The Pew Forum provides a helpful service and aggregates religion news stories. They recently pointed to story by the Religion News Service covering research done by a team from Trinity College. It is part of the American Religion Identification Survey, mentioned earlier here at the blog, that provided a "Profile of the No Religion Population." The study essentially showed that people who profess no religion ("Nones") are similar to the general public in marital status, education, racial and ethnic makeup and income, and are increasing in number. According to the study, because this "silent minority" is so similar to the general public it's growth in the 90's went largely unnoticed.

"The number of American adults who do not identify with a particular religion is growing and may comprise more than 20 percent of the population in two decades.... According to the study, it is possible that one in five Americans will put themselves in the 'None' category by 2030." Now, keep in mind that "it is possible" does not mean"it will be," but the trend is still important to consider.

Don't misunderstand the label. "Nones" are not necessarily atheists, rather they simply do not affirm a particular religious category. In fact, "most Nones would not consider themselves atheists. More than 50 percent believe in either a higher being or a personal God, while only 7 percent are self-proclaimed atheists. One in three say they 'definitely' believe that humans developed from earlier species of animals."

Politically, many Nones will not identify with a particular party. Over 40 percent are independents; 34 percent are Democrats; and 13 percent Republican.

The most notable difference between Nones and the religious population is the gender gap. Only 12 percent of American women are Nones while 19 percent of American men claim no religion. According to the study, women who grew up in non-religious homes are less likely to stay non-religious. Women are also less likely to switch out of religion. (source)

You can download the the actual report by Trinity College here. Check it out and then come back to the blog to to discuss. What does a growing percentage of "Nones" mean for the church? Will people not identifying with a particular religion make connecting between individuals and the gospel more difficult, or easier?

I have tended to think that the fact the large majority consider themselves Christians actually is unhelpful in some ways-- it confuses what a Christian really is.

What do you think?

We Americans value independence, exploration and going out on our own... unless you're one of those new college grads who have moved back in with mom and dad because you don't want to get an unpleasant job and live in a small apartment and pay your dues. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, Americans like to do things their own way. We always have, and that doesn't seem to be changing. In fact it continues to impact new areas of American life - like faith and spirituality.

A recent nationwide Barna survey points out that while Americans are tiring of traditional church forms and experiences, they continue to see themselves as deeply spiritual, open to religious experience.

The study showed that,

-88% of American adults say that "my religious faith is very important in my life."
-75% say they sense that "God is motivating people to stay connected with Him, but in different ways and through different types of experiences than in the past."
-50% say "a growing number of people I know are tired of the usual type of church experience."
-64% say they are "completely open to carrying out and pursuing [their] faith in an environment or structure that differs from that of a typical church."
-45% say they are "willing to try a new church."

Don't miss that one. The Barna Group notes,

A staggering number of Americans - almost half of the nation's 230 million adults - are open to changing their church home, demonstrating their lack of connection with their present community of faith and their desire to have a more significant connection. It may also be a reflection of people's increasing lack of loyalty to both organizations and personal relationships, and the growing sense that there is always something better available if you can simply find it.

71% say they are "more likely to develop my religious beliefs on my own, rather than to accept an entire set of beliefs that a particular church teaches."

People often call this approach to religious belief "buffet theology," where individuals simply pick and choose what they believe based on personal preference. "I'll take a little of this, none of that, some of this over here, I can't tell what that is so I'll leave that alone..." While that criticism is valid, we should also be asking why Americans are so distrustful of organized religion, systems, and meta narratives.

This recent survey offers a lot of interesting data, so check it out, but I'll point out one more thing.

Across the board, the research showed that women are driving these changes. This is particularly significant given prior research from Barna showing that women are more spiritually inclined, are the primary shapers of family faith experiences, and are the backbone of activity in the typical conventional church. Specifically, Barna discovered that women were more likely than men to pursue their faith in a different type of structure or environment (68% of women, 59% of men); to sense that God is motivating people to experience faith in different ways (79% vs. 60%, respectively); and to be willing try a new church (50% vs. 40%).

Check out the article and come back here to discuss.

How does the church respond to these trends? What should churches and church leaders do, do different, or so the same?

The folks at Pew released some new research worth your time.

They explained:

Americans change religious affiliation early and often. In total, about half of American adults have changed religious affiliation at least once during their lives. Most people who change their religion leave their childhood faith before age 24, and many of those who change religion do so more than once. These are among the key findings of a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life. The survey documents the fluidity of religious affiliation in the U.S. and describes in detail the patterns and reasons for change.

