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…
The 4 realities of 21st century religious life
By Alan Rudnick The Pew Research Center released its 2015 U.S. Religious Landscape Study and it can be confusing to read. According to The Atlantic, it can be challenging to interpret the massive data dump of spiritual information because of…
Opting for non-church weddings crosses age, religious categories
By Jeff Brumley Marriage isn’t what it used to be. That’s no surprise. But ministers and researchers are reporting getting married is rapidly changing, too, with Millennials getting much — though not all — of the credit. And the most noticeable difference…
Increasing diversity offers platform for authenticating faith
Diversity is scaring the bejabbers out of America. Watch news programs on television. Listen to call-in stations on radio. And if you’ve got the gumption, read posts on Facebook and pay attention to the stuff that gets forwarded on email….
Pope Francis is good for Christianity
As Pope Francis visits the United States, Catholics are full of excitement as the Holy Father visits in Washington, Philadelphia, and New York. It is very clear that his leadership will set a very different tone for the Catholic Church….
Theology: A focus for thinking
This is the seventh article of a nine-part series on empowering a faith community to impact the world. Already hospitality, evangelism, missions, ethics, Bible, and spirituality have been explored. In his book Becoming a Thinking Christian, John Cobb promotes the…
Churchless believers?
Emerging Paths for Fresh Ministries The religious and church landscape is definitely shifting today! We have the traditional members and churches, the missional communities of faith, the multi-site congregations, workplace ministries and a growing host of faith-based non-profits and para-church…
What’s in a name? Religious nones and the American religious landscape
Over the last several years the term religious “Nones” has become a major topic of discussion and analysis by those who pay attention to religious trends.
Baptists reflect on fellowship as ‘nones’ seek their own brand of community
By Jeff Brumley They may be leaving or avoiding organized religion in droves, but the nation’s “nones” are still craving community — otherwise known as fellowship — recent reports suggest. Known also as the religiously unaffiliated, this growing segment of the U.S….