Evangelism Connection ~ Trends & Topics; Stories & Strategies

Ministry to the Partially Evangelized Draws People from the Fringes of Christianity
Chris Castaldo gives evangelicals a four-part approach for reaching “partially evangelized” people in a Lausanne World Pulse article. According to a U.S. survey from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, over 132 million Americans identify with the Mainline Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox traditions. Yet sociologists of religion say that three in four of these individuals neglect church participation. While they generally use the designation “Christian,” Castaldo says they are only “partially evangelized” since the person and work of Jesus remain absent or ancillary to their life.
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Comprehensive Apologetics Resource
Doug Groothuis, professor at Denver Seminary, has published Christian Apologetics, a comprehensive resource on apologetics to help all Christians to go out and defend the faith in love.
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Church Movie Night Kits Available from Provident Films
Provident Films has added movie night kits for churches to show the film Courageous, which offers a pro-family message of hope, and the film Seven Nights in Utopia, a movie with a message about learning patience, living with integrity, and finding spiritual balance and faith in God. Church movies nights provide an opportunity to celebrate family and reach out to the community.
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National Marriage Week Tool Kit
National Marriage Week USA has put together a list of free resources for National Marriage Week, February 7-14. Churches can host events and promote the weeklong event with free campaign materials, quizzes, downloadable posters, curricula, and more.
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Focus on the Family Date Night Challenge Broadcast
The Date Night Challenge webcast provides two hours of fun and laughter for couples, featuring comedian Jeff Allen, singer/songwriter Michael O’Brien and bestselling authors Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley. Churches can host this event anytime during National Marriage Week (February 7-14th).This event is the first date of the challenge. Focus on the Family will then provide free, downloadable materials and content for the next two dates. Each month for the next year, couples can download a new, free date night guide that provides content and ideas for their dates.
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Free Book on Witnessing to Family and Friends
Sharing the gospel with family can be difficult. In Bringing the Gospel Home: Witnessing to Family, Close Friends, and Others Who Know You Well, Randy Newman gives practical tips for witnessing. The entire book is available as a free download from Crossway books.
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World Watch List Free Download
Each year Open Doors releases the World Watch List, a detailed analysis of Christian persecution worldwide. In this free resource, countries are evaluated and ranked according to the severity of persecution that occurred in the past year. The World Watch List can be used as a tool for praying for the most persecuted countries in the world.
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EvangeCube Shares Gospel in Any Language
The EvangeCube from e3resources features a changing pictorial cube that can be used as a tool for sharing the gospel in any language. The website features a demonstration of how the cube can be used to present the salvation message.
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A BLESSED NEW YEAR!

We pray God’s very best for you and your loved ones in 2012. This is a wonderful time of the year to reflect on the blessings of 2011 and to commit our way to the Lord for the coming year. It is life’s greatest privilege to follow Jesus day by day!

Literally hundreds of thousands of men, women, young people and children came to personal faith in Jesus Christ during the past year through the multiple ministries of the Mission America Coalition and our partners. Praise be to our Lord!

We thank God for each of you who are following Jesus and are being empowered by the Holy Spirit in your prayer-care-share lifestyle. We pray that the Lord will use each and all of us to share the love of Jesus in deed and word in the coming year.

Have a blessed and fruitful 2012!

Paul Cedar
Chairman

P.S. Watch soon for how to register for our 2012 Leadership Consultation in Denver!

1. Orlando 2011 Ongoing Dialog
2. MAC on Facebook
3. Loving Our Communities to Christ Latest Report (.pdf)
4. MAC-Global
5. Cityreaching
6. Lighthouse Movement

Apologetics Plays Important Role in Discipleship Brad Wright, a sociologist at the University of Connecticut and author of Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites … and Other Lies You’ve Been Told [italics], has written about the sociological consequences of neglecting apologetics in the local church. Research points to this neglect as a reason for why people report they leave the Christian faith. A Christianity Today feature also confirms the importance of a balance of relationship and reason in evangelizing young people. (patheos.com)

Online Evangelism is producing real disciples for Christ, according to a Global Media Outreach study. Over half of those who made a decision for Jesus over the Internet have subsequently shared their faith with others. Of those, 51% shared their faith 3 times or more, 37% shared their faith at least once or twice, 34% read their Bibles daily, and nearly half pray for at least 10 minutes a day. (Christian Post 12/11/11)

