Barna Group research indicates that the average church has taken less of a financial hit than the typical for-profit organization over the course of the past two years. However, an emerging trend among corporations may challenge the ability of many churches to maintain their existing ministry over the coming two-plus years.
Numerous companies cut back on [...]
displaying all posts about "Cultural Trends"
Doing More Ministry with Less Money
Faith at Work
Several years ago I wrote a book entitled Revolution that suggested a new wave of faith expressions was becoming increasingly popular in America. One of those expressions was faith-centered gatherings at places of work. The popularity of such meetings has continued to grow in recent years.
An article in the Wall Street Journal published earlier this [...]
Preparing for a Multiracial Church
My first job as a pastor was in a large church that had a multiracial congregation. Having grown up as a white kid in a mostly-white suburb, and then attending a variety of churches in the various parts of the country where I had lived until my late twenties, regularly interacting with such a rainbow [...]
How Do You Pursue and Capture Information?
It has often been said that information gives you power, and that the most important currency in our culture today is information. As someone who has spent his adult life creating new information for strategic decision-making, I have certainly believed in and witnessed the power of information when it is accurate, timely, and well-used.
Over the [...]
The Census and I
On Monday I received our household’s 2010 Census form to complete. For a researcher, that’s a big deal. After all, the Census is the most comprehensive data collection project to occur on planet earth. The U.S. government will spend more than $15 billion on this census cycle. The information generated is vitally important because the [...]
The Last Unregulated Wild Frontier of Influence
Someone remarked recently how much they are going to miss newspapers, referring to their imminent demise. Further discussion revealed that while some adults – typically 40 or older – harbor a sense of nostalgia and pending loss over such a demise, younger adults are rather indifferent to the disappearance of newspapers.
My take on it may [...]
The Stress of Change
I was involved in a meeting recently during which one of the participants said that people are stressed by change. When I asked what people were stressed I was told that “most people” are overwhelmed by the pace and magnitude of change in our world these days, and are wondering how to cope with it [...]
Trashing the Servant
Thirty-plus years ago, both before I became a Christian as well as after I encountered Jesus Christ and asked Him to take over my life, I was involved in the politics, managing election campaigns and conducting polls for candidates. It was fascinating and occasionally satisfying. One of the most interesting aspects was the characters whom [...]
“Just” Prayer
I hope this doesn’t seem petty.
I can’t stand it when people use the word “just” as the adjective in their prayers preceding what they want God to do. Why do we minimize God’s activity on our behalf? Why do we attempt to diminish the significance of what we ask Him to do? Should we just [...]
Championing the Christ-without-church Movement
The Internet is a fascinating compendium of thoughts from millions of people. I could spend countless hours reading blogs from around the world on which people offer their ideas and many other people react. I have been fascinated by many of the exchanges I have read – at the depth of thought, the profanity-laced and [...]
