Wednesday's Catch: '5 Telling Shifts in U.S. Religious Life Since 2020' And More

5 Telling Shifts in U.S. Religious Life Since 2020
A recent Pew Research study examines how the pandemic affected four areas of American life, revealing five key shifts in religious life.

Related Report: How the COVID-19 pandemic affected U.S. religious life

Denominations in an Age of Online Over-Exposure
Here’s one of the the under-discussed realities behind the infighting and controversies we see in churches, denominations, and networks today: we’ve yet to learn how to coexist and do ministry together in a digital age.

Help for Dioceses Tops Realignment Plans
A “reinvention” of General Convention, increased support for dioceses in crisis communications and Title IV, and a consolidation of the church’s efforts in mission and advocacy are at the heart of realignment plans presented to Executive Council on February 18.

Related Article: Presiding bishop outlines coming realignment of churchwide staff, prioritizing service to dioceses

Inculturation and Indigenization: An African Theologian’s Perspective
What exactly makes a church — a province — truly Anglican? The era of the Instruments of Communion, or at least the era of their current configuration, has implied that to be Anglican entails maintaining a position of permanent reception from the Church of England, the enduring legacy of colonialism. What if an indigenous approach is more in keeping with some key thinking from the original Anglican reformers? Here we face into questions of missiology, inculturation, and indigenization.

Helping Rural Congregations Thrive
Rural congregations are often overlooked yet are vital to their communities, offering relational, volunteer-driven support. They thrive on strong relationships, emphasizing belonging and community well-being. To help rural churches flourish, Anna Hall says we must understand their unique contexts, celebrate their strengths, address challenges, and create programs that fit their specific needs.

The Ruthless Elimination of Paragraphs
"It’s also a particular kind of book, written in a particular kind of way. It’s not the first, second, or one hundredth book like this. It’s part of an ongoing style of writing that has many examples. Conventional wisdom says it’s useless to talk about style. If the book is orthodox, if it’s thoughtful, who cares how it’s written? Well, because I think the how is actually connected to the what. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry embodies a particular writing technique that, in my view, shapes its meaning…and does so in a somewhat ironic way."

Pastor, You Can Endure: 5 Reminders for When Ministry Is Hard
To endure in ministry, we must face the difficulty honestly while also pursuing God’s gifts of joy. We can neither deny the challenges nor be so fixated on them that we lose heart. What does this involve?

Two Minutes Matters: What I’ve Learned About Building Habits
If there’s anything I’ve learned about building habits over the years, it’s this: frequency is more important than length.

The Reliability of the New Testament
The reliability of the New Testament documents hinges on their historicity, genuine character, accuracy, transmission, and supernatural claims.

“Embracing Relational Discipleship” featuring Stephen Handy
Connecting with people and helping them grow as disciples requires a new playbook and a new way of leading. Stephen Handy shares how his Nashville church is reaching and discipling people in unchurchy ways by getting to know their neighbors, forging new missional partnerships, and focusing intentionally on relationships.

Building Churches Out of Other Churches
What is your church really made of? Or perhaps better said, who is your church really made of? This is something we all do well to ponder from time to time, for there are good ways and bad ways, better ways and worse ways to fill a church.

Evangelistic Growth in a Non-Denominational Church
Non-denominational churches are among the fastest (and only?) major categories of growing churches in the United States. Sadly, though, most of them are growing from transfer growth. Low Country Community Church in South Carolina is an exception. Thom interviews Pastor Jeff Cranston about the church’s amazing conversion growth.

Growing an Evangelistic Church in a Town of 5,602 People
The story is remarkable in any town of any size. But First Baptist Church of Okeechobee, Florida, is reaching more people than churches in major cities. You will be amazed by the insights as Thom interviews Pastor Mark McCarter of First Baptist Church, Okeechobee, Florida.