Mark Sandlin, co-founder of The Christian Left and owner of TheGodArticle.com, recently suggested that the fandom of God is slowly killing the church. More specifically, he argues When we are fans of Jesus rather than followers of Jesus, our focus is inward turned, like in fandoms, concerned with and finding full satisfaction in what we think and feel and believe. We are more interested in who gets to be labeled insiders, who are "real/true" fans of God, than we are with Read More …
Trends
Megachurch Attendees (#1441)
Much is written about megachurches, including here on this blog (US Megachurches, Megachurches Shaping American Protestantism, Mega Megachurches, Megachurch Bubble, Megachurches Offer a Religious High, Church Size and Growth Potential, and even Mega-Interest in Megachurches). One man, however, is behind as much or more research on megachurches than any other: Warren Bird. Bird, research director at Leadership Network, is the co-author of a report entitled "Not Who You Read More …
Tech Required for Church Growth (#1440)
Bill Tenny-Brittian, managing partner for 21st Century Strategies and editor in chief of Net Results Magazine, recently stated that churches that ignore technology cannot grow. More specifically, he wrote Having and using the latest and greatest tech tools won’t grow a church. But not using today’s technology to effectively communicate the gospel will ensure that a church won’t experience significant and sustainable conversion growth . . . So What? Tenny-Brittian's remark Read More …
How We Read the Bible (#1439)
According to recent research conducted by the Barna Group commissioned by the American Bible Society, American Bible readers strongly prefer reading the Bible in an old fashioned printed edition of the Bible. The preferred formats are print - 84%, digital - 10%, audio - 5%, and all others - 1%. So What? A few months ago I blogged about the tremendous rise in e-reading. While the report does note a shift toward digital reading the shift is far slower when it comes to the Read More …
Religious Discrimination for Job Applicants (#1438)
Sociologists Bradley R. E. Wright (author of Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites . . . and Other Lies You’ve Been Told: A Sociologist Shatters Myths From the Secular and Christian Media - my review and Upside: Surprising Good News About the State of Our World - my review) and Michael Wallace published an article in the June 2014 edition of Christianity Today that overviews their recent research on religious discrimination in the job application process in the United Read More …
Boomers = End of Senior Adult Ministry (#1433)
Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, recently shared five implications for local churches as boomers retire. Since the youngest boomers have already started retiring, it is important that all congregations pay attention to how the coming wave of retirees will change the church. While I agree with his list, I am especially interested in the final item since it is not talked about as often as the others. Retiring Boomers will kill traditional church senior Read More …
Reasons Not To Sing (#1430)
Thom Schultz, co-author of Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore and the director of the film When God Left the Building, recently shared his list of four reasons why fewer and fewer people are singing during worship services: worship is crafted as a spectator event, quality is emphasized, professional music is incredibly loud, and musical selections are unfamiliar, hard to sing, or just cheesy. So What? Schultz concludes his article with a confession: he has stopped Read More …
Who REALLY Attends Church? (#1429)
Over the last 10 days I have seen at least a few dozen different articles or blog posts talking about the gap between who says they attend church and who actually attends. The sudden focus on the topic is a result of a survey by the Public Religion Research Institute, which was release on May 17. More specifically, the latest inquiry finds that people are more honest about the topic when asked in an anonymous online survey than when asked by phone. Interestingly, three Read More …
Going Trash Free (#1426)
Justin Vrany has operated his restaurant - Sandwich Me In (Chicago, IL) - for the last two years without creating any trash. More specifically while the average restaurant produces 8 gallons of waste an hour, he produced that amount over two years but then watched it disappear when an artist fashioned it into a sculpture. So What? Every congregation I have ever served has encouraged members to live more green lifestyles. Ideally, congregations not only educate about Read More …
Southern Baptist Decline (#1425)
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 …