Saturday Lagniappe: 'CofE mission funding has brought in 37,000 people since 2017' And More

CofE mission funding has brought in 37,000 people since 2017
Church of England estimates that it has attracted an average 4,625 people to its churches every year since 2017, via its Strategic Development Funding (SDF) and Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB).

UK churches see twice as many people commit to following Christ since pandemic: research
Churches are seeing twice as many people committing to following Jesus Christ compared to five years ago, according to the latest research report titled "Changing Church" published by the Evangelical Alliance in the United Kingdom. The findings reinforce related research disclosed recently in "The Quiet Revival" Report by the Bible Society showing an increase in young men becoming Christians.

Americans Judge the Good Book More Positively, But Still Often by Its Cover
In the past few years, Americans have grown generally more positive toward the Bible, but that doesn’t mean they’re reading it more.

When Church Growth Goes From Invigorating To Debilitating
Pastors who are motivated by the push to get bigger year-over-year are vastly outnumbered by the pastors who are discouraged by it.

With fewer ordinations, seminaries find ways to serve young professionals in other fields
'Desperation is a spiritual gift, and so it gives you a chance to experiment with things that, you know, 10 years ago were off the table,' said the Rev. Kenda Creasy Dean, a Princeton Theological Seminary professor.

It’s time for evangelicals to leave Anglicanism
There is no easy way to put this. The Anglican Communion is on fire.

Breaking away may not be the best solution to the problems besetting the Anglican Communion. In the 1874 Evangelical Episcopalians left the then Protestant Episcopal Church over the growing influence of the Catholic Revival in that denomination and formed the Reformed Episcopal Church. In 2025, 151 years later, the beliefs and practices of the nineteenth century Catholic Revival are widespread in the Reformed Episcopal Church and have so transformed its character that its original founders would not recognize it. As Jesus told the disciples in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares and Article XXVI reminds us, "...in the visible Church the evil be ever mingled with the good...." Evangelicalism in the United States has similarly undergone such a transformation that it is more a political identity than it is a religious one. Jesus also told the disciples that God in his time would sort things out.

Bishop Sutton Withdraws Calvin Robinson’s License
According to this article, the church where Calvin Robinson was priest has left the Anglican Catholic Church.

How To Improve The Quality Of Your Annual Church Events
Taking a few minutes to collect initial thoughts right after an annual event creates space for consistent innovation with minimal effort.

The Art of Being Mentored
Which is more important – to have a great mentor or to be a great student? The easy answer is both. But more and more I think the secret resides in being a great student.

Essential Lessons for Young (and Old) Pastors
I'm used to reading blog posts with titles like “What They Didn't Teach Me in Seminary.” Usually, the goal is to create buzz or sell a course or book. I don't want to add to that noise, but I'm going to write about a few things they didn't teach me in seminary that I think are important for a young pastor to know.

Local Preacher, You Need the Global Church
The biblical answers found by believers in the Majority World shed fresh light on familiar passages.

Red Brush Christian Church: Teens Leading Teens
Christy Heitger-Ewing describes how a group of teenagers in juior high school and high school created Step Forward Student Leadership Program, with the mission of intentionally raising up students to be leaders in the church and explains how the program operates.

Family Church Event Ideas for Summer (No Volunteers Required!)
To help you plan family church event ideas for summer we gathered five awesome activities. See if one (or more) of these fun, easy children’s ministry events will work for you!

Churches hope to tap the power of pickleball
Millions of Americans have taken up pickleball, touting its health and social benefits. A growing number of churches want to tap into those benefits — with a side of spirituality.

The downtown church in which I am presently involved turns its gymnasium into a pickle ball court several times a week. Almost all of the folks playing pickle ball attend the church. From what I have observed, they do not appear to be inviting unchurched people in the community to join them. To my mind this defeats the use of pickle ball as an outreach to the community.

The Role of Hospitality in Reaching the Dechurched
Sometimes we think of people who’ve dechurched in terms of their ideas: they had ideas about Christianity. Now they have ideas that are secular. True enough. But something we often forget about people who’ve dechurched, or are deconstructing, is that we humans are as influenced by communities as we are by ideas.