Americans have higher church attendance standards than pastors
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Most Americans may not regularly attend church themselves, but they have a higher threshold for calling someone a regular churchgoer than pastors.
Few Protestant pastors believe their churches will close soon
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Most pastors believe their churches will be around for at least another decade, but that’s not the reality for some.
Churches use different methods to welcome guests
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Every church aims to welcome guests in some way. Those efforts may just look different in different churches and may have changed over the last decade.
The worrying but still hopeful demographic future of U.S. Christianity
Recent Pew Research data further confirmed Christianity is no longer shrinking in America. Currently, the U.S. is no longer becoming less religious. We’ve reached the end of the rise of the nones.
What do people want most from their leader? Hope
Pastors and other leaders often feel responsible for providing countless benefits to those under their care. But what is it people actually need from those leading them?
Student ministry leaders and parents share goals, desire to work together
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Anecdotes often portray parents and student ministry leaders at odds, but both groups share a desire to see the next generation grow spiritually. Each also believes they have a positive, healthy relationship with the other.
Half of churches experiencing post-pandemic attendance growth
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Half of U.S. Protestant pastors say their churches are growing, but some warning signs remain about their congregational future.
Complicated picture of Southern Baptist churches emerges from statistical analysis
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — The average Southern Baptist church calls the South home, but the only region of the country where those congregations are growing is the Northeast. Churches are baptizing more people, but most churches remain small and fewer attendees are involved in small groups.
Most Americans skip Lent
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Lent may be on the calendar, but it’s not on the radar of most Americans. A traditional 40-day window of fasting before Easter, Lent is observed by around a quarter of U.S. adults, according to a Lifeway Research study. Three in 4 Americans (74%) say they do not typically observe Lent, while 26% participate.
Protestant pastors bring attention to global Christian persecution
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — As pastors speak and pray with their congregations, they say they’re also keeping persecuted Christians around the world in mind. More than 9 in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors (93%) say their church has engaged in at least one of six ways to bring attention to Christians suffering persecution within the past year, according to a Lifeway Research study.
