Articles for tag: David Kinnaman

November 1, 2022

Tyler McKenzie

Crucial Questions for Church Leaders

Crucial Questions for Church Leaders

By Tyler McKenzie   I grew up a preacher’s kid in the rural outskirts of a small city. Every time we walked into a restaurant, my dad visited at least two tables to check-in on people we knew from church. Often, someone would pick up our check. The community honored him. Back then, people looked to clergy for care and accepted their moral exhortation.  Gone are those days! Barna president David Kinnaman reported on the clergy credibility crisis in his 2017 book Good Faith. “The public’s respect for pastors, priests, and other faith leaders has significantly declined,” Kinnaman wrote. “Today only

March 1, 2022

Kim Harris

Authentic Statistics

Authentic Statistics

By Kim Harris The years 1981 and 1997 don’t have a lot in common. Both years followed presidential elections, but 1981 inaugurated a new president while 1997 welcomed back the leader from the previous term. Both years saw advancement in space exploration with 1981 witnessing the first space shuttle flight, while the Mars Pathfinder landed in 1997. However, it seems the differences between those two years far outweigh similarities. The cultural environment across sports, entertainment, pop culture, economics, and politics shifted significantly during that 16-year span. One thing that didn’t change in that time, though, was the most common baby

January 29, 2020

Tyler McKenzie

Solving the American Church's PR Problem

How Northeast Christian Is Seeking to Redefine Church Around the Cross-Shaped Love of Jesus _ _ _ I was a stranger and you invited me in. _ _ _ By Tyler McKenzie Outsiders consider people inside the church to be extreme and irrelevant. That’s according to recent research about perceptions of Christianity in America conducted by Barna Group and its president David Kinnaman. You may disagree with these descriptors of churchgoersextreme and irrelevantbut perception is reality to some degree. Outsiders either despise us or don’t care about us. We clearly have a PR problem on our hands. The extremist label

April 25, 2019

Gary L. Johnson

Three Ways Elders Must Respond to the Next-Generation Crisis

By Gary L. Johnson I hadn’t finished breakfast and had already heard of three crises facing our nation. One news commentator spoke of the growing crisis at our southern border, while other reporters spoke of global warming and opioid crises. And some commentators questioned whether these were crises at all. It caused me to think of a real crisis facing us as Christians: How does the church reach and keep the next generation for Christ? In recent years, we’ve experienced a definite decline in the number of young people coming to Christ, while increasing numbers of Christian young people have

June 21, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Three Ways Churches Can Address Biblical Skepticism

By Mark A. Taylor Americans are less engaged with the Bible than ever, according to research released by the Barna Group last week. The trend is “toward biblical skepticism,” Barna President David Kinnaman reported. The report shows, for example, that only a third of Americans agree strongly with the statement, “The Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches,” down from 48 percent in 2011. Only 45 percent agree with this statement: “The Bible contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life,” down from 53 percent in 2011. “With each passing year, the

October 27, 2015

Mark A. Taylor

Nothing More Valuable

By Mark A. Taylor Maybe most wouldn”t suspect that loneliness, discouragement, temptation, and insecurity are companions of the person leading their church””especially growing, dynamic ministries like those led by the four guests in our most recent Beyond the Standard podcast. But each of them””Ben Cachiaras, Tim Harlow, Eddie Lowen, and Greg Nettle””admitted to at least one of these problems. And all four credited their association with each other as a key to rising above barriers to emotional and spiritual health. They”ve created a group where they”ve found the freedom to confess sins, share doubts, discuss problems and possibilities, and discern

October 18, 2015

Christian Standard

It’s OK to Be the ‘Away Team’

By Jim Tune In the fifth century, Romans reclined in their villas in the south of England feeling secure that their world was intact and would remain that way for years to come. Life was good. Sure, the army was busy, always off to subdue an uprising here or resist a barbarian raid there. But the roads still bustled with trade, the public baths were thriving, and the harvest was under way. Meanwhile the Saxons were already crossing the English Channel with designs on the land that once seemed to be the permanent possession of the mighty Roman Empire. Soon

September 1, 2014

Christian Standard

2014 NACC: Offstage

By Darrel Rowland   As with any North American Christian Convention, not all the action was on the main stage. You could mine golden nuggets at every turn. If you found Haydn Shaw”s workshop on the impact of generational differences in the church, you would have heard the sobering observation that people living 35 years longer, on average, is one of God”s most amazing blessings on our time””and millions will go to Hell because of it. Before people started living longer, the next generation would receive the leadership torch because the old folks simply died off. Now, people with power

July 15, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

Recommitted to the Mission

By Mark A. Taylor  A large convention of Jehovah”s Witnesses met last weekend in Indianapolis, on the heels of the North American Christian Convention there Tuesday through Friday. When some JW delegates began arriving on Thursday, a teenager I know said, “I wonder if they”ll go through the hotel, knocking on every door.” We all chuckled, but later I thought, Wouldn”t it be something if OUR movement were known for persistently sharing what we believe about Christ? After last week”s convention, that could happen. President Tim Harlow”s theme for the week was ReMission, a challenge to recommit to the mission

June 9, 2014

Christian Standard

Science or Faith?

By Tim Stafford I”ve interviewed 11 scientists who, while disagreeing with each other, share the conviction that a person can embrace both science and faith in God. These days, almost every young American believes he has a choice to make. He can choose faith or he can choose science, but he can”t choose both. It”s extremely hard to choose faith over science, though some do. After all, if you breathe the air around any academic institution, you imbibe the belief that all the good jobs involve math and science. Watch college commercials during bowl or tournament games. Don”t they always””always“”include a

March 7, 2014

Christian Standard

Your NACC Planner

By Jennifer Johnson In American Religion: Contemporary Trends, author Mark Chaves reports the percentage of people in the United States who say they “never” attend church has risen steadily over the last 30 years, and that if current trends continue, we will soon be a “Protestant-minority” country. Warren Bird, director of research for Leadership Network, recently blogged that 125 million Americans””more than 1 out of 3″”haven”t attended any religious services in the last year, and writes, “That number alone would be the 10th largest country in the world!” At this year”s North American Christian Convention, President Tim Harlow will challenge

April 3, 2012

Christian Standard

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

September 14, 2008

Christian Standard

He Is “˜I AM,” I am “˜I”m Not”

By Mandy Smith We”ve heard about the Spanish Inquisition and the Salem witch trials””moments in history when, with the blessing of the church, Christians stood in judgment of one another. But that”s all history, isn”t it? Why is it, then, that in national surveys of young people, the authors of the book UnChristian found that 87 percent believe modern-day Christianity is judgmental? On the other hand, their surveys showed “only a small percentage of outsiders strongly believe the labels “˜respect, love, hope, and trust” describe Christianity.”1 We may not be hunting for witches anymore, but we point out believers who

August 31, 2008

Christian Standard

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

Help Keep Christian Standard Free & Accessible with a Tax Deductible Donation

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Does Your Church Want to Support Christian Standard?

Would your church consider including support for Christian Standard in its annual missions budget? Your support would help us not only continue the 160-year legacy of this unifying ministry, but also expand the free resources, cooperative opportunities, and practical guidance we provide to strengthen churches in the U.S. and around the world.

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Secret Link