News and Trends

The following is an excerpt from an Oct 2008 Mission America Newsletter.

email: info@missionamerica.org

internet: http://www.missionamerica.org

Mail: Mission America Coalition | P.O. Box 13930 | Palm Desert, CA 92255

---

Christian Marketplace Influencers
Executive Marketplace Intelligence for Ministry Decision Makers!

Time Magazine on Rick Warren Rick Warren says he and his staff have given "purpose-driven training" to 500,000 pastors worldwide, and that 1 out of 20 U.S. churches has done 40 Days of Purpose exercises. In all, says fellow mega-pastor Joel Hunter, Warren's is "easily the broadest and most influential church network in the world." He (Warren) got a conventional theology doctorate and an unconventional education from a friend, management guru Peter Drucker, who refined Warren's organizational gift and offered a secular vocabulary with which to express it." (Time 8/7/08)

Defining 'Evangelical' Ellison Research asked the average adult American what they believe is an "evangelical Christian." 36% said they had no idea. 18% said it is a Christian who tries to spread his or her faith. 9%: Christians particularly devoted or zealous about their faith (but not to the point of fanaticism) and totally sold-out to their beliefs. 8%: focused strongly on the Bible, believing in the Bible as God's inerrant word allowing it to guide their lives. 8%: saved by Christ, saved by grace, believe in a born-again experience, and believe in eternal life through Christ, among other theological definitions. 2% gave a dramatically off-base theological definition. 6%: conservative, ultra-conservative or radical right, anti-homosexual, Republican, highly involved in politics, etc. 5%: fanatical about their beliefs. 4%: closed-minded about religion. 3%: focus on money rather than God. 3%: want to impose their beliefs or standards on others. Researchers stressed almost half of Americans cannot give a definition of evangelical that has any substance to it. (The Christian Post 9/4/08)

Avoiding Dropout Further analysis of an earlier released LifeWay Research project on reasons 18-22-year-olds drop out of church finds these views together best predict a young person will stay in church:

• "I wanted the church to help guide my decisions in everyday life (prior to age 18)."
• "At age 17 my parents were still married to each other and both attended church."
• "The pastor's sermons were relevant to my life (prior to age 18)."
• "At least 1 adult from church made a significant investment in me personally and spiritually between the ages of 15 and 18." (LifeWay Research Insights 7/08)

Amish Growth In the last 16 years, the Amish population has nearly doubled, according to researchers from Elizabethtown College's Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. Over the same period, Amish settlements have been established in 7 new states (Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, Washington and West Virginia), putting them in at least 28 states. (The Associated Press)

Diverse Religion The U.S. is one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world with adherents from all of the world's major religions. A recent Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey finds the U.S. is on the verge of becoming a minority Protestant country for the first time in its history. The number of Americans who claim they are members of Protestant denominations is now barely 51% vs. more than 60% in the '70s and '80s. More than 25% of American adults have left the faith in which they were raised in favor of another or no religion at all. (The Pew Forum 8/20/08)

U.S. Religious Affiliations
Evangelical Protestant Churches 26.3%
Historically Black Churches 6.9%
Mormon 1.7%
Orthodox 0.6%
Jewish 1.7%
Muslim 0.6%
Other World Religions <0.3%
Unaffiliated 16.1%
Mainline Protestant Churches 18.1%
Jehovah's Witness 0.7%
Other Christian 0.3%
Buddhist 0.7%
Hindu 0.4%
Other Faiths 1.2%
Don't Know / Refused 0.8%
(The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, U.S. Religious Landscape 9/08)

Morality 55% of American adults discuss moral issues with others in a typical week. The Barna Group asked adults about 8 moral behaviors. Liberals were twice as likely as conservatives to participate in morally questionable activities. Evangelicals were the most likely to follow traditional morality, while atheists and agnostics most unlikely. While evangelicals averaged 6% participation in each of the 8 behaviors, skeptics averaged 29%. Within the Christian community, there were few differences between Protestants and Catholics in relation to moral behavior. George Barna says, "The consistent deterioration of the Bible as the source of moral truth has led to a nation where people become independent judges of right and wrong, basing their choices on feelings and circumstances." (The Barna Group 8/25/08)

