New documentary looks at the changing face of Christian churchgoing
‘Christianity at a Crossroads,’ by documentary filmmaker Martin Doblmeier, tells the story of congregational church life in the United States at a critical moment when growth has flatlined, younger generations are less religious and a raft of scandals have overtaken nearly every Christian denomination.
Why People Don’t Go to Your Church: 6 Fixable Reasons
Most pastors can name a family who visited once and never came back. Fewer can explain why so many people in their own neighborhood never visit at all. That second group is much larger, and you can’t welcome someone who never walks through the door.
People are still open to church. Barna’s 2025 State of the Church research found Gen Z and Millennial churchgoers attending close to two weekends a month, more often than any older generation. A Lifeway Research survey of 2,000 unchurched Americans found that most of them aren’t hostile to faith. When new people still aren’t showing up, the cause is usually something a church can change.
Here are six of the most common reasons, with a practical next step for each one.
63% of UK Evangelicals Downplay Sin: The State of Theology
How serious is our sin?
The State of Theology survey has returned to the United Kingdom, revealing what people really believe about God, the Bible, and salvation.
The results reveal significant confusion, even among professing Christians.
63% of evangelicals in the United Kingdom agree with the statement, “Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.”
ACNA Bishops Censure Edgar, Depose Jones
The Anglican Church in North America’s College of Bishops announced disciplinary sentences against two of its bishops and the failure of an inquiry into the recent trial of a third, while expressing an intention of “collective repentance” going forward.
Bishop Mariann Budde to resign, will remain in post during lengthy replacement process
‘I’m going to do all that I can to both lead well in this period and to ensure that there’s as much wind in the sails of the future leader and the diocese going forward as is humanly possible,’ Budde said in an exclusive interview with Religion News Service.
Also See: Washington Bishop Mariann Budde announces timeline for electing successor in 2028
Northern Indiana diocese releases detailed reasons for decision not to reunify with Indianapolis
The Diocese of Northern Indiana Standing Committee has released a lengthy statement outlining the reasons the diocese, in November 2025, decided it wasn’t ready for reunification with the Diocese of Indianapolis, saying the decision “came from a renewed understanding of our own identity.”
No single factor led to the votes at the diocesan convention last year, the standing committee said on Oct. 1. The Diocese of Indianapolis also voted on a resolution that acknowledged the reunification talks without moving forward with a plan to reunify. Both dioceses said they intended to “continue and expand this Season of Collaboration.”
South Carolina AG Takes Over Criminal Cases Connected to Pawleys Island Community Church
The South Carolina Attorney General’s (SCAG) Office has taken over prosecution of the criminal cases against five people, including the former pastor and his wife, connected to Pawleys Island Community Church (PICC) and the now-defunct Pawleys Island Christian Academy (PICA). In the meantime, the church is moving forward with nominations for up to seven new elders; in 2027, PICC elders will lead the selection process for a new senior pastor.
Woman Sues Willow Creek, Alleging Church Failed To Respond to Sexual Abuse Allegations When She Was a Teen
In a new lawsuit, a woman is claiming that in the 1990s, leaders of Willow Creek Community Church failed to respond to her allegations that a member of the church’s staff sexually abused her. She was a teenager at the time of the alleged abuse.
The woman is seeking more than $50,000 in monetary damages.
Think on these things
So, what do you think about? What fills your mind?
I don’t know about you, but so many things have filled my mind in these past few months. In the midst of a global war, environmental disaster, and the AI apocalypse, it’s been impossible not to play out all the worst possible scenarios for the future. Turning on the news certainly doesn’t help; neither does my social media feed.
What fills our thoughts will trigger and reinforce how we act. Both psychotherapists and spiritual counselors recognize this connection. The thought gives birth to the deed!
Pastoring Someone Through Anxiety or Depression
The greatest gift a pastor can give a person struggling with anxiety and depression is a solid biblical theology of mental illness.
A Church Offering Only Life Tips Is Giving ‘Self-Help With a Christian Vocabulary’
Most pastors would never admit it, but plenty of Sunday sermons could run in a corporate training room with a few edits. Swap “God” for “the universe,” pull the Bible verse off the slide, and the message still holds together: five ways to beat stress, three keys to a stronger marriage, how to find your purpose.
