Throughout the West, many churches and denominations are in a state of plateau or decline—and have been for quite some time. Since 1987, almost every major denomination in the United States has fallen in its overall membership. However, there has been one consistent outlier to buck the trend: Pentecostals.
Black Americans lead the way in 'spiritual vitality' and church attendance
Black Christians are more likely to say they are engaged with Scripture than all other Christians as new data shows that African Americans are more likely than all other cultural demographics to attend church at least monthly.
Guests Return to Worship Services Because of These 9 Surprises
Some time ago in a Twitter survey, Thom Rainr asked respondents to share with him a singular event that impressed them in a church worship service. In fact, most of the respondents said they were “delighted” or “surprised,” and that the one event made guests return to the church.A pattern developed around nine factors. Here are some representative quotes around each of the issues....
Oh Oh Ooh Ooh La La, Whoa
Generic syllables can be enjoyable to sing and can provide a musical segue that involves the congregation. They also can carry meaning as they give expression to a burst of emotion that either respond or lead into lyrics that actually say something.There are times when an emotional “oh!” is the most appropriate lead in to a life-transforming truth. But something more has been happening. Crowds are singing lengthy portions of songs using vowel sounds rather than actually singing words. Is this a good thing? Does it matter?
The most overlooked part of funerals and church services
It would appear that a lot of people are forgetting to pray these days. We should find that extremely disturbing. And more than a little revealing. Nothing tells the tale on us more than the place we give to prayer, whether personally or in the worship services.
Three cautions before you teach others how to pray
Here are three cautions for anyone about to stand in front of others to teach prayer.
Tips for Using Breath Prayers
The Bibles teaches us to “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) How do we do this? A breath prayer is a very short prayer that can be said in one breath and repeated throughout the day. It is an ancient form of prayer, found in writings as early as the second century. The prayer communicates a sense of nearness with trust and dependency on God.
What to Do When You Don’t Enjoy Church
Perhaps you’ve just struggled through another Sunday service. If you’ve ever wondered why sometimes church feels more like a burden than a blessing, here are five possible reasons why (and what you can do about them).
Man Cannot Live on Feeds Alone: The Christian Diet for a Digital Age
Many of us see and hear more information in a day than we can possibly manage. Over time, this consistent overload dulls our senses — in particular, our spiritual senses.
Reading for fun reaches record low in US amid decline test scores: report
Amid reports of plummeting test scores, new research finds that the percentage of students who report that they read for fun has reached a record low, according to an assessment released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
7 Steps for Churches Building Relationships with Schools
Partnering with local schools provides an opportunity for churches to live as missionaries in their own communities.
Joyful Mission in a Christian Household
"As our eldest child is preparing to leave home for college this fall, I have been reflecting on these precious years with our children at home," writes Kristine Blaes. "We have had good seasons and challenging seasons. We are grateful for all of it. But the seasons with the most joyful memories are those when we have been intentional about mission together as a family."
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