Victory After Victory Comes from The Lord Leadership Consultation Most Outstanding, Powerful
by Paul Cedar
Thank you for your prayers for our 2016 Leadership Consultation. Our Lord answered in some most remarkable ways as we met together in Long Beach. As always, we began our consultation with an evening of prayer.
We were especially motivated to humble ourselves and pray and seek God?s face. We had several major challenges confronting us including the fact that our keynote speaker had to cancel on short notice.
We were able to secure an outstanding leader to take his place. Then, that brother had to cancel because of a family crisis just a few hours before our opening meeting. You probably will not be surprised that the Lord used all this for good. It allowed us to spend more time in prayer that evening. It turned out to be a powerful prayer session.
The marketplace leader, Ford Taylor, who was to be our first speaker the next morning became very ill just before he was to speak. In his weakness, the Lord enabled him. God?s power showed up wonderfully in his weakness. And so our meeting progressed with great and powerful sessions.
I believe that this was the most outstanding and powerful Mission America Coalition Leadership Consultations we have ever held. Our enemy opposed every step of the way but the Lord gave victory after victory.
The good news is that you can experience much of what took place even if you were unable to attend with us. All of the plenary presentations are available to watch online at no cost here. I pray that you will be blessed, encouraged and empowered as we have been. Again, thank you for your prayers!
Paul
Evangelism News
Organic Outreach, Orality, Collaboration Top Themes of Leadership Consultation
The Mission America Coalition annual leadership consultation in Long Beach in February was described by many as the "best ever" MAC gathering!
"There was a sense of a great movement of God as we met, prayed, and shared together," said Paul Cedar, MAC chairman. "It was perhaps the most significant and impactful meeting we have ever had."
"One of the delightful and powerful surprises of the Leadership Consultation was that virtually every one of our plenary speakers gave a special emphasis to the great potential of the prayer-care-share lifestyle," Cedar said. "It was an amazing move of the Holy Spirit."
Pray-care-share lifestyle, Organic Outreach, the orality movement, and collaboration were all topics addressed in the plenary presentations.
MAC also made an intentional effort to draw emerging young leaders (YLs) with an at-cost discount and side meet-ups. "We had a quality group of emerging leaders with us who are already engaged in creative outreach, which laid a foundation for a greater involvement in the years ahead," Cedar said, "including greater involvement in the planning process and up-front presence in future Consultations."
Kathy Branzell Named New Coordinator for LOVE2020 Initiative
MAC's LOVE2020 initiative was front and center at the recent Leadership Consultation in Long Beach, with more than 20 of the 30-some affinity spheres holding strategy sessions during the Consultation.
"The Consultation gave great focus and impetus to the LOVE2020 Initiative," commented Paul Cedar, MAC chairman. "This included the launching of Kathy Branzell's ministry with us as the National Coordinator of LOVE2020."
Branzell is a member of the National Prayer Committee and on the board of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. She has a master's degree in Biblical Studies and also serves with FACE for Educators. Her new position with MAC for LOVE2020 was announced at the Consultation.
Branzell gave a strong appeal for collaboration in the church. "We are all puzzle pieces, carved, curved and cut by our Creator. We complete each other. We don't compete, we complete. If you weren't here the puzzle wouldn't be complete." And a strong appeal for love: "We are at war but the beautiful thing is that our weapon is love. We are not out to destroy, but to build up, we do not judge, but are on a journey to rescue the captives out of the hands of the enemy." (Read an interview with Branzell here)
'Does Science Point to Atheism?' - More than 700 Attend Forum
More than 700 people attended the Veritas Forum "Does Science Point to Atheism?" between a Christian and an atheist at the University of Montana in February. MAC's Mark Slaughter reported great unity among the four campus ministries involved in a week of outreach on the campus - InterVarsity, Cru, Chi Alpha, and Young Life - as Jesus was proclaimed. Over half of of the people attending the debate between a science professor (Christian) and a philosophy professor (atheist) identified as non-Christians! Slaughter held "Question Mark" events for students to ask questions about faith and reported that several made commitments or recommitment a to Christ during the evangelistic meeting held that week. Slaughter is MAC's national facilitator for emergeing generations and also an apologist on staff with InterVarsity.
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Lighthouse Report Name Changes
The Lighthouse Report with Steve Douglass is now named "Making Your Life Count." Since 1999, the program has championed the pray-care-share lifestyle with regular examples of changed lives. It will continue to communicate this simple, yet powerful strategy that any follower of Christ can practice. The strategy has been refined even further by adding Walk - a necessary element - to the process. "A daily walk with Christ is a necessary ingredient in living a fruitful life. It is the key to really Making Your Life Count!" Douglass says.
