In the Sunday paper, I encountered a half-page AP article written by Calvin Woodward and Christopher S. Rugaber that offers incredible insight into our changing nation. Consider these facts: Closer Together: Cities and closely surrounding suburbs are growing faster than farther-off suburbs for the first time in over 20 years Less Mobile: Mobility (defined by the percentage of population that moved in the last year) is at lowest it has been since the Census Bureau started Read More …
Adult Education Opportunities (#0836)
One of my current roles is organizing adult educational offerings at Naples United Church of Christ (Naples, FL). Since our congregation grows significantly during season (the time of year when many snowbirds visit), we provide a more robust program during that portion of the year. A preview of some of the highlights of the season to come (Advent 2012 - Pentecost 2013) follows: General Education internet guru Marcus Zillman memory expert Dr. Bill Beckwith Read More …
Review of Living the Questions (#0835)
Meet the Authors David M. Felten (pictured at right in a black shirt) and Jeff Procter-Murphy (pictured at right holding a tablet) are United Methodist pastors who serve theologically progressive congregations. Together they created a video resource that brought together some of the "most provocative and authoritative voices" (p.xiii). Known as Living the Questions, this resource seeks to "help people wrestle with the questions they hear asked in their congregations - Read More …
Obama & Romney on Faith (#0834)
President Barrack Obama and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney both responded to questions about their religious experiences in the current edition of "Cathedral Age," the quarterly magazine of the Washington National Cathedral. Their responses to the question "How does faith play a role in your life?" follow: Romney: Faith is integral to my life. I have served as a lay pastor in my church. I faithfully follow its precepts. I was taught in my home to Read More …
Social Media Benefits the Homeless (#0833)
A recent study conducted by Art Jipson, a sociologist and criminologist at the University of Dayton, found that "social media . . . tear down economic and geographic barriers to help homeless people connect to their families and support networks." More specifically, Jipson learned that homeless people leverage free services like Facebook and Twitter to find food, shelter and job services, and to keep up with family and friends. All they need is a smart phone or public library Read More …
TV Bible Game Show (#0832)
The American Bible Challenge may well be the first religiously themed game show on a secular network. The show premiered this week, and airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on GSN (formerly the Game Show Network). Hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, this program "tests biblical knowledge in culture, history, literature and current events." While the target audience is evangelicals, consulting producer Maura Dunbar hopes it will reach a much wider audience. If you would like to Read More …
Teens Benefit from Time with Parents (#0831)
A new long term study published in the August issue of Child Development reveals that teens benefit from spending time with parents. While the study included only a small group of two parent families in Pennsylvania with limited diversity, the findings are worth noting. More specifically: The study authors were surprised to discover that when fathers spent more time alone with their teenagers, the kids reported they felt better about themselves. "Mothers weren't Read More …
Spong on Seminaries (#0830)
John Shelby Spong served as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark for 24 years before his retirement in 2001. In retirement, he has been a prolific writer and speaker. After teaching a weeklong intensive course at the Pacific School of Theology, he reflected on how that school has changed to more effectively meet the demands of preparing people for ministry in the early twenty-first century. He is hopeful that this institution's current intentions will Read More …
From Bigotry to Critical Thinking (#0829)
Charles Negy, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Central Florida, is receiving considerable attention after an e-mail he sent to the students in his cross-cultural psychology class in January was posted on reddit a few days ago. Kaustuv Basu's article explains that Negy wrote the note after a class session about religion in which several Christian students behaved in a manner described as bigoted. Since any excerpt from the note would not allow my Read More …
Virtual Connectivity (#0828)
Writing for the Naples Florida Weekly, Ella Nayor explores how many congregations in Southwest Florida are using technology to connect people to one another and to the life of the faith community. Clergy from multiple religions see value in leveraging technology for connectivity in a variety of use cases. While some congregations have just a few dozen followers on Facebook, many have more robust offerings. North Naples United Methodist Church's staff includes a Read More …