Trends and Developments to Watch

With U.S. Economic Growth, Baby Rate Climbs

As the U.S. begins to regain its footing after the Great Recession, a key metric—the birth rate—is showing signs of (ahem) new life. (Sorry.)

Pew reports on it here. It's a trend to watch, intersecting as it does multiple social dynamics of interest to Christian leaders. Keep reading

Also see
Chart of the Week: Big drop in birth rate may be leveling off

“Black Millennials” and the Black Church

After reading Calvin and Tesfamariam, I couldn’t help but think of other reasons why the experiences of African-American millennials and White millennials might differ. Keep reading

Spiritually Speaking, There are Three Kinds of College Students

A recent study highlights the three main spiritual categories of today's college students. Keep reading

Also see
College students divided on God, spirituality

Survey finds US Jews losing their religion

Jews in the United States are overwhelmingly proud to be Jewish, yet nearly one in five of them describe themselves as having no religion, according to a Pew Research Center survey published Tuesday. Keep reading

Declining Denominations = More Unpaid Ministers

As many mainline denominations suffer a decline in numbers, a related trend—unpaid ministers serving churches that couldn't support a traditionally paid staff—is making itself felt. Smaller, often aging congregations mean tighter budgets that in turn limit pastoral salaries to part time, or unpaid altogether. Keep reading