Barna: 5 trends driving Americans’ perception of church relevance, influence

New research by the evangelical Christian polling firm Barna Group, which looked at how Americans relate with the churches they attend, reveals five notable trends affecting pastors and Christian leaders. Here are the five trends that Barna discovered: Declining church loyalty, ‘church hopping’ Churchgoers on the value of church Churchgoers largely experience or expect positive … Continue reading Barna: 5 trends driving Americans’ perception of church relevance, influence →

Is Sesame Street still safe?

James Gottry observes, If you have kids, or if you ever were a kid, you know about the television show Sesame Street. It’s been around for more than 50 years and it’s been appropriately described as an American institution, with lovable characters, entertaining stories, and unique music. It was the first television show to base … Continue reading Is Sesame Street still safe? →

How Can Bernie Sanders Happen in America?

A number of pundits have recently argued that younger voters, especially those under 30, are less inclined to be bothered when they hear the word “socialism,” since they have no firsthand memory of the Cold War. To some extent, this must be true. Those who weren’t alive during socialism’s cruelest catastrophes — or even its … Continue reading How Can Bernie Sanders Happen in America? →

Woman who fled a communist country fears for America’s future if socialism prevails

Monalisa Foster didn’t know bananas were supposed to be yellow. The bananas she ate were green. It wasn’t her fault. She grew up in Nicolae Ceaușescu’s communist Romania, where food was scarce and people waited in line for rations. Now, especially with the presidential election coming up, Monalisa worries that the U.S. could be headed … Continue reading Woman who fled a communist country fears for America’s future if socialism prevails →

The dark side of technology withdrawal

Brad Huddleston observes, I can’t tell you how many times, after giving a talk, a parent has come up to me and said something like, “You just described my child to a tee.” The only thing I do is give a list of the general symptoms of digital addiction with explanations. Here’s the list: anger … Continue reading The dark side of technology withdrawal →

SBC Executive Committee Endorses Vision 2025

The Executive Committee voted unanimously to endorse Vision 2025, which is comprised of five seminal goals to channel our cooperative energy over the next five years. Vision 2025 has emerged from Dr. Ronnie Floyd's leadership (as the new President of the Executive Committee) and is built around focusing energy on growth in five key areas. … Continue reading SBC Executive Committee Endorses Vision 2025 →

Hong Kong church stands firm amid chaos

CE Comment: I continue to be amazed at the steadfastness of the Church in Hong Kong. I recently highlighted the impact Christians are having within this troubled region of China in a small group lesson. American Christians need to watch the Christians in Hong Kong to see how a church can stand in the midst of … Continue reading Hong Kong church stands firm amid chaos →

Pastors don’t link world events to speeding up return of Christ

The Doctrine of Eschatology is falling on hard times in this age of the church. Mention the Study of Last Things or Bible Prophecy today and most evangelical pastors will look at you with either a blank stare (because they haven't a clue what you are talking about) or they will think to themselves, "this … Continue reading Pastors don’t link world events to speeding up return of Christ →

42.4M babies killed by abortion in 2019; here’s what’s ahead for US abortion laws in 2020

CE Comment: In many ways, 2019 saw positive advancements in the pro-life cause. Several states passed laws that continue to push back against the pro-death lobby in America. Moreover, the public dialog shifted as many Americans were both shocked and ashamed to hear political leaders on the left push abortion advocacy up to and even … Continue reading 42.4M babies killed by abortion in 2019; here’s what’s ahead for US abortion laws in 2020 →

Arkansas Baptist State Convention failed to report abuse allegations against pastor, lawsuit claims

CE Comment: Failure to report sexual abuse is going to become a much more costly legal problem for churches and pastors moving forward. Much of the pain and hurt connected to sexual abuse in the church in general and the SBC, in particular, is rooted in a failure to report. If there is one lesson … Continue reading Arkansas Baptist State Convention failed to report abuse allegations against pastor, lawsuit claims →