It’s the spookiest time of year, when superstitions run wild and every treat might come with a trick. But, as with most things, the more you know about Halloween, the less scary it feels. Did you know that ringing doorbells and lighting candles were once believed to keep witches, ghosts, and evil spirits away? (Kiernan, WalletHub)
Read MoreThe average Southern Baptist church is likely an older, small Southern church. If you want to find a growing congregation, however, you might need to look for a new, larger church – or even one in the Northeast. (Earls, Baptist Press)
Read MoreRather than offering simple answers, the day explored tensions that define religion in 2025: faith as both connective tissue and fault line, as comfort and confrontation. Here are a few of the central truths that emerged from the program (Maccoby, Religion News Service)
Read MoreIn March, three months after being forced out of his position as the CEO of Intel and sued by shareholders, Patrick Gelsinger took the reins at Gloo, a technology company made for what he calls the “faith ecosystem” – think Salesforce for churches, plus chatbots and AI assistants for automating pastoral work and ministry support. (Willems, The Guardian)
Read MoreThe online dictionary announced on Oct. 29 that its Word of the Year is "6-7" (also "six-seven" and "67"), a slang phrase popularly used by Gen Alpha. While some interpret the phrase to mean "so-so" or "maybe this, maybe that," it is also used as an exclamation, according to a Dictionary.com news release. (Cross, USA Today)
Read MoreTeens who start using cannabis before age 15 are more likely to use the drug often later in their lives. They are also more likely to develop mental and physical health problems in young adulthood compared to their peers who did not use the drug in adolescence. (Chaterjee, NPR)
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