(ANALYSIS) The genre faces a demographic cliff. The market for faith-based films has always been driven by Christian moms. And as I wrote last year, with fewer women getting married and having kids (and single women increasingly leaving Christianity), that market is inevitably going to shrink. A big shift may actually save the long-term future of faith-based films: The rise of a more masculine American church.
Read MoreThe Bible protects against what the U.S. surgeon general has termed an “epidemic of loneliness” as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, the American Bible Society said in releasing its latest chapter of the 2024 State of the Bible.
Read MoreThe effectiveness of collegiate ministry depends on how you play the long game. And that doesn’t happen without support. “The Cooperative Program is vital for our work,” said Michael Ball, director of the Baptist Student Union at Mississippi State. “When BSU was formed, it was a cooperative effort of churches coming together to have a presence on the campus.”
Read MoreGeneration Z, the first to grow up with smartphones and tablets, is the most fearful and anxious of any age, the American Bible Society said in its latest release from the 2024 State of the Bible. But regular Bible engagement, a practice that attracts only 11 percent of Gen Z, reduces anxiety by half and can improve other markers of emotional health.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Preaching to teenagers has always been a challenge. In the smartphone age, clergy need to realize that the odds of making a spiritual connection have changed — radically. Young people who spend as many as 10 or more hours a day focusing on digital screens will find it all but impossible to listen to an adult talk about anything, especially in a religious sanctuary.
Read MoreScripture engagement among American adults is at its lowest point in the 14 years the American Bible Society has commissioned the annual State of the Bible report, researchers said in releasing the first chapter of the 2024 report. Well over half — 57 percent, or 151 million — of American adults are Bible Disengaged, based on a 15-question metric.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The religious group that is the most likely to be straight is Muslims at 85%, followed closely by a whole bunch of other groups such as Protestants, Catholics, “just Christians” and Hindus. But here’s a really big surprise to me — only 78% of Latter-day Saints in college say that they are straight.
Read More(OPINION) The atmosphere in Hughes Auditorium was electric as Asbury students — many in tears — streamed to the altar to pray, while worshippers sang hymns, mixed with Bible readings, testimonies and public prayers of repentance.
Read MoreOver the span of two weeks, Asbury University, a small evangelical college in Wilmore, Kentucky, has been the center of a revival attracting thousands of believers from across the country for 24-hour prayer and worship.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A new study from Springtide Research Institute not only suggests that popular narratives about Gen Z’s abandonment of religion aren’t the full story but also that religion and spirituality can contribute to flourishing mental health among this generation.
Read More(OPINION) Young people in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are often told to get married because marriage is wonderful and family life is at the heart of the faith. The problem is that church leaders haven’t grasped the power of cultural trends in technology, education and economics that are fueling sharp declines in statistics linked to dating, marriage and fertility,
Read More(OPINION) A Pew Research Center study found that most single U.S. adults were depressed about dating and building relationships. This past February, 70% of those surveyed said “their dating lives are not going well.” These trends should be of special concern to clergy, since religious faith plays a pivotal role in deciding who gets married and who does not.
Read More(REVIEW) The creative team behind “The Chosen” put together a documentary in which nine members of Gen Z binge-watched the first season of the show and shared their reaction. The documentary showcases a lot of genuine spiritual growth, but don’t expect it to solve all the problems present with young people and the church.
Read MoreA new study shows that young Americans increasingly distanced themselves from religious institutions like churches, mosques and synagogues in 2020 — which they feel don’t care about social justice issues important to them. Instead, they found spirituality in practices like tarot card readings while sharing fears and musings in online spaces.
Read More(OPINION) A new survey finds that 1 in 3 young people ages 13-25 don’t trust people of other religions “very much” or “at all.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) Surveys taken before the 2020 election show that women are more likely to identify as religious than their male counterparts.
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