By Aaron Earls NASHVILLE, Tenn. — At a previous church, John Dobbs had to take down the wreaths from the front door of the church building after some members objected to the holiday display. Now pastor at Forsythe Church of Christ in Monroe, Louisiana, Dobbs said they have Christmas trees on stage, sing carols during worship this time of the year and, like many other … [Read more...]
Lifeway Women conference invites women to move forward as leaders
By Marissa Postell NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The call to leadership can be a challenge. And for many, the last two years have been marked by grief, loneliness and fear. At Lifeway Women’s Leadership Forum, women explored how to move forward with joy, hope, prayer, humility, unity, thanksgiving and contentment. “This is a unique opportunity for like-minded women to gather and … [Read more...]
Churches are open but still recovering from pandemic attendance losses
By Aaron Earls Nashville, Tenn. — Almost every church in the U.S. is holding in-person services again, but some pre-pandemic churchgoers still haven’t returned. In August 2022, 100% of U.S. Protestant pastors (rounded to the nearest whole number) say their churches met in person, according to a Lifeway Research study. This continues the increases from the past two years … [Read more...]
Churchgoers increasingly prefer a congregation that shares their politics
By Aaron Earls NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As churchgoers head to the ballot box for midterm elections, most expect the rest of their congregation to be voting the same way they do. Half of U.S. Protestant churchgoers (50%) say they’d prefer to attend a church where people share their political views, and 55% believe that to be the case at their congregation already, according to … [Read more...]
More pastors influencing church members’ response to Halloween
By Marissa Postell NASHVILLE, Tenn.— This year, as millions of Americans celebrate Halloween, many Protestant pastors in the United States are encouraging their church members to respond to the holiday in specific ways. More than 7 in 10 (71%) pastors say they encourage church members to invite friends or neighbors to church events on or near Halloween, such as a fall … [Read more...]
