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The week after Christmas—those quiet days between December 26 and New Year’s—is often the lightest week of the year for pastors. After weeks of preparing Advent services, coordinating Christmas Eve worship, managing volunteers, and caring for members in a season that’s both joyful and emotionally draining, pastors finally exhale.
This week isn’t about laziness; it’s about recovery. The adrenaline of December ministry fades, the calendar clears, and the phone stops ringing. Even the most active church members are traveling, resting, or spending time with family. For once, the pastor doesn’t have to be “on.” Josh and Sam discuss why this week is so light and so important.
The Doctor of Ministry at Southern Seminary is designed to strengthen both you and your church.
You’ll bring a real challenge from your ministry into the program—and through trusted faculty mentorship and applied theological study, you’ll develop a biblically grounded, practical plan that equips you to implement lasting change in your church.
This is theological scholarship applied where it matters most: your local ministry.
Learn how at sbts.edu/dmin.
Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers.
Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both.
Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers
The post After the Christmas Chaos: The Lightest Work Week of the Year for Pastors appeared first on Church Answers.
Thom and Sam dive into Ryan Burge’s latest analysis of the 2023–2024 Pew Religious Landscape Survey, which asked nearly 37,000 Americans a simple question: “How happy are you with your life these days?” The results reveal one of the clearest and most consistent findings in social science.
Religious people report being happier than non-religious people.
While happiness is complex and influenced by many factors, the data shows that both religious belonging (identifying with a faith) and religious behavior (attending worship in person) are strongly correlated with higher life satisfaction. Online worship, while somewhat beneficial, doesn’t have the same impact as being physically present in a faith community.
The takeaway is simple but profound: faithful community and consistent worship participation are powerful predictors of well-being. Or, as Dr. Burge puts it, “Highly active religious people are happier than non-religious people. There’s no other way to spin this data.”
2026 – New Year, Greater Family Impact
A new year is the perfect time to dream bigger, reach farther, and make an even greater impact in your community. Upward Sports isn’t just about the game—it’s about bringing the whole family together.
There is something powerful about walking through the Bible at the same time. When everyone is reading the same Scripture each day, conversations change. Hearts open. People feel connected—not just to God, but to each other.
One Year Bibles are designed to guide readers through the entire Bible in 365 days.
Find a One Year Bible for your community at TheOneYearBible.com.
The post Religious People Are Happier (And the Data Proves It) appeared first on Church Answers.
Churches help prepare couples for marriage and rescue them when things fall apart, but what happens in between? That middle space—the “fine zone”—is where most couples slowly drift while everyone assumes they’re okay.
The truth is, fine isn’t faithfulness. It’s fatigue. And most churches don’t have a plan for discipling marriages before they reach the breaking point. Sam interviews Brad Rhoads of Grace Marriage to find out more. Grace Marriage is helping churches change that by creating pathways for ongoing marriage discipleship, not just crisis care.
The bottom line: Don’t just pray for marriages, disciple them. When churches invest in marriage health, everything else begins to thrive.
The Doctor of Ministry at Southern Seminary is designed to strengthen both you and your church.
You’ll bring a real challenge from your ministry into the program—and through trusted faculty mentorship and applied theological study, you’ll develop a biblically grounded, practical plan that equips you to implement lasting change in your church.
This is theological scholarship applied where it matters most: your local ministry.
Learn how at sbts.edu/dmin.
Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers.
Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both.
Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers
The post Unbelievable: 72% of Churches Have No Marriage Ministry! appeared first on Church Answers.
For decades, seminaries have promoted the ideal—full-time, on-campus study in a traditional academic setting. But for most adults pursuing ministry training, that ideal simply isn’t practical. New research reveals a clear tension between what people would love to do and what they can realistically manage. Theological education thrives when schools position themselves as a bridge between the ideal and the practical, maintaining depth and quality while removing unnecessary barriers. Sam interviews Dr. Andy Miller, from Wesley Biblical Seminary, about four key points shaping the future of seminary enrollment.
The takeaway: the future of theological education belongs to schools that meet students where they are—flexible, focused, and financially accessible—while staying deeply rooted in the mission of preparing faithful leaders for the church.
There is something powerful about walking through the Bible at the same time. When everyone is reading the same Scripture each day, conversations change. Hearts open. People feel connected—not just to God, but to each other.
One Year Bibles are designed to guide readers through the entire Bible in 365 days.
Find a One Year Bible for your community at TheOneYearBible.com.
Bring the Game to Your Church
The post NEW Research: What Really Matters in Theological Education? appeared first on Church Answers.
In this follow-up episode, we examine the other side of the conversation—the rise of big-box church architecture. Often found in converted retail spaces or new multipurpose campuses, these designs emphasize functionality, flexibility, and accessibility. They reflect a different theology of space, one that prioritizes mission, efficiency, and comfort over formality. Sam interviews Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group.
