The USA Today reports that in four years, the baby boomer generation will start becoming senior citizens, and by 2030, the United States will have 35 million more seniors.
To put these numbers in perspective, the 65 years old and up demographic will be growing three times as fast as the nation as a whole. Many communities are already planning how they will accommodate the growing number of seniors.
And it is probably not too early for your church to start planning too.
Here is a roundup of what we were talking about one year ago:
This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 80.5 million mothers in America. Surprisingly, only 5.6 million are stay-at-home moms. Other statistics include:
- 55% of women 15 to 45 years old are mothers
- 81% of women 40 to 44 years old are mothers
And just so you know, Tuesday is the most popular day of the week to have a baby.
Happy Mother’s Day weekend!
A 2004 UCLA survey reveals:
- 79% of college freshman believe in God
>> 90% of politically conservative students
>> 80% of politically “middle-of-the-road” students
>> 64% of politically liberal students
Researchers also discovered three distinct conceptions of God.
- A Personal God (40% of students)
-Â feel a “sense of connection with God/Higher Power”
-Â feel “loved by God”
-Â ”gain spiritual strength by trusting in a Higher Power”
- An All Powerful God (37% of students)
- creator, judge, supreme being, and/or protector
- A Mystical God (15% of students)
- universal spirit, divine mystery, nature, enlightenment, and/or part of me
10%Â of students rejected all three perceptions of God.
Additionally, The Christian Post reports that religious and spiritual interest is growing in popularity on college campuses.
A study by the Institute for Jewish & Community Research (IJCR) discovered:
- 53% of non-Evangelical university faculty say they hold cool (meaning dislike) or unfavorable views of Evangelical Christians
- 30% view Evangelicals favorably
Evangelical Christians were the only major religious denomination to be viewed negatively by a majority of faculty. As for the importance of religion:
- 75% of non-Evangelical university faculty say religion is not important to them
- 20% say religion is very important to them
[via DallasNews Religion]
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) claims that American teenagers (ages 13 to 19) underwent 244,124 cosmetic surgery procedures in 2006. Sadly, this number has almost doubled since 2002. Included in the number are:
- 47,000 nose jobs
- 9,000 breast augmentations
This growing trend in plastic surgery is a good indicator that American teenagers are increasingly feeling self-conscious and dissatisfied. As a result, youth ministers must put an even greater importance on encouraging their students and helping them understand who they are in Christ.
[via MSNBC & Trend Hunter]
According the CNN Money, a gallon of gas will soon cost $4. Last year we discussed how high gas prices will affect your church.
And since gas prices are on the rise again, here is a review of how some churches have used high gas prices as a tool for connecting with their communities:
The New York Times reports that a growing number of children are sporting cell phones. Research by the Yankee Group shows:
- 33% (6.6 million) of 8- to 12-year-olds in America had cell phones by the end of 2006
Verizon is already replacing their current child-friendly phone with a cooler version that also allows text-messaging and embedded video games.
Parents say that the incursion of cell phones into ‘tween society has ratcheted up the electronics race, with mobile phones joining laptops, digital cameras and iPods on children’s wish lists.
With children as young as the age of 6 wanting and owning their own cell phone. Children’s ministry is faced with an entirely new level of tech savvy kids.
[via Trend Hunter]
