Beyond the Ordinary

Of Denominations, Associations, and Orders

2012-01-24T12:32:41-05:00

By Deborah Bruce We’re located in the offices of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). There’s been much talk here about a new Reformed body that was born last week—the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians. Some congregations affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) may choose to join this new body either in addition to or instead of belonging to the PC(USA). How common is belonging to a denomination or association of congregations? Very! Nine in ten congregations report affiliation with a denomination, convention, or similar kind of association. Of the three faith groups, somewhat fewer conservative Protestant churches have such an affiliation....

Money Trumps the Bible

2012-01-17T08:40:06-05:00

By Deborah Bruce I just reviewed 2011 Google Analytics results for this blog, and guess what—more readers view posts about money than those about the Bible! Which posts have been most popular? In the past year, we’ve posted on everything from opinions about guns to embracing your inner failure; from views of God to views of women clergy. Which were most popular? Posts about financial giving. Three of the four most frequently viewed posts—including the single most viewed one—deal with the offering plate: Where does the money come from? What is the Bible? Worshiper values make a difference for mainline...

The Missing Multiracial Congregation

2012-01-10T12:35:06-05:00

By Joelle Kopacz On January 16, we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a visionary leader who promoted racial integration and reconciliation. A pastor himself, Dr. King commented on the ironic and discouraging lack of diversity in churches in 1963: “At 11:00 on Sunday morning when we stand and sing and Christ has no east or west, we stand at the most segregated hour in this nation.” Data from the U.S. Congregational Life Survey indicates that a vast majority of congregations still lack much racial and ethnic diversity. We consider congregations to be racially-ethnically diverse if they have 80% or...

A Look at the Venue: Where do congregations hold their religious services?

2012-01-03T10:04:34-05:00

By Cynthia Woolever At least nine out of ten congregations answer this question with “a church building owned by the congregation.” However, other congregations gather for worship in a variety of venues—schools, public libraries, movie theaters, retail spaces or store fronts, hotels, restaurants, and private homes.[1] In national studies dating back to 2000, researchers find the percentage of congregations meeting in non-traditional settings ranges from 4% to 10%.[2] While congregations that meet in places other than a traditional church, mosque, or temple are clearly in the minority, their numbers are not insignificant. If 10% of the 350,000 U.S. congregations meet...

How Do Worshipers’ Decisions about Church Giving Add Up for the Whole Church?

2011-12-27T08:32:15-05:00

By Cynthia Woolever What influences worshipers’ decisions about giving to their church? It depends on (a) the personal characteristics of the worshiper, (b) his or her level of involvement, and (c) the congregation’s denominational affiliation. We think of giving as an individual decision but the church context also plays a role in what an individual might give. Jack Marcum, coordinator of Research Services, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), presented his research on the relationship between individual giving and the giving pattern for an entire congregation at the recent Religious Research Association meeting. He wanted to take into account the church context—the denomination...

What Kind of Christians Support Merry Christmas (only)?

2011-12-20T08:52:53-05:00

By Cynthia Woolever Almost all Americans (95%) celebrate Christmas, even those who say they are not too religious.[1] Yet in the public square, controversy continues about greeting others with “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” (considered by many to be more inclusive of non-Christians). Beyond just the greeting, other seasonal activities and traditions stir debates. In fact, two states—Wisconsin and Rhode Island—have called the evergreen in their state capital a holiday tree rather than a Christmas tree. Do most Christian worshipers reject any kind of multiculturalism or relativism that tends to generate more inclusive seasonal language and public holiday displays? No....

Question Authority?

2011-12-13T12:13:46-05:00

By Cynthia Woolever Worshipers grant the pastor some level of authority as their designated leader. What is the basis for that recognition? Jackson Carroll addresses that question and the nature of authority in his most recent book, As One With Authority (second edition, 2011).[i] The authority to lead gives the pastor the right to exercise power in a particular group or institution. Carroll asserts that there are at least two bases for pastoral authority: (1) that which arises as a representative of the sacred; and (2) that which stems from expertise, gifts, and capabilities. As long as the group acknowledges...

Are All Your Friends in Church, Leaving No One to Invite?

2011-12-06T08:55:20-05:00

By Deborah Bruce In a fascinating talk at a new church development conference, I recently heard church planter, Dan Kimball, comment that the number of non-Christian people that worshipers hang out with decreases the longer they have been Christians. He suggests the trend might look like this: Kimball said that this phenomena influences how likely people are to invite others to church. If you don’t know many non-Christians, who would you invite? Friends at church. The U.S. Congregational Life Survey asked about friends and acquaintances who also attend the congregation. Compared to long-time members, more worshipers who are new to...

Finances and Faith

2011-11-29T08:40:47-05:00

By Joelle Kopacz "Money is the opposite of the weather. Nobody talks about it, but everybody does something about it." - Rebecca Johnson, novelist Money is a touchy subject to talk about in daily life—and it’s also a difficult issue to discuss from the pulpit. Pastors may be afraid that if they preach about money they will offend others and attract criticism. (For more reasons pastors avoid preaching sermons about money, click here.) And pastors’ fears aren’t completely unwarranted. Although nearly three in four worshipers (72%) report that they worry about finances “a lot” or “sometimes,” half of worshipers think...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T09:00:22-05:00

We’re stuffing today: Here’s hoping your stuffing is much more delicious! We’re thankful to every congregation that has taken the U.S. Congregational Life Survey. We couldn’t do what we do without the help of worshipers, pastors, and churches across the country. And thanks for reading!