Earlier this year the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy released the 4th edition of "Who Pays: A Distributional Analysis of the Tax Systems in All Fifty States." This report finds that "virtually every state’s tax system is fundamentally unfair, taking a much greater share of income from middle- and low-income families than from wealthy families" (Executive Summary, p.1). The image at right illustrates the regressive reality of the national averages for the percentage of Read More …
Love in the Time of Algorithms (#1036)
Meet the Author Dan Slater is a widely published author of journalism and creative non-fiction. Slater, a graduate of Brooklyn Law School, previously served as a legal affairs reporter for the Wall Street Journal. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, New York Magazine and GQ. Currently, he is a contributor to Fast Company. Book Basics Love in the Time of Algorithms explores how technology has changed the way people date. As the product of a union Read More …
What Are You Eating? (#1035)
Living in the information age, people often assume easy access to data. When it comes to food one may consider eating, however, this is not always the case. Recent changes by many large companies makes it easier to know what is in menu items at certain restaurants. All such establishments may be required to follow certain labeling guidelines if proposed FDA changes take effect. Those who choose to purchase food from grocery stores also often lack the data they desire Read More …
Christian Mega-University (#1034)
Liberty University was founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell. While the school was well known and grew considerably under his direction, significant growth has occurred in the nearly six years since his death. Over that period of time, the school has doubled its enrollment not once but twice. Nick Anderson's recent Washington Post article explores this reality in-depth while also placing the school's current size in context. Notably: Current enrollment of 74,000 Read More …
You Never Know (#1033)
This past Friday Cleophus J. LaRue, Francis Landey Patton Professor of Homiletics at Princeton Seminary, spoke to a group of Southwest Florida clergy. While much of what he said was helpful, one quote was particularly memorable: "We never really know the next big thing just around the corner that will change our lives." So What? We are challenged to live well each and every day. While we can and should plan for the future, we must remain flexible and humble Read More …
Healthier Congregational Budgets (#1032)
A new study conducted by the Indiana University School of Philanthropy and Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at Indiana University School of Philanthropy, in partnership with the Alban Institute, the National Association of Church Business Administration (NACBA), Indianapolis Center for Congregations, and MAXIMUM Generosity finds that congregations are starting to recover financially after multiple consecutive challenging years. The research shows: Nearly two-thirds of churches Read More …
Ministry IQ (#1031)
MinistryBriefing.tv is a site overseen by Todd Rhoades and Matt Steen that seeks to connect church leaders with up to date information on what has happened "in ministry in the last month." One of the tools they have developed is a Ministry Current Events Quiz. You can complete the March 2013 version in just a few minutes. So What? As I took this month's quiz, I realized that this survey focuses on Evangelical stories, especially those featuring well known Read More …
Educational Debt – BS (#1030)
When I initially encountered Greg Henson and David Pohlmeier's new infographic on what incoming seminary students bring with them, I found myself gravitating toward the financial data. The data used to generate the graphic comes from surveys completed by 6,900 incoming students at 161 ATS schools during the 2011-2012 school year. Among the findings: 51% of all incoming students enter seminary with educational debt (the image at right shows the debt load of Read More …
Review of Why Priests? (#1029)
Meet the Author Garry Wills joined the faculty of the history department at Northwestern University, and currently serves the university as professor of history emeritus. He is the author of nearly forty books, including multiple bestsellers and a Pulitzer Prize winner based on his study of Abraham Lincoln: Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America. Wills, a frequent contributor to the New York Review of Books, is an historian who Read More …
Pastoral Stressors (#1028)
Bill Reichart, creator of Ministry Best Practices, recently shared an infographic about the pressures of pastoral ministry. The visual is based on data in Pastors at Greater Risk by H. B. London, Jr. and Neil B. Wiseman. So What? Pastoral ministry is a broad category of ordained ministers with varying responsibilities. Clergy, regardless of the amount or type of higher education they have received, must be mindful of and respond to the pressures associated with Read More …