Religious folks often pray for personal needs. Three-quarters of worshipers responding to the U.S. Congregational Life Survey said they pray for themselves and their closest loved ones every day or most days. But they also direct many of their petitions outward, praying for the victims of poverty, injustice and natural disasters. So does time spent […]

In an earlier blog post we shared how there is significant diversity within congregations concerning whether worshipers believe God is actively involved in the world or angered by human sin. In many congregations, fellow worshipers may not hold similar views of God. This finding raises a related question: what types of congregations have more worshipers who believe God […]

“Surely, the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.” Genesis 28:16 Location, location, location is the maxim of many real estate professionals when it comes to putting a value on a house. But when it comes to congregations, perhaps a better mantra would be ministry, ministry, ministry. And replacing negative expectations with […]