Across the nation, leaders are hearing the Lord say that the U.S. is going to experience a great awakening. Prompted by this message, a coalition of influential evangelical and leaders met last December to seek the Lord and strategize. They came to a consensus that God was leading them to unite and issue a national call for multiple days of fasting and prayer walking. Out of this has emerged a broad coalition of ministries called, "As One." The vision is: uniting as one in Christ Jesus, appealing to heaven to change the spiritual climate of our nation. The basic strategy revolves around two 40-day periods of prayer walking, fasting, and corporate prayer events. The first will start on Easter Sunday, March 27 and run through the National Day of Prayer on May 5. The second begins on September 30 and ends on Election Day. In addition, there will be much collaboration with major national prayer events that are happening throughout the year.
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Spiritual Climate Change through Prayer Evangelism with 'Adopt A Street'
Transform Our World Network aims to "fill up the nation with prayer, street by street" with its Adopt Your Street program. The ministry offers a mapping app that enables intercessors to plot a prayer-walking path on the map and also see where others are praying. The app enables people to follow others and communicate. The campaign is to "change the spiritual climate of the nation," says David Thompson with Harvest Evangelism. The tools are being used by PrayAsOne.org, The Call, The National Prayer Committee, CRU, Intercessors for America and others. The network also hosts the Adopt A Cop for neighborhoods.
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100,000 Fill Up Harvest America 2016; Thousands Accept Christ
At least 100,000 people gathered at AT&T; Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for Harvest America 2016 on Sunday evening, according to Pastor Greg Laurie, and thousands of them responded to the California pastor's invitation to pray to accept Jesus into their lives.
North Central College's Residence Hall/Recreation Center is accustomed to holding track meets, but one weekend in February, the space was devoted to boxing. More than 5,000 volunteers from Naperville, Lisle, Wheaton, Aurora and Plainfield, Ill., filled small bags with nutrient-rich meals. The bags were then boxed 36 at a time and loaded into a truck, ultimately destined for starving children in developing countries. Each bag contains six meals. A box of food will feed a child for more than seven months. According to Andy Carr, Feed My Starving Children, "6,200 children are dying every day because they don't have a simple meal." Officials said more than 1 million meals were packed over the weekend for delivery to hungry children in developing nations.
Basketball Coach's Vision for Outreach Now Reaches 2 Million a Year
"If there is ever a question about what God can do with a life totally surrendered, called and risking all to follow His vision, we can point to a young basketball coach from Oklahoma, who in 1954 saw the potential of athletes and coaches to share the gospel with the world," says Les Steckel, Fellowship of Christian Athletes president and CEO. Don McClanen was a university basketball coach with a vision to bring young people to Jesus. He dreamed that well-known Christian athletes would advertise their faith on television and in magazines the way they advertised other household products. McClanen led Fellowship of Christian Athletes for only seven years (starting other ministries as well) but his vision for athletes to proclaim Christ now reaches 2 million people annually. McClanen passed away in February.
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Church Coalition Launches Twin Cities Justice Weekend
Four churches in the southwest metro area of the Twin Cities are collaborating around God's passion for justice and mercy. May 14-16 they are planning a Twin Cities Justice Weekend with the help of the International Justice Mission (IJM). This coalition of churches believes the Church is better together, than apart when working to end slavery. Read about five ways local churches can be involved in the Twin Cities Justice Weekend. Consider doing something similar in your community!
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Commentary
What Type of Christians Is Your Church Producing?
Church leaders play a significant role in influencing whether its members are passive, pensive, private or powerful. Churches today are producing far too many of the first three. Few churchgoers see themselves as the embodiment of church once they walk out the front door, writes Jim Morgan
"Risen is now one of my favorite movies?Christian or not?of all time," writes Jim Denison. "[Joseph Fiennes] went to Rome, where he enrolled in gladiator school...the better to become a Roman soldier himself.... Fiennes paid the price to transmit this mindset to the screen."
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The Deaf Should Be Privy to the Gospel Too
"As the national anthem was sung [at this year's Superbowl], Marlee Matlin...gave her beautiful rendition of this most patriotic song in American Sign Language. It's sad, though, that only a few seconds of it were seen [by television viewers]." writes J.R. Bucklew. He contends that some ministries respond the same way regarding live streaming the sign language interpreter in their events. Shouldn't the deaf be privy to the gospel too?
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Why Do Churches Turn Away Families at The Door?
"The vast majority of families approaching churches for help are quickly, yet courteously, turned away. ...Few churches still follow Jesus' model of leading with service and compassion, then telling them who He is. Consequently, the role of church in society has changed..." writes Jim Morgan. Are churches are missing God-given opportunities?
