Vitals What people are doing, seeing, believing Compiled by Jami Becher
Quick Quotes
“I believe that if God would grab hold of one generation the entire northeast region of the nation would be changed.”Missionary Mike McQuitty on the life-change that would occur if Syracuse University students came to Christ and shared His love with their families
“Meeting you and seeing your work completely changed my mind. God can and does use my talents in the fine arts to minister to others and bring glory to Him.High school student Alyssa Johns in an email to missionary and artist Kerry Jackson after meeting him at a KALEO conference
“Is this a coincidence or is God up to something?”Professor Daniel Sanchez of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary pointing out that the Hispanic population in the U.S. is growing fastest in the southeast where Southern Baptists are strongest.
“We remind ourselves daily that our Southern Baptist brothers and sisters gave sacrificially to plant a church.”According to pastor Bob Carpenter, CP is the number one budget priority of Cedar Street Baptist Church because CP funds made their church in Lansing, Mich., possible.
“I don’t know what you did but all I know is that I want you here all the time.”Dan Hite, pastor of Christian Family Fellowship in Wentzville, Mo., recalls a comment made to him by the complex manager of Hidden Valley Estates after the church began a multi-housing ministry there
Sources: Baptist Press and NAMB
Changing the World
After participating in World Changers and Power Plant projects last summer 403 students committed to further missions service as summer or semester missionaries.
Source: Student Volunteer Mobilization, NAMB
Girls in Action
Girls are answering the Call and serving in student missions, through the North American Mission Board, at a rate of 3 to 1 over guys.
Source: Missionary Mobilization, NAMB
A solid foundation
58% of adults who regularly attended religious programs as teenagers said they had attended a religious service in the last week. Less frequent religious participation as a teenager correlated with less participation as an adult.
Source: The Barna Group, November 16, 2009
Look who’s tweeting
32 of the nation’s 50 governors now use Twitter. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has the most followers, with 1,609,285. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana is in second place, with 37,147.
Source: USA Today and The Week, January 29, 2010
By the numbers
40% Percentage of Millennials (18-29 year olds) who say religion is very important in their lives
41% Percentage who report praying daily
53% Percentage who are certain God exists
26% Percentage of Millennials with no religious affiliation
Source: USA Today, February 17, 2010
Making time for missions
Last year 1,796 students took time out from their studies and/or gave up their summer vacations to serve as student missionaries in North America—that’s a 9.4% increase over 2008. They served in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, nine Canadian Provinces and saw 1,179 people come to Christ. To find out how to get involved in student missions visit www.answerthecall.net.
Color blind
Fewer than 8% of American churches have a significant racially mixed membership. However, that trend may be changing among mega-churches. According to a study by Michael Emerson, a specialist on race and faith at Rice University, minority participation among Evangelical churches of 1,000 people or more has quadrupled from 6% in 1998 to 25% in 2007.
Source: Time, January 11, 2010
“Nones”
Nones—Americans who profess no religious affiliation—now make up 15% of the population. Given their rapid growth, their numbers might soon surpass the nation’s largest denominations. But get this: 24% of Nones say they believe in a ‘higher power but no personal God,’ the belief system that used to be described as deism. They don’t believe in Scripture or organized religion. But in the privacy of their home, they think that the distant, aloof God occasionally checks in to listen to their prayers.
Source: Beliefnet founder Steven Waldman, quoted in the Wall Street Journal, The Week, October 9, 2009
Too busy
Busyness is a problem all of us face. In fact, a 2007 study asked over 20,000 teens and adults if “the busyness of life gets in the way of developing [their] relationship with God.” The response? Six in 10 Christians said they are too busy for God.
Source: Breakpoint, October 7, 2009
Media Junkies
A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that U.S. kids ages 8 to 18 are consuming more media than ever before. Children and teens are now using their phones, computers, TVs and video game systems for a total of 7.5 hours a day, or 52.5 hours a week.
Daily media consumption for U.S. kids:
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation and Time, February 1, 2010
Investing in the future
Surveys by the Barna Group reveal that only 1 in 5 senior pastors consider their church’s ministry to children to be one of its most important efforts. Yet, their research also confirms that the moral foundations of the typical person are developed by the age of 9; that the dominant faith commitments of a person are generally in place by age 13; and that a person's faith perspectives, habits and beliefs are also formed when he is young, normally solidified by the time he reaches his teen years.
Source: The Ministry Today Report, January 26, 2010
Annie dollars at work
$1-10 witnessing tracts
$5-Bible study leadership materials for children’s on-site weekly Bible lesson
$10-Gas card for GED student to attend class and mentoring session in a ministry meeting
$25-Sports Bible for athletes at the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs
$50-Provides food for a Family Movie Night outreach in an apartment community
$100-Reuseable promotional signs advertising a multi-housing church plant
$250-Summer camp scholarship for an unchurched child to attend camp for the first time
$500-Food, materials and promotion needed to conduct a Christmas program in a manufactured home community
Sex ed. that works
A new study by University of Pennsylvania professor John Jemmott III found that abstinence-based sex education works better than any other form of sex ed.
The study followed 662 middle school students from 2001 through 2004. Two years after completing the curriculum only 33% of the students who went through the abstinence program started having sex, compared to 52% who were taught only safe sex. About 42% of students who went through a comprehensive program started having sex and about 47% of those who learned other ways to be healthy did.
Source: The Washington Post, February 2, 2010
Meeting Friends
Americans say Starbucks and Chili’s are better places than church to meet new friends.
A recent survey by Group Publishing found that restaurants, bars or pubs attract 18% of Americans as a place to meet new people, while churches draw 16% and online venues, like Facebook, pull 11%.
Chris Howley, director of research for Group, says, “The social atmosphere of a pub or restaurant draws people in without the feeling of obligation [often associated with church].”
Source: Religion News Service, February 15, 2010
Let your light shine
During every major game of the 2009 Florida Gators football season the Bible verse in quarterback Tim Tebow’s eye black became a top 10 search on Google.
You may not have a national platform, like Tebow, but as a Christian people are watching you. Do they see Jesus reflected in your life?
Source: Baptist Press, February 15, 2010
Underestimating your teen?
A new study by 30 Hour Famine found that less than 1 in 10 parents describe teens as generous—58% describe teens as lazy and 54% say they’re selfish. Yet more than half of teens say the current economic climate has made them more aware of the needs of others and 89% say they wish they could do more to help.
Source: World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine