Nearly six in 10 Millennials who grow up in churches leave to join the growing ranks of Americans with no religious affiliation, new research shows. That spells confusing and scary times not only for congregations worried about their futures, but…
Distracted discipleship: redefining what it means to be present and involved
In order to keep in touch with parishioners, many pastors make phone calls, send greeting cards, emails, text and direct messages. This is the result of multi-generational ministry and the influence of social media. In an effort to reach our…
Baptist leaders wonder: Can congregational polity weather cultural challenges?
The way Jay Kieve sees it, the congregational form of church governance is ideally suited to enable congregations to who they really are, where they are. “It’s genius,” Kieve said, “is that its spirit works … so each church is…
Attendance bullying: it contributes to church decline, author says
Michelle Van Loon has seen several sides of Christianity as a child of the Jesus movement who ended up, for a time, in a fundamentalist church. So she can spot the difference between concern and control in a congregation. She…
6 essentials for churches engaging Millennials
While Millennials are less churched than most generations, data has shown they are no less spiritual. So why aren’t they in our pews? The longer I have examined this question, the more I’ve been convinced it is the wrong one….
Why Orthodox Judaism is appealing to so many Millennials
Young Americans might be leaving religion in large numbers, but for some, rules, ritual, and tradition are attractive ways to find meaning in daily life.
How Martin Luther King Jr. predicted the decline of the church
So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average…
Marketed faith fuels Millennials’ distrust of church, minister says
By Jeff Brumley American churches already struggling with ways to attract young people got more bad news this week: Millennials don’t like them very much. And worse yet, their esteem of religious organizations is dropping right along with that of…
Are we finally witnessing the death of Christianity in America?
Several months ago a Pew Research study sparked what almost seem like shouts of glee from those who were eager to declare the impending death of Christianity in America. According to the report, Millennials are leaving the Church in droves…