HELL & Younger Britons (Gen Z & Millennials) more likely to believe in damnation, than do Boomers study finds.

by Harriet Sherwood, The UK Guardian Newspaper, 5/18/23.

… generation Z and millennials in the UK are significantly more likely to believe in hell than baby boomers, according to a new study by the Policy Institute at King’s College London.

Younger people are also more likely to believe in life after death than older generations, despite being less religious generally.

The findings are part of the World Values Study, one of the largest academic social surveys in the world, which has been running for more than 40 years.

According to its data, just under half (49%) of Britons said they believed in God, down from 75% in 1981. Only five countries – Norway, South Korea, Japan, Sweden and China – are less likely to believe in God than the UK. The Philippines topped the league table, scoring 100%.

Belief in heaven among the UK public has also fallen, from 57% in 1981 to 41% last year. But belief in hell and in life after death has remained largely consistent, at 26% and 46% respectively.

When broken down by age, 32% of those under the age of about 40 said they believed in hell, compared with 18% of those aged between 59 and 77. Belief in life after death was 51-53% for younger generations, compared with 35-39% for older people.

“Our cultural attachment to organised religion has continued to decline in the UK – but our belief that there is something beyond this life is holding strong, including among the youngest generations,” said Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute.

“While the youngest generations continue to have lower attachment to formal religion, many of them have similar or even greater need to believe that there is ‘more than this’.”

Duffy said that “cultural Christianity” had significantly declined among people born in the UK, although “globally, religion is still a growth market”.

Britons are among the least religious of all countries in the survey, with the 24-country league table topped by Nigeria, Indonesia, the Philippines, Iran, Greece and Poland. In the UK, one in three said they were a “religious person”, 46% said they were not religious, and 21% said they were atheist – up from 4% in 1981.

ReMIX & Among U.S. Latinos, Catholicism Continues to Decline but Is Still the Largest Faith. Latinos who identify as Protestants – including evangelical Protestants – has been relatively stable. #PewResearch

by JENS MANUEL KROGSTAD, JOSHUA ALVARADO AND BESHEER MOHAMED, Pew Research, 4/13/23

… As of 2022, 43% of Hispanic adults identify as Catholic, down from 67% in 2010. Even so, Latinos remain about twice as likely as U.S. adults overall to identify as Catholic, and considerably less likely to be Protestant. Meanwhile, the share of Latinos who are religiously unaffiliated (describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular”) now stands at 30%, up from 10% in 2010 and from 18% a decade ago in 2013. The share of Latinos who are religiously unaffiliated is on par with U.S. adults overall.

Chart shows Steady decline in share of U.S. Latinos who identify as Catholic

The demographic forces shaping the nation’s Latino population also have impacted religious affiliation trends. Young people born in the U.S. – not immigrants – have driven Latino population growth since the 2000s. Among U.S. Latinos ages 18 to 29, 79% were born in the United States.¹ About half (49%) of Latinos in this age group now identify as religiously unaffiliated. By contrast, only about one-in-five Latinos ages 50 and older are unaffiliated; most of these older Latinos (56%) were born outside the U.S.² Overall, 52% of Latino immigrants identify as Catholic and 21% are unaffiliated. U.S.-born Latinos are less likely to be Catholic (36%) and more likely to be unaffiliated (39%), according to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey of Latino adults.

Chart shows Young U.S. Hispanics are less Catholic and more likely to be religiously unaffiliated than older Hispanics

Protestants are the second-largest faith group after Catholics, accounting for 21% of Hispanic adults, a share that has been relatively stable since 2010. During this time, Hispanic Protestants consistently have been more likely to identify as evangelical or born again than to say they are not born again or evangelical.

ReMIX & Among U.S. Latinos, Catholicism Continues to Decline but Is Still the Largest Faith. Latinos who identify as Protestants – including evangelical Protestants – has been relatively stable. #PewResearch

by JENS MANUEL KROGSTAD, JOSHUA ALVARADO AND BESHEER MOHAMED, Pew Research, 4/13/23

COMMUNICATION & So Why Is Renaming the Church So Important? Check out a case study with transferable lessons by Missional Coach Tom Crenshaw.

What’s in a church name? Apparently, a lot if you are a member of the New Monmouth Baptist Church that is going through a “rebranding” of its name.

