Much has been written about the challenges churches faced in maintaining corporate worship during the pandemic, but little has been reported on the changes brought about in religious education. Yet a new national study from Hartford Institute for Religion Research…
‘Spiritual vitality’ and willingness to change on the rise in U.S. congregations
After tracking a 20-year decline in American congregational vitality, researchers say they have documented a recent increase in the number of congregations that say they have resilience and are willing to embrace change and engage in their communities. And no,…
Why have so few U.S. congregations experienced even a single COVID death?
With more than 800,000 lives lost to COVID-19 in America alone, observers might wonder why some U.S. congregations have taken a seemingly cavalier approach to fighting the pandemic. One possible answer emerged this week from new survey data released by…
Survey says: More than half of U.S. congregations started new ministries during COVID
Here’s one more silver lining to the dark cloud of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic: “The level of new and intensified social outreach and community ministry undertaken by the nation’s churches is monumental.” So reports the Hartford Institute for Religion Research…
In a world of haves and have-nots, America’s churches should capitalize on their strengths, religion researcher says
Small and medium-size churches can navigate the challenges of postmodern culture and the COVID-19 pandemic by capitalizing on inherent strengths, embracing the neighborhoods that surround them and by adopting scaled-down practices from megachurches, one of the nation’s leading religion researchers…
Religion researcher Scott Thumma will be guest on December BNG webinar
One of the nation’s foremost experts on interpreting American religion will be the guest on Baptist New Global’s next webinar. Scott Thumma, director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford International University, will join BNG Executive Director Mark…
Most comprehensive study yet of COVID’s impact on churches finds uneven results
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the decline facing most congregations in America, but the effects are not evenly distributed among all churches, according to the most comprehensive study to date of the pandemic and congregational life. The “Exploring the Pandemic…
Largest-ever U.S. congregational survey confirms what church consultants have been telling you
For anyone who hasn’t gotten the message yet: American congregations are changing rapidly, and the old ways aren’t working. The kind of rapid adaptation seen in response to the coronavirus pandemic illustrates the kind of new thinking that will be…