College Majors and Church Attendance

July 28, 2009

The move to college has long been an exciting time for young adults, and one that is met with mixed emotions from parents. For families of faith, one of the biggest fears is how much negative influence the secular university will have on a young son or daughter. Our research has debunked the myth that the influence of the secular university pushes young adults out of the church. No significant difference exists between the dropout rates of those who attend at least a year of college and those Read more [...]

The Five Stages to Failure

July 21, 2009

The Economist recently summarized management guru Jim Collins’ new book, How the Mighty Fail. In this research Collins examines some of the “great” companies highlighted in his previous works, Built to Last and Good to Great, that have since severely declined or failed entirely. Collins identifies five major stages in the process of decline. Stage 1: Hubris born of success. Firms take on a sense of superiority and fail to question their relevance when conditions change. Stage 2: Undisciplined Read more [...]

Pastors: The Importance of Hanging Out

July 14, 2009

The Great Commission requires that we enter into the lives of people. Quality leadership means that you are among those who follow you. Pastors are shepherds that lead by example. These elements of church leadership involve approachability, transparency, and trust. No pastor begins a ministry with several chips in the pockets. Pastors must earn the respect of the congregation. A healthy relationship between pastor and congregation forms over time and in many different ways. For instance, a string Read more [...]

Shifting Attitudes from Homogeneity to Heterogeneity

July 8, 2009

While researching for an article I am writing for Church Executive, I came across an interesting piece of data: In part reflecting continued and diversifying immigration, America’s racial and ethnic minority populations continue to expand. Moreover, the younger age of immigrants and higher birth rates among racial and ethnic minorities contribute to a “bubbling up” of diversity from children to seniors. While the U.S. population is projected to turn “minority white” in 2042, its preschool Read more [...]

Signs of a Struggling Local Church

July 3, 2009

The latest issue of Outreach has hit the stands. It features some good articles on small churches and bi-vocational pastors. You can subscribe to the print edition here. I write the Surprising Insights column in each issue. Here’s an excerpt from my article on the signs of a struggling local church. Over 90% of churches are declining or growing less than the community around them. The national trends are not good. Before church leaders surrender to frustration and church members yield to apathy, Read more [...]

The Generation Gap: 1969-2009

June 30, 2009

Yesterday the Pew Research Center released data from a recent study on aging in America. They compared their findings with results from a 1969 Gallup poll of similar questions. You can read the full report here. After interviewing over 2,900 people they found several differences in the younger and older generation. That’s not a surprise, but their focus on the downside, upside, and perception about growing old was fascinating. On the downside of growing older: When it comes to potential problems Read more [...]

Insights into the Spiritual Profile of Homosexuals

June 28, 2009

The Barna Group recently interviewed over 8,500 heterosexual adults and 280 homosexual adults. The point of the research was to compare the spirituality of both groups. Barna’s findings included some results that would be expected, but also some surprising insights. You can read the full report here. I’ve listed below some highlights. In any given week the research discovered that heterosexuals are the more likely of the two groups to attend a church service, attend a Sunday school class, pray Read more [...]

Love Loud: The Southern Baptist Convention 2009

June 21, 2009

Tomorrow I will fly to Louisville to attend the Southern Baptist Convention. It’s the annual meeting of the denomination to which I belong. This year’s theme is “love loud: actions speak louder than words.” I’ve been a Southern Baptist my entire life. Growing up a PK, the annual meeting also doubled for family vacation. Thanks Dad 🙂 I don’t go after the freebies at the booths as much anymore, but I still enjoy the convention. I don’t hang my hat on any denomination. God can use any Read more [...]

Generation F and the Mega Church

June 17, 2009

Warren Bird and Scott Thumma have released new research on the mega church. The report comes out of the Hartford Institute of Religious Research and involved 25,000 people from 12 U.S. congregations. USA Today also reported on the research and noted a few key findings: The average age of megachurch attenders is 40, compared to nearly 53 at a typical Protestant church. Nearly two-thirds of megachurch attenders are under 45, double the numbers in Protestant congregations of all sizes. The vast majority Read more [...]

10 Bad Church Work Habits

June 10, 2009

CNN.com recently posted on 10 of the worst work habits. After reading the article, I could not help but to view these bad habits through the lens of church life. So I’ve reworked the top ten list as it pertains to the daily tasks of ministry. You can read the original article here. 1. Procrastination. It’s harmful at any level, but the effects of this bad habit are compounded at higher leadership levels. If a ministry leader or senior pastor consistently procrastinates, then everyone is forced Read more [...]