EIGHT MAJOR CHANGES IN CHURCHES THE PAST TEN YEARS

http://thomrainer.com/2017/05/eight-major-changes-in-churches-the-past-ten-years/

Sermon Content Is What Appeals Most to Churchgoers
http://www.gallup.com/poll/208529/sermon-content-appeals-churchgoers.aspx

Court Says Disaffiliated Church's Property Belongs To Local Congregation, Not PCUSA
http://religionclause.blogspot.com/2017/04/court-says-disaffiliated-churchs.html

Will Livestreaming a Worship Service Hurt a Church’s Attendance?
http://www.philcooke.com/will-livestreaming-a-worship-service-hurt-a-churchs-attendance/

Southlake-based Gateway Church confirms it will cut staff by 10-15 percent
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/northeast-tarrant/article145759799.html

Has Lying Become Normal and Acceptable in American Society?
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/northeast-tarrant/article145759799.html

What The Tech? Bible in virtual reality

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/35154674/what-the-tech-bible-in-virtual-reality

Less than half of German Christians believe in heaven

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/less.than.half.of.german.christians.believe.in.heaven/107577.htm

Neuroscience of religion reveals hidden cultural trends

http://miscellanynews.org/2017/04/19/opinions/neuroscience-of-religion-reveals-hidden-cultural-trends/

Special report: 1 in 4 Americans don't think one-night stands count as cheating

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865677598/What-counts-as-cheating-and-adultery-in-the-digital-age.html

A quarter of Christians do not believe in the resurrection

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/10/quarter-christians-do-notbelieve-resurrection/

Number of U.S. adults cohabiting with a partner continues to rise, especially among those 50 and older

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/06/number-of-u-s-adults-cohabiting-with-a-partner-continues-to-rise-especially-among-those-50-and-older/

What Would Jesus Disrupt?

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-04-05/what-would-jesus-disrupt

5 things churches lose when they give up hymnals
https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/04/10/5-things-churches-lose-give-hymnals

Todd's Favorite Hymn Verse (See verse 5!)

https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/161

The Other Billy Graham Rules
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/march-web-only/other-billy-graham-rules.html?start=2

10 Commandments to Help Church Staff Maintain Moral Integrity
http://pastors.com/maintaining-moral-purity-in-ministry/

Churches should drop Easter, Christmas extravaganzas and get out more, experts urge
https://baptistnews.com/article/churches-should-drop-easter-christmas-extravaganzas-and-get-out-more-experts-urge/#.WOeRKBLysUE

Survey: Evangelical leaders really don’t want to endorse politicians
http://religionnews.com/2017/03/30/survey-evangelical-leaders-really-dont-want-to-endorse-politicians/

New research identifies a ‘sea of despair’ among white, working-class Americans

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/new-research-identifies-a-sea-of-despair-among-white-working-class-americans/2017/03/22/c777ab6e-0da6-11e7-9b0d-d27c98455440_story.html?utm_term=.53a381550dec

Attendance, giving down at Cross Point Church 6 months after pastor resigns

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2017/03/23/attendance-giving-down-cross-point-church-6-months-after-pastor-resigns/99488694/

They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Drinks

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/april/they-will-know-we-are-christians-by-alcohol-muslim-world.html

Poor communities have the greatest need of religion’s benefits, since it creates stronger social ties, offers hope, and keeps younger community members out of trouble. However, the decline in religion throughout America is the greatest in the poor communities who need it the most. Where there is greater affluence and education, religion is more likely to be declining at lower numbers and rates.

Source: Washington Post

Young adults and teens today are more likely to share social media contact information rather than their phone numbers. In 2015, 62% of teens reported sharing a username from Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, or Skype rather than sharing a phone number. Only 13% relied on phone numbers as the primary form of communication.

Source: NY Post

In a compromise reached in consultation with Rev. Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, Princeton Theological Seminary president Rev. Craig Barnes announced that Keller will deliver the Kuyper lecture on April 6, but he will not receive the Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Witness. Keller had been chosen for the award, but many within the Princeton community opposed Keller because of his teachings about female submission and opposition to same sex marriage.

Source: RNS

This week, we discuss a recent trip Matt took to Greece to help a group of local church planters.

As a direct result of the recent decision by the Trump Administration to dramatically reduce the number of refugees resettled in the U.S. throughout fiscal year 2017, World Relief has been forced to make the difficult decision to layoff 140+ staff members across its U.S. Ministry and close local offices in Boise, Idaho; Columbus, Ohio; Miami, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; and Glen Burnie, Maryland. Collectively, these five offices have resettled more than 25,000 refugees over the past four decades.

https://www.worldrelief.org/press-releases/world-relief-announces-the-layoff-of-140-staff-and-closure-of-five-local-offices-due-to-the-trump-administrations-reduction-in-refugee-resettlements-in-the-us

When Adrien Koch retired last summer from her job with FEMA in the Bay Area, she and her husband resettled in the wooded mountains of north Idaho. They had visited only a few months before on a vacation but had quickly fallen in love. For Koch, Idaho reminded her of the California she knew in the 1970s.

http://www.npr.org/2017/02/14/512875545/leaving-urban-areas-for-the-political-homogeneity-of-rural-towns

Many pastors are satisfied in their work, they admit that it takes a toll on their family life, according to a recently released study by the Barna group. As a matter of fact, an impressive 70% of US pastors claimed to have happy marriages and healthy family lives. However, when asked if their church work has been hard on their family life, 40% admitted that it certainly has.

Source: PJ Media

The use of lay leaders for preaching, teaching and organization is becoming increasingly more common across the United States. Research shows that the number of congregations led by part-time clergy rose from 29 percent to 38 percent from 2010 to 2015. If you’re on paid staff this might seem alarming but many congregations who rely heavily on lay leadership and preachers report increased ownership, faith and engagement.

Source: Christian Science Monitor

The Barna Group has released a new study entitled “The State of Pastors, 2017” which shows that the age of most Senior Pastors is increasing, often due to a struggle to find a suitable, younger replacement. In fact, 69% of pastors report that it's “becoming more difficult to identify promising pastoral candidates" due to a number of factors including delayed spiritual maturity of millennials and financial struggles.

Source: Christianity Daily