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Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Wednesday's Catch: 'The Religious Life of Gen Z' And More


At the beginning of the 20th century, sociologist Max Weber prophesied that religion-less modernity would become unbearable for secular society. He predicted the emergence of what he called late modernity, a period in which people embraced a kind of polytheism, hybridizing their spirituality by welding together different beliefs and practices in an attempt to find enchantment in the midst of bland secularism. He might have been right.

Who Are the Dechurched in America and Why Did They Leave?
In this episode of As In Heaven, host Jim Davis welcomes guests Ryan Burge and Michael Graham to discuss the dechurched in America—who are they and why did they leave? They discuss detailed insights about the 40 million adult Americans who have dechurched in the last 30 years and talk in-depth about the four different profiles of dechurched evangelicals.
Some fascinating research findings.
7 Things All Growing Churches Have in Common
Once a month at Sun Valley Community Church (the church I have the privilege of serving at) we gather all of our staff from all of our campuses to have some fun, celebrate wins, keep everybody on the same page and often times do some leadership development training. Last week Chad Moore, who serves as the Lead Pastor at Sun Valley shared 7 Things that All Growing Churches have in Common…I thought these may be helpful to you in your local church context....

3 Essentials to Lead with an Ownership Mindset
Owners lead distinctively and noticeably different than others. Owners see things differently than others. They care more deeply, take responsibility more seriously, and sacrifice more willingly. We don’t have to be actual owners to authentically lead that way. It’s a choice we can make, and the results speak for themselves.

About Your Pastor
The last three years have seen more political, cultural and ideological divides plague our nation than at any other time in recent memory. Adding to the volatility and stress has been how those very political, cultural and ideological divides have often been cast as religious in nature. This put every pastor in the crosshairs.

Five Essential Accountability Standards for Pastors and Paid Church Staff
Accountability is the acceptance of responsibility for your actions. But what does this acceptance look like with paid church staff?

Communion as Apologetic
To celebrate the Lord’s Supper in a way that reinforces classism or segregation rejects the meal’s meaning.

7 Things They Didn’t Teach You in Seminary About Funerals
Performing funerals is a reality of being the pastor of a church of any size and style. Even if your church is primarily filled with young people, from time to time you will be called upon by families to perform a funeral.

8 Areas of Discipleship for New Believers
Church leaders must think strategically and thoughtfully about how to help new believers live out their journey with Christ.

The Great Imbalance in the Amazon Rainforest
The global purpose of God has always faced resistance from the nationalistic people of God.

Historian urges bishops: Reclaim ‘vile’ heritage
Ashley Boggan, a United Methodist historian and agency top executive, challenged bishops to learn from history to work toward a brighter future. She noted that the challenges John Wesley faced are not all that dissimilar from what The United Methodist Church faces today. She pointed to how Wesley took risks to reach people in his day, submitting to be “more vile” by preaching outdoors.That Wesleyan example of “vile-tality” could be what church leaders need today, Boggan said.

18 Christian colleges have closed or merged since beginning of COVID-19 pandemic
Eighteen of the dozens of colleges that have closed permanently or have been forced to merge since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic were Christian colleges, according to a recent report.

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