So I’ll be the first to admit that I’m addicted to checking email. But this latest survey got my attention. People today check their email from the strangest of places. Where you ask? •  In bed in their pajamas: 67% •  From the bathroom: 59% (up from 53% last year) •  While driving: 50% (up from 37% last year) •  In a bar or club: 39% •  In a business meeting: 38% •  During happy hour: 34% •  While on a date: 25% •  From church: 15% (up from 12% last year) 15% from church?! Read more [...]

Over half of Americans identify themselves as “middle-class.” But according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, this self-ascribed distinction has varying degrees of meaning. In fact, this latest study breaks down the middle-class into four categories. And these four slices of America put a twist on the traditional socioeconomic label. The following categories demonstrate the different attitudes and outlook of the middle-class. The Top of the Middle: This group is the largest segment Read more [...]

Our church staff has a running joke. Whenever we hold Bible studies, we typically ask someone to read the Scripture that pertains to the subject at hand. Inevitably, the awkward pause follows our request for someone to read. Everyone looks down; some take deep breaths as if they are about to start reading. The spiritual tension builds. Then, like always, one of the women in the group takes the plunge and reads. It’s a silly dynamic, and I don’t think too much of it. But one of our pastors likes Read more [...]

What does it mean to be churched? What does it mean to be unchurched? Ellison Research released a study that attempts to shore up the semantic confusion. They report that those who are churched may not attend as regularly as assumed. And those who are unchurched may not be as far from the church as perceived. This blurb from the study: Rather than defining “churched” and “unchurched” as a yes/no equation, if American adults are placed on a more realistic continuum based on their normal Read more [...]

A reader of this blog asked in the thread of my previous post why I chose Dallas Baptist University for my PhD in Leadership Studies. I thought it was a good question. And given that I’ll be studying from a Hampton Inn all week, I figured I’d take a quick break from my lonely hotel academia and answer his question. So why DBU? The cohort nature of the program. I wanted to pursue my PhD, but I did not want to be away from my church for 3 days a week. DBU’s cohort program is flexible enough Read more [...]