Friday's Catch: 'The Nones and the Nurtured: Religious Upbringing and Generational Change' And More

The Nones and the Nurtured: Religious Upbringing and Generational Change
There are so many blind spots in survey research that it’s impossible for the average person to understand how much we just don’t know and can’t know with the current repositories of data about religion. Most surveys that do ask questions about religious attendance, belief, or affiliation are focused on capturing a snapshot of where things are right now. They don’t ask about the religious affiliation of someone when they were growing up, or how often they went to church.

7 organizational pitfalls that keep churches stuck
Here are seven organizational pitfalls that can quietly derail even the most faithful of congregations and what to do about them....

7 Steps to Church Volunteer Training (Plus Recruiting and Retaining)
"I’ve written on burnout and church volunteer issues before, but the key to avoiding those issues is right-fitting volunteers and placing safe boundaries around their workload. In my experience, there are three parts (Recruit, Train, Retain) to this process, so I’ve included my seven steps to church volunteer training, along with of recruiting and retaining church volunteers."

The Gospel Isn’t Accessible If Your Church Isn’t
No church would ever state they don’t care about people with disabilities and their families. But the actions of many churches don’t clearly signal welcome. The problem doesn’t lie in desire but in preparation and execution of a plan. This is a challenging ministry many churches are underequipped to manage.

How to Handle Tough Conversations
It’s natural to avoid a tough situation, an awkward conversation or a difficult decision – but without them your leadership becomes ineffective.

Wisconsin, Kenya Partnership Promotes Unity and Mutual Learning
The Rev. Canon Martin Olando Wesonga calls it the “Nashotah Effect.” When Wesonga, from the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), visited Nashotah Theological Seminary in Wisconsin for the first time in 2021, he noticed seminarians wore black cassocks while professors were suited up in clerical collars....

30 million Americans in harm's way as dangerous storm barrels its way through multiple states this weekend
Dangerous weather patterns throughout the United States are expected to continue this weekend, as over 30 million Americans have the potential to be under flash flood warnings. Meteorologists have warned that an increase in tropical moisture over the weekend could bring dangerous flash flooding from the Gulf Coast to the Ohio River Valley.

Also See: Ex-tropical disturbance could still unleash flooding rains over Louisiana's coast; Trump administration pauses research on flooding risk as over 100 perish in deadly summer floods

Sewanee community members among the victims of deadly Texas floods
Two alumnae and two children with ties to the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, are among the 134 known people who were killed by the July 4 floods in the Texas Hill Country.

Grief and Trauma
When grief involves trauma − a social worker explains how to support survivors of the recent floods and other devastating losses.

DeSantis under fire for using disaster funds to build migrant detention jail
Officials in Florida diverted crucial disaster preparedness and response resources to support the hasty construction of the so-called Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention jail by the Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, a newly published report has claimed. Some of the $20m in contracts analyzed by Talking Points Memo (TPM) before they inexplicably disappeared from the Florida department of financial services website went to donors or political allies of DeSantis, the report said.

Also See: Emails show DeSantis administration blindsided county officials with plans for 'Alligator Alcatraz'

177 new Tennessee laws go into effect July 1st. Here are the ones that caught our eye
A total of 177 new Tennessee laws go into effect July 1st. They range from new rules involving illegal immigration and education to traffic and hunting laws. Here are the ones that caught our eye.

If you are a pastor or other church leader in Tennessee or in a state bordering Tennessee or you are planning a trip to Tennessee, you may want to acquaint yourselve with these changes to Tennessee state law.

9 Worship Leading Tips Every Young Worship Leader Should Know
There are 9 worship leading tips I think every young worship leader needs to learn.

Optimizing Your Church Website for Three Key Types of Visitors, with Derek Maxson (Ep 107)
You can have a website people are looking for, even if you’re a small church with no extra time, expertise, or money.

VBS Volunteers Will Stay Longer If You Follow These 5 Tips
Love your VBS volunteers? Wish they’d stay after vacation Bible school is over for the summer? Then consider these five helpful suggestions for volunteer retention.

In temples and churches, sensory rooms remove barriers for neurodivergent worshipers
Located in underutilized classrooms, storage spaces and former nurseries, these spaces are empowering families to return to faith communities.

Community Care & Youth Ministry: Build Excitement with Passion Projects
Community care and service projects are vital parts of youth ministry. But how can you get teens onboard for neighborhood outreach? Veteran youth leader Leneita Fix shares helpful insights about nurturing young servants.

TableTalk: Making Disciples Post Covid
Masks have mostly disappeared. People no longer hurriedly assure you that “It’s not COVID” when they cough in public. Rapid tests are easily available because many people are not taking them anymore. Yet despite these obvious reversions to life as it was “before,” beneath the surface significant cultural changes remain that affect our daily lives. The pandemic transformed our world, and we are still coming to grips with what that means for our church and our ministries.

Covenant Discipleship Groups and Discipleship Bands are two small group approaches that are contemporary adaptations of John Wesley's classes and bands. They are the kinds of small groups that a church would encourage participants in such introductions to Christianity as Alpha and Christianity Explored to join to continue their growth as disciples.

Lebanon Baptist Church: A Sweet Way to Serve
When the members of Lebanon Baptist Church in Lebanon, Kentucky, want to bless their neighbors, they often turn to food. Last Thanksgiving, church members walked the neighborhoods around the church to deliver pumpkin pies, no strings attached. And just a few months ago, they gave freshly baked cookies to the local hospital, area health clinics and a retirement home.