Articles for tag: Church Attendance

Bible Study Theology & Bible

Beyond the Problem

By Mark A. Taylor Let”s not dwell on the fact that too many know too little about God”s Word. After clarifying the situation (and more than one writer at our site this month gives troubling facts and examples), let”s talk about how to solve the “know problem” all around us (not only in our neighborhoods, but in our churches too). We’re posting many stories and strategies to help your church increase biblical literacy where you are. From this wealth of help, several principles stand out. “¢ People want to know the Bible better. When presented with an accessible plan for

September 14, 2013

City Growth, Church Growth?

By Darrel Rowland For decades Americans fled the city for suburbs, and their churches followed them. But the trend has reversed””at least for now””with more people moving into the city. Will churches return with them? That”s a key question because the statistics showing the new boom in city growth collide with findings on spiritual beliefs, such as those compiled by pollster George Barna. The country”s current demographic upheaval is stark. From 2001 to 2010 only five U.S. cities grew faster than their surrounding suburbs. Now most cities are outstripping the “burbs, which hasn”t happened since the 1920s. A U.S. Census

June 8, 2013

Mission & Evangelism

Is Missional Working?

By Stephen Sams At Axis Church in Mason, Ohio, we don”t use the word missional. It”s not that we are opposed to the word, it”s just that we try to use words that people understand. When you are trying to reach people who don”t know Jesus, you must use words that communicate and create mental pictures. If people can”t define it or explain it, then they can”t carry it out or act on it. Nearly everyone in America has a concept of church. They think they understand it. They have predetermined definitions of concepts like discipleship, evangelism, and worship, largely

May 17, 2013

Mission & Evangelism

Former Attorney Makes a Case for Christ

By Kent E. Fillinger Brian Kruckenberg didn”t grow up in a Christian home, but he attended church several times as a senior in high school. A teacher shared the gospel with him, and he began to understand it. But he finished high school, college, graduate school, and law school without giving faith in God much thought. After a friend invited the young attorney to church, Kruckenberg soon committed his life to Christ and started studying the Bible and serving in several ministries. Kruckenberg”s passion for volunteering in his church continued to grow over the next four years, and in 2004

April 3, 2012

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation

A Room Called Remember

By a Lifelong Christian Church Member (ANONYMOUS) In 2006, the Barna Group conducted a study about church attendance and found that most twentysomethings leave the church after being active through their teen years. The data showed that “61 percent of today”s young adults had been churched during their teen years but are now spiritually disengaged, i.e. not actively attending church, reading the Bible, or praying.” One of the insights David Kinnaman, the director of the research, offered was, “Every teen has different needs, questions and doubts, so helping them to wrestle through those specific issues and to understand God”s unique

January 5, 2012

Church Leadership

In Just One Year: The Worst . . . and the Best

Nothing challenges us to think about changing times more than the transition from one year to the next. On this first day of 2012, we asked six Christian leaders to think about the church a year from now and to draw a picture of our progress””and our problems””then.Â * * * By Greg Nettle It was the worst of times. . . . It was the best of times. As an underlying foundation, I believe that when the circumstances of life are at their worst, the church has the opportunity to be at her best. It was the worst because

October 12, 2011

Culture & Public Square

Remember the Children

By Mark A. Taylor “Whenever two people are together, one is influencing the other.” My adult children tell me today this was one of my favorite reminders years ago whenever they left the house to be with their teenage friends. I”ve thought about my little proverb often since then, especially as Christian Standard has taken up issues of church and culture. How is the church today influencing the values of our culture? And how are the attitudes and ideals of today”s educators, politicians, entertainers, and corporate leaders changing the church? Research seems to say the church is not prevailing. George

April 22, 2011

Christian Living

Christmas or Easter?

By Kent E. Fillinger Why do churches pay more attention to Christmas than to Easter? If you surveyed a group of church leaders, the common response probably would be, “Evangelism””we want to create welcoming environments for people to bring guests, and Christmas is an optimal opportunity to do so.” Really? Businesses measure “return on investment”””whether a product or venture yields a return that warrants the investment required to offer it. From the standpoint of a return on investment, Easter consistently dominates Christmas in attendance. For example, the average megachurch experienced a 74 percent increase in attendance on Easter, compared with

September 12, 2010

The Tourist Church

By Rick Grover People ask me the same questions they probably ask you: “Is your church seeker-driven, purpose-driven, missional, attractional, emergent, or traditional?” I always find it difficult to answer these questions without getting into lengthy discussions about the meaning of words and terms. And I also dislike the notion of being pigeonholed. Who doesn”t? When I think of labels for churches, I”ve coined one that I especially hope will never be used to describe ours: “Tourist Church.” Are you familiar with this name? You should be, because it is quickly becoming an unfortunate description of the American church. While

August 25, 2010

Church Life

I Can See You, September

As summer slips away, Mark A. Taylor reflects on the sadness and gratitude that come with changing seasons—and the fresh ministry opportunities churches often find as fall schedules and routines return.

