Friday, July 21, 2023

Friday's Catch: 'How Many People Leave Their Childhood Religion?" And More


How Many People Leave Their Childhood Religion?
Without any fanfare or big declarations, people leave religion behind or chose a different faith when taking a survey. And yet we only have a very basic understanding of the mechanisms that make all that happen.

Understanding the Decline of the Southern Baptist Convention (Part 1)
Several observations Thom Rainer makes in this two-part series are applicable to other denominations. In the first part he looks at how much the SBC has declined.

Understanding the Decline of the Southern Baptist Convention (Part 2) 
Several observations Thom Rainer makes in this two-part series are applicable to other denominations. In the second part, he identifies three major reasons for the decline of the SBC.

An Overlooked Reason for Decline in Seminary Enrollment
J. D. Payne connects the dots and traces the decline in seminary enrollment to a decline in discipleship. The declie in discipleship may also account in part for the decline in church attendance.

Why Atheism Kills Community
This article explores atheism’s baleful impact on community, using as a lens the curious trajectory of the atheist “Sunday Assembly” movement.

5 Truths You Should Know Before Entering Ministry
Lee McDerment shares what he learned from learned from being on staff at NewSpring for the last 20 years.

Are You a Resilient Pastor?
What’s the difference between being a resilient pastor who perseveres and a pastor who becomes another sad statistic?

How to Make Sure You’re Preaching to Everyone
Preaching is a central part of the pastor’s life and maybe the one thing that cannot be delegated to someone else. The preacher stands in front of crowds that have come with an open invitation. They are young and old. They are seasoned saints and those who have never heard the gospel. So, how can we preach meaningful messages to all these people, week after week, at the same time?

Worship Ministry: 12 Keys To Promote Growth
See if these 12 keys challenge you like they challenged Mark Cole and help you grow as a worship leader and a worship pastor.

What to Do When You Don’t Feel Like Praying
Most Christians will admit that a consistent prayer life is elusive.

Why Nursery Ministry Is Not Babysitting
...it is ministry at the most critical time in a person's life. Babies can learn about God. In fact, infants and toddlers learn more during those early years than at any other time in life.

8 Reasons We Should Evangelize
W. Tyler Sykora offers eight reasons to help to give Christians proper motivation to share the Gospel.

Texas Baptists affirm women in ‘ministerial’ roles as SBC debate moves to states
In the same week as the Texas Baptists’ meeting, Black leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention and SBC President Bart Barber met over similar issues in Ridgecrest, North Carolina.

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