Atheists Take Kids to Church 
According to a study conducted by Rice Univ.’s Elaine Ecklund with others at the Univ. of Buffalo, 17% of U.S. scientists who are atheists attended a religious service with their children more than once in the past year. They attend church services mostly for social and personal reasons. Some attend only to please their spouses, others for the purpose of socializing, and many simply want their children to become familiar with religion so they can make informed decisions on their own about their spiritual lives as adults. Many of the non-religious academics considered themselves “spiritual” because, though they did not identify with the any religious group, their scientific research and life was motivated by a quest for meaning. (Church Report 12/6/11)

Canada Unchurched 
Attendance at religious services has been falling in Canada for decades. In ’05, according to Statistics Canada data, 1 in 3 Canadians have never attended religious services, up from 22% in ’85. Among teens, this percentage is even higher: Survey data collected by Reginald Bibby, a national expert on sociology and religion at the Univ. of Lethbridge, has found the percentage of teens who “never” attend a religious service doubled between ’84 and ’08 to about 50%. (The “hardly ever” group composes another 20%.) Only 21% of Canadians over age 15 attend services once a week vs. 30% in ‘85. (Globe and Mail 12/6/11)

Christian or American? 
46% of U.S. Christians see themselves primarily as Christians, and the same number consider themselves Americans first. In contrast, majorities of Christians in France (90%), Germany (70%), Britain (63%), and Spain (53%) identify primarily with their nationality rather than their religion. Among Christians in the U.S., 70% of white evangelicals identify first with their faith rather than as Americans, while 22% say they are primarily Americans. Among other U.S. Christians, more identify with their nationality (55%) than with their religion (38%). (Pew Forum Weekly Update 11/17/11)

Importance of Religion Differs
Americans distinguish themselves from Western Europeans on views about the importance of religion. Half of Americans deem religion very important in their lives; fewer than a quarter in Spain (22%), Germany (21%), Britain (17%), and France (13%) share this view. Americans are also far more inclined than Western Europeans to say it is necessary to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values; 53% say this is the case in the U.S., compared with just one-third in Germany, 20% in Britain, 19% in Spain, and 15% in France. (Pew Forum Weekly Update 11/17/11)

Aging Oldline Churches 
According to recent Hart Institute research study author David Roozen, “What’s interesting is how old the Oldline really is. Half of the congregations could lose one-third of their members in 15 years.” 53% of Oldline Protestant congregations consist of seniors 65 years old or older, and 75% of these churches said 18–34-year-olds make up less than 10% of their membership. (Faith Communities Today 11/11)

Perceptions of a Church Name 
53% of Americans have a favorable impression of Southern Baptists, finds a recent LifeWay Research study. However, 40% have an unfavorable view of the denomination. 35% “strongly agree” a Southern Baptist church is not for them—higher than for Catholics (3%), other Baptists (29%), Methodists (26%), and community or nondenominational churches (20%). 62% have a favorable view of Methodists compared to 59% for Catholics, 53% for Southern Baptists, 37% for Mormons, and 28% for Muslims. Two-thirds of Americans have no strong feelings in regard to any of the Christian faith groups studied. (Baptist Press 12/7/11)

Bad Marriage Risk
Bowling Green State Univ. researchers found that 63% of men and 57% of women who get married by age 25 are now choosing to cohabit first. Although living together is a strong pathway to marriage, it doesn’t mean it’s a pathway to a strong marriage. “Couples who live together before marriage face a 65% greater risk of divorce compared to couples who do not cohabit prior to marriage. And serial cohabiters see that risk double compared with those who cohabit only once,” observes Glenn Stanton, Focus on the Family’s dir. of Global. (Citizen Link 12/12/11)

Declining Marriage Stats
64% of U.S. adults with college degrees are married as are 48% of those with some college education and 47% of those with a high school education or less. Only 9% of adults ages 18–24 were married in ’10 vs. 45% in ’60. Among those 25–34, 44% were married in ’10 vs. 82% in ’60. 55% of whites are married today vs. 74% in ’60. Currently 48% of Hispanics are married vs. 72% in ’60. Among blacks, only 31% are married vs. 61% in ’60. A Pew Research analysis also found the number of new marriages in the U.S. declined by 5% between ’09 and ’10, a sharp one-year drop that researchers note may or may not be related to the “sour economy.” The same trend has taken hold in most other advanced post-industrial societies, and these long-term declines appear to be largely unrelated to the business cycle. (Pew Research Center 12/14/11)

