Blog

April 25, 2019

Why Fewer People Belong to Church: 6. ABUSE

Jesus told Peter, “Do you love me? Then feed my sheep.” In our day, part of that “feeding” necessitates cleansing and bandaging the wounds that many of God’s people have received from the butchering and abuse of harassment from within the church.
April 18, 2019

Why Fewer People Belong to Church: 5. Boredom

Many church leavers are not interested in entertainment either. They simply want spiritual food that’s strikes their interest, their curiosity and their human need.
April 12, 2019

Why Fewer People Belong to Church: 4. Burnout

When it comes to burnout, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially when volunteerism is examined from a particular program’s present value and impact, rather than “we’ve always done it this way before.”
March 28, 2019

Why Fewer People Belong to Church: 3. Disappointment

Jesus' example of identifying with people must serve as our model if we ever hope to turn the tide favorably back towards the church and her incarnational place in society.
March 21, 2019

Why Fewer People Belong to Church: 2. Disinterest

People looking for a church found that the congregatons they visited failed to engage them in meaningful ways.
March 14, 2019

Why Fewer People Belong to Church Today: 1. Disassociation

What areas of opportunity or need exists within a five-mile radius of your church campus?
March 7, 2019

Why Fewer People Belong to Church Today: New Research Findings

We don’t need “change for change’s sake” just to appease the culture, but maybe the bathwater for the baby does need to be checked.
November 1, 2018

Is There Hope and a Future for Gen Z Youth with the Church?

Today we conclude our series of blogs on Gen Z culture (those born 1998-2015), asking this central question: based on all the emerging research on this new youth generation, will the church be able to reach them?  Twenty or more years from now when they are adults, bringing children into the world (if Jesus tarries), will the church be there or extinct?  Is there a hope and a future for them and the church? Using research from the Barna Group and Impact 360 Institute (their book, Gen Z, 103-106), we find that in some ways the church possesses opportunities to […]
October 17, 2018

Youth Ministry to Gen Z Teens: Are we Hitting the Mark?

In our continuing series, we’re reviewing research from the Barna Group and Impact 360 Institute over the trends emerging in the Gen Z culture (those born from 1998—2015).  Last time, we examined how a sizable number of parents felt ill-equipped to disciple their teen children, and how the church must disciple the parents in order to reach their children.  Today, we’re going to review research examining youth ministry to today’s Gen Z’ers.  Is it effective and impactful?  What can we learn? The authors and editors at Impact 360 Institute (their book, Gen Z) surveyed a number of parents and youth […]
October 11, 2018

Discipling Parents to Disciple their Gen Z Teens

For a number of weeks, we have reviewed current research outlining the trends/patterns of belief and practice among the new Gen Z culture (born 1998-2015). To an age that struggles with identity, lives with anxiety over their financial future and the prospects of a stable employment, and often hides behind technology and social media as a “screenager,” parents often find themselves ill-equipped and under-resourced in discipling their Gen Z’ers to live responsibly in the world.  It is here that the church can have one of its greatest ministries: disciple and equip the parents of Gen Z youth so that they […]