Why You're After More than Bible Stories by Mark Snowden
Mark Snowden is a coordinator of the LOVE2020 Orality Affinity Sphere. He wrote this commentary for The Mission America Coalition. Find inspiring stories about living an effective pray-care-share lifestyle on Facebook.
Get better results by knowing your purpose. To paraphrase a fishing quote by Henry David Thoreau, "Many leaders tell Bible stories without knowing that it is not Bible stories they are after." Are you wanting to evangelize? Evangelize. Disciple a new believer? Disciple. Mentor a new pastor? Mentor.
After a training session in Texas, a missionary confided in me, "Mark, I've been telling Bible stories with one refugee people group for almost a year. I now see that I've got to become intentional if I want them to experience spiritual transformation. I've just been giving them Bible facts."
Sometimes it's necessary to tell power stories (Jesus walking on the water) or a tender story (Ruth) from Scripture in order to gain a hearing. But once you have that permission, then determining a purpose and sticking to it can be used of the Lord to get better results.
For tips and updates on orality, "like" TruthSticks on Facebook.
Tools for Evangelism
Tracking Pray-Care-Share Efforts
One ministry in south Florida uses a Google Drive tool to track its pray-care-share efforts. See the tool on the group's website. And watch a how-to video to create a similar tool for your region on YouTube
Most faith and community groups struggle to recruit and mobilize volunteers, find needed resources, manage events and communicate effectively with members, partners and others. MeetTheNeed offers state of the art solutions to: spread the word about needs in your organization, recruit and manage volunteers, schedule and manage outreach activities, and work with ministry or community partners and others more efficiently. Ministries and churches can post their needs and opportunities, use it as a resource to direct people to help on your website, and collaborate with other ministries and churches.
Holy Week Infographic Shows Chronology of Easter Story
To help you track the people, places, and events of Holy Week day-by-day, Bible Gateway has prepared a free infographic that visualizes each of the different strands of the Easter story as they lead to Easter Sunday. Use the infographic in your church services or distribute in print.
Some churches are great at evangelism. Other churches are great at service. But few churches are good at doing both at once. This 28-page resource "Connecting Service and Evangelism" will help you consider ways to serve your community while still preaching the gospel of Christ.
PeopleGroups.Info Offers Strategic Information for Outreach in the U.S.
ArcGIS is a mapping platform that peoplegroups.info uses to help churches know and reach the people groups residing in North America. The initiative is a collaboration of Southern Baptists and Great Commission Christians to create awareness, discover unreached people groups, and mobilize churches. Check out this description of the Buddhist population in the U.S. and explore the site for information about other groups.
Ministry to Migrants and Asylum Seekers: A Guide for Evangelical Churches
This book available on Amazon UK is a resource for evangelical leaders and churches. Written from an Irish context, the guide approaches the subject from the perspectives of theology, history, personal testimony and practical suggestions. The Kindle edition is available for free.
MAC partner Larry DeWitt wrote his impressions of the movie "Risen" in a recent newsletter: "This movie exceeded my expectations." See movieguide.com for "Three Ways RISEN Can Make You More Spiritually Aware," (here) and "2 Things Christians Can Learn from Clavius' Pursuit Of Jesus in the Movie RISEN" (here) Pray that many will become followers of Christ by experiencing 'Risen.'" See Movie Trailer.
Unashamed [ital] tells the story of how God led Grammy and Dove Award-winning artist Lecrae through the darkest, hardest of places to a place of influence. He is a leader in culture, modeling how to represent Jesus in public spaces and dark places alike. The book launches May 3. Pre-order online by March 31 at UnashamedBook.com and receive an exclusive, free download of a new song as well as a free Unashamed t-shirt or tickets to an exclusive pre-concert event with Lecrae during the Unashamed tour. Listen to an interview with Lecrae on the 5 Leadership Question podcast.
Frontiers has partnered with YouVersion - makers of the most downloaded Bible app in the world - to provide an easier way to use its 30-day Bible reading plan. Download the app at https://www.youversion.com/. From beginning to end, the Bible reveals that all peoples will be reached before the end. However, there are still over 1000 unengaged Muslim peoples. As you follow the Frontiers Bible reading plan, pray God enable His Church to complete the work of making disciples among all of these Muslim peoples. Ask the Lord of the harvest for an increase in new disciple-making movements within the Muslim world.
