Apologist Alisa Childers, a former Christian recording artist, is sharing her thoughts on worship and the state of contemporary Christian music (CCM). In new video clips, she emphasizes that Christians must use discernment about many CCM songs and recognize that “true worship is God-centered.”

Childers, daughter of CCM pioneer Chuck Girard, sang with the Christian group ZOEgirl. The latest book from the podcaster and author is titled “The Deconstruction of Christianity: What It Is, Why It’s Destructive, and How to Respond.”

Alisa Childers: Not All Writers of Christian Music Are Christian

In a clip posted to YouTube by Cross Examined on Oct. 9, Childers is asked about ties between deconstruction and Christian music—and whether believers should be concerned about popular culture’s influence on the genre.

RELATED: DC Talk’s Kevin Max Says He’s Been Deconstructing His Faith for Decades

Childers, 49, responded by sharing insights about the current state of the industry. Regarding CCM record labels based in Nashville, Tennessee, the industry is really “just a business,” she said. “It’s run like a business. [Labels are] owned, for the most part, by secular companies, and that’s who the higher-ups are answering to.”

As a result, Childers said, “There’s not really a theological standard in contemporary Christian music that people have to match up to. It’s really just what’s going to sell.”

The industry provides what churches want, she added, saying, “So they’re not necessarily writing from a perspective of like, ‘Hey, let’s give the church these theologically rich songs.’ They’re trying to get on the radio.”

Childers clarified, “I’m not saying all the Christian artists have that mentality. There are some really great people in that industry that are full of integrity and doing a really good job.”

Most worship music churches now use, she said, comes from labels formed by major churches, such as Bethel. “As far as how we approach quote unquote Christian music, we need to be incredibly discerning and realize that not everybody who’s writing Christian music is even a Christian,” said Childers. “Don’t just assume because something has a Christian label on it that it’s inherently even Christian.”

Worship Should Be Stable, Not Emotional, Says Alisa Childers

About what music Christians should listen to, Alisa Childers said the secular-Christian divide is complicated because a lot of “really solid Christian artists would say, ‘Well, we don’t like being called a ‘Christian artist.’”

RELATED: ‘God Perfectly Orchestrated My Career’—Forrest Frank Shares How He Balances Faith and Success

She urged parents to listen to music and talk to their kids about worldviews, because many lyrics have “really subtle messages.” Pointing to Taylor Swift, Childers said the pop star’s latest album is “super sexually charged,” so parents must determine whether that’s something they want to let form their kids spiritually.

A Kansas pastor has been arrested and accused of sexual violence in Utah. Ephren Taylor Sr. of Johnson County Church of Christ in Shawnee, Kansas, has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, forcible sodomy, aggravated kidnapping, forcible sexual abuse, and intentional abuse or neglect of a vulnerable person.

Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of sexual abuse, which some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.

Taylor, 65, allegedly committed the crimes in Millard County, Utah. 

According to Johnson County Post, on Thursday, Oct. 3, a 22-year-old woman who identified herself as having an intellectual disability called the Millard County Sheriff’s Office to report that she had been sexually assaulted. 

Investigators reportedly interviewed the victim using methods similar to a child forensic interview, as the victim’s disability is such that she possesses intellectual capabilities similar to those of a child ages 8-10. 

RELATED: Youth Pastor Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison After Impregnating a Child

The victim said that a man matching Taylor’s description had approached her while she was walking to work and asked her to go with him to an unspecified location. After she declined, citing that she was on her way to work, the man asked to meet her after her shift. She agreed, and the two exchanged phone numbers.

However, the victim said that the man came to her place of work and urged her to leave early. She declined. The victim then said that after her shift was over, she got into the man’s vehicle, and he told her that they were going to go bowling. 

The man then allegedly pulled over and raped the victim. 

RELATED: Pastor Arrested, Charged, and Fired After Allegedly Stealing Nude Photos of Church Member During Life Group

Investigators were able to identify Taylor as the suspect after locating security footage of the victim getting into his vehicle. They also confirmed that Taylor had contacted the victim by phone on the day of the assault. 

CHICAGO (RNS) — After six years without hitting the road for a political advocacy tour, the Nuns on the Bus are back, and this time they have brought friends along for the ride.

Organized by Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, the cross-country tour kicked off on Sept. 30 in Philadelphia and will end in San Francisco on Oct. 18 after visiting 20 cities. The bus tour is a follow-up to what had been an annual affair between 2012 and 2018 — with the exception of 2017 — as the sisters called for immigration reform, a living wage, improvements to health care and an end to wealth inequality and polarization.

For the 2024 tour, Network, the lobby founded by Catholic sisters in 1971, is citing Pope Francis in calling on Catholics and other “people of goodwill” to be multi-issue voters. The message stands in contrast to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ guidance that “the threat of abortion” should be Catholic voters’ preeminent priority.

On Tuesday (Oct. 8), the bus carrying the sisters and their friends pulled up outside the former rectory of St. Agnes parish to visit the Circle Resource Center, a women’s community center in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood.

The two dozen or so riders, a mix of Catholic women religious and representatives of Protestant and secular groups, toured the center before holding a news conference by the front stair.

Sister Sally Duffy speaks during a Nuns on the Bus event at the Circle Resource Center in Chicago, Oct. 8, 2024. (RNS photo/Bob Smietana)

Sister Sally Duffy, a member of the Sisters of Charity from Cincinnati, launched into the group’s mantra, which was repeated by speakers and riders over the next half hour or so.