The reasons people give for changing their religion - or leaving religion altogether - differ widely depending on the origin and destination of the convert. The group that has grown the most in recent years due to religious change is the unaffiliated population. Two-thirds of former Catholics who have become unaffiliated and half of former Protestants who have become unaffiliated say they left their childhood faith because they stopped believing in its teachings, and roughly four-in-ten say they became unaffiliated because they do not believe in God or the teachings of most religions. Additionally, many people who left a religion to become unaffiliated say they did so in part because they think of religious people as hypocritical or judgmental, because religious organizations focus too much on rules or because religious leaders are too focused on power and money. Far fewer say they became unaffiliated because they believe that modern science proves that religion is just superstition.

Read the full report here.

I hate to post over this morning's post about Barna's new research, but the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) has caught everyone's attention today as it points out the decline of religion and the rise in secularism in America. Bloggers, news outlets and newspapers are buzzing. The Washington Post's Michele Boorstein explains, "The percentage of Americans who call themselves Christians has dropped dramatically over the past two decades, and those who do are increasingly identifying themselves without traditional denomination labels."

Cathy Grossman and the USA Today have done their usual fine job of analysis. They summarize,

The percentage. of people who call themselves in some way Christian has dropped more than 11% in a generation. The faithful have scattered out of their traditional bases: The Bible Belt is less Baptist. The Rust Belt is less Catholic. And everywhere, more people are exploring spiritual frontiers -- or falling off the faith map completely.

Denominations and denominationalism are in decline, the cultural influence of Christianity continues to slip, more people are describing themselves as non-religious (now at 15%) and minority religions are increasing in popularity (like Islam and Wicca). Baptists are shown to be an aging group that continues to lose the younger generations and leaders. And, be sure to check out this very helpful interactive chart at USA Today.

The folks at ARIS have been gracious to let many of us see the research beforehand (embargoed until today), and it is a well done project with a solid methodology and an excellent sample.

What are your thoughts? What do you think this means for the church?

The Barna Group has completed some research that I think you will find interesting. They are reporting that most Americans do not default to the Christian religion.

You okay? Maybe you should sit down.

While many will continue to debate whether or not America ever was a "Christian nation," one thing is increasingly clear; most Americans today see the Christian faith as one spiritual option among many, and not the most desirable one at that. The Barna Group says,

Matt Fry and J.D. Greear

I had a great time this weekend in Raleigh Durham with Matt and J.D. Saturday night I had the opportunity to speak at C3 Church where Matt serves as pastor. On Sunday morning, I spoke over at the Summit Church where J.D. is pastor. I was very impressed with both men and their churches. We had a brief time in J.D.'s study and got a pic.

Preaching was great. Their churches are amazing. And, I will write about both churches tomorrow. However, I had some special fun with J.D. and his daugher Karis in a gokart race at Frankie's Fun Park (for the record, it was a tie). And, let's just say I have a picture of Matt in a stylish (a cat-in-the-hat-like) hat when we went to the Marbles Childern's museum with his son Caleb. Great fun with a couple of great guys.

Both Matt and J.D. blog, so be sure to see visit their blogs.

Cathy Grossman and USA Today

One of the most fascinating jobs in America must be covering religion. I recently had the chance to speak at the Religion Newswriters Association and learned more about this challenging job. As a conservative evangelical, most of my evangelical friends have a negative view of the media. Sometimes that perception is earned. However, I must say that I think that many of these writers try hard to understand us-- and we are not that easy to "get."

Cathy Grossman has worked hard to report well on evangelicals (and many others). And, I am glad to see her enter the blog world with her Faith and Reason Blog. I would encourage you to drop by and take a look. You can find the full religion page here and there is a link to a forum (usually on the left) where there are lots of topics to debate!

Chicago, My Kind of Town

I am excited that I am getting connected to Chicago. Charles Campbell, who helped organize the conference I spoke at last month while at Trinity, shared with me a pretty impressive undertaking.

Matt Willis is a church planter who is using the Wiki technology to create a prayerwalking map of the Chicago neighborhoods. He and others are seeking to mobilize large numbers of people to come to the city to pray and post their observations here.

Behind the Scenes with "Al"

You can enjoy the whole Al blog series here.

Latino Settlement in the U.S.

J. B. from the International Mission Board keeps a sharp eye out for helpful new reserach. She sent this on to me today.

Latino Settlement in the New Century [pdf]

The Pew Hispanic Center offers timely commentary and research on a wide range of issues related to the Hispanic population within the United States.
Over the past few years, they have put out working papers on immigration, economic forecasts, employment, and pending legislation. This report by their senior research associate Richard Fry was released in October 2008 and it offers a detailed demographic portrait of the growing Hispanic community in the United States. Throughout its 35-pages, visitors will find detailed statistical information on the transformation of the Hispanic population over the past decade, along with material on which counties are experiencing the greatest statistical increase in the number of Hispanics. Finally, the report is greatly enhanced by its use of tables, graphs, and county-level maps of the US.

