Author: Administrador

Paola Chaaya photo – Unsplash By Aaron Earls As the U.S. Supreme Court weighs the future of abortion in the country, many pastors and leaders may be surprised to learn how many people sitting in church pews have terminated a pregnancy. Currently, justices are hearing oral arguments on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a … Continue reading “7 in 10 Women Who Have Had an Abortion Identify as a Christian”

Towfiqu barbhuiya photo – Unsplash By Aaron Earls Covid-19 vaccines and confusion over a Greek word led an unlikely word to jump in Bible searches this year. “Pestilence,” “plague,” and “diseases,” words that dominated conversations in 2020, dropped 71% in the number of searches at Bible Gateway. Meanwhile, searches for “sorcery” or “sorceries” jumped 193%. … Continue reading “Covid-Related Confusion Sparks Bible Searches for “Sorcery””

Adeolu Eletu photo – Unsplash By Greg Gibbs  Growing up, very few of us were in churches that issued year-end reports. We did not even think of such a thing. That was for blue chip companies to make sure stockholders were informed and inspired. So, here’s my question: Is this important for a church to do?   As … Continue reading “The Surprising Reason Every Church Should Show a Year-End Financial Report”

Max Beck photo – Unsplash By Dan Darling With hymns blaring in our favorite coffee shops and retail stores and major television networks replaying “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” you would think most everyone who walks into our churches during Advent season would understand the basic contours of the Christmas story. And yet you’d be surprised to know there is a sizable percentage in our … Continue reading “Forgetting Christmas: From Obstacle to Opportunity”

Jessica Delp photo – Unsplash By Marissa Postell Last year people turned to Scripture in record-setting numbers, and Bible engagement remained high throughout 2021. This month, BibleGateway and YouVersion released their 2021 year-in-review reports, revealing top verses and trends on these digital Bible platforms.  Although some of the challenges of 2021 have been different from the difficulties of 2020 and life seems to … Continue reading “2021 Continued to Drive More Readers to Scripture”

Medieval Greek Orthodox Icon of the Council of Nicaea – Wiki Commons By Aaron Earls Christians may need Jolly Old Saint Nicholas more than ever this Christmas—not to bring presents to good boys and girls, but to confront heretics denying the deity of Jesus. Saint Nicholas, a historical precursor figure for Santa Claus, is said to have attended the First Council … Continue reading “Why We’re Still Confronting the Same Christmas Heresy as St. Nick”

Josh Appel photo – Unsplash By Marissa Postell The 2020 and 2021 pandemic years have been challenging for churches on many fronts, but recent research indicates most churches are holding up financially and are optimistic going into 2022. Last week, Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) released their “2021 State of Giving” report, focusing on changes in cash giving to … Continue reading “Churches Endure Financial Hardships in Pandemic Years, Optimistic for Future”

Andrew Seaman photo – Unsplash By Aaron Earls From sea to shining sea and even across the Bible belt, the United States continues moving away from an overwhelmingly Christian population, creating a less religious demographic. Religious identity In 2007, almost eight in 10 U.S. adults (78%) identified as a Christian, according to a new Pew Research study. Since then, the share of Americans identifying with Christianity has steadily fallen, declining to 63% in … Continue reading “Fewer Americans Identify as Christians”

Addy Mae photo – Unsplash By Aaron Earls It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but some may want to go back to Thanksgiving. According to the most recent YouGov tracking poll, Thanksgiving has overtaken Christmas as the most beloved holiday in the United States. Thanksgiving has overtaken Christmas as the most beloved holiday in the United … Continue reading “Christmas No Longer Tops American’s Nice List for Holidays”

Pablo Heimplatz on Unsplash By Marissa Postell A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.  The French poet Placide Cappeau composed “O Holy Night” more than 175 years ago, and the world is still weary today. The world is weary from challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. The world is weary from loss. The world is weary from natural disasters and broken families and failed plans. … Continue reading “A Reason for the Weary World to Rejoice this Christmas”