A new reporting series started today

Dear Friend, Whether you’ve been reading Religion News Service for years or just joined us this week, I want to start by saying thank you. Staying connected, especially in a busy season, means a great deal to our newsroom. Today, we’re sharing the first story as part of Love Thy Neighbor, our new yearlong reporting series. With this project, we’re taking a deeper look at how faith communities are responding to civic challenges — not just in moments of conflict, but in the steady, often unseen work of caring for neighbors. Before launching the series, we invited readers to share their perspectives through a short survey. Nearly 200 of you responded, many pointing to immigration and refugee support as areas where faith communities can make a difference. Your reflections helped us get started. As we head into a new year, Love Thy Neighbor will continue reporting on faith in action across communities, and we’d love for you to be part of it. If you have ideas, examples, or questions you think are worth exploring, we invite you to share them with us. Thank you for being part of the RNS community and for taking the time to read this special report. I wish you a restful weekend and happy holidays! With appreciation, Amanda Koehn Managing Editor, Religion News Service Featured Story — How an LA interfaith coalition is using ‘freedom schools’ to defend against ICE By Aleja Hertzler-McCain One LA, a local coalition of religious groups and other community institutions, has been convening civics meetings, which the group refers to as “freedom schools,” since the summer in response to immigration raids. They also work with local elected officials to hold public hearings about the impacts of the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, seeing both efforts as helping protect democracy. After Los Angeles was shaken by a series of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in June, leaders with One LA noticed widespread fear was keeping people hiding in their homes. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, freedom schools offered an alternative education model focused on liberation, democracy and critical thinking for students of all backgrounds to challenge racism and inequality in American society. Recalling their well-documented success, One LA uses similar methods to educate LA-area residents on how to respond to federal immigration enforcement. Read the Full Story SUPPORT FAITH IN ACTION In communities across the country, people of faith are showing up for one another in meaningful ways. Your support helps our nonprofit newsroom tell these stories and help readers understand the world as it is. Support RNS From Readers Like You — Before launching Love Thy Neighbor, we invited readers across the country to share their perspectives on the idea behind this new reporting initiative. Nearly 200 respondents weighed in on division, connection, and the role of faith in civic life. Here’s what we heard: Hope is divided: Readers were nearly evenly split between those who feel some hope and those who feel little or no hope that Americans can overcome deep divides. Faith’s civic role is widely recognized: A strong majority said faith communities play an important role in addressing civic challenges. Hope is often local and lived: Many respondents said they find hope in everyday acts of kindness, community relationships, and people quietly living out their values. Community-level work stands out: Readers most often pointed to immigration and refugee support and local reconciliation across divides as areas where faith communities can make the greatest difference. Examples matter: Respondents shared concrete stories, from food pantries and disaster response to interfaith partnerships and neighborhood initiatives, as evidence of people caring for their neighbors. Upcoming RNS Event — The Vanishing Church: How Polarization Is Reshaping American Faith An RNS virtual event. Register today. We’re inviting you to our first virtual event of 2026, a conversation about faith, community, and polarization. Join Adelle M. Banks, RNS projects editor and national reporter, in conversation with social scientist Ryan Burge as they explore how polarization is reshaping American religious life. Register for Free Religion News Service is an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering religion, faith and public life. Love Thy Neighbor is supported by our partners Garrett-Evangelical Seminary and Center for Congregations. To learn more about supporting this series or other RNS reporting, reply to get in touch with our team.