QUOTE: “In today’s world, we look at our presidents, our prime ministers, our princes and our potentates, and we describe them as our leaders. But they’re not. They’re merely our rulers. The leaders are the people who change the minds and stimulate the imaginations of the public, whether children or adults. That means the moviemakers, the people who make TV shows, the entertainment people in the business. And that means that if you’re going to lead the world as the movie people and the TV people do, you’d better choose very carefully in what direction you’re going to lead.” —Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis [Focus on the Family daily broadcast, 5/7/08]

The Changing Church Landscape

By Eric Brown
The religious landscape continues to change. MSNBC recently had an interesting segment on a religious survey published in February 2008. The survey showed that religion shopping is becoming more prevalent as some religions are losing their holding power from one generation to the next. The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey spoke with over 35,000 Americans and the results paint a picture of a culture that is always on the move, changing religions as often as they change jobs. Here are some interesting stats from the report:

• 28% (1/4) of Americans left the religion of their childhood
• 51% are Protestants ‐ Protestants used to be the majority but they are slipping in their percentage.
• While nearly one‐in‐three Americans (31%) were raised in the Catholic faith, today fewer than one‐in‐four (24%) describe themselves as Catholic.
• 16.1% are unaffiliated with any religion and that number is climbing. More people are moving “in” to this unaffiliated category than “out” of it.

MSNBC also said that unaffiliated church goers claimed that they were looking for a religion that “met their needs”. In a day when religions are being redefined and reassigned, the constancy of a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is the only answer for those who are searching and undecided. Let’s introduce them to the “Ultimate Need Meeter”.

Source: www.MSNBC.msn.com Religions.pewforum.org/reports
[Eric Brown is the Word of Life missionary in northern New England.]