The Gospel in a Non-Christian Culture
Being a Christian is more significant in a hostile or indifferent culture than in friendly surrounds. Ed Stetzer, Executive Dir. of LifeWay Research says, "In a place where most people admit they're not Christian the gospel often has a better chance of being distinctive. Being a Christian is more significant in a hostile or indifferent culture than in friendly surrounds. It can be easier to share the gospel with those who don't think that they are already right with God. As nominal Christians or cultural Christians drop the fa?ade of religiosity for the honesty of not following a faith at all, it will become easier to share the Gospel." (The Exchange 2/8/16)
Millennials View of Churches Younger generations tend to have more-positive views than their elders of a number of institutions that play a big part in American society. But for churches, Millennials' opinions have become markedly more negative in the past 5 years. Since ‛10, Millennials' rating of churches and other religious organizations has dipped 18% points: 55% now say churches have a positive impact on the country vs. 73% just 5 years ago. Views among older generations have changed little over this time period. As a result, older generations are now more likely than Millennial, who are much less likely than their elders to be religious, to view religious organizations positively. (Fact Tank 1/4/16)
Spiritual but not Religious According to Pew Research, Americans have become less religious in recent years by standard measures such as how important they say religion is to them and their frequency of religious service attendance and prayer. But, at the same time, the share of people across a wide variety of religious identities who say they often feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being as well as a deep sense of wonder about the universe has risen. The drop in religiosity in the U.S. has been limited to religious "nones". The growth of the unaffiliated and their decreasing religiosity are the main factors behind the emergence of a less religious public overall. But, the rise in spirituality has been happening among both the highly religious and religiously unaffiliated. (Pew Research Fact Tank 1/21/16)
Cost of a Convert According to church growth and discipleship multiplication expert Bill Hull, on average it takes 100 church attendees, a pastor and $100,000.00 a year to win 1 convert. Among evangelicals result is a bit better, 1.7. (LifeSite News 2/16/16)
Beliefs in the UK 61% of UK adults believe Jesus was a real person finds recent Barna Group research. Age plays a minor role in that belief?adults 35 and older (63%) are slightly more likely than those 18 to 34 (57%) to believe Jesus actually lived. Younger adults (26%) are also more likely than those over 35 (20%) to believe Jesus was a "fictional character from a book and not a real, historical person." But even though most UK adults believe Jesus was a historical person, only 22% believe Jesus was "God in human form who lived among people in the 1st Century." 29% believe he was "a prophet or spiritual leader, not God." 44% of UK adults believe Jesus arose from the dead. 17% believe "the resurrection happened word-for-word as described in the Bible," 26% believe the Biblical story "contains some content which should not be taken literally."
(Barna Research 2/10/16)
Chinese Students Accepting Christ in U.S. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese students come as atheists to study in colleges and universities in the U.S. and thousands of them accept Jesus. More than 304,000 Chinese studied in American colleges and universities in ‛15 alone, according to Institute of International Education. And these institutions often become the first places where they get to know about different religious tenets. Purdue Univ.'s sociology professor, Yang Fenggang, predicts that China, which had over 58 million Protestants in ‛10 according to the Pew Research, will have around 160 million by 2025. This would mean China will likely be ahead even of the U.S., which had about 159 million Protestants in ‛10. (Christian Post 2/13/16)
Highly Observant Still Faithful According to Greg Smith, Associate Dir. of Research at the Pew Research Center, "The number of highly observant (religious) American adults really has not changed very much in recent years. What has changed is that there's been very rapid growth in the number of adults who are not particularly religious." Even though the religiously unaffiliated are growing, the vast majority of American adults continue to identify with a religion, primarily Christianity. At the same time the religiously unaffiliated are growing and as they grow, they are also becoming even less religious. And that's what's serving to tug down on the overall rates of religious observance we see among the U.S. public as a whole. (The Exchange 1/22/16)
Nepal's Rapid Christian Growth Hindu-majority Nepal used to be a nation unreached by Christianity. Now the country has one of the fastest-growing Christian populations in the world, according to the World Christian Database. Nepal's census listed no Christians in 1951 and just 458 in 1961. By ‛01, there were nearly 102,000. A decade later that number had more than tripled to more than 375,000. Many think the increase is really much higher. Much of this growth can be attributed to Nepal's internal changes. Before 1950, Nepal was closed to foreigners. Mountain climbing changed that. And starting with the Maoist Civil War of the ‛90s and culminating with the end of the monarchy in ‛08, the country has transitioned from a Hindu kingdom to a communist-led secular republic with greater freedom of religion. Encouraging someone to convert to another religion was always illegal, but as Nepal eased away from its official Hindu status, the rules lightened up. Although proselytizing remains illegal, political instability and weak law enforcement, doesn't stop it. (NPR 2/3/16)
Christians Happies t Britain's national happiness index finds Christians are among the happiest people in the nation, while those who don't identify with any particular religion generally scored the lowest in life satisfaction. Christians, with all denominations grouped together, reported an average mean of life satisfaction at 7.60. This was the highest mean, alongside Hindus, who posted the same number. The groups with the lowest average score were the non-religious at 7.41, and the "any other religion" group, at 7.31. When asked whether life is worthwhile, Jews and Christians were the most likely to answer yes, at 7.90 and 7.86 mean respectively. The non-religious were at the lowest with a 7.58 mean. Data showed the 65 to 79 age group was the happiest of all, while those 45 to 59 reported the lowest levels of life satisfaction. 45% of those who attend church weekly would describe themselves as "very happy" vs. only 28% of those who never attend. 4% of those who never attend church said they were "very unhappy" vs. 2% of those that attend weekly. (CP World 2/3/16)
Culture of Generosity According to PushPay, only 15% of churches in America are growing in terms of attendance and giving. These growing few share something in common: a culture of generosity. Generous churches grow, participate, find a way to say yes, are known as a light in their community and are led by generous leaders. (eChurchGiving 2/9/16)
Evangelical Christianity is Growing in America.
