I’m back with this month's 4-1-1. Four links, 1 Quote and a Freebie.
This is my “other” newsletter for friends.
Every month, I clip around 40 articles and exciting things to try and boil it down to a few relevant ones for pastors, and this month, it was a real chore. So many intriguing things.
1.
If you aren’t reading Ryan Burge, you miss so much.
In fact, he posts so many things I can’t keep up. But in Graphs on Religion several caught my eye, especially this summary of findings from a recent report of college students. That may be paywalled but it is worth it. This post was on gender and sexual identity.
He cut the data to focus on 18-25-year-olds but ended up still with almost 40,000 students.
Admittedly, not everyone in that age range is a student these days, but these young people set the tenor for decades to come.
A few highlights in this post – for all the hew and cry and alarmism, over 98% of them identified as either male or female.
And on gender identity – see this chart summary:
But look at it by religious tradition:
Again, read the whole thing.
2.
Benj Miller writes a five-day-a-week email over at The 261. (for business types)
I read it almost every day. Here’s a quote from September 19 edition:
Three important takeaways from talking with them over the last several months (that we all need reminding of):
1. On the other side of pain and challenge, everything becomes an opportunity. You get to control your perspective.
2. Imposter syndrome never goes away. Learn how to turn down the volume on it.
3. Being a leader at a high-level naturally invites chaos. Leading is rarely about eliminating chaos, but learning how to operate at the high-level no matter what circumstances are in play.
I think that’s true of pastors as well.
3.
Jessica Grose wrote a series of opinion pieces in the New York Times about religion over the summer.
This one asks – Is it possible that I am just not a joiner?
But this quote stood out:
In 2011, Pew Research reported that “75 percent of Americans are active in one kind of group or another.” In 2019, Pew reported that 57 percent of Americans “participate in some type of community group or organization.”
That ain’t just churches by the way.
I believe church membership is essential for believers. I even think it is important for non-believers! The bonds of community and society are formed in relationships with others.
But I do think some see themselves as “not joiners.” Part of our heavy lifting as church leaders is coaxing them into those community bonds.
4.
I know some have theological views on Sunday worship priority (or even Saturday), but this statistic haunts me:
“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on an average weekend day, 29 percent of the workforce is at work. Restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, and retail outlets are staffed each Sunday morning by a lot of people who might identify as Christian but who definitely won’t be at church that day.”
It haunts me because many church leaders believe everyone can come on weekends. It could explain why churches are doing okay with educated folks who work full-time but are having little success with those who have to work multiple jobs to get by.
That’s from this article in the Atlantic focused on church and political polarization.
Those links move frequently from locked to unlocked, but if you can’t read it and want to, send me a message.
1 Quote:
From Billy Oppenheimer’s Six at Six on Sunday:
“When I look closely at why people do the work they do, I find three layers of motivation. Layer 1 is intrinsic: the person simply likes doing what they do. Layer 2 is locally extrinsic: the people immediately around the person (family, friends, teammates, coaches, bosses, etc.) give them positive feedback. Layer 3 is broadly extrinsic: the broader world gives the person positive feedback. And when I look closely at people who are unhappy with their work, people who struggle with motivation, or people who aren’t performing to their fullest potential—it’s often because they are lacking one or more of those three layers.”
I think there is a lot there for pastors, executive pastors, and other leaders at a larger church team.
We need to find people that have a natural layer 1 – intrinsic. If they don’t have that, they are not to be hired.
Layer 2 is often up to us as leaders in their immediate work environment. We can’t influence much outside that.
Layer 3 means our mission and vision have to line up with theirs. Often when I see someone who is miscast on a church staff, the root of it is that they never really bought into the mission.
FREEBIES:
Announcement first - My consulting is sold out for the year. Slots open again in 2024.
If you want the 2023 pricing, even if you want to start in the first parts of 2024, get with me now, and let’s discuss. Just send me an email. The price is going up in 2024 for new clients.
I have compiled a version of all the Stay or Go content recently found in the Church Leader Insider into a convenient white paper document. If you want that free document, write me an email, and we will get it out to you.
It is an intense client-focused season, and I am on the road, but I will get the white paper to you if you request it.