Research and Trends

Fastest-Growing Churches: Lessons From the Front Lines

“People see “big C” church as judgy, legalistic rules. If we can work together and show the opposite of that, I feel like that’s our role: to rewrite the narrative of church based on serving.” —Meghan Smith, Trace Church

What Message Are You Sending Visitors?

By immediately communicating, ‘You are welcome here,’ you are answering guests’ big question: Should I be here?

Ready to Talk: Are Christians Speaking Truth to Our Culture?

It is easy to say our goal is to tell others about Jesus, but we often skip the step of asking God to make this possible.

Navigating Injustice: A Closer Look at Race, Faith and Mental Health

Young BIPOC are slightly more religious than their White peers, with 37% reporting that they are moderately or very religious compared to 34% of White young people. Black young people report the highest rates of religiosity, with 46% indicating they are moderately or very religious.

Pastors Encourage Racial Reconciliation, Churchgoers Want More Diversity in the Church

Compared to a 2016 Lifeway Research study, more pastors are socializing with neighbors of other ethnicities (70% v. 57%), discussing the issue with church leaders (63% v. 51%), meeting regularly with pastors of other ethnicities (46% v. 40%), and investing church funds in changing local economic inequalities (44% v. 31%).

Gen Z Faces New Challenges

Springtide Research Institute has released a new report: Navigating Injustice: A Closer Look at Race, Faith & Mental Health, drawing from a data set of 5,951 young people ages 13 to 25, 3,159 of which were BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color).

U.S. Hispanic Protestant Landscape Full of Growing, Vibrant Churches

As new members join Hispanic Protestant churches, they become part of congregations that are actively trying to grow together, according to their pastors. Almost 9 in 10 (88%) say their church has a plan to foster community in their church, including 53% who strongly agree.

Starting the Conversation

Though not a prerequisite for sharing the gospel, relationships do make it easier. Each of the statistics on evangelistic activities of Christians is more common among friends and family.

After the Tornado

Among young people ages 18-29, one in three say they go to church less than they did pre-pandemic. Before COVID, 30% of adults under the age of 30 did not attend religious services. By the Spring of 2022, that had risen to 43%.

Serving Together

We often think about service as something we as a church do. But there are people in your community who are ready to join in if you organize it and are not concerned about who gets the credit.

Survey: Churchgoers Do Value Time Alone with God, but Their Practices Differ

According to a study by Lifeway Research, nearly 2 in 3 Protestant churchgoers (65%) intentionally spend time alone with God at least daily, with 44% saying daily and 21% saying more than once a day.