From ‛07 to ‛14 the number of evangelicals in America rose from 59.8 million to 62.2 million, according to Pew. While it should be noted that evangelicals' share of the overall U.S. population dropped by 9 percentage points over the 7 years based on denominational affiliation, the percentage of U.S. adults who self-identify as evangelical or born-again rose from 34 to 35% over the same period. Don't miss that: More than 1/3 of Americans call themselves evangelical. (USA Today 5/14/15)
Happiest Couples Worship Together 78% of men and women in couples who regularly go to services together, or where only the man attends regularly, report they are 'very happy' or 'extremely happy,' after adjusting for differences in race, age, education, marital status, region, and other factors, finds a new Institute on Family Studies study. In contrast, 67% of men and women in relationships where neither partner attends are happy, and just 59% of people in couples where only she attends regularly report they are very happy. Clearly, shared attendance and his attendance are linked to higher self-reported relationship quality. Findings suggest men's religious attendance is particularly beneficial to their relationships, at least in part because churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples are some of the few American institutions that devote sustained attention to encouraging men to invest in their families. (Christian Post 2/11/16)
Bible Knowledge: Teens vs. Adults Only 10% of U.S. Protestant teens said they were highly knowledgeable about the Bible vs. 18% of adults finds a recent American Bible Society study. 31% of teens said they were moderately knowledgeable vs. 42% of adults. Instead, those teens judge themselves as somewhat knowledgeable (48% vs. 36% of adults). CT Gleanings 12/18/15)
Teens' Church Attendance Plans 70% of practicing Protestant teens are very likely to attend church after graduating from high school or moving away from home. Another 26% say that is somewhat likely, and 3% aren't sure. (CT Gleanings 12/18/15)
When Teens See Someone Else Reading a Bible in a public place, 78% are happy to see another Christian around. The sight makes 64% feel encouraged and 63% feel joyful. It reminds 56% to read their own Bible. (CT Gleanings 12/18/15)
Biblical Christianity Still Spreading Rodney Stark, in his new book The Triumph of Faith, provides an interesting and illuminating angle on the story of how religious and "God-minded" Americans actually are. He rejects the popular notion that we are sliding ever more secular or even agnostic and atheistic. He says these widespread conclusions from leading polling organizations (both Christian and secular) are often the result of the rather superficial character of most religious survey research questions. When Baylor Univ. in conjunction with Gallup asked more specific questions, the results tell a different story: 61% of respondents believe angels "absolutely exist" while 21% believe they "probably exist." 82% of Americans report, "I am sometimes very conscious of the presence of God." 44% have reported "feeling called by God to do something." Remarkably, 20% say, "I heard the voice of God speaking to me." Now these numbers are not any indication of any revival of Christian orthodoxy by any means, but they do show that many in our communities are indeed very open and even experience very specific and important spiritual experiences. People are more open to God than most of us appreciate. We must trust that the Holy Spirit is not sitting on the sidelines in our day. He is as active as ever. (Pulse Check 2/15/16)
Members of Large Churches are Less Involved than those of smaller congregations, finds a recent Duke Univ. study. Researcher David Eagle, said "What I found really interesting was that the rapid increase in the number of really big churches might actually tie into what many have observed; the declining importance of religion and religious involvement in the US." Eagle believes 3 factors are generating this trend: megachurches having an inherent appeal for those who do not want to regularly attend church, megachurch attendees struggling to form social connections, and megachurch attendees having more members with high incomes than smaller congregations. The research suggests megachurches are attracting more dual-income families, who are much more time-stressed. Families that don't have as much discretionary time, gravitate to larger churches where they can pick and choose their involvement. (Christian Post 2/8/16)
Gratitude Triggers Giving The second wave of the U.S Congregational Life Survey data shows that, on average, worshippers contribute $1,500 a year to their churches. In Roman Catholic congregations, the average is lower ($727 a year) and among mainline Protestant churches the average is higher ($1,627 a year). In small congregations, more people give; in mid-size and larger churches there tends to be a "free rider" ethic that allows more to get away with less. According to Deborah Bruce, research manager for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), gratitude is one of the core church giving motivators. If people are connected to their congregation, if it's giving them what they need to face the complex factors they confront during the week, people will put money into the plate. About 43% of conservative Protestants said they gave 10% or more of their net income compared with 18% of mainline Protestant churchgoers and 11% of Catholics. Half of American churchgoers said they give 5% or more of their net income to the church. (Insights into Religion 2/11/16)
