Readers write in, responding to columnist Karla Hein, “Lucy made of light,” the report on Nicaragua, and more from previous issues of The Messenger.

Beauty Out of Ashes (BOA) was established in 2017 through the vision and commitment of Gary and Mavis Unger. The Ungers had spent several years at an orphanage in Haiti when their hearts were touched by the desperate circumstances of young girls forced into domestic slavery in some of the poorest areas of Port au Prince.

From inside our car, we saw four young men sitting quietly under a tree. Their belongings were on the ground. We decided to approach them, to hear their stories.

Several years ago, in a mountain village of Central Asia, I remember watching a coppersmith craft a ceremonial serving dish. He held the broad metal disc in his hand and turned it around, feeling its weight and texture. He looked at it from various angles, observing how it caught the light.

Can the gospel still unite the church at a time when ideological and theological factions are intensifying? I have no doubt it can, but it doesn’t have to. Let me explain what I mean by examining three texts found in the Torah: the Shema Israel (Deuteronomy 6:4–5), the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17; Deuteronomy 5:6–21), and the creation account (Genesis 1–3).

Anabaptists had their challenges with peculiar and dangerous interpretations, but they agreed that all believers had the privilege of reading Scripture, and the safeguard against heresy (and silliness) would be the believing community who discussed and interpreted the Bible together. But that’s history.

There is more to the thousands of small churches in Canadian neighbourhoods than many people realize. A new study digs into the realities of these churches and examines their needs and strengths from the perspective of their pastors.

Among the most inspiring experiences in my life, I have had the privilege to be present, on numerous occasions, to observe someone doing something with great joy that they are highly skilled to do.

What an incredible responsibility to teach the Bible every day! Dave spends a lot of time studying the Word. The Lord helps him teach in a way that is easy to understand, and applicable to daily life.

In an online interview with Randy Robison on LIFE Today Live, Kristian Stanfill shares that this album was “written in a time of recovery” and that while writing these songs he was “writing for survival.”

Steinbach Bible College and its Board of Directors are pleased to announce that Dave Reimer will serve as the college’s next President. Reimer returns to SBC, where he was a full-time faculty member from 2007–12.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the constant onslaught of articles competing for our affections, our outrage and our hearts in general? There are times when we should disconnect from those things in order to better focus on serving the people right in front of us—yet we can’t just stick our heads in the sand forever.