In the end, architecture isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about mission. Whether it’s a stained-glass cathedral or a repurposed warehouse, the real question is: Does this space help people encounter Christ and His church?
The Doctor of Ministry at Southern Seminary is designed to strengthen both you and your church.
You’ll bring a real challenge from your ministry into the program—and through trusted faculty mentorship and applied theological study, you’ll develop a biblically grounded, practical plan that equips you to implement lasting change in your church.
This is theological scholarship applied where it matters most: your local ministry.
Learn how at sbts.edu/dmin.
Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers.
Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both.
Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers
The post Non-Churchy Looking Churches: The Advantages of Big-Box Church Architecture appeared first on Church Answers.
In this episode, we explore why traditional church architecture still resonates deeply with people, even those who rarely attend church. A recent research project found that 90% of Americans want church buildings to be “easily identifiable.” Sam interviews Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group to find out more.
Traditional architecture has always been more than just design; it’s a visual theology. It shapes how people encounter God and community.
Upward Running for Your Small Group
There is something powerful about walking through the Bible at the same time. When everyone is reading the same Scripture each day, conversations change. Hearts open. People feel connected—not just to God, but to each other.
One Year Bibles are designed to guide readers through the entire Bible in 365 days.
Find a One Year Bible for your community at TheOneYearBible.com.
The post Should Churches Look Churchy? The Advantages of Traditional Architecture appeared first on Church Answers.
When a major donor or key financial supporter leaves a church, it can feel personal, unsettling, and even threatening to the ministry’s stability. But pastoral leadership during this moment matters immensely. On this episode, Josh and Sam walk through the practical steps pastors should take when the church’s largest giver steps away.
There is a 15% to 30% annual “churn rate” in just about every church. At some point, the biggest giver will be the one who exits.
The Doctor of Ministry at Southern Seminary is designed to strengthen both you and your church.
You’ll bring a real challenge from your ministry into the program—and through trusted faculty mentorship and applied theological study, you’ll develop a biblically grounded, practical plan that equips you to implement lasting change in your church.
This is theological scholarship applied where it matters most: your local ministry.
Learn how at sbts.edu/dmin.
Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers.
Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both.
Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers
The post How to Handle Losing Your Church’s Biggest Financial Supporter appeared first on Church Answers.
God has done something remarkable at First Baptist Church in Caldwell, NJ. They have limited space and limited parking. However, through Upward Sports, the church has developed a large outreach ministry within the community. Hundreds of children participate, and the church is reaching people from diverse backgrounds. Sam interviews Pastor Travis Clark to reveal exactly what happened.
There is something powerful about walking through the Bible at the same time. When everyone is reading the same Scripture each day, conversations change. Hearts open. People feel connected—not just to God, but to each other.
One Year Bibles are designed to guide readers through the entire Bible in 365 days.
Find a One Year Bible for your community at TheOneYearBible.com.
2026 – New Year, Greater Family Impact
A new year is the perfect time to dream bigger, reach farther, and make an even greater impact in your community. Upward Sports isn’t just about the game—it’s about bringing the whole family together.
The post Small-Church Breakout Growth: The Incredible Story of First Baptist Caldwell, NJ appeared first on Church Answers.
Most of the time, church hopping for convenience (better music, cooler programs, or a coffee bar) reveals more about our consumer culture than about spiritual growth. But Sam and Josh explain that there are also good, biblical, and even necessary reasons to leave one church for another.
Leaving a church should never be casual, but sometimes, it’s faithful. In this episode, the co-hosts remind everyone that the goal isn’t to chase comfort but to stay rooted where God can use you and your family for kingdom growth.
If you’re feeling the weight of leadership in today’s unstable world, you’re not alone.
Southern Seminary is offering a free ebook called Leadership in a Chaotic World—written by trusted faculty to equip pastors with biblical clarity, character, and conviction.
It’s a short, practical guide from Dr. Andrew Walker, Dr. Justin Irving, and Dr. Jeremy Pierre to help you lead well in the midst of cultural pressure, spiritual fatigue, and ministry complexity.
Download it for free.
The post Why You Should Leave Your Church (A Pastor’s Perspective) appeared first on Church Answers.
In this episode, Sam and Ryan Burge discuss how pastors become pastors. Using data from the National Survey of Religious Leaders, the cohosts reveal that clergy often come to ministry through winding, unconventional paths—many after careers in other fields. Far from being single-focused, pastors frequently juggle multiple responsibilities: leading congregations, working as chaplains, and even holding non-ministry jobs. The numbers reveal both the beauty and burden of this calling: most clergy work 50+ hours a week, with a quarter clocking over 60. Yet despite financial pressures and demanding schedules, these leaders remain deeply committed to serving their communities and churches.
Start Preparing Now for 2026! Sports that Bring People Together.
The post The Burge Report: How Do Pastors Actually End Up in Ministry? appeared first on Church Answers.
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