Why belong? That’s what lots of people are asking themselves these days. And it’s what people interested in the wellbeing of religious communities should be asking, as well. Why do people find this place compelling? What makes it worth investing time and energy? As Easter and Passover approach, newspapers are doing their annual nod in…
Question: Why are all the young adults leaving the churches that their families have been part of for generations? If we change our worship style to be more like the churches they are now attending, will they come back? There are lots of issues behind this question, and many of them involve understanding the culture…
As disasters strike – all too often, it seems – we often see churches, synagogues and mosques in the news. They may be shelters or food distribution centers or coordinators of volunteers or places to comfort and grieve. As the most ubiquitous form of voluntary organization in the U.S., congregations are present in every…
The 2015 report from the National Congregations Study allows interested students of congregational life to learn a great deal about what is typical and what is not. Begun in 1998, this is the third wave of the survey, so it not only documents where we are today, but also allows us to see how things…
The latest Pew Religious Landscape Survey is full of interesting insights into changes occurring in American religion. As I look at these survey results, here are a few of the things I’ve noted. On most measures of religiosity (prayer, attendance, belief, etc.), those who are in the “affiliated” camp are just as observant and believing…