The church where I presently serve has been called New Monmouth Baptist Church since 1842, so why change the name now, some might ask.

That’s what I wanted to know, so recently I e-mailed a friend and church consultant who has been a mentor of mine as I have been undergoing training to become a church consultant.

My mentor, Dr. Bob Whitesel, who is a sought after speaker, church consultant and award winning writer of 14 books on missional leadership, holds two earned doctorates from Fuller Theological Seminary, so he has the back ground to address such questions as church name change.

In response to my question about name change, he has written an excellent article on the subject which you can access should you desire further information. You will find the link to his article below.

The idea of our changing the name of our church has unleashed a lot of strong emotions within our church family. “Why change the name now,” people ask? “We have been the New Monmouth Baptist Church since 1842.”

My response is that church names are important. They identify us. They help communicate our identity: what we believe, how we govern, how we worship.

Names are important in attracting people looking for a church.

There are many reasons for changing the name of a church, but the major one for many of us here in our church is our desire to reach our culture for Christ.

Plainly put, the word ‘Baptist’ has negative connotations for some people today. That is not to say that it doesn’t have some positive ones as well, for it does, especially if you live outside of the Baptist Belt, the area in the south where you will find a preponderance of large and vital Baptist churches.

However the Baptist church, like many denominations has been rocked by controversy of late and for many its image has been tarnished. For some, the word “Baptist” brings up the image of fire and brimstone preaching that many may not connect with who are in search of a church home.

While we call ourselves a Baptist church, we are presently non denominational. Twenty years ago, we left the Baptist denomination over our differences with some aspects of church government, however we continued to retain the name Baptist in our church name, even though we were no longer a Baptist church.

While we call ourselves the New Monmouth Baptist Church, we are no longer associated with the denomination, except for the fact that we do practice some Baptist beliefs-child dedication as opposed to infant baptism being one of the major ones.

Calling ourselves a Baptist Church when we are no longer a part of the Baptist denominations seems a little strange and confusing to me.

So why change now, one might ask? And the answer is because we desire to do what we can to attract unbelievers to Christ. We wish to eliminate any impediments that might prevent someone from walking through our doors and hearing the gospel that would change their lives.

Today’s younger culture generally reacts negatively to institutionalism, something that todays’ church denominations are quickly discovering. The majority of vibrant and fast growing churches in our country have eschewed their denominational identification and taken on names like Journey Church, The Point, Cornerstone, Crossroads, Calvary Chapel in order to eliminate denominational identification that might generate negative feelings for potential worshippers.

We want our church to be inviting, and while New Monmouth Church, the suggested new church name, may not be as exciting to some as some of the newer and more catchy church names, it presents a neutral identification that does not run the risk of creating negative reactions that would keep potential worshippers from stepping inside our church doors

It is true that many members have strong associations with their church name: “This is where I was baptized. This is where I met my wife, where my children came to know Christ, and where my life was changed. Because of these legitimate emotional ties, such people may harbor strong feelings when it comes to church name change.

But having said this, it is important to be reminded that as the church continues to struggle with a new and godless culture, we must be careful to do whatever we can to be as inviting and welcoming to the outside world, and that means we must be careful to eliminate any detriments for those looking to find a church home.

If changing the name of the church is done in the interest of reaching more people for Christ, I am in, and while I may have other names I would prefer, I will go along New Monmouth Church. I know the name is not catchy or flashy like some church names; in fact, it is pretty neutral, but it does represents who and what we are: a church located in New Monmouth.

As one of our pastoral staff reminds me, the early New Testament churches were called the Church at Philippi, the Church at Thessalonica, the Church in Colossae, and if it was good enough for these New Testament saints, it is good enough for me.

Maybe there are flashier names than New Monmouth Church, but as long as find Christ at the center, the church name will not cause me much concern.

For a more extensive and comprehensive perspective on church name change I would refer you to the following link written by my friend Dr Whitesel.
https://www.biblicalleadership.com/videos/how-changing-a-church-name-unleashes-emotions-and-guidelines-to-decide-if-you-should-change-it-part-2/

Yours in faith and friendship, Tom

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE & 4 things you should never do while chatting with ChatGPT.

by Chris Smith, BGR, 4/15/23.