Divine Intervention When it comes to saving lives, God trumps doctors for many Americans. A Univ. of Connecticut survey reveals widespread belief that divine intervention can revive dying patients. And, researchers said, doctors "need to be prepared to deal with families who are waiting for a miracle." 57% of randomly surveyed adults said God's intervention could save a family member even if physicians declared treatment would be futile. And nearly three-quarters said patients have a right to demand such treatment. When asked to imagine their own relatives being gravely ill or injured, nearly 20% of doctors and other medical workers said God could reverse a hopeless outcome. (The Church Report 8/20/08)

Digital World Internet Retailer reports, in early '07, 12% of all retail sales of consumer media products (books, music, video, etc.) were via e-commerce. This is twice the percentage of all retail products sold through e-commerce. (CBA Retailers+Resources 8/08)

Bible Sales In a bleak retail economy, including many independent Christian retail stores, Bibles continue to be one of the bright spots. Not only do Bibles remain the heart and soul of a Christian retailer's mission, but they also continue to be in strong demand. (Christian e-Tailing 8/21/08)

Pastor Pay Churches of 101 to 300 people weekly pay their senior pastor $72,664 annually, including benefits. Churches of 310 to 500 pay an average of $88,502, while those with 501 to 750 pay $102,623. On average, pastors who complete post-grad work earn $14,000 more than those with a master's and $24,000 more than those with a bachelor's. Presbyterian and Lutheran senior pastors earn the most: $100,751 and $100,593. (The 2009 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff)

Underpaid 51% of Americans feel they are underpaid for their work, finds a Gallup survey. 46% feel they are paid about the right amount, while 3% feel they are overpaid. Middle- and lower-income Americans are more likely to say they are underpaid. 62% of those making less than $75,000 a year agree vs. 38% of those making more than $75,000. 47% of men and 55% of women say they are underpaid. 51% of both whites and non-whites feel underpaid. Also, 49% of those with high school educations or less say they are underpaid vs. 52% of those with at least some college. (Pastors Weekly Briefing 8/22/08)

Childless The percentage of childless women in the U.S. who have reached the end of their child-bearing years has doubled from 10% to 20% in the last 30 years, reports the U.S. Census Bureau. The survey reports, "Women 40-44 will end their childbearing years with an average of 1.9 children each, a number below replacement-level fertility." This compares to 3.1 in '76. 36% of the women who gave birth in '06 were separated, widowed, divorced or never married. 5% were living with a partner. Most women who go on to post-secondary education wait until age 30 to 34 to have children. 27% of women with undergraduate degrees and upwards are childless. Only the U.S. Hispanic and Black populations are replacing themselves with an average of 2.3 and 2.0 children born per woman, making them the only stabilizing force in the population. At this rate, experts say, whites will be the U.S. minority by 2042. (LifeSite News 8/19/08)

Inappropriate A national survey shows more than a quarter of Christian women personally have experienced sexually inappropriate behavior, and a fourth of those said it happened in a church or ministry setting. Not all incidents reported fall under the legal definition of sexual harassment, i.e. "unwelcome attention due to one's gender." 53% who have experienced inappropriate behavior say they do not plan to report these instances to avoid stirring up controversy. Nonprofit attorney and CPA Frank Sommerville says, "Juries tend to award larger damages to victims of sexual harassment within churches, because they think a church should be a safe place." (Pastors Weekly Briefing 8/22/08)

Woman Power The economic power of women is huge: $3.7 trillion in consumer spending and $1.5 trillion in commercial spending each year. Women make most of the consumer decisions about everything, including more than 80% of big ticket decisions like automobiles and homes, as well as everyday decisions. Over 91 % of women feel advertisers don't understand them. 66% feel misunderstood by health care marketers, 74% by auto makers and 84% investment marketers. (American Marketing Association Newsletter 8/9/08)

