A week or so ago I read Dylan Matthews' Washington Post piece, "The Saddest Graph You'll See Today." The article focuses on an infographic illustrating the small percentage of rapes that are reported and an even smaller numbers of rapists who are jailed. Recognizing the complexity of collecting data about and unreported rape, I hesitated to share this specific explanation without some form of methodological disclaimer. Interestingly when I returned to the article, Read More …
Trends
Remaining Relevant (#0969)
Justin Lathrop, executive search consultant at the Vanderbloemen Search Group, recently suggested five ways churches can remain relevant: Leverage the strengths of church networks Engage social media Expand online offerings, including worship services Consider the possibilities of strategic church mergers Welcome the diverse population of the community So What? Many of the items on Lathrop's list focus on structural matters: the possibility of belonging to multiple Read More …
2012 in 4 Minutes (#0965)
2012 was quite a year. The following video reviews the year's big news stories in 4 minutes. So What? As we near the end of the first week of 2013, I encourage you to remember many of the significant events of 2012 especially those that impacted you. Share a few of the stories featured in the video recap that impacted you the most. Share a few of the most memorable moments from your own life experiences in 2012. What word or phrase best describes your experience of 2012? Read More …
Shifts in Young Adult Protestantism (#0964)
The graph at right illustrates the shifts in young adult (ages 23-35) Protestant affiliation between 1972 and 2010 as compiled by Lifeway Research using data from the General Social Survey. Overall, during the "last 30 years, mainline protestantism is dying, black protestantism is steady, and evangelicalism is growing." More specifically, among young adults: Mainline Protestantism declined dramatically: identification dropped from 24% to 6% while worship attendance was cut in half Read More …
Top 10 Religious Stories of 2012 (#0963)
According to members of the Religion Newswriters Association (he world’s oldest and largest professional association for journalists who write about religion), the top 10 religious news stories of 2012 are U.S. Catholic bishops lead opposition to Obamacare requirement that insurance coverage for contraception be provided for employees. The government backs down a bit, but not enough to satisfy the opposition. A Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey shows that “nones” is the Read More …
Socioeconomic Status & Facebook Friends (#0957)
According to new research conducted by the University of Virginia and the London Business School, the size of one's social network is correlated to one's socioeconomic status. Wealthier individuals are more likely than those who are less affluent to have large but shallow Facebook connections while those who earn low incomes are more likely to have small but deep groups of Facebook friends. Low income workers who move often are an exception to this generalization as is Read More …
Most Churches Plan Raises (#0956)
According to 2012 Leadership Network Economic Outlook Survey, most congregations will provide staff with modest raises in 2013. More specifically: 74% of those parishes surveyed plan pay increases of at least 1%. Only a small percentage of church workers will receive raises that outpace the projected increase in the cost of living. So What? Church budgets are showing signs of recovery after several challenging years during the economic downturn. Since human Read More …
The World’s Christians (#0953)
The latest report on the size and distribution of the world's largest religions was released less than a week ago by the Pew Forum. This report shows: 31.5% of the global population is Christian 87% of Christians live in countries where they are a religious majority Christians are a religious majority in 157 countries So What? On Christmas Eve, it seems appropriate to think about those among us who follow the way of Jesus. We are living at the moment in human history with Read More …
Pastors of Growing Churches (#0952)
What do pastors of growing churches have in common? Cynthia Woolever finds three commonalities: Age. While pastors of all ages shepherd growing churches, those in their 50s are most likely to do so. Career Path. Statistically first career pastors are more likely to lead a growing church than are second career pastors. Tenure. Pastors with longer tenures are more likely to lead growing churches. So What? Reviewing the profile of pastors of growing churches the most Read More …
People Are Driving Less (#0951)
In recent years America has experienced a decline in the number of miles people are driving. More specifically, adjusted for population, following a few years of decline in the total miles driven current levels are now at roughly the same level as we were in 1995 (17 years ago). Additionally, the data for the latest year recorded shows a decrease of nearly 9% from the peak. So What? As I pondered this data, I immediately thought of my own driving habits. I drive Read More …