Recent data show that the mental health strain teens and young adults were under pre-pandemic have only intensified during the crisis. How should church leaders respond in light of these findings?
In a recent ChurchPulse Weekly episode, second-time guest Pete Scazzero joins host Carey Nieuwhof to talk about the importance of leaders acknowledging their emotional health, how healthy leaders are developed and the consequences of avoiding grief.
As racial justice in the U.S. becomes an increasingly polarized topic, the majority of practicing Christians (80%) believes the Church can improve race dynamics by welcoming people of all ethnicities into congregations. Are multiracial churches part of the answer to race problems?
On ChurchPulseWeekly, Carey Nieuwhof and David Kinnaman sit down with Christopher Harris and Jim Sheppard to discuss how churches can make healthy financial choices in 2020.
It’s no secret that relationships drastically impact our lives. Healthy relationships are supportive and life-giving, contributing to our resilience during challenging times (especially among young people), spurring us to grow in faith together and even allowing us to be better parents. Unhealthy relationships—or even a lack of relationships—have a tendency to leave us feeling drained, empty and dissatisfied. During the COVID-19 crisis, these negative impacts have been felt even more prominently. What can the Church do to help?
Over the past nine months, data show that pastors’ mental and emotional well-being has suffered greatly as they worked to guide their people through the pandemic and an election year fraught with tension. Researchers also discovered that Christians’ relationships with churches are changing, with church attendance at a low even with digital worship services available to them. In recent ChurchPulse Weekly episodes, host Carey Nieuwhof chats with pastor Francis Chan about how church leaders can respond to the collapse in attendance and mental health.
Recent ChurchPulse Weekly questions asked of Barna’s pastor panel included how church leaders are personally feeling right now in terms of their well-being, mental health, calling and following government guidelines for reopening their churches, the responses of which we’ll summarize in this article.
Millions of Americans face mental illness each year. Yet the stigma surrounding mental health and therapy persists, despite the fact that Americans—especially Christians—who see a counselor have overwhelmingly positive experiences with the practice. In a new study, Barna looks at how Americans feel about and engage with counseling.
New data on American Gen Z show that, when it comes to addressing injustices in society, racial injustice is a shared top concern among both teens (32%) and young adults (35%). When looking at the data segmented by race, Black, Hispanic and Asian Gen Z all clearly identify racial injustice as their top concern. With this in mind, Barna Group returned to data from our recent project The Open Generation: United States in an effort to see how racial or ethnic identity might connect to how young people in the U.S. see issues of injustice. As we observe Black History Month, this article also centers the responses of Black teens and young adults, highlighting their perceptions of injustices in society today, how they hope to address them and what might help along the way.
Podcast host Carey Nieuwhof and Barna’s SVP of Research Brooke Hempell are joined by Dr. Anita Phillips, a trauma therapist, pastor, speaker and host of the In The Light podcast to discuss the collective trauma caused by the pandemic, the influence one's worldview has on discipleship models and practical ways leaders can walk with people through trauma and grief.
Screens are everywhere. Whether at work, school or home, no generation is exempt from tech's influence in this digital age, especially as society moves further into a COVID-shaped reality that has necessitated an even greater dependence on devices. While utilizing technology and media has its benefits, turning to devices too often can have harmful repercussions as well—and recent Barna data show that at least the younger generations (namely, Gen Z) are speaking up about their ambivalent relationship with technology.
To close out 2020, here are Barna’s 10 most-visited releases from the year. The stories are a reflection of what our nation and the Church has walked through over the past 365 days, covering somber findings, stark divides, moments of healing and glimmers of hope for the coming year.
As a difficult year comes to a close and a challenging holiday season continues, let's examine findings from three recent Barna studies that could help pastors as they think through caring for their congregants—and themselves—during crisis.
In the final installment of the series Five Essential Conversations About Ministry to the Next Generation, David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock wrap up their discussion with a hopeful note: looking at the positive outcomes and opportunities presented to the Church, even in the chaos of of 2020.
With only 10 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds who grew up Christian or in the Church qualifying as what Barna defines as "resilient disciples," pastors may wonder, what can be done to engage young people and even raise this percentage in the years to come?
Reaching out to the next generation is of key importance, especially in a season of uncertainty and rapid changes. The first step Matlock recommends to welcome Prodigals back into the Church and encourage all young people to stay engaged is to forge deeper connections. These stronger ties will yield insights into how pastors can best support and disciple these young adults.
Over the last few months, church leaders have expressed that they are struggling in their ministry to younger adult generations. In light of this, Barna president David Kinnaman and Director of Insights Mark Matlock sat down to review what research tells us about these age groups, seeking to offer actionable insights that church leaders can implement right now. We'll kick off this five-day video series, Five Essential Conversations About Ministry to the Next Generation, with an exploration of some of the reasons Millennials may have stopped streaming digital church during the pandemic.
On September 30, 2020, Barna and Pepperdine University’s Boone Center for the Family partnered together to host a live digital summit to share findings from the Restoring Relationships report. This free event paired past data with recent research and expert interviews to help pastors get a broader glimpse at relational health in light of the 2020 disruptions, including the COVID-19 crisis, renewed conversations on racial justice and increased political divides preceding the upcoming election.