Unmarried Majority 
A new Pew Research Center report says only 51% of adults in the U.S. are currently married. Compared to 1960 when 72% of all adults ages 18 and older were married, this represents a new low. “If current trends continue,” senior writer D’Vera Cohn advises, “the share of adults who are currently married will drop to below half within a few years. Other adult living arrangements—including cohabitation, single-person households and single parenthood—have all grown more prevalent in recent decades.” Also the number of adults who have never married has almost doubled, from 15% to 28% since ’60, and the median age at first marriage has risen from 20.3 to 26.5 for women and from 22.8 to 28.7 for men. Nearly 4 in 10 Americans say marriage is becoming obsolete, yet most people who have never married (61%) would like to do so someday. (Pew Research Center 12/14/11)

U.S. Foster Care 
Currently, nearly 500,000 children and youth are in the U.S. foster care system. These children have all entered the system due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment on the part of the birth parent(s). Of those kids in foster care, between 120,000 and 130,000 are considered legal orphans and are awaiting adoption into a permanent family. (Helping Families Thrive, Focus on the Family 11/18/11)

Comedy is the most popular form of online video content among all viewers (38.8%), followed by news (33.3%) and music (31.2%). (Center for Media Research Brief 11/17/11)

Digital Distraction
A new study among 1,000 college-age students ages 17–21 from Jack Myers’ Media Business Report found 76% say while watching TV they like to use digital devices contacting friends and others about the TV shows they’re watching. 80% of tablet owners are actively using their tablet while watching TV. When including all forms of mobile communications (smartphones, etc.), this number rises to 94% of college students engaging in some form of multitasking while watching TV. (Media Daily News 11/17/11)

Emotional Conflict 
30% of U.S. adults is dealing with unresolved emotional pain or conflict in life. This perception is most common among lower-income adults, divorcees, women, and those with no faith allegiance. Married adults, Elders, men, and practicing Christians are the least likely to be dealing with unresolved emotional conflict. (Barna Update 11/3/11)

Caution: Harmful to Girls 
In a new report, the Parents Television Council examines of MTV’s most-watched reality shows: Jersey Shore, Real World, Teen Mom 2 and 16 and Pregnant. PTC sought to answer, “What messages are being communicated to young viewers through the lens and language of reality television?” The findings suggest a disturbingly unrealistic portrayal of “reality” with harsh, demeaning, degrading, and suggestive dialogue. The study findings suggest a glamorized but grossly distorted view of what it means to be feminine. Compared to men, women were far more denigrating to themselves and other females. PTC President Tim Winter said, “Study after study has demonstrated a connection between a child’s media consumption and their behavior, and Nielsen data proves teens are flocking to MTV to get their fix of ‘reality’ programming. With MTV reality ‘stars’ as celebrity role models, teens are learning outlandish behavior is rewarded, and degrading, suggestive language is not only accepted, it is encouraged. Television doesn’t just provide entertainment; it instructs teens how they should look, feel, talk, and behave. It’s time we gave them something valuable to emulate.” (Church Report 12/8/11)

China Aid Reports human rights and religious freedom in China have deteriorated to its lowest point since the period after the crackdown on the ’89 Tiananmen Square student-led pro-democracy demonstration. (Church Report 12/5/11)

Held Back
Overall, 70 million Americans (31% of adults) feel “held back or defined by something in their past,” says new Barna Research data. This perception is most common among younger adults, blacks, divorced adults, unmarried individuals, and those who have some college but no degree. Those with a practicing faith were among the least likely to feel defined or held back by their past. (Barna Update 11/3/11)

Prenatal Moral Influence 
Researchers at Bar-Ilan Univ. in Israel have discovered that affectionate face-to-face interaction caused the heart rhythm of mother and baby to coordinate “within lags of less than one second.” A ’07 study published by researcher Ruth Feldman correlated mother-infant synchrony to the development of a child’s sense of morality. She found that the degree of synchrony during infancy was a predictor for a child’s moral cognition and capacity for empathy in later years. (LifeSite News 12/8/11)

