In keeping with my goal of not getting behind on sharing my thoughts about books I have read, I have started to diversify the ways I share my thoughts. In addition to the typical So What review (providing an introduction to the author, a review of content, and remarks about applicability), I have started offering just ratings for select books. Using a scale of 1 to 5 (something I adopted when I began posting select reviews on Amazon), the ratings of the last three books I read follow: Read More …
The New Front Door (#1098)
A recent short video produced by the New Media Project features three pastors sharing their experiences with new media. While each short presentation offers helpful insight, one provided a compelling visual image for the role of new media. Eugene Cho, founding pastor of Quest Church, considers new media to be the church's new front door: . . . the front door of our churches have now changed. The front door is no longer the front door. In fact, I would tell you probably Read More …
Canadian Nones (#1097)
While I have written extensively about the rise of the religiously non-affiliated (also known as "nones") in the United States, I have given far less attention to how this trend is impacting our neighbor to the North. Results from the 2011 National Household Survey show even as Christianity remains the dominant religion in Canada, the nones are growing quickly. More specifically, as a percentage of the population by year "nones" accounted for 2011: 23.9% 2001: 16.5%, Read More …
Tithers (#1096)
The fifth annual State of the Plate survey revealed interesting data about tithers. Among the over 4,000 tithers participanting in the survey: 73% of those who "tithe" give over 10%, including 9% who give over 20%; 70% "tithe" based on their gross income rather than net income; and 63% started tithing before turning 30. Interestingly tithers have lower debt levels and are financially better off than non-tithers: 80% have no unpaid credit card bills, 74% have no car Read More …
Church Communication Survey (#1095)
In recent months I have given more attention to the topic of church communications than I have in many years. It is astonishing how poorly most congregations identify and leverage the appropriate tools in support of their communication strategy (even more troubling are those congregations who just "play with" the tools without any formal strategy to offer guidance in their use). So What? Paul Steinbrueck, co-founder and CEO of OurChurch.Com, recently offered an introduction to the Read More …
Being Fully Present (#1094)
I follow the way of Jesus. This means seeing the world and my interactions with all within it differently. As I continue on the journey of faith I find it easier to approach life from this vantage yet more challenging to respond appropriately to the many situations that are a part of daily living. In many ways the more I learn and the more I experience, the more I recognize my own shortcomings. So What? There are many ways to live the way of Jesus in the mundane and everyday Read More …
Extreme Poverty in America (#1093)
Kathryn Edin, Professor of Public Policy and Management at Harvard, and one of the America's leading poverty researchers, teamed up with Luke Schaefer, Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Michigan, to try to determine just how common extreme poverty is in the United States. Their research considering how many households live on $2 a day or less will be published in June in the journal “Social Service Review.” Relying on data from the Survey of Read More …
Review of On God’s Side (#1092)
Meet the Author Jim Wallis is president and CEO of Sojourners where he is editor-in-chief of Sojourners magazine. He has written ten books including two New York Times bestsellers: The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post–Religious Right America (2008) and God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It (2006). Wallis regularly teaches a course on “Faith, Social Justice, and Public Life” at Georgetown Read More …
Are Christians Loving? (#1091)
A recent research project directed by David Kinnaman (president of Barna Group) in conjunction with John Burke (author of Mud and the Masterpiece) explored "whether Christians have the actions and attitude of Jesus as they interact with others or if they are more akin to the beliefs and behaviors of Pharisees, the self-righteous sect of religious leaders described in the New Testament." The Christian participants responded to 20 statements regarding their actions and attitudes. The Read More …
Will Hymnals Survive? (#1090)
In the June 2013 issue of Reformed Worship magazine, John D. Witvliet explores reasons why he believes hymnals have a future. Witvliet is director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and professor of worship, theology, & congregational and ministry studies at Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary. Witvliet offers 10 reasons why hymnals have a future, including: hymnals are especially well suited to good group singing of many kinds of songs (though Read More …