Donors cite the #1 reason for ceasing their support is the way they were treated, from not being thanked to an avalanche of needy appeals. It is indeed cheaper to keep a customer/donor than to find a new one. Thank your donors 3 times as often as you appeal for donations. Make your thank-you message personal and show them their impact. (Network for Good Learning Center 8/14/08)

Young Adult Readers Up "There have been significant increases in sales of YA (young adult) books over the past several years," says Zonderkidz Marketing VP Alicia Mey. A Children's Book Council Sales Survey finds YA sales have increased from more than 13% in '01 to more than 34% in '05. Mey adds, "We know that in the Christian channel, teens want more books to meet their spiritual needs as well as their entertainment needs." An '06 Barna Group study says 66% of all born-again Christians make a profession of faith before age 18. Nelson, Zondervan, FaithWords, Multnomah and NavPress have all recently launched or beefed up their YA offerings. (Christian e-Tailing 8/26/08)

VeggieTales characters take to the stage this fall to perform for audiences nationwide during their 50-city, major-market VeggieTales God Made You Special, Live! Tour. Kicked off on Sept. 4 in Austin, TX, other cities include Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Boston, Minneapolis, Nashville, Orlando and Phoenix. (CBA Retailers+Resources Industry Brief 9/2/08)

Home-Schooled Students do just as well or better than their public school peers. They typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests, according to the National Home Education Research Institute. (chron.com 8/25/08)

Church Kids Get Better Grades Church attendance has as much greater effect on a teen's GPA than whether the parents earned a college degree. 7th to 12th graders who went to church weekly also had lower dropout rates and felt more a part of their schools. On average, students whose parents received a 4-year college degree average a GPA 0.12 higher than those whose parents completed only high school. Students who attend religious services weekly average a GPA 0.144 higher than those who never attend services, found the Univ. of Iowa study. Why do these students do better? • They have regular contact with role model adults from various generations. • Their parents are more likely to communicate with their friends' parents. • They develop friendships with peers who have similar norms and values. • They're more likely to participate in extracurricular activities. Other studies have shown regular church-goers breathe easier and live longer. Kids whose parents go to church are better behaved and more well-adjusted. Researchers cite the social-network and psychological benefits of churches. (CR Online 8/23/08)

Teens and Marriage Center for Law and Social Policy research finds almost 70% of white girls ages 15-19 who got pregnant in the first half of the '60s chose to get married. By the early '90s, that number had fallen to 19%. Among black teens, it fell from 36% to less than 7%. According to Time's 9/1/08 issue, 1 of every 3 mothers who gave birth in the past 12 months was unmarried, separated, divorced or widowed at the time. (pluggedinonline.com)

Economy Because of higher gas and food price concerns, 48% of U.S. consumers plan to reduce their household spending by more than $100. In addition, consumers will change where and how they shop. The number of people who shopped at club stores such as Costco, B.J.'s and Sam's Club increased 3.6% from 9/07 to 4/08. (Center for Media Research Brief 8/21/08

Debt Burden The average American household is now buried under mortgage debt of $84,911, car and tuition loans of $14,414, home equity loans of $10,062 and credit card debt of $8,565—in sum, outstanding debt totaling $117,952. Federal Reserve data says the average household savings this year are a mere $392. (AARP Bulletin 9/08)

U.S. Not Alone According to a Financial Times/Harris Poll, most people in France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain and the U.S. believe their economies are getting worse. Within the past year, 72% of British adults feel their household's economic well-being has become worse, compared to 56% of Germans and Americans. (Harris Poll Weekly 9/3/08)

Asian Americans Although Asians only represent 5% of the U.S. population, they are among the most educated and affluent U.S. consumers. Census Bureau data reveals the median age among Asian Americans is 34.8 vs. 36.2 for the total population. They spent $459 billion on products and services in '07. Direct-mail influences 22% of their product purchases. 48% have earned a bachelor's degree, and they earn an impressive median annual income of $63,900. They are also among the most active in the digital world. (Deliver Magazine Issue 4, Vol. 4, 9/08)

Wealthy The U.S. government estimates 20% of all U. S. households have an income of $100,000+, accounting for more than one half of the nation's household income. (Center for Media research Brief 9/19/08)

