Christians and Sabbath It’s not uncommon for businesses around the country to close on Sundays. For many Christian workers, this is an opportune time to take a Sabbath, a day of rest. LifeWay Research recently conducted a study of surveys taken by 1,010 American churchgoers about their views on resting on the Sabbath. The […]
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Pastors addressing sexual and domestic violence In the wake of the #MeToo movement and the growing number of sexual misconduct accusations in churches across the world, LifeWay Research recently conducted a study — sponsored by IMA World Health and Sojourners — about the reasons pastors address sexual and domestic violence from the pulpit.
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The relationship between volunteering and giving The Generosity Gap, a recent report by Barna produced in partnership with Thrivent Financial shows that volunteering is considered one of the most generous acts possible. The report also examines the correlation between volunteering and other forms of generosity — in particular, financial giving.
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How pastors are handling outreach In partnership with Pepperdine University, Barna conducted research on pastors’ opinions of how their current outreach and discipleship efforts were faring. Outreach is important to churches because it is part of what is considered “cultural leadership.” 50% of pastors believe their church is “somewhat effective” at reaching out to unchurched […]
Read More > Bible study participants Barna, in partnership with Bible Study Fellowship, surveyed Christians in America who participate in Bible studies, to learn more about how, why and when they study. Participating in a “Bible Study” is defined as using prepared Bible study materials both individually and in a group. Fifty-eight percent of Christians choose to participate […]
Read More > Changes in perceptions of Christmas as a religious holiday Pew Research Center recently conducted a survey about the perceptions of U.S. adults on religious aspects of Christmas. 56% of adults recognize that religion is now emphasized less, with 25% saying “[It] does not bother me,” 14% saying “[It] bothers me some,” and 18% saying “ […]
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Age and generosity A report by Barna in partnership with Thrivent, entitled “The Generosity Gap,” studied how differences in giving may be attributed to being a part of different generational groups. There are differences in what people perceive as an act of generosity. When American Christians were asked what their concept of “giving to others” […]
Read More >Barna, in partnership with the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), recently conducted a study on what parents look for when making decisions about Christian schools. Both parents of current ACSI students and prospective students were surveyed. The parents were first asked to choose the top five purposes of education; both prospective and current parents […]
Read More >10 surprising church giving facts Tithe.ly collected church giving data from 2,000 churches in the past 24 months and put together a comprehensive list of both trends and misconceptions about giving. Fact #1: The summer slump is a myth. The “Summer Slump” is based on the theory that people must be in-person to give. However, […]
Read More > Religious Makeup of Congress According to a recent analysis by Pew Research Center (with data compiled by CQ Roll Call), Congress remains mainly Christian — with 91% of members of the new 115th Congress identifying as Christians. This percentage is similar to the initial years that this data was collected, in 1961-1962. In those years, […]
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