The complicated findings, based on relatively small samples within each age group, come as Americans’ religious decline continues to plateau.
Why Churches Die: 6 Reasons Dying Churches Rarely Recover
Most dying churches have been declining for years before they close. Members age, the neighborhood changes, and the congregation turns inward to protect what it has. Lifeway Research estimates about 4,000 U.S. Protestant churches closed in 2024. The churches I have worked with that died shared six habits, and the first was refusing to admit the church was sick.
That slow decline is the main reason churches are closing. We wonder why churches die. Why do these dying churches walk resolutely down the path of death? Why don’t they attempt something dramatic, something bold? I have worked with too many of these churches, and have seen clearly why churches are dying.
Mistakes More Likely To Be Made By BIG Churches Than SMALL Churches
Just as the mistakes mentioned in my previous article were not inevitable for small churches, these are not inevitable for big churches.
Goodbye, ‘Sam’s Club’ Megachurch. Hello, Stained Glass.
Some church construction and renovation projects are starting to look more…churchy.
Making a church building look more churchy costs more. It can also make the building far less functional. The Gothic revival churches of the nineteenth century were designed for an age when the congregations were spectators at the Mass and the Daily Offices and not active participants in the liturgy and are ill-suited for Prayer Book rites and services that are congregational and participatory. For example, choristers in choir stalls facing each other across the central aisle of the chancel are poorly located to provide leadership and support to congregational singing. Past experience has also shown that church buildings are not an effective means of evangelism.Violence and persecution driving global Christian exodus, report warns
Millions of Christians are being driven from their homes by conflict, extremism and religiously motivated violence, threatening the future of longstanding Christian communities, according to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
The Catholic charity’s latest Persecuted and Forgotten? report, launched on Tuesday, found that conditions for Christians had deteriorated in 10 of the 18 countries examined, including China, Nigeria and Pakistan. None recorded an overall improvement.
United Methodist Church to host first-ever general conference in 2 locations
For the first time, the United Methodist Church will hold its next denomination-wide lawmaking gathering in two locations: one in the United States and one in Africa.
Every four years, the global UMC holds a General Conference to handle churchwide business and fellowship. The only exception was 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns. That General Conference was pushed to 2024.
Aslan Sane: The Bowiefication of Narnia
My friend Amy is an English teacher in the UK. She writes well on her own Substack about all things literary, cultural and theological. Occasionally she drops a bon mot for me (well a few bon mots).
Here are some of them...
Is It a Sin to Use AI Porn?
What happens when the characters involved in pornography are no longer people? What happens when they no longer exist at all, but are merely generated by AI? Could AI allow us to create “ethical pornography” that solves one of the foremost concerns that come with “real” pornography? In other words, is it a sin to look at AI-generated porn?
Eight Essential Qualities of Pastors Who Love Their Jobs
You can do your job well without loving it. However, for pastors, the calling often goes beyond mere duty. It encompasses a passion for serving and guiding their flocks. What distinguishes pastors who love their jobs from those who do their jobs? Josh and Sam discuss on today's episode.
4 Ways to Keep Your Pastor From Quitting
Pastors quit because of stress, loneliness, church conflict, burnout and a sense that God is calling them somewhere else. Few actually walk away. Lifeway Research puts the rate at about 1 in 100 pastors a year. Many more think about it. In March 2022, Barna found that 42% of pastors had seriously considered quitting full-time ministry in the past year.
Here’s the deal. After spending 8 years as a pastor, I can confidently say that being a pastor is really, really hard. While you certainly experience much joy, you also must endure regular criticism, discouragement, attacks from Satan, and the soul exhaustion that comes from pouring yourself out for people.
The Real Reason Pastors Burn Out (It’s Not What You Think)
Chuck DeGroat has spent years helping pastors after the crisis hits. In this conversation, he explains why shame does more damage than fear, what your nervous system is trying to tell you before you burn out or hit a crisis in ministry, and why spiritual disciplines alone won't save you. If you're a young leader or starting to the see the cracks in ministry, listen closely.
The End of the Worship Leader? (The 2040 Crisis)
There is a massive crisis coming to worship leaders and churches by the year 2040.
A new report studying 5,000 churches reveal some frightening statistics about what's coming if we don't correct course.
In this video I break down what the report reveals, how we got here, how mega-churches are part of the problem (mine included), and what we can all do about it.
If you want to be part of the solution, watch this video and ask the Lord to give you wisdom on what action you should take.
Walking With God With or Without Other Believers
Does walking with God require the help of other believers? Americans hold conflicting thoughts on the matter.
The Lost Art of Christian Hospitality
Hospitality, at its core, is relational. It’s personal. It’s about more than inviting people into your home. It’s about inviting them into your heart.
Best Practices from Evangelistically Effective Churches
These days, evangelistically effective churches are keeping evangelism front of mind in the way they preach, train, and encourage their congregations. They’re celebrating small wins. And they’re leading with a high view of Scripture, prayer, and God’s sovereignty. Hospitality, at its core, is relational. It’s personal. It’s about more than inviting people into your home. It’s about inviting them into your heart.
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