Australia has more churches (13,000) than schools (9,500), and more Australians attend a church service each week (1.8 million) than there are people in South Australia (1.6 million). And while the latest Census results show that Christianity is the religion with which most Australians identify (61.1%), well above the second most popular religion in Australia, … Continue reading Church Attendance in Australia (McCrindle Research)
Year-in-Review: Barna’s Top 10 Findings from 2014
Every December, Barna Group compiles its top findings and trends from research conducted in the USA in the past year. From legalizing marijuana to increasing secularization trends to America’s complicated relationship with sports — 2014 was an interesting year. 1. Bible Skepticism Is Now Tied with Bible Engagement. 2. Young Adults Question the Value of Their … Continue reading Year-in-Review: Barna’s Top 10 Findings from 2014
Christianity, Christmas and Consumerism
As we head towards the crazy Christmas season, it's a good thing to pause and think about consumerism and the follower of Christ. At CityLife, we have a social justice LifeGroup and they have put together a paper designed to be a thought provoking series of questions and comments exploring some key issues which confront … Continue reading Christianity, Christmas and Consumerism
Leading in Changing Times
Back in 1964 Bob Dylan sang, "The times they are a changing." How true and the changes haven't let up. One business writer put it this way: Winds of change are barrelling in from all directions. Competition is tougher than ever and coming from places you least expected. The customer is more sophisticated and demanding. … Continue reading Leading in Changing Times
The Busyness Bubble (by Greg McKeown)
We have a problem—and the odd thing is we not only know about it, we’re celebrating it. Just today, someone boasted to me that she was so busy she’s averaged four hours of sleep a night for the last two weeks. She wasn’t complaining; she was proud of the fact. She is not alone. Why … Continue reading The Busyness Bubble (by Greg McKeown)
Noah: The Movie
Last night, my family and I attended a preview of the new movie Noah starring Russell Crowe [trailer]. Without doubt it is a well-made movie, with amazing affects and some star actors. However, the treatment of the storyline was disappointing from my perspective and I came away feeling like the movie was a combination of … Continue reading Noah: The Movie
Are you listening? Is it time to put the mobile phone down?
We live in an age where attention deficit affects all of us. We are bombarded with information and messages, each trying to gain our interest. In the process, we tend to skim from item to item, from matter to matter, from person to person ... never really slowing down enough to go deep ... to … Continue reading Are you listening? Is it time to put the mobile phone down?
Reaching Millennials
Research in America shows that 59% of millennials (also known as Gen Y) drop out of church after attending regularly as a teenager. For the past decade, Barna Group has been working to understand this important age group. After interviewing more than 27,000 millennials and conducting 206 studies of this group, they have amassed a significant … Continue reading Reaching Millennials
Engaging Culture
When it comes to culture, including media (TV, movies, etc) and politics, there are three different approaches that Christians tend to take: 1. Reject Culture. Some Christians see the world as ‘evil’ (and at times, rightly so) and therefore all culture is to be rejected. Christians are called to be ‘holy’ which means to be … Continue reading Engaging Culture
Dealing with Overload
Ever feel overloaded? Overwhelmed? Ever wish there were a few extra hours in the day or maybe even an extra day in the week? If you are anything like me, there are so many things to do and hardly enough time to do them in. This requires us to determine our priorities. Today and the … Continue reading Dealing with Overload
The Changing Shape of Temptation (Barna Report)
It’s that time again — the beginning of a new year when people resolve to make some changes in their lives. New Year’s resolutions are certainly nothing new. In fact, for many people, they are the same year after year. Making and breaking resolutions is something of a tradition. A new study from the Barna … Continue reading The Changing Shape of Temptation (Barna Report)
Religious Belief in Australia (2011 Census Results)
Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on the evening of August 9th last year? It was census night here in Australia, a day every five years where the government requires every person living Australia to complete a survey (conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics). It includes questions about personal … Continue reading Religious Belief in Australia (2011 Census Results)
10 Ways Your Phone is Changing the World
In this week’s special wireless issue titled, “THE WIRELESS ISSUE. 10 Ways Your Phone is Changing the World,” TIME explores how mobile phones have become a super-extension of ourselves, altering in fundamental ways how we approach everything from education to politics, from medicine to romance. The issue includes an exclusive TIME Mobility Poll, conducted in … Continue reading 10 Ways Your Phone is Changing the World
Engaging our Culture
Jesus told his disciples to be IN the world but NOT OF the world. Maintaining that balance is a constant challenge for Christ-followers. We can more easily lean towards either extreme, resulting in and isolation or immersion, both of which lead to minimum impact for Christ. On my BLOG, I have written some posts about … Continue reading Engaging our Culture