Friday, August 11, 2023

Friday's Catch: ''United Methodist pastors feel worse and worry more than a decade ago'And More


Half have trouble sleeping, a third feel depressed and isolated, half are obese, and three-quarters are worried about money, according to a new study.

Study shows shift in disaffiliations
The Lewis Center for Church Studies has done a second study comparing U.S. congregations disaffiliating from The United Methodist Church with those staying. Disaffiliation numbers have grown rapidly in 2023, and the new study finds the pool of departing churches is less dominated by the Southeastern and South Central jurisdictions. Departing churches remain more likely to be majority white and led by a male pastor than churches remaining United Methodist.
Compare this explanation of the latest Lewis Center report on disaffilations publsihed on United Methodist News wesite with the explanation of the same report published on United Methodist Insight website to which I posted a link yesterday.
Is The UMC really...? Part 12: Where are we now?
With some congregations considering leaving The United Methodist Church or just wondering about its future, Ask The UMC offers a series of questions and answers to help clear up some common misperceptions or misinformation around disaffiliation.
This is the United Methodist Communications' take on what is happening in the United Methodist Church.
Progressive National Baptists gain partners to address voting rights, gun violence
Members of the historically Black Protestant denomination also marked the ninth anniversary of the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager, in nearby Ferguson, Missouri.

7 of the Most Dangerous Mindsets for Leaders
leader can be doing everything else right and yet one flawed mindset overshadows and jeopardizes all the good leadership principles he or she knows. One constantly repeated action, one trait, one habit. Simply one mindset.Sadly, it’s not even that the person isn’t a good leader – it’s the one mindset that gets them off track.

Invent Now – Tweak Later
Apparently, it takes time for innovation to ultimately find it’s true destination.

A Simple Exercise that will Infuse Life into your Staff
Gratefulness expressed to others is not only biblical, but it brings with it many practical personal benefits as well. Science is now telling us what the Bible has for centuries: showing gratitude, saying thanks, and affirming others is really good.

Preach the Gospel at All Times
If there is one thing that unites people across many different faith traditions — a kind of ecumenical via negativa — it is an aversion to evangelism.
This aversion is particularly strong in the Episcopal Church but it is also quite evident in the churches which broke away from the Episcopal Church at various times in its history. It is widely seen in most North American churches, evangelical and mainline.
5 Steps for Planning a Church Communications Timeline
A church communications timeline is crucial for effective communication. Here are five steps to creating an achievable communication plan.

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