For quite some time the dominant American narrative has focused on strong and growing economy, low unemployment, and significant returns in the stock markets. This is part of the story, but certainly not the whole story. As we start 2020, I've been thinking quite a bit about the nearly 1 in 2 (44%) American workers who are working low wage jobs. Meet the Low Wage Workfoce "Meet the Low Wage Workforce" is the title of a 67 page report written by Martha Ross and Nicole Read More …
Trends
Top 20 Posts of the 2010s (#1845)
You voted with your readership. The top 20 posts of the 2010s are the best of the best. Only the top 1% of all posts published during the decade made the cut. Based on the most views per Google Analytics, the top 20 posts are Pastoral Prayer – Love (2014)6 Decades of Decline in the United Church of Christ (2018)12 Marks of Convergence Christianity (2012)Valentine's Expectations (2013)My Visit to Next Level Church (2012) Pulpit Plagiarism (2014) Leaders Clear Read More …
Top 20 Experiences of the 2010s (#1843)
The decade of the 2010s will end in just a few days. To celebrate my lived experiences this decade, I created a list of my Top 20 Experiences of the 2010s. Rather than present a single lengthy list of twenty items, I've grouped the top twenty into four categories. The first two are primarily professional in nature (employment and education) while the final two (homes and happenings) are primarily personal. Employment (9) In addition to working as a consultant, I worked for nine Read More …
Top 10 Posts of 2019 (#1842)
2019 has been quite a year. My return to the Mansfield Mission Center and decision to join First Presbyterian Church (Fort Worth, TX) both made the top ten list of most viewed blog posts written in 2019. The full list appears below. Volunteer Appreciation – Closing Prayer (April)Book Recommendations - March 2019 (March)I’m Back: My Return to the Mansfield Mission Center (March)Our Search for a Church 2.0 is Over! (May)Visiting 50+ Churches in Dallas – Fort Worth (February)Book Read More …
Sermon Length: Comparing My Experiences to Pew Research Findings (#1841)
How long should a sermon be? In my experience the number of answers to this question are equal to or even greater than the number of people participating in the conversation. How long are sermons preached in America? According to a Pew Research Center analysis of nearly 50,000 sermons preached earlier this year (2019) the median sermon length of American congregations is 37 minutes. This number, however, varies widely based on the tradition of a given house 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 …
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 …
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 …
Farewell to White Protestant Texas (#1824)
Demographic shifts are happening more rapidly than many realize. In a 2014 post titled "End of the White Majority," I shared that the National Center for Education Statistics projected that after years of decline white non-Hispanic students would no longer be the majority in the public schools in the United States.In a 2016 post titled "Farewell to White Protestant America" I shared some of the findings presented by Robert P. Jones in his then recently published book: The End of White Read More …