Don’t share your personal data with ChatGPT

OpenAI gobbles up all the data it can in order to train ChatGPT. ChatGPT will also use the data you input into chats, so don’t make the mistake of including personal details in the conversation. All that gets saved, and ChatGPT’s privacy isn’t great right now. You can’t ask OpenAI to remove that data either, and you might never be able to.

Don’t install untrusted ChatGPT apps

… Various reports have detailed the ChatGPT-based malware attacks happening in the wild right now, and they all work similarly. Unsuspecting users believe they’re installing genuine apps and extensions on their computers. But they’re getting malware-laced fake ChatGPT apps that will steal their data.

Make sure you don’t install ChatGPT apps from untrusted sources. Check twice before you download and install anything on your machine.

Don’t forget to ask ChatGPT for sources

Speaking of checking things, make sure you always ask ChatGPT to provide sources for the claims it makes, complete with links. That way, you can ensure what ChatGPT tells you is accurate. As incredibly smart as the AI might be, it’s still unreliable. It makes mistakes when answering questions, and that’s something you should always remember.

Don’t forget about copyright laws

Since OpenAI fed ChatGPT lots and lots of data to train the large language model, the chatbot remembers everything. That includes material that might be copyright-protected. But in ChatGPT’s “eyes,” that won’t matter. The bot might spit out content from protected works word for word. And you won’t want to use the data ChatGPT generates word for word.

THEOLOGY & Protestants and Roman Catholics Agree There Is Only One Way to Heaven.

by Tom Crenshaw, Missional Coach, 4/28/23.

One of our church members recently handed me a reprinted article dated Nov. 3, 1999. It was from the Wall Street Journal, and it was titled “By Grace Alone.” In reading it, I discovered that Roman Catholics and Protestants are much closer theologically than I had ever imagined. Maybe it was my fault for not knowing what Pope Paul 11 had said in 1999 when he declared that Roman Catholics and Protestants share the same beliefs regarding justification by faith alone.

It was 504 years ago that that Roman Catholics and Protestants went their separate ways over the issue of how one enters heaven. It was Martin Luther who boldly proclaimed that it is faith alone that saves an individual and opens the door to eternal life. Prior to that time the Roman Catholic church had emphasized that it was not just one’s faith but a combination of one’s faith and good works that led to salvation. It is faith alone, or faith plus works that justifies a person and opens the doorway to eternal life?

When Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg, he sent spiritual shockwaves around the world. The Protestant church was birthed. It separated from the Roman Catholic Church over a number of issues, but foremost among them was the difference regarding the pathway to salvation. Now after 504 years of separation, the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Church are much closer theologically than I had imagined.

In 1999 at a conference between Protestant Lutherans and Roman Catholics the churches resolved their long standing debate over how one is saved. The Roman Catholic Church acknowledged that they were wrong in what they were teaching.

I quote from the Wall Street Journal, “The doctrine of works, Luther charged, had the effect of convincing bad people, abetted by the Catholic church’s then practice of selling indulgences, that they could buy their way into heaven. The Catholic Church put an end to indulgences in 1562 at the council of Trent. But the dispute over justification, and the Catholic Church’s official condemnation of Lutheran teaching, persisted until Sunday.”

On a Sunday 24 years ago, the Roman Catholic church under Pope Paul 11 “conceded the theological debate to Luther: agreeing that it is by grace alone, in faith in Christ’s saving work and not because of any merit on our part , we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit.”

This was a significant step in mending an important theological difference separating the two churches. At this conference in Augsburg, Germany it was announced that there was agreement between Protestants and Roman Catholics regarding how one enters heaven. It was declared that salvation is the result of faith, and faith alone, and not a combination of faith plus one’s works. This was a startling concession by the Roman Catholic Church.

I share this because I recently was communicating with a Roman Catholic friend of mine who was upset by a comment I had made in quoting Isaiah 64:6 which states “all our good works are as filthy rags.” I was making the point that no matter how good our good works may be, they will never be good enough to open the doorway to heaven.

Our good works have nothing to do with our salvation. They are simply a product of our salvation. Our good works spring from our understanding and acceptance of God’s amazing grace that saves sinners such as you and I. When we realize what Christ did for us on the cross, we desire to show our love for Him by serving Him by serving others.

It has been said that the only good work that saves is the good work that was done for us upon the cross.