Mark Driscoll and Acts 29

Mark Driscoll and I have been emailing back and forth about a new project. More on that as soon as possible. However, in the meantime, you should consider listening to this recording where Mark talks about the values and focus of Acts 29. Crazy idea-- if you have questions, it might be good to actually listen to the vision and values. But, what do I know? Have a listen here.

You can also listen to an interview I did with Mark a while back here.

I have not had much of a chance to be at many Acts 29 events lately, but I am excited about a forthcoming meeting that Mark, John Piper, Matt Chandler, I, and several others will be doing in June 2009 in Raleigh Durham. Should be a great week. I will be teaching a class at Southeastern and doing the conference in the evening, etc.

The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) is a helpful resource for, well... data and research on religion. For those interested in such research the ARDA website is a place to spend a few hours.

Last night, I was on their site preparing for an upcoming meeting. Roger Finke, ARDA director, and I will be leading a panel this September at the Religion Newswriters Association on "Surveying Surveys." The description:

Reporters are bombarded with purported poll and survey results on religious belief and practice. But how do we know which studies are trustworthy and how to interpret what they say? We look at sound and faulty data and help you find ways to tell which is which. Moderated by Jacqui Salmon, The Washington Post.

The ARDA is one of the best sites for people who are interested in religious research (which, if you read this blog, should include you!)

You might want to take a look at the "Generation Next" survey which features,

...an oversample of members of "Generation Next" (young adults ages 18-25), this Pew survey examines this generation's outlook, lifestyle, and politics. Respondents were asked to compare their own generation to others in several areas including opportunities, challenges, and lifestyle choices. Other topics covered include technology usage, news consumption, political attitudes and behavior, and personal aspirations. Religion variables include religious affiliation, church attendance, and the importance of spirituality.

The survey includes answers to questions like:

What ONE WORD OR PHRASE best describes your generation?

Now thinking about your generation compared with young adults 20 years ago, for each of the things I mention please tell me if you think your generation does more of it, less of it, OR about the same amount as young adults 20 years ago did: Binge drinking.

From what you have seen, would you say it is easy, hard, or probably impossible to have a good marriage today?

This is a very interesting survey from 2006. You can look over the Generation Next data here.

You can also check out the The Faith Communities Today (FACT) survey. This was coordinated by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at the Hartford Seminary and included forty-one faith groups and denominations (including NAMB, my former employer).

Get the breakdown of responses to questions like:

How well does each of the following statements describe your congregation? Our congregation is spiritually vital and alive.

How well does each of the following statements describe your congregation? Our congregation is working for social justice.

How well does each of the following statements describe your congregation? Our congregation is trying to increase its racial/ethnic diversity.

Check it out here.

All that to say... it is worth a visit.

Don't miss the post I just put up about ministry to people groups, but moments ago the Pew Forum sent me their new research release. Click below for their press release. Click here for more information.

One of the standard tools for those of us who work in church and culture research is the Association of Religion Data Archives.

They recently announced some upgraded functionalities:

THE ARDA INTRODUCES NEW LOOK AND NEW FEATURES

The Association of Religion Data Archives is excited to announce a new look and many new features. Two of the most significant new features are GIS U.S. Maps and the Learning Center.

Partnering with Social Explorer (www.socialexplorer.com), the ARDA now provides a U.S. Maps tool that allows for interactive mapping of demographic data by census tracts and religious adherence data by counties. All of the GIS maps allow for zooming, moving, and searching across locations and let you create customized demographic and religious reports.

You will also find an expanded Learning Center. The Learning Center contains many new Learning Modules for classroom use and now includes a Dictionary of Religious and Statistical Terms. The new Center also offers multiple interactive tools, including the Compare Yourself Survey that allows students and others to compare themselves to the U.S. population on a variety of religious indicators. A more complete overview of the many new features and upgrades is provided below.

Learning Center...includes downloadable Learning Modules, a Glossary of Religious and Statistical Terms, and multiple interactive tools.

GIS Mapping...using tools developed by Social Explorer, GIS maps allow you to visually see the social, economic, demographic, and religious landscape of neighborhoods, cities, states, regions, and the entire United States.

Multi-Country Comparisons...easily select up to seven nations to receive a comparison of their social, demographic, economic, and religious characteristics.

Compare Yourself Survey ... allows individuals' to see how their answers compare to other Americans taking a national survey.

Denominational QuickStats...centralized location for information on U.S. denominations. Includes information on mergers and schisms, membership data, changes over time, and distribution across the country.

New Data ... data and other information were updated in our National Profiles and our U.S. Denominations feature.

New Design ...The homepage now provides easy access to some of the most popular resources on the ARDA site. Using drop-down menus, the new homepage now allows for faster access to the ARDA's various content and tools.

The Association of Religion Data Archives
Authoritative Information Made Accessible
www.theARDA.com

One of the blogs in my Bloglines Reader is GetReligion.org. The site analyzes secular media coverage of religious issues and they are often quite insightful.