Marc Ira Hooks

Marc Ira Hooks connected with his childhood Vacation Bible School memories as he traveled 1,000-plus miles this summer visiting Texas churches in Collin County as they conducted the annual outreach to children, their families and even some adults.

HOUSTON (BP) -- Flood-soaked cardboard boxes of homecoming mums are among the debris lining the sidewalks and street curbs of many houses in the suburban Kingwood neighborhood north of downtown Houston. For longer than people can remember how it started, high school students present their homecoming dates with a chrysanthemum (or mum, for short) bedecked with ribbons, glitter and other mementos. Texas students spend millions each year on these high school keepsakes varying in size from four inches to a foot in diameter, with price tags of $50 to $300.

Marc Ira Hooks recounts his trek along streets lined with water-logged, reeking heaps of belongings in the wake of Hurricane Harvey's onslaught across Houston and south Texas.

Marc Ira Hooks recounts his trek along streets lined with water-logged, reeking heaps of belongings in the wake of Hurricane Harvey's onslaught across Houston and south Texas.

The Pray4EveryHome tool has had some upgrades and improvements to help church members pray for their neighbors.

DALLAS (BP) -- Some of the nation's most recognizable evangelical leaders are rolling out a three-pronged plan designed to call Christians, across denominational and racial lines, to a new age of spiritual awakening. Nearly a dozen pastors and teachers stood shoulder to shoulder in Dallas Sept. 21 for The Gathering 2016 at GateWay Church, a non-denominationl congregation, where several thousand assembled for "'a national solemn assembly"' -- the initial step in their plan.

ANNA, Texas (BP) -- Amber Peterson* never thought she would go to the prom. Like other girls, she fantasized about what it would be like to get dressed up in a pretty gown and spend an enchanted evening with friends. But those dreams had been put aside with the realities of daily life. When Amber, a high school senior, approached her parents about going to the prom, they told her she would be responsible ...

KHARKIV, Ukraine (BP) -- As the sun topped the horizon of Kharkiv's central square this morning (March 2), a group of people huddled together on their knees, praying for their city. While the moment passed without celebration or fanfare, it marked the 365th consecutive day the group has gathered. They came from different parts of the city and were a mix of evangelical denominations and Orthodox believers, but they focused on one goal -- to pray for peace in their city, which is located very close to the region where Ukrainian soldiers and pro-Russian separatists battle for control over eastern Ukraine.

KIEV, Ukraine (BP) -- More than a year after the Euromaidan revolution on Kiev's Independence Square, thousands came to memorialize "The Heavenly Hundred" -- those who lost their lives during bloody protests in February 2014. Much has changed in Ukraine during the past year. A new president is in office. War continues in the east between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian Army despite a recently negotiated cease-fire agreement.

MARIUPOL, Ukraine (BP) -- Hostilities between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists flared up again two weeks ago with a surprise attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol. In the aftermath of a Jan. 24 rocket strike that left 27 dead and 123 injured in Mariupol, Ukrainian Baptists are busy providing shelter and repairs. Locals say in addition to the 13 buildings that suffered a direct hit, 73 blocks of apartment buildings were damaged and more than 100 cars were destroyed.