In July, Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids installed 126 solar panels on its roof as it switched to renewable energy.

The project is expected to keep 5.4 million pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere - the equivalent of 7.4 American homes being taken off the grid or the carbon sequestered by 3,000 acres of forest in a year, explained Nate Dierlam, a church member who spearheaded the project.

Growing Hope Globally (GHG) co-founders Bev Abma and Ron DeWeerd will walk 75 miles throughout West Michigan to raise support for GHG, an organization they both founded in 1999. The walk will begin with a send-off at First Reformed Church in Fremont on Aug. 11 and will culminate with Dairy Day at Nutrient Ag Solutions in Wayland on Aug. 21. The public is invited to join the walkers or participate in one of the events being planned along the way.

Lis Van Harten was recently named permanent director of the Christian Reformed Church in North America's U.S. Congregational Ministries. The positions oversees the denomination's ministries including Chaplaincy and Care Ministry, Disability Concerns, Diversity, Faith Formation Ministries, the Office of Social Justice, Pastor Church Resources, Race Relations, Safe Church Ministry and Worship Ministries.

Mel Trotter Ministries, a multifaceted outreach to the homeless based in the Heartside district of Grand Rapids, has increased its new employee's starting wage.

As part of the "There's No Place like Home" initiative, an $800,000 grant has been awarded from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Established in February 2020 and administered by Holland-based Hope College, three new community-based partnerships will allow the college's faculty and students in the arts and humanities to work collaboratively with local organizations to provide service and learning opportunities for those at Hope.

This is the column in which West Michigan Christian News writer Terry DeBoer surveys the landscape for the area's faith-inspired arts/entertainment/enrichment events in the coming month. Here are a few possibilities for August...

   Homosexuality has become something of a growth industry. Lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender individuals (LGBT) are now visible in virtually every subsection of society, including religion.

     Out of the closet, homosexuality has successfully moved into mainstream culture, despite the protestations of conservatives and Christians alike.

     While we’ve fought the culture wars for forty years, including ongoing battles to prevent homosexuality from being morally approved, culturally embraced, and/or legally recognized, the effort has been less than successful. Television, cinema, books and magazine articles, popular music, celebrities, and even local school districts are presenting homosexuality as an acceptable form of sexual expression. It’s just an alternative-but-normal lifestyle, sexual preference or orientation.

It may seem premature to offer a fall calendar list of Christian concerts in West Michigan. But there's one that represents a "breakthrough." making it especially noteworthy.

For the first time in 13 years, the Allegan County Fair will host a Christian concert on its main stage during its September fair schedule.

In a June letter to area churches, fair executive director Saree Miller officially announced a concert line-up of Casting Crowns, David Crowder and Phil Wickham for Thurs. Sept. 16.

Perhaps it's simply part of the post-pandemic surge in live music events. But nevertheless it is significant addition for the area's largest county fair, which dates back to the 1800s.

Dr. Rex M. RogersIt's not about sex. It's about identity, who we are.

It's not about lust or licentiousness. It's about declaring human beings can create "their truth." It's about idolatry.

If male and female are simply arbitrary categories, then anything goes. Morality, modesty, masculine and feminine don't really exist. We're all just some hybrid social construct.

Dr. Rex M. Rogers Gender fluidity is the cultural soup du jour.

It's the latest craze that's morphed beyond political correctness to indisputable orthodoxy. Dissent is not permitted. If you ask questions, based upon common sense, biology, a few thousand years of human history, or even religious conviction, you're a bigot, a hater.

Proponents (especially activists) of gender fluidity believe biology is not destiny. In their view, biological sex is mutable, something "assigned" at birth. One's "real sex" is determined by one's feelings about gender, conveniently presented as an ever-lengthening spectrum of choices (some social media are offering 112 gender choices).

For proponents or activists, (most people struggling with gender dysphoria are not activists¹) there is a clear set or steps a person should pursue once they self-identify with a gender that does not align with their biological sex.

Thanks to sponsors and golfers, Wedgwood Christian Service's 36th Annual Charity Golf Classic raised over $190,000, exceeding the event's fundraising goal by over $10,000. The money will go toward the organization's 100% donor-funded Transforming Services. Even with an afternoon rain shower, the event was near capacity with 348 golfers on both the Valley and Ridge courses.

"We are moved by the generosity of our sponsors and participants," said Vivian TerMaat, Wedgwood's chief advancement officer. "Coming out of 2020 we were unsure to what level people, businesses, and organizations would be willing and able to be a part of the Charity Golf Classic, but it is clear that our community values this event and cares deeply about individuals and families who are navigating mental, emotional, and behavioral health challenges."