Why Are Young Christians Leaving the Church in Such Large Numbers?

John H. Armstrong December 27th, 2010

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In a recent provocative article by Drew Dyck, a manager in the Church Ministry Media Group at Christianity Today, there are alarming indications that young adults are leaving the church in record numbers. Some question this type of data but increasingly it seems to be beyond dispute. (I have rarely heard discussion of the fact that only 10% of the population attended church in 1800 before the campus revivals of New England and the Second Great Awakening!)

There are some … (Read More)

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Why Christians (Don’t) Give

John H. Armstrong November 22nd, 2010

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It was the title that initially captured my interest. One of the authors, Dr. Christian Smith, is a noteworthy teacher at Notre Dame whose previous books have caught my attention. His newest book, Passing the Plate: Why American Christian's Don't Give Away More Money, co-written with Michael O. Emerson and Patricia Snell, is truly worthy of the interest of all church leaders. After the book was released Christian Smith did an interview with Ministry & Lea … (Read More)

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How Other Worldly Should I Be?

John H. Armstrong October 18th, 2010

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It seems to me that much of the emphasis of evangelicals on piety and Christian living is rooted in a false dichotomy, or dualism. Spirituality, at least the way I learned about it, meant to withdraw from the world. And devotional life, or quiet time as we call it, means to get my battery charged so I can function in the world without being overwhelmed by it. The image is much like that of a modern battery-powered car. You plug it in overnight and then it runs for so ma … (Read More)

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What’s the Big Deal About Porn?

John H. Armstrong September 21st, 2010

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No subject makes me quite as uncomfortable to speak or write about as pornography. I suppose this is because I know the problem is so profoundly difficult yet I actually know so little about it. I have read very little on the subject and never attempted to counsel porn addicts. I have, rightly I think, preferred allowing those more skilled to help men in the grip of this mind-numbing, soul-destroying sin. I have known a few friends who've had serious struggles with … (Read More)

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The Power of Real Friendship in a Culture That Gives Us RentAFriend

John H. Armstrong July 12th, 2010

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The writer of Proverbs says "A friend loves at all times" (Prov. 17:17). The Scripture says so much about friendship that it is staggering really. I am thinking through a future book on friendship to follow my current writing on the relational Trinity and how we live life in the Triune God. Clearly friendship is important to a healthy life, spiritually and emotionally.

The apocryphal book of Sirach adds this rather amazing wisdom:

Let those who are friendly w … (Read More)

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Stuck On the Road to Adulthood: Mission and the Millennial Generation

John H. Armstrong June 1st, 2010

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A recent Sunday issue of the Chicago Tribune (May 23) ran a front-page feature on the Millennials that got my attention. For those who do not follow this generational descriptor the Millennials are the generation born between 1977 and 1998. The older Millennials came of age around 2000 (they were 23) and now include adults 33 years of age and under. There are 75 million Millennials in America! (There are only 51 million adults in Generation X, those born between 1965-19 … (Read More)

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