How Long Do Staff Stay at Larger Churches? Larger churches are known for long-tenure senior pastors. Indeed, it's quite an impressive number of years in office that the average (median) senior/lead pastor of a North American Protestant church has served, according to Leadership Network data: 24 years for churches 10,000 and higher in weekly worship, 20 years for churches 5,000-9,999 in weekly worship, 16 years for churches 1,000-4,999 in weekly worship. (Leadership Network 1/8/16)
Most Tithers Attend Smaller Churches 50% of tithers attend churches of under 250 people. 34% attend churches with 250-999 people. 16% attend churches of 1000 or more. (20 Truths About Tithers, Brian Kluth)
Why Are Church's Going Bankrupt? According to the Wall Street Journal, religious groups that took in half of all charitable contributions in 1990 now get less than a third due to a shift in generational giving habits. According to Barna research, in ‛11 only 4% of Americans gave 10% of their income to churches, a drop from the previous year's rate of 7%. 25% of Americans stopped giving to churches altogether. As the recession kicked in, people began cutting back their giving to churches and other charities. And when the economy started to show signs of improvement, people have been reluctant to return to their previous levels of generosity. This decrease in tithing is part of the reason 4,000 to 7,000 churches go bankrupt each year. (Evangelpreneur, Josh Tolly, BenBella Books, 2015)
High Expectations LifeWay's Thom Rainer says there are 6 common patterns in churches that are more effective in making disciples. 1. The church has an entry point class that all new members attend. 2. Members are expected to attend an open group Bible study. 3. Members are expected to be involved in one or more deeper studies throughout the year. 5. Members are expected to be involved in at least one ministry or mission activity a year. 6. Members are expected to read and study the Bible daily. It is not unusual to hear objections to these expectations. But research shows higher expectations get more positive behavioral patterns. People want to be a part of something that makes a difference. If you raise the bar of expectations, most members will respond positively. And as more church members get involved in open groups, deeper studies, corporate worship, ministry, missions and daily Bible study, they will become more effective disciples for Christ. (Outreach 12/6/15)
Being a Pastor is Demanding LifeWay Research finds 84% of current pastors and 8% of former pastors say they feel on call 24 hours a day, while 48% of each group say the demands of ministry often feel like more than they can handle. On other measures, however, the differences can be stark: 21% of current pastors vs. 49% of former pastors believe their church has unrealistic expectations. 35% of current vs. 62% of former pastors report feeling isolated. 89% of current vs. 68% of former pastors feel free to say no to unrealistic expectations. 92% of current vs. 61% of former pastors believe their congregation provides genuine encouragement to their family. 94% of current vs. 74% of former pastors say they consistently protect family time. Former pastors are also less likely than current pastors to report an enthusiastic spouse, to take a weekly day of rest, and to work at preventing conflict. They are more likely to worry about their family's financial security and to frequently get irritated with people at church. (CT Gleanings 1/12/16)
Keeping Pastors LifeWay Research's Ed Stetzer says, "Having clear documents, offering a sabbatical rest, and having people help with weighty counseling cases," are key things churches can do to help pastors stay in the pastorate. LifeWay surveyed 734 former senior pastors who left the pastorate before retirement age in 4 denominations and found 48% said the search team didn't accurately describe the church before their arrival. Their churches were unlikely to have a list of counselors for referrals (27%), clear documentation of the church's expectations of its pastor (22%), a sabbatical plan for the pastor (12%), a lay counsel-ing ministry (9%), or a support group for the pastor's family (8%). 48% say their church had none of these. 56% clashed over changes they proposed, and 54% experienced a significant personal attack, yet 48% say their training didn't prepare them to handle the people side of ministry. Though 63% spent more than a decade as a senior pastor, they eventually moved on, 52% to another ministry role other than senior pastor, but 29% to non-ministry work. 40% left the pastorate because of a change in calling. They also cite church conflict (25%), burnout (19%), personal finances (12%), and family issues (12%). (CT Gleanings 1/12/16)