What good work could the penitent thief do on the cross that might save him. The answer is none. His hands and feet were nailed to a cross, and there was nothing he could accomplish that could earn his way into heaven. So helplessly, he tuned to Jesus saying, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). And Jesus turned to him and said, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Luther and Pope Paul 11 were right. There is only one way to heaven and that is through “faith alone, by grace alone, through Christ alone. If you haven’t made that decision, and if you are trusting in your own efforts and your good works to help get you into heaven, stop trying and start trusting, and simply put your faith in Christ alone for your salvation.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

It is true that “faith without works is fruitless, but it is also true that works without faith is rootless.”

ATTENDANCE & Religious attendance is shrinking but those who remain are happy. #RNS #PRRIstudy

by Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service, May 16, 2023

In the PRRI study, 57% of Americans say they seldom or never attend religious services. Among those who do, 89% said they were proud to be associated with their congregation.

… A shrinking number of Americans — 16% — say religion is the most important thing in their lives, down from 20% in 2013. And nearly 3 in 10 — or 29% — say religion is not important to them at all, up from 19% 10 years ago. Those are among the findings in a new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute on religion and congregations fielded in 2022 and published Tuesday (May 16).

The survey of 5,872 American adults finds that 57% seldom or never attend religious services (compared with 45% in 2019). And some of those who do are restless. The survey finds that 24% of Americans said they now belong to a religious congregation other than the one they grew up in; that’s up from 16% in 2021.

But among those who remain churchgoers, there’s a happier story, too.

Most churchgoers across Christian traditions — 59% — have attended their current church for more than 10 years, revealing remarkable stability.

"Religious Attendance 2013-2022, by Religious Afiliation" Graphic courtesy PRRI

An overwhelming number of regular attenders — 82% — say they are optimistic about the future of their congregation. And a whopping 89% say they are proud to be associated with their church.

“What struck me about the findings is the paradox,” said Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI. “We see continued declines in the role of religion. But for those who attend regularly they seem pretty happy and satisfied, even proud of their congregations.”

Just published today! HOW CHANGING A CHURCH NAME UNLEASHES EMOTIONS & Guidelines to Decide if You Should Change It & 5 Characteristics of a Good Name (Part 2)

Download the article here … https://restpack.io/api/html2pdf/v7/convert?access_token=Pj9XqCU0Bk05YNBYvMK2WWEY9AJhPGdi1IGCyXOwXIsxHksa&url=https%3A//www.biblicalleadership.com/videos/how-changing-a-church-name-unleashes-emotions-and-guidelines-to-decide-if-you-should-change-it-part-2/%3Fprintable=pdf&filename=How%20changing%20a%20church%20name%20unleashes%20emotions%20—%20And%20guidelines%20to%20decide%20if%20you%20should%20change%20it%20%28Part%202%29.pdf&pdf_page=Letter&pdf_margins=30px%2045px

More at … https://www.biblicalleadership.com/videos/how-changing-a-church-name-unleashes-emotions-and-guidelines-to-decide-if-you-should-change-it-part-2/

Find part 1 here … https://www.biblicalleadership.com/blogs/how-changing-a-church-name-unleashes-emotions-and-guidelines-to-decide-if-you-should-change-it-part-1/

CURE FOR THE COMMON CHURCH & A Lifeway Research study finds church growth requires active small groups, focused evangelism, and the assimilation of new believers.

Commentary by Dr. Whitesel: a few years ago, I wrote a book called “Cure for the Common Church.” And these were the exact same three elements of a healthy church that I found. Read this article for more insights on the importance of these three pillars of a healthy church.

By Marissa Postell Sullivan

The authority of Scripture is foundational to churches’ groups and discipleship strategies. More than 9 in 10 (97%) U.S. Protestant pastors say Scripture is the authority for their church and their lives, with 89% strongly agreeing. Meanwhile, 2% disagree, and 1% are not sure. Protestant pastors have consistently considered Scripture to be the authority for their church and their lives since Lifeway Research began asking this question in 2008.

Even as pastors hold on to the authority of Scripture, it has become increasingly difficult for pastors to move worship attendees into small groups where they’ll study Scripture. On average, Protestant churches say 44% of their current weekend worship attendees are involved in a small group, Sunday School or similar group, indicating a decline in average small group attendance since 2010 (49%).

