Americans have long been some of the world's most religious people. Wayne Baker, sociologist on the senior faculty of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, recently blogged about research that confirms America remains near the top of the list of countries when it comes to the percentage of people who believe strongly in God without any doubts. More specifically, of the 30 countries included in the International Social Survey Program, the United States Read More …
It’s Always Pentecost (#0766)
While Pentecost appears on the liturgical calendar just once a year, it is something we can (perhaps even must) experience daily. Watch my Pentecost sermon below and consider your experience of the Life-Giving Wind. So What? Wherever the Life-Giving Wind blows, the church is about unity not uniformity change not constancy renewal not repetition The Holy Spirit's activity is something worth pondering every day. Which of these is the most challenging for you? for your Read More …
Exploring God’s Activity (#0765)
J. Bennett Guess has served in the national setting of the United Church of Christ since 2000. He was the Director of Communications for the denomination from 2007-2011. In 2011 Guess was elected to his current position: Executive Minister of the United Church of Christ's Local Church Ministries and a member of the UCC's five-person Collegium of Officers. In the Spring/Summer edition of the Still Speaking magazine, Guess concluded his article about the denomination's Read More …
Review of Still (#0764)
Meet the Author Lauren. F. Winner is Assistant Professor of Christian Spirituality at Duke Divinity School. She is the author of numerous books, including Mudhouse Sabbath (2003 - read my review here). Additionally, a number of her shorter pieces have been published, including a chapter in A Spiritual Life: Perspectives from Poets, Prophets, and Preachers (2011 - read my review here). Winner has appeared on PBS’s Religion & Ethics Read More …
Social Media Fatigue (#0763)
Alan Rudnick, social media guru and pastor of First Baptist Church ( Ballston Spa, NY), recently blogged about social media fatigue. Those who spend significant amounts of time using social media may find they occasionally suffer from fatigue and would benefit from stepping away from it all for a specified period of time. Sometimes the signs of fatigue are all but impossible to ignore. Those unsure if fatigue is present would benefit from asking someone close for insight Read More …
Life is Now (#0762)
So much happens in a year’s time. As I reflect back over the last year of life I think mostly about several shifts alongside considerable continuity. While my complete list of changes during the past 365 days is rather lengthy, a few examples adequately address the impact these have on how I spend my time. Professionally, I moved from having a single employer to multiple employers. Personally, my wife and I became landlords after purchasing a rental property. So What? Life is Read More …
Considerable Complexity – Social Marketing (#0761)
Many congregations are rethinking how they spend their limited marketing/advertising dollars. In most cases less and less money is allocated for print (phone book, direct mail, etc.) in order to free up additional funds for new media. While this shift seems logical, the next steps are far less clear. One of the troublesome aspects of entering this new arena is the considerable complexity of social marketing. The graphic below, from Buddy Media, illustrates this quite Read More …
Stop Doing That! (#0760)
Many ministries that are highly effective and growing during a given season of a congregation's life eventually wane significantly. LeeAnne Watkins, rector of St. Mary's Episcopal Church (St. Paul, MN), considers how best to respond to these difficult situations in her article in the June 13, 2012 edition of the Christian Century (p.10-11). In her parish, the once popular adult education offerings and midweek services stopped drawing significant crowds. Along with a Read More …
Most Seniors Now Online (#0759)
It's official: most American adults age 65 or older are now online. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project those age 65 and older are online more now than ever before: 53% use the internet or email (April 2012) 34% use social networking & 18% do so on a typical day (February 2012) So What? While usage rates are higher among the younger the population, the percentage of those in older age cohorts using the internet has continued to increase. Another Pew Read More …
Texters, Talkers, or ??? (#0758)
Martha Irvine's recent AP article considers how the rising popularity of texting is changing what it means to "talk to" others by phone. The percentage of cell phone users who prefer to communicate by text rather than voice is highest among the young, but continuing to rise for all age groups. So What? The art of communication is evolving as a result of the always connected world in which we now live. Regardless of age, one should aspire to be able to communicate well in both Read More …