“Everybody thrives,” she said, followed by the riders answering, “no exceptions.”

The idea of the visit — and the bus tour — was to get past partisan talking points and focus on the values many Americans share and on solutions that benefit everyone.

“It’s so important to us because it’s the gospel message,” said the 75-year-old Duffy in an interview.

Sister Alicia Gutierrez, executive director of the Circle Resource Center, said the former rectory, once in ill repair, had been transformed into a place where people can belong. Many of the women who attend programs at the Circle are immigrants, seeking a place to belong as they find their way in a new country.

“We wanted to have a place for the women who need friends to keep their hope in this country alive,” said Gutierrez, a member of the Society of Helpers. She said the center has become a place of love and community.

The Nuns on the Bus tour vehicle during a stop at Circle Resource Center in Chicago, Oct. 8, 2024. (RNS photo/Bob Smietana)

The Rev. Leslie Copeland Tune, senior associate general secretary of the National Council of Churches and one of the friends accompanying the nuns, said that stops on the tour, like the one at the center, have been a kind of prayer — connecting advocacy work to the power of ordinary people’s stories.

Jacob Wayne Tarver (45), a safety team member at Church at the Epicenter in Burnet, Texas, is in custody after allegedly “fabricating” a terrorist attack at the church. Tarver now faces felony charges for allegedly staging the church shooting and lying to authorities.

“Do not give in to the unfounded fears that are a result of this false story,” said the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office in a press release. “This falsehood can only be counteracted by the widespread announcement of the truth.”

Jacob Wayne Tarver Faces Felony Charges After Fabricating a Church Shooting

On Sunday morning (Oct. 6), the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call to Church at the Epicenter. The caller requested police, and then the call disconnected. When the police arrived, it was clear that shots had been fired and that the 911 caller, safety team member Tarver, had been the only shooter.

Tarver initially claimed that two suspicious males approached the church, one carrying a rifle. Tarver said that he then fired “multiple rounds,” prompting the men to flee via a white minivan.

After an investigation, the Sheriff’s office said, “There were no hostile actions taken or directed at the church by any persons, and no weapons brandished toward the church or the safety team member. At no time was the safety of the congregation in jeopardy.”

Tarver said he “fabricated significant details of this incident” and had “lied to law enforcement.”

According to local news, Tarver “recklessly fired three shots at a home and pond near the church, then lied to law enforcement about the incident.” Tarver admitted to being “embarrassed” for lying.

Tarver has been arrested and is in custody at the Burnet County Jail. A bond has not yet been set. He has been charged with two felonies (tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and deadly conduct) and a misdemeanor (false report to induce an emergency response).

The Burnet County Sheriff’s Office has pleaded with the public to widely share the truth about this incident in attempt to combat the “rumors and speculation surrounding this case.”

“For those of y’all judging. This man was a well respected man of this community,” commented one person who said she knows the family well. He “lost his daughter in a tragic car accident a few months ago. While it’s not okay he did this, he just sounds like he needs prayers and help.”

Another added, “I’ve known this man for a very long time. He has been a well liked and respected man who ran his own businesses and loved to help people. I can only imagine what he has been through to do something like this.”

Hurricane Milton is barreling toward Florida, and it is the “11th hour”—or perhaps already past it—for people who want to evacuate.

Pastors who are in the storm’s projected pathway are posting updates about their situations and asking for prayer as the Category 4 hurricane approaches. A number are remaining in the area and preparing to serve their communities after Milton passes. 

“As most of you know, I am in the bullseye of Hurricane Milton,” said Sam Rainer, lead pastor of West Bradenton Baptist Church in Bradenton, Florida. “I am riding this one out along with several church members. West Bradenton has teams ready to help as soon as the storm passes. Some are trained in disaster relief. Others are first responders. And others are skilled tradesmen.” 

On Monday, Oct. 7, Rainer posted a photo of himself and a father and son, saying, “We’re gonna take a hit with Hurricane Milton, but my church is stepping up. I’m proud to serve with such incredible people. This father and son duo was helping board up homes for widows who cannot evacuate.”

We’re gonna take a hit with Hurricane Milton, but my church is stepping up. I’m proud to serve with such incredible people. This father and son duo was helping board up homes for widows who cannot evacuate. pic.twitter.com/YJpmrmWXE7

— Sam Rainer (@SamRainer) October 7, 2024

Hurricane Milton Heads for Florida

Only two weeks after Hurricane Helene ravaged the Southeast, Hurricane Milton is projected to hit Southwest Florida, making landfall late Wednesday evening. Milton strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane on Tuesday but weakened to Category 4 status by Wednesday. It is expected to weaken more before making landfall but nevertheless still be a major hurricane when it arrives on land.

Milton already started impacting Southwest Florida Wednesday with rain, gusty winds, and tornadoes. 

RELATED: The Devastation From Hurricane Helene Is ‘Overwhelming’ but So Is the Neighborly Love

Hurricane Milton is projected to go through Florida starting on the Central West Coast. Rick Davis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tampa, told USA Today, “We’re telling people not to focus on the exact center because as the system makes landfall, the eye is going to be getting larger, and the wind field is going to be expanding.”

“Even if you’re not directly in the path, the effects will be felt far and wide at the point of landfall,” he added. Florida’s Attorney General Ashley Moody has advised people who plan not to evacuate to write their names on their arms so that volunteers can identify their bodies later if needed.