>Why Teens Read the Bible More According to the American Bible Society, 55% of American teens overall said they read the Bible now more because they came to understand Bible reading as an important part of their faith journey, while 26% said a difficult experience caused them to search for directions and answers. 18% said they experienced a significant change in their lives or saw how the Bible changed someone they knew for the better. 14% said their reading increased because they went to a church where the Bible became more accessible to them, or someone they knew asked them to read the Bible with them. Another 10% read more because they downloaded the Bible onto their smartphone or tablet. 96% said they wished they read the Bible more. 28% were frustrated that they didn't have more time to read, while 13% said their frustration came from difficulty in relating to biblical language. Another 8% don't understand the background or history of the Bible, and 7% simply don't feel excited about reading it. 75% were motivated to read the Bible because it brings them closer to God, 11% read because they knew were supposed to, 7% needed comfort, 3% had a problem to solve or needed direction, and for 2% it was part of their studies at school. (CT Gleanings 12/18/15)
When They Read the Bible, practicing Protestant teens in the U.S. felt encouraged/inspired (30%), like they got a sense of direction (25%), peaceful (21%), hopeful (13%), and happy (11%), according to new American Bible Society research. They also felt confusion (23%), overwhelmed (21%), bored (8%), and discouraged, guilty, or sinful (6%). 29% said they didn't feel any negative emotions when reading their Bibles. (CT Gleanings 12/18/15)
Church of England Attendance Lowest Ever The number of people attending Church of England services each week has for the first time dropped below 1 million ? accounting for less than 2% of the population ? with Sunday attendances falling to 760,000. Numbers attending church services have fallen by 12% in the past decade, to less than half the levels of the 60s. Attendance numbers have been falling at about 1% every year since WWII. Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: "In England the culture is becoming anti-Christian." The church has embarked on a radical "reform and renewal" program intended to reverse declining numbers, partly by diverting funds away from small, struggling rural parishes to urban churches where the potential for growth is greatest. They are also developing "network churches" that meet in cafes, pubs and other un-consecrated buildings. The church, whose current leadership is dominated by evangelicals, recently created a new bishop to focus on "church planting." Leaders also say attendance statistics do not take into account activities such as running food banks and schools. (The Guardian 1/12/16)
Racial Diversity in U.S. Congregations The 2010 Faith Communities Today report shows a major shift toward desegregation underway among the nation's religious communities. The study, which included more than 11,000 congregations, found the number of multiracial faith communities has nearly doubled in the past decade. Nearly 14% are considered multiracial, with at least 20% of members coming from racial groups different from the congregation's majority race. The study also found 4% of America's congregations are multiracial, with no racial group having a majority. The percentage of multiracial congregations has nearly doubled in the past decade, and it is happening in nearly all faith groups. (Insight into Religion 1/7/16)
Discipleship Success A recent Barna group poll of 2,000 Christian adults and 800 pastors found most are struggling to define success for discipleship. Less than 1% of pastors believe discipleship is going well at today's churches, but 52% of Christian adults believe churches are certainly doing a good job, and 40% thought they are probably doing a good job. 94% of Christians said their churches emphasize spiritual growth. (Christian Messenger 12/11/15)
If Fathers Care...Kids Care
Intuitively, we think mom is most influential parent in teaching kids empathy for others. In reality it's dad, and by a long shot. A 26-year longitudinal study launched in the mid-1950s with conclusions published in 1990, found it "quite astonishing" that the strongest factor in children demonstrating greater levels of empathic concern in their 30s and beyond was father's participation in their early care. This factor of paternal child-care was in fact stronger than the 3 strongest maternal factors combined! Pro-social behaviors such as altruism and generosity in children are related to active involvement in child care by fathers. (Pulse Check 2/1/16)
Parents Monitor Kid's Social Media Few would disagree parents need to keep an eye on what their teens are up to on social media. Yet, according to Pew, only 60% of parents with children aged 13-17 do so. While teens might not be so thrilled to have their digital domains sleuthed, it makes good parenting sense to ensure they are kept safe. 56% have friended their child on Facebook, or followed them on Twitter. 61% check which websites their teen visits and 48% browse their child's call records and text messages. Wide-spread adoption of various digital technologies has added a challenge to parenthood; specifically, striking a balance between allowing independent exploration and providing an appropriate level of parental oversight. 48% say they know the password of their teens email account, 43% have their phone password and 35% know the password to at least one social media account. (BizReport 1/14/16)
Tattoos - more and more Americans are getting them! 29% of Americans have at least one tattoo, up from 21% just 4 years ago according to the Harris Poll. What's more, among those with any tattoos, 69% have 2 or more. Nearly half of millennials have a tattoo. Today 71% of U.S. parents are comfortable with visible tattoos on their child's primary teacher or pediatrician. (Harris Poll 2/10/16)
