Pastors

TO VERIFY …

A column of current statistics selected especially for Christian communicators

Average number of years in one job, for barbers: 25

Elementary school teachers: 13

Accountants: 8

Pastors: 7

Waiters/Waitresses: 4

Percentage of Americans who believe the church has influenced society in a positive way: 85

Percentage who believe computers and technology have: 87

Number of products in today’s typical supermarket: 30,000

In 1976: 9,000

Items in today’s average produce section: 285

In 1975: 65

Number of mutual funds currently operating: 3,347

In 1980: 564

On average, number of TV channels available to today’s household: 30

In 1975: 6

During the past decade, number of periodicals formed daily: 1

Number of religious denominations currently being formed weekly: 1

Percentage of men who have felt in touch with someone who was dead: 21

Percentage of women: 24

Percentage of U.S. population that is a member of a Christian church: 54.8

In 1970: 60.0

Increase in number of churches since 1950: 50,500

U.S. 1991 state and federal prison population: 823,414

Percentage increase since 1980: 150

Prisoners convicted of drug charges: 1 in 3

In 1981: 1 in 13

When You’ve Hit Midlife

The American Board of Family Practice asked 1,200 Americans how they would define middle age. Here are some results: 41 percent think you’re middle aged when you worry about having enough money for all your health concerns; 42 percent say middle age comes when the last of your children moves out; and 46 percent say middle age means no longer recognizing the music groups on the radio.

– Reported in Newsweek, 12/7/92

What Work Will Buy

Consumer Reports compared costs of certain items in terms of time worked to earn them. The results are sometimes unexpected. To pay one’s income taxes, for example, a person had to work an average of 50 days in 1962. In 1992, taxes required 49 days of work. A television set has decreased in cost by 4 times what it was 30 years ago. Long-distance telephone calls have decreased by 15 times. The cost of apples has increased, however, as has the cost for a hospital delivery of a child (15.5 days then, 62.2 days now) and the cost of attending a private college (129.5 days then, 251.4 days now).

– Reported in Context, 10/15/92

Faulty Picture

Don’t bother adjusting your TV. The problem seems to be the images piped out of Hollywood. That’s the conclusion made by a study of 104 leading television writers and executives. Conducted by the Center for Media and Public Affairs, the study found that Hollywood’s views run far from the mainstream of public opinion. Some examples:

Though 85 percent of Americans believe adultery is wrong, only 49 percent Of TV writers and executives do.

The country disapproves of homosexual acts nearly four times as much as Hollywood (76 to 20 percent).

Everyone else is less likely than Hollywood to say a woman has a right to an abortion (59 to 97 percent).

While only 4 percent of Americans have no religious affiliation, 45 percent of the TV writers and executives have none.

– Reported in Newsweek, 7/20/92

SOURCES-Job length: Ministry Currents, 7-9/92 and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Earnings, 10/88. Positive influence: Religious News Service in Pentecostal Evangel, 9/27/92. Supermarkets and other changes: Steven Waldman in The New Republic, 1/27/92. Periodicals: Steven Waldman in The New Republic, 1/27/92. Denominations: Steven Waldman in The New Republic, 1/27/92. In touch with dead: Psychology Today, 5-6/92. Church membership: USA Today, 12/14/92. Church increase: USA Today, 12/14/92. Prisoners and drugs: USA Today, 5/29-31/92.

Copyright © 1993 by the author or Christianity Today/Leadership Journal. Click here for reprint information on Leadership Journal.

Also in this issue

The Leadership Journal archives contain over 35 years of issues. These archives contain a trove of pastoral wisdom, leadership skills, and encouragement for your calling.

WRAPPING UP A LONG PASTORATE

ANIMAL INSTINCTS

PEOPLE IN PRINT

ICONS EVERY PASTOR NEEDS

WHY WON’T I PRAY WITH MY WIFE?

