‘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 2028Northern 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 PracticesImage Credit: Journey Films
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