Churches More Informal, Diverse than a Decade Ago
from The Christian Post
 American churches have a more informal worship style and ethnically diverse congregation than ten years ago, found a recent study on religious congregation trends. More worship services include drums, jumping and shouting or dancing, raising hands in praise, calling out "amen," visual projection equipment, applause, and speaking by people other than leaders compared to 1998, the National Congregations Study shows. More
DTV: How Churches Can Ease the Confusion
from the Baptist Press
You've heard that digital television is coming. But what does it mean? "There is a lot of confusion. This does not mean that you have to go out and buy a new TV," said Tinsley, president of the Alabama Broadcasters Association. Churches, she noted, can help alleviate the confusion. More
Can Faith Help Heal Our Divide?
from USA Today
The American ‘community’ has been fractured. There’s no reason pastors, priests, imams and rabbis can’t lead the way back, coaching citizens in what it means to be ‘one nation’ again. More
Video: Recession in Mind, Church Keeps Eye on Budget and Tithes
from the Baptist Press
As Christmas drew near, churches in East Tennessee added greenery to their sanctuaries in preparation for Christmas Eve services. But there's another kind of green on their minds. Service at St. James Episcopal Church last Sunday followed the normal routine: singing, praying, preaching, and the offering. But these days, the small silver plates hold some uncertainty. More
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Survey Says Most Americans Believe in Multiple Paths to Salvation
from the Associated Baptist Press
A majority of American Christians believe that at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life, says a new survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Even among evangelicals, a branch of Protestant Christianity identified with the idea that an individual must be "born again" into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in order to be saved, nearly as many Christians said many religions can lead to eternal life (47 percent) as those who believe theirs is the one true faith (49 percent). More
Have You Left Your Building Behind?
from Ministry Today
As a consultant to churches across America, more pastors, church boards and building committee members are asking the author, “What are we supposed to do about our building project now?” This big question is almost always preceded by a litany of statistics about the housing crisis, loss of jobs, home foreclosures, international money woes and economic confidence (or lack of it!). Here are eight principles to help you put things in perspective as you determine what to do about current or planned building projects. More
Phantom Pew Sitter Checks Up on Ministriest
from the Denver Post
Ken Johnson, Phantom Pew Sitter, sounds like the title of a dime novel. A "phantom pew sitter," a title coined by Johnson, is a church's answer to the secret shoppers who slip through retail stores to assess the sales staff and facility. Johnson, now retired, has been a church consultant, preacher, church business manager, church music director and held other pivotal roles. He's booked this time of year. More
The Church Staff is Full of Good Ideas
from Church Solutions
The best ideas for succeeding in the pursuit of your church's mandate, vision and mission do, in fact, come from the people who are most committed to your church's success. For the most part, that's your staff. But what is it about these individuals that make them ideal for coming up with the ideas that make a difference? And more importantly, what can you do to foster a continuously great idea-generating environment? More
Illinois Churches not Predicting Donation Doom
from the Westmont Progress
For many churchgoers, giving money is not a choice; it’s a mandate in scripture. Perhaps that’s why some Westmont, Ill., church leaders are taking the economic downturn in stride, despite their sole reliance on congregation donations to keep the electricity running and their pastors paid. More
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A Cast of Thousands
from the Leadership Journal
The church's calling, is like the volunteer geniuses that took an elementary school musical with 15 parts and creatively made room for 206. We take a few loaves and fishes and feed thousands, at the church potluck or at the homeless shelter. We take a task that we could professionalize and simply pay someone to do, and we divide it into parts so that everyone has a job. Is it efficient? No. Not if all you care about is getting the job done. More
Living Display of Jesus' Life Draws Record Crowds
from The Detroit News
Bethesda Christian Church's popular drive-through Christmas display in Sterling Heights, Mich., logged more visitors than ever this year, as modern worshippers sought a leisurely -- and warmer -- way to celebrate the season. More than 7,000 people wound through the church property during the four-day "Living Christmas Story" last week, the biggest attendance in its three-year history. More
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