Alex Chediak

Helping young adults thrive at college and beyond

Header Right

Practical Ministry

Are Younger Evangelicals (Slowly) Joining the Sexual Revolution?

by

It's commonly believed that young Christians are frustrated with the church's "outdated" views on sex and marriage. But when you survey those who actually attend church weekly (rather than merely identify themselves as "Baptist" or "Presbyterian"), you find: Only 11 percent of young, religiously active evangelicals actively expressed support for same-sex marriage. (Compared  to a strong majority of their non-believing peer group.) Approximately 6 percent of  young, religiously active evangelicals expressed support for abortion rights. (Compared to 70 percent in their non-believing peer … [Read more...] about Are Younger Evangelicals (Slowly) Joining the Sexual Revolution?

The Pastor’s Kid – Barnabas Piper

by

I've not yet seen The Pastor's Kid: Finding Your Own Faith and Identity by Barnabas Piper, which releases today. But having spent a few years as one of 25 or so apprentices at Bethlehem Baptist Church, I'm intrigued by a book which (among other things, I'm sure) gives perspective on what it was like growing up in the Piper household. Today Jonathan Merritt posts an interview with Barnabas. Here's an excerpt: RNS: What was the biggest negative you experienced growing up in the Piper household? Greatest positive? BP: The biggest negative was not connecting with God in a personal way. My … [Read more...] about The Pastor’s Kid – Barnabas Piper

Most Southern Baptist Churches Baptize Almost No Millennials

by

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

Under 40? Got Student Debt? Good Chance You’re Poor

by

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