… Mainline churches are also more likely to struggle with small group participation than evangelical churches. Pastors of mainline churches (28%) are more likely than evangelical pastors (21%) to report less than 25% of attendees involved in groups.

Commitments to Christ and continued discipleship

As churches have struggled to develop small group attendees, large numbers of new commitments to Christ are becoming less common. In the past 12 months, Protestant churches have seen an average of 15 new commitments to Christ. Churches are most likely to say they’ve seen one to four new commitments in the past year (29%). Around 1 in 5 say they have seen five to nine (21%) or 10-19 (20%) new commitments. Fewer are on the extremes of having no new commitments (17%) or 20 or more (13%). Compared to 2010, fewer churches today are seeing at least 20 new commitments in a year (20% v. 13%).

“Previous research has shown people who regularly attend groups share with others how to become a Christian and invite people to church more often,” McConnell said. “As we see less participation in groups, it is not surprising that churches see fewer people coming to Christ.”

… On average, 79% of new commitments to Christ become active in the life of the church. More than half of Protestant churches (56%) retained all new commitments. This indicates a slight improvement since 2008 when 51% of churches retained all new commitments.

Once again, mainline churches are more likely than evangelical churches to struggle to gain new commitments. Mainline pastors are more likely than evangelicals to report no new commitments (23% v. 15%).

Serving in the church and community

As pastors continue to report new commitments to Christ, 9 in 10 Protestant pastors say they are consistently hearing reports of changed lives in their church (90%), with 36% strongly agreeing. Around 1 in 10 disagree (10%). Another 1% are not sure…

The percentage of adults who attend church at least monthly and have regular responsibilities at the church varies greatly. On average, 42% of adults in Protestant churches volunteer regularly. Most churches say at least 20% of adults in their congregations serve regularly in the church. Around 1 in 4 pastors say 20-39% (28%), 40-59% (25%) or 60% or more (28%) of the adults in their churches volunteer regularly in the church. But 18% of pastors say less than 20% of adults in their churches regularly volunteer. That’s a substantial increase from the 13% of pastors who said the same in 2008.

LEADERSHIP FORESIGHT & 5 simple shifts to let go, learn faster, and thrive in the future of work.

by Heather McGowan and Chris Shipley, Fast Company Magazine, 5/8/23.

… McGowan and Shipley share five key insights from their new book, The Empathy Advantage: Let Go, Learn Fast, and Thrive in the Future of Work. Listen to the audio version—read by McGowan—in the Next Big Idea app.

1. Shift your perspective: your workforce is now empowered

… We are experiencing the attitudinal shifts that come with generational changes in the composition of the workforce… These trends combine to give workers power and agency in all aspects of their working lives.

2. Shift your mindset: you work for them

Increases in employee turnover, a lack of engagement, and a rise in disengagement are often collectively framed as employee dissatisfaction—in other words, “their fault.” In reality, these are leadership failures: Leaders must adapt and make fundamental shifts to their leadership approach. The first shift is from managing people and processes to enabling success. The team doesn’t work for you; you work for them. Your success depends on their success.

3. Shift your culture: peers as collaborators

…Today you are likely managing a team of people who have skills and knowledge that you do not. Furthermore, each team member likely has unique skills and knowledge that are not duplicated across the team. You need to create a culture in which your team sees peers as collaborators who make them stronger rather than competitors they must beat.

FORESIGHT (5 YEAR HORIZON) & A.I. will cause ‘significant labor-market disruption’ over next 5 years, says World Economic Forum. #LeadershipForesight #DMin #Cohort

by BRYCE BASCHUK and BLOOMBERG, Forbes Magazine, 4/30/23.

… The emergence of AI applications like ChatGPT, which uses machines to simulate human reasoning and problem solving, will have a particularly pronounced impact by displacing and automating many roles that involve reasoning, communicating and coordinating, the report said.

Some 75% of surveyed companies said they expect to adopt AI technologies over the next five years, which they predict will eliminate up to 26 million jobs in record-keeping and administrative positions — think cashiers, ticket clerks, data entry and accounting. The WEF study surveyed more than 800 companies that collectively employ 11.3 million workers across 45 economies from all over the world.