February 10, 2010

Conferences & Gatherings Organizations & Events

Interview with Ben Cachiaras

Ben Cachiaras By Brad Dupray As the president of the 2010 North American Christian Convention, Ben Cachiaras has led the planning of a convention that goes “beyond” the ordinary. “What if we didn”t have a North American? What would we wish we did have? What would we need? Let”s plan that convention,” he says. Ben and his wife, Karla, met in the food court of the 1987 North American Christian Convention and this year will be celebrating their 20th year of marriage. For the last 12 years, Ben has served as senior pastor of Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, Maryland.

October 8, 2008

Church & Ministry Church Leadership Preaching

Church Health and Attendance Numbers”“How Do They Relate?

By Mark A. Taylor Is growing attendance a reliable indicator of church health? American Christians generally answer yes. Perhaps this is because we live with the effects of corporate pressure for quarter-by-quarter growth in sales and profits. For several decades now, the American mind-set has equated “bigger” with “better.” But not everyone accepts that conclusion any longer. Speaking at the Energizing Smaller Churches Network conference in Lincoln, Illinois, last month, Paul Williams listed 10 signs of a healthy smaller church. His first point: “Measure by relational growth as well as by numbers growth.” Many of the smaller church”s problems can

August 31, 2008

Church & Ministry Community Outreach

Parents Matter

By Curtis Booher and Phyllis Fox Parents matter. More than anyone””peers, teachers, youth ministers””the greatest single influence on a teen is his parents. That may shock some parents who feel like a discarded shoe when their children reach adolescence. Research proves parents have the greatest effect on their children”s choices, including their religious and spiritual practices. Teens long to be cared for and taken seriously and they need authentic relationships with their parents and other caring adults. Christian parents need support from the church and that means more than youth group and Bible studies. The alarming rate of teen church

January 10, 2008

Church & Ministry Youth & Children's Ministry

The Lost Generation

By Chuck Booher Fifteen years ago I visited one of the largest churches in the country. I was in awe of its high school ministry: 2,000 high school students passionately worshiping Christ. However, when I recently visited this same church I was disheartened to discover its high school ministry had dropped to 500 students. The church has doubled in size, and yet its youth ministry is dwindling. The reason definitely isn”t a lack of students in the area. In fact, the city recently opened two new high schools, and its junior college is brimming with college students. Ironically, as I

October 3, 2007

Ethics & Moral Issues Sexuality

Christian Teenagers and Their Sexual Behavior

By Mark A. Taylor Evangelical teenagers are as sexually active outside marriage as others. But not everybody agrees about why and what to do about it. Consider two pieces appearing in different publications this August. Gene Edward Veith, senior writer for World magazine, reviewed the findings of sociologist Mark Regnerus, published in his new book Forbidden Fruit: Sex & Religion in the Lives of American Teenagers. Veith”s column in the August 11 issue included this report: Statistically, evangelical teens tend to have sex first at a younger age, 16.3, compared to liberal Protestants, who tend to lose their virginity

April 15, 2007

By Staff

MEGACHURCHES: The 2006 List

CHRISTIAN STANDARD’s annual megachurch list highlights churches by weekly attendance. This entry defines megachurch and emerging megachurch thresholds and links to the 2006 megachurches chart.

November 22, 2006

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation

Stopped Short by the Principal”s Passion

What do we do when a church member drops out? Mark A. Taylor compares church follow-up to a principal’s relentless care for absent students—and asks what it means when someone quietly falls off the radar.

July 19, 2006

Organizations & Events Local Churches

Please Update Your Listing!

A church locator can help travelers and researchers—but only if listings are current. Mark A. Taylor urges churches to verify and update their Christian Church Today Locator information and highlights other site features that serve the Restoration Movement.

June 4, 2006

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