Mark R. Rank of the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis co-authored a study analyzing the financial circumstances of U.S. kids (ages 1-20) over a period of 30 years. Key findings include:
49% of all U.S. kids will be in a household that uses food stamps at some point during their childhood.
>> 90% of black kids
>> 37% of white kids
>> 91% of kids in single-parent homes
>> 37% of kids in married homes
Nearly 25% of all U.S. kids will be in households that use food stamps for 5+ years during childhood.
97% of U.S. kids by age 10 who are black and whose head of household is not married with less than 12 years of education reside in a food stamp household.
Even limited exposure to poverty can have detrimental effects upon a child’s overall quality of health and well-being.
- Mark R. Rank :: George Warren Brown School of Social Work
Alan Hirsch discussed fear of failure at Catalyst’s second lab. Here is what he said:
Victor Turner is a cultural anthropologist that studied the rituals and rites of passage for young African boys into manhood. The ordeal the boys would endure through their rite of passage created a bond deeper that community. It created communitas (takes community to the next level and allows the whole of the community to share a common experience, usually through a rite of passage).
Journeys of adventure can change you significantly.
One of the most profound sense of communitas in the US was 9/11.
In the Bible, when David was in the cave with his band of warriors, communitas was created. When Moses and the Israelites wandered the wilderness for 40 years, communitas was created. The exile formed communitas. Jesus and the 12 disciples were a journey of communitas, so was the group of 70.
The Church in the west is in big, big trouble. The Church is fine in the east. The early church and the Chinese church grew exponentially (BOOM!) despite their persecution. Mission is risky. If you create a community that avoids all risk, the people are stifled.
In trying to reach men particularly, we can learn from this. We can journey together. C.S. Lewis says, “Women are face-to-face creatures, and men are side-by-side creatures.” There is something about a bonding experience that we can learn from, experiences like Habitat for Humanity.
Creating artificial environments at church do not prepare people to cope with the rest of the week. Middle class has an obsession with safety and security. The problem is that we undermine our ability to engage the real world. No wonder we form religious enclaves. We easily forget the good things that God has done for us when we are in a safe zone.
The Barna Group released an interesting study this morning exploring how faith varies by church size. Surprisingly, there is a significant difference between the average faith of big churches versus small churches. The only factor that did not vary by church size was whether a church attendee had prayed during the past week.
The tipping point for religious differences seems to be at a church size of 200 adult attendees. However, house churches (roughly 20 adults) have religious beliefs and behaviors more similar to those of large conventional churches of 500 rather than conventional churches of less than 50.
Big Church (1000+) vs. Small Church (1-100) Faith
The Bible is totally accurate in all the principles it teaches.
75% big church
60% small church
I have personal responsibility to tell others my beliefs.
61% big church
41% small church
My religious faith is very important in my life.
90% big church
82% small church
Satan/devil is a living being not just a symbol of evil.
51% big church
30% small church
A good person cannot earn a place in Heaven.
55% big church
33% small church
On earth Jesus Christ did not commit sins, like other people.
74% big church
49% small church
God is the omnipotent, omniscient creator who rules all.
90% big church
81% small church
In addition the study discovered that adult attendees of large churches are more likely than adult attendees of small churches to read the Bible, volunteer at church, be a college graduate, be affluent, and have kids. For more statistics, read The Barna Group’s article.
Boys are different than girls. As previously discussed, boys prefer a dramatically different learning environment and style than how girls prefer to learn.
The social preferences of boys and girls are also sharply contrasted according to new brain scan research from the National Institute of Mental Health. TIME summarizes the research nicely. Essentially, girls want one-on-one close friendships, and boys prefer to interact in groups.
As girls progress from early puberty to late adolescence, certain regions of their brains become more active when they face a potential social interaction. Specifically, when an older girl anticipates meeting someone new — someone she believes will be interested in her — her nucleus accumbens (which is associated with reward and motivation), hypothalamus (associated with hormone secretion), hippocampus (associated with social learning) and insula (associated with subjective feelings) all become more active. By contrast, boys in the same situation show no such increase in activity in these areas. In fact, the activity in their insula actually declines.
This research combined with our knowledge of gender learning preferences, gives insight into how we can create youth ministries that maximize both a teen’s learning and social enjoyment.
For Boys:
So when teaching boys, keep the group large but controllable (i.e., 12-24 boys) and in even numbers for team competition. Stand and move around while speaking forcefully and realistically. Allow the boys to occasionally move and keep the room at 69 degrees Fahrenheit. Use cooler colors in your environment and teaching. Play sports and competitive games, so the boys can naturally bond via social competition.
For Girls:
So when teaching girls, keep the group very small and intimate and allow for one-on-one interaction or even mentoring. Sit in a circle with the girls and speak descriptively and in a nurturing tone. Keep the room at 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Use lots of colors, particularly warmer colors, and use visual and/or tactile textures. Create a secure yet stimulating environment where they can feel comfortable in taking risks that you encourage them to take.
For Discussion: - If you teach kids and youth, what has your experience taught you about their preferences?
The New York Timesrecently reported on the growing trend of parents in prison and how it is affecting their children. In the United States, roughly 1.5 million children have a parent in prison.
How it affects poor urban children…
6% chance of becoming homeless
(versus 3% without a parent in prison)
More aggressive behavior like hitting others and destroying objects
(49% of 5-year-old boys versus 38% without a parent in prison)
More likely to experience feelings of depression, isolation, or anxiety
(35% versus 28% without a parent in prison)
Prison statistics claim that 1 in 99 Americans are in prison. We cannot forget that prison ministry is not simply about reaching those in prison but reaching their families, particularly their children, as well. Angel Tree is an example of one ministry that is serving these kids.
For Discussion: - What are some other effective ministries or methods that you have seen reach prisoners’ families?
95% attended church regularly during elementary school
95% attended church regularly during middle school
>> 40% first had doubts about the Bible in middle school
55% attended church regularly during high school >> 43.7% first had doubts about the Bible in high school
11% attended church regularly during college >> 10% first had doubts about the Bible in college
Oddly, the study discovered that those who attended Sunday school (61%) are actually more likely than non-attendees (39%):
to not believe that all the accounts and stories in the Bible are true
to doubt the Bible because it was written by men
to defend keeping abortion legal
to accept the legalization of gay marriage
to believe in evolution
to believe that good people don’t need to go to church
Clearly, most children’s ministries are failing at producing long-term disciples. So what will it take to change this?
On the one hand, I believe that every children’s ministry can absolutely improve what they do. There is always room for improvement, but I also think these failed children’s ministries are the byproduct of failed churches.
If you want to reach and disciple children, you must reach and disciple their parents. Church going kids spend only 1% of their time at church, 20% at school, 30% sleeping, and much of the rest watching TV and playing. Children’s ministers can determine the 1%, but it is the parents who have the power to decide what reaches their kids during the other 99%. If you disciple the parents, you disciple the kids.
For Discussion: - How can children’s ministries better disciple kids in the Sunday school classroom?
- How can churches better train parents to disciple their kids during the rest of the week?
According to the Barna Group, half of Americans say they know a growing number of people who are tired of the usual type of church experience. The statistics are even higher among blacks (59%) and Hispanics (58%).
Keep in mind, one dissatisfied man’s “typical church experience” may be another dissatisfied man’s dream church. However, this important trend should not be taken lightly. Half of Americans perceive the number of people who are tired of typical church experiences is growing.
And 64% of Americans are completely open to carrying out and pursuing their faith in an environment or structure that differs from that of a typical church.
So what is “typical church?”
And how can the global Church reach the dissatisfied?
