I attended Sunday school class as a child and teenager then after graduating from college transitioned to teaching Sunday school and/or overseeing Sunday school and other discipleship opportunities for people of all ages. Not only have I spent quite a bit of time in Sunday school classrooms, I also wrote my doctoral dissertation on the topic. For the last 12 weeks, I had the pleasure of teaching a Sunday school class as a volunteer for the first time in my life. My students were also trying Read More …
Religion is Losing Influence (#1836)
A new survey conducted by Pew Research Center shows that Republicans and Democrats strongly agree that religion is losing influence in American life. In an era where Republicans and those who lean Republican tend to disagree with Democrats and those who lean Democrat on nearly every issue (e.g, check out Partisan Polarization - 3 Critical Issues) it is interesting how much support there is in both groups for the statement that religion is losing influence in American life (Democrat/Lean Read More …
Reflecting on Ministry in the 2010s (#1835)
The 2010s will soon be over. During the last 24 hours I found myself in a couple of conversations that included the fun fact that the 2010s will be ending soon. This evening I read through some of the many remarks in a Twitter thread focusing on what individuals accomplished during this decade. With heightened awareness that the 2010s will soon be behind us, I started reflecting on my ministry experiences during this time period. I realized that during the last decade I Served (and Read More …
Partisan Polarization – 3 Critical Issues (#1834)
PRRI recently released a report titled "Fractured Nation: Widening Partisan Polarization and Key Issues in 2020 Presidential Elections" that presents key data from the 2019 American Values Survey. The following image shows just how wide the partisan gap is for the top three critical issues. White Christians A religious divide also exists. While 42% of Americans self-identify as white Christians, the survey found 69% of Republicans compared to 30% of Democrats self-identify as Read More …
Young Adults Projected to Decline Rapidly in the Mainline (#1833)
One of the books I've read recently that I know I'll return to many times in the years to come is The Twentysomething Soul: Understanding the Religious and Secular Lives of American Young Adults (Oxford University Press, 2019) by Tim Clydesdale and Kathleen Garces-Foley. This comprehensive appraisal of the contemporary experience of twentysomethings offers unparalleled insight into the religious experience of this age group in the United States. The Good News To help readers Read More …
Book Recommendations – November 2019 (#1832)
Over the last several weeks, I've read a wide variety of new books. The list below features the ten best books I read in the last month that were published in 2019. (5.0) Christ in Crisis: Why We Need to Reclaim Jesus by Jim Wallis (HarperOne, 2019)(5.0) How to Lead When You Don't Know Where You're Going: Leading in a Liminal Season by Susan Beaumont (Rowan and Littlefield Publishers, 2019)(4.5) Miracles and Other Reasonable Things: A Story of Unlearning and Relearning God by Sarah Read More …
A Decade of Rapid Decline in American Christianity (#1831)
Earlier this week the Pew Research Center published an update on America's changing religious landscape titled In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace. Rapid Decline The following statistics from this new report showcase just how rapidly Christianity has declined in America over the last decade 12% fewer Americans identify as Christian (down from 77% to 65%)8% fewer Americans identify as Protestant (down from 51% to 43%)3% fewer Americans identify as Catholic (down Read More …
Welcome Isn’t Enough (#1830)
Yesterday I attended Connecting the Dots: Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Training. The event was co-sponsored by More Light Presbyterians and Just Texas and hosted by Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ in Dallas. The Rev. Alex Patchin McNeill, Executive Director of More Light Presbyterians, served as the primary trainer. My biggest takeaway from the day was a reminder that simply saying "all are welcome" on websites, worship bulletins, and other materials is not enough. Read More …
Expanding My Horizons (#1829)
During the fall semester, I'm teaching an adult Sunday School class at First Presbyterian Church (Fort Worth, TX) on Future Faith. Each week we are exploring one of the ten challenges Wesley Granberg-Michaelson identified in his new book: Future Faith: Ten Challenges Reshaping Christianity in the 21st Century. Last Sunday our topic was "Embracing the Color of the Future." This message was challenging for us to consider. The Read More …
Book Recommendations – October 2019 (#1828)
Over the last thirty days I've read a number of good books published in 2019. (5.0) When Islam Is Not a Religion: Inside America's Fight for Religious Freedom by Asma T. Uddin (Pegasus Books, 2019)(4.5) Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor by Steven Greenhouse (Knopf, 2019)(4.5) Health Justice Now: Single Payer and What Comes Next by Timothy Faust (Melville House, 2019)(4.0) Catholic Social Activism: Progressive Movements in the United Read More …