The troubling decline in SBC baptisms has entered its 7th year, per the 2013 Annual Church Profile. Kate Tracy with Christianity Today writes: According to a recent report by a special task force of pastors, the baptism drought in America's largest evangelical denomination—which counts 15.7 million members and 5.8 million Sunday worshipers—is worst among millennials. In last year's Annual Church Profile, 60 percent of the more than 46,000 churches in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) reported no youth baptisms (ages 12 to 17) in 2012, and 80 percent reported only one or zero baptisms … [Read more...] about Most Southern Baptist Churches Baptize Almost No Millennials
Why Aren’t College Graduates Ready for the Workforce?
Bentley University's PreparedU Project: Fifty-nine percent of business decision-makers and 54 percent of corporate recruiters give recent graduates a grade of C or lower for preparedness in their first job. Why? There's a disconnect between business decision-makers and corporate recruiters in what it means to be prepared. Students define preparedness as “being prepared in general.” Business decision-makers and corporate recruiters define preparedness more specifically: work ethic, adaptability, a good attitude, respectfulness and maturity. Six in ten business leaders give … [Read more...] about Why Aren’t College Graduates Ready for the Workforce?
Under 40? Got Student Debt? Good Chance You’re Poor
Walter Hamilton writing for the LA Times: College graduate heads-of-household under 40 with student debt have a median net worth of only $8,700, according to the analysis by the Pew Research Center. That’s a fraction of the $64,700 the same group without college loans is worth. They're not all drowning in student debt--the median student debt for this group is about $13,000--it's that "because of the other loans they’ve taken out, the median total indebtedness of college graduates under 40 with student loans is $137,010...compared to $73,250 for their counterparts with no college debt." … [Read more...] about Under 40? Got Student Debt? Good Chance You’re Poor
The Scandal of College Presidential Pay
Avi Snyder, commenting on the huge salary of Ohio State University's former President Gordon Gee: According to the Chronicle of Higher Education's recently released salary survey, Gee isn't an outlier. While perpetually-increasing tuition squeezes family income and puts a college education out of reach for many, the median compensation for public (i.e. heavily taxpayer-funded) college presidents is $478,896--higher than the base salary of the President of the United States. Obscene is too kind a word. Read the whole thing, which goes on to praise Purdue University president Mitch Daniels … [Read more...] about The Scandal of College Presidential Pay
Student Debt Levels Rising Faster Than Salaries
Vox reports: In the last decade, "the share of 25-year-old graduates with debt has grown from around 25 percent to nearly 45 percent." And check out the average debt load of a 25 year old, in 2014 dollars: Couple that with stagnant wages and you have a serious problem. Read the whole thing. … [Read more...] about Student Debt Levels Rising Faster Than Salaries
What Are Some of the Key Issues Facing Youth Ministry Today?
A great discussion between David Plant, director of youth ministry at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City; Cameron Cole, director of youth ministries at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama; and Liz Edrington, who is pursuing her master's degree in counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. HT: Collin Hansen, who has more info. … [Read more...] about What Are Some of the Key Issues Facing Youth Ministry Today?