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Michigan. ArtPrize is an international art competition that takes place over 19 days every other fall. More than $500,000 in prizes are awarded. In 2018, over 1,260 works, created by artists from 41 states and 40 countries, were displayed in over 165 venues throughout the city. With over half a million visitors, it is the most attended public art event in the world.
ArtPrize was launched by Grand Rapids native and entrepreneur Rick DeVos in 2009. But no one could have anticipated the overwhelming response. Restaurants ran out of food. Hotels ran out of rooms. Brooklyn artist Ran Ortner won the public vote that year with his work titled “Open Water No. 24.” On the day of the announcement, people lined up for several city blocks to see his large-scale painting.
The churches I have been a part of have generally not placed a high value on art or aesthetics. We are Bible people. We focus on substance, not appearances. We appeal to the mind, not the emotion. We take pride in our doctrinal orthodoxy and moral standards. And we value frugality. For many in our churches, good stewardship means spending as little as possible. These have become the marks of spiritual maturity and gospel faithfulness.