Chinese Residents made over 30 million overseas trips in the first half of ’11 alone, up 20% since ’10. For comparison, U.S. citizens made only 37 million outbound air travel trips during the whole of ’10. (China Ministry of Public Security, 7/11)

Storytelling is gaining momentum. Princeton Univ. researchers have discovered storytellers cause the brains of their listeners to operate in sync with their own. Groups of specialized neurons called “mirror neurons” exist opposite each other in the left and right hemispheres of the brain, allowing us to vicariously participate in what someone else is experiencing. These neurons enable human empathy, allowing us to tune in to each others’ feelings. In effect, mirror neurons allow you to live inside the minds of others. This is why hearing a story of adventure is almost as exciting as having the adventure yourself. Evangelists, salespeople, and speechwriters have long known a good story can cause the listener to see and feel what the storyteller is seeing and feeling, thereby empowering the storyteller to transfer ideas and emotions intact. Every good story provides a point of entry—a portal—that allows the listener to join in the adventure. (Monday Morning Memo 11/7/11)

Fewer New Households 
As of October ’11, just 74% of Americans 25 to 34 were working. It is perhaps no wonder then that 14.2% of young adults are living with their parents, up from 11.8% in ’07. Among young men, 19% are living with their parents. (NY Times 11/17/11)

Teen Births Down—STDs Up 
The CDC reports that among U.S. teens, birth rates have dropped over the last year, but STD rates are increasing. Babies born to teen moms dropped 9% in ’10, the biggest single-year decline since 1946–47. And over the last 2 years, teen birth rates have dropped 15%. National Abstinence Education Assoc.’s Valerie Huber said that’s not entirely surprising, since the CDC also reported recently that nearly 75% of kids 15 and 17 are remaining abstinent. But the other 25% are more at risk than ever for STDs. (Citizen Link 11/18/11)

No Single U.S. Christian Leader
A new Barna Group study asked people to identify the single most influential Christian leader in the U.S. today. 41% were unable to think of anyone who would meet that description. Billy Graham was mentioned by 19%, 9% named the Pope, and 8% President Barack Obama. 5% identified Joel Osteen, 2% Charles Stanley, and 2% Joyce Meyer. (Barna Update 11/21/11)

Giving Up 
ECFA has announced that cash charitable giving to members continues to be very strong, totaling $9.38 billion in ’10, a 5.8% increase from’09’s $8.87 billion. In spite of recession-driven donor financial stresses, donations to ECFA-member organizations with more than $10 million in annual revenue increased 6.7% in ’10, while those with less than $10 million in annual revenue increased 1.6%. (Church Report 11/21/11)

New Rite of Passage to Adulthood
Smartphones have become so popular with teens that many are reportedly choosing the Web-ready, feature-rich gadgets over their first cars! (Online Media Daily 11/21/11)

Equal Employment Opportunity Commissionstatistics show religious discrimination complaints in workplace settings have more than doubled from a little over a decade ago, resulting in roughly $10 million in settlements. Last year, nearly 3,800 were filed. Many of the complaints from employees involve wearing head garb or those who say they work for companies that refuse to accommodate their requests for religious days off. Many cases come about when employers aren’t aware of employees’ rights or when employers don’t attempt to accommodate requests that do not pose a hardship on the business. The law requires employers to make reasonable accommodations to “sincerely held” religious beliefs of employees as long as doing so poses no undue hardship on the employer, However, an employer can turn down a request if it means training someone else at a substantial cost to cover for the worker who doesn’t want to work for religious reasons. Also, employers are not required to pay premium or overtime costs in order to accommodate religious needs. Undue hardships could also become an issue if a collective bargaining agreement includes rules regarding seniority and assignments. (RNS, Church Report 11/27/11)

Violent Video Games Affect Brain
Indiana Univ. School of Medicine researchers found the brain is affected by violent games. The findings indicate violent video game play has a long-term effect on brain functioning. The part of the brain affected is involved in inhibition and emotional modulation. Other researchers have shown increases in aggression after playing violent video games. (USA Today 11/30/11)

2012 IRS Mileage Rates 
Beginning 1/1/12, the IRS mileage rates for vehicle use vehicle will be 55.5¢ per mile for business miles, 23¢ per medical or moving mile, and 14¢ per charitable organization mile. The rate for business miles is unchanged from the 7/1/11 adjustment. The medical and moving rate has been reduced by 0.5¢. (ECFA)

