Curated Resources for Christian Leaders for August 8th
Suggested Reading for Christian Leaders in Congregations, Denominations, and Parachurch Organizations from Resources Published July 31 - August 6, 2023
Pew Research Center: The U.S. is Not Widely Seen as Highly Religious (July 31, 2023)
“A modest share of people around the world see the United States as more religious than other wealthy nations – despite considerable evidence that it is.”
“A global median of 23% of adults say the U.S. is more religious than other wealthy nations.”
“Perceptions aside, there is evidence from multiple cross-national surveys that the U.S. is considerably more religious than similarly wealthy nations.”
“As is the case in other wealthy countries, religious commitment has been falling in the U.S. in recent decades. Since the 1990s, the share of U.S. adults who identify as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” has risen from about 8% to 29%. And Pew Research Center projections suggest that the religiously unaffiliated may outnumber Christians in the U.S. the coming decades.”
R&D Ideas for Mavericks in Ministry (August 2, 2023)
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Are You a Bridge or Barrier?
“How easy is it for your audience to go deeper in their relationship with your organization? Are opportunities to get more involved intentionally accessible? Not just the get-’em-in-the-door type of intentional, but what about something for those already on board?
I vividly remember an experience trying to upgrade my Comcast subscription once. Wow. It was painfully vivid.”
Urban White Evangelicals? Yes They Exist! (August 3, 2023)
Are They Any Different Than Those Who Live in Rural America?
By Ryan Burge
“One thing that I always found astonishing about Tim Keller was where he founded his church, Redeemer Presbyterian. It was right in the middle of Manhattan. That’s not at all where I would expect a large, vibrant, and influential church to start.
The one thing that’s clear to me is that if I were to start a church that I wanted to grow, I would put it in the suburbs of a rapidly growing metropolitan area. That’s the blueprint. The strategy worked for Rick Warren when he founded Saddleback in Orange County, California. It worked for Bill Hybels when he founded Willow Creek in suburban Chicago. And Elevation Church was planted in suburban Charlotte, North Carolina by Steven Furtick and friends.”