Spain's "Express Divorce" Law, which has facilitated the dissolution of marriages, has resulted in a divorce rate of 69%, that is, for every 4 marriages celebrated, 3 are broken. (LifeSite News 9/9/08)

Shower Your Pig According to Agence France-Presse, new legislation adopted in Switzerland spells out in detail how all domestic animals are to be treated. For example, live goldfish may not be flushed down the toilet but must be first knocked out and then killed before the body can be disposed. The law applies to pets, farm animals, wild animals in zoos/circuses and animals used in experiments. The law also bans catch-and-release fishing; stipulates that hamsters, sheep and goats should not live alone; and that pigs have the right to a shower. (worldnetdaily.com, news.com)

Global Warming Myth Contrary to major media reports, data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center finds a dramatic increase in sea ice extent in the Arctic regions. The growth over the past year covers an area of 700,000 square kilometers, an amount twice the size of Germany. With the Arctic melting season over for '08, ice cover will continue to increase until melting begins anew next spring. August '08 data indicates a total sea ice area of 5 million square kilometers, up 13% from a year ago. (Daily Tech 9/3/08)

Social Media Sleuths A new CareerBuilder.com survey finds 22% of all hiring managers have combed through social media profiles (mostly on LinkedIn and Facebook) to help evaluate potential hires, up from 11% in '06. (Online Media Daily 9/11/08)

Fast Facts:

• 31% of men who experience major depression have always attended religious services vs. 24% among those who have stopped attending.
• A Gallup Poll finds 66% of Americans said if they needed a mental health professional, they would prefer going to one with spiritual values and beliefs.
• More than 80% of Americans prefer to have their own values and beliefs integrated into their counseling process.
• 56% of Protestants and 62% of Catholics participated in at least some training in the past year. (LifeWay Research Insights 8/15/08)
• 50% of Americans know a member of the Christian clergy very well, while another 20% know one casually. (LifeWay Research Insights 8/15/08)
• An estimated 220,000 black students were home-schooled in '07, up from 84,000 in '99.
• About 78% of women use the Internet for product information before making a purchase.
• 77% of Hispanics have a bank account versus 98% of general market consumers.
• 72% of the general consumer market has a retirement account (including 401(k) and IRA) vs. just 4% of African Americans and 32% of Hispanics.
• Microsoft spends more than $8 billion per year on research and development.
• There have been 4.3 million births in the U.S. since '06 (latest data available). This is the highest birthrate since 1961.
• 14% of self-described evangelicals have no definition of what an evangelical is.
• 23% of pastors say their congregation has little or no security screening for the people working with young people.
• Barna Research reports there are 24 million teens in the U.S., and more than half attend a church on a weekly basis.
• An additional 31% of U.S. teens experiment with attending church but have not committed.
• 75% of teens discuss matters of faith with their peers.
• 33% of U.S. young people are members of Christian clubs at their high schools and colleges.
• 75% of U.S. young adults have participated in at least one psychic- or witchcraft-related activity during their teens.
• 94% of Millenials say they would accept a lower salary to work with a socially responsible company.
• Wal-Mart distributes 25% of America's newsstand products.
• Gallup data shows people who have TVs in their homes report greater well-being than do those who do not.
• On average, the effects of owning a TV are stronger in poorer as opposed to wealthier countries.
• Depression affects about 121 million people worldwide, 17 million in America.
• 30% of U.S. adults will experience depression at some point in their lifetimes.
• The World Health Organization predicts by 2020, depression will be second only to heart disease in its impact on global health.
• Food price inflation averaged just 2.3% from '96 to '06 vs. 6.1% from '07 to 6/08.
• A Nielsen Mobile study finds 1 in 5 U.S. wireless households could be wireless-only by the end of '08.

Information compiled and edited by Gary Foster, President of Gary D Foster Consulting, a firm that assists Christian ministries and product companies in solving management, marketing, donor/customer service and product development problems. Contact Gary at: 419.238.4082, GFosterCns@rmi.net or go to www.GaryDFoster.com.