Hope for the Future
What do Gen Z and Gen Alpha think about faith—and what should churches do next? Luke Proctor explores concerning trends, surprising hope, and three practical choices to help pass the baton to the next generation.
Articles for tag: Barna
March 13, 2026
Every Superhero Needs a Squad
Kent Fillinger uses superhero teams to encourage pastors not to serve in isolation. He highlights rising pastoral loneliness and offers practical ways solo ministers can find support, accountability, and encouragement through trusted ministry relationships.
November 18, 2025
What Should We Make of All the Revival Talk Among the Youth?
Many indicators suggest that there is an encouraging surge of curiosity in the supernatural, spiritual hunger, commitment to Jesus, and church attendance.
November 6, 2025
The Crux of Evangelism
It comes down to this: Do you care? Do you value lost people? Do you have the same compassion for them that Christ had for you (John 3:16; Romans 5:8)?
November 5, 2025
Ten Ways Parents Can Increase the Probability They Pass Down the Faith … According to the Data
The top ten ways parents can increase the probability they pass down their faith … according to the data!
May 1, 2023
A Movement Away from Denominationalism: What’s It Mean for Us?
By Ben Cachiaras When asked about the key to his success, Dick Clark, of American Bandstand fame, replied, “I don’t set trends. I just find out what they are and exploit them.” Worrying about trends can get you into trouble. So can ignoring them. At the least, it seems wise for church leaders to strive to be like the men of Issachar “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). In this spirit, I was asked to consider how we might understand and respond to the rising trends noted in “A ‘Postdenominational’ Era: Inside the
February 22, 2020
Ministry Intelligence: Using the Power of Information to Reach Your Community for Christ
By Chris Jefferson Nehemiah’s transition from king’s cupbearer to rebuilder of Jerusalem provides valuable lessons for how modern churches can set goals, define objectives, strategize methods, and incorporate tactics to help them move beyond self-preservation and begin to lead movements in their congregations and communities. At the start of the Old Testament book, Nehemiah asked his brothers from Judah about his homeland. He specifically asked for information about two things: the people and the city. He gathered intelligence from trusted, knowledgeable sources. Upon learning that the remnant was in “great trouble and disgrace” and that the wall of Jerusalem was
February 5, 2020
Scholarship Honors Mike & Sharon Bell (Plus News Briefs)
Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Glendale (Ky.) Christian Church has established the Mike and Sharon Bell Scholarship to ensure a legacy of their kindness. Mike now serves as executive minister with GCC and has been with the church for 50 years. Sharon, his wife, passed away in 2015. The couple met at Louisville Bible College in 1965, married the next year, and moved to Glendale in 1970, according to an article in the News-Enterprise. The Bells impacted the entire community through their many civic activities. “Hardin County’s excellent reputation throughout the commonwealth is due in large part to
May 16, 2017
First Family
By Mark A. Taylor Ministry can be hard on a minister”s family life. The demands of the congregation don”t stop when the church office closes. Needs and opportunities to serve abound in the evenings, threatening to take the minister away from conversations with a spouse or attendance at children”s ballgames and concerts. Phone calls can come night and day. And the minister may feel he has no one to talk to about disappointments and difficulties except a spouse, who then becomes overwhelmed with information and worries that cannot be shared with anyone else. We can be encouraged that 70 percent
February 16, 2016
Creating the Integrity of the Church
By Mark A. Taylor Peggy Noonan wrote in Saturday”s Wall Street Journal about “the general decline of America”s faith in its institutions,” and you can guess the institutions she listed: “the professions, the presidency, the Supreme Court,” and the one she mentioned first, the church. I”m assuming Noonan, a Catholic, thinks first of the church she knows best, and statistics suggest the Catholic Church in America is in trouble. According to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), a national nonprofit research center affiliated with Georgetown University, attendance at Mass in the U.S. declined from 55 percent of the
Going Strong
By Jennifer Johnson “I am the least likely person to lead a trip of women,” Gayla Congdon said during our interview. “I grew up with brothers and I”m not a “˜woman”s retreat” kind of person. I want to do something that matters.” Apparently she”s not alone””the Women of Strength trips she started in 2012 have had to be capped at 65 people, and dozens of ladies have attended more than one. A significant number of the participants aren”t even Christians, but find the experience more than worth the investment of money and vacation time. Actually, Congdon does think “women”s events”
July 14, 2014
A Conversation with David Kinnaman
David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, discusses why millennials are leaving the church and how we can keep them. Hear his interview with CHRISTIAN STANDARD Editor Mark Taylor here.
August 13, 2013
They Need a Friend!
By Mark A. Taylor Young adults may lead the way in social networking, but their hours with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram don”t help all of them feel connected. In fact, among Americans today, the youngest adults are most likely to say they”re still looking for a friend. The Barna Group reports 20 percent of Americans describe themselves as lonely, up from about 10 percent just 10 years ago, “a paradoxical reality in the full swing of the social media age.” In that same decade, the number of Americans “trying to find a few good friends” has increased from 31 to
