We’ve finally arrived at the very end of Alpha Course, the UK-based evangelism series that stands unrivaled as the most popular one of its kind. To cap off their series, our hosts are going to try to make church membership and attendance completely essential to one’s experience of Christianity. But Read more
As the decline of Christianity continues ever onward, let’s visit some beloved evangelical myths about how and why a small church grows—or withers on the vine. This goes far past what we talked about recently regarding church economics! The reality is far more pedestrian, of course, but it’s also something Read more
Recently, some social scientists studied evangelicalism and came to some interesting conclusions: Its future won’t look particularly Jesusy, at least by current evangelicals’ definitions! Embracing that truth might just stem some of their ongoing decline. But since when did evangelicals excel at embracing the truth? (From introduction: Jordan “JD” Hall’s Read more
It feels like I’ve known about Carey Nieuwhof for ages and ages now. He haunts the Christ-o-sphere offering panicky evangelical pastors surefire tips about making their churches grow again. Such advice represents the newest post-Christian-America cottage industry, it seems. Though he has written perhaps hundreds of blog posts discussing church Read more
Last time we met up, I showed you how evangelical leaders are dealing with ongoing declines in church attendance. Mostly, they’re just insisting up and down that church attendance is not optional, people! Hey, that approach works in apologetics! So why shouldn’t it work everywhere? But an apologetics-consuming audience is Read more
Church attendance continues to tank across America. Downward trends already in place before the pandemic declined even further in the wake of it. It’s a tough time to be a business offering only one product—active church membership—in a country that increasingly doesn’t want it. In reversing the decline of their Read more
Thom Rainer has come out with yet another blog post trying to staunch the hemorrhaging blood from evangelical churches. This time around, he’s attacking Christian pastors who make excuses about boosting church attendance.
Imagine this: It’s the 6th century. You’re a peasant toiling in the fields outside of Constantinople. It’s a mean and simple life. Most of what you see, all day every day, is dirt. But four times a year, you make the trek into town to the Hagia Sophia, the center Read more
Christianity itself became superfluous a while ago for a lot of Americans, and church leaders simply can’t deal with that fact. Well, most of them. Today, we’ll meet a Christian leader who has a better perspective on his religion’s decline.
Hi and welcome back! Recently, the news site of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) had a major victory to report: a megachurch in a small town in Georgia reported 114 baptisms on one Sunday. That’s a pretty big boast, considering the SBC’s in a major decline and has been for Read more