Church-Shopping: Why Do Americans Change Faiths?
from TIME Magazine
When Pew researchers set out last year to map the U.S.'s religious landscape with a groundbreaking survey of more than 35,000 people, they expected fairly straightforward answers to questions about individual religious affiliations. What the Pew researchers didn't anticipate is that fully 44 percent of Americans have changed faiths at least once. More

Churches Taking Swine Flu Spread Seriously
from Everyday Christian
Churches and Christian aid organizations around the country are taking precautions and erring on the side of caution due to the rapid spread of the swine flu virus. "It is our hope that by preparing for the possibility of an influenza pandemic, the Episcopal community will be better able to protect each other and serve those in need," said Abigail Nelson, senior vice president for New York-based Episcopal Relief and Development in a statement. More

Snapshots of Religious Life
from the Leadership Journal
The recently released American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) indicates that faith is going down across the board. The number of people who identify themselves as Christian has decreased by 11 percent in a generation. The single fastest-growing category when it comes to religious affiliation is "None," which grew from 8 percent to 15 percent since 1990. But what do the recent surveys tell us about the future of faith? More

State of the Plate
from The Advocate
In recessionary times, the offering plate can serve as an economic indicator of sorts. Houses of faith nationwide are responding like industry: freezing salaries, reducing budgets and scaling back or postponing capital projects. Adelle M. Banks, reporting on the national trend for Religion News Service, noted the results of an online survey conducted in February by the National Association of Church Business Administration. More

Does Your Church Have a Crisis Communications Plan?
from LifeWay via TransWorldNews
Most large organizations, from multinational corporations to universities, have crisis communications plans, and so should churches, no matter their size. Whether yours is a megachurch with scores of staff members or a small congregation with a bivocational pastor, it’s vital to have a plan. And it begins by addressing some simple questions. More

Reach the Next Generation of Believers
from Church Solutions
With a generation of believers who always have one ear plugged into their iPods, churches are finding that it takes more than colorful sermons and musical accompaniment to keep congregations coming back week after week. Attention spans on sleepy, Sunday mornings, are propelled into further inattentiveness when services keep attendees mostly in their seats for the duration of an hour or more. How can you reach each group of participants in a meaningful way? One solution in various environments, including worship settings, is audience response. More

Even in a Recession, Parishes Said to Benefit from Electronic Giving
from The Catholic Spirit
A new way of giving to the church is rapidly replacing the long-standing tradition of the weekly collection basket at Mass. Electronic giving has been shown to provide financial stability for a growing number of parishes to continue their outreach during the current recession. Electronic offertory programs allow parishioners to transfer funds automatically to their parish's bank account without having to write a check or come up with cash for the collection basket. More

Churches Find 'Green' Ways to Cut Utilities, Save Money
from the Baptist Press
Some call it "going green," but churches big and small are discovering that examining utilities usage also can translate into significant savings. More than a year ago, First Baptist Church in Springdale, Ark., which has about 6,000 attendees on Sunday mornings, began a partnership with the company Energy Education to cut into its electric, gas and water bills -- a significant endeavor because the church was spending roughly $1 million annually on its utility bills. More

Church Must Adapt to Digital World to Reach Youth
from the Catholic San Francisco
Parents and youth ministers must adapt to and embrace new technologies to be relevant to young people, said Pauline Sister Rose Pacatte, director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles. Adults often lag behind young people in technological expertise and this puts the Church at a disadvantage in its quest to remain relevant to youth, she said. Those parishes and schools that do not incorporate technology into their ministry will see dwindling numbers of youth, who will tune out Church messages in favor of more readily available and entertaining content from other sources. More

Funding New Facilities
from Preaching.com
The constant, major challenge for any growing church, whether newly planted or established, is providing adequate facilities with which to do ministry. To address this challenge, you must wrestle with at least three critical questions: What can you afford to build? How will you fund it? How will you spend the money you raise? More

What is Driving Top Worship Trends
from Church Central
The way a church worships is one key to the way it interacts with the community around it. The use of technology and media, musical styles, and the inherent theology presented in worship activities are important concerns for congregations and leaders impassioned to reach the lost and make disciples. How are the healthiest churches engaging people in worship today? More

Ministry Vision is Much More than a Statement
from Ministry Marketing Coach
In today’s culture when the church is struggling to keep members engaged, we need more focus on an authentic vision with less attention on developing well-written vision statements. Vision statements should follow vision, not vice versa. More

No Word from I.R.S. on Protest by Pastors
from The Associated Press via The New York Times
Nearly seven months after defying a prohibition on endorsing candidates from the pulpit, 33 churches across the country are still waiting to learn whether the Internal Revenue Service will take action against them. The goal of a Sept. 28 event called Pulpit Freedom Sunday was to start a legal fight and ultimately overturn regulations that prevent places of worship from supporting or opposing candidates for office. More