TEAM BUILDING & How 14 Agencies Break Down Silos To Boost Cross-Team Collaboration.

by Forbes Expert Council, Forbes Magazine, 4/10/23.

…Below, 14 Forbes Agency Councilmembers explore the measures their agencies are taking to encourage collaboration among different departments.

1. Hosting Knowledge-Sharing Lunches

“Share-and-learn” lunches between departments. – Louise Mezzina, Mojo

4. Creating An Onboarding Boot Camp

Each week, for a half day, we gathered all team members together to train on roles and responsibilities, processes and host team-building activities. – Korena Keys, KeyMedia Solutions

6. Promoting A ‘One Team’ Mentality

To break down silos, we have adopted a “one team” mentality and work daily to form integrated teams and include people from different departments to contribute to brainstorms, strategy sessions and training. We also incorporate Insights Discovery training where people learn more about their own communications preferences and how to work with opposite preferences to form the strongest teams. – Rebecca Hall, Idea Hall

7. Using Slack For Collaboration

Slack is a great tool to help break down silos and promote cross-team collaboration. By bringing all employees under one umbrella, it creates a feeling of unity and encourages communication. This helps foster a sense of belonging to a larger team, rather than just subteams. – Bryanne DeGoede, BLND Public Relations

8. Incorporating Checks And Balances Into Our Workflow

The major component of my agency’s cross-team collaboration mojo lies in our workflow operations—we always make sure that someone from each of our writing, editing and client relations departments puts eyes on key deliverables, whether they’re for our media partners or our clients. This acts as a system of checks and balances that allows us to both support and optimize each other’s work. – Nicole Rodrigues, NRPR Group, INC

9. Having Cross-Team Meetings

We have a cool weekly meeting where teams can cross-share information. We also have our “PaperStreet Day,” where teams try to work on each other’s projects and help. A better understanding of what a developer, designer, writer or marketer has to do makes the work go more smoothly in the future. – Peter Boyd, PaperStreet Web Design

10. Rotating Positions To Expand Skill Sets

We practice job rotation by regularly transitioning employees between different roles so they get exposure to various departments and can expand their skill sets. It works, as we have strategists manage video projects, designers take part in qualitative research and so on. I see the passion that it inspires, plus people delight in discovering they have capabilities they weren’t aware of. – Tom Silva, Silva Brand

12. Doing Weekly Joint Training Sessions

Every Wednesday, our entire team joins a joint training session. Sometimes these focus on SEO training, while other times they focus on content strategy, content development or Web design. Other times, we discuss new standardized processes. And yet other times, we share decks from conferences at which we’ve spoken. This approach to training helps to align our collective understanding and knowledge. – Tom Shapiro,Stratabeat

14. Doing A 10-Minute Daily Huddle

10Fold’s daily huddle spans across five offices, five practice groups (including digital) and our operations team. This 10-minute meeting is used to update everyone on agency news, solve persistent challenges, discuss industry events and celebrate wins and outstanding performance. Alignment comes from collaborating in the meetings and hearing the same message at the same time. – Susan Thomas, 10Fold Communications

WORK FROM HOME & Why leaders who see remote work as a perk have it all wrong.

by Levin Winse, Fast Co. Magazine, 4/3/23.

… Today’s average worker craves flexibility. Even if they don’t want to work exclusively from the comforts of their own home—or even at city cafes or beachside Airbnbs—they at least want to have the option to work remotely part time. This type of flexibility is rapidly becoming something that today’s tech workers won’t compromise on.

Of course, Elon Musk revealed what’s likely behind many executives’ fear of remote work in a tweet responding to critics of his return-to-office policy at Tesla over the summer, stating “they should pretend to work somewhere else.”

Every white-collar professional reading this understands the massive misconception about tech workers seeking flexibility and remote work options. The vast majority of professionals aren’t interested in finding a way to slack off at work—in fact, it’s quite the opposite. By eliminating time-eating commutes and minimizing in-office distractions, workers are able to make the most of their work hours while also knowing they won’t miss their evening workout or family dinner due to crazy traffic.

… Remote work opens up cross-border work opportunities, empowering companies to recruit new talent from across the globe, further emphasizing the disadvantage that anti-remote work companies are creating for themselves.

