According to the latest Gallup survey, "Over three-quarters of Americans (77%) say religion is losing its influence on American life, while 20% say religion's influence is increasing." While the overall view tends toward pessimism, this year's results are the most pessimistic about the influence of religion since 1970. So What? At a time when the vast majority agree that religion is declining, an almost equal number (75%) believe that it would be positive for our nation if more Read More …
Greatest Leadership Challenge (#1108)
Scott Williams, author of Church Diversity: Sunday the Most Segregated Day of the Week (2011 – read my review here) and leadership guru, recently shared what he believes to be the greatest challenge facing leaders today: The Greatest Challenge Facing Leaders Today is a group of followers, team members and co-workers that are unwilling to speak up about what’s wrong, what’s ugly, what’s crazy, what’s ridiculous and what needs to be changed. So What? Part of leading Read More …
Don’t Assume (#1107)
A week ago CNN's Wolf Blitzer interviewed Rebecca Vitsmun, a survivor of the tornado in Moore, OK. While doing so he asked a question that assumed religious belief: "You've gotta thank the Lord, right? Do you thank the Lord for that split-second decision?" In a polite and unassuming way, Vistum told Blitzer that she is an atheist. So What? Blitzer's seemingly innocent question and Vitsmun's honest response generated significant attention. The American Humanist Read More …
Review of How the West Really Lost God (#1106)
Meet the Author Mary Tedeschi Eberstadt is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and consulting editor to Policy Review, the Hoover Institution's bimonthly journal of essays and reviews on American politics and society. Her work considers issues related to American society, culture, and philosophy. Eberstadt's previous books include The Loser Letters: A Comic Tale of Life, Death, and Atheism (2010), and Home-Alone Read More …
A Too Safe Jesus (#1105)
Mark Osler, professor of Law at the University of St. Thomas Law School, recently wrote about the common American perception that Jesus was not all that dangerous and therefore his actions did not rise to the level of warranting the criminal punishment of death. He has hosted numerous re-creations of "Jesus's trial, under the current law of the state which hosts the event." To help attendees reconsider the radical nature of Jesus' message, Osler mentions several claims: I urge them to Read More …
The Role of Youth Ministry (#1104)
Doug Franklin, president of LeaderTreks and seasoned youth minister, recently blogged about a common problem in youth ministries in our consumer culture: expectations. Franklin suggests that parents rather than youth ministers or those volunteering in youth ministries should serve as the primary faith influencers of their teenaged children. So what? What is the point of youth ministry? Put differently, why does your congregation engage in ministry in an age specific manner Read More …
Churches Should (#1103)
Church leaders should expect newcomers at all worship services, and plan accordingly. Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, recently shared a list of helpful hints reflecting on his visits to a number of churches over the last seven months. He recommends congregations: have plentiful signage on the outside and inside, offer user-friendly websites, and help newcomers easily locate parking and restrooms. So What? Rainer's recommendations Read More …
International Religious Freedom (#1102)
Earlier this week the U.S. State Department released its annual report on religious freedom around the world. Suzan Johnson Cook, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, stated that the report shows much work is yet to be done. With this in mind, she called upon governments to "fulfill their responsibility to condemn religious intolerance and bring to justice perpetrators of abuses." So What? People who follow the way of Jesus must advocate for Read More …
Ministry Leaders & Social Media (#1101)
BSM Almost all current ministry leaders completed their formal education BSM (Before Social Media). Most pastors, musicians, and educators learned a great deal about their professions, including how to communicate information about such with constituents and (ideally!) to a wider audience of prospective participants. Reality Check What happens when the communication and marketing channels they know best no longer resonate with their constituents? Increasingly people want to Read More …
Life After Seminary (#1100)
For generations, seminaries were primarily designed to train people for pastoral ministry. Today, less than half of all graduates of the typical seminary degree for pastors (master of divinity) plan to engage in full-time church ministry. According to the Association of Theological Schools the shift has taken place in just a few decades. At that time, over 90% of students planned to enter full-time church ministry. The percentage has declined ever since, reaching 52% by Read More …