Philip Cohen, a sociologist who teaches at the University of Maryland - College Park, recently wrote about the sudden spike in young people (aged 18-29) living in the home of a parent or grandparent. Based on data from the Current Population Survey, which is conducted on a monthly basis by Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the sudden rise in both the number and percentage of young people living in the home of a parent or grandparent is unprecedented. Cohen Read More …
Trends
Not Comfortable Returning to In Person Worship (#1877)
According to a June 2020 survey conducted by the American Enterprise Institute nearly 2 out of 3 Americans (64%) are not comfortable returning to in person worship at this point in the COVID-19 pandemic. Group Differences Interestingly, this research found that white Evangelical Protestants are the most ready to return to in person worship. The percentage who responded that they were either somewhat comfortable or very comfortable attending a worship service in person by religious Read More …
PC(USA) Membership Declines by “Only 50K” (#1872)
The Office of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) recently published denominational statistics for 2019. I first learned of this new data by reading an article titled "PC(USA) Statistics Show a Leveling Off in Membership Decline." Recent Decline While the denomination has been in decline since its formation, this article seeks to tell the more positive micro story within that ongoing macro story. It seeks to achieve this by focusing on recent positive trends, Read More …
The Coming Wave of Permanent Church Closures (#1867)
Last September I debunked the popular notion that 10,000 congregations close each year in America. Based on the best information available, the number of congregations closing each year in recent years has likely been between 3,850 to 7,700. These numbers reflect a closure rate of 1% to 2% a year. COVID-19 Alters Projections A recent Faith and Leadership article, "Will the church financially survive the COVID-19 pandemic," featured the wisdom of twelve diverse leaders. Bill Read More …
Church Identity in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic (#1865)
This morning one of the memories Facebook thought I'd like to see was a picture of Fort Myers Congregational United Church of Christ's monument sign from five years ago. I took the photo while serving as this congregation's Interim/Transitional Pastor. Identity It is important that congregations have a well defined identity. When congregations know who they are and who God is calling them to become they can thrive in normal times and can adapt faithfully during atypical Read More …
40 New Online Worship Experiences (#1864)
Online worship is what many are calling the new normal. Earlier today I asked my Facebook friends to share links to the online services they planned to participate in today. I was overwhelmed by the response! The following list is comprised of the first forty replies I received that included online English language services available on Facebook, YouTube, or the congregation's website. While I recognize that many congregations provide worship on multiple platforms, Read More …
Church Changes in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic (#1863)
Nearly every American church has implemented significant changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The surveys mentioned below offer data about changes that have occurred and changes people would welcome in the future. Each statistic comes from a different survey. 3% of Americans planned to attend an Easter worship service in person (PRRI survey conducted April 6-11, 2020)29% of churches have stopped offering communion for the time being (Barna survey conducted March 20 - April 6, Read More …
Easter Miracles: Empty Tomb, Empty Churches (#1862)
After more than forty years of experience (including twenty years in parish ministry), I knew the Easter morning rhythm: sunrise service outside (usually with a modest crowd) followed by sanctuary services inside (usually with overflow crowds). These celebratory services of worship proclaimed the good news of emptiness (in the form of an empty tomb) and the joy of resurrection and new life. A New Emptiness This Easter most of the United States and much of the world is marked Read More …
Life in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic (#1859)
This is a blog about matters of faith that matter. I used my two most recent posts for introductory content relative to how worship and ministry are changing as a result of COVID-19: Worship in the Time of the COVID-19 PandemicMinistry in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic Personal Experience I now realize that COVID-19 is changing everything. Work: Amidst record unemployment filings, my wife and I remain employed. Her job has transitioned from being 100% on site to being 100% Read More …
Ministry in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic (#1858)
Over the last 10 days, COVID-19 has increasingly impacted all areas of life for many Americans. A week ago today I wrote "Worship in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic" to share my experience of virtual worship on the first Sunday most congregations transitioned from worshiping on their campuses in sanctuaries and other sacred spaces to providing virtual worship. Today, I'm reflecting on just how quickly ministry has changed, is changing, and likely will continue to change as efforts to Read More …