For small startups, isolated teams, or branches, selecting a remote work model could make sense from a purely financial standpoint, too. Companies can save almost $6,000 per employee annually by shutting down or downsizing physical offices, according to a Lemon.io report. These savings don’t even begin to factor into the money saved on utilities, maintenance, office supplies, and equipment. And let’s not forget snacks, coffee, and tea, which adds up to another $1,300 per employee.

PASTORAL MINISTRY & Majority of pastors love to preach but few like counseling and discipling believers: #BarnaResearch

Commentary by Dr. Whitesel: pastors often feel called to the ministry because of a desire to teach. There’s nothing wrong with that. But what theologians regard as the “goal” of the Great Commission, such as making disciples and sharing the good news (Matt. 28:18-20), must be built into the team you create, so these important goals are not neglected.

by Leonardo Blair, The Christian Post, 4/28/23.

.,. Barna, an Evangelical polling organization, included the data in an excerpt from its new “Resilient Pastor” series, part of the larger Resilient Pastor initiative available only on Barna Access Plus.

Just 8% of senior pastors said they most enjoy “discipling believers,” while “developing other leaders” and “practical pastoral care” for congregants, like visiting the sick or elderly, were tied for third place with 7% of the votes each.

Six percent said “emotional or spiritual pastoral care” like counseling was their favorite part of the job, while 4% ranked organizing meetings or events as their favorite activity.

Only 3% ranked “evangelizing or sharing the Gospel” as the top thing for them to do as pastors.

Carey Nieuwhof, a former lawyer and founding pastor of Connexus Church in Ontario, argued in a recent report that the Church today is getting discipleship wrong and that the concept of discipleship has lost its original meaning.

“Discipleship is the refining process by which a Christian becomes more like Jesus in their day-to-day life,” Nieuwhof wrote. “We ‘make disciples’ by encouraging other people [to] follow Jesus’ example set forth in Scripture. It’s not a formula or step-by-step plan. Eugene Peterson referred to discipleship as a ‘long obedience in the same direction.'”

Nieuwhof shared what he considers seven truths about authentic discipleship, including that discipleship is linked to evangelism and that “you can’t be a disciple without being an evangelist.”

FUTURE THINKING & Why LQ Matters More Than IQ In Today’s Fast-Changing World. #LeadershipForesight

by Aliza Knox, Forbes Magazine, 3/31/23.

“Tomorrow’s illiterate will not be the man who can’t read; he will be the man who has not learned how to learn.“ –Future Shock, 1970, by Alvin Toffler

These words, written by the late author and futurist Toffler, were eerily prescient—and they point to a type of intelligence in high demand today: LQ or “learning quotient.”

You’ve heard of IQ, maybe taken a test or two somewhere along the way. In 2005, EQ, or “emotional quotient,” became the “hot” type of intelligence to have. An idea popularized by Daniel Goleman in his bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, EQ is the ability to connect with others and “read” the room, among other things…

What is LQ? The ability to learn new skills, be open to new ways of doing things, and tackle tasks that were either outside your area of interest or simply didn’t exist in the past. Think: training teams to work with AI. A recent article in the career newsletter WorkLifedescribed learning quotient like this: “Essentially, it’s a measure of adaptability and one’s desire and ability to update our skills throughout life.”

Desire is key. As with EQ, LQ can be developed over time. We can improve our ability to learn, and continue to do so as we age. Lifelong learning is not a new idea, but it has taken on a new urgency as innovations like ChatGPT are poised to dramatically transform so many industries and careers. Indeed, lifelong learning is a key part of having a growth mindset, the belief that your talents and abilities can be further developed—and the will to actively seek new opportunities to learn.

Lengthening careers contribute to our need for LQ. As Laura Carstensen, the founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, has put it, “In this era of very, very long life, learning is going to have to be continuous.” As it turns out, we have to not only learn new skills, but also unlearn old ways of doing things.

DENOMINATIONS & Americans’ favorable/unfavorable views on 35 religious groups, organizations and belief systems. #ChurchNameChange

Commentary by Dr. Whitesel: people often ask me about the value of changing a church’s name. I explain that there are three things to consider:

Communicating a positive image is one of the signs of a healthy church (according to the American Congregations Survey of 30,000 churches). If the name helps, that is good.
At the same time changing the name won’t help, if you don’t change the church’s personality towards outsiders.
But, if your name includes a denominational affiliation which does not have a high positive regard, then you should think about eliminating the name with low positive regard. Below is research that shows the positive regard of Americans towards different religious groups and beliefs systems.

