RNS Morning Report - Meet the missionaries using avatars

Christian missionaries find new frontier in VRChat   Ten figures stand in a circle inside a Japanese-style penthouse. The lights are low. A white stormtrooper huddles beside a large, orange cat, who bows his head and clears his throat.   “Father God, just thank you for this opportunity to go and reach out to people who need you,” said the cat, in the voice of Curt Curtis, a Christian missionary in his 60s from Texas.   The room is virtual, but the prayer is not.   RNS National Reporter Fiona Murphy spent many a Friday in a virtual reality chat with a group of missionaries from Cru to report on their unusual way to share the gospel. When she first started, she took dramamine to settle her stomach, feeling like she had stepped off a ship upon taking off her headset. Now she’s a pro.         Top Stories Christian missionaries find new frontier in VRChat (RNS) — 'As crazy as it sounds, God used virtual reality to call someone into that space to lay out the gospel in its fullness,' said Stewart Freeman, a former heavy VRChat user who rediscovered his faith through virtual reality. Baptist Network created to oppose nationalism, foster Black church collaboration (RNS) — ‘We're a connector and a catalyzer, and not a denomination,’ its spokesperson said in an interview. Bible stories are approved as required reading in Texas public schools DALLAS (AP) — The State Board of Education, which is controlled by Republicans, approved the list on a 9-5 vote following weeks of contentious debate that again put Texas at the center of wrangling over the role of religion in public schools. Opinion ‘Yesteryear,’ a tradwife satire, understands Christianity better than most Americans (RNS) — The new bestseller has been criticized for having a shallow understanding of religion. I disagree. 'Yesteryear' depicts how shallow American religion has actually become. Ms. Rachel, Lady Zaynab and the power of empathy to fight injustice (RNS) — While Ms. Rachel teaches through her songs that 'big feelings are OK,' she also demonstrates — like Lady Zaynab did — that women are the strongest leaders when they mobilize their grief and outrage, and love and compassion — toward meaningful action. ICYMI From Christian prayer circles to sujood, religion is all over the 2026 World Cup (RNS) — Five ways that faith has showed up during the 2026 World Cup. How LGBTQ-affirming churches are confronting religious trauma  (RNS) — Nearly half of Americans who left religion cite the mistreatment or rejection of LGBTQ+ people as an important reason. But how do the LGBTQ+ people who stay find healing? Support Our Work As a nonprofit newsroom that covers all faiths, RNS sits uniquely at the intersection of freedom of the press and freedom of religion. News tips or feedback? Email comments@religionnews.com. Like the Morning Report? Share it with a friend. Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here. We rely on reader donations to power our reporting. Donate here. Or send a check to: Religion News Foundation PO Box 1808 Columbia, MO 65205

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