A new study from LifeWay Research reveals that more than two-thirds of young adults who attend a Protestant church for at least a year in high school will stop attending church regularly for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – A new study from LifeWay Research reveals that more than two-thirds of young adults who attend a Protestant church for at least a year in high school will stop attending church regularly for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22. LifeWay Research conducted the survey of more than 1,000 adults ages 18-30 in April and May. Each indicated that they had attended a Protestant church regularly for at least a year in high school. SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO? According to the study, 70 percent of young adults ages 23-30 stopped attending church regularly for at least a year between ages 18-22. In most cases, the decision to leave was not planned far in advance. Only 20 percent of these “church dropouts” agree that while they were attending church regularly in high school they “planned on taking a break from church once [they] finished high school.” Among those who predetermined to leave church, few told anyone about their desire. One reflected, “I just told … [Read more...]

John attended church consistently in high school. He was there almost every Sunday morning and many Wednesday nights. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – John attended church consistently in high school. He was there almost every Sunday morning and many Wednesday nights. He said he never planned to stop attending church when he went away to college; nonetheless, that is exactly what happened. “I just didn’t make it a priority,” said the 24-year-old, who now lives in Middle Tennessee and once again is actively involved in a church. “College was just a whole different world.” The latest study by LifeWay Research revealed that John’s disappearance from church during his college years is far from an exception to the rule. According to the study, 70 percent of 23-30 year-olds stopped attending church regularly for at least a year during their college years (18-22 years old). “As we uncovered the scope of the problem of young people leaving the church, the importance of churches and denominations working together to combat the issue became evident,” said Scott McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research. “Youth Transition Network already is doing that.” The Youth Transition Network (YTN) is a coalition of national high … [Read more...]

Parents and churches together can help their teenagers decide to stay in church as young adults, new research from LifeWay Christian Resources indicates. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – Parents and churches together can help their teenagers decide to stay in church as young adults, new research from LifeWay Christian Resources indicates. Despite appearances, teens do want guidance when it comes to the decisions they face in everyday life, and parents and churches who meet those needs make it more likely those teens will stay in church as young adults, according to the survey of more than 1,000 adults ages 18-30. LifeWay Research conducted the survey in April and May 2007. While the study revealed that 70 percent of young adults ages 23 to 30 stopped attending church regularly for at least a year between 18 and 22, it also indicated several tangible ways parents and churches could make them more likely to stay in church. Two-thirds of the teens who stay in church as young adults describe the church as “a vital part of my relationship with God” – demonstrating the importance of each teen having a strong relationship with God, as well as the importance of church attendance, said Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research. “Teens … [Read more...]

Legend has it that there’s gold in the hills at the end of Robert Smart Road, once known as Snell Road and close to the junction of highways 392 and 111 West. ANACOCO – Legend has it that there’s gold in the hills at the end of Robert Smart Road, once known as Snell Road and close to the junction of highways 392 and 111 West. Les and Debi Comeaux – owners of the 80 acres of pasture, bottomland, and forest – believe it. “When I can look into a tent and see people giving testimony and praise to what God has done through this property, that’s the gold,” Les said. “Just not the kind most people want to hunt for.” That tent gets put up on a regular basis as the couple invites small groups of people out to their property, Haven Ministries, for an encounter with God. Working mostly with families or with leadership groups from local churches or even Fort Polk, the couple provides space and time for people to explore God’s creation and experience moments that help them hear the Holy Spirit and help them bind together, Les said. At the cattle gap, look west and you’ll see rolling pastures dotted with goats, cows and horses as well as the occasional sycamore or oak. To the east, pasture slopes gently down to Sandy Creek, an … [Read more...]

Recently, I had the privilege of participating with 11 other Southern Baptist information technology (IT) professionals in the most extraordinary encounter I have ever had with the Cooperative Program. OKLAHOMA CITY (BP) – Recently, I had the privilege of participating with 11 other Southern Baptist information technology (IT) professionals in the most extraordinary encounter I have ever had with the Cooperative Program. For 20-plus years, IT directors/managers from several state conventions have come together for a conference to share and discuss common problems and solutions in a cooperative manner. Last year, we decided to try something new and add an element of missions to our conference, and we planned an event to assist Yellowstone Baptist College in Billings, Mont. The small college relied on a contractor charging $125 per hour for their computer design and major repair issues for about 20 computers and three servers to meet a wide variety of needs for both staff and students. The servers were not doing anything for the school when we arrived but by the end of our conference we had built an entire network for the school that provided for much greater security, sharing of files and printers, automated virus … [Read more...]

