American Church in Crisis : Groundbreaking Research Based on a National Database of over 200,000 Churches

by David T. Olson

• ISBN13: 9780310277132
• ISBN10: 0310277132
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-03-01
• Publisher: Zondervan

Summary

Groundbreaking research based on a national database of over 200,000 churches reveals that the overall population growth rate far outpaces the church's rate of growth. The director of the American Church Research Project, David Olson, has analyzed church attendance patterns, showing that they are virtually unchanged since 1990, while our population has grown by fifty-two million people.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 8
Acknowledgments	p. 9
List of Figures	p. 10
List of Abbreviations	p. 14
Introduction: Why Examine the American Church?	p. 15
Observation
How Many People Really Attend Church?	p. 23
The Trajectory of the American Church	p. 33
The Millennium Effect	p. 47
The Church's Remarkable Regional Landscape	p. 61
"Poor, Uneducated, and Easy to Command"	p. 81
Denominational Winners and Losers	p. 92
Evaluation
The Survival of the Species	p. 117
Why Established Churches Thrive or Decline	p. 129
In the Birthing Room of the American Church	p. 142
Introspection
Cultural Change in America	p. 161
Sober Reflections on the Future of the American Church	p. 174
What Is the American Church to Do?	p. 185
Action
The Message of Jesus	p. 193
The Mission of Jesus	p. 200
The Message and Mission of the Church	p. 208
The Restoration of the American Church	p. 220
Notes	p. 225
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.