Looking for Love Online A survey by Pew Research of more than 2,000 adults in the U.S. reveals that 15% have used an online dating site and/or mobile app to find that special someone; up from 11% in ‛13. That figure rises to 27% among younger adults 18 and 24, triple the number in ‛13. (Biz Report 2/12/16)
Americans Not Happy With Work Places That's the takeaway from a new YouGov survey which finds 28% of working adults are considering a job change this year and 26% are 'unhappy, unmotivated or bored'. According to new data from Bolste, businesses could face a mass exodus this year because their employees aren't feeling energized by their work place. Not only are about one-third of Americans considering a job change, but 20% do not believe their employers value either their independent working skills or their ideas. "To remain competitive on the world stage, American business leaders need a way to evaluate their employees' ideas, give proper feedback and equip their teams with tools and skills to manage projects efficiently", said. Leif Hartwig, Bolste CEO. (BizReport 2/18/16)
Lies Many Movies are Teaching Young Women Movies could be one of the strongest influences on young minds in the 21st century, if not the most. Young women are a huge target audience studios want to hit, and the amount of deception they feed growing girls is shocking. Here are 5 common, false messages young girls are falling prey to, and need to fight against. 1. Outward beauty is what matters. 2. Bullying is funny. 3. Having romantic fantasies is good. 4. The heavy drinking lifestyle is worth trying. 5. Sex before marriage is worth it. Each of these lies are bombarding young women who are falling prey to them, and while God is full of forgiveness, and His grace can redeem from any sin, we can help protect our young girls from a lot of pain and from being enticed into the world by teaching them Biblical principles and responses, and protecting them from media that attacks those principles. (Movie Guide 1/22/16)
People & Transitions:
Charles C. Ryrie, Bible scholar and author, died 2/16/16 in Dallas at age 90.
Don McClanen, founder of Fellowship of Christian Athletes passed away in February.
Fast Facts:
Around 35% of American adults (roughly half of all Christians) self-identify as evangelical or born again, claims Pew Research Center
From ‛13 to ‛15, the percentage of Americans who qualify as 'post-Christian' rose 7 percentage points finds Barna Research.
32% of U.S. atheists, agnostics and unaffiliated say religious liberty is worse off today vs. 23% in ‛12.
48% of Millennials believe Jesus was God, compared to 55% of Gen-Xers, 58% of Boomers and 62% of Elders.
46% of U.S. Millennials say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ vs. 59% of Gen-Xers, 65% of Boomers and 71% of Elders.
78% of teens and 74% of adults say the Bible has too little influence in US society today.
75% of U.S. practicing Protestant teens say the Bible's main message is the story of who God is and His desire to have a relationship with the people He created.
84% of practicing Protestant U.S. adults wish they had read the Bible more last year.
92% of evangelical pastors make deliberate efforts to prevent conflict.
67% of U.S. Bible reading teens prefer to read it in print vs. 26% who prefer to it on their smart phone.
92% of U.S. practicing Protestant teens, who say the Bible had an influence on their lives, are very active in their church.
88% of practicing Protestant teens strongly agree the Bible contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life.
44% of U.S. adults say Christian symbols should be allowed regardless of whether other faiths are represented.
73% of Americans say Jesus was born to a virgin and 81% believe He was laid in a manger.
35% of U.S. practicing Christians under 40 favor same sex marriage, 75% of non-practicing Christians under 40.
In ‛99, 23% of all U.S. mothers stayed at home while in ‛12, 29% did.
52% of Americans would consider moving to another state to live in an area with a better climate or weather.
16% of U.S. small business owners found it difficult to hire and retain good employees in ‛15.
Immigrants account for 13% of the U.S. population.
Adding in their children, 1 in 4 people in America is a first- or second-generation immigrant.
About 1/3 of U.S. Hispanics and 2/3 of U.S. Asians are foreign born.
47% of immigrants are naturalized U.S. citizens. 27% of U.S. immigrants are unauthorized.
26% of U.S. immigrants are legal permanent residents and people on temporary visas, e.g. students and short-term workers.
Couples are 31% less likely to get divorced if they have some marriage training.
51% of pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned while 49% are planned.
38% of U.S. adults have a tattoo.
68% of U.S. divorces involved one partner meeting a new lover over the internet.
38% of U.S. divorces involved one partner spending excessive time speaking in chat rooms.
China's economy grew at its slowest rate in 25 years in ‛15; just 6.9% according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
According to Angel Tree, 2.7 million U.S. children have an incarcerated parent.
News and Trends information compiled and edited by Gary Foster, President of Gary D Foster Consulting, a firm that assists Christian ministries and product companies in solving management, marketing, donor/customer service and product development problems. Contact Gary at: 419.238.4082, [email protected] or go to www.GaryDFoster.com.
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