PreachingPoint Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions Sermons Illustrations
Friday, May 18, 2012
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Statistical Information and Research

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Ignorance of the Bible
A majority of Americans--8 out of 10--say that they are Christians, but only half that number know who delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Most Americans think the Ten Commandments are valid rules for living, but most have a rough time recalling exactly what those rules are found. Among teenagers, 3 in 10 do not know the significance of Easter for Christians; among teenagers who attend church regularly, 2 in 10 do not know it. 
From George Gallup, "Religion in America", Leadership, Fall 1987.
Submitted by Marcus Merritt

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LifeWay Research looks at role of faith in parenting
Written by Mark Kelly
  • Parents' definitions of parenting 'success' rarely include faith.
  • Parents acknowledge role in child's spiritual development.
  • 14 percent of parents are "very familiar" with the Bible's writings on parenting.
Read the artivle at LifeWay.com  
Economic Recovery
Since 1968 there have been five periods of recession. According to "Church Member Giving and Recession Years Analysis" this is a PDF file (120KB PDF) by empty tomb, inc., (February 2008), only once did any reduction occur in undesignated giving per church member in the first year of recession. Read More 

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How to Reach Young Adults in an Essential Church
LifeWay Research reports their research discovered this about reaching young adults:
  1. Almost ninety percent of the unchurched 20 to 29 year olds said they would be willing to listen if someone wanted to tell them about Christianity.
  2. Three of 5 younger unchurched respondents agreed they would be willing to study the Bible if a friend asked them to do so.
  3. Over 60 percent said they would attend a church if it presented truth in an understandable and relevant way.
The Bad News: The younger unchurched believe the church is too critical about lifestyle issues, full of hypocrites, and not necessary for spiritual development.
The Good News: The younger unchurched clearly indicate they are willing to dialogue about Christianity and Jesus. (from Lost and Found)
These findings reinforce the truth that effective evangelism is done through building relationships.
 
1 in 50 American Children Experience Homelessness
The Associated Press reports that one in 50 children in America experiences homelessness, according to a new survey based on 2005-2006 data. The number is probably higher now due to the economic environment, the report states. "These kids are the innocent victims, yet it seems somehow or other they get left out," said Dr. Ellen Bassuk, president of the National Center on Family Homelessness. "Why are they America's outcasts?" The report, released Tuesday by the center, estimates that 1.5 million children were homeless at least once during 2005-2006. Connecticut has the best plans to counter the problem, while Texas ranks lowest. Families sometimes avoid shelters that may be able to help them, as parents fear their children may be taken from them.

Alabama Baptists' collegiate ministries
-ministered to over 2600 students
-had over 400 professions of faith last year.
Delaying parenthood
The mean age for mothers at first birth climbed from 21.4 in 1970 to 24.9 in 2000.   Robert Bazell-NBC NEWS
In Alabama the figures are 1970: 20.5, 1990: 23.3. Census Bureau
Debt
  • In 1982, servicing our household debt took a little more than $1 of every $10 of after-tax income. By 2005, it had increased to almost $1 of every $7.
  • Personal bankruptcies rocketed up 31.6% in 2005 as people raced to file before tougher laws took effect late in the year. In 2005 alone, 1 in 53 households filed for bankruptcy.
  • The national savings rate fell to -0.5% last year, the first time Americans have spent more than their after-tax income since 1932-1933 when the Great Depression was raging. (The calculation of the national savings rate has some flaws, which we'll explore in next month. But it's noteworthy that the savings rate was 10.8% in 1984 as our years of plenty were starting, and is negative today.)
"Years of Plenty, Years of Famine" by Mark Biller, Sound Mind Investing, 2006.
Parental child abuse
In 2002, there were 20,000 reports involving 28,000 children. Cases are either found to be “indicated,” “not indicated” or “not enough information.” 35% were found to be “indicated.” So, of the 28,000 children, about 9500 were found to be “indicated,” and of that number about 2500 were placed in foster care.
   -Alabama Attorney General’s Conference on Child Abuse, October 2003.
Rural Churches Grapple with a Pastor Exodus (Time magazine)
Time magazine reports that America's rural churches are fading even faster than America's rural areas, as it becomes increasingly difficult to attract and keep a pastor in sparsely populated areas. According to Trace Haythorn, president of the nonprofit Fund for Theological Education (FTE), fewer than one half of rural churches have a "full-time seminary-trained pastor." That figure can drop to as low as 1 in 5 in some areas of the Midwest. Pastors fresh out of seminary are turning in ever greater numbers to the suburbs, where they can more easily find a salary that will help clear their debt. Dwindling congregations in rural areas simply can't sustain the normal starting salary $35,000 a year for a pastor. "It's a religious crisis, for sure," says Daniel Wolpert, pastor of First Presbyterian in Crookston, Minn. "And to the extent that these churches are anchoring institutions, it's a crisis of community."

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Americans More Loyal to Charmin or Colgate than Church
Religion News Service reports that Americans are more loyal to their toothpaste or toilet paper than to their religious denomination, making consumers more choosy about Charmin or Colgate than they are about church, according to a new survey. According to a Phoenix-based research firm, 16 percent of Protestants say they would consider only one denomination, while 22 percent of them would use only one brand of toothpaste and 19 percent would use just one brand of bathroom tissue. "When you have a whole bunch of different brands out there and not a lot of differentiation among some of them -- and not a lot of knowledge about them -- the denominational world is facing the same problem as many other brands," said Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research, which conducted the survey.

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