Fast Facts:

• 1 out of 9 young people who grow up in Christian homes lose their faith in Christianity.
• 81% of Americans celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday.
• 28% of Protestant laity is very informed about music.
• LifeWay Research found the #1 correlated factor to spiritual growth and maturity is consistency in reading/studying the Bible.
• 98% of U.S. pastors feel it is a privilege to be a pastor. 93% strongly agree and just 0.5% strongly disagree with this.
• 14% of American youth 13–17 identify as “not religious,” nearly double from 5 years ago.
• Young adults today are twice as likely to be unaffiliated than the Baby Boomers were in the 1970s.
• Evangelicals are 9 times more likely to let religion influence their career choices than Jews, according to Gallup’s Economic Values Survey.
• In ’10, 70% of churches in the U.S. offered a VBS program.
• 85% of college seniors planned to move back home with their parents after graduation in May 2010.
• 180,000 people move into cities daily, adding roughly 60 million new urban dwellers each year.
• 1 of every 6 hospital admissions in the U.S. is to a Catholic hospital.
• 4 in 10 U.S. employees say their work stress level has increased in the last 6 months.
• 2 in 10 U.S. workers feel burned out.
• 62% of U.S. consumers rarely pay full price for clothing.
• From ’89 to ’10, the average cost of 1 year of college has risen 73%.
• From ’89 to ’10, health insurance premiums have increased 182%.
• 54% of Americans over 55 say they view retirement as a new chapter rather than a time to wind down.
• In the next 30 minutes, 285 teenagers will become victims of broken homes.
• In the next 30 minutes, 228 kids under 18 will be beaten, molested, or abused by their parents.
• From ’89 to ’10, the median debt of middle-class families has jumped 292%.
• Americans 21 and older are 3 times more likely to be active if they had PE in high school.
• Cycling is the #1 sport inactive Americans ages 55–64 aspire to do.
• Approximately 5.7 million Americans live with bipolar disorder.

News and Trends information compiled and edited by Gary Foster, President of Gary D Foster Consulting, a firm that assists Christian ministries and product companies in solving management, marketing, donor/customer service and product development problems. Contact Gary at: 419.238.4082, GFosterCns@rmi.net or go to www.GaryDFoster.com.

Please submit your events and activities that are open for participation from the whole Church by email to info@missionamerica.org.

Ohio City Reaching Conference Call
Tuesday, January 10, 2012, Noon, EST

Christians in English Language Teaching Conference – Hong Kong
January 27 – 29

LeaderLink Web Workshop: The Key to Effective Multicultural Teams: Cultural Self-Awareness
Wednesdays, Feb. 1 – March 7, 2012, 2:00 (EDT)

Super Bowl XLVI Outreach – Indianapolis
February 2-5, 2012

Date Night Challenge, Chicago
February 6 – Mar 11, 2012, Chicago, IL

City Impact Roundtable – Freemont, California
February 16-17

Seek God for the City 2012 Prayer Event
February 22- April 1

Acts 29 Network Host Boot Camp
March 28-29, 2012, Dallas, TX

City Impact Roundtable – Branson, MO
March 29-30

4/14 Regional Conference
April 10-13, Duluth, GA

Global 4/14 International Day of Prayer
Saturday, April 14

CCDA Immersion 2012 Event
April 15-20 in Chicago, IL

Southeast Regional City Impact Roundtable and Ethnic America Network Summit – Spartanburg, SC
April 19-21, 2012

Day of Prayer for Creation Care
April 26 2012, Washington DC.

Internet Evangelism Day
April 29

Southwest Regional CIR in Phoenix,
May 2012

World Prayer Assembly – Jakarta, Indonesia
May 14-18, 2012

4 to 14 Window North American Regional Summit – Colorado
July 30 – August 2, 2012

4 to 14 Window North American Regional Summit – Colorado
July 30 – August 2, 2012

National Back To Church Sunday-Nationwide
Sept. 16, 2012

Movement Day 2012
September 27th

MAC National Leadership Consultation on Evangelism
October 15-17, 2012

MAC/USLC National Leadership Consultation
October 22-24, 2012

Shift Conference (Marriage and Family) June 18-21, 2013, Dallas, TX