Archive

Children’s Ministry Is Crucial, But Its Impact Is Hard to Measure

Kids’ ministry is a powerful opportunity to form lasting faith in the lives of young people. Yet new data from Children’s Ministry in a New Reality, a Barna report produced in partnership with Awana, show the majority of children’s ministry leaders feels this ministry is often forgotten by their church. This article looks at key findings from this new study, exploring the importance that parents, kids’ ministry leaders and other congregants place on children's ministry, as well as how difficult it can be to measure the impact of this necessary ministry.

Barna Takes: How the Church Can Serve Working Mothers Well

3 Challenges Facing Working Moms Today

Even as the constraints of the pandemic era have begun to lift, the current pressures felt by working moms have yet to alleviate. In a recent Barna survey, working mothers shared with Barna that they are feeling overwhelmed, navigating workplace shifts and desiring time to prioritize self-care, findings we’ll take a closer look at in this article.

ChurchPulse Weekly Conversations: Matt Markins on the Importance of Children’s Ministry

How Concerned Are Christian Parents About Their Children’s Faith Formation?

Recent Barna data collected in 2021 show that most parents, regardless of religious identity or faith practice, want their children to have a healthy relationship with spirituality. This article explores parents’ responses around two key questions about their children’s spiritual development, taking a closer look at Christian parents and offering data on how children's relationships with peers can support their faith formation journey.

ChurchPulse Weekly Conversations: Jon Tyson on Fatherhood, Evangelism & Prayer

ChurchPulse Weekly Conversations: Kara Powell on Engaging Teens' Questions

Guest Column: How Leaders Can Help Young People Make a Purpose Pivot

ChurchPulse Weekly Conversations: Jessica Bealer & Kellen Moore on Children's Ministry

Caring for the Orphan: Are U.S. Christians Doing it Right?

ChurchPulse Weekly Conversations: Juli Wilson & Kayla Stoecklein on the Mental Health Struggles of Ministry

Guest Column: How Can the Church Be the Community Mothers Need?

Is It Possible to Balance Work, Family and Love?

Recent Barna data collected on working couple in America show that the majority of American working couples believe they can maintain their individual careers and still come together to raise a healthy family, all while staying in love. But what does it actually take to make this dream a reality? Today's article takes a look at how U.S. adults and practicing Christians respond to this question.

One-Third of Engaged Christian Parents Is "Media-Stressed"

While ubiquitous tech and media haven’t created many problems, they have amplified old pressures. And when the world can fit in your pocket, these problems become all but inescapable. How can the Church come alongside children—and the parents who raise them—to promote wise tech use in an age where even the most essential tasks can—or must—be done virtually (work, school, doctor’s visits, etc.)? Today’s article, an excerpt from Guiding Children, takes a look at Christian parents’ top struggles in terms of media and tech use among their kids and what opportunities this presents for churches.

Guest Column: Can Working Couples Have It All?

COVID-19 Conversations: Kara Powell on Innovative Youth Ministry

Over the past few months, pastors and parents alike have expressed the struggle they face when it comes to ministering to children and youth in a time of social distancing. In a recent ChurchPulse Weekly episode, hosts Carey Nieuwhof and David Kinnaman are joined by Kara Powell, executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute, to discuss the unique challenges pastors, parents and teens are facing in the current moment.

The Connection Between Friendship and Fatherhood

In light of Father’s Day, we want to celebrate dads around the world by showcasing key findings from a new Barna report produced in partnership with BetterMan, Five Essentials to Engage Today’s Men. These data points offer insight into men’s relationships with their family and friends and how these connections play a role in how satisfied practicing Christian men are in the role of fatherhood.

COVID-19 Conversations: 5 Things to Consider About the Future of Kids' Ministry

In the most recent ChurchPulse Weekly episode, hosts Nieuwhof and Kinnaman discuss the pandemic’s impact on kids’ ministry with Frank and Jessica Bealer. Have churches done a good job keeping children and youth programs running during social distancing? What does the future of kids’ ministry look like as we reenter church? This article takes a look at five things church leaders should keep in mind when it comes to children’s ministry in the current moment.