That is the problem. A church that offers only life tips is giving people self-help with a Christian vocabulary. The words still sound familiar. What sits underneath them has quietly changed.
Sociologists have a name for the faith this kind of preaching tends to produce. It’s called moralistic therapeutic deism, and it can grow in a church that never meant to teach it. Here is what it is, why churches drift toward it, and five questions to run any sermon through before Sunday.
New resource launched to bring evangelism and social action together
Christian charity Jubilee+ is launching a new resource designed to help churches connect their work tackling poverty with sharing the Christian faith.
Speak Jesus, a 44-page magazine, has been produced for individuals, church leaders, evangelists and teams involved in mercy ministries. It offers practical ideas and guidance for Christians wanting to share the gospel alongside meeting practical needs.
Intentional Evangelism: BLESS
BLESS equips every Covenanter to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with their neighbors, resourcing them with five missional practices to fulfill the Great Commission, demonstrate God’s love, and join God’s restorative work in the world. We begin with Prayer. Listen with care. Eat together. Serve with love. And share the story of God’s love. It’s that simple. It’s that powerful.
Also See: The BLESS Practices
Image Credit: Journey Films
Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.
This evening’s first lesson is taken from the Apocrypha, a collection of books and texts annexed to Anglican Bibles, but which Anglicans and other Protestants do not regard as divinely inspired like the Old Testament and the New Testament. According to Philip Edgcumbe Hughes’ A Re-Statement of the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, which is “designed simply to clarify the language and meaning of the Articles for the benefit of the modern reader,” Article 6 states, “The books known as the Apocrypha are read by the church as Jerome said, because of the examples they provide of heroic lives and faithful conduct; but the church does not use these books to establish any doctrine.”
Selections from the Apocrypha are found in the Daily Office and Eucharistic Lectionaries used in the various Anglican Churches.
Benedicite Omnia Opera, taken from the Apocrypha’s “Song of the Three Young Men,” is one of the canticles of Anglican Morning Prayer and Lutheran Matins. Benedictus Es Domine, also taken from the “Song of the Three Young Men,” is another canticle of Anglican Morning Prayer. Benedictus Es Domine and Benedicite Omnia Opera formed together a central feature of the ancient dawn office of Lauds, the forerunner of Anglican Morning Prayer and Lutheran Matins.
In this evening’s message we unpack 1 Peter 4:7-11 and examine what it means to be faithful stewards of God’s grace.
Readings: Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 38:24-34; 1 Peter 4:7-11
Message: Stewards of God’s Grace
Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2026/10/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows.html
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May Thursday Evenings at All Hallows be a blessing to you.
Could the Church face a ‘silver uprising’?
Churches are being urged to take seriously the contributions of older members - or run the risk of facing a ‘silver uprising’ of discontent from seniors in their congregations.
The warning comes as the United Nations marks Thursday October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons, dedicated to recognising the role of older people across the world. In the UK, the US and other western countries, populations are ageing, with many more people reaching retirement age and beyond.
Pope Leo’s visit to France shows how the church and country are changing
While the youth greeted the pope like a rockstar, European representatives welcomed him as a respected leader who supports multilateralism, reconciliation, justice and peace.
Also See: Pope urges Church to find its voice in secular France
1-year-old euthanized under new rules in the Netherlands allowing termination for sick children
Doctors in the Netherlands euthanized a severely disabled 1-year-old child, the first case reported by Dutch authorities under rules introduced in 2024 that allow ending the lives of seriously ill children between the ages of 1 and 12.
According to an assessment published by the Netherlands’ Review Committee on Late-term Abortions and Termination of Life of Neonates and Children, which reviews such cases, the doctor involved in administering the euthanasia “acted with due care.”
Andy Beshear: A faith that governs differently
Last Sunday, I heard Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speak about his newly released book, Go and Do Likewise: How We Heal a Broken Country, at St. Stephen Church, a prominent African American church in the heart of West Louisville.
As I sat in that crowded sanctuary and listened, two things struck me. First, here was a Democrat talking openly about Christian faith in a way qualitatively different from the white Christian nationalism that has hijacked the Republican Party. Second, and more importantly, he was talking about the role of faith in governance, not merely campaigning.
