In an age when bigger often equates to better, small churches across the U.S. hold untapped potential, particularly when it comes to reaching the next generation.
Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) is the most digitally immersed, diverse and globally aware generation yet. They are navigating a rapidly evolving cultural landscape filled with unprecedented opportunities—and challenges. As churches of every size strive to reach Gen Alpha with the gospel, small churches are uniquely positioned to meet this moment.
What Is the State of the Church and Why Should You Care?
Barna Group has studied the U.S. Church since 1984, tracking evergreen metrics—attendance, tithing, Bible reading—while expanding into discipleship, human flourishing, digital engagement, and evangelism. In 2020, they relaunched State of the Church with refined tools like ChurchPulse, and in October 2024 partnered with Gloo on State of the Church 2025, emphasizing monthly data, human flourishing (seven dimensions), and church thriving (15 dimensions). Here’s an overview of what State of the Church has revealed about the Church in America.
Church membership may be declining, but many churchgoers are double-dosing
Amid a collapse of loyalty to religious institutions, many churchgoers say they are attending multiple congregations on Sunday morning.
Growing Churches in Godless Places: What New England Teaches About Ministry in Post-Christian Contexts
Some of the most effective revitalization strategies in America are being developed in places where church attendance is viewed as a social stigma rather than a social benefit. In these areas, educated skeptics outnumber believers, and “spiritual but not religious” represents the majority’s worldview.
Welcome to New England, America’s laboratory for post-Christian ministry.
Can mainline liberals get their story back?
Why do 44% of mainline Protestants express a measure of doubt on the God question? Should this be taken as a symptom of malaise or even a spiritual sickness?
In her recently published Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump, Molly Worthen suggests mainline Protestant denominations have declined in recent decades because they “failed to tell a good story.”
The Johnson Amendment Reversal: Endorsing Political Candidates from the Pulpit
On this episode, Sam and Josh unpack a landmark development for churches: the Internal Revenue Service’s shift on the 1954 Johnson Amendment. In a joint court filing with two Texas churches and the National Religious Broadcasters, the IRS now affirms that clergy can endorse political candidates from the pulpit without risking their tax-exempt status. The IRS reframes such endorsements as comparable to a “private family discussion” within the congregation during worship—with statements made via usual church communication channels not qualifying as political intervention.
What Laypeople Taught Me About Preaching
When I graduated from seminary in the 1950s, I was sure that a good sermon should last for 20 minutes and contain three points with illustrations, but during 40 years in the pulpit, laypeople taught me some things about preaching that I did not learn in seminary.
Why Being Late to Church Matters
When we consistently arrive late to our worship services, what message are we sending about the nature and importance of what we’re gathering to do?
Help Your Small Group to Pray Outwardly
I believe small groups are critical to the health of a church. Not only are they the place where we learn, grow, and fellowship, but they also ought to be a place of intentional prayer. Much of our praying, though, is focused only on ourselves. We must also pray outwardly.
It’s Time for Some Red Zone Evangelism
When a football team has moved the ball down the field so that it is inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, close to the goal, it is described as being in the red zone. Every football team develops specific strategies or plays for the red zone so that they are effective in getting the ball across the goal line.
In evangelism, it is essential that believers have a specific game plan for seekers who are in the red zone. Seekers often have to travel a long spiritual journey before they come to Christ. Often they have objections, fears, hurts, bad experiences, or anger that they need to work through. When they finally come to a place where they are open to God, sense that something is missing in their lives, and wonder if Christ can help them, they have entered the “red zone” of their spiritual journey.
What Is the State of the Church and Why Should You Care?
Barna Group has studied the U.S. Church since 1984, tracking evergreen metrics—attendance, tithing, Bible reading—while expanding into discipleship, human flourishing, digital engagement, and evangelism. In 2020, they relaunched State of the Church with refined tools like ChurchPulse, and in October 2024 partnered with Gloo on State of the Church 2025, emphasizing monthly data, human flourishing (seven dimensions), and church thriving (15 dimensions). Here’s an overview of what State of the Church has revealed about the Church in America.
Church membership may be declining, but many churchgoers are double-dosing
Amid a collapse of loyalty to religious institutions, many churchgoers say they are attending multiple congregations on Sunday morning.
Growing Churches in Godless Places: What New England Teaches About Ministry in Post-Christian Contexts
Some of the most effective revitalization strategies in America are being developed in places where church attendance is viewed as a social stigma rather than a social benefit. In these areas, educated skeptics outnumber believers, and “spiritual but not religious” represents the majority’s worldview.
Welcome to New England, America’s laboratory for post-Christian ministry.
Can mainline liberals get their story back?
Why do 44% of mainline Protestants express a measure of doubt on the God question? Should this be taken as a symptom of malaise or even a spiritual sickness?
In her recently published Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump, Molly Worthen suggests mainline Protestant denominations have declined in recent decades because they “failed to tell a good story.”
The Johnson Amendment Reversal: Endorsing Political Candidates from the Pulpit
On this episode, Sam and Josh unpack a landmark development for churches: the Internal Revenue Service’s shift on the 1954 Johnson Amendment. In a joint court filing with two Texas churches and the National Religious Broadcasters, the IRS now affirms that clergy can endorse political candidates from the pulpit without risking their tax-exempt status. The IRS reframes such endorsements as comparable to a “private family discussion” within the congregation during worship—with statements made via usual church communication channels not qualifying as political intervention.
What Laypeople Taught Me About Preaching
When I graduated from seminary in the 1950s, I was sure that a good sermon should last for 20 minutes and contain three points with illustrations, but during 40 years in the pulpit, laypeople taught me some things about preaching that I did not learn in seminary.
Why Being Late to Church Matters
When we consistently arrive late to our worship services, what message are we sending about the nature and importance of what we’re gathering to do?
Help Your Small Group to Pray Outwardly
I believe small groups are critical to the health of a church. Not only are they the place where we learn, grow, and fellowship, but they also ought to be a place of intentional prayer. Much of our praying, though, is focused only on ourselves. We must also pray outwardly.
It’s Time for Some Red Zone Evangelism
When a football team has moved the ball down the field so that it is inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, close to the goal, it is described as being in the red zone. Every football team develops specific strategies or plays for the red zone so that they are effective in getting the ball across the goal line.
In evangelism, it is essential that believers have a specific game plan for seekers who are in the red zone. Seekers often have to travel a long spiritual journey before they come to Christ. Often they have objections, fears, hurts, bad experiences, or anger that they need to work through. When they finally come to a place where they are open to God, sense that something is missing in their lives, and wonder if Christ can help them, they have entered the “red zone” of their spiritual journey.
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