TIME TRACKING

REGARDING RESULTS

GOOD FENCES MAKE GOOD PASTORS

FROM THE EDITORS

KEEPING CONNECTED TO SPIRITUAL POWER

THE POWER OF COMMUNION

STORIES FOR THOSE WHO MOURN

10 Reasons Not to Resign

IDEAS THAT WORK

TESTS OF A LEADER’S CHARACTER

IDEAS THAT WORK

COMEBACK

THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE

A STRUCTURE RUNS THROUGH IT

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

MINISTERIAL BUNIONS

A GREAT PLAINS MINISTRY

CONTENDING FOR THE TRUTH...IN CHURCH PUBLICITY

FROM THE EDITORS

WHEN NOT TO CONFRONT

ZONED OUT

THE LANDMARK SERMON

WHEN TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC

The Unique Network of a Small Church

GOING TO YOUR LEFT

HOW PASTORS PRACTICE THE PRESENCE

CLOSE UP

TO VERIFY

A CLEARER CALL FOR COMMITMENT

ADDING BREADTH AND DEPTH

WHEN'S IT'S A SIN TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS

SUCCEEDING A PATRIARCH

WEIGHING THOSE WEDDING INNOVATIONS

PASTORING STRONG-WILLED PEOPLE

Case Study: The Entrenched and Ineffective Worker

A WOUNDED PASTOR'S RESCUE

THE SLY SABOTEUR

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW

CLASSIC CREATIVITY

THE TOP-10 “LAST WORDS IN YOUR CHURCH”

MAKING SENSE OF THE TRAUMA

Standing in the Crossfire

BENEFITS OF AN INTENTIONAL INTERIM

THE BACK PAGE

WARS YOU CAN'T WIN

UNLIKELY ALLIES

THE HIGH-TURNOVER SMALL CHURCH

Handing Your Baby to Barbarians

TO ILLUSTRATE…

PEOPLE IN PRINT

TO VERIFY…

ARE PASTORS ABUSED?

BUILDING YOUR ALL-VOLUNTEER ARMY

HEART TO HEART PREACHING

HIDDEN EFFICIENCIES OF PRAYER

IDEAS THAT WORK

WHEN YOU TAKE A PUBLIC STAND

REKINDLING VISION IN AN ESTABLISHED CHURCH

WAYS TO SHAKE OFF THE DUST

WHAT’S DRAMA DOING IN CHURCH?

THE DANGER OF DETAILS

THE BACK PAGE

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY

SQUEEZE PLAY AT HOME

A POWERFUL PRESENCE

PRACTICING THE ORIGINAL PASSION

MAKING PEACE IN A WAR ZONE

THE WELL-FED IMAGINATION

RAISING YOUR CREATIVITY QUOTIENT

LET THERE BE WIT & WISDOM, WEEKLY

TO ILLUSTRATE

THE PREVENT DEFENSE

FROM THE EDITORS

THE BACK PAGE

SAINTWATCHING

CAN YOU TEACH AN OLD CHURCH NEW TRICKS?

Spiritual Disciplines for the Undisciplined

BREAKING THE GRUMBLERS’ GRIP

WHEN YOUR CHILDREN PAY THE PRICE

THE CONCILIATION CAVALRY

DANCING WITH DEFEAT

IDEAS THAT WORK

THE TIGHTER ZONING DEFENSES

BUSTING OUT OF SERMON BLOCK

PEOPLE IN PRINT

How to Spend the Day in Prayer

REVERSING CHURCH DECLINE

THE JOY OF INEFFICIENT PRAYER

IF YOU HAVE A GRIPE, PRESS 2

CULTIVATING CLOSENESS

WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE A FOREIGNER

BAPTISM IN A COFFIN

SONGS THAT FIT THE FLOW

FROM THE EDITORS

THE QUEST FOR CONTENTMENT

THE CUTTING-EDGE TRADITIONAL CHURCH

CAN SERVANTS SAY NO?

PEOPLE IN PRINT

THE BACK PAGE

CARING FOR THE CONFUSED

A MODEL WORSHIP SET

WIRING YOURSELF FOR LIGHTNING

A Pastor's Quarrel with God

DIAGNOSING YOUR HEART CONDITION

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