Review of Justin Brierley’s ‘The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God’
Is Christian faith dying in the Western world? Have the “new atheists” succeeded in souring Christianity for thinking people? There are actually some fascinating signs of a resurgence of interest in Christianity. John Whittaker reviews Justin Brierley’s The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity […]
The Unintended Consequences of the Modern Church
It’s a good season to reexamine the effectiveness of the modern church. Our commitment, as RENEW.org leaders, is to continually go back to Scripture, to restore and prioritize what it teaches. We face a challenge because in the last fifty years, as church leaders have sought more effectiveness in our churches, we have come to […]
Spoiler Alert: Are Churches Going the Way of Hollywood Predictability?
Did movies get worse? Over the holiday I saw Wonka at my childhood movie theater. That cinema features one screen, no online reservations, and seats reminiscent of jury duty. However, I walked there from my parents’ house and got admission, candy, and a drink for $10. Not bad. So, I’m not knocking the theater experience, but instead […]
3 Habits That Shrink Churches
It is no secret that many rural communities are slowly shrinking. Young professionals move away, and an older generation begins to pass away. As the town shrinks, often, so does the church. Does it have to be this way? What causes our kingdom view to get smaller while the town does? From my experience, there […]
Meeting Uncertain Times by Trusting God and Facing Reality
There is a lot of speculation about the survival of the church, coming from both internal and external sources. People talk. And hypothesize. While others lament (and rightly so). The numbers are troubling. The Gallup Poll reported a decline in American church memberships from 70% in 1999 to that of 47% in 2020. Gallup editor Jeffrey […]
Why People Leave the Church: 3 Reasons from the Book of Revelation
Why do people leave the church? The Bible gives 3 basic reasons: People leave the church because they want to, or they feel they have to, or they have been taught that they ought to. In our cultural moment in the West, all three reasons are beginning to coalesce to form an overwhelming attack against […]
Lessons from the Church in Eastern Canada: Success in a Post-Christian World
*Editor’s Note: Tim Cook is a RENEW.org regional director in Nova Scotia, Canada. As a church planter in a heavily post-Christian context, he has much to teach us all about how to keep focus and maintain joy despite societal shifts away from Christianity. I recently caught up with Tim and picked his brain about making […]
Reasons for Church Decline in the West
*Editor’s Note: Recently, Dr. Carol Swain interviewed Dr. Bobby Harrington on her podcast Be the People. They talked about the post-Christian trajectory we are experiencing in the US, as well as the need for Renew.org in these confusing times. This is the second of two articles excerpted from their conversation. For Part 1, click here. […]
