As you celebrate Resurrection, consider that you are a part of the 32%. According to a 2011 study by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, the percentage of the world's population that is Christian has not changed much in the last 100 years: 1910: 32%, and 2012: 35%. While the percentage remains stable, the number of Christians has increased dramatically during that period of time: 1910: 600 million, and 2010: 2.18 billion. So What? While the Read More …
Overcoming Misperceptions (#1048)
Tyler Ward recently shared what he wished he knew before he went to church for the first time. His article is birthed out of his many life experiences, including: growing up Presbyterian, serving as a Baptist youth pastor, living overseas on an evangelical mission, assisting a traveling prophet, serving the poor through a non-denominational ministry, promoting justice with emergents, and launching multiple house churches. Ward's short list of things he wished he Read More …
Healthy Congregations (#1047)
Margaret Marcuson speaks and writes on leadership and works with church leaders nationally as a consultant and coach. Earlier this month, she shared a list of nine indicators of a healthy congregation: Mature leaders, clergy and lay, who know who they are and what they are about in their lives and ministry. Leaders who can articulate their vision and direction. The ability to tolerate difference. Leaders who can take a stand with people (staff or church members) who are Read More …
The Church’s Seven Deadly Secrets (#1046)
Meet the Author Paul H. Jones is Professor of Religion at Transylvania University in Lexington, KY. An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Jones has written two books: Christ's Eucharistic Presence: A History of the Doctrine (1994) and The Church's Seven Deadly Secrets (2013), and has co-authored two additional texts: The Structure of Religion: Judaism and Christianity (2005) and 500 Illustrations: Stories from Life for Read More …
Affordable Apartments? (#1045)
The National Income Housing Coalition (NIHC) finds a minimum-wage earner with a full-time job can’t afford a two-bedroom apartment in any state in the U.S. This reality is based on rent costs determined by the HUD estimated Fair Market Rent (FMR), and a household budget that allocates no more than 30% of income (of one minimum-wage earner) on housing costs. The group produced a list of just how expensive a two bedroom apartment rental is in each state based Read More …
Seminaries Lack Faculty Diversity (#1044)
While the topic of reforming the seminary experience has been popular for many years (for ideas forwarded by many leaders check out the Future of Seminary Education), it is atypical for such conversations to include expectations for faculty diversity. Even though I would have guessed this was an area in which improvement could be made, I was surprised by the latest statistics. Claudio Carvalhaes recently shared that the Association of Theological Schools reported the Read More …
Review of What We Talk About When We Talk About God (#1043)
Meet the Author Rob Bell is the Founding Pastor and Pastor Emeritus of Mars Hill Bible Church (est. 1999), a congregation that grew to over 10,000 under his leadership. While attracting a young audience to the church, his message reached a far wider audience through a series of two dozen thought provoking brief (10-14 minutes per DVD) NOOMA videos (2002-2009). Bell's previous books include The New York Times bestseller Love Wins, along with Velvet Read More …
Still Signing Off Your E-mails? (#1042)
Matthew Maladay recently suggested the time has come to kill off the e-mail signoff. After twenty years of using e-mail, Maladay has decided to end the practice of concluding his notes with a signoff. While sharing his own preferred signoff for many years, "my very best," may have been misunderstood by many recipients of his note, his focus is on how the practice is outdated and unhelpful. As a holdover from an earlier era when notes were written with paper and pen, it is both more Read More …
Which Parent Does More? (#1041)
The Pew Research Center recently released the "Modern Parenthood Report," which reveals the results of their latest polling that asks married and cohabiting parents with children under 18 to compare their workload at home with that of their spouses or partners. In an overview of the research, Kim Parker and Wendy Wang write: The way mothers and fathers spend their time has changed dramatically in the past half century. Dads are doing more housework and child care; moms more paid work Read More …
New $130 Million Church Campus (#1040)
First Baptist Church of Dallas is about to celebrate the opening of its new 500,000 square foot campus. The new facility cost $130 million, which is "believed to be the largest church building campaign in modern history." The celebrations will include: March 24 - lighting of the cross tower and fountain, March 31 (Easter) - grand opening, and April - a special guest or musician each Sunday as a way of celebrating God's faithfulness. The new campus is a "re-creation, Read More …