Americans’ views on 35 religious groups, organizations, and belief systems

by Taylor Orth, YouGOV America, 12/23/22

A recent YouGov poll explores Americans’ attitudes toward 35 religious groups, organizations, and belief systems. Belief systems that encompass the largest shares of Americans — including Christianity, Catholicism, and Protestantism — are among the ones the most Americans view favorably. Viewed least favorably are Satanism and Scientology.

The poll asked 1,000 respondents whether they viewed a random sample of 17 of the 35 religions or groups very favorably, somewhat favorably, neither favorably nor unfavorably, somewhat unfavorably, or very unfavorably; respondents also could select “not sure” instead of any of these. To produce a net score for each religion or group, we subtracted the share who said they view each one unfavorably from the share who said they view it favorably.

INNOVATION & How the “Hype Cycle” depicts why new ideas will first lead to inflated expectations, then disillusionment, but eventually to productivity if you stick with it (plus find a story).

By Shane Snow, Forbes Magazine, 3/24/23.

… The research firm Gartner has a chart that describes this exact pattern that frequently happens when new innovations hit the market. It’s called The Hype Cycle:

…

This is where leadership needs to step in.

In both the Inflated Expectations and Disillusionment phases of the Hype Cycle, people make up stories based on limited information. For a new innovation to take hold sustainably, an industry needs information. Data points. Case studies. Education. Experience.

Often these things simply need time. But leaders of companies involved can accelerate the path to the Enlightenment phase by, well, enlightening people with this information as it comes about.

Shane Snow

The thing preventing the latest innovation from snapping perfectly into the market is often simply that it’s new. Users lack information on how to harness it. Smart processes, standardization, coordination, or business models that match the value the innovation can deliver are nascent or don’t exist yet.

I’m basically making a case for thought leadership to help you cross the chasm during the messy middle of the innovation cycle. Buzzwords (and great books) aside, the upshot is this:

If you want to show leadership during a crazy hype cycle, find the list of things that people are “not sure” about and provide them with answers.

3-STRand LEADERSHIP & Strategy Vs Tactics: What’s The Difference & How To Track Them.

by Sara London, Hive Magazine, 4/6/23.

What is a “strategy”?

… “Strategy” refers to an organization or project team’s overall plan of action to achieve a specific goal or objective. A strategy outlines a specific direction the team needs to take to reach their desired outcome. It is a high-level view of how the project will be executed and what resources will be required.

What are “tactics”?

… Tactics, on the other hand, are specific actions that are taken to implement the strategy. They are the practical steps that are taken to achieve the goals outlined in the strategy; the day-to-day activities that the team members carry out to move the project forward.

How to tackle your strategies and tactics

Setting out a strategy and listing tactics isn’t the end of your team’s journey – in fact, it’s only the beginning. The goals you make to achieve these things need consistent monitoring and tweaking in order to succeed to their fullest potential. By tapping into Hive’s tools, teams can leverage technologies in a centralized platform to collaborate and communicate as thoroughly as possible so their tactics are clear and their strategies succeed.

1. Tracking strategies

Once you have a strategy in mind, try making a high-level project plan that outlines the overall north star of the project. This plan should include the project’s goals, objectives, and key milestones. Integrations are also extremely helpful at a time like this; Hive’s Gantt chart feature helps visualize project timelines and really see how close you are to milestones in a pictographic format that’s easy to follow.

To ensure that your project’s strategy is effective, you should regularly review and evaluate it…

2. Taking stock of tactics

To ensure that you’re approaching your tactics in the most efficient manner possible, create a task list that outlines whatever specific actions need to be taken to achieve the project’s goals. You can break down the tasks into smaller, more manageable sub-tasks and assign them to team members (using Hive’s task management feature). You can also use Hive’s collaboration tools, such as comments and mentions, to keep everyone on the same page.

3. Aligning strategy and tactics to achieve success

Your strategy and tactics should be consciously aligned at all times – and with reporting features and team analytics, you can check in on your team’s synergy and performance as your strategy progresses. You can also use Hive’s customizable dashboards to visualize the data and get a real-time view of how the project is progressing.