Southern Africa Rejects Same-Sex Prayers Again
The Anglican Church in Southern Africa’s Provincial Synod defeated two resolutions that would have nudged it toward blessing same-sex unions. Despite a series of attempts by progressives over more than a decade, the September 23 votes leave the church’s teaching and practice of marriage unchanged as Archbishop Thabo Makgoba reaches the end of nearly two decades of leading the province.
Evangelical Press Association to vote on dropping the 'e-word'
The group of journalists wants to change its name to the Christian Communicators Network, saying the word 'evangelical' has too many political overtones and a bad public image.
“My kingdom is not of this world” – why Christian Nationalism misses the mark
“Now who can hear Christ declare, that his kingdom is not of this world, and yet believe that this blending of church and state together can be pleasing to him?” – Baptist pastor Isaac Backus (1724–1806)
As an evangelical Christian, I am conservative—theologically conservative and, to the extent that I am informed, politically conservative as well. As a moral conservative, I am convinced that Christians ought to season society by advocating biblical principles and values in public debates concerning ethics and morality. At the same time, I reject the movement commonly known as Christian Nationalism. Although the movement is broad and far from unified on every point, I believe that its fundamental ideas are both unbiblical and counterproductive to the mission the Lord Jesus has entrusted to his church.
10 Ways Worship Leaders Accidentally Distract From Worship
Most worship distractions start on the platform. They usually come from people who love their church and want to serve it well: a long speech before the bridge, a mix so loud the room goes quiet, a key only the lead vocalist can reach.
These habits creep in slowly, which makes them hard to see from the stage. Below are 10 of the most common ways worship leaders pull attention away from God, with a fix for each one you can try at your next rehearsal. Two of them are newer problems that many teams have not talked about yet.
7 Tips to Help You Preach Persuasively
Do you want to teach your people the Bible in a way that makes sense and engages your people, ultimately compelling them to follow Jesus? Then you need to preach persuasively, just like Paul. (2 Cor. 5:11) At the same time, we are not simply pursuing public speaking tricks to make the audience think highly of us or deceive ourselves into thinking we can persuade people into the kingdom in our own strength. Again, to take such a stance is to be in lockstep with Paul. (1 Cor. 2:1–5) All we are really trying to do is to honor a beautiful text by working at speaking in a comparably beautiful way. That is, at the heart of it, what persuasion is. Persuasion is important, and persuasion is challenging. But it is a challenge worth pursuing. Here are seven tips (amongst an ocean of them) to help you preach persuasively.
Also See: AI, Sermon Preparation, and the Ministry of the Word
AI Promises Intimacy but Delivers Isolation
If social media came for our attention, artificial intelligence is now coming for our capacity for attachment. Chatbots that speak to us in a human voice offer themselves as best friends, lovers, and psychotherapists. As of 2025, over 70% of teens and nearly one-third of US adults rely on AI for companionship and emotional support, with many preferring these chatbot relationships over human ones.
52 Small Group Activities to Build Church Fellowship
Plenty of small groups can finish a 10-week study and still not know each other’s kids’ names. Shared experiences close that gap faster than another round of discussion questions. A burnt batch of burgers, a lost disc in the creek, a Saturday spent hauling boxes up a member’s stairs: those are the stories your group will still be telling years from now.
Below are 52 small group activities sorted by type, so you can match an idea to your group’s size, budget, schedule, and season of life. Some will fit your people perfectly. Others will spark a better idea of your own. Either way, the point is to do them together.
The Origin of “The Great Commission” and How It Has Shaped Contemporary Discipleship
Can the Great Commission help us better understand the call to Christian discipleship today? There is no denying that Christians are currently struggling with how to engage certain aspects of our cultural and political moment. Often, I hear ministry leaders using the language of crisis to describe the state of Christian formation and discipleship. Perhaps Christ’s command can help us grasp better the challenge and opportunity before his church.
Congregational vitality initiatives launch with unified focus, additional staffing, and upcoming networking and training opportunities
The Episcopal Church’s Congregational Vitality Department is initiating a renewed focus on church planting, revitalization, and redevelopment in concert with dioceses and local leaders. The work will be supported by three new staff positions and a yearlong series of webinars and in-person gatherings for professional development, leadership training, and networking opportunities for all Episcopalians interested in congregational vitality.
Learn more on the department’s webpage and sign up to receive updates.
