One of today’s Christian Post headlines reads “American Christianity Remains Strong in 2007.” The tagline is derived from a recent Gallup Poll reporting that the vast majority of Americans identify with a Christian faith. The breakdown looks like this on a national scale: 82% of Americans identify with a Christian faith. Yet only 62% of Americans say they are members of a church. And only 44% of Americans can be described as frequent churchgoers. Applying these percentages to the current US Read more [...]

The folks over at the Pew Research Center got my attention today. They reported that people who attend religious services weekly tend to be happier than those who do not attend or attend less often. This correlational pattern crosses denominational lines. The finding seems to make sense. I hope that what people discover in their churches would push them to the only true joy and contentment found this side of eternity – a relationship with Jesus Christ. The problem is that many spiritual teens Read more [...]

I’m a city-boy. I grew up most of my life inside large urban areas. My wife is a country gal. Her family raises their own beef. So when we started looking for a home, I was thinking a downtown loft. She wanted farmland. So we compromised. Our home borders corn fields and cattle farms. I’ve grown to like living in the country. It’s a bit too quiet – sometimes I think that I can hear all the twinkling stars up in the sky (the ones that hide behind the city lights). Louisville is only a short Read more [...]

I am putting the final touches on my first book (co-authored with my father). The tentative title is Essential Church. The bulk of the work is based upon a three-part research project on why 18-22 year-olds leave the church and how to get them back. The manuscript deadline is fast approaching, and the release date is planned for Fall 2008. Before the book is released, however, I want to give you guys an opportunity to interact with some of the findings. We’ve found that 70% of those that leave Read more [...]

Sitting at a table during our last church fellowship, I asked a woman who was visiting, “Do I know you or have we met before?” She just looked at me with a wry grin. I thought I recognized her, but I wasn’t sure why. “I know you, and we’ve met many times before,” she said. I was confused, “I’m sorry if I’m not recognizing you, but where did we meet?” She smiled again and paused before saying, “I was your lunch lady in high school.” My eyes got big, and I laughed heartily, Read more [...]