Southern Baptists, the largest Protestant tradition in the United States, are in decline. They have lost nearly 1 million members over the last decade yielding a membership of just under 16 million. Conversion has always been an essential reason for growth in this Evangelical denomination. Since peaking in 1999, the number of baptisms conducted each year has declined by 25%. So What? Emma Green, associate editor for The Atlantic and author of the article I linked to Read More …
Google Glass Goes to Church (#1424)
Chris Yaw is an Episcopal priest and the founder of ChurchNext, which creates online Christian learning experiences to invigorate lives and congregations. Recently he wore Google Glass during mass in the congregation he serves: St. David's Episcopal Church (Southfield, MI). For the benefit of those of us who have never had such an experience he shared parts of his experience via a blog post and also shared video. So What? When Google Glass becomes available to the masses at Read More …
Attracting Millennials (#1423)
Aaron Earls recently shared six reasons why many congregations fail to reach Millennials: not online, too inward focused, not trustworthy, not diverse, too institutional, and don't offer real community. So What? Overall, I think Earls' list is helpful but incomplete. The number one reason I find congregations don't reach Millennials is because they don't make reaching this generation a priority. In fact, I have been a part of conversations this year in which Read More …
1 in 4 = Anti-Semitic (#1422)
A recent research project involving over 50,000 respondents from over 100 countries and territories representing nearly 90% of the world’s adult population finds that 1 in 4 (26%) adults are anti-Semitic. Currently rates of anti-Semitism vary widely. Rates are highest in the West Bank and Gaza (93 %), Iraq (92%), Yemen (88%), and Algeria (87%). Rates are lowest in Laos (0.2%), Philippines (3%), Sweden (4%), and the Netherlands (5%). Here in the United States, Read More …
Name It & Claim It (#1421)
Corrie Mitchell recently wrote an insightful piece about the popularity of the so-called prosperity gospel that focuses on ten Scriptures leading preachers in this movement often misuse. While I have heard many people try to dismiss this version (or, if you prefer, perversion) of Christianity as a fad or as something that reaches only a small number, the longstanding popularity of people like Kenneth Copeland, Joel Osteen, and Creflo Dollar suggest the movement is far too significant to be Read More …
Sermon: Reality Check (#1420)
Sermon Text: Matthew 13:24-30 Sermon Excerpt Summer is almost here. It is a magical time for children – a time without school and a time for family vacations. All of us who have traveled with children know to expect four very important words with some regularity during any trip: Are we there yet? We expect impatience with children for whom the joy isn’t in the journey, but the destination. But, what about ourselves? Are you anything like me when it comes to struggling with Read More …
Fencing Out the Homeless (#1419)
On any given night, many homeless people sleep in an alley between Central Presbyterian Church (Atlanta, GA) and the Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Those who do so not only feel safer than they do in other parts of the city, but also have direct access to the many outreach services provided by these congregations. Recently, however, the governing body of Central Presbyterian voted in favor of a proposal to build a fence to keep homeless people out of their Read More …
Passionate Misunderstanding (#1418)
The following is a reminder that Christian religious language isn't as widely known as many Christians assume: The City Council in Oxford (England) canceled this year's passion play because they didn't understand it was a religious event. It has even been suggested that some of those tasked with rendering the decision believed the passion play was a reference to a live sex show. So What? Churches often rely on religious insider speak (aka Christianese) more often than most Read More …
Latinos Leaving Catholicism (#1417)
The longstanding cultural expectation that Latinos are overwhelmingly Catholic is shifting. New data from Pew Research finds that "a majority (55%) of the nation’s estimated 35.4 million Latino adults – or about 19.6 million Latinos – identify as Catholic today." To put this in perspective, one must understand that the percentage of Latinos self-identifying as Catholic has been declining for two decades, and the rate of decline is accelerating. Over the last four years alone, Read More …
Maintenance vs. Mission (#1416)
Jennifer Thomas, an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Vice President of Missouri Faith Voices, recently blogged about the challenges pastors face when seeking to help congregations transition from a maintenance mentality to one focused on mission. Regrettably, seminary didn’t prepare me for the backlash I would receive as a missional leader in a congregation. Some folks prefer a maintenance model of ministry, where the pastor is called primarily to Read More …