Ruined buildings, their walls peppered by bullets and shrapnel, still mark Lebanon’s landscape a year after the 34-day conflict with Israel ended. Where homes and schools once stood, empty lots remain. SOUTHERN LEBANON (BP) – Ruined buildings, their walls peppered by bullets and shrapnel, still mark Lebanon’s landscape a year after the 34-day conflict with Israel ended. Where homes and schools once stood, empty lots remain. On the surface, it doesn’t appear much different from last summer when Baptist relief workers came to provide medical care for the injured, distribute blankets and heaters, water and food -- and Bibles -- to those who had been caught in the crossfire. Rami,* a local believer, remembers that time. He was one of the Lebanese Christians who worked alongside the American volunteers. He was afraid of identifying himself as a Christian in this predominantly Muslim area. He remembers sitting in a van, afraid to get out, afraid he would jeopardize the safety of his family if he did. He also remembers that the hardest step to take was the first one. When Baptist workers “asked me to go with them to pass out things, I hesitated a little bit,” he recalled. He feared for the safety of his family. “I didn’t … [Read more...]

We’ve all seen situations involving children that made us uncomfortable. Perhaps it was a parent in the grocery lecturing loudly as a shamed toddler bawled, or a youngster with a runny nose and dirty clothes. Either scenario might set off mental alarm bells about child neglect or abuse. We’ve all seen situations involving children that made us uncomfortable. Perhaps it was a parent in the grocery lecturing loudly as a shamed toddler bawled, or a youngster with a runny nose and dirty clothes. Either scenario might set off mental alarm bells about child neglect or abuse. Yet it is possible that neither situation might be as it seems. The first parent might have endured a grueling day at the office, then snapped when her curious two-year-old dismantled a store display. The second child may have allergies that cause a perpetually runny nose but don’t keep him from searching for mud puddles. Sadly, child abuse and neglect have far more insidious aspects than short tempers and runny noses. This is why Christians must be able to decipher between neglect, abuse, and a parent having a bad day. Whereas unsubstantiated reports of abuse can pose untold damage to innocent parents or caregivers, failure to report abuse can cost a … [Read more...]

'Experiencing God' has become one of the most popular Bible study resources ever published. And now this powerful resource has been revised and expanded. The new 'Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God' is now available. NASHVILLE – Experiencing God has become one of the most popular Bible study resources ever published. And now this powerful resource has been revised and expanded. The new Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God is now available. For more than 16 years, God has used this study to invite people to join Him in what He is doing. While many people simply ask God to bless their plans, Experiencing God helps lead believers into a deeper love relationship, teaching them to pray to and hear from God, and to join with God in accomplishing what He purposes to do. Leader Kit New features include DVD messages from authors Henry and Richard Blackaby and a new Unit 12 with lessons on experiencing God in your marriage, with your children, and in your marketplace. There are also new applications and stories - from Angola Prison inmates earning seminary degrees to the spiritual and economic rebirth of a poor Appalachian community. Henry Blackaby originally wrote Experiencing God as a … [Read more...]

“I feel fortunate to pastor people who have caught the vision to be what we’re supposed to be as a church,” Pastor Stephen Davis said of First Baptist Church in Russellville, Ark. RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (BP) – “I feel fortunate to pastor people who have caught the vision to be what we’re supposed to be as a church,” Pastor Stephen Davis said of First Baptist Church in Russellville, Ark. This is a body of believers who determined 10 years ago to do everything they could to give themselves away. Davis, who has led the church for 23 years, said, “You’re talking to a guy that is just overwhelmed. I’m just trying to stay out of the way. I watched them get focused and catch hold of the vision. Now I’m watching their kids – their kids are becoming the leaders.” In 1987, before there was an “Acts 1:8 Challenge” in the Southern Baptist Convention, Davis said the church started becoming an Acts 1:8 church. The staff first became convicted that intentional outreach to what Acts 1:8 calls the church’s “Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria” and to “the ends of the earth” was the right thing to do. They began to pray, and then they began to line up opportunities to get their people involved. “People want to have ways to express their … [Read more...]

Louisiana College announced at a press conference Aug. 16 the formation of the Judge Paul Pressler School of Law. The first future lawyers are expected to begin classes the fall of 2009. PINEVILLE – Louisiana College announced at a press conference Aug. 16 the formation of the Judge Paul Pressler School of Law. The first future lawyers are expected to begin classes the fall of 2009. “I have been asked over and over again, ‘Why a law school?’” LC President Joe Aguillard told the 100 or more people packed into the Granberry Conference Center on the LC campus. “Why a Christian law school?” While the president of Louisiana College answered the question by quoting George Washington, John Adams and John Jay – some of America’s most prominent founding fathers – Congressman Rodney Alexander, R-Quitman, La., underscored the need in more practical terms. Judiciary action is causing the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments to be removed from “some of our schools and in their place we are putting metal detectors –  to keep our children from killing each other,” Alexander said. “Are we in trouble?’ One might ask,” he continued. “I fear the answer is yes. Thank you, Dr. Aguillard, for recognizing the need ....” To address … [Read more...]