As the number of mobile internet capable devices increases, people are spending more and more of their online time on these devices. In 2012, "Americans will spend about 11.7% of their daily media consumption with mobile devices." The chart at right illustrates the significant rise in non-voice use of mobile devices since 2009 in comparison to other media consumption. Notably, mobile has experienced an increase greater than that of any other media. So What? Last Read More …
Trends
Pastoral MBA (#0927)
While most Protestant denominations either require or strongly recommend those preparing for ministry as pastor earn a seminary degree (normally the Master of Divinity) few groups have established protocols requiring that academic preparation include significant training in business or organizational leadership. Since most congregations are small in size (approximately two-thirds have fewer than 200 members), pastors are often tasked with the daily oversight of the daily operations of the Read More …
Sentence: Attend Church (#0924)
There are some things in life that I simply cannot understand. That list grew by one when I read about Oklahoma District Court Judge Mike Norman sentencing a 17 year old convicted of manslaughter to weekly church attendance for the next ten years. Incredibly, this isn't the first time Norman has resorted to mandatory church attendance. Thankfully, many have noticed and are speaking openly about how Norman's latest sentence differs prior cases in which he ordered Read More …
More Miracles? (#0913)
David Briggs, columnist for the Association of Religion Data Archives, recently wrote an article for the Huffington Post on the increasing belief in miracles. According to a new study, "the number of Americans who definitely believe in religious miracles increased 22 percent in the past two decades, with 55 percent now certain of this supernatural phenomenon." Astonishingly the same research finds, "four in five Americans believe miracles definitely or probably occur." So Read More …
Worldwide Image of the USA (#0906)
The Pew Research Center offers you the opportunity to "test how much you know about the worldwide image of the United States" by taking a 10 question multiple choice quiz. After completing the quiz, I encourage you to learn the story behind each of the questions. So What? For me completing this quiz was an exercise in humility; I scored 60%, answering just 6 of the 10 questions correctly. When one lives within an empire, a culture, or a worldview it is all too easy to see Read More …
Rethinking the Middle Class (#0903)
Steve Thorngate's October Christian Century article, "Defining the Middle: The Rhetoric and Reality of Class," challenges readers to reconsider what middle class means and who should be included in such a group today. Based on household income data available from the U.S. Census Bureau, Thorngate argues that the current political rhetoric suggests that 83% of households are middle class. He arrives at this number by excluding those below the poverty Read More …
Unitarian Universalism is Growing (#0900)
Unitarian Universalism grew by 15.8% from 2000 to 2010 (in the USA). During that same time period, most progressive religious denominations experienced decline. While many factors are likely involved in this recent expansion, Bob Smietana mentions a few ways this group differs from many others: Unitarian Universalists would rather be kind than right. Instead of a common theology, Unitarian Universalists have a set of common values. So What? Unitarian Universalism Read More …
Football, Jesus, and Ninja (#0896)
Football, Jesus and ninja sound like words that might be associated with some form of a youth group game. In fact, I may have played a modified version of ninja football on a retreat years ago. Interestingly, these words can be found on the list of the 25 Most Popular Passwords of 2012. So What? Reality check. Apparently many people still don't take security seriously. How else could the #1 most popular password be "password"? Also appearing on the list Read More …
Tomorrow’s Church (#0894)
Diana Butler Bass, author of Christianity After Religion (read my review), recently sat down with Chris Yaw (check out my conversation with Yaw on mainline decline) to discuss what the church of tomorrow will look like. This fifty-five minute conversation is a rich resource for those who care about the church, and want to better understand what the church will look beyond an era dominated by conventional religion. She cites research that shows belief in God has fallen from 99% Read More …
Student Loans in Younger Households (#0884)
The Pew Research Center recently featured an article highlighting the overall trends over time in the percentage of households with outstanding student debt. By reporting on the percentages by the age of the head of household over time, the graph provides a picture that illustrates how the experience of possessing student debt has become increasingly normative in younger households. More specifically, from 1989-2010 the percentage of households in the youngest two age cohorts Read More …